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Blackarachnia (BW)

2011-02-10T07:14:13Z

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{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|unicron|decepticon|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Blackarachnia}}

:''Blackarachnia is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackarachniabw.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hot, poisonous, and deadly. Rawr!]]
A sultry femme fatale, '''Blackarachnia''' is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.

Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.

{{quote|Even when I'm good, I'm still bad.|Blackarachnia|"[[Crossing the Rubicon]]"}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Blackwidow'''
:''French-Canadian name (original toy):'' '''Mygale'''
:''French-Canadian name (cartoon):'' '''La Veuve Noire''' (The Black Widow")<ref name=TM2BA>Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.</ref>
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Hēi Jr-jū''' (黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider") / '''Jr-jū''' (蜘蛛, "Spider", used in ''Beast Machines'' sometimes)
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Alaina''' (雅麗娜 ''Aa Lai Naa'')
:''Polish name:'' '''Arachna'''
:''Portuguese name:'' '''Aracniana'''
:''Brazilian name (Beast Wars only):'' '''Viúva Negra'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Arachnia'''
:''Latvian name:'' '''Zirneklene''' (from ''zirneklis'' – "spider")
:''Russian name:'' '''Чёрная Вдова''' (Chornaya Vdova, "Black Widow")
:''Spanish name'': '''Araña Negra''' ("Black Spider")<ref name=TM2BA/>

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia poses as a double agent. In reality, this is merely a ruse she utilizes in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzes her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceeds to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucks their life force dry... kinky. She is capable of converting thermal energy into [[cyber venom]]. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Toys|Blackarachnia bio}}
{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Fátima Noya]] (Portuguese), [[Françoise Vallon]] (French), [[Luigi Alfieri]] (Italian), [[Uta Dahlbridge]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marisa Marco]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BAintroduction.jpg|left|300px|thumb|My face is up here!]]
Blackarachnia was born from one of the [[Maximal|Maximals']] fallen [[stasis pod]]s. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], watching a black widow fight and devour another spider, was inspired. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], observing the slim and attractive Blackarachnia transform and strike a few poses, suggested that he had "ulterior motives behind her beast form selection" but she was a Predacon, and that was what was important. In the battle with the Maximals that followed, she easily defeated [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] with a few well-placed kicks. She was later reported as "missing," though the reasons why and how were never addressed. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

She was soon assigned to a mission with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to dig under the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and use a [[sonic emitter]] she had invented to blow a hole into the bottom. She didn't get on well with either of them, but they managed to eventually get to the point where they were ready to trigger the emitter... only for [[Tigatron]] to steal it. By the time they caught up with the Maximal, the emitter was ready to explode, and they could only flee the blast area. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s virus turned [[Optimus Primal]] into a berserker and he invaded the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur battled the other Maximals as they also tried to gain entry. Unfortunately Cheetor slipped past them and was able to rescue Primal, however at least the other Maximals were held off. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

Blackarachnia was present during the interrogation of Cheetor when the Predacons discovered that a [[temporal probe|Maximal probe]] was flying past the planet, and took part in the battle to destroy the signal array which the Maximals were building. Once [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was locked into his dino-mode by Tarantualas's [[transformation lock lens]], Blackarachnia delivered the coup de grâce, only to be subsequently blasted off a cliff by [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The Predacons staged a deception, faking their own destruction and using signal dampeners invented by Blackarachnia to hide while the Maximals use parts from their ship to repair the ''Axalon''. After being discovered by Dinobot, they pursued him. During an attempt to rush the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia was blasted by the ship's defenses. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:TheSpark Blackarachnia spidermode.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime used to leave his trailer behind when he transformed, so why ''can't'' she do the same with her thorax?]]
After Megatron turned [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] into a Predacon using a [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]], Blackarachnia and Megatron were startled by Waspinator's impression of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Blackarachnia and Scorponok were dispatched to retrieve the latest crashed stasis pod. They encountered Tigatron, who disabled Scorponok, but was himself paralyzed by Blackarachnia's venom. At the pod, she fought Cheetor at length, but he caught her venom dart and used it to knock her out. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Blackarachnia empowered by the chair.]]
The discovery of a mysterious [[Brigadoon|flying island]] led to Megatron dispatching Blackarachnia and Scorponok to investigate it. Blackarachnia, when she saw the power wielded by the island, resolved to herself that she would take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} As the pair reached the obelisk in the center of the island, Waspinator and Terrorsaur arrived, and Blackarachnia tricked them into using their weapons, causing the island defenses to blast them. She then got rid of Scorponok using one of the island's traps, and took control of the island's power herself. Though she started piloting the island toward the ''Axalon'', Tigatron was able to destroy its energy supply, and the whole thing crashed to the ground. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

She soon attempted to forge an alliance with Tarantulas, flattering him and accompanying him on a mission to secure the latest stasis pod to crash. Unfortunately they were too late to ensure the protoform obtained an arachnid beast mode, and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was born. While Blackarachnia was trying to get the new Predacon under control, Tarantulas made off with the real prize — the stasis pod itself. After the pod was destroyed, Tarantulas revealed to her that the planet was doomed, and she realised he'd intended to use the pod to build an escape ship, but he rebuffed her offer of further help and threw her out of his lair. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

[[Image:Possession Blackarachnia slags Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|280px|This one frame turned a lot of fans into feminists. She's just that good, folks.]]
A Predacon plan to steal the [[rectifier coil]] from the ''Axalon'' resulted in the Maximals going feral, and Blackarachnia was part of the hunting party which pursued them into the jungle. She was defeated by Dinobot after the Maximals overcame their little problem. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of Waspinator's body and the Predacons were able to conquer the ''Axalon'', the Decepticon took Blackarachnia under his wing as a student and revealed his true intent to overthrow Megatron. After he abandoned her in the Maximal base, leaving her to escape Primal and Dinobot on her own, she took that as a hint to return the favour, and later shot a cluster of energon crystals, blasting Starscream free from Waspinator. She then engaged in some quick talking to get herself out of trouble with Megatron. {{storylink|Possession}}

Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], and was later himself incapacitated, leading the Predacons to investigate his lair to see if they could dig up any more of the virus. Blackarachnia was able to find a counter-virus, but while Megatron was attempting a brilliant gambit against the attacking Maximals, Rhinox countered with an almighty fart which left the Predacon forces hanging from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}} Some time later, Megatron called a truce when signs pointed to the [[Vok|aliens]] returning. Tarantulas stole a transwarp cell from the ''Darksyde'', leading Megatron to assign Blackarachnia to keep an eye on him. The two spiders attempted to stop Tigatron escaping the Predacon base, but were tricked into being flattened by a boulder by Dinobot. They were the least damaged, however, and dragged the rest of the Predacons back to base. {{storylink|Before the Storm}}

[[Image:OtherVoices2 possessed Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarantulas feels pretty, oh so pretty...]]
Blackarachnia offered to help Tarantulas break into the Maximal base to steal a stasis pod. They were able to use one of Blackarachnia's inventions to penetrate the ''Axalon'' shields and overcome Rhinox and Dinobot. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} As Tarantulas worked to turn the stasis pod into an escape ship, Blackarachnia turned on him, intending to use the pod herself. They were interrupted by Inferno, who slagged Tarantulas, but Blackarachnia was easily able to defeat him in return. She linked to Tarantulas's mind to obtain the necessary information, and successfully completed modifying the pod... only to be captured by the Maximals. Optimus forced her to change the control codes to respond to him, so he could pilot the pod himself and destroy the [[Planet Buster]] weapon threatening the planet. As it happened, Megatron had sabotaged the transwarp cell, and Optimus was unable to eject before impact. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

While attempting to escape from the Maximal base, Blackarachnia was shocked to discover that her earlier interfacing with Taratulas had resulted in a permanent mind-link between the two of them. Tarantulas was able to force her to take his body with her as she left the base. Though she was intercepted by Tigatron and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], Megatron happened to turn up at that point. He threatened to terminate Blackarachnia, but she talked her way out of it by pointing out the simple fact that Megatron's stock of troops was sorely depleted. Of course, during the inevitable battle, Tarantulas forced Blackarachnia to retreat with his body. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors Blackarachnia downloading.jpg|right|200px|thumb|She blinded me with computer science!]]
Returning to the Predacon base, Blackarachnia interrupted Dinobot stealing the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]]s, but refused Tarantulas's order that she should try to get them back. Instead she repaired him, but discovered that the mind link persisted. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} While Tarantulas went to help Megatron's latest battle, Blackarachnia dug through the base's computer for information on the Golden Disks and discovered important data, including the access codes to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. she was able to download it while Tarantulas was unconscious, and destroyed the computer. She later told Megatron and Tarantulas that Dinobot had destroyed the computer and the data lost. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

The two spiders were later sent with new recruit [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to build a refueling station in a cave full of energon. Tarantulas schemed to take over the cave himself and attempted to persuade Blackarachnia to join him, but soon realised she was hiding something from him. When he tried to rip the information from her mind, she cracked an energon cube, the radiation causing them both pain and forcing him to sever the mental link. He threatened to tear her apart, but was interrupted when Rattrap and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrived to fight. Silverbolt, much to Rattrap's annoyance, refused to strike Blackarachnia because she was female. In the end, Tarantulas used the battle as cover to fake the destruction of the cave, and the trio had to report their failure to Megatron. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

When Dinobot attempted to defect back to the Predacons, Blackarachnia suggested he prove himself by fighting with Quickstrike. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} During another alien incursion, Megatron took Blackarachnia and Inferno to the Maximal base, where they were able to overcome Rhinox, the sole Maximal there. Blackarachnia grabbed the alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]]. Megatron and Tarantulas colluded to work against the aliens, and when Megatron questioned why, Blackarachnia revealed that she had learned from the mind link that Tarantulas hated the aliens and wanted to destroy them. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though Blackarachnia was rendered unconscious by a blast from the [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] that appeared, she was reactivated when Megatron took control of the construct and brought the other Predacons aboard. She was one of the Predacons sent out to defend the construct against the Maximals, but Tarantulas managed to infiltrate and destroy it anyway. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Blackarachnia fightback.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Spousal abuse!]]
When an energon blast sent her and Silverbolt into the middle of the dense jungles, they were forced to work together. Though attracted to the [[Fuzor]], Blackarachnia was endlessly frustrated by his seemingly idiotic chivalry and need to treat her specially. Megatron, listening in via a [[synch-pulse transmitter]] he'd planted on her, was disgusted by the obvious romance going on. Still Silverbolt and Blackarachnia worked together surprisingly well, saving each other's life in turns, and eventually defeating [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] with the help of Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

When the Predacons attacked the valley of proto-humans, Blackarachnia was teamed with Inferno. She did considerable damage to Dinobot before being blasted herself. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Blackarachnia took advantage of Silverbolt's obvious interest in her, meeting the Maximal at a secluded location to obtain a [[graviton generator]]. She used the generator to convert a stasis pod into a makeship hoversled, and later overheard Megatron giving a mission to Waspinator. As the Maximals fought their way into the Predacon base, Blackarachnia emerged on her sled to encounter Silverbolt. Silverbolt refused a direct order from Optimus to shoot her, allowing her to leave and tail Waspinator instead. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Silverbolt eventually caught up with Blackarachnia, who resorted to shooting him in order to try to get the point across that he should leave her alone. It didn't really work, and when the hoversled she was on hit Waspinator, Silverbolt saved her from plummeting to the ground. He subsequently joined her in digging into the side of the mountain they had been heading towards. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BA Silverbolt Agenda3.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I can walk, you know.]]
Finally they broke through into a huge cavern containing the Ark, and Blackarachnia explained the ship's significance to her companion. While she was keen to take the power for herself, Megatron arrived and knocked Silverbolt offline before caving in the tunnel they'd dug. Having always intended for her to reach the Ark as he knew she had the access codes, Megatron threatened to vape Silverbolt unless she did what he said. Bitterly, she agreed to his demands, reluctantly opening the ship and, while Megatron went on, using the Ark's security system to hold off the Maximals. Megatron took the opportunity to attempt to assassinate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], potentially erasing the Maximals from history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Unfortunately for Megatron, Blackarachnia had originally been a Maximal protoform, and certainly wasn't willing to die for his cause. She activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] security nets to force Megatron off the ship. With Silverbolt's help, she got the dying Autobot leader under life support and began the repairs. The Maximals were forced to accept her help, but while the Maximals were occupied with Megatron, Blackarachnia slipped out... only to be trapped by falling rocks, and slagged by Megatron during his escape. Silverbolt cradled her to her chest as she shut down, swearing vengeance until the other Maximals suggested he stop messing around and get her to a repair chamber. With no much other choice, Blackarachnia joined the Maximal ranks. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}} She even spent time on guard duty outside the base with Silverbolt. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

Blackarachnia quickly showed her usefulness to the Maximals, building a hand-powered [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] that could retrieve Sentinel from the ''Axalon'''s underwater resting place. Rattrap was less than thrilled about having to use the "Predacon beach ball". {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Actually just picking up lunch.]]
She was even less thrilled when she ended up having to escort two human children back to their tribe along with Cheetor, who was exhibiting a boyish crush on her, much to Silverbolt's annoyance. Rattrap was also rather distrusting of her, as earlier he had spied Blackarachnia sneaking some parts from a classified area. But when Megatron's new [[cyber raptor]]s attacked, Blackarachnia showed her good side by defending the children, even taking a hit from Tarantulas for them, which she immediately denied to an impressed Silverbolt by saying she slipped. With the cyber raptors defeated, she informed Cheetor that he was a nice kid - which were two strikes against him, so don't go looking for strike three. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] returned from a mission reporting that Cheetor had been destroyed trying to interfere with Megatron's experiment, however the Maximal had secretly brought back the [[Transmetal driver]], a component of Megatron's experiment. Though he tossed it into a pool of lava, Blackarachnia was able to grab it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} She took part in the search for Cheetor, leading Silverbolt to develop jealousy at her apparent concern for their comrade. He later turned up with, it transpired, a new [[Transmetal 2]] body, which Blackarachnia took particular interest in. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

[[Image:ProvingGrounds Blackarachnia wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look at that trustworthy face! Blackarachnia's not going to backstab us!]]
After Rhinox scanned her and found the [[shell program]] that made her a Predacon, Blackarachnia finally got fed up with Rattrap's attitude and Cheetor's crush, and would have choked/blasted them both if Optimus hadn't intervened. Weary that apparently she hadn't proven herself to the Maximals and thinking that Optimus and Rhinox were planning to force her to remove the shell, Blackarachnia decided to split... which turned out to be a bad decision, as [[Dinobot II]] had been waiting for this moment. Taking turns hunting each other, Blackarachnia got the upper hand but was caught off-guard by Dinobot's power and durability. Fleeing to a mesa, she was found by Silverbolt, who got in a fight with Dinobot and was about to be slagged. Blackarachnia shot him out of the way, then tried to make a deal with Dinobot to take over the Ark and the Predacons, which backfired and allowed Dinobot to stun her, but he was distracted by Silverbolt long enough for the two Maximals to finally defeat him. After an argument between the pair, where Blackarachnia was enraged that Silverbolt thought she'd really been striking a deal with Dinobot instead of trying to con the villain, Optimus arrived to point out that the decision to remove the program had always been up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

When Megatron attempted to fire his new [[disruptor cannon]] on the Maximal base, the Maximals prepared for the worst, but the cannon blew up instead. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicron-newbody.jpg|left|300px|thumb|80% more pointy edges!]]

Seeking more power, Blackarachnia attempted to use the Transmetal driver on herself. Silverbolt, not realizing what she was planning, bailed her out of the contraption. Like every good girlfriend, she began to chew him out, but was cut off as an energy surge made her lose control of her circuits. A security system Tarantulas installed had been triggered by her tampering with her core, and the only way to fix it was to cut the Predacon [[shell program]] loose. Reluctantly, she agreed, especially since this was a very difficult procedure that could lead to her death. With time running out, she passed the Ark's access codes on to Primal in case she didn't make it and shut herself down, leaving herself in Rhinox's care. Rhinox began the operation, but his tinkering tripped an alert in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The Predacons got wind of what he was doing and mounted an attack on the Maximal base. The Maximals countered their attack, but the power was disrupted by a shot fired by Tarantulas at a critical stage. This apparently killed Blackarachnia.

Distraught, Silverbolt took off to avenge her death, blinded by rage. However, in Silverbolt's absence, Blackarachnia's body attracted the attention of the Transmetal driver, and she was resurrected in a new Transmetal 2 form. She arrived just in time to save Silverbolt from Rampage. Rampage admitted that he liked her new look, but tried to kill her just the same. Surprisingly, Blackarachnia was able to disarm and stun the titanic Rampage, ultimately throwing him over the horizon using her webs. Silverbolt was, of course, overjoyed to see his beloved alive, but Blackarachnia told him to knock off the vengeful hero stuff so she wouldn't have to keep endangering herself with inevitable rescue attempts. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Blackarachnia beast mode.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Actually a real spider in [[Australia]].]]
Some time later, Blackarachnia returned to base to find the doors open. It was the result of Megatron's latest plan as it turned out, which involved Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal's body, rendering the other Maximals unconscious and placing them in a cage. Left in Rampage's "care", Blackarachnia was able to use some sort of telekinesis to make a girder fly through the air and disable the Predacon. After dealing with Inferno, she went to release the other Maximals, only to run into Quickstrike and Primal. She freed Primal by disabling Quickstrike's control suit, and subsequently managed to stop the Ark's destruct sequence, which Tarantulas had set in motion, before rescuing the other Maximals and helping fight Megatron off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Spot the Mega Class toy!]]

When an object from space destroyed the Predacon base, Blackarachnia realised that the aliens had returned — in this case in the form of the Vok emissary [[Tigerhawk]]. She cut short Rattrap's celebrations by pointing out that when Tigerhawk had finished with the Predacons, he'd probably come for them. {{storylink|Other Victories}} Tigerhawk, in fact, joined the Maximals. When Silverbolt was injured looking for the Predacons, Blackarachnia rode to his aid on Cheetor's back, and the pair took him back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} After Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the depths of the ocean, the Maximals struggled to prepare the Ark for moving. In search of something to make a power link, Blackarachnia grabbed Rattrap's tail-whip, snipping off the end and repurposing it as a power cable. Though the attempt to shift the Ark failed, Rhinox used a shuttle to defeat Megatron. The Maximals subsequently blasted off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Blackarachnia eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

{{charstubfiction}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:TMblackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|No boobs? No thanks.]]
While the Maximals attempted to remove her Predacon shell program, an alternate Transmetal "Vok" body was somehow automatically created (by someone, somehow) in [[subspace]] just in case it was needed. It wasn't, and so it was "sidelined". {{storylink|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This is [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] way of "sorta" working her [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal premium toy (see below) into continuity}}
{{-}}
====''Transmetal 2 Toy Bio''====
The new body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology has the power to cast illusions altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars|Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
Blackarachnia made a brief appearance in her Transmetal 2 form at [[Reaching the Omega Point|Omega Point]], being eviscerated by [[Shokaract]]'s firepower. Clearly, she got better as space/time rebooted itself with the destruction of the [[Unicron|Dark Essence]]. {{storylink|Terminus}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron took the original Megatron's spark into himself, he had Quickstrike deliver a device to the Maximal base which amplified the Maximals' aggression. Blackarachnia was attacked by Rhinox before escaping while Silverbolt distracted him. Once Optimus Primal was able to overcome the device's effects and free the other Maximals, they attempted unsuccessfully to capture Megatron in one of Blackarachnia's webs. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. After it zapped Silverbolt, she unsuccessfully tried to attack it in retaliation. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Binaltech'' (unused)====
As the victorious Maximals travelled forward in time from prehistoric Earth to far-future Cybertron, their shuttle was suddenly struck by a powerful force of darkness. Hurled into the early 21st century, Blackarachnia was forced by Unicron to aid him in his efforts to destroy the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Her spark was placed inside the silver Beta Unit Honda S-2000 Aero Style body intended for the Autobot warrior [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], and her mind was overwhelmed by an evil essence that forced her to do Unicron's bidding.

Still possessing her extrasensory Transmetal 2 powers including telekinesis, Blackarachnia gained several additional weapons courtesy of her new form: a long-range Venom Sniper Gun that fired system-disrupting energy bullets, a defensive riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field from its edge, and the ability to fire strong artificial webs from her grill, exhaust pipe and hands in robot mode.

Blackarachnia was partnered with the newly-created [[Decepticharge]] and dispatched to confront [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] forces on Earth. Finding them in the middle of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-led uprising, the pair put down the rebellion and ordered the Decepticons to defeat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and destroy the Matrix.

While forced to act as a Decepticon, Blackarachnia's true self remained intact but submerged, struggling to overcome Unicron's control and desperate to correct the warped [[Alternators|Binaltech]] timeline.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)#TriviaBinaltech|''Maybe.'']]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Márcia Moreli]] (Portuguese), [[Rossella Acerbo]] (Italian), [[Heike Schroetter]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Maxo Barjas]] (Castilain Spanish)

[[Image:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|300px|thumb|When they say she's all legs, they ain't kidding!]]
When the Autobot shuttle crashed on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the Maximal team was gassed, Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 powers were stripped away from her, as were her memories. As such, the amnesiac Maximal decided to head underground, distraught and confused. Locked out of her robot mode, she awaited her imminent deactivation...until the other three survivors—an equally disoriented [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]—plunged into her web. Primal made the decision to head underground, and Blackarachnia complied, using her webs to grant them safe passage. However, in her weakened state her webbing was limited, and so the foursome plummeted most of the way down into the chamber of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. She watched as Optimus emerged in his [[technorganic]] form, and she was the fourth and last Maximal to be [[Reformatting|reformatted]], emerging as a pink black widow spider with green markings. When attacked by a squadron of Cycle Drones, she put her technorganic mode to good use, trapping one of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in a tangle of web. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:Blackarachniamasterofthehouse.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Nice forehead!]]
Under Primal's tutelage, Cheetor and Blackarachnia relearned the ability to transform, and the Maximals set about finding a new base. Blackarachnia managed to goad Cheetor into accompanying her aboveground to find out what had happened to the residents of Cybertron. They accessed the [[Cybertron InfoCore]], only to find it had been wiped. The Maximals visited the [[Council Citadel]], allowing Blackarachnia to test her new powers in combat, including an ability to fire electrical "stings" through the ground. To her shock, they discovered that the mastermind behind the cleansing of Cybertron was none other than Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the House}} During an attempt to access the [[Cybertron Archives]], she received a vision of prehistoric [[Earth]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. She sneaked off to the spaceport to consult the records of their arrival and was followed by Rattrap. As well as encountering Megatron's new, sentient [[Vehicon general]]s, they discovered that there had been six occupants in the shuttle. Seeking more information, Blackarachnia attempted to access the logs from the shuttle itself, only for Megatron to attempt to access her own mind, and she was only prevented from revealing the location of the Maximal base by Rattrap severing the link. The pair were subsequently rescued by Primal and Cheetor, but Blackarachnia's information reawakened memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt in them all. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

Rattrap's use of a transformation enhancer got the Maximals captured by Megatron for a short time, but during their escape, Optimus reported that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark seemed familiar. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} Blackarachnia and crew later discovered the bat-creature [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who led them to a strange, organic fruit tree. Upon eating the fruit, Blackarachnia began to revert to her instinctual "animal" mind, and it was only thanks to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that her feral mind returned to normal, and thanks to Primal that the bat's life was saved and reformatted into a technorganic body. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} After another mission was fouled up by Rattrap's antics during Optimus's convalescence from reformatting Nightscream, the remaining Maximals discussed what they needed to do about Rattrap. Blackarachnia was irritated by Rattrap's uselessness, but Cheetor asserted that they had to cover for their friend. They were shocked to find a while later that Rattrap had overheard them and taken up with Megatron in exchange for weapons. Primal talked Rattrap around, scolding the other Maximals that they undervalued their teammate. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Revelations3 Blackarachnia closeup.jpg|thumb|left|300px|She looks a bit more normal when she closes the extra eyes.]]
Later, the group stumbled across one of Megatron's many Transformer junkyards, where the lifeless, [[spark]]less bodies of the city's inhabitants were disposed of. When [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and Blackarachnia were split up from the battle, the two made an unofficial truce, but when Thrust saved her life and her spark, having strange recollections of doing so before, her mind was set: He was Silverbolt, mutated and made evil by Megatron. She resolved to get her lover back, but didn't reveal to the other Maximals that she believed Thrust was Silverbolt. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} When Cheetor enacted a subsequent plan to try to hack into Tankor, Blackarachnia volunteered to keep Thrust busy. She made numerous appeals to Thrust to try to bring out his Maximal nature, but Thrust was hesitant and was soon bullied into extracting her spark by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} As her spark rocketed into the darkness, Nightscream fought Jetstorm for it. At the same time, on another plane of existence, Blackarachnia encountered Primal, who calmed her astral spirit down, at the same time allowing Nightscream to restore it and bring her back. She and Nightscream were able to come to Cheetor and Rattrap's aid, but they had found that Tankor was really Rhinox, and their old friend was now siding with Megatron's view of a technological Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Blackarachnia beast mode head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nine eyes, then two, now ''six'': fourth time lucky?]]
After Nightscream was snatched away by the Vehicons, the other Maximals gave pursuit. Blackarachnia's hesitation in attacking Thrust allowed the Vehicon to pursue Primal and Nightscream, who had discovered a [[fossil cave|cave full of fossils]], proving Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} When Tankor gained control of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and "infected" Nightscream and the new orchard with the Key, Blackarachnia quickly found that the [[organic goo]] they'd just discovered was a cure to the [[technomatter]]. While the other Maximals went to get a mole drone, Blackarachnia stayed behind to look after Nightscream, only to be infected by him and temporarily lose her own sanity. The other Maximals eventually returned with a drone and were able to cure her. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sorry, your boyfriend was behind door number 2!]]
Taking a vial of the goo, Blackarachnia kidnapped Thrust, trapping him in a web and using the goo to force out his inner personality, in the expectation that Silverbolt would emerge. Instead, she discovered that Thrust was [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who'd flown to Cybertron from prehistoric Earth. When Jetstorm attacked, another mishap with the organic goop occurred, and for a moment Silverbolt's true personality emerged, sweeping Blackarachnia in his arms. However, as he and Waspinator fought over Blackarachnia, the goo vanished from the both of them, and the Vehicons' minds both returned. Blackarachnia was swiftly rescued by the other Maximals, riding a giant vine created by a catalyst which Rattrap had found. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Blackarachnia was involved in the battle in Megatron's Citadel, holding off the Vehicons as Primal confronted Megatron within, though she, along with the others, were all overwhelmed by the Key to Vector Sigma and became comatose. {{storylink|End of the Line}} The clashing energies of the Key and the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] restored the four Maximals to life. Entering the Council Citadel, they found that the battle had claimed Primal, Megatron and Tankor. They headed for the Oracle in search of guidance, where they found Optimus Primal floating within, and they convinced him to return to real-space and continue his leadership.

The Maximals returned to the surface to find a [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] in the likeness of Megatron. {{storylink|Fallout}} Blackarachnia and Nightscream tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the head. Leaving Optimus to try and contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to find the two remaining Vehicon generals and encountered a strange, organic Transformer named [[Noble]], who changed from a wolf into the dragon-like Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} The Maximals later infiltrated the Council Citadel, looking for information, only to discover that Noble was actually Megatron, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, taking over the huge, flying head and reactivating the Vehicon drone army, which forced the Maximals back underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Vamp meets goth.]]
When Rattrap revealed he's created a device he hoped could be used to restore the stolen sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia "borrowed" it. She managed to force Jetstorm into a large pool of the organic goo, and his body began to change. Scanning a nearby condor skeleton, he awoke in a new form, a purple technorganic bird of prey. Blackarachnia was startled by the change in him. Instead of the lovable, chivalrous knight in shining armor, he was a brittle, haunted bot, tormented by the images of the evil deeds he had done...done by choice. Though he gave up on himself, she never did, urging Silverbolt to forgive his past, prompting him to head to the Grand Mal to confront his old master and rescue Primal and Cheetor. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

Blackarachnia continued to assure Silverbolt that things would get better. After Silverbolt inadvertently spread a new, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]-enhanced version of the old [[Hate Plague]], causing dissension in the ranks, he blamed himself, but she and the other Maximals were supportive. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Later, when a Maximal spaceship crashed, the Maximals split up to reach it in time. As they did, Blackarachnia confided to Rattrap that she'd found Silverbolt increasingly cold towards her. At the ship, they encountered a strange, alien plant monster, which Primal reformatted, revealing it to be [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

The Maximals would soon encounter two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose gambit almost defeated them until Botanica stepped in. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were teamed up with Cheetor during a search for the missing sparks. Though Silverbolt was uncomfortable about following someone he still regarded as a kid, Blackarachnia defended Cheetor. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} The Maximals attempted to infiltrate the Grand Mal to find the missing sparks, only to discover that Megatron was using them to fuel his great ascension. Nightscream's intercession appeared to dispel the Vehicon leader's spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eeek! That smile! Go back to glowering!]]
Once the Maximals had celebrated, Blackarachnia tried to talk to Silverbolt, believing now was the time for them to renew their romance. Silverbolt was not convinced of Megatron's demise, and in fact, he was right: Megatron still lived as a disembodied and depolarized spark. The pair found themselves being attacked by a zombie of pieced-together Vehicon parts, animated by the power of Megatron's spark. Megatron was later trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] by Rattrap. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream attacked the Vehicons while the others attempted to secure the sparks in the Grand Mal. They were subsequently able to put Megatron's Vehicon factory out of commission, but the Grand Mal itself was brought down. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were able to share a quiet moment before the final battle, and they received a spark power-up from the collective population of Cybertron. However, they were both felled during battle by Obsidian and Thrust, respectively. Their sparks were then torn from them by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to assist physically, Blackarachnia and the other Maximals were able to give moral support to Primal during his final battle against Megatron, which resulted in the sacrifice of both leaders and the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic paradise. With harmony restored, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were finally able to be together. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the planet underwent the Great Reformatting, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] seized the opportunity to attack, believing that the revolutionary change would have rendered the planets' inhabitants confused and docile. Suffice to say, the Transformers were greatly underestimated. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were successfully able to fend [[Cybertropolis]] from Quintesson invaders. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo!]]
One year later, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were chosen to greet a ship of returning Autobot heroes from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Their welcomes were ignored by the crew, which included [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], when they realized that their home had been transformed into a strange technorganic paradise. Only [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was unphased, choosing to talk up Blackarachnia and Silverbolt so that he could mug for [[Rook (Universe)|Rook's]] cameras.

[[Image:TFU Blackarachnia vs Rattrap.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey, guys, I turned evil again!]]
Their greeting was interrupted by a series of what appeared to be fireworks. Instead, they were beams of energy sent by [[Unicron]] to capture the returning crew, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, and bring them to him. When they arrived, a booming voice welcomed them to the [[Pit]], a dimension inside Unicron. Blackarachnia and her fellow captives were painfully smelted down and reformed; only Trailbreaker emerged unchanged. Since she arrived, Blackarachnia had begun to feel a growing anger that she couldn't control. And in this new Unicron-tainted form, she more than welcomed the swarm of creatures that began swarming her group. Overwhelmed, Blackarachnia and the others were herded into the [[Cauldron]] and filed into prison cells. As Blackarachnia protested, she was silenced by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], one of their hosts.

It was revealed to them by the master of ceremonies, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], that they would be forced to fight fellow abducted Transformers. The loser's [[spark]] would fuel and empower Unicron, whose form had fallen into disrepair. Blackarachnia's uncontrollable rage welcomed this bloodsport, as Silverbolt watched helplessly as she fell under Unicron's evil spell. {{storylink|Abduction}}

Optimus Primal, resurrected by [[Primus]], arrived to rescue the prisoners of the Cauldron, and with help from Silverbolt and Trailbreaker, its captives were set free. But Unicron's grip on Blackarachnia was too strong. She began lashing out madly, even at Silverbolt, and the Fuzor took tight hold of her so that he might swiftly remove her from Unicron's grip. But as the others began jumping through a portal that would lead them to their respective homes across the [[multiverse]], Blackarachnia had a moment of clarity. Sadly, she told Silverbolt that Unicron had awakened her ''true'' nature, then bid him farewell and threw him through the portal.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Closure? Maybe?]]
Soon, she was escorted by Tankor and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to the center of Unicron, where she was repulsed to meet a familiar face: Tarantulas! {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Blackarachnia was dispatched to Cybertron's [[Undercity]], where she observed Rattrap for a while. Finally, she made her presence known, stinging him with her cybervenom. She never had liked the vermin, after all. Suddenly, Rattrap was saved by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], back from the dead. Blackarachnia was knocked out, and Depth Charge left the weakened Rattrap to fend for himself. As Depth Charge departed, he found himself surrounded by Blackarachnia's [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] lost the license, and so this story was never finished as intended. However, look into the end of ''Universe'' was shown in a comic published by the next licensee, [[Fun Publications]].}}
Much later, Optimus Primal waged one last desperate assault against Unicron, and his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] were able to defeat the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. As Unicron himself seemed to dissolve below them, Silverbolt carried Blackarachnia with him, saving her from sharing the gruesome fate of her evil peers. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}
===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:Blackarach24.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Keeping something OUT of her crotch, for once.]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers ''not'' to be upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. As [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and his armies laid seige to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was forced to shut [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] down to let an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping [[Rattrap]]'s arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter [[Transwarp space]]). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

{{-}}
===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Blackarachnia followed [[Reptilion|Reptillion]]{{sic}} in battle against [[Optimus Primal]] and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] to fight [[Striker]] before being abducted by [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}

===''TransTech''===
[[Image:Scavengerblackarachniaalphatriontranscendent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Silverbolt would not approve.]]
Though she may appear to be a native of [[Axiom Nexus]], Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.

Joined by the malcontent Predacons [[Immorticon]] and [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]], they fled and activated an experimental [[transwarp]] device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. He convinced her that the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|counterpart]], with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s laboratory in the hopes of rescuing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

{{note|Blackarachnia went completely unaccounted for after that. Her fate following the battle between [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Omega Doom]], and the defeat of Alpha Trion, is unknown.}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Blackarachnia is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Blackarachnia can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Blackarachnia fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Blackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|I'm... sure she has a nice personality... wait, no. No, she doesn't.]]
{{note|In the the N64 version of ''Beast Wars: Transmetals'', Blackarachnia was a stretched [[palette swap|palette-swap]] of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Transmetal Tarantulas]]. As you can see, this didn't work very well. The Playstation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.}}
:''Voice actor:'' ? (English), ? (Japanese)

Transmetal Blackarachnia joins her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinces her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reforms. It is her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assures the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she works as a double-agent between the Maximal and [[Tripredacus Council]] with no loyalty to either side. She often ponders what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Blackarachnia’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
{{anchor|Dx1}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabwtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Post-op Tarantulas.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: Blackarachnia's original toy is a [[redeco]] of the [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a [[mutant head|"mutant" face]]; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).

[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTakara.jpg|right|250px|thumb|She might have an F-cup...or an E.]]

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release of the toy has numerous color differences from the [[Hasbro]] version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.

: This mold was later used to make the [[Tarantulas (BW)|"Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas]], and the ''[[#BW10J|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make [[#UnUni|a second ''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], but that toy set was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Deluxe BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWJVs}}
[[Image:VS8-TigatronBlackarachnia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Battle of the redecos.]]
*'''Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow''' (VS set, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with [[Tigatron]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|BWMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamctm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She's got a great personality.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 1997)
**''McNumber'': ??

: Part of the second [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions|McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "[[Transmetal]]" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a ''very'' similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure [[Beetle]].

:Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail ''Transmetals'' toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTM2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Covers her privates for great justice/children everywhere!]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Transmetal 2, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-48'''
**''Accessories'': Mandible grapnel-line

:The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a [[Retractable string gimmick|grappling hook]], switching [[Insignia|faction symbols]] activated by [[#TriviaTM2spark|rotating her spark crystal around]], and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.

:This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.

:This mold was used to make the [[BotCon 2000]] [[exclusive]] [[Arcee (G1)#Toys|Arcee]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Beast Machines Blackarachnia Toy.JPG|right|300px|thumb|She's definitely going to need a big nail file.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2000)

:An early toy in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line, Blackarachnia transforms into a [[technorganic]] spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early ''Beast Machines'' "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.

:This mold was later redecoed to make the [[#UniDx|''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], as well as [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BMMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamcbm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is transformed correctly, right? Right?]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 2000)
**''McNumber'': ??

:As one of ''ten'' toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.

:She is the only [[Beast Era]] character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McBlackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BM Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWR}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabeastwarsreturnstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You will pay a lot of money to own this extra-pink girl <strike>doll</strike>action figure.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-04'''

: Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-[[exclusive]] ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' series, this toy is a redeco of the original ''Beast Machines'' Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand ''less'' than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.

{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
{{anchor|UniDx}}
[[Image:Blackarachniauniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You can pick your faction, and you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriend's faction.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2003)

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a [[Decepticon]] and as a redeco of [[#BMDx1|the original ''Beast Machines'' figure]]. However, her forearms were [[Misassembly|mistakenly swapped]], leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] over her [[spark crystal]] as well.

:This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Universe Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|UnUni}}
[[Image:Blackarachnia unreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eyow.]]
*'''Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia''' (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

:In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a [[redeco]] of the original ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "Halloween [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]] Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart [[exclusive]]s... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other ''Transformers'' exclusives were canceled during the ''Universe'' era.) One of the sets was "[[Leatherhide]] Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It almost works!]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: As part of the ''[[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' line, the [[#Dx1|original Blackarachnia toy]] was ''extensively'' redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold [[paint operation]]s, making her closer to [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her biceps are silver in the show.) All of the [[gimmick]]s of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.

:She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of ''Beast Wars'' episode 10, "[[Gorilla Warfare]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/BlackWidow/blackwidow.htm More information on Telemocha Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:Blackwidowwildrider.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honda wouldn't appreciate their car being hot, poisonous, and deadly.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Binaltech, unreleased)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle, roof-shield

:In 2005, the mold used for ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Decepticharge]] was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese ''Binaltech'' line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a [[bio]] and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the ''Binaltech'' fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.

:This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected ''Binaltech'' continuation, this time as [[Arcee (G1)#Binaltech|Arcee]]. The original version of the mold was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] and ''Binaltech'' [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]. It was also planned to become a new toy of the [[Paradron Medic#Binaltech|Paradron Medic]], but that also got canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Blackarachniamutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroescheetorblackarachnia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cute and poisonous.]]
*'''Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia''' (2-pack, 2008)
:Part of the first wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''-branded [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWBlackarachniaCardArt.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dirty girls, make some noise. Move that ass for dirty boys.]]
*Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
*Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... ''inspiration''. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/593687e427efddad Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian] on [[alt.toys.transformers]].</ref>
*Much like her fellow spider [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], her original beast mode is depicted with ''nine'' eyes rather then eight.
*In the "jovial" Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to ''begging for mercy'' from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to [[Arcee (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|"improve" upon a female character]].
*The [[:Image:Blackarachniahappymeal.jpg|artwork]] advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.

{{anchor|TriviaTM2spark}}
*Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching [[spark crystal]], the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the ''Beast Wars'' television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon [[shell program]], making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it ''had'' happened mere moments previously.)

*Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "[[Master Blaster]]". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in ''Beast Machines'', Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.

[[Image:Sourcebook1Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|200px|Woke up in Vegas next to [[BB#Notes|BB]].]]

{{anchor|TriviaBinaltech}}
*Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of ''The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications'', an unofficial publication by ''Binaltech'' story writer [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] that compiled all then-current ''Binaltech'' information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and [[Ginrai]] toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered [[Pseudocanon|pseudocanonical]] at best.

*Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.

{{-}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Blackarachnia (BW)

2011-02-10T07:06:36Z

Namejs:

{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|unicron|decepticon|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Blackarachnia}}

:''Blackarachnia is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackarachniabw.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hot, poisonous, and deadly. Rawr!]]
A sultry femme fatale, '''Blackarachnia''' is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.

Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.

{{quote|Even when I'm good, I'm still bad.|Blackarachnia|"[[Crossing the Rubicon]]"}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Blackwidow'''
:''French-Canadian name (original toy):'' '''Mygale'''
:''French-Canadian name (cartoon):'' '''La Veuve Noire''' (The Black Widow")<ref name=TM2BA>Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.</ref>
:''Chinese name (Taiwan):'' '''Hēi Jr-jū''' (黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider") / '''Jr-jū''' (蜘蛛, "Spider", used in ''Beast Machines'' sometimes)
:''Cantonese name:'' '''Alaina''' (雅麗娜 ''Aa Lai Naa'')
:''Polish name:'' '''Arachna'''
:''Portuguese name:'' '''Aracniana'''
:''Brazilian name (Beast Wars only):'' '''Viúva Negra'''
:''Spanish name'': '''Araña Negra''' ("Black Spider")<ref name=TM2BA/>
:''Italian name:'' '''Arachnia'''
:''Latvian name:'' '''Zirneklene''' (from ''zirneklis'' – "spider")

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia poses as a double agent. In reality, this is merely a ruse she utilizes in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzes her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceeds to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucks their life force dry... kinky. She is capable of converting thermal energy into [[cyber venom]]. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Toys|Blackarachnia bio}}
{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Fátima Noya]] (Portuguese), [[Françoise Vallon]] (French), [[Luigi Alfieri]] (Italian), [[Uta Dahlbridge]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marisa Marco]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BAintroduction.jpg|left|300px|thumb|My face is up here!]]
Blackarachnia was born from one of the [[Maximal|Maximals']] fallen [[stasis pod]]s. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], watching a black widow fight and devour another spider, was inspired. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], observing the slim and attractive Blackarachnia transform and strike a few poses, suggested that he had "ulterior motives behind her beast form selection" but she was a Predacon, and that was what was important. In the battle with the Maximals that followed, she easily defeated [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] with a few well-placed kicks. She was later reported as "missing," though the reasons why and how were never addressed. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

She was soon assigned to a mission with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to dig under the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and use a [[sonic emitter]] she had invented to blow a hole into the bottom. She didn't get on well with either of them, but they managed to eventually get to the point where they were ready to trigger the emitter... only for [[Tigatron]] to steal it. By the time they caught up with the Maximal, the emitter was ready to explode, and they could only flee the blast area. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s virus turned [[Optimus Primal]] into a berserker and he invaded the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur battled the other Maximals as they also tried to gain entry. Unfortunately Cheetor slipped past them and was able to rescue Primal, however at least the other Maximals were held off. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

Blackarachnia was present during the interrogation of Cheetor when the Predacons discovered that a [[temporal probe|Maximal probe]] was flying past the planet, and took part in the battle to destroy the signal array which the Maximals were building. Once [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was locked into his dino-mode by Tarantualas's [[transformation lock lens]], Blackarachnia delivered the coup de grâce, only to be subsequently blasted off a cliff by [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The Predacons staged a deception, faking their own destruction and using signal dampeners invented by Blackarachnia to hide while the Maximals use parts from their ship to repair the ''Axalon''. After being discovered by Dinobot, they pursued him. During an attempt to rush the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia was blasted by the ship's defenses. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:TheSpark Blackarachnia spidermode.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime used to leave his trailer behind when he transformed, so why ''can't'' she do the same with her thorax?]]
After Megatron turned [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] into a Predacon using a [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]], Blackarachnia and Megatron were startled by Waspinator's impression of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. {{storylink|Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs}} Blackarachnia and Scorponok were dispatched to retrieve the latest crashed stasis pod. They encountered Tigatron, who disabled Scorponok, but was himself paralyzed by Blackarachnia's venom. At the pod, she fought Cheetor at length, but he caught her venom dart and used it to knock her out. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Blackarachnia empowered by the chair.]]
The discovery of a mysterious [[Brigadoon|flying island]] led to Megatron dispatching Blackarachnia and Scorponok to investigate it. Blackarachnia, when she saw the power wielded by the island, resolved to herself that she would take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} As the pair reached the obelisk in the center of the island, Waspinator and Terrorsaur arrived, and Blackarachnia tricked them into using their weapons, causing the island defenses to blast them. She then got rid of Scorponok using one of the island's traps, and took control of the island's power herself. Though she started piloting the island toward the ''Axalon'', Tigatron was able to destroy its energy supply, and the whole thing crashed to the ground. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

She soon attempted to forge an alliance with Tarantulas, flattering him and accompanying him on a mission to secure the latest stasis pod to crash. Unfortunately they were too late to ensure the protoform obtained an arachnid beast mode, and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was born. While Blackarachnia was trying to get the new Predacon under control, Tarantulas made off with the real prize — the stasis pod itself. After the pod was destroyed, Tarantulas revealed to her that the planet was doomed, and she realised he'd intended to use the pod to build an escape ship, but he rebuffed her offer of further help and threw her out of his lair. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

[[Image:Possession Blackarachnia slags Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|280px|This one frame turned a lot of fans into feminists. She's just that good, folks.]]
A Predacon plan to steal the [[rectifier coil]] from the ''Axalon'' resulted in the Maximals going feral, and Blackarachnia was part of the hunting party which pursued them into the jungle. She was defeated by Dinobot after the Maximals overcame their little problem. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of Waspinator's body and the Predacons were able to conquer the ''Axalon'', the Decepticon took Blackarachnia under his wing as a student and revealed his true intent to overthrow Megatron. After he abandoned her in the Maximal base, leaving her to escape Primal and Dinobot on her own, she took that as a hint to return the favour, and later shot a cluster of energon crystals, blasting Starscream free from Waspinator. She then engaged in some quick talking to get herself out of trouble with Megatron. {{storylink|Possession}}

Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], and was later himself incapacitated, leading the Predacons to investigate his lair to see if they could dig up any more of the virus. Blackarachnia was able to find a counter-virus, but while Megatron was attempting a brilliant gambit against the attacking Maximals, Rhinox countered with an almighty fart which left the Predacon forces hanging from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}} Some time later, Megatron called a truce when signs pointed to the [[Vok|aliens]] returning. Tarantulas stole a transwarp cell from the ''Darksyde'', leading Megatron to assign Blackarachnia to keep an eye on him. The two spiders attempted to stop Tigatron escaping the Predacon base, but were tricked into being flattened by a boulder by Dinobot. They were the least damaged, however, and dragged the rest of the Predacons back to base. {{storylink|Before the Storm}}

[[Image:OtherVoices2 possessed Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarantulas feels pretty, oh so pretty...]]
Blackarachnia offered to help Tarantulas break into the Maximal base to steal a stasis pod. They were able to use one of Blackarachnia's inventions to penetrate the ''Axalon'' shields and overcome Rhinox and Dinobot. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} As Tarantulas worked to turn the stasis pod into an escape ship, Blackarachnia turned on him, intending to use the pod herself. They were interrupted by Inferno, who slagged Tarantulas, but Blackarachnia was easily able to defeat him in return. She linked to Tarantulas's mind to obtain the necessary information, and successfully completed modifying the pod... only to be captured by the Maximals. Optimus forced her to change the control codes to respond to him, so he could pilot the pod himself and destroy the [[Planet Buster]] weapon threatening the planet. As it happened, Megatron had sabotaged the transwarp cell, and Optimus was unable to eject before impact. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

While attempting to escape from the Maximal base, Blackarachnia was shocked to discover that her earlier interfacing with Taratulas had resulted in a permanent mind-link between the two of them. Tarantulas was able to force her to take his body with her as she left the base. Though she was intercepted by Tigatron and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], Megatron happened to turn up at that point. He threatened to terminate Blackarachnia, but she talked her way out of it by pointing out the simple fact that Megatron's stock of troops was sorely depleted. Of course, during the inevitable battle, Tarantulas forced Blackarachnia to retreat with his body. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors Blackarachnia downloading.jpg|right|200px|thumb|She blinded me with computer science!]]
Returning to the Predacon base, Blackarachnia interrupted Dinobot stealing the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]]s, but refused Tarantulas's order that she should try to get them back. Instead she repaired him, but discovered that the mind link persisted. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} While Tarantulas went to help Megatron's latest battle, Blackarachnia dug through the base's computer for information on the Golden Disks and discovered important data, including the access codes to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. she was able to download it while Tarantulas was unconscious, and destroyed the computer. She later told Megatron and Tarantulas that Dinobot had destroyed the computer and the data lost. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

The two spiders were later sent with new recruit [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to build a refueling station in a cave full of energon. Tarantulas schemed to take over the cave himself and attempted to persuade Blackarachnia to join him, but soon realised she was hiding something from him. When he tried to rip the information from her mind, she cracked an energon cube, the radiation causing them both pain and forcing him to sever the mental link. He threatened to tear her apart, but was interrupted when Rattrap and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrived to fight. Silverbolt, much to Rattrap's annoyance, refused to strike Blackarachnia because she was female. In the end, Tarantulas used the battle as cover to fake the destruction of the cave, and the trio had to report their failure to Megatron. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

When Dinobot attempted to defect back to the Predacons, Blackarachnia suggested he prove himself by fighting with Quickstrike. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} During another alien incursion, Megatron took Blackarachnia and Inferno to the Maximal base, where they were able to overcome Rhinox, the sole Maximal there. Blackarachnia grabbed the alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]]. Megatron and Tarantulas colluded to work against the aliens, and when Megatron questioned why, Blackarachnia revealed that she had learned from the mind link that Tarantulas hated the aliens and wanted to destroy them. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though Blackarachnia was rendered unconscious by a blast from the [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] that appeared, she was reactivated when Megatron took control of the construct and brought the other Predacons aboard. She was one of the Predacons sent out to defend the construct against the Maximals, but Tarantulas managed to infiltrate and destroy it anyway. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Blackarachnia fightback.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Spousal abuse!]]
When an energon blast sent her and Silverbolt into the middle of the dense jungles, they were forced to work together. Though attracted to the [[Fuzor]], Blackarachnia was endlessly frustrated by his seemingly idiotic chivalry and need to treat her specially. Megatron, listening in via a [[synch-pulse transmitter]] he'd planted on her, was disgusted by the obvious romance going on. Still Silverbolt and Blackarachnia worked together surprisingly well, saving each other's life in turns, and eventually defeating [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] with the help of Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

When the Predacons attacked the valley of proto-humans, Blackarachnia was teamed with Inferno. She did considerable damage to Dinobot before being blasted herself. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Blackarachnia took advantage of Silverbolt's obvious interest in her, meeting the Maximal at a secluded location to obtain a [[graviton generator]]. She used the generator to convert a stasis pod into a makeship hoversled, and later overheard Megatron giving a mission to Waspinator. As the Maximals fought their way into the Predacon base, Blackarachnia emerged on her sled to encounter Silverbolt. Silverbolt refused a direct order from Optimus to shoot her, allowing her to leave and tail Waspinator instead. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Silverbolt eventually caught up with Blackarachnia, who resorted to shooting him in order to try to get the point across that he should leave her alone. It didn't really work, and when the hoversled she was on hit Waspinator, Silverbolt saved her from plummeting to the ground. He subsequently joined her in digging into the side of the mountain they had been heading towards. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BA Silverbolt Agenda3.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I can walk, you know.]]
Finally they broke through into a huge cavern containing the Ark, and Blackarachnia explained the ship's significance to her companion. While she was keen to take the power for herself, Megatron arrived and knocked Silverbolt offline before caving in the tunnel they'd dug. Having always intended for her to reach the Ark as he knew she had the access codes, Megatron threatened to vape Silverbolt unless she did what he said. Bitterly, she agreed to his demands, reluctantly opening the ship and, while Megatron went on, using the Ark's security system to hold off the Maximals. Megatron took the opportunity to attempt to assassinate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], potentially erasing the Maximals from history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Unfortunately for Megatron, Blackarachnia had originally been a Maximal protoform, and certainly wasn't willing to die for his cause. She activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] security nets to force Megatron off the ship. With Silverbolt's help, she got the dying Autobot leader under life support and began the repairs. The Maximals were forced to accept her help, but while the Maximals were occupied with Megatron, Blackarachnia slipped out... only to be trapped by falling rocks, and slagged by Megatron during his escape. Silverbolt cradled her to her chest as she shut down, swearing vengeance until the other Maximals suggested he stop messing around and get her to a repair chamber. With no much other choice, Blackarachnia joined the Maximal ranks. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}} She even spent time on guard duty outside the base with Silverbolt. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

Blackarachnia quickly showed her usefulness to the Maximals, building a hand-powered [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] that could retrieve Sentinel from the ''Axalon'''s underwater resting place. Rattrap was less than thrilled about having to use the "Predacon beach ball". {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Actually just picking up lunch.]]
She was even less thrilled when she ended up having to escort two human children back to their tribe along with Cheetor, who was exhibiting a boyish crush on her, much to Silverbolt's annoyance. Rattrap was also rather distrusting of her, as earlier he had spied Blackarachnia sneaking some parts from a classified area. But when Megatron's new [[cyber raptor]]s attacked, Blackarachnia showed her good side by defending the children, even taking a hit from Tarantulas for them, which she immediately denied to an impressed Silverbolt by saying she slipped. With the cyber raptors defeated, she informed Cheetor that he was a nice kid - which were two strikes against him, so don't go looking for strike three. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] returned from a mission reporting that Cheetor had been destroyed trying to interfere with Megatron's experiment, however the Maximal had secretly brought back the [[Transmetal driver]], a component of Megatron's experiment. Though he tossed it into a pool of lava, Blackarachnia was able to grab it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} She took part in the search for Cheetor, leading Silverbolt to develop jealousy at her apparent concern for their comrade. He later turned up with, it transpired, a new [[Transmetal 2]] body, which Blackarachnia took particular interest in. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

[[Image:ProvingGrounds Blackarachnia wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look at that trustworthy face! Blackarachnia's not going to backstab us!]]
After Rhinox scanned her and found the [[shell program]] that made her a Predacon, Blackarachnia finally got fed up with Rattrap's attitude and Cheetor's crush, and would have choked/blasted them both if Optimus hadn't intervened. Weary that apparently she hadn't proven herself to the Maximals and thinking that Optimus and Rhinox were planning to force her to remove the shell, Blackarachnia decided to split... which turned out to be a bad decision, as [[Dinobot II]] had been waiting for this moment. Taking turns hunting each other, Blackarachnia got the upper hand but was caught off-guard by Dinobot's power and durability. Fleeing to a mesa, she was found by Silverbolt, who got in a fight with Dinobot and was about to be slagged. Blackarachnia shot him out of the way, then tried to make a deal with Dinobot to take over the Ark and the Predacons, which backfired and allowed Dinobot to stun her, but he was distracted by Silverbolt long enough for the two Maximals to finally defeat him. After an argument between the pair, where Blackarachnia was enraged that Silverbolt thought she'd really been striking a deal with Dinobot instead of trying to con the villain, Optimus arrived to point out that the decision to remove the program had always been up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

When Megatron attempted to fire his new [[disruptor cannon]] on the Maximal base, the Maximals prepared for the worst, but the cannon blew up instead. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicron-newbody.jpg|left|300px|thumb|80% more pointy edges!]]

Seeking more power, Blackarachnia attempted to use the Transmetal driver on herself. Silverbolt, not realizing what she was planning, bailed her out of the contraption. Like every good girlfriend, she began to chew him out, but was cut off as an energy surge made her lose control of her circuits. A security system Tarantulas installed had been triggered by her tampering with her core, and the only way to fix it was to cut the Predacon [[shell program]] loose. Reluctantly, she agreed, especially since this was a very difficult procedure that could lead to her death. With time running out, she passed the Ark's access codes on to Primal in case she didn't make it and shut herself down, leaving herself in Rhinox's care. Rhinox began the operation, but his tinkering tripped an alert in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The Predacons got wind of what he was doing and mounted an attack on the Maximal base. The Maximals countered their attack, but the power was disrupted by a shot fired by Tarantulas at a critical stage. This apparently killed Blackarachnia.

Distraught, Silverbolt took off to avenge her death, blinded by rage. However, in Silverbolt's absence, Blackarachnia's body attracted the attention of the Transmetal driver, and she was resurrected in a new Transmetal 2 form. She arrived just in time to save Silverbolt from Rampage. Rampage admitted that he liked her new look, but tried to kill her just the same. Surprisingly, Blackarachnia was able to disarm and stun the titanic Rampage, ultimately throwing him over the horizon using her webs. Silverbolt was, of course, overjoyed to see his beloved alive, but Blackarachnia told him to knock off the vengeful hero stuff so she wouldn't have to keep endangering herself with inevitable rescue attempts. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Blackarachnia beast mode.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Actually a real spider in [[Australia]].]]
Some time later, Blackarachnia returned to base to find the doors open. It was the result of Megatron's latest plan as it turned out, which involved Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal's body, rendering the other Maximals unconscious and placing them in a cage. Left in Rampage's "care", Blackarachnia was able to use some sort of telekinesis to make a girder fly through the air and disable the Predacon. After dealing with Inferno, she went to release the other Maximals, only to run into Quickstrike and Primal. She freed Primal by disabling Quickstrike's control suit, and subsequently managed to stop the Ark's destruct sequence, which Tarantulas had set in motion, before rescuing the other Maximals and helping fight Megatron off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Spot the Mega Class toy!]]

When an object from space destroyed the Predacon base, Blackarachnia realised that the aliens had returned — in this case in the form of the Vok emissary [[Tigerhawk]]. She cut short Rattrap's celebrations by pointing out that when Tigerhawk had finished with the Predacons, he'd probably come for them. {{storylink|Other Victories}} Tigerhawk, in fact, joined the Maximals. When Silverbolt was injured looking for the Predacons, Blackarachnia rode to his aid on Cheetor's back, and the pair took him back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} After Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the depths of the ocean, the Maximals struggled to prepare the Ark for moving. In search of something to make a power link, Blackarachnia grabbed Rattrap's tail-whip, snipping off the end and repurposing it as a power cable. Though the attempt to shift the Ark failed, Rhinox used a shuttle to defeat Megatron. The Maximals subsequently blasted off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Blackarachnia eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

{{charstubfiction}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:TMblackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|No boobs? No thanks.]]
While the Maximals attempted to remove her Predacon shell program, an alternate Transmetal "Vok" body was somehow automatically created (by someone, somehow) in [[subspace]] just in case it was needed. It wasn't, and so it was "sidelined". {{storylink|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This is [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] way of "sorta" working her [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal premium toy (see below) into continuity}}
{{-}}
====''Transmetal 2 Toy Bio''====
The new body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology has the power to cast illusions altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars|Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
Blackarachnia made a brief appearance in her Transmetal 2 form at [[Reaching the Omega Point|Omega Point]], being eviscerated by [[Shokaract]]'s firepower. Clearly, she got better as space/time rebooted itself with the destruction of the [[Unicron|Dark Essence]]. {{storylink|Terminus}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron took the original Megatron's spark into himself, he had Quickstrike deliver a device to the Maximal base which amplified the Maximals' aggression. Blackarachnia was attacked by Rhinox before escaping while Silverbolt distracted him. Once Optimus Primal was able to overcome the device's effects and free the other Maximals, they attempted unsuccessfully to capture Megatron in one of Blackarachnia's webs. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. After it zapped Silverbolt, she unsuccessfully tried to attack it in retaliation. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Binaltech'' (unused)====
As the victorious Maximals travelled forward in time from prehistoric Earth to far-future Cybertron, their shuttle was suddenly struck by a powerful force of darkness. Hurled into the early 21st century, Blackarachnia was forced by Unicron to aid him in his efforts to destroy the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Her spark was placed inside the silver Beta Unit Honda S-2000 Aero Style body intended for the Autobot warrior [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], and her mind was overwhelmed by an evil essence that forced her to do Unicron's bidding.

Still possessing her extrasensory Transmetal 2 powers including telekinesis, Blackarachnia gained several additional weapons courtesy of her new form: a long-range Venom Sniper Gun that fired system-disrupting energy bullets, a defensive riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field from its edge, and the ability to fire strong artificial webs from her grill, exhaust pipe and hands in robot mode.

Blackarachnia was partnered with the newly-created [[Decepticharge]] and dispatched to confront [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] forces on Earth. Finding them in the middle of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-led uprising, the pair put down the rebellion and ordered the Decepticons to defeat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and destroy the Matrix.

While forced to act as a Decepticon, Blackarachnia's true self remained intact but submerged, struggling to overcome Unicron's control and desperate to correct the warped [[Alternators|Binaltech]] timeline.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)#TriviaBinaltech|''Maybe.'']]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Márcia Moreli]] (Portuguese), [[Rossella Acerbo]] (Italian), [[Heike Schroetter]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Maxo Barjas]] (Castilain Spanish)

[[Image:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|300px|thumb|When they say she's all legs, they ain't kidding!]]
When the Autobot shuttle crashed on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the Maximal team was gassed, Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 powers were stripped away from her, as were her memories. As such, the amnesiac Maximal decided to head underground, distraught and confused. Locked out of her robot mode, she awaited her imminent deactivation...until the other three survivors—an equally disoriented [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]—plunged into her web. Primal made the decision to head underground, and Blackarachnia complied, using her webs to grant them safe passage. However, in her weakened state her webbing was limited, and so the foursome plummeted most of the way down into the chamber of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. She watched as Optimus emerged in his [[technorganic]] form, and she was the fourth and last Maximal to be [[Reformatting|reformatted]], emerging as a pink black widow spider with green markings. When attacked by a squadron of Cycle Drones, she put her technorganic mode to good use, trapping one of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in a tangle of web. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:Blackarachniamasterofthehouse.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Nice forehead!]]
Under Primal's tutelage, Cheetor and Blackarachnia relearned the ability to transform, and the Maximals set about finding a new base. Blackarachnia managed to goad Cheetor into accompanying her aboveground to find out what had happened to the residents of Cybertron. They accessed the [[Cybertron InfoCore]], only to find it had been wiped. The Maximals visited the [[Council Citadel]], allowing Blackarachnia to test her new powers in combat, including an ability to fire electrical "stings" through the ground. To her shock, they discovered that the mastermind behind the cleansing of Cybertron was none other than Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the House}} During an attempt to access the [[Cybertron Archives]], she received a vision of prehistoric [[Earth]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. She sneaked off to the spaceport to consult the records of their arrival and was followed by Rattrap. As well as encountering Megatron's new, sentient [[Vehicon general]]s, they discovered that there had been six occupants in the shuttle. Seeking more information, Blackarachnia attempted to access the logs from the shuttle itself, only for Megatron to attempt to access her own mind, and she was only prevented from revealing the location of the Maximal base by Rattrap severing the link. The pair were subsequently rescued by Primal and Cheetor, but Blackarachnia's information reawakened memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt in them all. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

Rattrap's use of a transformation enhancer got the Maximals captured by Megatron for a short time, but during their escape, Optimus reported that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark seemed familiar. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} Blackarachnia and crew later discovered the bat-creature [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who led them to a strange, organic fruit tree. Upon eating the fruit, Blackarachnia began to revert to her instinctual "animal" mind, and it was only thanks to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that her feral mind returned to normal, and thanks to Primal that the bat's life was saved and reformatted into a technorganic body. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} After another mission was fouled up by Rattrap's antics during Optimus's convalescence from reformatting Nightscream, the remaining Maximals discussed what they needed to do about Rattrap. Blackarachnia was irritated by Rattrap's uselessness, but Cheetor asserted that they had to cover for their friend. They were shocked to find a while later that Rattrap had overheard them and taken up with Megatron in exchange for weapons. Primal talked Rattrap around, scolding the other Maximals that they undervalued their teammate. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Revelations3 Blackarachnia closeup.jpg|thumb|left|300px|She looks a bit more normal when she closes the extra eyes.]]
Later, the group stumbled across one of Megatron's many Transformer junkyards, where the lifeless, [[spark]]less bodies of the city's inhabitants were disposed of. When [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and Blackarachnia were split up from the battle, the two made an unofficial truce, but when Thrust saved her life and her spark, having strange recollections of doing so before, her mind was set: He was Silverbolt, mutated and made evil by Megatron. She resolved to get her lover back, but didn't reveal to the other Maximals that she believed Thrust was Silverbolt. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} When Cheetor enacted a subsequent plan to try to hack into Tankor, Blackarachnia volunteered to keep Thrust busy. She made numerous appeals to Thrust to try to bring out his Maximal nature, but Thrust was hesitant and was soon bullied into extracting her spark by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} As her spark rocketed into the darkness, Nightscream fought Jetstorm for it. At the same time, on another plane of existence, Blackarachnia encountered Primal, who calmed her astral spirit down, at the same time allowing Nightscream to restore it and bring her back. She and Nightscream were able to come to Cheetor and Rattrap's aid, but they had found that Tankor was really Rhinox, and their old friend was now siding with Megatron's view of a technological Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Blackarachnia beast mode head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nine eyes, then two, now ''six'': fourth time lucky?]]
After Nightscream was snatched away by the Vehicons, the other Maximals gave pursuit. Blackarachnia's hesitation in attacking Thrust allowed the Vehicon to pursue Primal and Nightscream, who had discovered a [[fossil cave|cave full of fossils]], proving Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} When Tankor gained control of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and "infected" Nightscream and the new orchard with the Key, Blackarachnia quickly found that the [[organic goo]] they'd just discovered was a cure to the [[technomatter]]. While the other Maximals went to get a mole drone, Blackarachnia stayed behind to look after Nightscream, only to be infected by him and temporarily lose her own sanity. The other Maximals eventually returned with a drone and were able to cure her. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sorry, your boyfriend was behind door number 2!]]
Taking a vial of the goo, Blackarachnia kidnapped Thrust, trapping him in a web and using the goo to force out his inner personality, in the expectation that Silverbolt would emerge. Instead, she discovered that Thrust was [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who'd flown to Cybertron from prehistoric Earth. When Jetstorm attacked, another mishap with the organic goop occurred, and for a moment Silverbolt's true personality emerged, sweeping Blackarachnia in his arms. However, as he and Waspinator fought over Blackarachnia, the goo vanished from the both of them, and the Vehicons' minds both returned. Blackarachnia was swiftly rescued by the other Maximals, riding a giant vine created by a catalyst which Rattrap had found. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Blackarachnia was involved in the battle in Megatron's Citadel, holding off the Vehicons as Primal confronted Megatron within, though she, along with the others, were all overwhelmed by the Key to Vector Sigma and became comatose. {{storylink|End of the Line}} The clashing energies of the Key and the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] restored the four Maximals to life. Entering the Council Citadel, they found that the battle had claimed Primal, Megatron and Tankor. They headed for the Oracle in search of guidance, where they found Optimus Primal floating within, and they convinced him to return to real-space and continue his leadership.

The Maximals returned to the surface to find a [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] in the likeness of Megatron. {{storylink|Fallout}} Blackarachnia and Nightscream tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the head. Leaving Optimus to try and contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to find the two remaining Vehicon generals and encountered a strange, organic Transformer named [[Noble]], who changed from a wolf into the dragon-like Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} The Maximals later infiltrated the Council Citadel, looking for information, only to discover that Noble was actually Megatron, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, taking over the huge, flying head and reactivating the Vehicon drone army, which forced the Maximals back underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Vamp meets goth.]]
When Rattrap revealed he's created a device he hoped could be used to restore the stolen sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia "borrowed" it. She managed to force Jetstorm into a large pool of the organic goo, and his body began to change. Scanning a nearby condor skeleton, he awoke in a new form, a purple technorganic bird of prey. Blackarachnia was startled by the change in him. Instead of the lovable, chivalrous knight in shining armor, he was a brittle, haunted bot, tormented by the images of the evil deeds he had done...done by choice. Though he gave up on himself, she never did, urging Silverbolt to forgive his past, prompting him to head to the Grand Mal to confront his old master and rescue Primal and Cheetor. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

Blackarachnia continued to assure Silverbolt that things would get better. After Silverbolt inadvertently spread a new, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]-enhanced version of the old [[Hate Plague]], causing dissension in the ranks, he blamed himself, but she and the other Maximals were supportive. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Later, when a Maximal spaceship crashed, the Maximals split up to reach it in time. As they did, Blackarachnia confided to Rattrap that she'd found Silverbolt increasingly cold towards her. At the ship, they encountered a strange, alien plant monster, which Primal reformatted, revealing it to be [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

The Maximals would soon encounter two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose gambit almost defeated them until Botanica stepped in. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were teamed up with Cheetor during a search for the missing sparks. Though Silverbolt was uncomfortable about following someone he still regarded as a kid, Blackarachnia defended Cheetor. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} The Maximals attempted to infiltrate the Grand Mal to find the missing sparks, only to discover that Megatron was using them to fuel his great ascension. Nightscream's intercession appeared to dispel the Vehicon leader's spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eeek! That smile! Go back to glowering!]]
Once the Maximals had celebrated, Blackarachnia tried to talk to Silverbolt, believing now was the time for them to renew their romance. Silverbolt was not convinced of Megatron's demise, and in fact, he was right: Megatron still lived as a disembodied and depolarized spark. The pair found themselves being attacked by a zombie of pieced-together Vehicon parts, animated by the power of Megatron's spark. Megatron was later trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] by Rattrap. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream attacked the Vehicons while the others attempted to secure the sparks in the Grand Mal. They were subsequently able to put Megatron's Vehicon factory out of commission, but the Grand Mal itself was brought down. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were able to share a quiet moment before the final battle, and they received a spark power-up from the collective population of Cybertron. However, they were both felled during battle by Obsidian and Thrust, respectively. Their sparks were then torn from them by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to assist physically, Blackarachnia and the other Maximals were able to give moral support to Primal during his final battle against Megatron, which resulted in the sacrifice of both leaders and the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic paradise. With harmony restored, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were finally able to be together. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the planet underwent the Great Reformatting, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] seized the opportunity to attack, believing that the revolutionary change would have rendered the planets' inhabitants confused and docile. Suffice to say, the Transformers were greatly underestimated. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were successfully able to fend [[Cybertropolis]] from Quintesson invaders. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo!]]
One year later, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were chosen to greet a ship of returning Autobot heroes from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Their welcomes were ignored by the crew, which included [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], when they realized that their home had been transformed into a strange technorganic paradise. Only [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was unphased, choosing to talk up Blackarachnia and Silverbolt so that he could mug for [[Rook (Universe)|Rook's]] cameras.

[[Image:TFU Blackarachnia vs Rattrap.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey, guys, I turned evil again!]]
Their greeting was interrupted by a series of what appeared to be fireworks. Instead, they were beams of energy sent by [[Unicron]] to capture the returning crew, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, and bring them to him. When they arrived, a booming voice welcomed them to the [[Pit]], a dimension inside Unicron. Blackarachnia and her fellow captives were painfully smelted down and reformed; only Trailbreaker emerged unchanged. Since she arrived, Blackarachnia had begun to feel a growing anger that she couldn't control. And in this new Unicron-tainted form, she more than welcomed the swarm of creatures that began swarming her group. Overwhelmed, Blackarachnia and the others were herded into the [[Cauldron]] and filed into prison cells. As Blackarachnia protested, she was silenced by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], one of their hosts.

It was revealed to them by the master of ceremonies, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], that they would be forced to fight fellow abducted Transformers. The loser's [[spark]] would fuel and empower Unicron, whose form had fallen into disrepair. Blackarachnia's uncontrollable rage welcomed this bloodsport, as Silverbolt watched helplessly as she fell under Unicron's evil spell. {{storylink|Abduction}}

Optimus Primal, resurrected by [[Primus]], arrived to rescue the prisoners of the Cauldron, and with help from Silverbolt and Trailbreaker, its captives were set free. But Unicron's grip on Blackarachnia was too strong. She began lashing out madly, even at Silverbolt, and the Fuzor took tight hold of her so that he might swiftly remove her from Unicron's grip. But as the others began jumping through a portal that would lead them to their respective homes across the [[multiverse]], Blackarachnia had a moment of clarity. Sadly, she told Silverbolt that Unicron had awakened her ''true'' nature, then bid him farewell and threw him through the portal.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Closure? Maybe?]]
Soon, she was escorted by Tankor and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to the center of Unicron, where she was repulsed to meet a familiar face: Tarantulas! {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Blackarachnia was dispatched to Cybertron's [[Undercity]], where she observed Rattrap for a while. Finally, she made her presence known, stinging him with her cybervenom. She never had liked the vermin, after all. Suddenly, Rattrap was saved by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], back from the dead. Blackarachnia was knocked out, and Depth Charge left the weakened Rattrap to fend for himself. As Depth Charge departed, he found himself surrounded by Blackarachnia's [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] lost the license, and so this story was never finished as intended. However, look into the end of ''Universe'' was shown in a comic published by the next licensee, [[Fun Publications]].}}
Much later, Optimus Primal waged one last desperate assault against Unicron, and his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] were able to defeat the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. As Unicron himself seemed to dissolve below them, Silverbolt carried Blackarachnia with him, saving her from sharing the gruesome fate of her evil peers. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}
===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:Blackarach24.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Keeping something OUT of her crotch, for once.]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers ''not'' to be upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. As [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and his armies laid seige to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was forced to shut [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] down to let an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping [[Rattrap]]'s arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter [[Transwarp space]]). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

{{-}}
===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Blackarachnia followed [[Reptilion|Reptillion]]{{sic}} in battle against [[Optimus Primal]] and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] to fight [[Striker]] before being abducted by [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}

===''TransTech''===
[[Image:Scavengerblackarachniaalphatriontranscendent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Silverbolt would not approve.]]
Though she may appear to be a native of [[Axiom Nexus]], Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (TransTech)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.

Joined by the malcontent Predacons [[Immorticon]] and [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]], they fled and activated an experimental [[transwarp]] device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. He convinced her that the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|counterpart]], with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s laboratory in the hopes of rescuing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

{{note|Blackarachnia went completely unaccounted for after that. Her fate following the battle between [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Omega Doom]], and the defeat of Alpha Trion, is unknown.}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Blackarachnia is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Blackarachnia can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Blackarachnia fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Blackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|I'm... sure she has a nice personality... wait, no. No, she doesn't.]]
{{note|In the the N64 version of ''Beast Wars: Transmetals'', Blackarachnia was a stretched [[palette swap|palette-swap]] of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Transmetal Tarantulas]]. As you can see, this didn't work very well. The Playstation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.}}
:''Voice actor:'' ? (English), ? (Japanese)

Transmetal Blackarachnia joins her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinces her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reforms. It is her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assures the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she works as a double-agent between the Maximal and [[Tripredacus Council]] with no loyalty to either side. She often ponders what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Blackarachnia’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
{{anchor|Dx1}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabwtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Post-op Tarantulas.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: Blackarachnia's original toy is a [[redeco]] of the [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a [[mutant head|"mutant" face]]; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).

[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTakara.jpg|right|250px|thumb|She might have an F-cup...or an E.]]

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release of the toy has numerous color differences from the [[Hasbro]] version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.

: This mold was later used to make the [[Tarantulas (BW)|"Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas]], and the ''[[#BW10J|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make [[#UnUni|a second ''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], but that toy set was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Deluxe BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWJVs}}
[[Image:VS8-TigatronBlackarachnia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Battle of the redecos.]]
*'''Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow''' (VS set, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with [[Tigatron]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|BWMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamctm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She's got a great personality.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 1997)
**''McNumber'': ??

: Part of the second [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions|McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "[[Transmetal]]" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a ''very'' similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure [[Beetle]].

:Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail ''Transmetals'' toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTM2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Covers her privates for great justice/children everywhere!]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Transmetal 2, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-48'''
**''Accessories'': Mandible grapnel-line

:The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a [[Retractable string gimmick|grappling hook]], switching [[Insignia|faction symbols]] activated by [[#TriviaTM2spark|rotating her spark crystal around]], and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.

:This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.

:This mold was used to make the [[BotCon 2000]] [[exclusive]] [[Arcee (G1)#Toys|Arcee]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Beast Machines Blackarachnia Toy.JPG|right|300px|thumb|She's definitely going to need a big nail file.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2000)

:An early toy in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line, Blackarachnia transforms into a [[technorganic]] spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early ''Beast Machines'' "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.

:This mold was later redecoed to make the [[#UniDx|''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], as well as [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BMMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamcbm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is transformed correctly, right? Right?]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 2000)
**''McNumber'': ??

:As one of ''ten'' toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.

:She is the only [[Beast Era]] character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McBlackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BM Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWR}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabeastwarsreturnstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You will pay a lot of money to own this extra-pink girl <strike>doll</strike>action figure.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-04'''

: Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-[[exclusive]] ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' series, this toy is a redeco of the original ''Beast Machines'' Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand ''less'' than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.

{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
{{anchor|UniDx}}
[[Image:Blackarachniauniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You can pick your faction, and you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriend's faction.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2003)

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a [[Decepticon]] and as a redeco of [[#BMDx1|the original ''Beast Machines'' figure]]. However, her forearms were [[Misassembly|mistakenly swapped]], leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] over her [[spark crystal]] as well.

:This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Universe Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|UnUni}}
[[Image:Blackarachnia unreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eyow.]]
*'''Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia''' (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

:In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a [[redeco]] of the original ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "Halloween [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]] Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart [[exclusive]]s... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other ''Transformers'' exclusives were canceled during the ''Universe'' era.) One of the sets was "[[Leatherhide]] Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It almost works!]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: As part of the ''[[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' line, the [[#Dx1|original Blackarachnia toy]] was ''extensively'' redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold [[paint operation]]s, making her closer to [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her biceps are silver in the show.) All of the [[gimmick]]s of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.

:She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of ''Beast Wars'' episode 10, "[[Gorilla Warfare]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/BlackWidow/blackwidow.htm More information on Telemocha Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:Blackwidowwildrider.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honda wouldn't appreciate their car being hot, poisonous, and deadly.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Binaltech, unreleased)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle, roof-shield

:In 2005, the mold used for ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Decepticharge]] was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese ''Binaltech'' line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a [[bio]] and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the ''Binaltech'' fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.

:This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected ''Binaltech'' continuation, this time as [[Arcee (G1)#Binaltech|Arcee]]. The original version of the mold was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] and ''Binaltech'' [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]. It was also planned to become a new toy of the [[Paradron Medic#Binaltech|Paradron Medic]], but that also got canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Blackarachniamutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroescheetorblackarachnia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cute and poisonous.]]
*'''Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia''' (2-pack, 2008)
:Part of the first wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''-branded [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWBlackarachniaCardArt.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dirty girls, make some noise. Move that ass for dirty boys.]]
*Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
*Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... ''inspiration''. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/593687e427efddad Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian] on [[alt.toys.transformers]].</ref>
*Much like her fellow spider [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], her original beast mode is depicted with ''nine'' eyes rather then eight.
*In the "jovial" Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to ''begging for mercy'' from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to [[Arcee (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|"improve" upon a female character]].
*The [[:Image:Blackarachniahappymeal.jpg|artwork]] advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.

{{anchor|TriviaTM2spark}}
*Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching [[spark crystal]], the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the ''Beast Wars'' television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon [[shell program]], making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it ''had'' happened mere moments previously.)

*Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "[[Master Blaster]]". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in ''Beast Machines'', Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.

[[Image:Sourcebook1Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|200px|Woke up in Vegas next to [[BB#Notes|BB]].]]

{{anchor|TriviaBinaltech}}
*Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of ''The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications'', an unofficial publication by ''Binaltech'' story writer [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] that compiled all then-current ''Binaltech'' information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and [[Ginrai]] toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered [[Pseudocanon|pseudocanonical]] at best.

*Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.

{{-}}

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Maximal

2011-02-10T07:01:32Z

Namejs:

{{factions|maximal|maximalbm}}
:''The Maximals are a faction from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[Image:Maximal symbol.png|right|180px|thumb|Woof woof!]]
Arising from the ashes of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the '''Maximals''' are the descendants (at least in part) of the [[Autobot]]s, controlling [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] under the [[Pax Cybertronia]].

:''Japanese name:'' '''Cybertrons''' (サイバトロン ''Saibatoron'')
:''Latvian name:'' '''Maksimāļi'''
:''Polish name:'' '''Maksimale''' (Maximals)

==History==
The exact origin of the Maximals has never been fully explained, nor has the time of their emergence as a faction. [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]]'s ''The War Within'' depicts a Maximal symbol in Cybertron's prehistory, and [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' references Maximal and Predacon conflict before the Pax Cybertronia (thus before the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]). The ''Sourcebook'' also seems to place its versions of ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' in this pre-Pax Cybertronia era. Additionally it indicates that Predacons (specifically BB) were being "re-educated" in Maximal prisons during the Great War.

At some point, possibly after the [[Pax Cybertronia]] had restored peace to Cybertron, the [[Maximal Upgrade]] program was introduced. The program emphasized fuel efficiency through downsizing. Many of the surviving Autobots eventually upgraded via bio-tech overhaul and cloistered themselves away, but some few stayed active in Cybertronian society to guide the emerging Maximal faction into the future. The [[Maximal Elder]]s locked away much information about the Great War (and especially the location of [[Earth]]) from the young population, fearing it would re-ignite old grudges or inspire [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] insurgents to rewrite history using [[transwarp]] technology.

The theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], which set in motion the "Beast Wars," occurred approximately 300 years after the end of the Great War.

'''Note:''' ''Specific dating for this has been suggested in ancillary material, but in the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon itself this date is fairly indistinct, as 1) there's no way to know when exactly the Great War ended, and 2) it's not clear if those are Cybertronian or Earth years.''

==Physiology==
The Maximals retained many similarities to their Autobot ancestors, and many of the Autobots who underwent the [[Great Upgrade]] basically took on smaller, newer versions of their old bodies. The downsized Maximal body was apparently intended mainly for better fuel efficiency and greater durability. There has been some hinting that this was an offshoot of [[Micromaster]] technology, which had a similar goal<ref name="Departure">[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] states that the [[Maximal Upgrade Program]] will include a Bio-Tech overhaul , the magnification of latent abilities and additional fuel savings making upgraded mechs at least ten times more efficient on page 6 of [[Departure]]. The language is intentionally evocative of [[Pretender]] and [[Micromaster]] technology.</ref>. As was the case with the Autobots before them, Maximal robot modes frequently lack a robot-form flight option, unless a flight mechanism is specifically included or unless the Maximal has an airborne [[alternate mode]].

The greatest and most common innovation of the Maximal era is the development of pseudo-organic Beast Forms, which allow Maximal alternate modes to blend in seamlessly with the organic lifeforms found elsewhere in the universe. This technology, an offshoot of earlier [[Pretender]] tech<ref name="Departure"/>, sheathes the Maximal's alternate form in an artificial organic "skin" and integrates the beast modes instincts into the Maximal's form. While still primarily using [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] for fuel, such Maximals have been shown to be able to eat food like organic creatures, though it is unknown if they require such food to survive or merely as an alternate energy source. The beast mode instincts are integrated to such a degree that they have been able to dominate — if not override — [[Circuits|logic circuits]] on occasion. When Maximals take beast modes, they tend to favor mammals, birds, and fish, though this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

At the time of the theft of the Golden Disk, the technology to adopt such forms was reliant on external mechanisms situated in [[stasis pod]]s and [[CR chamber]]s. They were mainly used for explorers and military personnel, while the general Maximal population retained classic mechanical body forms. Some time after the [[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]] and [[Darksyde]] left the planet, an upgrade was instituted that incorporated [[DNA scanner]]s and the ability to adopt beast forms directly into the mechanical-style bodies of the general populace. This move suggests a likely intent to increase exploration or colonization programs in the near future. In all likelihood the subsequent planetary conquest by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] derailed these plans.

===Variations===
*[[Transmetal]]s - Beast-style Maximals hit by a Quantum surge have been shown to mutate in such a way that their physiology "reverses", so their "beast" forms take on mechanical properties while their "robot" forms become more organic. Often tertiary vehicular modes manifest. Such robots are undetectable to [[Vok]] technology.

*[[Transmetal 2|Transmetals 2]] - Beast-style maximals affected by the Vok's mysterious [[Transmetal driver]] became asymmetrical and monstrous in both forms, each of which incorporates mechanical and organic systems seemingly at random. These types of Maximals tend to possess odd extra "powers" such as healing or telekinesis.

*[[Technorganic]]s - When reformatted by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], beast form Maximals become an entirely new type of being, merging true organic life and Cybertronian technology in every cell of their being.

==Organization==
[[Image:Bmmaximal.png|left|180px|thumb|Beast Machines era insignia. Whether this was also the pre-Beast Wars Maximal symbol (similar to the Predacons) is unknown.]]
The [[Maximal Imperium]] was the state that the Maximals formed. The term "imperium" would imply an empire, though the Maximals have never displayed any militaristic-expansionist inclinations, something more in line with the Predacons. However, it might be speculated that their exploration programs, referenced in ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'', were a precursor to an expansion-minded colonization program.

The Maximal Imperium appeared to invest both legislative and executive power in a [[wikipedia:Bicameral|bicameral]] legislature, the Maximal Elders and the [[Maximal High Council|High Council]]. It is unknown what the relationship and division of powers were between the two legislatures, although it appears the Elders were the more senior legislature. Like their Autobot ancestors, the Maximals had a strong belief in [[democracy]], even going so far as to elect their military leaders when unable to communicate with the high command. This could cause problems when there was an even number of voters. Some evidence suggests that the Maximal Elders were more repressive and secretive than strictly necessary. Another powerful political body is the cross-factional [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]], whose appointed members include both Maximals and Predacons.

The Maximals are by nature peaceful, but the realities of the universe still compel them to have armed forces. An elite force of security enforcers, the [[Maximal Command Security Force]], was also established to help keep the peace. Another special group were the [[Imperial Peace Marshal]]s. Usually the highest rank is [[Supreme Commander]], awarded to Maximals of [[Convoy]] status, who are given an [[Energon Matrix]] linked to the [[Vector Sigma]] supercomputer. The Supreme Commanders answer to the Maximal Elders, and there is some evidence to indicate that the Maximal Elders included former Supreme Commanders.
{{-}}

==Maximal society==
Not much is known about the Maximal-led, post-Great War Cybertron. There does appear to have been commerce ([[holo-chip]]s), entertainment ([[Six Lasers Over Cybertron]]), and industry.

The planetary capital is located in [[Cybertropolis]], a city built over the ruins of old [[Iacon]]. The planet is shared with the remainder of the defeated Predacon faction. Many Predacons feel they are living as second-class citizens under a repressive rule. There is some evidence to suggest that Predacon presence on the planet was minimal but this is not confirmed. Regardless, a relative "Cold War" style peace prevailed, with much distrust simmering on either side. Maximals enforced the peace by means of groups such as the [[Imperial Peace Marshal]]s and the [[Maximal Command Security Force]].

We know that the Maximals focused heavily on exploration. Exploration vessels, filled with [[stasis pod]]s containing newborn [[protoform]]s, would search out new planets and seed them with those protoforms, which would assume modes based on the native lifeforms and collect data. Post-war Cybertron experienced a visible boom in scientific and technological curiosity. Some of this curiosity, however, resulted in monsters such as the seemingly immortal and murderous [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]].

==Notes==
*The "Maximal" faction name came from a desperate attempt by [[Vinnie D'Alleva]] to figure out a new protagonist name that would represent the animal Transformers, clear trademark checks and please the executive group. He combined the name of a scrapped [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] line, ''Manimals'', with the name of the car driven by the team marketing coordinator, a Nissan ''Maxima''. Manimals + Maxima = ''Maximals''. Ta-da!<ref>[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/BC04interviews.html Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva], p1-2</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Maximals| ]]
[[Category:Timelines]]

Predacon (BW)

2011-02-10T07:00:50Z

Namejs:

{{factions|predacon|{{factions/icons|custom=Timelines_Predacon_Symbol.png|cSize=33px|cLink=Predacon (BW)|cPretty=Predacon}}}}
{{disambig3|Predacon}}
:''The Predacons are a faction from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] continuity.''

[[Image:Predacon symbol.png|right|180px|thumb|You know they're evil. Their icon could poke out an optic.]]
Arising from the ashes of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the '''Predacons''' are, at least in part, descendants of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]. Some sources suggest that they were born from what remained of the original five [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. By order of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], they exist as something of an underclass, appearing to be equals, but firmly under the [[Maximal|Maximals]] in the social order. This has led many Predacons to hold bitter grudges against the Maximals.

When Predacons take beast modes, they tend to be dinosaurs, reptiles and arthropods, although this is not a hard-and-fast rule.

The adjective for "of or pertaining to the Predacons" is '''Predaconial'''<ref><tt>A [Maximal] strategic specialist, [[Stinkbomb]] is fascinated with the study of Predaconial psychology.</tt> — [http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Stinkbomb/stinkbomb.htm Stinkbomb's Tech-Spec], 1999</ref>, though it is ''extremely common'' to simply substitute 'Predacon'.

{{quote|You do not know the Predacons. We—they ''live'' for the glory of conquest.|[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] to [[Tigatron]]|"[[Law of the Jungle]]"}}

{{quote|When Predacons talk truce, it just means they need time to reload their weapons.|[[Optimus Primal]]|"[[Before the Storm]]"}}

{{quote|Prosper or perish is the Predacon way of life, and we plan to survive by driving the Maximals into extinction!|[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]|[[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)|Beast Wars]] video game site}}

:''Japanese name:'' '''Destrons'''
:''French-Canadian name:'' '''Prédators'''
:''French, German and Dutch name'' (Beast Wars toyline only): '''Predators'''
:''Latvian name:'' '''Predakoni'''
:''Polish name:'' '''Predatony'''

== Origin ==
We do not know the origin of the Predacons beyond the fact that they are descendants of the Decepticons, at least in part. They were in existence and at war with the [[Maximal]]s prior to the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]], at which time most laid down their arms but a few went rogue.

Different continuities present differing, sometimes conflicting accounts. One account says that [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] founded the Predacons ([[Predacon (G1)|reusing his old team's name]]) after the Decepticons' defeat, and that they took the fight to Cybertron and could have won if the [[Tripredacus Council]] hadn't stolen control for themselves. {{storylink|BotCon 2009|Timelines Razorclaw's bio card}} Others have the Predacons and Decepticons co-existing for a time. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}} {{storylink|Descent into Evil}} {{storylink|Beast Wars Sourcebook}} When [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was in a bad mood, he's said the Predacons came ''after'' the Great War. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

In at least one [[Micro-continuity]] the Predacons existed as far back as the 1990s, operating on human inhabited Earth under ''a'' [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Optimus Primal vs Megatron!}} {{storylink|Tarantulas (BW)#Toy Bio|Tarantulas toy bio}} It has been recorded that their way of life was to prosper or perish, and their leader swore they'd do this by driving the Maximals into extinction! {{storylink|Megatron (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|Megatron (1996) bio}} Of course, this may be [[Maximal Elder]] propaganda.

== Organization ==
The Predacons, although apparently governed by an organization known as the [[Predacon Alliance]], appear to be a rather splintered faction. One of the major ruling bodies is the [[Tripredacus Council]], but it is possible they represent only one political voice within the Alliance. As Predacons are known to look down on a [[Democracy|democratic]] system of governance and appear able to accept power plays and treachery if it ''succeeds'' {{storylink|Master Blaster}}, Predacon government can be assumed as autocratic and based on whoever can hold on to power successfully.

The Tripredacus Council keeps its followers pacified under the Pax Cybertronia with the promise of a slow, sly return to power, whispering of a long-term plan to overthrow the Maximals when the time is right. A number of Predacons have expressed dissatisfaction with this approach, leading renegades such as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]], and [[Magmatron]] to recruit private armies of followers and, either covertly or overtly, strike out against the Maximals on their own. Nearly all known Beast Wars-era Predacons tend to fall within the arms of these criminal renegade militias, with the exceptions of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], with the [[Predacon Secret Police]], and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], a Covert Agent who reported directly to the Tripredacus Council. (Tarantulas was a direct agent too but this appears to have been just ''him'', rather than standard for officers) It is unknown whether the Predacons have any sort of official standing army or defense force other than the internal Secret Police and the Covert Agent secret service.

In one continuity, following the [[Great Reformatting]], a revived Predacon force under Razorclaw was preparing for war; though the Tripredacus Council seemed absent and we don't know how large this new insurgent force truely was. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

In another continuity, thousands of years after Beast Machines, the Predacons have been shown to be actively at war with the Maximals across the galaxy {{storylink|Autorollers Roll Out!}} {{storylink|Big Convoy, Move Out}} and have an [[Dead End (BWN)|official army with a military academy]]. The top military rank at this time is "[[Emperor of Destruction]]", and any governing force beyond that is unknown.

{{note|Originally, the Japanese Beast Wars animes weren't in the far future; they've since been retconned there.}}

== Society ==

We don't know much about the Predacons' general lifestyle. All evidence suggests a very militant warrior culture, with power grabs endemic. This is even enshrined for some in an [[Dinobot (BW)|honour system]], where seizing control by force if you think you could do a better job was seen as an honourable, proper act. Predacon honour also put great stock in bravery in battle, a glorious end, and paying off your debts. The fact that the honour system allows for treachery has left Maximals confused. We do not know how widespread this honour system actually ''is'', as the majority of Beast Wars (admitedly criminal renegade) combatants were happy to ignore it.

A number of Predacons are scientists. Academic knowledge and expertise seems respected as long as you can also fight; if you can't, [[Fractyl|you get looked down on]].

Some Predacons have gone for more esoteric skills, such as [[Saberback|magic]].

Unsurprisingly, Predacon society has a strong criminal element. Both [[Crazybolt|individual thieves]] and organised gangs are known. Some gangsters, such as [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], have become hideously powerful and bold enough to attack the Maximal government.

== Social status ==

The exact social status of the Predacons appears to be a second-class one, but there's no specifics. Megatron has referred to the Maximals as ''ruling'' the Predacons on several occasions {{storylink|Code of Hero}} and once, in a melodramatic moment, said that they were slaves. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Dinobot, meanwhile, thinks little of Maximal justice {{storylink|The Probe}} and believes that the Maximals use [[Maximal Torture Chamber|torture devices]] on Predacons. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

Some Maximals, like [[Optimus Primal]], consider there to be a long-standing peace between the two races, apparently unaware of Predacon frustrations. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Optimus has also been willing to offer a hand of friendship {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}} or show respect {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} to individual Predacons. Many of the ''other'' Maximals we've seen, by contrast, appear to view the ''entirety'' of the Predacon population as inherently untrustworthy and dangerous (especially if that Maximal is [[Rattrap]]). Maximal soldiers on Cybertron have expressed ''enjoyment'' in finally being allowed to beat up on insurgent Predacons. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 2}}

That all said, the Predacons co-run the important governing body, the [[Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs]]. {{storylink|The Gathering}}

== Bases of operation ==
It is even unknown where exactly the Predacons are based.

The Tripredacus Council holds meetings aboard a space station, [[Predacon Command Outpost One]].

While one would presume the Predacons also had some sort of presence on Cybertron itself, there's evidence to the contrary. After the Beast Warriors' return to Cybertron following the events of Beast Wars, [[Optimus Primal]], Megatron, and others refer frequently to the missing population as Maximals only. This seems to suggest that they expected the number of Predacons on the planet to be negligible, if not zero. The only notable mention of Predacons in the series comes when [[Rattrap]] wonders what the murderous [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] would have been like if he'd been reformatted from a Predacon instead of the Maximal [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]].

{{note|In real life terms the Predacons were excluded from the ''[[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]]'' show and toy line for fear of confusing children with a third faction. ''Beast Machines'' story editor and head writer [[Robert N. Skir]] suggests in his FAQ pages that the Predacons suffered the same fate as the Maximals, though that leaves their absence rather odd.}}

==Notes==
* Most of the Predacons' [[Alternate mode|alternate modes]] from ''[[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]'' are vehicles instead of animals. Meanwhile, the Predacons from ''[[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' transform into prehistoric reptiles and animals such as Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, and ammonites.

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II]]
[[Category:Beast Wars II Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Neo Predacons| ]]
[[Category:Factions]]
[[Category:Predacons| Predacon (BW)]]

Before the Storm

2011-02-10T06:57:38Z

Namejs:

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=24
|image=Before the Storm Megatron disc.jpg
|caption="At last, I have located the greatest chocolate coin in all history, ''yessss''..."
|title="Before the Storm"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[February 21]], 1997
|written by= [[Larry DiTillio]] [[Bob Forward]]
|directed by= [[Adam Wood]]
|animation studio= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Inferno brings Megatron an alien golden disk that causes him to offer a too good to be true cease fire to the Maximals.'''

:''French title:'' '''Le Calme Avant la Tempête''' ("The Calm Before the Storm")
:''French-Canadian title:'' '''Avant l'Orage''' ("Before the Storm")
:''Japanese title:'' やつらが来る! (''Yatsura ga Kuru!'', "They Come!")
:''Latin-American title:'' '''Antes de la Tormenta'''
:''Latvian title:'' '''Pirms vētras''' ("Before the storm")
:''Italian title:'' '''Prima della tempesta
:''Brazilian title:'' '''Antes da Tempestade'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:VokDisk Monolith.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Finders keepers.]]
[[Tigatron]] observes a strange energy pulse in a distant mountain. Simultaneously, within the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] is woken by his computer. It reports the energy anomaly, and that it is of alien origin. Megatron suspects this could be the start of something big and thus sends [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] to investigate. The fire ant burrows into the mountain and recovers a [[Golden Disk (Vok)|strange discus]].

[[Optimus Primal|Primal]] is on a scouting run looking for the energy anomaly that Tigatron reported. He sees a strange probe, and follows it. The probe stops and forms into a hologram of Megatron. He proposes to meet about a truce on neutral ground, between both leaders.

When they meet, Megatron insists that the truce is not an act of treachery. He explains that he has no time to fight [[Maximal|Maximals]], and he needs time to think. Primal reluctantly agrees to a truce, bound by Maximal code. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] proposes that it's about the alien energy. Primal agrees, stating that something scared Megatron very badly. [[Rattrap]] is sent—despite his usual complaints—to infiltrate the ''[[Darksyde]]''.

Meanwhile, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] hacks his way into a holding chamber to steal one of the Predacon ship's remaining Transwarp cells. [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] surprises him and demands an answer, and Tarantulas easily defeats him. Megatron, watching the exchange, decides to let Tarantulas do his work, and throw another kink in it—[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]].

[[Image:Before the Storm Airazor rattrap.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Ride the wind, Rattrap.]]
[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] delivers Rattrap to the Predacon base—unarmed—and drops him off quickly before hailing the Predacon channels. Megatron casually disarms the perimeter defenses and asks Airazor to leave. As she leaves, he stops her a moment and suggests she take Rattrap with her. Foiled, they return to the base and report to Primal, but exchange knowing glances—the distraction was enough for [[Tigatron]] to make his entrance.

Blackarachnia surprises Tarantulas, and in the confusion, Megatron hacks the Transwarp cell and adds his own programming.

Tigatron hacks the Predacon database in a cool VR world, and discovers the second Golden Disk's datatracks. Terrorsaur finds Tigatron hacking and sounds the alarm, but Tigatron uses Terrorsaur and Scorponok's goonery against each other. Under orders not to fire, the Predacons chase Tigatron, leading into a battle with the rest of the Maximals.

[[Image:Before the Storm Terrorsaur.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pteranodon on a silver platter. Tasty.]]
Under the limitations of a truce, the Predacons and Maximals battle without using their weapons. Primal steals a wire from Inferno's rocket. Terrorsaur fails at dodging a piece of sheet metal that Cheetor and Rhinox move into position. The spiders are smart enough to avoid one trap set by Dinobot, but in doing so, are crushed by another. Without firing a single shot, the Maximals have won the day... unless, of course, Megatron intentionally let them get away.

On the Maximal base, Tigatron explains what Megatron discovered: a golden disk similar in size to the one Megatron originally stole, this one created by the same aliens who crafted the flying island, and seeded the energon on the planet. The disk itself was part of a signal that the aliens sent, ensuring that the planet received a message:

[[Vok|The aliens]] are on their way. And they are not very happy...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
* [[Tigatron]] (1)
* [[Optimus Primal]] (4)
* [[Rattrap]] (5)
* [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]](6)
* [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (7)
* [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (8)
* [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (12)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (2)
* [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (3)
* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (9)
* [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (10)
* [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (11)
* [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] (13)
* [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"By the [[Great Smelter]], the Royalty was correct!"
:—'''Inferno''' surprised by the accuracy of his master's assumptions.

"Yes, my queen." 
"I wish he wouldn't call me that."
:—'''Inferno''' and '''Megatron'''. [[Lugnut (Animated)|It could be worse, Megatron.]]

"When Predacons talk truce, it just means they need time to reload their weapons." 
"Under normal circumstances, yes."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' correctly assesses '''Megatron'''.

"Do you take me for a fool?" 
"No. I take you for a Maximal."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' and '''Megatron'''

"What could I do? He was right, I'm a Maximal. I have to give peace a chance, no matter how unlikely it seems."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' channels John Lennon.

"Ehhhh we're gonna diieeee!" 
"Isn't there a rule that heroes have to face destruction with dignity?" 
"Hey! What's the use of dyin' if ya can't enjoy it?"
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Airazor'''

"Well, well, looks like curiosity just claimed another cat."
:—'''Terrorsaur''', finding Tigatron inside the Predacon Base

"There is a storm approaching. A storm of such magnitude, of such power... it is ''beyond imagination''. And to think, I was once satisfied with mere energon. To think that my ambitions lofted no higher than the conquest of Cybertron. ''*laughs* *coughs*'' Well, no longer. For I have been given a glimpse of power. Real power. And that power shall be ''mine!''"
:—'''Megatron''' starts to acquire a taste for godhood.

"Don't even twitch your whiskers, pussycat, or I'll fragment your hard drive." 
"You cannot shoot. We have a truce, remember?" 
"Oh, I remember, but you know my trigger finger. It just might forget." 
"Then permit me to jar its memory."
:—'''Terrorsaur''' and '''Tigatron'''

"Peaceful." 
"Very peaceful."
:—'''Dinobot''' and '''Optimus Primal''', after observing Rhinox and Rattrap unconventionally defeating Terrorsaur

==Notes==
*Bob Forward has said this was originally planned to be part of a 4-part "Other Voices" but the plans were changed at the last minute—"Apparently anything more than a two-parter is too hard to schedule. Before The Storm had to be made into a stand-alone ep."<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&&q=%22before+the+storm%22 Bob Forward interview on alt.toys.transformers]</ref>

*Apparently, all you have to do to hack all of [[Darksyde|the Predacon ship]]'s data, is play a virtual reality video game. The Predacons' computer virtual interface is similar to what's seen in early-to-mid 90s techno-films like ''[[wikipedia:Johnny Mnemonic (film)|Johnny Mnemonic]]''.
*Blackarachnia can be seen trapping a red poison-dart frog in her webbing when Megatron communicates with her via computer.
*Before the Predacon computer wakes him up, Megatron's dinosaur head-arm is "awake" and looking around. Similarly, when observing Tarantulas's break-in, his dino hand is looking up at him, and he pets it affectionately, as if it was, well... a pet. Just before Airazor calls the Predacon base, he is brushing its teeth with a toothbrush. It's not clear what's going on here or how this works, particularly when he's in beast mode, but clearly, Megatron has a very special relationship with his right hand.
*Airazor's suggestion that Rattrap "shed a few kilos" certainly raises some questions about Maximal biology.
*How exactly Megatron managed to reach the truce location is a bit sketchy. Optimus was only able to reach it by flight, and yet there were no other minions to carry Megatron up to such a high location, yet towards the end of the conversation, he simply turns to walk away... must have been a hard fall down.

===Technical/animation errors===
* When Optimus arrives at the neutral territory to talk with Megatron, his shoulder pads are missing. Megatron's ones are also missing when he speaks to Airazor.
* While Megatron is in his closing words of the episode, he is missing his beast mode "kibble", except the head of course. In fact, Megatron is missing most of his kibble throughout the episode, especially the pieces on his back (which form the sides of his beast mode).
* Not so much an error as it is an animation oversight, but if you look closely as Blackarachnia runs after Tigatron ''(right before the scene cuts to Dinobot,)'' you can see her holding a gun, despite Megatron's emphasis on "No shooting" mere seconds ago. Blackarachnia probably remembers this in the next scene involving her, as her gun is nowhere to be seen then.

===Transformers references===
*When Megatron is talking to Inferno in his room, there is a Generation 1 [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] head on his shelf, with an expression of pure horror. It's either a reference to [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s treachery in [[Possession|a previous episode]], or Megatron has some weird taste in ornaments.
*There's also a replica of [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron's]] [[fusion cannon]] on the shelf below the head.

===Real-world references===
[[Image:Scorponok-beforethestorm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|But where's the heart banging out through his chest?]]
*On the shelf in Megatron's room (aside from the Seeker head and a picture of himself), there is a Transformer sized trophy and bowling pin. He must have been good at that non-sport before he traded his hand for another head.
* When accessing the transwarp cell's programming, Megatron's code "A T T override" is a shout-out to the Usenet newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]].
* Megatron mused that "There is a storm coming. A storm of such power, such magnitude, it is beyond imagination!" "Beyond Imagination" was at the time the website of James Hooks, a fan who'd had close contact with the series writers. His site took its name from a tagline for [[The Transformers: The Movie|the original movie]].
* The entire escape sequence contains a great deal of Looney Tunes-style sight gags. Scorponok's facial features contort wildly just before he collides with Terrorsaur; Blackarachnia and Tarantulas are squashed by an improbably fast rock; Terrorsaur flies into a sheet of metal, leaving a full-body impression; and Inferno comes to a dead halt in mid-air before realizing that his flight systems are disabled and that he's required to fall. A tiny poof of dust accompanies his impact on the ground far below.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Farewell Tigatron ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2001 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 ([[Universal]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1998 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — English and Japanese audio.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2003 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! ([[Alliance Atlantis]]) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Canada.png|20px|Canada]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)

2011-02-10T06:53:03Z

Namejs:

{{Nav-bw}}

Though [[Trukk not munky|reviled]] by many Transfans when it first hit the airwaves in 1996, the wholly-[[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] '''''Beast Wars''''' is now considered by many to be among the finest examples of Transformers storytelling.

:''Canadian name:'' '''Beasties'''
:''Japanese name (season 1):'' '''Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars''' (超生命体トランスフォーマー　ビーストウォーズ, Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars)
:''Japanese name (season 2-3):'' '''Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Metals''' (超生命体トランスフォーマー　ビーストウォーズ　メタルス, Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Metals)
:''French name:'' '''Animutants'''
:''French name (Canada):'' '''Robots-Bêtes'''
:''Italian name:'' '''Biocombat'''
:''Latin-American name:'' '''Guerra de Bestias'''
:''Latvian name:'' '''Briesmoņu kari''' ("Monster Wars")
:''Polish name:'' '''Kosmiczne Wojny''' ("Cosmic Wars")
:''Russian name:'' '''Bitvi Zverey/Zhestokye voini''' (Битвы зверей, "Battles of the Beasts"/ Жестокие войны, "Cruel wars")
:''Vietnamese name:'' '''Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ''' ("Galaxy Monster Wars")

==Overview==
The series opens at an unspecified time and place, where two warring factions of robots have crashed on a strange planet populated by animals like those on [[Earth]]. The planet abounds in mystery, with vast deposits of raw [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] and evidence of [[Vok|alien]] activity. The Energon forces the newly arrived Transformers to take on protective beast forms to shield themselves from the ambient Energon radiation. And so begin the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]...

[[Image:Beastwarsmaxgroup.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Rattrap and Airazor conspire to ruin school picture day.]]
Though at first the show seemed to be in an entirely separate continuity, by the end of the first season's 26 episodes, viewers had been treated to a number of classical Transformers references, such as [[Unicron]] and even the reappearance of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], last seen as a ghost in the third season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]. These ties to the original story increased as the second season progressed and the planet was revealed as prehistoric Earth, the characters having been thrown back in time. The third season was entirely structured around the [[Maximal]]s defending their dormant [[Autobot]] ancestors aboard the ancient crashed [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

The show won over many viewers through fun, intriguing stories and generally high production values. Strong characterization, top-notch scripting and voice acting, and complex, overarching plot threads are among the reasons cited for the show's enduring popularity. Some of the show's mysteries and machinations remain topics for fan debate over a decade after it aired.

The show's CGI, though somewhat primitive by today's standards, was revolutionary by television standards of the time (and puts [[Energon (cartoon)|some later shows]] to [[Cybertron (cartoon)|shame]]). Mainframe's animators took pains to ensure their characters gestured and emoted in great detail, and the "camera" work often took creative advantage of the format's flexibility.

The show was immediately followed by a sequel series, ''[[Beast Machines (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Wars episodes}}

''Beast Wars'' has had 52 episodes over 3 seasons.

===Season 1: 1996–1997===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]
# [[Beast Wars (Part 2)]]
# [[The Web]]
# [[Equal Measures]]
# [[Chain of Command]]
# [[Power Surge]]
# [[Fallen Comrades]]
# [[Double Jeopardy]]
# [[A Better Mousetrap]]
# [[Gorilla Warfare]]
# [[The Probe]]
# [[Victory (episode)|Victory]]
# [[Dark Designs (episode)|Dark Designs]]
# [[Double Dinobot]]
# [[The Spark]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 1]]
# [[The Trigger, Part 2]]
# [[Spider's Game]]
# [[Call of the Wild]]
# [[Dark Voyage]]
# [[Possession]]
# [[The Low Road]]
# [[Law of the Jungle]]
# [[Before the Storm]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 1]]
# [[Other Voices, Part 2]]}}

===Season 2: 1997–1998===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Aftermath]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]]
# [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]
# [[Tangled Web]]
# [[Maximal, No More]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 1)]]
# [[Other Visits (Part 2)]]
# [[Bad Spark]]
# [[Code of Hero]]
# [[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 1)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part 2)]]
# [[The Agenda (Part III)]]}}

===Season 3: 1998–1999===
{{columnlist|4|
# [[Optimal Situation]]
# [[Deep Metal]]
# [[Changing of the Guard]]
# [[Cutting Edge]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 1]]
# [[Feral Scream Part 2]]
# [[Proving Grounds]]
# [[Go with the Flow]]
# [[Crossing the Rubicon]]
# [[Master Blaster]]
# [[Other Victories]]
# [[Nemesis Part 1]]
# [[Nemesis Part 2]]}}

==Characters==
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of on-screen characters in ''Beast Wars'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (The [[stasis lock]]ed [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] are not on this list.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Wars'' characters, having appeared in other media.
[[Image:BW Maximals.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Time for Rattrap to lead.]]
[[Image:BW Predacons.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Waspinator is loved by fans.]]

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett]])
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]* ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Tigatron]] ([[Blu Mankuma]])
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] ([[Pauline Newstone]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] ([[David Sobolov]])
*[[Tigerhawk]] ([[Blu Mankuma]])
|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] ([[Don Brown]])
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] ([[Alec Willows]])
*[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] ([[Doug Parker]])
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]† ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] ([[Colin Murdoch]])
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] ([[Campbell Lane]])
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] ([[Lee Tockar]])
*[[Dinobot II]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Vok]] ([[Blu Mankuma]], [[Richard Newman]])
'''[[Protohuman]]s'''
*[[Leader Neanderthal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Chak]]
*[[Una]] ([[Susan Blu]])
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Allied with the Maximals, nominally a Predacon.

† Became a Maximal towards the end of the series.

==International releases==
===Japan===
In Japan the show was split into 2 separate 26 episode series, ''Beast Wars'' which aired in 1997 (consisting of Canadian season 1) and ''Beast Wars Metals'' which aired in 1999 (consisting of Canadian seasons 2 and 3). The ''Beast Wars Metals'' series featured two additional clip shows:

*Episode 14: "[[Where Is the Banana?]]"
*Episode 26: "[[Remix: I Lost the Banana!]]"

Japan crafted two separate theatrical releases, the first being "[[Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers]]" (premiering the episode "[[Bad Spark]]" as well as two other segments) and a triple feature of short animated films based on [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] toylines (premiering the episode "[[Cutting Edge]]"). Since these episodes were released theatrically, they are not included in the show's proper 26 episode list, with their places being taken by the pair of aforementioned clip shows.

Additionally, for whatever reason, the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Wars Metals'' notoriously chose to turn the series into a goofy comedy show with lots of fourth-wall humor and a relentless string of over-the-top and in-your-face jokes, even at the most ''inappropriate'' of moments. This was the work of [[Iwanami Yoshikazu]], director of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' series.

Some examples include:
* The beginning of every episode would start with one of the characters asking a ridiculous question and receiving equally ridiculous answers (Optimus Primal asking "Where is my banana", for instance) before segueing into the [[War War! Stop It|opening rap theme]] by [[Banana Ice]]. (On that music note, "[[For the Dream|FOR THE DREAM]]" is the closing song, while "[[Hello! Toughness]]" was the ending song for the special "[[Clash! Beast Warriors]]".)
* An attempt was made to ensure that nary a moment went by in which at least ''one'' character wasn't talking. Dramatic silences and subtle jokes involving body language or facial expressions were killed with meaningless, prattling dialogue and corny jokes. Characters could even be heard talking when their lips were visibly ''not moving at all''. Even in close ups. Perhaps worst of all, a "gag" that ran through the course of the entire series featured each character "making noises" every single time they fired their weapon. For instance, Rattrap would make a sound along the likes of "pikyuu!" every time he fired. Every. Single. Time.
* Rattrap would constantly break the fourth wall by "smelling" what the audience was eating and make gluttonous comments.
* Many characters received completely new personalities that were polar opposites to their Western interpretation (Depth Charge enjoyed singing folk songs while Megatron became a flamboyant madman that shrieked like a little girl at the sight of danger). A character had their gender altered (poor, poor Airazor).
* Clip shows would feature the characters interacting in silly situations such as game shows and contests (in one instance, Megatron acted as judge in a celebrity impersonation contest).

While many long-time ''Transformers'' fans in Japan reviled this dub (including [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]]) it remained a hit with its target audience: young children. At any rate, this version of ''Beast Wars'' was popular enough to spawn two equally goofy-natured spin-offs, ''[[Beast Wars II (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'', and two Japanese-exclusive theatrical releases.

===United Kingdom===
When originally aired on GMTV in the United Kingdom, ''Beast Wars'' was only screened on school holidays, usually in double bills on Bank Holidays, and one episode per morning on half-term weeks, meaning that only a few episodes were shown a year, with wide gulfs in between (most prominently, ''three months'' passed between the airings of "Other Visits" parts [[Other Visits (Part 1)|1]] and [[Other Visits (Part 2)|2]]). In a sign of things to come, "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" was shown some 25 minutes earlier than billed due to re-scheduled news reports, meaning many fans missed the entire opening episode. Things went from bad to worse when "[[Equal Measures]]" was skipped, and only continued when, after "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]", the series skipped directly to "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". The entirety of the second season followed the conclusion of the first, but the channel never aired the third season; although it was subsequently released on VHS, the cliffhanger-resolving "[[Optimal Situation]]" was only available as a free gift with purchase at [[Toys"R"Us]].

Additionally, these GMTV airings were modified in various ways. The first and most foremost alteration was the removal of the word "Transformers" from the series' title, which was only reinstated with "[[Other Voices, Part 1]]". With regard to the actual content, the earliest episodes generally had nothing more extreme than the removal of uses of the word "[[Slag (slang)|slag]]" (as it is effectively a synonym for "slut" in English slang), but with the beginning of the second season, edits were steadily made to episodes for no readily apparent reasons. Additionally, any scenes featuring flashing images were routinely put through a filter that slowed such scenes down to comical levels. This culminated in a butchered version of "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", which snipped out many short scenes throughout all three episodes for no reason, from inconsequential moments like Tarantulas cackling and driving out of his lab in Part 1, to key scenes such as Silverbolt and Optimus Primal's "office talk" in Part 2, and in what was the last straw for many fans, the complete second half of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s speech (''the part explaining [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s entire motivation''), also from Part 2.

During the time they had the rights to the series, GMTV also showed the entirety of seasons one and two on the then cable-only channel ITV 2.

Channel 5, a terrestrial channel, showed the entire series in its complete form in 2003. Thankfully. This got rerun too, leading to the ''Beast Wars'' comics getting [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|used as reprints in Titan's Movie-based comic]].

===France===
In France and (French) Belgium, the show was called "Animutants" and had a good-quality dubbing, rather close to the original voices. (The Dutch-speaking territory kept the original English dub.) But while the first two seasons of the show were aired, the third one never was; the show always ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", leaving the viewers in the area with the worst case of cliffhanger ever.

===Vietnam===
In Vietnam, the show was called "Chiến tranh quái vật vũ trụ" (Galaxy Monster Wars). The show was released on VHS tapes with a very good Vietnamese dub, then it was copied to VCD. Unfortunately, as happened in France, only the first two seasons were aired. It ended with "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", and left the fans with a cliffhanger.

===Germany===
The German dub used the original title, ''Beast Wars'''. The show was initially very successful on the TV Station RTL2 and was released on VHS. However, only the first season was shown and dubbed. Furthermore, the TV broadcast had many fight scenes censored to comply with Germany's strict laws against TV violence; however, the VHS Release was uncut. After many reruns the show was cancelled and the second and third Season were never shown in Germany.

==Home video releases==
===Canada===
{{main|Alliance Atlantis}}
[[Image:Alliance Beast Wars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars'' — A Feature Length Beasties Adventure (1996)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Une Adventure Cybernetique (1996)
*''Beast Wars'' — Beasties Escape (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Évasion (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Warning from Space (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — Alert Dans L'Espace (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' / ''Robots-Bêtes'' Three pack (1998)
*''Beast Wars'' — Optimus Lives! (1998)
*''Robots-Bêtes'' — L'Empreinte D'Optimus (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes — Where the Beasties Began! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 2 — The Saga Continues! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 3 — The Battle Rages On! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! (2005)
*''Beast Wars'' — The Complete First Season (2005)
{{-}}

===Japan===
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
[[Pioneer]]'s Japanese DVD sets of the series come with optional English language dialogue with Japanese subtitles, allowing fans in Japan to view the more serious version of the show if desired.
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Enter the Super Lifeform Transformers (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Cheetus' Crisis (1997)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Convoy Disappeared (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Lonely Warrior Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — New Weapon of Terror (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Goodbye Rattle!? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Floating Island Deathmatch (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — The Destrons Make Drama (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — There are 2 Dinobots? (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Resurrected Beast Power (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Starscream's Invulnerability (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Farewell Tigatron (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — To Protect the Peace... (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Cybertron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers Special'' — Great Destron Army Collection (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers'' — Great Quiz Collection (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We're Back! (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Convoy Reborn (1999)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I Quit! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Huh? The Face? (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I'm a Crab! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — I Do Love You! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Groooww Bigger (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — The Movie (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Yeah, I'm Back! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Love Typhoon (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Sssshiny! (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Happy? This Should Do It (2000)
[[Image:Pioneer BeastWars Laserdisc Box2.jpg|thumb|150px|]]
;Laserdisc
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Maximal Edition (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Predacon Edition (1998)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — DVD BOX (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD BOX 2 (2000)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
{{main|Universal}}
Almost the entire run of the show ended up on VHS from 2000 to 2001, oddly missing "[[Aftermath]]" and "[[Optimal Situation]]". This time, cuts were gone! Characters could rightfully swear!
[[Image:UK Beast Wars Vol3 VHS.jpg|150px|thumb|Not featuring [[Razorclaw (BW)|Razorclaw]].]]
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 3 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 4 (2000)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 5 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 6 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 7 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 8 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 1 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 2 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 3 (2001)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Beginning: Vol. 4 (2001)
;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[Image:Rhino BeastWars Vol1 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px|]]
{{main|Kid Rhino}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 (2002)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete First Season (2003)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Second Season (2004)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season (2004)
{{-}}

===Australia and New Zealand===
{{main|Madman Entertainment}}
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 1 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 2 (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 (2006)
*''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (2009)
{{-}}

===Pack-ins and Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}
{{main|Pack-in material}}
;VHS
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] & [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Aftermath]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)]] (1998)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Bad Spark]] & [[Code of Hero]] (1999)

;DVD
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Equal Measures]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[A Better Mousetrap]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[The Spark]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Spider's Game]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Possession]] (2006)
*''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — [[Code of Hero]] (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 1)|Super Lifeform Transformers Appear]]" and "[[Victory (episode)|Make a Dramatic Comeback, Destrons]]" (2006)
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 2)|Destroy the Destrons]]" (2006)
*"[[The Web|Cheetas's Crisis]]" (2006)
*"[[Equal Measures|Operation: Time Bomb Transfer]]" (2006)
*"[[Chain of Command|Convoy Disappeared]]" (2006)
*"[[Power Surge|The Sky-Mountains Explode]]" (2006)
*"[[Fallen Comrades|Solitary Warrior, Tigatron]]" (2006)
*"[[Double Jeopardy|Kick of the Spider Woman]]" (2006)
*"[[The Probe|New Weapons of Terror!]]" (2006)
*"[[Gorilla Warfare|The Assassin Virus]]" (2006)
*"[[A Better Mousetrap|Goodbye, Rattle!?]]" (2006)
*"[[The Spark|Falcon Warrior, Airazor]]" (2006)
*"[[The Trigger, Part 1|Floating Island Death Match, Part 1]]" and "[[The Trigger, Part 2|Floating Island Death Match, Part 2]]" (2006)
*"[[Dark Voyage|Around and Around the Jungle]]" (2006)
*"[[Possession|The Immortal Starscream]]" (2006)

==Notes==
* The first season of ''Beast Wars'' cost $18 million, according to [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/b334d45514e26ab4/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&lnk=st&q=bob+forward+interview+inferno+megatron&rnum=1#bc8e54e9165e0823 a 1997 interview with Bob Forward].
* There are three known unproduced ''Beast Wars'' episodes: "[[A Greater Ape]]", "[[Bitch Wars]]" and "[[Dark Glass]]".
* [http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-CLUB_%28%E6%A8%A1%E5%9E%8B%E9%9B%91%E8%AA%8C%29 B-Club magazine] erroneously claims that ''Beast Wars'' is the first fully CGI television show in the world, a title actually held by ''[[:wikipedia:Insektors|Insektors]]''. Mainframe's own CGI show ''[[wikipedia:ReBoot|ReBoot]]'' also predates ''Beast Wars''.
* The Production Designer for the show, [[Clyde Klotz]], won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation in 1997. How cool is that?
* For reasons unknown, the US Rhino release of ''Beast Wars'' season three did not include the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmCEsbUe6E opening that was televised], which included an original shot of the ''Axalon'' and ''Darksyde'' spaceships crashing down to prehistoric Earth. Instead, all season three episodes began with the season two opening for the first part of the beginning credits.

[[Category:Beast Wars| Beast Wars (cartoon)]]
[[Category:Mainframe]]
[[Category:Television series]]