MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

MediaWiki talk:Community Portal

2009-04-22T20:32:29Z

Keegman: /* Alt Mode Header Pictures? */ new section

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This is the place for discussion of topics that affect the entire wiki. Some topics that would ordinarily be here have merited their own pages:

'''The move away from Wikia:'''
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving]]
* [[Transformers Wiki:Community Portal/Complaints]]

'''Our policy on having ads in the wiki:'''
* [[Transformers Wiki:Ads]]

'''The Bookworm database-crash:'''
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Damage Control Central]]
* [[Project:Bookworm Crash]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving2]]

{{chapters
|title=Community Portal Archives
|content=*[[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive1|Archive 1]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive2|Archive 2]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive3|Archive 3]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive4|Archive 4]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive5|Archive 5]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive6|Archive 6]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive7|Archive 7]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive8|Archive 8]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive9|Archive 9]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive10|Archive 10]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive11|Archive 11]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive12|Archive 12]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive13|Archive 13]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive14|Archive 14]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive15|Archive 15]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive16|Archive 16]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive17|Archive 17]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive18|Archive 18]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive19|Archive 19]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive20|Archive 20]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive21|Archive 21]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive22|Archive 22]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive23|Archive 23]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive24|Archive 24]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive25|Archive 25]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive26|Archive 26]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive27|Archive 27]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive28|Archive 28]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive29|Archive 29]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive30|Archive 30]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive31|Archive 31]]
* [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Archive32|Archive 32]]
}}

==So what now?==
{{note|This discussion has been moved to [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving2#So what now?]].}}

== Image aspect ratios ==

I notice a lot of ''Animated'' screencaps, like [[:Image:SariLayingDown1.jpg]], are out-of-aspect ratio, which is kinda annoying - neither NTSC (480i, typically 720x480, US/Japan) nor PAL (576i, typically 720x576, UK/Europe/Australia) use square pixels, while computers do. A screencap from a 4:3 NTSC source should really be resized to 640px wide for uploading here, while a screencap from a 4:3 PAL source should be resized to 768px wide. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 21:39, 26 March 2009 (EDT)
:Since screen caps usually have to be trimmed of black borders, I'm not going to bugger about trying to get the aspect ratio correct. I just upload whatever my DVD software gives me. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 03:05, 29 March 2009 (EDT)

== News from Wookieepedia ==

A while back, one of the users here [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:SH_Archive/Site_Partnership_with_TFWiki suggested a partnership] between Wookieepedia and this wiki.
In case you're wondering what happened with that, the ongoing nomination process is [http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Wookieepedia:Official_Friends_of_Wookieepedia/Nominations#TFWiki.net here]. [[User:Silly Dan|Silly Dan]] 22:44, 26 March 2009 (EDT)
:Awesome! Now, settle this argument - could Death Star transformed as Darth Vader beat Unicron? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 07:13, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
:Cool. I think I made a vague overture there at one point specifically about the coverage of Attacktix and that weird Star Wars vs. TF packaging - I understand there have been some direct and less-direct TF references in SW (which I imagine will only continue to crop up, given that the current and incoming generations of SW official content creators are likely to be of the age where they're at least casually aware of TF, if not fans in their own right), so this is probably a pretty reasonable networking opportunity. We can explain to you guys why the Optimus Prime that fought Darth Vader doesn't look like the one you had as a kid, and you can explain to us how the entire thing was totally non-canonical anyway. Heh heh. [[User:Hooper X|Hooper_X]] 07:54, 27 March 2009 (EDT)

==Purging redirects==
I've noticed that the recovery process has been used as a good excuse for deleting useless redirects. I'm totally in support of this, and I'd like to figure out what counts as "useless." I used to think the more redirects, the better, since that would increase the chances of good results from people's misspelled or ill-informed searches. But now that we have that auto-drop-down suggestion thing, I've pulled a complete 180. Every redirect just clutters that menu up. To my mind, there are only five justifications for any redirect:
# It's the base version of an otherwise parenthetically-disambiguated set ([[Optimus Prime]])
# It's an alternate official term ([[Rodimus Prime]])
# It's a fan-term that is equally or more prevalent than the official term ([[Big Floating Head]])
# It's an alternate parenthetical that had received notable support in discussion (I think [[Sideways (Armada)]] was heading in that direction before the crash)
# It's a valid alternate spelling/parsing, especially if the auto-drop-down wouldn't naturally correct the user ([[STARS]])
I can't think of any other valid reason for a redirect existing. I bring this up because I've noticed in repairing the S.T.A.R.S. articles that there are both vestigial redirects from past improper capitalization ([[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?|Have the Decepticons Defeated Us Once and For All?]]) and newly-created redirects compensating for a grammatical mistake on Hasbro's part ([[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth.]]). I don't think either of those have sufficient reason to exist. What say you?<br />
- [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 12:38, 27 March 2009 (EDT)

:The less redirects, the better, I think. They just clutter up the search suggestion box, thereby getting in the way rather than helping. Talk page redirects should be killed on sight.
:But in this regard, we have Optimus (G1) redirecting to Optimus Prime (G1). Same for other Optimuses and Nemesises and the like. I'm in favour of getting rid of these as well (one such shortened version could stay to redirect to the dismabguation page, but that's it), but I'm not entirely sure. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 12:46, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
::Actually, looking at the auto-drop-down menu results for "Optimus (", it looks like every single series has its own version of that. That strikes me as silly; [[Optimus]] is all we need. But it depends on your approach: I'm taking a guilty-until-proven-innocent view, where redirects are assumed to be deletable unless they can be defended on the grounds stated above. I checked out [[Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Redirects for deletion#When should we delete a redirect?|how Wikipedia does it]], and they seem to favor the opposite view, based on the logic that a deleted redirect can cause unforeseen breakages (like if other websites link to the now-defunct redirect). I personally find their arguments unconvincing, but I don't know how other people feel. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 14:03, 27 March 2009 (EDT)

:::Not to mention it is confusing, like in the case of Nemesis (G1)/Nemesis Prime (G1) - most "Nemesis (" are redirects to their respective Nemesis Prime, but Nemesis (G1) leads to the ship, breaking any sense of consistency. As far as common shortened versions of names go, I think all we need is one that redirects to the disambiguation page. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 14:58, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
::::Absolutely agreed. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 19:00, 27 March 2009 (EDT)

:::I believe we need to give a little leeway to those who are even less than a casual fan. Having extra redirects for characters vaguely remembered (Optimus, Soundwave). Some people may just find the search box, type, and hit enter without even taking into account the drop down menu. One thing I think should remain to a point as well are acronyms minus the periods, i.e. GI Joe or STARS. A quick type, enter, and it redirects. I say this especially with GI Joe in mind since we may be getting traffic with the new movie and the JoePedia seems deader than the wikia TF.

:::I agree with Jackpot when it comes to redirects being linked to. I highly doubt that will be a problem. In-wiki we have a great team to fix all links before the page is deleted. In the case of out-wiki links, those who place the most around the net are very unlikely to link to a redirect. Those that do I think are too much of a minority to tip the balance against cleanliness of page numbers. Savvy? :::--[[User:Bluestreak7|Bluestreak7]] 16:53, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
::::Good point with the acronyms. I've added it to the list up above. I'm not sure what you mean about the "extra redirects for characters vaguely remembered", though. In the Optimus example, what less-than-casual fan is going to type "Optimus (G1)"? They're just going to type "[[Optimus]]", which will go to the disambig. All those "Optimus (__)" articles still seem completely useless to me. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 19:00, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
:::::I'd argue that gramatically correct forms of titles should remain as redirects. I don't want to expect a user to remember that one STARS flyer skimped on an apostrophe or that "Inferno Imprisoned" is actually spelled "Inferno Improsoned". Everything else I agree with you. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 19:16, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
::::::Though both of those would be wrong because it's actually [[Improsoned Inferno]]. I'm not being needlessly nitpicky: It demonstrates the point that I always make a habit of double-checking my links if there's the slightest question about them (especially given how many disambig-pages we have these days). Plus does this mean we should have [[Scorpinok|Scorponok (episode)]] and [[Trasformer|Transformers (Italy)]] pages?
::::::That having been said, I'm not particularly die-hard about this question. The "improsoned" example doesn't bother me that much because it's such a short title and therefore people would likely try to link it from memory. "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]", on the other hand, is so ridiculously long that I wouldn't expect ''anybody'' to try to use without looking it up first. It certainly took me a while to get comfortable with it, and I'm the S.T.A.R.S. expert here. Plus having the two(!) apostrophe'd redirects adds a level of absurdity to the drop-down, since you can't even see the difference in the limited space.
::::::Incidentally, right before we left Wikia, a feature was implemented that made the drop-down appear every time you typed a double-bracket while editing. I hadn't decided if that was awesome or annoying before it went away, but if it ever comes back, the argument for "correction" redirects will become even weaker, I think.
::::::- [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 20:13, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
:::::::While I agree about keeping useful redirects like the aforementioned STARS and Imprisoned Inferno, I do want to point out that our visitors are not either minimally knowledged on Transformers or complete retards. Someone with barely any knowledge on Transformers should still be able to find the correct article, if not through the search suggestion boxes, then through disambiguation banners or related pages (like "Energon (cartoon)" for Improsoned Inferno). And I doubt anyone would be annoyed about a tiny bit of searching. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 04:00, 28 March 2009 (EDT)

::Speaking of the search suggestion box, is it possible to customise its behaviour to give priority to articles ''starting'' with whatever you type in? At the moment, if I type in "Megatron", I get a choice of "All Hail Megatron" issues rather than a choice of actual characters named "Megatron". This makes the suggestion thing less useful in my books, and it'd be better if it gave me a choice of articles with names ''starting'' with Megatron and ''then'' other articles with "Megatron" in the name. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 22:20, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
:::I don't think the search extension proper allows you to do this in settings, but it could be done by adjusting the code.
:::(You could also make it so redirects didn't show up in the search-suggestion box, which seems much more important to ''me''.)
:::Hh. I just discovered something ''hilarious'' about redirects, I'm gonna make it a new topic. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:38, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
::::I vote against the removal of redirects from the search-suggestion box. It would be ridiculous not to be suggested "Rodimus Prime (G1)" when searching for Rodimus because the article's name is "Hot Rod (G1)" with the other identity's name as redirect. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 00:47, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::Can we have the search-menu program ignore redirects by default but have an option for exceptions? For instance, maybe there could be a template that we add to redirects that we actually WANT to have show up in the search-menu, like [[Rodimus Prime]]. I know nothing of the programming magic necessary to make this happen, so can someone in the know tell if this is feasible? - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:33, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::But... what purpose do redirects serve if not to help people find an article? The only ones I'm sparing are ones someone arguably could use for their search? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 02:38, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
I'm gonna agree with Geewunling here. There is no meaningful way to differentiate redirects we want to show up in the searchbox from those we don't, and they are useful to show up as suggestions. The way to get that signal to noise ratio better is exactly what he's been doing, purging those redirects that are unlikely to be frequent search terms, and leaving the ones that people are likely to search by.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:41, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
: *Psst* "she". [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 02:49, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::No, no, I already deleted that redirect. "He" is all we have left.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 02:53, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:Deleting "unworthy" redirects is a rather... violent solution. Even though I advocated it at the beginning of this discussion, I actually do prefer a surgical removal from just the search-menu instead if it's possible. As this discussion has shown, different people have different standards for what counts as worthwhile, and I'd rather see arguments revolve around something as easily changeable as a template than the creation/deletion of whole pages. Plus there's the sheer man-hours factor: My instinct is that more redirects are created by renaming ''badly''-titled articles than because of valid alternates, and therefore it will be more work to cull all the worthless redirects than it will be to modify the good ones for menu-inclusion.
:Plus I had another thought that might circumvent the need for ''any'' redirect-modification: What if typing the name of a redirect made the drop-down show only the actual article? For instance, the word "Rodimus" is in the name of ''four'' different redirects to [[Hot Rod (G1)]]: [[Rodimus Prime]], [[Rodimus Prime (G1)]], [[Hot Rodimus]], and [[New Rodimus]]. For some reason only the last two currently show up in the drop-down when you type "Rodimus", but that's still twice as many as there ought to be. If it just said "Hot Rod (G1)" instead of any of those, then we'd be keeping the drop-down clean without blocking the user's path, plus there would be no need at all to delete, modify, or otherwise discriminate among redirects.
:(Again, I have NO idea if this is programmatically feasible... but it's the best scenario I can envision.)
: - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 02:33, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::''There is no meaningful way to differentiate redirects we want to show up in the searchbox from those we don't''
::We could have the search function not return redirects, which was the way it behaved on wikia.
::It's not a huge issue for most wikis-- but because we are ''so'' "disambiguated," (almost every major article having multiple disambigs and redirects,) it's kinda a big deal for us.
::So we probably want Scour to edit ''SearchSuggest.php'' so that.
<pre>if($location == 1){

$res = $db->select( 'page', 'page_title',
array( 'page_namespace' => 0,
'page_is_redirect' => 0,
"UPPER(page_title) LIKE '%" .$db->strencode( strtoupper ($term)). "%'" ),
"wfSajaxSearch",
array( 'LIMIT' => $limit )
);
} else {

$res = $db->select( 'page', 'page_title',
array( 'page_namespace' => 0,
'page_is_redirect' => 0,
"UPPER(page_title) LIKE '". $db->strencode( strtoupper ($term)) ."%'" ),
"wfSajaxSearch",
array( 'LIMIT' => $limit )
);
}</pre>
::We'd probably also want to set <tt>$location = 0;</tt> near the beginning of the file. (Match titles from the front only.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:23, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

:::I can't tell what that code does, but from your description it sounds like it would just purge all redirects from the search drop-down. Thing is, so far you're the only one who thinks that's a good idea. I agree with Geewunling and Rosicrucian that at least ''some'' redirects are helpful, since there are so many valid alternate terms. So I've been suggesting middle-ground ideas, but I've got no clue if they can actually be done. What do you think of them? - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 07:33, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::When do you need a redirect in a search-suggestion? Searching for "Megatron" will give you a list of pages with disambigs after them. Searching for "Matrix" will give you a list of pages whose title starts with "Matrix." Matrix (Disambiguation) will be the first match because a "(" comes before any letter alphabetically.
::::What redirects do you want in there? "Humans" as well as "Human" You want "Brothers in Armor" (a redirect) to appear in addition to the real page "Brothers in Armor!!"
::::I assume you do have a reason why including redirects in the list of search suggestions would be an idea, an example-case I'm missing. Could you tell me what it is?
::::I mean-- we get 8 suggestions. '''There are more than 8 Optimus Primes'''. At this point I go to the (disambiguation) page, or click RiD Prime at random, then click its disambig link to navigate sideways to the Prime I want.
::::Wikia's search suggest nix'd redirects-- and a lot of times I just used it to to find a page title I knew was "right" rather than a redirect. So if I see the link to "Falcon" on this page is blinking because it's a redirect, I type "Falcon" into the search-suggest box to see what my options are. Having ''any'' redirects there, no matter how well-intentioned is bad. I don't WANT to see "Falcon" as a search-suggestion (it's the #1 match,) because that's a redirect.
::::When exactly is having a redirect in a search suggestion useful? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 07:57, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::An example has already been brought up: Rodimus Prime. If you type that in and the menu doesn't show redirects, you'll get [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)]] and [[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]], but you WON'T get [[Hot Rod (G1)]], which is most likely what you were looking for. If you want more examples than that, a couple have already jumped to mind, but I hope you'll agree without further persuasion that there are lots of cases like this. Hence my two suggestions: We exclude redirects by default and either 1) have a template we can throw onto valuable redirects so they're not excluded, or 2) make it so the core article actually shows up in the menu even if the word you're typing isn't in its title. Like I also said, I have NO idea if either of those is feasible. But without some intercessory factor like that, I think simply excluding redirects is a little too baby-with-the-bathwater. In the meantime, Geewunling is weeding through dozens of redirects, marking for deletion all of the ones she judges unworthy. I think THAT solution is dismayingly painstaking and severe (even though I suggested it in the first place), but in the absence of a programmatic solution, it might end up being the best. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 09:04, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::Geewunling likes to point out that she thinks a lot of these redirects should be fixed and/or deleted regardless. There's no point in keeping most of them, and they clog up things. I like some of the ideas mentioned here on how to have search suggestion box react on queries to exclude unhelpful redirects, but we should just get rid of a lot of them anyway. Btw, I've been wondering, is it possible to make the search suggestion box a bit longer than it currently is? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 09:30, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Sorry, I didn't mean to disparage your efforts; I appreciate orderliness as much as anyone, and it's pleasing to see useless redirects vanish. By all means, as long as you have the gumption for it, knock yourself out. What's "dismaying" about it to me, the more I think about it, is the idea of it becoming our official solution to the problem of a cluttered search menu. That's a lot of painstaking work to put on the shoulders of the wiki in general, especially since we're never going to see the end of useless redirects as the wiki grows. And the thing is, if we can find a programmatic solution for the search-menu issue, then the only area where redirects will really "clog up things" the annoying realm of double-redirects, which have been popping up at a very manageable rate so far. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 09:47, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::Double redirects are easy-- have the 'bot fix 'em.
::::::::And ''thank you'' Jackpot, "Rodimus Prime (G1)" is a good example of a time when redirects in search boxes would be useful-- my imagination failed me.
::::::::Here's the thing-- the thing you're suggesting... hiding all redirects except ones we flag in-page is... not possible, at least not without a fundamental change to the core functionality of the wiki, which is code I wouldn't touch with a ten foot laser pole. The "page_is_redirect" flag is a fundamental yes-no boolean database field associated with the page entry. We can ''reference'' that, but turning it into something squishier like "is redirect, or is a page we like" sounds nightmarish. I guess ''maybe'' you could totally rewrite the database query to use a join that tests against a category id... or more likely a category name that would be... ugh, it's giving me a headache just ''thinking'' about it... you'd be transforming a light ajax query that might be performed 10 times when you're typing a single word into an incredibly ''heavy'' cross-referencing string-match join query-- it's the difference between using a cup-holder and getting out of the car to fetch your drink from the trunk every time you want to take a sip. ...not to mention you'd be making core wiki functionality dependent on proprietary hacks-- in the service of a function that's supposed to be a minor ''enhancement.''
::::::::Let me sketch another scenario for you.
::::::::#I want Rodimus Prime! I type him in the search box.
::::::::#I see several results, none of which looks like the one I want. Rather than "Rodimus (disambiguation)" I clock "Rodimus (Animated)," just ot be difficult.
::::::::#This isn't the guy I want! Oh look, there's a link at the top-- "Other people called Rodimus Prime..." Hey, it's a list! And I want the first one on it!
::::::::You know-- that's assuming that the person clicks on the search-suggest. Most people ''don't''. If they click "Search" it'll come up just liek ti always does. The suggest function is just a tiny helper, completely seperate from actual searching.
::::::::And finally (and this is the real thing) '''the search suggest function has been entirely replaced in the new version of MediaWiki.''' I don't know what's different about the new version, but I think it's stupid to sink too much time into making this version perfect. Slap it a few times to make it behave more like we want, but hold off on major changes until the upgrade.
::::::::And finally, I agree with Jackpot-- purging redirects (which may be ''linked to'' from off-site) in order to make the "search suggest" function work neater is incredibly wrong-headed. Purge redirects if you want-- we certainly need to get rid of some... but '''that should not be your reason'''.
::::::::We deleted the "Nest" -> "N.E.S.T." redirect yesterday. Because apparently no one will ''ever'' search for "Nest." This is out of control. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:17, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::There is now a "NEST" -> "N.E.S.T." redirect and "NEST" comes up in the search box when you type "nest". And I click on the suggested list all the time. I think the only real improvement necessary is to assume that the what you are typing is the first word of the article. (so that "All Hail Megatron" doesn't come up when you type "Megatron") - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:27, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::I'm not feeling my work trivialized; most of the things you have said so far count as compliments to me. I'm merely stating what I believe to be the right solution for practical reasons. My current reasoning is that once we have this redirect purging done, it is easier to prevent in the future. A lot of our current redirects to me seem the result of misspellings, disagreements and/or need for an identifier, mostly from a time when we didn't have that awesome search suggestion thing and didn't have a bot to change links for us. I figure that with a clean slate and slightly better organization (like, mark the damn talk page redirect for deletion once you've moved a page), we can prevent the ridicilousness of redirects we currently have. And I disagree with Starfield's suggestion. While we need something for the Megatron search "problem", I have gotten a lot of redirects deleted on the basis that a later word in the query gets you the correct suggestion. Most recent example would be the "Headmasters" redirects to "The Headmasters" articles. But also in case of titles like all the doctors we have, just a correct combination of symbols anywhere should get you the proper suggestions. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 10:44, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::::...crap, I forgot searches were case-insensitive, aren't they, even if the actual page ''links'' aren't. Bitchy complaint withdrawn.
::::::::::And yeah, it's annoying as fuck to see page-after-page of redirect-flagging and deleting every time I check the wiki... but it's not exactly ''unneeded'', and a bunch of that stems from imprort and page recovery, stuff that had moved etc... we're just getting it all at once and clearing out 2 years of accumulated deadwood all at once. I have no problem with that-- Deadwood should be cleared. As long as we're doing it for the right reasons. The volume will level off eventually. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 12:52, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

:::::::::Thank you, Derik, for explaining why my idea #1 won't work. What about #2? Can the search-suggest, in the process of not displaying redirects, recognize ''where'' each redirect is going and display those pages in the menu too? As I said when I first suggested it, I actually think that's the BEST option of all. Based on your explanation, I'm guessing it's not feasible, but since you only mentioned my first idea, I want to be extra-sure no options are being dismissed out of hand.
:::::::::I appreciate your point about the new MediaWiki, but given what happened the last time it was installed, do you really think we'll try again in the remotely near future? My instinct is that it's too far off to be a factor worth consideration. Besides, maybe we can find out right now if the whole point is moot or not. Do we know of any wikis that are using the new software?
:::::::::- [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 15:44, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

The last abortive attempt at a MediaWiki upgrade should not be taken as by any means typical, nor as an example of best practices performing such an upgrade. It can be done better, we know ''how'' to do it better, and the only reason it ''wasn't'' done better is because it was done by people other than the ones we generally trust with such things.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 16:16, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

== Page load issues ==
{{see|Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Leaving2}}

==Wikia credits in redirects==
I just discovered this... it looks liek all of our redirects have wikia credits in the code. They don't show up normally, but hit the edit button, and there they all are. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 01:33, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
:I noticed this as well, and pointed it out over on the Damage Control Central section.... What I'm curious about is, is there any way for a bot to seek and destroy these? Because there's no way to see them unless you hit the edit button... --[[User:Detour|Detour]] 01:42, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
::I'm wondering if, when we move servers, we can run the same script we used when moving here in order to purge all Wikia links. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:47, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
:::I think we're gonna run a SQL database import when we move servers- so probably not.
:::I (finally) have a complete list of all wiki pages (as of about a week ago) including redirects. I'll rig my de-wikia-er script over the redirects tonight as soon as Big Sweep 2.0 is done-- at least on the 4000-odd redirects in the name namespace. (2.0 does about 1/3 of what I'd hoped it would... the regex's were just breaking my fucking balls, so I resigned myself to taking baby steps. Right now it's fixing one sort of in-page template and fixing all the escaped HTML-- so stuff will at least start ''looking'' more right, even if it's not properly template'd.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:21, 5 April 2009 (EDT)

== Icons on external links ==

Derik is experimenting with sticking icons on the external links for common external link sites (both for branding, and because it lets you visually scan the links without reading them-- "I want the profile-- NTFA!") These icons require CSS3, and I THINK they work on all modern browsers... but I really dont' care because they fail silently (creating no problems) if they don't. These icons should ''only'' show up in the External Link section-- I'm worried they might screw up layouts elsewhere.

If you hate it, think it could be improved, or just want a site added- let me know. The community can feel free to vote to toss it out if it's annoying... I just thought it was worth trying. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:12, 5 April 2009 (EDT)

== Quotes ==
{{note|This discussion was moved from [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Damage Control Central#Quotes]].}}

Quotes now seem to look like this:

{{quote|Freedom is the right of all sentient beings|Optimus Prime}}

when IIRC before the crash they look like this:

{{bigquote|Freedom is the right of all sentient beings|Optimus Prime}}

Now, it seems we can get the second result using the <nowiki>{{bigquote}}</nowiki> template instead of the basic <nowiki>{{quote}}</nowiki> template that is currently populating most of the pages.

I'm of the opinion that the bigquote look is much more pleasing to the eye and it also seemed to be the norm before the crash. Should we change the quotes to bigquotes on individual pages or just have someone with template knowledge make a change there? --[[User:Bluestreak7|Bluestreak7]] 23:29, 5 April 2009 (EDT)
:Discussion on [[Template_talk:Quote]] suggests that bigquote is the old style and quote is the new style. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:37, 6 April 2009 (EDT)
::Mind you I didn't ''ask'' anyone before swapping styles-- the intention was to give people a chance to evaluate the new look, but we only had it for a few days before the crash... so I don't think anyone noticed. :p
::It's my opinion that the old quote template took up too much space-- which is find for a single quote at the top of an article when you want to make a big thing of it, but I thought ''most'' uses of the template would look nicer with s smaller visual footprint. (Plus the html is more contextual.)
::Some people seem to dislike the chevron-style quoting... it's consistent with what, at the time, were our new reference templates-- also lost in the crash. The real appeal, to me, is that it lets you put quotes ''inside'' the quote template (such as an exchange between characters) without looking weird. The way we ''used'' to do that was multiple quote templates in a row, which (being oversize already) resulted in a massive on-screen footprint.
::If the consensus is to switch to the bigQuote format for all quotes instead of the smaller one, I guess that's the community's perogative... but I'm gonna argue against it until that decision is made.
::I ''like'' bitQuote-- it's great if you want a quote to be a big thing. Most of the time you don't. When you do-- why not just use <nowiki>{{bigquote}}</nowiki>? -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:48, 6 April 2009 (EDT)
:::Ahhh, my mistake! I coulda sworn I'd seen quote in use longer! --[[User:Abates|abates]] 01:55, 6 April 2009 (EDT)

::Why I don't like "quote":
::#It's ugly.
::#It's '''bigger''' than bigQuote. That seems to defeat the whole point.
::#Single guillemots ''don't get used as quotation marks in English'' and so '''they don't parse as quotation marks'''.
::#It's '''incredibly''' ugly.
::#And finally-if-slightly-tangentially, there's a conscious effort, it seems, to change all "bigquotes" to "quotes", which defeats the whole point of having two templates.
::Definite vote to revert - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 11:35, 6 April 2009 (EDT)

I vote against the revert. I do not like the old quote style, as noted on the above-linked discussion page. All we need to do is change the guillemots to quote marks and it's fine by me. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 04:08, 9 April 2009 (EDT)
In accordance with the general wishes of the community, the quotes have been changed from guillemots to standard quotation... though I think it looks terribly ''silly'' that way. You can see just how silly over at [[Template_talk:Quote]]. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:57, 10 April 2009 (EDT)
:Well, one day after updating the quote template, I finally ran into ''exactly'' the scenario I was talking about in regards to quotes within quotes. I need to quote this passage (which includes but is not composed exclusively of dialog) for an article.
{{quote|"Farewell Optimus prime," [Starscream] whispered to himself. "Time for Endspark."|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|<u>[[Ghosts of Yesterday]]</u> p280}}
:That looks absolutely retarded. The guillemots may have been ugly-- but they were at least ''clear''. And none of the user suggestions (including [[User:Abates]] idea of using multiple parameters for a series of quotes) applies here-- because the text is ''inline''.
:You all suck. Does anyone have any suggestions ''other'' than guillemots to make that look less retarded? Because <nowiki>{{bigquote}}</nowiki> looks even ''worse''. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 02:53, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
::[http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/quotes.asp Rule four] suggests it should look like this:
{{quote|'Farewell Optimus prime,' [Starscream] whispered to himself. 'Time for Endspark.'|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|<u>[[Ghosts of Yesterday]]</u> p280}}
::although you could also use ‘ and ’ maybe? --[[User:Abates|abates]] 03:33, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
:::I have restore the guillemots as an ''optional flag.'' (style=2) The entire ''point'' of using a non-english quotation mark was to avoid conflicts with English quotation marks, so the guillemots seem like a good fallback position when there is a conflict.
{{quote|'Farewell Optimus prime,' [Starscream] whispered to himself. 'Time for Endspark.'|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|<u>[[Ghosts of Yesterday]]</u> p280|style=2}}
:::This necessitated html and css changes, so some quotes may look funny for the next 24 hours or so until the pages de-cache. (They'll preview properly, and if you save them they'll look right... but left on their own they will re-cache with the updated <nowiki>{{quote}}</nowiki> HTML in short order, so don't bother.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 03:50, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

::Uh, why not take the easy route. '''Leave out the opening and closing quotation marks when you post''', and the template fills them in. i.e.,
{{quote|Farewell Optimus prime," [Starscream] whispered to himself. "Time for Endspark.|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|<u>[[Ghosts of Yesterday]]</u> p280}}
::There you go, simple and doesn't involve guillemots that don't parse for anyone. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 05:01, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
:::What a lovely mix of smart and dumb quotes you have created. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:46, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
::::Given the use of a monospaced font, it doesn't make sense to use "smart" quotation marks anyway... - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 07:24, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

:I prefer the old style quotes. Nobody can make me use the new ones. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 06:09, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
::I completely don't care about this discussion, but I must take the time to point out that it's "guillemet". "Guillemot" is a bird, which is decidedly not relevant to this discussion. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 03:49, 16 April 2009 (EDT)

== Epnav working? ==

I remember ''someone'' complaining that our episode navigation was broken when we first did crash recovery. Is that still the case?

(Let's pretend that this inquiry is NOT related to me going through goggle analytics and realizing, to my horror, what % of page traffic passes through those previous/next links.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:06, 6 April 2009 (EDT)

:I have no idea about the previous possible issues, but I'll point out here that some articles with epnavs converted so they look right, but when you edit them you'll see the epnav sectiosn were just converted to HTML equivalents of our epnav templates. I don't know if this is a problem, but I've placed a bookworm 2 on pages where I have found them regardless. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 07:40, 6 April 2009 (EDT)

:Interrobang fixed any issues with that a couple of days ago, I think. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 08:14, 6 April 2009 (EDT)

== Project: ==

For whatever reason, links to [[Project: Transtector]] (see [[Japanese Self Defense Core]] and [[Minerva]]) are automagically translated into links to "Transformers Wiki:Transtector". I'm thinking that's probably not the intended result. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 08:44, 6 April 2009 (EDT)
:Seems to be a kludge to redirect links to wikiprojects.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 13:51, 7 April 2009 (EDT)

== Blue boxes ==

Not sure where else to ask this question: Is there a reason the blue boxes (stub, coming soon, etc) don't have right hand borders? Or is this just something wonky with my computer? This has bothered me for some time, just thought it would be a good time to fix this (if it isn't just me) while all the other corrections are being made post-disaster.[[User:Khajidha|Khajidha]] 13:44, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:Better suited for the community portal. The main page discussion is specifically for the main page itself. I've moved your question over.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|<sup>Talk</sup>]] 13:50, 7 April 2009 (EDT)

:Are you using IE 7? I lose the right-hand side of the stub box in that too. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 16:04, 7 April 2009 (EDT)

== Orphaned pages ==

Now that things are starting to get in order, I've started my work on the orphaned page list again. I've noticed something odd. It seems there are a bunch of pages with special characters on the orphaned pages listing that are obviously not orphaned. It mostly seems to be Japanese voice actors and such. If you go to the pages and click the "What links here" button, there are pages linking to it.

At first I thought maybe it was an old list, but since then I have integrated in other orphaned pages and the list does continue update. The question is can we even do anything about this due to the automation? I really would like to get that list down at least to one page. Orphaned pages annoy me.--[[User:Bluestreak7|Bluestreak7]] 17:12, 7 April 2009 (EDT)

:While I have no idea how to fix this, it seems like these special character pages have acquired some weird kind of duplicates. For example, type "rmun" into the search box, and the dropdown menu gives you two different "[[Jörmungandr]]" articles, apparently with the same name but using different URLs for the special characters: "Jo%CC%88rmungandr" and "J%C3%B6rmungandr". Wiki considers the former URL to be an orphaned article and the latter one to be "correct", but both lead to the same article, no Wiki redirects or nothing. --[[User:Apoc|Apoc]] 17:38, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
::I have some ideas about fixing the problem, but I'd rather set up a test server to try them on before doing them on the main site. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 17:41, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:::FYI: [[Professor Gō]] has two entries in [[:Category:Scientists|Category sections]]. One is real (and filed under "G") and one is messed up (and filed under "P"). It isn't a redirect, it is some kind of ghost. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 16:51, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

:::I've also noticed that our page count on the Main Page seems to be in a state of flux. It gets up higher and then lowers. I wonder if this is due to these "duplicate" pages sometimes getting counted and other times not. --[[User:Bluestreak7|Bluestreak7]] 10:42, 15 April 2009 (EDT)
::::I think I am the fault of that. I'm not sure if it goes for all instances, but at least when I put the delete template on a redirect, it suddenly counts as a "page". Wait until someone has removed those pages marked for deletion - the count will lower again. Then wait for me to mark a few more and the page count will go up again. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 11:02, 15 April 2009 (EDT)

== Comics copyright ==

Right now, the comiccover template states that:
:''This image is the cover of a single issue of a comic book, the copyright for which is owned by either the publisher or the artist who produced this cover.''
...and similarly, the comicinterior template says:
:''This image is a panel or sequence of panels of a comic book, the copyright for which is owned by either the publisher or the artist and/or writer who produced this issue.''

Thing is, that's inaccurate in significant part - AIUI, Hasbro Transformers comic licencees have to surrender the copyrights on material published in a TF comic to Hasbro... with certain exceptions - primarily for our purposes, the publisher logos and publisher-owned characters. That's why Marvel went to the trouble of debuting Circuit Breaker and Death's Head (and others? Not counting issue 3 of the Marvel US series with long-established Spider-Man, Nick Fury, etc; of course) outside of their TF comics, so that they would retain the rights; and why Titan & IDW can reprint Marvel issues (although IDW seem to have a *lot* more trouble getting the rights to reprint the Marvel-owned stuff than Titan did).

Does anyone know enough of the details to write up versions of the templates suitable for Marvel US, Marvel UK, IDW, etc? [DW is more complicated, since their G1 ongoing and WW v3 fell into the black hole of their bankruptcy, when their earlier, nominally completed, stuff didn't] - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 11:53, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

== Redirects while editing ==

Go to [[User:Derik/Sandbox7]], hit edit, then ''preview''. (Hitting shift-refresh might be required to clear out your CSS cache if the effect isn't apparent.)

Links to redirects are highlighted ''in preview mode only''. If it's not highlighted, you know you're pointing to an actual page rather than a redirect. Should probably make it easier to just ''guess'' on a lot of links while still being assured you're picking valid ones.

(Pink is a terrible color to use for this. Any suggestions on how this should be styled? Sparkle-background?) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:46, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
:Would making them simply <span style="text-decoration: underline; color: blue">underlined</span> be too subtle? --[[User:Abates|abates]] 23:15, 12 April 2009 (EDT)
::I worry it's too subtle. What about <span style="text-decoration: underline;border-bottom: 3px double; color: blue;cursor: help;" title="I'm Rick James bitch, and ''this'' is linking to a redirect!">this</span>?
::If that's too subtle I could break out the sparkling text and have the wiki chant "Septus, Dominus!" every time you mouse over it...-[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:30, 12 April 2009 (EDT)

Aw, what's wrong with the pink? I think that one's clear enough. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 00:39, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

Not bad. At least this way it'll be easier to catch the redirects, applying changes when necessary. Although pink... I think it'd be better if the color was a different contrast if it's in the colored section of the templates (as in the episode/comic templates). --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 01:34, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:Abates suggested underlining... since the redirects ''only'' show up that way when in preview mode, I think it'd be a good idea to have multiple visual indications. (I don't think the previous/next links on the comicnav, for example, will change color... because they already ''have'' a color set. If you have multiple indicators (color underline, etc...) chances are at least one will remain noticable no matter what happens.
:Does anyone hate the blinking? (It's a firefox-only style.) Normally I HATE anything that blinks because its distracting, but the whole point here is to be able to easily spot the redirects. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 01:58, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::Eh, blinking's fine. Not that of a biggy for me. --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 02:08, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

::It's only in the preview and not in the saved pages, so the blinking is ok so far as I'm concerned! --[[User:Abates|abates]] 02:15, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::I think the feature is great? But yes, I hate the blinking. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:03, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
This might be a good time to mention this, but just because a link is pink and flashy doesn't necessarily mean it is a mistake needing fixing, right? It is sometimes OK to use redirect links. If you are talking about Goldbug it is OK (and preferable in my opinion) to link to [[Goldbug (G1)]] and let the redirect do the work. I think having it stand out so much would tend to have editors feel the need to clean them all out. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:17, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::There is potential for that. I agree that sometimes redirects are okay... <nowiki>*shrug*</nowiki> -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 12:44, 13 April 2009 (EDT)

How about "safety orange" or yellow? Those are universal "danger/warning" colors. (And less puke-inducing for me than pink). I don't mind the blinking either, considering that the idea is that the indicator is ''supposed'' to annoy the hell out of you until you change it. (FWIW, the whole thing works fine in Opera 9.63, too.)

As for Starfield's comment, eh, I just don't see it 99% of the time. If I wanted to link to something like Goldbug or Rodimus Prime, I would do <nowiki>[[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]]</nowiki> or <nowiki>[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]</nowiki> instead. About the only time I could see it useful is if you were doing linking related to a spoiler (like Longarm Prime vs. Shockwave, for instance), but even then you'd still only need to do it for a month at most. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 16:15, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:I don't personally see the sense in manually redirecting to Hot Rod when you are talking Rodimus Prime when there is perfectly valid actual redirect to use. You aren't talking about "Hot Rod". It is like word-linking that way, like you are trying to fake out the reader. "Rodimus Prime" is that character's name in that point of the story. I always thought that was the primary purpose of having redirects, and search boxes were secondary.
:Plus there is the added benefit of when you use the "what links here" page, you see what pages link to "Rodimus Prime", which is interesting information that is lost if everything links to "Hot Rod". - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 17:53, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::Because it's the same character. We say "Spike" or "Daniel", but link to their full name. If someone refers to Bumblebee as a "giant yellow Volkswagon robot" in something, we might use that phrasing in the synopsis, but we'd still link to Bumblebee, not to "giant yellow Volkswagon robot" as a redirect. Etc. It's not a fakeout, it's just using the proper contextual name in the text, but cutting out the middleman for the actual link.
::Redirects can make linking easier for editors who don't know immediately what the proper link might be, so we don't end up with accidental duplicate pages (or as a shorter way to link to something like an oft-used section link), but on the whole I think it's mostly useful for searches.
::In short, while not all redirect linking is something to worry about, per se, I don't see anything wrong with encouraging editors to hunt down the correct linkage, even in those sorts of edge cases. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 18:19, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::"Goldbug" was a character in the comic [[Used Autobots]], the character was ''not'' "Bumblebee". In that way, it is different than using Spike's full name, or even [[Peter Parker]] vs [[Spider-Man]]. I think a link on the [[Used Autobots]] article to <nowiki>[[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]]</nowiki> is incorrect because there was no "Bumblebee" in the story. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 18:36, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::And yet, Bumblebee and Goldbug don't have separate articles, because we treat them as being the same character. *shrugs a little* I don't ''care'' either way, really, and wouldn't consider it worth worrying about if someone linked to Goldbug, I just don't see that as more correct. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 18:47, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::Bumblebee/Goldbug is the same character. That is ''why'' I think it is OK to link to "Goldbug", even more correct to do so when you are talking about Goldbug. "Goldbug" is not a nickname for "Bumblebee", Goldbug is that character, at that point in the story. The article could be named "Goldbug (G1)" with Bumblebee redirecting to it or "Bumblebee/Goldbug", but for our, somewhat arbitrary, naming rules. I don't disagree with the naming rules, but just because the article is called "Bumblebee" doesn't mean that that always linking to "Bumblebee" is correct. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:00, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::And yet, even if you link to Goldbug, when you click on the link, you still end up at a page titled "Bumblebee (G1)". Is the little "redirected from" note really that crucial a difference? (Especially since the intro mentions the Goldbug change right at the top anyway.) It just seems like a difference that makes no difference to me. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 19:05, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Yes, when you link to Goldbug, you end up at the right spot, so why the big push to not link to Goldbug when you are talking about Goldbug? And yes, in some way I like seeing "redirected from", it lets me know that Goldbug is just as correct but the title is called "Bumblebee" out of convenience. And don't forget about the "What links here" feature. It is a little useful being able to sort out the Goldbug references. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:19, 13 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::Someone requested I link-fix a bunch of minor variants of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime ot all point to "Hot Rod (G1)". Instead I split them, pointing to "Hot Rod (G1)" and "Rodimus Prime (G1)" as appropriate-- in case we one day decide to split the articles like we do Megatron/Galvatron.
::::::The same principle applies. A split is ''unlikely'', but this way if we ''do'' split the articles, all the links are already pointing to the appropriate destination, instead of having to sort through 500+ incoming links ''by hand'' (that's abotu the number Hot Rod has...) to figure out which need to go where. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:57, 15 April 2009 (EDT)

== Moved talk pages ==

There should really be an option to delete the old talk page after it is moved instead of creating a redirect. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 12:20, 17 April 2009 (EDT)

==DEFAULSORT problem?==
Several of the entries in the [[:Category:Voice actors|voice actors category]] are listed both under their surname and their first name. These appear to be the actors with some accent in their name: [[Ireneusz Załóg]], [[Márcio Seixas]], [[Maurício Berger]] and [[Willi Röbke]]. Having accents, but not having this problem are [[Fátima Noya]] (but that's not DEFAULTSORTed), [[José Santacruz]] and [[José Sant'anna]]. Apparently, there's some problem DEFAULTSORT has with some of the accented vowels ([é] does work, [á], [ó], [í] and [ö] don't). Can this problem be solved? -- [[User:Tupka86|Tupka86]] 09:06, 18 April 2009 (EDT)
:It's related to the [[Transformers_Wiki_talk:Community_Portal/Damage_Control_Central#Macron_issues|Macron issue mentioned here]]. Once we fix that, the listing under their first name will disappear. --[[User:Abates|abates]] 21:07, 18 April 2009 (EDT)

==Franchise identifier consistency==
At the moment, we have 34 "G1" articles with an identifier of a specific Japanese sub-franchise to distinguish them from articles on usually Western/G1 material. We also have about 9 "G1" articles who use a different kind of identifier, on basis that the Japanese continuities are G1.<br>
This already led to a bit of moving around with the Grandus article between (G1) and (ROC) when the Animated guy was introduced. To prevent that happening with the Dai Atlas, Sky Garry and possibly Cancer articles, I'd like to have the community make a decision on how to deal with the (G1) identifier vs the (Headmasters), (Masterforce), (Victory), (Zone), (ROC) and (OC) identifiers vs whatever else can be/is used as identifier.<br>
My preference would be to use the Japanese sub-franchise identifiers. Simple and in line with the whole "from the (Japanese franchise) portion of the G1 continuity" on top of those pages. For convenience, here's a list of the moves it would mean:
*Sandstorm (Autobot) -> Sandstorm (G1) (Note: we have a SG Sandstorm now, so (Autobot) it can't stay anyway.)
*Sandstorm (Decepticon) -> Sandstorm (OC)
*Falcon (Predator) -> Falcon (G1)
*Falcon (Micromaster) -> Falcon (OC)
*Ricochet (G1 Autobot) -> Ricochet (Headmasters)
*Metrotitan (G1) -> Metrotitan (Zone)
*Grandus (G1) -> Grandus (ROC)
*Star Saber (G1) -> Star Saber (Victory)
*Joe (Micromaster) -> Joe (ROC)
*Circuit (Action Master) -> Circuit (G1)
*Circuit (Micromaster) -> Circuit (OC)
*Convertor (Micromaster) -> Convertor (OC)
*Convertor (Recyclon) -> Convertor (G1), but I'm in favour of leaving this one as (Recyclon) because all other Recyclons with an identifier use (Recyclon).
Thoughts? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 03:48, 19 April 2009 (EDT)

:Sky Garry etc... all fall under (G1.) Widest possible identifier when there's no conflict.
:This confuses people because we use specific franchises for UT characters... but the UT has SO MUCH name overlap it'd be pointless-- no one would have the (UT) identifier even if it was standard. G1 has little enough name overlap internal to itself we can make (G1) the default.
:So it's inconsistent--but it's at least ''consistently'' inconsistent. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 06:55, 19 April 2009 (EDT)
::Diver, Planet X, Hydra, maaaaybe Overlord... No, we're not consistently inconsistent either. And now I'm only looking at G1 West vs Japan. With BW, we do seem to be consistent in acknowledging its Japanese sub-franchises in identifiers. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 07:20, 19 April 2009 (EDT)

::What's this "widest possible identifier," Derik? Didn't we go through that huge "Swarm (G1)" debate (which seems to have been ''completely lost'' in the Bookworm crash, fantastic) to cement the franchise-of-origin rule forever and ever amen? The only question here is: What counts as a separate franchise? To my mind, ''Zone'' bears about the same relationship to G1 as G2 does. And, as the Swarm debate established, G2 is never ever G1 as far as parentheticals are concerned. The UT example has nothing to do with what you said and everything to do with our one simple rule. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 00:21, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:::...I don't remember anymore. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 00:31, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::At least remember to curse the name of Bookworm for three to seven generations. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 00:59, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::Side note: Actually, the bit of the discussion that was on my User Page subpage isn't lost. I just didn't upload it anywhere because we never actually determined a good permanent place to move it to, so I didn't know ''where'' to upload it to. After a quickie Google search, it turns out there's still a good cache file for the Insecticon Swarm talk page, too. Anyhoo. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 02:19, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::Hey, whatever you can find and restore, please do. The biggest value of preserving a debate like that is never having to go through it again. I'd say you should re-make your Sandbox and its Talk page exactly as they were before. I don't think a more "permanent" place is necessary; it's an aborted experiment, so it can stay on an "experimental" page. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 03:11, 20 April 2009 (EDT)

:::::I'm for moving those pages. Except for "OC" since it's based on a bad translation of a Japanese title. 合体大作戦 (''Gattai Daisakusen'') means "Great Combination Operation". Everybody who knows this, including me, just has been too lazy to correct it. (And Derik, the punctuation for a sentence is out of the parentheses. I'm not sure why you consistently make that mistake.) [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 01:54, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::Then maybe this is a good moment to correct it? [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 03:55, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Well, problem is that "Operation Combination", as incorrect as it is, is what the majority of English people know it as. And then what to have the disambiguation parentheses as? "(GCO)"? I would prefer to have it as "Gattai Daisakusen", but my opinion of forgoing unofficial translations is decidedly unpopular. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:13, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::Then it depends on what this wiki cares more about: helping people find information or providing them with the correct information. By what you're saying, I'd say Operation Combination should become a redirect to the correctly named article. And from there, I don't think (OC) is going to be anymore clear on what continuity it represents than (GCO) or (GD). I don't think many will immediately guess "OC" stands for Operation Combination, and that's also not the point of identifiers. [[User:Geewunling|Geewunling]] 08:21, 21 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::I'm in favor of using the Japanese sub-franchise names. I checked Beast Wars and we are using the sub-franchise names for that, (BWII), (BWN) so this would be consistent. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 08:51, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::Except as someone (Interrobang?) keeps pointing out-- that's problematic in itself. There was no BWII Toyline. There was a BWII cartoon... and a Beast Wars Toyline. Japan considers all 4 BW series paer of 1 toyline franchise, much like Generation 1. (This argument hasn't received a lot of traction, but I'm bringing it up because it seems relevant.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 10:19, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::FortMax brought it up at least twice. One could argue that since we focus on fiction, we should base our disambiguation system on it, but I dunno how to reconcile that with [[Cryotek (RID)]]. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:13, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::::Or [[Sideways (RID)]]. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 18:34, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::::::::Sideways at least got a RID bio. All Cryotek gets is a quote. (And what if they have RID fiction with Cryotek in it? RID and BM are in two different continuity families which means we have to split the articles and argharghargh) [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 19:19, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
::::::::::::Disambiguating by fiction has been argued. It doesn't work/help. --[[User:Jeysie|Jeysie]] 19:52, 20 April 2009 (EDT)

:::::::::The Wiki calls Headmasters, Beast Wars II, etc. "franchises." I didn't know the weren't until just now. It seems useful enough to do so, even if it isn't 100% historically accurate. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 19:07, 20 April 2009 (EDT)

== Alt Mode Header Pictures? ==

So, this is a pretty big suggestion, but it struck me that a nice addition to the vast majority of character pages would be, at the top of the page just below the character image, another image of them in their alt mode. I realize that some of the character images already have both representations in them, but plenty of pages (I was at [[Shrapnel_(G1)|Shrapnel]] when the idea hit me) don't even have a single visual representation of a Transformer's altmode!

I realize (or at least suspect) that this would be quite the undertaking, given that it would mean a change of the site's format standard, but it's something that I think would genuinely contribute to the overall quality of this wiki. An altmode is just as much a part of who a Transformer is, after all, and a lot of character intros don't reflect that enough. Hell, I've also wondered why we don't have a section right before "Fiction" called "Altmode(s)."

Please consider and respond, because I really think this is a good idea (and sort of an obvious one, too), but it's also a very big idea, and very big ideas tend to be retarded ideas incognito (especially if said ideas seem obvious). Tell other people to weigh in on this too! Preferably the people in charge.

[[User:Keegman|Keegman]] 16:32, 22 April 2009 (EDT)

Brave (franchise)

2009-04-11T06:32:25Z

Keegman:

[[Image:Fighbird groupshot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Like Transformers, except every robot has a face plate, something long sticking out of its head, and a gold chest. In other words, it's Gundam.]]'''Yūsha''' (or '''Brave''', also known as the '''[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Series]]''') is a [[franchise]] that [[Takara]] and [[wikipedia:Sunrise_(company)|Sunrise]] created after the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] anime ran its course in Japan. The Brave Series consists of eight individual series that were released one after the other from 1990 to 1998 with corresponding TV shows in Japan. The last show in the series received a follow-up OVA beginning in 2000.
Although none of the series storylines are connected to one another<ref>Although the storylines are not interconnected, there are some small connections between the series. For example, the reason Fighbird joined the Space Guards is that he admires Exkaiser. (This connection is stated in the ''Encyclopedia of Fighbird'', published by Keibunsha.) Also, there are some small cameos of human characters between shows, and some [[Character model|character models]], such as Draias and Guard Diver, are reused in subsequent series. Lastly, the ''Brave Saga'' video games retcon the storylines of the shows so that they link up.</ref> the basic format of each series is similar. Usually a kid befriends/creates/becomes a sentient robot, and together they fight a great evil threatening the Earth. The main robots combine with other vehicles and robots to become larger robots, and additional teams of sentient robots combine amongst themselves to form larger robots as well. (This structure is the same as the one used by the Autobots from [[Victory (franchise)|Transformers: Victory]].) The Brave Series has been described as a cross between Transformers and the [[wikipedia:Super_Robot|Super Robot]] genre of the late '70s and early '80s.

The Brave series consisted of:

* 1990: [[wikipedia:Brave_Exkaiser|Brave Exkaiser]]
* 1991: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of the Sun: Fighbird]]
* 1992: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of Legend: Da-Garn]]
* 1993: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_Express_Might_Gaine|The Brave Express: Might Gaine]]
* 1994: [[wikipedia:Brave_Police_J-Decker|Brave Police: J-Decker]]
* 1995: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_of_Gold_Goldran|Brave of Gold: Goldran]]
* 1996: [[wikipedia:Brave_Command_Dagwon|Brave Command: Dagwon]]
**1997: [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8B%87%E8%80%85%E6%8C%87%E4%BB%A4%E3%83%80%E3%82%B0%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3 Brave Command Dagwon - The Boy with Crystal Eyes]
* 1997: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar]]
** 2000: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar_FINAL|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL]]

Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer [[gimmicks]] and more limited transformations (often resorting to partsforming), but often also higher [[Show-accuracy|accuracy]] in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by [[wikipedia:Kunio_Okawara|Kunio Okawara]], a legendary Sunrise mecha designer.

==Relationship to ''Transformers''==
The initial concept designs for ''Brave Exkaiser'', the first Brave Series, were intended to be Transformers designs. While the Brave robot Ultra Raker was very far along at this stage, the Max team and King Exkaiser bore little resemblance to their final designs.

The Brave toys also have design elements similar to ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the ''Brave of Legend'' toys have [[Light-piping|light-piped]] eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many ''Generation 2'' Transformers share. The ''Goldran'' DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the ''Goldran'' toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of [[Rotor Force]] from ''Generation 2'', and the "Captain Shark" figure has a Gatling-gun style launcher, the same as ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]]. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during ''Generation 2'' and even more so during the ''Beast Wars'' toyline.

[[Image:DeathsaurusAndRedGeist.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And to think, Red Geist's toy doesn't even have any remolding.]]The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous ''Transformers'' series. It was not uncommon for the recycled designs to appear in a Brave TV show, but not in toy form. These designs were often significantly augmented to distinguish them from their Transformer counterparts. For example, the four Geister henchmen in ''Exkaiser'' have all-new faces, body detail, and color schemes. Of the designs that did appear in toy form, some of them were remolded to reflect these changes, whereas others were simple recolors. (A complete listing of the reuses follows in the section below).
Similarly, subsequent ''Transformers'' lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese [[Mini-Con]] [[Kingbolt]]'s coloration and characterization are [[Homage|homages]] to the Brave series ''Exkaiser''. Also, the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] featured many homages to the Brave series ''King Of Braves GaoGaiGar'', most notably the way [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] combines with [[Leobreaker]] and [[Wing Saber]], which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg and Stealth Gao respectively. The cinematography for ''[[Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his Prime Force limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage. The [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] characters [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are similar to Enryū and Hyōryū from ''GaoGaiGar'', both with respect to their elemental motifs and method of combination.

One striking difference between the Brave Series and ''Transformers'' is that very few villain robots were released for the former. This is in sharp contrast to most of the ''Transformers'' series, for which heroes and villains were and are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of ''[[Zone (toyline)|Zone]]'' and ''[[Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toylines in Japan, with the various ''Transformers'' lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception there rather than the rule.

==Toys and character designs recycled from ''Transformers''==
'''Note:''' ''Italicized names'' are non-toy characters.

===''Exkaiser''===
* ''Armor Geist'' — [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
* ''Horn Geist'' — [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
* ''Ptera Geist'' — [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* ''Thunder Geist'' — [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]

===''Da Garn''===
* Red Geist with Red Breaster — [[Deathsaurus]] and [[Tigerbreast]] (no [[Eaglebreast]])

===''Might Gaine''===
* ''Atlas Epsilon'' — [[Dai Atlas]]
* ''Atlas Mk.II'' — [[Dai Atlas]]
* Gōryū with Oowashi — [[Dai Atlas]] and [[Speeder]]
* Hiryū with Hayabusa — [[Sonic Bomber]] and [[Sonic]]
* ''Mega Sonic 8823'' — [[Sonic Bomber]]

===''J-Decker''===
* Duke Fire — [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|New Rodimus]]
* ''Kagerō'' (literally ''Mirage'') — [[Sixshot]]
* Shadowmaru — [[Sixshot]] (featured significant remolding to incorporate a ninja motif)
* The Micromaster Stations <small><sup>[[Hot House|1]][[Ironworks|2]][[Greasepit (G1)|3]][[Airwave|4]]</sup></small> (sans Micromasters and including non-transformable Brave Police figures; never appeared in the show)

===''Goldran''===
* Death Garry Gun with Missile Gear — [[Sky Garry]] and [[Shotbomber]] (cannibalized trailer launchers)
* ''Revibaron'' — [[Sonic Bomber]] with parts from [[Deathsaurus]] and [[Dai Atlas]]
* ''Zazorigun'' — [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]

===''Dagwon''===
* Dag Base — [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] (significant remolding, cannot combine with Star Convoy)
* Thunder Dagwon — [[Galaxy Shuttle]] (significant remolding, including a an additional motorcycle/robot that combines for the shuttle's robot mode)

==Note==
<references />

==External links==
*[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Series at Wikipedia]]

*[http://www.yusha.net/ Official Sunrise Brave Series website]

*[http://gaogaigar.wikia.com/wiki/GaoGaiGar-Betterman_Wiki The GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki].

*[http://mamao2.cside.com/ MAOMAO2's Room (Japanese)]

*[http://www.geocities.com/evattype01/ EvaTType01's Brave yuusha mecha database fansite]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=98174 The TFW2005 forum Brave thread]

{{stub}}

[[Category:Franchises]]

Japan

2009-04-11T06:17:34Z

Keegman:

<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="">

<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:PicsNeeded.gif|left|80px|They're actually both looking for characterization.]]
<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">Let's see what you can see...</span><hr />
This article is in need of images.

</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>

'''Japan''' is one of [[Earth]]'s nation-states. Despite being wealthy and populous, it does not qualify as one of the planet's superpowers, in large part because its Constitution has severely curtailed the scope of its military since its defeat by the [[United States of America]] in [[World War II]]. Its capitol is [[Tokyo]]. In some continuities it is a member state of the [[Earth Defense Command]]. This may greatly increase Japan's geopolitical clout, but it's hard to tell because the fiction is consistently very vague about how the EDC works.

It is famous for its [[Nightbird (G1)|ninjas]], [[Drift (G1)|samurai]], and [[Hojoni|big, green, fire-snortin' lizards]].

It is infamous for ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''.

:''Japanese name:'' '''Nippon''' or '''Nihon''' (日本)

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====Generation 1 cartoon====
In 1985, Japanese scientist [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Dr. Fujiyama]] built a female ninja robot [[Scale|approximately]] the size of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] "to benefit mankind". She didn't. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird|Enter the Nightbird}}

Later that year, Japan was menaced by [[Kremzeek]], a Decepticon-created electrical creature who severely damaged the electronics manufacturing industry there. {{storylink|Kremzeek!|Kremzeek!}}

Some time in 2006 (2010 in the Japanese continuity), the Decepticons mounted a series of nonsensical attacks on Japan. [[Predaking]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] attacked [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] in the Sea of Japan, upsetting local fishermen, while [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] attempted to ram a bullet train, and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] fought [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] outside a dojo. Despite the able Autobot defense, the extensive damage caused the furious Japanese Prime Minister to turn into a racial stereotype.

After questioning his fitness for leadership (and managing to lose the [[Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] in a surprise attack), [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] learned from the dojo sensei the lesson that he who deserts his obligations is already defeated. Later, a Matrix-mutated [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] attacked a major Japanese city. Giant robots just can't stay away from the place. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Some time between 1986 and 2002, the [[Autobot|Autobots]] [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformer (manga)|came from America]] to Japan on a longer-term basis, where they befriended an Elementary School boy named [[Kenji]]. Kenji was helpful enough to alert the Autobots about several of the numerous [[Decepticon]] attacks on Tokyo around this time, as Japan apparently became the focus of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s raids.

====''Binaltech''====
When [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] released the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] against the Autobots in 2003, Japanese automobile companies enthusiastically participated in the EDC's plan to produce [[human]]-manufactured bodies to replace the deteriorating ones of the Autobots who were infected.

====''Kiss Players''====
When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] was ejected from [[Unicron]] in 2005, he impacted Earth, specifically Tokyo. The EDC's mission became ejecting all Transformers from Earth. Tokyo was quickly rebuilt, and in 2006 had a force of 48 [[Autrooper|Autroopers]] to defend it. Unbeknownst to the population at large, the EDC is [[Shaoshao Li|''feeding children to Galvatron's spawn'']]. {{storylink|Kiss Players (fiction)|Kiss Players}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
In 2011, the [[Trainbot|Trainbots]] were created and lived in Japan, disguised as different models of locomotive indigenous to the country.

====''Super God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Japanese citizen [[Ginrai]] left his home in Nagano in his densely-populated homeland to become a trucker on the open highways of America. Meanwhile, the [[Pretender]] [[Metalhawk|Hawk]] lived in Japan, where he was friends with Dr. Gō and his young son [[Shūta Gō]]. With the rise of a Decepticon cult made up mostly of Pretenders and humans, Ginrai found himself caught up with the Autobots and returned to Japan to stop the cult's attacks. The three children who work for the Autobots also attended a school there.

====''Victory'' cartoon====
A year after the Godmaster conflict (whenever ''that'' was), [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] enrolled his adopted human son [[Jean Minakaze]] in a school in Japan.

===Marvel Comics continuity===
See [[Tokyo]]

===3H comics===
Some time around 2020 ([[Daniel Witwicky]] seems to be a graduate student on break from University), Japan was menaced by an entire ''battalion'' of female ninja robots approximately the size of Optimus Prime. This time Dr. Fujiyama didn't even bother '''trying''' to explain why he had them built. Japan was saved when Daniel heroically detonated a high-powered suicide bomb, obliterating the entire group of robots. {{storylink|Departure|Departure}}

===Dreamwave Generation 1 comics continuity===
See [[Tokyo]]

===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
The Autobots infiltrated Japanese society in preparation of [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] invasion, disguising themselves and working as [[Team Bullet Train|bullet trains]], [[Prowl (RID)|police cars]], [[Optimus Prime (RID)|fire engines]] and [[Tow-Line (RID)|tow trucks]]. (In some instances, they appear to have official standing in these roles.) Their base was placed in Japan's [[Metro City]], which conveniently was also the location of the buried [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]]. The Transformers battle often in Japan, which must piss off the locals something fierce; poor guys can't even [[Secret Weapon: D-5|look at steam trains in peace]].

World-famous scientist [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi]], his son [[Koji Onishi]] and permanently damned [[Kelly]] are residents of Japan and became key players in the Transformers' war on Earth.

Japan's famous haiku poetry left a deep mark on [[Sky-Byte]]. {{storylink|The Hunt for Black Pyramid|The Hunt for Black Pyramid}}

Japan also has the tallest tower in the world. Until it fell over. {{storylink|Sky-Byte Saves the Day|Sky-Byte Saves the Day}}

===Dreamwave ''Energon'' comics===
See sunny [[Tokyo]] one more time.

[[Category:Articles in need of images]]
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

Japan

2009-04-11T06:17:22Z

Keegman:

<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="">

<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:PicsNeeded.gif|left|80px|They're actually both looking for characterization.]]
<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">Let's see what you can see...</span><hr />
This article is in need of images.

</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>

'''Japan''' is one of [[Earth]]'s nation-states. Despite being wealthy and populous, it does not qualify as one of the planet's superpowers, in large part because its Constitution has severely curtailed the scope of its military since its defeat by the [[United States of America]] in [[World War II]]. Its capitol is [[Tokyo]]. In some continuities it is a member state of the [[Earth Defense Command]]. This may greatly increase Japan's geopolitical clout, but it's hard to tell because the fiction is consistently very vague about how the EDC works.

It is famous for its [[Nightbird (G1)|ninjas]], [[Drift (G1)|samurai]]. and [[Hojoni|big, green, fire-snortin' lizards]].

It is infamous for ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''.

:''Japanese name:'' '''Nippon''' or '''Nihon''' (日本)

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====Generation 1 cartoon====
In 1985, Japanese scientist [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Dr. Fujiyama]] built a female ninja robot [[Scale|approximately]] the size of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] "to benefit mankind". She didn't. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird|Enter the Nightbird}}

Later that year, Japan was menaced by [[Kremzeek]], a Decepticon-created electrical creature who severely damaged the electronics manufacturing industry there. {{storylink|Kremzeek!|Kremzeek!}}

Some time in 2006 (2010 in the Japanese continuity), the Decepticons mounted a series of nonsensical attacks on Japan. [[Predaking]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] attacked [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] in the Sea of Japan, upsetting local fishermen, while [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] attempted to ram a bullet train, and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] fought [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] outside a dojo. Despite the able Autobot defense, the extensive damage caused the furious Japanese Prime Minister to turn into a racial stereotype.

After questioning his fitness for leadership (and managing to lose the [[Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] in a surprise attack), [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] learned from the dojo sensei the lesson that he who deserts his obligations is already defeated. Later, a Matrix-mutated [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] attacked a major Japanese city. Giant robots just can't stay away from the place. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
Some time between 1986 and 2002, the [[Autobot|Autobots]] [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformer (manga)|came from America]] to Japan on a longer-term basis, where they befriended an Elementary School boy named [[Kenji]]. Kenji was helpful enough to alert the Autobots about several of the numerous [[Decepticon]] attacks on Tokyo around this time, as Japan apparently became the focus of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s raids.

====''Binaltech''====
When [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] released the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] against the Autobots in 2003, Japanese automobile companies enthusiastically participated in the EDC's plan to produce [[human]]-manufactured bodies to replace the deteriorating ones of the Autobots who were infected.

====''Kiss Players''====
When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] was ejected from [[Unicron]] in 2005, he impacted Earth, specifically Tokyo. The EDC's mission became ejecting all Transformers from Earth. Tokyo was quickly rebuilt, and in 2006 had a force of 48 [[Autrooper|Autroopers]] to defend it. Unbeknownst to the population at large, the EDC is [[Shaoshao Li|''feeding children to Galvatron's spawn'']]. {{storylink|Kiss Players (fiction)|Kiss Players}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
In 2011, the [[Trainbot|Trainbots]] were created and lived in Japan, disguised as different models of locomotive indigenous to the country.

====''Super God Masterforce'' cartoon====
Japanese citizen [[Ginrai]] left his home in Nagano in his densely-populated homeland to become a trucker on the open highways of America. Meanwhile, the [[Pretender]] [[Metalhawk|Hawk]] lived in Japan, where he was friends with Dr. Gō and his young son [[Shūta Gō]]. With the rise of a Decepticon cult made up mostly of Pretenders and humans, Ginrai found himself caught up with the Autobots and returned to Japan to stop the cult's attacks. The three children who work for the Autobots also attended a school there.

====''Victory'' cartoon====
A year after the Godmaster conflict (whenever ''that'' was), [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] enrolled his adopted human son [[Jean Minakaze]] in a school in Japan.

===Marvel Comics continuity===
See [[Tokyo]]

===3H comics===
Some time around 2020 ([[Daniel Witwicky]] seems to be a graduate student on break from University), Japan was menaced by an entire ''battalion'' of female ninja robots approximately the size of Optimus Prime. This time Dr. Fujiyama didn't even bother '''trying''' to explain why he had them built. Japan was saved when Daniel heroically detonated a high-powered suicide bomb, obliterating the entire group of robots. {{storylink|Departure|Departure}}

===Dreamwave Generation 1 comics continuity===
See [[Tokyo]]

===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
The Autobots infiltrated Japanese society in preparation of [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] invasion, disguising themselves and working as [[Team Bullet Train|bullet trains]], [[Prowl (RID)|police cars]], [[Optimus Prime (RID)|fire engines]] and [[Tow-Line (RID)|tow trucks]]. (In some instances, they appear to have official standing in these roles.) Their base was placed in Japan's [[Metro City]], which conveniently was also the location of the buried [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]]. The Transformers battle often in Japan, which must piss off the locals something fierce; poor guys can't even [[Secret Weapon: D-5|look at steam trains in peace]].

World-famous scientist [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi]], his son [[Koji Onishi]] and permanently damned [[Kelly]] are residents of Japan and became key players in the Transformers' war on Earth.

Japan's famous haiku poetry left a deep mark on [[Sky-Byte]]. {{storylink|The Hunt for Black Pyramid|The Hunt for Black Pyramid}}

Japan also has the tallest tower in the world. Until it fell over. {{storylink|Sky-Byte Saves the Day|Sky-Byte Saves the Day}}

===Dreamwave ''Energon'' comics===
See sunny [[Tokyo]] one more time.

[[Category:Articles in need of images]]
[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

Optimus Primal (BW)/toys

2009-04-11T05:56:17Z

Keegman: /* Beast Machines */

[[Image:Optimus_Primal_toys.jpg|right|300px|Optimus Primal toys.jpg]]
'''[[Optimus Primal]]''' has had a barrel full of toys. None of them [[Optimus Minor|monkeys]]!

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-Primalbat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cheetor. ''Cheetor.'' I'm Batman.]]
* '''Optimus Primal vs Megatron!''' (Basic versus two-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:The first Optimus Primal was a Basic size class blue bat which could autotransform into a robot by pulling the tail. Two swords were removable from under its wings for use as weaponry in robot mode. It was packaged along with an alligator version of Megatron and a ''Beast Wars'' mini-comic.

:Whether this toy can be considered the Optimus Primal character is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Optimus Primal as a separate entity from Optimus Prime, the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting micro-continuities.

:The ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of the ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Primal's bat form was suggested by the ''Axalon'''s computer as a potential alt-mode, but he rejected it in favour of the more powerful gorilla without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits bat-mode Primal as an essentially theoretical alt-form that never actually came to be.

:This mold was also used to make the [[#CDROM|Optimus Prime-recolored Convobat]] (who may or may not be a separate character to either Prime or Primal), and [[Onyx Primal]].

{{-}}<span id="FirstUltra"></span>

[[Image:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yes, missiles come out of his butt.]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
: The second Optimus Primal toy was an ape in the Ultra size class. Though the transformation from primate to humanoid was a relatively simplistic one, the toy compensated with more than a fair share of weaponry and action features. A compartment on his right forearm opened to reveal a skull-shaped mace he could hold in his fist. His left forearm could open into a double-barreled missile launcher. On his back were two spring-loaded missile launchers which auto-flipped over each shoulder. By pulling a lever in the center of his back, both arms would either spin at the bicep or bend in and out at the elbow, depending on the placement of notch-buttons located on either bicep. And finally, like many first-year ''Beast Wars'' toys, a battle mask/"[[mutant head]]" could be deployed over his robot head.

:[[Image:Prizeprimals.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Brass monkeys.]]

:Takara released the toy as part of their ''Beast Wars'' line in July of 1997, nearly identical to the Hasbro version. The missiles for the Takara version are thinner and simpler than the original Hasbro version, and would be used in all subsequent releases of the mold.

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Optimus Primal and [[Beast Wars Telemocha]] DX Convoy, and [[retool]]ed into ''Beast Wars Reborn''/''Beast Wars Tenth Anniversary'' versus pack Optimus Primal. Takara also created multiple special variants, including all-gold (from ''Tele-V Magazine'', only ten awarded), red and gray (''Tele-V'' again, but only ''one'' awarded), and blue-fur (a ''Comics Bom Bom'' design-contest prize, only five awarded).

{{-}}<span id="Gray"></span>

* '''Special Convoy Real Gray Type''' (Ultra, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:In January of 1998{{fact}}, Takara released a redeco of the Ultra Optimus Primal toy as '''Special Convoy Real Gray Type''' (スペシャルコンボイ — リアルグレータイプ), changing the black to dark gray and the blue to metallic blue, although the packaging was the same as the original release save for a sticker on the front of the box. According to the sticker, this limited figure was meant to celebrate the "20,000,000 Unit Breakthrough Commemoration"—apparently commemorating ''20 million'' units of Beast Wars toys sold. Whether this was supposed to represent 20 million worldwide or just in Japan is unclear.

{{-}}<span id="Clear"></span>

* '''Special Convoy Skeleton Type''' (Ultra, 1998?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
: A Toys 'R' Us retail [[exclusive]] redeco of the Ultra figure, '''Special Convoy Skeleton Type''' (スペシャルコンボイ — スケルトンタイプ) was colorless-clear and black with silver paint detailing. The packaging was the same as the general release except for a sticker on the front of the box.

{{-}}<span id="CDROM"></span>

[[Image:BW-toy OptimusPrimalCDROM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Freedom is the right of all superstitious, cowardly lots. Wait, no, that's not right...]]
*'''Convobat vs Megaligator''' (multipack)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''S-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
: Available only in a special CD-ROM two-pack with a [[Megatron (BW) toys|purple redeco of "Megalligator"]], this version of Optimus Primal (maybe) retains its previous gimmickry. his back features a silver Maximal [[faction symbol]] plus "C-ROM", as in "Cybertron", get it? Huh? And Megatron has the "D-ROM"? See what they did there?

: Just what character this toy represents is up for debate. The toy's [[bio]] claims he used to turn into a tractor-trailer (indicating [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]), but considering the timeframe of when they were written and the whole lack of a stance on who Primal "was" before the show and bla bla bla... it's just easier to file this under the same iffiness as the original toy bios set on modern [[Earth]] and leave it at that.

: This mold was also used to make [[Onyx Primal]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Cybertron/ConvoyBat/convoybat.htm More information on CD-ROM Convobat at TFU.info]''

* '''Burning Convoy''' (Ultra)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:[[Spontaneous recoloration|Clear-red]] redeco of Primal, with gold "flame" markings also included. Was released as a limited edition figure to promote the ''Beast Wars Special'' movie alongside the Flash Lio Convoy toy.

{{-}}<span id="Microverse"></span>

[[Image:BWMicroversetoy-Primal.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Seamunky?]]
*'''Orcanoch''' (Microverse, 1997)
: Part of the short-lived ''[[Microverse]]'' toyline (from before [[Hasbro|Hasbro's]] acquisition of rival Galoob and their micro-toy empire), [[Orcanoch]] transforms into a Maximal base. It came with tiny, non-transforming versions of Optimus Primal and [[Tarantulas]]. These figures were designed to sit in the various mini-vehicles and control modules of the Microverse playsets.

{{-}}<span id="MegaTransmetal"></span>

[[Image:BWtoy-PrimalTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Check out those abs!]]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (Mega Transmetal, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun, two clubs/missiles
: [[Transmetal]] Optimus Primal is a mechanical gorilla that transforms into a partially organic robot. Like all Transmetals, it featured chromed plastic and a third vehicle-inspired mode. In Primal's case, his gorilla mode could transform into a gorilla on a hoverboard. Two maces were stored on his back and could double as missiles for his hip-holstered blaster.

: [[Takara|Takara's]] version of the toy exchanged the brown plastic for translucent maroon, and was also available in a set with Transmetal Megatron.

: This mold was used to make [[Apelinq]].

{{-}}<span id="Optimal.2BOptimus"></span>

[[Image:BWtoy-OpOp.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It's really about two modes, not four, if you're honest.]]
* '''Optimal Optimus''' (Super Transmetal, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-47'''
**''Accessories:'' One gun, four missiles, six break-away armor plates
: Transmetal Optimal Optimus was the first toy in the Super size class, featuring electronics and four transformations: robot, ape, jet, and armored transport. When a back section of the cannon module was pulled, the eyes and shoulder-mounted missile launchers lit up and the launchers fired. It came with four missiles, two of which stored on its legs. Its forearms featured blast-away armor plates that could also be pegged to its upper arms.

:Optimal Optimus's on-package [[bio]] states that he has Cybertronian "air guardian" technology and twin scramjet modules. [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s function was Air Guardian, and his Tech Specs said he had these same scramjet modules.

: This mold was used to make [[Primal Prime]], and was the model for [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s (non-toy) "Optimal" body, seen in "[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]".

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BM-toy OpPrimalDx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I am the exact opposite of show-accurate.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Deluxe, 2000)
**''Accessories'': Energy shuriken
: The first ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' Optimus Primal is a dark bronze and translucent blue technorganic gorilla that transforms into a technorganic robot. His right robot-mode arm is spring-loaded to throw the shuriken that stores in his left leg (the ape mode's left shoulder). Like all ''Beast Machines'' toys, he has a hidden "[[spark crystal]]" that displays his faction allegiance; Primal's is in his chest, revealed with the spring-loaded "flexing" motion that also moves his beast-mode face up for snarling while posing. His robot-mode head also features a changing expression via sliding brow/skullcap.

:Official [[Hasbro]] stock photography of this toy shows a differently-molded shuriken, lacking the "energy flame" effect.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Deluxe Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}<span id="McDonaldsBM"></span>

[[Image:BMtoy-PrimalMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Robot hate the monkey.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Happy Meal toy, 2000)
: McDonald's ''Beast Machines'' Optimus Primal is an incredibly simple toy that transforms from a technorganic robot to technorganic ape. Its sculpted detail is based directly that of the television show's model for Primal. It uses translucent plastic for the body, and, like the other McDonald's ''Beast Machines'' toys, there's a sculpted spark crystal on the toy's surface; on Optimus Primal, it is placed on the stomach. Additionally, there are two organic flaps on the toy's back, and in robot mode, nobody's entirely sure exactly what to do with them. Are they rotated all the way down to make his booster jets? Are they rotated out to the sides to make the backs of his shoulder pads? Are they rotated back to where they go in gorilla mode, once you get his heads swapped? We may never know.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on McDonald's Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}<span id="BlastPunch"></span>

[[Image:BMtoy-PrimalMega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|They will fight eternally!]]
*'''Blast Punch Optimus Primal''' (Mega, 2001)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BR-01'''
**''Accessories'': Missile
:One of the last toys released in the ''Beast Machines'' line (under the "Battle for the Spark" rebranding), "Blast Punch" Optimus Primal transforms into a technorganic gorilla more like the show model, though with a considerably brighter color scheme. His main [[gimmick]] is his left arm, which contains a hidden missile launcher.Pushing down on his shoulder armor "winds" the mechanism in his gauntlet. Pushing the spark crystal on his bicep spins his gauntlet around, simultaneously triggering the spring-loaded missile launcher and activating his spring-loaded ramming "blast punch" action, extending his fist forward nearly a full inch. He also has hidden jet thrusters under a panel on his back. In beast mode, a small button on the top of his head pushes his upper face up in a "snarling" action.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BlastPunchOptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on Blast Punch Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

*'''Optimus Primal''' (Jollibee Kids Meal, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Pen Keeper
: Optimus Primal was available as one of three figures in a Jollibee promotion. The toy is a greatly simplified version of his ''Beast Machines'' Deluxe toy.

===Robots in Disguise===
[[Image:RIDtoy-Suprimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Monkey versus robot!]]
* '''Air Attack Optimus Primal''' (Supreme, 2002)
:Intended for release in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline, Air Attack Optimus Primal was eventually released as a Toys "R" Us exclusive as part of the ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline. Positively oozing light-and-sound gimmicks in both modes, Optimus Primal does ''all'' sorts'a crazy crap, all of which is first activated by pressing his chest plate. Doing so "turns on" his electronics with a metallic shrieking noise, and the toy proceeds to hum constantly while the chest glows with a red LED. The electronics will eventually "turn off" if the toy is left idle, but you don't want to do that! You want to push his head (in either mode), which activates glowing lights in his eyes and actual speech samples of [[Garry Chalk]] from the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon (making Primal the first English-speaking ''Transformers'' toy to have speech clips performed by his actual cartoon voice actor). On top of that, the toy also features a pressure-launching disc-shooter in its robot-mode stomach (accompanied by blasting sound effect), and a geared right arm with a spring-loaded punch action (and suitably pained electronic grunt). The ''big'' feature—the one that gives the toy its name—is his jetpack, which pops out (with translucent blue jet flames trailing behind) at the push of a button. This puts the toy into "flight mode", and it constantly produces the sound of whooshing jets, which then rises and falls depending on how the figure is held. Tilt him upwards, and the pitch rises as he ascends! Tilt him down, and ''zoom!''

:Also, he has a butt on his head.

{{-}}

===Universe===
[[Image:Universe2003toy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Kinda looks like Don Rickles, don't you think?]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail

{{-}}

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMtoy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|There he is, my littler guy.]]
*'''Beast Convoy'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-11'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, sword connector

{{-}}

*'''Beast Convoy Limited Black Version'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords

: Available only via mail order through ''Hobby Japan'' magazine.

<span id="RMBURN"></span>

* '''Burning Beast Convoy'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-21'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:This toy refers to the ''Beast Wars II'' movie form where he partnered with Lio Convoy, turning them into Burning Convoy and Flash Lio Convoy respectively.

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:Optimusprimalbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|''Surf monkey/ that funky monkey'']]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' Surfboard, assault blade, missile, Jungle Planet Key
: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary (BWX) Optimus Primal is a new toy design based loosely on his original ultra ape action figure and pulling some elements from other figures, including a transformation very similar to the Playskool Go-Bot [[Gorillabot]], which itself was a nod to Optimus Primal's Beast Machines form. Similar to his Transmetal form, BWX Optimus Primal also comes with a hoverboard that fires a missile when a [[Cyber Planet Key]] is inserted.

:[[Image:PrimalXsword.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Opposable thumbs!]]

: The board also features a spring-loaded extending "assault blade" (or "ass lt blade" as the directions call it). Though it is not intended to be removed, the blade can be popped off and held in Primal's hand thanks to his posable thumbs.

: He is also packaged with a mini-comic-sized reprinting of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Gathering]]'' #1, a small [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']] ship figurine, and a [[Jungle Planet]] style Cyber Planet Key without a [[Cyber Key Code]] stamped on it.

:This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] and released as ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]. The sculpt for both BWX leader toys were intentionally designed to blend in with the Jungle Planet aesthetic, "in case" they didn't get a Beast Wars Anniversary release (according to [[Aaron Archer|Aaron Archer's]] statements at [[BotCon 2005]]).

{{-}}

* '''Optimus Primal vs Megatron''' (Toys "R" Us, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:Identical to the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' set as detailed below, but in new packaging with a DVD of the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Possession]]".

===Beast Wars Reborn===
[[Image:BWReborntoy-Primal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The eighth Optimus of the world... PRIMAL!]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BWR-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail

:[[Image:Optimusprimaltoybwrebornheads.jpg|left|100px|thumb|Staring contest—go!]]

: This release is a [[retool]] of the original 1996 Ultra toy, with new beast and robot heads, plus a new robot chest piece sculpted to match the television series's portrayal. The color scheme was also altered to be show-accurate, changing the black to dark gray, much of the light gray to medium gray with hints of bronze, primary red to crimson, and blue to a more dull steel blue. All of the toy's previous [[gimmick]]s are retained with the sole exception of the "mutant head."

:This figure came packaged with a similarly-remolded [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and a [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]] CD-ROM that contains control art for a number of ''Beast Wars'' toys.

{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumSeries-Primal3inch.jpg|right|150px|thumb|This Primal wasn't built—it was ''poured!'']]
* '''Optimus Primal''' (3" Robot Master figurine)
**''Accessories'': Stand
:This 3-inch die-cast and plastic figurine of Optimus Primal features him in his ''Beast Wars'' season 1 appearance, with swords drawn in an action pose. He came with an [[Autobot]] figure stand, weirdly enough.

{{-}}

[[Image:Titanium Optimal Optimus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ready? And... Faceplant!]]
* '''Optimal Optimus''' (6" Transformable figure)
**''Accessories'': Stand with nameplate
:For undetermined reasons, this incarnation of Optimal Optimus does not include the beast mode. This does have precedent in the fiction: When [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] built a copy of that body for himself at the end of ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', his version didn't have a beast mode either.

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-PrimalDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Trukk munky?]]
* '''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Boxset, BotCon 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, Maximal [[Golden Disk]] key
:A [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]], ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' Optimus Primal transforms into a three-wheeled Cybertronic race car with huge turbine thrusters. These thrusters each contain a spring-loaded missile launcher,and can be swung forward in both vehicle and robot mode by plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]] into his key-jack. This also activates electronic sound effects. He has a new head that replicates Optimus Primal's first [[character model]].

:Available only in a multi pack with the ''Axalon'' versions of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], and [[Rattrap]], as well as the ''[[Darksyde]]'' version of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:BWTelemocha Convoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Anyone else feel like we're going in circles?]]
*'''Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:''[[Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' Convoy is an extensive redeco of the ''Robot Masters'' Beast Convoy figure in a similar style to the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' retool of the Ultra-class figure.

{{-}}

[[Image:BWTelemochaDXPrimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Seriously, we're getting dizzy!]]
*'''DX Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-SP'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
:An extensive show-accurate redeco of the original Ultra-class Optimus Primal mold ''without'' the recently remolded head and chestplate. Oh [[TakaraTomy]], you so crazy.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Kabaya gum kits===
====Beast Wars====
* '''Convoy''' (1997)
: A nontransformable figurine of bat-body Primal, sculpted in a sword-wielding action pose across a blue base. Figure is painted.

* '''Convoy''' (1997)
: A nontransformable figurine of gorilla-body Primal, sculpted in an action pose, wielding his mace and armguns, posed on a black base. Figure is painted.

* '''Convoy''' (1997, Standard Kit)
: A tiny, simple black and purple transformable kit based on the original gorilla toy. It came with two purple swords and some gum.

====Beast Wars Metals====
* '''Transmetal Convoy''' (1999, Standard Kit)
: Another small transformable figure was based on his first Transmetal body. It was multicolored and also came with gum.

* '''Transmetal Convoy''' (1999, Standard Kit)
: A second, but non-transformable figure of Transmetal Optimus Primal was made in clear plastic, blue, and gray. Gum!

{{-}}

===Metal Monument===
[[Image:Metalmonumentconvoy.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Hungh!]]
* '''Metal Monument Convoy''' (TAKARA, 1999)

: As the name suggests, the product is a [[die-cast]] statue of Optimus Primal. The head is convertible/removable in order to change the normal one with the battle mask/mutant head. The [[box art]] and the design of the product are both done by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]].

{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
*'''Optimus Primal''' (2007)
[[Image:3DBattleCard-OptimusPrimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All your favorite 3D action!]]
: A 52-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game|3D Battle-Card Game's]] "Energon Wars" expansion, Optimus Primal "transforms" into a black ape. He uses the same parts layout as [[Cheetor (BW) toys|Cheetor]], [[Ravage (G1) toys|Ravage]] and [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]], although the figure's beast mode is assembled differently. Optimus Primal is nominally the leader of the Autobots in the set. The surface of the figure uses images of the original Ultra ape toy.

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
====Beast Wars series====
[[Image:Robotheroestarantulasprimal.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Primal mocks Tarantulas's inability to display jazz hands.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' / '''Predacon Tarantulas''' (2008)
: Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2008)|Universe]]'' [[Robot Heroes]], this PVC figurine of Optimus Primal's original gorilla body has articulation in the shoulders and neck. He was available only in a "Beast Wars Series" two-pack with [[Tarantulas]] (amusingly enough, the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] he also came with in the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' [[Orcanoch]] playset).

{{-}}
====Beast Machines series====
===Robot Heroes===
*'''Optimus Primal vs. Jetstorm''' (2009)
{{canceledtoy}}

==Notes==
* The design of Optimus Primal's bat form is an [[homage]] to [[wikipedia:Batman|Batman]], an action figure license also held at the time by [[Kenner]].<ref name="BWU_T-DB">Toy database section in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>
* Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s t-rex mode, was inspired by the showdown in [[wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]].
* According to the control art of Optimus Primal's toy, his chest originally seemed to be a kind of launcher instead of being an homage to the [[Autobot Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]].<ref name="BWU_T-DB" />

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm Optimus Primal at TFU.info]

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Articles needing citations]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II characters]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise characters]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Toys with sound]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]

Breast Animal

2009-04-11T04:40:01Z

Keegman:

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''A Breast Animal <small>(ha ha)</small> is a drone in the [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

A '''Breast Animal''' <small>(snicker)</small>, or '''Breastar''', is an awkwardly-named symbiotic [[drone]]-type thing generally stored in the breastplate of a member of the [[Breastforce]] <small>(heh, heh...)</small>. In a fashion similar to [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|tape minions]], Breast Animals <small>(hee-hee-hee!)</small> can be ejected from the host's chest to do their master's bidding, be it kicking [[Autobot]] skidplate, retrieving data from behind enemy lines, or getting a [[Corona|cold beer]] out of the fridge. They can also form weapons and are an excellent butt to a myriad of off-color jokes.

The Breast Animals include:

*[[Bisonbreast]], [[Killbison]]'s breastplate
*[[Eaglebreast]], [[Deathsaurus]]' breastplate
*[[Hawkbreast]], [[Gaihawk]]'s breastplate
*[[Jaguarbreast]], [[Jarugar]]'s breastplate
*[[Kōmoribreast]], [[Hellbat|the Schmuck]]'s breastplate
*[[Lionbreast]], [[Leozack]]'s breastplate
*[[Rhinobreast]], [[Drillhorn]]'s breastplate
*[[Tigerbreast]], [[Deathsaurus]]'s ''other'' breastplate
*[[Deathcobra]]'s breastplate that was never seen out of weapon-mode

==Fiction==
===''Victory'' cartoon===
===''Victory'' manga===
==Trivia==
*If you read this entire page without at least snickering, you may want to consider getting your head checked.

*As was previously mentioned, Deathcobra's Breast Animal has never been seen in either breastplate or beast mode. It's also never been named.

{{stub}}

[[Category:Breastforce]]
[[Category:Drones]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]

Legion (KP)

2009-04-11T02:44:57Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

{{factions|decepticon|edc}}
:''The Legion are [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] from the [[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:LegionRape1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Yummy yummy yummy I've got love in my tummy and it tastes like loving you!]]
Its name is '''Legion''', a new species of [[Transformers]] created when the [[Unicron]]-enhanced cells of the [[Decepticon]] leader [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] were spread throughout [[Earth|Earth's]] atmosphere in the year 2005. Fusing with various creatures and vehicles and wearing the face of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], the vicious Legion army has converged on the city of [[Tokyo]], the site of Galvatron's catastrophic impact.

They appear to have fluid-filled organic components and enjoy the taste of sweet, sweet [[Kiss Player]] flesh. They're kind of horrible.

==Fiction==
===''Kiss Players''===
Following a presumably Legion-related subway attack in Japan, a lone Legion member came upon a bleakly despairing [[Atari Hitotonari]] and offered to end her suffering by killing her. Cornering the panicked girl, it was about to make good on its offer when the Ne-04 [[Autrooper]] interfered. When the Autrooper disgorged the unconscious Kiss Player [[Shao-Shao Li]], Atari merged with it and quickly beheaded the Legion, seemingly terminating it.

Shao later awoke to find herself a prisoner in one of several tubes containing very alive and hungry Legion heads in the basement of [[Earth Defense Command]] headquarters. It appears that the E.D.C. has been conducting human experimentation on captured Legion units for an unknown purpose.

Another Legion that attacked [[Marissa Faireborn]] at sea was described by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] as a [[ParasiTech]] fusion between an octopus and a shipwreck. As ParasiTech fusions are also used by the Autroopers of the [[Earth Defense Command]], it may be that there is a connection between the two. A SINISTER one.

[[Image:Ypsilanti tower.JPG|left|200px|thumb|Legion's tongue and the Ypsilanti water tower...coincidence, or EDC conspiracy?]]
Less than six months after joining the E.D.C., Atari ate an omelette (which she had prepared) that contained a miniaturized Legion. The surprisingly communicative and wacky intestinal invader was engaged and defeated by Atari's shrunken Autrooper and dissolved in the girl's digestive acids. There was, astoundingly, nothing psychosexual about the encounter beyond this.

A group of 23 Legions attacked the recently reconstructed Tokyo Bay Bridge, but were defeated by the combined efforts of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and Shao-Shao, though not before repeatedly attempting to molest Shao with their tentacles.
{{-}}

{{charstubfiction}}

==Trivia==
* The first Legion seen in the ''Kiss Players'' manga is based on the ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]/[[Decepticharge]] mold, with a [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]-esque head and odd triplicate headlights. This appears to be a common, though not universal, body type for the group.

* The Legions are possibly inspired by the [[wikipedia:Legion (demon)|Biblical demon of the same name]].

* Let's just be honest: the Legion's prehensile tongues are ''explicitly'' phallic. There, it's been said. Don't you feel better having come to terms with that?

[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Mass-produced Transformers]]

Talk:Jetfire (Animated)

2009-04-11T02:38:48Z

Keegman: /* "Transmission is okee for dokey!" */ new section

==Deluxe, not Voyager==

Despite the original claim that Jetfire and Jetstorm are Voyager class, they come in Deluxe size, and if they were ever sold individually, which they never will be, would come at Deluxe prices. I know this because they cost £19.99 for the pair in the UK, which is twice the price of a single, £9.99 Deluxe. [[User:Harley Quinn hyenaholic|Harley Quinn hyenaholic]] 11:03, 21 March 2009 (EDT)

== "Transmission is okee for dokey!" ==

Somewhere in this article, the awesomeness of this line needs to be honored. [[User:Keegman|Keegman]] 22:38, 10 April 2009 (EDT)

Star Saber (G1)

2009-04-11T02:05:27Z

Keegman: /* Transform Jr */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Star Saber}}
{{featured}}

:''Star Saber is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1 Star Saber art variant.jpg|right|325px|thumb|Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs!]]
Famed throughout the length and breadth of the cosmos as the greatest swordsman in the universe, the heroic '''Star Saber''' has ascended from humble beginnings to the lofty position of [[Supreme Commander]] of the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and head of the interplanetary [[Galactic Defense Force]]. Protector of the weak, defender of the defenceless and lover of life in all its forms, Star Saber's heart [[Burning Justice|burns]] with an unending passion for justice and peace unequalled by any other, which drives him to quash evil wherever he finds it, with a cry of "Let's say go!"<ref>"Let's say go" is presumably a Japanese language pun, as it is written as with the English word, "Let's", and the Japanese word "seigō" (整合), meaning "coordinate" or "integrate" (as seen in print in "[[Shine! The Five Stars of Victory]]"). As such, it's hard to preserve the pun in translation, so the official DVD releases of the series by [[Metrodome]] and [[Madman Entertainment]] didn't bother, rendering the phrase simply as "Let's say go".</ref> This idealism is perhaps best evidenced in his adoption of the orphaned human child, [[Jean Minakaze]], as his own son, for whom he cares deeply.

Star Saber is a member of the powerful sub-group known as the [[Brainmaster|Brainmasters]], who possess incredible courage, strength, skill and intelligence. Star Saber exemplifies courage in particular: his smallest robot form is the '''Brain of Courage''' (勇気のブレイン ''Yūki no Brain''), which connects to a [[Transtector]] to become the robot known as '''Saber'''. In either robot or jet mode, Saber connects to the mobile battle platform named the [[V-Star]] with a cry of "Battle Up!" to become Star Saber. Furthermore, in either mode, Star Saber is capable of linking up with his team-mate [[Victory Leo]] to become '''Victory Saber'''. In this form, Star Saber's speed and power are greatly enhanced, but at times, Victory Leo's savage personality can override his calm and collected nature.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Victory'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Hideyuki Tanaka]] (Japan)

[[Image:Starsaber deathsaurus first battle.jpg|left|215px|thumb|]]
As a child, Star Saber was a paragon of good behaviour. He was never greedy, so he never had to sneak food, and he never once wet the bed and got scolded for it. He was, however, still a fun-loving kid, who would zoom around on a skateboard while wearing his bedsheet as a cape.<ref>This description of Star Saber's childhood comes from the lyrics of ''Victory'''s closing theme tune, "[[Autobots Banzai]]". While the very notion of Transformers having a childhood that they actually physically grow out of is rather bizarre, resulting in the temptation to not consider the song "canon", the ''[[Victory (manga)|Victory]]'' manga ''also'' depicts Star Saber as a child, in an actual, in-story flashback. So if it can happen in the comics, there's really no reason to think that it can't also have been the case in the cartoon.</ref>

Around 500,000 years ago, when Star Saber was a commander in the Autobot army, the powerful [[Decepticon]] warrior [[Deathsaurus]] threatened the galaxy with his colossal [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]]. Star Saber lead a garrison of Autobots in an assault against the fortress, and battled Deathsaurus personally while his troops planted gravity boosters on the fortress's surface. The boosters de-energized the fortress and trapped it in a gravity cell at the heart of the [[Dark Nebula]], forever earning Star Saber the enmity of Deathsaurus. {{storylink|Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress|Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress}}

[[Image:Starsaber and jean.jpg|right|215px|thumb|]]
Several years before 2025, Star Saber was appointed Supreme Commander of the Autobots, and consulted his friend, [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]], on whether or not he should take the job. {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!|Ginrai Dies!!}} Star Saber accepted the role, and by extension, became head of the [[Galactic Peace Alliance]]'s Galactic Defense Force, dedicated to protecting planets all throughout the galaxy from the renewed threat of the Decepticons under the command of Deathsaurus, who had succeeded in his quest to become [[Emperor of Destruction]]. {{storylink|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber}} In one of these attacks, a [[human]] spacecraft was destroyed by the [[Dinoforce]], killing all on board, save for a baby that had been placed in an escape pod. Star Saber recovered the child, [[Jean Minakaze]], and adopted him as his own son. {{storylink|Attack! Leozack|Attack! Leozack}}

[[Image:Starsaber vehiclemode.jpg|left|215px|thumb|]]
In 2025, Deathsaurus's attacks on Earth's sector of space intensified, leading Star Saber to make preparations to leave the Autobots' base on [[Planet V]] and personally take command of the defense force unit stationed in Earth's sector. After saving the small frontier community of [[Iron Town]] from a pair of Decepticon desperadoes, Star Saber returned to base to a report of an attack by the Dinoforce on the Lunar Base on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] and immediately headed to the scene. As he drew close to the moon, Deathsaurus appeared to bar his way, and the two old foes battled while [[Blacker]], [[Braver]] and [[Laster]] clashed with the Dinoforce. Star Saber broke the fight off when Jean alerted him to the worsening battle on the moon's surface, and he proceeded to dispatch the Dinoforce with ease before Deathsaurus caught up to him and their battle continued. Battling his way through Deathsaurus's [[Breast Animal|Breast Animals]], Star Saber emerged victorious, and the Decepticons fled. {{storylink|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber|The Brave Hero of the Universe - Star Saber}} The Autobots proceeded to transport the human staff of the damaged Lunar Base back to Earth aboard their [[Shuttle Base]], but when they came under attack from the Dinoforce again, Star Saber split himself into Saber and the V-Star to defeat their combined robot form of [[Dinoking]]. {{storylink|Sneak Attack! Dinoking|Sneak Attack! Dinoking}}

[[Image:Saber and vstar.jpg|right|215px|thumb|]]
Operating out of the Shuttle Base, Star Saber's Autobots took Earth as a second home of sorts, and staged all their operations from there. Star Saber enrolled Jean at school, flying him there personally for his first day and giving the [[Headmistress Mabel|headmistress]] quite a shock. Unfortunately for everyone, Star Saber's presence at the school attracted the attention of the Decepticon [[Breastforce|Breastforcer]] [[Leozack]], who put the student body in mortal danger when he attacked. Star Saber separated from the V-Star and had Jean use it to carry the students to safety while he tackled Leozack and the Dinoforce. When the students were safe, Saber recombined with the V-Star, and defeated Leozack and Dinoking with the aid of [[Road Caesar]]. {{storylink|Attack! Leozack|Attack! Leozack}}

[[Image:Starsaber vs dinoking.jpg|left|215px|thumb|]]
Star Saber later battled Dinoking again at an energy plant, this time with the aid of [[Landcross]], {{storylink|Unite!! Multiforce|Unite!! Multiforce}} then went up against Leozack once more at the Ocean Exhibition amusement park, {{storylink|Move Out! Rescue Team|Move Out! Rescue Team}} before battling both opponents yet again at a uranium mine. {{storylink|Infiltration... The Uranium Mine|Infiltration... The Uranium Mine}} Later, when Blacker and the [[Multiforce]] investigated a Decepticon energy base in the Amazon jungle, Star Saber became concerned when he was unable to contact them, and sped to their aid, helping them to dispatch the villains. {{storylink|Explosion!! The Energy Base|Explosion!! The Energy Base}}

[[Image:Starsaber vs breastanimals.jpg|right|215px|thumb|]]
When the Breastforce began draining electrical energy from a major American subway system, Star Saber proved too large to venture into the tunnels to investigate, and had to divide into Saber and the V-Star to proceed. Investigating the power distribution centre, Saber was confronted by Deathsaurus, and in the cramped quarters of the building, proved to be no match for the villain's nimble Breast Animals. Directing the V-Star to crash into Deathsaurus, Saber forced the Decepticon to block the craft, thereby leaving his unprotected chest open for attack and allowing Saber to impale him with his sword. Thus wounded, Deathsaurus fled, leaving Saber victorious once more. {{storylink|Big City - Underground Terror|Big City - Underground Terror}}

[[Image:Saber robotmode.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Behold! Galva- wait, no.]]
When Leozack called in his newest Breastforce recruit [[Hellbat]], Star Saber went up against the pair several times, joining the other Autobots in battling through Hellbat's hypnotic waves, {{storylink|The New Warrior - Hellbat|The New Warrior - Hellbat}} and splitting into Saber and the V-Star to take on the two at once when they stole energy from a Nevada spaceport. {{storylink|Attack the Shuttle Base!!|Attack the Shuttle Base!!}} Star Saber later joined with the Brainmasters in saving [[Marine City]] from the threat of a neutron bomb, giving Blacker the V-Star so he could search for the bomb while he battled Leozack as Saber. {{storylink|Tanker Hijack Operation|Tanker Hijack Operation}} Later, while Star Saber was busy leading the Autobots in an attack against Leozack and most of the Breastforce, Hellbat kidnapped Jean and [[Holi]]. Jean proved resourceful enough to escape his cell and contact Star Saber, who came to his rescue, defeating Dinoking by collapsing a mountain on him. {{storylink|Rescue Jean!!|Rescue Jean!!}} Not long after, Star Saber and the Multiforce thwarted a Decepticon hydroelectric power-gathering scheme. {{storylink|Mach and Tackle|Mach and Tackle}}

The strange disappearance of several spaceships while passing through the asteroid belt led Star Saber to investigate, disguising himself as an ordinary spacecraft with a large exoskeleton. Venturing into the asteroid belt, Star Saber discovered that the vanishing ships were the work of the Decepticons when the villains caught him in a tractor beam. Luckily, he avoided detection long enough to summon the other Autobots to his location, and bested the Breastforce single-handed in the ensuing battle. {{storylink|A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid|A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid}}

[[Image:Starsaber vs liokaiser.jpg|right|215px|thumb|Do I hear a banjo?]]
When the occupied God Ginrai was unable to respond to an attack by Hellbat and [[Black Shadow|two]] [[Blue Bacchus|mercenaries]] in his employ on the planet [[Micro]], Star Saber was forced to travel to the planet to investigate. With the aid of [[Greatshot]], Star Saber defeated the villains, but had push his strength to its limit to wrench an overloading power plant from its moorings with his bare hands and fly it into space to prevent the devastation its explosion would have caused. {{storylink|Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior|Planet Micro - The Mysterious Warrior}} Soon after, the Breastforce attacked Micro's satellite penitentiary in an attempt to free their comrade [[Gaihawk]], and despite fighting hard, Star Saber was unable to prevent the Decepticons' escape. {{storylink|Rescue! Gaihawk|Rescue! Gaihawk}} With all six of their members now together, the Breastforce were able to combine into the terrifying [[Liokaiser]], who was actually able to hand Star Saber his first real defeat. Indeed, Star Saber would have died at Liokaiser's hands had God Ginrai not arrived in time to rescue him. {{storylink|Unite! Liokaiser|Unite! Liokaiser}}

[[Image:Starsaber living metal destroying cannon.jpg|left|180px|thumb|]]
Star Saber stared death in the face once again on the return trip to Earth when he was attacked by Deathsaurus and confronted by the emperor's deadly [[Living-Metal-Destroying Cannon]]. Although Deathsaurus actually pulled the trigger on what would have been a fatal blast, it was simple luck for Star Saber that Deathsaurus had already used up too much of his personal energy supply, leaving the cannon unable to fire. {{storylink|Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress|Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress}} Once back on Earth, Star Saber steeled himself for another confrontation with Liokaiser, and found himself having to soothe the fears of Jean, who was having nightmares of his father's demise. When Liokaiser struck again at the [[Schaeffer Energy]] production plant, Star Saber held his own in the fight, but a definitive outcome was not to be had, since Deathsaurus ordered a retreat when the plant's energy was successfully stolen. {{storylink|Battle Up of Wrath!!|Battle Up of Wrath!!}} Another battle between Star Saber and Liokaiser soon followed, this time at the South Pole, where Star Saber was again defeated by the combiner, and would have met his end had Deathsaurus not interrupted and attempted to claim the honor for himself. This momentary distraction allowed Star Saber to turn the tables and defeat Deathsaurus while an insulted Liokaiser did nothing but watch his leader lose. {{storylink|Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle|Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle}}

[[Image:Victory30 victorysaber.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Stand up to the Victory!]]
When a battle with Deathsaurus in the desert left Star Saber and Blacker wounded, {{storylink|Crisis! Ambush in the Desert|Crisis! Ambush in the Desert}} the Decepticons capitalized upon the Autobots' lack of manpower by stepping up their attacks, until Star Saber was left with no option but to enter battle despite his injuries. Confronted by Deathsaurus and Liokaiser in a subterranean cave in Asia, Star Saber was once again saved from the brink of death by God Ginrai, who took the shot meant for the his friend. {{storylink|A Deadly Battle|A Deadly Battle}} Fatally wounded with no hope of repair, Ginrai insisted that Star Saber allow him to be deactivated and rebuilt using a power-up design the commander had created. Star Saber was revolted at the notion of using his friend's body in such a way, but Ginrai would not relent, {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!|Ginrai Dies!!}} and was reconstructed by [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Minerva]] as [[Victory Leo]]. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo|Fight!! Victory Leo}} Star Saber then had the scientists implant a combination circuit in his head, which would allow him to merge with Victory Leo. {{storylink|Awaken! Victory Leo|Awaken! Victory Leo}} The duo successfully accomplished this combination for the first time when Deathsaurus was bombarding the Earth with missiles from space; together, they became Victory Saber, outraced Deathsaurus's missiles, destroyed his launcher and defeated him in battle. {{storylink|The Tide is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification|The Tide is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification}}

[[Image:Victory31 dinoforcespared.jpg|left|215px|thumb|]]
Star Saber was in space seeing Perceptor off when the Dinoforce attacked Jean's school, leaving the boy to defend his friends as best he could in his mech, the [[Illumina II]], before Star Saber was able to come to his aid. After defeating Dinoking, however, Star Saber was surprised to have the battered Dinoforce troops clutch at his legs and throw themselves in his path in an attempted to save their leader, [[Gōryū]]. Touched by this genuine display of camaraderie, Star Saber sheathed his sword and told Goryu to be sure to heal properly for their next battle. {{storylink|Jean - Defend the Campus!!|Jean - Defend the Campus!!}}

While Star Saber was attending a Galactic Peace Alliance conference, Leozack attempted to exploit the Autobots' trust of their leader by donning an exoskeleton in his likeness and posing as him in order to obtain information on his combination with Victory Leo. As it happened, only Victory Leo smelled a rat, and in time, the real Star Saber returned to combine with his partner and expose the phoney to the other Autobots. {{storylink|A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs|A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs}} Later, Jean used the Illumina II to help save Star Saber from the Decepticons' latest threat, the metal-eating [[Dorya]] insects. {{storylink|The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!|The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!}}

[[Image:Victory37 finalblow.jpg|right|215px|thumb|"Swords! My only weakness.....for now."]]
A month later, after no further Decepticon attacks, Star Saber and the Autobots were suddenly forced to go into action when the Decepticons raised [[Atlantis]] off the coast of [[Portugal]]. Disasters caused by the tidal waves the raising of the continent had created kept the Autobots occupied with relief efforts, allowing the Decepticons to steal enough of Atlantis's energy to finally re-power Deathsaurus's fortress. {{storylink|The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves|The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves}} Greatshot and the Brainmasters headed out to serve as the first line of defence against the fortress, while Star Saber and Victory Leo found themselves delayed by the Dinoforce, who had—unbeknownst even to themselves—been abandoned on Earth by Deathsaurus. As Victory Saber and Dinoking battled, the fortress began bombarding the Earth with meteor bombs, one of which struck Dinoking and ended the battle. Victory Saber proceeded to head into space to confront the fortress, but was blasted by its weapons and crashed on its surface, unconscious. {{storylink|The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!|The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!}}

[[Image:Victory37 saberfireguts.jpg|left|215px|thumb|Oh crap, Hate Plague!]]
Victory Saber did not regain consciousness until the fortress was nearly upon the Earth, and immediately renewed his attack on the massive weapon, leading Deathsaurus to dispatch Liokaiser to keep Victory Saber busy. Just as the two combatants engaged each other, Jean arrived on the scene in the Illumina II, having been giving information on the fortress's weak spot by Goryū, who had realized that Deathsaurus had abandoned him and his troops. Star Saber separated from Victory Leo, leaving his partner to deal with Liokaiser while he covered his son's entrance into the fortress. Within the fortress, Star Saber faced off against Deathsaurus for their final brutal battle, eventually besting his eternal foe just as Jean succeeded in destroying the fortress's weapon power core. Deathsaurus refused to accept defeat, and sealed Star Saber in the fortress, setting it on collision course with Earth, but with help from Victory Leo, Star Saber escaped. The pair then merged into Victory Saber and, burning with flaming energy, tore the fortress apart from within, causing it to explode in a cosmic firestorm before it collided with Earth. Although the pair initially seemed as through they were destroyed in the conflagration, both Star Saber and Victory Leo emerged from its ashes, just as victorious as their name. {{storylink|Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification|Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification}}

====''Zone'' cartoon====
[[Image:Victorysaber feminia destruction.jpg|right|215px|thumb|]]
Some time after the defeat of Deathsaurus, the supernatural entity known as [[Violen Jiger]] took control of the Decepticon forces and amassed an army of [[Nine Great Demon Generals]] from Decepticon history. When these generals attacked the planet [[Feminia]], Star Saber and Victory Leo merged into Victory Saber and headed for the planet with [[Galaxy Shuttle]] and the [[Rescue Patrol Team]] to do what they could for the inhabitants. Victory Saber saved a native boy named [[Kain]] from falling into a pit of lava as the ground beneath his feet collapsed, and got him to the Galaxy Shuttle in time to evacuate, but he was unable to get to safety himself, and was caught in the planet's explosion and feared dead by his troops.

Two-and-a-half months later, Victory Saber's body was discovered floating in space, badly damaged but alive, by the Autobot [[Powered Master|Powered Masters]] [[Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber]]. They brought him to planet [[Micro|Zone]] for medical treatment, before heading on to Earth to defeat the Demon Generals that were in the process of attacking the planet. Impressed by Dai Atlas's skill in battle, Star Saber held a ceremony to appoint Dai Atlas the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. {{storylink|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!}}
{{-}}
====''Robot Masters''====
Some time after Dai Atlas's eventual defeat of Violen Jiger, Star Saber and Victory Leo set about tracking down the Decepticon criminal, [[Gigant Bomb]]. In the course of the pursuit, all three warriors travelled through the mysterious dimensional fissure known as the [[Blasty Zone]] and were cast through space and time, to arrive on Earth in 2004. Star Saber and Victory Leo aligned themselves with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and various other Autobots from throughout space and time to prevent the Decepticons from acquiring the power of [[Solitarium]], and eventually returned to their home time when the task was done.

{{note| ''Robot Masters'' is explicitly placed in the Japanese cartoon continuity, after ''Zone'', by [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Takara's 2007 Transformers timeline]]. However, none of the three pieces of actual ''Robot Masters'' fiction tells the story of the line in its entirety, and each of them relate certain events in notably different ways. Precisely ''which'' of the three—covered individually below—should be considered the [[canon]] one for the cartoon timeline is unknown.}}

=====Pack-in comic=====
[[Image:Starsaber robotmasters minicomic.jpg|left|220px|thumb|"Hey Primal, does Prime's chest look pointier than usual to you?"]]
A Solitarium-empowered Gigant Bomb, now partnered with the Decepticon [[Smokesniper]], had Optimus Prime, [[Optimus Primal]], [[Bound Rogue]] and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] on the ropes, until Star Saber and Victory Leo suddenly appeared on the battlefield and vowed to rip their bodies apart. The pair merged into Victory Saber and destroyed their Solitarium with a single strike, causing the two Decepticons to immediately flee the scene. Star Saber then properly introduced himself to Prime and Primal, declaring it an honor to meet them, and that together, they would surely defeat [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Robot Masters (mini-comic)|Robot Masters mini-comic #2}}
{{-}}
=====Online comic=====
[[Image:Victorysaber robotmasters online comic.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
Star Saber battled Smokesniper one-on-one and defeated his opponent, only to be attacked from behind and disarmed by Gigant Bomb. Gigant Bomber and Smokesniper combined into Gigant Sniper and opened fire on Star Saber, {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Go! Star Saber}} but Victory Leo soon came to his aid, and the pair fused into Victory Saber for round two of the duel. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Robot Masters online comic #6}}

[[Image:Starsaber vs lioconvoy rm.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Let us fight kung fu-style! Ho! Ha! Ho!"]]
When [[Lio Convoy]] arrived through the Blasty Zone, Megatron directed him to attack Star Saber and Victory Leo, who once again combined to fight back. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}} Luckily, Optimus Prime arrived to break up the fight and make the combatants realize they belonged to the same side, and together, Star Saber, Victory Leo, Prime, Primal and Lio Convoy sent the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Gathering, 4 Great Supreme Commanders}}

When an injured robot named "[[Reverse Convoy]]" appeared on Earth, Star Saber and the Autobots brought him to their base for medical aid. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} Their trusting natures proved to be their downfall, however, when this so-called Convoy turned out to be the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in a new guise. He captured Prime, Primal and Mirage, and shot down Star Saber when he attempted to rescue them, but was bested by the sudden entrance of Lio Convoy. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|Revive, Dark Emperor of Destruction}}

Victory Saber later joined Prime, Primal and Lio Convoy in battling both Megatrons, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. Unsurprisingly, they claimed victory once again. {{storylink|Robot Masters (online comic)|And}}
{{-}}
=====Cartoon=====
[[Image:Victorysaber robotmasters cartoon.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
While investigating a mysterious explosion, Star Saber came under attack from Starscream, who scored two missile hits on the future-born Autobot. Unable to hit Starscream with his own guns, Star Saber summoned Victory Leo, and the pair combined into Victory Saber to take the fight up close and personal. It took the arrival of Optimus Prime for the Decepticon Air Commander to be defeated, but at that point, Megatron, Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper arrived. Victory Saber kept Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper busy while Prime defeated Megatron with aid from the newly-arrived Optimus Primal. {{storylink|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!|Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!}}

Later, when the Decepticons attacked [[New York City]], Star Saber was a bit late to the game, arriving merged with Victory Leo to attack Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper. The pair promptly disengaged, only to be shot by new arrival Reverse Convoy, who revealed that he was, in fact, the original Megatron in disguise. Prime and Primal were able to defeat the two Megatrons with the aid of newcomer Lio Convoy, after which Star Saber and Victory Leo linked up in jet mode to carry Prime to the next battle. {{storylink|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters (episode)|The Lio Convoy Typhoon Enters}}
{{-}}
===Comic continuity===
====''Victory'' comic====
[[Image:MangaYoungDeathyStarSaber.jpg|left|220px|thumb|]]
Star Saber and Deathsaurus's rivalry began when they were children 500,000 years ago, and argued all the time. {{storylink|The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!|The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!}} That rivalry came to a true head in 2025, when Deathsaurus began attacking the Earth in pursuit of the energy required to keep his gigantic "Space Stronghold" powered up. {{storylink|Heroic! The Victory War|Heroic! The Victory War}} In response to Deathsaurus's first attack, Star Saber lead the Multiforce to Earth, and made short work of Deathsaurus by cleaving his shoulder with his Saber Blade. As the Decepticon emperor retreated, Star Saber made a vow to protect the beauty of Earth's nature for all mankind. {{storylink|Magnificent! Our Friend, Star Saber!|Magnificent! Our Friend, Star Saber!}}

[[Image:Super saber meteor spin.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
Earth's nature proved to be the very next thing that Deathsaurus attacked, when he started a forest fire and defeated Landcross. Star Saber and Road Caesar came to their friend's aid, but were unprepared for the new strength Deathsaurus had drawn from the energy of the fire. Luckily, Deathsaurus was distracted when his own cyborg-human son, [[Solon Kitakaze|Solon]], arrived with Jean in a deadly hold, and Star Saber exploited the opening to flatten Deathsaurus with a "Super Saber Meteor Spin". {{storylink|Great Turn-Around! Star Saber|Great Turn-Around! Star Saber}}

After Jean alerted him to an attack on an Earth city by the Decepticon Leozack, Star Saber came speeding to the rescue, only to be knocked from the sky by the villain's electromagnetic nunchaku. Unfortunately for Leozack, he had forgotten to bring his Breast Animal into battle with him that day, allowing Star Saber to puncture his unprotected torso with his sword and send him fleeing. {{storylink|Leozack Rumbles Violently!|Leozack Rumbles Violently!}} The rest of the Breastforce didn't do much better in a later battle against Star Saber, and neither did inept Dinoforcer [[Kakuryū]], who was hurled over a cliff by a "Saber Vacuum Tornado Pacifier" from the Autobot commander. As he dangled on the cliff's edge, however, Kakuryū was shocked when Star Saber pulled him to safety, display once more the compassion and love of life that made him worth of the role of Supreme Commander. {{storylink|Warrior of Love, Star Saber!|Warrior of Love, Star Saber!}}

[[Image:Starsaber and jean manga.jpg|left|180px|thumb|]]
When Deathsaurus kidnapped Jean and took him to the Decepticons' ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'' out in space, and enraged Star Saber gave chase and came tearing through the ship's hull. Deathsaurus didn't take Jean's rejection well, but couldn't stand up to Star Saber's shattering "Planetary Impulse Sword Death-Strike" attack. {{storylink|Watch Out, Jean! Hurry, Star Saber!|Watch Out, Jean! Hurry, Star Saber!}} Although the reunion between Star Saber and Jean was a happy one, tempers soon flared between the two of them when they pursued the Decepticon to [[Energy Planet X]], only to lose their trail and start blaming each other. When they were attacked by the lurking Liokasier, Star Saber disengaged from the V-Star, and allowed Jean to take control of it, transforming it into battle station mode and opening fire on Liokaiser. Saber delivered the final blow that drove the villains into retreat, and the two heroes apologized to each other, realizing that if they couldn't work together, they'd wind up like the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!|The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!}}

[[Image:Victorysaber manga.jpg|right|180px|thumb|]]
Attacked by Deathsaurus, Dinoking and Liokaiser all at once, Star Saber was defeated and would have met his end if not for the sudden appearance of the new, feral Autobot, Victory Leo. Star Saber found he could combine with the newcomer, and together, they became Victory Saber and defeated the Decepticons with their "Flash Victory" attack. {{storylink|The Strongest Partners, the Combination of Victory!|The Strongest Partners, the Combination of Victory!}} Deathsaurus tried to create a counter-force for this powerful new combination, creating a mech for Solon with which he could combine to become "King Zaras", but when Solon lost focus during a battle on the planet [[Guard]], Victory Saber destroyed his mech with a "Victory Boomberang" attack. {{storylink|Mighty! Victory Saber|Mighty! Victory Saber}} Later, with the power of the Autobot boy-team, the [[Victories]], increasing their own energy, Victory Saber and Road Caesar combined their powers into the "Victory Caliber" attack, which grievously wounded Deathsaurus and Liokaiser in one shot. {{storylink|Shine! The Five Stars of Victory|Shine! The Five Stars of Victory}}

[[Image:Starsaber deathsaurus truce.jpg|left|180px|thumb|]]
After this definitive battle, Deathsaurus withdrew his forces to the Space Stronghold and began bombarding Earth with meteorites. Star Saber engaged Deathsaurus in a battle in space while the rest of his troops entered the massive fortress, but the treacherous Leozack had been planning for this moment, and turned the power of the fortress's main cannon on Deathsaurus himself. Deathsaurus survived the blast and crippled the fortress with his own weapons, allowing Star Saber to come crashing through the control room window and unleash his Planetary Impulse Sword on Leozack. Leozack begged Star Saber not to destroy the fortress, at which point the injured Deathsaurus chose to reveal the true reason for his energy-gathering attacks on Earth to the Autobots: the fortress was, in fact, home to the Decepticons' wives and children, and they required the energy to keep the fortress functional for them to live in. Star Saber realized that it was time to set aside their warring ways and follow the example set by Jean and Solon. With a handshake between the two leaders, the war came to an end, bring peace to everyone – the truest victory of all! {{storylink|Heroic! The Victory War|Heroic! The Victory War}}
{{-}}
====''Zone'' comic and story pages====
[[Image:Starsaber vs trypticon zone.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]
Some time after the end of the Victory war, a new energy source known as [[Energon Z]] was developed on planet Micro. Knowing that the Decepticons—who had since fallen under the command of the supernatural being Violen Jiger—would want the energy for their own nefarious purposes, Star Saber ordered the fortification of Micro into a defense base that could properly protect its precious new innovation. Employing a process developed by the [[Super Car Patrol Team]], the Autobot space pioneers known as the Powered Masters rebuilt Micro as the planet "Zone". {{storylink|Zone (story page)|Zone story page #1}}

[[Image:Starsaber and daiatlas manga.jpg|left|180px|thumb|]]
As the "Nine Great Demon Generals" that Violen Jiger had assembled began attacking planets throughout the galaxy, Star Saber issued commands from his base on Planet V, directing the [[Micromaster|Micromasters]] of Zone to respond to the threats. {{storylink|Zone (story page)|Zone story page #2}} When [[King Poseidon]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked the planet [[Wall]], however, he and Victory Leo were forced to take action as Victory Saber, only to be ambushed b the two Decepticons, who tried to drag them beneath the watery surface of the planet. Luckily for them, a combined attack from [[Missilebull]], [[Erector]], [[Overload (G1)|Overload]] and [[Skywave]] saw the villains off. {{storylink|Zone (story page)|Zone story page #3}}

When the Demon Generals destroyed the planet Feminia, Star Saber was caught in the planet's eruption and feared dead by his troops. A month later, however, he was found floating in space by Powered Masters Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber, who brought him back to Zone for medical attention. After Dai Atlas's successful defeat of the Demon Generals on Earth, Star Saber decided to pass the mantle of Supreme Commander on to the Powered Master. {{storylink|Zone (manga)|Zone}}
{{-}}
==Toys==
===Victory===
[[Image:G1 Saber toy.jpg|right|175px|thumb|Tall.]]
*'''Star Saber''' (Large Brainmaster, 1989)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-324'''
**''Accessories'': "Brain of Courge" Brainmaster figure, "V-Star" ship/body, nosecone/shield/sword hilt, "Saber Blade", "Saber Laser"

:Star Saber transforms into a large red, blue and white Cybertronic spacecraft with numerous features and modes.

:The forward section of the spacecraft, "Saber", can detach from the larger spacecraft body (known by itself as the V-Star) to form a smaller red fighter jet, the cockpit of which houses the small Brainmaster figure, the "Brain of Courage". When Saber transforms into robot mode, the Brain of Courage is placed within his chest; when the chest is closed, the figure rises up to become Saber's face. The jet nosecone mounts on Saber's shoulder as a shield, and he can wield the "Saber Laser" rifle.

[[Image:G1 StarSaber toy.jpg|left|225px|thumb|Grande.]]
:In grand Autobot leader tradition, the V-Star ship transforms into a battle station which Saber can man, and then into a larger body with which Saber can combine, forming "Star Saber". Saber slots into the empty chest area of the V-Star body, with his normal robot head forming Star Saber's ordinary, unmasked head, which is the appearance he commonly employs in fiction when he is not in battle. His battle helmet, featuring an Optimus-Prime-style mouthplate, is connected to the V-Star, and can swing up to fit over Saber's head.

:In Star Saber mode, Saber's nosecone/shield becomes a sword hilt. The die-cast metal "Saber Blade" of the sword stores in a slot in Star Saber's back, and is drawn by inserting the hilt into the slot and withdrawing it, an action which brings the blade with it, and which is regularly used to dramatic effect in the ''Victory'' animated series. He can also wield the Saber Laser.

:Star Saber can further combine with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber in both vehicle and super robot modes. (see below).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Cybertron/StarSaber/starsaber.htm More information on Star Saber at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
<span id="VictorySaber"></span>
[[Image:G1 VictorySaber toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Venti.]]
*'''Victory Saber''' (Multi-pack, 1989)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-328'''
**''Accessories'': "Brain of Courge" Brainmaster figure, "V-Star" ship/body, nosecone/shield/sword hilt, "Saber Blade", "Saber Laser", "V-Lock Cannon", two "V-Lock Rifles", three missiles

: The Victory Saber gift set is a two-pack of Star Saber and Victory Leo. In Victory Saber vehicle mode, Victory Leo "transforms" into a large yellow block with wings, and connects into the rear between Star Saber's engines/legs, forming a huge-ass space ship.

:For Victory Saber robot mode, Victory Leo splits up into multiple parts, with most of Leo's body becoming "platform shoes" for Star Saber and the rest of him forming a giant backpack/weapons system from hell. As Victory Saber, the Star Saber robot is armed with his sword and Victory Leo's giant missile-firing "V-Lock Cannon".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Cybertron/VictorySaber/victorysaber.htm More information on Victory Saber at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
===Transform Jr===
[[Image:Starsaber junior.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sample size.]]
*'''Star Saber''' (1989)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-324'''
**''Accessories:'' "Saber Laser", red wings, blue tailfins, cardboard nosecone

:''[[Transform Jr]]'' Star Saber is an immensely simplified version of the larger figure—and that's no exaggeration. His Brainmaster gimmick and the V-Star's base mode are eliminated, but there is virtually no element of actual transformation left in the figure. Saber's jet-mode wings are a separate piece that is removed, as are the V-Star's tailfins, and to combine the pair, rather than fold up Saber's legs, you simply pull them off and plug them into his chest. None of that, however, compares to the fact that Saber's jet nosecone is now a piece of folded-up cardboard, lacking its other functions as a shield or sword hilt.

*'''Star Saber DX Set''' (1989)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-324'''
**''Accessories:'' "Saber Laser", red wings, blue tailfins, cardboard nosecone, roleplay "camcorder", 20 silver pellets, cardboard target

:This "Deluxe set" includes the ''Transform Jr'' Star Saber figure and a roleplay camcorder toy, which shoots silver pellets. The set (shown in-box in the top-right of the image above) comes with a stand-up cardboard target decorated with Star Saber's [[package art]], so you can practise your accuracy.
{{-}}
[[Image:Starsaberdiskpistol.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Free trade.]]
*'''Star Saber Enban Pistol''' (1989)
**''Accessories:'' 12 bullet disks
{{-}}

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RobotMasters StarSaber toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Travel size!]]
*'''Star Saber''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-15'''
**''Accessories'': "Saber Blade", "Thermal Shot" rifle, nosecone/shield/sword hilt

:A smaller, simplified version of the Star Saber toy, the ''[[Robot Masters]]'' version of the figure eliminates the base mode and Saber's Brainmaster component. Aside from this, however, he is virtually identical to the original Star Saber figure in transformation and weaponry, including his ability to combine with the ''Robot Masters'' version of Victory Leo to form Victory Saber.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/StarSaber/starsaber.htm ''More information on ''Robot Masters'' Star Saber at TFU.info'']
{{-}}

<span id="RMVictorySaber"></span>
[[Image:RobotMasters VictorySaber toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Economy size!]]
*'''Victory Saber''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-17'''
**''Accessories'': "Saber Blade", "Thermal Shot" rifle, nosecone/shield/sword hilt, "V-Lock Cannon", two "V-Lock Rifles", "Super Motorized Rifle"

:Star Saber was also available in a two-pack with the ''Robot Masters'' version of Victory Leo, with whom he could still combine to form Victory Saber in both jet and robot modes. The two figures in this pack are differentiated from their standard release by the additional of a metallic paint job.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/VictorySaberRM17/victorysaber.htm ''More information on ''Robot Masters'' Victory Saber at TFU.info'']
{{-}}
<span id="RMeHobby"></span>
[[Image:Ehobby black rm starsaber.jpg|right|200px|thumb|And, sticking to the coffee analogy, some people just take it black.]]
*'''Victory Saber''' (eHobby exclusive, 2005)
**''Accessories'': "Saber Blade", "Thermal Shot" rifle, nosecone/shield/sword hilt, "V-Lock Cannon", two "V-Lock Rifles", "Super Motorized Rifle"

:An "evil recolor" of the Victory Saber two-pack complete with Decepticon symbols, this black, purple, teal and bronze redeco represents the two heroes in "optical camouflage" paint jobs for use on an undercover mission to investigate Decepticon dealings in the Middle East black market. It was available only through Takara's [[e-Hobby]] online store.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/VictorySaber/victorysaber.htm ''More information on black ''Robot Masters'' Star Saber at TFU.info'']
{{-}}
==Merchandise==
===Parody Deformed===
*'''Victory Saber''' (1990)

[[Image:Starsaber pd models.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
:A small white and red, non-transforming [[super-deformed]] model kit of Victory Saber was available as part of [[Kabaya]]'s "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of [[Candy toy|candy toys]]. The second figure in the series, he came with a "[[Transformer PD Type]]" comic about himself, "He's Here! Victory Saber!!", and something that could charitably be described as "gum".

*'''Star Saber''' (1990)

:A Parody Deformed version of Star Saber alone was later made available in the next wave of the line. As the fifth figure of the series, he came with the "Transformer PD Type" comic "Don't Lose! Star Saber!!" and something accused of being chocolate.
{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
*'''Star Saber''' (2002)

[[Image:Starsaber scfs.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
:A [[Plastic|PVC]] of Star Saber was released in the seventh ''Victory''-centric wave of [[Takara]]'s "[[Super Collection Figure]]" line. Like all figures in the wave, he was available in both full color and metallic silver "pewter" versions.
:Additionally, the figure could be "transformed" into Victory Saber by attaching a collection of six additional parts, one of each of which were included with the pewter versions of the six figures in the line in the tradition of "Build-A-Figures" from waves past. The pewter Star Saber himself came packaged with Victory Saber's V-Lock Rifles; his backpack came with Road Caesar, his wings came with Deathsaurus, his rifle came with Perceptor, his left boot came with Liokaiser and his right boot came with Wheekjack. Like the figures themselves, the parts came in both standard full-color (at a rate of 8 out of 10 cases) and rare pewter (only 2 out of every 10 cases) variations, making two versions of Victory Saber to complete.

*'''Victory Saber''' (2002)

:The seventh wave of the ''Super Collection Figure'' line also included a complete Victory Saber figure, entirely in metallic golden in color, which was only available as a rare "chase" figure at a rate of 1 in 10 ten cases.

===Mega Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:G1 MegaSCF StarSaber.jpg|right|150px|thumb|pequeño]]
*'''Star Saber''' (2002)
**''Accessories'': "Saber Blade", 2 left hands, 2 right hands, 2 heads

:''Mega Super Collection Figure'' Star Saber is a five inch tall posable PVC action figure. He comes replete with a collection of additional body parts, including two "open" hands and two "closed" hands, the later being used to grip onto his Saber Blade sword. He also includes two heads: his unmasked "Saber" head, and his masked "Star Saber" visage. Although he cannot transform, Star Saber can combine with the simultaneously-released Victory Leo ''Mega SCF'' figure to form Victory Saber.
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
*'''Victory Saber vs. Dessaras''' (2009)
{{canceledtoy}}

==Footnote==
<references />

==Notes==
* The longterm relationship between Star Saber and Deathsaurus since childhood is [[Optimus Prime (RID)|not the]] [[Megatron (RID)|only one]] in the ''Transformers'' franchise.

* Star Saber's Brainmaster figure has for years been (and continues to be) incorrectly referred to by fans with the names "Yuki" and "Yukio", mistakenly derived from the Japanese word meaning "courage" (勇気 ''yūki''). In truth, like all Brainmaster units, it does not have a proper name, but is known simply by the title used in this article, the "Brain of Courage".

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Victory characters]]
[[Category:Zone characters]]

The One

2009-04-01T09:40:58Z

Keegman:

[[Image:Theone.png|right|300px|thumb|Yes, you read that right.]]
'''The One''' is an extradimensional entity from before time, in whom Order and Chaos exist in perfect harmony. It created [[Unicron]] <small>(boo!)</small>, then cut him in half to make [[Primus]] <small>(yay!)</small>. The [[Vok]] claim to be guardians of The One and followers of its will. They also seem to think that either it created the multiverse, or it ''is'' the multiverse. Details are fuzzy.

==Fiction==
===3H comics===
The Vok were the first known source of information about The One, whom they tended to describe in relation to themselves, or vice-versa. ''['''Note:''' Capitalization of Vok quotes is at editor's discretion; their lines were printed in all caps.]''

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> We are the Vok. Guardians of The One. Defenders of the ultimate -- of that which must be. [...] For The One is power ultimate, and there are those who would divert its creation to their own ends. These enemies must be detected and destroyed -- wherever and whenever they appear.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>

</table>
The enemy in question at the time seemed to be the resurrected [[Tarantulas]], who in fact had captured the power of [[wikipedia:Tuvok|two Vok]] and was preparing to wreak havoc upon prehistoric, post-[[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] [[Earth]]. The Vok sought to protect "the sleepers," by whom they meant the stasis-locked [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']]. They believed this to be "the will of The One." {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 1|Primeval Dawn Part 1}}

Later, they explained themselves again to their creation, [[Primal Prime]]:

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> We are the Vok, the guardians of The One. We are of the source, the core, forever committed to safeguard the plan. [...] We saw the entirety of the creator's vision. The One... and The All. A unity of worlds, timelines, and dimensions. A multiversal confluence, harmonized and organized. In perfect synchronicity.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>

</table>
That time, they seemed to be referring to The One as not the creator, but the creation. Notably, they never referred to Primus by name (nor Unicron, for that matter), though they did fear "the enemy of all creation," to whom Tarantulas was attempting to deliver the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3|Primeval Dawn Part 3}} As Tarantulas would later be seen inside Unicron during the [[Universe war]], Unicron is likely that enemy. {{storylink|Escape (Universe comic)|Escape}} This raises the question of how Primus fit into their cosmology, and in fact whether ''he'' was what they meant by the creator-One. Answers remain unclear.

===DK ''Ultimate Guide''===
The One existed before time itself, witness to the birth of the universe. The One was curious about this new realm and created a new being, Unicron, to explore it. For some reason, The One then split its creation in two, one half still being Unicron while the other became Primus. In keeping with their creator's nature as a perfect balance of Order and Chaos, the twin "exploratory heralds" became the embodiments of those two principles, but separated. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

==Trivia==
* The [[Armada (cartoon)|''Armada'' cartoon]], which came out between the [[3H Productions|3H]] comics and the ''Ultimate Guide'', provided an interesting parallel in its creation story. Narration in [[First Encounter (Armada episode)|the series premiere]] declared, "Light years ago, deep in the cosmos, a unique, digital entity came into being. In search of other life forms, it sent explorers out to the furthest reaches of the galaxy. These digital, mechanical beings became known as Transformers." This was expanded upon in [[The Battle Begins|the novelization]], which said that the Transformers' pre-war goal was to explore the universe, downloading their discoveries into [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] so the planet could grow in knowledge. Assuming the "digital entity" was Primus, he seems to be imitating his creator's own method of vicarious exploration.

* The One's method of creating Primus from the substance of Unicron mirrors Primus's creation of the Transformers, whose [[Spark|sparks]] are fragments of his own being, as stated in "[[Abduction]]". This process was explored in slightly more detail in [[Simon Furman]]'s apocryphal text story "[[Alignment]]".

* The One's <small>(and Primus's, and the [[Liege Maximo]]'s in "Alignment", and to a lesser extent [[Reproduction|budding]])</small> method of splitting off portions of its lifeforce all have a strong correspondence with [[wikipedia:Emanationism|Emanationism]], specifically the [[wikipedia:Gnosticism|Gnostic]] flavor, wherein an all-powerful God known as "The One" responds to the unresolvable conflicts in the world by "emanating" polarized aspects of itself to fight them out until they achieve resolution and then return to enlighten The One with their findings. ([[wikipedia:William_Blake|William Blake]] wrote a tiresome cycle of epic poetry about one such conflict.)

[[Category:Gods]]

User:Keegman

2009-04-01T08:46:48Z

Keegman: New page: Keegman enjoys correct grammar and Animated Grimlock.

Keegman enjoys correct grammar and Animated Grimlock.

Robot-fleshling romance

2009-04-01T08:07:26Z

Keegman:

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “ </td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> We don't have to be the same outside to share the same feeling inside. </td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ” </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Alana speaks words every Autobot Commander dreads, "Sea Change"</cite>

Sapient alien robots and humans can be friends, once they are able to communicate with each other. There is no reason this should not be, if we are to assume the existence of sapient alien robots; beings with the ability to reflect on "life, the universe, and everything" would have a lot in common.

[[Image:Pgalove.jpg|right|180px|thumb|PGA PDA]]
One definite lack of commonality, however, is the ability to [[Reproduction|reproduce]] together. Metal robots and flesh creatures just can't have babies, no matter how hard they try. The physiology is simply not compatible. (Several authoritative works have been written on relevant aspects of human biology. Readers are advised to seek them out for further reference.) Since the urge to engage in sex is often a major contributor to romantic interest, it may seem unusual for this attraction to exist between a robot and a fleshling -- and yet, throughout Transformers fiction, such examples do exist.

To write them off as silly plot contrivances is easy. It is, however, also easy to write off large sections of the fiction as silly contrivances, which leads us down a dangerous path. Therefore we must assume that, impractical and absurd as it may be, these incompatible species must be similar enough mentally to make romantic attraction, even in the absence of sexual compatibility, possible.

A list of notable Transformer-fleshling pairs where an inter-species romance was either hinted at or outright stated, is given below.

'''''[[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|Marvel G1]] continuity'''''

*[[Cloudburst]]'s [[Pretender]] shell identity and the [[First One]] of [[Femax]]
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Charlene (cowgirl)|Charlene]]
*[[Skullgrin]] and [[Carissa Carr]] in [[Monstercon from Mars!]]
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and [[Joy Meadows]]
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Cindy Newell]]

'''''[[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Cartoon G1]] continuity'''''

*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]]
*[[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Alana]]
*[[Lander]] is in the middle of a date but unceremoniously ditches his partner and rushes off to save the day after he gets a call from [[Metalhawk]].

'''''[[Generation 1 (Dreamwave comic)|Dreamwave G1]] continuity'''''

*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Marissa Faireborn]]

'''''Dreamwave [[Transformers/G.I. Joe]] continuity'''''

*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Scarlett]]

'''''[[Armada (cartoon)|Cartoon Armada]] continuity'''''

*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and [[Alexis]].

'''''Unconfirmed G1 continuity'''''

*[[Glide]] is known to pick up cute human girls and give them rides on his motorcycle mode.

The 2006 [[Takara]]'s ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]'' introduced a whole line of Transformer/human pairings (that were somehow even ''more'' disturbing).

*[[Autrooper]] and [[Atari Hitotonari]].
*[[Hot Rod]] and [[Shaoshao Li]].
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Marissa Faireborn]].

The fact that all of these pairings are between nominally-male robots and apparently-female fleshlings can in part be blamed on the scarcity of [[female Transformers]]. (The default assumption of heterosexuality is also part of it; the day when we have a canonical gay robot-fleshling romance in ''Transformers'' is probably still a long way off, though the same cannot be said for [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|robot]]-[[Airazor (BW)|robot]] or [[Cain|human]]-[[Akira Serikawa|human]] pairings.)
{{-}}

[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Ratchet (Universe)

2009-04-01T08:00:36Z

Keegman:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{picsneeded|comics}}

{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from an unknown continuity drawn into the [[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchettfu.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Now cough."]]
Unlike his [[Generation 1]] alternate universe [[Ratchet (G1)|counterpart]], '''Ratchet''''s patients have a problem relating to him outside of his role as a doctor. Quiet and modest, he's not much of a social being. However, he's the best there is at what he does. You'd have to look long and hard to find a better surgeon than Ratchet. He often performs this duty at the risk of his own personal exhaustion. Ratchet is dedicated solely to his work.

==Fiction==
===3H ''Universe'' comics===
Ratchet is one of countless Transformers who had been pulled from his timestream and imprisoned within the [[Cauldron]] arena inside the shattered remains of [[Unicron]]. When [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] managed to arrange a prison break, Ratchet was part of the group that managed to flee. For uncertain reasons, he was not automatically returned to his own universe as were most of the freed prisoners. Rather, he found himself on the [[technorganic]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] that Silverbolt, Trailbreaker, and their rescuer [[Optimus Primal]] called home. It was suggested that he may have been needed in this new timeline for a reason, as [[Ratchet (G1)|this universe's Ratchet]] was, in the past, a great healer.

Though distressed and confused at this turn of events, Ratchet quickly got to work on [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], attempting to find a way to remove the Unicron virus that had infected the Transformers who had been sent into combat within the Cauldron. {{storylink|Homecoming|Homecoming}} Ratchet was presumably successful as when Sideswipe and his brother [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] reappeared, they were back in their old bodies. {{storylink|Revelations, Part 2|Revelations, Part 2}}

==Toys==
===Universe===
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2003)
*''Accessories:'' Blade/projectile, missile, melee weapon

[[Image:Universe2003 Ratchet toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Understandably, many of Ratchet's patients find his hacksaw arm somewhat... unsettling.]]
: Ratchet is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' Deluxe [[X-Brawn]] toy, transforming into an emergency-response Mercedes-Benz ML320 SUV. He has a spring-loaded missile launcher in his right arm; one of the projectiles of which is very similar to a giant scalpel. All of the emergency equipment (including his sirens) are merely tampographed onto his roof instead of being newly sculpted parts.

:He is ''technically'' named "Autobot Ratchet" to better protect the [[trademark]] on the name "Ratchet", and was the first transforming ''Transformers'' product to bear this modified trademark.

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* Ratchet and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] were released with the "sub-line" name "Machine Robot Rescue" printed on their cards in a fairly blatant attempt by [[Hasbro]] to prevent rival toy company [[Bandai]] from marketing one of their Japanese [[wikipedia:Machine_Robo_Rescue|transforming robot toy lines]] in the US under that name. Whether or not this was ultimately necessary is debatable, as the line was never brought to the US.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/AutobotRatchet/ratchet.htm Ratchet at TFU.info]

[[Category:Articles in need of images]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Children of Primus]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]

Ratchet (Universe)

2009-04-01T07:57:03Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

Jetstorm (Animated)

2009-04-01T06:50:25Z

Keegman:

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}{{disambig3|Jetstorm}}
:''Jetstorm is a [[Autobot|comrade]] from the [[Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Jetstormanimatedboxart.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Still got the air superiority complex?]]
'''Jetstorm''' and his twin brother [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] are part of a risky Autobot [[Elite Guard]] experiment in duplicating the flight and combat abilities of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]. The two also have the ability to combine into the powerful robot [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]].

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' continuity===
{{note|Events from [[IDW Publishing]] comics are in italics}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Phil LaMarr]] (English)
[[Image:Jetfirejetstormzackly.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He's just mad because he didn't think of the joke first.]]

''Jetstorm was a simple repair bot who, along with his brother Jetfire, nearly died in an on-site accident. Viewed by the [[Elite Guard]] as completely expendable, Jetstorm and his brother were chosen to have [[Decepticon]] coding (acquired from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] during his time in custody) grafted onto their Autobot shells in hopes that the pair would gain the Decepticons' flight abilities. [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] and [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] did the necessary calculations and programming needed. After this, the pair's combat abilities were tested against [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]], whom they easily defeated.''

[[Image:Jetstormdoesnotswing.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Boot" is a sound effect?]]

''To try their combat skills against a Decepticon, Starscream's programming was scanned into a combat simulator. However, Starscream's programming overpowered the training system, and the battle became real. Starscream's strength and cunning were more than they expected; Jetfire briefly lost control of his flame throwers and began to burn up, only to be saved when Jetstorm's wind turbines put out the flames. With newfound determination, the two combined into Safeguard for the first time and destroyed the virtual Decepticon. After this performance, Jetstorm and his brother were inducted into the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard|Rise of Safeguard}}''

{{spoiler|Where Is Thy Sting?|April 4, 2009}}

Later, Jetstorm, along with his brother, Jazz, and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], were sent by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]] to chase after the supposed Decepticon spy [[Wasp]]. The twins soon found a Wasp-disguised [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], whom Wasp intended to frame by swapping paint jobs, helmets and voices, but Jetstorm accidentally (and literally) blew Bumblebee away. They then were confronted by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who mistook them for Decepticons due to their ability to fly. After a one-on-one battle with Optimus & Ratchet (with Jetstorm facing Optimus and Jetfire facing Ratchet, respectively), the two combined into Safeguard to try and gain the upper hand, only to have the brawl end when Sentinel & Jazz arrived and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then, under Sentinel's orders, the twins set out to find Wasp once more.

They later found him with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], who tried to convince them that Wasp had swapped places with Bumblebee, but to no avail. The twins assumed all three to be traitors and attacked them. The long battle was once again broken up by the others, who had become at least partly convinced of Bumblebee's true identity. The group quickly headed back to the Autobots' base to try and sort out the matter. During the fighting, however, Wasp had hacked into the Autobots' files on Bumblebee, allowing Wasp to know everything about him. Bulkhead decided to settle it with a game of ''Ninja Gladiator'' to determine the real Bumblebee. Jetfire and Jetstorm were so delighted by the concept of video games that they both shouted that they would play the winner. This would not happen, as Wasp revealed his true identity under the pressure. He swapped the paint jobs back and was able to escape. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:AniJetstorm-toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Not to be confused with JetBlue...or Blue Jet.]]
*'''Jetfire and Jetstorm''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)

: Available only in a two-pack with his brother Jetfire, Jetstorm transforms into a blue Cybertronic wedge-shaped jet. He features pop-up "ice blades" in his robot mode armor. He can combine with his brother in both modes; in vehicle mode, they form an odd super-jet simply by docking together along their undercarriages (Yes, yes, har har, very droll), while Jetstorm's robot mode forms the left half of the super robot Safeguard.

:Both Jetfire and Jetstorm can flip open their cockpits. Very nice.

: The set comes with a bonus comic book, "[[Rise of Safeguard]]", which details the creation of the twins.

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:TFA Jetfire Jetstorm concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|CHEEKS!]]

* Jetstorm's design, revealed at [[BotCon 2008]], contains numerous [[homage]]s to the ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] General [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], particularly his helmet.

* Jetfire and Jetstorm's fire/wind theme has its roots in some of the earliest concepts of ''Animated''. [[Sean Galloway]], who had been commissioned to do early concept work for the series, revealed several pieces of this concept art long before the "final" [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]-designed characters were shown. Among these images were a pair of "fire and wind" robots who have a few features that made it into the jet-twins' final designs.

* The twins' method of combination is seemingly an intentional homage to Hyoryu and Enryu/Choryujin from the final installment of Takara's [[Brave]] Series, ''King of Braves GaoGaiGar''.

* In the early stages of the toy's development, the end of the twins' combined vehicle mode is supposed to split apart and wings are supposed to slide out of the shins, so that the combined mode resembles an [[Luke Skywalker|X-wing fighter]]<ref>http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/09/hey-everybody-its-prowl.html</ref> however, this did not appear in the released instructions.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category: Elite Guard]]

Jetfire (Animated)

2009-04-01T06:49:08Z

Keegman:

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}
{{disambig3|Jetfire}}
:''Jetfire is a [[Autobot|comrade]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Jetfireanimatedboxart.jpg|right|220px|thumb|"Ready, Ronald?"<br>"Ready when you are, Professor Stein."]]

'''Jetfire''' and his twin brother [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are part of a risky Autobot [[Elite Guard]] experiment in duplicating the flight and combat abilities of the [[Decepticon]]s. The two also have the ability to combine into the powerful robot [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]].

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
{{note|Events from the IDW comics are in italics.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English)

[[Image:Jetfirejetstormzackly.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He probably thinks the "henbotway" joke is funny too.]]

''Jetfire was a simple repair bot who, along with his brother Jetstorm, nearly died in an on-site accident. Viewed by the [[Elite Guard]] as completely expendable, Jetfire and his brother were chosen to have [[Decepticon]] coding (acquired from [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] during his time in custody) grafted onto their Autobot shells in hopes that the pair would gain the Decepticons' flight abilities. [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] and [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] did the necessary calculations and programming needed. After this, the pair's combat abilities were tested against [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]], whom they easily defeated.''

[[Image:Jetfirewilldestroyusall.jpg|right|200px|thumb|My goggles, they do nothing!]]

''To try their combat skills against a Decepticon, Starscream's programming was scanned into a combat simulator. However, Starscream's programming overpowered the training system, and the battle became real. Starscream's strength and cunning were more than they expected; Jetfire briefly lost control of his flame throwers and began to burn up, only to be saved when Jetstorm's wind turbines put out the flames. With newfound determination, the two combined into Safeguard for the first time and destroyed the virtual Decepticon. After this performance, Jetfire and his brother were inducted into the Elite Guard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard|Rise of Safeguard}}''

{{spoiler|Where Is Thy Sting?|April 4, 2009}}

Later, Jetfire, along with his brother, Jazz, and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], were sent by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm]] to chase after the supposed Decepticon spy [[Wasp]]. The twins soon found a Wasp-disguised [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], whom Wasp intended to frame by swapping paint jobs, helmets and voices, and Jetfire was able to make at least one fireball attack before Jetstorm accidentally (and literally) blew Bumblebee away. They then were confronted by [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who mistook them for Decepticons due to their ability to fly. After a one-on-one battle with Optimus & Ratchet (with Jetstorm facing Optimus and Jetfire facing Ratchet, respectively), the two combined into Safeguard to try and gain the upper hand, only to have the brawl end when Sentinel & Jazz arrived and cleared up the misunderstanding. Then, under Sentinel's orders, the twins set out to find Wasp once more.

They later found him with [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]], who tried to convince them that Wasp had swapped places with Bumblebee, but to no avail. The twins assumed all three to be traitors and attacked them. The long battle was once again broken up by the others, who had become at least partly convinced of Bumblebee's true identity. The group quickly headed back to the Autobots' base to try and sort out the matter. During the fighting, however, Wasp had hacked into the Autobots' files on Bumblebee, allowing Wasp to know everything about him. Bulkhead decided to settle it with a game of ''[[Ninja Gladiator]]'' to determine the real Bumblebee. Jetfire and Jetstorm were so delighted by the concept of video games that they both shouted that they would play the winner. This would not happen, as Wasp revealed his true identity under the pressure. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:AniJetfire-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I am the god of Jetfire! And I bring you...]]
*'''Jetfire and Jetstorm''' (Entertainment Pack, 2008)

: Available only in a twin-pack with his brother Jetstorm, Jetfire transforms into a white and orange Cybertronic wedge-shaped jet. He features pop-up "fire blades" in his robot mode armor. He can combine with his brother in both modes; in vehicle mode, they form an odd super-jet simply by docking together along their undercarriages (Yes, yes, har har, very droll), while Jetfire's robot mode forms the right half of the super robot Safeguard.

:Both Jetfire and Jetstorm can flip open their cockpits. Very nice.

: The set comes with a bonus comic book, "[[Rise of Safeguard]]", which details the creation of the twins.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/Jetfire/jetfire.htm| More information on Jetfire at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:TFA Jetfire Jetstorm concept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|CHEEKS!]]
* Jetfire and Jetstorm's fire/wind theme has its roots in some of the earliest concepts of ''Animated''. [[Sean Galloway]], who had been commissioned to do early concept work for the series, revealed several pieces of this concept art long before the "final" [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]-designed characters were shown. Among these images were a pair of "fire and wind" robots who have a few features that made it into the jet-twins' final designs.

* The twins' method of combination is seemingly an homage to Hyōryū and Enryū/Chōryūjin from the final installment of Takara's [[Brave]] Series, ''King of Braves GaoGaiGar''.

* In the early stages of the toy's development, the end of the twins' combined vehicle mode is supposed to split apart and wings are supposed to slide out of the shins, so that the combined mode resembles an [[Luke Skywalker|X-wing fighter]].<ref>[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2008/09/hey-everybody-its-prowl.html Derrick Wyatt blog post (read comments below)]</ref>

* [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] had no input over Jetfire's name, as the twins were largely the work of [[Eric Siebenaler]]; Wyatt only did a "once-over" of their aesthetics to match the rest of the series near the end of their development cycle. That's the reason why ''Animated'' Jetfire does not have a more "traditional" [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] design. As such, Wyatt says that if he ever does an homage to the original Jetfire's design, he would gladly call the character "Skyfire". (Of course, that [[trademark]] isn't actually available to [[Hasbro]] for toys, but that doesn't matter for a TV show.)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category: Elite Guard]]

Nexus Prime

2009-03-27T10:58:42Z

Keegman:

[[Image:Clubcombinercarving.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Say, haven't I seen you somewhere before?]]
One of the [[13 Original Transformers|13 Original Transformers]], the '''[[Rarified Energon|Rarified Energon]] Guardian''' was created by [[Primus|Primus]] shortly after he assumed his planet form for the first time. At an unknown point in time, this Transformer was broken into five other robots: [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]], [[Topspin (Transtech)|Topspin]], and [[Heatwave|Heatwave]].

[[Category:Nameless nickname]]
[[Category:Stub]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Primus]]

Dinobot (G1)

2009-03-27T03:05:41Z

Keegman:

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Dinobot}}
:''The Dinobots are an [[Autobot]] [[subgroup]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. In some continuities, before they arrive on Earth, they are known as the '''Dynobots'''.''

[[Image:DinobotDreamwave1.jpg|right|400px|thumb|Call them the boy-band of the Autobots and prepare for a world of pain. From left to right: Sludge, Grimlock, Swoop, Slag and Snarl]]
The '''Dinobots''' are a rowdy, arrogant, lowbrow, disobedient band of warriors that some Autobots would rather scrap than deal with. They're also one of the most devastatingly powerful and close-knit combat units in the Autobot army, being incredibly powerful in robot mode and taking [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]] based on [[Dinosaur|dinosaurs]], the most powerful creatures to ever roam the [[Earth]].

Most of them dislike [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], so whether or not they follow the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]'s orders depends on what those orders are. If it's to destroy stuff, they're down with that. If it's to help people, it kinda depends on what the weather is like.

The group's members are:

*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (the leader)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (the bad boy)
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] (the dim one)
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] (the quiet one)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (the sensitive one)

and in one story:

*[[Paddles (character)|Paddles]] (the [[wikipedia:Pete_Best|"Pete Best"]] one)

''In at least [[The Beast Within|one]] [[micro-continuity]], the Dinobots can combine to form a monstrous super-robot called [[Beast|the Beast]]. (Grimlock explicitly states that this is not the case in the Marvel UK continuity, though he has been known to stretch the truth. [[Ruined FOREVER|Hopefully not here though]].)''

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Crash and Burn!
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Dinobot unit motto, [[Maximum Dinobots]]</cite>

</td></tr></table>

:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Dinobóticos'''
:''Hungarian name (second [[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] dub):'' '''Dínók'''
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Robodinos'''
:''Hungarian name (first [[The Transformers: The Movie|Movie]] dub):'' '''Vasállatok''' (Iron-animals)

==Fiction==
=== Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Dinobots Bad News.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pretty much says it all.]]
''The Dinobots in the Marvel comic were not created on [[Earth]], as in the cartoon, but were a distinct and pre-existing unit of five Autobot soldiers who were aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed to Earth. The comic Dinobots, while not exactly [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]-grade, were significantly more intelligent than their cartoon counterparts. (Their commander, Grimlock, served as overall Autobot Commander on more than one occasion.) However, they were not as strong as their cartoon counterparts, either.''

Shortly after the crash, the ''Ark'''s computer detected [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] landing on the planet in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] land-out-of-time that would one day become known as the [[Savage Land]]. The ''Ark'' used the last of its capabilities to revive these five warriors and rebuild them to transform into the Savage Land's dominant lifeform: dinosaurs. {{storylink|The Last Stand|The Last Stand}} They were then dispatched to deal with the Decepticon, where they sank to the bottom of a tar pit and remained dormant until [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] revived them in the 1980s. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!|Repeat Performance!}}

<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="width:90%;">

<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:AniMegsHeadStub.jpg|left|100px|You will be whole again. I promise.]]
<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">I cannot remain in this unacceptable operational status!</span><hr />
''This character article is a [[:Category:Character stubs|stub]] and is missing information. You can help '''Transformers Wiki''' by [http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Dinobot_%28G1%29&action=edit expanding it].''

</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>

===Cartoon continuity===
<div class="center">[[Image:DinobotsG1.jpg|none|400px|thumb|From left to right: Terrible Dactyl, Stego, Bronto Thunder, Tricero and Ghengis Rex, or: "We need Dinozord Power, now!"]]</div>
{{note|Built on [[Earth]] by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], the Dinobots were a subgroup of Autobots with great physical power but very limited intelligence. Early on in the cartoon they are played as very dangerous (though dim) wildcards, whose great power makes them a huge advantage to the Autobots when they can be persuaded to cooperate. However, beginning with [[The Transformers: The Movie]] and in the following third season, the Dinobots are portrayed almost exclusively as comic relief: goofy childlike morons whose (arguably even greater) stupidity made them a detriment to be babysat, rather than an advantage to be courted. No in-continuity reason for this shift in their mentality is ever given, though it has been the subject of fan speculation.}}
The Dinobots were modeled after the dinosaur fossils that [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] found in the volcanic caves near the ''Ark''. Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge were built first. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots|S.O.S. Dinobots}} After some initial troubles, their performance pleased Optimus Prime enough that he had two more built, adding Snarl and Swoop to the ranks. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots|War of the Dinobots}}

[[Image:GrimSlagSludge.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Three Dinobots, immediately after accidentally killing the Invisible Swordsman.]]
The Dinobots' role was simply to pulverize anyone or anything that was too strong for the Autobots to handle on their own. In the process, they frequently mouthed off, rebelled and started brawls inside of Autobot Headquarters (and the occasional [[Trypticon (G1)|dinosaur-shaped city]]).

At one point, the Dinobots became sick of only being used as the hammer of the Autobot army, so they deserted, saying that they would fight when ''they'' wanted to. However, the Dinobots were called in when the Autobots and the Decepticons began suffering from [[Cybertonium]] depletion. During the battle with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], they were accidentally sent to Cybertron, where they briefly reduced [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to the role of chew toy. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} However, Shockwave altered the Dinobots' memory circuits and forced them to work in the [[Cybertonium Pit]]. [[Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly Witwicky (G1)|Carly]] managed to rescue them, and the Dinobots decided to follow Optimus Prime's orders... until such time that they decided not to do so. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

During the [[Battle of Autobot City|Battle]] of [[Autobot City]], the Dinobots were dispatched to defeat [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Despite their incredible strength, Devastator manhandled them. During [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s subsequent attack, [[Kup]] and [[Hot Rod]] literally had to drag them aboard the shuttle, which was shot down over [[Quintessa]]. The Dinobots managed to avoid being captured and met [[Wheelie]], who helped them find Kup and Hot Rod. Later, the Dinobots literally kicked the butt of [[Unicron|a god]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{note|The Dinobots' creation is the source of a continuity clash in the cartoons. See below for more.}}
===''The Beast Within'' continuity===
The Dinobots [[Combiner|combine]] into the [[Beast]] to fight the Decepticons, but the Beast is so savage and kill-crazy that the Autobots have to kill it. {{storylink|The Beast Within|The Beast Within}}

''This story is regarded in [[fandom]] as being one of the nadirs of Transformers fiction and as completely messing up the chance to show a Dinobot combiner.''

=== Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:ScrollDinobots.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A Dinobot by any other name would still kick your ass]]
It was established that Grimlock once commanded a splinter faction of Autobots known as the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], which included the Dynobots. It was also established that following this, these five robots used the Cybertronian designation "D'''y'''nobots". {{storylink|The War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}}

The Dynobots traveled to Earth separately from the rest of the Autobots. Grimlock emerged on his own, and the ''Ark'' Autobots found him battling the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. The fate of the other Dinobots was unknown, but somehow Megatron had captured them and kept them in stasis in a secret base. After being freed, they traveled to Cybertron and helped liberate it from Shockwave's control. {{storylink|War and Peace|War and Peace}}

===Devil's Due comic continuity===
The Dinobots were originally five present-day Autobots who were sent back in time, and reformatted into dinosaurs. When [[G.I. Joe]] traveled back in time, they recovered the Dinobots, who proceeded to beat Shockwave's Decepticons three ways from Sunday.

===''Legends'' anthology===
The story "[[Paddles (story)|Paddles]]" features a [[Paddles (character)|sixth Dinobot of the same name]]. This is also the only appearance of the character. {{storylink|Paddles (story)|Paddles}}

=== IDW comics continuity ===
<table cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">

<tr bgcolor="#ececec">
<td><span style="font-size:10px;line-height:1;">This section covers fiction that is '''ongoing'''. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by <span class="plainlinks">[http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Dinobot_%28G1%29&action=edit updating it]</span>.</span>
</td></tr></table>
Before the [[Great War]], Grimlock and the Dynobots were amongst the gladiatorial teams that competed in the [[Forge]]. When Megatron put out a call for combatants, the Dynobots were amongst those who were shown grudging respect by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] as opposed to the remainder of the "amateurs" in the crowd. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin issue 3}}

And by that, what we ''really'' mean is that Grimlock and Slag had never met before both were thrown in a brig for pissing off their commanding officers (''shooting'' them in Slag's case). Bonding over their mutual desire to get things done and ignore the rules, they decided to form their own strike team: the Dynobots. In a personal quirk, however, Slag didn't want them to be seen as a ''proper'' team. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots issue 2}} The five warriors deliberately cultivated a terrifying reputation with their sheer brutality. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots issue 1}}

Eons later, the Dynobots followed [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to prehistoric Earth on a revenge-fueled crusade, ''after'' Optimus had told them to get over it already. The planet's energon fields forced them to take on the forms of the local animal life. Thus protected, they attacked Shockwave on the surface. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into [[stasis lock]] due to excessive [[energon radiation]]. Due to a deadman's switch, The Dynobots' ship (the ''[[Skyfire (ship)|Skyfire]]'') blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. They were later unearthed by a human archaeological dig {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave|Spotlight: Shockwave}} which was taken over by [[Skywatch|government agents]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation issue 5}}

Though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a [[Machination]] spy (under orders from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, planned to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. {{storylink|Spotlight: Grimlock|Spotlight: Grimlock}}

Reactivated by Skywatch, the Dynobots were put through their paces, seemingly to great success (secretly because the Machination had "helped" set up Skywatch's neural nets). When Grimlock appeared in Fallon, the town was cordoned off and the "Thunder Lizards" were sent to engage him. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots issue 1}} The resulting clash caused ''massive'' damage to Fallon, helped along by Scorponok causing the neural nets to fluctuate so he could increase the conflict between the Dynobots.

Eventually they were allowed to have their sentience so they could find out Grimlock had set up the deadman's switch, which left them buried on Earth, ''without telling them''. While feeling some guilt for what he did, Grimlock defended his actions by saying "er, hello, we're vicious amoral rule-breakers, of course I did it". Which ''worked''. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots issue 2}}

== Toys ==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Slag toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Slag]]
[[Image:G1Sludge toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Sludge]]
* '''Dinobots''' (1985)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]

:The five Dinobots were sold individually in boxed packages from 1985 to 1986. They featured a uniform color scheme of red for their die-cast metal parts, black plastic for legs and forearms, smoky translucent for [[Pre-Transformers|remnant cockpits]], and golden metalized plastic highlights depicting machine details. Most had fairly good articulation for G1 toys; only Slag had the conjoined foot-base common to many of the automobile-based Transformers in G1.

* '''Pretender Classics''' (1989)
* Grimlock

:A much smaller and simpler version of Grimlock, with a [[Pretender]] shell, was part of the [[Pretender Classics]] line.

[[Image:G1 ActionMaster Snarl toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Action Master Snarl]]
* '''Action Masters''' (1990)
* Grimlock
* Snarl

:Both Grimlock and Snarl were given new toy forms as part of the [[Action Master|Action Masters]] line.

===Generation 2===
* '''Dinobots''' (1993)
* Grimlock
* Slag
* Snarl

:Three of the original five Dinobot molds were reissued in new colors.

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BeastWarsgrimlock toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Beast Wars Grimlock]]
* Grimlock (Deluxe, 1997)

:A redeco of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].

===Alternators===
* Grimlock (2005)

:He turns into a 1/24th scale car.

===Classics===
* Swoop (Mini-Con Dinobots Team, 2006)

:A new mold for the original character, alongside two new-character teammates.

* Grimlock (Deluxe, 2006)

:A new mold based on his original design, with an updated dinosaur mode.

===Masterpiece===
* Grimlock (2009)

===Other===
* The 2003 [[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]] subline, a Wal-Mart exclusive, reuses most of the G1 Dinobots' names. In the absence of any [[Bio|bios]] or fiction, however, it is unclear if they are meant to represent the same characters.
* The 2005 [[Grimlock (Energon)|Grimlock]] & [[Swoop (Energon)|Swoop]] two-pack was originally intended to portray the G1 characters, but ended up as part of the ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' toyline instead, representing new characters.

==Items of Note==
* The Dinobots are the first Transformers whose creation is shown in the cartoon. It seems simple enough: The Autobots simply construct their bodies, flick the switch, and they're animate. Wheeljack later upgrades their brains, after which they display sentience. However, the later episode "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1]]" heavily implies that there's no way to bring a Transformer to life without the use of the supercomputer Vector Sigma. Still other episodes would show the creation of Trypticon and the Technobots without the use of Vector Sigma. For more on this issue, see the separate article ''[[Reproduction]]''.

[[Category:Character stubs]]
[[Category:Autobot subgroups]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Dinobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]

Tracks (G1)

2009-03-27T02:02:36Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */ Just wikifying a link

{{factions|autobot}}
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<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:PicsNeeded.gif|left|80px|They're actually both looking for characterization.]]
<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">Let's see what you can see...</span><hr />
This article is in need of images.

</div><small>'''Specifics:''' Fictional appearances</small>
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:''Tracks is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Tracksg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If God had wanted Tracks to multiply, He would have given him the Creation Matrix and luscious lips. But he only gave him the luscious lips.]]
'''Tracks''' is a little bit of a narcissist, according to his Autobot buddies, and it's hard for him to stay lighthearted and gay under such criticism. He attributes it to jealousy, since few Autobots are so well-endowed with a sleek, muscular, and tastefully decorated sports car mode as his.

The truth is, Tracks's armament is considerable. In the wink of an eye, he can erect his hardened launcher shafts and deploy two flaming incendiary missiles. These projectiles are heat-seeking, seeking out warm Decepticon bodies and striking hard in sensitive places. With his long and powerful "binding" black-beam gun, which negates light, he strikes his enemies in the darkness. Whether defending [[San Francisco]] or displaying his trademark moves in [[Dancitron]], Tracks is one fantastically flamboyant fighter!

Tracks can even fly like a butterfly by deploying his secret, hidden wings from their protective closet.

He should be a dangerous opponent, but his concern with preserving his stylish appearance and poor ability to work with fellow Autobots hampers him. Often he simply cruises the metro area alone all night, looking for Decepticons worthy of his attentions. Tracks may not always get along with his friends, but he knows his enemies. He knows them very well, indeed.

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</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Keep San Francisco clean - LEAVE!
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<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Tracks to the Asteroid bird alien, [[The Secret of Omega Supreme]]</cite>

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:''French-Canadian name'': '''Le Sillage''' ("The Trail")
:''Hungarian name'': '''Vagány''' ("Tough guy")
:''Italian name'': '''Puma'''
:''Portuguese name (Portugal comic):'' '''Rasto''' ("Track")
:''Portuguese name (Brazil comic):'' '''Trilho''' ("Track")

==Fiction==
===American cartoon continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael McConnohie]] (English), [[Shō Hayami]] (Japanese)

Tracks was one of several Autobots who appeared out of nowhere one day. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} He, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Seaspray]] were sent out to intercept and drive back a pirate ship that had appeared through a temporal anomaly due to Megatron's interference on the temporally displaced [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

{{storylink|The Master Builders|The Master Builders}} {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}} {{storylink|Blaster Blues|Blaster Blues}}

[[Image:G1MakeTracks TracksRaoul.jpg|left|180px|thumb|It's not what it looks like, honestly!]]
Tracks and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] assisted the [[New York City|New York]] Police Department's Crime Buster program by parking themselves in a seedy, run-down neighborhood to entice car thieves to steal them, then capturing the thieves and their buyer. Back at [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]]'s garage, Tracks opined that New York City was exhilarating and that they could remain there forever as far as he was concerned, to the amusement of the other Autobots. Annoyed at their attitude, Tracks took off for a joyride, but almost immediately fell prey to a gang of would-be car thieves who shot out Tracks' tires as he tried to run them off the road. Crashing into a streetlight, Tracks was badly damaged and unable to transform. Fortunately, the car thief with a heart of gold, [[Raoul]], happened by and decided to take possession of Tracks, who quickly revealed he was no ordinary badly damaged dark blue Corvette Stingray with a giant flaming logo on his hood. Together, they foiled a Decepticon plot to use the local criminal element to steal cars so that Megatron could build an army of remote-controlled, transforming car drones. {{storylink|Make Tracks|Make Tracks}}

{{storylink|Quest for Survival|Quest for Survival}}

When [[San Francisco]] was threatened by an [[Asteroid bird alien|alien bird creature]], Tracks risked his life in battle to defend the city. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

{{storylink|Triple Takeover|Triple Takeover}}

Whilst out on a supply run with [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Tracks opined that Optimus Prime had sent him out on this task to show the humans that Autobots didn't just have strength, but refinement as well. When Bumblebee sharply pointed out his comrade's lack of humility, Tracks replied that he feared ''some'' Autobots had much to be humble about. Together, they watched a storefront television report by [[Hector Ramirez]] on the disappearance of a [[Oktober Guard One|top secret Soviet jet]], for which blame was placed on the [[United States]]. Bumblebee suspected Decepticon involvement, which was convenient, as Tracks saw [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] lurking about nearby. The Autobots gave chase, only to discover the 'Cons were holographs projected by the big game hunter [[Lord Chumley]], and the pair were quickly subdued. After several more Autobots were captured, the imprisoned hostages were forced to run through several cruel and unusual torture devices. Tracks in particular was forced to race around a small, spiked track while laser cannons fired at him. {{storylink|Prime Target|Prime Target}}

[[Image:G1Auto-Bop Tracks girl.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Eeek, Mr. Tracks, can I have your autograph?" "Sure thing, baby."]]
Tracks and Blaster were reunited with Raoul when the human and [[Bop Crew]] were being chased by [[Furg]]'s gang outside of the [[Dancitron]] night club. Tracks stylishly defeated the thugs by arcing his laser fire horizontally, simultaneously destroying several of the weapons wielded by Furg's men. As he did so, he noticed that one of the gang members was a man dressed in a business suit. The Autobots decided to investigate further.

Inside the club, Tracks declined to dance with some girls, and another patron asked him where he could "get those threads" (meaning Tracks's robot body). As Tracks left, remarking that Dancitron wasn't ''his'' kind of club, he noted that there were more out-of-place humans, including a housewife in a bathrobe and a garbage man. Tracks and Blaster came to Raoul's aid again when the driver of a train in which the humans were traveling was "activated' by Starscream and accelerated the train to unsafe speeds. Later, Tracks and Raoul were attacked by brainwashed "workers" at a construction site for something large and mysterious. Bravely risking his paint job, Tracks protected Raoul from red-hot rivets fired by a brainwashed construction worker.

[[Image:Trackscruc2.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Tracks forgot his safeword.]]
Returning to the club, Tracks was lured into a trap by the mind-controlled [[Poplock]] and [[Rocksteady]]. Barely evading Starscream's attack, Tracks was assaulted by the rest of the club's patrons and chained up to the sound system, where the Decepticons hoped the music would eventually shake him apart. After Raoul de-hypnotised the club patrons by getting them slightly wet, the humans freed Tracks, who proceeded to take off after the fleeing Starscream. Crazy like a fox, Tracks seeded the clouds above the mysterious construction site, causing rain to fall down on the hypnotised workers, totally ruining Starscream's plan forever. Knowing that despite his good looks, he was outgunned and outpowered, Tracks used his superior agility to trick Starscream into flying into the half-constructed building and damaging himself when the Decepticon failed to avoid obstructions. With the Decepticons defeated, Tracks and Blaster destroyed the mysterious building. Grateful to the Bop Crew for saving his life, Tracks had Blaster help them out by acting as the boom box for their curbside breakdance sessions, to the latter's horror. {{storylink|Auto-Bop|Auto-Bop}}

{{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Later, Tracks was one of several Autobots facing off against the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]] near the Seattle-Tacoma area when Megatron was using the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to transform the land into metal. He was rammed by [[Breakdown]] into a boulder and flipped over. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

Tracks was one of several Autobots who participated in the [[Europa 2000]], a charity race from Paris to Istanbul which, if the Autobots won, would have netted them a million dollars, which they would give to charity. Tracks was disdainful of the arrogant American driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] and his suped-up [[Symultech Industries| Symultech Industries]] car. During the race, Tracks tried to contact the other Autobots, only to find out they had been disabled by the Stunticons in Megatron's quest to stop the Autobots from interfering with his plans for the [[Pearl of Bahoudin]]. Teamed up with Cahnay and [[Professor Terranova|a scientist who mysteriously disappears]] during the course of the battle, the Autobots defeated [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] and destroyed the Pearl. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express|Trans-Europe Express}}

{{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade|Starscream's Brigade}} {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

Tracks was part of a responsive strike against a series of Stunticon raids on human compounds. He took to the air at one point, prompting [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] to remark that his flying car mode was "droll". In retaliation for this unwarranted remark, Tracks blinded Dead End with his black light gun, which caused the Decepticon to drive into the car-crushing fists of [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]. {{storylink|Masquerade|Masquerade}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====Binaltech====
When the Decepticons unleashed Cosmic Rust on Earth, Tracks was one of the many Autobots infested with the virus. As [[Earth Defense Command]] created the Binaltech Project in order to help the Autobots, Tracks was one of the first patients to undergo transference into an [[electro-cell]] powered new body. With the help of his fellow Binaltech Autobots (Smokescreen, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Bluestreak]]), Tracks and his new powers were used to drive the Decepticons off the planet. He remained part of the soldiers based at Autobot City on Earth.

Tracks apparently now had the power to change and update his paint job at will. Thrilling. Simply thrilling.

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{note|Events from the [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|UK-only]] comic stories are in italics.}}
Tracks was (re?)constructed on Earth by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] when the Autobots' forces were depleted using the [[Mind Bank]], his mind downloaded into a new body from a memory crystal. He attended [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s field training exercise on human culture -- rock and roll wasn't quite Tracks' taste, but when the [[Seeker|Seekers]] tried to steal and convert sonic energy fron the concert, surface-to-air combat with the enemy seemed quite a bit more enjoyable for him. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!|Rock and Roll-Out!}} On a later mission, he attempted to help [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] prevent [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] from being reawakened by the Decepticons, but the mistrustful human armed forces kept them at bay long enough for [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to revive his leader. {{storylink|I, Robot-Master!|I, Robot-Master!}} ''Shortly thereafter, Tracks joined [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] in protecting [[Buster Witwicky]] from Soundwave and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]. He and Smokescreen actually managed to hold their own against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] for a short period of time. {{storylink|Devastation Derby!|Devastation Derby!}}'' Tracks also was part of the Autobot strike on Decepticon headquarters which allowed Bumblebee to record Devastator's transformation and combination sequence, giving the Autobots a chance to replicate the unique gestalt technology. {{storylink|Command Performances!|Command Performances!}}

''The Autobots experienced a major setback when Optimus Prime, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] dematerialized before their eyes at a meeting, seemingly atomized in seconds. Matters only became more pressing when [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Decepticon commander of 2006, arrived in the present, kidnapped [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and co-opted the Constructicons for his own purposes. Goaded into rash action by their friend's distress, the Autobots rushed into battle with the new warriors. Tracks stood shoulder to shoulder with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], Ironhide, and Smokescreen against Galvatron, but the future Decepticon just laughed and voluntarily allowed them to unload their firepower on him. Staser bolts, high-density lasers, thermal charges, fracture rockets...all hit Galvatron dead center, and all did absolutely nothing. To add injury to insult, he then beat the helpless Tracks and his comrades into a pulp for good measure.''

''Beyond desperate, the Autobots actually stooped to reviving Megatron from where Galvatron had left him to rust earlier, and working with him to concoct a strategy against their common foe. Their gambit was somewhat successful, as Tracks and the Autobots managed to capture Galvatron's lieutenant, [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], with Megatron's aid. When Tracks and the others went for a prisoner exchange to get Jazz back, however, they found that Galvatron had lobotomized their friend and turned him into a rampaging zombie. Jazz disabled Tracks and the others for a time, and they only woke up into time to wander into the climax, when [[Kup]] and the future ''Autobots'' destroyed Galvatron's new space cannon in a massive explosion, convincing him to return the future empty-handed. Needless to say, the Autobots were glad when Optimus Prime and the others miraculously returned after Galvatron and his men returned the future, reversing the mass-substitution effect. {{storylink|Target 2006|Target 2006}}''

Tracks and the Autobots became much less involved in Earth affairs when [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] assumed control of the army after Prime's death and took the ''Ark'' back out into space. Tracks was trapped on the moon for some time with the combined crews of the Ark and Steelhaven after a Decepticon attack damaged their transport {{storylink|Totaled!|Totaled!}} He was later deactivated while battling the combined Decepticon armies in the Arctic, when he received an unexpected acid bath from [[Blot]]. {{storylink|Dark Star!|Dark Star!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{note|These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See [[Earthforce]] for details.}}
''In his [[Body Shop]] at Autobot Earthbase, Wheeljack was attempting to revive Tracks, but Grimlock kept sabotaging his efforts, hoping to move efforts towards Autobots he thought were more deserving. Not only did he fail to stop the reconstruction, Optimus Prime ended up assigned Tracks to Earthforce to Grimlock's eternal regret. {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!|Makin' Tracks!}} Later on, he joined the other Autobots in hunting [[Motormaster]], who had kidnapped their human ally, [[Irwin Spoon]]. The other [[Stunticon|Stunticons]] tried to stop them, and did managed to derail several others, but Tracks and Bumblebee got Motormaster to separate from his trailer (apparently he can do that..?) and then led [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Drag Strip]] into knocking their own leader off the road. {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}''

====Generation 2====
Tracks was operating out of Autobase on Earth after the Autobots began confronting the threat of the Cybertronian Empire. When Megatron agreed to join forces with Prime, Tracks began working closely with the Decepticon Rotor Force members [[Leadfoot]] and [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]]. It's possible his friendship and influence had something to do with their interest in switching sides. {{storylink|Total War|Total War}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Tracks was an active member of the Autobot forces as far back as the days of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. {{storylink|The War Within|The War Within}} He served with the Autobots for several million years until the time of the [[Great Shutdown]], working with Prowl and his faction during the Dark Ages. {{storylink|The War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}}

Afterwards, Tracks seemed to lapse into semi-retirement while other Autobots worked towards establishing a new unified Cybertronian government with the Decepticons. He was seen among the general populace observing the Anti-Prime propaganda [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was pumping out through the cortex. {{storylink|Cold War|Cold War}} He eventually recognized the rotten core of their alliance with Shockwave, though, and formed a resistance cell with [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Devcon]] and the [[Triple Changer|Triple Changers]]. They and their [[Minibot]] allies joined the major offensive alongside Optimus Prime, [[Hot Rod]] and the other cells, which ultimately overthrew Shockwave's control. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (comic issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

===Timelines===
Tracks (in his [[Alternators|Alternator's body]]) is one of countless "offworlders" residing in [[Axiom Nexus]]. {{storylink|Gone Too Far|Gone Too Far}}

===IDW comics continuity===
Tracks is living on the ruined Cybertron with several other Autobots, while [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] tries to repair their fallen leader, Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron issue 1}} He wants to know when [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] got scary. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron issue 6}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Tracks toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Some looks just don't go out of fashion, my dear.]]
*'''Tracks''' (Autobot Car, 1985, 2002/2003)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''44''', '''TFC-4'''
*''Accessories:'' "Black Beam Gun", 2 missile launchers, missile launcher mount, 4 missiles

: The original Tracks toy transforms into a blue [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Corvette Stingray]] with a large flame decal on his hood. Tracks's vehicle mode can achieve a flight mode via two flip-out wings and attachable rocket launchers. In robot mode, Tracks is armed with a long rifle that covers most of his lower arm, and the two white rocket launchers are now mounted above his head.

[[Image:RoadRage-toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Flaming hot.]]
: The European version of Tracks by [[Milton Bradley]] was initially available in red, based on the original ''[[Diaclone]]'' color scheme. This toy is featured on the box art on the back of 1985 toys. Due to poor sales, Hasbro decided to re-release Tracks in Europe<sup class="noprint">[[[Help:Citing sources|''<span title="The material in the vicinity of this tag needs references to reliable sources." style="white-space: nowrap;">citation needed</span>'']]]</sup>, this time in his blue color scheme. Because of this, the red Milton Bradley version ended up being rather rare. <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup>

: Tracks was reissued by [[Takara]] in 2002 as part of their "book-box" [[Transformers Collection]] series. The following year, [[Hasbro]] re-released him as part of the Toys "R" Us [[exclusive]] [[Commemorative Series]] V.

: This mold was used to make [[Road Rage]], an [[e-Hobby]] [[exclusive]] based on the red European version.

{{-}}<span id="ActionMaster"></span>

[[Image:AMTracks toy.jpg|right|150px|thumb|As if I would be seen wearing that.]]
*'''Tracks with Basher''' (Action Master, 1991)
*''Accessories:'' Gun, "Basher" partner/backpack

: This version of Tracks was a European exclusive, sculpted to resemble his cartoon appearances more closely. As with all [[Action Master|Action Masters]], he cannot transform, but is highly articulated by the standards of the time. He came with small tank partner named [[Basher]], who forms a battle helmet/backpack for Tracks (or any other Action Master), colored in bright green and baby blue. Tracks is compatible with all Action Master vehicles and accessories.

{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:BTTracks toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"I'm Tracks, and that uncouth fellow over there is my cousin, Urinal Tracks".]]
*'''Autobot Tracks''' (2004, 2006)
*''Alternator ID number:'' '''5'''
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-06'''
*''Accessories:'' Engine/blaster

: Tracks was first released in Japan under [[Takara]]'s ''[[Binaltech]]'' line, with a yellow paint job, but was later released in blue to match [[Hasbro]]'s ''[[Alternators]]'' release. Tracks transforms into a [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Corvette Z06]] featuring open doors and hood and a realistic interior. Amusingly enough, his rocket launchers are stored next to the passenger and driver seats.

: In robot mode, Tracks greatly resembles his Generation 1 self, though with one major difference: The roof of his actual car no longer forms the front of his chest. Instead, he has a pseudo-car-roof chest piece that folds down. His large shoulder pads, formed from the rear halves of the car, give the impression of the wings his original toy had. He is armed with his double-barreled engine gun, two pairs of double-barreled, slide-out wrist blasters, and two shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, making him the most heavily armed ''Alternators'' toy.

: The main difference between the Japanese and US releases is that the Japanese ''Binaltech'' versions are constructed of die-cast metal for the majority of the car body panels, which are also fully painted. The blue version of ''Binaltech'' Tracks also came with a large reproduction of his original hood flame sticker. This sticker was eventually released with Hasbro's own ''Alternators'' [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]], a [[retool]] of Tracks.

: This mold was more significantly retooled to make ''Alternators'' [[Ravage (G1)|Battle Ravage]].

===Merchandise===
==Trivia==
*It is frequently joked amongst Transformers fans that Tracks is a homosexual, although the character has not actually demonstrated any romantic interest in other male characters. All his romantic interest was focused squarely on himself. An ''Auto-sexual'', if you will.

* Voice actor [[Michael McConnohie]] claims Tracks is not gay. He chose the voice of Thurston J. Howell III from ''Gilligan's Island'', played by [[wikipedia:Jim_Backus|Jim Backus]], as the basis for Tracks' snooty voice and mannerisms. McConnohie refers to Tracks's [[Accents|manner of dialect as a "Harvard Lockjaw"]].

*Tracks appeared in one of five original Generation 1 [[public service announcements]], warning kids not to steal cars, even if it's just for joy-riding. He seems to have a ''thing'' for carjackers, that Tracks.

* In parts of Europe, Tracks was released in the Diaclone toy's red deco through Milton Bradley in 1985. Due to being a royal shelfwarmer, the toy was re-released in its proper Transformers colors through Hasbro a year later. It is possible Hasbro has originally planned for Tracks to be released in Diaclone colors, as Tracks is red complete with the Diaclone hood stickers ("CS" instead of the Autobot sigil) on the 1985 back-of-the-box mural.<ref>_</ref> Interestingly, the 1985 box-mural from Japan shows not only the red Tracks in the center, but another Tracks, this one in his Hasbro blue deco, in the upper right area.<ref>_</ref> Perhaps this indicates that there were plans to create more than one ''Transformers'' character from the Stingray mold, as had been done with many of the other Diaclone molds, that were unrealized.

* In later years, toys sporting the name "Tracks" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Tracks'''".

* Chevrolet initially denied Hasbro and Takara the license for the Z06 Corvette that was going to be released as part of the [[Alternators]] line. Thus, Hasbro and Takara came up with an auxiliary plan for Tracks, this time as another "well-known American sports car", a Dodge Viper. Eventually, though, Chevrolet had a change of mind and granted Hasbro and Takara the license for the Corvette design after all. As a result, the Viper mold was slightly redesigned, was given a new head sculpt, and ultimately ended up as [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] instead (called "Side Swipe" for trademark reasons). Control drawings for the Viper as Tracks, sporting a Tracks head sculpt and a different transformation for the doors, allowing them to more closely resemble Tracks's G1 wings, are depicted in the Japanese ''Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide'' book.

* Hasbro initially intended to release their ''Alternators'' toy in yellow, with a blue running change variant coming later down the line. However, problems with the darker interior parts being visible though the yellow plastic encountered at the [[Prototype|test shot]] stage prompted Hasbro to cancel the yellow version and instead release the toy in blue right away. Thus, the only yellow version of the mold is Takara's ''Binaltech'' release. Supposedly, yellow Hasbro Tracks never made it beyond the paint sample stage (a few pieces were leaked to the public), although there have been rumors that the yellow version was actually shipped out to stores and later recalled. Conveniently, anyone who claimed to have seen the packaged toy in person was unable to take a photo as evidence. Thus, this rumor is considered to have similar credibility to the infamous "blue G1 [[Bluestreak]] in Hasbro packaging" myth or, to be more precise, "lies."

* He's not gay. '''Seriously.''' We can't stress this enough.

* Not that there's anything wrong with that.

* But really. He's not gay.

==References==
<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0">[#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous_frame.php?art=mb "Milton Bradley and the Transformers Red Tracks" at TF-1.com]
<li id="cite_note-1">[#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.botchthecrab.com/galleryImage.asp?gallery=7&image=34 Back of the Box Art: 1985 - USA]
<li id="cite_note-2">[#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.botchthecrab.com/galleryImage.asp?gallery=7&image=35 Back of the Box Art: 1985 - Japan]</ol>
==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Tracks/tracks.htm Tracks at TFU.info]
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Tracks Tracks' Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Articles in need of images]]
[[Category:Articles needing citations]]
[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]

Facial hair

2009-03-26T15:29:38Z

Keegman: /* Animated */

[[Image:WreckGar.JPG|right|300px|thumb|But teeth are out of the question.]]
Some [[Transformer|Transformers]] have facial features that resemble [[Human|human]] '''facial hair'''. These features sometimes indicate age, but this is not always the case.

==Transformers with facial hair==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Scourge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Just like daddy.]]
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|A3/Alpha Trion]]
*[[Detritus|Detritus]]
*[[Early Decepticon leader|Early Decepticon leader]]
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]
*[[Unicron|Unicron]]
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]
*[[Governor Raikuru|Governor Raikuru]]
{{-}}
====Beast Era====
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (''Wreckers'')
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Transmetal 2|Transmetal 2]])
*[[Ramulus|Ramulus]]
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (''Beast Machines'')
*[[Tigatron|Tigatron]]
{{-}}
===Unicron Trilogy===
[[Image:Alphatrionsigomega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I've got a wicked sweet mustache! Who wants to touch me?]]
*[[Alpha Trion (Energon)|Alpha Trion/Sig-Omega]]
*[[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]]
*[[Levitacus|Levitacus]]
*[[Quickstrike (Energon)|Quickstrike]]
{{-}}
===Shattered Glass===
[[Image:Rodimus goatee.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fear the power of the 'stache!]]
*[[Rodimus (Shattered Glass)|Rodimus]]
*[[Bug Bite (Shattered Glass)|Bug Bite]]

{{-}}
===Animated===
[[Image:Scrapperanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (Chin Stripe)
*[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] (The Lemmy)
*[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] (Sideburns)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (Jawline, with Soul Patch attachment)
*[[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] (Chin Stripe)
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] (Van Dyke)
*[[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] (Chin Stripe)
*[[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]] (Jamie Hyneman's face)
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] (Mustache)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (Ancient Martial Arts Master)
*[[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]]
{{-}}

==See also==
*[[Humanizing|Humanizing]]

[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Facial hair

2009-03-26T15:12:38Z

Keegman: /* Animated */

[[Image:WreckGar.JPG|right|300px|thumb|But teeth are out of the question.]]
Some [[Transformer|Transformers]] have facial features that resemble [[Human|human]] '''facial hair'''. These features sometimes indicate age, but this is not always the case.

==Transformers with facial hair==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1Scourge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Just like daddy.]]
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|A3/Alpha Trion]]
*[[Detritus|Detritus]]
*[[Early Decepticon leader|Early Decepticon leader]]
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]
*[[Unicron|Unicron]]
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]
*[[Governor Raikuru|Governor Raikuru]]
{{-}}
====Beast Era====
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (''Wreckers'')
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Transmetal 2|Transmetal 2]])
*[[Ramulus|Ramulus]]
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (''Beast Machines'')
*[[Tigatron|Tigatron]]
{{-}}
===Unicron Trilogy===
[[Image:Alphatrionsigomega.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I've got a wicked sweet mustache! Who wants to touch me?]]
*[[Alpha Trion (Energon)|Alpha Trion/Sig-Omega]]
*[[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]]
*[[Levitacus|Levitacus]]
*[[Quickstrike (Energon)|Quickstrike]]
{{-}}
===Shattered Glass===
[[Image:Rodimus goatee.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Fear the power of the 'stache!]]
*[[Rodimus (Shattered Glass)|Rodimus]]
*[[Bug Bite (Shattered Glass)|Bug Bite]]

{{-}}
===Animated===
[[Image:Scrapperanimated.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
*[[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] (The Lemmy)
*[[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] (Sideburns)
*[[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] (Van Dyke)
*[[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]] (Jamie Hyneman's face)
*[[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]]
{{-}}

==See also==
*[[Humanizing|Humanizing]]

[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]

Megatron (SG)

2009-03-26T14:46:26Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

<div id="title-factionicons" style="float: right; display: none;"><div style="position: relative;">[[Decepticon|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/3/3e/Decepticon_Shattered_Glass.png/28px-Decepticon_Shattered_Glass.png" width="28" height="30" border="0"/>]]</div></div>{{disambig3|Megatron}}
:''Megatron is the [[Decepticon leader|nice leader]] of the heroic [[Decepticons]] in the [[Shattered Glass]] continuity.''

[[Image:Megatronshatteredglassprofile.jpg|right|300px|thumb|In the mirrorverse, math isn't evil.]]
'''Megatron''' was a young mathematician who lectured at a university on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, he noticed a disturbing trend in the numbers: civil war was certain! His colleagues just called him [[Galvatron (G1)|crazy]] and laughed it off, but when the maniacal [[Optimus Prime (Shattered Glass)|Optimus Prime]] and his evil army of [[Autobots]] took over Cybertron, Megatron had been waiting in the underground, forming a resistance movement to take back Cybertron and keep the Autobots from conquering the universe and plundering it, as they had done to Cybertron.

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Peace will come for all Cybertronians.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Megatron's profile card quote</cite>

==Fiction==
===Timelines===
[[Image:Shatteredglassmegatrondecepticons.jpg|left|250px|thumb|See? So friendly.]]
There were those who opposed the tyranny of [[Optimus Prime (Shattered Glass)|Optimus Prime]]'s merciless [[Autobot|Autobots]], but they were scattered. But there would come a leader, and Megatron emerged from the city of [[Polyhex]] to unite them. After retaking some of Cybertron, Megatron pushed the odds in his favor by inventing the art of transformation and renaming his forces "Decepticons." However, Optimus Prime was able to duplicate this technology, and intended to use it to conquer other worlds.

As Optimus Prime built his [[Ark (Shattered Glass)|Ark]] for this purpose, Megatron and his inner circle planned to derail Prime's attempts at expansion. During a critical moment, the body of what appeared to be one of Optimus Prime's former lieutenants, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], was discovered by them and brought into their Polyhex stronghold. It was discovered that Cliffjumper had travelled from another universe which mirrored darkly their own. After some misgivings, Cliffjumper agreed to aid them in their assault on the Ark and lent the technology from his [[glass gas]] towards the cause. On the battlefield, Prime was enraged that Cliffjumper had doublecrossed him, and Megatron took the shot that was meant for the strange traveler. Cliffjumper was finally convinced of where he stood and backed Megatron whole-heartedly, and after destroying the Ark and its launching platform, Megatron critically wounded Prime and called his forces into retreat. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (comic)|Shattered Glass}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
[[Image:Bc08megatronrampagerodimus.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Apparently, he carries around a mini Megazarak on his arm.]]
===Botcon 2008===
*'''Megatron & Rodimus''' (Convention Souvenir 3-Pack, 2008)
*''Accessories'': Tank-cannon, missile, sword-blade

:Megatron is a [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of Ultra-class ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], with a more heroic color scheme and a new head mold based on an early character model for ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (see below). He comes with [[Rodimus (Shattered Glass)|Rodimus]] and [[Rampage (Shattered Glass)|Rampage]] as a bagged set, limited to 1100 pieces.

:Megatron transforms into a silver and black Cybertronic jet with red accents and blue translucents. Included is a small tank (which is originally a representation of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' Megatron's tank form, and sort-of a homage of [[Megazarak]].), which can plug onto the top of the vehicle mode and can also fire missiles out of its spring-loaded main gun (presumably meant to be a [[fusion cannon]]). [[Hyper Mode]] can be activated by tugging his transparent wing tips outward, which extends the blue sections, raises the upper gray parts of his wings in an "X-wing" configuration, and deploys the red weapons underneath. In robot mode, the small tank accessory can be attached to either of his arms as a cannon, or it can be flipped around and have a sword attached to the rear of its turret. Like most convention exclusives, the electronics from this accessory have been stripped out to keep costs down.

{{-}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:Earlymegatron.jpg|right|100px|thumb|It's tough to homage anything older.]]
*Megatron's head design is based on the early G1 Megatron [[character model]] seen in the first Transformers [[commercial]], early issues of the Marvel Comics, and Megatron's Marvel ''Transformers Universe'' profile. Likewise, the helmet colors are derived from the Marvel Comics as well, featuring a black helmet on a silver face. The head was designed by [[Dan Khanna]].

*Megatron using math to predict future trends is based on [[wikipedia:psychohistory_(fictional)|psychohistory]] from [[wikipedia:Isaac_Asimov|Isaac Asimov's]] [[wikipedia:Foundation_series|Foundation series]] of novels, <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> but if we wanted to be cynical about it, we'd probably point out that it's more likely inspired by its recent importance in [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s ''Fantastic Four'' ''Civil War'' crossover.

{{-}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Decepticon/BCMegatron/megatron.htm Megatron at TFU.info]

==References==
<div class="references-small">
<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=70915#70915" class="external free" title="http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=70915#70915" rel="nofollow">http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=70915#70915</a></ol></div>

[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass characters]]

Tom Kenny

2009-03-26T10:21:52Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

[[Image:TomKennyArrrr1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Who lives in the Nemesis up on the moon? "StarBob SquareScream!"]]
'''Thomas James Kenny''' (born July 13th, 1962) is an American voice actor, actor and stand-up comedian. From the stand-up side, he is known for his Comedy Central special as well as his prominent role on ''Mr. Show''. On the voice-acting side, he is best recognized as the titular character from ''Spongebob Squarepants'', The Penguin from ''The Batman'', The Amazing Mumbo from ''Teen Titans'', Gibson from ''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go'', Jake from ''My Gym Partner is a Monkey'', Raimundo from ''Xiaolin Showdown'', Heifer Wolfe from ''Rocko's Modern Life'', and... jeez, just about everything that's been on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network]] in the past five years. As an on-camera actor, he has played Patchy The Pirate on segments of ''Spongebob Squarepants'', and very early on in his career, he played the villainous Binky The Clown in Bobcat Goldthwait's cult comedy ''Shakes The Clown''.

==Voice roles==
===''Transformers Animated''===
* [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
* [[Isaac Sumdac|Isaac Sumdac]]
* [[Tutor Bot|Tutor Bot]]
* [[Burger Bot|Burger Bot]] ([[Transform and Roll Out|Transform and Roll Out]])
* [[Security Bot|Security Bot]] ([[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]])
* [[Guard Bot|Guard Bot]] (Nanosec)
* [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
* [[Wasp|Wasp]]
* [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]]
* [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]]
* [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Liar Starscream|Liar Starscream]]

====Incidentals====
* Commercial Announcer ([[Total Meltdown|Total Meltdown]])
* Scientist #2 ([[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]])
* Truck Driver ([[Garbage In, Garbage Out|Garbage In, Garbage Out]])
* Car Driver (Garbage In, Garbage Out)
* Policeman (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

==Trivia==
* "SpongeBob" is in [[wikipedia:Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four)|Microsoft Office]]'s spell-check lexicon, yet "Starscream" is not. Discuss.

* [[Bill Fagerbakke|Bill Fagerbakke]], who voices Spongebob's best friend Patrick Star in ''Spongebob Squarepants'' (as well as being Kenny's real-life best friend), also voices [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the [[Animated|Animated]] continuity. Small, hilariously sounding world.

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444786/ Tom Kenny at IMDB]

[[Category:Voice actors]]

Tom Kenny

2009-03-26T10:21:15Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

[[Image:TomKennyArrrr1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Who lives in the Nemesis up on the moon? "StarBob SquareScream!"]]
'''Thomas James Kenny''' (born July 13th, 1962) is an American voice actor, actor and stand-up comedian. From the stand-up side, he is known for his Comedy Central special as well as his prominent role on ''Mr. Show''. On the voice-acting side, he is best recognized as the titular character from ''Spongebob Squarepants'', The Penguin from ''The Batman'', The Amazing Mumbo from ''Teen Titans'', Gibson from ''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go'', Jake from ''My Gym Partner is a Monkey'', Raimundo from ''Xiaolin Showdown'', Heifer Wolfe from ''Rocko's Modern Life'', and... jeez, just about everything that's been on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network]] in the past five years. As an on-camera actor, he has played Patchy The Pirate on segments of ''Spongebob Squarepants'', and very early on in his career, he played the villainous Binky The Clown in Bobcat Goldthwait's cult comedy ''Shakes The Clown''.

==Voice roles==
===''Transformers Animated''===
* [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]
* [[Isaac Sumdac|Isaac Sumdac]]
* [[Tutor Bot|Tutor Bot]]
* [[Burger Bot|Burger Bot]] ([[Transform and Roll Out|Transform and Roll Out]])
* [[Security Bot|Security Bot]] ([[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]])
* [[Guard Bot|Guard Bot]] (Nanosec)
* [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]
* [[Wasp|Wasp]]
* [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]]
* [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]]
* [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Liar Starscream|Liar Starscream]]

====Incidentals====
* Commercial Announcer ([[Total Meltdown|Total Meltdown]])
* Scientist #2 ([[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]])
* Truck Driver ([[Garbage In, Garbage Out|Garbage In, Garbage Out]])
* Car Driver (Garbage In, Garbage Out)
* Policeman (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

==Trivia==
* "SpongeBob" is in [[wikipedia:Big_Brother_(Nineteen_Eighty-Four|Microsoft Office]]'s spell-check lexicon, yet "Starscream" is not. Discuss.

* [[Bill Fagerbakke|Bill Fagerbakke]], who voices Spongebob's best friend Patrick Star in ''Spongebob Squarepants'' (as well as being Kenny's real-life best friend), also voices [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the [[Animated|Animated]] continuity. Small, hilariously sounding world.

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0444786/ Tom Kenny at IMDB]

[[Category:Voice actors]]

Pat Lee

2009-03-24T08:38:09Z

Keegman: /* Before the Transformers */

{{disambig2|Pat Lee, the superstar comic book artist|the uncredited artist who actually draws all his stuff for negligible pay|Alex Milne}}
[[Image:Patlee.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Even his photographs have dull surprise.]]
'''Patrick C.K. "Pat" Lee''' (ミチヤメノテヒフナナ ''Michiyamenotehi Funana'') is a Canadian artist. He was the president of [[Dreamwave Productions]] and drew some of their ''Transformers'' comics, until most of his employees noticed he wasn't paying them. Subsequently, he was also the president of Dream Engine until all its employees noticed he wasn't paying them either. He's currently the president (?) of Pat Lee Productions, where it remains to be seen if he notices he isn't paying himself.

:''Known titles, aliases and nicknames:'' The '''<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transman" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Transman">Transman</a>''',<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> '''Superstar Artist''', '''Mr. Talented'''<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2" title="">[3]</a></sup>

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Over my dead body.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—[[Simon Furman]] on if Pat Lee will do work for [[IDW]], [[BotCon 2008]]</cite>

</td></tr></table>

==History==
===Before the Transformers===
[[Image:Dreamwave.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Chillingly prophetic.]]
Pat Lee was born in Montreal on June 28, 1975<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3" title="">[4]</a></sup>, and raised in Toronto. At the age of 16, right after graduating from high school, Lee was eager to find a job in the comic book industry, sending over 150 pages of sample aftworks to [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and [[wikipedia:DC_Comics|DC]]. Unfortunately for Lee, both publishers realized what a shoddy artist he was. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, however, Lee eventually managed to catch the attention of infamous [[wikipedia:Image_Comics|Image Comic]] co-founder [[wikipedia:Rob_Liefeld|Rob Liefeld]] at a Toronto convention in 1994, who would hire Lee (now aged 19) to work as a penciller on various titles for Liefeld's Image studio [[wikipedia:Awesome_Comics|Extreme Studios]]. After that, Pat Lee would also work for [[wikipedia:Jim_Lee|Jim Lee's]] Image studio [[wikipedia:Wildstorm_Productions|Wildstorm Productions]], as well as accepting work-for-hire assignments from Marvel (who had now apparently changed their mind regarding his artwork).

In 1996, Pat and his brother [[Roger Lee|Roger]] decided to start their own studio within Image Comics, [[Dreamwave Productions]], with Pat acting as the company's president. With Dreamwave, Lee would continue accepting contractual work for other publishers (such as the four-issue limited series ''Wolverine/Punisher: Revelation'' for Marvel), but also started to publish his own <strike>blatantly plagiarized</strike> originally created titles such as ''<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Ghost_in_the_Shell">Darkminds</a>'' and ''<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Record_of_Lodoss_War" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Record_of_Lodoss_War">Warlands</a>''. Collaborations with various magazines and advertising campaigns helped to further advance Dreamwave's reputation. Initially, the "hook" for Dreamwave's financial success was Pat's drawing style, which many readers viewed as "manga-like" (although readers of actual Japanese Mangas had a different opinion on this matter).

===Transformers by Dreamwave===
In 2001, Pat and Dreamwave submitted a contribution for a feature named "Big 80s" that was published in issue #111 of ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'', depicting Pat's own take on one of his favorite properties from his childhood days, the ''Transformers''. Proving to be a huge hit among fans, [[Hasbro]] would consider the general art style a benchmark when they were offering the license for a new ''Transformers'' comic later that year.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4" title="">[5]</a></sup> Unsurprisingly, it was Dreamwave themselves who finally acquired said license, commemorating this as a turning point in the history of their company by officially cutting all ties with Image and becoming an independent publisher on their own.

[[Image:Fallenpatlee.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why do Pat Lee's Transformers look like they're about to take a poop?]]
In addition to providing the art for various adverts, [[posters]] and covers, Pat would draw the first two ''Generation 1'' limited series, [[Prime Directive|Vol. 1]] (aka "Prime Directive") and [[War and Peace|Vol. 2: War and Peace]]. Subsequently, he would concentrate on controlling Dreamwave as its president and spend more time on his biggest hobby, fast cars, assigning art jobs to other artists (many of them hired directly out of the fandom) instead. Lee's only other major contribution in terms of art would ultimately be some of the character profiles published in the eight-issue [[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]] limited series.

Despite having dominated Diamond's sales charts for several subsequent months with the ''Transformers'', Dreamwave eventually ended up in dire financial circumstances. Coinciding with rumors of unpaid freelancers, Pat Lee started to accept contractual work for Marvel and DC again, such as issues of ''House of M'' or ''Superman/Batman''. Dreamwave eventually declared bankruptcy on January 4, 2005, blaming the weak Canadian Dollar and other scapegoats for the company's failure.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5" title="">[6]</a></sup>

===After Dreamwave===
With Dream Engine, Lee would work on various projects such as an ''X-Men/Fantastic Four'' crossover for Marvel, issues for the ''Batman/Superman'' series for DC and a relaunch of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberforce" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Cyberforce">Cyberforce</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Cow_Productions" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Top_Cow_Productions">Top Cow</a>, another Image studio.

Eventually, Pat Lee parted ways with Dream Engine again and started his new enterprise, Pat Lee Productions.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6" title="">[7]</a></sup> Pat Lee is currently residing in Hong Kong.

===Return to official ''Transformers'' work===
In mid-2008, three and a half years since the collapse of Dreamwave, Lee was commissioned to do a series of illustrations for Hasbro Hong Kong to use for promotional purposes as part of their appearance at Ani-Con 2008.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7" title="">[8]</a></sup> Let's hope that art stays in Hong Kong.

==Published Transformers works with Pat Lee credit==
===Comics===
* ''[[Prime Directive|Transformers: Generation 1 (vol. 1)]]'': [[Prime Directive (preview)|Preview]], [[Prime Directive issue 1|#1]], [[Prime Directive issue 2|#2]], [[Prime Directive issue 3|#3]], [[Prime Directive issue 4|#4]], [[Prime Directive issue 5|#5]], [[Prime Directive issue 6|#6]]
* ''[[War and Peace|Transformers: Generation 1 vol. 2: War and Peace]]'': [[New World Order|#1]], [[Brothers' Burden|#2]], [[Cold War|#3]], [[Passive Aggression|#4]], [[Countdown to Extinction (comic issue)|#5]], [[Revelation|#6]]
* ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye (G1)]]'' #1, #3, #6 (assorted profiles)
* ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Transformers: Armada]]'': [[Dreamwave Armada issue 6|#6]], [[Dreamwave Armada issue 7|#7]]
* ''Transformers Armada: More Than Meets The Eye (Official Guidebook)'': #1, #2, #3 (assorted profiles)
* ''20th Anniversary Transformers Summer Special'': Individual story "[[Welcome to the Jungle]]"
* assorted covers for nearly all the Dreamwave Transformers series

<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">'''Note:''' ''With the revelation of [[Alex Milne]] ghosting for Pat Lee on Top Cow's ''Cyberforce'', artist Edwin Garcia being credited for "backgrounds" on the ''Generation 1'' titles and at least one of his covers actually being done by a ghost artist, it's uncertain how much of the art credited to Pat Lee has actually been his work at all.''

''Various artworks originally created by Lee for the covers of the first ''Generation 1'' limited series were also used by both [[Hasbro]] and [[Takara]] for their [[Commemorative Series]] and [[Transformers Collection]] series of reissues. Following the demise of Dreamwave, Hasbro would also continue to use cover artwork drawn by Lee for promotional images and various pieces of merchandise, such as a [[Transformers Monopoly]] board game. The reason for this is simply because the art has already been paid for, and is therefore cheaper to use for Hasbro than newly solicited artwork.
''</div>
===Packaging art===
====Alternators====
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Side Swipe]]

{{note|The packaging artwork for [[Alternators]] Smokescreen was also used for the profile card of Takara's ''Binaltech'' counterpart.}}
====Commemorative Series====
* Series III [[Jazz (G1)|Autobot Jazz]]
* Series IV [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
* Series IV [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
* Series V [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]
* Series V [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
* Series VI [[Grapple (G1)|Autobot Grapple]]
* Series VII [[Hot Rod|Rodimus Prime]]
* Series VII [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
* Series VIII [[Sideswipe (G1)|Side Swipe]]

{{note|The artwork for Hoist, Inferno, Grapple, Rodimus Prime and Dirge was done specifically for these reissues; the rest was recycled from covers of Dreamwave's first ''Generation 1'' limited series.}}
====Transformers Collection====
* No.0 [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Convoy]] (Optimus Prime)
* No.1 Meister (Jazz)
* No.2 Prowl
* No.6 [[Megatron (G1) toys|Megatron]]
* No.7 Lambor (Sideswipe)
* No.10 [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
* No.12 [[Mini Vehicle|Minibot Team]]
* No.16 [[Insecticon (G1)|Insectrons]] (Insecticons)

{{note|None of these artworks were created specifically for these reissues, but were instead recycled from old promotional posters or covers of Dreamwave's first ''Generation 1'' limited series.}}
===Other===
* Hasbro Hong Kong Ani-Con 2008 [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] Commemorative boxset certificate

==Criticism and controversy==
===Art style===
[[Image:Patleehowtodrawoptimus.jpg|left|250px|thumb|1) Draw a circle. 2) Draw Optimus Prime. 3) Give him scraplets. 4) Give him leprosy.]]
Pat Lee's artwork has often been the target of criticism among fans. While he was initially praised by many fans for his "manga-like" drawing style (which is heavily inspired by the character designs and visual cues used by [[Studio Ox]]), others criticized his tendency for exaggerated proportions, emphasis on rounded robot body parts, making the characters look "inflated" and marshmallow-like, a general lack of sequential storytelling skills and the overall look of his human characters (see "[[dull surprise]]" for more on ''that''). Even his critics often admitted that his work for covers and posters was better than his actual comic book interior artwork; however, that would change soon when even his cover artwork saw a severe decline in quality starting with the [[War and Peace|second ''Generation 1'' limited series]]. The introduction of [[Don Figueroa|other]] [[Guido Guidi|artists]] who would draw Transformers characters in a similar style, while avoiding many of the problems Lee was criticized for, would further shift the public opinion against Lee's artwork.

[[Image:DWPrimewhatthe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|When you're being compared to Rob Liefeld, maybe it's time to quit]]
Lee's response to that was enforcing an internal "house style" that would force other artists to follow Pat Lee's own style more closely. [[Don Figueroa]] confirmed in an interview having received such requests from Dreamwave art director [[Rob Ruffolo]], a guideline which Figueroa declined.<sup id="cite_ref-dontrans_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-dontrans-8" title="">[9]</a></sup> Fellow artist [[Guido Guidi]] confirmed having received similar requests.<sup id="cite_ref-guidtrans_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guidtrans-9" title="">[10]</a></sup> Ruffolo himself also later confirmed the existence of an internal "house style", without specifically referring to Lee.<sup id="cite_ref-rufftrans_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rufftrans-10" title="">[11]</a></sup> The most evident example of the Dreamwave "house style" can be found in the [[The War Within: The Dark Ages|second ''War Within'' limited series]], where the original pencils by artist [[Andrew Wildman]] were drastically reworked by the inker<sup id="cite_ref-wildmanin_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-wildmanin-11" title="">[12]</a></sup>, with rather disappointing results.

Even though many fans preferred other artists over Pat Lee, official Dreamwave press releases and solicitations would often titulate the company's president as a "superstar artist".<sup id="cite_ref-dwadds_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-dwadds-12" title="">[13]</a></sup>

===Business practices===
The demise of Dreamwave didn't come overnight. The first rumors of freelancers not getting paid date back as far as October of 2003.<sup id="cite_ref-litgffreel_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-litgffreel-13" title="">[14]</a></sup> Following the closure of Dreamwave, former freelance writers [[Adam Patyk]] and [[James McDonough]] reiterated their claims that Dreamwave (not explicitly referring to Lee himself) had stopped paying them even before declaring bankruptcy. They had then filed a lawsuit against their former employer, and when that became public, they had allegedly also heard from other Dreamwave employees and freelancers who were supposedly also complaining about not being paid anymore.<sup id="cite_ref-patnram_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-patnram-14" title="">[15]</a></sup>

Aside from Patyk and McDonough, no other former Dreamwave employees or freelancers were nearly as explicit on the issue. Artist Don Figueroa only stated that Dreamwave was "getting really behind with the check" and pointed out that he "was also assured everything was cool" when he met Pat Lee in person only a month prior to the closing of Dreamwave.<sup id="cite_ref-dontrans_8-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-dontrans-8" title="">[9]</a></sup> The latter complaint was also repeated by writer [[Simon Furman]].<sup id="cite_ref-furmtrans_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-furmtrans-15" title="">[16]</a></sup> Likewise, artist [[Guido Guidi]] merely accused Dreamwave of a lack of "[g]ood communication", and even revealed an ambivalent attitude towards Pat Lee and his brother Roger.<sup id="cite_ref-guidtrans_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guidtrans-9" title="">[10]</a></sup> Artist James Raiz, meanwhile, claimed that he was "one of the very few who came out of Dreamwave with all [his] money."<sup id="cite_ref-raiztrans_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-raiztrans-16" title="">[17]</a></sup>

Prior to declaring bankruptcy, Pat and his brother Roger had spent four months secretly transferring most of Dreamwave's assets to a new company named Dream Engine, whose website domain was registered to Roger's name.<sup id="cite_ref-litgdreame_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-litgdreame-17" title="">[18]</a></sup> In addition, it would turn out that Lee had made sure to transfer ownership of his formerly company-owned Porsche to himself before giving up Dreamwave,<sup id="cite_ref-porsche_18-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-porsche-18" title="">[19]</a></sup> and had spent half a million Canadian dollars on a new luxury apartment even before the Dreamwave bankruptcy.<sup id="cite_ref-apartment_19-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-apartment-19" title="">[20]</a></sup> The overall amount of Dreamwave's debt was far over a million dollars.<sup id="cite_ref-litgmillion_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-litgmillion-20" title="">[21]</a></sup>

In addition, Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa later confirmed that they were additionally charged by FedEx for having shipped artwork to Dreamwave prior to the company's closure.<sup id="cite_ref-fedex_21-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-fedex-21" title="">[22]</a></sup>

Pat Lee himself gave several interviews following the closing of Dreamwave, presenting himself as a victim of circumstance while completely dodging the issue of unpaid creators and the existence of Dream Engine.<sup id="cite_ref-patwiz_22-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-patwiz-22" title="">[23]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-patnram_14-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-patnram-14" title="">[15]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-jazma_23-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-jazma-23" title="">[24]</a></sup>

While working with Dream Engine, Pat Lee spent a significant amount of the company's funds on the campaign of his girlfriend [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimee_Chan" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Aimee_Chan">Aimee Chan</a>, who would eventually win the title of Miss Hong Kong in 2006. This ultimately resulted in Pat being asked by Dream Engine and his brother Roger to leave the company.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24" title="">[25]</a></sup> In the fall of 2007, Aimee Chan changed her status on her <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/aimeechan/details.html alive not dead social networking page] to "single". Oops!

===Failure to give proper credit===
During the Dreamwave days, several artists confirmed that Pat Lee had only been drawing the robot characters, leaving the backgrounds entirely to (credited) assistants such as Edwin Garcia.

In 2007, it would turn out that Lee's personal involvement in his girlfriend's beauty pageant campaign had resulted in him being unable to meet deadlines for issues of Top Cow's ''Cyberforce'' series. As a consequence, Pat had asked [[Alex Milne]] to draw those issues in his stead. After a few issues, what little credit was initially given to Milne was dropped entirely, with Pat submitting the artwork under his own name instead, paying Milne merely a fragment of the money Top Cow was paying him.<sup id="cite_ref-litgmilne1_25-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-litgmilne1-25" title="">[26]</a></sup> In addition, Lee later asked Milne to draw artwork for DC's ''Superman/Batman'' #34 as well, again giving his underpaid ghost artist no credit.<sup id="cite_ref-litgmilne2_26-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-litgmilne2-26" title="">[27]</a></sup> Eventually, Top Cow found out, resulting in Pat Lee not paying Milne ''at all'' for over 20 pages of artwork.<sup id="cite_ref-deviantmilne_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-deviantmilne-27" title="">[28]</a></sup>

In late 2008, former Dreamwave editor [[Matt Moylan]] confirmed that the Silver Snail exclusive variant cover for Dreamwave's [[Generation One (Dreamwave comic)|''Generation One'' (ongoing)]] [[Night of the Combaticons|issue 1]] that had been credited to Pat Lee had actually been drawn by a ghost artist as well.<sup id="cite_ref-g1ghost_28-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-g1ghost-28" title="">[29]</a></sup> It's unclear whether this ghost artist had been paid for his work or not.

===Attempts at cover-up===
In March and April of 2008, a newly registered Wikipedia user repeatedly tried to remove any reference to the controversies surrounding Pat Lee in his own article, instead replacing them with more PR-friendly resume details.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29" title="">[30]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30" title="">[31]</a></sup> (The critical content in the Wikipedia article ''was'' later purged for other reasons, but not reverted to the blatant self-advertising Pat's own version was.)

==Trivia==
* Before the launch of Dreamwave's ''Transformers'' comic books, Pat expressed a certain level of ignorance with regard to the brand's history. For example, he claimed that, in retrospect, the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Transformers cartoon]] was so amazing that it was only a matter of time before the [[The Transformers (toyline)|toys]] were made.<sup id="cite_ref-animefringe_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-animefringe-31" title="">[32]</a></sup> In the same interview, he also admitted liking [[Generation 1]] [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], whom he considers a "wicked character", regretting that he "died" in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]].<sup id="cite_ref-animefringe_31-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-animefringe-31" title="">[32]</a></sup>

* During Dreamwave's heyday, Dreamwave press releases would constantly titulate the company's president as a "superstar artist", even after the company had started hiring various other artists, including [[Don Figueroa]], most of whom would prove to be vastly more popular among fans than Lee.

[[Image:FuNaNa.jpg|right|216px|thumb|Those fancy Japanese characters look AWESOME. Too bad I can't read them.]]
* Fans discovered an old personal website Pat had set up prior to the big breakthrough with Dreamwave.<sup id="cite_ref-infrarred_32-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-infrarred-32" title="">[33]</a></sup> In retrospect, many of the quotes and graphics featured on the site would prove to be either hilariously ironic or frighteningly prophetic, such as a promotional image depicting Pat, his brother Roger and then-Dreamwave exec Alvin Lee walking away from a nuclear explosion (see [[:Image:Dreamwave.jpg|Image:Dreamwave.jpg]]); or a header graphic that features his name, "Patrick Lee", replaced by random Katakana characters (ミチヤメノテヒフナナ), which read "''Michiyamenotehi Funana''". Soon, this would become his new nickname among fans, used exclusively in a mocking manner.
* The cause for this is almost certainly a character-replacement Katakana font, as used by someone who has no damn clue how Katakana works, nevermind ability to read it.
*If Pat Lee had any damn clue how to transliterate, the Katakana would be パトリックリー (''Patorikku Rī'').

* Pat Lee once set a hill on fire.<sup id="cite_ref-infrarred_32-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-infrarred-32" title="">[33]</a></sup>

* After the launch of Dream Engine, Lee's resume at the company's website claimed that he was responsible for relaunching "X-Men, Batman and more", thereby implying that those franchises had long lingered in a near-dead state until Superstar Funana blessed them with his divine reanimating powers.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33" title="">[34]</a></sup>

* All of the above is ''absolutely true''. We're not kidding.

==Memorable quotes by and about Pat Lee==
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> It is a mistake to suppose that men succeed through success; they much oftener succeed through failures.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Pat Lee <sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34" title="">[35]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> If he ever wants out of comics, Pat Lee's got a heck of a career as an auto mechanic.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—''Wizard Magazine''<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35" title="">[36]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> I remember working with Pat Lee and how kind of disappointed I was to find how little of the art was actually him. He gave me an original art page of Armada, and there’s so little art on it!
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Simon Furman<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36" title="">[37]</a></sup></cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> If Pat had been some faceless bureaucrat it maybe wouldn’t now seem such an acute betrayal, but he looked me square in the eye and said everything’s hunky-dory. That’s what still, even now, burns.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Simon Furman<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37" title="">[38]</a></sup></cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Probably the richest guy I know.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Don Figueroa<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38" title="">[39]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> A guy that really knows how to pitch himself.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Guido Guidi<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39" title="">[40]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Cars are expensive.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Guido Guidi<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40" title="">[41]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Can we get our money?
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Adam Patyk<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41" title="">[42]</a></sup>.</cite>

</td></tr></table>
==See also==
* [[Dull surprise]]

==Other external links==
* [http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/infrarred2.html Infrarred]
* [http://www.myspace.com/patleeart PatLeeArt] at MySpace
* [http://www.alivenotdead.com/patlee Pat Lee's alive not dead profile blog site]
* [http://patleeart.deviantart.com/ Pat Lee's deviantART page.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/PatLeeArt Pat Lee's Youtube account]

==References==
<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0">[#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://patleeart.deviantart.com/ PatLeeArt] at deviantART
<li id="cite_note-1">[#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.americandreamcomics.com/index.php?itemid=1490&catid=21 Dreamwave press release]
<li id="cite_note-2">[#cite_ref-2" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/rosannewong/A+MASTER+IN+DISGUISE-ANDREW+LIN+vs+PAT+LEE-MR.+TALENTED+(round+2-2)-profile-113669.html Rosanne Wong about Pat Lee painting a mural on her apartment wall]
<li id="cite_note-3">[#cite_ref-3" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/infrarred2.html Pat Lee's own biography on his old Angelfire website]
<li id="cite_note-4">[#cite_ref-4" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=1365 Lying in the Gutters confirming that other publishers were interested in the Transformers license]
<li id="cite_note-5">[#cite_ref-5" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=4053 Dreamwave's final press release]
<li id="cite_note-6">[#cite_ref-6" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.patleeproductions.com/main.html Pat Lee Productions]
<li id="cite_note-7">[#cite_ref-7" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/patlee/Transform+and+ROLL+OUT--profile-225643.html Pat Lee showcases his illustrations for Hasbro on his blog.]
<li id="cite_note-dontrans-8">↑ <sup>[#cite_ref-dontrans_8-0" title="">9.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-dontrans_8-1" title="">9.1</a></sup> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_figueroa.php Interview with Don Figueroa]
<li id="cite_note-guidtrans-9">↑ <sup>[#cite_ref-guidtrans_9-0" title="">10.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-guidtrans_9-1" title="">10.1</a></sup> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_guido.php Interview with Guido Guidi]
<li id="cite_note-rufftrans-10">[#cite_ref-rufftrans_10-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_ruffolo.php Interview with Rob Ruffolo]
<li id="cite_note-wildmanin-11">[#cite_ref-wildmanin_11-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_wildman.php Transfans interview with Andrew Wildman]
<li id="cite_note-dwadds-12">[#cite_ref-dwadds_12-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/comics-16/dreamwave-adds-transformers-creators-2492/ The infamous "Dreamwave Adds Transformers Creators" press release]
<li id="cite_note-litgffreel-13">[#cite_ref-litgffreel_13-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14548 Lying in the Gutters reporting on early rumors of Dreamwave artists not getting paid]
<li id="cite_note-patnram-14">↑ <sup>[#cite_ref-patnram_14-0" title="">15.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-patnram_14-1" title="">15.1</a></sup> <a href="http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=39073 Interview with writers Adam Patyk and James McDonough]
<li id="cite_note-furmtrans-15">[#cite_ref-furmtrans_15-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_furman3.php Interview with Simon Furman]
<li id="cite_note-raiztrans-16">[#cite_ref-raiztrans_16-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_raiz.php Interview with James Raiz]
<li id="cite_note-litgdreame-17">[#cite_ref-litgdreame_17-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2059 Lying in the Gutters discovering the existence of Dream Engine]
<li id="cite_note-porsche-18">[#cite_ref-porsche_18-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2184 Lying in the Gutters reporting on the Pat Lee Porsche story]
<li id="cite_note-apartment-19">[#cite_ref-apartment_19-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://comicbooks.org/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2203 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Pat Lee's new apartment]
<li id="cite_note-litgmillion-20">[#cite_ref-litgmillion_20-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?article=2102 Lying in the Gutters' list of Dreamwave's creditors]
<li id="cite_note-fedex-21">[#cite_ref-fedex_21-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20050507073425/http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/thread73039.html Archived TFW2005 thread with Guido Guidi and Don Figueroa confirming the FedEx story]
<li id="cite_note-patwiz-22">[#cite_ref-patwiz_22-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20061120012852/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/wizard/000230624.cfm Archived Wizard interview with Pat Lee]
<li id="cite_note-jazma-23">[#cite_ref-jazma_23-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2.asp?intID=318 Jazma Online interview with Pat Lee, April 2006]
<li id="cite_note-24">[#cite_ref-24" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2575 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Pat Lee's involvement with Aimee Chan]
<li id="cite_note-litgmilne1-25">[#cite_ref-litgmilne1_25-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15355 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Alex Milne ghosting for Pat Lee]
<li id="cite_note-litgmilne2-26">[#cite_ref-litgmilne2_26-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=15547 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Alex Milne ghosting for Pat Lee even more]
<li id="cite_note-deviantmilne-27">[#cite_ref-deviantmilne_27-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://hombreimaginario.deviantart.com/art/Interviews-06-Alex-Milne-64254823 Interview with Alex Milne on DeviantArt]
<li id="cite_note-g1ghost-28">[#cite_ref-g1ghost_28-0" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/2407689-post83.html Matt Moylan confirming that the Silver Snail exclusive G1 vol. 3 #1 cover had been drawn by a ghost artist too.]
<li id="cite_note-29">[#cite_ref-29" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/Hyrocomics Contributions by Wikipedia user "Hyrocomics"]
<li id="cite_note-30">[#cite_ref-30" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/219.78.200.95 Contributions by IP 209.70.200.95]
<li id="cite_note-animefringe-31">↑ <sup>[#cite_ref-animefringe_31-0" title="">32.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-animefringe_31-1" title="">32.1</a></sup> <a href="http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/01.03/feature/2/index.php3 Interview with animefringe.com]
<li id="cite_note-infrarred-32">↑ <sup>[#cite_ref-infrarred_32-0" title="">33.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-infrarred_32-1" title="">33.1</a></sup> <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/ Infrarred] <small title="source in context">[''[[Template:Sic|sic]]'']</small> Pat Lee's Angelfire homepage
<li id="cite_note-33"><a href="#cite_ref-33" title="">↑</a> Pat's resume at the now defunct Dreamengine website.
<li id="cite_note-34">[#cite_ref-34" title="">↑</a> <a href="http://www.jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2.asp?intID=318 Jazma Online Interview]
<li id="cite_note-35">[#cite_ref-35" title="">↑</a> Verbatim quote from a <strike><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/dailyraider/patlee.jpg butt-kissing advert]</strike> article published in an issue of ''Wizard Magazine''.
<li id="cite_note-36"><a href="#cite_ref-36" title="">↑</a> Talking about memorable experiences, <a href="http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=42871#42871" class="external free" title="http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=42871#42871" rel="nofollow">http://idwpublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=42871#42871</a>
<li id="cite_note-37"><a href="#cite_ref-37" title="">↑</a> Online interview talking about the collapse of Dreamwave
<li id="cite_note-38">[#cite_ref-38" title="">↑</a> Word Association with the name "Pat Lee" from an <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_figueroa.php interview] with TransFans.net.
<li id="cite_note-39">[#cite_ref-39" title="">↑</a> Word Association with the name "Pat Lee" from an <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_guido.php interview] with TransFans.net.
<li id="cite_note-40">[#cite_ref-40" title="">↑</a> Word Association with the name "Dreamwave" from an <a href="http://transfans.net/interviews_guido.php interview] with TransFans.net.
<li id="cite_note-41">[#cite_ref-41" title="">↑</a> Patyk's response to the question "If you could talk to Pat directly right now, what would you ask of him?" in an <a href="http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=39073 interview] with Newsarama.</ol></div>

[[Category:Colorists]]
[[Category:Designers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave]]
[[Category:Executives]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:Pencillers]]

Kibble

2009-03-24T08:02:34Z

Keegman: /* Examples of kibble */

[[Image:Kibblerhinox.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Rhinox photographed from behind, showcasing the several large pieces of rhinoceros hanging loosely from his body.]]
'''Kibble''' is a feature of many Transformers, both in [[Toy|their toys]] and in their animation/comic designs. In its modern usage (see below for earlier meanings) it refers to pieces which have no clear purpose in one mode but are there only because they are part of another mode. In most cases, "kibble" is used to refer to pieces of the character's [[Altmode|altmode]] which "hang" or stick out in their robot mode. Sometimes these pieces are there as a matter of aesthetics, and sometimes it's simply because there wasn't any place better to put the stuff.

Much less frequently, the word is used to refer to "robot parts" which are badly hidden in an altmode; This is most common in figures with aircraft altmodes, where whole limbs or compressed torsos were left exposed on the underside. In this case, the term ''undercarriage junk'' is more often used. During the [[Beast Wars|Beast Wars]] era, the term was also applied to any figure with robot mode limbs hanging from underneath the animal-mode shell.

Parts of one mode which are merely ''visible'' in other modes are not necessarily kibble. For example, an altmode part which is well-integrated into the robot's form -- like the front of a car or truck that becomes a character's chest -- is not kibble because it is an integral part of the robot's body, rather than being "tacked on".

When "kibble" entered the Transfan lexicon, it had a different meaning, and referred to a Transformer's accessories and detachable parts which had nowhere to go when not attached/worn/held. This meaning has almost, if not completely, disappeared from use.

==Examples of kibble==
[[Image:Shellformer.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Penguins, after reaching a certain size, undergo a process that scientist have taken to calling "second-stage hatching".]]
Although it was most prominent during the [[Beast Era|Beast Era]] and ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'', kibble has been a part of Transformers from the very beginning. [[Prowl (G1)|G1 Prowl]], for example, has car doors that stick out behind his shoulders. The doors have no purpose in robot mode. They are not part of his actual body; they are just there, serving as decoration, but otherwise pointless. Those doors are kibble. In the robot modes of the G1 [[Seeker|Seeker]] toys, the jet's nosecone and tailfins are also kibble. The jet wings, despite being one of the Seekers' most prominent features, are kibble as well because they are not needed for the robot mode. In the old sense of the word, their fists can also be considered kibble since they are removed for jet mode yet do not store anywhere in said mode.

[[Image:Bigconvoy shell.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It's almost two toys in one.]]
One of the most infamous examples of beast kibble on a robot mode is [[Big Convoy|Big Convoy]] from ''[[Beast Wars Neo|Beast Wars Neo]]''. Many of the Neo toys are kibble heavy, with "panels" of beast skin attached to the robot body by swiveling rods. This is also common in the ''Car Robots''/''Robots in Disguise'' line, most notably with the [[Autobot Brothers|Autobot Brothers]] ([[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn|X-Brawn]]). (See [[Shellformer|shellformer]].)

==Connotation==
[[Image:Kibbleprowl.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Prowl's car door "wings" are kibble, and so are his removable missiles and launchers.]]
Kibble is usually only brought up when it is being used derisively. Indeed, kibble often has a negative impact on a toy. It can restrict movement by getting in the way, it can make a toy unbalanced if it is too concentrated in one part of the body such as a "backpack", and it can simply make the robot look like a purely humanoid robot that has car or animal parts stuck to it, rather than being a robot ''composed of'' car or animal parts.

However, kibble serves an important purpose in Transformer design, often giving characters distinctive or interesting silhouettes. As mentioned above, the airplane wings on the Seekers' backs, as well as the doors on Prowl, are among their most memorable features. They look "cool" even if they are not integrated into the robot body. Thus, kibble is not an intrinsically bad thing. Most Transformers have it, and it may even be seen as an integral part of some characters' designs. Actually, if all kibble was removed from most Transformers (with the exception of shellformers), they would pretty much look like stick figures.

==Other meanings / development of term==
[[Image:Kibblecombiner.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Combiner kibble." These pieces have nowhere to go while Superion is broken up into his smaller components.]]
The word "kibble" was first applied to Transformers in February of 1996, when Lizard coined the term "combiner kibble" in a post to the newsgroup [[Alt.toys.transformers|alt.toys.transformers]]. At that time, and for the next two years, the word kibble was used mainly to refer to detachable parts or accessories. It seems to have acquired its modern meaning sometime in 1998. A more detailed discussion follows:

In Google's archive of ATT, there are no recorded uses of the word "kibble" until the year 1996. In that year it was used only in reference to detachable parts and/or accessories, usually (but not always) in reference to pieces needed for [[Combiner|combiners]] to combine properly, such as [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]] feet, heads and fists. The very first instance of the word comes from a post by Lizard which is missing from the archive, but appears quoted in other posts:

<blockquote>Now, if only there was a convenient place to store "Combiner Kibble" -- all the hands, feet, chestplates, etc, that go into making a combiner... ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ea0978924f203ee7?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain Quoted text in <3122E99A.19BB@texas.net>], Feb 1996)</blockquote>
Said Lizard when reflecting on this ten years later, "The word comes from, of course, pet food -- I guess I felt the plethora of small pieces of Transformers detritus strongly resembled the little bits of cat food batted all over the kitchen." Lizard also used the word to refer to [[Megatron (G1)|G1 Megatron]]'s accessories in his [[BotCon 1996|BotCon 1996]] report. Three other fans referred to "combiner kibble" in the first half of 1996 after Lizard's use of the term, all of them either placing it in quotes or adding an emoticon, which emphasizes the newness of the term. Later in the year the word shows up about a dozen more times, always in reference to combiner pieces or other detachable parts.

The first archived use of the word kibble to refer to something ''other than'' detachable parts is a January 1997 review of [[Claw Jaw|Claw Jaw]], by Dave Richter. "In beast mode, he looks great from head on, but the abdomen (made out of robot legs and jointed squid kibble) doesn't look too solid if viewed from the side." ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e087c89d29ba5c97?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <32F023AC.397A@virginia.edu>], 29 Jan 1997) In March, Dave made a more explicitly modern use of the word in response to another fan. This post serves reasonably well as a definition:

<blockquote>''IMO, toys should look cool from any angle. You should be able to turn a BW or any figure around have it look as cool as it does in the front. The rear should not be a place for a toy designer to throw any excess pieces on the figure that are not needed in robot mode. There are much more better designs than that.''<br /><br />
I don't know, you've got to put the animal kibble somewhere. This is standard TF fare; look at all the T-rex bitz Grimlock has hanging off his back. BW has alot of junk hanging off the back of many of it's entries, but it doesn't overbalance them, so what does it matter? ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/376dcb3652135228?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <33237FCB.656E@virginia.edu>], 9 Mar 1997)
</blockquote>
Still, through 1997 the "detachable parts" sense was more heavily used, with 6 uses to the modern meaning's 3. In the previous year, 1996, the word was used to refer to detachable parts 16 times. In 1998 Dave Van Domelen began to use the word regularly in his posted toy reviews. He used it in both senses, but more often in the modern one. Overall, the word appeared in ATT 21 distinct times in 1998, with 13 of those being the new/current meaning. In 1999, usage exploded, with virtually all instances of the word being in its modern usage.

The original "detachable parts" meaning has essentially become archaic and all but unknown, most likely due to the toyline itself largely abandoning that form of construction. Indeed, it is very unusual for a modern Transformers toy ''not'' to integrate or at least store all of its parts in all modes. With regards to combiner kibble, combiner teams themselves have become rare, and the recent examples either have no kibble ([[Superion Maximus|Superion Maximus]]), or the kibble can ''itself'' combine into a separate vehicle ([[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]] [[Superion (Universe)|Superion]]) — it's still kibble, but it's kibble with play value!

By November 1999, the meaning was well enough entrenched in ATT that Straight-Edge gave this definition, from which the meaning has not drifted at all in the years since:

<blockquote>It means pieces of the alternate mode (Beast mode, vehicle mode) being not only visible, but actually hanging off the robot body. IE the Doors hanging off of Prowl's shoulders, and the Crab Legs/Claws on Rampage's robot mode. They are not part of an anthropomorphic robot, hence they are kibble. ([http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/0caa8c898d45586d?dmode=source&hl=en&output=gplain <19991109002603.08548.00002231@ng-fg1.aol.com>], 9 Nov 1999)</blockquote>
It can't be determined from the limited breadth of the Usenet archive how the word kibble shifted its meaning, but it seems reasonable to ''guess'' that the earliest uses in the modern sense were simply an extension of the idea of "parts that stick on". Kibble, as we discuss it today, is just that—parts that are "stuck on".

=="Anti-kibble"==
There is a related phenomenon with no generally accepted name, in which a toy's robot mode has obvious elements of its alternate mode showing (usually in the chest area), which are ''not'' in fact part of its altmode. The original example of this is Powermaster Optimus Prime, who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest...which had no relation at all to his semi-cab mode. The false truck windows on the chest also showed up on [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Laser Optimus Prime]] and his redeco, [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]], whose chests are on the underside of the truck in vehicle mode. Another example is the T-rex face on the chest of [[Transmetal|Transmetal]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] from ''Beast Wars'', which is not the same part as his actual T-rex face. A particularly inelegant example would be the Legends-class toy for [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] from the 2007 movie, whose robot mode "bumper" chest ends up on his ''roof'' in vehicle mode.

Its use is even seen in ''[[Transformers Animated|Transformers Animated]]'': [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] has a false roof on his chest. A more notable case is [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]: He has false ambulance sides on his shoulder kibble (kibble AND anti-kibble). [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] create even more confusing examples. Their robot mode chests are designed to be evocative of their much wider alt-mode hoods, which become kibble themselves.

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Primus

2009-03-24T07:49:23Z

Keegman: /* Trivia */

[[Image:PrimusG1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|That's MISTER God to you.]]
'''Primus''' is the creator-god of the [[Transformer|Transformers]]. An ancient and ethereal being whose origins date back to the beginnings of the universe itself, Primus is a multiversal force for good, his life force existing across multiple realities and infinite alternate universes. In each one, he is the final defense against his fallen sibling, [[Unicron|Unicron]] the Chaos-Bringer.

Primus has adapted his body as the metallic planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; from its surface, his creations have risen to defend and patrol the galaxy. Within the depths of Cybertron, the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]] serves as his internal mainframe, and a gateway for select Transformers to access his power. A portion of his lifeforce resides within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which often determines the [[Prime (rank)|leader]] of the [[Autobot|Autobots]]. Prophecies of a war to come were written down in his [[Covenant of Primus|holy covenant]] as well. The [[Spark|spark]] of each Transformer is a small piece of Primus's essence, and together they form his lifeforce, the [[Allspark|Allspark]].

Though wise and powerful beyond measure, Primus is neither infallible nor without weakness. At times he has [[Out of Time!|been deceived by mere mortals]], and has made [[The Sun|miscalculations]] which [[Balancing Act|jeopardized all of existence]]. Indeed, even the intended agents of his grand plan, the Transformers, have all too frequently become mired in endless civil war. Still, in [[Withered Hope|most realities]] he has [[Wreckers: Finale Part II|managed to hold the line]] against Unicron and other threats, either directly or through his innumerable children, the Transformers.

==In the beginning==
[[Image:Primus original.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Hold the sword and say, "I am the Protector of the Universe!"]]
Before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos existed within an extradimensional entity known as the [[One|One]]. To explore the fledgling universe, he created the astral being known as [[Unicron|Unicron]], and then subdivided him, creating his twin, Primus. Both brothers were multiversal singularities, unique in all realities, but whereas Unicron could only exist in one dimension at a time, moving between them at will, Primus existed simultaneously in all realities at once. It is suggested, in fact, that the two brothers embody the basic concepts of reality - good and evil, order and chaos - and that their continued existence is necessary for the stability of the multiverse.

[[Image:Primusoriginal.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"No, Rumble is blue!"]]
As Unicron and Primus went about their appointed task, venturing through the cosmos, it became apparent to Primus that Unicron was a corrupt being, and he took it upon himself to stop the threat posed to all of existence by his sibling. In combat, Primus was no match for Unicron. In cunning, however, he proved himself to his brother's superior when he shifted their battle to the astral plane, and then back to the physical world once more, only to have both their essences manifest within metallic planetoids, leaving them both trapped. It was with this act of sacrifice that Primus hoped to contain Unicron's evil forever. Unfortunately for him, over time, Unicron learned to psionically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus followed suit, becoming the mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When Unicron then learned to transform his planetary form even further, into a gigantic robot form, Primus adapted the idea to suit his own ends - rather than transforming his own body, he would create small beings that would be able to change their shape, like Unicron. After performing a "test run" on the moon of [[Protos|Protos]], where he successfully created [[Covenant|twelve transforming robotic beings]], {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Covenant}} he birthed from his own body a group of thirteen robots that possessed the ability to change shape, like Unicron. These were the [[13 original Transformers|13 original Transformers]], each one infused with a fragment of Primus's life essence known as a [[Spark|spark]].

The Thirteen were Primus's soldiers in his war with Unicron, which came to its seeming end during a climactic battle in which one of the Thirteen, who would forever afterwards be known as the [[The Fallen|Fallen]], betrayed Primus and became an acolyte of Unicron. The battle ended when the Fallen and Unicron were sucked into a black hole and disappeared from reality. With Unicron gone for now, Primus entered an eons-long slumber, his self-imposed sleep preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers shared. The Transformer race grew, and Primus fell into the realm of legend, with a portion of his power, the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix of Leadership]], handed down through the generations, serving as the Transformers' ever-present link to their creator.

===Evolution of the Primus/Unicron myth===
''The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a good number of times since it first originated in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel Comics]] series. The version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media (beginning around the time of [[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]). Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form it went through several distinct versions in the Marvel G1 comics and elsewhere.''

====Unicron's story====
''The first time we ever heard the Primus/Unicron backstory was in the UK comic continuity, from Unicron himself, in the story [[Legacy of Unicron|Legacy of Unicron]], when he recounted it to [[Death's Head|Death's Head]]. Per Unicron's telling of events, he was a primal force of evil at the dawn of the universe, who led a legion of [[Dark Armies|Dark Armies]] against his mortal foe, Primus, Lord of the [[Light Gods|Light Gods]] (note the plural). Events proceeded to play out basically as described above, though the role of the Light Gods and Dark Armies would diminish with each subsequent retelling of the story, until the current version, in which Primus and Unicron are alone, and have a unique origin. (Only one of the other gods was ever named - the [[Chronarchitect|Chronarchitect]]. How exactly he factors into the current iteration of the myth is unknown.)''

====The Keeper's story====
''The second time the story was told was in the US book by the [[Keeper|Keeper]], an ancient mechanoid who guarded Primus's head at the center of Cybertron. This telling is effectively the same as the previous UK story, but mentions that their battle was towards the end of the era of gods, that Primus and Unicron were the last of their respective pantheons, and Primus had to defeat Unicron before he could take his place with the other gods in the "[[Omniversal Matrix|Omniversal Matrix]]".''

====Primus's story====
''The third time the story was told was also in the US Marvel series, this time by Primus, when he gathered all his children together to prepare for Unicron's coming. It was with this telling that we learned that Unicron predated the current universe, and had destroyed the previous universe which existed before the current one. He had slept peacefully, alone in the void of uncreation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The "sentient core" of this new universe recognized the threat that Unicron posed, and so created Primus to counter his evil and be guardian of the new creation.''

====Fleer and DK====
[[Image:WarWithinPrimus.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I feel prickly...]]
''The first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron did not come from G1-oriented media, but from a set of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' trading cards released by Fleer. It was the backstory printed on Unicron's card which introduced the concept of the two being brothers created to explore the new universe by an extradimensional entity, here named the "[[Allspark|Allspark]]."''

''This was subsequently expanded on and combined with aspects of the various Marvel Comics stories in [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]], published by Dorling Kindersley and written by [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]], who had written all three prior tellings in the first place. Here, the entity Fleer had called the "Allspark" was redubbed "[[One|The One]]," and the modern iteration of the myth detailed above was firmly established, and went on to form the backbone of subsequent fiction such as ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' and [[Fun Publications|Fun Publications]]' ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comics.''

''It was also at this point that it was established that Primus could transform from Cybertron into a robot mode like Unicron, but preferred not to, choosing to remain connected to the universe on a planetary level.''

''The [[Transformers (2007)|movie continuity]] seemingly does not follow this origin, instead having Cybertron and Transformer life be created by the [[All Spark|All Spark]] cube.''

{{-}}

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Primalscream.jpg|right|180px|thumb|KHHHHHAAAAANNNNN!]]
Eventually, millions of years later, in [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|one version]] of Generation 1 continuity, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] found themselves transported to the center of Cybertron, where they discovered the sleeping form of Primus and were told the tale of his and the Transformers' origins by the Keeper. Subsequently, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Pretender|Pretenders]] attacked, and during the battle, a laser blast ricocheted off Grimlock and struck the essence of the sleeping Primus, causing a multiverse-shaking "Primal Scream" that woke Unicron and alerted him to Primus's location. Primus himself immediately slipped back into his sleep, but it was too late. {{storylink|Primal Scream|Primal Scream}}

[[Image:Emirate prmus.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Form blazing god!]]
Unicron dispatched a group of [[Hook, Line, and Sinker|heralds]] to attack Cybertron and pave the way for his coming, including a [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] plucked from an [[Rhythms of Darkness!|alternate future]]. Galvatron, however, was not content to serve under Unicron, and instead captured Autobot leader [[Emirate Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]], forcing him to fully awaken Primus, who possessed Xaaron's body and summoned Transformers from all across the universe back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!|Out of Time!}} Primus intended for all his children to battle Unicron together, but when the planet-eater arrived, sheer terror prevented them from carrying out his desire. Primus instead made a stand himself, attempting to dupe Unicron into believing he still retained his full power, but Unicron saw through the deception, and destroyed Xaaron's body. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] subsequently used the Matrix, the full measure of Primus's power, to destroy Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!|On the Edge of Extinction!}} His body in this universe obliterated, Unicron moved on to another dimension, to ravage other worlds, and make further attempts on Cybertrons throughout the multiverse.

'''Note:''' ''As originally written, it is quite clear that the story intends for Primus to have died after his battle with Unicron. As the current retcon makes it clear that this cannot possibly be, one must assume that Prime was wrong in his analysis that Primus had died. Notably, even in the original comics themselves, the Matrix—the life-force of Primus—is shown to still exist and is functioning fine in the G2 Marvel Comics series that follows his supposed death.''
{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
[[Image:TGGPrimus.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Now you need to get this toy.]]
'''Note:''' ''Primus did not exist in the American [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] as it was originally written, since it was produced long before the [[Retcon|retcon]] which established him to be a multiversal singularity. Precisely how Primus should then fit into the framework of the cartoon has not been explicitly established, although the [[Universe (2003)|''Universe'' comic'']]'' offered one attempt for its continuity (see "Beast Era", below). Primus was, however, explicitly and thoroughly retconned into being part of the expanded universe of the ''Japanese'' cartoon continuity by the [[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] fiction of 2007, as part of a complicated process that folded various animated concepts—[[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]], [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]] and the [[Oracle|Oracle]]—into the Primus myth.''
Formerly the assistant to the Primacron, the ancient genius who created the giant mechanoid Unicron, the robotic being known as the Oracle was badly damaged when Unicron rebelled against his creator. His essence fled to a dead world at the centre of the galaxy, which he used his powers to transform into a verdant, green planet. This world was eventually discovered by the alien Quintessons, and the Oracle was captured and transformed into the mega-computer, [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]]. The Quintessons used the Key To Vector Sigma to change the Oracle's world into the metallic planet of Cybertron. The Oracle's powers were harnessed by the Quintessons to create the races of robots that would eventually become the Transformers, and the shell that had held his essence became the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Kiss Players timeline}}

[[Image:TGGPrimus2.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Primus = Oracle = Vector Sigma = Primacron's Assistant = aaaargh.]]
Eons later, in the year 2007, three of Unicron's servants, the [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]], co-opted the human singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]], into helping them gather up the scattered [[Angolmois|essence]] of their master following his destruction in 2005. The three girls - [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa Faireborn]], [[Atari Hitotonari|Atari Hitotonari]] and [[Shaoshao Li|Shaoshao Li]] - were taken on a journey through space and time, and were tricked into believing that they were recovering fragments of the so-called "Allspark" from [[Autobot|Autobot]] or [[Maximal|Maximal]] leaders throughout history. The Oracle - by this stage calling himself Primus - was forced to intervene, appearing as a giant golden hand which began to steal away the fragments before the Kiss Players could gather them. Pursuing him across the multiverse, the Kiss Players collided with the [[Wall of Time|Wall of Time]] and were scattered across dimensions.

Primus rescued the girls from the Unicron Trilogy universe and revealed the Sparkbots' deception, before transforming into his "golden ark" mode (which Shaoshao thought looked more like a camper truck) to pursue the three villains back in time to prehistoric Earth. They arrived just in time to witness the Sparkbots' successful restoration of Unicron to life, but Primus transformed once more and unleashed the power of his mobile cannon platform, destroying Unicron's energy and sealing it and the Sparkbots deep within the planet. To ensure that Unicron would never be freed again, he created a mighty guardian, [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]], who would watch over it and the Earth. With the battle over, Shaoshao asked about the Kiss Players' future, but Primus did not reply. His work complete, the god transformed into a golden sphere and went to sleep. {{storylink|Kiss Players (fiction)|Kiss Players}} {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go!}}
{{-}}

==Beast Era==
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
In addition to its occasional invocation in prayer or in righteous anger by the Beast Warriors, Primus's name was also lent to a set of prophetical datatrax, known as the [[Covenant of Primus|Covenant of Primus]]. From this document, the [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of this era took his name (as did, presumably, the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]), and the scriptures foretold the events which completed the [[Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2|Nemesis Part 2}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===

===''Universe''===
[[Image:TFUPrimus.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Alpha, Rita's escaped! Recruit a team of teenagers with attitude!]]
Following the recreation of Cybertron as a technorganic world, [[Unicron|Unicron]] began gathering Transformers from across the multiverse, forcing them to fight and harvesting the [[Spark|Sparks]] of the losers to restore his power. With each spark devoured, Primus was weakened, and so, communing with Autobot elder [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], called back from the Allspark the now-legendary Maximal commander and Cybertron's savior, Optimus Primal, to rescue the possessed, battling captives from the Pit of Unicron -- and to lead a team of multiversal warriors to put a stop to his soul-stealing scheme before it could cause the Allspark to collapse.

Primus allowed Optimus Primal to choose any Transformer who ever existed -- living or dead -- for his army. This required considerable amounts of Primus's power, so Primal was told to choose sparingly. Primal chose his departed former troops [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Depth Charge|Depth Charge]]. Ultimately, however, Unicron's defeat came not as a result of their efforts, but as a consequence of another battle, happening in another corner of the Transformers multiverse.

{{-}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Energon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ron Halder|Ron Halder]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda|Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Johan Hedenberg|Johan Hedenberg]] (Swedish)

[[Image:Primus eng.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Primus mistakes Kicker for a Japanese schoolgirl.]]
In the Unicron Trilogy universe, Primus was introduced as the living energy core of Cybertron, as well as the originator of the precious and ancient fuel, [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]. Transformers of this universe believed the stories of Unicron, Primus, and [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] to be only myth and legend until the existence of Unicron was revealed in the "Unicron Battles" of 2010. With Cybertron left in a disastrous state after the chaos-bringer's attack, large amounts of Energon were required to repair the planet, and to search for and acquire the mineral, the united Autobot-Decepticon forces entered into an alliance with the Earth Federated Government.

Primus entered into the equation when the project's head scientist, [[Dr. Brian Jones|Dr. Brian Jones]], brought his son, [[Kicker|Kicker]], to Cybertron. Terrified of the giant robots surrounding him, Kicker fled, only to find himself tumbling through tunnels into a hidden chamber deep beneath Cybertron's surface. Primus awoke and saved Kicker from what would have been a fatal fall, and for his own reasons, imbued the child with a special gift - the ability to detect energon throughout the universe. [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] subsequently discovered Kicker in Primus's chamber, and the god chose to work with the Transformers quite directly, imbuing them with the "Spark of Combination," which would allow the Autobots to combine and increase their powers. Primus went on to advise Optimus Prime on his actions in order to prepare for the future, including the Terrorcon invasion, the return of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], and the next battle with Unicron; although vague at times, he would offer just enough information to allow his children to survive the threats they faced. Primus was often very weak due to the damage done to the planet's surface, and spent most of his time in a mode of stasis to preserve his energy and keep Cybertron's energy grid online.

When Megatron succeeded in reanimating Unicron, most of the Autobot army was critically wounded in the ensuing battle. This prompted the sleeping Primus to awaken and infuse their armor with his power, upgrading them into new forms, and allowing Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme to combine into a gigantic form and defeat Unicron. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes|Unicron Perishes}} Unicron's spark survived, however, and Primus sought to contain it by trapping it at the heart of a new sun that he created from a reservoir of "super energon" hidden within Cybertron. {{storylink|The Sun|The Sun}}

===Cybertron===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael Donovan|Michael Donovan]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda|Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Map-Primus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If Unicron is Galactus, does that mean that Primus is Ego, The Living Planet?]]
Primus's plan to contain Unicron's essence in the center of the sun failed when the star collapsed into a massive [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] which threatened not only Cybertron and the universe, but the entire multiverse itself. His energy drained to the point that he had once again been rendered dormant, Primus could now only be awakened and restored to full power by the four ancient [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet Keys]], lost to the far reaches of the galaxy in a failed [[Space bridge|space bridge]] experiment eons ago. The magnitude of the threat posed to the multiverse was enough to summon [[Vector Prime|Vector Prime]] - one of the original thirteen Transformers, who had been following Unicron through the multiverse and repairing the damage he had done - back to Cybertron to aid the Autobots in the quest for the keys.

[[Image:Primus Cybertrony.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh so prickly...]]
Eventually, despite continued attempts by both Megatron and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] to steal the power of the Cyber Planet Keys, the Autobots were able to gather the keys from [[Velocitron|Velocitron]], the [[Jungle Planet|Jungle Planet]] and [[Earth|Earth]], and brought them and their focusing device, the [[Omega Lock|Omega Lock]], back to Cybertron. Coupling these three keys with the power of the Matrix, Optimus Prime was able to initiate Primus's transformation from planet mode to robot mode. Communicating with the Autobots through the [[Mini-Con|Mini-Con]], [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], Primus explained that the destruction of Unicron, the embodiment of the force of evil, had unbalanced the universe, and that only he could seal the black hole and restore order - but to do that, the fourth Cyber Planet Key, from [[Gigantion|Gigantion]], the Giant Planet, was required to reconnect Primus's spark with his body and restore his full power. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

[[Image:Starscream Vs Primus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mother...]]
Attempting to retrieve the Omega Lock, [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] made a rather pointless attack on Primus, only to be smacked down hard. {{storylink|Balance|Balance}} Shortly thereafter, when Primus was in the process of channelling some of his power into holding back the ever-growing black hole, Starscream tried again, plunging into the energy beam and absorbing some of Primus's power into himself. Starscream expanded in size until he was as large as Primus himself, but Primus did not take this slight lightly, as he converted Cybertron's moons into a pair of mace weapons and relentlessly pounded Starscream into submission. {{storylink|Titans|Titans}}

Eventually, the Autobots were able to acquire the final key, as well as to reactivate the four ancient ships which had carried the keys to the respective worlds ages ago - the [[Atlantis|Atlantis]], the [[Lemuria|Lemuria]], the [[Hyperborea|Hyperborea]] and the [[Ogygia|Ogygia]]. Primus fused the four ships together to form the [[Ark (Cybertron)|Ark]], and with his powers subsequently restored by all four keys, he channelled all of his power through the Ark as a beam, straight into the heart of the black hole. With a massive blast, the black hole was finally sealed, and Primus transformed back into Cybertron - not Cybertron as it had been, but a new Cybertron, infused with the differing aspects of Velocitron, Jungle Planet, Earth and Gigantion, a true paradise for Transformers and humans alike. {{storylink|End|End}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
While the Autobots were occupied with the quest for the Cyber Planet Keys, Unicron's heralds [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived on Cybertron, intent on unleashing the [[Dead Matrix|Dead Matrix]] - as the Matrix was the antithesis of Unicron, so too would the Dead Matrix ensure the destruction of Primus, thereby totally destabilizing the multiverse and reducing it to a sea of entropic chaos. For the first time, it would be possible for Unicron to strike at Primus in all realities simultaneously, ending their cosmic feud once and for all.

Ramjet and Nemesis Prime were ultimately stopped by Vector Prime and allies [[Sentinel Maximus|Sentinel Maximus]] and [[Omega Prime|Omega Prime]], plucked from the midst of the ''Universe'' conflict by the multiverse-warping energies of the black hole. The Dead Matrix, however, was cast into the heart of the black hole by Unicron's servant [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], freeing Unicron's spark and allowing it to adopt a new, diminutive physical form. Unicron participated in the escalating Mini-Con civil war on Cybertron's moons, but when the planet transformed into Primus's robot mode, Unicron fled. His whereabouts are unknown.

== IDW comics continuity ==
As of this writing, neither Unicron nor Primus has appeared in the new [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] [[IDW continuity|comics universe]]. Writer [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]] has outright said that this universe will have "no Primus. No Unicron", while hinting IDW may be "poking and prodding around the pre-history of the Transformers... the very beginning". <a href="http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2850" class="external autonumber" title="http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2850" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> IDW publisher [[Chris Ryall|Chris Ryall]] has also stated "we're also going to do the TF origins this year [2008], too. That one will be called ''The Thirteen''". <a href="http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=12209" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=12209" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

While [[Author intent|author intent]] on its own could still leave room for an IDW Primus, if the upcoming story has a contradictory origin for the Transformers, that would retcon out the previous retcon, rendering Primus as being once again a feature of only some Transformer continuities. (And then some poor sod would have to heavily edit this article.)

It is confirmed that there was ''a'' Primus in some shape or form, as Cybertronians were shown taking his name in vain while under attack in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]. Furman's explanation for this in his blog is that this is not the G1 Primus, but it is possible there was "something or someone" called Primus at some point. <a href="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/all-this-and-devastation-4/" class="external autonumber" title="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/all-this-and-devastation-4/" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>

In the absence of Primus, there were some other interesting things to mention in Cybertronian religion. In the ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' miniseries, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Scoop|Scoop]] make mention of [[Primacron|Primacron]] in an almost religious manner ("Primacron help us" and "Primacron only knows"). [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] claims that there is a spirit of Cybertron which needs to be appeased to restore Cybertron, which one could easily interpret as Primus. However, Bludgeon's idea of appeasing Cybertron was to allow [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] to destroy a bunch of planets in a mass sacrifice, so his sources (and his sanity) are a matter of debate.

To further muck things up, stories involving [[Gorlam Prime|Gorlam Prime]] have suggested that the Transformers may have originally been organic life that 'upgraded' themselves.

Then again, this isn't the only time a Transformer Universe had characters largely unaware if Primus exists. The ''[[Shattered Glass|Shattered Glass]]'' characters were largely ignorant of Primus until a [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper from another universe]] mentioned him. How he would interact in that universe is best left unexplored.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''God Primus''' (2004)
*''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields

[[Image:GodPrimus1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Popemobile, meet Godebago.]][[Image:GodPrimus2.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The rod god.]]
:Unbeknownst to many Western fans, the first Primus figure was a "[[Lucky Draw|Lucky Draw]]" toy in Japan, a [[Vacuum metalizing|vacuum metalized]] gold chrome recolored [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] that was given away as a contest prize from the collector book, ''[[Transformers: Generations|Transformers: Generations]]''. Supposedly, only 100 pieces of these lucky draw figures were manufactured.
:As a [[Redeco|redeco]] of a Rodimus (no doubt inspired by the resemblance of his astral form to Rodimus in the UK comics), Primus transforms into a futuristic truck resembling nothing so much as a Winnebago. Following the trend started by Optimus Prime, his trailer splits down the middle to transform into a battle station with an extending double-barrelled cannon. The figure comes with a large, hand-held blaster, and two blast-shield accessories that plug into the sides of his battle station cannon.

{{-}}

*'''Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-00'''
*''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

[[Image:Cybertron Primus toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven imag— You know what, just forget it. It's not like we have rules for a reason.]]
:Primus was developed by Hasbro and Takara as a toy for their joint ''Cybertron/Galaxy Force'' toylines, but was released in Japan in the ''Generation 1'' line a few months after ''Galaxy Force'' had ended its run. This release can be considered a pre-release of the ''Cybertron'' toy because it features Hasbro's [[Cyber Key Codes|Cyber Key Codes]] that the ''Galaxy Force'' line lacked.

:Primus is the first toy representation of the Transformers' creator as their home planet of Cybertron. In planet mode, he is considerably more detailed than [[Unicron|Unicron]] from the ''Armada'' line, with visible cities, including [[Iacon|Iacon]], based upon its appearance in the [[DK Publishing|DK Publishing]] book, ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', and [[Kaon|Kaon]] as seen in ''[[The War Within|The War Within]]''. On the 'bottom' of the planet mode there are four hard rubber legs, molded to be shaped like towers, allowing Primus to be displayed in planet mode, yet not require a flat base as Unicron did.

:Primus's transformation is unusual, in many ways similar to a [[Powermaster|Powermaster]], in that he requires the owner to insert his accompanying Omega Lock accessory into several special ports around the planet, then manipulate it to unlock his parts and transform him. When the Omega Lock is inserted into his back and pushed, a transforming sound is heard. When it is inserted into his chest and pushed up to reveal his head, his eyes glow red and a laser-type sound effect is heard. The Lock itself lights up red when it is inserted into any of the ports.

:In robot mode, Primus resembles both the ''[[Beast Wars Neo|Beast Wars Neo]]'' Unicron prototype as well as [[Don Figueroa|Don Figueroa]]'s Primus concept, created for ''The War Within'' and used in ''The Ultimate Guide''. He is bristling with weaponry, including two shoulder-mounted cannons that can fire missiles, two forearm blasters that raise and extend when a Cyber Power Key is inserted, and several banks of Gatling guns, lasers and missile launchers in his shins and legs revealed by the Omega Lock.

:Primus also has what might charitably be called a third mode - an intergalactic world-ship, which is basically formed by transforming the figure halfway and leaving the head down and the legs backward. It features no dedicated parts or transformation steps, making it very obvious that it was created after the fact. It looks kinda like The Starship Enterprise...backwards.

:Primus comes with two accessories, the aforementioned battery-operated Omega Lock that lights up red when inserted into any of the four Omega Lock ports, and a special silver Cybertron-Planet Cyber Power Key with the key code '''sp8u''' [[Tampograph|tampographed]] onto the back. Any four Cyber Planet Keys can be inserted into the four key slots at the base of the Omega Lock, though doing this does not activate any feature. There are also nine inactive Mini-Con [[Powerlinx|powerlinx]] ports on the Primus figure, including two on the claws on his legs.

===Cybertron===
*'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
*''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

:Cybertron Primus is the North American version of Primus, released a few months after the Japanese release. Both toys are identical.

:In North America, limited early-run versions of Cybertron Primus came packaged with a very creepy "battle damaged" Unicron head based upon his Armada appearance.

:A later version, [[Exclusive|exclusive]] to Wal-Mart as a [[Black Friday|Black Friday]] 2006 special, included four Mini-Cons; [[Strongarm (Cybertron)|Strongarm]], [[Knockdown (Cybertron)|Knockdown]], [[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]], and [[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]].

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* The original form of Primus in Marvel Comic continuity is similar to [[Hot Rod|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]].
* The myth of Primus and Unicron bears a little resemblance to the [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] myth of [[wikipedia:Ahura_Mazda|Ahura Mazda]] and [[wikipedia:Ahriman|Ahriman]].
*The idea of Primus transforming bears some resemblance to an [[The Secret of Cybertron|early script]] for [[The Transformers: The Movie|the original movie]], in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] merges with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and transforms into a super robot to defeat Unicron.
*''Energon'' [http://web.archive.org/web/20041207164548/www.tfpulp.com/archive/energonprod/energonprod.html pre-production notes] detail early ideas the cartoon had for Primus's origin. Presumably non-canon, given that they are not particularly in-line with the "multiversal singularity" origin of the character, they present Primus as an entity consisting purely of energon. Energon, the notes state, is the product of the "genetic material" of the sun interacting with planetary bodies - this, then, appears to be a very literal interpretation of Primus's role as a "light god," presenting him as an actual product of the light of the sun.

==See also==
*[[Allspark|Allspark]]
*[[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]]

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm Primus at TFU.info]

[[Category:Stub]]
[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Energon characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Gods]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]
[[Category:Toys with sound]]

Allicon

2009-03-24T07:46:17Z

Keegman:

<div id="title-factionicons" style="float: right; display: none;"><div style="position: relative;">[[Quintesson|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b0/Quintesson_symbol.png/25px-Quintesson_symbol.png" width="25" height="30" border="0"/>]]</div></div>
{{disambig3|Alligator}}
:''Allicons are slightly-less-unintelligent [[Quintesson]] enforcers from the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Allicons.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Okay, which one's Hawk and which one's Animal?]]
'''Allicons''' are another breed of the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]]' enforcer-units, often used as guards for more important members of the race. They are slightly smarter than the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], even capable of speech, but free will has been pretty thoroughly removed from their programming, to the point where they will malfunction if resisting a direct order.

They transform into bipedal, vaguely [[wikipedia:crocodilian|crocodilian]] creatures.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Aron Kincaid]] (English, "The Killing Jar")

A group of Allicons intercepted [[Kup]] and [[Hot Rod]] when the two Autobots were lost on [[Quintessa]]. Kup used the [[Universal Greeting]] and offered them [[Energon (G1)|energon]] goodies, which made the Allicons friendly... until the goodies ran out. Oops. The Allicons subdued the two Autobots and took them to the Quintessons' court chambers, tossing them into the cell next to [[Kranix]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:Killing Jar Allicon beastmode.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The better to eat you with!]]
Some Allicons guarded [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Spike (G1)|Spike]] to their trial after they were captured by the Quintessons during the [[Galactic Olympics]]. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

A single Allicon later served as the guard for a Quintesson scientist who kidnapped [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]. When the captives escaped, it dueled Wreck-Gar with a spear until the Quintesson's ship started being dragged into a black hole and the whole group had to work together to escape. When the Quintesson tried to flee in the only escape pod and everyone else tried to stop him, the Allicon just blanked out as it couldn't disobey its orders. Eventually they all escaped from the black hole, and the Allicon and its master went off on their own. {{storylink|The Killing Jar|The Killing Jar}}

An uncharacteristically intelligent Allicon talked strategy with a judge-type Quintesson. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal|The Quintesson Journal}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{note|Events from the [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|UK-only]] comic stories are in italics.}}
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<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">I want to tell you about the Transformers!</span><hr />
''This character article is a [[:Category:Character stubs missing fiction|stub]] and is missing information on their '''fictional appearances'''. You can help '''Transformers Wiki''' by [http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Allicon&action=edit expanding it].''

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===Universe: Featuring the Wreckers===
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<span style="font-size:125%;font-weight:900;">I want to tell you about the Transformers!</span><hr />
''This character article is a [[:Category:Character stubs missing fiction|stub]] and is missing information on their '''fictional appearances'''. You can help '''Transformers Wiki''' by [http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Allicon&action=edit expanding it].''

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==Trivia==
* The script for the movie originally called for the Allicons' scene to feature Sharkticons, but we got these critters instead. Neither in this scene, nor in any of their reappearances during the series were they referred to by name - the script for ''[[The Killing Jar]]'' identified them only as "Quintesson Guards." The creatures were given the name 'Allicon' years after the fact in [[Dreamwave]]'s 2004 ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' series.

[[Category:Character stubs missing fiction]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Mass-produced Transformers]]
[[Category:Quintessons]]
[[Category:Fiction-only characters]]

Primus

2009-03-24T07:38:52Z

Keegman: /* Generation 1 */

[[Image:PrimusG1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|That's MISTER God to you.]]
'''Primus''' is the creator-god of the [[Transformer|Transformers]]. An ancient and ethereal being whose origins date back to the beginnings of the universe itself, Primus is a multiversal force for good, his life force existing across multiple realities and infinite alternate universes. In each one, he is the final defense against his fallen sibling, [[Unicron|Unicron]] the Chaos-Bringer.

Primus has adapted his body as the metallic planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]; from its surface, his creations have risen to defend and patrol the galaxy. Within the depths of Cybertron, the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]] serves as his internal mainframe, and a gateway for select Transformers to access his power. A portion of his lifeforce resides within the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], which often determines the [[Prime (rank)|leader]] of the [[Autobot|Autobots]]. Prophecies of a war to come were written down in his [[Covenant of Primus|holy covenant]] as well. The [[Spark|spark]] of each Transformer is a small piece of Primus's essence, and together they form his lifeforce, the [[Allspark|Allspark]].

Though wise and powerful beyond measure, Primus is neither infallible nor without weakness. At times he has [[Out of Time!|been deceived by mere mortals]], and has made [[The Sun|miscalculations]] which [[Balancing Act|jeopardized all of existence]]. Indeed, even the intended agents of his grand plan, the Transformers, have all too frequently become mired in endless civil war. Still, in [[Withered Hope|most realities]] he has [[Wreckers: Finale Part II|managed to hold the line]] against Unicron and other threats, either directly or through his innumerable children, the Transformers.

==In the beginning==
[[Image:Primus original.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Hold the sword and say, "I am the Protector of the Universe!"]]
Before the dawn of time, Order and Chaos existed within an extradimensional entity known as the [[One|One]]. To explore the fledgling universe, he created the astral being known as [[Unicron|Unicron]], and then subdivided him, creating his twin, Primus. Both brothers were multiversal singularities, unique in all realities, but whereas Unicron could only exist in one dimension at a time, moving between them at will, Primus existed simultaneously in all realities at once. It is suggested, in fact, that the two brothers embody the basic concepts of reality - good and evil, order and chaos - and that their continued existence is necessary for the stability of the multiverse.

[[Image:Primusoriginal.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"No, Rumble is blue!"]]
As Unicron and Primus went about their appointed task, venturing through the cosmos, it became apparent to Primus that Unicron was a corrupt being, and he took it upon himself to stop the threat posed to all of existence by his sibling. In combat, Primus was no match for Unicron. In cunning, however, he proved himself to his brother's superior when he shifted their battle to the astral plane, and then back to the physical world once more, only to have both their essences manifest within metallic planetoids, leaving them both trapped. It was with this act of sacrifice that Primus hoped to contain Unicron's evil forever. Unfortunately for him, over time, Unicron learned to psionically shape his prison into a giant metallic planet, and Primus followed suit, becoming the mechanical world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. When Unicron then learned to transform his planetary form even further, into a gigantic robot form, Primus adapted the idea to suit his own ends - rather than transforming his own body, he would create small beings that would be able to change their shape, like Unicron. After performing a "test run" on the moon of [[Protos|Protos]], where he successfully created [[Covenant|twelve transforming robotic beings]], {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox|Covenant}} he birthed from his own body a group of thirteen robots that possessed the ability to change shape, like Unicron. These were the [[13 original Transformers|13 original Transformers]], each one infused with a fragment of Primus's life essence known as a [[Spark|spark]].

The Thirteen were Primus's soldiers in his war with Unicron, which came to its seeming end during a climactic battle in which one of the Thirteen, who would forever afterwards be known as the [[The Fallen|Fallen]], betrayed Primus and became an acolyte of Unicron. The battle ended when the Fallen and Unicron were sucked into a black hole and disappeared from reality. With Unicron gone for now, Primus entered an eons-long slumber, his self-imposed sleep preventing Unicron from detecting him through the mental link the brothers shared. The Transformer race grew, and Primus fell into the realm of legend, with a portion of his power, the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix of Leadership]], handed down through the generations, serving as the Transformers' ever-present link to their creator.

===Evolution of the Primus/Unicron myth===
''The Primus/Unicron backstory has evolved and been rewritten a good number of times since it first originated in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel Comics]] series. The version recounted above is the current iteration, which has slowly solidified across a wide swath of media (beginning around the time of [[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]). Before the Primus/Unicron mythos reached its present form it went through several distinct versions in the Marvel G1 comics and elsewhere.''

====Unicron's story====
''The first time we ever heard the Primus/Unicron backstory was in the UK comic continuity, from Unicron himself, in the story [[Legacy of Unicron|Legacy of Unicron]], when he recounted it to [[Death's Head|Death's Head]]. Per Unicron's telling of events, he was a primal force of evil at the dawn of the universe, who led a legion of [[Dark Armies|Dark Armies]] against his mortal foe, Primus, Lord of the [[Light Gods|Light Gods]] (note the plural). Events proceeded to play out basically as described above, though the role of the Light Gods and Dark Armies would diminish with each subsequent retelling of the story, until the current version, in which Primus and Unicron are alone, and have a unique origin. (Only one of the other gods was ever named - the [[Chronarchitect|Chronarchitect]]. How exactly he factors into the current iteration of the myth is unknown.)''

====The Keeper's story====
''The second time the story was told was in the US book by the [[Keeper|Keeper]], an ancient mechanoid who guarded Primus's head at the center of Cybertron. This telling is effectively the same as the previous UK story, but mentions that their battle was towards the end of the era of gods, that Primus and Unicron were the last of their respective pantheons, and Primus had to defeat Unicron before he could take his place with the other gods in the "[[Omniversal Matrix|Omniversal Matrix]]".''

====Primus's story====
''The third time the story was told was also in the US Marvel series, this time by Primus, when he gathered all his children together to prepare for Unicron's coming. It was with this telling that we learned that Unicron predated the current universe, and had destroyed the previous universe which existed before the current one. He had slept peacefully, alone in the void of uncreation that remained, until fragments of the old universe that he had overlooked reacted, causing the Big Bang and birthing the current universe. The "sentient core" of this new universe recognized the threat that Unicron posed, and so created Primus to counter his evil and be guardian of the new creation.''

====Fleer and DK====
[[Image:WarWithinPrimus.jpg|left|150px|thumb|I feel prickly...]]
''The first modern retelling of the origins of Primus and Unicron did not come from G1-oriented media, but from a set of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' trading cards released by Fleer. It was the backstory printed on Unicron's card which introduced the concept of the two being brothers created to explore the new universe by an extradimensional entity, here named the "[[Allspark|Allspark]]."''

''This was subsequently expanded on and combined with aspects of the various Marvel Comics stories in [[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]], published by Dorling Kindersley and written by [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]], who had written all three prior tellings in the first place. Here, the entity Fleer had called the "Allspark" was redubbed "[[One|The One]]," and the modern iteration of the myth detailed above was firmly established, and went on to form the backbone of subsequent fiction such as ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' and [[Fun Publications|Fun Publications]]' ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' comics.''

''It was also at this point that it was established that Primus could transform from Cybertron into a robot mode like Unicron, but preferred not to, choosing to remain connected to the universe on a planetary level.''

''The [[Transformers (2007)|movie continuity]] seemingly does not follow this origin, instead having Cybertron and Transformer life be created by the [[All Spark|All Spark]] cube.''

{{-}}

==Generation 1==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[Image:Primalscream.jpg|right|180px|thumb|KHHHHHAAAAANNNNN!]]
Eventually, millions of years later, in [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|one version]] of Generation 1 continuity, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] found themselves transported to the center of Cybertron, where they discovered the sleeping form of Primus and were told the tale of his and the Transformers' origins by the Keeper. Subsequently, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Pretender|Pretenders]] attacked, and during the battle, a laser blast ricocheted off Grimlock and struck the essence of the sleeping Primus, causing a multiverse-shaking "Primal Scream" that woke Unicron and alerted him to Primus's location. Primus himself immediately slipped back into his sleep, but it was too late. {{storylink|Primal Scream|Primal Scream}}

[[Image:Emirate prmus.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Form blazing god!]]
Unicron dispatched a group of [[Hook, Line, and Sinker|heralds]] to attack Cybertron and pave the way for his coming, including a [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] plucked from an [[Rhythms of Darkness!|alternate future]]. Galvatron, however, was not content to serve under Unicron, and instead captured Autobot leader [[Emirate Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]], forcing him to fully awaken Primus, who possessed Xaaron's body and summoned Transformers from all across the universe back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Out of Time!|Out of Time!}} Primus intended for all his children to battle Unicron together, but when the planet-eater arrived, sheer terror prevented them from carrying out his desire. Primus instead made a stand himself, attempting to dupe Unicron into believing he still retained his full power, but Unicron saw through the deception, and destroyed Xaaron's body. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] subsequently used the Matrix, the full measure of Primus's power, to destroy Unicron. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!|On the Edge of Extinction!}} His body in this universe obliterated, Unicron moved on to another dimension, to ravage other worlds, and make further attempts on Cybertrons throughout the multiverse.

'''Note:''' ''As originally written, it is quite clear that the story intends for Primus to have died after his battle with Unicron. As the current retcon makes it clear that this cannot possibly be, one must assume that Prime was wrong in his analysis that Primus had died. Notably, even in the original comics themselves, the Matrix—the life-force of Primus—is shown to still exist and is functioning fine in the G2 Marvel Comics series that follows his supposed death.''
{{-}}

===Japanese cartoon continuity===
[[Image:TGGPrimus.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Now you need to get this toy.]]
'''Note:''' ''Primus did not exist in the American [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] as it was originally written, since it was produced long before the [[Retcon|retcon]] which established him to be a multiversal singularity. Precisely how Primus should then fit into the framework of the cartoon has not been explicitly established, although the [[Universe (2003)|''Universe'' comic'']]'' offered one attempt for its continuity (see "Beast Era", below). Primus was, however, explicitly and thoroughly retconned into being part of the expanded universe of the ''Japanese'' cartoon continuity by the [[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]] fiction of 2007, as part of a complicated process that folded various animated concepts—[[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's assistant]], [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]] and the [[Oracle|Oracle]]—into the Primus myth.''
Formerly the assistant to the Primacron, the ancient genius who created the giant mechanoid Unicron, the robotic being known as the Oracle was badly damaged when Unicron rebelled against his creator. His essence fled to a dead world at the centre of the galaxy, which he used his powers to transform into a verdant, green planet. This world was eventually discovered by the alien Quintessons, and the Oracle was captured and transformed into the mega-computer, [[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]]. The Quintessons used the Key To Vector Sigma to change the Oracle's world into the metallic planet of Cybertron. The Oracle's powers were harnessed by the Quintessons to create the races of robots that would eventually become the Transformers, and the shell that had held his essence became the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Kiss Players timeline}}

[[Image:TGGPrimus2.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Primus = Oracle = Vector Sigma = Primacron's Assistant = aaaargh.]]
Eons later, in the year 2007, three of Unicron's servants, the [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]], co-opted the human singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]], into helping them gather up the scattered [[Angolmois|essence]] of their master following his destruction in 2005. The three girls - [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa Faireborn]], [[Atari Hitotonari|Atari Hitotonari]] and [[Shaoshao Li|Shaoshao Li]] - were taken on a journey through space and time, and were tricked into believing that they were recovering fragments of the so-called "Allspark" from [[Autobot|Autobot]] or [[Maximal|Maximal]] leaders throughout history. The Oracle - by this stage calling himself Primus - was forced to intervene, appearing as a giant golden hand which began to steal away the fragments before the Kiss Players could gather them. Pursuing him across the multiverse, the Kiss Players collided with the [[Wall of Time|Wall of Time]] and were scattered across dimensions.

Primus rescued the girls from the Unicron Trilogy universe and revealed the Sparkbots' deception, before transforming into his "golden ark" mode (which Shaoshao thought looked more like a camper truck) to pursue the three villains back in time to prehistoric Earth. They arrived just in time to witness the Sparkbots' successful restoration of Unicron to life, but Primus transformed once more and unleashed the power of his mobile cannon platform, destroying Unicron's energy and sealing it and the Sparkbots deep within the planet. To ensure that Unicron would never be freed again, he created a mighty guardian, [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]], who would watch over it and the Earth. With the battle over, Shaoshao asked about the Kiss Players' future, but Primus did not reply. His work complete, the god transformed into a golden sphere and went to sleep. {{storylink|Kiss Players (fiction)|Kiss Players}} {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go!}}
{{-}}

==Beast Era==
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
In addition to its occasional invocation in prayer or in righteous anger by the Beast Warriors, Primus's name was also lent to a set of prophetical datatrax, known as the [[Covenant of Primus|Covenant of Primus]]. From this document, the [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of this era took his name (as did, presumably, the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]), and the scriptures foretold the events which completed the [[Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2|Nemesis Part 2}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===

===''Universe''===
[[Image:TFUPrimus.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Alpha, Rita's escaped! Recruit a team of teenagers with attitude!]]
Following the recreation of Cybertron as a technorganic world, [[Unicron|Unicron]] began gathering Transformers from across the multiverse, forcing them to fight and harvesting the [[Spark|Sparks]] of the losers to restore his power. With each spark devoured, Primus was weakened, and so, communing with Autobot elder [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], called back from the Allspark the now-legendary Maximal commander and Cybertron's savior, Optimus Primal, to rescue the possessed, battling captives from the Pit of Unicron -- and to lead a team of multiversal warriors to put a stop to his soul-stealing scheme before it could cause the Allspark to collapse.

Primus allowed Optimus Primal to choose any Transformer who ever existed -- living or dead -- for his army. This required considerable amounts of Primus's power, so Primal was told to choose sparingly. Primal chose his departed former troops [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Depth Charge|Depth Charge]]. Ultimately, however, Unicron's defeat came not as a result of their efforts, but as a consequence of another battle, happening in another corner of the Transformers multiverse.

{{-}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
===Energon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ron Halder|Ron Halder]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda|Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Johan Hedenberg|Johan Hedenberg]] (Swedish)

[[Image:Primus eng.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Primus mistakes Kicker for a Japanese schoolgirl.]]
In the Unicron Trilogy universe, Primus was introduced as the living energy core of Cybertron, as well as the originator of the precious and ancient fuel, [[Energon (Energon)|energon]]. Transformers of this universe believed the stories of Unicron, Primus, and [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] to be only myth and legend until the existence of Unicron was revealed in the "Unicron Battles" of 2010. With Cybertron left in a disastrous state after the chaos-bringer's attack, large amounts of Energon were required to repair the planet, and to search for and acquire the mineral, the united Autobot-Decepticon forces entered into an alliance with the Earth Federated Government.

Primus entered into the equation when the project's head scientist, [[Dr. Brian Jones|Dr. Brian Jones]], brought his son, [[Kicker|Kicker]], to Cybertron. Terrified of the giant robots surrounding him, Kicker fled, only to find himself tumbling through tunnels into a hidden chamber deep beneath Cybertron's surface. Primus awoke and saved Kicker from what would have been a fatal fall, and for his own reasons, imbued the child with a special gift - the ability to detect energon throughout the universe. [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] subsequently discovered Kicker in Primus's chamber, and the god chose to work with the Transformers quite directly, imbuing them with the "Spark of Combination," which would allow the Autobots to combine and increase their powers. Primus went on to advise Optimus Prime on his actions in order to prepare for the future, including the Terrorcon invasion, the return of [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], and the next battle with Unicron; although vague at times, he would offer just enough information to allow his children to survive the threats they faced. Primus was often very weak due to the damage done to the planet's surface, and spent most of his time in a mode of stasis to preserve his energy and keep Cybertron's energy grid online.

When Megatron succeeded in reanimating Unicron, most of the Autobot army was critically wounded in the ensuing battle. This prompted the sleeping Primus to awaken and infuse their armor with his power, upgrading them into new forms, and allowing Optimus Prime and Omega Supreme to combine into a gigantic form and defeat Unicron. {{storylink|Unicron Perishes|Unicron Perishes}} Unicron's spark survived, however, and Primus sought to contain it by trapping it at the heart of a new sun that he created from a reservoir of "super energon" hidden within Cybertron. {{storylink|The Sun|The Sun}}

===Cybertron===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael Donovan|Michael Donovan]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda|Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Map-Primus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If Unicron is Galactus, does that mean that Primus is Ego, The Living Planet?]]
Primus's plan to contain Unicron's essence in the center of the sun failed when the star collapsed into a massive [[Unicron Singularity|black hole]] which threatened not only Cybertron and the universe, but the entire multiverse itself. His energy drained to the point that he had once again been rendered dormant, Primus could now only be awakened and restored to full power by the four ancient [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet Keys]], lost to the far reaches of the galaxy in a failed [[Space bridge|space bridge]] experiment eons ago. The magnitude of the threat posed to the multiverse was enough to summon [[Vector Prime|Vector Prime]] - one of the original thirteen Transformers, who had been following Unicron through the multiverse and repairing the damage he had done - back to Cybertron to aid the Autobots in the quest for the keys.

[[Image:Primus Cybertrony.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh so prickly...]]
Eventually, despite continued attempts by both Megatron and [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] to steal the power of the Cyber Planet Keys, the Autobots were able to gather the keys from [[Velocitron|Velocitron]], the [[Jungle Planet|Jungle Planet]] and [[Earth|Earth]], and brought them and their focusing device, the [[Omega Lock|Omega Lock]], back to Cybertron. Coupling these three keys with the power of the Matrix, Optimus Prime was able to initiate Primus's transformation from planet mode to robot mode. Communicating with the Autobots through the [[Mini-Con|Mini-Con]], [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]], Primus explained that the destruction of Unicron, the embodiment of the force of evil, had unbalanced the universe, and that only he could seal the black hole and restore order - but to do that, the fourth Cyber Planet Key, from [[Gigantion|Gigantion]], the Giant Planet, was required to reconnect Primus's spark with his body and restore his full power. {{storylink|Cybertron (episode)|Cybertron}}

[[Image:Starscream Vs Primus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mother...]]
Attempting to retrieve the Omega Lock, [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] made a rather pointless attack on Primus, only to be smacked down hard. {{storylink|Balance|Balance}} Shortly thereafter, when Primus was in the process of channelling some of his power into holding back the ever-growing black hole, Starscream tried again, plunging into the energy beam and absorbing some of Primus's power into himself. Starscream expanded in size until he was as large as Primus himself, but Primus did not take this slight lightly, as he converted Cybertron's moons into a pair of mace weapons and relentlessly pounded Starscream into submission. {{storylink|Titans|Titans}}

Eventually, the Autobots were able to acquire the final key, as well as to reactivate the four ancient ships which had carried the keys to the respective worlds ages ago - the [[Atlantis|Atlantis]], the [[Lemuria|Lemuria]], the [[Hyperborea|Hyperborea]] and the [[Ogygia|Ogygia]]. Primus fused the four ships together to form the [[Ark (Cybertron)|Ark]], and with his powers subsequently restored by all four keys, he channelled all of his power through the Ark as a beam, straight into the heart of the black hole. With a massive blast, the black hole was finally sealed, and Primus transformed back into Cybertron - not Cybertron as it had been, but a new Cybertron, infused with the differing aspects of Velocitron, Jungle Planet, Earth and Gigantion, a true paradise for Transformers and humans alike. {{storylink|End|End}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
While the Autobots were occupied with the quest for the Cyber Planet Keys, Unicron's heralds [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]] and [[Nemesis Prime (Universe 2003)|Nemesis Prime]] arrived on Cybertron, intent on unleashing the [[Dead Matrix|Dead Matrix]] - as the Matrix was the antithesis of Unicron, so too would the Dead Matrix ensure the destruction of Primus, thereby totally destabilizing the multiverse and reducing it to a sea of entropic chaos. For the first time, it would be possible for Unicron to strike at Primus in all realities simultaneously, ending their cosmic feud once and for all.

Ramjet and Nemesis Prime were ultimately stopped by Vector Prime and allies [[Sentinel Maximus|Sentinel Maximus]] and [[Omega Prime|Omega Prime]], plucked from the midst of the ''Universe'' conflict by the multiverse-warping energies of the black hole. The Dead Matrix, however, was cast into the heart of the black hole by Unicron's servant [[Soundwave (Cybertron)|Soundwave]], freeing Unicron's spark and allowing it to adopt a new, diminutive physical form. Unicron participated in the escalating Mini-Con civil war on Cybertron's moons, but when the planet transformed into Primus's robot mode, Unicron fled. His whereabouts are unknown.

== IDW comics continuity ==
As of this writing, neither Unicron nor Primus has appeared in the new [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] [[IDW continuity|comics universe]]. Writer [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]] has outright said that this universe will have "no Primus. No Unicron", while hinting IDW may be "poking and prodding around the pre-history of the Transformers... the very beginning". <a href="http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2850" class="external autonumber" title="http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=2850" rel="nofollow">[1]</a> IDW publisher [[Chris Ryall|Chris Ryall]] has also stated "we're also going to do the TF origins this year [2008], too. That one will be called ''The Thirteen''". <a href="http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=12209" class="external autonumber" title="http://www.seibertron.com/news/view.php?id=12209" rel="nofollow">[2]</a>

While [[Author intent|author intent]] on its own could still leave room for an IDW Primus, if the upcoming story has a contradictory origin for the Transformers, that would retcon out the previous retcon, rendering Primus as being once again a feature of only some Transformer continuities. (And then some poor sod would have to heavily edit this article.)

It is confirmed that there was ''a'' Primus in some shape or form, as Cybertronians were shown taking his name in vain while under attack in [[Megatron Origin issue 4|''Megatron Origin'' #4]]. Furman's explanation for this in his blog is that this is not the G1 Primus, but it is possible there was "something or someone" called Primus at some point. <a href="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/all-this-and-devastation-4/" class="external autonumber" title="http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/all-this-and-devastation-4/" rel="nofollow">[3]</a>

In the absence of Primus, there were some other interesting things to mention in Cybertronian religion. In the ''[[Stormbringer (comics)|Stormbringer]]'' miniseries, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Scoop|Scoop]] make mention of [[Primacron|Primacron]] in an almost religious manner ("Primacron help us" and "Primacron only knows"). [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] claims that there is a spirit of Cybertron which needs to be appeased to restore Cybertron, which one could easily interpret as Primus. However, Bludgeon's idea of appeasing Cybertron was to allow [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] to destroy a bunch of planets in a mass sacrifice, so his sources (and his sanity) are a matter of debate.

To further muck things up, stories involving [[Gorlam Prime|Gorlam Prime]] have suggested that the Transformers may have originally been organic life that 'upgraded' themselves.

Then again, this isn't the only time a Transformer Universe had characters largely unaware if Primus exists. The ''[[Shattered Glass|Shattered Glass]]'' characters were largely ignorant of Primus until a [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper from another universe]] mentioned him. How he would interact in that universe is best left unexplored.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''God Primus''' (2004)
*''Accessories:'' Photon Eliminator, spoiler, 2 gun shields

[[Image:GodPrimus1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Popemobile, meet Godebago.]][[Image:GodPrimus2.jpg|right|150px|thumb|The rod god.]]
:Unbeknownst to many Western fans, the first Primus figure was a "[[Lucky Draw|Lucky Draw]]" toy in Japan, a [[Vacuum metalizing|vacuum metalized]] gold chrome recolored [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] that was given away as a contest prize from the collector book, ''[[Transformers: Generations|Transformers: Generations]]''. Supposedly, only 100 pieces of these lucky draw figures were manufactured.
:As a [[Redeco|redeco]] of a Rodimus (no doubt inspired by the resemblance of his astral form to Rodimus in the UK comics), Primus transforms into a futuristic truck resembling nothing so much as a Winnebago. Following the trend started by Optimus Prime, his trailer splits down the middle to transform into a battle station with an extending double-barrelled cannon. The figure comes with a large, hand-held blaster, and two blast-shield accessories that plug into the sides of his battle station cannon.

{{-}}

*'''Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-00'''
*''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

[[Image:Cybertron Primus toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven imag— You know what, just forget it. It's not like we have rules for a reason.]]
:Primus was developed by Hasbro and Takara as a toy for their joint ''Cybertron/Galaxy Force'' toylines, but was released in Japan in the ''Generation 1'' line a few months after ''Galaxy Force'' had ended its run. This release can be considered a pre-release of the ''Cybertron'' toy because it features Hasbro's [[Cyber Key Codes|Cyber Key Codes]] that the ''Galaxy Force'' line lacked.

:Primus is the first toy representation of the Transformers' creator as their home planet of Cybertron. In planet mode, he is considerably more detailed than [[Unicron|Unicron]] from the ''Armada'' line, with visible cities, including [[Iacon|Iacon]], based upon its appearance in the [[DK Publishing|DK Publishing]] book, ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'', and [[Kaon|Kaon]] as seen in ''[[The War Within|The War Within]]''. On the 'bottom' of the planet mode there are four hard rubber legs, molded to be shaped like towers, allowing Primus to be displayed in planet mode, yet not require a flat base as Unicron did.

:Primus's transformation is unusual, in many ways similar to a [[Powermaster|Powermaster]], in that he requires the owner to insert his accompanying Omega Lock accessory into several special ports around the planet, then manipulate it to unlock his parts and transform him. When the Omega Lock is inserted into his back and pushed, a transforming sound is heard. When it is inserted into his chest and pushed up to reveal his head, his eyes glow red and a laser-type sound effect is heard. The Lock itself lights up red when it is inserted into any of the ports.

:In robot mode, Primus resembles both the ''[[Beast Wars Neo|Beast Wars Neo]]'' Unicron prototype as well as [[Don Figueroa|Don Figueroa]]'s Primus concept, created for ''The War Within'' and used in ''The Ultimate Guide''. He is bristling with weaponry, including two shoulder-mounted cannons that can fire missiles, two forearm blasters that raise and extend when a Cyber Power Key is inserted, and several banks of Gatling guns, lasers and missile launchers in his shins and legs revealed by the Omega Lock.

:Primus also has what might charitably be called a third mode - an intergalactic world-ship, which is basically formed by transforming the figure halfway and leaving the head down and the legs backward. It features no dedicated parts or transformation steps, making it very obvious that it was created after the fact. It looks kinda like The Starship Enterprise...backwards.

:Primus comes with two accessories, the aforementioned battery-operated Omega Lock that lights up red when inserted into any of the four Omega Lock ports, and a special silver Cybertron-Planet Cyber Power Key with the key code '''sp8u''' [[Tampograph|tampographed]] onto the back. Any four Cyber Planet Keys can be inserted into the four key slots at the base of the Omega Lock, though doing this does not activate any feature. There are also nine inactive Mini-Con [[Powerlinx|powerlinx]] ports on the Primus figure, including two on the claws on his legs.

===Cybertron===
*'''Cybertron Primus''' (Supreme, 2006)
*''Accessories:'' Omega Lock, special silver Cybertron planet-type Cyber Planet Key

:Cybertron Primus is the North American version of Primus, released a few months after the Japanese release. Both toys are identical.

:In North America, limited early-run versions of Cybertron Primus came packaged with a very creepy "battle damaged" Unicron head based upon his Armada appearance.

:A later version, [[Exclusive|exclusive]] to Wal-Mart as a [[Black Friday|Black Friday]] 2006 special, included four Mini-Cons; [[Strongarm (Cybertron)|Strongarm]], [[Knockdown (Cybertron)|Knockdown]], [[Nightscream (Cybertron)|Nightscream]], and [[Offshoot (Cybertron)|Offshoot]].

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* The original form of Primus in Marvel Comic continuity is similar to [[Hot Rod|Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime]].
* The myth of Primus and Unicron bears a little resemblance to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Zoroastrianism">Zoroastrian</a> myth of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahura_Mazda" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Ahura_Mazda">Ahura Mazda</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahriman" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Ahriman">Ahriman</a>.
*The idea of Primus transforming bears some resemblance to an [[The Secret of Cybertron|early script]] for [[The Transformers: The Movie|the original movie]], in which [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] merges with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and transforms into a super robot to defeat Unicron.
*''Energon'' [http://web.archive.org/web/20041207164548/www.tfpulp.com/archive/energonprod/energonprod.html pre-production notes] detail early ideas the cartoon had for Primus's origin. Presumably non-canon, given that they are not particularly in-line with the "multiversal singularity" origin of the character, they present Primus as an entity consisting purely of energon. Energon, the notes state, is the product of the "genetic material" of the sun interacting with planetary bodies - this, then, appears to be a very literal interpretation of Primus's role as a "light god," presenting him as an actual product of the light of the sun.

==See also==
*[[Allspark|Allspark]]
*[[Vector Sigma|Vector Sigma]]

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2006/Primus/Primus/primus.htm Primus at TFU.info]

[[Category:Stub]]
[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Cybertron characters]]
[[Category:Energon characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Gods]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]
[[Category:Toys with sound]]

Fandom

2009-03-24T07:35:26Z

Keegman:

[[Image:Transformers-cosplayers.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Typical fans. A Sunday.]]
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “ </td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> These fools worship Transformers! </td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ” </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: center"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Astrotrain, "The God Gambit"</cite>

The community of Transformers fans is referred to as a '''fandom'''. While the term technically encompasses any group of kids coming together to talk about Transformers in a sandbox, it is commonly used to refer to the people from college-age and up who participate in the online fandom. The fandom has long played a role in the [[Transformers timeline|history of the franchise]]. Most notably, [[BotCon|BotCon]] is their [[wikipedia:Mardi_Gras|Mardi Gras]], an official convention geared almost totally to adult fans.

Individually, or as a group, Transformers fans can be referred to as '''Transfans'''. This may [[wikipedia:Transexual|raise eyebrows]] among the uninitiated, but it sure beats "Trannies."

==History==
===Before the internet===
The earliest form of interaction between ''Transformers'' fans that went beyond the usual schoolyard talks was the [[Letters Pages|Letters Pages]] in the [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 1'' comics]] by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]. In addition, the [[S.T.A.R.S.|S.T.A.R.S.]] fan club can be viewed as the first form of an officially organized "fandom", although interaction between individual members was still limited at best.

Unofficial fanclubs were formed as early as 1986. One of them, the [http://www.geocities.com/pierre-pedro/transmasters/index.html Transmasters] club, even got a shoutout in the letters pages in [[The Last Autobot?|issue 79]] of the Marvel US G1 comic (published in 1991), leading to a huge influx of new members, soon growing to 300 members globally. The original organizers of the club soon began to crumble under the weight, leaving matters to new members who would take over responsibilities. A British branch of the club was also formed. The club was even officially recognized by [[Hasbro|Hasbro]] in 1991, legally giving them permission them to use the ''Transformers'' likeness for non-profit purposes.

===The early days of online fandom===
As fans grew older, those few that did not outgrow their hobby (like most children do) eventually found a form of communicating with each other on the internet. Emerging from comic-centric bulletin boards such as the CCC (Comics Collectors' Club), a mailing list was created in April of 1993, coinciding with early rumors about the impending launch of the [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toyline]]. Later that year, still before the ''Generation 2'' toyline was launched, the mailing list was abandoned in favor of a text-only [[wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] newsgroup named [[Alt.toys.transformers|alt.toys.transformers]] (a.t.t.), which was launched on September 11, 1993. Many of the members of the mailing list and a.t.t. had previously also been members of the Transmasters fanclub, which was now rendered somewhat anachronistic by the internet.

Because Usenet is one of the oldest parts of the internet (dating from 1979), a.t.t. functioned as a central hub where all members of the then-small fandom interacted together. Indeed, it would not be unfair to say that for most of the 1990s, a.t.t. ''was'' the online fandom. ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' showrunners [[Bob Forward|Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio|Larry DiTillio]] later also used a.t.t. as a means of communicating with the fans, and even recruited one of them, [[Ben Yee|Ben Yee]] (who had also started out with the Transmasters club), to work as a consultant for the show.

Another form of online fan interaction was the text-based [[MUSH|MUSH]], a shared online role-playing environment. Many MUSHers were also ATTers.

===Rise of the World Wide Web===
During the late 1990s, the first individual fan sites were launched on the World Wide Web. Most of them started out as personal collector showcase/information sites, and while many of them have either disappeared from the web since then or not been updated in a decade, some still exist to this very day, such as [http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/ Steve-o Stonebraker's site] (launched in 1995, currently semi-abandoned), [http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/index.shtml Dave Van Domelen's site] (launched in 1996), Ben Yee's [http://www.bwtf.com/ BWTF.com] (originally launched as beastwars.net in 1997, currently under reconstruction), the Lukis Bros. [http://www.unicron.com/ Unicron.com] (launched in 1997, moved to its domain in 1998) and [http://www.electric-escape.net/tf Rob Jung's site] (launched in 1999, moved to its current domain in 2005).

[http://www.tfarchive.com/ The Transformers Archive] was originally also launched as a private site in 1996 and eventually moved to its current domain in 1999. Its sister site, [http://www.transfans.net/ Transfans.net], was originally launched as Transfans.com in 1998. Both sites gained message boards in late 2000, but were mostly known for offering downloads of old cartoon episodes and scanned comic book pages for years, a practice Hasbro still silently tolerated at that time—until a cease and decist order in January of 2003. Since then, TFArchive has started to focus mostly on comic and toy reviews, while Transfans is mostly known for interviews these days. Both sites have comparably small, but stable communities.

Aside from the British fandom, Scandinavian fans were among the most active non-Americans in the online ''Transformers'' fandom during the late 1990s. In 1998, several Scandinavian ''Transformers'' fans decided to form their own fanclub, the Nordic Transfan Association, which eventually got its own website, [http://www.ntfa.net/ NTFA.net], in 2001. NTFA remains one of the largest European ''Transformers'' fan communities to this very day.

===Early message boards and tensions in the fandom===
Some of these early sites, particularly Ben Yee's, also featured message boards, which were used as an alternative to a.t.t. by some fans. While Ben Yee soon closed his board again due to frequent trolling and lack of moderation, another fan named Renaud Lefebvre launched his own site, [http://www.bigbot.com/ Bigbot.com], in 1998, which also featured downloads and a message board, Bottalk.

Even though Renaud was in contact with ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' showrunner [[Bob Skir|Bob Skir]], thus briefly making Bottalk ''the'' primary Transformers discussion hub during that time, his tight-handed way of moderating his board eventually led to mass bannings, coupled with a mass exodus to a newly created board, named The Allspark, in November of 1999. (To this day, Renaud refuses to acknowledge the existence of other Transformers fansites on his own site and board, which resulted in a rapid decrease into obscurity.)

The Allspark eventually encountered internal friction itself—when the community, under a new owner, moved to the new domain [http://www.allspark.com/ Allspark.com] in 2001, several members stayed behind and turned the old board into a ''second'' Allspark community (now also available under [http://www.allspark.net/ Allspark.net]). The .com site remains the much larger of the two Allsparks to this very day, whereas the other board has faded into obscurity.

===The Big Bang===
In the early 2000s, the World Wide Web exploded with new ''Transformers'' fan sites. This coincided with the onset of the "nostalgia boom," when numerous properties from the 1980s were relaunched in various forms—in the case of ''Transformers'', these were the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' lines and the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comics. This caused a growth spurt for the fandom, with new arrivals eschewing the outdated Usenet and instead using web-based message boards.

[http://www.seibertron.com/ Seibertron.com] was launched in 2000, originally as an informational website, later expanded to include toy galleries and a message board. These days, the site views itself as one of the biggest ''Transformers'' fan communities.

Its biggest competitor is [http://www.tfw2005.com/ TFW2005.com], which was originally launched as a private fan site named [http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/transformers/ Transformer World 2005] in early 2000. It first moved to its current domain in May 2000, added a message board and soon started to offer downloads of Japanese ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episodes. In July of 2001, TFW2005 merged with two other sites, [http://transformers.pitas.com/ Transformers News] and the Matrix Magazine, to form a new super-site, Transfandom.com. The honeymoon didn't last long, as frictions among the merged site's staff caused TFW2005 (including its boards) to return to its old domain in January of 2003, while Transfandom (now with its own board) continued alternatively under the domains Transfandom.net and Transfandom.com again, ultimately fading into obscurity and eventually disappearing from the internet altogether in the fall of 2007. Meanwhile, TFW2005 is said to have close ties with Hasbro (albeit only unofficially), and is also often the go-to site for representatives of other official parties, such as screenwriter [[Roberto Orci|Roberto Orci]].

Another site that would eventually become large was originally launched in 2001 as [http://tfexchange.com/ TFExchange.com]. In May of 2002, a hostile takeover by a URL sniper caused the site to move to its current domain, [http://tformers.com/ TFormers.com]. These days, TFormers is part of the Entertainment News International network that includes [http://toynewsi.com/ Toy News International], [http://jediinsider.com/ Jedi Insider] and [http://enewsi.com/ Entertainment News International]. Similar to Bigbot, TFormers also prefers to pretend that other fan sites don't exist. The biggest rival for TFormers is TFW2005, which dates back to Hasbro employee [[Aaron Archer|Aaron Archer]] blaming TFormers for causing his superiors to order Aaron to cease posting at TFW2005's boards.

In addition to these considerably large sites, there are countless smaller sites, some of them being mostly collector showcase sites run by individuals, while others have their own message board communities. Fan communities not based in the United States have also emerged in considerable numbers, with sites often concentrating on a single country, or at least a clearly defined area (such as the aforementioned Scandinavian NTFA), many of them also operating in other languages than English.

The large boom of Transformers fan sites on the World Wide Web also had an effect on the established Usenet newsgroup alt.toys.transformers. Activity on the group dropped off, leading many of its members to venture beyond its confines and into the message board world. Given the large number of different boards, the preferences of the users, and the enmities that formed between sites, it was no longer really possible to "know everyone," as it was in a.t.t.'s heyday.

The situation remains the same today, only more so, as the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] has turned a perennially strong franchise into a runaway powerhouse, attracting countless fans young and old, new and nostalgic, across the globe.

{{-}}

==References==
Many references to the fandom have been made in official Transformers fiction.

===Beast Wars===
The story editors of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars cartoon]], [[Bob Forward|Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio|Larry DiTillio]], interacted with the fandom via alt.toys.transformers, and worked numerous "shout-outs" into the series.

* In "[[Dark Designs|Dark Designs]]", a loopy [[Waspinator|Waspinator]] declared that he was "Not wacko, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!" In addition to being the name of a character in ''[[Wikipedia:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', "Wonko the Sane" was a screen name used by [[Ben Yee|Ben Yee]].
* In "[[Before the Storm|Before the Storm]]", the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] computer informed [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of a "code A-T-T alert," and Megatron later initiated a "voice code A-T-T override," both references to alt.toys.transformers.
* Also in "Before the Storm", Megatron mused that "There is a storm coming. A storm of such power, such magnitude, it is beyond imagination!" This was a reference to the website of fan James Hooks, called "Beyond Imagination" (itself named after a tagline for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* In [[Nemesis Part 2|Nemesis Part 2]], [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal's]] line "encoding transmission M Sipher" refers to the screen name of [[Greg Sepelak|Greg Sepelak]].
* Also in "Nemesis Part 2," Megatron instructs [[Dinobot II|Dinobot II]] to fire on "targeting grid 3H," referring to [[3H Enterprises|3H Enterprises]].
* Numerous locations throughout the series were references to the names (both screen and real) of fans:
*[[Grid Darcerin|Grid Darcerin]]
*[[Grid Joona|Grid Joona]]
*[[Grid Scylla|Grid Scylla]]
*[[Sector Tallories|Sector Tallories]]
*[[Subsector Hooks|Subsector Hooks]]
*[[Tengu Sector|Tengu Sector]]

===Universe===
* The ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ultra Class [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] toy's [[Paint application|painted deco]] features a reference to long-time Transformer fan [[User:Monzo|Monzo]]'s screen-name and birthday. Jealousy sold separately.
* [[Acid Storm|Acid Storm]]'s [[Bio|bio]] personality and "Hyperion-3" blasters are also references to Monzo.

==Adopted fan terminology==
Several terms initially used only by fans have been adopted by writers of official Transformers materials, thus becoming a part of the [[Canon|canon]].

*[[Darksyde|Darkside]]
*[[Combiner|Gestalt]]
*[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]
*[[Seeker|Seeker]] (Technically, this one originated in a 1984 J.C. Penney catalog, but widespread usage within the fandom is what led to its official use.)
*[[Rainmaker|Rainmakers]] (The term was actually used by [[Bluestreak|Bluestreak]] in [[Divide and Conquer|Divide and Conquer]], but only as a colloquial description of their actions. As with "Seekers", repeated fan usage ultimately led to its adoption as an official group name.)
*[[Lugnut|Lugnut]]'s "[[Punch of Kill Everything|Punch of Kill Everything]]"

==Fans gone official==
Many members of the online fandom have gone on to contribute to Transformers in an official capacity. One of the most prolific ones is probably [[Ben Yee|Benson "Ben" Yee]], who started out as an active fan (under the screenname "Wonko the Sane") and defended the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] in its early phase at [[Alt.toys.transformers|alt.toys.transformers]]. Ben was eventually hired to work as a consultant for the show. Later, he was made a member of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Transformers Collectors' Club]]'s Advisory Board and has since written officially licensed ''Transformers'' comic book stories for both [[IDW Publishing|IDW Publishing]] and [[Fun Publications|Fun Publications]].

Another name widely recognized among fan circles is [[Don Figueroa|Don Figueroa]], who gained early fandom fame for his fan comic ''Macromasters'', which featured original robot designs created by him. Don also created large transformable, scratch-built toys based on his characters. He was later hired by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave Productions]] as a comic book artist and developed the comic series ''[[The War Within|The War Within]]'' together with writer [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]], and also developed pre-Earth designs for every single character that appeared in the comic. Don continuted to draw Transformers comics for Dreamwave, IDW Publishing and Fun Publications and even worked as a toy designer for Hasbro (including some designs for the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' line and major work on the ''[[Titanium Series|Titanium Series]]'' line), but eventually announced his departure from official Transformers work in late 2007.

Aside from Don, other artists were also recruited by Dreamwave and IDW from within the fandom, among them [[Guido Guidi|Guido Guidi]], [[Joe Ng|Joe Ng]], [[Alex Milne|Alex Milne]] and [[Nick Roche|Nick Roche]], although not all of them were active participants in the Transformers fandom prior to going official. Meanwhile, Dreamwave writer [[Adam Patyk|Adam Patyk]] had been an active participant in discussions at ATT during the 1990s.

Other international fans also started doing official work that made their names known outside their domestic fandoms, such as Japanese super-fan [[Hirofumi Ichikawa|Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who wrote and drew the ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'' manga as well as various other mangas, wrote the ''[[Alternators (toyline)|Binaltech]]'' backstory and worked as a toy designer for Takara on occasion.

Some of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy designers were also originally active members of the fandom, such as [[Andrew Frankel|Andrew Frankel]] (aka "Swiper" or "Sideswipe"), [[Joseph Kyde|Joseph Kyde]] or [[Alex Androski|Alex Androski]].

Other fans who have done official work for Hasbro, Takara, comic book companies or other third party licensees include:

* [[Fumihiko Akiyama|Fumihiko Akiyama]]
* [[Adam Alexander|Adam Alexander]] (aka "Botch")
* [[Aaron Black|Aaron Black]] (aka "Delta Star")
* [[Mark Bristow|Mark Bristow]] (aka "Bodycount")
* [[Josh Burcham|Josh Burcham]] (aka "DCJosh", aka "GodFireConvoy")
* [[Kris Carter|Kris Carter]] (aka "Drivaaar")
* [[Stuart Denyer|Stuart Denyer]]
* [[Jordan Derber|Jordan Derber]] (aka "Buster Darkwings")
* [[Doug Dlin|Doug Dlin]]
* [[Tim Finn|Tim Finn]]
* [[Bill Forster|Bill Forster]]
* [[Rob Gerbracht|Rob Gerbracht]] (aka "Tengu")
* [[Jon Hartman|Jon Hartman]]
* [[Karl Hartman|Karl Hartman]]
* [[Dan Khanna|Dan Khanna]]
* [[Shaun Knowler|Shaun Knowler]] (aka "White Rabbit" or "Beachcomber")
* [[Matt Kuphaldt|Matt Kuphaldt]] (aka "Jackpot")
* [[Joana Lafuente|Joana Lafuente]]
* [[Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]]
* [[Frank Milkovich|Frank Milkovich]] (aka "Crobot91")
* [[Raksha|Raksha]]
* [[Daniel Ross|Daniel Ross]] (aka "Mouth04")
* [[Greg Sepelak|Greg Sepelak]] (aka "M Sipher")
* [[Liam Shalloo|Liam Shalloo]]
* [[Pete Sinclair|Pete Sinclair]]
* [[Jim Sorenson|Jim Sorenson]]
* [[Chris Tang|Chris Tang]] (aka "Ravestrike")
* [[Brandie Tarvin|Brandie Tarvin]]
* [[Frank Todaro|Frank Todaro]] (aka "Broadcast")
* [[Trent Troop|Trent Troop]]
* [[Josh van Reyk|Josh van Reyk]] (aka "Richter")
* [[Graham Weaver|Graham Weaver]] (aka "Liquid Velcro!")
* [[David Willis|David Willis]] (aka "Walky")</div>

and others....

[[Category:Fandom]]

Fandom

2009-03-24T07:34:53Z

Keegman:

[[Image:Transformers-cosplayers.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Typical fans. A Sunday.]]
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “ </td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> These fools worship Transformers! </td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ” </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: center"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Astrotrain, "The God Gambit"</cite>

The community of Transformers fans is referred to as a '''fandom'''. While the term technically encompasses any group of kids coming together to talk about Transformers in a sandbox, it is commonly used to refer to the people from college-age and up who participate in the online fandom. The fandom has long played a role in the [[Transformers timeline|history of the franchise]]. Most notably, [[BotCon|BotCon]] is their [[Mardi_Gras]], an official convention geared almost totally to adult fans.

Individually, or as a group, Transformers fans can be referred to as '''Transfans'''. This may [[wikipedia:Transexual|raise eyebrows]] among the uninitiated, but it sure beats "Trannies."

==History==
===Before the internet===
The earliest form of interaction between ''Transformers'' fans that went beyond the usual schoolyard talks was the [[Letters Pages|Letters Pages]] in the [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 1'' comics]] by [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]. In addition, the [[S.T.A.R.S.|S.T.A.R.S.]] fan club can be viewed as the first form of an officially organized "fandom", although interaction between individual members was still limited at best.

Unofficial fanclubs were formed as early as 1986. One of them, the [http://www.geocities.com/pierre-pedro/transmasters/index.html Transmasters] club, even got a shoutout in the letters pages in [[The Last Autobot?|issue 79]] of the Marvel US G1 comic (published in 1991), leading to a huge influx of new members, soon growing to 300 members globally. The original organizers of the club soon began to crumble under the weight, leaving matters to new members who would take over responsibilities. A British branch of the club was also formed. The club was even officially recognized by [[Hasbro|Hasbro]] in 1991, legally giving them permission them to use the ''Transformers'' likeness for non-profit purposes.

===The early days of online fandom===
As fans grew older, those few that did not outgrow their hobby (like most children do) eventually found a form of communicating with each other on the internet. Emerging from comic-centric bulletin boards such as the CCC (Comics Collectors' Club), a mailing list was created in April of 1993, coinciding with early rumors about the impending launch of the [[Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' toyline]]. Later that year, still before the ''Generation 2'' toyline was launched, the mailing list was abandoned in favor of a text-only [[wikipedia:Usenet|Usenet]] newsgroup named [[Alt.toys.transformers|alt.toys.transformers]] (a.t.t.), which was launched on September 11, 1993. Many of the members of the mailing list and a.t.t. had previously also been members of the Transmasters fanclub, which was now rendered somewhat anachronistic by the internet.

Because Usenet is one of the oldest parts of the internet (dating from 1979), a.t.t. functioned as a central hub where all members of the then-small fandom interacted together. Indeed, it would not be unfair to say that for most of the 1990s, a.t.t. ''was'' the online fandom. ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' showrunners [[Bob Forward|Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio|Larry DiTillio]] later also used a.t.t. as a means of communicating with the fans, and even recruited one of them, [[Ben Yee|Ben Yee]] (who had also started out with the Transmasters club), to work as a consultant for the show.

Another form of online fan interaction was the text-based [[MUSH|MUSH]], a shared online role-playing environment. Many MUSHers were also ATTers.

===Rise of the World Wide Web===
During the late 1990s, the first individual fan sites were launched on the World Wide Web. Most of them started out as personal collector showcase/information sites, and while many of them have either disappeared from the web since then or not been updated in a decade, some still exist to this very day, such as [http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~sstoneb/tf/ Steve-o Stonebraker's site] (launched in 1995, currently semi-abandoned), [http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/BW/index.shtml Dave Van Domelen's site] (launched in 1996), Ben Yee's [http://www.bwtf.com/ BWTF.com] (originally launched as beastwars.net in 1997, currently under reconstruction), the Lukis Bros. [http://www.unicron.com/ Unicron.com] (launched in 1997, moved to its domain in 1998) and [http://www.electric-escape.net/tf Rob Jung's site] (launched in 1999, moved to its current domain in 2005).

[http://www.tfarchive.com/ The Transformers Archive] was originally also launched as a private site in 1996 and eventually moved to its current domain in 1999. Its sister site, [http://www.transfans.net/ Transfans.net], was originally launched as Transfans.com in 1998. Both sites gained message boards in late 2000, but were mostly known for offering downloads of old cartoon episodes and scanned comic book pages for years, a practice Hasbro still silently tolerated at that time—until a cease and decist order in January of 2003. Since then, TFArchive has started to focus mostly on comic and toy reviews, while Transfans is mostly known for interviews these days. Both sites have comparably small, but stable communities.

Aside from the British fandom, Scandinavian fans were among the most active non-Americans in the online ''Transformers'' fandom during the late 1990s. In 1998, several Scandinavian ''Transformers'' fans decided to form their own fanclub, the Nordic Transfan Association, which eventually got its own website, [http://www.ntfa.net/ NTFA.net], in 2001. NTFA remains one of the largest European ''Transformers'' fan communities to this very day.

===Early message boards and tensions in the fandom===
Some of these early sites, particularly Ben Yee's, also featured message boards, which were used as an alternative to a.t.t. by some fans. While Ben Yee soon closed his board again due to frequent trolling and lack of moderation, another fan named Renaud Lefebvre launched his own site, [http://www.bigbot.com/ Bigbot.com], in 1998, which also featured downloads and a message board, Bottalk.

Even though Renaud was in contact with ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' showrunner [[Bob Skir|Bob Skir]], thus briefly making Bottalk ''the'' primary Transformers discussion hub during that time, his tight-handed way of moderating his board eventually led to mass bannings, coupled with a mass exodus to a newly created board, named The Allspark, in November of 1999. (To this day, Renaud refuses to acknowledge the existence of other Transformers fansites on his own site and board, which resulted in a rapid decrease into obscurity.)

The Allspark eventually encountered internal friction itself—when the community, under a new owner, moved to the new domain [http://www.allspark.com/ Allspark.com] in 2001, several members stayed behind and turned the old board into a ''second'' Allspark community (now also available under [http://www.allspark.net/ Allspark.net]). The .com site remains the much larger of the two Allsparks to this very day, whereas the other board has faded into obscurity.

===The Big Bang===
In the early 2000s, the World Wide Web exploded with new ''Transformers'' fan sites. This coincided with the onset of the "nostalgia boom," when numerous properties from the 1980s were relaunched in various forms—in the case of ''Transformers'', these were the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' lines and the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comics. This caused a growth spurt for the fandom, with new arrivals eschewing the outdated Usenet and instead using web-based message boards.

[http://www.seibertron.com/ Seibertron.com] was launched in 2000, originally as an informational website, later expanded to include toy galleries and a message board. These days, the site views itself as one of the biggest ''Transformers'' fan communities.

Its biggest competitor is [http://www.tfw2005.com/ TFW2005.com], which was originally launched as a private fan site named [http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/transformers/ Transformer World 2005] in early 2000. It first moved to its current domain in May 2000, added a message board and soon started to offer downloads of Japanese ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' episodes. In July of 2001, TFW2005 merged with two other sites, [http://transformers.pitas.com/ Transformers News] and the Matrix Magazine, to form a new super-site, Transfandom.com. The honeymoon didn't last long, as frictions among the merged site's staff caused TFW2005 (including its boards) to return to its old domain in January of 2003, while Transfandom (now with its own board) continued alternatively under the domains Transfandom.net and Transfandom.com again, ultimately fading into obscurity and eventually disappearing from the internet altogether in the fall of 2007. Meanwhile, TFW2005 is said to have close ties with Hasbro (albeit only unofficially), and is also often the go-to site for representatives of other official parties, such as screenwriter [[Roberto Orci|Roberto Orci]].

Another site that would eventually become large was originally launched in 2001 as [http://tfexchange.com/ TFExchange.com]. In May of 2002, a hostile takeover by a URL sniper caused the site to move to its current domain, [http://tformers.com/ TFormers.com]. These days, TFormers is part of the Entertainment News International network that includes [http://toynewsi.com/ Toy News International], [http://jediinsider.com/ Jedi Insider] and [http://enewsi.com/ Entertainment News International]. Similar to Bigbot, TFormers also prefers to pretend that other fan sites don't exist. The biggest rival for TFormers is TFW2005, which dates back to Hasbro employee [[Aaron Archer|Aaron Archer]] blaming TFormers for causing his superiors to order Aaron to cease posting at TFW2005's boards.

In addition to these considerably large sites, there are countless smaller sites, some of them being mostly collector showcase sites run by individuals, while others have their own message board communities. Fan communities not based in the United States have also emerged in considerable numbers, with sites often concentrating on a single country, or at least a clearly defined area (such as the aforementioned Scandinavian NTFA), many of them also operating in other languages than English.

The large boom of Transformers fan sites on the World Wide Web also had an effect on the established Usenet newsgroup alt.toys.transformers. Activity on the group dropped off, leading many of its members to venture beyond its confines and into the message board world. Given the large number of different boards, the preferences of the users, and the enmities that formed between sites, it was no longer really possible to "know everyone," as it was in a.t.t.'s heyday.

The situation remains the same today, only more so, as the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] has turned a perennially strong franchise into a runaway powerhouse, attracting countless fans young and old, new and nostalgic, across the globe.

{{-}}

==References==
Many references to the fandom have been made in official Transformers fiction.

===Beast Wars===
The story editors of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars cartoon]], [[Bob Forward|Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio|Larry DiTillio]], interacted with the fandom via alt.toys.transformers, and worked numerous "shout-outs" into the series.

* In "[[Dark Designs|Dark Designs]]", a loopy [[Waspinator|Waspinator]] declared that he was "Not wacko, Wonko! Wonko the Sane!" In addition to being the name of a character in ''[[Wikipedia:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]'', "Wonko the Sane" was a screen name used by [[Ben Yee|Ben Yee]].
* In "[[Before the Storm|Before the Storm]]", the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] computer informed [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] of a "code A-T-T alert," and Megatron later initiated a "voice code A-T-T override," both references to alt.toys.transformers.
* Also in "Before the Storm", Megatron mused that "There is a storm coming. A storm of such power, such magnitude, it is beyond imagination!" This was a reference to the website of fan James Hooks, called "Beyond Imagination" (itself named after a tagline for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* In [[Nemesis Part 2|Nemesis Part 2]], [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal's]] line "encoding transmission M Sipher" refers to the screen name of [[Greg Sepelak|Greg Sepelak]].
* Also in "Nemesis Part 2," Megatron instructs [[Dinobot II|Dinobot II]] to fire on "targeting grid 3H," referring to [[3H Enterprises|3H Enterprises]].
* Numerous locations throughout the series were references to the names (both screen and real) of fans:
*[[Grid Darcerin|Grid Darcerin]]
*[[Grid Joona|Grid Joona]]
*[[Grid Scylla|Grid Scylla]]
*[[Sector Tallories|Sector Tallories]]
*[[Subsector Hooks|Subsector Hooks]]
*[[Tengu Sector|Tengu Sector]]

===Universe===
* The ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' Ultra Class [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] toy's [[Paint application|painted deco]] features a reference to long-time Transformer fan [[User:Monzo|Monzo]]'s screen-name and birthday. Jealousy sold separately.
* [[Acid Storm|Acid Storm]]'s [[Bio|bio]] personality and "Hyperion-3" blasters are also references to Monzo.

==Adopted fan terminology==
Several terms initially used only by fans have been adopted by writers of official Transformers materials, thus becoming a part of the [[Canon|canon]].

*[[Darksyde|Darkside]]
*[[Combiner|Gestalt]]
*[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]
*[[Seeker|Seeker]] (Technically, this one originated in a 1984 J.C. Penney catalog, but widespread usage within the fandom is what led to its official use.)
*[[Rainmaker|Rainmakers]] (The term was actually used by [[Bluestreak|Bluestreak]] in [[Divide and Conquer|Divide and Conquer]], but only as a colloquial description of their actions. As with "Seekers", repeated fan usage ultimately led to its adoption as an official group name.)
*[[Lugnut|Lugnut]]'s "[[Punch of Kill Everything|Punch of Kill Everything]]"

==Fans gone official==
Many members of the online fandom have gone on to contribute to Transformers in an official capacity. One of the most prolific ones is probably [[Ben Yee|Benson "Ben" Yee]], who started out as an active fan (under the screenname "Wonko the Sane") and defended the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]] in its early phase at [[Alt.toys.transformers|alt.toys.transformers]]. Ben was eventually hired to work as a consultant for the show. Later, he was made a member of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club|Transformers Collectors' Club]]'s Advisory Board and has since written officially licensed ''Transformers'' comic book stories for both [[IDW Publishing|IDW Publishing]] and [[Fun Publications|Fun Publications]].

Another name widely recognized among fan circles is [[Don Figueroa|Don Figueroa]], who gained early fandom fame for his fan comic ''Macromasters'', which featured original robot designs created by him. Don also created large transformable, scratch-built toys based on his characters. He was later hired by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave Productions]] as a comic book artist and developed the comic series ''[[The War Within|The War Within]]'' together with writer [[Simon Furman|Simon Furman]], and also developed pre-Earth designs for every single character that appeared in the comic. Don continuted to draw Transformers comics for Dreamwave, IDW Publishing and Fun Publications and even worked as a toy designer for Hasbro (including some designs for the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' line and major work on the ''[[Titanium Series|Titanium Series]]'' line), but eventually announced his departure from official Transformers work in late 2007.

Aside from Don, other artists were also recruited by Dreamwave and IDW from within the fandom, among them [[Guido Guidi|Guido Guidi]], [[Joe Ng|Joe Ng]], [[Alex Milne|Alex Milne]] and [[Nick Roche|Nick Roche]], although not all of them were active participants in the Transformers fandom prior to going official. Meanwhile, Dreamwave writer [[Adam Patyk|Adam Patyk]] had been an active participant in discussions at ATT during the 1990s.

Other international fans also started doing official work that made their names known outside their domestic fandoms, such as Japanese super-fan [[Hirofumi Ichikawa|Hirofumi Ichikawa]], who wrote and drew the ''[[Linkage (comic)|Linkage]]'' manga as well as various other mangas, wrote the ''[[Alternators (toyline)|Binaltech]]'' backstory and worked as a toy designer for Takara on occasion.

Some of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy designers were also originally active members of the fandom, such as [[Andrew Frankel|Andrew Frankel]] (aka "Swiper" or "Sideswipe"), [[Joseph Kyde|Joseph Kyde]] or [[Alex Androski|Alex Androski]].

Other fans who have done official work for Hasbro, Takara, comic book companies or other third party licensees include:

* [[Fumihiko Akiyama|Fumihiko Akiyama]]
* [[Adam Alexander|Adam Alexander]] (aka "Botch")
* [[Aaron Black|Aaron Black]] (aka "Delta Star")
* [[Mark Bristow|Mark Bristow]] (aka "Bodycount")
* [[Josh Burcham|Josh Burcham]] (aka "DCJosh", aka "GodFireConvoy")
* [[Kris Carter|Kris Carter]] (aka "Drivaaar")
* [[Stuart Denyer|Stuart Denyer]]
* [[Jordan Derber|Jordan Derber]] (aka "Buster Darkwings")
* [[Doug Dlin|Doug Dlin]]
* [[Tim Finn|Tim Finn]]
* [[Bill Forster|Bill Forster]]
* [[Rob Gerbracht|Rob Gerbracht]] (aka "Tengu")
* [[Jon Hartman|Jon Hartman]]
* [[Karl Hartman|Karl Hartman]]
* [[Dan Khanna|Dan Khanna]]
* [[Shaun Knowler|Shaun Knowler]] (aka "White Rabbit" or "Beachcomber")
* [[Matt Kuphaldt|Matt Kuphaldt]] (aka "Jackpot")
* [[Joana Lafuente|Joana Lafuente]]
* [[Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]]
* [[Frank Milkovich|Frank Milkovich]] (aka "Crobot91")
* [[Raksha|Raksha]]
* [[Daniel Ross|Daniel Ross]] (aka "Mouth04")
* [[Greg Sepelak|Greg Sepelak]] (aka "M Sipher")
* [[Liam Shalloo|Liam Shalloo]]
* [[Pete Sinclair|Pete Sinclair]]
* [[Jim Sorenson|Jim Sorenson]]
* [[Chris Tang|Chris Tang]] (aka "Ravestrike")
* [[Brandie Tarvin|Brandie Tarvin]]
* [[Frank Todaro|Frank Todaro]] (aka "Broadcast")
* [[Trent Troop|Trent Troop]]
* [[Josh van Reyk|Josh van Reyk]] (aka "Richter")
* [[Graham Weaver|Graham Weaver]] (aka "Liquid Velcro!")
* [[David Willis|David Willis]] (aka "Walky")</div>

and others....

[[Category:Fandom]]

Mixmaster (Animated)

2009-03-24T06:59:29Z

Keegman:

{{Factions|decepticon}}{{disambig3|Mixmaster}}
:''Mixmaster is a [[Decepticon|Decepticon]] from the [[Transformers Animated|Transformers Animated]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

[[Image:Mixmaster animated RotC.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"'Look, I don't come to your work and tell you how to threaten your [[Luke Skywalker|blond kid]]."]]
'''Mixmaster''' (or "'''Mix'''" to his friends) seems to be the ''de facto'' leader of the [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]]. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, he spends his time overindulging in oil and [[Side Burn (RID)|whistling at passing cars]] with his buddy, [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]. Mix isn't a bad sort at heart, always willing to help a fellow 'bot, but his moral compass is apparently guided by whoever's got the best oil to offer. For all their seeming unsophistication, he and Scrapper still have an innate knack for construction-related activities. They can slap together a sturdy construct out of raw materials in seconds, and just by looking at a set of blueprints, even incomplete ones, they can tell just what's needed to get the job done. In addition to the abilities he shares with his partner, Mixmaster can also create any number of chemical concoctions in the churning belly of his mixing drum.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Glen Bennett]] (English), [[Reinhard Scheunemann|Reinhard Scheunemann]] (German)

[[Image:RiseoftheConstructicons-Gen2HomageVehicleModes.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Yo, fleshie moron, ain't no one drivin' us Constructicons! We drive ourselves!"]]
Mix and his compatriot Scrapper were spontaneously brought to life by [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] shards embedded in them. Though not quick on the uptake, the two Constructibots were able to name themselves and quickly hit the ground running...after attractive sports cars. When he noticed a construction accident about to harm [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], he pulled over with his friend and intervened. Tidying up the construction site with a fair amount of skill, he befriended the large Autobot and pressured him into going off for an oil break...from a nearby oil tanker. After expressing his misgivings about stealing oil, Bulkhead took the two Constructobots to the old auto factory to meet the other Autobots. Mixmaster and Scrapper proved too rough around the edges even for [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet's]] tastes, and their cavorting woke up [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]. Mixmaster didn't think much of their stickshift-in-the-mud leader, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], who asked Bulkhead why he was bringing "strangers" to their base (thus proving to be none too observant in the search for AllSpark fragments himself). After a game of flattened-oil-barrel Frisbee severed Sari's pigtails, Mix found himself and Scrapper kicked out the factory by Prime.

Dejected, Mixmaster and Scrapper happened upon [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] and [[Lugnut|Lugnut]] stealing construction supplies...very ineffectively. Once again, they intervened just before someone could get hurt, saving Blitzwing from getting creamed by the load he was carrying. Mixmaster then heard approaching police sirens, which Blitzwing told them was a quitting time signal, meaning they could go home. Mix and Scrapper indicated they didn't have a home, so their two new buddies offered to let the Constructobots come home with them, saying Mix and Scrapper would be welcome to stay as long as they hauled the heavy trailers of supplies. As Mixmaster obligingly pushed the supply containers uphill and out of earshot, he didn't hear Blitzwing ease Lugnut's concerns about [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s disapproval by assuring that he'd take take the two new bots offline once the heavy lifting was done. After the load was hauled, Mixmaster was all set for a reward, unaware Lugnut was about to use [[The Punch|his signature punch]] upon him and Scrapper, when Megatron intervened. Mixmaster followed Megatron into the Decepticons' inner sanctum, where he saw the [[Space bridge|space bridge]] schematics. He and Scrapper immediately knew exactly what supplies would be needed to complete the bridge, as well as where they could be obtained.

The next day, Mixmaster and Scrapper "acquired" (stole) a load of construction materials and were fleeing pursuit by [[Sumdac Systems|Sumdac Systems]] police robots when they ran into Bulkhead again. Stopping the chase, Bulkhead asked them what they were doing, and the Constructobots, being trusting souls, ''told'' him. Mixmaster couldn't figure out why Bulky was so upset they were working for the Decepticons until he said Megatron was trying to put one over on them. Mix and Scrapper weren't about to stand still for ''that'', and they sped off to settle the score. Their initial complaints didn't go over well, as the Decepticon leader proved far less gentle and jovial, slamming them up against the mountainside near the mine. When Mixmaster said ''why'' they were angry, though, Megatron turned on the sweet talk again, spinning a tale of Autobot oppression. This proved a bit high-concept for Mixmaster, but then Megatron offered to explain it over a few barrels of oil. This was far more Mix and Scrapper's speed, and soon they were guzzling away while Megatron once again pitched the space bridge project.

[[Image:Constructobots smoking.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Doing "The Locomotion" can be hazardous to your health.]]
Showing up at the auto factory, Mixmaster revealed that they were now working for Megatron. Much like real construction workers, they went to the highest bidder, and Megatron had better oil. Showing there were no hard feelings, they said they weren't about to hurt the Autobots, just come pick up the AllSpark fragments and be on their way. Optimus Prime objected, but Mixmaster called him a dipstick and knocked over the 98-ton-weakling. A fight broke out, and Mixmaster went so far as to ransom [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] for the fragments. However, once Bulkhead handed over the fragments, Mixmaster had no trouble accepting Bulky's offer to have "one for the road." Of course, he didn't know Bulkhead had secretly slipped him and Scrapper some tainted oil, contaminated by the expired fixative that Bulkhead had saved. As Mixmaster and Scrapper ran off, the bad oil reacted explosively, knocking them out so the Autobots could reclaim the fragments. The blast also scrambled their memories, so when Mixmaster came to, he didn't know who the big, angry guy was or why he was ranting about someone named Megatron and flinging his wrecking ball at them. Confused and frightened, Mixmaster decided to vamoose. {{storylink|Rise of the Constructicons|Rise of the Constructicons}}

[[Image:'sHome Constructicons Slip.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Disney on Ice presents, two construction vehicles slipping on juice.]]
Continuing to function, Mix and Scrapper continued to wander around guzzling fuel, gaining the attention of the Autobots, Decepticons and police; all the while, Mix kept trying to remember where they'd found the "really good oil" last time. Finding a trail of Bumblebee's leaking lubricant, Mix followed it back to Autobot base and quickly burned the door down in order to find any oil in there. He soon came across [[Sari Sumdac|a small fleshy thing]] but when he asked it if it knew where there was any oil, it unleashed a sonic attack to overload their audio sensors.

While Scrapper was scared and wanted to leave, fearing this creature was what had caused their memory loss, Mix was determined to find oil and told his friend to "grow a backhoe". However, their search continuously drew them into conflict with the strange creature; Mix became angry enough to threaten it with violence, ignore all of Scrapper's warnings and then be drawn into a really blatant trap. A severe beating by the factory assembly line finally convinced him that Scrapper was right, no oil was worth this, and the two fled the base.

Luckily [[Blitzwing (Animated)|a nice German guy]] turned up with some barrels of that really good oil, and the Constructicons followed him home. Good thing that small fleshy thing drove them off, or they'd never have met this guy and gone off with him! {{storylink|Sari, No One's Home|Sari, No One's Home}}

[[Image:Mixmaster branded.jpg|right|180px|thumb|It burns us!!]]
Under the watchful eye of Megatron, Mixmaster and his buddy Scrapper helped the Decepticons finish their space bridge and were rewarded with being [[Branding|branded]] as Decepticons themselves. Later, Mixmaster encountered Bulkhead, but due to the memory wipe from the spiked oil he and Scrapper drank, neither of them recognized him. Mixmaster proved his worth as a Decepticon warrior after using his quick-drying cement to anchor Prowl and Optimus Prime to the ground when the Autobots invaded the Decepticon base. The feeling of victory was short-lived, as [[Starscream (Animated)|some loud-mouth]] and [[Starscream clone|a bunch of oddly colored jets]] broke into the base from above. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}}

Mix would've happily stayed out of this fight, except one of those good-for-nothing 'bots spilt his oil! His blasts of quick-drying cement were a major asset in the battle, helping paralyze foes like [[Egomaniac Starscream|some big-headed jerk]]. He later cheered on Megatron's victory (despite having no idea what this "Cybertron" thing was anyway) only to watch it all fall apart when the Space Bridge malfunctioned. Mix was last seen heroically trying to save the oil from a cave-in. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

==Trivia==
[[Image:Mixmasterbutt.JPG|right|95px|thumb|Feels like I'm wearing nothing at all!]]
* Mixmaster follows the true blue-collar construction worker tradition of showing his buttcrack.
* Mixmaster calls himself Mix because he thinks the name Mixmaster is too long, yet thinks [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrap]] is too short.
* Mixmaster starts out in a more standard construction vehicle color scheme of yellow and gray, and only switches to the classic Constructicon green and purple after becoming a Decepticon.
* In a particular odd bit of concept art, Mixmaster's vehicle mode is shown in an upturned position supported only by his shovel. Almost like... a [[Devastator (G1)|leg]]. Naaaaw...<ref>Hasbro Design Sketchbook Volume 1 - 2008, p 51</ref>
* Mixmaster's voice is very reminiscent of [[wikipedia:Joe_Pesci|Joe_Pesci]]'s. The episode [[Sari, No One's Home|Sari, No One's Home]] utilized a theme homaging the [[wikipedia:Home_Alone|''Home Alone'']] movie series, which co-starred Joe Pesci as a hapless thief.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Constructicons]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Fiction-only characters]]

Luke Skywalker

2009-03-23T18:05:20Z

Keegman: /* Star Wars Transformers */

<div id="title-factionicons" style="float: right; display: none;"><div style="position: relative;">[[Rebel|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/f/fe/Alliance_Starbird.svg/30px-Alliance_Starbird.svg.png" width="30" height="31" border="0"/>]]</div></div>
: ''Luke Skywalker is a [[Human|human]] in [[Star Wars|Star Wars]].''

[[Image:Megatronvsluke.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Force is strong enough to fight giant robots in this one.]]
In order to restore balance to the [[Force|Force]], '''Luke Skywalker''' must confront and defeat [[Darth Vader|Darth Vader]]. Young Skywalker travels across the galaxy to face Vader and uses his attunement with the Force to convert his X-wing Fighter to a combat mecha. Luke battles the Empire's starfighters and ruthless bounty hunters as he embarks on his quest to confront his destiny. <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> He also has a transforming Snowspeeder.

It is almost certain that Luke Skywalker using one of his transforming vehicles would be an extremely powerful opponent for typical [[Transformer|Cybertronians]], since he's known to have held his own fighting the [[Unicron Trilogy|Unicron Trilogy]]'s [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]]... on foot! Intriguingly, the only other "star warrior" known to have done so is Darth Vader, a.k.a. ''Anakin'' Skywalker, no doubt a relation. Perhaps someday we will get to see this powerful family in action in a story.

<table>
<tr>
<td style="padding-left:2em;">[[That's no moon...|<img alt="That's no moon..." src="/w2/images2/thumb/9/90/Wookieepedia_mainlogo.png/35px-Wookieepedia_mainlogo.png" width="35" height="35" border="0" />]] </td><td valign="top">
<div style="background-color:#efefff;padding:0 0.5em 0 0.5em;">
'''<a href="http://www.wookieepedia.com/wiki/Main_Page" class="extiw" title="wookieepedia:Main_Page">Wookieepedia</a> has content relating to <a href="http://www.wookieepedia.com/wiki/Luke_Skywalker" class="extiw" title="wookieepedia:Luke_Skywalker">Luke Skywalker</a>.'''<br /><small>''Wookieepedia knows more about Star Wars than you do.</small></div>''

==Toys==
===Attacktix===
[[Image:Attacktix LukeSkywalker.JPG|right|168px|thumb|]]
*'''Intergalactic Showdown''' (Multi-pack, 2006)

:Luke Skywalker comes in a set with Darth Vader, an AT-RT non-humanoid piloted robot with [[Clone Pilot|Clone Pilot]], [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], and [[Omega Sentinel (Energon)|Omega Sentinel]].

:You can also get some other ''[[Attacktix|Attacktix]]'' figures of him, if you really want to.

{{-}}

===Star Wars Transformers===
*'''Luke Skywalker X-wing Fighter''' (2006)
*''Accessories:'' 4 missiles, lightsaber, Luke Skywalker figure

[[Image:SWTF LukeSkywalker XWing toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|mY liFe is PAIN]]
:Luke Skywalker's mech can transform from an X-Wing starfighter into a robot crafted in his likeness. The placement of the cockpit in robot mode gives it a see-through chest in which the small pilot figure can sit. Due to the transformation scheme, the arms have a good deal of articulation, including rotating wrists. The shoulders, however, can only rotate backward, making some poses difficult (lightsaber duels are out of the question). The legs are attached to a ball joint and the hips may be raised or lowered. The X-Wing has pressure-launch missile launchers located on the end of each wing, and a lightsaber that can clip onto the robot's belt or be held in its hands.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/SWTF/LukeSkywalker/lukeskywalker.htm More information on Luke Skywalker at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:SWTF-toy LukeSnowspeeder.JPG|right|250px|thumb|My life, on the other hand, is comfortable, decadent, and luxurious.]]
*'''Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder''' (2007)
*''Accessories:'' 2 missiles, 2 missile launchers, lightsaber, Luke Skywalker figure

:Mostly a shell-former, this figure only uses the cockpit of the vehicle in robot mode, storing the rest in a giant backpack. It only re-uses a repainted lightsaber from the X-Wing mold and features new sculpts for the head and mini pilot. The two vehicle blasters can be removed and wielded as cannons. The vehicle mode was not designed with storage of the lightsaber in mind, though three opening panels in the underside reveal enough empty space underneath in which to slide the weapon.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/SWTF/LukeSkywalker/lukeskywalker.htm More information on Luke Skywalker at TFU.info]''

===Crossovers===
*'''Luke Skywalker Snowspeeder''' (2007)
*''Accessories:'' 2 missiles, 2 missile launchers, lightsaber

:The above toy was repackaged for the ''[[Crossovers|Crossovers]]'' line, identical to the previous release but lacking the pilot mini-figure.

==Footnotes==
<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> Star Wars Transformers Luke Skywalker X-wing Fighter package</ol>
==External links==
*<a href="http://www.wikia.com/wiki/c:starwars:T-47_airspeeder" class="extiw" title="wikia:c:starwars:T-47_airspeeder">Snowspeeder at Wookieepedia</a>
*<a href="http://www.wikia.com/wiki/c:starwars:T-65_X-wing_starfighter" class="extiw" title="wikia:c:starwars:T-65_X-wing_starfighter">X-wing Fighter at Wookieepedia</a>

[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Star Wars properties]]
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Vehicles]]

Dinobot (BW)

2009-03-23T11:40:42Z

Keegman:

{{disambig3|Dinobot}}
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[[Image:Featured.png|left|50px|]] This article is a [[:Category:Featured articles|featured article]], and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.
</div>

:''Dinobot is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] and [[Maximal|Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era|Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

<div id="title-factionicons" style="float: right; display: none;"><div style="position: relative;">[[Predacon|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/0/01/Predacon_symbol.png/24px-Predacon_symbol.png" width="24" height="30" border="0"/>]]</div><div style="position: relative;">[[Maximal|<img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/3/33/Maximal_symbol.png/23px-Maximal_symbol.png" width="23" height="30" border="0"/>]]</div></div>
[[Image:Dinobotbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"You lived like a warrior and died as an hero."]]
'''Dinobot''' is a Predacon ruled by honor. He lives to die gloriously in battle. When he aided [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] under the order of [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], Dinobot believed he was in the pursuit of endless glory. But when he and his Predacon peers crashed on what seemed to be the wrong planet alongside a Maximal exploration vessel, he rebelled against Megatron and joined the Maximal team. It would be an uneasy alliance, fraught with turns of loyalty and turns of Shakespearean phrase. But it also led to strong friendships and even the salvation of all humanity.

As befits a warrior of his stature, Dinobot is skilled in all forms of combat. He wields a spinning sword and a [[Rotate blade|rotating blade]], both which are his preferred means of battle, though he has been known to use ranged weapons such as his laser eye-beams or a simple handheld gun. He has threatened to use any and all of these on [[Rattrap|Rattrap]], with whom he has an intense rivalry. Deep down, he may respect the rodent, but he'll die before he'll admit to it.

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
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<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> The question that has haunted my being has been answered: The future is not fixed. My choices are my own. And yet, how ironic, for I now find I have no choice at all. I am a warrior; let the battle be joined.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
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<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Dinobot, "[[Code of Hero|Code of Hero]]"</cite>

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:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Kǔng-lúng''' (恐龍, "Dinosaur"), '''Múo Lúng''' (魔龍, "Demonic dinosaur")
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Dillonburg'''

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Dreamwave comics continuity====
[[Image:Dinobotmtmte8.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Little did we know that there was a giant shovel on the other arm.]]
During the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], [[Megatron (BW)|He Who Would Be Megatron]] also scanned the historical datatrax of the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]. He failed to notice the approaching guard until Dinobot dispatched him with his sword and insisted they speed up the operation. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye Volume 8}}

<div style="width: 90%; margin: 0 auto .2em auto; background-color:#efefef; border: 2px solid #eeeeee; padding: 2px; text-align: left;">'''Note:''' ''The Golden Disk was wrongly drawn as the [[Alien Disk|Alien Disk]]. This two-page story is contradicted by many other versions of the story—specifically Megatron's spontaneous renaming of himself—possibly placing it in a version of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] that occurs only in Dreamwave's Generation 1 continuity. Of course, Dreamwave chose that time to [[Pat Lee|fold]] before this could be explained.''</div>
{{-}}

====Theft of the Golden Disk====
[[Image:Dinobotdawnoffuturespast.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them."]]
After meeting with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], "Dinobot", Megatron, and [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] broke into the archives to steal a [[Data-Con|Data-Con]] which would provide all sorts of information about the Golden Disk. As they were making their getaway, Dinobot threw the Data-Con to Dirge (who was unaware of a switch on Megatron's part) before battling a squadron of [[Maximal Command Security Force|Maximal Security Troopers]], ending with a close combat duel with [[9K|9K]] using his then energy-based sword. Dinobot evidently emerged victorious, as he was later seen with Megatron and "[[Scorponok (BW)|Clamps]]". {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

====Dawn of Future's Past====
Megatron and Dinobot joined [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in escaping the archives with the Golden Disk, avoiding patrolmen [[Unit 1|Unit 1]] and [[Unit 2|Unit 2]]. As Dinobot disabled the former, he protested Megatron's apparent cowardice and dishonorable tactics. Megatron responded by clamping his fist around Dinobot's neck, rebuking him for using the "h" word in his presence. After Dinobot had regained his composure, they made their way to the rendezvous point with the ''[[Darksyde|Darksyde]]'' and launched into space, where they activated their transwarp drive.

The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and the ''[[Chromia 10|Chromia 10]]'' gave chase, though the latter was destroyed by [[Laserbeak (G1)|unknown]] [[Buzzsaw (G1)|assailants.]] When the ''Axalon'' caught up with the Predacons, Dinobot balked at the idea of fleeing again and managed to fire a few shots at the ''Axalon''. After Megatron taunted the pilot of the ''Axalon'' via videoscreen, Dinobot and the other rogue Predacons on board the ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a transwarp portal, with the ''Axalon'' close behind. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil|Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Keiji Fujiwara|Keiji Fujiwara]] (Japanese), [[Luiz Carlos de Moraes|Luiz Carlos de Moraes]], [[Jorge Barcellos|Jorge Barcellos]] (Portuguese)

[[Image:BWDinobot arrival.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair... wherever the hell we are."]]
Dinobot was one of a group of rogue Predacons and was party to their theft of the Maximal relic, the Golden Disk. They stole a ship and traveled through a transwarp portal, with the Maximal ship ''Axalon'' not far behind. After a heated space battle over a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged, and they fell blazing towards the ground below.

The entire planet was saturated with [[Energon (G1)|energon]], so much so that Dinobot and the other Predacons required protection. To this end, organic forms were scanned. In Dinobot's case, velociraptor remains buried deep within the volcanic soil of their crash site became the basis for his new form. But the levels of energon were just one problem—this planet looked nothing like [[Earth|Earth]], their target destination! As Dinobot ventured outside the base, he blamed Megatron for this error and announced his intention to take over the Predacons himself. Megatron laughed and had [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] shoot him over the horizon.

Dinobot, cheated and humbled, took his efforts elsewhere. As the Maximals returned to their crashed ship from an outing, Dinobot was there, blocking the rocky bridge that crossed the waterfall surrounding their new base. This time, he challenged [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal]], and for the leadership of the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)|Beast Wars (Part 1)}}

[[Image:BWPart1 bridgefaceoff.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Ill met by moonlight—er, sunlight, proud Optimus."]]
He and [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal]] began their fight. It almost ended badly for Primal when the Maximal commander's foot slipped on the edge of the bridge, but Dinobot saved him, as the Predacon believed that a dishonorable death would mean a dishonorable victory on his own part. They continued, but their battle was interrupted by a Predacon attack. After that clash subsided, Dinobot helped the Maximals, leading them to a victory against Megatron when he tried to obtain the bounty of a mountain-sized cache of natural energon. Optimus accepted him into the fold—not as a leader, of course, but still as a valued team member. This didn't sit well with the other Maximals, particularly [[Rattrap|Rattrap]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

Dinobot provided not only brute force but an understanding of the enemy. A short time afterward, Dinobot was standing with Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] on the bridge of the ''Axalon'' around a holo-map of the Predacon base when Primal suggested that Rattrap go on a scouting mission. {{storylink|The Web|The Web}}

[[Image:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Come not within the measure of my wrath."]]
However, though he was an asset against the Predacons, Dinobot sowed discontent amongst the Maximals' own ranks. Early on, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was ordered to his quarters for fumbling the test of an energon monitoring device, and Dinobot suggested to the young Maximal that he secretly test the device himself. This ended in potential disaster when Cheetor unwittingly created a instant-transport stream between the two bases. When [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] used this to infiltrate the Maximal base, Dinobot feigned a desire to team up with him and overthrow Megatron. Lulling him into a false sense of security, Dinobot eventually took care of him with the trash disposal unit—all without firing a shot, and the other Maximals never even knew. {{storylink|Equal Measures|Equal Measures}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"The course of true love never did run smooth."]]
Dinobot and Optimus Primal investigated an energy signature detected within the [[Standing Stones|Standing Stones]], an enigmatic monument of alien origin. After a clash with Megatron and [[Waspinator|Waspinator]], the monument came to life and Optimus Primal disappeared before their eyes. When Dinobot woke up, he was in the Maximal CR chamber, as he'd been found stripped down and abandoned outside the base by unknown hands. But that wasn't important-Optimus Primal was gone, perhaps dead! The Maximals quickly tried to select a new leader by [[Democracy|secret ballot]], and Dinobot laughed at them when their vote ended in a tie. No, he would be the new leader-by force, if necessary! However, they were all interrupted by a message from Optimus Primal, who was inside the alien monument. Primal put Rattrap in charge, and the remaining Maximals mounted a plan to extract Primal from the alien construct. After another battle with the Predacons at the Standing Stones, the aliens returned Primal to them, with no explanations. {{storylink|Chain of Command|Chain of Command}}

When an incoming [[Stasis pod|stasis pod]] carrying a potential new Maximal team member was detected, Dinobot refused to let Primal leave without scouting the area outside the ''Axalon'' first himself. Dinobot was convinced the Predacons would try to remove Primal from the equation, as he was their faction's only flying member, and he was right—the Predacons managed to damage Primal enough to keep him out of the race for the pod. Dinobot stayed behind with Primal while the others made a play for the pod on foot. When Dinobot received a transmission indicating the Maximals were having difficulties, he awoke Primal's [[Core consciousness|core consciousness]] to consult him. As a result, the two were able to bounce a signal off one of the planet's moons to the dormant stasis pod, beating the Predacons to the punch. [[Tigatron|Tigatron]] joined the team. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:Better Mousetrap Dinobot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Today is a good day for violence!"]]
Soon after, Dinobot and Primal were investigating a second stasis pod when they were suddenly ambushed by Predacons. The Predacons defeated the two and secured the pod for themselves, bringing [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] online. As this was one in a long string of clever coups, this forced Optimus Primal to consider that their team was suffering from an information leak. Primal scapegoated Rattrap, an accusation in which Dinobot took pleasure. Dinobot was all too happy to destroy the alleged turncoat despite the potential hypocrisy of that act. Rattrap subsequently defected, and in the ensuing battle, was ordered by Megatron to shoot Dinobot, his frequent rival. After some hesitation, Rattrap shot Terrorsaur instead and revealed that the entire situation was a ruse by Optimus Primal to detect the real source of the information leak: stolen Maximal codes. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy|Double Jeopardy}}

Childish infighting between Rattrap and Dinobot inadvertently triggered Rhinox's new security program, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], before it could be completed. Dinobot and the other Maximals fled the ''Axalon'', while Rattrap stayed inside to combat Sentinel himself. Later, when Sentinel appeared to have shut down, Rattrap was assumed dead. Each Maximal gave a touching eulogy for Rattrap except for Dinobot, who refused to taint Rattrap's memory with lies. It was soon revealed that Rattrap had not perished, but had instead managed to shut off Sentinel. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap|A Better Mousetrap}}

[[Image:Dinobotversusplant.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I will speak daggers to it, but use none."]]
Dinobot joined Optimus Primal on a mission once again, but this time to explore the planet's native organisms. Dinobot considered this work as being beneath him, and in the process found himself assaulted by one of the planet's flora. As Primal considered this a lesson in respect learned, he found himself attacked by one of Scorponok's [[Cyberbee|cyberbees]]. It injected him with a virus that was intended to make him a coward, but instead removed all his inhibitions. Upon returning Primal to the ''Axalon'', Dinobot oddly found himself agreeing that this new bloodthirsty Primal was not a beneficial change. After he failed to solve the problem with the Predacons diplomatically, as Primal would have wanted, it was decided to let the new violent Primal be the new violent Primal. Ultimately, Primal acquired the antidote and woke up with Dinobot standing watch over him. Dinobot assured him that it was merely his shift, and not indicative of his feelings towards Primal—despite having placed a beautiful plant in Primal's quarters. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare|Gorilla Warfare}}

When a Cybertronian probe was detected, Dinobot helped his teammates attempt to contact it, despite the fact he dreaded a return home. After all, he was a criminal even in Predacon terms, and he had no hope for a warm Maximal reception. Somewhat fortunately for Dinobot's potential fate, their attempts to catch the attention of the probe failed when [[Tarantulas|Tarantulas]] invented the [[Transformation lock lens|transformation lock lens]]. {{storylink|The Probe|The Probe}} The issue was raised again when the Maximals thought that the Predacons had been destroyed. Dinobot elected to remain on Earth while the Maximals repaired their ship and launched it. However, just as Dinobot wandered off to explore the world that had become his, he stumbled across the not-so-dead Predacons, who attacked the ''Axalon'' and grounded the Maximals once again. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:Dinobot mirror.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"A little more than kin, and less than kind."]]
After Dinobot and the other Maximals were saved from a Predacon attack by Rhinox's ingenuity, Rhinox was abducted by the Predacons and reprogrammed into one of them. Optimus Primal waited for this to backfire on them, and when their plot began to unravel, Dinobot joined the Maximals in infiltrating the Predacon base and retrieving their kidnapped comrade. {{storylink|Dark Designs|Dark Designs}} Megatron soon set his sites on Dinobot as well. After Terrorsaur buried Dinobot in a cave, Megatron unleashed a [[Dinobot clone|clone of Dinobot]] on the unsuspecting Maximals. Ultimately, Dinobot broke free and returned to the ''Axalon'', where he confronted his clone and ate him. Yes. He ate him. {{storylink|Double Dinobot|Double Dinobot}}

Not long afterward, Tigatron went missing during a routine scouting report. When Optimus Primal noted that Tigatron was the victim of an aerial attack, Dinobot identified the culprits as Waspinator and Terrorsaur. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1|The Trigger, Part 1}} Dinobot remained at base with Rhinox while the others searched for Tigatron on a mysterious flying island. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2|The Trigger, Part 2}} Dinobot suffered along with his teammates when the energon dampener was stolen from the ''Axalon'', requiring him and the others to stay in beast mode to avoid energon surges. Between that and sleep deprivation from persistent Predacon attacks, their innate beast instincts began to take over, and the Maximals went feral. It was only through the instruction of Tigatron that they were able to defeat the Predacons and retrieve the dampener. {{storylink|Call of the Wild|Call of the Wild}}

Dinobot was tested again when he, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap were blinded by a Predacon attack. They were far from base and completely helpless, so Dinobot immediately began to panic. Rhinox was able to calm him and the others and slowly lead them back to base, using their other senses. They were rescued by Optimus Primal and Tigatron at the foot of the base just as they began to slip into [[Stasis lock|stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Dark Voyage|Dark Voyage}} The Maximals were also visited by the wandering spark of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who possessed the body of Waspinator and led a successful attack on the Maximal base, resulting in Dinobot receiving critical damage. Forced out of their base, Optimus Primal surrendered the Maximals to Starscream, under the condition that Dinobot be repaired. In exchange, Starscream ordered the Maximals to attack Megatron. Despite his treachery, Starscream himself was deceived, as Dinobot was not as damaged as advertised. He and Primal were able to eject Starscream from Waspinator's body and retake the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Possession|Possession}}

[[Image:Dinobottarantulasrattrapthelowroad.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"Frailty, thy name is Tarantulas!"]]
Once again, the feud between Rattrap and Dinobot led to disaster. Their carelessness indirectly caused Rhinox to be infected with a virus that caused him to eject energy involuntarily, via hiccups or sneezes or...other means. Optimus Primal ordered the bickering pair to hunt down Tarantulas in his lair and obtain the antidote, figuring they'd either learn to work together or everyone would be destroyed. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't so unlikely an option, as Dinobot and Rattrap's out-of-control behavior toward each other repeatedly sabotaged their efforts to capture Tarantulas. Dinobot was able to grab him just as Megatron arrived, and claimed the spider as a hostage. Megatron did not care and shot them both. Ultimately, the day was saved when Rhinox used his virus against the Predacons, unleashing a mighty explosion from his rear end. {{storylink|The Low Road|The Low Road}}

Despite his increasing loyalty to the team, Dinobot's violent heart occasionally created rifts. Most notable was his reaction to [[Tigatron|Tigatron]]'s pacifism: When the tiger tried to leave the Maximals in grief over the accidental death of his best friend, Dinobot argued vociferously with the "coward". He simply could not comprehend what Tigatron was saying, that in order to stop the fighting, someone had to lay down his weapon. The confrontation with Tigatron revealed more than just Dinobot's warrior ethic. He explained to Tigatron a bit of his motives for turning against Megatron: He feared that if Megatron used Earth's energon supply to wage a new war, Cybertron would burn as a result. Dinobot could only see desertion, and for that he nearly killed Tigatron, who refused to fight back. But Primal interrupted before any damage was done, and Tigatron later came back to battle to save Dinobot from a Predacon attack, making the whole point moot. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle|Law of the Jungle}}

The [[Vok|alien]] mystery that surrounded the planet soon came to a head. When it became apparent that the aliens themselves would visit them imminently, the Predacons surprisingly called for a truce. Tigatron was called to sneak into the Predacon base and find out what had captured Megatron's attention, and Dinobot and the other Maximals staged a non-lethal battle to cover Tigatron's exit, upholding their end of the truce. Dinobot loosened a large boulder out of place, allowing it to crush both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. {{storylink|Before the Storm|Before the Storm}} As expected, the aliens arrived. A wormhole opened up over the planet, and a beam shot down to the surface, where another alien device was activated. Rhinox and Dinobot stayed behind at the ''Axalon'' while the others investigated, but were too engaged by the planet's second moon shifting its shape into a horrible [[Planet Buster|Planet Buster]] weapon to notice their base had been compromised. Both Rhinox and Dinobot were removed from the equation by Blackarachnia and Tarantulas. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1|Other Voices, Part 1}} The Maximals returned to find them both welded to the ceiling by cyberwebs. Dinobot and Rhinox were placed inside [[CR chamber|CR chambers]] as Rattrap and Airazor went to find their unwelcome visitors. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dinobotgoldendisks.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."]]
When Dinobot awoke, Optimus Primal was dead, having sacrificed himself to destroy the Planet Buster with a transwarp explosion, and Cheetor and Rattrap had been altered into [[Transmetal|Transmetal]] forms by the resulting [[Quantum surge|quantum surge]]. After reluctantly admitting Rattrap's new form was an improvement, he immediately declared himself the new Maximal leader. However, with Primal dead, Rhinox was not in any mood to tolerate Dinobot's outburst and shut him up forcefully. While Rattrap and Cheetor were sent outside to deal with Waspinator and a newly Transmetalled Megatron, Rhinox and Dinobot were stuck with the task of restoring their security systems. They did not account for [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], who had also infiltrated the ''Axalon''. Thankfully, Dinobot was able to defeat the Predacon and eject him from the ship. {{storylink|Aftermath|Aftermath}}

With the destruction of the planet's second moon and the stabilization of the planet's natural energon reserves, it became apparent to Dinobot that Megatron was right all along; this was indeed Earth, though in the distant past. Dinobot broke into the Predacon base and stole Megatron's golden disks. He knew that they contained information about the future, and this cut to the core of his being: "If the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments from that confirmation, for I could not live if not the master of my fate." Dinobot hid the disks in a remote location and returned to the ''Axalon'', where Rattrap was having a minor meltdown. Rhinox had hooked himself to a machine with little explanation, and with Tigatron and Airazor on a long-term exploration trip, it fell to Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor to hold off the combined force of the Predacons. Worse yet, Megatron had introduced two new [[Fuzor|Fuzors]] to his team, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Dinobot grabbed what weaponry he could, and with the other two Maximals engaged the Predacons far from the ship, in hopes that they could keep the Predacons away from whatever Rhinox was trying to accomplish. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"A horse! a horse! My kingdom for a horse!"]]
Their efforts, though seemingly doomed, were not for naught. Though Dinobot, Rattrap, and Cheetor fought to near-death, they held off the enemy long enough for Rhinox's gamble to work. He had traveled into the [[Allspark (dimension)|Matrix]] and retrieved Optimus Primal's spark. Optimus Primal, restored as a Transmetal from a blank protoform, dramatically turned the tide, saving Dinobot and the others from what would at least have been honorable deaths. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Maximal No More Dinobot bow.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Is this a dagger which I see before me, Dinobot, the handle toward my hand?"]]
His desire to discover whether the future could be changed kept Dinobot focused on Megatron's actions. When Predacon installations were placed in a Voyager-disk-like pattern, Dinobot remarked that Megatron's plan proceeded even without the disk's information. Thus, he resubmitted himself to Megatron's command, but the Maximals' influence still showed itself. When he was pitted in a death match against [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] in a bizarre test of loyalty, Dinobot subdued his foe but refused to kill him, offering to train him instead. But Megatron accepted the prodigal son anyway, as long as he returned the original Golden Disk. (He had already given the alien disk to Rhinox.) Dinobot complied. He admitted to himself that by helping Megatron he might be sacrificing his own race, but he had to discover whether his actions were his own or predestined. After the artifact was back in Megatron's hands, Rattrap attacked and was quickly immobilized. As a final test of allegiance, Dinobot was ordered to kill his former teammate. This task proved too much for him, and he turned once again on the Predacon leader. Megatron retreated with the disk in his possession, and Primal was left with the decision on whether to allow Dinobot back into their ranks. Dinobot explained that either way, he would fight Megatron, prompting Primal to forgive Dinobot his treacherous actions. Once welcomed back, Dinobot told Primal of Megatron's ultimate designs for the disks' information. {{storylink|Maximal, No More|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:BWDinobot decision.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"To Bay or not to Bay; that is the question, and here is the sunset."]]
As Rhinox and Dinobot scanned known alien sites, they suddenly realized that Tigatron and Airazor were journeying into one. But before they could send a warning, the traveling pair triggered the alien site and were shot into space. Dinobot and the other Maximals were rallied by Optimus Primal to this site, where they confronted the Predacons. Before the fight could begin, the alien site activated again, creating a massive [[Metal Hunter|Metal Hunter]], and blasted everyone in the area. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transformers who had not been altered by the quantum surge lay deactivated, but the Transmetals and Fuzors were unaffected by the Metal Hunter's blast. Silverbolt was instructed to carry Dinobot and Rhinox back to the base for repairs. Megatron used the alien disk to activate the Metal Hunter, and the Maximals gained an unlikely ally: Tarantulas. Dinobot, like his fellow Maximals, greeted the Predacon turncoat with bared weapons and only reluctantly allowed Tarantulas to aid them. Subsequently, Dinobot joined an assault on the Metal Hunter itself, a cover for Tarantulas's entry. The Metal Hunter was destroyed. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

When Silverbolt went missing during an energon storm while he, Cheetor, and Optimus Primal were investigating [[Protoform X|Protoform X]], Dinobot suggested they forget the Fuzor and concentrate on the Predacons. The enemy was, after all, minus both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia, while they were only down one member. Primal rejected Dinobot's lack of sympathy. As Primal and Cheetor left to find Silverbolt, Dinobot turned to one of the ''Axalon'''s consoles and began downloading into its database. {{storylink|Bad Spark|Bad Spark}}

Unlike Primal, Rattrap was not so forgiving of Dinobot's earlier betrayal. After contemplating suicide and enduring Rattrap's continuing recriminations, Dinobot decided to set things right. He tracked Megatron down and found him testing the original disk which Dinobot had returned. Megatron had discovered a mountain whose image was recorded on the disk, and he had [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] destroy the peak. From a distance, Dinobot saw his greatest hope and worst fear form simultaneously: The disk's image changed. Dinobot's future was his own...but Megatron had virtually limitless power to change it.

[[Image:Dinbot funeral.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Out, out, brief spark! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor mech that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."]]
When the Predacons launched an attack on a tribe of [[Protohuman|protohumans]], attempting to destroy the future human race and alter the course of the Autobot/Decepticon war, Dinobot singlehandedly took on all of them. Having already been blindsided by Tarantulas, he waded through the attack squad. Ignoring the damage he sustained, the warnings of his own internal computer, and the danger to himself, Dinobot defeated everyone save Megatron. Mocking the weakened Dinobot, Megatron tallied the score firmly in his own favor: He had unimaginable power via the disk, he held a lone protohuman hostage, and the severely damaged Dinobot was the only obstacle in his way. Mostly depowered and refusing to quit, Dinobot jammed a rock through a stick and attacked with the makeshift hammer. Megatron dropped the disk, and Dinobot blasted it to pieces with his last bit of energy. A short time after the rest of the Maximals arrived, Dinobot's spark left his frame.

He was given a hero's funeral, with his body cremated as the Maximal fliers executed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_man_formation" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Missing_man_formation">Missing Man formation</a>. His legacy remained even with the anthropoids, who found his hammer and used it as a weapon. {{storylink|Code of Hero|Code of Hero}}

Then Megatron [[Dinobot II|cloned him]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1|Feral Scream Part 1}}
{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
Following the [[Quantum surge|Quantum surge]], Dinobot, as well as many other Maximals, became separated from the rest of the team and left stranded somewhere on [[Earth|Energoa]]. After Optimus Primal's resurrection and escape from Megatron, Dinobot could be seen watching the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] from somewhere off in the distance. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BeastWars Dinobot 1996 toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wasn't he in Jurassic Park? (Hasbro version pictured)]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-4'''
*''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Dinobot transforms into what his bio claims is a "vicious velociraptor." His tail detaches and separates to form a gear-powered, spinning blade weapon, while the central "tail bone" separates to be used as a sword. The entire assembly can store in robot mode by flipping down the tail-mount and pegging the blade's base to the peg on his lower back. Like all early Deluxe-and-up ''Beast Wars'' toys, he has a "mutant mask", halves of a dino-skull that flip up to cover his more robotic head.

: The original Dinobots shipped on cards with "rocky"-shaped bubbles. Later (and more numerous) assortments moved to a smooth, rounded bubble, leading the first packaging type to become sought-after collectibles on the secondary market.

[[Image:BW-toy DinobotTakara97.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Let's hide the legs in beast mode by making them bright translucent orange! (Takara version pictured)]]
: Takara's version of the toy was identical to the [[Hasbro|Hasbro]] version. In January 1997, Takara [[Redeco|redecoed]] many of the ''Beast Wars'' toys and re-released them in slightly more show-like tones; Dinobot's pink was changed to tan, his orange robot eyes became red, his flat blue face became metallic blue, his orange dinosaur eyes became white, and his helmet was painted in metallic gold.

:This toy and the Fox Kids redeco, as well as some other versions of this mold, had the robot mode's biceps on the wrong arms, with the skin-like texture inside and the weight-reducing cavities on the outside. Later molds, such as the 10th Anniversary release, had this error corrected.

: This mold was used to make... lots of guys. Other than countless redecos as himself, this mold was also used for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and ''[[Dinobots (toyline)|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was [[Retool|retooled]] extensively to make ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], [[Dinotron|Dinotron]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].

{{-}}<span id="VsPack"></span>

[[Image:VS4-DinobotTarantuas.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I prefer to package my toys the old-fashioned way... BRUTALLY!!!]]
*'''Brutal Showdown: Dinobot VS Tarans''' (VS pack, 1997)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-4'''
*''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

: In Japan, Dinobot was available both as an individual and in a two-pack with "[[Tarantulas|Tarans]]". Both toys in this set were identical to their individual releases.

: Currently, it is unknown if the latter "more show-like" redeco of Dinobot was ever released in a VS set.

{{-}}<span id="Transmetal"></span>

[[Image:Mcdinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Transforms from velociraptor to wolfman.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Happy Meal Transmetal, 1998)
*''McNumber'':

: Part of the second McDonald's ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal promotion, [[Transmetal|Transmetal]] Dinobot transforms into a robotic velociraptor. To tie in with the chrome plastic [[Gimmick|gimmick]] of the retail Transmetal toys, parts of his beast mode are cast in glittery metallic plastic. Like the other McDonald's toys from this assortment, he shares nothing in common with his previous body other than [[Alternate mode|alt mode]] choice.

{{-}}<span id="FoxKids"></span>

[[Image:FK-Dinobot-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eww...perhaps using the power sander to buff his scales wasn't a good idea.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Fox Kids Deluxe, 1999)
*''Accessories:'' sword, "Cyber-slash" tail weapon

: Part of the first wave of "Fox Kids" redecoes (so called because of the callout to the Fox Kids programming block on the package where the cartoon had recently moved to), this version of Dinobot is more dark brown than the original, with red stripes instead of the original's brown, with a red robot-mode face and green eyes. This toy uses the [[Retool|retooled]] mold with the shoulder ratchets and the (unused) "[[Energon chip|energon chip]]" space that were created for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]].

: Hasbro solicitations named this toy "Live Wire Dinobot", but the name never made it to final packaging.

{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He disagrees with everything that T-Rex says, but you know they're best friends.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Tenth Anniversary Deluxe, 2006)
*''Accessories:'' "Energo-drill" sword, spinning blade tail weapon, Transmutate left arm

: This release is yet another redeco of the original Dinobot toy. Though the [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]] line's aim was "[[Show accuracy|show accuracy]]," the resulting Dinobot toy confused some fans, with its dark brown base color, odd placement of blue, and, mostly, the metallic green on his bone-like decorations. Like the other 10th Anniversary toys, he has a faction symbol tampoed on his body; in Dinobot's case, there's a Maximal logo on the left side of his robot chest. Like FoxKids! Dinobot, this toy has the Energon Chip indent and shoulder ratchets that were added for ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock.

: ''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' Dinobot came with the left arm to the "build-a-bot" figure [[Transmutate|Transmutate]], plus a DVD containing the obvious Dinobot-themed episode, "[[Code of Hero|Code of Hero]]".

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Botcon2006Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Can you dig it?]]
*'''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack Deluxe, 2006)
*''Accessories:'' Golden Disk Key

: Part of the five-toy [[BotCon 2006|BotCon 2006]] [[Exclusive|exclusive]] boxed set (along with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Optimus Primal|Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap|Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]), "Darksyde Dinobot" is a redeco of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] mold, itself a [[Retool|retool]] of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]]. Dinobot uses almost all of Longrack's new-mold parts save for the head; Hoist's was a dead ringer for Dinobot in the first place. He transforms into a Cybertronic excavator. Inserting a [[Cyber Key|Cyber Key]] or [[Golden Disk Key|Golden Disk Key]] into his shoulder assembly unlocks a shovel-punch attack activated by pressing on the plunger mechanism above the key port. Like Longrack, he does ''not'' come with a [[Mini-Con|Mini-Con]] partner (dammit). The color scheme is partially based on his ''10th Anniversary'' toy.

: The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ransack (Universe)|Ransack]].

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Japanese10thDinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|At last, I CAN TALK!]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2006)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-05'''
*''Accessories:'' sword, spinning tail weapon

:Celebrating Japan's 10th anniversary of ''[[Beast Wars|Beast Wars]]'' (one year later than the West), the [[Beast Wars Telemocha|Beast Wars Telemocha]] version of Dinobot is yet another (and final?) redeco of the venerable tooling, including the shoulder ratcheting added to the previous Hasbro versions. While definitely more [[Show accuracy|accurate to the CGI model]] than the Hasbro [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary]] version from the previous year, most of its color-scheme decisions favor the robot mode, such as bronze/gold shoulder joints. The result of this is a less consistently colored beast mode than the Hasbro version. It is the first (and only) version of the mold to place deco on the "mutant mask" halves.

:Though there are some colors dropped between the transition from CGI model to toy, Telemocha Dinobot does currently hold the prize for the sheer number of paint applications used on this mold, and by a large margin. Perhaps most significant to many fans, however, is that this version of Dinobot has a mouth, if only in the form of a paint operation.

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Beast Wars Series====
[[Image:Dinobotuniversedeluxe.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just in time for the original mold to be practically cheese by now.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
*''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

: Dinobot transforms into a brown and amber ''Jurassic Park''-style Velociraptor with a robot mode styled heavily after the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI model, including a face with a nose and mouth. To this end, his transformation has been altered accordingly for more human-like proportions, with his robot legs now becoming the raptor legs and the arms hiding mostly inside the torso. He also sports a fully show accurate robot head with can turn as usual, but can also look up at a 45 degree angle. On his chest is a panel that can swap between Maximal and Predacon faction symbols and a blank third panel (for the beast mode head). His [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] double opposable thumbs can be swapped out for "proper" fists, and his tail still detaches. It becomes a weapon that splits similarly to the original's, but now no longer rotates but fires a missile shaped like his sword from the cartoon, which can actually be held as a sword by either the regular fist or claw hands. The tail can also clip onto his back for storage.

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
*''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
*''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

:The ''Henkei!'' release of Dinobot is in more traditional colors than the Hasbro version, decoed in brown with several tan stripes, plus blue and gold detailing. Like all Henkei releases he features a [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] parts, particularly his missile/sword.

<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="">

<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:Notyetbox.gif|left|100px|Or you could pick... WHAT'S IN THE BOX.]]
'''This item is currently scheduled for release, but is not yet available.'''

</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Beast Wars Mini-Busts===
[[Image:BWDinobot minibust.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Legs are for the weak.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (?)

: In 2006, [[First 4 Figures|First 4 Figures]] announced a seven-inch tall mini-bust of Dinobot, featuring his upper torso mounted upon a Maximal pedestal. He was sculpted by Ryan Bailey and is limited to 1,996 pieces. He is based upon his animated appearance, mounted on a silver pedestal adorned with the Maximal sigil.

<center>
<table cellspacing="0" style="">

<tr>
<td style="padding:0 1em 0 1em;text-align:right;"><div class="tti_messageboxdiv" style="width:100%;padding:.5em; background-color:#efefff; border:solid 1px #9f9fff;text-align:center;margin:auto;">[[Image:Unicron-canceled.png|left|100px|Your bargaining posture is highly dubious.]]
'''Proceed on your way to oblivion.'''<br />''This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.''

</div>
</td></tr></table>
</center>
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept04.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dinobot's control art. The beast head displays a more rigid grill structure.]]
* It's been rumored that Dinobot's first toy borrowed some molding from an unproduced [[Kenner|Kenner]] ''Jurassic Park'' dinosaur toy. There's no evidence at all to support this, however, and it is incredibly unlikely to begin with.

* Some fans humorously refer to Dinobot's [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|Cyber-slash tail weapon]] as a "Rotate Blade" because of its usage in a [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& fanfic by MG-Dinobot].

* Likewise, fans refer to Dinobot as having a "rigid grill structure," an injoke that came into being because of an [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/307ed3ad2152d304 alt.toys.transformers poster's] somewhat confusing signature that included a quote from ''Mystery Science Theatre''. What part of Dinobot is the rigid grill structure is not definitively determined, whether it be the bony pair of robot legs that hang under his toy's beast mode or his, uh, crotch.

<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> A poster going by the handle of Dinobot had a .sig file that read "Dinobot has spoken," followed by an MST quote. For a while, it was a Tom Servo quote from the experiment RIDING WITH DEATH. The sig read more or less like this:
Dinobot has spoken.

"My rigid grill structure is bearing down on your unprotected cargo
door."--Tom Servo

However, many people only remembered as far as the "grill structure" bit, and putting the two sentences together, it sounded like he was pretending Dinobot himself was saying it. So a whole bizarre running gag started up around Dinobot's rigid grill structure, culminating in someone getting [[Scott McNeil|Scott McNeil]] to say the line in Dinobot's voice at
BC98.

</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—[[User:Apcog|Doug Dlin]] on alt.toys.transformers</cite>

</td></tr></table>
[[Image:Dinobottoycommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|An abandoned deco?]]
* In the first ''Beast Wars'' toy commercials, Dinobot had a slightly different deco than the final toy. He was browner, rather than pinker, and had thicker stripes.

* Some fans are inclined to yank off Dinobot's mutant mask pieces, since he doesn't have them on the television show, they get in the way during transformation, and they're easily removable. Ten years later, Hasbro thought so, too, in their stock photography for [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]] Dinobot.

[[Image:Dinobotearlycgimodel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Code of... something.]]
* Several views of preliminary ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI models were available in the Special Features of [[Kid Rhino|Kid Rhino]]'s ''Beast Wars: The Complete Second Season'' DVD box set. Dinobot's early model, like the other preliminary models, took more cues from the toy, such as including the [[Mutant head|mutant head]] and looking at all transformable. Interestingly enough, the preliminary model transformed into the final beast mode model, but since Dinobot's transformation involves swapping out parts, that's not too hard to believe.

* Speaking of Dinobot's crotch, [[:Image:Dirkdinobot.jpg|Dirk Dinobot]]" may not be safe for work, but his grill structure here is anything but rigid! Who's responsible for leaking this, and can we hug them?

*Almost every single character in the Beast Wars gets thrashed twice as hard as Dinobot in his final battle and yet they all came back good as new. [[Waspinator|Some]] rarely even have to bother with [[Stasis lock|stasis lock]]. Funny, that.

*Dinobot's death was likely related more to energon depletion than actual damage, evidenced by his internal computer urging him into stasis lock because of a critical loss in power. The injuries he received are probably what caused this depletion, making them the indirect cause of his demise, but not the sole contributing factor.

[[Image:TMDinobotConcept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Raptor and... squatting Raptor? It's a jet powered squat, surely.]]
* An actual (i.e. non-McDonald's affiliated) Transmetal Dinobot apparently made it to concept art stages, but not much further. It would have been notable for having the lamest "transport mode" of all the Transmetals if produced, however. Several elements of the design were recycled on Transmetal [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm Dinobot at TFU.info]

*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& "Dinobot's Old Technology" by MG-Dinobot]

[[Category:Featured articles]]
[[Category:Upcoming toy releases]]
[[Category:Unreleased toys]]
[[Category:Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:Predacons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]

Talk:Sari Sumdac (Animated)

2009-03-23T11:02:48Z

Keegman: /* New Caption Suggestion for Super-Sari */ new section

<a name="Meta-category"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Meta-category">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Meta-category</span></h2>
'Tentative' meta-category? (So that one can periodically go through it and clear things out?) -<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 22:56, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

<a name="Sandals_and_such"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Sandals and such">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Sandals and such</span></h2>
I'm debating undoing the "not a Kiss Player" addition, but can't
quite justify it based on the general humor tone of the rest of the
wiki, so I'll leave it to someone else. I'm also tempted to change the
picture caption, as I'm pretty sure those aren't sandals. (The dark
orange parts of the feet appear to be the shoe uppers, rather than a
differently colored part of her socks.) However, that just seems
ridiculously picky somehow. If anyone else has a good idea about this,
feel free to implement it, I guess.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Apcog" title="User:Apcog">Apcog</a> 16:05, 27 December 2007 (UTC)

I bet she is a robot thats why she has somehow managed to gain a
connection to the All-Spark and also not be completly hated by the
fandom yet <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Bobtherandomguy" title="User:Bobtherandomguy">Bobtherandomguy</a> 00:19, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Adopted.3F"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Adopted?">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Adopted?</span></h2>
I'm curious... what's the source for Sari being adopted? <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:CarrerCrytharis" title="User:CarrerCrytharis">CarrerCrytharis</a> 06:46, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

:I think it was her official bio. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FFN" title="User:FFN">FFN</a> 06:48, 6 January 2008 (UTC)
:In the promo material that Unicron.com received, Sari's bio stated that she's adopted. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:ItsWalky" title="User:ItsWalky">ItsWalky</a> 07:47, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Well-liked_character.3F"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Well-liked character?">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Well-liked character?</span></h2>
I'd really like to debate that she's "well-liked" so far - I
personally hate her, the person I watch the show with hates her, and
every Transformers fan I talk to hates her. So unless we're of a gross
minority, I think it's safe to say her appeal is not universal. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 09:27, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

:I don't hate her, therefore every fan doesn't hate her. You should try asking outside your social circle--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Carrion" title="User:Carrion">Carrion</a> 13:21, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
::By no means was I trying to say that every fan hates
her! I'm just personally annoyed by her being defined as a well-liked
character when all of my fellow TF fans - including myself - hold no
love for her. And erm, I HAVE been asking outside my "social circle"
and so far it's been nothing but "she's annoying" and "neutral." <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:30, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

:My own social circle also seems to find her rather amusing, so no hate from me or mine.<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:Pacce&action=edit" class="new" title="User:Pacce">Pacce</a> 13:49, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

:Thus far, I kinda like her. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 15:02, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:I certainly prefer her than most of the UT kids (certainly anything is better than Kicker). -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 16:29, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:She has a fairly unique interaction with the Autobots compared
to past humans. She and Bumblebee make decent partners in crime, so I
can see how this would appeal to kids.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 16:33, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
: I personally like how she's the first girl in an American-made series to be '''the''' major human character, and she's a lot less annoying than any Witwiky, IMO. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Nightshade83" title="User:Nightshade83">Nightshade83</a> 16:48, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:Tara Strong is awesome. That is all. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FFN" title="User:FFN">FFN</a> 17:04, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:This is true. Good writing + awesome voice actress = character that doesn't annoy me.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 17:17, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:See, I love Tara Strong to death, but that doesn't make me
automatically love all the characters she plays. The writing is decent
(slightly above G1 level writing but not as good as, say, Avatar: The
Last Airbender), but I find Sari's character to be little more than
Generic Perky Girl with her Deus Ex Machina Key. I enjoyed Spike as a
character more because he really WAS just a human, no "omg sekrit
POWARZ" to make him more "interesting." <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:30, 11 February 2008 (UTC)
:Spike didn't have powers? The guy and his entire family
probably have an allergy to Kryptonite, and then there's the Headmaster
thing. Also, calling ''Animated'''s writing slightly better than G1 gives the G1 cartoon ''way'' to much credit.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FortMax" title="User:FortMax">FortMax</a> 00:00, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Well, Spike and the other Witwickys have 80s Cartoon Disease -
just look at the other Hasbro show from the same time period, GI Joe.
They were all "human" in the same way. But Spike never whipped out his
wallet and used it to revive Optimus Prime. And frankly, I find a lot
of the plot devices in TF:CHINS just as laughable as G1, only now with
uglier art and more obnoxious humans. In fact, that's WHY I find it
watchable - the writing is so similar to G1's lulzy improbability that
I enjoy it immensely, or at least enough to ignore the terrible art.
Anyway, I'm running speedily away from my point. That is, I and every
other TF fan I've talked to absolutely despise Sari. Calling her "well
liked, more so than usual" on her Wiki page Does Not Compute for me.
It's fine to call her a "generally liked character" or even just "a
popular human character," but using the turn of phrase that's there now
makes it seem like every TF fan everywhere absolutely adores her.

::::::Hell, at this point I'd even take Kicker. At least his art style doesn't hurt my eyes. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 01:25, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

:::::::Geez, give the art style a break already! People bitching about the art style reminds me of when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_The_Wind_Waker" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:The_Legend_of_Zelda:_The_Wind_Waker">Zelda: Windwaker</a>
first came out for the Gamecube. People dismissed the game as "kiddie"
just because of the cell-shading style, but it was actually a very
enjoyable game, just as challenging as any other in the Zelda series.
Actually, Sari reminds me very much of Tetra in that game.

:::::::Just give it a
chance. I actually prefer the stylized art over the overly-detailed
80's comic look of G1. Plus, is Sari having her key really all that
different than how the All Spark was used in the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_%282007%29" title="Transformers (2007)">Movie</a>?
Both are miraculous objects that completely ignore all known laws of
physics and can bring robots to life/fix said robots in about 3 seconds
flat. At least in a cartoon that's somewhat more acceptable.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Nightshade83" title="User:Nightshade83">Nightshade83</a> 01:35, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:I've been giving it as much of a chance as I can. And no, sorry
- Wind Waker at least had a consistent art style (which I happen to
like). TF:CHINS is all over the place, and I have screencaps of Sari
LOOKING COOL. Er, that is to say, looking so poorly drawn that it's
laughable. I mean, I mostly like TF:CHINS, I really do. And the "but
the movie did it!" excuse doesn't quite fly in this case, because the
movie at least had the excuse of being directed by Michael Bay. Oh, and
the movie didn't use it EVERY HALF HOUR. 'OHAI, it's a new episode,
time for Sari to use her damn key for a totally random reason that in
no way correlates to the way she used it last episode.' ANYWAY, POINT
STILL BEING: I don't like her! She is annoying. All others that I have
spoken to share this opinion. It is not reasonable to DEFINE her as
"well liked, more so than usual." <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 02:29, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:On this page, you are the only voice against. If some more
people speak up here with a negative opinion of her (preferably, people
who are regular editors on this wiki), we'll most likely change the
page. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 03:28, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Well, that's frustrating. The only TF fans that count are the ones that edit this Wiki? Lamesauce. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 05:34, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:No, but we're confident that fans who have contributed to this
wiki aren't cranks shoutign their opinions at the top of their lungs
and claiming everyone else agrees with them. The sort of person that
might, say, show up on the wiki and make no edits except one declaring
that the entire fandom agrees with him, and then (upon discovering that
many peopel ehre do not) accuse the regulars here of being out of step
with transfandom.
:I'm not accusing you of this- the problem is that the vrank
imposing his opinion on others and someone like yourself- actually
(presumably) ''exressing'' the opinion of the majority-- are
functionally impossible to distinguish in terms of behavior- they both
show up out of the blue ont he wiki and make the same edits and have
the same argument. So we have to say "Gee, if ''everyone'' thinks
this, do most of us think this?" And if the answer's no, we'll usually
revert sweeping statements. It's possible that we might be ''wrong'' and actually are out of step with transfandom... but it's the best system we have to guard against minority bias. -<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 07:23, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:If you're not accusing me of this, why would you bring it up at
all? I never implied that I was expressing the opinion of any majority
anywhere, merely another facet of TF fandom. Please, feel free to
re-read my comments. I want her popularity to be downplayed a little
because I feel that it's unjustifiably overblown in the article. Also
note that I have made no edits at all for good reason; I would much
rather talk about this and hope a more experienced editor can see
reason and accommodate both views. I hardly think me signing up for the
wiki to pop onto the talk page and debate a single line in the "Notes"
section of one character qualifies me as an OMG SABOTEUR. (That's Jazz.
lulz.) I'm actually trying to be as least troll-like as possible here,
but it's hard when I'm surrounded by people who are obviously huge fans
of the character. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 02:57, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:Well we can't very well quantify "all others you have spoken to," no?--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 05:56, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Has anyone actually quantified the "reasonably well-liked"
comment, either? The fandom is rather sprawled these days, across
multiple forums, so I would assume that there's probably no shortage of
negative opinion about Sari out there. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:KilMichaelMcC" title="User:KilMichaelMcC">KilMichaelMcC</a> 06:02, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:I'd quantify it as "is tolerated/considered mildly amusing."
That's my opinion of Sari- she's okay-- and as kid-avatar character go
she's astonishingly ''non''-annoying. So 'reasonably well liked.'-<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 07:23, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:I feel justified in discounting the opinion of anyone who consistently refers to Animated as "TF:CHINS." --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:ItsWalky" title="User:ItsWalky">ItsWalky</a> 06:07, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:So because I use a comical nickname for the show, I'm
automatically discounted? Wow. I guess I've been incredibly lucky,
avoiding this elitist branch of TF-fandom thus far. It looks like
Michael is the only one here who is even willing to consider that there
are TF fans that dislike this character. I'm a long-time lurker here
and love the wiki, but this is just terrible. I'm not asking for her
page to say EVERYONE HATES SARI, SHE SUCKS - I'm just asking that it
not read like we all fall over at her feet. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 06:50, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:But people who refer to Hillary Clinton by derisive nicknames
in the course of conversation about her can reasonably be construed to
have a negative bias against her. Thus casting doubt on your unbiased
observation that everyone hates Sari.
:Besides, you probably only hate her because she's a Paki. -<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 07:23, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:LOLWHUT? I hate her for the reasons previously stated. Her race
is a non-issue for me. And I really don't consider TF:CHINS to be a
'derisive' nickname, I consider it amusing and fitting for the
CHIN-CENTRIC art. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 08:00, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Derik was only kidding about the race thing. I think. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FFN" title="User:FFN">FFN</a> 14:20, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

:Leaving aside the question of why the opinion of a person who
dislikes Animated's art style and uses a silly nickname while
expressing said dislike should be automatically discounted, what I was
trying to get at was this: How was the "Sari has been reasonably well
liked, more so then usual" conclusion arrived at in the first place? --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:KilMichaelMcC" title="User:KilMichaelMcC">KilMichaelMcC</a> 06:22, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:The "arglebarglebargleonlyrobotsoncybertron" folks have been conspicuously well-behaved of late.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 06:28, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

:Right. So lets go back to the UT kids: Carlos with his racial
stereotypes, Bud with his inability to stay focused on anything for
more than two seconds, and Kicker, who was ''physically abusive toward the Autobots''. Sure, those are the types of characters that I want representing my species. -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 02:32, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Don't forget Fred's inability to go five minutes without junk
food. Also, Chip Chase is superhuman. The man is immune to acid rain
that brought Autobots to their knees and can tear an 5¼" floppy disc in
hald with his bear hands.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FortMax" title="User:FortMax">FortMax</a> 02:51, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Don't forget that if this show was Japanese, Sari would be
making out with Bumblebee on a regular basis and the point of view
would be consistently at a below-skirt level. Personally, I love Sari.
Best human character in a TF series, as far as I'm concerned. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Semysane" title="User:Semysane">Semysane</a> 08:16, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Tyring to stay a bit on point here: The line "Sari has been reasonably well liked, more so then usual."

Now from what I've seen, it seems like some people like her,
others dislike her (or just her Key-powers), and others seem fairly
neutral about the character. The general reaction to the character I've
observed doesn't seem like anything particularly worth noting in her
article. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:KilMichaelMcC" title="User:KilMichaelMcC">KilMichaelMcC</a> 08:30, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

:How about we modify it to say that she is one of the few human
characters who have not caused a section of the Transformers fandom to
declare holy war upon the human race in the Transformers fiction? --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FFN" title="User:FFN">FFN</a> 14:20, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Has ''anyone'' here besides <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a>
voiced an opinion that contradicts "reasonably well liked, more so than
usual"? If people don't like her deus ex machina key, that might make a
valid separate point, but that's separate from liking her herself. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 14:32, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

:::I think that not even Combobreaker has voiced
an opinion contrary to the statement. He doesn't like her, and the
people he's talked to (before coming here) don't like her. That doesn't
make the statement inaccurate, because it is describing a generalized
opinion of hundreds of active fans. Apparently all the editors paying
attention to this page feel that in ''their'' observations of other
fans, Sari seems to have been better received than most humans. The
phrasing "reasonably well liked, more so than usual" doesn't even
remotely mean "all the fans think she's great". It means exactly what
it says -- she is liked more than most human characters, ie. the
majority of the fandom does not despise her. As a rule of thumb,
Transformers fans (treated as a homogeneous group) hate human
sidekicks. There are certainly pockets of the fandom that hate Sari.
But she is, on average, *not* hated. That is definitely worthy of note.
--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Steve-o" title="User:Steve-o">Steve-o</a> 15:52, 12 February 2008 (UTC)
:Okay, but where are we pulling this "on average?" It can't be
reasonably quantified any more than my own personal experiences with TF
fans. That is all I have been trying to get across here. There's no
link to any outside polls, discussions, or articles that talk about how
popular she is with fans. I find the "well liked, more so than usual"
statement to be a little too all-encompassing for my tastes. How about
we just say she's "generally popular" or "mostly liked" instead? <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 02:42, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
::8 or nine people in this discussion disagree with you,
and none agree. I'd call Sari pretty well liked unless the 8 or 9 of us
are secretly the same guy. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FortMax" title="User:FortMax">FortMax</a> 03:00, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:GAH, again with using this wiki's talk page to justify what's
on the wiki! Oh god, the wikiality is suffocating me. Look, in wikis,
you are supposed to cite references. Just because the people that hang
out on a character's talk page are ga-ga over said character does NOT
mean that the rest of the fandom shares the same opinion. I AM NOT
TRYING TO MOVE MOUNTAINS HERE. Please re-read my comment. I want her to
just be noted as being "generally popular" or "mostly liked!" How
horrible of me! I'm corrupting the TF fandom! Jeez. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 03:06, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:::::::Dude, you're
not kidding when you say you're skilled at stirring up drama! As much
as I do appreciate Sari as a character, you've made it QUITE clear that
not everone shares that opinion. Maybe something along the lines of
"mostly well-liked" would be a reasonable alternative, if everyone else
agrees.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Nightshade83" title="User:Nightshade83">Nightshade83</a> 03:34, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
::Yeah, what's really crazy is I'm not even TRYING to
stir up drama. At this point I'm convinced that almost everyone here is
completely unwilling to acknowledge differing opinions in fandom - I
really like your compromise and think that it would fit the real-world
reception of her character. (After all, others aside from me have noted
in these comments that she is not universally liked!) However, it just
seems like most people responding to me are overly hostile because I'm
new and have a different opinion. I'm getting called names for wanting
a wiki article to be slightly edited? WTF? <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 07:50, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:I say leave it the way it is. We shouldn't change the entry
just because one loudmouth says we should. Combobreaker, you say we
aren't showing any polls or articles saying she is well liked. Well...
can you show us any polls or articles saying that she ISN'T well liked?
<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Semysane" title="User:Semysane">Semysane</a> 05:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:Again, point missed. The way she's referred to in this article
makes it seem as though every TF fan everywhere loves her. They don't,
and people other than me have said as much on this talk page. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 07:50, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:We're also supposed to find consensus. We think we ''have''. If you want to argue our consensus is not representative maybe ''you'' should be citing references to support ''your'' point. -<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 07:09, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:I am so frustrated by this sort of attitude on any wiki. Just
because you are the majority here does not make you the majority
everywhere else. I am here representing a differing opinion, which, as
NEITHER are easily citable I think BOTH are equally valid. Your
personal experience dictates that Sari is popular. Fine, that's
awesome. My own personal experience - maybe because I talk almost
exclusively to G1 fans - says that she's despised. In this situation I
think it's perfectly reasonable to just turn the love on her wiki down
a notch, because right now it's going to 11. I'd like to at least see
it backed off to an 8. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 07:50, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:You offer no evidence for your position other than anecdotes.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 14:53, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:Same for the statement that currently stands. Just asking it to be toned down a bit. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:26, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:Do you really think that "reasonably well liked, more so than usual" is an 11?
:Have you considered taking a break from this discussion (which, after all, does not need to be decided today), and <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Special:Contributions/Combobreaker" title="Special:Contributions/Combobreaker">spending some time contributing elsewhere in the wiki</a>?
I'm sure you have a great deal to offer toward making this wiki a
better and more informative document, so you shouldn't let this one
trivia point occupy all your time. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 10:05, 13 February 2008 (EST)
: Please read the comments on this page from other people.
KilMichaelMcC has said "it seems like some people like her, others
dislike her (or just her Key-powers), and others seem fairly neutral
about the character" and Derik says she is "is tolerated/considered
mildly amusing." That's less general than what is there now.
:Oh, and do me a favor and Google "Sari Sumdac" and tell me what the first result says about her. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:12, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:PS: I really want to contribute to this wiki, but believe it
or not, I thought I'd start with something small. I had no idea I'd
start such a mess just by wanting a character's unquantified popularity
slightly edited. That's why I stuck to the talk page instead of editing
it myself - didn't want to just jump into editing the wiki itself and
piss people off. Somehow managed to do that anyway, but... oh well. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:26, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:Don't worry too much about it, dude. Contributions will be
judged on their own merits. This issue seems to have been solved to
your satisfaction with Repowers'a edit; I don't think anyone will
object to you continuing to contribute. If they do, they'll let you
know what and why at the time. /:) --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Sntint" title="User:Sntint">Sntint</a> 20:35, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

I am still uncertain that fandom reaction to Sari is particularly
noteworthy at all. Is it really any different from, say, the reaction
to the Cybertron kids? --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:KilMichaelMcC" title="User:KilMichaelMcC">KilMichaelMcC</a> 06:15, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:I think I love you, man, you have been nothing but reasonable
and moderate here. I would comment here but I never got into Cybertron,
so I'm a little sketchy on the human characters. Suffice it to say that
I think trying to define a new character as being universally liked in
the Transformers fandom is quite a feat. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 07:50, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
:It does NOT say that she is universally well liked by ANY
stretch of the imagination! It says she is "reasonably well-liked, more
so than usual," basically meaning that many fans like her BETTER than
most other human characters, not that we think she's the mesiah or
something. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Semysane" title="User:Semysane">Semysane</a> 08:51, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Repowers.27s_edit"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Repowers's edit">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Repowers's edit</span></h2>
Well done, Repowers. I can comfortably live with that. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 15:16, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

:Awesome, that's all I wanted. I'm happy now, and reasonably
amused that I managed to somehow spawn a talk thread that ended up
longer than the article itself. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Combobreaker" title="User:Combobreaker">Combobreaker</a> 20:23, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Not_human.3F"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Not human?">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Not human?</span></h2>
That's a whoooole big block of text discussing what is pretty much entirely fanwank. Do we really need this?--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 18:34, 7 April 2008 (UTC)

:Hmn, it is a bit overlong, actually. Still, I think ''something'' from it needs noting, because Tara Strong's interview and the events of "Megatron Rising" make it clear that there's ''SOMETHING'' unusual about Sari. We could just chop back on the random theories as to what she is, which are all fan-cooked-up. - <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Chris_McFeely" title="User:Chris McFeely">Chris McFeely</a> 18:37, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
:That's a reason I put in the whole "counterpoints" thing. Reminding them that canon is against them, so stop the fanwanking. -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 18:39, 7 April 2008 (UTC)
:3 months ago I guessed Sari was a robot and posted it in this
discussion article if this turns out to be true I totally called it. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Bobtherandomguy" title="User:Bobtherandomguy">Bobtherandomguy</a> 00:20, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Things_that_don.27t_exist"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Things that don't exist">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Things that don't exist</span></h2>
Seeing how she, legally, doesn't exist, should she get added to that
category? Or is that reserved for things that
um...in-fictionally-actually? don't exist?<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Omnibus" title="User:Omnibus">Omnibus</a> 21:44, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

:It can all be answered with one question: does she think? -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 22:02, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
:I'm... Not sure if that question can be answered.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Dynamus_Prime" title="User:Dynamus Prime">Dynamus Prime</a> 22:09, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
:We should blank this whole article. There is no information on
a 'Sari Sumdac'. (Maybe write that up at the very top and then require
page-ing down like 5 times to get at the content, as Chip suggested). --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Thylacine_2000" title="User:Thylacine 2000">Thylacine 2000</a> 22:53, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
:I tried it to see what it would look like, and I think it
works. I imagine we'll change it back if her legal status changes later
on. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Chip" title="User:Chip">Chip</a> 23:17, 12 April 2008 (UTC)
:So... are we using the joke or not, now? I think it was a work of genius. - <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Semysane" title="User:Semysane">Semysane</a> 06:14, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
:"Work of genius" or not... when the joke gets in the way of
getting information in this wiki, I think it becomes a bad thing. I'm
glad the joke is gone, personally. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Detour" title="User:Detour">Detour</a> 06:59, 13 April 2008 (UTC)
:I think it's best to leave the joke at including her in the
category, it's a funny way to end the article without confusing people
who haven't been watching Animated. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:%28Undecided%29" title="User:(Undecided)">(Undecided)</a> 04:47, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Why do we wanna put her in that category I thought everyone wanted to delete it <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Chromia" title="User:Chromia">Chromia</a> 16:26, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

:Delete the category yes, delete the items in the category, no.
(The fact the category does not exist is supposed to be part of the
joke.) -<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Derik" title="User:Derik">Derik</a> 16:32, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Sari_is_a_Human_from_the_Animated_franchise"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Sari is a Human from the Animated franchise">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Sari is a Human from the Animated franchise</span></h2>
:''Sari Sumdac is a <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Human" title="Human">human</a> from the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_Animated" class="mw-redirect" title="Transformers Animated">Transformers Animated</a> <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Franchise" title="Franchise">franchise</a>.''

But is she Really? I know we don't want fan theories, but how about
a little bit of a joke. I mean, I've often seen these bits written
amusingly on our Wiki.

:''Sari Sumdac is a <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Human" title="Human">human</a> from the <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers_Animated" class="mw-redirect" title="Transformers Animated">Transformers Animated</a> <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Franchise" title="Franchise">franchise</a>. Probably. Or she could be a Robot. or maybe a <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Tentakil_%28G1%29" title="Tentakil (G1)">Squid-Creature</a>. We're not all that sure right now to be honest....''

<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:Shadow_Mask_Prime&action=edit" class="new" title="User:Shadow Mask Prime">Shadow Mask Prime</a> 18:10, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

:Sounds pretty good to me. Made me chuckle. - <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Semysane" title="User:Semysane">Semysane</a> 23:30, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
:One vote for... none against... I think I will try the change.
If anyone spots it, and thinks it is a bad idea, then feel free to
change it back to normal, and join the "debate" here... It can easily
be changed back (the original is still here, and all I've done is added
something to the end). <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:Shadow_Mask_Prime&action=edit" class="new" title="User:Shadow Mask Prime">Shadow Mask Prime</a> 12:05, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
:No. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:ItsWalky" title="User:ItsWalky">ItsWalky</a> 13:53, 30 April 2008 (UTC)
:Personaly, I think the little 'squid creature' thing is kinda
funny, and I vote for temproarily adding it to the article. At least
until we learn she's really a human/<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cy-Kill" class="mw-redirect" title="Cy-Kill">Cyborg</a>
/ robotic android/ squid thing/ *master/ gobot-in-disquise/ whatever
she ends up being (my vote's for geneticly altered clone). <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:AutobotFreak643&action=edit" class="new" title="User:AutobotFreak643">AutobotFreak643</a> 02:38, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Incoming_spoiler_alert"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Incoming spoiler alert">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Incoming spoiler alert</span></h2>
No, this isn't revealing what Sari actually is. It is a warning about how <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Close_-_Part_2" class="mw-redirect" title="A Bridge Too Close - Part 2">A Bridge Too Close - Part 2</a>
is going to air in Dubai tomorrow, and that it is very likely that the
truth about Sari will be revealed then. I strongly suggest that we
semi-protect this article to prevent it from becoming too spoilerific
(word?) and preserve the dignity of this Wiki. -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 17:46, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

:Too bloody right! I've been away for a couple of days and
appear to have missed the big furor over the Animated spoilers (which
were annoying the chocolate-coated fudge out of me), but I seem to have
been lucky enough to avoid anything major thus far, and want to keep it
that way! = <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Chris_McFeely" title="User:Chris McFeely">Chris McFeely</a> 20:16, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:And though semi-protect would allow others to still edit it, it
would stop new and unregistered users, the most likely culprits, from
adding things. Theoretically, we might have to keep it semi-protected
until A Bridge Too Close actually airs. -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 20:19, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

:We're starting to get spoilers for other stuff already, and
they're big ones. Someone needs to lock this page now, or we are in for
a world of reverts. -- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:SFH" title="User:SFH">SFH</a> 17:23, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Picture"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Picture">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline">Picture</span></h2>
I think we should replace the toppic since A, it isn't the model used in the cartoon, and B, we now have it at the bottom. <small>—The preceding unsigned comment was added by <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:96.227.184.235&action=edit" class="new" title="User:96.227.184.235">96.227.184.235</a> (<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:96.227.184.235" title="User talk:96.227.184.235">talk</a> • <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Special:Contributions/96.227.184.235" title="Special:Contributions/96.227.184.235">contribs</a>).</small>

:Please sign your posts. Take a better look; the two pics are different. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:JW" title="User:JW">JW</a> 02:19, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Whoops, sorry. -Anonymous

<a name=".22Perhaps_the_arm_could_be_Sari.27s.3F.22"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: "Perhaps the arm could be Sari's?"">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline"> "Perhaps the arm could be Sari's?" </span></h2>
From the new piece of Trivia, "In the first part of "Transform And
Roll Out!", Sari's father is seen constructing what appears to be a
mechanical arm, before noticing Megatron falling from the sky. Perhaps
the arm could be Sari's?", I've watched the clip and don't find it very
likely. It looks more like an average robotic arm (one that looks
similar to another hanging from Isaac's ceiling).

Opinions? (<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Tribor" title="User:Tribor">Tribor</a> 06:01, 10 July 2008 (UTC))

:Yeah, even aside from the unlikelihood that Isaac was working
on Sari at that point in time, that arm is much too big to be Sari's.
-- <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Greenygal" title="User:Greenygal">Greenygal</a> 10:42, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

: I'm not sure about the arm, but in the intro special, they
also happened to be working on nanobots. Even going through the whole
spiel on fusing human and machine. Guess what Sari appears to be. <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:Xevon&action=edit" class="new" title="User:Xevon">Xevon</a> 06:32, 4 August 2008 (UTC)
:And we saw how well THAT experiment worked. If he couldn't get
down that process after Sari already existed, how could he have managed
it to create her?--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Apcog" title="User:Apcog">Apcog</a> 06:45, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

There might have been a big difference between the technology and
resources used to create Sari and the technology and resources that
they were planning to use in mass production or for public use.
Furthermore, if a lot of alien technology(such as technology that is
far more advanced than their current technology) was used to make Sari,
it could have become too conspicuous, especially if there was no proper
introduction for the technology. This would mean that people such as
the military or other corporations might start poking their fingers
into Sumdac's source of inspiration. There is also the possibility that
Sumdac had plucked spare parts right off Megatron, such as rare
metals(especially those not readily found on earth) to make Sari, hence
he couldn't make another attempt. Another possibility is that Sari is
Sumdac's greatest life work, in whom he was pouring all his resources,
skills and time and all his other creations are just scraps, spares and
extras that he made so that he could support Sari in both her
construction and her development. <small>—The preceding unsigned comment was added by <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:124.106.181.0&action=edit" class="new" title="User:124.106.181.0">124.106.181.0</a> (<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User_talk:124.106.181.0&action=edit" class="new" title="User talk:124.106.181.0">talk</a> • <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Special:Contributions/124.106.181.0" title="Special:Contributions/124.106.181.0">contribs</a>).</small>

<ol>*None of that really touches on whether the arm in TaRO Pt. 1 was Sari's or not, which was the original question here.
*While that's some nice mental exercise, it's a lot of far-reaching speculation without much to back it up.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Apcog" title="User:Apcog">Apcog</a> 15:22, 15 August 2008 (UTC)
</ol>
It will all be speculation until the series itself provides more information. <small>—The preceding unsigned comment was added by <a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User:124.106.181.0&action=edit" class="new" title="User:124.106.181.0">124.106.181.0</a> (<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=User_talk:124.106.181.0&action=edit" class="new" title="User talk:124.106.181.0">talk</a> • <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Special:Contributions/124.106.181.0" title="Special:Contributions/124.106.181.0">contribs</a>).</small>

:And specualtion is for messageboards, not this wiki. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:M_Sipher" title="User:M Sipher">M Sipher</a> 16:08, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

<a name="quote"></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: quote">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline"> quote </span></h2>
Personally I think the "If you think I'm gonna let you geaeheads out
of my sight, you're nuts, and I don't mean the kind that come with
bolts" quote better than the current one because she said it, and it
just suits her personality more, but then that's just my opinion <a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Chromia" title="User:Chromia">Chromia</a> 16:30, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

<a name="Transformersanimated.com_is_not_affiliated_with_Hasbro.2C_Cartoon_network.2C_or_anyone_official."></a><h2><span class="editsection">[<a href="http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Talk:Sari_Sumdac&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Transformersanimated.com is not affiliated with Hasbro, Cartoon network, or anyone official.">edit</a>]</span> <span class="mw-headline"> Transformersanimated.com is not affiliated with Hasbro, Cartoon network, or ''anyone'' official. </span></h2>
It is a ''fansite''. It states so directly on the site's footer.
What's more, they are a fansite that, like many of them, has far less
stringent requirements for inclusion than this wiki. Just as you would
not put something from TFW2005, The Allspark, or TFormers.com up here
without first checking if they got it from an official source rather
than a leak, apply that reasoning to Transformersanimated.com's news.
Don't let the domain name fool you.--<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:Rosicrucian" title="User:Rosicrucian">Rosicrucian</a><a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User_talk:Rosicrucian" title="User talk:Rosicrucian"><sup>Talk</sup></a> 13:59, 4 January 2009 (EST)

:Given Hasbro went after domain names based upon their
trademarks i the late 90s and early 2000s, I'm surprised they didn't go
after this site. --<a href="http://tfwiki.net/wiki/User:FFN" title="User:FFN">FFN</a> 15:36, 14 March 2009 (EDT)

== New Caption Suggestion for Super-Sari ==

I humbly suggest, for the judgment of the council, that the caption of the picture of "Super-" or "Robo-" Sari be changed from it's current state, "Masterforce!" to the much awesomer (you read that right) "It's Morphin' Time!" After careful study and extensive meditation, I have reached the conclusion that this would be met with more sniggers from any readers. What say you?
--[[User:Keegman|Keegman]] 07:02, 23 March 2009 (EDT)