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Ruination (RID)

2009-07-08T22:43:42Z

Loudstone: Fix links, add links to Combiners page.

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{disambig2|the [[combiner]] from [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]|the Decepticon from ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''|Ruination (ROTF)}}
:''Ruination is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ruination.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ow, my thumb clipped into my shoulder!]]
'''Ruination''' is the [[combiner|combined]] form of the [[Commando|Commandos]], the Decepticons' military squad. While the minds and bodies of all five Commandos come together to make him, [[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]], [[Movor]], [[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]] and [[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]] cede all control to their leader [[Mega-Octane]] to make Ruination a more coordinated, intelligent and deadly warrior, whose only interest is in fighting. Ruination is so fierce that even [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] is wary around him.

On an unrelated note, Ruination is powered by coffee milk.<ref>Valdigus's bio card.</ref>

:''Japanese name:'' '''Valdigus''' (バルディガス ''Barudigasu'')

==Fiction==
===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Bob Papenbrook]] (English), ? (Japanese)

The Decepticon Commandos were in the process of sabotaging [[Sherman Dam]], when they were interrupted by the Autobots. Quickly subduing them, they were further interrupted by [[Team Bullet Train]], who, being faced with the superior firepower of the Decepticons, combined to form [[Rail Racer (RID)|Rail Racer]]. Anticipating this turn of events, [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] ordered his unit to merge into Ruination.

The shock of their ability to combine, combined with Ruination's firepower and strength, had Rail Racer on the defense until the [[Autobot Brothers]] distracted Ruination with laser fire and less than snappy one-liners. Rail Racer used this opportunity to defeat Ruination, forcing the Decepticons into a tactical retreat. {{storylink|Commandos}}

Ruination attempted to fight the [[Spy Changer|Spy Changers]] on [[Montrose Island]] and was promptly tipped over. He quickly recovered and blew a chunk out of the side of the volcano, causing lava to flood out. He was subsequently restrained by [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] while the Spy Changers dealt with the lava. {{storylink|Volcano}}

[[Image:The Test Scourgeruination.jpg|right|200px|thumb|There's someone I'd like you to meet. His name is Depth Perception.]]
As part of a ruse to make the Autobots believe they'd defected, the Commandos formed Ruination to fight Sky-Byte. However the game was blown by Scourge, and Ruination was forced to retreat under fire from an outraged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Test (episode)|The Test}}

In an attempt to stop Optimus Prime delivering the [[O-Part|O-Parts]] to Sky-Byte, Ruination and Scourge confronted the Autobot en-route. Optimus kicked Ruination into the air and blew him to pieces with one shot from his blaze blaster. How the mighty have fallen. {{storylink|Sky-Byte Saves the Day}}

During an attempted energy heist, Ruination fought with Rail Racer a second time. Unfortunately the fight was used as a diversion by the [[Build Team]] to steal back the Commandos' hard-worn energy, a fact they didn't discover until after the Autobots retreated. The Commandos goaded the Build Team into facing them in person and easily gained the upper hand, even after both teams merged into their respective combiner modes. [[Landfill (RID)|Landfill]] frantically dug a tunnel into the ground to escape but Ruination followed him in and slammed him against a wall. The impact caused the tunnel to begin filling with oil. Ruination pleaded with Landfill to refrain from firing but Landfill fired anyway. The explosion blew Ruination into his component parts which crashed blazing into the sea. {{storylink|A Test of Metal}}

[[Image:Forced Fusion Omegaruination.jpg|left|200px|thumb|And that settled the matter of children.]]
Scourge and the Commandos confronted [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]] who was newly arrived on Earth. The act of the Commandos combining merely amused Magnus and he promptly blew Ruination into bits. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus}} Their second battle, facing Magnus and the energy-depleted Optimus on an island, went little better. After igniting the island's oil deposits, Ruination was witness to the first merging of [[Omega Prime]] and soon retreated under the Autobot's awesome firepower. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!}}

Ultra Magnus refused Scourge's offer to join the Decepticons, leading Scourge and Ruination to fight [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] and [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], whom Magnus had abandoned to their own devices. The brothers were no match for the Decepticons, even when [[X-Brawn]] joined in. The arrival of Optimus Prime, however, turned the tide of the fight when he swiftly defeated Ruination. {{storylink|Power to Burn!}}

When Fortress Maximus was finally found in a cavern beneath Metro City, the Commandos combined into Ruination to wrest control of the location from the Autobots, but was soon repelled by the power of Maximus' defences. {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} Scourge made another attempt to access Maximus, while Ruination kept Rail Racer busy. The two combiners had a prolonged battle in the middle of the city until Scourge called a retreat. {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish}}

[[Image:Maximus Emerges Ruination.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Doggy mode!]]
After the loss of Megatron and the obtaining of [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]], the Decepticons located the place where the Autobots had concealed Maximus. An attack was launched, with Scourge and Ruination facing the majority of the Autobot forces. Despite being outnumbered, the battle went reasonably well, especially after the arrival of a resurrected Megatron in a new form, now calling himself Galvatron. Once Maximus was activated, he proved impossible to control—for the Decepticons at least. After Koji stopped Maximus, the Autobots fired on Ruination and the combiner retreated with Megatron. {{storylink|Maximus Emerges}}

Ruination later held off the Autobots in the desert long enough for Scourge to take control of Fortress Maximus. The battle went well until the arrival of Team Bullet Train and the Build Team with a large number of children who commanded Maximus to stop. Defeated once more, Ruination fled with Scourge. {{storylink|The Human Element}}

[[Image:Surprise Attack Ruination.jpg|left|200px|thumb|His guns have guns on them.]]
Following the revelation of Scourge's betrayal, Galvatron reprogrammed the Commandos and, by extension, Ruination to obey his will. Ruination subsequently joined the attack on the Autobot base, which Sky-Byte had located. When their firepower drew out Optimus Prime, the Commandos separated to pursue the Autobot leader and found themselves led into a trap. They combined again to fight the Autobots. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!}} Despite the loss of the ''[[Megastar]]'', the Decepticons gained the upper hand and the Autobots were forced to retreat into their space bridge. Galvatron blew the entrance to the space bridge open, allowing Ruination and Scourge to enter the tunnel in pursuit. Their leader saw it as a chance to get rid of two birds with one stone and ruptured the tunnel wall to flood it with lava. {{storylink|Galvatron's Revenge}} Ruination and Scourge, like the Autobots, survived the lava but still retained their loyalty to Galvatron. They again faced the Autobots in battle and were overcome by superior firepower, eliminating them from the rest of the battle.

The Commandos were later taken to the [[asteroid prison colony]] by Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

===Universe===
Ruination was sent by [[Unicron]] along with [[Reptilion]], [[Sunstorm (Universe)|Sunstorm]] and [[Perceptor (Universe)|Perceptor]] to stop a team aiming to help victims who Unicron had transported from other dimensions. Ruination's group was successfully fought off by the Autobot and Maximal forces. {{storylink|OTFCC 2004 Live-Action Script Reading|OTFCC 2004 Live-Action Script Reading}}

==Toys==
===Robots in Disguise===
[[Image:CR Valdigus toy.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Hey, where'd my gun go?"]]
*'''Valdigus''' (Multi-pack, 2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-011'''

: Valdigus/Ruination is a [[redeco]] and slight [[Retool|retooling]] of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] molds from [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]. The five components that form the giant robot—[[Mega-Octane]], [[Rollbar (RID)|Rollbar]], [[Armorhide (RID)|Armorhide]], [[Movor]] and [[Ro-Tor (RID)|Ro-Tor]]—were available both as individual releases, or in a five-robot multi-pack. However, the multi-pack version came only with the bio card for the combined form, available nowhere else, and had none of the individual cards.

: For the normal [[Hasbro]] ''Robots in Disguise'' line, Ruination could only be assembled by buying the individual robots, most of which have deco differences from the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] versions.

: The main retooling to Ruination involved him now being able to assemble two super-weapons using the smaller weapons from Mega-Octane and the other members of the team. He also has a back now owing to be able to store his ramp on his backpack. It's spiffy. Though not actually a retool, this mold also has Armorhide facing the opposite direction in combined mode.

*'''Ruination''' (Multi-pack, 2003)

: A Wal-Mart [[exclusive]] set of five robots, the Ruination molds were further redecoed into an "urban camouflage" scheme, primarily shades of gray and stony-blue.

===Universe===
* '''Ruination''' (Multi-pack, 2004)

: The Urban Camo version of the Ruination molds were further redecoed in desert camouflage colors, again sold only as a Wal-Mart exclusive gift-set. This set's combiner [[kibble]] is in generally the same colors as the original Takara version of the team.

==Trivia==
[[Image:RID dcons.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Swindle: Hey! We actually look like our toys right now. Anybody wanna buy our old bodies?]]
* ''Robots In Disguise'' has been the only time that the original Combaticon molds have appeared onscreen using animation models that look very close to their toy bodies. (''[[Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination]]'' is close, but the toys in question are always shown in combined mode, never as individuals. Plus, well, that was never animated.) In the original Generation 1 television series, the animation models of the individual Combaticons, as well as [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], were quite different from the actual toys.
* Ruination has two distinct configurations.
** Right arm: Movor, left arm: Ro-Tor, right leg: Rollbar, left leg: Armorhide. In ''Car Robots'', this was known as his "Aerial Mission" mode.
** Right arm: Armorhide, left arm: Rollbar, right leg, Ro-Tor, left leg: Movor. In ''Car Robots'', this was known as his "Ground Mission" mode.
* His original Japanese name, ''Valdigus'', likely derives from ''Bruticus''. The two names have similar pronunciation in Japanese, except for "va" and "bu".
* The awesomeness of Ruination's name is second only to [[Sinnertwin]].

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Decepticon/Ruination/ruination.htm Ruination at TFU.info]

[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Japanese-original characters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise characters]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

Flash (Movie)

2009-07-04T19:33:34Z

Loudstone: Fix typos/grammar

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Flash}}
:''Flash is an [[Autobot]] in the [[Transformers: Rise of the Chevy Autobots]] portion of the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:MovieFlash.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Flash, I love you! But we only have fourteen hours to save the earth!]]
'''Flash''' is a [[Chevy Autobot]], transforming into a red [[Cobalt]]. He is partnered with [[Ridge]].

==Fiction==
===Bumblebee's Mission Log===
Flash and Ridge were the first Autobot scouts to arrive on [[Earth]]. When they detected the [[All Spark]], they signaled for backup ([[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sphinx]]), but when the other Autobots arrived, the Decepticons were waiting at the rendezvous site, and Flash and Ridge were nowhere to be found. {{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Chevy Autobots|Rise of the Chevy Autobots}}

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]
[[Category:Video game-only characters]]

Beast Wars (event)

2009-06-05T22:07:34Z

Loudstone: Just made more sense to have the link this way

{{disambig2|the historical event within the fiction|the real-world franchise|Beast Wars (franchise)}}
:''The Beast Wars are a conflict in the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. Aaaaaaaaand maybe the [[Unicron Trilogy]] too.''

[[image:BWGatheringCoverPromo.jpg|thumb|right|250px|When he says it's the Beast Wars, it's damn well the Beast Wars.]]

The '''Beast Wars''' are the melodramatically-named battles between [[Optimus Primal]]'s [[Maximal]]s and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s on prehistoric [[Earth]]. Originally an isolated conflict between the stranded Maximals and Predacons over territory and [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], the conflict gradually became an event that would affect not only the future of the [[Transformer]]s, but also the very fabric of space and time.

{{bigquote|Megatron may be back, and there is still more energon. If they ever get enough, they could conquer the galaxy. So for now, let the battle be here on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called ''Beast Wars!''|Optimus Primal|"[[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 / Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:Dinobot_GoldenDisk.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"The chocolate within could be limitless!"]]

The Beast Wars may not have formally begun until Primal's declaration on prehistoric Earth, but they were precipitated on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] 300 years after [[Pax Cybertronia|the end]] of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. The Predacon Megatron had stolen the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], escaping with his band of rogues in [[Darksyde|a transwarp ship]]. [[Axalon (BW)|A Maximal exploration vessel]], the only one near enough to catch them, gave chase through a [[transwarp]] portal. Their ensuing battle ended with both ships crashing on a planet that all parties believed to be an unknown world. The truth that they ''had'' reached Megatron's intended destination of prehistoric Earth would not come to light for some time.

[[Image:BeastWars2_clash.jpg|thumb|right|250px|BONK.]]

One source of confusion was the overabundant energon, so plentiful that its ubiquitous radiation would overload the Transformers' systems within minutes if they left their ships. They adopted semi-organic beast modes to shield themselves, though their robot modes were still vulnerable. Primal feared that Megatron would use the energon to restart the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] on Cybertron, so he immediately prepped [[Rattrap|his]] [[Cheetor (BW)|small]] [[Rhinox (BW)|crew]] to fight against [[Waspinator (BW)|the]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)|comparably]]-[[Scorponok (BW)|sized]] [[Tarantulas|Predacon]] [[Dinobot (BW)|team]].

One might say that the first shot of the Beast Wars was fired by Cheetor, who spotted Waspinator (in insect mode, no less) and immediately attacked him. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} This led to a series of territorial skirmishes culminating in the detonation of an energon-infused mountain. Primal, realizing that a long fight lay ahead, made his epic pronouncement that their battles would be known as the "Beast Wars." {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

[[Image:VokDisk_Monolith.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Disk, disk, on the rock. Who burninates around the clock?"]]

As they explored their world, they found [[Flying island|powerful]] [[Standing Stones|artifacts]] of [[Vok|a mysterious alien race]], including [[Golden Disk (Vok)|another Golden Disk]]. These finds tended to lead to battles as Megatron tried to claim the artifacts as weapons; however, the only lasting effect was to alert the aliens to the Transformers' presence. Deciding that their experiment on the planet had been contaminated, the aliens activated one of its two moons. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} The satellite turned into [[Planet Buster|a weapon]] that ignited most of the energon deposits around the world. The planet-buster was only stopped when Primal sacrificed his life to blow it up. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} (Primal would soon be resurrected, though, in the start of a continuing trend for him.) {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Protohumans1_CodeofHero.jpg|thumb|right|150px|"Check it out - we can OPPOSE these thumbs."]]

Realizing just how powerful the aliens were, Megatron schemed all the more intently on hijacking [[Metal Hunter|their technology]]. Meanwhile, [[Tigatron|more]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|combatants]] [[Airazor (BW)|had]] [[Inferno (BW)|been]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|joining]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|the]] [[Rampage (BW)|fray]] as [[protoform]]-bearing [[stasis pod]]s fell to Earth, an after-effect of the original space battle. And, in the absence of overwhelming energon (and a moon), the Beast Warriors slowly began to realize that they were on prehistoric Earth after all. This turned the battle away from territorial squabbles and toward matters of timeline-alteration. With information from the Golden Disk he had stolen, Megatron was able to threaten both [[Protohuman|the developing human race]] and the comatose, ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''-bound [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

[[Image:Optimusx2.JPG|thumb|left|150px|"Dad, can I borrow your soul? Just for tonight."]]

Back on the Cybertron of their home-time, the [[Tripredacus Council]] became aware of Megatron's location, and they sent their [[Decepticon]]-turned-Predacon agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to retrieve the rogue. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} He nearly succeeded, but he ended up switching sides when Megatron revealed the truth about the Golden Disk: [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] had left a message on the disk, included access codes to the ''Ark'', and had instructed the descendants of the Decepticons to travel through time to locate the ''Ark'' and kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] while he was still in [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Ravage would end up giving his life while aiding Megatron. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} And Megatron himself almost destroyed Optimus Prime, which caused a timestorm, but the Maximals were able to repair the Autobot and preserve the status quo. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[Image:MegatronBW_StrappedToShuttle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Primal, there's a reason they don't put prisoners on the ''outside'' of the prison.]]

The last encounter with the aliens came in the form of [[Tigerhawk]], an emissary created from two kidnapped Maximals. He identified the aliens as the "Vok" and tried to destroy Megatron for his temporal interference. But despite his vast power, he was subdued by Tarantulas, who extracted the Vok essence from him. This ended explosively, with Tarantulas apparently destroyed and Tigerhawk left a mere Maximal again. {{storylink|Other Victories}} But little was learned about him before he perished when Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the ocean floor and rained havoc upon Maximal and Predacon alike. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} In defending the ''Ark,'' the Maximals managed to bring the ''Nemesis'' down and capture Megatron, whose troops had either deserted or been destroyed. As the Maximals blasted off in an Autobot shuttle bound for the Cybertron of the future, Primal declared, "The Beast Wars are over... for now." {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

{{note|The cartoon inspired many spinoffs (mostly comics) that expanded upon its events. Most of these series contradict each other, but they all hold the cartoon as more-or-less sacrosanct. In the spirit of the [[Continuity|multiverse]], the various series are presented here as equally-valid branches of continuity, and the cartoon events are referred to as the "core timeline."}}
{{-}}
====3H comics====

[[Image:VisitationsBattle.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Must... reach... [[retcon]] lever..."]]

Inamongst the Beast Warriors of the core timeline were several other Maximals and Predacons bolstering both teams. [[Packrat]], [[Fractyl]], [[Onyx Primal]], and [[Vice Grip]] appeared without origin or explanation in adventures that were at first innocuous but later quite significant. {{storylink|Ground Zero}} When they fought over a mysterious artifact, they were waging the first battle leading to Point Omega, a timeline-shattering apocalypse. {{storylink|Visitations}} [[Antagony]], a visitor from the distant future, sought to claim the artifact, a dimensional key which belonged to [[Apelinq]] (who had arrived independently from the Beast Warriors' own home-time). The crux of the matter was [[Unicron]]'s [[Matrix of Conquest|Dark Essence]], which had somehow ended up in a cave on prehistoric Earth after his destruction in 2005. Its continued presence on Earth well into the future was necessary for Antagony's timeline to exist, and the dimensional key could either cement the Essence there or banish it. {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox}}

[[Image:Shokaract.jpg|thumb|right|150px|"Also, my name means Transformageddon."]]

The conflict came to a head near the end of the Beast Wars, just as Megatron had assumed his dragon form. [[Windrazor (BW)|More]] [[Shokaract|visitors]] from the threatened timeline appeared, and they were soon followed by [[Covenant|the Covenant]], the ancient heroes of [[J'nwan]], and [[Polar Claw|other]] [[B'Boom|Beast]] [[Drill Bit (BW)|Warriors]] [[Transquito|from]] [[Air Hammer|alternate]] [[Cybershark|dimensions]]. Optimus Primal and the Predacon Megatron were also caught up in this massive battle - Omega Point - which ended with the dispatching of the Dark Essence and the nullifying of its connected timeline. All of the time-travelers vanished in an explosion of light, and their participation in the Beast Wars was seemingly erased from history as well. {{storylink|Terminus}}

{{note|It's unclear exactly how many of the preceding events were undone in the end. Primal would later have only the vaguest inkling of a memory of Apelinq and Point Omega, so it's probably safe to assume that all the time-travel incidents had no longer occurred. But the curious presence of Packrat et al. was never addressed again, and the possibility exists that their adventures among the core Beast Warriors were also undone (though that requires more convoluted assumptions). This possibility echoes remarks from series artist [[Dan Khanna]], who said that if the comics had continued, those characters would've been "rebooted" with a new, post-Beast-Wars origin.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=40029&view=findpost&p=801852 Post by Dan Khanna on Allspark.com] about the anomalous 3H-specific characters.</ref>}}

[[Image:Primeval Tarantulas.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Did Primal leave the iron plugged in, too?]]

After Optimus Primal and his Maximals left Earth with Megatron in chains, the Beast Wars continued in a fashion. Tarantulas, believed dead, was actually still alive and more dangerous than ever, wielding the captured power of the Vok who had come with Tigerhawk. He resurrected Ravage and gathered [[Spittor (BW)|a]] [[Iguanus (BW)|few]] [[Razorclaw (BW)|other]] Predacons as well (presumably from stasis pods), set on claiming the Matrix of Leadership. The other Vok retaliated by creating [[Primal Prime]], using [[Matrix of Leadership|the Matrix]] itself as his [[spark]]. They also gave new life to Tigatron and Airazor, whose sparks they had saved from Tigerhawk's destruction. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 1}} Despite assistance from them and the newly-reactivated [[Ramulus]], Primal Prime still fell to Tarantulas, who stole the Matrix. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 2}} He planned to deliver it to his master, Unicron, which the Vok feared would disrupt the grand harmony of the multiverse. Their response was to inhabit Primal Prime's body as a "font of energy to rival the Matrix itself." {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3}}

[[Image:Primal Prime Birth.JPG|thumb|right|175px|Don't let him get [[Dark Creation|the taste of blood]].]]

It's unknown what happened afterwards, but Primal Prime (showing no signs of Vok-possession) and his crew (minus Airazor and plus Spittor) would eventually travel to [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]-era Cybertron via transwarp portal - the same portal simultaneously whisking Apelinq to the past. {{storylink|Apelinq's War Journals}} The rest of Tarantulas' team would never be seen again, though Tarantulas himself did return to Unicron. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} The Matrix had presumably been taken back from him and replaced in Prime's chest, as no subsequent disruption of history was ever mentioned.

{{note|With [[3H Productions|3H]]'s bankruptcy, this storyline was left unfinished. Also notable is that this series is the only one in which the Vok are identified as an incarnation of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]].}}
{{-}}
====Dreamwave G1 comics====
[[Image:Dw theft.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Pick a disk, any disk.]]

Before the Beast Wars, Megatron and Dinobot infiltrated the [[Vector Sigma Chamber|Vector Sigma chamber]] and stole from it the Golden Disk. [[Golden Disk (MTMTE)|This disk]] looked different than the one stolen in the core timeline; also, it seemed to contain vastly more information: a whole history of the Great War and its combatants. From that research, Megatron took his name. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye}} This also differed from the core timeline, where Megatron had taken his name from the [[Covenant of Primus]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

[[Image:DWBWMaximals.jpg|thumb|right|200px|We know what you did last season.]]

During the Beast Wars, [[Bonecrusher (BW)|at]] [[Optimus Minor|least]] [[Wolfang (Maximal)|three]] Maximals had activated separately from the main teams, and they kept themselves at a distance. They only revealed themselves once, to save Rattrap from [[Dinobot II]]. He tried to welcome them into the fold, but they claimed to no longer be Maximals. They had a new, unspecified purpose that did not involve fighting. Rattrap apparently abided by their wishes and kept quiet. On the trip back to Cybertron, he dreamed fitfully of the encounter, but when Primal asked what was wrong, Rattrap gave no details. {{storylink|Ain't No Rat}}

{{-}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:IDW Megatron Magmatron.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Bah! Enough of these time-travelers meddling with my show!"]]

After Ravage's failure, the Tripredacus Council sent another agent, [[Magmatron]], to perform the same task. Unlike Ravage, he took a team with him, and also unlike Ravage, they were all chronally displaced to be just out of sync with the core Beast Warriors. While the new arrivals could see them, they couldn't see the new arrivals. And one could even walk right through the other. Thus, the core Beast Warriors were completely unaware when Magmatron activated dozens of the downed stasis pods to create a chronally-displaced army. But one of his soldiers, [[Razorbeast]], was a spy who was able to turn many of the protoforms to Maximals. Foreseeing the scope of the impending battles, Magmatron declared the start of his ''own'' "Beast Wars." {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1}}

As both groups tracked down their widespread, newly-activated allies, Magmatron realized he needed assistance to fulfill his mission. He was able to recover Ravage's spark from his corpse, and he gave the Decepticon new life in a [[blank|blank protoform]]. While Ravage led the main Predacon force against Razorbeast and the Maximals, Magmatron captured Megatron. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3}} To do so, he had to undo his chronal displacement, and this would be his downfall. While Magmatron was preparing the unconscious Megatron for transwarp delivery to Cybertron, Razorbeast stole his chronal-phase armband and used it to slip in and out of sync as he attacked the Predacon. Megatron was freed, and Magmatron was thrown into his own transwarp device, which catapulted him out of normal space entirely. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 4}}

[[Image:Shokaract cranky.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''You'' again.]]

But, as [[Prowl II|Prowl]] would note, this did not end their particular Beast Wars. Ravage's Predacons continued to harry Razorbeast's Maximals, attempting to recover the stolen chronal-phase facilitators. Meanwhile, on the Cybertron of their home-time, a drug-like substance called "[[Angolmois]]" was spreading amongst the population. Magmatron, floating through chronospace, could see that Angolmois was a tool for the resurrection of Unicron, and Cybertron was almost inevitably doomed. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1}} But even trapped outside of space-time, he was able to deliver messages to [[Lio Convoy]] on Cybertron and Ravage on Earth, bringing the various teams together against their common enemy.

Lio Convoy and his [[Pack]] journeyed to prehistoric Earth to retrieve the combatants of the new Beast Wars, but they were ambushed by Angolmois-infused servants of Unicron. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2}} The Pack only managed to bring a handful of Beast Warriors back to Cybertron - just in time to fight [[Shokaract]], who was the conduit of Angolmois energy. They were able to defeat him with a chronal-phase facilitator, shunting him into chronospace with Magmatron. There, Magmatron showed him how Unicron would use him as a vessel for his return, destroying the hapless Shokaract in the process. In horror, Shokaract tore the Anti-Matrix from his own chest, self-destructing and sending Magmatron back to normal space.

With the help of a retrovirus, the Maximals set about undoing the effects of Angolmois across the planet. Meanwhile, Megatron had just returned from the Beast Wars, set to unleash his [[Transformation virus|new threat]]. And on prehistoric Earth, the servants of Unicron were destroyed, but Razorbeast had fallen victim to an Angolmois injection and was euthanized at his own request. The united Maximals and Predacons around him mourned his passing. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4}}

====''Timelines'' Beast-era comics, text stories, & cartoons====
[[Image:Megatronbwtheft.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Download the MP3s?! A true connoisseur prefers vinyl, yesss."]]
The Maximal who would become Airazor was known previously as "Wing Saber," and she had some adventures on Cybertron. Everyone, including Airazor, did their best to try to forget this. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}}

Just before the Beast Wars, the Predacon crimelord [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] engineered the theft of the Golden Disk. He put his star pupil, Megatron, in charge of the actual operation. Secretly, Cryotek set his protégé up by alerting the Maximals, with the intent that [[Dirge (BWII)|a more loyal agent]] would deliver the disk to him while Megatron took the fall. Unfortunately for Cryotek, Megatron beat him to the treacherous punch, as the package Cryotek received only contained a Maximal homing beacon. While Maximal forces converged on Cryotek, Megatron and his cohorts escaped with the disk in the ''Darksyde.'' {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

[[Image:Laserbeakbuzzsawdawn.jpg|thumb|right|125px|"I mean, um, AAAWWWWWWK, sir."]]

But Cryotek was not the only Predacon string-puller: The Decepticon [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] had also been somehow involved in the affair, ensuring that the ''Darksyde'' was available while everyone "played their part" for the "Decepticon dream." As Megatron fled, Divebomb ordered [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] to covertly safeguard the Darksyde.

[[Image:Airazorbwdawn.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Go for it, kids. You won't remember a thing in the morning.]]

This would prove a wise decision, as the [[Maximal Imperium]] sent the ''Axalon'' in pursuit. Just out of Cybertronian orbit, the two bird-bots attacked the ''Axalon'' in a ship of their own. The battle was going against the Maximals until Tigatron and Airazor came to their rescue. The Decepticon ship was destroyed, but Tigatron and Airazor were left in critical condition. Rhinox saved them by transferring their sparks to blank protoforms at the expense of much or all of their "core mainframes." {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====''Cybertron'' toy bios====
When [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] went undercover as a Decepticon, he searched the Axalon archives for a past Decepticon to pattern himself after. He took the name "Sky Shadow" in reference to a long-lost "Predacon/Decepticon." This warrior had once been a lieutenant of Megatron, and he had been "sent to Earth during the legendary Beast Wars," where he was instrumental as a strategist and leader against the Maximals. He apparently never returned.<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/transformers-cybertron/cyber-planet-key-codes.shtml Unlocked Cyber Key Code bios,] notably Jetfire's.</ref>

Notably, there ''had'' been a Beast Warrior named "[[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]]," but the Beast Wars timelines are thought to be wholly separate from this universe. References to "Axalon," "Predacon," and "Megatron" only muddy the issue, as those names apply to [[Axalon (Armada)|some]] [[Predacon (Armada)|things]] [[Megatron (Armada)|here]] as well. Either this universe contains its ''own'' Beast Wars and Maximals, or some cross-dimensional travel has occurred (possibly related to the [[Unicron Singularity]]).

==Trivia==
*The exact time period of the Beast Wars (beyond simply "prehistory") was never established in the cartoon, outside of a few casual remarks by characters referring to the "four million years" timeframe. The 3H comics identify it as 180,000 BC. The IDW comics say 70,000 BC. This is just one of many ways in which the spinoffs contradict each other.
*Speaking of contradictions, the first on-package bios and [[Optimus Primal vs Megatron!|pack-in comic]] set the Beast Wars on modern-day Earth, with Primal and Megatron actually being their ''Generation 1'' counterparts. However, as the show took off, the bios followed its lead. For a long time, the bios did not explicitly [[retcon]] their original conceits; however, ambiguity was introduced by referring to, for example, "the Beast Wars world" instead of Earth at any particular time. The final nail in this [[micro-continuity]]'s coffin came with [[BotCon 2006#Convention-exclusive toys|the last Beast Wars toys produced]], whose bios and [[Dawn of Future's Past|tie-in comic]] were a very intentional prequel to the cartoon.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:3H]]
[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Dreamwave]]
[[Category:Earth]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:IDW]]
[[Category:Mainframe]]
[[Category:Planet Cybertron]]
[[Category:Unicron]]
[[Category:Unicron Trilogy]]

Captain Fanzone's car

2009-06-05T22:02:51Z

Loudstone: Put link to Fanzone in disambig2 template

{{disambig2|the normal car belonging to [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]]|the Autobot who looks just like it, but cleaner|Bumblebee (Animated)}}

:''Captain Fanzone's car is a hapless vehicle in the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity]].''

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Scan.jpg|thumb|right|"This is why I hate apricot Jell-O!"]]
'''Captain Fanzone's car''' is a rusty yellow sports car of undetermined model. It gets destroyed a lot, but always seems to be back in time for its next mauling. It was also the basis for [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s Earth vehicle [[alternate mode|altmode]].

{{quote|How come [[Bumblebee (Animated)|your]] interior's so much cleaner than mine?}}{{quote|Maybe because it's not on fire?|[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] and [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]|"[[Velocity]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] was seated in his car, about to eat a burger, when he received a radio call summoning all units to a [[Sumdac Systems]] building. (A humongous nanobug was absorbing everything in its path.) His car was thus present among the collected emergency vehicles when [[Teletran-1]] scanned them for new altmodes for [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew of [[Autobot]]s. Scrappy speedster [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] adopted the look of the yellow hatchback, sans rust. When the Autobots made their debut to confront the nanobug, Fanzone briefly mistook 'Bee for his car, exclaiming, "How is my car driving itself?!" {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Wreck BftP.jpg|left|thumb|"''This'' is why I ''hate'' bumper cars!"]]
Fanzone's car was present for many of his encounters with Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s, often in the role of "collateral damage". For example, in the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]]s' debut appearance, [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] knocked a car into the air with his tail, causing it to bounce amusingly off of Fanzone's vehicle. {{storylink|Blast from the Past}} Afterwards, he briefly used a normal police cruiser. {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}}

The resemblance between Fanzone's car and Bumblebee was occasionally useful, as when Fanzone drove Bumblebee to a ransom meeting with the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]], thus sneaking the Autobot into the building under the guise of a normal car. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}}

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Wreck Velocity.jpg|thumb|right|"And '''this''' is why I '''hate''' bananas in the tailpipe!"]]
The car's most energetic death yet came when Fanzone was investigating [[Master Disaster]]'s underground races. He and Bumblebee ended up pursued by the crazy Decepticon [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]. Bumblebee and [[Sari Sumdac]] urged Fanzone to jump into 'Bee, and moments later Blitzwing destroyed Fanzone's car with a missile. {{storylink|Velocity}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
* Most of Bumblebee's [[Bumblebee (Animated)#Toys|toys]] will serve, so long as you don't transform them. You might want to [[Kitbashing|paint on some rust]], and scatter a few [[Burger Slime|burger]] wrappers around the interior.
* (One hopes the [[redeco]] opportunity here is as obvious to [[HasTak]] as it is to us.)

==Notes==
* No explanation has been explicitly offered for how his car keeps coming back from being totaled. Either he's repeatedly buying identical cars, or he's getting them fixed at great expense (but ''not'' getting the rust fixed).
* On the other hand, dialogue in "Velocity" implies that the car is the property of the [[Detroit]] Police Department. Given how large bureaucracies work, it's possible they bought a fleet of identical unmarked cars several years ago, and they're all rusting at about the same rate.
* Or, it's just a [[Waspinator (BW)|running gag]].

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Vehicles]]

Hot Rod (G1)

2009-06-05T21:36:19Z

Loudstone: Fixed links

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Rodimus}}
{{disambig3|Hot Rod}}

:''Hot Rod is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. He has also been known as '''Rodimus Prime''', '''Rodimus''', and '''Rodimus Major'''.''

[[Image:DVDbox3d1.jpg|right|301px|thumb|Opening the Matrix gives you wrinkles.]]

'''Hot Rod''' is brash and headstrong, with an overwhelming self-confidence that borders on arrogance. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] has assumed the role of mentor and advisor to the impetuous young Hot Rod, offering him wisdom and advice when he needs it (though Hot Rod rarely feels that he does, much to Kup's annoyance). [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] also serves as a calming influence on Hot Rod, and tends to either worry about him when he is not around, or deride and tease him when he is. Their relationship is antagonistic, but friendly. Exactly how deep Hot Rod's feelings for Arcee might run is unknown, whether they be friendly, romantic, or otherwise.

In contrast, his '''Rodimus Prime''' persona—while still headstrong and stubborn—seems to suffer from a severe lack of confidence, often doubting his own decisions and expressing distress over his position as an [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]. Of course, much of this comes from having immediately succeeded [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] as commander—and let's face it, shoes-to-be-filled just don't ''get'' much bigger than that.

One thing that both sides of this Autobot's identity have in common is their impatience—neither Hot Rod nor Rodimus Prime can stand to wait around when they could be doing something instead. He is also very self-reliant, rarely sending others to do anything when he could be doing it himself. His [[Targetmaster]] partner is [[Firebolt]].

{{bigquote|I ''knew'' you had potential, lad.|[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] on Hot Rod's transformation into Rodimus Prime|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

:''Japanese name (Hot Rod):'' '''Hot Rodimus''', except for "The Rebirth"
:''Japanese name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Convoy'''
:''French-Canadian names (Hot Rod):'' '''Météorite''' ("Meteorite")
:''French-Canadian names (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Primo''' ("Rodimus First", official toy name)
:''French-Canadian names (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Primus''' (official dub name)
:''Italian names:'' '''Folgore''', '''Captain''' 
:''Hungarian names (Hot Rod):'' '''Nagyágyú''' ("Hot Shot")
:''Hungarian names (Hot Rod, The Movie):'' '''Peca''' ("Fisher"?) in the first dub of the film, 'cause he deals with marine life throughout the film, you see.
:''Hungarian names (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimusz Fővezér''' ("Prime Commander Rodimus")
:''Chinese names (Hot Rod, Taiwan):'' '''Rod''' / '''Rhode'''
:''Chinese names (Rodimus Prime, Taiwan):'' '''Rhodie Jr-tsūn''' (羅迪至尊, "Rodimus Prime")
:''English-maylay Headmasters name (Hot rod):'' '''Roadimus Prime''' (yes. ROAD-imus.)
:''Russian TV dub name (Hot Rod):'' '''Patron''' ("Cartridge")
:''Russian TV dub name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodomes Prime'''

==Fiction==
{{picsneeded|Cartoon, G2 comic, DW comic, a few other minor continuities.}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
[[Image:Madman comic HotRod sigh.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"You're gonna be the death of that guy, you know?"]]

In the year 2001, Hot Rod was on guard duty at the construction site of [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] while the main Autobot forces were evacuating from the Decepticon-conquered [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As he was complained about his boring assignment to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the Decepticon [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] struck, intent on stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] which Optimus Prime had secreted in a bunker at the building site. When he reclaimed the Matrix, Hot Rod received a vision of the future where he fought [[Galvatron (G1)|a powerful Decepticon]]. After returning the Matrix to Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader considered that perhaps Hot Rod's destiny was greater than any of them realized. Kup thought differently, however. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

====Generation 1 cartoon====
:''Voice actors:'' [[Judd Nelson]] → [[Ted Schwartz]] → [[Dick Gautier]] (English), [[Hiroya Ishimaru]] (Japanese)

[[Image:HotRodFishing1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"I'm tellin' you, Daniel, you HAD to kiss me to activate my fishing rod. STOP crying! And, uh, don't tell your dad or Optimus."]]
In 2005, Hot Rod was one of the many Autobots based in the completed Autobot City. He was close friends with the young human [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], and seemed to have a reputation for being something of a trouble-maker, judging from a few of Kup's comments to him at the time. Realizing that the Decepticons were invading, Hot Rod opened fire on their stolen shuttle and exposed their ruse before Megatron could enter the city. Although this did give the rest of the Autobots time to begin transforming Autobot City and raising their defenses, it also left Hot Rod trapped outside with Kup and Daniel. After defeating the Decepticons [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] with some help from Kup, Hot Rod managed to find a way inside the fortress city and took part in its defense. During [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime's]] battle with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], Hot Rod intervened in an attempt to help, but succeeded only in giving Megatron the chance he needed to mortally wound the Autobot leader.

After Prime's death, Autobot City was attacked again—by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. While escaping, Hot Rod and Kup (and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]) were separated from the rest of the Autobots and crashed on the planet [[Quintessa]]. There, Hot Rod met the Quintessons, an enemy who would haunt him for some time to come. After escaping their sadistic trial and attempted execution (as well as meeting [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]), Hot Rod went on to the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where he was just in time to stop [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] from destroying the rest of the Autobot City refugees with a timely use of the [[Universal greeting]]. Together, they all traveled to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to stop [[Unicron]] before he could eat more than just its moons.

[[Image:RodimusPrimeMovie1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Stop putting in captions that are just blatantly not funny!"]]
Inside of Unicron, Hot Rod was separated from the rest of his team when their ship crashed (something which happens to Hot Rod a lot). Alone, he found himself facing Galvatron in a battle to the death over the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Claiming the Matrix, Hot Rod [[Renaming|evolved into]] "Rodimus Prime", an older, larger, and more powerful version of himself. After overpowering Galvatron and hurling him through Unicron's hide, into the void of space, he opened the Matrix and destroyed Unicron from within. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{cleanup|May 2009|Five Faces of Darkness are five seperate episodes. Why are the lumped into a single paragraph here with only one storylink?}}

Peace reigned on Cybertron for at least long enough to put up some of the more important buildings, and Rodimus Prime began to ease into his role as the new Autobot leader. When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and Spike Witwicky were kidnapped during a [[Galactic Olympics]], it was Rodimus who spied on the Decepticons with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to determine if they were the ones who had done it. The way Rodimus had it figured, the Decepticons were usually behind everything anyway, so they seemed like a good enough place to start. After getting caught and severely beaten by the Decepticons (who were innocent of the kidnapping, but not really fans of his anyway), Rodimus was able to interface with the Matrix and learned about the origins of the Transformer race. He also learned that his old enemies, the Quintessons, were back and looking to destroy every Transformer in existence. Making things worse, Galvatron soon returned as well, and the war that everyone had assumed was safely over quickly started up again. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness}}

Throughout 2006, Rodimus Prime's greatest achievements both revolved around his predecessor, Optimus Prime. While fleeing from a Decepticon attack, Rodimus and several other Autobots took refuge in a massive [[Autobot Mausoleum]] and discovered that their former leader seemed to have returned to life. Perhaps a little too trusting of Optimus (and possibly eager to relieve himself of the burden of leadership), Rodimus quickly passed the Matrix back to Optimus and, much to his glee, reverted back into Hot Rod. His happiness was short-lived, however, as Optimus was quickly revealed to be nothing more than a puppet of the Quintessons, sent to trick the Autobots into an ambush from which none of them would escape. With no other choice, Hot Rod was forced to do battle with Optimus Prime for the fate of the Autobots. Although their duel was clearly in the favor of the more powerful Optimus, Hot Rod was able to re-awaken the true spirit of his leader. Returning the Matrix to Rodimus, Optimus then piloted his ship into the heart of the ambush and sacrificed himself to save them all. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

Soon after Perceptor left on a standard research mission to a nearby asteroid belt, Rodimus Prime and the Autobots received a distress call from the survey group. They arrived to find the asteroid infested with Quintessons, and managed to drive off the tentacled freaks and their Sharkticon shock troops. Perceptor was near deactivation due to injuries, however, and the rest of the Autobots were nowhere to be seen. The Quints attempted to retake the asteroid but, after failing, were soon desperate enough to tell the truth: their technology on the rock was a [[Time Window]], and leaving it open was risking the fates of all time and space. With the help of the Quintesson scientist, and a [[Alpha Trion (G1)|mysterious stranger with a devilish moustache]], Rodimus Prime retrieved his lost Autobots and shut down the time window. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

The Autobots learned of a lost Cybertronian colony known as [[Paradron]] after one of its citizens, [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], arrived on Cybertron begging for help. It seemed that Galvatron and the Decepticons had seized control over the planet and its vast energon reserves. Rodimus Prime and the Autobots staged a tactical infiltration, but the escalation of violence between the two forces led to total devastation. Rodimus gave the pacifistic Autobots of Paradron his impassioned "Move it or lose it!" speech before hustling them off-world so that Ultra Magnus could blow up their home. As Sandstorm sat there mourning the loss of his world, Rodimus Prime gave him some solemn advice.
{{bigquote|Well, no need to get all mushy. Cybertron's a better place anyway—not so...perfect.|}}
{{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Rodimus and the Autobots were stumped when someone carried off [[Fort Knox]] in the middle of the night. Seriously -- they detected [[Dinosaur transform static]] at the scene, found a small pile of [[Energon cube|energon cubes]], and had just been informed by [[Teletraan II]] that Trypticon was still alive. It was a head-scratcher all right. They eventually figured it out, though, and sieged the occupied nation of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] to chase the Decepticons away, and recovered Fort Knox and the other monuments Trypticon had stolen. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

When the freelance agent named [[Octane]] was being kidnapped right off of Cybertron's surface by Cyclonus and the Sweeps, Rodimus Prime and the Autobots stormed out to save their associate. Things were more complicated than they looked, as when Rodimus confronted Cyclonus, the Decepticon lieutenant spoke with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s voice! For some reason, learning Starscream was involved made Rodimus willing to let the Decepticons go. Crazy as it sounds, though, it worked -- Starscream and Octane managed to lure Galvatron into an Autobot ambush. Rodimus Prime gave a friendly wave at Starscream for a job well done as he departed. ''Zuh''? {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

While preparing for the first annual Cybertron peace conference, Rodimus Prime got together with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] to prepare a surprise party for Danny. They were interrupted by a [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] attack, as the Decepticons wanted to prevent the conference from occurring. The Combaticons were driven off, however, and only minor damage was done. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

During a diplomatic function, Rodimus Prime was forced to play statesman and deal with Ambassador [[Ynara]] and the other delegates. Curiously, when Daniel Witwicky went missing and Rodimus had an excuse to duck out of the "festivities", he chose to delegate the search mission to Ultra Magnus and Blaster. Perhaps the normally action-hungry Rodimus Prime was actually becoming more accepting of his leadership duties. {{storylink|Madman's Paradise}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

Cybertron was put on high alert after [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] broke into Metroplex on Earth, stealing his eyes and blowing up a bomb in his brain. Rodimus and the Autobots were eventually able to suss out that Scourge was working with the ghost of Starscream, and they in turn were acquiring those eyes for Unicron. Rodimus put together a strike team and sent Ultra Magnus, Springer, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] to Unicron to investigate, but they were repulsed by the Chaos-Bringer's defenses. Their second mission was more successful, detonating a series of explosives underneath Unicron once he came down to Cybertron, intent on connecting himself to the planet and turning it into his new body. After Unicron was successfully blasted back into orbit, Rodimus congratulated his men on a job well done. As a joke, he told Magnus and the others their next mission would be to return to the head of their Living Devil and retrieve his stolen eyes. That Roddy -- he's hilarious. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

{{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

At a galactic peace conference, Rodimus and Ultra Magnus attempted to end the centuries of war between the planets of [[Xetaxxis]] and [[Lanarq]]. They might as well have asked Galvatron "Why you so ''crazy''?" Every attempt at straight talk and reasonable discourse broke out into a brawl, fist-fighting and eventually laser fire. The two worlds only reached an accord once Blaster and Sky Lynx arrived with a Quintesson journal, detailing how the entire war between the two planets was a "case study" in escalation manipulated by the Quints to sell bigger and better armaments to both sides. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

{{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

{{storylink|Only Human}}

Rodimus Prime began to struggle with the burden of leadership again during a skirmish in Europe, where the Decepticons were working in conjunction with human terrorists. The pacifistic [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] chose to leave the Autobots after his refusal to fight cost Metroplex his transforming cog, and Rodimus chided himself for not having the words to convince the medic to stay. He was also unsettled by Galvatron's crowing about a new "[[Ultimate Weapon]]" which would bring the Autobots to their knees. Regardless of his internal strife, Rodimus continued the fight. He came up with a plan where Spike and Daniel Witwicky posed as part of the (evil?) human repair crews working on Trypticon, and liberated the Decepticon city-bot's transforming cog just as the 'Cons had taken Metroplex's. Rodimus and Ultra Magnus had to fight off Galvatron and [[Stunticon|Stunticons]] in order to stall for time so that the Witwickys could complete their mission. Fortunately, the Stunticons had been off the shelves for awhile by this point, and so were utterly demolished off-screen by the two Autobots. Eventually, First Aid returned to the Autobots to finish repair work on the cog, and Rodimus ultimately called Galvatron's bluff and uncovered his "Ultimate Weapon" as the sham it was. These victories renewed Rodimus's confidence in his leadership abilities...until next time. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

{{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

At the unveiling of the new power generator, Rodimus Prime got frustrated at Grimlock's gross stupidity. Things only got worse when the Autobots discovered [[Anti-electron|anti-electrons]] being beamed out of the power generator, and needed to negotiate the tunnels beneath Cybertron to reach the generator core...and Grimlock broke their only map. Luckily for Rodimus's sanity, Grimlock spontaneously developed super-intelligence after biting through the cables connecting the anti-electrons to the power generator. The Autobots then went on a mission to Unicron's head to prevent the Decepticons from recovering any more anti-electrons to use against them. They were nearly overwhelmed by the animalistic [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], but Grimlock constructed [[Computron]] and the [[Technobot|Technobots]] as a counter-force against the bestial Decepticons. Rodimus and the others drove off the remaining Decepticons, and restabilized the power generator for Cybertron's use. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

On Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Rodimus Prime and the Autobots were engaged in trench warfare with the Decepticon for some vague but no doubt important reason. Rodimus demonstrated his keen tactical brilliance when the Decepticons attacked and he suggested the Autobots do the unexpected...and counter-attack. No, really -- Galvatron seemed utterly amazed when they did that. However, the non-beastial Transformers on both sides were rendered lifeless when the energy-draining creature known as [[Tornedron]] attacked them while en-route to Earth. When the threat was eliminated by Grimlock, Rodimus and the others came back to life, without realising that anything had happened. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

After a particularly strenuous series of Decepticon attacks on Japan, Rodimus Prime was in no mood to be chewed out by the Japanese government for "not helping enough". When [[Marissa Faireborn]] stopped by at just the wrong time with yet another problem, Rodimus blew her off and went racing on the backroads to let off some exhaust. Unfortunately, he was spotted by the Stunticons [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider]], who knocked him for a loop and (surprisingly) shook the Matrix of Leadership loose from his chest cavity. After the Stunticons made off with the Matrix, Rodimus woke up as Hot Rod. Shockingly to Springer and Ultra Magnus, Roddy was in no hurry to go after the thieves and recover the Matrix. His ''giri'' had become too burdensome, and Hot Rod was hardly interested in reclaiming the burden so soon. He returned to a dojo that had been upset by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] during the earlier attacks, and observed the sensei and his pupils. After finding his center again, Hot Rod returned to the city, where the huntsman known as Scourge had been mis-using the Matrix as a source of raw power to destroy everything around him. After a brief fight, Hot Rod reclaimed the Matrix from Scourge and became Rodimus Prime once more, accepting his path in life. Oh, and Kup was nodding sagely on the sidelines this entire time. Apparently that helped, somehow {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[Image:HotRodReturnOfOptimusPrime1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Does my thumb look infected to you?"]]

As it turned out, far from being destroyed, Optimus Prime had been retrieved by a team of human scientists who were hoping to use him (again) as a weapon against the Autobots—this time as the bearer of a malignant "[[Hate Plague]]" that would cause them to destroy each other. When he learned of this, Rodimus swiftly formed a rescue party and led them to retrieve Optimus's body so that their former leader could rest in peace. When all of the rest of the Autobots with him were exposed to the Hate Plague, only Rodimus was able to escape unharmed—and with the still uninfected body of Optimus. Returning to Autobot City, Rodimus ordered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky-Lynx]] to find a Quintesson to repair Optimus, then risked his life to shut down [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] before the Plague could spread to it. Attacked by Ultra Magnus and Wreck-Gar in the process, he succumbed to the plague and became infected with hate. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} In order to stop the Plague, the resurrected Optimus had to defeat the crazed Rodimus and forcibly extract the Matrix from him, changing him back into Hot Rod once more. This time, as Optimus had decided to stick around, the change was a permanent one. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

Even after losing his position as Autobot leader, Hot Rod was not the sort to rest on his laurels. In 2007, he was among a group of Autobots who were caught in a blast from the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] and shot across the galaxy to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} There, the Autobots fell in with a group of native rebels and aided them in opposing the tyrannical rule of the dictatorial [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]—a partnership that ultimately evolved into [[binary bonding]], the fusion of Transformer and Nebulan into [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} Hot Rod was linked to the Nebulan sharpshooter Firebolt, and went on to aid in the defence of Cybertron as Galvatron attempted to use the Plasma Energy Chamber to destroy it. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese animated continuity as described above, except that the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. Additionally, this continuity moves the events of 2006 forward to 2010, and inserts several additional events into the newly-created intervening years.}}

=====''Kiss Players''=====
:''Voice actors:'' [[Ryōtarō Okiayu]] (Japanese)

When Rodimus Prime hurled Galvatron into space at the conclusion of their battle within Unicron, he could not have predicted the tragic result of this action. Galvatron crash-landed on Earth, on top of [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]], devastating the city and sparking off a massive anti-Transformer movement spearheaded by the [[Earth Defense Command]]. Horrified by what his actions had wrought, Rodimus gave up the Matrix to Ultra Magnus, reverted to Hot Rod once more, and returned to the human homeworld.

[[Image:HotRodKP.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Flames on his arms and a naked girl in his tummy.]]
As he descended to Earth, Hot Rod was badly damaged by the [[anti-electron]] field that the E.D.C. had set up around the planet. Arriving at the E.D.C. headquarters, Hot Rod interrupted a grotesque experiment in a basement laboratory involving the severed heads of various [[Legion]] (monstrous creatures created by Galvatron's scattered cells) and former E.D.C. operative [[Shaoshao Li]]. The Legion attacked Hot Rod and began to [[ParasiTech|fuse]] with him, but a [[kiss]] from Shaoshao—one of the E.D.C.'s [[Kiss Player]] operatives, also given fusing powers by Galvatron's cells—saved him, reformatting him into a Ford GT body. Now partnered with Shaoshao, he traveled around [[Japan]] battling the E.D.C., Legion, and the resurrected Optimus Prime.

Hot Rod was cocky and confident in his speed and sharpshooting skills, and often weathered his human partner's complaints that he was slacking off on his hand-to-hand combat training. He much preferred to practice kissing, the resulting fusion granting him Shao's considerable martial arts skills as well as the ability to wield his firearms as [[wikipedia:tonfa|tonfas]]. In return, he stole [[Marissa Faireborn]]'s underwear for her.

He continued to enjoy fishing and carried a customized rod that he could convert into a forearm-mounted weapon called the "Exhaust Eliminator". Shaoshao didn't like working with him after a fishing trip due to the smell, but she secretly wished that he would take her with him anyway. Hot Rod was very suspicious of Optimus Prime, claiming that he was not the ''real'' Optimus, presumably because he still believed his former commander to be dead following the Battle of Autobot City.

Hot Rod had the distinction of being the only known robot with a Kiss Player partner to have lips. This might have contributed to Shao's feelings of excitement when she kissed him, though the rest of the time she acted outraged that a robot would have the audacity to talk to her like a real person.

After numerous battles, Hot Rod and his human partner settled their differences with Prime. Together, they teamed up with the E.D.C. Kiss Player [[Atari Hitotonari]] and her [[Autrooper]] and entered the secret "Genital System" facility hidden beneath E.D.C. headquarters in Tokyo. There, they discovered Galvatron's headless body and realized that the only way to end the current crisis was to allow the Unicron-empowered Decepticon's cells to return to his body. When Hot Rod did so, he was restored to his original body. {{storylink|Kiss Players (fiction)|Kiss Players}}

Hot Rod went on his way, but did not take back the Matrix and leadership of the Autobots until the year 2010. It is unknown whether he ever discovered that the true cause of the Tokyo incident was temporal interference by the [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]].

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
{{note|The events of this manga occur concurrently with the events of Generation 1 cartoon, as described above.}}
Rodimus Prime faced numerous bizarre challenges in the year 2010. In one instance, Rodimus and his troops were taken under siege by a horde of Megatron clones calling themselves the [[Megatron Military]]. The Megatron Military made short work of Rodimus, leaving him to wonder how he could defeat a whole horde of the baddie, when Optimus Prime could barely deal with ''one''. Rodimus eventually realized that Galvatron was secretly controlling the clones and singled him out. With Galvatron defeated, the Megatron Military ceased to function. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2}}

During another battle, he was forced to team with his arch-nemesis, Galvatron, to defeat the all-powerful [[Guiltaur]]. Guiltaur was a creation built by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] utilizing the powers of both Optimus Prime and Megatron. Together, Rodimus and Galvatron defeated their foe (who it turned out was being controlled by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]) and called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:DoubleConvoy1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Race ya to the Matrix!" "Yer on!"]]
One year after the Hate Plague affair and the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Hot Rod maintained a high-level position among the Autobots as well as a new sense of duty and responsibility. Hot Rod was stationed on [[Athenia]] when the Decepticons, bolstered with the addition of new Headmaster warriors, attacked Cybertron in an attempt to take control of [[Vector Sigma]], which had become destabilized as a result of the Matrix's energy being released. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} When a group of Autobot Headmasters arrived to help, Optimus Prime broke off from the battle and ventured into Cybertron's depths, hoping to find a way to stabilize Vector Sigma. This, however, would require the sacrifice of his own life if attempted without the Matrix, which was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Hot Rod and the Autobot Headmasters searched the Matrix out and returned to Cybertron with it, where the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] recharged its empty shell, transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime. Optimus and Rodimus defeated the Decepticons together, but Optimus still wound up sacrificing himself to stabilize Vector Sigma, leaving Rodimus Prime in command of the Autobots once again. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

Not long thereafter, a plot by Decepticon leader [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] resulted in a massive planetary explosion devastating Cybertron, leaving it a burnt-out husk. Deciding that his time was over, and that newer, younger Transformers should take over, Rodimus passed leadership of the Autobots to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], and departed for space with Kup and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search for a new planet that the Transformers could make their own. Arcee asked if she could go, too, but Rodimus instructed her to stay behind to look after Daniel and Wheelie. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

=====''The Headmasters'' comic=====
[[Image:Ep14.jpg|right|100px|thumb|He's so dreeeaaaaamyyyy.]]
On his journey through space, Rodimus faced many dangers and hardships, but was supported by the wisdom of the Matrix and the energy of the Earth that now coursed within it. Learning a new admiration for the human race and the planet Earth, he returned to Earth in the wake of the defeat of Scorponok, and reunited with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters issue 8}}

=====''The Battlestars''=====
It would be many years before Rodimus resurfaced. He eventually returned at the same time as Optimus Prime was resurrected as [[Optimus Prime (G1)#The Battlestars story pages and comic|Star Convoy]], and was shown to have reverted back into Hot Rod, and been converted into a [[Micromaster]]. As a Micromaster, Hot Rod took up residence in Star Convoy's chest, boosting his Supreme Commander's power.

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[Image:Hotrod-micro.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Well, at least this girl has clothes on.]]
During her travels through time and space, [[Teletraan 15]] encountered Micromaster Hot Rod, who rescued her from a strange mechanical monster, a [[Novaroid]]. Teletraan 15 noted that Hot Rod was considerably smaller than she remembered him.

Hot Rod asked if she was the one responsible for all the [[Transwarp]] travel and blamed her for the wormholes that were opening everywhere. Spotting a large wormhole opening, he transformed to vehicle mode and told her to climb inside, saying that something big was coming.

[[Optimus Prime (G1)#The Battlestars story pages and comic|Star Convoy]] appeared and requested Hot Rod's assistance, telling him that [[Megatron (G1)|Ultra Megatron]] was fusing with [[Dark Nova]].

As Hot Rod said his farewells to Teletraan 15, he was suddenly struck by an immense blast from the wormhole overhead. The shadowy form of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] descended from the rip in the sky.

15 leaped in front of Hot Rod to protect him, and was rewarded for her heroism by seeing her right arm torn off by the Decepticon's power. The severed arm gripped in his teeth, Galvatron throttled the much smaller Hot Rod. As [[Safety]] and [[Fly-Up]] of the [[Guard City]] team raced toward her, Teletraan 15 faded into unconsciousness, leaving Hot Rod's fate and the outcome of the battle unknown. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Several hundred years ago, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] dispatched Hot Rod and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search for habitable worlds. During this mission, the pair ran afoul of the [[Tyroxian|Tyroxians]] — unpleasant [[Alien|aliens]] who captured Blurr and pursued Hot Rod through space. While fleeing, Hot Rod crossed paths with the Autobot war veteran, Kup, living a nomadic existence wandering through space at the time, and the youth's bravado in attacking [[Tyroxia]] single-handed re-ignited Kup's fighting spirit. After saving Hot Rod and helping him to rescue Blurr, Kup joined the pair in returning to Cybertron.'' {{storylink|Kup's Story!}}

Hot Rod was among the contingent of Transformers who ultimately accompanied Fortress Maximus in abandoning the war on Cybertron for a new world, Nebulos. The Autobots' arrival on the planet immediately stirred civil unrest, however, which led to the Decepticons being brought to the planet, and the war continuing on a smaller scale. Technological advancements developed during the conflict saw Nebulans being bio-engineered into [[Binary bonding|partnerships]] with the Transformers. Hot Rod became a Targetmaster, and was bonded to the Nebulan sharpshooter, Firebolt (aka Sparks), who transformed into his gun. Eventually, the Autobots determined to move their war away from Nebulos, and followed a signal sent by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], received by Hot Rod, to the planet [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

Hot Rod and the other Autobots of Nebulos were soon incorporated into the larger Autobot force on Earth, under the command of Optimus Prime. On one occasion, Hot Rod and several Autobots accompanied Prime on what appeared to be a simple mission to stop some Decepticon [[Micromaster|Micromasters]] from attacking MacDill Air Force Base. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} In fact, the attack was part of a much larger scheme by the deposed Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], luring Prime and his forces away from the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and setting them against his rival for Decepticon leadership, the mighty [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Once Prime realized the greater threat at issue, he ordered his troops to immediately take the [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] back to the Ark, but Hot Rod recklessly chose to stay behind at Optimus's side to face the Decepticons. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} He was therefore on-hand when the newly resurrected [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] arrived, and began tearing through all Transformers present, in the name of Megatron. He managed to take a shot at Starscream's new [[Pretender]] shell, causing enough neural feedback to temporarily weaken the Decepticon, and give Scorponok time to strike and end the threat. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

The cost was still high, though, as Optimus Prime returned to the Ark and learned that his good friend, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], had sacrificed himself to help stop Megatron's schemes. This sent the Autobot leader into a depression, and Hot Rod took it upon himself to snap Optimus out of it. He had the crazy scheme of creating a mock threat with a [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian Mark V battle droid]], with predictable results. The robot proceeded to ''actually'' malfunction and endanger the Autobots, but Hot Rod's plan worked when Prime eventually snapped out of his funk and defeated the droid to save the day. Hot Rod needed to find a replacement hand after the Guardian snapped it off, but hey, all's well that ends well. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

Hot Rod continued to operate with Earth's Autobot forces aboard the Ark, and was present during [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s rampage through the shuttle bay. He took some damage, but remained functional enough to continue on, and was later seen speeding into the battle with Unicron himself on a [[hoverscooter]], {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} He was also one of many Autobots destroyed by the Decepticons on [[Klo]], only to be revived by the [[Last Autobot]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

[[Image:GalvatrondeadrodimusUS67.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr Prime, I expect you to die!"]]
In an alternate future timeline, Hot Rod arose to become Rodimus Prime. However, the planet-eater known as Unicron managed to destroy Cybertron, leaving Rodimus to lead a failed Autobot/human defense of Earth when [[Galvatron II|that timeline's Galvatron]] attacked and eventually conquered it. Rodimus perished during the conflict, and his body was strung up between the ruined towers of the World Trade Center. In the year 2009, Galvatron returned to Manhattan to survey its devastated landscape, and fired upon Rodimus's corpse, demanding to know how many times he would have to kill him to erase his legacy. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[Image:M1988 rodimusprime runlikehell.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'M KID FRIENDLY, DAMN IT!]]
''Hot Rod rose to greater prominence in the alternate future timeline of [[Earth-120185]]. In 1990, he, Kup and Blurr were captured by Megatron; although rescued by a double-agent named [[Warmonger]], Hot Rod was recaptured and bore witness first hand to Megatron's mercilessness when he executed Warmonger. Then, in 1991, he was part of a unit that escorted the captive [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], only to lose the Decepticon leader when forced to defend a human settlement against an attack by the [[Air Strike Patrol]].'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}} ''On another occasion in 1995, Hot Rod was present when Optimus Prime first unveiled the female Autobot, Arcee, to a dubious crowd of human feminists. Hot Rod was more than a little flustered by Arcee's presence on the battlefield.'' {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}} ''In 2003, he and Blurr were given "Ark duty," assigned to stand guard over the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' spaceship]] while construction on [[Autobot City]] began. Kup was apparently instructed to deliver the plans of the city to the American government, and when Hot Rod saw him being jumped by the [[Stunticon|Stunticons]], he disobeyed orders and sped out to the rescue. The Stunticons brutally beat on Hot Rod and took the plans, but Hot Rod learned a hard lesson when Kup informed him that it was meant to happen that way because the plans were a fake.'' {{storylink|Ark Duty}} ''When the city was completed in 2004, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] attacked it on its opening day, and Hot Rod repelled him by attacking in a wildly illogical manner, tackling him down a mountain repeatedly.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}} ''Also, at some unknown point in the past, Hot Rod's Targetmaster partner Firebolt was killed in action. {{storylink|Headhunt}}''

''In the year 2006, when the new Decepticon leader [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] travelled back in time to 1986 as part of a plan to free himself from the control of Unicron, the chaos-bringer used his mental powers to plant knowledge of Galvatron's plan into the minds of Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr and transported them to Cybertron, where they used Galvatron's equipment to follow him into the past. There, with help from the present-day incarnation of Ultra Magnus, they were able to convince Galvatron that he had, in fact, traveled back in time to a parallel universe, where his actions would have no effect on the future. Believing this, Galvatron returned to his own time, and after setting any remaining wrongs to rights, the trio of Autobots also returned to 2006.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''Back in his native timeline, Hot Rod was subsequently involved in a battle with Galvatron inside Unicron's body, during which he opened the sacred Autobot talisman, the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], and was transformed into Rodimus Prime. With this new strength, he hurled Galvatron through Unicron's hide and opened the Matrix, destroying the planet-eater.'' {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

[[Image:Rodimusprimerequestdenied.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Rodimus learned the wrong lesson from Optimus's death.]]
''As the new Autobot leader, Rodimus became paranoid about Galvatron's eventual return, since no body was ever recovered from space. He led the Autobot forces high and low searching the universe for the Decepticon leader, neglecting Cybertron in the process. As a result, Shockwave arose as the new Decepticon leader, and total war broke out on Cybertron once again. Unable to take the time to find Galvatron himself anymore, Rodimus rashly placed a bounty on the Decepticon's head. What Rodimus did not realize, however, was that Galvatron had time-jumped again, traveling back to 1987.'' {{storylink|Wanted:Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''In 2007, when the freelance peace-keeping agent [[Death's Head]] pursued Galvatron back to the '80s, Rodimus was informed of this fact by an Autobot double-agent named [[Nautilus]], and, dismayed at the danger he had unleashed on the past, promptly headed back in time himself to stop the dual threats.'' {{storylink|Burning Sky!}} ''Once again teaming up with the present-day Ultra Magnus, Rodimus and his team of Kup, Blurr and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] tracked Galvatron down to [[Mount Verona]], where he was attempting to harness the volcano's molten energy. While arguing with Death's Head, Rodimus and the bounty hunter were both attacked, but when Ultra Magnus opened fire on his power siphon, Galvatron was distracted long enough for Rodimus to escape.'' {{storylink|Hunters}} ''Rodimus then arranged a plan that saw the Autobots capture Galvatron's time-jump mechanism, in order to have Wreck-Gar re-engineer it to return all the time-travelers to their point of origin. Rodimus engaged Galvatron in a protracted battle to buy Wreck-Gar time, but when the device was activated, Rodimus, Death's Head and the other Autobots were returned to 2007. Galvatron was left behind.'' {{storylink|Fire on High!}}

''Some time later, a disgruntled Death's Head accepted a contract from the Decepticons on Rodimus Prime's head, and ambushed him while he was inspecting Autobot lines. Their battle subsequently went underground, where [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] intervened, downing Death's Head in hopes of being the ones to defeat Rodimus, in order to reclaim their lost standing in the Decepticons' ranks. Rodimus was able to lead Death's Head through the underground tunnels, right into the heart of the Autobot camp, where he offered him advance payment for a different contract—on Cyclonus and Scourge.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''Death's Head proceeded to track the two Decepticons for the remainder of the year, until the three of them fell under the mental control of Unicron when they discovered his disembodied head on the planet of [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] in the early days of 2008. Under his control, they assassinated Decepticon leader Shockwave and reignited the stalemated Cybertronian civil war in order to keep the Autobots busy while Unicron worked on rebuilding his body. Rodimus, however, learned of the situation thanks to [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and led a small Autobot force to Junk, where Death's Head fought against Unicron's control long enough to project Rodimus's mind into a battle with the demi-god on the astral plane. During the battle, explosives planted by Wreck-Gar destroyed Unicron's head, and his mind was sealed within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[Image:Targetmaster-nomore.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"I'm not being melodramatic, you're being insensitive!"]]
''Later in 2008, the alien Quintessons targeted Cybertron for colonization, and attacked the Autobots with a two-pronged assault on both Cybertron and Earth. When [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] shirked her guard duty at Autobot City, the Quintessons were given an opening that allowed them to take over the city, and when she returned, they gunned her down as bait for a trap for Rodimus Prime. Arriving at the city, Rodimus discovered the injured Arcee and opened his chest compartment to heal her with the Matrix, only to have it yanked from his grasp by the Quintesson general, [[General Ghyrik|Ghyrik]], causing him to revert to Hot Rod. Liberating [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s cassettes for back-up, Hot Rod and Arcee proceeded to fight their way through the Quintessons to Autobot City's control room, where Hot Rod activated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to smash the alien threat. In battle with Ghyrik, Hot Rod duped the Quintessons with a bit of amateur ventriloquism and reclaimed the Matrix; transformed back into Rodimus Prime again, he routed the Quintessons.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

''Unbeknownst to Rodimus, the Quintessons had sought to colonize Cybertron because their own homeworld was being destroyed by a rift in space and time caused by the Transformers' repeated time-travel. The rift continued to grow in size until it threatened both Earth and Cybertron at the beginning of both 2009 and 1989. To put an end to the threat, Rodimus and a squad of Autobots traveled back to 1989, only to wind up mass-displacing Optimus Prime (since the Matrix could not exist in two time periods at once) and a group of other Autobots to [[limbo]], leading to a brief but violent misunderstanding with the present-day Autobots. Optimus Prime was able to stabilize the situation by communicating with all involved through the power of the Matrix. Subsequently, Autobots and Decepticons from both the present and future teamed up to battle Galvatron and [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]], but one by one they fell, until Optimus Prime used the Matrix to return himself to reality for a final showdown. After absorbing Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge, however, the rift was sealed by Shockwave, and Rodimus and the other future Autobots returned to 2009, vowing to destroy their time machines to prevent this from ever happening again.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

''As it transpired, however, things would not be that easy. In the wake of the massive chronal damage caused by the rift, time had attempted to heal its wounds, but reality was no longer as it had been. The future that Rodimus and the other Autobots came from no longer existed—in its place was a world where Galvatron had never traveled back in time, and had conquered Cybertron after Unicron's destruction. Rodimus quickly established a rebellion, but when Galvatron tracked down their headquarters, he killed Blurr and all others present, goading Rodimus into a ferocious battle in hopes of corrupting the Matrix within him. Rodimus realized what he was doing, however, and ended the fight before more damage could be done.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

''Rodimus and the Autobots escaped to Earth via hyperspace, only to find that their craft's guidance systems had been damaged. During the flight, Rodimus Prime vanished'' {{storylink|The Void! (UK)|The Void!}}, ''and Kup discovered that he was the saboteur,'' {{storylink|Edge of Impact}} ''deducing that he had been corrupted by an evil force from within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Shadow of Evil}} ''Inside the Matrix, Rodimus battled with the essence of Unicron, trapped there since the events of 2008, until Kup wrenched the Matrix from his chest, freeing him from the chaos-bringer's influence. But now, Rodimus knew that the evil of Unicron would be waiting for him within it...'' {{storylink|White Fire}} ''...and in 2010, Unicron's essence succeeded in taking over Rodimus's body, transforming it into a duplicate of his own and attacking Cybertron once more, until Rodimus was able to defeat him from within and re-seal him within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

''Centuries later, in the year 2356, Rodimus, his body withered and weakened from the continuous harmful influence of Unicron from within the Matrix, lectured a young Autobot [[student]] on the nature of evil, unwittingly setting the youth on the path towards villainy himself.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

''In an unidentified timeline in the year 2510, a healthy Rodimus Prime was overjoyed to announce that the Cybertronian war was finally over, and planned to step down as leader to allow [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to take over. The sole remaining Decepticon, a double-agent named [[Triton]], spoke out against the decision to cause dissension, and succeeded—as Rodimus could only watch in dismay, arguments escalated into conflict, and the war was born again as [[Technobot]] fought [[Wrecker]], and the Autobot Civil War began.'' {{storylink|Peace}}

====Generation 2====
After the defeat of the Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots' forces scattered throughout the galaxy as virtually independent splinter cells. A small group under Optimus Prime's command encountered Bludgeon and his soldiers on a desolate world, both sides looking for new weapons or technology, and were in danger of being overrun. Prime sent Hot Rod into a nearby mausoleum building in the hopes that he could conjure up some form of "graven image" to distract the superstitious Decepticon leader. Hot Rod emerged empty-handed from the ruins, only to find that just such a graven image had conjured ''itself'', chased off the trespassing Decepticons, and was now prepared to do the same to the Autobots. They managed a dignified, if rushed, scramble to safety. {{storylink|All or Nothing!|Ghosts}}

Sometime after, Hot Rod was operating somewhere in the universe with Optimus Prime and Kup when Grimlock summoned them to deal with the threat of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his Cybertronians. Together, they formed the initial Autobot resistance to the Liege Centuro. {{storylink|War Without End!}} Once Optimus's visions convinced him there was a much greater threat at work in the universe, however, he took the Autobots into hiding until they were ready to deal with the bigger picture. Stuck on a distant asteroid base, Hot Rod amused himself by running training with the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], and other soldiers as the army slowly regrouped and reorganized, but chafed at the lack of real action. {{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} Luckily, the Autobots soon joined forces with the old Decepticons, the fight ramped up to epic proportions... and Hot Rod proceeded to do nothing of import for the rest of the war.

===S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers===
Rodimus Prime remembered the Transformers' [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction|greatest battle on Earth]]. {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
Hot Rod was one of several troops stationed on Earth when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] was in charge and the Transformers' war was still a secret one. He got along well with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the two spending their downtime looking at car magazines together, and was quite pleased to receive some snazzy gold wheel-trims from the boy. {{storylink|Decepticon Hideout|Decepticon Hideout}}

In the time following this campaign, Hot Rod would mature into a more sensible warrior and even a team leader. During the early stages of the war on [[Nebulos]], Hot Rod was Autobot commander against [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus']] Decepticons before the return of Optimus Prime. At one point, he prevented the Decepticons causing Nebulos' destruction via cosmic radiation. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole|Decepticons at the Pole}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
Hot Rod joined an underground Autobot cell led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] takeover of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Among the members of the cell was [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who Hot Rod became attached to. From the [[Wastelands]], Hot Rod, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] observed an incoming Decepticon shuttle carrying the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Cold War|Cold War}} Shortly afterward, the cell rescued [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] from [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout]], and took him to their base. After awakening, Prime attacked [[Gnaw]], Blurr, and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], forcing Hot Rod (who didn't recognize him) to hold the Autobot leader at gunpoint. After being <strike>bitch slapped</strike> admonished by Kup, Hot Rod apologized. {{storylink|Passive Aggression|Passive Aggression}}

After Shockwave unleashed the [[Guardian robot]]s on [[Iacon]], Prime organized the resistance cell and other Autobot forces on the planet in an assault on Shockwave's citadel. Fighting alongside the Autobot leader, Hot Rod was amazed that the stories Kup had told him about Prime's courage and heroism had all been true. As an injured Prime breached the citadel, Hot Rod, Ironhide and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] provided cover fire, taking down a number of Guardians in the process. Along with the rest of Iacon, they witnessed the divine light of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] when Shockwave activated it. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

As Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] battled Shockwave within the citadel, Hot Rod and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] took down [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. Immediately afterward, they were confronted with the looming threat of a remaining Guardian robot—a threat that was soon neutralized by the arrival of the [[Wrecker|Wreckers]], the [[Autobot High Council]], and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The unified Autobot group soon breached the citadel. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Some time later, Hot Rod ran a simulation combat scenario against Kup, and won using tactics that, in Kup's opinion, would have killed them both had it been real. Only after his victory did Hot Rod remember that he'd promised to take Arcee to see an [[Earth]]-bound shuttle launch—a duty Springer was happy to relieve him of. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} Soon afterward, he was assigned to perimeter guard duty at [[Autobase (G1)|Autobase]] with Gnaw and Wheelie, separating him from Arcee. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil|The Route of All Evil}}

===''Universe: The Wreckers''===
[[Image:Hotrodg1.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Undergoing the Maximal Upgrade mostly involves applying your stickers.]]
A few months after the destruction of [[Unicron]] in 2005, Rodimus Prime spearheaded an effort to establish multiple recon posts to watch for advancing threats... even though some of his scientists said he shouldn't. When only two of the five launched ships were ever heard from again, Rodimus felt like a schmuck. Guy can't catch a break. {{storylink|Betrayal|Betrayal}}

After the Great Wars ended and the [[Pax Cybertronia]] was signed, he changed his name to simply "Rodimus" and decided to check out the new "[[Maximal]] upgrade". His relationship with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] effectively ended shortly after, as the latter went through dark gripping emo depression over the death of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and vanished.

Rodimus joined the [[Wrecker|Wreckers]] at some undetermined point afterward. After [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] took over Cybertron with his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]], Wrecker leader [[Apelinq]] got stranded on prehistoric [[Earth]], leaving Rodimus in charge. True to form, he ditched leadership duties to [[Primal Prime]] as soon as possible.

After Primal Prime got his marching orders from the [[Vector Sigma|Oracle]], he met Rodimus deep inside Cybertron's caverns, where an even more gothy-emo Arcee—in a new Maximal body—lurked and stewed in her depression. Realizing he couldn't convince her to give a damn about anything, he left, rejoining the main Wrecker force in battle. Making it onto an ancient Autobot shuttle, the Wreckers blasted off... with late-arrival Arcee. {{storylink|Departure|Departure}}

Rodimus recognized the homing beacon emitting from [[Akalo|Archa Nine]] as one of those missing exploration parties mentioned before. When the shuttle landed, Rodimus stayed behind to help repair the damage the ship had suffered. The entire Wrecker team later gathered in an [[Akalouthan]] village, where Rodimus was reunited with [[Glyph (G1)|Glyph]], who took them to see the artifact known as the [[Divine Light]]. The Wreckers' analysis of the item was cut short, as it was stolen by the traitor [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Rodimus saw the back-in-his-old-body [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] off, who was sent to chase after Cyclonus, while the Wreckers made for their next destination... even though several of them were now leery of the visions Primal Prime had been getting. Because they'd really done ''so well'' by the Wreckers so far. {{storylink|Betrayal|Betrayal}}

Upon landing on the frozen planet, Rodimus was part of the search party immediately dispatched to look for... something. Primal Prime wasn't too specific. They came across [[Al-Badur]], an exiled [[Quintesson]], who gave them a little history lesson. They were then promptly attacked by a school of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], but the Wreckers made short work of them. They made their way back to the ship, with Al-Badur in tow, and made for their next destination... {{storylink|Disclosure|Disclosure}}

{{charstubfiction}}

{{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. Transformers''===
[[Image:GIJoeTFHotRod70s.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"That bumperchest really doesn't feel right. How do Prowl and Jazz live with it?"]]
When [[Teletran 3]] malfunctioned and sent many Cybertronians into different Earth eras, Hot Rod ended up in the 1970s, mode-locked as a hot rodded muscle car. When some young punk hotwired him, [[Lady Jaye]] challenged the driver to a race inside [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] to lure him someplace isolated to reactivate him. In the end they raced all the way to a hangar where a drug bust took place around a [[Blitzwing (G1)|large cargo plane]]. Hot Rod was promptly reactivated, but had little time to gain his bearings as the plane, who turned out to be a Decepticon, was reactivated. Before any battle could begin, they all traveled back to their own timeline. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:SpotlightHotRod rush.jpg|right|180px|thumb|WHEEEEEEE! AWESOME! TUBULAR! COWABUNGA! REAGANOMICS!]]
Years ago, Hot Rod was put in charge of a mission to the planet [[Ki-Aleta]] to obtain a powerful artifact named the [[Magnificence]] so as to keep it out of the hands of the Decepticons. The mission started off smoothly enough, with [[Gizmo]] using a [[holomatter]] generator to distract the defense systems while the rest of the team went after the Magnificence. Unfortunately, after that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. First, the generator malfunctioned, then [[Download]] tripped the security lasers around the Magnificence itself. Gizmo, Download, and [[Backbeat]] were destroyed by the security systems while Hot Rod and [[Doubledealer|Dealer]] fled. Hot Rod, nearing the exit tunnels they had previously drilled, got a call from Dealer—he had been ambushed by a Decepticon attack squad and needed help. Unfortunately, Hot Rod had been given his own, top secret orders: the Magnificence was to be the top priority of the mission, and placed before all else. With a heavy heart, Hot Rod abandoned Dealer to his fate as he left Ki-Aleta with the Magnificence.

Years later, Hot Rod learned that Dealer had not died that day; he was being held prisoner at the Decepticon penal colony known as [[Styx]]. Hot Rod stealthily infiltrated the prison complex, using a holomatter generator to disguise himself as a guard and then short-circuiting the power grid to cause all the cell doors to unlock. During the chaos he snuck in, extracted Dealer, and took off while the Decepticons were busy getting the prisoners under control. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}

[[Image:Escalation6 HotRod Koska.jpg|left|170px|thumb|Mine!]]
Recently, Hot Rod was called to [[Earth]] to aid the crew of the ''[[Ark-19]]'' in procuring a Decepticon [[Facsimile Construct]] from [[Brasnya]], a former Soviet state in eastern Europe. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} He and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] went down to Earth from the ''[[Ark-32]]'' against [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]'s wishes, and proceeded to join the battle unannounced. As Hardhead went to support the main battle, Hot Rod went after the facsimile... which led to him colliding with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] as they both tried to stop the [[Georgi Koska]] facsimile from letting himself get gunned down by Soviet soldiers. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} Prowl and Hot Rod managed to defuse the situation and secure the facsimile in the end {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}}, but before he could return to his ship he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], unable to defend himself because he had to keep the facsimile alive. After returning to the ''Ark-32'', he had to be put in a [[CR chamber]] to recover. His injuries were for nothing, as the facsimile melted during the bounce. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[Image:Devastation6 HotRod Hardhead.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Hardhead, I'm with Arcee now. Let it go.]]
After Hot Rod was repaired and reformatted into a Dodge Viper, his "friend" Dealer tried to convince him to pull some strings to get him to Earth, but Hot Rod and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] had the more important task of rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} They ran into a bit of trouble with the [[Machination]]'s [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} They managed to escape temporarily, but were found and Wheeljack was incapacitated. Hot Rod easily held his own with the Headmasters {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}}, and noted that for [[Sunstreaker (G1)|some]] [[Hunter O'Nion|reason]] they had lost their "edge". He received a little help from Hardhead, who was mainly there to take Hot Rod and the others back to the ''Ark-32'' for evacuation to [[Garrus-9]]. Hot Rod refused to go, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery through to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:SPDHotRodM.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh, Magic 8-Ball, will I ever be Prime in this continuity?]]
Hot Rod's search was interrupted by Dealer's arrival on Earth, with orders for Hot Rod: find the Magnificence and use it to learn what they could about the Expansion. Hot Rod took Dealer to his hiding spot, which turned out to be the planet where they first found the device. As Dealer and Hot Rod closed on the Magnificence, he went over his first visit to the planet in his mind, and how things could have gone so wrong. Eventually he began to have suspicions, and upon locating the Magnificence, asked it the question that haunted him: had Dealer betrayed him? Sadly, it revealed the truth, and Hot Rod was forced to kill Dealer as the traitor attacked. Looking down on his remains, Hot Rod realized the truth had been staring him in the face, he just hadn't wanted to accept it. He then used the Magnificence to find out all he could about the Expansion, and relayed the information to the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

[[Image:HotRodMaxDino02.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You're not fooling anyone, [[Judd Nelson| Bender]]. The next screw that falls out will be YOU.]]

Returning to Earth to continue his search, Hot Rod arrived at the gates of the Machination's complex, and Scorponok prepared himself to deal with the intruder. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1}} Unfortunately, Hot Rod found himself fighting well out of his weight class as he was man handled by Scorponok, who cheerfully bashed his face in, put out one of his optics and snapped his leg. The Headmasters dragged him into Scorponok's control room where, with absolutely no prompting, the big man explained his entire plan for the Dynobots, Skywatch and the Machination. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2}}

Hot Rod seemed less than impressed with this rather mundane approach, which ticked Scorponok off enough for him to point out that it was obviously just the first stage in his master plan. He was also warned to remained awed or he'd be of no further interest. When the Dynobots and newly-arrived [[Monsterbot]]s seemed to turn Scorponok's plan on its head, Hot Rod burst out laughing, at which point, Scorponok ordered him taken out and shot. In the lift to the surface, Hot Rod suddenly erupted in flames, killing his captors, but draining his power supply. Weakened and with a crippled leg, he collapsed on the floor. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 3}}

He made it out of the building and ran into the real Sunstreaker, who blasted the 2 clones following Hot Rod. Sunstreaker ignored Hot Rod's warning about Scorponok's army and stormed into the building so Hot Rod painfully wired himself to send a distress signal. When Sunstreaker's real head was later disabled by Hunter, the Headmaster clones shut down, which Hot Rod explained to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. The group was surprised by the arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], but [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] had heard Hot Rod's distress call and was on his way to Earth. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4}}

After Scorponok knocked out [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and Grimlock tended to him, the remaining Dynobots offered Hot Rod a lift aboard the Monsterbots' ship. He refused though, and made it back into Machination HQ to take care of something "personal". He eventually found Scorponok's real head (and remarked how ugly it was). Hunter also showed up and let Hot Rod know how to disable it, but before he could do so, Scorponok grabbed him. Before Scorponok could crush Hot Rod's head, the Dynobots showed up and began to battle Scorponok. Hot Rod told [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] which wires to sever, and he did just that, reducing Scorponok to a catatonic state. Ultra Magnus arrived took everyone back aboard his ship, which later docked with the ''Ark-32''. Within 3 days, Hot Rod was fully repaired, with a new body form design. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5}}

[[Image:Ironhide punches Hot Rod.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Ironhide has waited twenty-two years to pay Hot Rod back for [[The Transformers: The Movie|shooting down his shuttle]].]]

When the Decepticons' galaxy-wide assault hit, Hot Rod and a group of other Autobots were shot down over Cybertron. Hot Rod sent out a distress signal and was ecstatic when he ran into some other Autobots. They must've come specifically to save his team and... wait, why do you all look surprised about my signal and appear beaten up and resourceless and... ''oh arsebiscuits''! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4}}

Hot Rod was taken back to base and relayed the story of how he and his other crew-mates from the ''[[Trion]]'' arrived on Cybertron, having been diverted there by Decepticon ships and forced to crash land. Once on the surface, Hot Rod sent out his distress signal and was ''so'' sure someone heard it. Kup arrives with the rest of the ''Trion'''s crew at that point, just in time to tell Hot Rod ''of course'' no one heard his message. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5}}

After the Autobots narrowly avoided the [[Insecticon Swarm|Insecticon swarm]] and Sunstreaker sacrificed himself, Hot Rod jumped to [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]'s defense when he was being insulted by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
* In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Hot Rod does not transform the same way twice.

*Voice actor Ted Schwartz was originally cast to succeed Judd Nelson as the voice of Rodimus Prime for the third season of the animated series, but was subsequently replaced by [[Dick Gautier]]. Before his replacement, however, Schwartz recorded Rodimus's lines for several episodes (most likely all five parts of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]"), and although Gautier re-recorded the dialogue, technical oversight led to some of Schwartz's readings making it into the finished episodes. He can be heard delivering all of Rodimus's lines in the recap for [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1|part 1]] that plays at the beginning of [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2|part 2]], and speaking one line during the scene on [[Goo]] in [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3|part 3]].

* Hot Rod might be the ''Transformers'' character with the most names in the US. From "Hot Rod" to "Rodimus Prime", to "Rodimus Major" to just plain "Rodimus". Varieties of "Rodimus" appear to be how he will be for a while, as Hasbro appears to be unable to secure the [[trademark]] on "Hot Rod".

* [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'s powered up form has a color scheme which resembles Hot Rod's.

* Aside from the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Rodimus (Energon)|namesake character]], Hot Rod has also been [[Homage|homaged]] twice (or possibly thrice depending on how you look at it) in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. For ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the "[[Powerlinx]]" upgrade of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] was given a very Hot-Rod-inspired deco. In ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] made a redeco of Hot Shot (well, "Exillion"), who already had some Hot Rod homage elements in his toy design, with Hot Rod deco as a DVD-pack-in [[exclusive]]. [[Hasbro]] then took this deco, altered it, and released it in the US line at mass retail as the new character [[Excellion]].

* One of the first concepts for Classics Rodimus was based around the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda Pagani Zonda] super car, before the [http://www.supercarnet.jp/File/File-Japan/File-Dome.htm Dome Zero] design was decided upon.

* At [[BotCon 2002]], Dick Gautier "confirmed", jokingly, that Rodimus Prime is gay.

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/HotRod/hotrod.htm Hot Rod at TFU.info]

* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Hot_Rod Hot Rod's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Rodimus_Prime Rodimus Prime's profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Micromasters]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]

Bulletbike (TransTech)

2009-05-23T23:52:49Z

Loudstone: Fix Beast Machines link, spacing

{{disambig2|the enterprising TransTech motorcycle|the awkwardly simple motorcycle from Generation 2|Bulletbike (G2)}}
:''Bulletbike is a neutral [[Transformer]] in the [[Transcendent Technomorph|TransTech]] [[continuity]].''

[[Image:Bulletbiketranstechholograph.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Obi-Wan Kenobi]], you are my only hope.]]
'''Bulletbike''', the thirty-seventh richest bot on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], is the CEO of [[RoboCo]]. Snarlingly condescending, he has very little regard for his industry peers, much less the [[lowtech]]s who are thankfully kept locked up in [[Axiom Nexus]]. He cares about little else besides money, power, prestige, and, most importantly, his dignity. He finds violence oddly empowering.

==Fiction==
===''TransTech''===
{{storylink|I, Lowtech}}
{{-}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2 Bulletbike toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Not his real body, just a loaner.]]
* '''Bulletbike''' (Power Master, 1995)
**''Power Master ID number:'' '''PM4'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 gattling guns

: Bulletbike transforms into a silver motorcycle with an orange sidecar. As a ''Generation 2'' [[Power Master]], Bulletbike's gimmick revolved around his powerful pull-back motor. After pulling back on his vehicle mode, inserting one of his guns into the slots on his sidecar releases a catch in the motor and allows him to zip along a smooth surface. This feature also works in robot mode.

:Along with the other ''Generation 2'' Power Masters, Bulletbike was one of the last toys in the ''Generation 2'' line, and was only released in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Oddly, the Australia and New Zealand releases were in US packaging, complete with [[Hasbro]]'s Rhode Island address.
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Bulletbike's TransTech body is based on the toy of ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], though with a different, more humanoid head.

[[Category:Merchants]]
[[Category:TransTech characters]]

Kibble

2009-05-23T06:08:48Z

Loudstone: Fix tfwiki links, html formatting. The quotes could still use being in the quote template, but those links didn't work in it for me.

{{bookworm|2|The external links.}}
[[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 [[Alternate mode|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 (franchise)|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 scientists have taken to calling "second-stage hatching".]]
Although it was most prominent during the [[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]] 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 really is two toys in one.]]
One of the most infamous examples of beast kibble on a robot mode is [[Big Convoy]] from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|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]] ([[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]], [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]], and [[X-Brawn]]).{{See|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.

Some kibble can also serve a purpose in the fiction even if it has no purpose on the toy. For example [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)| Animated Wreck-Gar's]] backpack. On the toy it's just most of his garbage truck mode folded up on his back. However, on the show it holds a phenomenal amount of junk that Wreck-Gar can pull out and use, often for comedic effect.

==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]]. 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]]s to combine properly, such as [[Combiner#Terms_for_combiners|Scramble City]] style 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]] 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]], 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.'' 
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 six uses to the modern meaning's three. 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]]), 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]] [[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 (franchise)|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]]

Template:Bookworm

2009-05-23T05:20:57Z

Loudstone: Correct Bookworm Virus link to Bookworm Crash

{{Messagebox|
|message_text=In the wake of the Great [[Project:Bookworm Crash|Bookworm Database Crash]] of [[2009|Aught-Nine]], this page needs a little love. See [[Template:Bookworm|what the recovery-number means]] and [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Damage Control Central|how you can help]].
|header=Page status: Recovery-{{{1|0}}}
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|bottomtext={{#if: {{{2|<noinclude>This is a description of what's wrong with the page.</noinclude>}}}|'''Fixes needed:''' {{{2|<noinclude>This is a description of what's wrong with the page.</noinclude>}}} |}}
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<noinclude>

<nowiki>{{bookworm|1|2}}</nowiki>

The term marked "1" is a number. It throws the page into a category, defined as follows:
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-0|Recovery-0]]''' = July 2008 version, entirely unrestored.
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-1|Recovery-1]]''' = Restored from a cached version, but could use a run through an HTML-to-wikicode converter.
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-2|Recovery-2]]''' = Restored from a cached version and run through a convertor, but still contains visible HTML-garble that needs to be hand-cleaned.
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-3|Recovery-3]]''' = No visible HTML-garbling, but still has formatting/content weirdness that affects the article's appearance.
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-4|Recovery-4]]''' = Page looks great but needs code-cleanup at the editing level.
* '''[[:Category:Recovery-5|Recovery-5]]''' = '''Reserved for images'''. Restored images which need to be described, copyright-tagged and categorised.

The term marked "2" is an optional description. You can give an explanation to other editors of exactly what needs to be fixed on the page.

</noinclude>

Mutant (BW)

2009-05-19T01:47:03Z

Loudstone: Main pages for other factions have the factions template applied, so I figured it should be here as well.

{{factions|mutant}}
{{disambig3|Mutant}}
[[Image:Mutants symbol.png|right|180px|thumb|'''''SCIENCE!''''']]
The '''Mutants''' (also commonly referred to as '''Mutant Beasts''') are a powerful group of beast warriors who've lost their robot modes, but are able to transform between two beast modes. Led by Icebird, the Mutants seek to create a purely organic existence. The Mutants don't belong to either faction, and will attack [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] on sight, but they largely tolerate the [[Maximal|Maximals]] as a necessary component of their goals.

Members are:

*[[Icebird]], Commander
*[[Poison Bite]], special ops
*[[Razor Claw]], warrior
*[[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]], warrior

==Fiction==
===Toy bios===
[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] developed an [[Transformation virus|anti-conversion virus]], intended to prevent the infected host converting into robot mode, resulting in eventual shutdown. The Mutants were previously Fuzors, and the virus reacted in an unanticipated way with their physiognomy; it caused their conversion abilities to change, trapping their robot modes between two different beast modes. The virus also bestowed 'potent extrasensory powers' upon the former Fuzors, with each member having several unique abilities, such as invisibility, teleportation, or technokinesis. Unsurprisingly, the foursome managed to escape Megatron's clutches and then went renegade, calling themselves the Mutants.

===3H comics===
[[Image:Wreckers Mutants.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Love a Mutant? Can anybody love a Mutant? Oh well.]]
The Mutants, on Megatron-dominated [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], reported along with the [[Dinobot (BM)| Dinobots]] and the [[Wrecker|Wreckers]] to the Oracle and were given a mission to fullfill: to save the planet's future. It was all a set-up, however, by [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] and the [[Quintesson]]s. The Mutants' instructions led instead to their apparent deaths by [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], although Poison Bite was later seen concealed in Cryotek's headquarters—evidence that the reports of their deaths may have been greatly exaggerated.

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
The remaining [[Stasis pod|stasis pods]] from the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' were activated by [[Razorbeast]]. The majority of the newly-born Transformers were either Maximal or Predacon. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}} But a few were born Mutants. They fiercely defended their swamp against intruding Predacons, making it clear that no Transformer was welcome in their peaceful home. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3|The Gathering #3}}

== Toys ==
*'''Mutants''' (2000)
**[[Icebird]]
**[[Poison Bite]]
**[[Razor Claw]]
**[[Soundwave (BW)|Soundwave]]

The four toys in this sub-group were originally designed for the ill-fated ''[[Animorphs]]'' toyline, and upon its failure were slightly retooled and brought over to the mainline ''Transformers'' continuity family. They have a couple of common features. Each toy had a robot head hidden somewhere within its body, to indicate that their personae were still essentially sentient rather than bestial. Also, three of the four toys had flip-up panels underneath their Mutant insignia, which were lifted to reveal robotic components (to convey they were still essentially robots, although they lacked a 'robot' mode); for some reason Razor Claw lacked this feature.

== Trivia ==
* The exact placement of these characters within the fiction can be argued. Though their packages labeled them "Beast Wars" they came out at a point when the ''Beast Wars'' toyline and cartoon were well ended and ''Beast Machines'' was well underway. Further, their backstory and techspecs make reference to Megatron's mode-lock viruses, conflict between organic and mechanical Transformer life, and most tellingly the Oracle, all of which were specifically central points of the ''Beast Machines'' storyline. Hence, the 3H BotCon materials placed them on ''Beast Machines'' Cybertron as part of that conflict, while the IDW comics defaulted to their packaging label, ignored any conflicting backstory, and made them a part of the Beast Wars on Earth instead.
* Whether by design or coincidence, the beast-to-beast [[Noble|Beast Changer]] toy was released in the main ''Beast Machines'' toyline at nearly the same time as the Mutants.

[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Fuzors]]

Transformers Animated (cartoon)

2009-05-19T01:26:00Z

Loudstone: Fix links, both to tfwiki, and to a wikipedia page

{{Nav-Animated}}

'''''Transformers Animated''''' is a cartoon series which debuted on December 26, 2007, in support of the [[franchise]] of [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|the same name]].

The cartoon is produced by [[Cartoon Network]], scripted in the United States, with character and background designs by the crews behind shows like ''[[wikipedia:Teen Titans (TV series)|Teen Titans]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Ben 10|Ben 10]]'', while animation is being provided by Japanese studios [[Mook]], [[The Answer Studio]], and [[Studio 4°C]].

''Animated'' sees several [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1]] voice actors reprise their old roles ([[Susan Blu]], [[Corey Burton]], [[John Moschitta]], etc.), and is the first ''Transformers'' series featuring [[David Kaye]] in which he isn't voicing [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].

==Overview==
{{see|Transformers Animated timeline}}

[[Image:TransformersAnimatedPoster.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"When there's trouble you know who to call..."]]
''Animated'' follows the adventures of a small crew of Autobots who come into possession of the all-powerful AllSpark artifact. Stranded on Earth and living among the population of [[Detroit]], they face off against a series of human villains and their mighty Decepticon foes, who seek to possess the AllSpark. Though they were originally a lowly space bridge repair crew, these five Autobots must rise to their circumstances to deal with threats large and small.

The series eschews the ever-continuing space opera storylines of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons to return to the episodic approach of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''; most episodes are standalone stories, but with larger story arcs that stretch through the whole series. The focus is on characterization, dynamic action, and humor.

The episodes center not only on the war between the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s, but also on the Autobots' interactions with many of [[Detroit|Detroit's]] [[human]] supervillain denizens, including a [[Angry Archer|maladjusted marksman]], a [[Nanosec|speedy racer]], and a guy who [[Meltdown (Animated)|looks good in a pimp suit]]. The idea is to present the Decepticons as more of an ongoing background threat instead of having them be repeatedly defeated each episode and look like bumbling fools. The arrival of a Decepticon in battle is a big deal, requiring multiple Autobots working together to stop even a single one. The human villains give the Autobots "everyday" threats, and some of their schemes are the result of Decepticon treachery. Note well: [[Doctor Arkeville|Human]] [[Lord Chumley|adversaries]] [[Circuit Breaker|are]] [[Cobra Commander|not]] [[Abdul Fakkadi|new]] [[Lazarus|in]] [[Mega|''Transformers'']] [[Giga|continuity]].

While the series is not a sequel to the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], they have many thematic elements in common, most notably the central role of the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] and the revelation that all modern technology has been reverse-engineered from the dormant body of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]. Hasbro also carried over some design elements from the live-action movie into ''Animated'' designs, including not just the aforementioned cube but also [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]'s medical readout striped deco, [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s black racing stripe, and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s helmet. These are meant to be "connection points," helping kids who had seen the theatrical film but had no prior ''Transformers'' experience ease into understanding the new series.

The series also includes many elements and homages to prior ''Transformers'' series. Most conspicuously, it has many parallels to ''Generation 1'' character designs, personalities, and major characteristics; [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] and [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] are even voiced by the same voice actors as their G1 analogues. ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' gets nods in the form of the inclusion of new versions/homages of [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Wasp|Waspinator]], plus the overall plot structure: The main war is over, the good guys won, but now a small team of heroes never meant for combat roles must go up against an upstart cell of villains led by a charismatic rogue.
{{-}}

==Cast==

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
;Main Cast (Optimus' Team)
* [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
* [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] ([[Corey Burton]])
;[[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]]
* [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
* [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
;[[Cybertron Elite Guard]]
* [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Townsend Coleman]])
* [[Blurr (Animated)|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
* [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]]
** [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
** [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] ([[David Kaye]])
;Rodimus' Team
* [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] ([[Judd Nelson]])
* [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]]
* [[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
* [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] ([[Tara Strong]])
;[[Cybertron Intelligence]]
* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
* [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] ([[David Kaye]])
;[[Ministry of Science]]
* [[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]]
* [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]]
* [[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]]
;Others
* [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] ([[Cree Summer]])
* [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] ([[Kevin Michael Richardson]]/[[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Wasp]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]] ([["Weird Al" Yankovic]])
* [[Yoketron]] ([[George Takei]])
|c2=
;Main Cast (Megatron's Team)
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Cree Summer]])
* [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Lugnut]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
;[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]]
* [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Dirt Boss (Animated) | Dirt Boss]] ([[John Mariano]])
;[[Starscream clone]]s
* [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp, the Coward Clone]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm, the Sycophant Clone]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker, the Egomaniac Clone]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Female Starscream|Female Clone]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Liar Starscream|Liar Clone]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
;[[Team Chaar]]
* [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]]
* [[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]]
* [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] ([[Phil LaMarr]])
* [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
;Others
* [[Lockdown]] ([[Lance Henriksen]])
* [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
** [[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]]
** [[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat]]
* [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] ([[Fred Willard]])
* [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Wasp|Waspinator]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
|c3=
;Main Cast
* [[Sari Sumdac]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Isaac Sumdac]] ([[Tom Kenny]])
* [[Captain Fanzone]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
;[[:Category:Supervillains|Supervillains]]
* [[Angry Archer]] ([[Jeff Glen Bennett|Jeff Bennett]])
* [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] ([[Peter Stormare]])
* [[Colossus Rhodes]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Fusion creature|Meltdown's Experiments]]
* [[Nanosec]] ([[Brian Posehn]])
* [[Professor Princess]] ([[Kath Soucie]])
* [[Headmaster (Animated)|The Headmaster]] ([[Alexander Polinsky]])
* [[Master Disaster]] ([[Bill Fagerbakke]])
* [[Slo-Mo]] ([[Tara Strong]])
;Others
* [[Porter C. Powell]] ([[Bumper Robinson]])
* [[Mayor Edsel]]
* [[Press Secretary|Mayor Edsel's press secretary]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Spike Witwicky (Animated)|Spike]] ([[Corey Burton]])
* [[Carly Witwicky (Animated)|Carly]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Daniel Witwicky (Animated)|Daniel]] ([[Tara Strong]])
* [[Sparkplug (Animated human)|Sparkplug]] ([[Bumper Robinson]]/[[David Kaye]])
}}
{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{see|List of Transformers Animated episodes}}
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=6 | Feature-Length Premiere: 2007 [[Transform and Roll Out]]
|-
| style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=2 valign="top" |<center>'''Season 1: 2008'''</center>
# [[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]
# [[Total Meltdown]]
# [[Blast from the Past]]
# [[The Thrill of the Hunt]]
# [[Nanosec (episode)|Nanosec]]
# [[Along Came a Spider]]
# [[Sound and Fury]]
# [[Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found]]
# [[Survival of the Fittest]]
# [[Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster]]
# [[Nature Calls]]
# [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]]
# [[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]
| style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=2 valign="top" |<center>'''Season 2: 2008'''</center>
# [[The Elite Guard]]
# [[The Return of the Headmaster]]
# [[Mission Accomplished]]
# [[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]
# [[Velocity]]
# [[Rise of the Constructicons]]
# [[A Fistful of Energon]]
# [[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]]
# [[Autoboot Camp]]
# [[Black Friday (episode)|Black Friday]]
# [[Sari, No One's Home]]
# [[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]
# [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]]
| style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=2 valign="top" |<center>'''Season 3: 2009'''</center>
# [[TransWarped]], Part I
# [[TransWarped]], Part II
# [[TransWarped]], Part III
# [[Three's a Crowd]]
# [[Where Is Thy Sting?]]
# [[Five Servos of Doom]]
# [[Predacons Rising]]
# [[Human Error, Part I]]
# [[Human Error, Part II]]
# [[Decepticon Air]]
# [[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]
# [[Endgame, Part I]]
# [[Endgame, Part II]]
|-
| style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=3 valign="top" |<center>'''[[Studio 4°C]] shorts'''</center>
# [[Career Day]]
# [[Evel Knievel Jump]] (aka "Prowl")
# [[Mime Time]] (aka "Bumblebee")
# [[Starscream Heckles Megatron]] (aka "Mocking Megatron")
# [[Explosive Punch]]
# [[Bulkhead Plays with Grimlock]]
# [[Ratchet Performs Surgery on Bulkhead]]
| style="background:#FFFFFF" colspan=3 valign="top" |<center>'''Other shorts'''</center>
# [[Meet Bulkhead]]
# [[Meet Ratchet]]
# [[Meet Bumblebee]]
# [[Meet Optimus Prime]]
# [[Meet Prowl]]
# [[Meet Megatron]]
# [[Meet Starscream]]
|}

==Creative staff==
There are some talented people working on this show. Among the more prominent-

{{collist|2|
*[[Sam Register]] - Executive Producer
*[[Marty Isenberg]] - Story Editor, Writer
*[[Irineo Maramba]] - Director, Character Designer
*[[Derrick J. Wyatt]] - Art Director
*[[Jeff Shiffman]] - Co-Sound Supervisor
}}

==Home video releases==
===United States===
The American releases feature full-screen video and stereo sound in both English and Spanish.
*'''Transform and Roll Out''' (DVD, June 22, 2008)
:A single DVD containing the feature-length premiere "Transform and Roll Out".
:Also includes the first two unaired shorts, "Career Day" and "Evel Knievel Jump".
:*A Target [[exclusive]] version came with a second disc containing the follow-up episode "Home Is Where the Spark Is".
*'''Season One''' (DVD, August 19 2008)
:A Two-disc set containing the complete first season, from "Home Is Where the Spark Is" to "Megatron Rising Part II".
:Also includes a season 2 "sneak peek" photo gallery.
*'''Season Two''' (DVD, Jan 6 2009)
:A Two-disc set containing the entirety of season 2, from "The Elite Guard" to "A Bridge to Close Part II", with audio commentary on selected episodes.
:Also includes the shorts "Starscream Heckles Megatron" and "Explosive Punch" and a photo gallery.

===United Kingdom===
Whereas in America the series was released in complete seasons, the UK instead got <s>screwed over</s> several single-disc "volumes" containing four episodes each, also featuring full-screen video, but with audio and subtitles in English and German. Yeah.
*'''Transform and Roll Out''' (DVD, August 4, 2008)
:Contains the feature-length premiere "Transform and Roll Out" and the shorts "Career Day" and "Evel Knievel Jump".
*'''Volume One: Blast from the Past''' (DVD, October 20, 2008)
:Contains the episodes "Home Is Where the Spark Is" through to "The Thrill of the Hunt".
*'''Volume Two: Lost and Found''' (DVD, June 15, 2009)
:Contains the episodes "Nanosec" through to "Lost and Found".
*'''Volume Three: Megatron Rising''' (DVD, June 15, 2009)
:Details yet to be announced.
*'''Volume Four: Mission Accomplished''' (DVD, June 15, 2009)
:Details yet to be announced.

===Germany===
Germany saw the same releases as the UK.
*'''Transformieren und Abfart''' (English: Transform and Roll Out) (DVD, September 10, 2008)
:Contains the feature-length premiere "Transform and Roll Out" and the shorts "Career Day" and "Evel Knievel Jump".
*'''Volume Eins: Drachenkämpfer''' (English: Dragon fighter(s)) (DVD, October 13, 2008)
:Contains the episodes "Home Is Where the Spark Is" through to "The Thrill of the Hunt".
*'''Volume Zwei: Die alten Waffen''' (English: The old weapons) (DVD, March 12, 2009)
:Contains the episodes "Nanosec" through to "Lost and Found".
*'''Volume Drei: Megatrons Auferstehung''' (English: Megatron's rebirth) (DVD, June 4, 2009)
:Details yet to be announced.

==Comic adaptations==
A [[Transformers Animated (IDW Publishing)|comic adaptation]] of the series was published by [[IDW Publishing]] starting in January 2008. The book used cartoon screen captures arranged in comic book style panels.

==Reception==
''Transformers Animated'' debuted January 5, 2008, at 10:30am EST as the number one television show among boys 6-11 in both cable and network television. In addition, the strength of the showing helped lift the ratings of all its neighboring shows in Cartoon Network's "Dynamite Action" scheduling block. <ref>[http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1701434,00.html ''Transformers Animated'' Premieres #1 on All Television Among Boys and Boosts Kids 6-11 and 2-11 Delivery by Powerful Double-Digits]</ref>

The immediate response to the earliest promotional materials from the online fandom was the [[Ruined FOREVER|painfully traditional one]], with an added dash of overblown paranoia that the franchise would be far too "[[Pokeformers|kid]]-[[Playskool|oriented]]" for longtime fans to enjoy, based on nothing more than its artistic style. Attitudes took an eyebrow-raisingly sharp turn with the premiere of the first footage from the show at the San Diego Comic Con and Hasbro's presentation at [[BotCon 2007]], and after the debut of the show, it was essentially only the most ardent "already-made-up-their-mind-to-hate-it" viewers who were speaking ill. In particular, many fears were alleviated with the airing of "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", which involved [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] savagely beating [[Lockdown]] for revenge, Ratchet coping with the loss of [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]'s memories, and a look at the horrors of war. This unusual level of maturity let many fans warm up to the new series.

The aforementioned ability of the series to carry on story arcs for multiple episodes and, in many cases, for an entire season also lends itself to enjoyment by older viewers. Multiple plot lines run simultaneously and are not resolved within a single episode, allowing a deeper, more intricate story than previous ''Transformers'' series. The return of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] took up most of season one, and the construction of the [[space bridge]] and the revelation of the identity of the Decepticon [[Shockwave (Animated)|traitor]] among the Autobots unfolded throughout the second season, while the mystery of [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] origin has been hinted at throughout the entire series.

==Notes==
[[Image:Tfa widescreen2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The fullscreen broadcast and DVD release (top) cuts the sides off the widescreen image (bottom).]]
* Despite being animated in a widescreen format, the series is delivered to Cartoon Network in a cropped-down, fullscreen format, and is subsequently broadcast this way. Alas, the series has been released on DVD in this format, too. Fans could glimpse various widescreen images in a promo reel screened at various conventions before the launch of the series, which was later included on the DVD packaged with action figure two-pack, "The Battle Begins".
* The series is the first in over a decade to re-establish the classic ''Generation 1'' convention of blue eyes for Autobots and red eyes for Decepticons... though there are [[Jetfire (Animated)|the]] [[Swindle (Animated)|occasional]] [[Wasp|exceptions]].
* As well as the aforementioned ''Generation 1'' voice actors, [[Townsend Coleman]] returns to a ''Transformers'' series. He voiced [[Rewind]] in the original ''Generation 1'' cartoon.
* Derrick Wyatt singles out ''[[wikipedia:Mighty Orbots|Mighty Orbots]]'' and the British comic ''[[wikipedia:2000 AD (comics)|2000 AD]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ''[[wikipedia:ABC Warriors|ABC Warriors]]'' strip as the biggest influences on the character designs, with [[wikipedia:Gainax|Gainax]] animation studio as a constant source of influence.<ref>[http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21975298&postID=8564559979841180115 Comment section of "Back from Botcon" entry in Derrick Wyatt's blog]</ref>
* In May 2008, when North American broadcasts of the series were only four episodes into season two, all the remaining episodes of the season aired in Dubai. While almost nobody in the fandom had personally seen these episodes (and no one had seen them in English as they were intended), gossip based on viewer reviews and screencaps resulted in many plot developments and potential surprises being spoiled. Hooray.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/ ''Animated'' character designer Derrick J. Wyatt's blog]
*[http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/transformersa/ The Cartoon Network's official ''Transformers Animated'' homepage]
*[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/animated/ Hasbro's official ''Transformers'' Animated homepage]

[[Category:Animated| Transformers Animated (cartoon)]]
[[Category:Continuities]]
[[Category:Television series]]

User talk:Interrobang

2009-05-16T01:08:29Z

Loudstone: /* Armada (Panini comics) category */ new section

===Fucking up the characters categories===
Cut it out! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:40, 19 October 2006 (UTC)

===Megatron (BW)===
Hey, Interrobang, you've written the entire ''Beast Wars'' fiction section in present tense. It should be in past tense. Couldja please fix it? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 04:04, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

----

Sorry if I wasn't aware of this, but has there been a discussion about making a "''series'' Character" category and putting all the characters into it?
Also, the Classics category does not belong in the Generation 1 category. The Classics Mini-cons aren't from G1, nor is Leo Prime. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 17:07, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

:Every new iteration of G1 has added unique characters. In DreamwaveG1, we got [[Fallen|the Fallen]], [[Gravitas]] and the other ancients, [[Backbite]] and his assassin team, etc. The IDW comics have given us a bunch of new humans and even a [[Calabi-Yau|named spaceship]]. ''Classics'' is likewise a G1 continuity because of its core cast and overall theme. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]]

::I ''think'' I read in some report out of BotCon that the Classics Mini-Cons are going to be considered part of a G1 universe. Can anyone confirm that? --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 17:58, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

::: I can. Forrest Lee stated the Classics Mini-Cons ARE, fictionally, part of the Classics "neo-G1" universe. Which I wholeheartedly approve of. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 19:15, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

::::My first reaction was, "WHAT fiction?" But then it occurred to me that the ''Classics'' line has already seeped into the IDW-G1 universe via Jetfire. How much crossover can happen before we consider them one and the same (well, as one-and-the-same as, say, DW-Energon and the Energon toys)?
:::::Doubt that'll happen. At the fan club magazine panel, [[Forest Lee]] said that next year's fan club newsletter comic storyline was probably going to use the Classics in a post-Marvel Comics universe. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 19:35, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

::::::Serious? Oh, rock ''on.'' - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 20:10, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

::::::Actually, I wonder how that'll square with their apparent plan to keep annually releasing the clear Energon combiner figures. Maybe those characters will jump out of the UT dimension and into the Marvel comic universe? - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 21:57, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

:::::::They will. Skyfall and Landquake will be taking center stage, and presumably combiner #3 will have ended up in G1-land, #4 in post-movie-land, etc. Also, Unicron is now a focal point of the comic too, so there you go. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 22:15, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

RE: [[Packrat]], [[Fractyl]], etc.: At what point does "speculation" become unsuitable for this Wiki when we're dealing with a storyline that can't be explained without severe untangling and hole-filling? Is it a matter of phrasing or italicizing? The bits you deleted weren't random, Neale-style "apocrypha." Those characters are on the outskirts of a major time-travel storyline that ends with an entire timeline being negated, canonically. And there are good reasons to think that their BW adventures went "poof" along with the rest. (See Derik and my discussion on [[Vice Grip]].) No, it's not a NECESSARY conclusion, nor did I suggest that it was. But it's a strong enough possibility that I think we do the Wiki a disservice if it's not mentioned. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 08:36, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
:Yeah, but you could have said it in under 20 words. '''And''' your time-altering explanation doesnt' fit the sequence of events. '''And'''... this is really more appropriate as a general entry on the main 3h Fiction page, nothign that their 'extra characters' fit badly aroudn the edges of the universe. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 08:49, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

The french version of firefox is not that helpfull on that matter. Sorry, I'll try to be more carefuul.

==Recent==
Sorry, I think I accidentally picked that up from whoever's line I edited on the Floro page. I'll go catch them all.--[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 04:35, 2 July 2007 (UTC)

==Re:Bulkhead edit==
"J'wan"? --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 07:10, 29 July 2007 (UTC)

=="Reverted on general principle"==
The guy's being obnoxious, but his edit has merit. I think he's just a little too young. I undid your edit in the process of trying to clean up the matter. --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 07:49, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

== Keywords ==

Please don't orphan pages by deleting sections you find aesthetically displeasing.

If you want to remove those sections then, ''at minimum'', it falls to you to to link those orphaned articles up. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 18:21, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

== Personal attacks in edit summaries ==

"Are you sure you don't have Asperger's?"

That was REALLY uncalled-for. --[[User:TVsGrady|TVsGrady]] 23:22, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

==Comic article titles==
I wish you would wait on moving a bunch of comic issue articles until we come to a desicion about what scheme to go with site-wide. It's being [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal#Comic Issues Naming Convention|slowly discussed on the community portal]]. I agree that we should be consistent, but I do not like the parantheses scheme you are moving things to. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 19:10, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

==Beast Wars timeline==
Hello, I've start a article [[Beast Era timeline|here]] by using some temporary file I write before, maybe you can help with that! ;D --[[User:TX55|TX55]] 04:47, 05 November 2007 (UTC)

== Graphy ==

Why would you capitalize the name of a dinosaur type? We don't capitalize the names of other animals in mid-sentence. (Okay, except weird ones that involve people's names, like a Thompson's gazelle, but still...)--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 23:24, 9 December 2007 (UTC)

==Popular alt-modes==

Yeah, I honestly made that edit (Overkill) expecting it would get reverted. For some reason I considered that the best method by which to point out what seemed to be the confusion. The anon seemed unaware of the Classics version from the customizing class, so his stance seemed to be based solely around the tape body. So I thought I'd point out the confusion.

Maybe we *should* specify bodies on the list, though, given this confusion? It may or may not be practical, and it also may or may not even be warranted. This is only the first time there's been a mistake, to my knowledge, so I'm not really going to push the issue hard. --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 18:17, 10 December 2007 (UTC)
:I dunno. We could do that if it came down to it, but so far, it's just one anon. If it's a recurring problem with other people, that's an option. [[User:Interrobang|Interrobang]] 18:22, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

==Quotes==
Uh, not to make all your work seem useless, but wouldn't it just be easier to have the quotation marks appear within the template and get it down with all at once rather than do it one article at a time? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 00:42, 15 December 2007 (UTC)
:I think I've noted him inserting italics formatting here and there, so the quotes aren't 100% universal to the needs of the template.--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 01:13, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

==Category changes==
Hey, Interrobang -- I wish you wouldn't make such sweeping category changes without posting a notice to the relevant talk page first, just to double-check things. For example, the discussion in [[Category talk:Siblings]] sort of went in a "let's have a general category for all relatives" direction without quite reaching consensus. Now that the siblings category is empty, it will be a lot more work to fill up a "has relatives" category if/when we make one, because we'll have to "rediscover" all the sibling articles. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 21:59, 17 December 2007 (UTC)
:Well, the discussion had been lingering around for ''19 months''. I assumed nobody particularly cared about the thing anymore. If you need the sibling articles, you can just look in my "User contributions". My editing sprees are mostly unbroken. [[User:Interrobang|—‽]] 00:44, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
::Yes, it had stagnated for a very long time. However, even a brief glance at that discussion shows that support was not there for a straight-up "delete". --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 05:49, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

== your fucked up signature ==

Could you change your signature so it actually includes your user name? I like being able to see who made a comment without having to see the destination of the link.

Either way, I shall now call you "The Editor Formerly Known As Interrobang" --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 00:55, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
:No problem! [[User:Interrobang|—"‽" is an Interrobang]] 01:37, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

:way to not know an interrobang when you see one. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 12:55, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

::The Japanese must never learn of this. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 17:37, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
:::It ''does'' have the feeling of something the Japanese would latch on to without realizing it's barely known in English, doesn't it? (Though strange Hydra kept removing interrobangs when I put them in his article titles...) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:12, 18 December 2007 (UTC)
I like "‽," it's all clever 'n stuff. Does it work on macs? A lot of extended character-set stuff doesn't. (You could use for a mouseover- but I suspect some users just want it to be readable.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:12, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

It does work on a Mac but that does not take away from the total uselessness of the name... it didn't work for Prince and it doesn't work here either [[User:Gspro15198|Gspro15198]] 23:25, 18 December 2007 (UTC)

==Boxart scans/DVD covers==
Perhaps you should have read the Rewind/Eject discussion before taking a shot a me. The discussion I had with Walky was about poor quality scans that were jagged and badly cut out, and eventually steve-o agreed. As for the DVD covers I plan on uploading images of every DVD release of Transformers from the various distributors over time. Also, I left Amazon's white space intact because '''wide''' images are easier to format the page to than '''tall''' images. Tall images, without enough text, either cuts into other sections or create massive whitespace. I have uploaded alot of images, so I know from experience how they affect formatting, you know. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 08:23, 22 December 2007 (UTC)

==Brawn lives==
Interro, you deleted legitimate content from the [[Brawn]] article without an edit summary ''and'' marked the edit as minor.[http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Brawn&diff=127964&oldid=127854] Please be more careful. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 05:49, 23 December 2007 (UTC)

==Home is Where the Spark Is==
Hi. I'm putting the slumber party stuff back in that you took out. It's childish and emasculating, but it's canon.--[[User:Suzyprime|Suzyprime]] 23:45, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
:Just what are you talking about? —Interrobang 23:48, 5 January 2008 (UTC)
::No big deal. Just an edit. If it wasn't you, I apologize. Again, no big deal.--[[User:Suzyprime|Suzyprime]] 23:53, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

==J-category work==
I see you're doing a lot of category work, including some Japanese guys. I was going to send my bot to change all the Japan-only's to Japanese-origin's. Will that interfere with your subgroup stuff? --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 02:26, 6 January 2008 (UTC)

==Comic issue re-arrangement==
When did we decide to change the comic book article format to be the same as the cartoon episode formats? --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 00:00, 13 January 2008 (UTC)

==Deletion==
That's not going to make him go away and you fucking know it. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 00:40, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
:Have to agree. He's having us delete the evidence he was here because he wants to try to sneak back in. He's not doing it very ''smartly'', but he's made plain what his intentions are.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 00:43, 14 January 2008 (UTC)
::Call it optimism for stupid people. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 00:45, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

See? Told you so. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 20:51, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

== Generation One/1 ==

"One" has been used by Hasbro in tons of G1 product - Reissues and Heroes of Cybertron most prominently. It appears to be Hasbro's preferred way of spelling it out. --[[User:Spectre|Spectre]] 00:55, 16 January 2008 (UTC)

== I blanked your Mom's talk page last night. ==

I blanked it all night long. --[[User:Slander|Slander]] 17:43, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

== JBW Power Surge ==

空中山脈大爆破 literally translates as "air mountain range big explosion," but for flow, I'd translate it as "The Sky-Mountains Explode".--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 06:08, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

==Italicized punctuation==
I don't know why that cheeses you off so much, but there's actually a discussion going on about it over in [[Help talk:Style guide#Italics and Punctuation|Help talk:Style guide]]. I think JW's option #1 looks a lot better, but I hadn't weighed in because I didn't think it was important enough to define for the Wiki. I guess if people really care about it, then we should. - [[User:Jackpot|Jackpot]] 21:40, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

==Stubs==
If you're going to make incomplete pages, please mark them as stubs so they show up in the list. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 22:46, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

==ROC==
...did we decide to move ROC things from (G1) to (ROC) between when I got to bed in the morning and when I got up? When did we decide to do it this way? We had a discussion about this long ago. I didn't think it had been decided amongst us to be repealed, but I guess I could have missed the two-hour window in which it was discussed and revoked. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 16:14, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:Er? I didn't move anything from "(G1)" to "(ROC)". What I did move was "(Battlestars)" (which Sipher did) to "(ROC)" and various "(Autobot)"s or "(Decepticon)"s to "(G1)" because they're the only characters with that name in the G1 line. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:20, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
::Isn't Return of Convoy still part of G1? --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 16:25, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:::I'm talking in terms of toylines. ''Return of Convoy'' is as much the same toyline as G1 as G2 is. Or ''Energon'' to ''Armada''. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:31, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
::::As far as I've heard, all G1 means is "everything before G2." --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 16:34, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::Then what do we call the original toyline and cartoon series? Because they aren't the same thing as the Japanese sequel series. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 16:37, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
::::::Okay, I see your point now. Still, having, for example, [[Bombshock (G1)]] and [[Bombshock (ROC)]] doesn't seem quite right to me, as they're both considered to be G1 characters. I'm not sure what was wrong with using (Autobot) and (Decepticon). --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 17:03, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
:::::::The ROC guy is a G1 character in the loose sense that he's in the same continuity family. I don't see what the big issue is, as we have both the disambig template and the continuity note to clarify matters for the reader. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 18:06, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

=="Revert out-universeness"==
Why did you revert my change to Decepticon Super Scramble? Do you think that this article should omit where this character comes from? What does "out-universeness" mean? (I'm a little new here; I'd appreciate you filling me in.)--[[User:GrantB|GrantB]] 18:21, 16 March 2008 (UTC)
:Nevermind, FortMax let me know. Why isn't this term in any of the help pages? (or did I miss it?)--[[User:GrantB|GrantB]] 03:46, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

== Formatted Japanese Text ==

I won't argue with your de-italicizing of the Japanese text on [[Shūta Gō]]'s page, as readability is always good. Just FYI, the italicized Japanese looked just fine on my screen. It's probably a function of whatever Japanese fonts are available through one's interface.--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 08:35, 4 April 2008 (UTC)

== [[AllSpark]] ==

#It originally went just to the "movie thing"
#Wait... the "movie thing"'s two words, and I just went through and removed all one-word links to the "movie thing" anyway.
#You're petitioning to have [[All Spark|All Spark (Movie)]] moved back to [[All Spark]], and the dimension's at [[Allspark]] (one word, no cap "S"). Since that leaves the "Animated thing" as the only "AllSpark" (one word, cap "S"), shouldn't that get the redirect all to itself? - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:45, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
:No, because "AllSpark" has been used to refer to the All Spark. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 15:52, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

== Universe ==

Hey, in the future, can you please name the toy section heading 'Universe (2008)' even if the character never had a toy in the 2003 Universe line? Thanks --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 21:23, 26 April 2008 (UTC)

==Preview Bastard?==
{{preview bastard}}{{unsigned|SanityorMadness}}
:On what planet does Interrobang deserve this notice?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 17:42, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

Well, in the past DAY (all of these are consecutive edits - i.e., no-one else edits in-between):
*[[Dirge (G1)‎]] - three edits in three minutes (including two edits in a minute)
*[[Acid Storm]] - three edits in four minutes
*[[Rainmaker]] - three edits in four minutes
*[[Autotransforming‎]] - four edits in three minutes (including two edits in a minute)
*[[Soundwave (Animated)]] - two edits in a minute
*[[Jazz (Animated)‎]] - three edits in two minutes
*[[Ironhide (Animated)‎]] - two edits in a minute
*[[News Bot]] - two edits in three minutes
*[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)]] - three edits in three minutes (including two edits in a minute)
I think that adds up to "this planet" - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 18:16, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
:We usually reserve this template for ''problem'' users who make edits along the line of ten revisions to add a sentence. Not two edits within a minute. You're kinda presuming things putting a warning template on a guy who does a lot of good maintenance work on this wiki.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 20:33, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
::Well, I had it bunged on my talk page after a 2×2 edit on [[Prime (rank)]] (meaning I edited two sections, with two edits for each section, over a total of seven minutes, with one tagged as minor). I was taking my lead from that - I've certainly never done anything near "ten revisions to add a sentence" - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 20:56, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
:::EVERYBODY goofs up sometimes, you, me, them, everybody! We're all only human. As Rosi said, the PB tag is just for new folks who ''clearly'' don't realize what the Preview button is for or that they're causing problems by not using it. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 21:04, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
::::In that case, I get it. As I said, I was going by the... rapidity... by which it was used on my user talk, and it seems like *checks* JW "goofed" there. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 21:19, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
:::::I wouldn't have given that to you, either. I don't have a problem with a few edits to spruce up the content in ways you didn't notice before. That's what I do. Like Rosicrucian said, it's mostly for anonymous editors (usually with terrible English) who need a ridiculous amount of edits to add something that gets removed, anyway. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 21:34, 1 May 2008 (UTC)
:[http://transformers.wikia.com/index.php?title=Special:Recentchanges&hideminor=1&limit=500 I have a solution for you.] [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 20:16, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

== "Garbage In, Garbage Out"—Ellipses ==

Just FYI, the typography I learned for ellipses is that they do not take a space before or after when placed in mid-sentence to represent a pause in speech. Is there a style guide that indicates otherwise?--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 03:18, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
:Shamefully, I can't really find anything about this case. My best guess is that this is just an informal rule I picked up in school and either form is fine. Regardless, I won't bother with the space anymore until I find something concrete on this. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 03:31, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
::Sounds like a plan. Wish all discussions here were as amicable and readily settled.--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 03:44, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
:::You both suck! Also, your moms! They also suck! --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:45, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
::::Aaah, my sense of normalcy is restored.--[[User:Apcog|Apcog]] 03:51, 5 May 2008 (UTC)

== Spoiler warning ==

I get that the info I added may have annoyed editors, but the warning seems to claim that I did so without a spoiler warning, which I did, and the info is both officially released by Hasbro, and verifiable (I did not add anything of text, only images, which are easy enough to verify without understanding the language). I understand the wanting to wait until North America airs it, which is why I only added on the talk page, but I don't think I actually violated the reasoning the Spoiler policy page gives for that stipulation. So basically, I'm not sure I understand why I was jumped on and given warnings.[[User:KrytenKoro|KrytenKoro]] 22:09, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

==Shattered Glass redirects==
[[Category talk:Shattered Glass characters|This]] is where a discussion was held on the whole Shattered Glass/Timelines thing was held. Granted, somebody seriously jumped the gun, but there was some discussion. Would that be better suited for the community portal? -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 18:59, 28 May 2008 (UTC)

== Tatakai ==

<nowiki>*snuggle*</nowiki> You made my ugly edits less ugly. :~) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 22:34, 1 June 2008 (UTC)

==Try reading the articles, please. The Hasbro Roadblock TOY is a different character==

No need to get snarky about it. So I miss understood. All is now made clear and doesn't require snark...ironically, I'm starting to get snarky so I'll shut up now

Small problem. Does this mean we have to create an entirely seperate article just for the Roadblock toy?[[User:GWolfv2]] 19.32 June 14th
: AN ARTICLE FOR THE ROADBLOCK TOY'S CHARACTER EXISTS. THIS IS WHAT THE ARGUMENT YOU ARE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 18:35, 14 June 2008 (UTC)
::I....didn't realise I was having an argument...[[User:GWolfv2]] 14th June 2008

== Import screw-up FYI. ==

The screwed up files that are TOTALLY nonsensical like "Qqgjipp1fp70z9aeh36gevvhuvuc1mm.jpg‎" are being flagged for deletion by Deceptitran. The ones I see you flagging- with partially-nonsense-partially-english names are not.

If you have a list of fucky filenames, I can add them to Deceptitra's queue. (It doesn't even have to be a clean list, i copy-and pasted out of the log to get mine and just used a regular expression to grab out the names.) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 03:25, 20 March 2009 (EDT)
:It should be easy to sort out the fucked names; they all start with either "2008" or "2007". Maybe "2006". They're all holdovers from the uploading after the move from Wikia. A lot of those were deleted, but some still remained. I'm not sure how to go around making a list, since it'd be massive and made up of thousands of entries, since those images are so dispersed. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 03:37, 20 March 2009 (EDT)
::Basically, they're all Old Versions. When you upload an image on top of an old one, the old file gets renamed to YearMonthDayHourMinuteSecond!(oldname) on the server (I forget if it's the time it was uploaded, or the time you upload the replacement, but I suspect the former). The script that uploaded them couldn't distinguish between the old versions and the current ones, and so uploaded the old ones as if they WERE current versions. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 20:02, 25 March 2009 (EDT)

Do they all have an exclamation point in the middle of their name?
I see about 200 for 2007, and 360 for 2006.
None for 2008 though, which makes me think that my 2007 list is incomplete (or there'd be more on it.) I'll flag the ones I can find. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:01, 20 March 2009 (EDT)
:Yeah, they all have exclamation points after the string of numbers. There should be some 2008s, they're the ones I saw most often. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:15, 20 March 2009 (EDT)
::Thanks for the heads-up man, in addition to the 700 or so I flagged last night, there's more than 8000 I flagged today. (I found a better search method.) Never would've found 'em if I didn't know what to look for. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:58, 20 March 2009 (EDT)
:::''Eight thousand''? I feel sorry for the administrator who wants to clean up the backlog... [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 00:01, 21 March 2009 (EDT)
::::Typo-- 800. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 20:14, 25 March 2009 (EDT)
:::::...and decreasing.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 20:15, 25 March 2009 (EDT)
::::::Gone now.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 21:31, 26 March 2009 (EDT)
:::::::Or... not. See [[Special:Uncategorizedimages]], where there's at least a couple of hundred of them left. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 21:45, 26 March 2009 (EDT)

Those are a bit harder to do in one big swoop. I was sticking to cleaning out the speedy deletion queue, as there's nothing lost if I just delete the whole dang category's contents. That category you've pointed out is a mixed bag, as it has more than a few legitimate images in it. Likely good to hold off on those until Derik has sicced the bot on 'em, unless you feel like tagging them by hand. As it is I ended up deleting around 800 of 'em from the speedy cat, so I'm kind of pooped. Even categorized it's still pretty much hand-done, just mindlessly so with sixteen tabs open at a time.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 22:00, 26 March 2009 (EDT)
:Should also be noted that the ones that you're spotting that are ***px-filename.ext are thumbnails generated by the wiki software, and then snagged by our mass import. Those should be fairly easy fodder for Deceptitran tagging them.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 22:30, 26 March 2009 (EDT)
::I know what they are. Hell, I tagged them all as speedies once already
::As for Deceptitran, I don't think it's looking - and there aren'T that many of them, certainly not even a fraction of thee number of YearMonthDayHourMinSec!filename.ext stuff, so I doubt it's worth Derik's time to code a filter. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 22:51, 26 March 2009 (EDT)

== Cracking work! ==

The G1 episode pages are looking awesome! --[[User:Abates|abates]] 19:46, 25 March 2009 (EDT)
:Hey, can I suggest doing [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]] next, since it's current? :) --[[User:Abates|abates]] 04:27, 27 March 2009 (EDT)
::Sure! It's slightly less work than G1, since I don't have to do the Japanese name stuff. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 04:31, 27 March 2009 (EDT)

==Removal of "|series2=" in RiD episodes==
Which is my question, that is. Considering A/E/C has their respective ML/SL/GF "|series2=" in their episode templates, so why remove Car Robots from RiD? :? --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 07:40, 21 April 2009 (EDT)
:Uh, why do they? They should only be used when the numbering or episode order is different. Otherwise is just redundant. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 13:30, 21 April 2009 (EDT)
::If only for posterity's sake. ;D Then again, I'm kinda stubborn on details like that. =P --[[User:Lonegamer78|Lonegamer78]] 16:42, 21 April 2009 (EDT)

==Little harsh?==
:[http://tfwiki.net/w2/index.php?title=Image:Laserbeak_Animated.jpg&curid=37437&diff=280431&oldid=280067&rcid=99373 Cool down, dude.] --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 21:21, 25 April 2009 (EDT)
::My shift key sticks, and my attention was focused on the television while typing that edit summary, so I didn't notice the CAPSLOCK till it was too late and it comes across as more harsh than intended. I apologize. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 21:37, 25 April 2009 (EDT)

== Witwicky ==

Sorry for the inconvenience. I thought "Witwicky" could use a little disambig-uation. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 23:28, 26 April 2009 (EDT)
:The problem with that (and frankly, 99% of the disambiguation templates we maintain) is that nobody will go to those pages looking for "Witwicky". Because if they were looking for it, they'd be typing "Witwicky" in the search box in the first place. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 23:31, 26 April 2009 (EDT)
::All their pages should probably link to [[Witwicky]] somewhere. I don't have a better idea where. The page is, more a less, a big disambiguation page. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 23:38, 26 April 2009 (EDT)
:::Three options I can think of: 1) make a link out of the last part of their names; 2) say they're "part of the [[Witwicky]] family"; 3) make a "see also" section. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 23:41, 26 April 2009 (EDT)
::::1) sounds the best even if it would look a little ugly to have half their name linked. I would put it in the italicized continuity note rather than their bolded first instance of their name. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 09:13, 27 April 2009 (EDT)
:::::That actually works out pretty nicely. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 11:00, 27 April 2009 (EDT)

== Featured article template ==
What is up with moving featured article tempates onto talk pages? They really don't belong there. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 23:03, 6 May 2009 (EDT)
:May I suggest rather than arbitrarily stripping the template from all articles and adding it to their talkpages, you have a gander at [[Template talk:Featured|this discussion]]?--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 23:03, 6 May 2009 (EDT)

== Matrix Quest, etc ==

I don't think this or the other original movie issues should be an IDW Generation 1 issue. That's sorta reserved for the ones withing their unique continuity. --[[User:MistaTee|MistaTee]] 23:55, 13 May 2009 (EDT)

== Armada (Panini comics) category ==

Hey, I noted you changed the category on Armada (Panini comics) from <nowiki>[[Category:Armada]] to [[Category:Armada| Armada (Panini comic)]]</nowiki>. Since I've never seen that before, I'm just curious as to where in the wiki that information is used, and what benefit it has?

Botanica (BM)

2009-05-16T00:54:33Z

Loudstone: Fix links

{{factions|maximalbm}}
:''Botanica is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Botanica TechnorganicRobot.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The fandom somehow failed to [[Arcee (G1)|clamor]] for this one.]]
The Transformers have taken on myriad alternate forms over the years, but '''Botanica''' remains unique: she transforms into a mobile alien plant creature. She is competent and powerful, as well as a bit mystical, and has a strong connection to the planet and an affinity for growing things. A scientist first and foremost, she can be fastidious and fussy in her dedication to her work—sometimes to the point of overlooking the things that matter most.

==Fiction==
===''Beast Machines'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kathleen Barr]] (English), [[Atsuko Tanaka]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Botanica OriginalPlantMode.jpg|left|180px|thumb|REFORMAT ME, SEYMOUR.]]

Botanica captained the same sort of exploration mission that the [[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]] originally undertook. Landing on a [[Regalis V|planet]] dominated by plant life, including the mobile variety, her crew adopted forms based upon them to blend in and study them.

[[Image:Botanica5.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"Botanica, Triffid mode!"]]

When they received [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s fake distress signal, Botanica left the world and her crew behind and returned to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], where she was shot down. When [[Optimus Primal]] and his [[Maximal|Maximals]] investigated [[Botanica's ship|her ship]], they found her in a feral state. In her mobile, possibly carnivorous plant mode, she attacked them and then fled underground, spreading seeds as she went. The seeds immediately sprouted into various plants, the most insidious being rapidly-growing vines. Primal worried that, left unchecked, the plants she was producing would "destroy" the planet. She was somehow drawn to the technorganic orchard (and, Cheetor noted, its pipeline to the planet's organic core). Catching up with her there, Primal noticed that she was sparking the way the Maximals had when they were infected with Megatron's [[Transformation virus|virus]]. This gave him the idea to [[Reformatting|reformat]] her, which restored her sanity. She explained, "[Megatron's] attack shorted out my ship, along with my higher reasoning protocols." She had been acting out of pure self-preservation, but once she could think clearly, she became an instant ally. This was lucky for the Maximals, who were immediately set upon by [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. Botanica converted to robot mode (notably without any training from Primal) and unleashed a chain-lightning attack that reduced a phalanx of [[Tank Drone]]s to dust. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Image:Botanica LightningWeb.jpg|left|150px|thumb|We'll let you just go and win the war for us, then.]]

However, she seldom used her weaponry, arguing that the more the Maximals fought Megatron, the more they became like him. She instead spent all her time and energy tending to the orchard. Although Cheetor and Blackarachnia resented this, Primal accepted her reasons, and also reminded his team that they were more than enough to fight Megatron and [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]. However, Botanica soon received a vision from the [[Allspark|Matrix]], which showed her how much pain Cybertron was in. Botanica abandoned her pacifism and joined in the fight, saving the Maximals from a trap [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] had formed. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}}

[[Image:Rattrap bm treehugger.jpg|right|150px|thumb|If you like to talk to tomatoes, if a squash can make you smile...]]

When Megatron was presumed dead, Botanica returned her focus to the orchard, with the help of a reluctant Rattrap. They began arguing over the other's respective priorities, but eventually [[Kiss|kissed]]. Despite pledging to delete it from memory, they showed obvious concern for each other. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}} When the still alive Megatron launched an attack on the Maximal held [[Grand Mal]], they were forced to raise the shields, which cut Botanica off from the [[organic core]]. Rattrap jettisoned her into an escape pod with a field projecting the same harmonics as the Grand Mal's shields, saving Botanica's life but also allowing Megatron to fire through the shields. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}}

When Megatron was finally destroyed and Cybertron reformatted, Botanica eventually formed a romantic relationship with [[Rattrap]]. So she likes small rodents. Deal with it. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===
{{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

{{Stub}}

==Notes==
* Botanica's pre-production name was '''Binary'''.

* Botanica is a rarity, in that she was a major recurring heroic character in a ''Transformers'' television show, but was apparently ''never'' intended to have a toy.

[[Image:Botanica OriginalBody.jpg|right|200px|thumb|They laughed at the idea of a "ship's gardener." Oh, how they laughed.]]

* Assuming the Transformer seen in silhouette at right is Botanica, she remains the only plant-based Transformer ever seen in the canon. She states the other members of her crew also took plant modes, so she's not unique within the fictional universe. However, judging by the reactions of Optimus Primal and the other Maximals, they had either never heard of "Plantformers" before, or they are extremely rare. ([[Saberback]] and [[Sling]] could each partially transform themselves into plant-like shapes for disguise purposes, but in both the toys and the fiction these were not "full-body" transformations, instead more like a cloaking mode, and they were never purported to be living plants.)

* Yet another point of rarity: In both plant and robot mode, she has four hands (her arms divide at the elbow), and no true legs (she has roots in plant mode, and a sort of "hoverskirt" in robot mode).

* Another oddity: Botanica's technorganic transformation is different from all the others; instead of being surrounded by coloured lights, a ring of technorganic plants spring up, and shrink down, revealing her robot mode.

* Despite her pacifist ways, Botanica is well-armed, with several weapons at her disposal, including energy projectiles, electrical fields, and a "chain-lightning" attack that leaps from one enemy to another. Huh. [[Mirage (G1)|Surprisingly well-armed for someone]] [[Ratchet (Movie)|who doesn't like to fight]].

* The planet that Botanica and her crew were sent to explore is apparently Planet Jungle from Mainframe Entertainment's other toyline-based cartoon [[wikipedia:Shadow_Raiders|'''Shadow Raiders''']]. Whether this is an intentional crossover or simply due to the recycling of backgrounds and animation models for budget reasons is unclear.

[[Category:Beast Machines characters]]
[[Category:Fiction-only characters]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Maximals]]
[[Category:Plants]]
[[Category:Scientists]]

Talk:Botanica (BM)

2009-05-16T00:49:25Z

Loudstone:

I feel I shoiuld point out this picture of Botanica is in her Beast Mode, which is fairly nonstandard for character pictures. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:50, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

== Pre-Plant Robot ==

There's no particular reason to believe that the pre-plant robot in the spaceship's doorway is in fact Botanica. Could be another member of her crew, for all we know. (I'm not saying we should cut the pic, but the point bears discussion.) [[User:JW|JW]] 02:12, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

The writers have apparently stated that Botanicas crew stayed on the planet they explored at least thats what Ben Yees site said[[User:Bobtherandomguy|Bobtherandomguy]] 17:09, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

== "Plantworld" ==

Should we have a separate article about the planet that Botanica's crew landed on? Just a thought. [[User:Darktruth|Darktruth]] 18:32, 24 December 2007 (UTC)

== Animated gif? ==

Since her Transformation is so unique, shoudn't we have an animated gif of it down in the trivia section where it's metioned? Cuz I have one. [[User:Fannus Maximus|Fannus Maximus]] 17:51, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

:Not a bad idea. [[User:The Jedi|The Jedi]] 18:40, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

::I found one! I think it should be uploaded. So, it was written. So it shall be done. [[User:The Jedi|The Jedi]] 19:27, 26 February 2008 (UTC)

:::It was acting weird for a minute, but after I re-uploaded the gif, it worked much better. [[User:The Jedi|The Jedi]] 19:35, 26 February 2008 (UTC)
::::Hmm, where did it go? --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 20:49, 15 May 2009 (EDT)

== Four Hands? ==
In the notes, it is stated "Yet another point of rarity: In both plant and robot mode, she has four hands (her arms divide at the elbow)". However, this isn't true, in her robot mode her split arms merge, leaving her with strange hands, but only two of them. --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 20:49, 15 May 2009 (EDT)

Jazz (Animated)

2009-05-11T23:58:04Z

Loudstone: fix cleanup template

{{cleanup|May 2009|Fiction text needs further cleanup}}

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

[[Image:TFA Jazz promoimage.JPG|right|228px|thumb|"When push comes to shove, you've gotta do what you love, even if it's not a good idea!"]]
Though a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]], '''Jazz''' is a bit of an independent thinker. He's reluctant to disobey orders, but he has more of an appreciation for the finer things than his compatriots. This is evidenced in his better choice of vehicle mode disguise, a "sweet ride" drawn from Earth culture. He is a [[Cyber-Ninja Corps|Cyber-Ninja]], like [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. However, his training is more progressed, and instead of ninja stars he wields a pair of nunchaku. He seems to be the only one of the Elite Guard willing to learn, and fits in with the Earth team pretty well.

He is ''incredibly'' cool.

{{bigquote|Any species that can come up with a sweet ride like this can't be all bad!|Jazz digs his new [[Alternate mode|altmode]] and the humans that created it|[[The Elite Guard]]}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

:''Voice actor'': [[Phil LaMarr]] (English), [[Jens-Uwe Bogadtke]] (German)

{{note|Events from IDW Publishing are in italics}}
[[Image:Freaked jazz-1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Booga booga!]]
Jazz accompanied [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] to [[Earth]] to retrieve [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]'s crew and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. When Magnus ordered Jazz to activate a [[force field]] around [[Elite Guard flagship|their ship]] to prevent [[Human|organic]] contamination, Jazz expressed interest in getting a closer look at them. This caused Sentinel Prime to warn Jazz that the organics would eventually spit acidic goo that would melt through his body armor and destroy vital [[Circuits|circuitry]]. Jazz was...less willing to meet the organics after that.

[[Image:Jazzanimatedaltmode.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Suddenly, Bumblebee's less popular.]]
When [[Sari Sumdac]] managed to sneak aboard their ship, he tried to send her out without provoking her. When she realized that Jazz was afraid of her, she tried to scare him. After [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] explained that Humans were harmless (and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] explained that Sentinel Prime was a jerk), Jazz accompanied the Autobots to a Sumdac manufacturing plant that was going haywire. Jazz and Prowl managed to keep the AllSpark-powered [[police drone]]s away from Sari and Optimus long enough for Sari to shut down the assembly line. He and Prowl traded several martial arts-centered quips throughout the battle, talking about [[Metallikato]] moves like the "[[Five Servos of Doom]]" attack. {{storylink|The Elite Guard|The Elite Guard}}

When Ultra Magnus started to receive reports of [[Decepticon]] uprisings at the rim of the galaxy, Jazz commented that it was probably because they'd "got wind" that [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] was still online.

[[Image:Sentinel vs Optimus%2C with Jazz in the middle.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Right now, we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting the bad guy. Dig?"]]
Later, Jazz noticed a spike in AllSpark energy, and Ultra Magnus took him to investigate, leaving Sentinel Prime to watch Optimus Prime. Their combined attempt to remove the "SmallSpark", which [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] had booby-trapped, failed, and they were blown off the train in which it was embedded. Optimus and his crew, with the help of Sari and the [[Key]], successfully and safely removed the AllSpark fragment, but Jazz could only watch as they received a dressing-down from Ultra Magnus for becoming involved. Then Starscream himself crashed to Earth, courtesy of Megatron's cannon, and knocked out Magnus. Jazz turned to Sentinel for orders, but the panicking Guardsbot was unable to think of anything. Optimus took over, directing his crew and Sari to various tasks; and himself, Jazz and Sentinel to take down Starscream—although Jazz needed to talk down the posturing pair of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] before they could get to fighting the bad guy.

His nunchaku proved ineffective, however, and he was swiftly knocked out, leaving Optimus to save the day again. Jazz later escorted Optimus's crew in taking the [[Stasis lock|stasis locked]] and gagged Starscream to be imprisoned in the Elite Guard's ship, before the three Guardsbots and their ship departed, leaving Optimus and his crew to deal with the remaining Decepticons on Earth. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished|Mission Accomplished}}

Jazz was present as Starscream escaped the Elite Guard ship. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon|A Fistful of Energon}}

''When the Elite Guard decided to begin [[Safeguard (Animated)|Project Safeguard]], Jazz and Sentinel voiced dissent, stating that Autobots don't fly. Jazz's discomfort only worsened when he saw [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]]. He was soon assigned to train them. While taking them on in battle to guage their abilities, Jazz seemingly won quite quickly, but as soon as he turned his back the twins defeated him with ease. Later, he was observing the twins in simulated training when [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] tried putting Starscream's coding into the program. The Starscream code took over, trapping the twins and preventing Jazz and Sentinel from disconnecting them. They were powerless to help, and the twins had to save themselves by discovering the ability to merge into Safeguard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Jazz was later onboard the Elite Guard ship, along with Ultra Magnus and Sentinel, during the galactic battles with the Decepticon rebels when the received a transmission from [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]] requesting back-up. Jazz had told him to hold on a little longer. But by the time the Elite Guard had arrived, [[Team Chaar]] had already left, albiet [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] orders. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] had later sent Jazz, accompanied by Sentinel, Jetfire, and Jetstorm, to go after the supposed traitor [[Wasp]]. However, Wasp had retreated to Earth, much to Longarm's dismay, as he had ordered all contact with that planet be filtered through him. Despite this, Jazz and the others still went after the traitor. When they found Optimus Prime's crew, they revealed that Longarm was really Shockwave, a Decepticon double-agent, and that Wasp had been innocent the whole time. Despite this, Sentinel Prime still wanted Wasp brought in, but the crazed Autobot got away. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

Sentinel had later succeeded in capturing [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], and [[Lugnut]], leaving [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] to suspect he was getting help. Jazz had this suspicion, too, and followed him to find that he was bargaining with [[Lockdown|a double-dealing bounty scum]]. Jazz and the others defeated Lockdown, along with [[Liar Starscream|another Decepticon fugitive]]. While they had captured the clone, Lockdown had escaped. Jazz later became impressed by Prowl's new armor, especially [[Yoketron]]'s helmet. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

When Sentinel realised he was needed on Cybertron, the Elite Guard packed up and headed for home. Jazz was disappointed, as he had enjoyed being on Earth. {{storylink|Predacons Rising}}

On the return trip, Jazz and Sentinel were contacted by the Autobot council, who wished to discuss Sentinel's temporary promotion. Sentinel let this go to his head, and told Jazz to refer to him as "Commander". He also directed Jazz to take them through an unstable ion storm, despite Jazz's protests. As Jazz piloted them in, energy from the storm somehow restored Swindle, who had been stuck in [[Alternate mode|altmode]]. Swindle instigated a prisoner break, releasing the other Decepticons, and lead them in an attack on the Elite Guard. Jazz requested that Sentinel contact Cybertron for help, but fearing repercussions for allowing the escape to happen on his watch, he sent a coded message to Optimus instead. Appearing unexpectedly through a Transwarp link within Swindle's chest, Optimus Prime was able to free the Elite Guard. He then made sure the Decepticons could hear him order Jazz to modify the ship's decontamination chamber to freeze its occupants. However, he simultaneously gave Jazz a secret coded order to set up the chamber to freeze those ''outside'' of it. Thus, when the Decepticons eventually recaptured the Autobots and placed them in the chamber, it backfired, allowing the Autobots to escape and recapture all the prisoners but Swindle and [[Lugnut]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{spoiler|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

Having returned to Cybertron, Jazz began chafing under Sentinel Magnus' militant approach. When [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Captain Fanzone]] accidentily transwarped to Cybertron, Jazz followed orders and helped capture them. However, once they had escaped he tailed them, and eventually helped them by granting them access to the Elite Guard infirmary so they could search for [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. After battling [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], Ratchet was able to recapture the [[Stormbringer (Animated)|Magnus Hammer]], but refused to give it to Sentinel. Instead, he escaped took it with him back to Earth, intent on keeping it from Sentinel and protecting it for Ultra Magnus. Sentinel started to follow him, but Jazz volunteered to go instead. Upon his arrival on Earth, he informed Rathchet that he'd had enough of Sentinel and promptly volunteered his services to the Earthbound Autobots. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animated jazz both mode1.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Enter the Dragon Wagon]]
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories'': 2 side-pipe "energy chucks"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' deluxes, Jazz transforms into a car that looks like a cross between [[Jazz (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] and a 1950s Corvette. The toy features translucent blue [[light-piping]] for its visor, as well as translucent blue headlights. Curiously, all the toy's vehicle mode windows are ''also'' cast from this plastic, but tinted black by [[Paint application|paint applications]]. The toy's exhaust pipes can be removed from its forearms, and are connected by a short length of string to serve as nunchaku-style "energy chucks" weapons.

{{-}}

[[Image:BumperBattlers Jazz toy.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Comes with the world's shortest jump rope.]]
*'''Jazz''' (Bumper Battler, 2008)

:Jazz is part of the second wave of [[Bumper Battlers]]. Pressing on the vehicle mode's front bumper activates electronic noises and pops up the roof, revealing a relief of Jazz's robot form. Pressing on the Autobot faction symbol on the hood activates a random string of sound effects and voice samples from the samples available on the toy's sound chip.
{{-}}
==Trivia==
* Jazz's [[Character model|model sheet]] identifies his weapons as "Laser Nunchako." {{fact}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm Jazz at TFU.info]

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

Jazz (Animated)

2009-05-11T23:57:20Z

Loudstone:

{{cleanup|Fiction text needs further cleanup}}

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

[[Image:TFA Jazz promoimage.JPG|right|228px|thumb|"When push comes to shove, you've gotta do what you love, even if it's not a good idea!"]]
Though a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]], '''Jazz''' is a bit of an independent thinker. He's reluctant to disobey orders, but he has more of an appreciation for the finer things than his compatriots. This is evidenced in his better choice of vehicle mode disguise, a "sweet ride" drawn from Earth culture. He is a [[Cyber-Ninja Corps|Cyber-Ninja]], like [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. However, his training is more progressed, and instead of ninja stars he wields a pair of nunchaku. He seems to be the only one of the Elite Guard willing to learn, and fits in with the Earth team pretty well.

He is ''incredibly'' cool.

{{bigquote|Any species that can come up with a sweet ride like this can't be all bad!|Jazz digs his new [[Alternate mode|altmode]] and the humans that created it|[[The Elite Guard]]}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

:''Voice actor'': [[Phil LaMarr]] (English), [[Jens-Uwe Bogadtke]] (German)

{{note|Events from IDW Publishing are in italics}}
[[Image:Freaked jazz-1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Booga booga!]]
Jazz accompanied [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] to [[Earth]] to retrieve [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]'s crew and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. When Magnus ordered Jazz to activate a [[force field]] around [[Elite Guard flagship|their ship]] to prevent [[Human|organic]] contamination, Jazz expressed interest in getting a closer look at them. This caused Sentinel Prime to warn Jazz that the organics would eventually spit acidic goo that would melt through his body armor and destroy vital [[Circuits|circuitry]]. Jazz was...less willing to meet the organics after that.

[[Image:Jazzanimatedaltmode.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Suddenly, Bumblebee's less popular.]]
When [[Sari Sumdac]] managed to sneak aboard their ship, he tried to send her out without provoking her. When she realized that Jazz was afraid of her, she tried to scare him. After [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] explained that Humans were harmless (and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] explained that Sentinel Prime was a jerk), Jazz accompanied the Autobots to a Sumdac manufacturing plant that was going haywire. Jazz and Prowl managed to keep the AllSpark-powered [[police drone]]s away from Sari and Optimus long enough for Sari to shut down the assembly line. He and Prowl traded several martial arts-centered quips throughout the battle, talking about [[Metallikato]] moves like the "[[Five Servos of Doom]]" attack. {{storylink|The Elite Guard|The Elite Guard}}

When Ultra Magnus started to receive reports of [[Decepticon]] uprisings at the rim of the galaxy, Jazz commented that it was probably because they'd "got wind" that [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] was still online.

[[Image:Sentinel vs Optimus%2C with Jazz in the middle.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Right now, we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting the bad guy. Dig?"]]
Later, Jazz noticed a spike in AllSpark energy, and Ultra Magnus took him to investigate, leaving Sentinel Prime to watch Optimus Prime. Their combined attempt to remove the "SmallSpark", which [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] had booby-trapped, failed, and they were blown off the train in which it was embedded. Optimus and his crew, with the help of Sari and the [[Key]], successfully and safely removed the AllSpark fragment, but Jazz could only watch as they received a dressing-down from Ultra Magnus for becoming involved. Then Starscream himself crashed to Earth, courtesy of Megatron's cannon, and knocked out Magnus. Jazz turned to Sentinel for orders, but the panicking Guardsbot was unable to think of anything. Optimus took over, directing his crew and Sari to various tasks; and himself, Jazz and Sentinel to take down Starscream—although Jazz needed to talk down the posturing pair of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] before they could get to fighting the bad guy.

His nunchaku proved ineffective, however, and he was swiftly knocked out, leaving Optimus to save the day again. Jazz later escorted Optimus's crew in taking the [[Stasis lock|stasis locked]] and gagged Starscream to be imprisoned in the Elite Guard's ship, before the three Guardsbots and their ship departed, leaving Optimus and his crew to deal with the remaining Decepticons on Earth. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished|Mission Accomplished}}

Jazz was present as Starscream escaped the Elite Guard ship. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon|A Fistful of Energon}}

''When the Elite Guard decided to begin [[Safeguard (Animated)|Project Safeguard]], Jazz and Sentinel voiced dissent, stating that Autobots don't fly. Jazz's discomfort only worsened when he saw [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]]. He was soon assigned to train them. While taking them on in battle to guage their abilities, Jazz seemingly won quite quickly, but as soon as he turned his back the twins defeated him with ease. Later, he was observing the twins in simulated training when [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] tried putting Starscream's coding into the program. The Starscream code took over, trapping the twins and preventing Jazz and Sentinel from disconnecting them. They were powerless to help, and the twins had to save themselves by discovering the ability to merge into Safeguard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Jazz was later onboard the Elite Guard ship, along with Ultra Magnus and Sentinel, during the galactic battles with the Decepticon rebels when the received a transmission from [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]] requesting back-up. Jazz had told him to hold on a little longer. But by the time the Elite Guard had arrived, [[Team Chaar]] had already left, albiet [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] orders. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] had later sent Jazz, accompanied by Sentinel, Jetfire, and Jetstorm, to go after the supposed traitor [[Wasp]]. However, Wasp had retreated to Earth, much to Longarm's dismay, as he had ordered all contact with that planet be filtered through him. Despite this, Jazz and the others still went after the traitor. When they found Optimus Prime's crew, they revealed that Longarm was really Shockwave, a Decepticon double-agent, and that Wasp had been innocent the whole time. Despite this, Sentinel Prime still wanted Wasp brought in, but the crazed Autobot got away. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

Sentinel had later succeeded in capturing [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], and [[Lugnut]], leaving [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] to suspect he was getting help. Jazz had this suspicion, too, and followed him to find that he was bargaining with [[Lockdown|a double-dealing bounty scum]]. Jazz and the others defeated Lockdown, along with [[Liar Starscream|another Decepticon fugitive]]. While they had captured the clone, Lockdown had escaped. Jazz later became impressed by Prowl's new armor, especially [[Yoketron]]'s helmet. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

When Sentinel realised he was needed on Cybertron, the Elite Guard packed up and headed for home. Jazz was disappointed, as he had enjoyed being on Earth. {{storylink|Predacons Rising}}

On the return trip, Jazz and Sentinel were contacted by the Autobot council, who wished to discuss Sentinel's temporary promotion. Sentinel let this go to his head, and told Jazz to refer to him as "Commander". He also directed Jazz to take them through an unstable ion storm, despite Jazz's protests. As Jazz piloted them in, energy from the storm somehow restored Swindle, who had been stuck in [[Alternate mode|altmode]]. Swindle instigated a prisoner break, releasing the other Decepticons, and lead them in an attack on the Elite Guard. Jazz requested that Sentinel contact Cybertron for help, but fearing repercussions for allowing the escape to happen on his watch, he sent a coded message to Optimus instead. Appearing unexpectedly through a Transwarp link within Swindle's chest, Optimus Prime was able to free the Elite Guard. He then made sure the Decepticons could hear him order Jazz to modify the ship's decontamination chamber to freeze its occupants. However, he simultaneously gave Jazz a secret coded order to set up the chamber to freeze those ''outside'' of it. Thus, when the Decepticons eventually recaptured the Autobots and placed them in the chamber, it backfired, allowing the Autobots to escape and recapture all the prisoners but Swindle and [[Lugnut]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{spoiler|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

Having returned to Cybertron, Jazz began chafing under Sentinel Magnus' militant approach. When [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Captain Fanzone]] accidentily transwarped to Cybertron, Jazz followed orders and helped capture them. However, once they had escaped he tailed them, and eventually helped them by granting them access to the Elite Guard infirmary so they could search for [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. After battling [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], Ratchet was able to recapture the [[Stormbringer (Animated)|Magnus Hammer]], but refused to give it to Sentinel. Instead, he escaped took it with him back to Earth, intent on keeping it from Sentinel and protecting it for Ultra Magnus. Sentinel started to follow him, but Jazz volunteered to go instead. Upon his arrival on Earth, he informed Rathchet that he'd had enough of Sentinel and promptly volunteered his services to the Earthbound Autobots. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animated jazz both mode1.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Enter the Dragon Wagon]]
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories'': 2 side-pipe "energy chucks"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' deluxes, Jazz transforms into a car that looks like a cross between [[Jazz (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] and a 1950s Corvette. The toy features translucent blue [[light-piping]] for its visor, as well as translucent blue headlights. Curiously, all the toy's vehicle mode windows are ''also'' cast from this plastic, but tinted black by [[Paint application|paint applications]]. The toy's exhaust pipes can be removed from its forearms, and are connected by a short length of string to serve as nunchaku-style "energy chucks" weapons.

{{-}}

[[Image:BumperBattlers Jazz toy.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Comes with the world's shortest jump rope.]]
*'''Jazz''' (Bumper Battler, 2008)

:Jazz is part of the second wave of [[Bumper Battlers]]. Pressing on the vehicle mode's front bumper activates electronic noises and pops up the roof, revealing a relief of Jazz's robot form. Pressing on the Autobot faction symbol on the hood activates a random string of sound effects and voice samples from the samples available on the toy's sound chip.
{{-}}
==Trivia==
* Jazz's [[Character model|model sheet]] identifies his weapons as "Laser Nunchako." {{fact}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm Jazz at TFU.info]

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

Jazz (Animated)

2009-05-11T23:55:55Z

Loudstone: Fixed links, lots of fiction cleanup.

{{cleanup}}

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

[[Image:TFA Jazz promoimage.JPG|right|228px|thumb|"When push comes to shove, you've gotta do what you love, even if it's not a good idea!"]]
Though a member of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]], '''Jazz''' is a bit of an independent thinker. He's reluctant to disobey orders, but he has more of an appreciation for the finer things than his compatriots. This is evidenced in his better choice of vehicle mode disguise, a "sweet ride" drawn from Earth culture. He is a [[Cyber-Ninja Corps|Cyber-Ninja]], like [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. However, his training is more progressed, and instead of ninja stars he wields a pair of nunchaku. He seems to be the only one of the Elite Guard willing to learn, and fits in with the Earth team pretty well.

He is ''incredibly'' cool.

{{bigquote|Any species that can come up with a sweet ride like this can't be all bad!|Jazz digs his new [[Alternate mode|altmode]] and the humans that created it|[[The Elite Guard]]}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===

:''Voice actor'': [[Phil LaMarr]] (English), [[Jens-Uwe Bogadtke]] (German)

{{note|Events from IDW Publishing are in italics}}
[[Image:Freaked jazz-1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Booga booga!]]
Jazz accompanied [[Supreme Commander]] [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] to [[Earth]] to retrieve [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]'s crew and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]]. When Magnus ordered Jazz to activate a [[force field]] around [[Elite Guard flagship|their ship]] to prevent [[Human|organic]] contamination, Jazz expressed interest in getting a closer look at them. This caused Sentinel Prime to warn Jazz that the organics would eventually spit acidic goo that would melt through his body armor and destroy vital [[Circuits|circuitry]]. Jazz was...less willing to meet the organics after that.

[[Image:Jazzanimatedaltmode.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Suddenly, Bumblebee's less popular.]]
When [[Sari Sumdac]] managed to sneak aboard their ship, he tried to send her out without provoking her. When she realized that Jazz was afraid of her, she tried to scare him. After [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] explained that Humans were harmless (and [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] explained that Sentinel Prime was a jerk), Jazz accompanied the Autobots to a Sumdac manufacturing plant that was going haywire. Jazz and Prowl managed to keep the AllSpark-powered [[police drone]]s away from Sari and Optimus long enough for Sari to shut down the assembly line. He and Prowl traded several martial arts-centered quips throughout the battle, talking about [[Metallikato]] moves like the "[[Five Servos of Doom]]" attack. {{storylink|The Elite Guard|The Elite Guard}}

When Ultra Magnus started to receive reports of [[Decepticon]] uprisings at the rim of the galaxy, Jazz commented that it was probably because they'd "got wind" that [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] was still online.

[[Image:Sentinel vs Optimus%2C with Jazz in the middle.jpg|left|180px|thumb|"Right now, we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting the bad guy. Dig?"]]
Later, Jazz noticed a spike in AllSpark energy, and Ultra Magnus took him to investigate, leaving Sentinel Prime to watch Optimus Prime. Their combined attempt to remove the "SmallSpark", which [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] had booby-trapped, failed, and they were blown off the train in which it was embedded. Optimus and his crew, with the help of Sari and the [[Key]], successfully and safely removed the AllSpark fragment, but Jazz could only watch as they received a dressing-down from Ultra Magnus for becoming involved. Then Starscream himself crashed to Earth, courtesy of Megatron's cannon, and knocked out Magnus. Jazz turned to Sentinel for orders, but the panicking Guardsbot was unable to think of anything. Optimus took over, directing his crew and Sari to various tasks; and himself, Jazz and Sentinel to take down Starscream—although Jazz needed to talk down the posturing pair of [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] before they could get to fighting the bad guy.

His nunchaku proved ineffective, however, and he was swiftly knocked out, leaving Optimus to save the day again. Jazz later escorted Optimus's crew in taking the [[Stasis lock|stasis locked]] and gagged Starscream to be imprisoned in the Elite Guard's ship, before the three Guardsbots and their ship departed, leaving Optimus and his crew to deal with the remaining Decepticons on Earth. {{storylink|Mission Accomplished|Mission Accomplished}}

Jazz was present as Starscream escaped the Elite Guard ship. {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon|A Fistful of Energon}}

''When the Elite Guard decided to begin [[Safeguard (Animated)|Project Safeguard]], Jazz and Sentinel voiced dissent, stating that Autobots don't fly. Jazz's discomfort only worsened when he saw [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]]. He was soon assigned to train them. While taking them on in battle to guage their abilities, Jazz seemingly won quite quickly, but as soon as he turned his back the twins defeated him with ease. Later, he was observing the twins in simulated training when [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] tried putting Starscream's coding into the program. The Starscream code took over, trapping the twins and preventing Jazz and Sentinel from disconnecting them. They were powerless to help, and the twins had to save themselves by discovering the ability to merge into Safeguard. {{storylink|Rise of Safeguard}}''

Jazz was later onboard the Elite Guard ship, along with Ultra Magnus and Sentinel, during the galactic battles with the Decepticon rebels when the received a transmission from [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]] requesting back-up. Jazz had told him to hold on a little longer. But by the time the Elite Guard had arrived, [[Team Chaar]] had already left, albiet [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron's]] orders. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Shockwave (Animated)|Longarm Prime]] had later sent Jazz, accompanied by Sentinel, Jetfire, and Jetstorm, to go after the supposed traitor [[Wasp]]. However, Wasp had retreated to Earth, much to Longarm's dismay, as he had ordered all contact with that planet be filtered through him. Despite this, Jazz and the others still went after the traitor. When they found Optimus Prime's crew, they revealed that Longarm was really Shockwave, a Decepticon double-agent, and that Wasp had been innocent the whole time. Despite this, Sentinel Prime still wanted Wasp brought in, but the crazed Autobot got away. {{storylink|Where Is Thy Sting?}}

Sentinel had later succeeded in capturing [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], and [[Lugnut]], leaving [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] to suspect he was getting help. Jazz had this suspicion, too, and followed him to find that he was bargaining with [[Lockdown|a double-dealing bounty scum]]. Jazz and the others defeated Lockdown, along with [[Liar Starscream|another Decepticon fugitive]]. While they had captured the clone, Lockdown had escaped. Jazz later became impressed by Prowl's new armor, especially [[Yoketron]]'s helmet. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

When Sentinel realised he was needed on Cybertron, the Elite Guard packed up and headed for home. Jazz was disappointed, as he had enjoyed being on Earth. {{storylink|Predacons Rising}}

On the return trip, Jazz and Sentinel were contacted by the Autobot council, who wished to discuss Sentinel's temporary promotion. Sentinel let this go to his head, and told Jazz to refer to him as "Commander". He also directed Jazz to take them through an unstable ion storm, despite Jazz's protests. As Jazz piloted them in, energy from the storm somehow restored Swindle, who had been stuck in [[Alternate mode|altmode]]. Swindle instigated a prisoner break, releasing the other Decepticons, and lead them in an attack on the Elite Guard. Jazz requested that Sentinel contact Cybertron for help, but fearing repercussions for allowing the escape to happen on his watch, he sent a coded message to Optimus instead. Appearing unexpectedly through a Transwarp link within Swindle's chest, Optimus Prime was able to free the Elite Guard. He then made sure the Decepticons could hear him order Jazz to modify the ship's decontamination chamber to freeze its occupants. However, he simultaneously gave Jazz a secret coded order to set up the chamber to freeze those ''outside'' of it. Thus, when the Decepticons eventually recaptured the Autobots and placed them in the chamber, it backfired, allowing the Autobots to escape and recapture all the prisoners but Swindle and [[Lugnut]]. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

{{spoiler|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}

Having returned to Cybertron, Jazz began chafing under Sentinel Magnus' militant approach. When [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] and [[Captain Fanzone]] accidentily transwarped to Cybertron, Jazz followed orders and helped capture them. However, once they had escaped he tailed them, and eventually helped them by granting them access to the Elite Guard infirmary so they could search for [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. After battling [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], Ratchet was able to recapture the [[Stormbringer (Animated)|Magnus Hammer]], but refused to give it to Sentinel. Instead, he escaped took it with him back to Earth, intent on keeping it from Sentinel and protecting it for Ultra Magnus. Sentinel started to follow him, but Jazz volunteered to go instead. Upon his arrival on Earth, he informed Rathchet that he'd had enough of Sentinel and promptly volunteered his services to the Earthbound Autobots. {{storylink|This Is Why I Hate Machines}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Animated===
[[Image:Animated jazz both mode1.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Enter the Dragon Wagon]]
*'''Autobot Jazz''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories'': 2 side-pipe "energy chucks"

: Part of the third wave of ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' deluxes, Jazz transforms into a car that looks like a cross between [[Jazz (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]] and a 1950s Corvette. The toy features translucent blue [[light-piping]] for its visor, as well as translucent blue headlights. Curiously, all the toy's vehicle mode windows are ''also'' cast from this plastic, but tinted black by [[Paint application|paint applications]]. The toy's exhaust pipes can be removed from its forearms, and are connected by a short length of string to serve as nunchaku-style "energy chucks" weapons.

{{-}}

[[Image:BumperBattlers Jazz toy.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Comes with the world's shortest jump rope.]]
*'''Jazz''' (Bumper Battler, 2008)

:Jazz is part of the second wave of [[Bumper Battlers]]. Pressing on the vehicle mode's front bumper activates electronic noises and pops up the roof, revealing a relief of Jazz's robot form. Pressing on the Autobot faction symbol on the hood activates a random string of sound effects and voice samples from the samples available on the toy's sound chip.
{{-}}
==Trivia==
* Jazz's [[Character model|model sheet]] identifies his weapons as "Laser Nunchako." {{fact}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/Jazz/jazz.htm Jazz at TFU.info]

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

Transformers: Alternators

2009-05-11T19:46:48Z

Loudstone:

[[Image:AlternatorsLogo.jpg|center]]
{{-}}
'''''Alternators''''' ('''''Binaltech''''' in Japan) is a line of Transformers that started in late 2003. The toys in this series transform into [[Licensed vehicle alternate modes|fully-licensed]], 1:24-[[scale]] accurate representations of real cars from automobile manufacturers around the globe, complete with opening doors, hoods, trunks, plus "realistic" open driver/passenger compartments.

==Car licenses and character selection==
[[Image:BTSmokescreenRakuten.jpg|left|150px|thumb|This photo resulted in collective drooling.]]
At one point in 2003, [[Hasbro]] stated that the ''Alternators'' line would consist of "six 'hot' contemporary cars".<ref>[http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/3305.html Report about Hasbro's statements regarding the Alternators line from Wizard World Chicago 2003, at Internal Correspondence version 2]</ref> The first six models were based on a [[Wikipedia:Subaru_Impreza|Subaru Impreza]], a [[Wikipedia:Dodge_Viper|Dodge Viper]], a [[Wikipedia:Jeep_Wrangler|Jeep Wrangler]], a [[Wikipedia:Chevrolet_Corvette"|C5 Chevrolet Corvette]], a [[Wikipedia:Mazda_RX-8|Mazda RX-8]], and a [[Wikipedia:Ford_Mustang|Ford Mustang]]. Even before the line was launched, though, new licenses were already pursued by Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], with the first new mold that was not part of the "original six" anymore being based on a [[Wikipedia:Honda_S2000|Honda S2000]]. More and more models and manufacturers joined the line over its run. Nearly all of these models are from either American or Japanese manufacturers, with the only exception being the [[Wikipedia:Jaguar_XK|Jaguar XK]], which is originally a European car.

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

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

{{-}}

==Alternators==
[[Image:MazdaRX-8.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Who is the Mazda RX-8 Transformer? Who? WHO?]]
In the USA, the '''''Alternators''''' line was launched in December 2003, with the toys being made entirely out of plastic (with the exception of the rubber tires). The first wave consisted ''only'' of Smokescreen, who shipped in a case all by himself. The second wave mixed Smokescreen and Side Swipe in a 50:50 ratio, with new toys being introduced in the following waves (but Smokescreen choked shelves like crazy). Over the time of its original run, the ''Alternators'' line was particularly notorious for including toys that were extremely hard to find due to only shipping in one or two waves (Meister, Tracks, Decepticharge, Swerve), whereas others shipped for multiple waves, despite having already been [[Shelfwarmer|shelfwarmers]] (Swindle, in particular).

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

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

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

The future of the ''Alternators'' line is highly questionable right now, and not very bright. Following the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 movie toyline]], the second ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' line, launched in 2008, partly filled the gap for "realistic vehicles", primarily by having unlicensed approximations of vehicles in the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' style.

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

At the New York International Toy Fair 2008, Hasbro stated that they might bring the Alternators line back. However, no news has come out of this thus far.

{{-}}

==Binaltech==
[[Image:SunstreakerComparison.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Hasbro vs. Takara - can you guess which one is which?]]
In Japan, the line was known as '''''Binaltech''''', with the primary difference being that ''Binaltech'' figures are more "collector"-oriented, featuring fully-painted car bodies and [[die-cast]] metal parts, in comparison to ''Alternators''' color-molded plastic construction. Additionally, various ''Binaltech'' figures have same-character variants, usually released concurrently with the "regular" version in a 50:50 ratio per case (as Japanese toys usually ship in solid cases), that Hasbro did not release (though there are numerous redecoes and remolds in ''Alternators'' that never saw release in ''Binaltech'').

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

In 2007, the ''Binaltech'' line got resurrected in a way similar to the state Hasbro's version was in at that point. The two new molds that had previously been intended to be released prior to the cancellation of the mass retail line were now released as redecos of the ''Kiss Players'' toys, with Black Convoy (exclusively available at the Wonder Festival 2007 Winter convention, and later at [[e-Hobby]]) being Takara's counterpart of the Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con Nemesis Prime redeco of Optimus Prime/Convoy, whereas "Rijie" (Mirage), a redeco of the Ford GT mold which Takara had previously released as ''Kiss Players'' [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Hot Rodimus]], was only released as a clear e-Hobby exclusive variant, using the same head sculpt as Hasbro's Alternators Mirage version. Therefore, Rijie was the only Binaltech that didn't contain any [[die-cast]] parts. Thus far, Takara have shown no indication of intending to release the new Rumble or Ravage molds; however, three new [[Redeco|redecos]] of older toys were released in 2008 (Smokescreen, Arcee and Meister), all of them once again available at mass retail. Convoy was released subsequently as the latest addition to this resurrected Binaltech line, featuring slightly different colouring from its previous Kiss Player Convoy counterpart.

Following this, Takara has announced the release of a new toy following a similar overall concept (licensed vehicle mode, diecast parts) to be produced at a smaller scale (1/32), under the new name ''[[Alternity (toyline)|Alternity]]''. So far, an Optimus Prime figure and a Megatron figure were reported to be released sometime in 2009.

===Binaltech Asterisk===
In late 2005 (not too long before it went on "indefinite hiatus"), ''Binaltech'' gained a sub-series called '''''Binaltech Asterisk''''', using old molds in new decos as previously-unreleased Autobots, but also including small PVC figurines of human girls, each one based on a female human character from a previous ''Transformers'' series. These figurines had alternate arms and lower bodies so they could "drive" the Autobots in car mode. These toys were also packaged in robot mode as opposed to the normal car mode (presumably to encourage transformation to car mode so the girls could drive). Reportedly, the addition of the PVCs was to try and reach a broader market to help the line's flagging sales... though the ''higher price tag'' probably didn't help. This series only had three releases before it was canceled; a "Black Convoy w/ [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa]]" (spelled "Melissa") set was solicited as the fourth set but never released as originally planned... it got changed for the latest incarnation of the 1:24 line, ''[[Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

{{-}}

==Fiction==
===Binaltech===
''Binaltech'' has its own storyline written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], though it is only told in small text chunks within each toy's instruction booklet (during the original run of the series) or on the toys' packaging itself (for the toys released in 2007 and 2008).

Taking place during the 'lost years' between the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]'s second season and [[The Transformers: The Movie]], the ''Binaltech'' storyline saw the [[Autobot]] forces split across Earth and Cybertron, as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] launched a major offensive to take control of the Transformers' homeworld. With the Autobot forces spread thin, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] unleashed the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] virus on the Autobots, crippling their bodies. With many of their number damaged beyond repair, the Autobots teamed up with various name-brand car companies to create new "Binaltech" bodies for the infected, which would be immune to the plague. Following the reconstruction of [[Bluestreak]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], the Autobots launched a counter-offensive that successfully beat back the Decepticon threat, driving the villains off-planet.

As this battle raged, an evil conspiracy group named the "[[Concurrence]]", consisting both of human villains from season 2 of the original ''Transformers'' cartoon and obscure villains from ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' spin-offs from the 1990s, was formed, seeking to create a rift in the Autobot/human alliance. With a little help from [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], the Concurrence hijacked the Binaltech bodies intended for [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and used them to restore [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and Swindle. To combat this renewed Decepticon offensive, the Autobots developed "[[GT System|Genetronic Translink]]" technology, allowing a single Autobot to control multiple bodies at once. Smokescreen was outfitted with this technology, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] received the Binaltech upgrade to make use of it.

The plot of the ''Binaltech'' storyline took a dramatic turn with the arrival of the time-tossed [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. It was revealed that, years before, the government organization known as the [[Intelligence and Information Institute]] had unearthed the flight recorder from Ravage's [[Transwarp]] cruiser (crashed on Earth during the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]), which contained a copy of the Decepticon's personality. Striking a deal with Ravage's consciousness, the Triple-I staffers uploaded his mind into a Binaltech body, but the felonious feline immediately set about using his knowledge of the future in an attempt to alter the course of history. However, the acts of sabotage he committed were detected by the freshly-Binaltech-upgraded [[Overdrive]], who put the Autobots on Earth on alert, forcing Ravage to take a different approach.

When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] came to Earth to help restore the damaged [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a Binaltech body, Ravage hijacked his shuttle on the return trip to Cybertron. Once on the planet, Ravage uncovered the [[Kronosphere]] time machine, and used it to transport Megatron and the bulk of the Decepticon army outside of time. With this act, Ravage successfully changed the timeline, leaving the Autobots to face the approaching threat of [[Unicron]] alone, after which Ravage would recall Megatron and the Decepticons, allowing them to easily conquer the weakened Autobots and claim victory in the war. To lead the Decepticons in the meantime, Ravage arranged for the recreation of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as a Binaltech warrior.

Having been offered a glimpse of the impending future by Ravage, Wheeljack dedicated himself to finding ways to save the lives of the Autobots that would die in the future. Establishing the "Body Shop" project to create Binaltech bodies for his friends, Wheeljack upgraded himself as well, but when he attempted to transfer Prowl's [[spark]] into a new body via [[subspace]], an accident resulted in the spark being lost between dimensions. [[Chip Chase]] downloaded his mind into the Binaltech body instead, becoming the new Prowl, and together with Overdrive, led a strike that resulted in the capture of Ravage. Just at that moment, alas, Unicron appeared in the skies over Cybertron, and in the midst of the ensuing chaos, the Autobots made a desperate last-chance gamble: using the time-warp on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] traveled back in time in an attempt to undo all of Ravage's corruption upon the timeline.

Skids's chapter of the ''Binaltech'' story was released in 2005, after which the toyline was put on hiatus and replaced with ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''. As such, it would be two more years before fans found out how his time-travelling endeavour turned out, in the story chapter released with [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]] in 2007—and as it transpired, things did not go well. Although [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] proved able to defeat Unicron with the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], Skids's trip into the past caused the timestream to destabilize, causing all of time to unravel around the Autobots. A mysterious spark known only as the "[[Optimus Primal|Protector]]" emerged from the chronal chaos and possessed the body of [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (created by [[Doctor Arkeville]]). The Protector used its powers to stabilize the timestream, restoring history to its intended flow, while also preserving the "Binal-Time" timeline as a parallel universe, with the explanation that the Binaltech warriors would ultimately lead to the creation of a great force in the future known as the "[[Alternity (species)|Alternity]]". Unfortunately, Nemesis Prime's programming soon overrode the Protector's spark, forcing it from his body and returning to Arkeville, who succeeded in bringing the new Decepticon to true life. The bad news kept on coming when Megatron and his Decepticon forces returned from outside of time, and succeeded in the goal Ravage had envisioned for them, defeating the Autobot and conquering Cybertron. To stop the Decepticons, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] used his invisibility powers to venture into the depths of Cybertron and activate the [[large switch]] created by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] which shut down all non-Binaltech Transformers everywhere. Nearly the entire Decepticon forces were disabled, and Nemesis Prime took control of the remaining troops.

It would be mid-2008 before futher ''Binaltech'' toys, and hence more story chapters, were released, but when they did at last arrive, they picked up right where the story had left off. First, Prowl's spark reappeared from its subspace sojourn in another dimension (the original "correct" timeline of the cartoon continuity), the Bluestreak of that world travelled into the Binal-Timeline to inform the Autobots there of their friend's fate. After stopping a Concurrence plan to tap the energy of Prowl's spark to power a war-machine made from animated [[electrum]], the Autobots restored Prowl's spark to his frame, and Chip to his own body. With this crisis averted, the Autobots began focusing their efforts on the Protector, attempting to give him a Binaltech body, while also conducting the [[Timaeus Project]] at his direction to create the substance known as "[[Alternium]]", which would be important for the future he had foretold. Although [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] successfully carried out the Timaeus Project, she was unable to stop a Decepticon attack that saw the villains kidnap the Protector, as part of a plan by Nemesis Prime to create a synthetic Matrix for himself by removing human consciousnesses from their bodies and fusing them together. A strike by the Autobots prevented the dark Prime from carrying out his horrible scheme, and during the final battle, the Protector merged with Optimus Prime, increasing his strength to the point that he was able to destroy Nemesis Prime.

===Alternators===
Unlike ''Binaltech'', there is no actual fiction for the ''Alternators'' line, and it is highly unlikely there ever will be, the line's questionable future regardless. According to [[Hasbro]] representatives, they never pursued the licensing rights for "2D" representations of the car models. Though the reasons were never stated, it is not hard to extrapolate numerous reasons not to; additional costs for securing rights for an indefinite period, debatable ability to utilize those rights in a timely manner, plus clearing whatever fictional portrayal is made with every car company involved (see [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s page for more on ''that''), which would massively bog down any publication.

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

===Binaltech Asterisk===
''Binaltech Asterisk'' has its own fiction that is largely unconnected to any other Transformers timeline, or even itself, being mostly short vignettes free of Decepticon troubles; however, the official [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Japanese G1 timeline]] places it within the same fiction and period of time as Binaltech.

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Alternators===
{{note|Although most ''Alternators'' ''did'' come out in waves, the number of actually new toys was limited to two or three per season; as a result, they're simply listed ordered by number, even though some of them (notably Dead End/Tracks and Decepticharge/Swerve) were released in reversed order at general retail.}}
*01. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003)
*02. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (Dodge Viper SRT-10)
*03. [[Hound (G1)|Autobot Hound]] (Jeep Wrangler Sport)
*04. [[Bluestreak|Silverstreak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*05. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*06. [[Tracks (G1)|Autobot Tracks]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
*07. [[Jazz (G1) toys|Meister]] (Mazda RX-8)
*08. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*09. [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]] (Ford Mustang GT)
*10. [[Ravage (G1) toys|Battle Ravage]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible)
*11. [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (Honda S2000)
*12. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockblast]] (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*13. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (2005 Ford Mustang Street Tuning)
*14. [[Decepticharge]] (Mugen Honda S2000)
*15. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
*16. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (Acura RSX)

{{note|The mass retail Alternators line was officially released in two subsequent assortments in North America. The first one ran from Smokescreen to Prowl, whereas the second one ran from Prowl (who was carried over from the first assortment) to Autobot Camshaft, including re-releases of Autobot Tracks and Meister. European releases, on the other hand, were a lot more complicated (if not to say outright confusing).}}
*17. [[Skids (G1)|Autobot Skids]] (Scion xB)
*18. [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*19. [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*20. [[Ricochet (G1 Autobot)|Ricochet]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*21. [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Optimus Prime]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10)
*22. [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (Ford GT)
*23. [[Camshaft (G1)|Autobot Camshaft]] (Acura RSX)
*24. [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10, Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive)

{{note|Nemesis Prime shipped all by himself and wasn't part of ''any'' assortment as such. He was was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and as a Mr Toys Toyworld exclusive in Australia.}}
*24. (25.) [[Rumble (G1)|Decepticon Rumble]] (Honda Civic Si, Wal*Mart exclusive)

{{note|Rumble and Ravage were available in a Wal*Mart exclusive assortment of their own, although Rumble was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in some Asian countries. Also note that, while Rumble's official number on the packaging is 24, common consensus among fans is that this is an error, seeing as Nemesis Prime had aleady sported that number, and there is no ''Alternators'' toy numbered 25.}}
*26. [[Ravage (G1) toys|Ravage]] (Jaguar XK, Wal*Mart exclusive)

{{note|Ravage was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in several European countries (among them Germany, making him the ''first'' Alternators toy to be officially released there) and in some Asian countries, also in [[Multilingual packaging|European packaging]].}}
*27. [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Rodimus]] (Ford GT, Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive)

{{note|Rodimus shipped all by himself and wasn't part of ''any'' assortment as such. He was was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and as a Mr Toys Toyworld exclusive in Australia.}}

===Binaltech===
*BT-01. Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 #7 version)
*BT-01. Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 #8 version)
*BT-02. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Lambor]] (Dodge Viper SRT-10)
*BT-03. [[Bluestreak|Streak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BT-04. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (Jeep Wrangler Sport)
*BT-05. Dead End (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*BT-06. Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 yellow version)
*BT-06. Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 blue version)

{{note|Blue ''Binaltech'' Tracks was the only "variant" version of a ''Binaltech'' toy (the yellow version was originally considered the "regular" version by Takara, which got retroactively changed later) that was ''not'' shipped together with the "regular" version in a 50:50 ratio per case. Instead, Blue Tracks was shipped several months after the release of the yellow version, at the same time Swindle was released.}}
*BT-07. Smokescreen GT (Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 #1 version)
*BT-07. Smokescreen GT (Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 #2 version)
*BT-08. [[Jazz (G1) toys|Meister]] (Mazda RX-8 white version)
*BT-08. Meister "Velocity Red Mica Edition" (Mazda RX-8 red version, aka [[Zoom-Zoom]])
*BT-09. Swindle (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*BT-10. Grimlock (Ford Mustang GT)
*BT-11. Ravage (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible)
*BT-12. [[Overdrive]] (Honda S2000)
*BT-13. [[Shockwave (G1)|Laserwave]] (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*BT-14. Wheeljack (2005 Ford Mustang Street Tuning)
*BT-15. Prowl "Patrol Type" (Honda Integra Type-R police version)
*BT-15. Prowl "Vivid Blue Pearl Edition" (Honda Integra Type-R blue version)
*BT-16. Skids (Toyota bB)
*BT-17. [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10, Wonder Festival 2007 Winter exclusive)
*BT-18. [[Mirage (G1)|Rijie]] "Electro Disrupter Mode" (Ford GT, e-Hobby exclusive clear version)
*BT-19. [[Bluestreak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BT-20. Argent Meister (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*BT-21. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (Honda S2000)
*BT-22. [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Convoy]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10)

===Binaltech Asterisk===
*BTA01. [[Red Alert (G1)|Alert]] meets [[Ai Kuruma|Ai]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BTA02. [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] meets [[Junko Shiragami|Junko]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*BTA03. [[Blaster (G1)|Broadblast]] meets [[Lumina Hoshi|Lumina]] (Toyota bB)

{{-}}

==Trivia==
===Pre-release development===
[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You'll never ever find us in stores.]]It's not certain what exactly originally led Hasbro and Takara to the concept of a line of Transformers based on licensed vehicles. An interview with Takara's development team<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/fandom/interviews/alternators_binaltech/takara_binaltech_interview_translation.php interview with Takara's Binaltech development team, English translation at TF Archive]</ref> confirmed that both companies initially had different ideas (for example, a different intended scale for the toys) that ultimately resulted in a compromise. It's possible that Hasbro's motivation stemmed from the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, where they were required to alter [[X-Brawn]]'s headlights in order to avoid legal trouble with Mercedes, and had to acquire a license from Dodge for all iterations of the [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] mold beginning with the "Super Side Burn" redeco.
* The first toy planned for the line was Jazz (probably to be named "Autobot Jazz" for [[trademark]] reasons) as a Porsche 986. A prototype was made, but Porsche refused to grant Hasbro and Takara the license, stating that "Transformers are not worthy carrying the Porsche trademark. They are war machines and the toyline in no way represents the lifestyle and ideas which Porsche represents.<ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24622 Former Porsche employee Addl recounting an informal inquiry with Porsche's licensing department at TF Archive]</ref> As a consequence, the toy ultimately never went into production. Photos of the prototype were depicted in the Japanese book "[[Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]", and Hasbro later also displayed the prototype during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour.

* The second prototype produced was Tracks as a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Although the toy eventually came out, Chevrolet initially denied Hasbro and Takara the license as well, presumably fearing that "having these car panels that separate apart conveys an image of being broken".<ref>[http://toyboxst.inwards.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800 interview with Binaltech designer Hironori Kobayashi, English translation at the Toybox DX forums]</ref> This led Hasbro and Takara to conceive an alternate concept for Tracks as another "well-known American sports car", namely a Dodge Viper. Ultimately, though, Chevrolet would later have a change of mind, which allowed Hasbro and Takara to start production on Corvette-Tracks after all, whereas the Viper ended up as Side Swipe instead.

* The third design was for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] as a [[Wikipedia:Volkswagen_New_Beetle|Volkswagen New Beetle]], with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] as the redeco. Unfortunately, VW had similar concerns as Porsche, what with not wanting to be associated with "war toys", therefore the design never made it past the control drawing stage. [[Control drawing]]s for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the aforementioned Japanese BT guide book.

* Another prototype, which was apparently created before the final scale for the line was settled on, was a smaller version of [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], displayed by Hasbro as part of the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour. <ref>[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/convention-photographs/238/convention-photographs/BotCon+2007+Hasbro+Tour.html Photos from the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour at Transformers @ The Moon]</ref> Oddly enough, though, the prototype is a different scale than the one Takara claimed having initially pursued in their interview in the ''Binaltech'' guide book; furthermore, the small Subaru prototype was stated to be the second prototype after the Porsche version of Jazz (which was displayed next to him), which also appears to contradict the Takara interview; and lastly, the Subaru prototype mixes a Smokescreen head sculpt and a WRC (Smokescreen) front bumper with a WRX ([[Bluestreak|Silverstreak]]) rear spoiler.

* The 1:24 scale Subaru Impreza mold was apparently the first design that went without any major difficulty at any stage in its production process, if one ignores the smaller scale prototype. It should be noted, though, that Silverstreak (the WRX street model) was originally designed first, with Smokescreen (the WRC rally model) being intended as the redeco, but Takara's marketing department decided to reverse the release order of the two versions, thinking that the rally model would have "more visual impact" as the first release of the line.

===Other changes===
* Many other toys later down the line also went through various changes prior to being released. More details can be found on the individual pages for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]], [[Jazz (G1) toys|Jazz]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]], [[Freeway]], [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], [[Overdrive]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Decepticharge]], [[Wildrider]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Ginrai]], [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Hot Rod]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] and [[Bluestreak]].

* Hasbro originally intended to use real branded tires such as Bridgestone, Michelin or Goodyear (evidence can be found on early, "leaked" [[Prototype|test shots]] for Smokescreen, Side Swipe and Meister, and in the Japanese ''[[Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book). However, all the final ''Alternators'' and ''Binaltech'' toys either use the fictious brand [[Cybertronian Radial]] for their tires, or sport no brand markings on their tires at all.

* In early 2004, a trade publication named ''Brandweek'' reported that Hasbro was negotiating with Dodge about the licenses for a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Dodge Neon. While the former ultimately ended up as Optimus Prime, the latter vehicle was never actually turned into an Alternator.

* In mid-2004, several online stores solicited an upcoming ''Binaltech'' toy based on a MINI Cooper alongside the newly confirmed Swindle and Grimlock. The preorders were later canceled, which, coupled with conflicting statements from Hasbro and MINI prior to that, resulted in quite a lot of confusion among fans. To this day it's not certain whether the preorders were premature and solely based on an advertising campaign MINI had been running during that time, or whether such a ''Binaltech''/''Alternators'' toy was actually in the works. Rumors of an existing prototype could never be verified.

* In late 2004, store listings revealed an entry for an upcoming Alternators toy based on an unspecified Mitsubishi vehicle, listed alongside an Acura which would later turn out to be Prowl. Ultimately, the Mitsubishi would never materialize, and the only other concrete piece of information was a rumor that ''predated'' the store listing, suggesting that an Alternators toy based on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was in the pipeline.

* Another new mold, a Cadillac XLR convertible, was also planned. According to Hasbro at BotCon 2006, the toy would have been [[Megatron (G1) toys|Megatron]], but when it was decided to put the Alternators line on an indefinite hiatus, the Cadillac Megatron plans never went beyond the early planning stages. It would have had Oregon license plates.

* Wal-Mart store and website listings listed in addition to mass retail releases of Rumble, Jaguar Ravage, and the unproduced Alternator Megatron, another Scion and Mustang Alternator release. What exactly these releases were going to be (re-releases of existing figures, retools, or redecos) was never revealed.

{{-}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.oafe.net/articulation/0602.php English translation of the Binaltech story, with images and footnotes]
* [http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=41133 English translation of the BT-18 chapter] (from BT-18 Rijie)

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Talk:Powerglide (Animated)

2009-05-07T06:50:21Z

Loudstone:

Where was he confirmed as Powerglide? It's a pretty strange conclusion to come to if he's the bot in the crowd that I think he is.--[[User:Carrion|Carrion]] 15:50, 3 May 2009 (EDT)
:Sipher created the article, so I'm assuming he's got the inside track. Y'know, AWESOME SOURCES, and all that. - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 16:55, 3 May 2009 (EDT)
::eh, works for me. --[[User:Carrion|Carrion]] 00:00, 4 May 2009 (EDT)
:[http://www.52toys.com/?p=466 This image] seems to confirm him as Powerglide. Is this considered official enough that we can post it on here, or will it at least establish who he is well enough that someone could post a screen cap? --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 02:50, 7 May 2009 (EDT)

Sky Garry (Animated)

2009-05-07T05:11:58Z

Loudstone: Fix link, grammar, typo

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the Animated Autobot|the Return of Convoy Autobot|Sky Garry (G1)}}
:''Sky Garry is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Sky_Garry.JPG|right|thumb|250px|]]

During the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], '''Sky Garry''' was trained to be a cyber-ninja by [[Yoketron|Sensei Yoketron]].

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
A holographic bust of Sky Garry sits in Yoketron's chambers, alongside those of other star pupils. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

==Notes==
* Sky Garry's [[character model]] was seen in an image from [[Derrick J. Wyatt]]'s [http://derrickjwyatt.blogspot.com/2009/03/april-fools.html blog]. The image, posted on [[April 1]]st, 2009, showed various characters who may or may not appear in the rest of Season Three.

* Sky Garry's bust is rendered more or less unrecognizable in the actual episode thanks to the camera distance and the blur effect of the flashback. His bust is second from left side of the Yoketron's bust.

[[Category: Autobots]]
[[Category: Animated characters]]
[[Category: Cartoon-only characters]]
[[Category: Martial artists]]

Sunstorm (Animated)

2009-05-05T18:42:26Z

Loudstone: Spacing

{{factions|decepticon}}
{| style="margin:0 1em; padding:.5em; background:#f7f8ff; border:thin solid #aaa;display:block;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"
|-
|''The name or term Sunstorm refers to more than one character or idea, all of which are honorable and excellent. For a list of other meanings, feel free to see [[Sunstorm (disambiguation)]].''
|}
:''Sunstorm is honored to be a [[Decepticon]] from the mesmerizing [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]] [[continuity family]]''.

[[Image:Sycophantscream-ABTF.jpg|thumb|right|302px|<center>The second color scheme</center>"You are a slimy, despicable, rat-hearted, green discharge of a 'Con, aren't you?"]]

'''Sunstorm''', the '''Sycophant Starscream''', is but a humble type of [[Starscream clone|clone]], based on the [[Starscream (Animated)|original and most brilliant Starscream]], as well as his flattering, "suck-up" nature incarnate. He will offer his fawning platitudes to anyone within eyesight. All he asks is to offer his meager energy-absorption powers in the services of that amazing genius, Starscream, and he can also beg to please you by blinding your enemies with flashes of brilliant light. Needless to say, that amazing genius Starscream likes him a lot.

Though he would never compare his abilities to [[Skywarp (Animated)|other clones]], this overriding personality trait does not seem to affect his performance as a warrior too badly. He just heaps praise on his deserving victims for their efforts, even when he's somehow winning. He does, however, have a knack for talking when he should be shooting.
Of course, he's not nearly as awesome as you, wonderful article reader. ''You're so cool!''

{{quote|Oh, great and mighty [[Autobot]]! It is an honor to merely bask in your majestic pre-''daaagh!''|—The Sycophant tries his shtick on an unimpressed [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]], "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part II]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
:''Superbly talented voice actor:'' [[Tom Kenny]] (English), [[Stefan Staudinger]] (German)

====First Sycophant====
[[Image:Red_Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|Starsmithers.]]
The first Sycophant appeared with a reddish-brown and off-white coloration, leaning towards a "hot" interpretation of Starscream's colors. True to form, he went so far as to laud grandiosely and in turn each of the assembled Autobots trying to capture him (though he ''did'' forget mighty [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead's]] name), assuming he was fortunate enough to be the true Starscream. When stealthy [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] took him down with a sneak attack, he also complimented the underhanded move, further horrifying the magnificent Prowl (who had done some understandable damage to the city while skillfully showing off with his fancy new mods). The clone was brought to grand and glorious [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]'s attention, who had the wise [[Skywarp (Animated)|Coward]], a far better clone. Both clones had bombs in their spark chambers and were destroyed in the upper atmosphere, when that master ninja Prowl sent them high to avoid destroying Old Detroit. How clever! {{storylink|A Fistful of Energon}}

====Second Sycophant====
Another Sycophant humbly appeared afterward, with a bright orange and white color scheme. His suck-up nature was even more prominent, as he basically kissed the aft of everyone he came in contact with. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}}

During the space bridge battle, the Sycophant freed the briefly captured but still majestic [[Liar Starscream]] and just barely managed to get a pair of [[stasis cuffs]] on handsome [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]. He made sure to tell the Autobot how ''impressed'' he was with Prowl's use of the cuffs, so much so that he had to try the move out himself. He quickly capitulated to the vastly superior Megatron as soon as the tenacious Starscream was beheaded, and even sucked up to mighty [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]...before getting smashed into the dirt and blasted for it. What an honor! {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}}

When the [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|superbly idiotic Sentinel Prime]] made a deal with the [[Lockdown|great Lockdown]] to capture the other Decepticons that remained on Earth in exchange for probably some fantastic upgrades, Sunstorm was one of the first three he captured, though Sentinel received the credit for it. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom|Five Servos of Doom}}

{{spoiler|Decepticon Air|9 May}}

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air BoxScream ConeScream.jpg|thumb|That Swindle certainly has excellent taste!]]Due to Sentinel's wonderful navigation skills, a jolt from a passing energy field reactivated [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], who most generously proceeded to free Sunstorm and the other Decepticons. He joined in the battle against Sentinel, the newly-arrived [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], and the ace fliers [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]], before the Autobots trapped him and the remaining Decepticons in a block of ice. How clever!

During the process, Swindle gave him a [[Sunstorm (G1)|familiar-looking]] helmet to help distinguish him from the Liar. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

===Toy bio===
The heart of a raving madman bent on destruction lies underneath Sunstorm's boot-licking facade. Watch your back.
{{--}}
== Toys ==
=== Animated ===
[[Image:Sunstormratchetanimatedtoys.jpg|300px|thumb|right|What a flattering color choice was chosen for me, if I may say so.]]
*'''Sunstorm VS Autobot Ratchet''' (multipack, 2009)
**''Accessories'': 2 missiles

: A Target [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] of [[Starscream (Animated)|Voyager-class Starscream]], Sunstorm transforms into a futuristic, forward-swept wing fighter jet based upon the [http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/s37/ Su-47 (S-37) Berkut Experimental Fighter] and the [http://www.new-un-spacy.com/macrossplus/yf-19.htm YF-19 "Alpha One"] from the series ''[[Wikipedia:Macross_Plus|Macross Plus]].'' This shape allows him to have his faction symbols right-side-up on his wings in robot mode. He features a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers, available in both robot and jet modes. His gauntlets also feature pop-out non-firing "blasters".

: This mold was also used to make [[Skywarp (Animated)|Skywarp]].

: Sunstorm comes with wise [[Activators]] [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who appears to be identical to his individual release.
{{-}}

==Trivia==
* Though the beautiful [[Female Starscream|Female clone]] refers to him as "a suck-up", according to fantastic character designer [[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]], his official model-sheet name is "Sycophant Starscream".

* The second Sycophant's set of colors are generously provided by the devout and formidable [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], from whom he also gets his name.

* In [[Decepticon Air]], Sunstorm receives a boxy helmet reminiscent of a G1 [[Seeker]], so selflessly donated by that cunning, shrewd devil of a business-bot, [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]].

* Sunstorm's package bio makes no mention of his sycophancy, and makes him sound more like Generation 1 Sunstorm's [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] portrayal instead. Whoever Hasbro's current copywriter is... he or she has failed horribly in their duty.

[[Category:Animated characters]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]

Protoform

2009-05-02T00:13:17Z

Loudstone: Fix typo (of to if), fix links

:''Protoforms are part of a Transformer's [[life cycle]] in many Transformers continuities.''

[[Image:Protoforms2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|TeH Nekkid AiRrazzer!1! L@@K]]

'''Protoforms''' consist of an unspecified, free-flowing, metallic matter layered over basic robotic systems. In many continuities, a protoform is the first stage in a [[Transformer]]'s [[life cycle]]. These protoforms only await a life-giving [[spark]] and the alt-form information necessary to transform them into fully functional, living Transformer beings. Often, protoform modes are used to transport Transformers on intergalactic journeys.

Protoforms are transported or stored in [[stasis lock]], in which state they look like smooth, robotic humanoids (right). When not in stasis lock, protoforms are a roiling mass of liquid metal around their internal frame.<ref>Protoform states seen in "[[The Spark]]".</ref>

:''Japanese name:'' '''Prototype''' (''Beast Wars''), '''Cyberdrone''' (''Car Robots'')

==Fiction==
{{cleanup|March 2009|Needs storylinks for all the stuff mentioned here}}
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
Protoforms are often contained within [[stasis pod]]s and dropped into unexplored worlds. The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' carried many such stasis pods for exploration reasons. When a protoform lands, it scans for compatible life-forms. When a suitable lifeform is found, the protoform is reformatted by hitherto unknown means.

===''Beast Wars II'' cartoon===
[[Image:Protoforms1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Pretty spry for globs of pudding]]
[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] protoforms were shown moving about the Predacon warship using their own power, though they were not shown to speak or have any kind of personality. After the Predacons had gathered enough information about the machines of [[Gaea]]'s past, they then fed the information into the protoforms via energy waves. The protoforms were then altered into the [[Autoroller|Autorollers]].

The atmosphere of the Planet Gaea could have caused the protoforms to rust.

{{Note|Given that the Autorollers were apparently extant veterans, this would be a case similar to that of [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Tigatron]] in "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", in which an already living Cybertronian had been downloaded into a new protoform body.}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics===
Protoforms are the first step in most (if not all) Transformer life. Convicted criminals are sometimes reduced to Protoform state, such as the [[Combaticon|Combaticons]]. {{Storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation (comic issue)}}

===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
Autobots (and possibly Predacons) can change into a protoform state during long journeys, presumably to conserve energy. Attributes of an Autobot's original form remain in whatever new form the being takes. For instance, [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] retained the ability to detect [[O-Part]]s.

A downside to the protoform process is that it leaves the Autobots vulnerable to tampering. [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] was able to use his [[Spark]]'s energy to turn Autobot protoforms into [[Decepticon|malevolent entities]]. {{storylink|The Decepticons|The Decepticons}}

===''Cybertron'' cartoon===
Protoforms are established as the first stage of Transformer life, which is usually followed by [[Primary programming]].

===''Transformers'' (2007)===
[[Image:Movie OptimusPrime protoform.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Optimus Prime's protoform]]
Protoforms in this continuity are more than just the first stage of a Transformer's life, they are the "base" form that exists down inside each robot. Protoforms are made of an ultra-dense, liquid metal material and are extremely hard to damage.

In the rare case they are not actively practicing their natural proclivity for chameleon-like disguise (usually only when engaged in interstellar travel), Transformers shed their exo-structure and return to their protoform state. This protoform is capable of transforming into its [[transition form]]: an armored, cometary shape capable of interstellar travel. Upon landing on a new world and transforming back into a protoform, the Transformer immediately begins [[Trans-scan|trans-scanning]] for new alternate forms to adopt. When one is chosen, the protoform draws on its own ultra-dense substance and any extraneous matter nearby to generate a new exostructure disguise. {{Storylink|Transformers: The Movie Guide}}

{{Note|"Protoform" is used as a term for the movieverse Transformers' Cybertronian forms, although this is also a chosen appearance for the [[self-regenerating molecular armor]] formed by the protoform.}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Image:TransWarpedProtoform.jpg|thumb|right|My Meebas live inside this tube, we grow and change with help from you!]]
According to [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] eats them for breakfast. {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}} Also, [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] refers to [[Sari Sumdac]] as a protoform, suggesting that protoforms are an early stage in a Cybertronian's life cycle that is similar to childhood. {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}} Ironically, this would later turn out to be true, indicating that Transformers can become technorganic in ''Animated'' merely by transcanning an organic form.{{storylink|TransWarped}} Apparently, different Transformers could also be created by the same protoform templates, a fact that could explain similarities in body form and transformation schemes (or, in real life terms, retools and redecos.) {{storylink|Autoboot Camp|Autoboot Camp}}

A large number of protoforms were in the care of [[Yoketron]], either to be Cybertron's next generation or a last-resort if [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Project Omega]] failed. [[Lockdown]] went on to attack and steal most of them. {{storylink|Five Servos of Doom}}

Somehow, one ended up in [[Isaac Sumdac]]'s lab and turned into Sari.{{storylink|TransWarped}}

"Protoform" seems to be a derogatory nickname amongst Cybertronians, translating roughly to "baby" or "kid". The word "protoform''ed''" has been used, presumably in reference to a protoform's coming into existence.
{{-}}

==Toys==
Toys representing transitional protoform modes have been made for several characters from the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action Movie]] universe:
===Transformers (2007)===
[[Image:Movie ProtoformOptimusPrime toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Munkytruck feet!]]
*'''Protoform [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]''' (Deluxe Class, 2007), later [[Redeco|redecorated]] as Protoform Optimus Prime Fusion Cluster Edition. This form is usually Optimus Prime's pre-Earth body in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Transformers'' movie prequel comics.

*'''Protoform [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]''' (Deluxe, 2007), later redecorated as Protoform Starscream Fusion Cluster Edition. This form is usually Starscream's pre-Earth body in IDW's ''Transformers'' movie prequel comics.

* '''Trans Scanning [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]''' (2008)
* '''Trans Scanning Optimus Prime''' (2008)

:Both Trans-Scanning Bumblebee and Optimus Prime feature a highly articulated protoform robot mode that can transform into its comet-like transition mode. Snap-on armour based on their Earth robot and vehicle modes represent the character after they have trans-scanned a vehicle.

===Robot Heroes===
*[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]] [[Jazz (Movie)|Protoform Autobot Jazz]] vs. [[Brawl (Movie)|Decepticon Brawl]]

==Notes==
* A traditional Cybertronian song features the lines "Protoform/ Protoform/ What will you be?"<ref>"[[Black Horizon Part 1]]", ''G.I. Joe vs. Transformers'' Volume 4</ref>

* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]'s Cybertronian form depicted in ''Transformers'' comics and toys greatly resembles a protoform, presumably because it was Hasbro's only reference for an alien Autobot appearance.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{Stub}}

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise]]

Bobby Bolivia

2009-05-01T05:22:17Z

Loudstone: grammar fix

: ''Bobby Bolivia is a [[human]] in the [[Movie (franchise)|Movie]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Movie Bobby Bolivia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Like the country, but without the runs.]]
'''Robert "Bobby" Bolivia''' owns and operates [[Bolivia's Finest Quality Used Cars and Petting Zoo]]. A car salesman of the tackily dressed, Hawaiian-shirts-'n'-sporty-hat-preferring, always smiling, overly friendly, back-slapping, smooth-talking, horsehockey-spewing variety, he claims that a driver doesn't choose the car, it's the car that chooses its driver.

Though sometimes a [[Bumblebee (Movie)|car]] picks a [[Sam Witwicky|driver]] with a [[Ron Witwicky|cheapass father]]. There are also times where a car picks a driver and takes rejection very poorly.

His favorite cars are the kinds that come from Alabama. He's also not afraid to sell cars that mysteriously appear on his lot, despite not possessing the proper legal paperwork and records of the vehicle being sold.

[[Bobby Bolivia's mammy|Bobby's mammy]] lives in sight of his car dealership, and apparently he has wronged her in some way. Their relationship is summarized by her flipping him off and him wishing he had a rock to "bust her head with".

{{quote|Let me tell you somethin', son: A driver don't pick the car, nuh-uh...the car picks the driver. It's a mystical bond between man and machine.|Bobby Bolivia to Sam Witwicky|[[Transformers (2007)|''Transformers'']]}}

==Fiction==
===''Transformers'' (2007)===
:''Actor:'' [[Bernie Mac]] (English), [[Chafurin]] (Japanese dub voice)

[[Image:Movie Bobby Bolivia yourefamily.jpg|left|200px|thumb|You're like family at Bobby B's... but we've seen how Bobby and family act towards each other... hm.]]
When Sam's father promises to buy him his first car, he takes him to Bobby Bolivia (much to Sam's chagrin). After telling his mechanic [[Manny (Movie)|Manny]] to remove the [[Clown|heat-stroke-afflicted clown]] from the sidewalk because he's scarin' "white folk", Bobby feeds the father/son pair his "mystical bond" line and takes them on a tour of the lot.

Bobby agrees to sell Sam a mysterious "custom faded paint" Camaro he's never seen on his lot before for $4000, a thousand less than his made-up-on-the-spot asking price... but only after the windows of every other car on the lot are mysteriously shattered by a high-pitched noise. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|Transformers}}
{{-}}
===''Transformers: The Movie Storybook''===
[[Image:Storybook Bobby Bolivia yourefamily.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"I do feel like we're family. After all, Buster has a shirt just like that!"]]
Bobby wears pink. He still hugs customers. His mother's never going to be a grandmammy, is she? {{storylink|Transformers: The Movie Storybook|Transformers: The Movie Storybook}}

==Games==
===''Transformers The Game'' (console)===
:''Voice actor:'' ???

After Bumblebee beats the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] to Bolivia's car lot, Sam and his father arrive to buy a new car. Bobby tries to sell them an old blue beater, but the tires mysteriously pop and deflate. Sam chooses the alien robot in disguise, and Dad begins negotiations.

Later, while leading [[Sector Seven]] from the Autobots, [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] destroys the fuel pumps at Bobby Bolivia's car lot, causing an explosion which obliterates most of the lot. Here's hoping Bobby wasn't in there at the time. {{storylink|Transformers The Game|Transformers The Game}}

{{note|Bobby is never actually seen in the game, only heard.}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Bolivia-comicsadaptation.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Semi-classic haircut.]]
* According to an article on [http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=121138?imw=Y#12 Edmunds.com], all three 1976 Camaros used in the film were purchased for under $6000 individually, with one of them costing even less than $2000. That one didn't run.

* In the [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[Movie Adaptation|comics adaptation of the movie]], Bobby is 'fro-tastic tall guy who bears no resemblance to Bernie Mac. This was due to the fact IDW was not (and still is not) allowed to use the likeness of several actors playing the secondary characters.

* Buying your first car at Bobby's car lot makes you family. He insists on being called "Uncle Bobby B". Considering the way his family treats one another, this is scary.

* "Bobby Bolivia" is certainly a reference to Wilem Defoe's character in David Lynche's film "Wild At Heart", Bobby Peru.

{{DEFAULTSORT: Bolivia, Bobby}}
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Movie characters]]

Star Convoy

2009-05-01T05:15:27Z

Loudstone: fix redirect link (old anchor name no longer exists), remove teletraan credit

#REDIRECT [[Optimus Prime (G1)#The Battlestars story pages and comic]]

Alan (G1)

2009-05-01T05:07:45Z

Loudstone: Fix wikipedia, tampograph links

{{factions|autobot}}

:''Alan is an [[Autobot]] [[Micromaster]] from the ''[[Return of Convoy]]'' portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Alan-packageart.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Come back here, Alan, you wanker!]]
'''Alan''' (アラン, ''a-ra-n'') is a member of the Liner Team, six locomotive Micromasters who can combine to form [[Sixliner]]. The Liner Team fight alongside [[Star Convoy]], [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] and [[Sky Garry]] to protect the universe from the forces of the mighty [[Dark Nova]].

In an alternate-timeline/universe, Alan is a quiet warrior. He is even more of a student of logic than his leader [[D-Go]], and he possesses the remarkable ability to control electricity, but in the words of his teammate [[Night]], he simpy tends to "fade into the background."

{{note|Since the Alan of "Return of Convoy/Battlestars" had no bio information whatsoever, it is unknown if the "Micromaster Collection" bio is retroactive, applying to the original version as well, though many fans treat it as such.}}

==Fiction==
===''The Battlestars'' comic and story pages===
===Micromaster Collection Story===

{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Return of Convoy===
[[Image:Alan-toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Readin' the wiki, are ya? F**kin' looks like it an' all, mate.]]
*'''Sixliner''' (Micromaster Sixteam, 1991)
*''Japanese ID number'': '''C-370'''

:Originally released in a giftset with his fellow Micromaster trains, Alan transforms into an orange and gray [[wikipedia:TGV|TGV]] Atlantique high speed train. His circular rear hitch allows him to connect end-to-end with his teammates D-Go, Night and [[Leaf]], and to tow the "Gripper Probe" weapon formed from Sixliner's gun, hands, head and right foot. He forms Sixliner's right arm.

:This mold was later [[Redeco|redecoed]] to make [[Atlan]] and [[Tankor (Micromaster)|Tankor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Cybertron/Alan/Alan.htm More information on Alan at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/777/Generation+1/Alan.html Alan toy gallery at Transformertoys.co.uk]''

===Micromaster Collection===
*'''Alan''' (Micromaster, 2002)
*''Sixliner ID number'': '''2'''
*''Accessories'': "Giga Techvolt"/Sixliner legs

:Alan and his teammates were re-released in Japan in 2002, this time sold in identical individual boxes. Alan was #2 in the set, identifiable only by the number on his instruction sheet visible through a small hole in the box. Like the rest of the Micromaster Collection figures, Alan's stickers were either replaced with [[tampograph]]s or dropped entirely; the Sixliners all came in the same plastic colors as the originals. Alan came packaged with the "Giga Techvolt" weapon (Sixliner's pelvis and upper legs); his bio referred to the Decepticons quaking in fear of the sight of him wielding it, but he can't actually ''do'' that, since it doesn't fit into the hole on his back.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/Alan/alan.htm More information on Alan at TFU.info]''

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/8481654a03096b1f?dmode=source&output=gplain Translation of Alan's bio by Doug Dlin]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Micromaster Collection]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy characters]]

Talk:Waspinator (BW)

2009-04-30T06:59:36Z

Loudstone:

2/21/07: Ok, let's discuss this instead of getting into an endless reversion war. Why can't the silly all s's to z's change be allowed? How is it any worse than say the constant rhyming on Wheelie's page?
:: Because it makes the article a pain in the ass to read? At least that seems to be the reason it got edited last time--[[User:UndeadScottsman|UndeadScottsman]] 03:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
Is this a little more acceptable?

Why is Waspy in the "Toys 'R' Us Exclusives" category? As far as I know, unless you count the TRU-Japan-Exclusive version of Thrust, all of Waspinator's toys thus far have been general releases, save for the upcoming Botcon version.

You know, I missed the typo in the Botcon comic "Excecute jump now" panel there. Thanks alot. Now I'll be saying 'excecute' all day. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 13:29, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

The very first round of Fox Kids BW toys were TRU-only, which included Waspinator. -- M Sipher

:I can't prove that you're wrong but I'm sure you are. -[[User:LV|LV]] 01:11, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

::I also greatly question this assertion as I can find nothing to corroborate it. --[[User:MCRG|MCRG]] 06:50, 5 March 2007 (UTC)

::: If memory serves I got my Fox Kid's Rhinox at Target. Even if memory ''doesn't'' serve, Waspy probably should be taken out of this category until some proof is dug up. I won't take him out myself, but I think someone should consider it. --[[User:Nemesis Primal|Nemesis Primal]] 00:38, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

== Stinger ==

If I'm not mistaken, stinger = sharpened ovipositor.. and ovipositor = egg-laying tube.. and therefore ovipositor = vagina.. which means Wazzpinator is a girl-altmoder like Tigatron!—The preceding unsigned comment was added by [[User:75.72.21.221|75.72.21.221]] ([[User talk:75.72.21.221|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/75.72.21.221|contribs]]){{#if:{{{2|}}}| {{{2}}}|}}.
:Male wasps/hornets still have stings.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]] 03:58, 27 August 2007 (UTC)
::Actually, male wasps do not have stings because stings are modified ovipositors, which only females have. The anonymous poster is correct in that Waspinator's beast form is female. Some may find this interesting, but it should really come as no surprise. About half of the beast warriors probably have female beast modes, seeing as females usually make up approximately half of most species' populations. So far, I can positively sex the beast forms of Tigatron (female), Waspinator (female), Inferno (female), Blackarachnia (female), and Cheetor (male). I don't know about the rest though. It doesn't really matter, but it's still somewhat interesting.--[[User:General Cicadacon|General Cicadacon]] 22:44, 8 December 2007 (UTC)
:::Since none of the (mammalian) beast forms have external genitals I assumed they were all female. Aside from Stampy's "Kick him in the unmentionables!" quote in ''The Ascending'' I've never seen any evidence to the contrary...[[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 14:35, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

== Immortality? ==

I think it might be crazy and I just came up with it like 2 seconds ago but I think that Waspinator was the one with an immortal spark seriously maybe when Starscream possessed him it gave him a residual effect to survive even the worse of being slag. or maybe he is just lucky/unlucky.
[[User:Bobtherandomguy|Bobtherandomguy]] 11:32, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

:...what? --[[User:Sntint|Sntint]] 20:49, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

::I think he's saying that Waspinator's apparent immortality may be an after effect of being possessed by Starscream. [[User:24.207.234.189|24.207.234.189]] 00:17, 27 December 2007 (UTC)
:::No,he's saying starscream became immortal AFTER posessing the undefeatable waspinator. Which makes no sense whatsoever because if his spark was there he was already immortal. I don't think this guy knows G1 exists.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 15:25, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
:::Though Waspinator getting blown to scrap rather predates that episode.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 00:29, 27 December 2007 (UTC)
::::Just a theory, but maybe Waspinator had a "differentiated" spark, just like [[Frenzy (Movie)|a certain little skittering spaz]]. If ''he'' can survive being decapitated multiple times, what's to say Waspy wasn't built to the same specs, as it were? --[[User:Nightshade83|Nightshade83]] 02:27, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

== Character-Voice Version? ==

So, is it consensus that the character-voice intro paragraphs are better than more normal ones? I'd prefer the non-voice version. [[User:JW|JW]] 03:24, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
:In some cases, yes. In this case, definitely. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 03:30, 8 January 2008 (UTC)
::This one really is kinda difficult to read. At very least it needs to be edited down. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 00:45, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
:::I think I would prefer going back to the non-character voice version. Maybe if the Tenth Anniversary bio hadn't already done it, I'd like seeing it here better. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 01:00, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

Wazzpinator ''like'' hizz page zzerved with extra Z. [[User:Wazzpinator|Wazzpinator]] 18:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Looking zz at this as it currently stands? zzz The intro zzzz looks zzz AWFUL. I mean, it is seriously zzzz almost zzzz impossible zzzzzz to read. I don't think zzzz the character zzz voice adds zzzz ''anything'' zzzz to the page, and makes zzz it very ugly and hard zzzz to follow. I vote for purging it entirely. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 22:08, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:I agree with removing the "z"s, but lets keep it in his character voice. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 02:12, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
::Would it be acceptable to use the Zs in the opening character overview? I kind of liked them there and thought it was fittingly amusing. I agree that using it throughout the entire article is major overkill, though. [[User:Combobreaker|Combobreaker]] 01:25, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
::It never ''was'' in his character voice. Someone just did a search-and-replace on the letter "S", and made a couple of minor grammar edits -- but it was never re-written to sound like something Waspinator would actually say. If it's going to be a character voice intro, it needs to be done ''right'', not just a crude, hard-to-read port of what's already written. That also means it has to be ''better'' than what's up there now, which if I may say so is pretty good. The character POV's a cute idea, but the execution thus far has left much to be desired. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 22:58, 13 February 2008 (EST)

I agree with you guys mostly, but his ''quote'' should probably have the z's. After all, angry archer is in ye olde english and wheelie is IN RHYME.[[User:American Girl|American Girl]] 19:24, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

Dunno if it helpszz, but when doing BW fancomicszzz I found that an "s" followed by two or three "z"s uszzually got the messzzzage acrosszz
without being too difficult to read, and conveyed Waszzpinator'szzz voice perfectly. [[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 14:34, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:Although szzoft 'c'szz are difficult to reproduce, szzee "voice" above, and indeed "reproduce" in thiszz szzzentence. And in "szzzentence". Gah. [[User:Emvee|Emvee]] 14:39, 12 May 2008 (UTC)

== Waspy Transmetal needs own page? ==

According to the final BW profile book TM Waspy is a seperate alternate reality version that is perminantly possesed by the spark of Starscream (the Starscream of our universe) and engaged in a constant struggle between the Screamer and Waspy personalities in his Transmetal form. Sooo our policy is that alt. reality varients get seperate pages right? We need a [[Waspinator (Transmetal)]] page now? --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 21:37, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:Man, as if Prowl II wasn't enough... [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 21:55, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
::Just take something that will counter the headache ''before'' you read it. -- [[User:SFH|SFH]] 22:00, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:"Alternate reality variants"?? Y'mean like... IDW Scorponok vs G1 comics Scorponok? Seems to me he'd just get a separate fiction section. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 22:04, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
::<nowiki>[[Tankor (Decepticon)]]</nowiki> vs [[Tankor (BM)]]. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 22:16, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:::Yeah that, and many others ([[Galvatron II]] anyone) was the sort of thing I was envisioning. It raises an interesting question. Where is that line? Between seperate continuities of the same character (same page) vs. alternate reality versions (seperate pages).--[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 22:26, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:::And again, that's a decision I contest for this very reason. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 22:43, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
::::But IDW transmetal Waspy is still from the G1 continuity family. I'd say this is more Marvel Prime vs. G1 Cartoon Prime than Marvel Prime vs. RID cartoon Prime. Plus, Waspinator appeared in Transmetal form in a video game. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 22:39, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::But again, how is this different from Galvy II mentioned above, or the Tankor, or many of the Universe and other Alt. Relaity varients that already have their own page? I don't really care which way we do it, honestly, but I DO think we should be consistant. We need to pick some clear rules for this: when a character is Alt. enough to have his own page and when he is just a varient on the main page. --[[User:ZacWilliam|ZacWilliam]] 22:49, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::I think we need to merge the Tankors and Obsidians together, and treat these alternate universe versions of the same character like we do all the other alternate universe versions (cartoon vs comic) of the same character. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 23:10, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:::::::I'd kinda agree. In particular, I've always thought it was really strange to have a separate page under this made-up "Galvatron II" title. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 23:43, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::::Galvatron II isn't "made-up," it's the name of the eHobby toy. Furman had previously used it in Alignment, which itself doesn't count, but that's where eHobby got it from. Anyway, Sourcebook TM Waspinator does not seem to be a distinct character warranting a page of his own, just sections on Waspy and Starscream's pages. --[[User:KilMichaelMcC|KilMichaelMcC]] 01:38, 7 February 2008 (UTC)
::::::::Yeah, Galvatron II gets his own toy, and is running around in a universe where there's already another Galvatron and a Megatron. He gets his own page partly to avoid tremendous confusion and because he's got his own name. Sorta. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 02:10, 7 February 2008 (UTC)

== Animated page? ==

With him having appeared in the cartoon now,in Arabia,does animated waspinator finally deserve a page?[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 10:10, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
:Considering that we aren't even sure if his name is "Wasp" or "Waspinator", I'd say no. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 10:28, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
::Ok,well at least we know there is A waspinator in TFA. Just have to wait for his name. By the way,are you also hoping he will keep his cybertronian alt mode?[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 15:23, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
:::I don't care about his alternate mode, nor do I think my liking of it needs to be discussed here. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 15:45, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
::::Ok,i was just saying. Cause a Cybertron mode Bumblebee retool would be ''right'' around the corner.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 15:54, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm putting my foot down. This does not belong on this page. We can do an Animated page if and when the episode airs, but I am sick and tired of these leaks from Dubai and rumors making this page look unprofessional.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 00:10, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:In addition to that, we don't really know if his name is even Waspinator, since all the reports I've seen just call him Wasp.--[[User:Carrion|Carrion]] 01:08, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::Well then you ''clean up'' the page,not remove the trivia just because ''you're bored with it''. You told me yourself, you are not an admin,so stop trying to be one.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 12:10, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::I am going to have to agree with [[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]], Animated Waspy should get his own page like every other character in this wiki. We don't put Movie Prime on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime's]] page because ''they're not the same character.'' Do y'all get what I'm going at here?--[[User:AWT88|AWT88]] 13:13, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::I agree with Rosi. A different character with a different name and a different appearance, from a different continuity, who may or may not be appearing in an episode none of us have actually seen? Yah, he does not belong on this page. [[User:JW|JW]] 13:29, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::::You two haven't even read a word in this conversation,Rosicrucian is saying Wasp should ''not'' get a page,while i'm saying he should.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 13:54, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::I am saying he shouldn't get a page until we have the full episode aired in North America so that the information is readily available and not subject to the whims and misconceptions of a rabid Transformers fan straining his eyes to make out a patchy broadcast from Dubai. The reason I believe this is because, and this is crucial, ''it lets the maximum number of users check each other's work''.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:03, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::I don't know if there's a language barrier, but at no point did I say I was bored with it. I said I was ''tired of it'', by which I mean I'm tired of people adding this crapola. It doesn't take an admin to remove a trivia item that ''doesn't belong on this page in the first place.''--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 13:58, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::. . . No, he said, "This does not belong on '''this''' page." I think we all agree that, once one of us has seen the episode, we should create a page for "Wasp" or whatever his name is. [[User:JW|JW]] 14:00, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::::::Except,y'know. The ep aired already,just not in slow-ass america.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 14:02, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::::If you've seen it, please feel free to add the info to this wiki. If all the info you have is second-hand, please don't. [[User:JW|JW]] 14:04, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::So you people are saying that all news that did not appear in the USA first is inferior news? I find that racist,i'm not gonna bother replying to that anymore.[[User:Rhinox555|Decepticon Rhinox]] 14:07, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::::::Y'know, I'm also sick and tired of people not understanding that users checking each other's work is the biggest thing that makes Wikis viable, and folks trotting out the "racist" label when they're losing an argument. We don't need this crap.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:10, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::::::::::Rhinox, we welcome contributions from anyone who has firsthand knowledge, Arabic, American, Canadian, Japanese, or Nebulan. What ''you'' have is rumor, because you haven't seen the episode. Also, please remember that you are the New Guy here, so you should try to be less confrontational, especially when we're being polite. [[User:JW|JW]] 14:12, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:::::::::::I think a guy called Magmatron on TFW2005 saw it, but usince we've zero information about Wasp, might not wanna add it. Although I do think adding information we can definetely confirm from those early airings is valid. [[User:GWolfv2]] 15.04 May 12 2008 (GMT)

I'm going to give an example here. Take a typical weekend in which a new episode of TFA airs in Canada or the US. We spend the entire weekend (and sometimes much of the week) double-checking the episode summary, the character fiction sections, and making sure the article holds up and doesn't contain too much cruft. It's a community effort, and often a lot of stuff has to be corrected or just plain cut because the people watching the episode are ''fallible''. All of us. I am not excluded from this.

Now imagine that same episode article and character information is being added for a leaked episode broadcast in Dubai. Maybe five people in the Transformers community have seen it. Maybe only one of those is a user on this Wiki. Maybe he's not even a user on this wiki and the users here are just using his fan summary he posted on one of the news sites. Can the users on this wiki correct him if he's got a misconception about what he's seen? What if he assumes that the tank guy with the turret on his head is Omega Supreme and makes an Omega Supreme character page? Can we call him on his mistaken assumption? It just doesn't work out.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 14:19, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
:You know, if someone here is simply throwing up misinformation and starting fights and hurling insults repeatedly, despite numerous warnings, there ''is'' something to be done about it... --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 15:05, 12 May 2008 (UTC)
::Yeah, I'm probably wasting my breath trying to explain myself to someone who just said "I'm not going to reply anymore because you're all racists."--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 15:52, 12 May 2008 (UTC):::::::
Osnap, it aired on UK what do we do now?
:There will soon be a page at [[Wasp]]. If he at any point changes his name, we'll move it.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 19:34, 3 June 2008 (UTC)
==Waspinator to Waspinator (BW)==
Now that Wasp has become Waspinator in Animated, I'm in favor of this article being Waspinator (BW). Even if the Animated article is left at [[Wasp]] (there is currently debate as to renaming it), I think it could be potentially confusing leaving the (BW) off this article. --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 02:59, 30 April 2009 (EDT)

Captain Fanzone's car

2009-04-30T06:46:46Z

Loudstone: Fixed links (except Waspinator, who's name may revert)

{{disambig2|the normal car belonging to Captain Fanzone|the Autobot who looks just like it, but cleaner|Bumblebee (Animated)}}

:''Captain Fanzone's car is a hapless vehicle in the [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] [[continuity]].''

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Scan.jpg|thumb|right|"This is why I hate apricot Jell-O!"]]
'''Captain Fanzone's car''' is a rusty yellow sports car of undetermined model. It gets destroyed a lot, but always seems to be back in time for its next mauling. It was also the basis for [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]'s Earth vehicle [[alternate mode|altmode]].

{{quote|How come [[Bumblebee (Animated)|your]] interior's so much cleaner than mine?}}{{quote|Maybe because it's not on fire?|[[Captain Fanzone]] and [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]|"[[Velocity]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Captain Fanzone]] was seated in his car, about to eat a burger, when he received a radio call summoning all units to a [[Sumdac Systems]] building. (A humongous nanobug was absorbing everything in its path.) His car was thus present among the collected emergency vehicles when [[Teletran-1]] scanned them for new altmodes for [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his crew of [[Autobot]]s. Scrappy speedster [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] adopted the look of the yellow hatchback, sans rust. When the Autobots made their debut to confront the nanobug, Fanzone briefly mistook 'Bee for his car, exclaiming, "How is my car driving itself?!" {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Wreck BftP.jpg|left|thumb|"''This'' is why I ''hate'' bumper cars!"]]
Fanzone's car was present for many of his encounters with Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s, often in the role of "collateral damage". For example, in the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobot]]s' debut appearance, [[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]] knocked a car into the air with his tail, causing it to bounce amusingly off of Fanzone's vehicle. {{storylink|Blast from the Past}} Afterwards, he briefly used a normal police cruiser. {{storylink|Lost and Found (episode)|Lost and Found}}

The resemblance between Fanzone's car and Bumblebee was occasionally useful, as when Fanzone drove Bumblebee to a ransom meeting with the [[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]], thus sneaking the Autobot into the building under the guise of a normal car. {{storylink|Headmaster (episode)|Headmaster}}

[[Image:TFA Fanzone Car Wreck Velocity.jpg|thumb|right|"And '''this''' is why I '''hate''' bananas in the tailpipe!"]]
The car's most energetic death yet came when Fanzone was investigating [[Master Disaster]]'s underground races. He and Bumblebee ended up pursued by the crazy Decepticon [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]]. Bumblebee and [[Sari Sumdac]] urged Fanzone to jump into 'Bee, and moments later Blitzwing destroyed Fanzone's car with a missile. {{storylink|Velocity}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
* Most of Bumblebee's [[Bumblebee (Animated)#Toys|toys]] will serve, so long as you don't transform them. You might want to [[Kitbashing|paint on some rust]], and scatter a few [[Burger Slime|burger]] wrappers around the interior.
* (One hopes the [[redeco]] opportunity here is as obvious to [[HasTak]] as it is to us.)

==Notes==
* No explanation has been explicitly offered for how his car keeps coming back from being totaled. Either he's repeatedly buying identical cars, or he's getting them fixed at great expense (but ''not'' getting the rust fixed).
* On the other hand, dialogue in "Velocity" implies that the car is the property of the [[Detroit]] Police Department. Given how large bureaucracies work, it's possible they bought a fleet of identical unmarked cars several years ago, and they're all rusting at about the same rate.
* Or, it's just a [[Waspinator (BW)|running gag]].

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Vehicles]]

AllSpark (Movie)

2009-04-29T20:44:07Z

Loudstone: Fix spelling of dimension, fix Transformers The Game link

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
:''The All Spark is an object in the [[Transformers (2007)|movie]] continuity.''

[[Image:Allspark movie.jpg|right|350px|thumb|It will tear your soul apart. Just ask Megatron.]]
The '''All Spark''' is a physical object of mysterious origin. A large, metallic cube, it is inscribed with ornate runes and is responsible for creating a [[Trans-dimensional AllSpark creations|race of dimension-hoppers]], the [[Transformer]] race and the planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself.

{{bigquote|Before time began, there was... the Cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life. That is how our race was born.|[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] on the origins of [[Transformer|his race]]|''[[Transformers (2007)|Transformers]]}}

{{note|Sources other than the movie use the parsing "AllSpark" (one word, rather than two) to refer to the object.}}

:''Hungarian name:'' '''Örök Szikra''' (translates roughly to "Ever-spark")
:''Polish name:'' '''Wszechiskra'''

==Fiction==
===IDW ''Transformers'' movie comics===

{{spoiler|Defiance issue 4|5/8/09}}

The All Spark's origins are unknown. What is known is it was responsible for creating Cybertron and a number of entities, only to end up depleted of energy. It could, however, be repowered by the energy from [[sun]]s. To harvest this energy it created a new race of helpers, the Transformers. Transformers called [[seeker]]s had the ability to travel into interstellar space and sought out suitable suns. Other Transformers constructed [[harvester]]s which enabled the collection of such energy.

Its original creations were betrayed and killed or incapacitated [[The Fallen|by one of their own]], leaving the Transformers the sole inhabitants of Cybertron. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4}}

The Transformers were unaware of their predecessors or the All Spark's origin, but to them the All Spark was the source of life, and that was all that mattered. In return for this act of creation and the continued sustaining of Cybertron, the Transformers tended to the All Spark and kept it safe. Under the reign of science division leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and defense force leader [[Megatron (Movie)|Protector Megatron]], the Transformers flourished. {{storylink|Prime Directive (IDW) issue 1|Prime Directive issue 1}} The peace ended when the Fallen's sarcophagus was dug up, causing the All Spark to give off pulses, attracting the attention of a hostile alien species who attacked Cybertron. This led to an increasingly darker Megatron {{storylink|Defiance issue 1}} to be tempted by the Fallen into trying to seize the power of the All Spark.

Now ''Lord'' of Cybertron, Megatron went rogue with his own army, the [[Decepticon]]s, branding those who followed Optimus traitors. {{storylink|Defiance issue 3}} Optimus Prime formed his own army, the [[Autobot]]s, to counter Megatron. In the war that followed, Cybertron was decimated, and eventually Optimus was forced to capture the All Spark to keep it out of enemy hands. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4}} The Autobots fought valiantly, but the Decepticons quickly gained ground.

Eventually, Prime made the decision to launch the All Spark blindly into space. At Optimus Prime's orders, [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] and a group of Autobots served as decoys, drawing the Decepticons—who thought they had the All Spark—to [[Tyger Pax]], far enough away from the artifact's true location to buy Prime the time needed to prepare the launch. Megatron himself took a personal hand in the torture of Bumblebee, attempting to force him to reveal the All Spark's location, but his efforts went in vain, and the All Spark was blasted into space to put it beyond Megatron's reach. In response, Megatron crushed Bumblebee's voice box and began to follow the All Spark into deep space. {{storylink|Prime Directive (IDW) issue 1|Prime Directive issue 1}}

Once launched into space, the AllSpark would seek out on its own the location of a harvester. {{storylink|Defiance issue 4}}

===Titan Magazines ''Transformers'' comics===
The All Spark was not merely launched blindly into space, however—its trajectory was leading it directly towards the [[Alkaris Anomaly]], a wormhole that could potentially transport the cube to an infinite number of locations in the universe. Briefly delayed by an Autobot tractor beam, Megatron could not stop the cube from entering the wormhole, and instead chose to follow it into the anomaly. While the All Spark was disgorged somewhere in the vicinity of the Sol system, to eventually crash on Earth, Megatron was deposited by the wormhole in some other, far off star system, leaving him to hunt for the Cube through the endless reaches of space. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2|Prelude: Megatron}}

Later on, a space-travelling [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] would be captured by an alien craft—its inhabitants appeared to be immense entities that claimed the All Spark had been stolen from them, and did a psychic probe of Ironhide. They turned out to be "electrical ghosts", a digital imprint from another time kept alive by the photon-rich atmosphere; the ship was a derelict, salvaged by another (rather feeble) alien race that had been using these ghosts as a front. The ship contained a device attuned to All Spark energy though, making it clear the original inhabitants ''did'' have some connection to the All Spark... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 5|Lost In Space 3: Ironhide}}

When it turns human non-sentient mechanical devices into Transformers, the All Spark energy within them forms into small, red All Spark cubes; these can be removed and placed into other things. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] used this to make zombie Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 7|Starscream's Militia}} It can also [[Eco-structuring|cyberform]] planets. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1}}

{{Note|The following events occur in an alternate timeline/continuity where Megatron won the battle of Mission City.}}

When Megatron claimed the All Spark, he both used it to transform Earth into a new Cybertron {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5}} and personally bonded with it, being able to channel its power. [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] was forced to destroy it to stop it. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 13|Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 5}} However, a fragment survived: due to the nature of the Cube, it could end up possessing the same power as the original All Spark. However, there was a risk that Megatron's link to it has corrupted the Cube. Ratchet was assigned to guard it {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 14|Aftermath Part 1}} but eventually weakened and decided to use the fragment to revive [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]—who was reborn as an amoral villain, proving the fragment had been indeed corrupted. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 16|Dark Spark}}

On the dying Cybertron, [[Stockade (Movie)|Stockade]] and his small band of Decepticons sent out a signal into deep space in the hope of contacting any entity related to the All Spark, and drawing it to Cybertron so it could revive the planet. They succeeded; unfortunately, the entity was [[Unicron|not a nice one at all]] {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 18|Return to Cybertron: Part 2}} and possessed the entire planet before it was finally stopped.

===''Transformers'' (2007) movie===
[[Image:Movie All Spark Hoover Dam.JPG|left|250px|thumb|The true power behind Ernő Rubik's success.]]

The All Spark was found in 1913, 16 years after the [[Non-Biological Extraterrestrial|N.B.E.]]-01 "[[Megatron (Movie)|Iceman]]" was found, though carbon dating tests indicated that Cube landed on Earth some twelve thousand years earlier. The [[Cybertronian languages|glyphs]] on the Cube were similar to the ones on the Iceman, indicating a link between the two. In order to hide the cube's energy signature from other humans and, potentially, from other N.B.E.s, the [[President of the United States|President]] had the [[Hoover Dam]] built around it. The Iceman was also moved to the dam for further study. It was eventually determined that the Cube emitted [[Energon (G1)|a type of radiation]]<ref>Identified as Energon in [[Transformers The Game]]</ref> which could [[Allspark Mutation|bring mechanical devices to life]].

Years later, when Megatron eventually came back online due to the intervention of his soldiers, [[Sam Witwicky]] convinced Sector Seven (with the help of Captain [[William Lennox]]'s men) to release Bumblebee, explaining he could help. [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] interacted with the cube and prompted it to collapse from an enormous monolith into a object less than half a meter across, and accordingly lesser in mass as well as volume. Bumblebee and a military escort, soon joined by the [[Autobot|Autobots]], took the Cube to [[Mission City]], where Sam ran through the city avoiding the Decepticons. Along the way, Sam stumbled, and the All Spark released a wave of [[energon radiation]] which animated several nearby machines into [[Allspark Mutation|living robots]]. During the battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, the Autobot leader told Sam to merge the Cube with his [[spark]].

[[Image:Megatron allspark merge.JPG|right|200px|thumb|More fibers and less All Spark in your diet prevent Spark attack.]]
However, Sam instead merged it with Megatron's spark, destroying both Megatron and the All Spark. Gazing at his dead brother for one last time, Optimus fished a fragment of the All Spark out of Megatron's chest.

Without a means to restore their homeworld, the Autobots elected to remain on Earth, and Prime sent a message to inform the surviving Autobots of their new found home. {{storylink|Transformers (2007)|''Transformers''}}
{{-}}

===IDW ''Transformers'' movie comics===
A month after the events in Mission City, the Autobots went to a secret [[Sector Seven]] facility located in the [[Nevada]] desert to escort the remains of the deactivated Decepticons. When the All Spark sliver pulsed with energy near Megatron's corpse, Optimus Prime feared the worst and handed it to [[Professor Vine]] for safekeeping. After the Autobots left, Agent Simmons convinced Vine to take the sliver into their underground facility, since to keep it in the open would only attract Decepticons, though Vine had misgivings considering the stasis-locked [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] was also in the same facility. Optimus Prime, feeling something was wrong, ordered Ironhide and Bumblebee to go back to the Nevada facility to retrieve the All Spark sliver. As Simmons and Vine are moving the relic into secure storage, it suddenly flies out of their hands and onto Wreckage's chest, reactivating the very angry Decepticon and Sector Seven's own [[Landmine (Movie)|L.M.-1 units]]. During Wreckage's rampage, Vine was convinced that they had to find the sliver before it caused more havoc, but he was caught in the blast of Starscream's attack on his fellow Decepticon and killed. {{storylink|Alliance issue 2}}

In the aftermath of the attack, Sector Seven agent [[Reggie Simmons]] was more interested in finding the fragment of the All Spark than mourning the death of Vine. [[Salani]] retrieved the All Spark sliver from the rubble and returned it to Optimus Prime. Eventually, the Autobots and the American military entered into a formal alliance to defend Earth. The All Spark fragment was stored in a bunker under their base on the island of [[Diego Garcia]]. {{Storylink|Alliance issue 3}}

==Games==
===Transformers: Autobots/Decepticons===
Throughout both games, the Autobots and Decepticons are racing to Hoover Dam to recover the All Spark and Megatron's frozen body from Sector 7 control. As the Cube is approached, it creates drones from nearby equipment to defend itself, finally explaining the aggressive tendencies of the robots created on Earth.

In the ''Autobots'' ending, Create-a-Bot smashes Megatron in the chest with the cube, finally ending his god-mode and opening him up for attack, but in the process sacrifices himself so that Optimus Prime can finish the Decepticon leader once and for all.

Basically, the ''Decepticons'' version ends the same, but with the evil [[Steve Blum|Blum]]-bot attacking Starscream so that Megatron can destroy the traitor. Unlike the Autobots version, however, Starscream seems largely unharmed, if not empowered. This doesn't end well for Create-A-Bot OR Starscream, though, as Megatron still destroys his former second-in-command, then kills the newbie for being "weak." {{storylink|Transformers Autobots/Decepticons}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
*The movie's All Spark was derived from hybridizing the concepts of [[Vector Sigma]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership]], but the term "Matrix" was off limits because of the movie of the same name, and it's a big cube because, in the original screenplay, it was going to be called the "[[Energon cube|Energon Cube]]" instead. Optimus Prime's description in the movie intro would suggest it also bears similarities to a [[Cyber Planet Key]] from Transformers Cybertron. Being the object that brought robotic life to Cybertron would also make it comparable to the Key to Vector Sigma of Generation One.
*The All Spark also bears no small resemblance in form and function to the [[Underbase]], in that it's a giant cube-shaped object with remarkable powers that was launched from Cybertron in order to keep it out of Megatron's hands, and then flew aimlessly through space for millions of years.
*By stating Cybertron and the Transformers were created by the All Spark, the movie retcons the retcon that [[Primus]] is Cybertron & the source of Transformer life across all [[Continuity|continuities]]. Unless, that is, the All Spark is Primus' proxy or means through which he acts.

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
*Various AllSpark Power toys

:A small version of the All Spark was available with Japanese versions of the [[AllSpark Power]] toys.

==Merchandise==
* '''All Spark Cube with candy''' (2007)

: A small transparent cube filled with yummy life-giving candy pieces.

* '''Allsparks cubes''' (2007)

: 4 sticker-labeled plastic folding party favor/puzzle Allsparks {{sic}} cubes that can be opened and stacked in different configurations to complete images of the Movie Transformers. Created by DesignWare, a subsidiary of the American Greetings greeting card company. (Says it all, doesn't it?)

===Transformers (2007)===
*'''All Spark Cube''' (2007)

:Released by Popbox Collectibles, this 1:4 scaled, 7cm paperweight replica of the All Spark is made from die-cast metal. It also comes with a small 3x3x2cm square perspex base.

===Revenge of the Fallen===
*'''Rubik's Cube Allspark Edition''' (2009)

:Originally slated to be released in 2008, this item was held back and will instead be released in new packaging as part of the [[Milton Bradley]]'s ''Revenge of the Fallen'' merchandise line.

==Trivia==
* In July 2007, several items from the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 movie]] were auctioned off on e-bay including the 'Hero' AllSpark prop used for closeups, with the money benefiting the [[wikipedia:Fisher House (medicine)|Fisher House Foundation]], a living facility attached to many US Military Hospitals. The auction collected 99 bids and the prop was sold for US$20,100.

==References==
<References/>

[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Movie]]
[[Category:Religion]]

Activators

2009-04-28T20:54:15Z

Loudstone: Add picsneeded template, Fix links

{{Picsneeded}}

The Activators are a [[size class]] of toy from the ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' [[Transformers Animated (toyline)|toy line]]. They are chunky, small, scout-sized figures with spring loaded [[Autotransformation|autotransformation]] from vehicle to robot transformations, but must be hand-transformed back into vehicle mode.

==Toys==
===Animated===
====Wave 1====
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]]

====Wave 2====
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Lockdown]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Autobot Ratchet]]

====Wave 3====
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Patrol Bumblebee]]
*[[Thundercracker (Animated)|Thundercracker]]

====Wave 4====
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]]
*[[Lockdown|Bandit Lockdown]]

====Wave 5====
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]]
*[[Dirge (Animated)|Dirge]]

====Wave 6====
*[[Soundwave (Animated) | Soundwave]]
*[[Grimlock (Animated) | Fireblast Grimlock]]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Transformers: Alternators

2009-04-28T20:23:39Z

Loudstone: Fix wikipedia link, fix tfwiki links, remove redundant links.

[[Image:AlternatorsLogo.jpg|center]]
{{-}}
'''''Alternators''''' ('''''Binaltech''''' in Japan) is a line of Transformers that started in late 2003. The toys in this series transform into [[Licensed vehicle alternate modes|fully-licensed]], 1:24-[[scale]] accurate representations of real cars from automobile manufacturers around the globe, complete with opening doors, hoods, trunks, plus "realistic" open driver/passenger compartments.

==Car licenses and character selection==
[[Image:BTSmokescreenRakuten.jpg|left|150px|thumb|This photo resulted in collective drooling.]]
At one point in 2003, [[Hasbro]] stated that the ''Alternators'' line would consist of "six 'hot' contemporary cars".<ref>[http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/3305.html Report about Hasbro's statements regarding the Alternators line from Wizard World Chicago 2003, at Internal Correspondence version 2]</ref> The first six models were based on a [[Wikipedia:Subaru_Impreza|Subaru Impreza]], a [[Wikipedia:Dodge_Viper|Dodge Viper]], a [[Wikipedia:Jeep_Wrangler|Jeep Wrangler]], a [[Wikipedia:Chevrolet_Corvette"|C5 Chevrolet Corvette]], a [[Wikipedia:Mazda_RX-8|Mazda RX-8]], and a [[Wikipedia:Ford_Mustang|Ford Mustang]]. Even before the line was launched, though, new licenses were already pursued by Hasbro and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], with the first new mold that was not part of the "original six" anymore being based on a [[Wikipedia:Honda_S2000|Honda S2000]]. More and more models and manufacturers joined the line over its run. Nearly all of these models are from either American or Japanese manufacturers, with the only exception being the [[Wikipedia:Jaguar_XK|Jaguar XK]], which is originally a European car.

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

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

{{-}}

==Alternators==
[[Image:MazdaRX-8.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Who is the Mazda RX-8 Transformer? Who? WHO?]]
In the USA, the '''''Alternators''''' line was launched in December 2003, with the toys being made entirely out of plastic (with the exception of the rubber tires). The first wave consisted ''only'' of Smokescreen, who shipped in a case all by himself. The second wave mixed Smokescreen and Side Swipe in a 50:50 ratio, with new toys being introduced in the following waves (but Smokescreen choked shelves like crazy). Over the time of its original run, the ''Alternators'' line was particularly notorious for including toys that were extremely hard to find due to only shipping in one or two waves (Meister, Tracks, Decepticharge, Swerve), whereas others shipped for multiple waves, despite having already been [[Shelfwarmer|shelfwarmers]] (Swindle, in particular).

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

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

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

The future of the ''Alternators'' line is highly questionable right now, and not very bright. Following the [[Movie (toyline)|2007 movie toyline]], the second ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' line, launched in 2008, partly filled the gap for "realistic vehicles", primarily by having unlicensed approximations of vehicles in the ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' style.

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

At the New York International Toy Fair 2008, Hasbro stated that they might bring the Alternators line back. However, no news has come out of this thus far.

{{-}}

==Binaltech==
[[Image:SunstreakerComparison.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Hasbro vs. Takara - can you guess which one is which?]]
In Japan, the line was known as '''''Binaltech''''', with the primary difference being that ''Binaltech'' figures are more "collector"-oriented, featuring fully-painted car bodies and [[die-cast]] metal parts, in comparison to ''Alternators''' color-molded plastic construction. Additionally, various ''Binaltech'' figures have same-character variants, usually released concurrently with the "regular" version in a 50:50 ratio per case (as Japanese toys usually ship in solid cases), that Hasbro did not release (though there are numerous redecoes and remolds in ''Alternators'' that never saw release in ''Binaltech'').

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

In 2007, the ''Binaltech'' line got resurrected in a way similar to the state Hasbro's version was in at that point. The two new molds that had previously been intended to be released prior to the cancellation of the mass retail line were now released as redecos of the ''Kiss Players'' toys, with Black Convoy (exclusively available at the Wonder Festival 2007 Winter convention, and later at [[e-Hobby]]) being Takara's counterpart of the Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con Nemesis Prime redeco of Optimus Prime/Convoy, whereas "Rijie" (Mirage), a redeco of the Ford GT mold which Takara had previously released as ''Kiss Players'' [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Hot Rodimus]], was only released as a clear e-Hobby exclusive variant, using the same head sculpt as Hasbro's Alternators Mirage version. Therefore, Rijie was the only Binaltech that didn't contain any [[die-cast]] parts. Thus far, Takara have shown no indication of intending to release the new Rumble or Ravage molds; however, three new [[Redeco|redecos]] of older toys were released in 2008 (Smokescreen , Acree and Meister), all of them once again available at mass retail. Convoy was released subsequently as the latest addition to this resurrected Binaltech line, featuring slightly different colouring from its previous Kiss Player Convoy counterpart.

Following this, Takara has announced the release of a new toy following a similar overall concept (licensed vehicle mode, diecast parts) to be produced at a smaller scale (1/32), under the new name ''[[Alternity (toyline)|Alternity]]''. So far, an Optimus Prime figure and a Megatron figure were reported to be released sometime in 2009.

===Binaltech Asterisk===
In late 2005 (not too long before it went on "indefinite hiatus"), ''Binaltech'' gained a sub-series called '''''Binaltech Asterisk''''', using old molds in new decos as previously-unreleased Autobots, but also including small PVC figurines of human girls, each one based on a female human character from a previous ''Transformers'' series. These figurines had alternate arms and lower bodies so they could "drive" the Autobots in car mode. These toys were also packaged in robot mode as opposed to the normal car mode (presumably to encourage transformation to car mode so the girls could drive). Reportedly, the addition of the PVCs was to try and reach a broader market to help the line's flagging sales... though the ''higher price tag'' probably didn't help. This series only had three releases before it was canceled; a "Black Convoy w/ [[Marissa Faireborn|Marissa]]" (spelled "Melissa") set was solicited as the fourth set but never released as originally planned... it got changed for the latest incarnation of the 1:24 line, ''[[Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

{{-}}

==Fiction==
===Binaltech===
''Binaltech'' has its own storyline written by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]], though it is only told in small text chunks within each toy's instruction booklet (during the original run of the series) or on the toys' packaging itself (for the toys released in 2007 and 2008).

Taking place during the 'lost years' between the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]'s second season and [[The Transformers: The Movie]], the ''Binaltech'' storyline saw the [[Autobot]] forces split across Earth and Cybertron, as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] launched a major offensive to take control of the Transformers' homeworld. With the Autobot forces spread thin, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] unleashed the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] virus on the Autobots, crippling their bodies. With many of their number damaged beyond repair, the Autobots teamed up with various name-brand car companies to create new "Binaltech" bodies for the infected, which would be immune to the plague. Following the reconstruction of [[Bluestreak]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Tracks]], the Autobots launched a counter-offensive that successfully beat back the Decepticon threat, driving the villains off-planet.

As this battle raged, an evil conspiracy group named the "[[Concurrence]]", consisting both of human villains from season 2 of the original ''Transformers'' cartoon and obscure villains from ''[[G.I. Joe]]'' spin-offs from the 1990s, was formed, seeking to create a rift in the Autobot/human alliance. With a little help from [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], the Concurrance hijacked the Binaltech bodies intended for [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and used them to restore [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and Swindle. To combat this renewed Decepticon offensive, the Autobots developed "[[GT System|Genetronic Translink]]" technology, allowing a single Autobot to control multiple bodies at once. Smokescreen was outfitted with this technology, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] received the Binaltech upgrade to make use of it.

The plot of the ''Binaltech'' storyline took a dramatic turn with the arrival of the time-tossed [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. It was revealed that, years before, the government organization, the [[Intelligence and Information Institute]], had unearthed the flight recorder from Ravage's [[Transwarp]] cruiser (crashed on Earth during the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]), which contained a copy of the Decepticon's personality. Striking a deal with Ravage's consciousness, the Triple-I staffers uploaded his mind into a Binaltech body, but the felonious feline immediately set about using his knowledge of the future in an attempt to alter the course of history. However, the acts of sabotage he commited were detected by the freshly-Binaltech-upgraded [[Overdrive]], who put the Autobots on Earth on alert, forcing Ravage to take a different approach.

When [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] came to Earth to help restore the damaged [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] in a Binaltech body, Ravage hijacked his shuttle on the return trip to Cybertron. Once on the planet, Ravage uncovered the [[Kronosphere]] time machine, and used it to transport Megatron and the bulk of the Decepticon army outside of time. With this act, Ravage successfully changed the timeline, leaving the Autobots to face the approaching threat of [[Unicron]] alone, after which Ravage would recall Megatron and the Decepticons, allowing them to easily conquer the weakened Autobots and claim victory in the war. To lead the Decepticons in the meantime, Ravage arranged for the recreation of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] as a Binaltech warrior.

Having been offered a glimpse of the impending future by Ravage, Wheeljack dedicated himself to finding ways to save the lives of the Autobots that would die in the future. Establishing the "Body Shop" project to create Binaltech bodies for his friends, Wheeljack upgraded himself as well, but when he attempted to transfer Prowl's [[spark]] into a new body via [[subspace]], an accident resulted in the spark being lost between dimensions. [[Chip Chase]] downloaded his mind into the Binaltech body instead, becoming the new Prowl, and together with Overdrive, led a strike that resulted in the capture of Ravage. Just at that moment, alas, Unicron appeared in the skies over Cybertron, and in the midst of the ensuing chaos, the Autobots made a desperate last-chance gamble: using the time-warp on [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] traveled back in time in an attempt to undo all of Ravage's corruption upon the timeline.

Skids's chapter of the ''Binaltech'' story was released in 2005, after which the toyline was put on hiatus and replaced with ''[[Kiss Players (franchise)|Kiss Players]]''. As such, it would be two more years before fans found out how his time-travelling endeavour turned out, in the story chapter released with [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]] in 2007—and as it transpired, things did not go well. Although [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] proved able to defeat Unicron with the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], Skids's trip into the past caused the timestream to destabilize, causing all of time to unravel around the Autobots. A mysterious spark known only as the "[[Optimus Primal|Protector]]" emerged from the chronal chaos and possessed the body of [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (created by [[Doctor Arkeville]]). The Protector used its powers to stabilize the timestream, restoring history to its intended flow, while also preserving the "Binal-Time" timeline as a parallel universe, with the explanation that the Binaltech warriors would ultimately lead to the creation of a great force in the future known as the "[[Alternity (species)|Alternity]]". Unfortunately, Nemesis Prime's programming soon overrode the Protector's spark, forcing it from his body and returning to Arkeville, who succeeded in bringing the new Decepticon to true life. The bad news kept on coming when Megatron and his Decepticon forces returned from outside of time, and succeeded in the goal Ravage had envisioned for them, defeating the Autobot and conquering Cybertron. To stop the Decepticons, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] used his invisibility powers to venture into the depths of Cybertron and activate the [[large switch]] created by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] which shut down all non-Binaltech Transformers everywhere. Nearly the entire Decepticon forces were disabled, and Nemesis Prime took control of the remaining troops.

It would be mid-2008 before futher ''Binaltech'' toys, and hence more story chapters, were released, but when they did at last arrive, they picked up right where the story had left off. First, Prowl's spark reappeared from its subspace sojourn in another dimension (the original "correct" timeline of the cartoon continuity), the Bluestreak of that world travelled into the Binal-Timeline to inform the Autobots there of their friend's fate. After stopping a Concurrence plan to tap the energy of Prowl's spark to power a war-machine made from animated [[electrum]], the Autobots restored Prowl's spark to his frame, and Chip to his own body. With this crisis averted, the Autobots began focusing their efforts on the Protector, attempting to give him a Binaltech body, while also conducting the [[Timaeus Project]] at his direction to create the substance known as "[[Alternium]]", which would be important for the future he had foretold. Although [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] successfully carried out the Timaeus Project, she was unable to stop a Decepticon attack that saw the villains kidnap the Protector, as part of a plan by Nemesis Prime to create a synthetic Matrix for himself by removing human consciousnesses from their bodies and fusing them together. A strike by the Autobots prevented the dark Prime from carrying out his horrible scheme, and during the final battle, the Protector merged with Optimus Prime, increasing his strength to the point that he was able to destroy Nemesis Prime.

===Alternators===
Unlike ''Binaltech'', there is no actual fiction for the ''Alternators'' line, and it is highly unlikely there ever will be, the line's questionable future regardless. According to [[Hasbro]] representatives, they never pursued the licensing rights for "2D" representations of the car models. Though the reasons were never stated, it is not hard to extrapolate numerous reasons not to; additional costs for securing rights for an indefinite period, debatable ability to utilize those rights in a timely manner, plus clearing whatever fictional portrayal is made with every car company involved (see [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s page for more on ''that''), which would massively bog down any publication.

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

===Binaltech Asterisk===
''Binaltech Asterisk'' has its own fiction that is largely unconnected to any other Transformers timeline, or even itself, being mostly short vignettes free of Decepticon troubles; however, the official [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|Japanese G1 timeline]] places it within the same fiction and period of time as Binaltech.

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Alternators===
{{note|Although most ''Alternators'' ''did'' come out in waves, the number of actually new toys was limited to two or three per season; as a result, they're simply listed ordered by number, even though some of them (notably Dead End/Tracks and Decepticharge/Swerve) were released in reversed order at general retail.}}
*01. [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003)
*02. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (Dodge Viper SRT-10)
*03. [[Hound (G1)|Autobot Hound]] (Jeep Wrangler Sport)
*04. [[Bluestreak|Silverstreak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*05. [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*06. [[Tracks|Autobot Tracks]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
*07. [[Jazz (G1) toys|Meister]] (Mazda RX-8)
*08. [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*09. [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]] (Ford Mustang GT)
*10. [[Ravage (G1) toys|Battle Ravage]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible)
*11. [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (Honda S2000)
*12. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockblast]] (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*13. [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (2005 Ford Mustang Street Tuning)
*14. [[Decepticharge]] (Mugen Honda S2000)
*15. [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (Chevrolet Corvette Z06)
*16. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (Acura RSX)

{{note|The mass retail Alternators line was officially released in two subsequent assortments in North America. The first one ran from Smokescreen to Prowl, whereas the second one ran from Prowl (who was carried over from the first assortment) to Autobot Camshaft, including re-releases of Autobot Tracks and Meister. European releases, on the other hand, were a lot more complicated (if not to say outright confusing).}}
*17. [[Skids (G1)|Autobot Skids]] (Scion xB)
*18. [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*19. [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*20. [[Ricochet (G1 Autobot)|Ricochet]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*21. [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Optimus Prime]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10)
*22. [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (Ford GT)
*23. [[Camshaft (G1)|Autobot Camshaft]] (Acura RSX)
*24. [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10, Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive)

{{note|Nemesis Prime shipped all by himself and wasn't part of ''any'' assortment as such. He was was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and as a Mr Toys Toyworld exclusive in Australia.}}
*24. (25.) [[Rumble (G1)|Decepticon Rumble]] (Honda Civic Si, Wal*Mart exclusive)

{{note|Rumble and Ravage were available in a Wal*Mart exclusive assortment of their own, although Rumble was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in some Asian countries. Also note that, while Rumble's official number on the packaging is 24, common consensus among fans is that this is an error, seeing as Nemesis Prime had aleady sported that number, and there is no ''Alternators'' toy numbered 25.}}
*26. [[Ravage (G1) toys|Ravage]] (Jaguar XK, Wal*Mart exclusive)

{{note|Ravage was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in several European countries (among them Germany, making him the ''first'' Alternators toy to be officially released there) and in some Asian countries, also in [[Multilingual packaging|European packaging]].}}
*27. [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Rodimus]] (Ford GT, Hasbro Toy Shop/San Diego Comic-Con exclusive)

{{note|Rodimus shipped all by himself and wasn't part of ''any'' assortment as such. He was was also available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and as a Mr Toys Toyworld exclusive in Australia.}}

===Binaltech===
*BT-01. Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 #7 version)
*BT-01. Smokescreen (Subaru Impreza WRC 2003 #8 version)
*BT-02. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Lambor]] (Dodge Viper SRT-10)
*BT-03. [[Bluestreak|Streak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BT-04. [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (Jeep Wrangler Sport)
*BT-05. Dead End (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*BT-06. Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 yellow version)
*BT-06. Tracks (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 blue version)

{{note|Blue ''Binaltech'' Tracks was the only "variant" version of a ''Binaltech'' toy (the yellow version was originally considered the "regular" version by Takara, which got retroactively changed later) that was ''not'' shipped together with the "regular" version in a 50:50 ratio per case. Instead, Blue Tracks was shipped several months after the release of the yellow version, at the same time Swindle was released.}}
*BT-07. Smokescreen GT (Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 #1 version)
*BT-07. Smokescreen GT (Subaru Impreza WRC 2004 #2 version)
*BT-08. [[Jazz (G1) toys|Meister]] (Mazda RX-8 white version)
*BT-08. Meister "Velocity Red Mica Edition" (Mazda RX-8 red version, aka [[Zoom-Zoom]])
*BT-09. Swindle (Jeep Wrangler TJ Custom)
*BT-10. Grimlock (Ford Mustang GT)
*BT-11. Ravage (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible)
*BT-12. [[Overdrive]] (Honda S2000)
*BT-13. [[Shockwave (G1)|Laserwave]] (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*BT-14. Wheeljack (2005 Ford Mustang Street Tuning)
*BT-15. Prowl "Patrol Type" (Honda Integra Type-R police version)
*BT-15. Prowl "Vivid Blue Pearl Edition" (Honda Integra Type-R blue version)
*BT-16. Skids (Toyota bB)
*BT-17. [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10, Wonder Festival 2007 Winter exclusive)
*BT-18. [[Mirage (G1)|Rijie]] "Electro Disrupter Mode" (Ford GT, e-Hobby exclusive clear version)
*BT-19. [[Bluestreak]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BT-20. Argent Meister (Mazda RX-8 Mazdaspeed Version II)
*BT-21. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (Honda S2000)
*BT-22. [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Convoy]] (Dodge Ram SRT-10)

===Binaltech Asterisk===
*BTA01. [[Red Alert (G1)|Alert]] meets [[Ai Kuruma|Ai]] (Subaru Impreza WRX)
*BTA02. [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] meets [[Junko Shiragami|Junko]] (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe)
*BTA03. [[Blaster (G1)|Broadblast]] meets [[Lumina Hoshi|Lumina]] (Toyota bB)

{{-}}

==Trivia==
===Pre-release development===
[[Image:PorscheMiniSubaru.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You'll never ever find us in stores.]]It's not certain what exactly originally led Hasbro and Takara to the concept of a line of Transformers based on licensed vehicles. An interview with Takara's development team<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/fandom/interviews/alternators_binaltech/takara_binaltech_interview_translation.php interview with Takara's Binaltech development team, English translation at TF Archive]</ref> confirmed that both companies initially had different ideas (for example, a different intended scale for the toys) that ultimately resulted in a compromise. It's possible that Hasbro's motivation stemmed from the ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, where they were required to alter [[X-Brawn]]'s headlights in order to avoid legal trouble with Mercedes, and had to acquire a license from Dodge for all iterations of the [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] mold beginning with the "Super Side Burn" redeco.
* The first toy planned for the line was Jazz (probably to be named "Autobot Jazz" for [[trademark]] reasons) as a Porsche 986. A prototype was made, but Porsche refused to grant Hasbro and Takara the license, stating that "Transformers are not worthy carrying the Porsche trademark. They are war machines and the toyline in no way represents the lifestyle and ideas which Porsche represents.<ref>[http://www.tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24622 Former Porsche employee Addl recounting an informal inquiry with Porsche's licensing department at TF Archive]</ref> As a consequence, the toy ultimately never went into production. Photos of the prototype were depicted in the Japanese book "[[Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]", and Hasbro later also displayed the prototype during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour.

* The second prototype produced was Tracks as a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Although the toy eventually came out, Chevrolet initially denied Hasbro and Takara the license as well, presumably fearing that "having these car panels that separate apart conveys an image of being broken".<ref>[http://toyboxst.inwards.com/phorum/read.php?3,97799,97800 interview with Binaltech designer Hironori Kobayashi, English translation at the Toybox DX forums]</ref> This led Hasbro and Takara to conceive an alternate concept for Tracks as another "well-known American sports car", namely a Dodge Viper. Ultimately, though, Chevrolet would later have a change of mind, which allowed Hasbro and Takara to start production on Corvette-Tracks after all, whereas the Viper ended up as Side Swipe instead.

* The third design was for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] as a [[Wikipedia:Volkswagen_New_Beetle|Volkswagen New Beetle]], with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] as the redeco. Unfortunately, VW had similar concerns as Porsche, what with not wanting to be associated with "war toys", therefore the design never made it past the control drawing stage. Control drawings for both Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have been published in the aforementioned Japanese BT guide book.

* Another prototype, which was apparently created before the final scale for the line was settled on, was a smaller version of [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], displayed by Hasbro as part of the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour. <ref>[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-gallery/convention-photographs/238/convention-photographs/BotCon+2007+Hasbro+Tour.html Photos from the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour at Transformers @ The Moon]</ref> Oddly enough, though, the prototype is a different scale than the one Takara claimed having initially pursued in their interview in the ''Binaltech'' guide book; furthermore, the small Subaru prototype was stated to be the second prototype after the Porsche version of Jazz (which was displayed next to him), which also appears to contradict the Takara interview; and lastly, the Subaru prototype mixes a Smokescreen head sculpt and a WRC (Smokescreen) front bumper with a WRX ([[Bluestreak|Silverstreak]]) rear spoiler.

* The 1:24 scale Subaru Impreza mold was apparently the first design that went without any major difficulty at any stage in its production process, if one ignores the smaller scale prototype. It should be noted, though, that Silverstreak (the WRX street model) was originally designed first, with Smokescreen (the WRC rally model) being intended as the redeco, but Takara's marketing department decided to reverse the release order of the two versions, thinking that the rally model would have "more visual impact" as the first release of the line.

===Other changes===
* Many other toys later down the line also went through various changes prior to being released. More details can be found on the individual pages for [[Tracks]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]], [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]], [[Jazz (G1) toys|Jazz]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], [[Grimlock (G1) toys|Grimlock]], [[Freeway]], [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], [[Overdrive]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Decepticharge]], [[Wildrider]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Ginrai]], [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Hot Rod]], [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] and [[Bluestreak]].

* Hasbro originally intended to use real branded tires such as Bridgestone, Michelin or Goodyear (evidence can be found on early, "leaked" [[Prototype|test shots]] for Smokescreen, Side Swipe and Meister, and in the Japanese ''[[Transformers: Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide]]'' book). However, all the final ''Alternators'' and ''Binaltech'' toys either use the fictious brand [[Cybertronian Radial]] for their tires, or sport no brand markings on their tires at all.

* In early 2004, a trade publication named ''Brandweek'' reported that Hasbro was negotiating with Dodge about the licenses for a Dodge Ram pickup truck and a Dodge Neon. While the former ultimately ended up as Optimus Prime, the latter vehicle was never actually turned into an Alternator.

* In mid-2004, several online stores solicited an upcoming ''Binaltech'' toy based on a MINI Cooper alongside the newly confirmed Swindle and Grimlock. The preorders were later canceled, which, coupled with conflicting statements from Hasbro and MINI prior to that, resulted in quite a lot of confusion among fans. To this day it's not certain whether the preorders were premature and solely based on an advertising campaign MINI had been running during that time, or whether such a ''Binaltech''/''Alternators'' toy was actually in the works. Rumors of an existing prototype could never be verified.

* In late 2004, store listings revealed an entry for an upcoming Alternators toy based on an unspecified Mitsubishi vehicle, listed alongside an Acura which would later turn out to be Prowl. Ultimately, the Mitsubishi would never materialize, and the only other concrete piece of information was a rumor that ''predated'' the store listing, suggesting that an Alternators toy based on a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution was in the pipeline.

* Another new mold, a Cadillac XLR convertible, was also planned. According to Hasbro at BotCon 2006, the toy would have been [[Megatron (G1) toys|Megatron]], but when it was decided to put the Alternators line on an indefinite hiatus, the Cadillac Megatron plans never went beyond the early planning stages. It would have had Oregon license plates.

* Wal-Mart store and website listings listed in addition to mass retail releases of Rumble, Jaguar Ravage, and the unproduced Alternator Megatron, another Scion and Mustang Alternator release. What exactly these releases were going to be (re-releases of existing figures, retools, or redecos) was never revealed.

{{-}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.oafe.net/articulation/0602.php English translation of the Binaltech story, with images and footnotes]
* [http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=41133 English translation of the BT-18 chapter] (from BT-18 Rijie)

[[Category:Alternators]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Scale

2009-04-28T19:38:25Z

Loudstone: Fix links

[[Image:OptimusSnakeEyes.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And the truck's how big...?]]
'''Scale''' in ''Transformers'' is, not to put too fine a point on it, screwed.

Virtually no era, franchise, fiction, [[Toy|toyline]] or other incarnation of ''Transformers'' has presented scale in a logical or believable fashion. (The only exceptions are the 1:24 toys for ''[[Alternators (toyline)|Alternators]]'' and ''[[Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'', but they [[Atari Hitotonari|have their own problems]].) Most fans agree that one must either ignore it or accept it, lest they be tempted to explain these problems and in the process fanwank themselves into oblivion.

However, the scale problems of ''Transformers'' still merit description.

{{bigquote|"Clearly, the pitiful humans at Hasbro are so overwhelmed by the awesomeness of Cybertronian life forms that they can't get the scale right."|[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]|[[Transformers Comic issue 23|Star Scream's #23]]}}

==Scale within toylines==
===Toys out of scale with others in the same line===
[[Image:DiacloneScale.jpg|right|350px|thumb|That little guy — who comes from the same toyline as all those vehicles — is supposed to be a normal-sized human. Yeeeah.]]
The early [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1 toyline]], especially the pre-[[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] lines, were repackaged and [[Redeco|redecoed]] toys from several different Japanese toylines. The crucial point is that the toylines were initially unrelated. The characters ''should'' be in scale to each other as they all have real-world altmodes that (should) pass for real vehicles. However, since ''[[Diaclone]]'' toys were not part of the same line as ''[[Microman]]'' toys, scale issues arose. ''Diaclone'' figures such as [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] are more-or-less in correct scale to each other (though problems already arise with [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], whose [[alternate mode]]s are based on ''the same car'' yet are not quite the same size), but many of the [[Mini Vehicle]]s from the ''New Microman'' line are clearly far too small by comparison. Even aside from their deformed penny-racer proportions, a [[Bumblebee (G1) toys|Volkswagen Beetle]] Microman toy is disproportionately tiny when compared to a [[Jazz (G1) toys|Porsche 935]] Diaclone toy. The disparity becomes even more obvious with [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] such as [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (a tank) and [[Seaspray]] (a hovercraft), who should be many times their actual size.

Another glaring scale problem comes in the form of the [[Seeker]]s, who turn into F-15 Eagles which, in real life, are 19.4 m (63.8 feet) long. Correctly scaled, this would make their robot modes ''colossal'' compared to most Autobots. Similarly, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], despite also coming from the ''Diaclone'' line, are too small. Far worse is the other ''Diaclone'' combiner team, the [[Trainbot]]s, who have train engine altmodes, yet their toys are among the ''smallest'' of the ''Diaclone'' releases.

===Toys out of scale within teams===
Even toys specifically designed to interact with each other suffer from this problem. The [[Combaticon]]s are wildly out of scale to each other—[[Blast Off]]'s space shuttle mode should dwarf [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], with the others somewhere in between. Instead, they're about the same size. Among the Constructicons, [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] is designed to look like a gigantic [[Wikipedia:Image:Liebherr t282 1.jpg|"earth-mover" mining truck]]. He should be able to carry all his teammates in his bed, with some crowding. Similarly, [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (a Concorde jet) is dramatically undersized compared to his fighter-jet [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] teammates. These scale problems are necessary to avoid misproportioned gestalt forms.

Don't even ask about the Protectobots with their [[Groove (G1)|motorcycle]] and [[Blades|helicopter]] limbs...

===Same altmode, different sizes===
Other scale problems come from characters who transform into the same (or similar) altmodes but whose toys are different sizes. For example [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] transforms into an F-15 Eagle, but his toy is half the size of [[Starscream (G1) toys|Starscream]]'s. The same can be said for the Lamborghini Countach [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], who should be the same size as [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], not significantly smaller. These discrepancies are also seen in the other [[Scramble City]] combiners with Earth altmodes, whose toys are all smaller than similar earlier toys.

===Multiple scales of same character===
Although it was never really a problem in G1 (later retro-iterations of [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|G1 Prime]] e.g. [[Masterpiece]] don't count), later franchises sometimes released multiple versions of the same character in different [[size class]]es ''within the same product line'', usually limited to the leader characters. Multiple versions of [[Optimus Primal toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW) toys|Megatron]] in ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' weren't exactly an example of this, as they represented different bodies, but ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' began the problem in earnest with three different [[Cheetor (BW) toys|Cheetor toys]] released over the course of the line. With one toy at the Supreme size point, one at the Mega point, and a third slight variant at the Deluxe point, there was no real indication of which size if any was the "correct" one. The same line also released two different [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] toys and two different Optimus Primals.

[[Image:TFAnimated RolloutCommand OptimusPrime toy.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Hooray. I'm in scale with nobody.]]
''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' continued the trend, with several prominent characters receiving a smaller [[Spy Changer]] toy in addition to their larger toy, such as [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] and [[X-Brawn]]. The ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' line featured both a Super-Con and Super-Base version of [[Optimus Prime (Armada) toys|Optimus Prime]] featuring the same design at different size-classes, an issue repeated with [[Megatron (Armada) toys|Megatron]] in ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]''. The introduction of the "Legends of Cybertron" size class in ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' only compounded matters, as a plethora of different characters were released at a size wildly out of scale with any of their contemporaries. ''Cybertron'' also featured the first notable case of out-of-scale toys being at least partially explained in the fiction with [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], who did change size over the course of the series.

With the explosion of toys for the [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]], even more scale problems erupted. The line offered both Voyager and Leader-class iterations of [[Optimus Prime (Movie) toys|Prime]] and [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]], not to mention nearly all of the movie's onscreen cast getting a Fast Action Battler toy which introduces scale problems between the toys and one another. The fact that [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] came with a small Scorponok, and a separate Deluxe class [[Scorponok (Movie)|Scorponok]] was released, only expands the scale problems when one realizes that the Blackout and Deluxe Scorponok toys are meant to interact. Blackout can carry the small Scorponok ''while'' clipped on to the larger one as well, effectively transporting ''both'' at the same time, which makes the entire assembly a nightmare of scaling problems.

This mishmash has expanded even further in the ''[[Transformers Animated (toyline)|Animated]]'' line, with Deluxe, Voyager, and even Supreme-class versions of [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]]. [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], has a Voyager, Deluxe, and a leader mode. And there's even two different sizes for poor [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]].

Originally, the intent was apparently to make the popular [[Optimus (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] characters available at lower price points than just "leader" class so that children with less money would not miss out, while also forcing [[completist]] [[User:ItsWalky|collectors]] to buy multiple versions of one character. The result, however, is that it creates further confusion about scale within the toyline, as the contradictory sizes of these toys leave it [[Personal canon|up to the fans]] to determine which is the "correct" version, either using apparent [[show-accuracy]] or other criteria. Sometimes this creates even further problems, though—if one assumes that the Voyager-class Movie Prime is the "correct" version, then he either has comically small seats for human passengers or [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] has absurdly large seats.

===Toys out of scale with themselves===
[[Image:G1 Broadside toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Kill me. Just... kill me now.]]
[[Triple Changer]]s create a whole new set of problems. [[Octane]] transforms from a 20 m (60') tanker truck into a 65 m (200') jumbo jet. [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] transforms from an Earth jet into an entire ''aircraft carrier.''

Even a two-mode toy can have this problem. Twentieth Anniversary Optimus Prime has wheels which are pretty tiny for a Freightliner truck, while his rear hitch section is too thick. These out-of-proportion vehicle parts were necessary to give his robot mode [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] proportions.

===Toys with roleplay altmodes===
The characters with roleplay altmodes such as Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1) toys|Megatron]], [[Soundwave (G1) toys|Soundwave]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], or [[Laserbeak (Armada)|''Armada'' Laserbeak]] are scaled to be human-scale (well, kid-scale). Since the [[size changing]] seen in the fiction is not possible for real toys (at least, that's what [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] ''wants'' us to think), this human-scaling makes in some cases for inordinately large robot modes. E.g., [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s toy, in robot mode, is taller than most other Transformers.

The opposite problem is seen with [[Megatron (G1) toys|Masterpiece Megatron]], whose robot mode is in scale with Masterpiece Optimus Prime. The result is that, while he may transform into a very accurately-proportioned handgun, it's unmistakably much larger than the real thing. (Not that this has stopped him being widely banned as a "realistic firearm replica"...)

===Fanciful altmodes===
Most post-[[The Transformers: The Movie|movie]] Generation 1 characters (for that matter, most post-Generation 1 lines) are difficult to accurately scale, as they generally transform into futuristic or Cybertronian vehicles whose size we don't really know. (Or, indeed, they don't transform into vehicles at all.) The scale of characters such as [[Hot Rod (G1) toys|Hot Rod]] or [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] is fairly arbitrary and can only be estimated by their relative size to other characters in the fiction (although most fiction is highly inconsistent in this regard, see below). Nevertheless, if one assumes that most vehicle altmodes are intended for human-sized passengers, comparing toys such as [[Chromedome]] and [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]] suggests the combiner scale problem continues.

===Big toys===
It goes without saying that the [[city-bot]] and planetbot toys (such as [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Unicron]]) are not remotely to scale with normal Transformer toys. While they are indeed ''large'' toys, they're only two to five times bigger than typical Transformer toys, and thus transform into "cities" and "planets" about the (relative) size of a bungalow. The scale problems extend to the details. Some of the citybot toys have visible windows, which are too large for a city, suggesting instead a medium-sized building.

However, it's hard to begrudge Hasbro not offering us a [[Primus]] toy the size of an asteroid. Where would we keep it?

===An exception===
There has only been one notable exception to all of this scale weirdness in the toys: the ''Alternators'' toyline, where every toy is a 1:24-scale representation of a real car, and thus they are in perfect scale with each other. Unfortunately, for practical reasons this limits the choice of altmodes. A Blast Off (space shuttle) toy in scale with the Alternators toys would be 1.6 m (5.1') long, while a Broadside (aircraft carrier) toy at that scale would be over 12 m (40'). (Hasbro actually displayed [[Prototype|mock-ups]] for an unproduced line of "military" Transformers in scale with the Alternators during the BotCon 2007 Hasbro Tour; two of them recycled parts of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Unicron]], and were thus [[Size class|Supreme-sized]], which made said potential toyline not particularly commercially viable for Hasbro.)

== Scale within fictions ==
Scale issues abound within the fiction, especially the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. Some can be attributed to [[animation error]]s, such as layering problems,[[:Image:Tinybluestreak.jpg|1]][[:Image:Huge Ironhide and Small Ratchet.jpg|2]][[:Image:CarnageMiniBlaster.jpg|3]] but some "errors" were deliberate choices, for a variety of reasons.

===Fictional scale vs. toy scale===
[[Image:TeenyCliff.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Frighteningly toy-accurate.]]
[[Image:Powerglide Astoria Marygoaround.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Actually, [[Kiss Players|disturbing fiction]] is probably more of a concern than scale issues.]]
G1 ''Transformers'' fiction often depicts characters to the same relative scale as the toys, which duplicates the intra-toyline problems described above. The cartoon, for example, shows Prime, Megatron and Soundwave as about the same height, Seekers and Autobot cars as slightly shorter (though not as much as the toys are), and Minibots as smaller yet. This scale was carried over to their vehicle forms, resulting in differently-sized cars that, based on real world measurements, should be virtually the same size.

[[Image:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I know he's meant to be big, but holy crap, dude!]]
For another example, the Marvel Comics portrayed the Pretenders as literal interpretations of their toys: 60-foot humans with full scale Transformers inside. The "disguise" aspect of this was later explained by having Landmine and Cloudburst encounter giant, transformer-sized humanoids on an alien planet which made them appear to be of a "normal" scale.

Transformers fiction commonly shrinks or inflates characters, relative to their toy sizes. "Giant" characters such as [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] are, even aside from any [[size changing]] for transport purposes, clearly not in the same scale in toy form as they are depicted on screen. [[Mini-Cassette|Cassette characters]] such as [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s toys are roughly the same height as most Minibots, while in the show they are usually portrayed as human-sized.

[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are usually shown to be of a fairly similar height (although Magnus is much bulkier), whereas there is a considerable difference between the size of their toys. By the same token, Rodimus is always depicted as being an equal stature to his opposing leader [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], whereas the toy Galvatron is instead the same size as Magnus. Optimus Prime is also usually shown as only a head or so shorter than Magnus (if that), which gets very strange when you realise that a [[redeco]] of Prime's toy forms but a small part of Magnus' robot mode.

[[Image:Beastwarsmaxgroup.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Airazor picks the Ultra-class figure.]]
The cast of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' were size-tweaked quite a bit, relative to the toyline. The most noticeable problem is Optimus Primal, who has an Ultra toy (the "level four" size, almost twice the size of the "level three" Mega next-largest Maximal toys), but is shorter than both Dinobot and Rhinox (both of whom are "level two" Deluxe sized toys). Further, Cheetor and Tigatron's toys use the same (Deluxe) mold, but Tigatron is a head taller in the show (both because tigers are larger than cheetahs, and because Cheetor is "a kid"). New and altered characters in later seasons were generally more consistent in size (and appearance) with the toys.

The ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]''' toyline was ''far'' worse in size discrepancies with the cartoon. Of the Maximals featured in the show, the tallest character, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], is the ''shortest'' toy, while the diminutive [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] is a massive Ultra-class toy. And, sadly, the most show-accurate toy, Air Attack [[Optimus Primal toys|Optimus Primal]], is a ''ginormous'' Supreme figure, towering over the other toys. (Weirdly, the King Kong-like size of this toy became canon in one specific [[micro-continuity]]. {{storylink|Prime Spark}})
{{-}}

[[Image:ShrinkingHeavy.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I lost thirty tons, thanks to the Jump-Cut! Thank you, Jump-Cut!]]
In the otherwise fairly toy-scale-savvy [[Unicron Trilogy]], [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Metroplex]] and the other citizens of [[Gigantion]] are depicted as gargantuan in animation, whereas the toys are merely among the normal boxed size-classes. Within the animation, this causes problems with their Mini-Con partners, who are depicted as human-sized in robot mode by themselves, but when shown directly interacting with their larger partners, are scaled up right along with their partner... resulting in some temporarily gigantic Mini-Cons!

The Japanese ''[[Cybertron (franchise)#Galaxy Force|Galaxy Force]]'' release of Metroplex, dubbed "Megalo Convoy", included an exclusive [[redeco]] of the [[Legends of Cybertron]] [[Optimus Prime (Armada) toys|Optimus Prime toy]] to indicate the "correct" scale.

The ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' franchise has its share of scale problems when comparing its toyline to the cartoon (not helped by multiple releases of some characters in different sizes - see above), with several characters seeming roughly one [[size class]] too small, such as the [[Dinobot (Animated)|Dinobots]] being a mix of one Voyager size and two Deluxes, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] looking rather diminutive as a Deluxe, and, most egregiously, [[Lugnut]] as a ''very'' squat Voyager who's shorter than even some Deluxes. (As with Voyager-class Bulkhead, more of his mass went into his width, plus his weapon takes away some from his robot mode.) Conversely, the traditionally stunted [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] is marginally too tall and bulky to be in correct scale to his otherwise fairly accurate core teammates, assuming one includes Voyager [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] and Leader [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in their lineup. In fact, Animated is one of those toylines where you're not quite sure who you're supposed to base correct scale on.

===Inconsistent portrayal===
[[Image:OmegaSupremeintro.jpg|left|175px|thumb|No! Don't wash him in hot water! He'll...]]
[[Image:Omegasupreme-blasterandgrimlock.jpg|right|200px|thumb|...too late.]]
Even if a size was decided on, it often didn't remain consistent. The height of the cartoon's [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], just to name one, frequently varied between episodes.

The [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|Generation 1 Marvel comic]] is notorious for changing the relative sizes of various characters. A single Transformer's size is rarely consistent between artists. For example, Rumble and Frenzy vary in height relative to Soundwave. A panel in the "[[Time Wars]]" shows [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Scattershot]], and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] all the same height. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], titanic in his original appearance, {{storylink|Command Performances!}} shrunk steadily in subsequent issues until he was not much taller than the average Transformer. Fortress Maximus suffered a similar problem, shrinking in size even though he was explicitly rebuilt to be twice as tall as the average Transformer.

[[Image:Beastwarriors scale.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Beast Megatron's size vs. Optimus Prime's in America... and Japan. Looks like the Blasty Zone adds on a few tons to Beast Era characters.]]
Between the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and the [[Beast Era]], the majority of the Cybertronian race considerably downgraded in size at the [[Great Upgrade]]. When entering the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']], the Beast Warriors are quite small compared to the dormant Generation 1 characters, especially [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]—but just ''how'' much bigger varies quite a bit from scene to scene and episode to episode. When interacting with the Autobot technology of the ''Ark'' and the [[Autobot shuttle]], the Maximals are often dealing with equipment grossly oversized for them (standing on the chairs to reach the controls, turning knobs the size of their heads); yet the ''Ark'' also seems to feature some human-sized computer control panels. {{storylink|Master Blaster|Master Blaster}} Without any height booster, Blackarachnia can interface well with these controls.

On the other hand, ''[[Robot Masters]]'' depicted Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' characters like Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal as being exactly the same size. Lovely. It's possible that passage through the [[Blasty Zone]] may somehow [[Wikipedia:Boom tube#Later Additions to the Concept|account for this discrepancy]].

===Explicit size changes===
{{main|size changing}}

Numerous characters are explicitly shown to shrink or expand at various times.

====Human-scaled alternate modes====
Blaster becomes a human-size radio; Megatron shrinks into a Transformer-scaled handgun. The cartoons and comics typically show this without explanation, leaving the reader to attribute it to advanced alien technology.

====Pretenders====
Some versions of the Pretenders are shown to explicitly shrink when hiding in their human-sized outer shells. In the U.S. toy commercials, Grimlock, Bumblebee, and Jazz in their new Pretender forms were small enough to fit in Powermaster Optimus Prime's hand. So, at least in that [[micro-continuity]], they were human-sized. ''[[Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' featured Pretenders who did not have outer shells but rather an ill-defined holistic transformation which explicitly involved size changing. A vaguely similar explanation appeared in [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' encyclopedia.

===Implicit size changes===
Characters often change size when transforming in a less explicit fashion. These changes in scale are usually attributed to size changing by that portion of the fanbase who like to find explanations for things. The other explanation is that the artists hoped the audience wouldn't notice.

====Transport characters====
In the original cartoon, Transformers that act as transport for other Transformers, such as [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Skyfire, and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], will often dramatically change size relative to their compatriots between one shot and the next. For example, Cosmos is ''much'' shorter than Blaster in robot form; yet Blaster easily fits within his spacecraft mode. Likewise, a whole squad of Decepticons can fit into Astrotrain's shuttle mode easily, yet he's an ordinary-sized trooper in his robot form.

Sometimes the cartoon would show ordinarily-scaled characters such as Cyclonus, Thrust or Huffer carrying another Transformer in their cockpit, implying either a tiny passenger or a huge vehicle. Even Omega Supreme, who is supposed to be huge, would have to have a greatly expanded scale for his rocket ship component to accommodate passengers as shown on the cartoon.

The Marvel comics commonly sidestepped this issue by not using Transformers as transport characters, or else requiring the passengers to transform into their explicitly smaller forms to be carried. Yet they were not immune to this problem. In one story, the Pretender [[Cloudburst]] exited his shell, transformed into jet mode, and then his shell (and [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]]) boarded him as a passenger. The fact that his ''outer'' shell was now much smaller than the ''inner'' robot was quietly ignored. {{storylink|Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?}}

Dreamwave's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' series of bio comics tried to explain this for characters such as Astrotrain and Broadside by saying they're able to expand themselves to increase cargo space in vehicle mode, though their armor becomes thinner as it is spread out more. Conversely, the series notes, in robot mode, all that armor and structure being compressed into a smaller form makes that mode stronger and more durable for combat.

<center><gallery>
Image:MakeHoistHuffer.jpg|Definitely ''not'' toy-accurate.
Image:Ironhide carried into Ratchet.jpg|...And not to mention [[Ironhide (G1)|th]][[Ratchet (G1)|is]].
</gallery></center>

====Combiner characters====
[[Image:DreamwaveCover6.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Since when is a sedan nine stories tall?]]
[[Combiner]] characters are often depicted as far larger than the sum of their parts. Characters such as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] are frequently shown as [[That big green, fire-snortin' lizard|Godzilla]]-sized. Given that their limbs are mere cars and construction vehicles, this is patently absurd. ([[Superion (G1)|Superion]], by contrast, ''would'' be building-sized, given that his torso is a 100-seat jetliner.)

Combiners are also often out-of-scale with other Transformers; a combiner with cars for legs and another car for its torso should be only twice as tall as a one-car Transformer, but they are routinely drawn as five to dozens of times taller than their comrades.

====Scale problems and size-changing====
Some fans interpret the many otherwise-unexplained scale issues above to all be the result of [[size changing]], but this is debatable. If virtually all characters use mass-shifting (or whatever) to gain or drop a few feet of height for no logical reason, the technology would be pointlessly mundane. There's also no known reason for (e.g.) the Seekers to choose to get ''shorter'' when going into battle. A to-scale Starscream in robot mode could kick Bumblebee around like a soccer ball. There's simply no positive evidence that size-changing is so widespread.

===Undersized alternate modes===
Many Transformers are portrayed in fiction as having alternate modes that are smaller than the real-life objects they are imitating. Sometimes this is deliberate, allowing them to match their toy scale and/or be of a similar size to other characters; in other cases, it is essentially an artistic error.

Toys at the lowest price points usually include "mini" or "micro" in their name. [[Mini Vehicle]]s [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], [[Seaspray]], and [[Powerglide]] are usually depicted as smaller than other Transformers in fiction, even though their alternate modes should have them towering over other characters. This often results in minuscule vehicle forms; Seaspray is a tiny hovercraft, despite being covered with doors and windows.

[[Image:Hotrodpatrolcommercial.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Do you have change for four hot rods?]]
The [[Micromaster]]s are explicitly downsized Transformers, roughly the size of a human in the comics, meaning that they ''should'' have explicitly tiny vehicle modes... which wouldn't make for very convincing disguises. The Micromasters are about the same height in robot mode, but they transform into equally tiny cars, trucks, planes, tanks, and other vehicles that should be vastly different sizes.

Despite this, the Marvel comic featured [[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] carrying a human passenger in his vehicle form, as though he were a full-sized car. The Dreamwave miniseries ''[[Micromasters]]'' suggested that the Micromasters were scaled down to interact more easily with "smaller beings". Whether that meant creatures of human scale or even smaller stature is never clarified, but the Micromasters' passenger compartments are presumably too small to accommodate human passengers.

The [[Mini-Con]]s of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] are another race of small robots who stand approximately the same height as humans and, like the Micromasters before them, are clearly modeled to carry passengers. Really teeny passengers. (Notable exceptions are [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (in his original body), [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]], and [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]], who become small one-man conveyances.) This results from the Mini-Cons scanning normal vehicles and then resizing them to fit, retaining now-useless passenger compartments. In the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]] have slightly-larger-than-human robot modes, but their alternate modes are large enough for a single human passenger, implying either a little size-changing or that their cockpits are kinda cramped. Though the Recon Team all originate from Gigantion, and seeing how partnered Minicons seem to change size to fit their larger companions, a little size shift to accomidate a passenger doesn't seem too far-fetched compared to other scale issues.

Likewise, the [[Beast Era]] Maximals and Predacons possess roughly human-size bodies; yet when portrayed as vehicles on Cybertron ("[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", the Vehicons in [[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]), they feature seats and cockpits that, at their size, should be basically useless.

====Citybots====
[[Image:EarlyGalvatronTVMagazine1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If you were ever this big in the cartoon, then we might call you a city.]]
[[City-bot|A few characters]] have "city" alternate modes. As actual real-life cities can sprawl for many miles, a [[city-bot]] that can notionally house a population of humans, ''let alone'' Transformers, should have a robot-mode that'd make [[Hojoni|Godzilla]] look like a gecko. Suffice to say, almost no fiction even ''begins'' to approximate the logical size of a true "city-bot". In the American and Japanese cartoons, all four were shown as massive robots capable of housing many normal-sized Transformers. Even so, it would take something along the lines of the grossly undersized depictions of [[Unicron]] (see below) even to begin to represent reasonably the colossal size of a transformed city; so in the context of Transformers, "city" is perhaps better read as "building" or "fortress".

These city-bots often have "small" robots forming vital components. Scorponok has a "human-sized" being forming his head. [[Full-Tilt]], [[Six-Gun]], and [[Slammer]] must logically be building-sized in robot-mode to be in-scale with Trypticon and Metroplex, but, again, are not drawn as such.

The Marvel Generation 1 comic sidestepped this issue by depicting Trypticon, Fortress Maximus and Scorponok as merely "large-standard" characters. However, Metroplex, during his one, brief appearance, was depicted as being immensely larger, crushing Quintesson attack cruisers under foot without batting an eyelid. He was still considerably smaller than a city, however, but this was justified by him merely serving as the 'transformation core' for Autobot City: Earth, not the actual city itself.

{{-}}

====Planets and planetbots====
[[Image:Cybertronplanet.jpg|left|250px|thumb|If we're generous and assume Cybertron is only the size of Earth's moon, then the larger visible buildings are roughly the size of Massachusetts stood on end, and you could wedge France into that gash. (Which would probably improve both Cybertron and France.)]]
Scale when it comes to planets is so fraught it's painful. The problems of describing citybots as "cities" is a thousand times worse if [[Unicron]] is supposed to have a planet alternate mode, and [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] is in turn supposed to be of similar size. Though different stories have compared Cybertron/Primus and Unicron to drastically different real planets, the fact remains that they are ''planets'', and yet are shown in such insane scale to characters as to suggest they are the size of a ''very'' small moon (or [[Darth Vader|space station]]).

To start with, Cybertron was shown throughout ''Generation 1'' with buildings visible from space. Although this was intended to show that the planet was technological in nature, it makes little sense, as the structures would have to be the size of small ''nations'' to be visible. If the buildings were in fact supposed to be skyscrapers (or even ''2000 A.D.''-style arcologies) sized for 10 m (30') robots, Cybertron would still be less than 150km (100 miles) across. By comparison, the rather [http://www.starwars.com/databank/location/coruscant/index.html Coruscant]-like shots of Cybertron in ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' may be less distinctive or "Cybertronian", but are ''far'' more believable. Some people let this go by reasoning that Transformers being larger than humans, don't need to breathe, and all that technology meaning buildings CAN be that big.

Unicron is a more extreme problem. Assuming no [[size changing]] occurs during his transformation (and really, what possible reason would he have to become ''smaller''?), in robot mode he would be so massive that any shot featuring a recognizable ''part'' of his body, let alone the whole thing, would be on a scale such that no normal Transformer would even be visible. [[Image:UnicronEatsGalvyMmmm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Either Galvy is humungo, or Lithone is tiiinyyy!!!]]Scenes in the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] in which he directly interacts with normal Cybertronians are blatantly absurd (though totally phat-looking). Shots such as the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] fleeing his grasping hand, a starship penetrating his eye, impaling [[Brainstorm]] on his fingernail, {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} or ''especially'' him picking up Galvatron between his fingers before swallowing him, break any concept of "planetary" scale.

If Cybertron is the size of Earth's moon (and that's generous), and Unicron is about the size of Cybertron, his hands would be about the size of Europe and Galvatron (to the right) would be about the size of Massachusetts, only less evil. Try not to think about it.

There is no explanation for any of this. Just go with it.

The depiction of Unicron's scale in ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' was (debatably) a slight improvement, in that physical interaction with normal beings was not attempted. He preferred instead to communicate with normal Transformers by possessing one of them. {{storylink|Sideways (RID)|Sideways}} Nevertheless, shots featuring [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] and [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] standing on his neck are still ''farcically'' out of scale.

===Oversized alternate modes===
[[Image:RattrapLOVEScheetor.jpg|right|180px|thumb|I'm tellin' ya, all da rats in Brooklyn are dis big!]]
Much less common are instances of a Transformer turning into an overscaled real-world object. Most such instances occur in the ''Beast Wars'' era.

Although the Beast Warriors are consistent day-to-day in their relative size to each other, their scale in relation to their real-world animal equivalents is more complex. While the bug characters such as [[Waspinator]] and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] are obviously scaled-up, other characters are more subtly not quite the right size.

[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Tigatron]] are shown standing next to real members of their species, and they are both the same size as the animals in question. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}} This makes them (and Cheetor in particular, since he's around more) the measuring sticks for the other characters. Therefore, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is a rather small rhinoceros, and [[Optimus Primal]] is a roughly normal (or female) gorilla. However [[Rattrap]] is a monstrously huge rat, the size of a large dog (indeed, the writers stated that Season 1 Rattrap was 5' (1.5 m) tall<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/8227a6ca84c0238d Bob Forward gives Rattrap's height from the show bible]</ref>). Likewise [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] is considerably larger than a real velociraptor. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], however, is a tiny specimen of a T. Rex. In their interactions with adult [[protohuman]]s, the Transformer characters seem between twice and three times their height. Considering our ancestors really were smaller than modern humans, this is not extremely wrong, but it deserves noting.

However, thanks to the scaling up of the bug characters, it is relatively safe to assume that the Transformers scanned only animal ''forms'' and then rescaled them to fit their own size, which is actually slightly more believable than all other series, in which the Transformers use mass shifting to make their alt modes the ''right'' size.

===Artistic license===
====Variation for characterization====
[[Image:Prime has a huge head.jpg|left|150px|thumb|With 20th Anniversary Prime and Smallest Transformers Bumblebee, you can actually recreate this scene.]]
Some scale problems are for the sake of characterization. For example, Optimus Prime is routinely shown as thoroughly gargantuan, several stories in height, and capable of cradling humans in his palm. If he's the size of a real truck, Prime in robot mode should be 8–10 m (25'–30') tall, at best. He's drawn large because he's a leader character.

Conversely, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] is sometimes shown only a few feet taller than an average human, while in reality he would be 3–5 m (10'–15') tall (the Marvel comic actually states he's 15' tall {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}}). He's drawn small because he's a human-friendly character, and a junior member of the Autobots.

With fighter jet alternate modes, the [[Seeker]]s should be among the largest everyday Transformers and would ''tower'' over their Autobot adversaries; instead, the animation depicts characters such as [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] as about the same height. Though jets are much larger than cars, they're drawn the same height so the battles appear fair. (And also to make it easier to animate; blocking a shot where characters differ radically in height is difficult.)

In a related vein, sometimes Transformers are able to enter human buildings, fitting through their doors and able to run up their staircases without crashing through. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}} A cast that couldn't enter buildings would be grossly inconvenient for telling some stories, so the animators fudge things.

{{-}}

====Intentionally strange scale====
[[Image:MarvelUS-01.jpg|right|200px|thumb|One side makes you larger, one side makes you small. (Op's been noshing on the first side too much.)]]
Sometimes artists draw a character at a different size [[Author intent|intentionally]]. For example, on the cover of the [[The Transformers (comic issue)|first issue]] of [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|the original ''Transformers'' comics series]], Optimus Prime is extremely huge compared to the highway, bridge, and normal cars. ([[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] is bigger than usual, too.) This is purely for dramatic effect.

Another notable example is the splash screen for the "[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/bible/index.html World of the TRANSFORMERS]" website, which depicts [[Optimus Primal]] (in his original gorilla body) as the same size as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|G1 Optimus Prime]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Movie Optimus Prime]], directly contradicting the size difference seen in "[[Optimal Situation]]" and elsewhere (except for [[Robot Masters]]).

Artwork for the [[:Image:VaderVsPrime.jpg|''Star Wars'']] subline features [[:Image:Megatronvsluke.jpg|humans from another galaxy]] standing at the same height as Transformers.

[[Image:World of the Transformers ent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Meet the Supreme class Munky Optimus Primal.]]
{{-}}

===The 2007 ''Transformers'' movie===
[[Image:Moviescale1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Scale is absolutely not an issue in the movie. Riiight.]]
The creators of the [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]] took great pains to avoid out-of-scale issues. (Well, greater than previous franchises.) This is sometimes reflected in the choice of vehicle or the design of their robot mode. E.g., [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] is an extended-hood cab in order to have more mass with which to make a taller robot mode. [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]]'s robot mode is nearly as wide as it is tall, with shorter, digitigrade legs, so the massive jet-former won't end up twice as tall as Optimus. In the case of [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], his huge alternate mode simply results in a hulking, towering robot mode.

There are still minor scale issues to be found, though. For example, Optimus Prime can hold both [[Sam Witwicky|Sam]] and [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] in one hand. Comparing this shot with when he picks up [[Archibald Witwicky]]'s glasses a few minutes later, it seems the glasses have lenses a foot (30cm) in diameter. This is a visual cheat so the glasses are visible to the audience. There's also debate about whether [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]]'s head could compact itself into a slim mobile phone. The [[Movie (toyline)|movie-franchise toys]], meanwhile, are only intermittently consistent (particularly since some of the secondary ones are redecos of toys from previous lines), with the largest contrast among the "primary" toys being between Deluxe Class [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], a motorcycle, and Voyager Class Decepticons with helicopters as their [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]], such as [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] and [[Incinerator (Movie)|Incinerator]]. However, many of the wheeled vehicles are close to 1:35 scale, although Deluxe Class [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] and 1977 [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] are ''obviously'' not the same scale.

{{-}}

==Official scale guides ==
[[Image:Tfcartoonscaleguideic1.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Official Scale Guides]]
[[Image:Beastwarsscalepreliminary.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Beast Wars Season 1 scale guide]]
Animators and comic book artists received official scale guides showing relative and (in some cases) absolute heights. Some of these were published in the character model guides ''[[The Ark: A Complete Compendium of Character Designs|The Ark]]'' and ''[[The Ark II — A Compendium of Japanese Character Designs|The Ark II]].'' Though they were sometimes ignored, they still give insight into the official scale of characters in Generation 1. However, even here, there are problems. Devastator in the Season One scale guide was approximately 2.5 times the height of Optimus Prime, but by Season Two he was somewhat less than twice Prime's height.

''Beast Wars'' likewise had an official scale guide, which appeared as a bonus on the DVD set of Season 2. Despite this guide, the series writers have indicated some measure of disregard for relative scale, when it suits the needs of dramatic tension.<ref>[http://builtstlouis.net/tf/manic/m-botcon.html BotCon 98 report - see "ON THE SIZES OF CHARACTERS"]</ref> Thus, Optimal Optimus is ''ungodly'' tall in his first appearance, later reduced to perhaps two times the height of the rest of the cast.

{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6db411e03e75a342?dmode=source Estimated "real-life" heights for several Transformers, derived from the size of their alt-modes, archived from alt.toys.transformers on groups.google.com]

[[Category:Biology]]
[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Things that don't exist]]

Beast Wars (event)

2009-04-28T17:23:25Z

Loudstone: Fix links, tweak spacing

{{disambig2|the historical event within the fiction|the real-world franchise|Beast Wars (franchise)}}
:''The Beast Wars are a conflict in the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. Aaaaaaaaand maybe the [[Unicron Trilogy]] too.''

[[image:BWGatheringCoverPromo.jpg|thumb|right|250px|When he says it's the Beast Wars, it's damn well the Beast Wars.]]

The '''Beast Wars''' are the melodramatically-named battles between [[Optimus Primal]]'s [[Maximal]]s and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s on prehistoric [[Earth]]. Originally an isolated conflict between the stranded Maximals and Predacons over territory and [[energon (G1)|energon]], the conflict gradually became an event that would affect not only the future of the [[Transformer]]s, but also the very fabric of space and time.

{{bigquote|Megatron may be back, and there is still more energon. If they ever get enough, they could conquer the galaxy. So for now, let the battle be here on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called ''Beast Wars!''|Optimus Primal|"[[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 / Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[Image:Dinobot_GoldenDisk.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"The chocolate within could be limitless!"]]

The Beast Wars may not have formally begun until Primal's declaration on prehistoric Earth, but they were precipitated on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] 300 years after [[Pax Cybertronia|the end]] of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. The Predacon Megatron had stolen the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], escaping with his band of rogues in [[Darksyde|a transwarp ship]]. [[Axalon (BW)|A Maximal exploration vessel]], the only one near enough to catch them, gave chase through a [[transwarp]] portal. Their ensuing battle ended with both ships crashing on a planet that all parties believed to be an unknown world. The truth that they ''had'' reached Megatron's intended destination of prehistoric Earth would not come to light for some time.

[[Image:BeastWars2_clash.jpg|thumb|right|250px|BONK.]]

One source of confusion was the overabundant energon, so plentiful that its ubiquitous radiation would overload the Transformers' systems within minutes if they left their ships. They adopted semi-organic beast modes to shield themselves, though their robot modes were still vulnerable. Primal feared that Megatron would use the energon to restart the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] on Cybertron, so he immediately prepped [[Rattrap|his]] [[Cheetor (BW)|small]] [[Rhinox (BW)|crew]] to fight against [[Waspinator|the]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)|comparably]]-[[Scorponok (BW)|sized]] [[Tarantulas|Predacon]] [[Dinobot (BW)|team]].

One might say that the first shot of the Beast Wars was fired by Cheetor, who spotted Waspinator (in insect mode, no less) and immediately attacked him. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} This led to a series of territorial skirmishes culminating in the detonation of an energon-infused mountain. Primal, realizing that a long fight lay ahead, made his epic pronouncement that their battles would be known as the "Beast Wars." {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

[[Image:VokDisk_Monolith.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Disk, disk, on the rock. Who burninates around the clock?"]]

As they explored their world, they found [[Flying island|powerful]] [[Standing Stones|artifacts]] of [[Vok|a mysterious alien race]], including [[Golden Disk (Vok)|another Golden Disk]]. These finds tended to lead to battles as Megatron tried to claim the artifacts as weapons; however, the only lasting effect was to alert the aliens to the Transformers' presence. Deciding that their experiment on the planet had been contaminated, the aliens activated one of its two moons. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} The satellite turned into [[Planet Buster|a weapon]] that ignited most of the energon deposits around the world. The planet-buster was only stopped when Primal sacrificed his life to blow it up. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}} (Primal would soon be resurrected, though, in the start of a continuing trend for him.) {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Protohumans1_CodeofHero.jpg|thumb|right|150px|"Check it out - we can OPPOSE these thumbs."]]

Realizing just how powerful the aliens were, Megatron schemed all the more intently on hijacking [[Metal Hunter|their technology]]. Meanwhile, [[Tigatron|more]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|combatants]] [[Airazor (BW)|had]] [[Inferno (BW)|been]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|joining]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|the]] [[Rampage (BW)|fray]] as [[protoform]]-bearing [[stasis pod]]s fell to Earth, an after-effect of the original space battle. And, in the absence of overwhelming energon (and a moon), the Beast Warriors slowly began to realize that they were on prehistoric Earth after all. This turned the battle away from territorial squabbles and toward matters of timeline-alteration. With information from the Golden Disk he had stolen, Megatron was able to threaten both [[Protohuman|the developing human race]] and the comatose, ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''-bound [[Autobot]]s. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

[[Image:Optimusx2.JPG|thumb|left|150px|"Dad, can I borrow your soul? Just for tonight."]]

Back on the Cybertron of their home-time, the [[Tripredacus Council]] became aware of Megatron's location, and they sent their [[Decepticon]]-turned-Predacon agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] to retrieve the rogue. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} He nearly succeeded, but he ended up switching sides when Megatron revealed the truth about the Golden Disk: [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] had left a message on the disk, included access codes to the ''Ark'', and had instructed the descendants of the Decepticons to travel through time to locate the ''Ark'' and kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] while he was still in [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} Ravage would end up giving his life while aiding Megatron. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} And Megatron himself almost destroyed Optimus Prime, which caused a timestorm, but the Maximals were able to repair the Autobot and preserve the status quo. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[Image:MegatronBW_StrappedToShuttle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Primal, there's a reason they don't put prisoners on the ''outside'' of the prison.]]

The last encounter with the aliens came in the form of [[Tigerhawk]], an emissary created from two kidnapped Maximals. He identified the aliens as the "Vok" and tried to destroy Megatron for his temporal interference. But despite his vast power, he was subdued by Tarantulas, who extracted the Vok essence from him. This ended explosively, with Tarantulas apparently destroyed and Tigerhawk left a mere Maximal again. {{storylink|Other Victories}} But little was learned about him before he perished when Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the ocean floor and rained havoc upon Maximal and Predacon alike. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} In defending the ''Ark,'' the Maximals managed to bring the ''Nemesis'' down and capture Megatron, whose troops had either deserted or been destroyed. As the Maximals blasted off in an Autobot shuttle bound for the Cybertron of the future, Primal declared, "The Beast Wars are over... for now." {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

{{note|The cartoon inspired many spinoffs (mostly comics) that expanded upon its events. Most of these series contradict each other, but they all hold the cartoon as more-or-less sacrosanct. In the spirit of the [[Continuity|multiverse]], the various series are presented here as equally-valid branches of continuity, and the cartoon events are referred to as the "core timeline."}}
{{-}}
====3H comics====

[[Image:VisitationsBattle.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Must... reach... [[retcon]] lever..."]]

Inamongst the Beast Warriors of the core timeline were several other Maximals and Predacons bolstering both teams. [[Packrat]], [[Fractyl]], [[Onyx Primal]], and [[Vice Grip]] appeared without origin or explanation in adventures that were at first innocuous but later quite significant. {{storylink|Ground Zero}} When they fought over a mysterious artifact, they were waging the first battle leading to Point Omega, a timeline-shattering apocalypse. {{storylink|Visitations}} [[Antagony]], a visitor from the distant future, sought to claim the artifact, a dimensional key which belonged to [[Apelinq]] (who had arrived independently from the Beast Warriors' own home-time). The crux of the matter was [[Unicron]]'s [[Matrix of Conquest|Dark Essence]], which had somehow ended up in a cave on prehistoric Earth after his destruction in 2005. Its continued presence on Earth well into the future was necessary for Antagony's timeline to exist, and the dimensional key could either cement the Essence there or banish it. {{storylink|Herald, Covenant, Schism, Paradox}}

[[Image:Shokaract.jpg|thumb|right|150px|"Also, my name means Transformageddon."]]

The conflict came to a head near the end of the Beast Wars, just as Megatron had assumed his dragon form. [[Windrazor (BW)|More]] [[Shokaract|visitors]] from the threatened timeline appeared, and they were soon followed by [[Covenant|the Covenant]], the ancient heroes of [[J'nwan]], and [[Polar Claw|other]] [[B'Boom|Beast]] [[Drill Bit (BW)|Warriors]] [[Transquito|from]] [[Air Hammer|alternate]] [[Cybershark|dimensions]]. Optimus Primal and the Predacon Megatron were also caught up in this massive battle - Omega Point - which ended with the dispatching of the Dark Essence and the nullifying of its connected timeline. All of the time-travelers vanished in an explosion of light, and their participation in the Beast Wars was seemingly erased from history as well. {{storylink|Terminus}}

{{note|It's unclear exactly how many of the preceding events were undone in the end. Primal would later have only the vaguest inkling of a memory of Apelinq and Point Omega, so it's probably safe to assume that all the time-travel incidents had no longer occurred. But the curious presence of Packrat et al. was never addressed again, and the possibility exists that their adventures among the core Beast Warriors were also undone (though that requires more convoluted assumptions). This possibility echoes remarks from series artist [[Dan Khanna]], who said that if the comics had continued, those characters would've been "rebooted" with a new, post-Beast-Wars origin.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=40029&view=findpost&p=801852 Post by Dan Khanna on Allspark.com] about the anomalous 3H-specific characters.</ref>}}

[[Image:Primeval Tarantulas.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Did Primal leave the iron plugged in, too?]]

After Optimus Primal and his Maximals left Earth with Megatron in chains, the Beast Wars continued in a fashion. Tarantulas, believed dead, was actually still alive and more dangerous than ever, wielding the captured power of the Vok who had come with Tigerhawk. He resurrected Ravage and gathered [[Spittor (BW)|a]] [[Iguanus (BW)|few]] [[Razorclaw (BW)|other]] Predacons as well (presumably from stasis pods), set on claiming the Matrix of Leadership. The other Vok retaliated by creating [[Primal Prime]], using [[Matrix of Leadership|the Matrix]] itself as his [[spark]]. They also gave new life to Tigatron and Airazor, whose sparks they had saved from Tigerhawk's destruction. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 1}} Despite assistance from them and the newly-reactivated [[Ramulus]], Primal Prime still fell to Tarantulas, who stole the Matrix. {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 2}} He planned to deliver it to his master, Unicron, which the Vok feared would disrupt the grand harmony of the multiverse. Their response was to inhabit Primal Prime's body as a "font of energy to rival the Matrix itself." {{storylink|Primeval Dawn Part 3}}

[[Image:Primal Prime Birth.JPG|thumb|right|175px|Don't let him get [[Dark Creation|the taste of blood]].]]

It's unknown what happened afterwards, but Primal Prime (showing no signs of Vok-possession) and his crew (minus Airazor and plus Spittor) would eventually travel to [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]-era Cybertron via transwarp portal - the same portal simultaneously whisking Apelinq to the past. {{storylink|Apelinq's War Journals}} The rest of Tarantulas' team would never be seen again, though Tarantulas himself did return to Unicron. {{storylink|Escape (Universe comic)|Escape}} The Matrix had presumably been taken back from him and replaced in Prime's chest, as no subsequent disruption of history was ever mentioned.

{{note|With [[3H Productions|3H]]'s bankruptcy, this storyline was left unfinished. Also notable is that this series is the only one in which the Vok are identified as an incarnation of the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]].}}
{{-}}
====Dreamwave G1 comics====
[[Image:Dw theft.jpg|thumb|left|100px|Pick a disk, any disk.]]

Before the Beast Wars, Megatron and Dinobot infiltrated the [[Vector Sigma Chamber|Vector Sigma chamber]] and stole from it the Golden Disk. [[Golden Disk (MTMTE)|This disk]] looked different than the one stolen in the core timeline; also, it seemed to contain vastly more information: a whole history of the Great War and its combatants. From that research, Megatron took his name. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye}} This also differed from the core timeline, where Megatron had taken his name from the [[Covenant of Primus]]. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

[[Image:DWBWMaximals.jpg|thumb|right|200px|We know what you did last season.]]

During the Beast Wars, [[Bonecrusher (BW)|at]] [[Optimus Minor|least]] [[Wolfang (Maximal)|three]] Maximals had activated separately from the main teams, and they kept themselves at a distance. They only revealed themselves once, to save Rattrap from [[Dinobot II]]. He tried to welcome them into the fold, but they claimed to no longer be Maximals. They had a new, unspecified purpose that did not involve fighting. Rattrap apparently abided by their wishes and kept quiet. On the trip back to Cybertron, he dreamed fitfully of the encounter, but when Primal asked what was wrong, Rattrap gave no details. {{storylink|Ain't No Rat}}

{{-}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:IDW Megatron Magmatron.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Bah! Enough of these time-travelers meddling with my show!"]]

After Ravage's failure, the Tripredacus Council sent another agent, [[Magmatron]], to perform the same task. Unlike Ravage, he took a team with him, and also unlike Ravage, they were all chronally displaced to be just out of sync with the core Beast Warriors. While the new arrivals could see them, they couldn't see the new arrivals. And one could even walk right through the other. Thus, the core Beast Warriors were completely unaware when Magmatron activated dozens of the downed stasis pods to create a chronally-displaced army. But one of his soldiers, [[Razorbeast]], was a spy who was able to turn many of the protoforms to Maximals. Foreseeing the scope of the impending battles, Magmatron declared the start of his ''own'' "Beast Wars." {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1}}

As both groups tracked down their widespread, newly-activated allies, Magmatron realized he needed assistance to fulfill his mission. He was able to recover Ravage's spark from his corpse, and he gave the Decepticon new life in a blank protoform. While Ravage led the main Predacon force against Razorbeast and the Maximals, Magmatron captured Megatron. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 3}} To do so, he had to undo his chronal displacement, and this would be his downfall. While Magmatron was preparing the unconscious Megatron for transwarp delivery to Cybertron, Razorbeast stole his chronal-phase armband and used it to slip in and out of sync as he attacked the Predacon. Megatron was freed, and Magmatron was thrown into his own transwarp device, which catapulted him out of normal space entirely. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 4}}

[[Image:Shokaract cranky.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''You'' again.]]

But, as [[Prowl II|Prowl]] would note, this did not end their particular Beast Wars. Ravage's Predacons continued to harry Razorbeast's Maximals, attempting to recover the stolen chronal-phase facilitators. Meanwhile, on the Cybertron of their home-time, a drug-like substance called "[[Angolmois]]" was spreading amongst the population. Magmatron, floating through chronospace, could see that Angolmois was a tool for the resurrection of Unicron, and Cybertron was almost inevitably doomed. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 1}} But even trapped outside of space-time, he was able to deliver messages to [[Lio Convoy]] on Cybertron and Ravage on Earth, bringing the various teams together against their common enemy.

Lio Convoy and his [[Pack]] journeyed to prehistoric Earth to retrieve the combatants of the new Beast Wars, but they were ambushed by Angolmois-infused servants of Unicron. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2}} The Pack only managed to bring a handful of Beast Warriors back to Cybertron - just in time to fight [[Shokaract]], who was the conduit of Angolmois energy. They were able to defeat him with a chronal-phase facilitator, shunting him into chronospace with Magmatron. There, Magmatron showed him how Unicron would use him as a vessel for his return, destroying the hapless Shokaract in the process. In horror, Shokaract tore the Anti-Matrix from his own chest, self-destructing and sending Magmatron back to normal space.

With the help of a retrovirus, the Maximals set about undoing the effects of Angolmois across the planet. Meanwhile, Megatron had just returned from the Beast Wars, set to unleash his [[Transformation virus|new threat]]. And on prehistoric Earth, the servants of Unicron were destroyed, but Razorbeast had fallen victim to an Angolmois injection and was euthanized at his own request. The united Maximals and Predacons around him mourned his passing. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4}}

====''Timelines'' Beast-era comics, text stories, & cartoons====
[[Image:Megatronbwtheft.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Download the MP3s?! A true connoisseur prefers vinyl, yesss."]]
The Maximal who would become Airazor was known previously as "Wing Saber," and she had some adventures on Cybertron. Everyone, including Airazor, did their best to try to forget this. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}}

Just before the Beast Wars, the Predacon crimelord [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]] engineered the theft of the Golden Disk. He put his star pupil, Megatron, in charge of the actual operation. Secretly, Cryotek set his protégé up by alerting the Maximals, with the intent that [[Dirge (BWII)|a more loyal agent]] would deliver the disk to him while Megatron took the fall. Unfortunately for Cryotek, Megatron beat him to the treacherous punch, as the package Cryotek received only contained a Maximal homing beacon. While Maximal forces converged on Cryotek, Megatron and his cohorts escaped with the disk in the ''Darksyde.'' {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

[[Image:Laserbeakbuzzsawdawn.jpg|thumb|right|125px|"I mean, um, AAAWWWWWWK, sir."]]

But Cryotek was not the only Predacon string-puller: The Decepticon [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] had also been somehow involved in the affair, ensuring that the ''Darksyde'' was available while everyone "played their part" for the "Decepticon dream." As Megatron fled, Divebomb ordered [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] to covertly safeguard the Darksyde.

[[Image:Airazorbwdawn.jpg|thumb|left|125px|Go for it, kids. You won't remember a thing in the morning.]]

This would prove a wise decision, as the [[Maximal Imperium]] sent the ''Axalon'' in pursuit. Just out of Cybertronian orbit, the two bird-bots attacked the ''Axalon'' in a ship of their own. The battle was going against the Maximals until Tigatron and Airazor came to their rescue. The Decepticon ship was destroyed, but Tigatron and Airazor were left in critical condition. Rhinox saved them by transferring their sparks to blank protoforms at the expense of much or all of their "core mainframes." {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

{{-}}

===Unicron Trilogy===
====''Cybertron'' toy bios====
When [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] went undercover as a Decepticon, he searched the Axalon archives for a past Decepticon to pattern himself after. He took the name "Sky Shadow" in reference to a long-lost "Predacon/Decepticon." This warrior had once been a lieutenant of Megatron, and he had been "sent to Earth during the legendary Beast Wars," where he was instrumental as a strategist and leader against the Maximals. He apparently never returned.<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/transformers-cybertron/cyber-planet-key-codes.shtml Unlocked Cyber Key Code bios,] notably Jetfire's.</ref>

Notably, there ''had'' been a Beast Warrior named "[[Sky Shadow (BW)|Sky Shadow]]," but the Beast Wars timelines are thought to be wholly separate from this universe. References to "Axalon," "Predacon," and "Megatron" only muddy the issue, as those names apply to [[Axalon (Armada)|some]] [[Predacon (Armada)|things]] [[Megatron (Armada)|here]] as well. Either this universe contains its ''own'' Beast Wars and Maximals, or some cross-dimensional travel has occurred (possibly related to the [[Unicron Singularity]]).

==Trivia==
*The exact time period of the Beast Wars (beyond simply "prehistory") was never established in the cartoon, outside of a few casual remarks by characters referring to the "four million years" timeframe. The 3H comics identify it as 180,000 BC. The IDW comics say 70,000 BC. This is just one of many ways in which the spinoffs contradict each other.
*Speaking of contradictions, the first on-package bios and [[Optimus Primal vs Megatron!|pack-in comic]] set the Beast Wars on modern-day Earth, with Primal and Megatron actually being their ''Generation 1'' counterparts. However, as the show took off, the bios followed its lead. For a long time, the bios did not explicitly [[retcon]] their original conceits; however, ambiguity was introduced by referring to, for example, "the Beast Wars world" instead of Earth at any particular time. The final nail in this [[micro-continuity]]'s coffin came with [[BotCon 2006#Convention-exclusive toys|the last Beast Wars toys produced]], whose bios and [[Dawn of Future's Past|tie-in comic]] were a very intentional prequel to the cartoon.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:3H]]
[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Dreamwave]]
[[Category:Earth]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:IDW]]
[[Category:Mainframe]]
[[Category:Planet Cybertron]]
[[Category:Unicron]]
[[Category:Unicron Trilogy]]

Predacon (SG)

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{{factions|sgDecepticon}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}

{{Picsneeded}}
:''The Predacons are a heroic [[Decepticon]] [[subgroup]] in the [[Shattered Glass]] continuity.''

The Predacons were founded by former professor [[Razorclaw (Shattered Glass)|Razorclaw]], as an elite team of hunters, who stalked the evil [[Autobot]]s. They would adopt the group name "Predacons" by the time they were inducted into the Decepticon army, using beast forms based on numerous [[Human|alien]] [[Television|transmissions]] watched by the Predacon [[Rampage (Shattered Glass)|Rampage]].

Known members:

*[[Razorclaw (Shattered Glass)|Razorclaw]] (leader)
*[[Rampage (Shattered Glass)|Rampage]]
*[[Divebomb (Shattered Glass)|Divebomb]]

==Fiction==
===Shattered Expectations===
Razorclaw (and possibly others) were victims of a shrink ray. That didn't stop Razorclaw and [[Starscream (Shattered Glass)|Starscream]] from attacking [[Grimlock (Shattered Glass)|Grimlock]], [[Jazz (Shattered Glass)|Jazz]] and [[Goldbug (Shattered Glass)|Goldbug]], eventually summoning the [[Mayhem Suppression Squad]] to <strike> celebrate April Fools Day </strike> finish them off. {{storylink|Shattered Expectations|Shattered Expectations}}

===Shattered Glass===
Razorclaw appears to be a key member of [[Megatron (Shattered Glass)|Megatron's]] inner circle. When the Decepticons attacked the [[Ark (Shattered Glass)|Ark]], the Predacons Razorclaw and Rampage would take down the guards, while Divebomb accompanied Starscream and [[Whisper (Shattered Glass)|Whisper]] in bombing the fuel tanks. All three Predacons would later keep Grimlock at bay. {{storylink|Shattered Glass (comic)|Shattered Glass}}

{{note|The Predacons were fairly small in beast mode, but [[Scale|average height]] in robot mode.}}

[[Category:Mini-Con teams]]
[[Category:Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Shattered Glass]]

Retcon

2009-04-28T16:54:37Z

Loudstone: Fix links

[[Image:Retcon.jpg|right|250px|thumb|And with Retcon™ brand handy-wipes, your broken-down Optimus Prime can be good as new! Please allow 2-4 hours or hundreds of letters from traumatized children.]]
The term '''retcon''' is a contracted form of the phrase "retroactive continuity". It originated decades ago in the comic-book-collecting community, though its usefulness has proven itself far beyond that medium. It refers to any plot development or revelation that introduces new information about previously-established events, especially if the new information had not been an intended element of the original history.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Retroactive continuity|"Retroactive Continuity" on Wikipedia.]]</ref>

Being slang, there is no strict definition of what constitutes a retcon; the most liberal usage applies the term to ''any'' new backstory introduced with sufficient distance from the original material, be it in terms of time or authorship or both. However, a stricter usage would confine it to developments that ''change'' or ''contradict'' past events. Thus, for some, "retcon" carries a negative overtone, no doubt due in part to the fact that the term is naturally brought up when people are talking about continuity problems.

==Examples==
Using the broadly benign sense of the word, one notable retcon occurs at the end of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]]'s second season, when [[Tarantulas]] is revealed to be a [[Predacon Secret Police]] lieutenant who had allied with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] to keep an eye on him. This changes the viewer's perception of Tarantulas: Previously, he had been merely a strange loner amongst the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] with schemes all his own, but suddenly his independence and agendas could be interpreted with a motive beyond self-interest. This development does not contradict previous stories, and in fact it adds a layer of depth.

The introduction of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' is a clunkier retcon. Viewers are asked to accept that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] had been carrying the Matrix around with him for the last two years' worth of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] episodes. Despite being a cosmically-powerful artifact with monumental importance to [[Autobot]] history and culture, it had never been relevant to the plot or even mentioned in passing. Still, the closest thing to a contradiction involved is the handful of views or scans of Prime's interior which had shown no sign of the Matrix. But fans have concocted a number of explanations for this discrepancy, so it is generally viewed as a merely awkward retcon and not an offense to continuity.

The ''Generation 1'' cartoon also contains one of the more famously contradictory ''Transformers'' retcons, this one involving a redaction of previous events. Specifically, the episode "[[Dark Awakening]]" ended with a severely-damaged yet still clearly alive Optimus Prime piloting the Autobots' flagship through a massive space battle into a [[Quintesson]] booby-trap that triggered a supernova, apparently destroying him. However, "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|The Return of Optimus Prime]]" features [[Jessica Morgan|two]] [[Gregory Swofford|humans]] encountering a different ship drifting through space with a pristine-yet-lifeless Optimus Prime aboard and no space battle anywhere to be seen. They salvage Prime before the ship once again hits an asteroid that triggers a supernova, the explosion looking identical to the one in "Dark Awakening" because it's the same animation. This drastic revision of Prime's fiery suicide run, the circumstances changed to the point of nonsensicality, certainly counts as a retcon (and an infamous one, at that).

For sheer scale across continuities, modern revelations about [[Unicron]] constitute possibly the biggest retcon in ''Transformers'' history. Beginning with the [[Universe (2003 comic)|''Universe'' comic]] and continuing in the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] [[Armada (comic)|''Armada'' comic]]'s "[[Worlds Collide]]" storyline and the [[Fun Publications]] [[Balancing Act|''Cybertron'' comic]], Unicron is established with increasing firmness as a single being who does not have different incarnations in different continuities like other characters. Rather, all of his various appearances are, it seems, one Unicron migrating from universe to universe. With this retcon claiming relevance to and priority over every ''Transformers'' story ever told, it has naturally encountered some opposition among fans who object to its perceived absurdity and the irreconcilability of Unicron's varied portrayals.

The most drastic form of retcon, wherein an entire past storyline is invalidated by new events in the same continuity, has technically never occurred in ''Transformers''. However, this is due in some part to the fluid view of "continuity" held by both fans and creators. For example, the Fun Publications [[Crossing Over|''Classics'' comic]] takes place in the future of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)|''Generation 1'' comic]], but it actively disregards the ''Generation 2'' comic despite the fact that that exists in the post-Marvel-G1 universe as well. In a more tightly-managed franchise, this could be taken to mean that ''Generation 2'' is officially nullified via retcon. But in the fractured [[Continuity|multiverse]] of ''Transformers,'' the ''Classics'' comic is simply accepted as a "splinter timeline" that leaves contradictory branches of continuity like ''Generation 2'' untouched and intact.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fandom]]

Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)

2009-04-28T16:45:10Z

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{{disambig2|the real-world franchise|the historical event within the fiction|Beast Wars (event)}}

{{Nav-BW}}

'''''Beast Wars''''' is a Transformers [[franchise]] that began in 1996, following the end of ''[[Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]''. It was a massive reinvention of the [[Transformers brand]], featuring robots that changed into realistic, organically-styled animals instead of the traditional vehicles or mechanical beasts. It also did the seemingly unthinkable and replaced the original two factions, the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s, with the [[Maximal]]s and the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]. Though originally [[Ruined FOREVER|decried by fans]], the ''Beast Wars'' dramatically reinvigorated the brand, whose sales had been flagging under the ''Generation 2'' franchise.

In Japan, ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' were created as companion series. In the US, ''Beast Wars'' was directly followed by the ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' franchise.

"Beast Wars" is also frequently used as a catchall term for the [[Beast Era]] in which ''Beast Wars'' and other series occur.

{{bigquote|In the beginning came the beasts, and all that creeps, crawls and flies - but nature lies, they're robots in disguise!|[[Commercial]] narrator [[Victor Caroli]] ushers in the new era}}

==Franchise elements==
The ''Beast Wars'' franchise features the following primary components:

* [[Beast Wars (toyline)|A toyline]] — (1996-2000)
* [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|A cartoon series]] — (1996-1998) called ''Beasties'' in many overseas markets.<ref>At the time many markets in the European Union banned shows with excessively violent titles. (Has this changed? The Wikipedia article for ''TMNT'' indicates "ninja" is no longer banned, but nunchucks still are...? The depiction of Nunchucks is allowed, the wielding of them, notsomuch.)</ref>
* [[Beast Wars Metals (manga)|A manga series]] to go with seasons 2/3 - Japan only, 'natch.
* [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|A video game]] for PC and PS based on ''Beast Wars''.
* [[Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|A video game]] for PS and N64 based on ''Beast Wars''.

===Expanded universe===
There are several 'expanded' ''Beast Wars'' storylines featuring events taking place 'just offscreen' of the cartoon series. Though the ''events'' of cartoon series are understood to occur just as had been portrayed, the ''context'' may be different, taking place in different time periods, etc. These contradictory stories all co-exist within the vast Transformers [[Continuity#Multiverse|Multiverse]].

Most of these exist mainly through [[Beast Wars (comic)|Beast Wars comics]].

Highlights include:

* From 1997-2004, [[3H Productions|3H]] featured a series of comics, toy-exclusives and text stories set in the same continuity as the ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' cartoon series, continuing into the ''[[Universe (2003 franchise)|Transformers: Universe]]'' series.
* IDW Publishing has produced 2 series and a profile sourcebook This continuity is notable for including toys and events from several Japanese Beast Wars series. (See [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)]])
* [[Fun Publications]] [[Timelines]] imprint (2005 — ?) has published several ''Beast Wars'' comics and text stories.

==Prehistoric Earth==
The Beast Wars' time period (like its exact location,<ref>Visual evidence suggests Northern Africa, but that would of course be impossible given some of the distances shown being covered on foot. (The main reason their location was left vague, thus, was a narrative one.)</ref>) was never established during the cartoon's original run. In the years ''after'' the cartoon ended several official dates have been given:

* 3,000,000 years ago — [[Micromaster Collection|Reissue Sixtrain Booklet]]<ref>The Japanese dating of the events of Beast Wars as "3 Million Years Ago" appears to stem from mis-reading Optimus Primal's statement in the episode "[[Optimal Situation]]" that they would have four million years to "scrape Megatron off the walls" as a literal rather than figurative timeframe. Regardless, 3 million years is unquestionably 'correct' ''for'' ''[[Micromaster Collection]]'' continuity... it was the age of wreckage discovered from that era.</ref> — (August, 2003)
* 180,000 [[wikipedia:Anno Domino|BC]] — [[Primeval Dawn Part 2]] — (July, 2004)
* 70,000 [[wikipedia:Anno Domino|BC]] — [[The Gathering issue 2|Beast Wars: Gathering #2]] — (March , 2006)

Each of these dates applies to a different [[continuity]] or "alternate dimension" within the Transformers Multiverse, so they do not ''conflict'' with one another. The Maximals and Predacons in those dimensions simply crashed at different times, but had otherwise identical adventures. (Generally with different events taking place 'offscreen' unique to each [[expanded continuity]].)

Though Earth's geology and biology seen in the cartoon does not fit any single era, the loose "window" of 70,000-180,000 B.C. seems to represent two extremes that are "about right."

=="Other" ''Beast Wars''==
* The initial toys and the [[Optimus Primal vs Megatron!|mini-comic]] packed with the basic Optimus Primal VS Megatron two-pack toy strongly implied that ''Beast Wars'' was a continuation of the previous [[Autobot]]/[[Decepticon]] conflict on present day Earth, with Primal and Megatron simply new forms of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Megatron (G1)|original Megatron]]. This setting was abandoned when the 1996 cartoon established its futuristic setting. This remains an intriguing [[micro-continuity]].
* A version of the ''Beast Wars'' occurred in the past of the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]]. One text story ("[[Fire in the Dark]]") in the 2004 [[Transformers Legends]] anthology is set in this version of ''Beast Wars''.

{{see|Beast Wars (Armada)}}

* The [[Movie (franchise)|2007 live-action movie franchise]] has a version of the ''Beast Wars'' in its past.<ref>[[Sector Seven]] had the shattered [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|golden disk]] (and possibly the [[Covenant of Primus]]) in its archives 1898, some 80 years before the disk's creation.</ref><ref>The [[Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven Alternate Reality Game]] indicates Sector Seven is at least partially aware of the events of the ''Beast Wars'' as early as 1983, as they are mentioned in the [[Hungry Dragon|Takara Agreement]].</ref>

==A Dramatic Change / [[Ruined FOREVER]]==
The major change in direction for Transformers followed organizational changes within [[Hasbro]]. Hasbro had acquired rival toy manufacturer [[Kenner]] as part of their 1991 [[Tonka]] acquisition<ref>http://www.hasbro.com/default.cfm?page=ci_history_hasbro</ref>, and in 1995 they transferred their boys' toy lines from the Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island to Kenner's Cincinnati, Ohio offices. Kenner was asked to revitalize the brand with new ideas, and that is exactly what they did.

''Beast Wars'' was the first complete reinvention of the [[Transformers brand]], discarding the previous setting/characters/factions to create a new story, set several hundred years in the future. Transformers in the Beast Era are much smaller (often human-sized) and transform into 'fleshy' non-robotic animals. Initially met with [[Trukk not munky|outrage]] by many fans (for a variety of reasons) ''Beast Wars'' would eventually become highly regarded, largely due to the exceptional quality of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|cartoon series]]. It is now not unusual for even longtime ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' fans to consider ''Beast Wars'' to be their favorite Transformers franchise.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Franchises]]

The Transformers: Micromaster

2009-04-28T16:32:44Z

Loudstone: Add picsneeded template, Fix links, change Destron Sixbuilder to Decepticon Sixbuilder

{{picsneeded}}

'''Micromaster Collection''' was a small line of Transformers which ran from 2002 to 2004. It consisted entirely of new releases of molds originally made for [[Victory (toyline)|Victory]], [[Return of Convoy]], and [[Operation Combination (franchise)|Operation Combination]].

==Story==
The Micromaster Collection story was told through text on the instruction booklets, and is set in the [[Generation 1 cartoon timeline|Generation 1 animated continuity]], at some point in the late 20th century (but prior to the awakening of the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in 1984).

A group of Autobot [[Seiberdroid|Seiberdroids]] left [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to search for [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Due to an accident, a dimensional shockwave transported their ship across the galaxy, where it crash-landed on a [[Earth|remote planet.]] (A similar rift later brought the [[Multiforce]] over from another dimension.) The shockwave also caused the Seiberdroids to mutate, evolving into [[Micromaster]] [[Transformer|Transformers]]; additionally, it affected some of their minds, turning those Autobots into Decepticons. Fighting broke out, with the Autobots wanting to live peacefully among the [[Human|humans]] and the Decepticons wanting to conquer Earth and return to Cybertron.

Eventually, the Decepticons started digging at [[Mount St. Hilary]] for an unknown reason. After chasing them away, the Autobots discovered a couple of metal fragments there--one of which bore a [[Predacon (BW)|mysterious symbol]]--and concluded that there had been Transformers on Earth [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|before]].

''The eventual fates of the Micromasters and Multiforce are unknown, though presumably the situation was eventually resolved in such a way that none of them were still on Earth when Mount St. Hilary erupted in 1984.''

==Characters==
===Autobots===
*[[Sixliner]]
*[[Sixturbo]]
*[[Sixbuilder]]
*[[Sixtrain]]/[[Sixtrain|Sixtrain Red Mode]]
*[[Landcross]]/[[Landcross|Landcross Stealth Mode]]

===Decepticons===
*[[Sixturbo|Reverse Evolution Sixturbo]]
*[[Sixwing]]/[[Sixwing|Berserker Sixwing]]
*[[Decepticon Sixbuilder]]

==External links==
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/8481654a03096b1f?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixliner Bio translations by Doug Dlin] & [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/d26f3338bed22f55?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixliner Booklet translation by Doug Dlin]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2001f3051e73a9cf?output=gplain Sixturbo Booklet translation by Doug Dlin]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/e394bba2fefd305c?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixwing Booklet translation by Doug Dlin]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/11fd9b8f69430ec1?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixbuilder Bio translations by Doug Dlin] & [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6554582797a977db?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixbuilder Booklet translations by Doug Dlin]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/4548343d1af197f5?dmode=source&output=gplain Sixtrain Booklet translations by Doug Dlin]
* [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/8defe7ad3d3cac8d?dmode=source&output=gplain Landcross Booklet translations by Doug Dlin]

[[Category:Franchises]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Micromaster Collection]]

Help:Ignore all standards

2009-04-28T15:10:27Z

Loudstone: /* Background */ Links to 2 of the 3 movies

[[Image:Ias policy common sense.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
'''Ignore all standards''' is the official TFWiki policy of... ignoring policies.

Loosely based on Wikipedia's "[[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Ignore_all_rules|Ignore all Rules]]" (adapted since TFWiki tends to favor precedent and consensus rather than written rules) '''Ignore all standards''' broadly states; <tt>"In situations where the standards intended to ''prevent'' confusion would instead ''contribute'' to it, common sense should rule."</tt>

==Background==
On a website like [[wikipedia:Main_Page|Wikipedia]], which has ''millions'' of pages, there are at least 50 of everything, and plenty of examples to fall back on to guidelines. Conversely, while TFWiki is currently(Feb-02-09) approaching ten thousand pages, we still regularly run into oddball one-off format-busting properties. '''Example:''' The Transformers theatrical films in [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986]], 1998 and [[Transformers (2007)|2007]] are all formatted differently, being part of an animated series, an [[wikipedia:Original video animation|OAV]] and a standalone feature, respectively.

==What "ignore all standards" is not==
Ignore all standards is ''not'' a [[wiktionary:carte_blanche|carte blanche]] to ignore or make-up standards on the spot. Its purpose is to allow users flexibility to ''respond'' to circumstances where existing standards are inadequate, ''not'' the promotion of anarchy.

Standards are ''good''; TFWiki ''likes'' standards. We're just not under the illusion that standards are ''perfect''.

[[Category:Help]]

Talk:ShÅ«ta GÅ

2009-04-26T07:17:40Z

Loudstone: New page: ===Russian TV Dub Name=== Was there a valid reason for removing the Russian dub name from the article? If there is, that's fine, but when the edit was made by someone who wasn't signed in...

===Russian TV Dub Name===
Was there a valid reason for removing the Russian dub name from the article? If there is, that's fine, but when the edit was made by someone who wasn't signed in to an account, and left no summary, it makes me a little suspicious... --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 03:17, 26 April 2009 (EDT)

Talk:Megeen McLaughlin

2009-04-24T23:57:52Z

Loudstone: Characters or shows?

Should the shows she has worked on link to the characters (for Spidey and Hulk), or to Wikipedia articles on the actual shows, since that is what she technically worked on? --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 19:57, 24 April 2009 (EDT)

Talk:Home Soil

2009-04-24T23:57:13Z

Loudstone: /* Megeen McLaughlin */ Forgot my sig. I need more sleep :S

Might it be possible to get a clearer titlescreen? Say, one that doesn't look like it could give children seizures? [[User:Darktruth|Darktruth]] 17:02, 13 March 2008 (UTC)
:I removed it in the meantime, as I was getting a headache looking at it. It was from Interrobang's title card phase. Hopefully since the guys agreed with me we'll just upload screencaps of memorable moments from now on, unless the title card is [[Improsoned Inferno|really funny]]. --[[User:FFN|FFN]] 17:14, 13 March 2008 (UTC)
:Thanks. Though I did like the caption I put up...[[User:Darktruth|Darktruth]] 17:26, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

== Megeen McLaughlin ==

[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1122626/fullcredits#writers IMDB's page] for this episode only lists Steven Melching and Len Wein as writers. If she did really write this ep, does anybody know how to get that updated on IMDB? --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 19:57, 24 April 2009 (EDT)

Talk:Home Soil

2009-04-24T23:56:04Z

Loudstone: /* Megeen McLaughlin */ new section

Megeen McLaughlin

2009-04-24T23:50:46Z

Loudstone: Linked Kim Possible to Wikipedia

{{picsneeded}}
'''Megeen McLaughlin''' is an American writer. In addition to ''Transformers'', she also wrote episodes of ''[[G.I. Joe]]'', the '90s incarnations of ''[[Spider-Man]]'' and ''The Incredible [[Hulk]]'', and ''[[wikipedia:Kim Possible|Kim Possible]]''.

==Episode scripts==
===Generation 1===
* [[Starscream's Ghost]]

===''Beast Machines''===
* [[Home Soil]]

==External links==
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0572397/ Megeen McLaughlin at the Internet Movie Database]

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Megeen}}
[[Category:Mainframe]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Squawkbox

2009-04-24T23:31:38Z

Loudstone: /* Generation 1 */ Replace "Micro Cassettes" with "Mini-Cassette"

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Squawkbox is a [[Decepticon]] [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Squawkbox.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Many high schools will send you home if you show up wearing a skirt this short.]]

'''Squawkbox'''—the combined form of the Decepticons [[Beastbox]] and [[Squawktalk]]—is a passionate musician. He loves playing with sound, using the combined powers of his components. Listening to, creating, and manipulating sound is his life. The results of his compositions have been called "unnervingly cacophonous", but his Decepticon commanders came up with a way to put them to good use.

Squawkbox has been assigned the function of "Battlefield Dissonance" and set free to distract and disorient the [[Autobot]]s with his latest works. Squawkbox is thrilled to have both a captive audience and access to all the terrible sounds of a battlefield for future use. Unfortunately for him, his work can prove just as detrimental to his teammates as his opponents if he's not careful, and at that point it's anyone's guess as to which side will be the first to try and shut him up via photon blaster.

==Fiction==
===IDW comics continuity===
At the beginning of the Autobot-Decepticon conflict, Squawkbox and a number of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|other minions]] watched [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] massacre the [[Kaon]] [[Kaon Council|Council]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}}

Much later, and much to Squawkbox's discomfort, [[Sixshot]] asked him to locate the missing [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. Squawkbox fearfully complied and directed Sixshot to the planet [[Mumu-Obscura]] to find his comrades. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sixshot}}

===Hearts of Steel===
[[Image:Sb hos.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Telegraphic Communication. Hh.]]
Squawkbox served as [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s communications officer while [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] was in stasis lock. When Starscream learned the [[Autobot]]s were active, he ordered Squawkbox to alert the other Decepticon forces by telegraph. All Squawkbox utters is "Yes, ''Starscream''!" {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}}
{{-}}

===Madman Transformers comic===
[[Image:Madman comic HotRod runsover tapes.jpg|right|250px|thumb|That's Squawkbox to the upper left. And also to the lower right.]]
In the year 2001, Squawktalk and Beastbox accompanied [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and several other Decepticon mini-cassettes to spy on the construction site of [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]]. The team recorded a secret meeting between [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] where the two Autobot leaders discussed hiding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker on the building site. Once the majority of the Autobots had left for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave deployed Squawktalk, Beastbox, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] to begin excavation. Squawktalk combined with Beastbox into Squawkbox and successfully dug up the Matrix, but was then run over by the Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Madman Transformers Comic}}
{{--}}
==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 Squawkbox toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I want a girl with a short skirt and a lonnnngggg ... railgun.]]

*'''Squawktalk & Beastbox''' (Mini-Cassette 2-pack, 1988)

: The Decepticon cassettes [[Squawktalk]] and [[Beastbox]] were packaged together, and combined to form the humanoid robot Squawkbox. Though they had separate bios, the combined form lacked one. They were the last Decepticon cassettes ever released in the United States, years after Soundwave himself stopped being available.

: In Japan, Squawkbox was only available as a mail-away [[exclusive]] during ''[[Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]''. He cost 980 yen and 2 [[Robot Point]]s.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Squawkbox got his first ever official profile/bio in the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' guide, 15 years after the toy was released.

* In the [[IDW continuity]], Squawkbox exists before [[combiner]] technology has become available to either faction. This means that either Squawkbox is the core being and he's later split into Squawktalk and Beastbox or um... some dumb [[human|stubby]] screwed up.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Squawkbox/squawkbox.htm Squawkbox at TFU.info]

[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Entertainers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Masterforce characters]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]

Squawktalk (G1)

2009-04-24T23:30:47Z

Loudstone: /* Generation 1 */ Replace "Cassette" with "Mini-Cassette"

{{Picsneeded|Toy}}

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Squawktalk is a [[Decepticon]] [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Squawktalk cardart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's the Decepticon cassette bird. Not Laserbeak, the OTHER Decepticon cassette bird. No, not Buzzsaw. The other, other one. NO, Ratbat's not even a bird. YES, there IS another one. ...Poor Squawktalk. :-(]]
'''Squawktalk''' can request a cracker in over 6500 languages. He loves to hear bizarre languages and dialects, as he finds it soothing and relaxing. To this end, he talks constantly, even when he has nothing to say. This has not particularly endeared him to his comrades, who eagerly await for Squawktalk to have to translate something—even if it won't shut him up, at least he'll be talking about something ''important''.

Squawktalk can combine with [[Beastbox]] to form [[Squawkbox]].

:''French-Canadian name'': '''Loquace'''

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Madman Transformers comic====
[[Image:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, as loyal members of the Birds of Prey Union, were unyielding in the pay negotiations. Eventually the Decepticons hired a strikebreaker. Poor Squawktalk. :-(]]
In the year 2001, Squawktalk accompanied [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and several other Decepticon mini-Cassettes to spy on the construction site of [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]]. The team recorded a secret meeting between [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] where the two Autobot leaders discussed hiding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker on the building site. Once the majority of the Autobots had left for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave deployed Squawktalk, Beastbox, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] to begin excavation. Squawktalk combined with Beastbox into Squawkbox and successfully dug up the Matrix, but was then run over by the Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Madman Transformers Comic}}

===Timelines===
Squawktalk is one of countless "offworlders" residing in [[Axiom Nexus]]. He was seen hanging out with [[Beastbox]], as usual. {{storylink|Gone Too Far}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 Squawkbox toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]
* '''Beastbox and Squawktalk''' (Mini-Cassette 2-pack, 1988)
*''Accessories'': 2 "Sonic Boomers"

:Squawktalk transforms from a blue microcassette designed to fit into [[Soundwave (G1) toys|Soundwave]]'s chest, into a bird. He has two "Sonic Boomers" which can be attached to his bird mode. He was sold with [[Beastbox]], and he combines with him to form [[Squawkbox]].

:While this set was available in the [[Hasbro]] line at standard retail, [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] released it only as a mail-order toy, along with a few other Hasbro toys from that same year. The pair cost 980 yen and 2 [[Robot Point|robot points]].

{{-}}

==Trivia==
* In Japan, Squawktalk's bird mode was specified to be an eagle.

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Squawktalk/squawktalk.htm Squawktalk at TFU.info]

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Masterforce characters]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Beastbox (G1)

2009-04-24T23:26:54Z

Loudstone: /* Generation 1 */ Change Cassette to Mini-Cassette, replace '&' with 'and'

{{factions|decepticon}}
:''Beastbox is a [[Decepticon]] [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Beastbox g1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|MUNKY NOT TRUKK!]]
Like the apes he resembles, '''Beastbox''' is naturally curious, which should, in theory, make him an excellent interrogator. Unfortunately, that curiosity is subsumed by his impatience and violent rages. Although he can record up to 6000 hours of testimony, he rarely captures anything but screams and cries as he pummels his recalcitrant captives with his heavy metal fists. Although a violent attitude is a must with the Decepticons, his superiors are rather displeased with his performance—it's difficult to gain information from an [[Autobot]] after he's been beaten to death.

He can combine with [[Squawktalk]] to form [[Squawkbox]].

:''French-Canadian name'': '''Furnimal'''

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Madman Transformers comic====
[[Image:Madman comic Soundwave ejects tapes.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Not the purplest banana in the bunch.]]
: In the year 2001, Beastbox accompanied [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and several other Decepticon mini-cassettes to spy on the construction site of [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]]. The team recorded a secret meeting between [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] where the two Autobot leaders discussed hiding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] in a bunker on the building site. Once the majority of the Autobots had left for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Soundwave deployed Beastbox, Squawktalk, [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] and [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] to begin excavation. Beastbox was confused at the command until Slugfest clarified it for the dim-witted ape. He combined with Squawktalk into Squawkbox and successfully dug up the Matrix, but was then run over by the Autobot [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Madman Transformers Comic}}

===IDW comics continuity===
Beastbox and Squawktalk were seen, as Squawkbox, helping Soundwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] overthrow and destroy the [[Senate]] at [[Kaon]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin}}

===Timelines===
Beastbox is one of countless "offworlders" residing in [[Axiom Nexus]]. He was seen, as usual, hanging out with Squawktalk. {{storylink|Gone Too Far|Gone Too Far}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1 Squawkbox toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]
* '''Beastbox and Squawktalk''' (Mini-Cassette 2-pack, 1988)
*''Accessories'': Left and right "[[compression cannon]]s"

:Beastbox transforms from a purple microcassette designed to fit into [[Soundwave (G1) toys|Soundwave]]'s chest into a gorilla. He has two "Compression Cannons" which can be attached to his ape mode. He was sold with [[Squawktalk]], and he combines with him to form [[Squawkbox]].

:While this set was available in the [[Hasbro]] line at standard retail, [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] released it only as a mail-order toy, along with a few other Hasbro toys from that same year. The pair cost 980 yen and 2 [[Robot Point|robot points]].

{{-}}

==External links==
*[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Decepticon/Beastbox/beastbox.htm Beastbox at TFU.info]

[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Masterforce characters]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]

Kid-appeal character

2009-04-24T22:38:15Z

Loudstone: fix grammar

[[Image:Watching SUVs.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Cue the hijinks.]]''Transformers'' is, and always has been, a franchise aimed at children. And because most Transformers are always so [[Grimlock (G1)|broody]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|cool]] and all sorts of other things little kids won't get, most to all franchises have what could be called a '''kid-appeal character'''. This character often interacts with the token [[human]] character as one of their closest friends, and the two get into all sorts of wacky adventures together. They usually get pulled out by one of the older bots, completely fail to learn their lesson, and do it again. And again and again and...
{{-}}

==List of kid-appeal characters==
[[Image:Wheelietftmslingshot.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Finally, a kid-imitable weapon.]]

'''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]''':

*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] spent a good deal of time with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]]'s [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|first]] [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|three]] [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|episodes]], but was soon supplanted by...
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], who stayed with Spike for most of the series.
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] was [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]'s closest friend at the beginning of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. This lasted for all of eighty minutes, as Hot Rod's upgrade into Rodimus Prime made him no longer "hip" enough, and he was replaced.
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] took over for the show's third season. Wheelie and Daniel went off on adventures like [[Surprise Party|stealing a ship to figure out when Ultra Magnus's birthday was and nearly getting killed repeatedly in the process]]. Exactly the sort of thing we want kids identifying with.
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], the girl, filled in for the Daniel's Best Friend part in the final three episodes. Hey, kids, you like hanging out with your moms, right?

{{-}}

[[Image:Nightscreambm.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Popular amongst the blind kids, maybe.]]

'''''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'''''

*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was not only yellow, he had the impulsiveness and disregard for authority every kid-appeal bot needs. The only thing he lacked was a human friend, until [[Chak and Una]] showed up in the show's third season. Except for the [[Transmetal 2]] upgrade, and the whole of ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'', he was a pretty friendly guy, annoying the others with his childish enthusiasm.

'''''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'''''

*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] replaced Cheetor as the youngster of the Maximals since Cheetor had matured. Hasbro had such high hopes for this kid appeal character, that they made his toy a giant Ultra class figure! Unfortunately, his character was angry and bitter, so he didn't get much love. By the way, there is no human character in ''Beast Machines'' show.

{{-}}

'''''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'''''

*[[Wedge]] was the young, excitable hero who was hotheaded and naive, but was being primed for leadership. Sound familiar?

{{-}}

[[Image:Hotshotironhidedw.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Hot Shot passes the kid-appeal torch.]]

'''[[Unicron Trilogy]]'''

*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] was the token kid-appeal character of ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', hot-headed, unwilling to listen to his superiors, and suddenly thrust into a leadership role that lasted all of three episodes. Unfortunately, he ''grew up'', something no kid-appeal character should ever have to do, and was shortly replaced.
*[[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] took over once ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' rolled around. His tenure was mostly spent getting kicked by...uh...[[Kicker Jones|Kicker]]. They got along eventually, though.
* Hot Shot was young and goofy again in ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]],'' but the series' kids spent more time with the [[Recon Mini-Con Team]], particularly [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] (the only one who could speak English).

'''[[Movie (franchise)|2007 Movie]]'''

*[[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] was the first Autobot to arrive on Earth. His mission to search for the [[All Spark]] led him to [[Sam Witwicky]], a boy whom he befriended over the course of his mission, and stayed with once it was over. Sam repaid him by making out with [[Mikaela Banes|Mikaela]] on top of him. Huh.

'''''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'''''

*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (detecting a pattern yet?) is [[Sari Sumdac]]'s closest friend, human and bot alike. Once again, he is irrational and impulsive, which has only helped endear him to his small, fleshy friend (assuming, of course, she is fleshy...).

==Trivia==
* They have an overwhelming tendency to be yellow.
* More recently, they also have an overwhelming tendency to be named [[Bumblebee (disambiguation)|Bumblebee]]. We're [[GEEWUN|not sure why]].
* ''Animated'' Bumblebee was [[Bee in the City|once transported]] into the [[TransTech]] universe, where he was often mistaken for other kid-appeal characters, including Wheelie, Cheetor, and (although not really a kid-appeal character) [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]].

[[Category:Fandom]]

Talk:Hoist (G1)

2009-04-24T00:12:21Z

Loudstone:

Aww. My "Hoist Sucks, More Than Trailbreaker," comment was my attempt at being funny. And it's an injoke at BWTF. [[User:71.60.159.181|71.60.159.181]] 07:05, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

==MW Hoist==
The text here says that Hoist is a redeco of MW Hubcap. Since the mold is of a tow truck, wouldn't it be more proper to say that Hubcap is a redeco of Hoist, thereby suggesting that ''Hoist'' is the intended "original"?--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 14:12, 19 September 2007 (UTC)
:They were released at the same time, so Hoist is as much of a redeco of Hubcap as Hubcap is as Hoist. If anything, they are both redecos of a unreleased G2 toy, as are all of the MW basics. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 14:59, 19 September 2007 (UTC)
::I'm certainly aware that they were released at the same time, but since the mold clearly exhibits Hoist's alt-mode (or something reasonably similar) and not Hubcap's (indeed, it seems that this Hubcap isn't even the same as the old one), I ''certainly'' think saying that Hoist is a redeco of Hubcap is wrong. It sure ''sounds'' wrong, at any rate.--[[User:G.B. Blackrock|G.B. Blackrock]] 21:45, 19 September 2007 (UTC)

== Cartoon Continuity ==

===The Master Builders===

The description from the episode '''The Master Builders''' doesn't make sense to me. What is this idea Prime rejected? Obviously it's something to do with building a tower...
<blockquote>An early mishap involved Hoist, Grapple, the Constructicons, and a Solar Tower. Prime rejected the idea, but Grapple and Hoist persevered on it anyway. The Constructicons lent assistance to build the tower before sealing the builders within it so that the Decepticons could use it, exactly as Prime had feared. The entire situation was hardly Hoist's cup of tea. The Master Builders
</blockquote>
--[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 19:58, 23 April 2009 (EDT)
:Thanks! --[[User:Loudstone|Loudstone]] 20:12, 23 April 2009 (EDT)

Talk:Hoist (G1)

2009-04-23T23:58:20Z

Loudstone: /* The Master Builders */ Forgot my sig :S

Talk:Hoist (G1)

2009-04-23T23:43:29Z

Loudstone: /* Cartoon Continuity */ new section

User:Loudstone

2009-04-23T23:38:10Z

Loudstone:

No, Loudstone is not a [[Tonka GoBots|Rock Lord]].

The Transformers: Headmasters

2009-04-23T23:19:18Z

Loudstone: Small grammar/style changes, and fixing links

[[Image:MarvelHeadmasters-1.jpg|right|175px|thumb|No Fort Max, head on! HEAD ON!]]
'''''The Transformers: Headmasters''''' is a four-part mini-series published in 1987 by Marvel Comics, and set in [[Marvel Comics continuity|the same continuity]] as the regular [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)#Marvel U.S.|US Marvel comic]]. It tells the story of two groups of Transformers led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and their adventures on the planet [[Nebulos]]; in the process, it introduces the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] and [[Targetmaster]] [[Gimmick|gimmicks]] to the storyline. In the Marvel UK ''Transformers'' series it was run as a [[back-up strip]] alongside the regular stories.

The ''Headmasters'' plot merged with the ongoing Marvel storyline in [[Trial by Fire!|Transformers issue #38]].

{|style="margin:0 auto;padding:0 auto" align=center id=toc
!align=center bgcolor=#6699CC|'''''Headmasters'' issues:'''
|- align="center"
|| [[Ring of Hate!|#1]] | [[Broken Glass!|#2]] | [[Love and Steel!|#3]] | [[Brothers in Armor!!|#4]]
|}

==Overview==
A group of Autobots, led by Fortress Maximus, leaves [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] for the planet [[Nebulos]] hoping to forge a new, peaceful existence for themselves. But their arch foes, under the command of Scorponok, follow them, forcing the Autobots to join forces with the natives of that world in the most literal of ways. Soon Nebulos is being devastated by the Transformers' war, the Decepticons have found their own team of native allies, and the Autobots must leave the planet to keep from destroying it completely.

The mini-series was used [[To sell toys|to introduce the bulk of the 1987 toyline]] to the comics continuity. Many of those toys did not have Earthen [[Alternate mode|altmodes]], and thus required a different origin than the predominantly Earth-centric forms of the previous three years. The series also introduced the year's primary toy gimmicks of Headmasters and Targetmasters, whose heads and weapons transformed to armored humanoids.

==Notes==
* Series artist [[Frank Springer]] had the unenviable task of drawing 62 new characters in this series. With 74 character models between them. Factoring in transformations that's 132 pieces of reference art to juggle. There were <strike>occasional</strike>; frequent times when a character was accidentally illustrated looking like someone else. Perfectly understandable! Slightly ''less'' understandable was why [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], the starring character, would change head designs ''between panels on the same page.'' The recreational use of [[wikipedia:Benadryl|Benadryl]] has not been ruled out.
* Series colorist [[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]] experienced <strike>a similar</strike> an identical problem. The two problems combined can make Headmasters a ''mildly'' confusing read ... but it's really not that bad.
* This shows [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] becoming Targetmasters, even though by [[Rhythms of Darkness!|some accounts]] they don't exist until [[The Transformers: The Movie|2005]]. The [[The Transformers (Marvel Comics)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK]] series would explain this away, but not the US series.

==Creative Team==
[[Bob Budiansky]], writer for the main Transformers book, also penned ''Headmasters.'' [[Frank Springer]], the artist of the 4-issue miniseries that began ''Transformers'', did pencils.

==Collections==
* [[Titan Books|Titan Books's Trial by Fire]] (2004)

[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]

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