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Transformers (2023) issue 14

2024-11-13T09:37:22Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #14
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 13
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 15
|image=Transformers 2023 14 Cover B.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[November 13]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=November 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jason Howard]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|production design=[[Andres Juarez]]
|production=[[Ashby Florence]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Though wounded, Starscream's ambitions remain strong. With a new group of allies at his side, he is determined to regain control of the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
Having recovered the body of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[M.A.R.S.]] commander [[Horton]] and his team have decided to affix the [[Decepticon]] warrior to their [[H.I.S.S. tank]], complete with a remote control for the vehicle. However, after completing their project, Starscream awakens, horrified at what they've done to him. He tries to kill the humans (along with [[Private Razz]]'s cat), but is weak without [[energon]] and unable to control his movements. Horton offers to help Starscream, which the angry [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] rebuffs. However, Horton reveals that they took the precaution of installing explosives in Starscream's body while he was out, forcing Starscream to capitulate to him. Starscream goes along with Horton, sensing that they both have the same desire for power.

''Years ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Starscream attack a group of [[Autobot]]s. Taking them prisoner, Megatron offers them the chance to join the Decepticons. When they refuse, Megatron transforms into his gun mode and orders Starscream to use him to execute their enemies. Starscream is hesitant, not wanting to murder prisoners of war. However, Megatron compels him and Starscream follows through, apologizing all the while. Over the course of the war, the pair kill more and more Autobots, Megatron turning Starscream into his "hand of death."''

As Starscream and the M.A.R.S. troops travel, they come across the chained-up [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], much to Starscream's surprise. Astrotrain reveals that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] released him from the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', offering him revenge on Megatron to join his plan. Starscream balks at the idea that Soundwave would willingly give up his master, but frees Astrotrain and assures him that if the [[Triple Changer]] joins him, he will deliver on Soundwave’s false promise. Horton is about to object, but the conversation is interrupted by a piece of Cybertron falling from the sky into the [[Pacific Ocean]]. As the piece's impact causes a tidal wave, the humans begin to flee while Astrotrain transforms to transport Starscream away. However, Horton uses the controller to prevent Starscream from boarding his ally. Starscream demands Horton get him onto Astrotrain, offering to get the M.A.R.S. team to safety as well.

Aboard Astrotrain's shuttle mode, Horton reminds Starscream that he's in charge of their arrangement. Astrotrain then alerts Starscream to the sight of [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] and [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] in the water. The Decepticons rescue their allies, much to the irritation of Horton as he loses more and more control over the situation. Horton orders his team to be taken down to the surface, but at that moment, Astrotrain hits a rogue wave, sending the humans tumbling and knocking Horton unconscious.

When he awakes, Horton finds himself on the chunk of Cybertron, with Starscream being hailed as leader by Astrotrain and the reassembled roster of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Starscream tells his assembly that their first order of business will be to take the fight to Soundwave and his Decepticons, but they are interrupted by Horton, who has realized Starscream has double-crossed him. The M.A.R.S. commander threatens Starscream with the explosives his team placed in him, but when he presses the button, nothing happens. Razz and the rest of the team emerge and reveal Starscream promised to free them if they removed the explosives. Starscream thanks Razz for her help... then squashes her with his hand before turning his [[null-ray]]s on the Clayton and squishing Horton under his tank treads, leaving only Razz's cat and Martin alive. He orders Martin to begin sketching, wanting the artist to document his rise to power.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''Autobot prisoners'' (7)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (5)
* ''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (6)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (8)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (9)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (10)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (11)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (12)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (13)

|h3=[[M.A.R.S.]]|c3=
* [[Horton]] (1)
* [[Private Razz]] (2)
* [[Private Martin]] (3)
* [[Private Clayton]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"Do not fight this, Starscream. It is better this way." 
"Please... I don’t... I don’t want to--" 
"What you desire matters not. You are mine now. You will obey my command."
:—'''Megatron''' exerts his will over a still reluctant '''Starscream'''.

"''Never again'' will I be the property of ''anyone! I will be the master of my own destiny. The captain of my own fate.''"
:—'''Starscream'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* The events of this issue take place alongside that of the previous arc, with Starscream and Astrotrain witnessing the piece of Cybertron that [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] accidentally blew off in [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|issue #12]] falling into the ocean.
* Starscream's reluctance to kill the Autobot prisoners runs in stark contrast to his murder of the deactivated [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]], meaning that this flashback can't have taken place too much longer after the final flashback segment of [[Transformers (2023) issue 13|last issue]]. More important, though, is the reveal of why this version of Starscream sought to take down Megatron: the Decepticon leader used some sort of mind-control power to force Starscream into killing Autobot after Autobot using his pistol mode.
** Reminder that, even with Megatron regularly taking away his autonomy, Starscream's aligned with the Decepticons because he has good reason to believe that the Autobots are responsible for his best buddy [[Genvo]]'s death. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," after all...
* Astrotrain was freed from the ''Nemesis'' by Soundwave in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]], and chained up by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 10|issue #10]]. He’s been eager for revenge on Megatron ever since, which Starscream uses to recruit him. Of course, Starscream believes he already finished off their leader, as seen in the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story]].
* Brawl is still missing his lower half after being bisected by the closing [[space bridge]] in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]]. Onslaught followed Brawl to Earth that same issue, while [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], and [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] were last seen fleeing from Optimus last issue. Notably, the latter three are first seen aboard the blown-off piece of Cybertron rather than in the ocean with their teammates, which is consistent with last issue, where they retreated further into Shockwave's lair rather than through the portal to Earth.
* Brawl mentions that he and Onslaught overheard Soundwave plotting against Shockwave earlier, referring to Soundwave's conversation with [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] towards the end of issue #10, which Onslaught was shown listening in on as he kept the bisected Brawn company.
** While it wasn't fully explicit if Optimus crushing Shockwave's head was a full-on death in issue #12, Brawl here refers to him as having been killed. Given this is Shockwave, however, it remains to be seen as to how long this will stick.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Starscream recruiting the Combaticons for a coup d'état against the established Decepticon forces echoes the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode “[[Starscream's Brigade]]”. The cartoon also saw Starscream convince Astrotrain and his fellow Decepticon Triple Changer [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] to join him in claiming Decepticon leadership in the episode "[[Triple Takeover]]". Notably, both the Combaticons ''and'' the Triple Changers turned on Starscream in their respective episodes, so we'll have to wait and see if history repeats itself again...

===Errors===
* Horton's first speech bubble on page 14 is rendered in the square shape of the Transformers rather than the traditionally rounded style used by human characters.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Astrotrain in chains, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Starscream firing with his new H.I.S.S. form, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[Viktor Bogdanovic]].
* '''Cover D:''' A very '80s inspired Optimus Prime, by [[Jorge Fornés]].
* '''Cover E:''' Optimus Prime, Jazz, and Arcee in an homage to Generation 1 toy packaging, by [[Derrick Chew]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 14 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 14 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 14 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 14 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 14 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
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===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 28]], [[2025]]) ISBN 153432559X / ISBN 978-1534325593 
** Collects issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 13

2024-10-09T21:21:45Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #13
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 14
|image=Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 9]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=October 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jason Howard]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''As he lays dying from Soundwave's final attack, Starscream's mind flashes back to an earlier time in his life, just before he joined the Decepticons...'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no.13 - OmegaFliesOver.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
[[Transformers (2023) issue 7|At a meeting of the Decepticons]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] rips out [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s guts and sends him tumbling over a nearby cliff. Beaten, weary, and delirious, Starscream lands on the ground below, narrowly avoiding a nearby pool of lava, and memories of his past start bubbling up...

''On the dying world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a bot named Ulchtar is doing some work when his friend [[Genvo]] urges him to come see something that happens only once every two hundred years. Though initially insistent on completing his job, Ulchtar relents when his other friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] insists that they make his last night on Cybertron one to remember. The trio head to [[Moonbase Two]] to get the best view, and begin discussing the [[Great War (G1)|fighting]] that's been happening on the planet of late: though his brothers have refused to join a side, Ulchtar himself hasn't heard much of anything; Genvo insists that Ulchtar join [[Decepticon|his side]], citing their [[Megatron (G1)|one-of-a-kind leader]] and the fact that him and Ulchtar would make an incredible team; and Jetfire states that his path is already decided — using maps laid out by Ulchtar, he'll be traveling the stars in search of a conflict-free solution to their planet's issues. Genvo starts questioning if there even ''is'' anything to find out there before he notices some [[Turbosects]] and begins squashing them before Ulchtar, who considers them to be beautiful, harmless creatures, intervenes. Just then, the moment they were waiting for arrives: a [[Omega Supreme (G1)|titanic robot]] flies overhead, and Ulchtar suddenly gets an idea. Wanting the large robot to see them, he breaks into an ammunition depot for the Cybertronian Defense Force and uses one of their grenades to hopefully create enough commotion for the robot to take notice. Ulchtar succeeds, and the giant robot reciprocates the group's wave of "hello" before the depot's [[Kup (G1)|cranky old guard]] chases them off. Soon after, Jetfire wishes his friends farewell, and flies off to begin his mission. Ulchtar is sad to see him go, but he thankfully still has Genvo around...''

''Some time later, Ulchtar heads outside to find a battle involving Genvo's faction has erupted, and a stray missile destroys his lab. Before Ulchtar can get any answers, Genvo grabs his friend and runs... but gets shot for his trouble. Genvo praises Ulchtar for "screaming the stars into seeing us", and dies in his friend's arms. While in grief over the loss of his friend, Genvo looks up to see the apparent culprits: a [[Optimus Prime (G1)|red-and-blue robot]] and [[Autobot|his followers]]...''

The shock of this memory awakens Starscream from his trance long enough for him to pull himself away from the lava, his legs having been melted in his stupor, before he falls unconscious. Seizing the opportunity, [[M.A.R.S.|a group of humans]] that had been observing Starscream begin hoisting his body onto their [[H.I.S.S. tank|tank]]. The group's commanding officer remarks to [[Private Martin]] that his father was a genuine American hero, with [[Private Razz]] chiming in that that was ''before'' being recruited by M.A.R.S. Unfortunately, the third private loses hold of Starscream's body, setting the commanding officer off: despite how celebrated and worshipped his father was in both life and death, he's been given command of this lowly, good-for-nothing salvage unit for his troubles... but with the power of Starscream now at his disposal, that's about to change.

''With his work destroyed and his only planet-side friend dead, Ulchtar ponders his future. Just then, a silver robot bearing the insignia of Genvo's faction approaches him, offering revenge for his friend and clan as a Decepticon warrior. The robot transforms into a tank-like pistol small enough for Ulchtar to hold, and asks what his brothers called him. Inspired by his friend's dying words, he gives his answer: his name is'' '''''Starscream.'''''

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (2)
* Various Decepticons (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream/Ulchtar]] (4)
* [[Genvo]] (5)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]](?) (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (18)

|h3=Others|c3=

* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (6)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (7)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (8)
* [[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]] salvage commander (14)
* [[Private Martin]] (15)
* [[Private Razz]] (16)
* Unnamed private (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Dumbass techno pups!"
:—'''Kup''' harshly insults the rambunctious Ulchtar and his friends as they make their getaway.

"Y-you did it, Ulchtar-- you yelled at the gods." 
"What...?" 
"You screamed the stars into seeing us."
:—'''Genvo''' praises his friend '''Ulchtar''' as he dies in his arms.

"My father was a legend. Celebrated, remembered, worshipped, even in death-- And what do I get?? Command of this piece of crap unit! Relegated to '''SALVAGE???!!!''' With these nincompoops!" 
"Sir, we--" 
"This is an embarrassment. I should be at the top! All that changes now. Look at all this power at my feet."
:—The commanding officer of the M.A.R.S. salvage team rants to his privates about how he's been mistreated... and how he's going to turn his fortunes around.

"What's left for me now? What am I going to do?" 
"You can join us. You can avenge your friend and your clan. You can be a warrior of the new Decepticon order. Tell me, young one. What did your friends call you?" 
"My name-- is Starscream."
:—<strike>Ulchtar</strike> '''Starscream''' is conscripted by '''Megatron''' into the Decepticon ranks.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue opens with the very end of Soundwave and Starscream's duel in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]], revealing that Starscream didn't fall to his death as it initially seemed. Most of the issue's actual story, meanwhile, takes the form of a flashback to the burgeoning days of the war on Cybertron, with a few pages towards the end returning to the present day an indeterminate amount of time after the Decepticons left Starscream for dead.
* Being the first substantial flashback to before the Ark crashed on Earth that we've seen, this issue suggests a fair amount of information about the war without stating any of it outright. Specifically, it reinforces the general implication in prior issues that Cybertron had been slowly dying, and that the conflict had broken out over the ideological conflict on how to address it.
* Ulchtar mentions his "brothers" when discussing the growing conflict with Genvo and Jetfire. Whether or not he's referring to his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|seekers]] isn't immediately clear, but if he ''is'' referring to them, then that makes Starscream and Soundwave tearing [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] apart in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]] even ''more'' disturbing than it already was.
* Jetfire's mission to find a way to save Cybertron was established all the way back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. As we know from both that issue and the [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'', he'll eventually crash land on an unknown planetoid and enter stasis before being reawakened by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] millions of years later, then eventually find his old friend among a number of his kind aboard the crashed ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on Earth.
* Omega Supreme's appearance gives us our first real good look at what the [[Guardian robot|Guardian]]s look like in this continuity. A far-away shot of the war on Cybertron extracted from Megatron's memories in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|issue #1]] previously depicted one of the generic blue-and-white Guardians, but here we get to see just how ''big'' they are in this iteration, easily the largest in the franchise's history. Intriguingly, Ulchtar and his friends exclusively refer to Omega using the gender-neutral pronoun "they", raising a ''million'' different questions about this Omega's gender identity and how they fit into this version of the lore.
* Kup and Bumblebee's present-day selves previously appear in issue #7 and issue #1, respectively. Kup as a member of [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'s squad on war-ravaged Cybertron, and Bumblebee as one of the ''Ark'''s dormant crew members. Considering that both also ''die'' in those issues, flashbacks like these are probably the only way we're ever seeing them again.
* Similarly, the [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|recently-wrecked]] Shockwave appears alongside Genvo and a robot clearly modeled after (but with slightly different colors from) Overcharge. Whether this robot is meant to actually be Overcharge or is simply a "Cybertronian mode" version of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] remains to be seen.
* This issue gives us a look at Optimus Prime leading the Autobot war effort on Cybertron, with him fighting alongside Bumblebee (appearing for the first time since he was killed back in issue #1) and a robot who we're assuming is a "Cybertronian mode" version of Jazz, given his visor, chest headlights, and what appears to be a toy-inspired over-the-shoulder cannon (though the comic's version looks nothing like the toy's cannon).
** Considering the framing of the artwork and how early in the war these flashbacks have to take place, this depiction of Optimus seems to be meant to line up with Elita's description of him last issue as having been "ruthless" at an earlier point in his life.
* While the perception of the Autobots as "evil" has been shown as a general viewpoint amongst the Decepticons, the first arc showed Starscream to have been especially aggressive on this point, to the point of prioritizing fighting them over survival. Genvo's death provides us with the reason why this is.
* The ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' side of the Energon Universe finally rears its head eleven issues after [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s unfortunate encounter with Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]], with a crew of heretofore-unheard-of M.A.R.S. Industries salvage workers recovering Starscream's body. Seems [[Destro]] was finally able to track down that "robot that turned into a jet" that led to [[Duke (comic)|Duke giving him so much trouble]]...
* Megatron finally makes his first proper, alive-and-fully-active appearance in the main ''Transformers'' book. He initially appeared as a shadowy figure in a flashback in issue #2, he was seen frozen in ice in issue #4, he was revealed to be in [[Cobra-La]] captivity in ''Cobra Commander'' issue #1, and we finally learned of what befell him in the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the 2024 ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024|Energon Universe Special]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* The idea of Starscream as a scientist-type who was close friends with Jetfire before the war broke out is taken wholesale from the Generation 1 [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]".
* In one of the most unique, bizarre, ''incredibly meta'' pulls this series has done so far, Starscream's original, pre-Decepticon name is revealed to be "Ulchtar", taken directly from [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil]]'s original ''Transformers'' treatment.
* Moonbase Two debuted in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The group Ulchtar and his friends raid is referred to as the "Cybertronian Defense Force", who are ''possibly'' named after the similarly-named [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Force]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Transformers: Cybertron]]''.
* Kup refers to Ulchtar and his friends as "dumbass techno pups", a deliberately-crude twist on his classic "turbo-revving young punk" remark from the 1986 movie.
* Megatron's [[Alternate mode|alt-mode]] rather tongue-in-cheekily hybridizes its classic and modern depictions, being a pistol with a tank-shaped body (complete with ''totally unnecessary'' treads!).

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* The tank the M.A.R.S. salvage crew are using is, of course, a H.I.S.S. tank, Cobra's signature vehicle. It doesn't appear to be based on any particular version of the vehicle, and has been modified from the traditional look by replacing the turret section with a radar dish and the crane the crew are using to try and haul away Starscream.

===Errors===
* On Page 9, Ulchtar's eyes are briefly shown as red well before he's joined the Decepticons.
* Ulchtar renaming himself "Starscream" at the end of this issue raises a minor quibble regarding issue #1: how did Jetfire know to call him that when he reactivated him? He still went by "Ulchtar" when Jetfire left Cybertron, and there's no indication the two ''ever'' made contact with each other after that!

===Other trivia===
* The topic of "mass conversion" comes up again at the end of this issue's letters page, just as it did in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]]... and said description is copied nearly ''word-for-word'' from what was printed in that issue, meaning that [[Skybound Entertainment|Skybound]] once again uses this wiki's ''own'' description of how the process was explained by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye]]. Once was already weird, but ''twice'', with basically the exact same wording, just ''four months'' after the first instance of it happening? Good grief.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' The wrecked, barely-standing body of Starscream, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Genvo, Ulchtar, and Jetfire watch as Omega Supreme flies overhead, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[Viktor Bogdanovic]].
* '''Cover D:''' A very '80s inspired Soundwave, by [[Jorge Fornés]].
* '''Cover E:''' Megatron with some [[energon cube]]s. Credited to [[Francesco Mattina]], but ''very likely'' created using generative AI tools, given his then-recent controversy with [[DC Comics]].<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/dc-pulls-francesco-mattina-variant-covers-allegations-ai-art/ DC Pulls Francesco Mattina Variant Covers Following A.I. Art Allegations]</ref>
* '''Cover F:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Homare]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H:''' Genvo charges into battle, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover H.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 5-page preview of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 1|issue #1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 28]], [[2025]]) ISBN 153432559X / ISBN 978-1534325593 
** Collects issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 13

2024-10-09T19:31:51Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #13
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 14
|image=Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 9]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=October 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jason Howard]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''As he lays dying from Soundwave's final attack, Starscream's mind flashes back to an earlier time in his life, just before he joined the Decepticons...'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 no.13 - OmegaFliesOver.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
[[Transformers (2023) issue 7|At a meeting of the Decepticons]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] rips out [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s guts and sends him tumbling over a nearby cliff. Beaten, weary, and delirious, Starscream lands on the ground below, narrowly avoiding a nearby pool of lava, and memories of his past start bubbling up...

''On the dying world of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a bot named Ulchtar is doing some work when his friend [[Genvo]] urges him to come see something that happens only once every two hundred years. Though initially insistent on completing his job, Ulchtar relents when his other friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] insists that they make his last night on Cybertron one to remember. The trio head to [[Moonbase Two]] to get the best view, and begin discussing the [[Great War (G1)|fighting]] that's been happening on the planet of late: though his brothers have refused to join a side, Ulchtar himself hasn't heard much of anything; Genvo insists that Ulchtar join [[Decepticon|his side]], citing their [[Megatron (G1)|one-of-a-kind leader]] and the fact that him and Ulchtar would make an incredible team; and Jetfire states that his path is already decided — using maps laid out by Ulchtar, he'll be traveling the stars in search of a conflict-free solution to their planet's issues. Genvo starts questioning if there even ''is'' anything to find out there before he notices some [[Turbosects]] and begins squashing them before Ulchtar, who considers them to be beautiful, harmless creatures, intervenes. Just then, the moment they were waiting for arrives: a [[Omega Supreme (G1)|titanic robot]] flies overhead, and Ulchtar suddenly gets an idea. Wanting the large robot to see them, he breaks into an ammunition depot for the Cybertronian Defense Force and uses one of their grenades to hopefully create enough commotion for the robot to take notice. Ulchtar succeeds, and the giant robot reciprocates the group's wave of "hello" before the depot's [[Kup (G1)|cranky old guard]] chases them off. Soon after, Jetfire wishes his friends farewell, and flies off to begin his mission. Ulchtar is sad to see him go, but he thankfully still has Genvo around...''

''Some time later, Ulchtar heads outside to find a battle involving Genvo's faction has erupted, and a stray missile destroys his lab. Before Ulchtar can get any answers, Genvo grabs his friend and runs... but gets shot for his trouble. Genvo praises Ulchtar for "screaming the stars into seeing us", and dies in his friend's arms. While in grief over the loss of his friend, Genvo looks up to see the apparent culprits: a [[Optimus Prime (G1)|red-and-blue robot]] and [[Autobot|his followers]]...''

The shock of this memory awakens Starscream from his trance long enough for him to pull himself away from the lava, his legs having been melted in his stupor, before he falls unconscious. Seizing the opportunity, [[M.A.R.S.|a group of humans]] that had been observing Starscream begin hoisting his body onto their [[H.I.S.S. tank|tank]]. The group's commanding officer remarks to [[Private Martin]] that his father was a genuine American hero, with [[Private Razz]] chiming in that that was ''before'' being recruited by M.A.R.S. Unfortunately, the third private loses hold of Starscream's body, setting the commanding officer off: despite how celebrated and worshipped his father was in both life and death, he's been given command of this lowly, good-for-nothing salvage unit for his troubles... but with the power of Starscream now at his disposal, that's about to change.

''With his work destroyed and his only planet-side friend dead, Ulchtar ponders his future. Just then, a silver robot bearing the insignia of Genvo's faction approaches him, offering revenge for his friend and clan as a Decepticon warrior. The robot transforms into a tank-like pistol small enough for Ulchtar to hold, and asks what his brothers called him. Inspired by his friend's dying words, he gives his answer: his name is'' '''''Starscream.'''''

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (1)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (2)
* Various Decepticons (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream/Ulchtar]] (4)
* [[Genvo]] (5)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharge]](?) (10)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (18)

|h3=Others|c3=

* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (6)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (7)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (8)
* [[M.A.R.S.|M.A.R.S. Industries]] salvage commander (14)
* [[Private Martin]] (15)
* [[Private Razz]] (16)
* Unnamed private (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Dumbass techno pups!"
:—'''Kup''' harshly insults the rambunctious Ulchtar and his friends as they make their getaway.

"Y-you did it, Ulchtar-- you yelled at the gods." 
"What...?" 
"You screamed the stars into seeing us."
:—'''Genvo''' praises his friend '''Ulchtar''' as he dies in his arms.

"My father was a legend. Celebrated, remembered, worshipped, even in death-- And what do I get?? Command of this piece of crap unit! Relegated to '''SALVAGE???!!!''' With these nincompoops!" 
"Sir, we--" 
"This is an embarrassment. I should be at the top! All that changes now. Look at all this power at my feet."
:—The commanding officer of the M.A.R.S. salvage team rants to his privates about how he's been mistreated... and how he's going to turn his fortunes around.

"What's left for me now? What am I going to do?" 
"You can join us. You can avenge your friend and your clan. You can be a warrior of the new Decepticon order. Tell me, young one. What did your friends call you?" 
"My name-- is Starscream."
:—<strike>Ulchtar</strike> '''Starscream''' is conscripted by '''Megatron''' into the Decepticon ranks.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue opens with the very end of Soundwave and Starscream's duel in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]], revealing that Starscream didn't fall to his death as it initially seemed. Most of the issue's actual story, meanwhile, takes the form of a flashback to the burgeoning days of the war on Cybertron, with a few pages towards the end returning to the present day an indeterminate amount of time after the Decepticons left Starscream for dead.
* Ulchtar mentions his "brothers" when discussing the growing conflict with Genvo and Jetfire. Whether or not he's referring to his fellow [[Seeker (body-type)|seekers]] isn't immediately clear, but if he ''is'' referring to them, then that makes Starscream and Soundwave tearing [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] apart in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]] even ''more'' disturbing than it already was.
* Jetfire's mission to find a way to save Cybertron was established all the way back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. As we know from both that issue and the [[Void Rivals issue 1|first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]'', he'll eventually crash land on an unknown planetoid and enter stasis before being reawakened by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] millions of years later, then eventually find his old friend among a number of his kind aboard the crashed ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on Earth.
* Omega Supreme's appearance gives us our first real good look at what the [[Guardian robot|Guardian]]s look like in this continuity. A far-away shot of the war on Cybertron extracted from Megatron's memories in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|issue #1]] previously depicted one of the generic blue-and-white Guardians. Intriguingly, Ulchtar and his friends exclusively refer to Omega using the gender-neutral pronoun "they", raising a ''million'' different questions about this Omega's gender identity and how they fit into this version of the lore.
* Kup and Bumblebee's present-day selves previously appear in issue #7 and issue #1, respectively. Kup as a member of [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]'s squad on war-ravaged Cybertron, and Bumblebee as one of the ''Ark'''s dormant crew members. Considering that both also ''die'' in those issues, flashbacks like these are probably the only way we're ever seeing them again.
* Similarly, the [[Transformers (2023) issue 12|recently-wrecked]] Shockwave appears alongside Genvo and a robot clearly modeled after (but with slightly different colors from) Overcharge. Whether this robot is meant to actually be Overcharge or is simply a "Cybertronian mode" version of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] remains to be seen.
* This issue gives us a look at Optimus Prime leading the Autobot war effort on Cybertron, with him fighting alongside Bumblebee (appearing for the first time since he was killed back in issue #1) and a robot who we're assuming is a "Cybertronian mode" version of Jazz, given his visor, chest headlights, and what appears to be a toy-inspired over-the-shoulder cannon (though the comic's version looks nothing like the toy's cannon).
** Considering the framing of the artwork and how early in the war these flashbacks have to take place, this depiction of Optimus seems to be meant to line up with Elita's description of him last issue as having been "ruthless" at an earlier point in his life.
* The ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' side of the Energon Universe finally rears its head eleven issues after [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s unfortunate encounter with Starscream in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]], with a crew of heretofore-unheard-of M.A.R.S. Industries salvage workers recovering Starscream's body. Seems [[Destro]] was finally able to track down that "robot that turned into a jet" that led to [[Duke (comic)|Duke giving him so much trouble]]...
* Megatron finally makes his first proper, alive-and-fully-active appearance in the main ''Transformers'' book. He initially appeared as a shadowy figure in a flashback in issue #2, he was seen frozen in ice in issue #4, he was revealed to be in [[Cobra-La]] captivity in ''Cobra Commander'' issue #1, and we finally learned of what befell him in the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' segment]] of the 2024 ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024|Energon Universe Special]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* The idea of Starscream as a scientist-type who was close friends with Jetfire before the war broke out is taken wholesale from the Generation 1 [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] episode "[[Fire in the Sky]]".
* In one of the most unique, bizarre, ''incredibly meta'' pulls this series has done so far, Starscream's original, pre-Decepticon name is revealed to be "Ulchtar", taken directly from [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil]]'s original ''Transformers'' treatment.
* Moonbase Two debuted in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
* The group Ulchtar and his friends raid is referred to as the "Cybertronian Defense Force", who are ''possibly'' named after the similarly-named [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Force]] from ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Transformers: Cybertron]]''.
* Kup refers to Ulchtar and his friends as "dumbass techno pups", a deliberately-crude twist on his classic "turbo-revving young punk" remark from the 1986 movie.
* Megatron's [[Alternate mode|alt-mode]] rather tongue-in-cheekily hybridizes its classic and modern depictions, being a pistol with a tank-shaped body (complete with ''totally unnecessary'' treads!).

===''G.I. Joe'' references===
* The tank the M.A.R.S. salvage crew are using is, of course, a H.I.S.S. tank, Cobra's signature vehicle. It doesn't appear to be based on any particular version of the vehicle, and has been modified from the traditional look by replacing the turret section with a radar dish and the crane the crew are using to try and haul away Starscream.

===Errors===
* On Page 9, Ulchtar's eyes are briefly shown as red well before he's joined the Decepticons.
* Ulchtar renaming himself "Starscream" at the end of this issue raises a minor quibble regarding issue #1: how did Jetfire know to call him that when he reactivated him? He still went by "Ulchtar" when Jetfire left Cybertron, and there's no indication the two ''ever'' made contact with each other after that!

===Other trivia===
* The topic of "mass conversion" comes up again at the end of this issue's letters page, just as it did in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]]... and said description is copied nearly ''word-for-word'' from what was printed in that issue, meaning that [[Skybound Entertainment|Skybound]] once again uses this wiki's ''own'' description of how the process was explained by [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave's]] [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye]]. Once was already weird, but ''twice'', with basically the exact same wording, just ''four months'' after the first instance of it happening? Good grief.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' The wrecked, barely-standing body of Starscream, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Genvo, Ulchtar, and Jetfire watch as Omega Supreme flies overhead, by [[Jorge Corona]] and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' Connecting cover by [[Viktor Bogdanovic]].
* '''Cover D:''' A very '80s inspired Soundwave, by [[Jorge Fornés]].
* '''Cover E:''' Megatron with some [[energon cube]]s. Credited to [[Francesco Mattina]], but ''very likely'' created using generative AI tools, given his then-recent controversy with [[DC Comics]].<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/dc-pulls-francesco-mattina-variant-covers-allegations-ai-art/ DC Pulls Francesco Mattina Variant Covers Following A.I. Art Allegations]</ref>
* '''Cover F:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Homare]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H:''' Genvo charges into battle, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover G.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 13 Cover H.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 5-page preview of ''[[G.I. Joe (2024 comic)|G.I. Joe]]'' [[G.I. Joe (2024) issue 1|issue #1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' ([[May 28]], [[2025]]) ISBN 153432559X / ISBN 978-1534325593 
** Collects issues #13–18 and the [[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|''Transformers'' story]] from ''[[Energon Universe Special 2024]]''.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V3.jpg|'''''Volume 3: Combiner Chaos''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers One (film)

2024-09-30T05:11:26Z

Pointblank:

{{Nav-one}}
{{movie|
|seriess=Transformers One
|prev=
|next=
|title=''Transformers One''
|image=Transformers One New Theatrical Poster.jpg
|caption=The motion picture you are about to see is an adaptation of the [[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]] story. While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for [[fandom|millions of people worldwide]].
|production companies=[[Hasbro Entertainment]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] Bayhem Films [[Paramount Animation]] New Republic Pictures
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Zev Foreman]] [[Olivier Dumont]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[B.J. Farmer]] [[Matt Quigg]]
|producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Aaron Dem]]
|story by=[[Andrew Barrer]] [[Gabriel Ferrari]]
|screenplay by=[[Eric Pearson]] Andrew Barrer Gabriel Ferrari
|directed by=[[Josh Cooley]]
|cinematography by=
|edited by=
|music by= [[Brian Tyler]]
|release date=[[September 20]], [[2024]]
|runtime=104 minutes
|budget= $75 million
|box office=
|credits=Transformers One (film)/credits
}}

'''''Transformers One''''' is an animated film released on [[September 20]], [[2024]]. It is written by [[Eric Pearson]], [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] from a story by Barrer and Ferrari,<ref name="deadlinereveal">[https://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref> and directed by [[Josh Cooley]].<ref name="cooleyreveal">[https://deadline.com/2020/04/transformers-animated-movie-paramount-hasbro-toy-story-4-director-josh-cooley-1202921100/ Animated 'Transformers' Prequel Activated; 'Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley To Direct For Hasbro/eOne & Paramount]</ref> The movie is an origin story set on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] three billion years ago<ref name="collidercinemacon">[https://collider.com/transformers-one-animated-movie-title/ New ‘Transformers’ Animated Movie Rolls Out a New Title at CinemaCon] on Collider</ref><ref name="screenrantsandiegocomiccon">[https://screenrant.com/transformers-one-timeline-setting-takes-place// When Transformers One Takes Place In The Franchise Timeline] on Screen Rant</ref> in the days before the Autobot-Decepticon war, and focuses on [[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (One)|Megatron]] as they go from brothers-in-arms to enemies.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />

{{bigquote|The line between friend and enemy is not as clear as I once believed. Once it's crossed, there is no going back. Because some transformations are permanent...|[[Optimus Prime (One)|Optimus Prime]]}}

==Synopsis==
Long ago, the benevolent [[Primus]] sacrificed his life essence to become the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and created the [[Thirteen|first generation of Transformers]], the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s. Through the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]], [[energon]] flowed freely from the planet's core, and the Primes ruled justly for a time. However, when the alien [[Quintesson]]s began a long war of invasion, the Primes were eventually slain, and the Matrix of Leadership was lost, leaving only [[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] to rule the planet in their absence after the Cybertronians relocated to massive underground cities, abandoning the dangerous surface.

[[File:TFOne Orion caught.jpg|left|thumb|300px|She's exhausted from the day's work. Uh, not that it was too much! We-we quite enjoyed it!]]
Fifty cycles after the war, Cybertronian society now relies on an underclass of manual laborers born without [[transformation cog]]s, including a caste of miners who physically extract what few veins of usable energon remain from the tunnels beneath the subterranean [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] City, while Sentinel Prime makes periodic journeys to the surface in search of the missing Matrix. One impulsive miner named [[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax]] has been searching for information regarding the Matrix, in the hopes that finding the artifact will restore Cybertron to prosperity and allow him and his fellow miners to choose their own path in life. Unfortunately, this search for information has led him to repeatedly break into the city's data archives without authorization. His latest attempt draws the unwanted attention of two [[Guard (One)|guards]] who have caught him several times in the past already, leading to a wild (and nearly lethal) chase through the skyways, through buildings, and eventually into the ground-level public transport station. Though the guards eventually catch up to Orion, the miner's friend [[Megatron (One)|D-16]] provides a distraction and sends the guards off on a wild goose chase. On the train to work, the pair discuss Orion's latest life-endangering adventure, and Orion, knowing that his friend idolizes the strongest Prime, gifts D-16 a rare first-edition decal of [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]]'s helmet he'd found.

[[File:TFOne Mine Explosion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|We're trying to get the funny man out of the well!]]
In the mines, D-16 and Orion work under the supervision of their go-getting captain [[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]], using [[jet pack]]s and deployable support poles to keep Cybertron's shifting geology stable long enough for them to extract raw energon. However, [[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]] accidentally hits a vein of unstable energon, and the ensuing explosions trap [[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] under a rockfall. Orion and D-16 defy protocol and use a jet pack to save their coworker, but the chaos ends up damaging and destroying a lot of mine equipment. One of the mine's guards, [[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]], blames Elita for the disaster, and informs her she's been demoted to waste management duty, despite Orion sticking up for her and taking the blame.

That evening, Sentinel Prime returns to Iacon to announce that he still has not found the Matrix; to take the blow off this bad news, Sentinel declares that the prestigious [[Iacon 5000]] race will be held the next day. Orion tries to persuade D-16 to join him in the race, hoping that they can prove to the rest of Cybertron that mining bots deserve respect, but D-16 has no interest in the idea. On the day of the race, Orion discreetly leads D-16 to the maintenance area inside the giant starting signal above the race's starting line; while D-16 is initially excited to watch from a perfect vantage point, Orion reveals his true intention as he straps jet packs to the two just as the race begins and they're dropped into the thick of a throng of racing robots. Using their jet packs and some quick thinking to compensate for their inability to transform, the two dodge the numerous traps and obstacles and briefly manage to take the lead, sending bots across the city into a frenzy, especially their fellow cogless miners. The pair are just about to limp across the finish line and take first place, but end up being run down by [[Chromia (One)|Chromia]], who snags victory for herself. The pair figure they can still be proud of second place... until several dozen other racers whip by them in vehicle mode.

[[File:TFOne Sentinel visits.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I seek to build an empire, and your only goal is to amuse yourselves by tearing it down. Have I taught you nothing?]]
In Iacon's medical center, where many, many racers have ultimately ended up, Sentinel Prime meets with Orion and D-16; the pair are immediately certain they are in ''massive'' trouble, especially when they're scanned by Sentinel's creepy aide [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] before his arrival, but it turns out it's quite the opposite. Sentinel ''loved'' their little stunt, and tells them that the miners' productivity after that showing was already at 150%. Sentinel offers them a chance to tour the mines and help inspire their comrades to work harder, with promises of some pampering along the way, and the pair quickly agree. However, Darkwing arrives before Airachnid can escort them to Sentinel's private quarters; infuriated that he nearly lost the race to the pair after they humiliated him, he drags them to the planet's fiftieth sub-level (ten levels below what they ''thought'' was the lowest level of the planet) and locks them in a trash incineration station.

The two bots soon meet the eccentric and exceptionally talkative [[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]], who has been trapped at the job of "look at garbage and take anything of value out before it's burned" for years, with only garbage statues for "company". When one of B's pals "[[Steve (One)|Steve]]" utters some electronic gibberish, Orion accidentally beheads the "bot", but discovers within the wreckage an old beacon from the Quintesson war, still broadcasting a set of coordinates located somewhere on the planet's surface. Orion, B-127, and D-16 decide to investigate, escaping the only way they can: by climbing up the dump chute. Ew. The trio stow away aboard an automated surface-bound garbage train but coincidentally encounter Elita-1, who now works the refuse line. She handily clobbers the three but ends up locked in the train with them as it departs. She heads for the front, intending to report them to security, a mad dash that gets all the harder as the train starts moving vertically towards its destination. She manages to pop a hatch and make it out of the train, and the trio gives chase, but all four are stopped cold as they're enveloped in light and they find themselves traveling along Cybertron's surface.

The four are stunned by the planet's natural beauty, only to become horrified as said natural beauty starts violently heaving upwards behind them, tearing up the self-building rail and scattering train cars. They run for it but are thrown off, waking in just enough time to completely miss another train, the rail un-building behind it. Elita is furious, but agrees to join Orion's search for the Matrix, on the conditions that 1) she's in command, 2) she holds the map, and 3) after they find the Matrix and bring it back, the other three turn themselves in for their idiotic plan and sing her praises to the authorities. Orion very quickly agrees, and the four head off, confused by the weird not-metal life growing on the surface. They spy a group of robotic quadrupedal lifeforms, which suddenly snap to attention and run for it as the ground begins to tremble. It's soon apparent the cause of their panic: a massive Quintesson spaceship! As the ship scans for any lifeforms (obliterating one of the Cybertronian fauna with a massive cannon blast when it ends up in the tracking beams), the four barely evade detection and the ship moves on.

[[File:TransformersOne-AlphaTrionTransformationCogs.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|Take the staff in your hand, Moses. With it, you shall do My wonders.]]
Soon they find themselves at the end of the map's trail, a hidden and extremely creepy cave. Inside they find a scene of absolute horror: the spot where the ancient Primes made their final stand against the Quintessons, the bodies of the thirteen lying broken and covered in overgrowth. Although the Matrix is nowhere to be found, Orion discovers that [[Alpha Trion (One)|Alpha Trion]]'s spark still pulses and uses an [[energon cube]] provided by B to revive him. The four attempt to bring Trion up to speed on recent events, but their mention of "Sentinel Prime" causes Trion to reveal the terrible truth: Sentinel is an imposter, a traitorous aide who led the Primes into a Quintesson ambush in exchange for "ruling" Cybertron under the invaders' command. However, when Sentinel tried to claim the Matrix after prying it from [[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]]'s corpse, the artifact judged him unworthy and disappeared. To appease his new masters, Sentinel has deliberately stolen transformation cogs from newborn Transformers to keep them producing energon in the mines; at Trion's urging, the four emerge from the cave to witness Sentinel pledging servitude to the [[Quintesson High Commander]] and learn the city's garbage trains are actually transporting Cybertron's dwindling energon supplies to Quintesson ships, leaving barely enough for the people of Cybertron. These revelations leave the bots horrified, but D-16 takes it the worst of all, having also looked up to Sentinel for years. Alpha Trion decides to give the team hope by gifting them the transformation cogs from four of the fallen Primes, as well as a recording of Sentinel's treachery. However, Airachnid spotted the four when they were watching Sentinel's meeting with the Quintessons, and a squad of Sentinel's [[Death Tracker]]s arrive. Despite his disrepair, Alpha Trion uses his leonine alternate mode to wipe out the squad, allowing Orion and the others to escape, but is quickly incapacitated by Airachnid.

The four bots have a very rocky time learning to transform in the middle of fleeing a squad of Death Trackers, tumbling downhill with only ''parts'' of them shifting into their new vehicle modes, but desperation forces them to adapt ''very'' quickly. Each one finds new abilities and an aptitude for combat, and soon they're able to destroy their pursuers. Overjoyed at their victory, they make the plan to use the incriminating information Trion gave them by returning to Iacon and exposing Sentinel as a traitor... although D-16 snatches the evidence and takes the lead, his ever-growing intensity and openly stated desire to kill Sentinel leaving Orion more and more unnerved.

Back in Iacon, Alpha Trion is brought before Sentinel, who mocks the "old-timer" and gloats about his station, complaining to Airachnid about the Primes' stuffiness and boring speeches. Trion's word of warning that Sentinel's time will soon be over only annoys the false Prime further, and in a fit of rage he kills the ancient Prime before sending Airachnid back to the surface to hunt down the wayward miners.

[[File:TFoneStarscreamSoundwaveShockwaveInterrogation.jpg|left|thumb|300px|You're playing with the big boys now!]]
Along the path to Iacon, a series of shots ring out, and each bot slips into stasis... Orion and the others are brought back online, bound (and gagged in B's case) as prisoners of the former members of Cybertron's [[High Guard]], who have been fighting a guerrilla war against the Quintessons ever since the fall of the Primes, led by [[Starscream (One)|Starscream]]. D-16 is not impressed, and giving into his growing rage, challenges Starscream's authority, and the two quickly end up in a brawl. While Starscream plays it tough even as D-16 crushes his neck and damages his speech module, his attitude soon changes as D-16 manifests a massive cannon on his arm, aimed directly at Starscream's head. The Guard quickly rallies behind their new leader, ready to take the fight to Sentinel... but Airachnid's forces arrive and ambush them.

[[File:TFOne Airachnid attacks.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Not much of a snake-charmer, are you?]]
Orion, having been buried in the battle, awakens when Elita drags him from the rubble to find that D-16, B-127, and much of the Guard have been taken prisoner, and the data crystal containing the evidence of Sentinel's betrayal has been shattered. Orion despairs, believing their quest to be hopeless now, but Elita won't have it. Though she's still not above taking some digs at Orion, she points out that it is the bot's endless ''optimism'' that makes him a true leader, one that can make bots do amazing (and occasionally amazingly ''stupid'') things. Orion takes the praise (and insults) and decides it's time to rally, and the two quickly formulate a plan; the Guard may be strong, but the last battle proved they aren't enough on their own, they need a true army... and Orion knows exactly where to get one. After Elita quickly shuts down any dissent from the remaining Guard (thanks to a very swift punch to [[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave's]] eye), Orion primes the warriors for the coming battle, with a cry of "''[[Roll out|Transform and ROLL OUT]]!''"

The captives have been brought to Sentinel's tower, where the puppet leader gloats over them, mocking Starscream's scrambled voice and sneering at D-16. But the miner does not cower or balk at all, declaring that he is not afraid of Sentinel, as he has nothing left to lose. Noticing the worn Megatronus decal, Sentinel reveals that he took Megatronus's transformation cog when he killed him, ripping the decal from the miner's arm before slapping it back onto his chest... and then, knocking the miner on his back, using a mining tool to crudely ''carve'' the Prime's face into D-16's chest.

Orion uses his new form to rocket-glide into the depths of Iacon City, entering the miners' quarters (and bodily hurling Darkwing aside in the process). Orion reveals the truth to the miners and rallies them to join forces with the High Guard and rebel against Sentinel's regime. Meanwhile, Elita, Shockwave, and [[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] have commandeered a returning "garbage" train, transporting the Guard into the city in a sneak attack. But the sudden appearance of hundreds of Death Trackers makes things look very bad for the plan... until Orion and the miners leap into the fray and cut a swath through the incoming horde, armed with their jet packs and mining tools. Airachnid attempts to kill Orion, slamming him into the train engine, and revealing the ''incredibly horrifying'' array of optics hidden in the back of her head. But her multi-scanning abilities give Orion a sudden idea as the train plows towards Sentinel's tower.

Sentinel, angered as D-16 once again attempts to rise up, is just about to blow the miner's head off when the train slams into his tower. Soundwave frees the prisoners and the fight spills across the city. Sentinel transforms into combat mode, but D-16 will not be deterred, the two launch into battle. Elita leaps into action, tackling Airachnid and attempting to take her prisoner (with only ''some'' gratuitously satisfying pummeling along the way). She drags the semi-conscious bot to one of Iacon's broadcast stations, and B makes a ''very'' over-enthusiastic entrance. Airachnid's memory banks are quickly scanned, and her memories of Sentinel's most recent meeting with the Quintessons are broadcast throughout the city, leading the populace to also join the fight.

Sentinel fares badly in his fight with D-16, and seeing his cowering before the Quintessons on dozens of screens, his empire in ruins, tries to flee, and when that fails, begs D-16 to spare him, claiming they can co-rule Cybertron. D-16 insists that Sentinel must die for his crimes, but Orion tries to convince his friend that they can be better than their enemies. D-16 violently disagrees, knocking his friend aside and readying the kill shot... only for Orion to leap in the path, the cannon blast tearing through his torso and sending him tumbling over the edge. D-16 grabs Orion's one good arm, horrified... ''that Orion would stop him from killing Sentinel''. With this betrayal, he vows he is ''done'' saving Orion from his mistakes and lets his dying friend plummet into Cybertron's depths. As Orion falls, D-16, insistent that there will be no more Primes, kills Sentinel by bisecting him with his hands. He then seizes Megatronus' cog from Sentinel's chest, replacing the one gifted to him by Trion, which transforms him into an even ''more'' battle-ready form. Declaring himself "Megatron", he commands the High Guard to destroy everything Sentinel built... in other words, what's left of the city.

[[File:One-Megs-Prime-face-to-face.jpg|thumb|300px|Goodbye... brother.]]
Meanwhile, the mortally wounded Orion falls through the planetary strata, which slides and shifts out of his way, until he finally reaches Cybertron's core. There, he encounters the spirits of the Primes as Trion announce that Primus has deemed him worthy for the future of Cybertron and to carry the Matrix of Leadership, reformatting Orion and restoring his spark to declare him the newest of the Primes: "Optimus Prime", before being sent rocketing back to the surface in a blaze of blue light.

Elita and B try and fail to stop Megatron's rampage, their former friend ready to kill them too, but Optimus smashes onto the scene. Megatron is incensed at this new betrayal both by his former friend ''and'' the Matrix itself, and launches himself at Optimus. During their fight, Optimus manifests a energy battle axe to fight against Megatron along with Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave before using it to destroy Megatron's new cannon. Optimus ultimately triumphs in their fight, and, unwilling to kill his oldest friend, reluctantly banishes Megatron and his new allies to the surface. Megatron seethes but decides that now is not the time, and takes his new army to the surface.

With the return of the Matrix of Leadership, Cybertron is restored to life: energon flows once again from the planet's core to the surface, and ''all'' of the cogless bots receive transformation cogs, becoming fully autonomous "[[Autobot]]s" who vow to defend Cybertron from any future Quintesson incursions. However, the Quintessons are not the only looming threat—though banished from Iacon, Megatron and his followers rechristen themselves the "[[Decepticon]]s" and swear revenge.
{{-}}

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=Miners
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax / Optimus Prime]] ([[Chris Hemsworth]])
*[[Megatron (One)|D-16 / Megatron]] ([[Brian Tyree Henry]])
*[[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]] ([[Scarlett Johansson]])
*[[Bumblebee (One)|B-127]] ([[Keegan-Michael Key]])
*[[Jazz (One)|Jazz]] ([[Evan Michael Lee]])
*[[Arcee (One)|Arcee]] ([[Jinny Chung]])
*[[Bluestreak (One)|Bluestreak]]
*[[Brawn (One)|Brawn]]
*[[Hound (One)|Hound]]
*[[Huffer (One)|Huffer]]
*[[Firestar (One)|Firestar]]<ref group=note name="uncredited">Denotes a character, or unidentified members of a group, who speaks, but has no credited voice actor. The performance was likely done by an ADR voice cast member.</ref>
*[[Ironhide (One)|Ironhide]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Mirage (One)|Mirage]]
*[[Moonracer (One)|Moonracer]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Prowl (One)|Prowl]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Ratchet (One)|Ratchet]]
*[[Red Alert (One)|Red Alert]]
*[[Sideswipe (One)|Sideswipe]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Smokescreen (One)|Smokescreen]]
*[[Sunstreaker (One)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Wheeljack (One)|Wheeljack]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Windcharger (One)|Windcharger]]

|h2=[[High Guard]]
|c2=
*[[Starscream (One)|Starscream]] ([[Steve Buscemi]])
*[[Soundwave (One)|Soundwave]] ([[Jon Bailey]])
*[[Shockwave (One)|Shockwave]] ([[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]])
*[[Skywarp (One)|Skywarp]] (Josh Cooley)
*[[Thundercracker (One)|Thundercracker]]
*[[Dirge (One)|Dirge]]
*[[Ramjet (One)|Ramjet]]
*[[Thrust (One)|Thrust]]
*[[Slipstream (One)|Slipstream]]
*[[Redwing (One)|Redwing]]

|h3=[[Thirteen|Primes]]
|c3=
*[[Alpha Trion (One)|Alpha Trion]] ([[Laurence Fishburne]])
*[[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]] ([[James Remar]])
*[[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]]
*[[Alchemist Prime]]
*[[Amalgamous Prime]]
*[[Liege Maximo]]
*[[Micronus Prime]]
*[[Nexus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Onyx Prime]]
*[[Prima|Prima Prime]]
*[[Quintus Prime]]
*[[Solus Prime]]<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Vector Prime]]

|c4=
*[[Sentinel Prime (One)|Sentinel Prime]] ([[Jon Hamm]])
*[[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] ([[Vanessa Liguori]])
*[[Quintesson High Commander]]
*[[Quintesson Soldier]]s
*[[Primus]]
*[[Death Tracker]]s<ref group=note name="uncredited"/>
*[[Death Tracker|Gold Tracker]]s
*[[Death Tracker|Silver Tracker]]s
*[[Guard (One)|Guards]] ([[Steve Blum]], Jason Konopisos-Alvarez)
*[[Announcer Bot]] (Steve Blum)
*[[Control Room Guys]] (Josh Cooley)

'''Racers'''
*[[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]] ([[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]])
*[[Chromia (One)|Chromia]] (Jinny Chung)
*[[Injured Racer]] ([[Dillon Bryan]])

|nonumbering=true
}}
<references group=note/>

==Quotes==
"Are you ''crazy?!''" 
"Sure feels like it!"
:—'''D-16''' and '''Orion Pax''' summing up their initial relationship.

"What do you think he's gonna do to us when he finds out that we know?!" 
"I'm not thinking about what ''he's'' going to do, I'm thinking about what ''we're'' going to do." 
"That's the whole thing! You're never thinking about anything else, just yourself. Fantastic! Another Orion Pax master plan! I can't wait to hear this!" 
"Don't you want to stop him?" 
"NO, '''I WANT TO KILL HIM!''' I wanna put Sentinel in chains and march him through the mines so everyone can see him for the '''false Prime''' that he is! I want him to suffer, and then to ''die'' in ''darkness.''"
:—The first cracks show in '''D-16''' and '''Orion Pax''''s friendship.

"They were one. ''You'' are one. '''ALL''' are one!" 
:—'''Alpha Trion''' inaugurates our heroes with the tried and true phrase.

"Uh, why is he gagged?" 
"He wouldn't stop talking." 
"Even when he was unconscious?" 
"''ESPECIALLY'' WHEN HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!"
:—'''Elita-1''' asks '''Shockwave''' about B-127's restraints.

"Listen to me, I really want you to hear this. Are you listening? I'm better than you." 
"Yeah, okay, I'm hearing you.." 
"I'm better than you in every way, except you have hope. You always have. You went back into the mine to rescue Jazz, you snuck up to the surface to find the Matrix of Leadership!" 
"Oh, yeah, and how'd that work out?" 
"My point is that your instincts tell you to break protocol for a ''reason''. This blind optimism that you have is why you make such bold and courageous choices. That are also extremely stupid." 
"First time giving a pep-talk?"
:—'''Elita-1''' attempts to give '''Orion Pax''' a pep-talk. ''Attempts'' to.

'''Soundwave''': "What is our first move?" 
'''Orion Pax''': ''(quietly and intensely)'' "We roll out." 
'''Skywarp''': "...what?!" 
'''Elita-1''': ''(quietly)'' "Louder!" 
'''Orion Pax''': "TRANSFORM AND ROLL OUT!"
:—Orion realizes that dramatic one-liners aren't that dramatic if no one can hear them.

"What defines a Transformer is not the cog in its chest but the spark that resides in their core... a spark that gives you the will to make your world better, and that is something Sentinel can ''never'' take from us. If we want to be in control of our own destiny, we will have to fight for it. Now is the time for us to stand up. For ourselves. Stand up for this injustice! I promise you, this fight will be worth it. Follow me; nothing can stop us when we stand together! Together as '''one!'''"
:—'''Orion Pax''' delivers his first heroic speech.

"It's over, Sentinel! You can't escape the truth!" 
"What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your newborn chests? Forced you to mine so I could pay off the Quintessons and live like a king? None of that matters! Because the truth... is. ''What. I. '''Make it!'''''"
:—'''Orion Pax''' learns '''Sentinel Prime''' won't go down without a fight.

"I'm ''done'' saving you."
:—<s>D-16</s> '''Megatron''' lets his ''former'' friend fall.

"Impossible... Primus gave ''you'' the Matrix?" 
"We could have built the future ''together!"'' 
"I'll build it myself, after I tear down everyone '''''IN MY WAY!'''''"
:-'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' set the stage for eons of conflict to come.

"We were given the power to change our world, and you chose to destroy it. Just like Sentinel. You have betrayed Cybertron and its citizens, and you betrayed... ''me.'' Go. Take the High Guard, and leave. You are... banished from Iacon. It didn't have to end this way." 
"This isn't over, ''Prime.''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Megatron''' share one final exchange.

"This is the greatest day of my life... I get to work for the ''government''!"
:—'''B-127''' knows a good benefits package when he sees one.

"And now we stand here together as one, proving we all have the power to transform; to become who we were destined to be; to right wrongs; to make our world better. Because here, freedom and autonomy are the right of all sentient beings. Here, all are truly ''Autobots''. This message is a warning to all Quintessons: If you dare return to Cybertron, the Autobots will be waiting. ''I'' will be waiting. I... am ''Optimus Prime''."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives his first dramatic ending monologue...

"Sentinel the betrayer is dead. But his death has given life to a new enemy...a stronger enemy... a ''personal'' enemy. We will not be blinded by his deception! We are the ones who are... '''DECEPTICONS! ''RISE UP!'''''"
:—...and '''Megatron''' gives the coming darkness its new name.

==Continuity notes==
The movie that would ultimately become ''Transformers One'' entered preliminary development in early 2015, when the project was first pitched as part of a writer's room that would lay out a number of sequels, prequels, and spinoff films that would turn the ongoing [[live-action film series|slate of live-action movies]] into a proper "cinematic universe", an attempt to cash in on the then-meteoric hype of the {{w|Marvel Cinematic Universe}}. Like pretty much all the other "cinematic universes" pitched at around this time, this ambitious vision was not to be: following the box-office bomb that was ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'', most of these projects were shelved, while others were heavily reworked—perhaps most infamously, ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' was reworked into a film that contradicted with the character's [[World War II]] flashbacks in ''The Last Knight'', shifting the film into a more ambiguous timeframe with regards to the other five live-action films.

It appears that a similar conceptual drift occurred over the course of ''Transformers One'''s production. When the film entered full production in mid-2020, ''One'' was said to be "separate and apart" from the ongoing live-action films, though at the time just how distinct the film would be from its predecessors remained a mystery.<ref name="cooleyreveal" /> When later asked if the film was a prequel to the live-action films, a reboot, or its own universe, director Josh Cooley answered "yes" to all of the above.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref> While a few details and visual nods—such as Bumblebee's original name of "B-127" and the incorporation of a closing monologue delivered by Optimus—referenced the live-action films, the film otherwise draws heavily upon the mythology first laid down in the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity family]], particularly in its depiction of Orion Pax and D-16 as former allies fighting against a corrupt Cybertronian government.

As the film's release date drew closer, multiple comments from the film's creatives indicated that the filmmakers viewed the movie as something entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films. In July, Josh Cooley stated that the film was set in a "new Transformers continuity"<ref>{{citesocial|quote= "Hey little nerd in my profile picture, what if I told you someday you'll create a new Transformers continuity, that begins earlier than anything you've seen on the Transformers lore timeline, with the greatest crew and cast ever assembled?"|link= https://x.com/CooleyUrFaceOff/status/1817235351095894510?t=Oju3b9v53cYIHlH4MLEsXg |name=Josh Cooley|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=7|day=27}}</ref>; in another interview from a week before release, di Bonaventura ultimately admitted that ''One'' didn't fit into the chronology of the live-action films, and described ''One'' and the live-action films as "two universes" that would be "[kept] separate".<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> These statements were ultimately borne out by the movie itself, which featured multiple plot points that are pretty much irreconcilable with the live-action films—early on, the film establishes that [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] is long dead, negating his appearance in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''; additionally, the movie ends with the newly christened Megatron killing Sentinel Prime, leaving no wiggle room for the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' to occur. As a result, the wiki has opted to treat the ''One'' franchise and any potential sequels as a new [[continuity family]], entirely separate from the ongoing live-action films.

==Transformers references==
* As with pretty much every major ''Transformers'' project since 2010, ''Transformers One'' is the latest interpretation of the modernized ''Transformers'' backstory that originated with [[Binder of Revelation|Hasbro's internal design documents]] and was first laid down in ''[[Transformers: Exodus]]''—the story of [[Primus]], the [[Thirteen|thirteen original Transformers]], and the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron as former friends who fought against inequality on pre-war Cybertron until Megatron's extremism drove them apart. Notably, this version of the story portrays both Orion and Megatron as [[energon]] miners on the bottom of Cybertron's caste system—most other interpretations have instead depicted Orion as a somewhat higher-ranking data clerk. While other tellings of the story have Orion advocating for non-violent social change, this take on the origin ends with Orion Pax working alongside the future Decepticons to directly overthrow the reigning Prime, evoking [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'' miniseries.
* Many contemporary works of pre-war ''Transformers'' fiction have established that pre-war Cybertronians organized themselves under a job-based [[Functionism|caste system]], with miners and other manual laborers occupying the lowest ranks of Transformer society. ''One'' features a very simplified version of this hierarchy, where Cybertronians without transformation cogs are an oppressed underclass while other Transformers receive additional rights and job opportunities.
* With the exception of D-16—whose origins as a low-ranking miner date back to IDW's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]''—all of the other miners shown in the film go on to join the Autobots, while the forerunners of the Decepticons are depicted as ex-members of the elite [[High Guard]]. This specific class divide dates back to the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" and, to a lesser extent, "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", which explained the war between the Autobots and Decepticons as an entrenched conflict between civilian laborers and military robots.
* All the character designs are far closer to their Generation 1 designs (both the cartoon and the original toys) than the previous films. Characters also earn their iconic design traits in pivotal scenes, such as Optimus Prime's [[Energon-axe]] and [[mouthplate]], or Megatron's [[fusion cannon]]. In the final scene, many miners gain details to match their Generation 1-selves even closer after they receive their cogs; in particular, Arcee gains her pink visor from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. Starscream, Soundwave, and Megatron's newly applied insignias in the post-credits scene are also in the same place as their original counterparts, with Starscream's even being upside-down!
* Optimus Prime's original identity of "Orion Pax" is a name taken from the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn". Notably, the cartoon's version of Orion Pax was also a manual laborer, although the film does seemingly pay homage to Orion Pax's other famous job by having him sneak into the Cybertronian Archives at the very beginning of the film.
* The 'bot who will one day be known as "Megatron" initially goes by the name "D-16", a moniker lifted from ''Exodus'' and itself based on the [[TakaraTomy]] ID number of the [[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original Megatron toy]]. D-16's original body—with a black, dome-shaped helmet and yellow eyes—references Megatron's [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel Comics appearance]], which in turn was based on concept art for an unproduced prototype version of the original Takara Micro Change figure. Much like Orion Pax, his modern gladiator job is paid homage in his fight with Starscream.
* B-127 is heavily based on his [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action film series counterpart]]: his helmet design and blasters bear a resemblance to his appearance in those films; additionally, his overly-talkative nature is a meta-gag about his "future" self being best known for not being able to speak. The name "B-127" derives from the [[Bumblebee (film)|''Bumblebee'' movie]], where, much like this film, he did not receive the name "Bumblebee" on Cybertron. B-127's battle mask resembles his [[Bumblebee (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart's]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#The Transformers|original toy]]; towards the end of the film, he fights with a pair of "knife hands" seemingly based on ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (games)|War for Cybertron]]'' Bumblebee's melee weapons.
* In general, Elita-1 doesn't draw upon as many specific references as her co-stars, although her purplish-pink color scheme and motorcycle [[alternate mode]] may be a reference to her [[Elita-One (Movie)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' design]]. Notably, of the four main protagonists, Elita's the only one who ''doesn't'' have an alternate alias—especially odd given that her [[Elita One (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] originally went by "Ariel" in the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn".
* Sentinel Prime is based on [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]], the former leader of Cybertron in the "Aligned" continuity. Like that version of the character, this take on Sentinel Prime is explicitly a "false" Prime who never carried the Matrix of Leadership, and a puppet ruler who was appointed to the position by the Quintessons. Design-wise, this take on Sentinel draws from his "Aligned" counterpart, his [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|''Dark of the Moon'' appearance]], and has details from his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]] and the thematically similar character, [[Nominus Prime]]. Sentinel's battle mode is inspired by his [[Apex Armor (G1)|Apex Armor]] from the ''Megatron Origin'' comic. He also has his [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]]'s glorious chin.
* Like Sentinel Prime, the Quintessons are primarily based on their depiction in [[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|''The Covenant of Primus'']], which depicted them as shadowy manipulators who ruled Cybertron and exploited its natural resources through a proxy government; notably, the Quintessons in the ''Covenant'' helped maintain their hold on Transformer civilization by withholding the power to transform from the general populace. In a notable deviation from traditional ''Transformers'' lore, the bodies and starships of the film's Quintessons appear to be organic in nature.
* Primus's design seen in the hologram Orion plays invokes his ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' appearance, even using a simplified version of [[Primus#Cybertron|his toy]]'s transformation scheme, but with the origins of his "Aligned" counterpart. The color scheme is drawn from his [[:File:WarWithinPrimus.jpg|Dreamwave look]].
* The Thirteen are primarily based on their "Aligned" counterparts for their backstory and designs. Nexus, Megatronus, Solus, and Alchemist Prime also draw from their ''[[:File:NexusPrimeflankedbyotherPrimes.jpg|Timelines]]'', ''[[:File:Megatronus.jpeg|Titans Return]]'', ''[[:File:SolusPrime-PowerofthePrimes.jpg|Power of the Primes]]'', and ''[[:File:TheCitizen IaconusCitizens.jpg|Cyberverse]]'' designs, respectively, while Vector Prime is based squarely on his [[:File:VectorPrimeGoldCG.jpg|original ''Galaxy Force'' concept art]].
* Megatronus is also inspired by his ''Revenge of the Fallen'' design, including his face being based on the Decepticon symbol (or vice versa in-universe), although it is far more obvious in this movie, coincidentally evoking [[Tarn (G1)|Tarn]]. Megatronus's face becoming the in-universe inspiration for the Decepticon symbol reflects the real life story of [[Soundwave (G1)|Generation 1 Soundwave]]'s face inspiring the iconic symbol.
* Alpha Trion's abilities to recreate and store memories as information calls back to the archival role of his [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Aligned counterpart]]. His alternate mode being a leonine beast with a unicorn-esque horn is a direct homage to his [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' toy]], itself based on his [[Alpha Trion (G1)#Toys|cancelled BotCon toy]].
* The mysterious [[Thirteenth Prime]] is replaced with Zeta Prime, who also takes [[Prima]]'s role as leader and Matrix-bearer, though Prima himself is still present. Zeta's design is also based on "Aligned" Sentinel Zeta Prime, as he appears in the ''War for Cybertron'' video game.
* The Thirteen are not actually referred to as the "Thirteen", but rather the Primes or the "Council of Elders", a term that originated in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''. This is likely because it would contradict Sentinel's narrative painting himself as a fourteenth Prime. Notably, none of the archives or displays of the Thirteen include Sentinel.
* The cameo miners mostly draw from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 1|1984 cast of the original cartoon]], along with the 1985 [[Female Autobots]], and recolors such as [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. The High Guard, meanwhile, are based on the endless Starscream recolors that have appeared throughout ''Transformers'', commonly known as the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], plus Soundwave and Shockwave. One of their helmet variations is based on [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|''Cybertron'' Starscream]]'s.
* Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream/the Seekers, and the cogged versions of Ironhide, Ratchet, and Arcee have details based on their ''Bumblebee'' designs.
*Starscream's/the Seekers' jet modes are also based on ''Bumblebee'', while Soundwave's vehicle mode is based on his [[Soundwave (ROTF)/toys#SS83|''Studio Series Bumblebee'' toy]]. Shockwave's alternate mode resembles his [[Shockwave (WFC)|''War for Cybertron'' counterpart]], and both he and Starscream/the Seekers have details from their [[War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toys]].
* Sentinel Prime's Death Trackers take heavy inspiration from ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s, in both their design and their role as generic enemy troopers.
*When Orion "transforms" to run away from the guards, he moves his limbs in a way that evokes [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Toys|his original toy]]'s transformation.
* The Matrix causing Energon to flow and 'killing' the planet when lost calls back to the [[AllSpark]].
* When discussing their mining ability, Elita says Orion "[doesn't] have the touch or the power," a reference to the [[The Touch|beloved song]] from ''The Transformers: The Movie.''
* The Iacon 5000 derives from the Marvel UK ''The Transformers'' [[Source:Darn 'n' Blast#Issue 326|issue 326's "Darn 'n' Blast" letter page]]. Many of the racers in the Iacon 5000 are characters from Generation 1 and ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'', with their colors and vehicle modes next to their names on the leaderboard, though they do not correspond to specific models except for the miners, Darkwing, and Chromia.
** Racers based on their Generation 1 counterparts include [[Mirage (One)|Mirage]], [[Clampdown (One)|Clampdown]], [[Silverbolt (One)|Silverbolt]], "[[Deadend (One)|Deadend]]", [[Slingshot (One)|Slingshot]], [[Cliffjumper (One)|Cliffjumper]], [[Dragstrip (One)|Dragstrip]], [[Swerve (One)|Swerve]], [[Powerglide (One)|Powerglide]], [[Jetstorm (One)|Jetstorm]], [[Windblade (One)|Windblade]], [[Afterburner (One)|Afterburner]], [[Blurr (One)|Blurr]], [[Fireflight (One)|Fireflight]], [[Cordon (One)|Cordon]], [[Breakdown (One)|Breakdown]], [[Swindle (One)|Swindle]], [[Tailgate (One)|Tailgate]], [[Lightspeed (One)|Lightspeed]], "[[Spinout (One)|Spinout]]", [[Greasepit (One)|Greasepit]], [[Scattershot (One)|Scattershot]], [[Inferno (One)|Inferno]], [[Motormaster (One)|Motormaster]], and "[[Hotrod (One)|Hotrod]]".
** Racers based on their ''Generation 2'' counterparts include [[Blowout (One)|Blowout]], [[High Beam (One)|High Beam]], [[Double Clutch (One)|Double Clutch]], [[Meanstreak (One)|Meanstreak]], [[Motormouth (One)|Motormouth]], [[Speedstream (One)|Speedstream]], "[[Roadrocket (One)|Roadrocket]]", [[Jolt (One)|Jolt]], and [[Staxx (One)|Staxx]].
** [[Override (One)|Override]] and [[Tankor (One)|Tankor]] are based on their ''[[Override (Cybertron)|Cybertron]]'' and ''[[Tankor (BM)|Beast Machines]]'' counterparts, respectively.
**Racers that are only named through dialogue are [[Tailwind (One)|Tailwind]], [[Strafe (One)|Strafe]] (spelled "Streak" in the Spanish subtitles), [[Skyfire (One)|Skyfire]], and original characters [[Thunderglide]] and [[Behemoth]]. Phew!
* B-127 naming one of his pals 'Steve' could be a reference to [[Steve (Vehicon)|Steve the Vehicon]], a popular fandom joke during the ''Prime'' cartoon that got official recognition in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 comic)|''Robots in Disguise'' comic]].
* After being knocked off the train and stranded on the surface, Elita-1 calls Orion, D-16, and B-127 a bunch of [[GoBots|go-bots]].
* The film's themes, "Resting Place of the Primes" and "The Fall", includes a leitmotif from the main theme of ''Transformers: Prime'', which was also composed by Brian Tyler. "The Fall" also plays a motif lifted from ''The Transformers: The Movie'''s "[[Death of Optimus Prime]]" in a different key. More specifically, the motif is from when [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] flatlines and dies. Fitting, as "The Fall" plays when Orion Pax is dropped into Cybertron's core and Optimus Prime is born.
* The notion of the Matrix actively rejecting an "unworthy" candidate and disintegrating was a plot point in ''Revenge of the Fallen''.
* Alpha Trion announces "All are one!" as he bequeaths the main quartet their new transformation cogs, a reference to the classic slogan "[['Til all are one]]!" originating from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* An empty Matrix chamber is visible behind Orion's chest window after receiving his cog, even before finding the actual Matrix.
* The throne Starscream sits on is loosely based on the crown his [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]] wore during his coronation in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.<ref>[https://youtu.be/fo7EwIlSNAs?si=8y1UWHCLv46WKzE7&t=190 Brian Tyree Henry & Josh Cooley Dissect The Evolution Of Megatron | Transformers One Behind The Shot]</ref>
*Soundwave scans Orion's electrical impulses to check if he is lying, a rarely referenced ability from his [[Soundwave (G1)|original toy's bio]].
*Shockwave's eye flickers when he speaks, just as it did in the original Generation 1 cartoon. Similarly, Optimus Prime's faceplate bobs up and down when he speaks.
* Starscream has a normal-sounding voice when he first appears, but after D-16 crushes his [[voice box]] during their duel, his voice becomes shriller and scratchier in the style of [[Chris Latta]]'s portrayal of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]].
*Shockwave and Elita have a small rivalry, reflecting their Generation 1 versions in Elita's introduction episode, "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]".
* Soundwave orders the High Guard to "[[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|eject]]" when descending on Sentinel's tower.
* During the battle in Sentinel Prime's tower, Orion leaps into the air and shoots one of the Death Trackers, with his midair pose homaging Optimus Prime's famous midair shooting pose from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Megatron is the 'bot who shoots Orion and leaves him on the brink of death until he is resurrected as Optimus Prime in what is likely a reference to the ''The Transformers'' episode "War Dawn". However, the specific framing of the scene—in which Megatron shoots Orion and drops him into the depths of the planet, only for him to find the Matrix and return as Optimus—is, however coincidentally, nearly identical to the events of [[Transformation (issue)|issue #9]] of ''Autocracy''. Orion finding the Matrix in the planet's core also evokes the climax of the ''War for Cybertron'' games.
* The fatal wounds Orion Pax sustained from D-16 before his descent into Cybertron's core strongly resemble the wounds Optimus Prime sustained at the end of the ''The Transformers'' episode "[[Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening]]".
* Megatron disposes of Sentinel Prime in the same manner that his [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action counterpart]] killed [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]]—by bisecting the bot with his bare hands. Similarly, this is also how the [[Rainmaker]]s disposed of Sentinel in the [[2019 IDW continuity]].
* When both Orion Pax and Sentinel Prime die, [[aggressive depigmentation|their bodies turn grey]].
* "Arise, Optimus Prime", intones Alpha Trion as Orion receives the Matrix, evoking the climax of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', in which a ghostly Optimus Prime said the same to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] as he transformed into Rodimus Prime.
* Megatron using a long piece of sharp, orange shrapnel to attack Optimus comes from their iconic fight in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Optimus using a defeated Shockwave's cannon to attack another enemy is a fighting move Optimus made in ''Dark of the Moon''.
* Megatron's last words to Optimus are, "This isn't over, Prime", bookending his line, "It's over, Prime", from ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* When restoring Cybertron's Energon supply, Optimus holds the Matrix in the same pose Hot Rod holds it when transforming into Rodimus at the end of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
* Optimus's concluding narration is presented as a "message" being sent into space, continuing the recurring concept of the ''Transformers'' films ending in such a way, introduced in the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]].
* In the post-credits scene, Megatron brands the Decepticon insignia onto his troops much like his [[Megatron (Animated)|''Animated'' counterpart]] did in "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]". Megatron also orders the Decepticons to "[[Roll out#Transformers_Animated|rise up]]", quoting his ''Animated'' counterpart who originated the phrase "transform and rise up" in "[[Megatron Rising - Part 2]]".
* While the newly christened Decepticons fire into the sky, the glow of the laser beams shines on Megatron's insignia in a way that homages the metallic effect of the [[:File:TF-G1-HD-Logo-Evil-Decepticon.png|original Decepticon ''The Transformers'' logo]], and many a [[scene transition]].

==Real-life references==
* One of B-127's "friends" is named [https://youtu.be/Dd7FixvoKBw?t=104 A-A-Tron].
* Optimus spins his Energon-axe in a very similar manner to the signature weapon of his [[Chris Hemsworth|voice actor]]'s [[Thor|most notable role]].

==Errors==
* Many of the miners based on recognizable characters appear multiple times in the background or between shots.
* Mirage, with the colors and land-based vehicle mode of his [[Mirage (G1)|Generation 1 counterpart]], appears on the leaderboard of the Iacon 5000, but one of the cogless miners is clearly based on Generation 1 Mirage.
* Chromia is the racer that wins the Iacon 5000, but a bot that better resembles [[Chromia (G1)|Generation 1 Chromia]] appears as a miner too.
* One of the cogless miners is clearly meant to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], with a black crest, red pelvis, and red pips on his shoulders. However, the scene after the Iacon 5000 in Iacon's medical center has a voice on the intercom paging a "Dr. Ratchet".
* The incriminating clips of Sentinel replayed from Airachnid's mind reuse clips from previous scenes of the movie instead of being from Airachnid's point of view. Most egregious is the footage where Sentinel and his entourage kneel to the Quintesson High Commander, where Airachnid herself is fully visible.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', features the original music by composer [[Brian Tyler]] and was released concurrently with the film. It notably repurposes a leitmotif from his work on [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|''Transformers: Prime'']] into this film's main theme. The composer, under his electronic side project "Are We Dreaming", also produced the end credits song, "If I Fall", featuring rappers [[W:Quavo|Quavo]] (of Migos fame) and [[W:Ty Dolla $Sign|Ty Dolla $ign]].

==Development timeline==
[[File:Transformers-One-Teaser-Poster.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''There can be miracles when you believe Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill Who knows what miracles you can achieve When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe'']]
* March 27, 2015 — As part of the development of ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|Transformers: The Last Knight]]'', [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" to build a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[https://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Among the writers hired are ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' scribes [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]], who pitch the concept of an animated ''Transformers'' prequel set in the [[Live-action film series|live-action series universe]].<ref name="barrerferrari">[https://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref>
* December 20, 2018 — Following the release of ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'', [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] hints in an interview that the animated prequel is still in the works.<ref>[https://www.metro.us/will-there-be-a-bumblebee-2-whats-the-future-for-the-transformers-universe-heres-what-its-producer-told-us/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura interview for Metro USA]</ref>
* April 29, 2020 — Director [[Josh Cooley]] (''Toy Story 4'') is reported to have been brought into the project to oversee a final draft, which is said to be "separate and apart" from the live-action films.<ref name="cooleyreveal" />
* May 18, 2021 — [[Allspark Pictures]] President [[Greg Mooradian]] credits the animated ''Transformers'' film on his Linkedin page with a 2023 release.<ref>[https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-mooradian-4a5062200/ Greg Mooradian's Linkedin:] "TRANSFORMERS (Animated Feature), with Oscar-winner Josh Cooley directing (2023 release)"</ref>
* May 24, 2021 — Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms the animated feature is in development, and will be released at some point after ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]''.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/05/24/tfw2005-coverage-of-49th-j-p-morgan-conference-434088 TFW2005 Coverage Of 49th J.P. Morgan Conference]</ref>
* January 21, 2022 — Paramount announces an untitled animated Transformers movie will be released on July 19, 2024.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-release-date/ Collider: New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Release Date Set For 2024]</ref>
* April 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura reveals that the entire film takes place on Cybertron, and the setting explores how they begin to question the hierarchy of how their society has gotten stratified, and how the common man doesn't have the voice that they want to have.<ref name=collider2023>[https://collider.com/transformers-animated-movie-characters-plot-cybertron-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ Here’s What the New Animated ‘Transformers’ Movie Is About (Exclusive)]</ref>
* April 21, 2023 — A day after the previous interview, di Bonaventura confirms [[Industrial Light & Magic]]'s involvement as the film's animation studio, bringing the company back to the franchise for the first time since ''Bumblebee''.<ref>[https://collider.com/new-transformers-animated-movie-ilm-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ The New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Is Partnering With an Industry Giant for the CGI (Exclusive)]/</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The first members of the film's voice cast are revealed, consisting of [[Chris Hemsworth]] as Optimus Prime, [[Brian Tyree Henry]] as Megatron, [[Scarlett Johansson]] as Elita, [[Keegan-Michael Key]] as Bumblebee, [[Jon Hamm]] as Sentinel Prime, and [[Laurence Fishburne]] as Alpha Trion.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/transformers-animated-prequel-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235596692/ ‘Transformers’ Animated Prequel Sets Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and More Voice Cast]</ref>
* May 24, 2023 — Paramount moves the film's release date to September 13, 2024.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/05/transformers-one-release-date-pushed-by-paramount-1235379167/ ‘Transformers One’: Paramount Pushes Date For Animated Feature]</ref>
* June 7, 2023 — di Bonaventura teases how the film stands out from previous entries in the franchise, praises Chris Hemsworth's casting as Optimus Prime, and mentions a vocal transition from Hemsworth's voice to [[Peter Cullen]]'s as the character for audiences to witness. [[Steve Desmond]] and [[Michael Sherman]] (''Knock at the Cabin'') were revealed to be additional writers for the film, but where uncredited when the final credit came in.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-comments/ 'Transformers One' Producer Is Already Hyped for Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime]</ref>
* June 15, 2023 — Scarlett Johansson discusses the film's animation and praises Cooley as director.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqG5mlRxzs Scarlett Johansson Says Transformers One Looks So Cool]</ref> Chris Hemsworth later brings details on voicing Optimus Prime for the film and his reasoning he joined the project through his love of the script. He confirms that he will not use his regular voice for the character.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWrsvSzWHoE Chris Hemsworth's Optimus Prime Sadly Won't Be Australian in Transformers One]</ref>
* July 20, 2023 — di Bonaventura confirms Optimus Prime and Megatron in the film will be depicted under their Orion Pax and D-16 identities.<ref>[https://onetakenews.com/2023/07/20/lorenzo-di-bonaventura-transformers-one/ Lorenzo di Bonaventura Teases Upcoming Film ‘Transformers: One’: “It’s Something I’ve Wanted To Do For A Long Time” (Exclusive)]</ref>
* December 15, 2023 — Keegan-Michael Key mentions his voice for Bumblebee is closer to his regular speaking voice.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLM71B5xmFY Transformers One: Keegan-Michael Key Reveals What Bumblebee Sounds Like in New Animated Film]</ref>
* April 11, 2024 — The cast of the movie previews the trailer and reveals a new logo for the film at Cinemacon 2024, The Hollywood Reporter also confirms [[Steve Buscemi]] has joined the cast.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-animated-movie-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235871998/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson and Brian Tyree Henry Debut Origin Story 'Transformers One' - The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> During the presentation, Hemsworth revealed that Cullen served as a consultant on the getting the voice down.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-news-film-is-testing-very-well-and-peter-cullen-consulted-chris-hemsworth-on-voice/48127/ Transformers One News: Film is Testing Very Well and Peter Cullen Consulted Chris Hemsworth on Voice]</ref>
* April 16, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry announce the date of the film's first trailer being on Thursday, April 18, 2024, as it will be launched into space.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-one-trailer-premiered-from-space/ The 'Transformers One' Trailer Will Be Premiered From Space - Collider]</ref>
[[File:TransformersOne-weatherballoon.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''So how do you judge what a man is worth? By what he [[Toy|builds or buys]]? You can never see with your eyes on Earth Look through Heaven's eyes Look at your life. Look at your life Look at your life through Heaven's eyes'']]
* April 18, 2024 — A livestream hosted by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry follows a small craft launched towards space, with a screen that plays the trailer once it reaches 125,000 feet. The movie's release date has been pushed back by one week, to September 20, reportedly to avoid the release conflicting with that of ''{{w|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice}}''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/04/transformers-one-trailer-release-date-1235889037/ ‘Transformers One’ Launches Trailer In Space, A First For A Movie Studio; Pic Going Later In September]</ref> When asked whether the film is a fresh start, a prequel to the live-action films, or its own thing, Cooley replies "yes to all of the above".<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/transformers-one-director-confirms-new-movies-canon-status/ Transformers ONE Director Confirms New Movie's Canon Status - ComicBook.com]</ref>
* May 20, 2024 — [[Brian Tyler]] is attached as the film's composer.<ref>[https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/05/20/brian-tyler-scoring-josh-cooleys-transformers-one/ Brian Tyler Scoring Josh Cooley’s ‘Transformers One’ - Filmmusicreporter.com]</ref>
* June 7, 2024 — Production for the film is revealed to be finished in the following month.<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2024/06/07/work-on-transformers-one-animated-movie-is-set-to-wrap-up-in-july-513038 Work On Transformers: One Animated Movie Is Set To Wrap Up In July - TFW2005]</ref>
* June 10, 2024 — A work-in-progress cut of the film was screened at the {{w|Annecy International Animation Film Festival}} to a standing ovation.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-scarlett-johansson-1235918820/ Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Transformers One’ Draws Laughs, Cheers in Its Annecy Debut - Hollywood Reporter]</ref>
* June 18, 2024 — Production designer Jason Scheier confirms animation for the film is finished.<ref>[https://twitter.com/ScheierJason/status/1803227407404638226/ Production Designer Jason Scheier's post on Twitter]</ref>
* June 27, 2024 — Sound-mixing for the film is finished, with production finally now complete around three months in advance of release.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/C8vPCEUS3Bs/ @CooleyYourFaceOff - Instagram]</ref>
* July 9, 2024 — A panel for the film has been announced for [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2024 on Thursday, July 25 at 11:45 am PST at Hall H.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-comic-con-1236004636/ Paramount Animation & Hasbro Entertainment’s ‘Transformers One’ Will Be More Than Meets The Eye At San Diego Comic-Con]</ref>
* July 13, 2024 — Chris Hemsworth, Bryan Tyree Henry, and Keegan-Michael Key reveal a new clip of the main cast transforming for the first time at the Kids' Choice Awards 2024.<ref>[https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1812285185427431646/ Post from the official Transformers account on Twitter]</ref>
* July 23, 2024 — Cooley discusses how ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' influenced ''One''.<ref>[https://ew.com/transformers-one-comic-con-preview-optimus-prime-megatron-origin-story-8676886 Transformers One director reveals how infamous 1986 animated movie influenced new prequel film]</ref> A screening of the finished film was shown at a fan-event at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles and in New York City.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/anime/news/transformers-one-review-first-reactions/ Transformers One First Reactions are Raving Over "Best Transformers Film to Date"]</ref> Hemsworth talks about voicing Optimus Prime in the film and how his depiction stands out.<ref>[https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-optimus-prime-orion-pax/ Chris Hemsworth on Becoming Optimus Prime for Transformers One (Exclusive)]</ref>
* July 24, 2024 — Several new posters are released, along with the announcement of a new trailer the following day at the SDCC panel.<ref>[https://twutter.com/transformers/status/1816111093917573615/ Second trailer announcement on Twitter]</ref>
* July 25, 202.4 — Details at the SDCC panel were revealed, along with the debut of the second trailer and Bucsemi's role announced to be Starscream.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2024/07/transformers-one-chris-hemsworth-comic-con-1236022134/ ‘Transformers One’ Ignites Comic-Con With Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry & Keegan-Michael Key: How Two Best Friends Became Immortal Enemies]</ref> [[Eric Pearson]] was revealed to be an additional writer.<ref>[https://www.awn.com/news/paramount-drops-transformers-one-trailer-2 Paramount Drops ‘Transformers One’ Trailer #2]</ref>
* August 21, 2024 — A new clip of Orion Pax and D-16 competing in the Iacon 5000 race is released on Paramount's YouTube channel.<ref>[https://youtu.be/7o-bGIBZxdc?feature=shared/ TRANSFORMERS ONE Film Clip IACON Race Begins (2024)]</ref>
* August 23, 2024 — Evan Michael Lee is revealed to be voicing Jazz.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Evanmichaellee/status/1826960202920530306/ Evan Michael Lee on Twitter]</ref>
* August 24, 2024 — [[Jon Bailey]], [[Jason Konopisos-Alvarez]], [[Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.]] and [[Vanessa Liguori]] are revealed to be voicing Soundwave, Shockwave, Darkwing and Airachnid respectively, with Bailey reprising his role from ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]''.<ref>[https://punto.com.ph/paramount-pictures-our-crew-rolls-deep-meet-the-voice-cast-behind-the-characters-in-transformers-one-in-cinemas-september-18/ PARAMOUNT PICTURES : OUR CREW ROLLS DEEP: MEET THE VOICE CAST BEHIND THE CHARACTERS IN “TRANSFORMERS ONE,” IN CINEMAS SEPTEMBER 18 on Punzo.com]</ref>
*September 6, 2024 — The film's credits song, '[[If I Fall]]' by [[Quavo]], is released.<ref>[https://youtu.be/M3FCIf0HFnk?si=NB1J3bT9XNPOpKCc/ If I Fall (Music from the Motion Picture Transformers One / Lyric Video)]</ref>
*September 12, 2024 — In an interview, Lorenzo di Bonaventura clarifies that ''One'' doesn't directly connect to the live-action films, and describes them as "two universes" that will be "[kept] separate". However, he notes that ''One'' will likely have an influence on future live-action projects.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/movies/news/is-transformers-one-a-prequel-optimus-prime-origin-story-exclusive/ Is Transformers One a Prequel or Reboot? The Animated Movie's Origin Story Is Both, Director Says]</ref> The film's review embargo is also lifted, and the film debuts with an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transformers-one-critic-reviews-are-out-currently-89-on-rotten-tomatoes/48337/ Transformers One Critic Reviews are Out, Currently 89% on Rotten Tomatoes]</ref>
*September 13, 2024 — The film's main theme is released.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFnuXrOH0fs/ Brian Tyler - Transformers One Theme | Transformers One (Music from the Motion Picture)]</ref>
* September 18, 2024 — An early fan event screening is held, preceded by a seven-minute featurette consisting of interview segments with Hemsworth, Henry, and Key, footage of main cast recording their dialogue, and some [https://twitter.com/damnyouwillis/status/1836584462341054907 hilarious trivia]. Attendees receive one of four exclusive keychains and poster prints featuring Orion Pax, D-16, B-127, or Elita-1.<ref>https://bleedingcool.com/movies/transformers-one-4-new-posters-tickets-go-on-sale-fan-screenings/</ref>
* September 20, 2024 — The first 300 ticket holders at participating theaters receive a poster print of {{w|Shadow the Hedgehog}} to promote the upcoming release of ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''.<ref>https://kotaku.com/sonic-3-shadow-print-transformers-one-theater-showtimes-1851649010</ref>

===Changes before, during, and after production===
* Although the broad story beats of ''One'' remained more or less consistent over the course of the film's development, the first draft—written before Josh Cooley's involvement—was a silly, joke-heavy script that was very different in tone from the final product. When first brought on to direct, Cooley pushed for a more serious treatment to bring the film closer in line to the usual tone of the ''Transformers'' franchise.<ref name="gizmodo">[https://gizmodo.com/transformers-one-director-interview-josh-cooley-easter-eggs-2000489187 ''Transformers One'' Director Josh Cooley Talks Lore, Easter Eggs, and Alternate Versions] </ref>
* An early draft had a scene where Orion and D-16 played an arcade game together, which would've featured an 8-bit version of "The Touch". The gag was eventually dropped, although the arcade machine and a different reference to the song made it into the final film.<ref name="gizmodo" />
* Another draft had D-16 as a gladiator, alluding to another part of the character's standard origin story, but ultimately this concept was cut for time.<ref>[https://www.indiewire.com/features/animation/transformers-one-star-wars-old-republic-interview-1235017651/ ‘Transformers One’ Director Talks Bringing the Franchise to Its ‘Old Republic’ Era - Indiewire]</ref>
* Originally, the film would've ended on a smash cut to the film's title, accompanied by a rendition of the classic ''Transformers'' [[theme song]]. However, Cooley decided that the scene would be overly self-referential, and instead [[Brian Tyler]] scored an original composition to close out the film.<ref name="gizmodo" />
*A shot of Orion, Elita, Soundwave, and Shockwave exiting the train after crashing into Sentinel's tower is not in the final film, and only appears in promotional material.

==Notes==
*As seen in the cast list above, Arcee and Chromia are voiced by Jinny Chung, the film's story / script coordinator. The Injured Racer is voiced by Dillon Bryan, Josh Cooley's assistant. Cooley himself cameos as Skywarp, the "Control Room Guys", and the PA system.
* Several international releases of the film are edited to cut away from Orion's "finger transformation" a few seconds earlier, as well as changing any mention of Bee's "knife hands" to refer to them as "sword hands" instead.
* The credits feature a dedication to former Hasbro CEO [[Brian Goldner]], who passed away in October 2021.
*Darkwing was named by Hasbro designer [[Mark Maher]], when his boss asked him "If this was a Decepticon flyer, who would it be?"<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/stories/markclonus/|name=Mark Maher|site=Instagram|year=2024|month=09|day=08}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/One''''' (トランスフォーマー/ONE ''Toransufōmā Wan'')
*''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Commencement''''' (France, "Transformers: The Beginning"), '''''Transformers : Un''''' (Canada, "Transformers: One")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Qǐyuán''''' (变形金刚：起源, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Início''''' ("Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Korean:'' '''''Transformer ONE''''' (트랜스포머 ONE ''Teuraenseupomeo ONE'')
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Nachalo''''' (Трансформеры: Начало, "Transformers: The Beginning")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers One''''' (Spain), '''''Transformers : Uno''''' (Latin America, "Transformers: One")

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:One| ]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Sentinel Prime (One)

2024-09-25T11:12:02Z

Pointblank:

{{factions|}}
{{disambig3|Sentinel Prime}}
:''Sentinel Prime is a Transformer from [[Transformers One (franchise)|One]].''

[[File:ONE-Sentinel Prime in Iacon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=2|Surely he must be more trustworthy than [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|the other]] [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|ones, right?]]]]

'''Sentinel Prime''' is the sovereign leader of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Sadly the last survivor of [[Thirteen|the original Primes]], he has nonetheless carried on the legacy of his fallen comrades by leading Cybertron into an era of peace and prosperity. He always encourages the mining class to work harder and harder, because they're those kind of good guys who don't mind working hard for everybody else, right?

Sentinel is the kind of leader who inspires everybody with his tales of bravery and heroism. He fended off those nasty [[Quintesson]]s and now his main goal is finding the [[Matrix of Leadership]] so Cybertron can thrive even more than it already is under his rule. He loves workers who can think for themselves, though! They're just what a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] needs to motivate the rest of their ilk into keeping up the hard work. After all, a Prime is nothing if he cannot inspire his people to stick to protocol and produce for their planet. No siree.

{{bigquote|Down here, the truth is ''what I make it''.|Sentinel Prime|''[[Transformers One (film)|Transformers One]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''One'' film===
{{voiceactor|[[Jon Hamm]] (English), [[Junichi Suwabe]] (Japanese)|[[Tom Beck]] (German), [[Olin Garces]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Fabrizio Pucci]] (Italian)}}
{{spoiler|Transformers One (film)|October 21, 2024}}

Sentinel was the chief advisor of the Primes but always craved power and control. Jealous of the glory of the Primes, Sentinel approached the Quintessons who had been attacking Cybertron with a deal. If he led the Primes into an ambush to be slaughtered, the Quintessons would allow him to appoint himself the new leader of Cybertron under their thumb who could provide them with a constant supply of [[energon]]. The Quintessons agreed, and Sentinel reported to the Primes that he'd intercepted a message about an important meeting of the high command of the Quintessons in a distant cave on the planet's surface. The Primes, eager to decapitate the leadership of the Quintessons, followed Sentinel to the cave only to be besieged by the aliens. The Primes nearly triumphed over their attackers until Sentinel chose a critical moment to turn on his superiors, slaying several including [[The Fallen|Megatronus Prime]] himself. After killing [[Zeta Prime (One)|Zeta Prime]], the battle was over. Sentinel went to claim his prize of the Matrix of Leadership, but it faded to dust due to his not being worthy. Down but not out, Sentinel declared himself Sentinel '''Prime''', took the deceased Megatronus' [[transformation cog]] as his own, and announced to Cybertron that the Quintessons were defeated and that he was the last survivor of the Primes. With the planet failing to produce fresh energon in the absence of the Matrix, Sentinel removed the transformation cogs of most of Cybertron's lower classes and put them to work mining for energon to produce a tribute to the Quintessons.

Sentinel entertained the masses with races such as the [[Iacon 5000]] and regularly claimed that he had been on searches for the Matrix to keep up morale for 50 cycles, while actually spending the trips hunting for the rebellious High Guard. During one Iacon 5000, Sentinel was surprised when he noticed two miners, [[Optimus Prime (One)|Orion Pax]] and [[Megatron (One)|D-16]], blast their way into the race and nearly triumph before losing at the last second. Sentinel was amused by the display but was pleasantly surprised when miner production of energon ramped up during the next worker shift. Sentinel approached the two miners and thanked them for inspiring the mining class to work harder and invited them to patch themselves up in his personal quarters, but also instructed them to make a publicity tour among the miners to hype up production even further. However, unbeknownst to Sentinel, [[Darkwing (One)|Darkwing]], nursing a wounded ego from the pair interrupting him during the race, reassigned them to waste management.

The time came for the next tribute to the Quintessons, and Sentinel delivered a portion of the required tribute alongside his lieutenant [[Airachnid (One)|Airachnid]] and some troopers. The [[Quintesson High Commander]] was very displeased with the unmet quota and threatened Sentinel, who promised to work his miners harder to make up for it. Sentinel ordered the mining shifts to work triple-time until they finally met the quota, unaware the whole exchange had been witnessed by Orion, D-16, [[Elita-1 (One)|Elita-1]], and [[Bumblebee_(One)|B-127]]. Sentinel sent Airachnid to investigate their trail, and Airachnid eventually found and delivered the weakened [[Alpha Trion (One)|Alpha Trion]], who had told the four young 'bots the truth, to him. Sentinel mocked the old-timer for his pontificating and killed him after learning that others had witnessed his true nature, and once again dispatched Airachnid to hunt down the threats to his lies.

Eventually, Airachnid returned with D-16, B-127, [[Starscream (One)|Starscream]], and a chunk of the High Guard as prisoners to Sentinel's tower. D-16 angrily confronted Sentinel for his treachery, but Sentinel laughed him off and insisted the truth would be whatever he declared it would be for Cybertron, and plotted to publicly execute his prisoners. When D-16 refused to kneel and continued to challenge him, Sentinel noticed his Megatronus decal and sadistically welded the symbol into his chest. Soon, however, an army consisting of Orion, Elita-1, and the remaining High Guard invaded and Sentinel soon faced a freed D-16 in combat. As the situation spiraled out of control, Sentinel was able to best D-16 in combat but noticed too late that Orion, Elita-1, and B-127 were using Airachnid's memories to broadcast his true nature to all of Cybertron, leading to a mass uprising. D-16 turned the tables on Sentinel and had him at his mercy until Orion took a [[fusion cannon]] blast meant for him. D-16 allowed Orion to fall to his apparent death and turned his attention back to Sentinel, tearing the false Prime in half with his bare hands and finally killing him for his atrocities. Shortly afterwards, D-16 took back Megatronus' cog from Sentinel's corpse, renaming himself Megatron.{{storylink|Transformers One (film)|One}}

==Toys==
===''One''===
{{anchor|RobotBattlers}}
[[File:TF-One-Robot-Battlers-Sentinel-Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Don't forget... ''you'' guys are the real heroes.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Sentinel Prime''' (Robot Battlers, [[2024]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': Energon sword, base
:[[Transformers One (film)|''Transformers One'']], Sentinel Prime transforms from a robot to a Cybertronian jet. The figure can be placed on a base in order to perform action moves with his included Energon sword by sliding the finger slots.

{{-}}{{anchor|PrimeChanger}}
[[File:TFOne Deluxe Sentinel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I don't make mistakes. I'm not like the rest of you. I'm stronger, I'm smarter, I'm better! '''I AM BETTER!''']]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Sentinel Prime''' (Prime Changer, [[2024]])}}</ul>
:*''Accessories'': 2 small blasters, 2 shoulder guns, blade/shield
:[[Transformers One (film)|''Transformers One'']], "Prime Changer" Sentinel Prime is a Deluxe-sized figure and transforms into a Cybertronian jet. He comes with two small dual-barreled blasters that attach to his wings via [[5 mm post]]s or be held in his hands, a blade/shield accessory (with molded turret detail) that can be held in his hand or forearm or store on top of his jet mode, as well as two longer [[Fire Blast effect|blast effect]]-compatible guns that can attach to the tops of his shoulders. He also features 5 mm posts on the underside of each wing, which his shoulder blasters can be attached to but otherwise don't serve a purpose. His wings are hinged to fold backwards for robot mode, but also have swivels that allow them to point his smaller blasters over his shoulders.

{{-}}{{anchor|CogChangers}}
[[File:Sentinel_Prime_Cog_Changer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Of course, if you breathe a word of this, I'll pull you apart bit by bit.]]
<ul class="iconlist">{{Bp-multi|'''Sentinel Prime''' (Cog Changers, [[2024]])}}</ul>
:[[Transformers One (film)|''Transformers One'']] "Cog Changers" Sentinel Prime transforms from robot to Cybertronian jet and back with a press on the cog shaped panel located on his chest.
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

===''Studio Series''===
*'''Sentinel Prime''' (Voyager Class, [[2025]])
[[File:SS TFOne Sentinel.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yummers.]]
**''Movie'': '''''Transformers One'''''
**Accessories: Beam Sword, 2 Blasters
{{toydesigner|[[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/live/52ddGYMyvpE?si=7l7OP6YeEB9W82xR&t=9841 Transformers Panel] at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2024]] with [[Ben MacCrae]], [[Evan Brooks]], [[Mark Maher]], [[Marcelo Matere]], and [[Nate Purswell]].</ref>

: Part of an undetermined wave of ''Studio Series'' Voyagers, Sentinel Prime is based on his appearance in ''Transformers One''. He transforms into a Cybertronian jet, as well as a battle mode from his fight against Megatron near the end of the film.

: Sentinel Prime was revealed at [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2024]] and went up for pre-order on [[September 17]], [[2024]].
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Blokees===
====''Galaxy Version''====
[[File:Blokees GV05 Sentinel.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|No, no, no, no. No God. The only man in the sky is ''me''.]]
*'''Sentinel Prime''' (2024)
**''Series:'' '''Galaxy Version 05 - One'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 open hands, 2 swords, spare peg-and-ball piece, spare ball-and-ball piece, stand

:[[Blokees]] Sentinel Prime is a 4.25 inch tall non-transforming buildable figure, appearing once in every case of nine blind boxes. As with the rest of his wave, Sentinel features an upgraded suite of standard body parts, with sturdier hinge joints and slightly more complex builds than their Generation 1 counterparts.

:Sentinel Prime includes the usual pairs of gripping fists and open hands, a pair of swords that he can hold in one hand, and a two-studded connectable figure stand.
{{--}}

===''Classic Class''===
*'''Sentinel Prime''' (2024)
**''ID number:'' '''14'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 rest hands, 2 grip hands, dual-bladed sword, energy shield, 2 shoulder blasters, 2 shin blasters, 2 jet feet, 2 figure stands, 2 energy effects
{{toystub}}
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[File:Sentinel-Prime-jet-mode-toy-packaging.jpg|thumb|270px|"Listen [[Megatron (One)|miner]]: I'm the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. And I can do whatever the [[Scrap (slang)|scrap]] I want!"]]
* Sentinel Prime is a pastiche of his different, often distant incarnations. His blue and gold color scheme, combined with his portrayal as a "false" Prime and a Quintesson-backed puppet ruler, evokes [[Sentinel Zeta Prime]], his counterpart in the [[Aligned continuity family|"Aligned" continuity]], while his wings and collapsible dual-bladed sword call back to his [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|live-action film counterpart]]. Meanwhile, his heavily armed battle mode appears to be inspired by his [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#2005_IDW_continuity|IDW comics counterpart]], specifically his [[Apex Armor (G1)|Apex Armor]]-clad form in ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' [[Megatron Origin issue 4|#4]]. One bizarre specific detail is that his ''knees'' apparently take their shape and detailing from the [[Sentinel Prime (G1)#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Sentinel Prime toy]]! He also shares some phisical similiarities with [[Nominus Prime]], a comic original character from the IDW 2005 continuity who, coincidentally, was also depicted as a puppet leader and false Prime with a cybertronian jet as alternate mode.
* Ironically, despite the importance placed on how he stole Megatronus' cog for himself, Sentinel never actually transforms in the movie, opting instead to fly around in robot mode. The Prime Changer toy's packaging (see image on the right) is so far the only piece of media where his vehicle mode is fully showcased.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sentinel Prime''' (センチネルプライム ''Senchineru Puraimu'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:One Transformers]]
[[Category:Studio Series characters]]

To sell toys

2024-09-22T02:20:36Z

Pointblank:

[[File:MarvelUS-19.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Hasbro wasn't quite sure whether to advertise this expensive toy until the fans forced their hand.]]
To understand ''Transformers'' fiction, it is important to understand that it exists '''to sell toys.''' [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] are toy companies, and they are primarily interested in continuing to sell [[toy]]s to children and adults. The cartoons, comic books, etc., mostly exist to make this happen. To be sure, they normally [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)#Reception|make a profit in their own right]], but this is regarded as mere gravy.

The "to sell toys" effect often distorts the fiction in interesting ways. Primarily, since you can't ([[Army-building|usually]]) sell someone the same toy twice,<ref>Although the toy lines from the [[live-action film series]] have given us multiple ''different'' toys of the ''same characters''.</ref> Hasbro and Takara constantly introduce new toys, and often require the creators of the fiction to introduce the new characters into ongoing storylines. Older characters (whose toys are no longer being sold) are shoved aside to make room.

Another effect of "to sell toys" is when the toys have gimmicks which must be explained in the fiction. Sometimes this is relatively easy, while other times it requires a lot of imagination on the part of the writers. Japanese-original shows such as ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'', ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'', and the various instalments of the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] often structure their casts and storylines around a single specific play feature, which is highlighted in just about every episode.

The UK [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|movie-based ''Transformers'' comic]] took this to more blatant heights. For its first year, it had a specific four-page feature every week called ''Top Gear'', which existed solely to promote the newest ''Transformers'' merchandise. ''Any'' merchandise. This led to readers being told how great [[Optimash Prime]] was. For the [[2010]] ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' game franchise, [[Ironhide (Movie)|''Ironhide himself'']] opened letters pages by telling readers how ''awesome'' the game was and how [[you]] should buy it.

{{bigquote|Truly, I'm speechless. Your species characterizes the infinite wonders of the churning, whorling, chaotic cosmos through the lens of... merchandising?

I can see why Swindle loves you idiots.|[[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]] on the concept, [[Ask Vector Prime]].}}

==Casting==
===Huge casts===
[[File:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Pokeformers|Gotta catch 'em all!]]]]
Hasbro makes a lot of toys at once, and they generally want all of them to appear in their fiction. This can force writers to bring in vast numbers of characters all at once, sometimes with awkward results. Examples include:

*The first issue of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Generation 1 comic]], "[[The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers]]", in which ''twenty-eight'' different robots appeared and introduced themselves, even though only a handful are important to the plot.
*"[[The Special Teams Have Arrived]]", a free mini-comic given away with issue [[Rock and Roll-Out!|#54]] of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel UK]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|comic]], notoriously introduces the reader to ''twenty-four'' new Transformers in just three pages. Granted, four of those are the [[Combiner|combined forms]] of the other twenty, but that's still a lot of new names to remember.
*The 1987 ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' Limited Series, which introduced over ''sixty'' characters in the course of four issues, including all the first waves of [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], all their [[Nebulan]] partners, the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], and [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.
*The cartoon episode trilogy "[[The Rebirth]]" likewise abruptly introduced well over ''forty'' of the 1987 toyline characters, mostly the same ones seen in ''Headmasters''. In both cases, this wasn't helped by the fact that the nature of Headmasters and Targetmasters meant every new toy had to effectively get two introductions.
*In the first four episodes of [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the 2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon]], eighteen characters are introduced in quick succession.
*From #9 onwards, [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's movie-based ''Transformers'']] heavily bumped up the cast with new toys. In one example, #17 brought in nine new toys in eleven pages; only one of the five Decepticons got any real focus or dialogue.

===Random casting===
The Hasbro-induced need to show all the toys can also cause stories to suddenly focus on a new character, sometimes dropping ongoing plot threads about older ones. Examples include:

*Season 2 of the cartoon introduced many new characters/buyable toys with no explanation; despite never having been seen before, the story treats them as though they have [[Beachcomber (G1)|been there]] [[Perceptor (G1)|the whole]] [[Tracks (G1)|time]]. [[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1|One episode]] even hinges on this idea.
[[File:Decepticonpretenders-behold.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|After seven issues, it's finally time for these six dudes to do something!]]
[[File:FlamesofBoltax-Triggerbots.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Apparently, the Triggerbots didn't make much of an impression on Prime.]]
*The comic issue "[[Pretender to the Throne!]]" suddenly introduces a dozen Autobots and Decepticons that we've never met before, and follows their adventures. The story adds nothing to the long-range plot that couldn't have been accomplished by using existing characters; these teams were added to the mix to promote their new toys.
*Many issues of the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]] had cover blurbs in the form "Introducing the _______!", where the blank was whatever the latest line of toys was. The following issues specifically introduce new toys on the cover: [[Repeat Performance!|#8]], [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|#10]], [[Brainstorm!|#11]], [[Command Performances!|#19]], [[Aerialbots over America!|#21]], [[Crater Critters|#29]], [[The Cure!|#30]], [[Pretender to the Throne!|#40]], [[People Power!|#42]], [[Ca$h and Car-nage!|#46]], [[Club Con!|#47]], and [[Yesterday's Heroes!|#60]]. Throw in a few covers where new characters were pictured but not named, and that's 1/5th of the series.
*In [[Spacehikers!|issue #36]] of the Marvel comics, when [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] decides that he needs help in dealing with [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s inept leadership, he doesn't turn to any of the ''dozens'' of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], which include two combiner teams and Omega Supreme. No, he has to call in his "old buddy"/new toy, [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]].
*In the prelude to the [[Underbase Saga]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] were the lead characters in a story set before the Transformers came to [[Earth]]. But rather than palling around with the likes of Jazz or Soundwave, they are instead shown alongside the newest "gimmick" characters, the [[Triggercon]]s and the [[Triggerbot]]s.
*[[Mainframe Entertainment]] planned to use [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] in ''Beast Wars'', but [[Tigatron]] appeared instead because he had an upcoming toy, and to save money as his CGI model was only a slight tweak of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/9c79c4226fc6dd28/30c3cdf158ea6e52?lnk=st&q=bob+forward+beast+wars+tigatron+wolfang&rnum=1#30c3cdf158ea6e52 Ben Yee relays some info from Bob Forward in regards to Wolfang being replaced by Tigatron in the Beast Wars cartoon]</ref>
*Rather than revealing stuff about the [[Vok]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], a long-running subplot, "[[Other Victories]]" spends much of its time telling us how great [[Tigerhawk]] is and how we should buy his toy.
*Material released by both [[3H Productions|3H]] and [[Fun Publications]] tends to release characters from various series and continuities and then write stories featuring every character (usually with a particular focus on that year's box set), which often leads to some bizarre casting choices. [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] were all retroactively added to [[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]] and [[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]] because they wanted to do toys of them that year. The [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]] version of [[Tracks (SG)|Tracks]] is introduced from nowhere, has minimal characterization, and doesn't do anything, because they wanted to do [[Tracks (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Tracks's 2010 toy]] in [[Diaclone]]/[[Road Rage (G1)|Road Rage]] colors. And pretty much every story taking place in the [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon|Classicsverse]], ostensibly a [[Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel G1]]-based series, will introduce or reintroduce characters who were dead (the various [[Underbase Saga]] casualties), not even implied in the original stories ([[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]]), or [[Female Transformer#Marvel Comics continuity|don't make sense in that universe to begin with]] ([[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]). Sometimes this gets a token justification, other times not.
*The [[First (and Second) in Flight|sixth issue]] of ''[[Transformers Animated: The Arrival|The Arrival]]'' stops following the regular cast so it can flag the awesome cool out-now-in-shops [[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] toy.
*Prominent generals in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Titan's movieverse]] Decepticon army change frequently and without any acknowledgment as new toys jostle for (and gain) space.
*[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] and its lead-ins were packed with ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' toys, so suddenly ''Beast Wars'' characters [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] are in G1. Things got worse in later issues when [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] and [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]] needed a comic; Tankor berates Starscream for a few panels in [[No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|''Dark Cybertron'' #6]], while Crosscut and [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] briefly halt the plot in [[The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|''Dark Cybertron'' #7]] to tell you who Crosscut ''is''. Then he vanishes. They did end up getting increased roles in IDW fiction later, though.
*For "[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]", several Autobots had to abruptly depart the ''[[Lost Light]]'' for Cybertron so they could appear in their combiner teams. In the case of [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], this was despite him having just become the Chief Medical Officer: a long-running plot!
*[[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] appeared in the IDWverse after a seven-year absence in ''[[Starscream: The Movie (comic)|Starscream: The Movie]]'' and ''[[The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine]]''. The fact that those two oft-ignored characters had new ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' and ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' Legends Class toys released recently probably had something to do with the matter.

===Limited casting===
On the opposite side of things, Hasbro doesn't want to pay to depict characters that aren't selling toys. This can force a story, particularly an animated cartoon, to have a smaller cast than it otherwise might.

[[File:Metamorphdeceps2.JPG|upright=1.1|thumb|The full might of the Decepticon army.]]
*The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] and [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|early Marvel comics]] both featured an oddly lopsided cast, particularly at the beginning, with the Autobot forces on Earth outnumbering the Decepticons two to one. This difference was never really acknowledged, though the cartoon also used [[generic]]s to make it look like Megatron had more than four guys, three pets, and [[Reflector (G1)|a camera]] under his command.
*The early episodes of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' featured only the toys available on the shelves. This resulted in two ridiculously small teams going to [[Earth]] for the all-important mission of gathering Mini-Cons, rather inexplicable in story terms.
*[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Both the Dreamwave]] and [[Transformers: Armada (Panini)|Panini comics]] suffered exactly the same problem, but it gets worse: [[First Encounter|The first ''Armada'' episode]] reused models of older Transformers as [[generic]] background guys to bump numbers up. The comics ''didn't''. So Megatron apparently conquers all of planet Cybertron with an army of three guys, whereas the city/planet defending Autobots are just five blokes.
*Dreamwave would also [[Dreamwave Armada issue 10|feature a scene on Cybertron]], where the ''only'' Autobot who seemed to exist was [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]].
*For [[Transformers: Movie Prequel|the movie prequels]], IDW got around this by deciding that [[Dreadwing (Movie)|Dreadwing]] was going to be a [[Class Alpha drone unit|series of drones]] instead of one guy, allowing for really big battle scenes despite a then-limited number of toys. (It would later turn out there was ''also'' a Dreadwing who was one guy.) Titan Magazines would borrow this, and turn other Decepticons into drone series too.
*It seems unlikely that four bots and their human partners would be sufficient to handle every emergency on [[Griffin Rock]], but those four bots [[Transformers: Rescue Bots (toyline)|were the only ones on shelves at the time]] (other than [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus]] and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]], who were needed [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|elsewhere]]), so they were the ones who went into [[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|the show]]. As the toyline expanded, toy characters Blurr, Salvage, High Tide and Quickshadow were introduced into the cast.
*''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|Kingdom]]'' acts as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', but only includes characters who were slated for the first three waves of the accompanying toyline (with the exception of [[Tigatron]], likely due to the ease of retooling [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]'s animation model into a spare character). This means that notable cartoon characters like [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] or [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] who didn't have toys in the first three waves never put in an appearance in the season. To compensate for the Predacons having depleted ranks as a result, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] stays with the Predacons for most of his screentime while [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] was turned into a group of generics; Predacon [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] also says many Predacons have been lost in his war with the Maximals.
{{-}}

==Plot==
===Forced explication===
{{main|Introdump}}

Rather than simply showing up in the background, new toy/characters often overtly introduce themselves, often with a ridiculous description of their special abilities. The Marvel comic is rife with examples, but it shows up across numerous fictions.

[[File:Introdump decepticons marvelus01.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Reflector is actually here, he's just buried underneath a pile of speech bubbles.]]
*Again, [[The Transformers (issue)|''Transformers'' #1]] has two huge splash pages in which 28 characters do nothing but stand around and tell each other who they are and what they can do.
*Towards the end of "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", Jazz puts together a strike team. Naturally, he does this by calling out their names one by one, so that the camera can cut to each Autobot in turn and show them transform in noticeable detail.
*The two-part original ''Transformers'' cartoon episode "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1|Dinobot Island]]" features many new 1985 characters getting their own short little introductory scene, often with a characteristic bit of self-description ([[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]: "I'd rather stay in my stunning auto mode!" [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]: "I'm ''always'' ready for action!" [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]: "Wow, like, I hope we don't destroy this place before we can study it!")
*"[[The Rebirth]]" has ''three different sequences'' in which large new groups of characters form a lineup and introduce themselves to viewers one after another. Strangely enough, much of this screen- and dialogue-time is given over to Nebulan partners; the "main" Transformer characters get no such introductions, even though they are the items kids would have to purchase to acquire the Nebulan accessories. For instance, [[Spasma]], [[Monzo]], and [[Peacemaker]] (all speaking characters) are introduced by name as part of various lineups, but their in-store hosts [[Apeface]], [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]], and [[Pointblank]] are never named (and Weirdwolf never even speaks).
*"[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]" has the Maximals walk on one-by-one admiring their [[beast mode]]s, loudly explaining their names and showing character traits. This even gives the impression they deliberately changed their names to fit these new beast modes for no apparent reason.
*Crosscut and Swerve fill in Crosscut's backstory and job during a fight. That's all Crosscut does in [[The Dead Are Not Enough: Dark Cybertron Chapter 7|''Dark Cybertron'' #7]].

===Gimmicks===
{{main|Gimmick}}
When the toys can do something special, fiction writers must often go out of their way to show the gimmick in action.

*The ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 .28Scramble City and 2010.29|Scramble City]]'' category of G1 combiner teams have the ability to freely swap around their limbs. Because of this, an unusual amount of Japanese fiction focuses on the idea of characters swapping limbs, best shown by ''[[Scramble City: Mobilization]]'', with rather variable consequences, and sometimes resulting in the creation of [[Scramble 7|whole new combiner characters]]. Sometimes, this purportedly results in some kind of increase in power or the combiner gaining different traits, but these changes are almost invariably told more than shown. In some cases, simply [[Free-Combination|changing the arrangement of an existing set of limbs]] is cited as something that can vastly alter a character's capabilities, with little real explanation.
*The Headmaster gimmick got [[The Transformers: Headmasters|an entire Limited Series comic book]] devoted to it.
*The comic issue "[[Pretender to the Throne!]]" features [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] proudly creating the [[Pretender]]s, gloating that they will hide the Decepticons' identities from the Autobots "until it is too late". Not only does the plan not actually work, it's also a plot point with absolutely zero lead-in or build-up—at no point has Scorponok ever expressed concern about his troops being detected by the Autobots (if anything, considering the altmodes of his troops, he seems to be the ''least'' concerned with stealth), nor has he demonstrated the science skills to pull this off, and we've never even met the Pretender characters before. It was brought about solely because the new toys had to be jammed into the story. (The, uh, story of returning Optimus Prime's character to the comic book because he had [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|a new toy]].)
*[[Rotor Force]] made their debut in "[[New Dawn]]", and both here and in subsequent ''Generation 2'' issues would primarily fight enemies not with guns like everyone else, but by firing their giant rotors at them. Page 3 of ''New Dawn'' actually shows them having to ''stop and reattach their rotors'' before they can carry on fighting.
[[File:Mistaken Identity Galvatronscourge.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|[[Johnny Yong Bosch|It's Morphin Time! MASTODON!]]]]
*The [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' franchise]] [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] had six alternate modes and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|the cartoon]] really wanted you to see them, which is why [[Battle Protocol!|his first appearance]] was as ''a giant hand punching through a building for no apparent reason''. The series would also make it routine for him to use different modes for specific purposes: He would arrive to battles in Jet Mode, observe fights and command his troops in Robot Mode, personally engage his foes in Dragon Mode, and retreat from battle in Bat Mode. His Car Mode and Hand Mode would be used far less often than those four, but situations that deliberately called for their use ''would'' still crop up. Things got even sillier when he turned into Galvatron and gained four ''more'' modes. In "[[Mistaken Identity]]", he turned into his "Iron Mammoth" form to brace himself against a hostile [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]]... only for the form to prove ''useless'' when Maximus called off his attack. His griffin form was later made out to be his most powerful form, which he used prominently during the series' [[The Final Battle (RID)|final episode]], while his Pteranodon and hydrofoil modes would each only be used once, in cases where Galvatron barely did ''anything'' in those modes (much like the case with his mammoth mode).
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] and [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] are the only Autobot jets in the ''Animated'' line. (Not counting the toyless [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]].) To fully big this up, their origin story has it that there have ''never been'' any flying Autobots before, despite them having been in (and won) a long and bitter war with enemies who ''often fly''. This one was silly enough that [[Endgame, Part I|a later episode]] explicitly joked on this, pointing out that there were multiple Autobots before and after Jetfire and Jetstorm with some kind of flight capability.
*The second season of the 2015 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon coincided with the release of the [[Deployer (WFC)|Deployer]] toys, which fire smaller [[Mini-Con]] figures. Suddenly, every Decepticon in the cartoon was partnered with a Mini-Con or two, even Decepticons who'd appeared in the past as solo operatives.

The [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]], noted for its gimmicks in all three toylines, was particularly notorious in this regard:

*The quest for power-enhancing [[Mini-Con]]s practically defined the plot of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' cartoon, with both factions out to recruit or capture all the Mini-Cons.
*[[Powerlinx]]ing is shown again and again and again in ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', despite having comparatively little relevance to most episode plotlines. In fact, due to the fact much of Energon's action was firefights, Powerlinxing seemed to be a disadvantage, since it resulted in a single larger Autobot shooting instead of two smaller ones.
*[[Cyber Key]] powerups are likewise shown repeatedly in ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].'' In this case, while most characters had basic weapons, the Cyber Keys were necessary to unlock hidden weaponry or special techniques. So, for example, Optimus might be able to shoot at the Decepticons with a smaller firearm, but to fire his larger cannons he would need to summon his Cyber Key. Some characters, however, needed their Cyber Keys to activate what one would expect to be their main weapons (e.g. Starscream activating his Null Ray Cannon).
*All three series were also marked by lengthy transformation sequences which highlighted the gimmicks in very toy-accurate animation (and also made production cheaper, thanks to [[Stock footage|recycled footage]]).

===Strange developments===
Shoehorning loads of new characters with new powers can compel the writers to do things with the plot that, in all probability, they otherwise wouldn't.

*Marvel UK had to promote the [[Special Teams]] toys ''before'' they knew how they'd be appearing in the US reprints. To get around this, [[Simon Furman]] wrote a story arc titled "[[Second Generation!]]", where [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Optimus and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] <s>watched an advert</s> saw a Matrix-induced vision of the Special Teams in action. These events were previewed in "The Special Teams Have Arrived", nine issues earlier, with no indication that they were part of a vision, making their place in continuity uncertain.
*In the US Marvel comics, the simultaneous introduction of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] and [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] and the introduction of the Pretenders both saw a lot of rigamarole involved in explaining why both the Autobots and the Decepticons had new members with identical numbers/gimmicks at the same time.
*Season 3 of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]] almost completely ignored the characters of the previous two seasons that were no longer on toy shelves. The 1985 Autobot cars, for example, are not seen at all. [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] and the 1985 Mini-Vehicles, by contrast, show up now and again, as their toys were still shipping. Even Starscream, who was ''dead'', managed to get a couple of Season 3 episodes all to himself; again, his toy sold through 1986.
*One season later, "[[The Rebirth]]" — the last episodes of the entire series — was almost entirely spent on introducing new characters and giving old ones upgrades, leaving just barely enough time to provide any kind of conclusion.
*''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' was absolutely crazy about this. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus]] (whose toy was long gone) kicks the bucket only three episodes in for the sake of a sacrifice that would be nullified only a few episodes later, putting new(er) toy [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] back in the command chair for a short while. In the tenth episode, Rodimus departs the series and hands the title of Supreme Commander to brand-spanking-new toy [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], who's had a few months, tops, of combat experience. Much like Season 3, ''Headmasters'' also ignored most of the Season 3 regulars ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, the [[Quintesson]]s) or removed them altogether, sometimes fairly dubiously ([[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] and [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] leave with Rodimus, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] gets shot a bit and dies, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is buried in ice and nobody digs him up until ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|Battlestars]]''). By the end of the series, the only remaining Autobots from the first three seasons were the [[Special Teams]], [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] and his cassettes, [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]].
*[[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 2|''Transformers Comic-Magazin'' #2]] wrote an entire story devoted to Optimus sternly explaining which Autobots and Decepticons were on sale in [[Germany]] in 1989. The reason he had to? [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] had ''shot an Autobot''!
*The first thirteen issues of the ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' comic were focused around the Mini-Cons, with plots often revolving around their desire to be seen as equals and not be enslaved. Then without ''any'' prior set-up, the last five issues turn into a dimension-spanning battle against [[Unicron]]—who had just had a new and expensive toy.
*[[Tigerhawk]] debuts in "[[Other Victories]]", where he's the reason the Predacons lose their base and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] is killed. This disrupts any ending for the Tarantulas/[[Vok]] storyline, as the episode is left with little time to properly explain the mysteries of either character and the plot of last episode, Tarantulas trying to destroy the whole ''Ark'', is reduced to two lines about the [[Tripredacus Council]].
[[File:Samprowl.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|<s>Upgrades are bad.</s> Upgrades are GOOD. We have always been at war with <s>Eurasia</s> Eastasia.]]
*"[[A Fistful of Energon]]" has [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] learn not to use upgrades, and he gives up using powerful samurai armour. But whoops, Hasbro thought "hey, we could make a toy out of that armour"! And so in [[Five Servos of Doom|a later episode]], Prowl ''regains'' it and the show hurriedly claims that the upgrade is fine ''now'' because Prowl realizes now that it's the Autobot, not the upgrade.
*The [[France|French]] decided to be good sports and start using propeller-driven nuclear bombers again in [[All Hail Megatron issue 11|''All Hail Megatron'' #11]], just so [[Octane|Tankor]] could be used.
*[[Ransack (ROTF)|Ransack]] has been on Earth for a while, in hiding from other Decepticons while he waits for orders from [[the Fallen]] in "[[Transformers Comic issue 2.7|Turnabout]]". Ransack is a member of a race that can scan any object and take its form as a disguise. Ransack moves around in the cunning disguise of ''a 100-year-old plane''. (At least, unlike the previous example, the oldness of the alt mode was pointed out.)
*In Titan's ''Revenge of the Fallen'' comic, [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] go from being [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee's]] responsibility to bugging [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] to being [[Sideswipe (Movie)|Sideswipe's]] responsibility in the space of three issues, all to allow each issue to focus on a specific toy-bearing movie star. Similarly, only one or two Decepticons per issue are sent on a mission, when presumably the Fallen might want to send loads of guys to silence the twins.
*In ''Dark of the Moon'', nearly all of the Transformers switch from built-in weaponry to handheld weaponry. It just so happens that the gimmick of the ''Dark of the Moon'' toys was that they had "MechTech" weapons that could be held by any other figure.
*Also in ''Dark of the Moon'', most Autobots transform into [[Stealth Force]] mode, a weaponized vehicle mode that allows them to access various weapons in their otherwise defenseless disguises, an incredibly useful combat mode that's never used in any prior or later films. Uniquely, this was something Hasbro came up with for the toyline on their own; director [[Michael Bay]] decided to incorporate it into the film only after seeing what they were working on for the then-upcoming toyline and taking a personal liking to it.
*The [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toyline]] was the ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#BH|Beast Hunters]]'' line, which took hold at about the time of the [[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|show]]'s third season, which was given the subtitle of the imprint. In the episode "[[Project Predacon]]", [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] awkwardly redubs [[Team Prime]] as the "Beast Hunters", when they begin looking for Predacon fossils. The Autobots must've felt the same way as we did about the sudden name change, since really only the protocol-obsessed [[Ultra Magnus (WFC)|Ultra Magnus]] begins using the term. Thanks to behind the scene troubles and the whole concept being a late addition to the series, the team never actually ''hunts any beasts'', as only three Predacons ever take a central role in the story.
[[File:YouMeAndTheUniverse-Scoopcolors.jpg||thumb|upright=1.4|Talk about "shoehorned in".]]
*The [[subline imprint]] for the ''Generations'' line from 2015 to 2016 was ''[[Combiner Wars (franchise)|Combiner Wars]]'', hence IDW's tie-in comic had to introduce a heapload of combiners in a universe that regarded combination as a lost art with unpredictable side-effects. (Devastator, Menasor, Superion, and Monstructor were around, but they had each been introduced separately, and each with their own unique explanations, over the course of ''ten years''.) Enter the [[Enigma of Combination]], an artifact of Nexus Prime with the power to merge any Transformers into a combiner. Not only is this artifact used on Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, it is also used on Optimus Prime and other selected Autobots to create [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]. The fact that Optimus had two Combiner Wars toys (one released, one upcoming at the time of the story's publication) might have influenced this decision.
*Also, the big toy of 2015 was a Titan Class Devastator... in his classic configuration instead of IDW's newly introduced 'Prowlastator' form. Unfortunately, Scrapper had been long dead and hence was unable to take his spot as the combiner's leg. However, IDW had another bulldozer-bot conveniently lying around — [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]. Naturally, he was merged with the other Constructicons by the aforementioned Enigma, restoring Devastator's classic silhouette.
*A long-running plot thread of ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'', starting all the way back in [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue 5]], was [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]] preparing [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] to succeed him as the ''[[Lost Light]]''{{'}}s Chief Medical Officer. [[Our Steps Will Always Rhyme|Issue 40]] ''finally'' sees Ratchet stepping down and leaving the ship (so he could participate in the events of ''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]''), officially declaring First Aid "the new Chief Medical Officer"... but after only two issues in his new position, [[The One Where They Go to Earth|issue 43]] sees First Aid himself leave the ''Lost Light'' under a flimsy in-story pretense so he could participate in the events of ''Combiner Wars'', appointing [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] as his own successor (although he would later return to the ''Lost Light'' following the conclusion of ''Combiner Wars'').
*In a follow-up story, Galvatron creates two combiners out of random soldiers and foes. To plug the new merch, these are called [[Galvatronus (CW)|Galvatronus]] and [[Sky Reign]] but most of the characters that made them up in toy form were either on Cybertron, the ''[[Lost Light]]'', or dead at the time. Unusually for this page, Hasbro allowed IDW to use random limbs as long as the names were right but this leads to the comic pimping a toy you can't buy (though you could make it with others), and in Galvatronus' case a toy that doesn't even have the same face as in the comic.
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===Awkward continuity===
[[File:Earthforce.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This happened... er.... look just buy the toys, ok?!]]
Sometimes the requirement to feature new toys can be so strong that continuity takes a major backseat and stories are produced that feature combinations of characters that make the story very difficult to slot into the main continuity. The Marvel UK comic was especially prone to this as it could not always foresee where, when and how characters would be introduced:

*The ''[[Transformers Annual 1985]]'' contains many stories featuring toys from the 1985 release long before they were formally introduced in the regular comic, often interacting with other characters who would be out of action by then. As a result, few of the stories easily fit the continuity of the weekly comic.
*The demands of Hasbro UK for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] to be featured heavily even before the US ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]'' mini-series was available meant that both the ''[[Transformers Annual 1987]]'' and the regular strip "[[Worlds Apart!]]" contain a slightly different set of events that are at odds with the mini-series.
*The requirement to give prominence to the rereleased toys in the [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] range resulted in one of the biggest continuity trainwrecks of all, [[Earthforce]]. Over three decades later fans are still uncertain where it fits in continuity, and even [[Simon Furman]] admits to being unsure.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Looking back, as I try my hardest not to do, it's very hard to tie the Earthforce stories into a specific time frame (in terms of the US continuity), because (if I'm brutally honest) I didn't try too hard to make it work in the first place. By that point, I was just trying to tell a bunch of fun UK stories that didn't necessarily impact on the larger (US) storyline. How was I to know 15 or so years later people would be trying to reconcile it all?|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914233035/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_furman.php|name=Simon Furman|site=TransFans.co.uk|title=Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'|year=2004|month=08}}</ref>
*Germany's ''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin]]'' started in 1989 and reprinted older Marvel US and UK strips. Since, of course, these would rarely show the current toys, Comic-Magazin ran text stories from #2 that showcased ''completely different'' Transformers that were on Earth at the same time, and just happened not to be seen in the strips.
*Trapped between the need to pimp toys and the problem of not knowing what the plot of ''Revenge of the Fallen'' would be, Titan just threw up their hands and unambiguously set their lead strip in [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)#Alternate universe|an alternate universe]]. Similarly, the [[Dark of the Moon (video games)|video games]] for ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]]'' were all prequels so that the games would not directly contradict the then-upcoming movie's plot while still using some of the characters and settings who would be featured (some minor plot contradictions ''did'' occur, but few fans have ever accepted the video games to be in perfect continuity with the films anyway).
*Based on evidence from various sources, it's been speculated that the episode "[[Starscream's Ghost]]" was originally meant to star [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], who at the time had been exiled from the Decepticons and was on somewhat friendly terms with the Autobots. Instead, his role was taken over by new toy [[Octane]]. The only other episode to prominently feature Octane, "[[Thief in the Night]]", which was aired ''after'' "Starscream's Ghost", kinda sorta explains his falling out with the Decepticons—except it doesn't: While said episode ''does'' have him go rogue, not only is he ''still'' a bad guy—by the end of that episode, ''Galvatron is no longer on bad terms with Octane''! Likewise, the episode "[[The God Gambit]]" starred [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], Starscream and Thrust, with Astrotrain (a new toy at the time) taking on a leadership role more akin to Megatron rather than the bus he's reduced to in almost every other episode.
*The Japanese broadcast of ''Animated'' outright skipped "[[Rise of the Constructicons]]" and "[[Sari, No One's Home]]", as they largely revolve around the toy-less [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] and [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]]. Meanwhile, "[[Sound and Fury]]" was moved up to be the first episode to air after the pilot to promote Soundwave's toys, which is at odds with continuity since Megatron only came back online during "[[Home Is Where the Spark Is]]", which was pushed to air ''after'' "Sound and Fury".
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===Power levels===
In order to make new characters seem more ''totally awesome'', they're often depicted as ultra-powerful in their initial appearances. Once they become old news, they frequently seem to lose their super-charged abilities.

*The original ''Transformers'' cartoon introduced [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] as the ultimate threat. Once newer combiner teams came along, however, he was less of a threat, easily defeated at various times by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and even [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]].
[[File:Buzzsawyikes4.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Buzzsaw reminds Omega Supreme he's not a new toy any more.]]
*The Marvel comics feature [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] as nigh-invulnerable and ultimately powerful in [[Command Performances!|his debut issue]], slaughtering all but two of the Decepticon forces sent to attack him. Just [[Dark Star|two years later]], he's getting his butt handed to him by the likes of [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], one of his original victims. He was also drawn as [[Scale|truly colossal]] in his first appearance, before becoming just a head taller than [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] by the time of his death.
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], in a weird case of this, actually seemingly ''[[Scale|shrank]]'' between the third season of the G1 toon and [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'']], going from being drawn as a genuine giant to barely bigger than the average combiner. Even in official [[scale charts]], he dropped from being shown as 800 meters tall to about 45. This was likely to avoid upstaging new-kid-on-the-block [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus.]]
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] was, amazingly, something of a threat in early episodes; he holds his own against [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] in his debut. He only became significantly weaker than the other Predacons during the second season.
*In her first appearance on the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] effortlessly blasts [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] to pieces. She never displays such a level of power again.
*Similarly, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was presented as a huge threat when he first appeared, but just a few episodes later, he seems just slightly tougher than the average Predacon (save for a few notable occasions).
*[[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] was actually a credible threat for his first couple of episodes.
*The [[Commando (RID)|Commandos]] were far more powerful and competent than the Predacons, who were made even ''less'' powerful and competent as episodes went on. Remarkably, this was actually used in the plot, with Megatron focusing on the new toys while the Predacons became underdogs trying to get their old status back and one-up the new guys.
[[File:ArmTVTidalWave.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Before he shrank in the wash.]]
*''Any'' new toy character in the Unicron Trilogy cartoons is almost guaranteed to win the day's battle.
*[[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]] was a staggering behemoth as big as the sky in his introduction, and his ability to combine with Megatron gave the battle advantage to the Decepticons until his equally powerful counterpart [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] was introduced. By the time of the ''Energon'' cartoon, Tidal Wave is just this tall guy (but not as tall as he used to be) and is treated as just another Decepticon, even after he gets a body upgrade in the form of "Mirage".
*When the newly redecoed Jetfire and [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus]] combine in Dreamwave's Armada comic, they are so powerful ''they can hurt Unicron himself''.
*[[Jungle Planet (colony)|Jungle Planet]] ruler [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]] was incredibly powerful when he was first introduced, but later on, he's getting slaps on the wrist by [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] and [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], and schooled by [[Bud Hansen|Bud]], ultimately becoming more of a sympathetic comedic bumbler than a credible threat.
*The Decepticons in ''Animated'' started off as being so horrifically powerful that the entire Autobot team had to take on a ''single'' one. By Season 3, this no longer happens. Uniquely, this was ''deliberate'' by the writers: they wanted to show the Decepticons as supreme threats, and have the Autobots gradually being better at dealing with them.
*The [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] in ''Prime'' started off pretty tough; easily wearing down [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] in a group, then just two giving [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] and [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] a tough time. In the next episode, they've got Stormtrooper aim, and basically exist to give the Autobots someone to kill while saving the named Decepticons from the scrapheap. It gets to the point where in the third season, [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] actually ''counts'' on the Vehicons failing to execute [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]], and Wheeljack makes several amusing comments about the Vehicons' incompetence.
*Additionally, the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]] started off as nightmarishly strong monsters. One wears ''[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]]'' to the point of exhaustion before dying (admittedly, Megs was deprived of his main asset when Airachnid webbed his fusion cannon). However, for the remainder of the series, the Insecticons are just as weak as the Vehicons, being blasted down in one shot, despite a return to form in "[[Tunnel Vision]]" and "[[Toxicity]]" (the latter of which saw the debut of notorious Autobot killer [[Hardshell]]).
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===New bodies===
There's rarely a compelling reason for a Transformer to get a brand-new body in fiction; it's simply to promote a new toy. It has become a default way to keep a popular character on shelves, rather than having to kill them off and introduce a new character to keep moving toys. Sometimes fiction writers are able to work these alterations in elegantly... sometimes not.

[[File:Bumblebeeskindeep.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Ratchet pulls a Kitty Pryde on Bumblebee.]]
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] was rebuilt into Goldbug following his near-destruction... and was later re-rebuilt back into Bumblebee to sell the [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|new Classic Pretender toy]]. The reason given in [[Skin Deep|the comic storyline]] was that [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] reverted him without his consent because Ratchet liked his old form better, something Bumblebee is strangely fine with.
*Season 2 of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' introduced the new [[Transmetal]] toys in short order, requiring some strange sci-fi waffling to explain why members of both teams suddenly got special new bodies. The writers had originally planned to introduce these changes gradually, across the length of Season 2, but Hasbro ordered them to be brought in immediately. (The slow-and-gradual notion would eventually appear during Season 3.)
[[File:Retailbuyer decisiontree.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
*The [[Unicron Trilogy]] cartoons feature [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] getting recolored and renamed "Galvatron" ''three times''; at the start of each subsequent series, he's given a different body but called Megatron ''again'', because the name "Megatron" just sells more toys. (This also means Hasbro gets to keep the [[trademark]] "Galvatron".) The Japanese versions handled this differently (with Megatron known as Megatron throughout Armada even after his upgrade, and being known as Galvatron throughout all of Energon) due to different trademark laws. Galaxy Force (the Japanese version of Cybertron) played it straight with Master Megatron being upgraded into Master Galvatron.
*Several times during the Unicron Trilogy, characters get new paint jobs as part of some magical power-up enhancement. These new color schemes exist solely to promote redecorated toys like "[[Ironhide (Energon)|Energon Ironhide]]" or "[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys|Powerlinx Hot Shot]]". Even the comics got in on the action, introducing the redecorated versions of Jetfire and Optimus during the Unicron arc.
*The three future members of the [[Cybertron Defense Team (Cybertron)|Cybertron Defense Team]] get shot up by Megatron, then transmogrify through the power of [[burning spirit]] into new forms. These new forms, of course, were just hitting shelves at a toy store near you.
*In the course of the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] gets irritated at a slight against his alternate mode, and scans a new form. Voilà, suddenly he's got ''two'' toys on the shelf! He later pulls the ''exact same thing'' in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', but by now, he's been established as having a fragile ego, explaining the constant desire to switch alternate modes.
*When [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s ''Transformers'' comic originally came out, there were no Generation 1-themed toys to flog, and many characters were given altered designs for the series. Then along came ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'', featuring new toys of Generation 1 characters, and suddenly multiple characters get new, toy-accurate bodies in ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'', for no apparent in-story reason. Later, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] even gets a namechange to ''Silver''streak to fit his toy.
*Sometimes, IDW's comics don't even bother with a reason: you just get the latest issue and a character suddenly resembles the latest toy. This can sometimes be explained as artist interpretation, but at other times...
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] was originally grey, but when he was reunited with the ''Animated'' Decepticons, he changed his colours to purple while referring to it as his proper look. Why he changed colouration to go undercover was not explained, but it may have something to do with a purple-coloured Shockwave toy being out when that episode aired.
*In ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] start out as an old ice cream truck combiner but after a disastrous mission [[NEST]] decides to upgrade them to new individual [[General Motors]] vehicles. New toys ''and'' product placement!
*[[Starscream (Armada)#Generations|''Armada'' Starscream]] got a new toy in 2014. There wasn't an ''Armada'' comic but there ''was'' a Generation 1 comic with a Starscream, which was then [[pack-in material|packed in]] with the toy series including Armada Starscream. And lo and behold, for ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]'' Starscream got a new body! A year later, he swapped to ''another'' body for "[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]", which was his then-new Leader Class toy, and several issues were devoted to him choosing it and then flaunting it. Then again, this ''is'' Starscream we're talking about...
*[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] finally got a new toy as well. Problem is, his comic body didn't look much like the toy. Then, in ''[[Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Dark Cybertron Chapter 11]]'', he revealed his new invention: reactive armor that changed his body to look like his opponent's. Who did he use this armor to battle? Why, it's Starscream, the guy his toy was retooled from!
*2015's "[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]" comic series brought back almost all of the combiner characters that have appeared in the IDW continuity thus far. However, [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] was apparently killed by [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] quit the Stunticons... so that [[Alpha Bravo]] and [[Offroad (CW)|Offroad]] can replace them! Meanwhile, Starscream rebuilds Devastator; not only does Devastator suddenly resemble his toy counterpart, but [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] is no longer a required member of the combiner team, leaving him free to combine with Optimus Prime and company to become the brand-new combiner [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]. Superion and Menasor, who had made previous appearances in IDW fiction, are both rebuilt by the [[Enigma of Combination]], causing their bodies to more closely resemble their toy counterparts.

===Character pimping===
Characters with toys may get more attention than those without:

*"[[Matrix Quest]]" has four separate teams on a mission. You could use any three Transformers in one of these teams, right? Nope, Furman has toys to promote: out go nine new Autobot characters and three existing ones with new toys.
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge's]] presence in all three of his first three ''Beast Wars'' episodes: one for his origin, another for him joining the Maximals after all, and then an abrupt appearance at the very end of "[[Cutting Edge]]" where he turns up and single-handedly drives off a Predacon force.
*When ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)#Japanese release|Animated]]'' was released in Japan, episodes focusing on the [[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicon]]s were never broadcast on television (instead being reduced to bonus content on the DVDs), as the Constructicons did not have toys. The episode order was also rearranged (and thus the internal narrative of the series, as well) so that episodes introducing new toys could air earlier than those that didn't.
*IDW's ''[[The Transformers: Spotlight|Spotlight]]'' came back in 2013 in order to promote six of the upcoming ''Generations'' toys. Even [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], a little-used character who would never have been given a ''Spotlight'' otherwise! (Initially published through Diamond and Comixology as per IDW's usual practice, these comics were subsequently packed-in with the toys they were based on, aiming to use the higher sales of the toys to boost comic sales in a "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" scenario.) Likewise, Waspinator, having a new toy out in late 2013, began making appearances and took on increased importance in the IDW universe. An upcoming [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] toy brought forth a Tankor appearance in Dark Cybertron. The opening arcs of the second seasons of ''More Than Meets The Eye'' and ''Robots in Disguise'' (as well as ''Windblade'' vol. 1) in 2014 also heavily feature casts of characters with new toys, such as Nightbeat, Rattrap, Arcee, and Jetfire.
* When [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]] frees some Decepticons in the second season of ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'', the freed 'Cons include his former minions [[Clampdown (RID)|Clampdown]] and [[Thunderhoof (RID)|Thunderhoof]], yet not the other two members of the Pack, [[Fracture (RID)|Fracture]] and [[Underbite]]. He instead frees [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]], [[Groundpounder (RID)|Groundpounder]], [[Overload (RID)|Overload]], [[Quillfire (RID)|Quillfire]] and [[Springload (RID)|Springload]]. There's no reason to neglect those who have already proven to be able to work together in the Pack (and thus Steeljaw should know would help in his eventual coup), except for the fact that the toys of both Fracture and Underbite had already sold, and the newly freed Decepticons have new figures on the shelves.

===Abrupt conclusions===
[[File:MarvelUSG2-12.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|It's the end of the road for Transformers Generation 2! That can't bode well for the toyline.]]
Just as ''Transformers'' fiction lives at Hasbro's pleasure, so too does it die. Falling sales, a change of plans, and standard [[rebranding]] can all cause a storyline to come to a sudden end when Hasbro decides to pull the plug.

*The American Generation 1 cartoon got a somewhat rushed conclusion in the form of "[[The Rebirth]]", rather than a full fourth season.
*The Generation 1 comics were nearly canceled at [[On the Edge of Extinction!|issue #75]], but granted a reprieve. The stay of execution was only temporary, however; with the Generation 1 toyline ending, the comic was terminated a mere five issues later, resulting in a rather hasty concluding plotline.
*Hasbro was only willing to support the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic]] for twelve issues, unless it proved an unqualified (perhaps phenomenal) success. Aware of this from the start, writer Simon Furman was able to plot a story arc that reached its finale as the series ended (and poked fun at it with a character whose name is a pun on "[[Jhiaxus (G2)|Gee, axe us]]".)
*The writers of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon reportedly never had any idea if they'd be back for another season. When the axe fell with Season 3, they had only three episodes left to wrap up the whole series.
*Hasbro nearly killed off the just-begun comic series ''[[Transformers: The Wreckers|The Wreckers]]'' in 2003, wishing instead for [[3H Productions|3H]] to focus on a ''[[Transformers: Universe (comic)|Universe]]'' comic advertising its current toyline.
*Even though ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' wasn't abruptly canceled, Kids WB ended the series on the [[cliffhanger]] of the episode "[[Revelation (episode)|Revelation]]", leaving millions of kids tuning in next time only to get a re-run of ''Xiaolin Showdown''. The reason? The Cybertron Defense Team toys hadn't hit stores yet.
*With ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' coming out in June, Titan had to end their alternate universe storyline in May so they could tie in early—an issue earlier than planned. The main strip handled this, with the notable exception of [[Jazz (Movie)#Titan Magazines Transformers movie comics|the Jazz plot arc]] going completely unresolved, but it played havoc with working out the IDW reprints!
*According to [[Rik Alvarez]], IDW was asked to drop their G1 continuity and move to the brand-spanking new [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]] one. (They said "nah".)
{{-}}

==Death==
===Killing off old product===
[[File:Tftm1986a.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Guess who's no longer in the Mini Vehicles case assortment?]]
[[File:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Publisher's clearing house.]]
[[File:BW Scorponok Terrorsaur deaths.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Scorponok, Terrorsaur, we're condemning you to a fiery death 'cause Waspinator has a bigger fan club.]]
The most obvious To Sell Toys effect comes from the temporary nature of retail sales. Even in the 1980s, toys rarely stayed on the shelves past two years; today that timespan is much smaller. Once a toy is no longer selling, Hasbro has no interest in supporting fiction about that character—especially when there are newer toys to promote. Therefore, writers are often compelled to remove characters from the story by killing them off. Sometimes this happens through carefully developed story arcs, but it's easier to do it with huge, apocalyptic battles with massive numbers of casualties.

*Right before the introduction of most of the 1985 cast, the Marvel comic saw eleven of the original Autobots taken offline within a single issue in "[[Prime Time!]]". A few issues later, six of the original Decepticons met [[Command Performances!|a similar fate]] at the hands of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (which doubled as character pimping for the big guy). Though it was suggested they could be repaired, the vast majority of casualties wouldn't reappear in the US until they popped up in crowd shots [[Totaled!|thirty issues later]], and a number had their next appearance being a ''second'' death in the Underbase Saga.
*In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', numerous main characters are killed or changed in the movie's first 30 minutes, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]. They are replaced by a slew of new characters; in fact, the poster for the movie shows ''only'' new characters.
*Numerous characters are killed in the Marvel UK comics saga "[[Time Wars]]". The Grim Reaper seemed to spare either popular characters (Megatron and [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]) or newer characters ([[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]], [[Catilla (G1)|Catilla]] and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], for example.)
*The [[Underbase Saga]] features a super-powerful [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] killing literally ''dozens'' of characters; some place the count over fifty. The survivors were mostly from the [[Pretender]], [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] ranks, those being the then-current toy lines. However, the explanation ([[Underbase]] power didn't affect those TFs with organic components) meant that even the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]], new toys at the time and introduced three issues before, met their end.
*The climactic [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]] 25 issues later killed off many of the Underbase survivors, whose shelf run had ended.
*With its enormously expensive CGI animation, ''Beast Wars'' was particularly vulnerable to toy-based interference. The expense of creating and animating a CGI body model meant that the character roster had to remain fairly constant; the introduction of all-new characters usually required the removal of an equal number of existing characters. And so, [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] die just in time for the arrival of [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]]. (Frustrated with the situation, the writers carefully planned out<ref>http://www.builtstlouis.net/tf/manic/m-botcon.html</ref> the demise of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], anticipating that someone would have to be removed to make way for [[Rampage (BW)|newer characters]].)
*''[[Transformers: The Reign of Starscream|The Reign of Starscream]]'' would end up killing a large number of Autobots in [[The Reign of Starscream issue 5|issue #5]], after their toys had been around for a while; as they'd not made an appearance in the comics until this mini, this is both an example of Huge Cast ''and'' Product Clearing. It would then go on to bump off some Decepticons, while its sequel ''[[Transformers: Alliance|Alliance]]'' slaughtered ''hordes'' of Decepticons with old toys. Mowry is the new Furman...
*The ''Dark of the Moon'' [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|console video game]] is a prequel to the film and can't afford to kill off most of its characters due for an appearance in the then-upcoming film. Luckily, there's several characters who've been around since the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' franchise who can be used to give the game some bosses to kill off like [[Mixmaster (ROTF)|Mixmaster]], [[Breakaway (ROTF)|Breakaway]], and [[Stratosphere]]! Like the prior comics, ''[[Transformers: Rising Storm]]'' also wipes out a lot of characters not due for an appearance in ''Dark of the Moon'' like [[Jolt (ROTF)|Jolt]] and [[Elita-One (Movie)|Elita-One]], though some stragglers like the Twins, Arcee, and Chromia survive.
*Another odd case of this in the [[live-action film series]], which, as well as advertising toys, also serves as advertising for [[General Motors]] vehicles. Hence, Autobots whose cars are no longer in demand have an uncanny tendency to either lose prominence or perish. The most prominent example would be [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] — the GMC Topkick had been discontinued for two years by ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]]'', and so, despite a fifty-dollar toy on the shelves, Ironhide dies halfway in. Similarly, [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] is the major Autobot casualty of ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' due to his Hummer H2 vehicle mode being a thing of the past by the time the film hit theaters (though unlike Ironhide, Ratchet had next to no representation in the toyline).
*IDW's [[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|''Robots in Disguise'']] ongoing has to promote a [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]... with [[Alpha Bravo|a new helicopter]] instead of [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]. Hence, Slingshot is the one to suffer most and die from the injuries caused when [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] tore him in half. This is especially weird considering that Devastator tore through Superion from the ''right'', and Slingshot was Superion's ''left'' arm at the time. Not to mention that Silverbolt, the torso, was explicitly ripped in half... The series would go on to have [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] leave the Stunticons over a humiliating defeat... one he suffered years ago, in [[The Question|Spotlight: Bumblebee]]. Naturally, the empty position was filled by new toy [[Offroad (CW)|Offroad]]. Then Hasbro decided to release Quickslinger and Brake-Neck (Slingshot and Wildrider renamed for trademark issues) ''much'' later after the others' release, part of a strategy that effectively forced fans to buy toys ''both'' of the "replacement" characters ''and'' the original characters.

This has become less common in recent years, as Hasbro has come to realize that their target audiences can actually get attached to certain [[character]]s, and might not enjoy seeing them die random, brutal, meaningless [[death]]s.
{{-}}

===Hi-and-die===
[[File:Chuffer cof.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Likely dialog: "SHEEEAAGH!!"]]
Kids don't want to buy a toy of a character who's dead. So if the plot calls for someone to die, smart money bets on the character who has a toy as the survivor. The guy without a toy, who you've never heard of before? Toast. This is the ''Transformers'' version of ''[[Star Trek]]''{{'}}s infamous {{w|redshirt syndrome}}. The stereotypical hi-and-die character is killed off in the same episode/issue that introduces him, if not the very same scene.

*This approach was particularly common in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#UK comics|UK comics]]. Characters created specifically so they could be killed off include Wrecker leader [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], Autobot/zombie food [[Chuffer]], Tailgate's Autobot trainee buddies/mutant fodder [[Subsea]] and [[Flattop (Marvel)|Flattop]], and the sixth member of the "Magnificent Six", [[Stampede]].
*The U.S. comics also used this approach on occasion, as with [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s poignantly adorable buddy [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]].
*[[Transmutate (BW)|Transmutate]] showed up and died in [[Transmutate (episode)|that episode]], of course Hasbro doesn't make [[Transmutate (BW)#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|a toy]] [[Action Master|that don't transform]], right?
*The ''Energon'' cartoon introduced [[Padlock (Energon)|Padlock]], whose purpose was to die at [[Shockblast]]'s hands, providing motivation for toy-character [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]].
*''Animated'' chucked in [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] so Ratchet could have a tragic past where he failed to save someone. (And ''then'' she got a toy!)
*The [[Transformers Animated (Titan)|''Animated'' comic]] wants to do a story arc about an Autobot who's really a spy and then have him killed. Quick, [[Afterburn|make someone up]]!
*''[[Transformers: Exodus|Exodus]]'' invents hordes of characters solely to populate the story with casualties while preserving the classic characters: [[Chromatron]], [[Gauntlet (WFC)|Gauntlet]], [[Halogen (WFC)|Halogen]], [[Drixco]], [[Revo]], [[Catalycon]], and dozens of other unnamed Autobots, Decepticons and [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]].
*[[James Roberts]] elevated hi-and-die to an artform; though his run on ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' is crammed with minor non-toy characters who wind up dead, many still received some backstory, history, or distinctive characterization before — or even after — being killed off. Examples from ''More than Meets the Eye''{{'}}s first "season" include [[Polaris]], [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]], [[Shock (G1)|Shock]], [[Ore]], [[Animus]], [[Dent]], [[Sonic (IDW)|Sonic]], [[Boom]], [[Piston (Wrecker)|Piston]], [[Crest]], [[Torque (G1)|Torque]], [[Sherma]], [[Momus]], "[[Fallout (G1)|Fallout]]", "[[Streaker]]", [[Heavies|Hammer and Anvil]], [[Trepan]], [[Frak]], [[Rushcut]], [[Rossum]], [[Tripodeca]], [[Pivot]], [[Scattergun]], [[Blockus]], [[Datum]], [[Ramp]], and [[Suture (G1)|Suture]]. Similarly, ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' introduced us to [[Squadron X]], comprising just about every Decepticon hi-and-die character from the Marvel continuity, who were then all slaughtered by Impactor.
{{-}}

===Resurrection===
Killing off a character isn't always toy-motivated; sometimes it's a dramatic plot development. But it can also be a problem if Hasbro decides to make a new toy of that character.

[[File:Inferno dies agenda2.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Only a flesh wound!]]
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has been resurrected [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|so many times]] that it's practically a defining character trait. His original revival in the cartoon didn't correspond to any actual toy release, but the Marvel comic brought him back specifically to advertise his [[Powermaster]] form. A second death-and-revival introduced his [[Action Master]] body. And a ''third'' death-and-revival in ''Generation 2'' brought him into his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G2Hero|Hero]] toy form.
*The Japanese killed off Optimus (or "Convoy" as they called him) in [[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|''The Headmasters'']]. A few years later, they not only brought him back with a new toy, the ''entire franchise'' for that year was called ''[[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]]''.
*Numerous "dead" characters were brought back into the Marvel comic series when their Classics and/or Action Master versions were released. Many were "deactivated" rather than outright dead; however, very few ''non'' Action Master characters showed up alongside them.
*The series writers for ''Beast Wars'' considered [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] dead and gone at the end of Season 1. Hasbro, however, had a [[Transmetal]] Optimus Primal toy to promote, and so he was returned to life in Season 2. Hasbro wanted him brought back in the first minutes of the season premiere, but the writers managed to convince them that it would be better to do so at the ''end'' of the two-episode story following the premiere.
*At the end of Season 2 of ''Beast Wars'', [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was pretty clearly shown being killed—being ''disintegrated''—but in the next season appeared to have just been bruised and cracked, because Hasbro was not ready to have a Mega-scaled toy removed from the series.
*Pretty much ''nobody'' could successfully die in the [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|''Energon'' cartoon]]. [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]], [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]], [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Dagger]], and [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno]] all die and/or are resurrected from the dead during the course of the show.
*[[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] still had toys out in 2008. The [[bio]] for AllSpark-Enhanced Autobot Jazz states he was brought back from near-death by the AllSpark and is "more powerful than ever". Voilà, Jazz comes back from the dead thanks to the AllSpark in [[Transformers Comic issue 16|Titan's tie-in comic]]! Optimus even uses the ''term'' "Autobot Jazz" in [[Transformers Comic issue 21|a later issue]]...
*[[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] was shot in the head and abandoned on [[Gorlam Prime]] back in "[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]". Six years later, Hasbro were releasing a new Nightbeat toy and back he comes into ''Dark Cybertron'', a chatty undead from the [[Dead Universe]]. He proceeds to survive the destruction of the Dead Universe and wound up on the ''Lost Light'' before dying again years kater.
*[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s IDW incarnation first appeared in the ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' limited series, set millions of years in the past. The final issue originally left his exact fate following his final confrontation with Megatron ambiguous; according to artist [[Alex Milne]], Sentinel was ''not'' dead ''yet'' as far as he was concerned, and the script had called for him to look like he could go either way.<ref name="milne">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110822003501/http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=37411 Post by Alex Milne on the IDW Publishing Forums]</ref> However, ''[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]]'', published around the same time, at least ''implied'' that he was dead in the present day just like in other continuities, given how Optimus Prime had succeeded him. Subsequently, ''[[Spotlight: Blurr]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', among others, presented [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] as the Prime who chronologically succeeded Sentinel, before being himself killed by Megatron and succeeded by Optimus. Fast forward to several years later, when Hasbro's [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'' toy line]] introduced a new Sentinel Prime toy that was also a [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] with a [[Titan Master]] named [[Infinitus]], and lo and behold, the IDW version of Sentinel, having been presumed dead for four million years, suddenly makes an unexpected return in a ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' one-shot, with absolutely no buildup beforehand, and is revealed to actually ''be'' a smaller robot named Infinitus who survived the destruction of his larger body. After menacing everyone a little for a few issues, he gets dropped down a very big hole, never to be spoken of again.
{{-}}

===Untouchables===
[[File:Armorhide drawhisfire.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Really, they could just stand there making rude noises at Starscream.]]
Obviously, if a character ''does'' have a current toy (or soon will), they're ([[Cliffjumper (WFC)|usually]]) not going to die, even if the plot or common sense indicates they should. This is sometimes because Hasbro itself declares a character unkillable, and so comics and TV writers must follow suit.
*In "[[Optimal Situation]]", [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] had betrayed [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] to the Maximals, ruining his greatest shot at victory. As he declared, "There will be no more betrayals!", she would pay the price: being knocked into stasis lock so the Maximals could fix her and she could stay on their team.
*Megatron himself was in a prime position to be terminated, as were the Maximals later on, in "[[The Weak Component]]". Since this was only episode 6 and everyone had toys out, the cast politely agreed not to take this opportunity to end a brutal war for the planet.
*Titan's Movie strip was moved to an alternate universe, where you'd [[Rhythms of Darkness!|expect nobody to be safe from death]]. However, most of the cast had toys out, so whether it was a desperate guerrilla fight against Decepticon occupation, the rise of [[Unicron]], a [[Decepticon Civil War]], or the final battle, very few characters bought it. The big exception was [[Divebomb (Movie)|Divebomb]], dying in his first battle.
*In ''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' (mentioned earlier), James Roberts observed that Impactor was the only character who was guaranteed not to be killed. However, Hasbro shot down the idea of Perceptor or Springer dying, and so most of the fatalities were less well-known characters like Pyro, Ironfist, and eternally unlucky Wreckers Twin Twist and Topspin.
*Similar to his Beast Era counterpart, ''[[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]]'' [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] was worn down to the point of exhaustion, and was at [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s mercy. Optimus, now [[One Shall Fall|sworn to outright kill Megatron when he gets the chance]], is about to pull the trigger, but ends up backing down when he's threatened by Decepticon reinforcements... in this case, the laughing stock redshirt Vehicons. It doesn't help that the ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' toyline had ''just'' gotten on shelves, but seriously? Optimus felt threatened by ''Vehicons''?
*If a Decepticon with a current toy is about to be captured in ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'', they can pull off the most miraculous of escapes, sometimes [[Bee Cool|disappearing under our heroes' noses]].
*Starscream, the end.

==Notable exceptions==
There are, however, a few notable exceptions to the To Sell Toys effect, such as fictional characters without a toy counterpart, and other anomalies:

===Toys not released in the relevant market===
[[File:Swoopg1marvelukfirst.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|YOU CAN'T HAVE ME.]]
Occasionally the ''Transformers'' fiction released in a particular country features characters whose toys were not released in that country. The Marvel UK comic featured two variations of this phenomenon:

*Characters inherited from the U.S. strips. Some, such as [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], were given fairly prominent roles in the U.S. stories reprinted in the UK comic and so it was hard to ignore them completely in the UK originated material despite their toys not being around to need advertising. However the decision to develop the Predacons (even before their US appearances were reprinted), to have entire storylines focusing on Swoop, and also to keep Shockwave in continuity even after he'd been (supposedly) killed off in the US comic goes beyond this.
*Characters not featured in the U.S. strips. Bizarrely the UK comic also made use of some characters such as [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]], [[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]], and [[Venom (G1)|Venom]], despite their toys not being available on UK toy shelves. None of these characters were inherited from the US material.

Writer [[Simon Furman]] has since stated that when writing the stories he was generally unaware of which toys were unavailable in the UK.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We largely took our cue from what characters were being introduced into the US storyline. If there was a release schedule for the toys in the UK, we rarely saw it... But in the case of Swoop and the Predacons, I don't think I was consciously aware (at the time) that we were dealing with toys not generally available in the UK. They were just extant characters, and therefore fair game.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914233035/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_furman.php|name=Simon Furman|site=TransFans.co.uk|title=Interviews: Simon Furman - Part 1 'The Past'|year=2004|month=08}}</ref>

This would happen again with Titan, as foreign exclusives such as [[Bludgeon (ROTF)|Bludgeon]] and [[Slap Dash (ROTF)|Slap Dash]] palled around with UK-available toys.

Another example would be the original text stores published by [[Condor Verlag]] in their ''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin]]'': The text story from [[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 11|issue 11]] features the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], even though catalogs from the era, backed up by German fans' recollections, suggest that the German release of the ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line-up omitted the Classic Combaticons, possibly due to their "war" theme.
{{-}}

===Post-Marvel, pre-2013 G1 comics===
[[File:Infiltration 1b.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"Hey, Runamuck, it's our first appearance on a comic book cover in twenty years!" "Heh heh, now if only we could appear on toy store shelves..."]]
Both [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] and [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comics, the two recent holders of the license to publish ''Transformers'' comic books, sometimes produce comics using whichever toy line is current (e.g., Dreamwave's ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]'' comic or IDW's [[Transformers (film)|2007 movie]] tie-ins), and sometimes publish comics using whatever characters they please (e.g., ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]''). The characters in their "discretionary" comics are often not currently available in toy form ([[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], a character appearing in numerous stories from IDW's G1 continuity during their early years, only had [[Hardhead (G1)#Universe (2008)|another toy]] on shelves at around 2009, a good twenty-two years since [[Hardhead (G1)#Generation 1|his last toy]]), sometimes are drawn with bodies that have ''never'' been toys (most of the ''War Within'' characters), and sometimes are toys that were never available outside of specific countries ([[Lio Convoy]] in IDW's ''Beast Wars'').

[[Chris Ryall]], IDW Editor-in-Chief and writer of the miniseries adapting the 2007 movie to comics, had stated on IDW's forums that Hasbro does not dictate what comics IDW must make ("Nope, no dictates at all from Hasbro. We put the plan together, send to them for approval.").<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=69377</ref> By the time of ''All Hail Megatron'', however, the ''Universe'' line came out and Hasbro asked IDW to start using some of those designs.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=102461#102461 Guido reveals the Hasbro request]</ref> Though this practice did not influence the subsequent [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], it did raise its head again in 2013, as Hasbro and IDW began working together to create new toys based on character designs from the comics, to promote upcoming toys with New Bodies and to include the [[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]] event (including various preludes) with the toys.

===New toys, same basic design===
In more recent times (mostly in the case of the [[live-action film series]]), Hasbro has used a combination of minor [[redeco]]s, [[retool]]s and sculpts based on the same basic designs to create new toys, instead of giving recurring characters a major design overhaul for the next installment. The fiction then rarely, if ever, acknowledges any of those minor design changes. According to screenwriter [[Roberto Orci]], some people at Hasbro even argued against changing the designs of some returning characters in ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'', so that parents would '''not''' have to buy the same toy twice for their children just because of a minor change or modification to the characters' designs.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showpost.php?p=2186879&postcount=171 Roberto Orci posting at TFW2005.com]</ref> (Hasbro still released new, or modified, toys of those characters, prompting [[completist]]s to buy them as well, and the film gave some of the characters slight tweaks in their [[alternate mode]]s, based on changes in the real-life vehicle designs, which the toys had to incorporate.)

===Killing off characters with new toys===
Even characters with new or expensive toys can get the axe early on if the plot calls for it... or when poor timing caused by unplanned executive decisions resulted in bad coordination between in-fiction developments and toy release schedules.
* In ''Beast Wars'', [[Tigerhawk]] was introduced and then killed off within three episodes, due to corporate uncertainty about whether the [[Size class#Beast Wars|Ultra-sized toy]] would actually be produced.
*Despite being killed off in the middle of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'', [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] got a lot of new toys, including a Leader Class figure, a Voyager Class figure, and a Halloween costume for children!
*''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] was hyped up as a major character in the lead-up to the show's premiere, and got several toys like the other members of the main cast. He dies within the first five minutes of the [[Darkness Rising, Part 1|premiere episode]]. However, later he gets his fair share of screentime by [[Out of the Past|flashbacks]] and the like.
*Due to behind the scenes budget issues and the ''Prime'' [[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|toyline]] getting pushed back thanks to the ''Dark of the Moon'' [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|toyline]], [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] is quickly shut away inside a stasis pod in "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]" for much of the remainder of the series at the ''same time'' as the mass release of her toy; [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]] also suffered a grimmer fate as he was killed off just a few episodes earlier (by Airachnid herself, no less). Even more egregious than that would be [[Dreadwing (Prime|Dreadking]], who would be killed off in the show just ''one day'' before his toy hit shelves.
*IDW [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] gets a new ''Titans Return'' toy in mid late 2016, but was killed off at about the same time his toy was hitting shelves in the [[All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|final issue]] of the second season of ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]''.

===New toys with minimal fictional appearances===
Sometimes, characters that have a new or expensive toy barely see use in fiction.
*Generation 1 Whirl and Roadbuster were larger and more expensive than many of the other Autobots, but never appeared in the original cartoon. They were featured in the UK comics as members of the Wreckers.
*Sixshot's only appearance in the original cartoon is a quick sequence where he transforms into each of his alt modes to defeat the Aerialbots. He is never seen again.
*In ''Transformers: Armada'', Optimus Prime is the only character to not receive an upgrade after being defeated by Nemesis Prime, despite having an expensive $40 redeco on store shelves. Optimus does receive the redeco colors in the final episode of the series, but he returns to his old colors by the episode's conclusion.
*[[Optimus Prime (Movie)|"Silver Knight" Optimus Prime]] had an entire thematic segment of the [[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|''Age of Extinction'' toyline]] dedicated to him that was exclusive to [[Target]] stores. However, the planned upgrade of Optimus Prime was cut from the theatrical release of ''Age of Extinction''.
*''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Quickslinger and Brake-Neck, meant to be [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], did not get any focus in the accompanying IDW fiction: Slingshot is dead and Wildrider's whereabouts are unknown after his leaving the Stunticons. Instead, their selling point is giving fans the chance to complete G1-accurate [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] toys. Meanwhile, the Autobot [[Rook (CW)|Rook]] made only a background appearance in the event, and was so overlooked he had to be digitally added ''to'' those backgrounds; [[Alpha Bravo]], his [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] counterpart, gets a bit more but nothing you'd miss. (When Rook ''did'' get some work later, he was promptly killed off!)
*''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' introduced a massive amount of new toys and a ''massive'' amount of Headmasters, including many familiar G1 characters redone as Headmasters. However, very few of these new toys were given focus in IDW's [[Titans Return (comic)|tie-in comic arc]], including prominent characters such as [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. ([[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] is a notable exception, returning after a long absence.) Also, despite the heavy emphasis on [[Titan Master]]s in the toyline, only one character, [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], displayed actual Headmaster ability. [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] is briefly decapitated and turned into a lifeless body for [[Infinitus]] to take control of, for no real reason other than to show off the head-swapping gimmick inherent in all ''Titans Return'' figures. And, with a colossal new [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Generations|Titan-class]] toy for [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] as the centerpiece of the line, you'd expect some significant toy-shilling action. Instead, Fortress Maximus's brand-new Titan body gets smacked around a bit before utterly failing in its one job of defending [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]]'s [[space bridge]] from the [[zombie]] Titans.
*Most likely caused by the complaints from fans about the small amount of Decepticons in the 2015 [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'' toyline]], [[Steeljaw (RID)|Steeljaw]] breaks out many monsters of the week from the first season. Each one gets a figure, yet they all get one or two episodes to shine. [[Bisk (RID)|Bisk]] is the greatest example, appearing very briefly in Episode 4 of Season 1, getting captured, going free, and getting captured again in the next Episode.
**Every major 'Con from or affiliated with Decepticon Island gets Mini-Cons, who do very little but appear anyway only because they had toys. Ratchet gets one as well.
[[File:TF-TLK-Berserker.jpg|right|upright=1.7|thumb|'''DELUXE ROOK''' with Amazing '''STANDING AROUND ACTION!''']]
* After having a Deluxe-sized figure despite being the largest [[Dinobot (AOE)|Dinobot]] in ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'', [[Scorn]] got a larger, more movie-accurate Voyager class figure for the toyline of ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (toyline)|The Last Knight]]''. Unfortunately, Scorn didn't even appear in the [[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|actual film]]!
* A more egregious ''The Last Knight'' example occurs in the case of [[Berserker]]. Despite being on-screen for only ''8.39 seconds'' (in which he's a prisoner of war and not even released from incarceration), and having only one line, Berserker got several toys to himself, one of which was an entirely new Deluxe class figure. This is in stark contrast to more prominent Decepticons [[Onslaught (ROTF)|Onslaught]], [[Dreadbot]], and [[Mohawk]], none of whom received toys until Mohawk got a ''[[Studio Series]]'' figure ''seven years later''. Set photos seem to indicate that Berserker was going to have a larger role than he did, explaining why he was given such a prominent role in the toyline.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Toys]]

Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

2024-09-19T20:40:53Z

Pointblank:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''Transformers: Zone'' ep 1
|prev=Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!
|title="Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!"
|japanese=新総司令官ダイアトラス登場!
|romaji=Shin Sōshireikan Diatlas Tōjō!
|translation=
|image=ZonePoster1.jpg
|caption=Zone of the [[Tail-ender|Tail-Enders]]
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Columbia Music Entertainment|Nihon Columbia]]
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Hiromichi Matano]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[July 21|21 July]] 1990
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''When nine of the most powerful Decepticons are gathered together under the rule of Violengiguar, Autobot Powered Master Dai Atlas must step forward to prevent them from acquiring the power of the mystical Zodiac.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Victorysaber feminia destruction.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If only he were a [[Star Saber (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|hideous zealot]] in this clip.]]

Seeking to conquer the universe, the mysterious, demonic [[Violengiguar]] gathers together the [[Decepticon]]s [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[King Poseidon]], [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] as his [[Nine Great Demon Generals]]. To remove the threat the [[Autobot]]s pose to his goal, he has the generals devastate the planet [[Feminia]], drawing the attention of Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] and his troops, who arrive to save the planet's populace. Victory Saber saves the life of a young boy named [[Cain]], but is unable to escape the planet's destruction himself and is left missing in action when Feminia explodes.

With the Autobots in disarray following the loss of Victory Saber, Violengiguar charges his generals with obtaining the Autobots' new energy source [[Energon Z]], and the [[Zodiac]], the enigmatic energy force responsible for the creation of the universe, which he intends to fuse together to create the super-energy that will fuel his dreams of conquest.

Meanwhile, Cain and his pet [[Emusa]] are brought to [[Micro|Planet Zone]], the fortified defence base of the Autobot [[Micromaster]]s, where [[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] and [[Rabbicrater]] give him the lowdown on its history. Zone was created by the [[Powered Master]]s, early Transformer pioneers of space, and the [[Zone Base]] is powered by [[Energon Z]]—which makes the planet the next target for the Demon Generals. Overlord, Menasor, Bruticus, and Abominus attack the planet and steal the Energon Z, escaping into space as Moonradar leads the [[Super Car Patrol Team]] and the [[Battle Patrol Team]] in pursuit. Their way is barred by BlackZarak, who impedes their progress with an energy net. The [[Jet Patrol Team]] free their companions, and [[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] tracks the Generals with his radar, discovering that the capsule of Energon Z has been handed off to the other half of the group, who are on their way to Earth.

[[File:EnergonZ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Ha ha, I have stolen the prop from {{w|My Science Project}}!"]]

Back on Zone, as the [[Rescue Patrol Team]] cleans up, the Powered Masters [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] return from their search for Victory Saber, bringing the wounded commander back safely. The two Powered Masters briefly watch over Victory Saber in the infirmary, then set out for Earth, where Devastator, King Poseidon, Trypticon, and Predaking are already wreaking havoc. The Micromasters, meanwhile, have already arrived on the planet, just in time to save a young boy named [[Akira Serikawa|Akira]], who... ''befriends''... Cain as the Micromasters do the best they can to hold off the Generals. In the nick of time, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrive, and the battle goes underground as Devastator and Dai Atlas race to find the Zodiac, buried in a cavern beneath the Earth's surface. As Devastator is dispatched by a river of lava, King Poseidon attempts to escape with the Zodiac, but is stopped by Sonic Bomber, and tosses it to his fellow Generals. Dai Atlas is able to snatch it from their grasp, but the enraged Trypticon then unleashes a beam of Energon Z from the capsule directly at him. Sonic Bomber valiantly takes the hit for Dai Atlas and is nearly killed by the beam, but Trypticon simply fires off another shot. In desperation, Dai Atlas holds aloft the Zodiac and petitions it for help, and as the Energon Z washes over it, its power is unleashed. Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber are transformed into "Zone Modes", heavily armed base forms that dispense with King Poseidon and Trypticon. Attempting to flee, Predaking is cleaved in two by Dai Atlas's Zone Sword Cutter attack, and the Zodiac is retrieved.

[[File:CainAkiraPetals.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|And as the cherry blossoms lowered, so did our expectations.]]

The Autobots, Cain and Akira then discuss the nature of the Zodiac amongst themselves, with Akira revealing that he learned about the existence of Zodiac from [[Professor Serikawa|his father]], but he wants to know more about space and the Transformers. Conversely, Cain and Moonradar want to learn about Earth, and they all agree to teach each other about their respective subjects. Emusa then invites Akira to Zone, and Dai Atlas approves; Akira is ecstatic, but stops to pull something from his backpack—he presents Cain and Emusa with some flowers, and wants to bring plenty along for the trip!

Returning to Zone, Victory Saber appoints Dai Atlas as the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. The flying Emusa throws a bouquet into the air that falls apart, and as the petals rain down on the laughing boys and nearby Autobots, the crowd cheers Dai Atlas's name.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] (6)
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (7)
*[[Holi]] (8)
*[[Pīpō]] (9)
*[[Fire]] (10)
*[[Boater]] (11)
*[[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] (17)
*[[Rabbicrater]] (18)
*[[Star Cloud]] (20)
*[[Windrim]] (21)
*[[Gunlift]] (22)
*[[Whisper (Zone)|Whisper]] (23)
*[[Nightflight (Zone)|Nightflight]] (24)
*[[Sidetrack (Zone)|Sidetrack]] (25)
*[[Powerbomb]] (26)
*[[Gingham]] (27)
*[[Black Heat]] (28)
*[[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] (29)
*[[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (31)
*[[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] (32)
*[[Tailspin]] (33)
*[[Swindler]] (34)
*[[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] (35)
*[[Deadhour]] (37)
*[[Road Hugger (Zone)|Road Hugger]] (38)
*[[Road Caesar]] (39)
*[[Grand Maximus]] (40)
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] (41)
*[[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] (42)
*[[Lander]] (43)
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]] (44)
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]] (45)
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]] (46)}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] (3)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (4)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (5)
*[[Violengiguar]] (12)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (13)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (14)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (15)
*[[King Poseidon]] (16)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (19)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] (30)
|c3=
*[[Akira Serikawa|Akira]] (36)
|c4=
*[[Cain]] (1)
*[[Emusa]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Autobots' Supreme Commander, [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]], has vanished into space like dust." 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer]" 
"I shall take control over the entire universe to create a Decepticon Zone!" 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer again]" 
"[Changes face] Find the Super Energy that is needed." 
"[Changes face again] And retrieve it by any means necessary!"
:—'''Violengiguar's''' only speaking lines.

==Notes==
*Opening song is "[[Transformer Z no Theme]]" and ending song is "[[Ashita no Kimi e]]".
*The episode was produced by [[Kenji Yokoyama]], who also produced ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: Headmasters]]''.
*The fictional timeframe of ''Zone'' is not given, but presumably the story transpires between ''Victory'' in [[2025]]<ref>The timeframe of the ''Victory'' anime was never specified within the series itself, but it must have been published in something which eventually informed the ''Kiss Players'' timeline in the real-life 2007 to specify the fictional 2025.</ref> and ''Return of Convoy'' in [[2031]].<ref>Likewise, contemporary ''Return of Convoy'' material never gave a date, but decades later in real life, [[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|a chapter]] of the ''Legends'' online manga would identify Star Convoy as returning to life in 2031.</ref>

===Animation or technical glitches===
* In what can only be explained as the result of ''extremely'' poor referencing, Predeking's face has been distorted into an unrecognizable monstrosity, with the two front ridges on his head misinterpreted as "eyes" protruding out from a flat gray surface, and the mouthplate turned into a series of ridges forming a duck-like mouth.
*When Devastator goes underground after trying to attack Dai Atlas from behind, the part of his cape on his shoulders is colored green instead of purple.

===Continuity notes===
*During Dai Atlas's coronation, [[Grand Maximus]], the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], [[Lander]], [[Road Caesar]], and [[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] can be seen at Star Saber's side.

===Transformers references===
*The Transformers previously visited Planet Feminia in [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|issue #5]] of the 1986 manga, ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]''. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] also mentioned it in "[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]".
*Planet Zone is an overhauled, upgraded version of [[Micro]], seen previously in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' animated series.
*The core of the Zone Base, referred to as the "Rocket Base" in the toyline and ''[[TV Magazine]]'' spreads, is identical to the Shuttle Base from ''Victory''. While it is unclear if the Shuttle Base and the Rocket Base were originally intended to be the same structure, ''[[Transformers: The Ark II|The Ark II]]'' has declared them to be so.
*The [[Hot House (facility)|fire station]], [[Gasoline Base|gas station]], [[Airwave (facility)|airport]], and [[Ironworks (facility)|construction station]] Micromaster Bases belonging to [[Hot House (Micromaster)|Hot House]], [[Glasspit]], [[Overair (Micromaster)|Overair]], and [[Ironworks (Micromaster)|Ironworks]], respectively, all appear as part of the Zone Base, although their Micromaster owners do not.
*Devastator got [[Heavy Metal War|soaked by hot lava once again.]]

===Trivia===
[[File:ZoneOPCreatures.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|What the hell?]]
*According to an interview featured in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'', ''Zone'' was to receive a second episode in the form of a TV special. However, production was cancelled due to unspecified circumstances (likely declining interest in the ''Transformers'' brand, a factor that brought about the end of the American toyline the same year ''Zone'' was released), making "Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!" the only episode of ''Zone'' to be animated.
*Although [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumors]] have always circulated that as many as five could have been completed, only this first episode was released, and serves as the final animated installment of the Japanese ''Generation 1'' cartoon.
*The episode is an adaptation of the single chapter of ''Zone'' [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|manga]], or perhaps vice-versa—the manga was released three months before the OVA, although it's not totally clear which media the story was first conceived for. There are some small differences between the anime and the manga: most notably, in the manga, Predaking is blasted by Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber's Zone Modes along with King Poseidon and Trypticon, while the anime sees him make a run for it and wind up getting bisected. [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Story pages]] in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' would later establish that all three generals survived the Zone Mode blast in the manga, whereas they rather definitively died in the anime. As such, the story pages are, in the strictest sense, not in-continuity with the anime, although the official 2007 [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline|timeline]] established that their events, in broad strokes, also occurred in animated continuity.
*The ''Zone'' VHS came packaged with the [[exclusive]] figure, [[Rabbicrater]].
*The ''Zone'' [[title sequence]] features Sonic Bomber fighting a strange blue winged creature and Dai Atlas fighting a huge pink bear-esque creature, both of which end up destroyed by the Autobots. Just who or ''what'' these things are is never explained in any contemporary ''Zone'' fiction, but later fiction would call them the "[[new beast warrior]]s" and explain their origin.
*Four complete Micromaster teams appear in this episode: the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], the [[Battle Patrol Team]], the [[Jet Patrol Team]], and the [[Super Car Patrol Team]]. The latter two use the molds from the [[Air Strike Patrol]] and the [[Sports Car Patrol]], who were Decepticons in the West.
*Only three members of the [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car Patrol Team]] appear in this episode—in cameos from behind, nonetheless. The missing member is [[Free Wheeler]], who can briefly be spotted in the opening sequence.
[[File:CainAkiraBlush.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Beating [[Chromedome_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Rewind]] by 22 years.]]
*While it's never outright drawn explicit attention to, the subtext between Cain and Akira is not exactly hard to miss, between the lingering shot of them blushing after Akira falls back into Cain's arms, or the credits sequence depicting them running through a field and watching the sunrise together. Exactly ''what'' motivated this direction is unknown, but there's at least a decent chance of it being tied to director [[Hiromichi Matano]]'s past work on ''{{w|Saint Seiya}}'', a franchise famous for its strong ''boy's love'' following, and which Cain's design is pretty obviously modeled in reference to. Another possibility is that Akira may have originally been intended as a girl, given that the character is never referred to with gendered pronouns in the OVA or story pages, and the incredibly feminine design used by [[Ban Magami]] in the latter.
*Devastator pretty unambiguously plows through the [[World Trade Center]]. Unfortunately [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|not the last time]] an attack on New York would age poorly in a Transformers cartoon.
*As Predaking's freshly sliced halves separate, what appears to be [[:File:PredaBrain1.jpg|an organic brain]] is briefly visible inside. Which is odd.
*Much like the "[[Scramble City: Mobilization|Scramble City]]" OVA, [[Shout! Factory]] was outright denied the distribution license for the ''Zone'' OVA in the United States by co-producers [[Toei Animation|Toei]]. Precisely why Toei would not permit the OVA to be released in the United States has never been made public.
*An unofficial fansubbed version of the OVA was included as part of [[Metrodome]]'s "Complete Takara Collection" DVD set, with commentary by [[Chris McFeely]].
*It may look like an error during Victory Saber's repair operation, where his battle helmet is blue, but everything that is red is consistently blue under the repair screen. Close ups on Victory Saber's battle helmet have the regular red helmet.
*Despite being a robot, Star Saber gets an IV drip and a nice comfy pillow to rest his head on while recovering in the med-bay.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|jsubs}}
[[File:Columbia Zone DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1990 — ''Transformers: Zone'' ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Zone'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection ([[Metrodome]]) — Optional commentary by [[Chris McFeely]]. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2008 — ''The Transformers: Victory'' ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2014 — ''[[Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~]]'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーZ|''Transformers Zone''}} at Japanese Wikipedia

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon episodes]]
[[Category:Zone media]]

Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie

2024-09-15T12:28:54Z

Pointblank:

{{episode|
|otherseries="Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie"
|image=TF_40th_Special_Movie_thumbnail.jpg
|caption=''Touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable'' ''Row, row, fight the power!''
|japanese=トランスフォーマー40周年記念スペシャルムービー
|romaji=Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie
|airdate=[[September 12]], [[2024]]
|production company=
|animation studio=[[Studio Trigger]]
|director=[[Akira Amemiya]]
}}

"'''Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie'''" is a short 3-minute animated "promotional video" (or "PV", as it's usually abbreviated) created to, as the title suggests, celebrate the ''Transformers'' franchise's 40th anniversary. It was produced by [[Studio Trigger]] (with assistance from [[Production I.G.]], [[Production +h.]], [[Studio Colorido]], [[Studio KAI]], and [[Madhouse]]) for [[TakaraTomy]] and features the song "[[Mayday (song)|Mayday]]" by [[Bump of Chicken]].

As it's essentially an animated music video, there is no plot to "Special Movie"—instead, the main draw is that it features characters and concepts from basically every major animated ''Transformers'' production to ever see screen time in [[Japan]], plus the [[live-action film series]]. It's as rad as it is indicative of Trigger's love for the franchise... which is to say, ''it's rad as hell''.

Following a teaser on [[August 28]], [[2024]], the ''Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie'' was officially uploaded to TakaraTomy's YouTube channel on [[September 12]].

==Characters==
''Hooooo boy'', it's a lot! This short features over '''''two hundred''''' characters from across forty years of ''Transformers'' media!
{{note|Yes, Unicron Trilogy Optimus and Megatron both appear twice in the character list, due to differing portrayals in Japan. See "[[#Continuity notes|Continuity notes]]" below.}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[Springer (G1)#The Transformers cartoon|Springer]] (3)
* [[Sandstorm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sandstorm]] (5)
* [[Steeljaw (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Steeljaw]] (19)
* [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] (28)
* [[Jazz (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] (29)
* [[Metroplex (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Metroplex]] (30)
* [[Grand Maximus]] (31)
* [[Broadside (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Broadside]] (32)
* [[Fireflight (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Fireflight]] (33)
* [[Slingshot (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Slingshot]] (34)
* Unknown white jet (35)
* [[Air Raid (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Air Raid]] (36)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skydive]] (37)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Silverbolt]] (38)
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Fortress Maximus]] (39)
* [[Holi]] (42)
* [[Boater]] (43)
* [[Fire]] (44)
* [[Pīpō]] (45)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (74)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (75)
* [[Star Saber (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Star Saber]] (76)
* [[Ginrai (human)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|God Ginrai]] (82) (Ginrai & [[Godbomber]])
* [[Dai Atlas (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Dai Atlas]] (84)
* [[Optimus Prime (RID)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime (''Robots in Disguise'' 2001)]] (91)

'''[[Beast Era|Beast Era]] [[Maximal]]s
* [[Lio Junior]] (18)
* [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]] (72)
* [[Big Convoy]] (73)
* [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] (78)
* [[Lio Convoy#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Lio Convoy]] (81)

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Vector Prime#Cybertron cartoon|Vector Prime]] (1)
* [[Bulkhead (Energon)#Cartoon continuity|Bulkhead]] (6)
* [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] (7)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime (''Armada''/''Energon'')]] (87)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|Optimus Prime (''Cybertron'')]] (90)
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Energon cartoon|Optimus Supreme]] (112) (Optimus Prime & [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]])
* [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] (125)
* [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide (''Energon'')]] (139)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Movie continuity family|Live-action movie Autobots]]'''
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee (2007/''Q-Transformers''/''ROTB'')]] (130)
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime (2007/''Q-Transformers'')]] (133)
* [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] (162)
* [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] (163)
* [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] (164)
* [[Stratosphere]] (172)
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] (174)
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] (177)
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack (''ROTB'')]] (178)

'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (85)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (159)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee (''Prime''/''RID'')]] (77)
* [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime (''Prime''/''Go!''/''RID'')]] (79)
* [[Kenzan]] (80)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (114)
* [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (121)
* [[Gekisoumaru]] (142)
* [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] (157)

'''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Live-action movie Maximals]]
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] (171)
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] (173)
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] (175)
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] (176)

'''Other'''
*[[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime (''Cyberverse'')]] (83)
*[[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime (''EarthSpark'')]] (86)
{{!}}}

|h2=[[Decepticon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] / [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[Scourge (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scourge]] (10)
* [[Swindle (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Kakuryu (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kakuryu]] (26)
* [[Warrior]]s (40)
* [[Dropkick (G1)|Transports]] (41)
* [[Ion Storm#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ion Storm]] (49)
* [[Acid Storm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Acid Storm]] (50)
* [[Nova Storm (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Nova Storm]] (51)
* [[Trypticon (G1)#Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Trypticon]] (52)
* [[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]] (53)
* [[Leozack]] (54)
* [[Guyhawk]] (55)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] (56)
* [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]] (57)
* [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (58)
* [[Scorponok (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Scorponok]] (62)
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (93)
* [[Deathsaurus (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Deathsaurus]] (98)
* [[Overlord (G1)#Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Overlord]] (100)
* [[Violengiguar]] (103)

'''[[Predacon (BW)|Beast Era Predacons]]
* [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] (12)
* [[Megastorm|Megastorm/Gigastorm]] (22)
* [[Starscream (BW)|Starscream]] (67)
* [[Magmatron]] (92)
* [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (95)
* [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron (''Robots in Disguise'' 2001)]] (96)
* [[Galvatron (BW)|Galvatron]] (97)
* [[Dinobot II]] (156)

'''[[Vehicon (BM)|Beast Era Vehicons]]'''
* [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (24)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Energon|Mirage/Tidal Wave]] (9)
* [[Thunderblast_(Decepticon)|Thunderblast]] (11)
* [[Thundercracker (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Thundercracker]] (20)
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (25)
* [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] (68)
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Cybertron cartoon|Megatron (''Cybertron'')]] (94)
* [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity#Armada cartoon|Megatron (''Armada'')]] (104)
* [[Nemesis Breaker]] (111)

'''[[Movie continuity family|Live-action movies]]'''
* [[Lockdown (ROTF)#Q-Transformers cartoon|Lockdown (''Q-Transformers'')]] (135)
*[[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] (165)
*[[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]] (166)
*[[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]] (167)
*[[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]] (168)
*[[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] (169)
*[[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] (170)

'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
* [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (21)
* [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] (60)
* [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (61)
* [[Wasp|Waspinator]] (69)
* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (109)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons / Jet Vehicons]] (2)
* [[Trypticon (WFC)|''Nemesis'']] (65)
* [[The Fallen#2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon|Megatronus]] (102)
* [[Megatron (WFC)#Prime cartoon|Megatron]] (108)

'''Other'''
*[[Megatron (Cyberverse)|Megatron (''Cyberverse'')]] (99)
*[[Megatron (ES)|Megatron (''EarthSpark'')]] (101)
{{!}}}

|h3=Other robots|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Mini-Con]]s'''
* [[Jolt (Armada)#Armada cartoon|Jolt (''Armada'')]] (4)
* [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt (''Cybertron'')]] (8)
* [[Oceanglide]] (13)
* [[Waterlog (Armada)|Waterlog]] (14)
* [[Stormcloud (Armada)|Stormcloud (''Armada'')]] (15)
* [[Aerobolt]] (16)
* [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (88)
* [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]] (105) ([[Astroscope]], [[Payload (Armada)|Payload]], [[Sky Blast (Armada)|Sky Blast]])
* [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]] (106) ([[Jetstorm (Armada)|Jetstorm]], [[Runway (Armada)|Runway]], [[Sonar (Armada)|Sonar]])
* [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom]] (107) ([[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Dirt Boss]], [[Downshift (Armada)|Downshift]], [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]])
* [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (117)
* [[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (122)
* [[Energon Saber]] (140) ([[Scattor (Energon)|Scattor]], [[Skyboom (Energon)|Skyboom]], [[Wreckage (Energon)|Wreckage]])
* [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] (155)
* [[Swindle (Armada)#Cartoon continuity|Swindle]] (158)
* [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Cartoon continuity|Sparkplug]] (161)

'''Others'''
* [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] (27) ([[Ashtray]], [[Greasestain]], [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]])
* [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]] (46)
* [[Insecticon (WFC)#Cartoon continuity|Insecticons (''Prime'')]] (63)
* [[Dragotron|Guren Dragotron]] (64)
* [[T-AI]] (131)
* [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] (132)
* [[Artemis]] (134)
* [[Unicron]] (191)
{{!}}}

|c4=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Generation 1]]'''
* [[White Leo]] (17)
* [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] (47)
* [[Buster (G1)|Buster]] (48)
* [[Kremzeek]] (49)
* [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] (70)
* [[Pis]] (71)
* [[Illumina]] (126)
* [[Jan Minakaze]] (127)
* [[Cab (human)|Cab]] (136)
* [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]] (137)
* [[Shūta Gō]] (138)
* [[Akira Serikawa]] (143)
* [[Dirk Manus]] (160)
* [[Marissa Faireborn]] (161)
* [[Kenneth Onishi|Daichi Ōnishi]] (179) (Kenneth Onishi)
* [[Koji Onishi|Yuuki Ohnishi]] (180) (Koji Onishi)
* [[Kiko Onishi|Yuuki's mom]] (181) (Kiko Onishi)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (186)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] (187)
* [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (188)

'''[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]'''
* [[Kicker Jones]] (89)
* [[Alexis Thi Dang]] (115)
* [[Rad White]] (118)
* [[Carlos Lopez]] (120)
* [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (123)
* [[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (124)
* [[Coby Hansen]] (128)
* [[Lori Jiménez|Lori]] (129)
* [[Bud Hansen]] (154)

{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Animated continuity family|Animated]]'''
* [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] (110)
* [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]] (141)

'''[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]]'''
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (113)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (116)
* [[Jack Darby]] (119)
* [[Tobio Fūma]] (144)
* [[Isami Tatewaki]] (145)
* [[Kotarō Fūma]] (146)
* [[Ryōma Sakamoto]] (147)
* [[Sasuke Sarutobi]] (148)
* [[Bokuden Tsukahara]] (149)
* [[Musashi Miyamoto]] (150)
* [[Musashibō Benkei]] (151)
* [[Tobio Fūma's grandfather]] (152)
* [[Sekishūsai Tatewaki]] (153)
* [[Russell Clay]] (189)
* [[Denny Clay]] (190)

'''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|EarthSpark]]'''
*[[Dot Malto]] (182)
*[[Mo Malto]] (183)
*[[Alex Malto]] (184)
*[[Robby Malto]] (185)
{{!}}}
}}

==Production==
{{stub|Stuff from director interview, the multitude of crew posts on social media}}
===Credits===
{{see|Transformers 40th Anniversary Special Movie/credits}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
Settle in, folks, because in case that ''ridiculous'' character list up there didn't tip you off, there's a '''lot''' to unpack here:

===Continuity notes===
* As we mentioned up top, this video is a tribute to just about every major animated ''Transformers'' production to ever be broadcast on TV, screened in theaters, or released direct-to-video in Japan, up through and including ''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' (yes, even the ''[[Q-Transformers]]'' [[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (cartoon)|shorts]]) along with the [[live-action film series|live-action films]]. A notable exception is the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'', which did receive a full Japanese dub, but is otherwise absent from the proceedings... though considering how much it resembles Generation 1 and ''Beast Wars'' in terms of aesthetic, we'll forgive Trigger for excluding it.
** Other missing shows include ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'' and its [[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|sequel]], the [[Transformers: BotBots (cartoon)|''BotBots'' cartoon]], and the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' web shorts, all of which were never dubbed for Japanese release.
** This somewhat-narrow focus also means that characters from other mediums aren't included, most notably the many ''Transformers'' comics, games, prose stories, and [[story page]]s. If you were looking forward to seeing Star Convoy, Super Megatron, the [[Primus Vanguard]], and so on, we're sorry to disappoint you.
** Also of note is how the [[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]] is implemented. In keeping with how those series were [[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)#Galaxy Force|originally treated in Japan]], ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s cast is largely composed of discrete characters separate from the cast of ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'', leading to the absence of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their ''Energon'' bodies for the crowd shots of each faction's leaders.
* Nearly all of the [[Beast Era]] characters are depicted as being considerably smaller than most of the other Transformers, in keeping with the scale established by ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. The only notable exceptions are acceptable outliers, like ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Car Robots]]'' [[Megatron (RID)|Gigatron]], who is twice as tall as his Autobot rival.

===Transformers references===
* Befitting this crossing of multiple time periods and universes, the opening seconds depict various methods of traveling across time and space that've been shown throughout the franchise: [[Vector Prime]] (surrounded by imagery of swinging pendulums and clockwork gears, recreating a scene from the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Guardian (episode)|Guardian]]"), the [[Kronosphere]] from "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", the [[Time Window]] from "[[Forever Is a Long Time Coming (episode)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming]]", the [[teleport gate]] from ''[[Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!]]'', the [[Quintesson]] banishment chamber from "[[Madman's Paradise]]", and the [[Dragon Mound]] from "[[A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (episode)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court]]".
* There are two instances where the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] appears in full (the first during the aforementioned "time machine" montage, the second during the credits), both of which use its design from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]].
* We get what appear to be two sides in an ongoing battle, with an army of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] on one side and a group of various Autobot helicopters on the other, including Generation 1 [[Triple Changer]]s [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], ''Armada'' [[Jolt (Armada)|Jolt]], ''Energon'' [[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]], and both [[Jolt (Cybertron)|Jolt]] and [[Evac (Cybertron)|Evac]] from ''Cybertron''.
* The following scene shows the wreck of the ''[[Galvaburg II]]'' sinking into the ocean. Among the survivors are Generation 1 [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], ''Cybertron'' [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' '01 [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]], as well as [[Oceanglide]], [[Stormcloud (Armada)|Stormcloud]], and [[Waterlog (Armada)|Waterlog]] of the ''Armada'' [[Sea Mini-Con Team]], with ''Energon'' [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Mirage]] coming to their rescue in the background.
* Standing among some urban wreckage are a group of animal-themed "sidekick" characters, including [[Aerobolt]], [[White Leo]], [[Lio Junior]], and Generation 1 [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]. This is followed by a group of "tanky" villains: ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]], Generation 1 [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], and ''Armada'' [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (in his [[Powerlinx]] colors), all perched on ''Beast Wars II'' [[Megastorm]] in alternate mode. Flanking the group are ''Cybertron'' [[Thundercracker (Armada)#Cybertron cartoon|Thundercracker]] and, from ''Victory'', [[Kakuryu (G1)|Kakuryu]] of the [[Dinoforce]], both the comic relief punching bags of their respective series.
* There's a battle that appears to be taking place on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], with various Junkions in action. Two in the background are indistinct, but in the foreground are the body-types associated with the characters [[Junkyard (G1)|Junkyard]] and [[Ashtray]]; Junkyard is carrying a wounded Junkion who appears to be [[Greasestain]] over his shoulder.
* A shot of the aftermath of a battle in a demolished city, with [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] in vehicle mode on his side leaking copious amounts of energon, his front in flames. [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] is also just barely visible in vehicle mode as well, turned completely on his roof. Notably, Ratchet's appearance seems to be modeled after his [[Ratchet (G1)/toys#SSVoyager|''Studio Series'' '86 figure]], with parts of his robot mode visible on the undercarriage and his pistols located ''roughly'' where their storage pegs are in alt-mode.
* We get a shot of an Autobot/Maximal naval fleet consisting of Generation 1 [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress's ''Maximus'']], [[Grand Maximus|Grand's ''Maximus'']], Generation 1 [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and the ''[[Yukikaze (BW)| Yukikaze]]''. The Generation 1 [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] are present as well, but there's some oddities: [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] rests on Broadside's deck but is miscolored gray, while next to him is what appears to be a ''sixth'' white Aerialbot, a twin-tailfin jet that's kind of [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]-shaped (but Air Raid is flying in the upper-right corner of the shot, so it ain't him!).
* ''Victory''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Rescue Patrol Team]] walk past a line of offline Decepticons along a beach—specifically the generic "[[Warrior|warriors]]" and "[[Dropkick (G1)|Dropkicks]]" seen in "War Dawn"—as they approach the colossal form of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' [[Croaton (Cyberverse)|Croaton]].
* [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmasters]] [[Hydra (G1)|Hydra]] and [[Buster (G1)|Buster]] from ''Super-God Masterforce'' stand by their [[Transtector]]s.
* Next is a villainous counterpart to the earlier Autobot naval fleet shot, featuring [[Megastorm|Gigastorm]], Generation 1 [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (based on his ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' toy), ''Armada'' [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave]], Generation 1 [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and the ''Prime'' version of the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]''. Flying above them are the [[Rainmaker]]s ([[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Ion Storm]], and [[Nova Storm (G1)|Nova Storm]]); the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]''; the three flying members of the [[Breastforce]] ([[Hellbat (G1)|Hellbat]], [[Leozack]], and [[Guyhawk]]); Generation 1 [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]; ''Animated'' Blitzwing, [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]], and [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]]; what appears to be ''Prime'' [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] (or maybe ''Go'' [[Dragotron]]?) and two ''Prime'' [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticons]], and some ''Prime'' Air Vehicons.
** Generation 1 [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] takes off from Tidal Wave's deck, with [[Kremzeek]] in his cockpit. He is joined in the air by ''Armada'' [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and ''Beast Wars II'' [[Starscream (BW)|Starscream]], as well as ''Victory'' Leozack and ''Animated'' [[Wasp|Waspinator]]. Leozack's a thematically similar Starscream-like scheming second-in-command character, while Waspinator's inclusion is almost certainly meant to nod to when Starscream's ghost possessed the ''Beast Wars'' [[Waspinator (BW)|version]] in "[[Possession]]".
* [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]] appears forlornly looking over poor little [[Pis]], whom he savagely kicked in the ''Masterforce'' episode "[[Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules]]".
* The following two panning shots are big ones: the many different Autobot and Maximal leaders standing in front of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on one side, and the various major villains standing in front of [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and the Decepticon ''Nemesis'' on the other.
** Of note on the heroic side: [[Big Convoy]] is wielding his [[Matrix Cannon (BW)|Matrix Cannon]] alongside his [[NAVI (Gung Ho)|NAVI]]; [[Jan Minakaze]] can be seen standing on [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]]'s shoulder, wearing his spacesuit from the [[Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification|final episode of ''Victory'']]; ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' '15 Bumblebee is wielding a [[Decepticon Hunter]], and [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] is holding the [[Zodiac]]. Both [[Moonbase One]] and [[Moonbase Two]] can also be seen in the background, as can [[Kicker Jones]] from ''Energon'', riding that series' version of [[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]].
** On the villains' side, ''Cybertron'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] is shown holding Vector Prime's [[Planet Map]]; ''Armada'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] is wielding the [[Star Saber (Armada)|Star Saber]], [[Requiem Blaster (Armada)|Requiem Blaster]], and [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]] all at once; ''Animated'' [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] has [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]] tied to his chest, as he did in the ''Animated'' episode "[[A Bridge Too Close, Part I]]"; and ''Prime'' [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] is depicted as he appeared in the late stages of ''Prime'' season 2, with [[Liege Maximo|the dead Prime]]'s right arm in place of his, allowing him to wield the [[Dark Star Saber]]. Also of note are who was chosen to represent certain series: [[Dragotron]] (in his larger, red, "Guren" form) represents ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (cartoon)|Transformers: Go!]]'', [[The Fallen|Megatronus]] represents ''Robots in Disguise'' '15, and [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] supplants [[Devil Z]] as the ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' representative. Generation 1 Galvatron is not included, as his previous self is already present.
*Next, we see ''Cybertron'' Megatron combine with [[Nemesis Breaker]] on [[Velocitron]], and clash with [[Lio Convoy]] in his "Legendary Green Lion" form, featured in the final episodes of both ''Beast Wars II'' and ''Beast Wars Neo''. Lio is wielding [[Magmatron]]'s [[Magma Blade (BW)|Magma Blade]], as he did in the ''Neo'' episode "[[The Final Battle (BWN)|The Final Battle]]".
* Five sword-wielding Autobot leaders gather: Star Saber; [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] (wielding the sword he used only once, in the ''Victory'' episode "[[A Deadly Battle]]"); ''Robots in Disguise'' '15 Optimus Prime, armed with the [[Prime Decepticon Hunter]]; ''Cybertron'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]], brandishing Vector Prime's sword [[Rhisling]], as he did in the ''Cybertron'' episode "[[Unfinished]]"; and Fortress Maximus, with his mighty [[Master Sword]]. They all strike the "[[Masami Ōbari|Obari pose]]" (a dynamic perspective shot made famous by the ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]'' series of anime), as ''Cybertron'' Optimus did in the aforementioned episode.
*Next comes a quintet of Autobot leaders using more blaster-based powers, all unleashing their "final attacks": ''Cyberverse'' [[Optimus Prime (Cyberverse)|Optimus Prime]] fires an energy blast from his Matrix, as he did in the ''Cyberverse'' episode "[[I Am The Allspark]]"; ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] uses his "Blizzard Storm" water blast; Big Convoy opens fire with his [[Big Cannon]]; ''Armada'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] uses his "Max Fire" super move; and ''Energon'' Optimus Prime (combined with [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] as "Optimus Supreme") completes the group, unleashing his "Grand Final Impact" finisher.
* Next follow three scenes dedicated to the Autobots' human allies, all grouped by the nature of their relationships:
** The first scene depicts "close friends", in this case the kid/teen casts of ''Prime'' and ''Armada''. They're joined by the ''Prime'' incarnations of [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], Bumblebee, and [[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]], the [[Street Action Mini-Con Team]], and ''Armada'' [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]]. Look close, and you'll see that [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] is wearing the [[Good Luck Necklace|necklace]] prominently featured in the ''Armada'' episodes "[[Portent]]" and "[[Cramp]]", which symbolizes her friendship with Starscream, while [[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] is eating a bag of chips of the same brand as he munched on in "[[Confrontation (episode)|Confrontation]]".
** The second scene pairs two "mech teams", with Jan Minakaze and [[Illumina]] (visible only in silhouette through the cockpit canopy) in the ''[[Illumina II]]'' traveling alongside [[Coby Hansen]] and [[Lori Jiménez]] in the [[Cobybot]]. In keeping with its appearance in ''Victory'', the ''Illumina II'''s name is still misspelled as "Irumina II" on its side.
** The third scene is a group of "fighters", including the Autobot [[Headmaster Junior]]s, riding on ''Energon'' [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] (in his green "Energon" power-up colors), [[Kicker Jones]] (riding the [[Energon Saber]] like a hoverboard, as he often did in the show), and [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari Sumdac]], who imitates Kicker's signature kick from the opening of ''Super Link'', with [[Ocean City]] in the background.
*Between the mech teams and the fighters, we get a scene set in [[Gaia]]'s [[Moon (moon)|Moon]]; [[Artemis]] and [[Moon (BW)|Moon]] are joined by [[T-AI]] and a trio of surprise guests in the form of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and [[Lockdown (ROTF)|Lockdown]] from ''Q-Transformers'', altogether creating a team of "cutesy mascot characters". In keeping with the Flash-animated nature of their series, the ''Q-Transformers'' trio have ''incredibly'' simple animation.
* While the close-up shot of some red flowers might ''seem'' like just a random transition scene, it's actually a reference to the end of "[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!]]", where [[Akira Serikawa]] presents [[Cain]] and [[Emusa]] with some. This scene transitions into a showcase of all three of "Aligned" Optimus Prime's bodies as featured in Japan's run of ''Prime'' and ''Go!'': Optimus appears in his "Beast Hunters" body with [[Star Saber (Prima)|Prima's Star Saber]], joined by ''Prime'' Optimus holding the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] and Optimus Exprime from ''Transformers Go!'' in the background.
** Notably, ''Prime'''s third season was never redubbed and aired in Japan, but instead was replaced with ''Transformers Go!'', where Optimus appears in his "Beast Hunters" body for part of the episode "[[Triple Combination! Swordbot - Samurai!]]".
* The next two scenes continue the ''Transformers Go!'' train: the first depicts Optimus combining with [[Gekisoumaru]] and [[Kenzan]] into DaiGekisou, while the second is a group shot of the series' human cast staring into the horizon atop DaiKenzan. All the historical characters are gathered on DaiKenzan's right shoulder, protagonists [[Tobio Fūma]] and [[Isami Tatewaki]] are hanging out in his chest cavity, and the two boys' respective grandfathers are on DaiKenzan's left shoulder.
* Next follows a recreation of the scene of Vector Prime giving [[Bud Hansen]] and [[Safeguard (Cybertron)|Safeguard]] his planet map, as seen in the aforementioned episode "[[Guardian (episode)|Guardian]]".
* After this, we get a montage of some of the franchise's tragic deaths intercut with scenes of Generation 1 [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] traversing through "[[Transformer afterlife|the other side of the Matrix]]" (as seen in the ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]"), his appearance shifting between his regular look, his corpse (complete with [[aggressive depigmentation]]), and the... ''distinctive'' color scheme designed by Bump of Chicken bassist [[Chama|Yoshifumi "Chama" Naoi]] for the exclusive "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#BUMP OF CHICKEN CONVOY|Bass Convoy]]" figure produced as a tie-in with this video. In order, we can see Optimus on his deathbed from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', [[Dinobot II]]'s honorable sacrifice from "[[Nemesis Part 2]]", ''Prime'' [[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]] getting stabbed in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]", ''Armada'' Starscream's last stand from "[[Cramp]]" (complete with [[Swindle (Armada)|Swindle]] being ejected), ''Animated'' [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] in his samurai armor relinquishing his [[spark]] in "[[Endgame, Part II]]", and Jan mourning the loss of [[Ginrai (robot)|God Ginrai]] from "[[Ginrai Dies!!]]".
* The following sequence sees the [[Transmetal]] versions of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] merge with their Generation 1 counterparts to form their respective upgraded forms, a more literal interpretation of how Optimal Optimus and [[Transmetal 2|dragon]] Megatron came into being in the third season of ''Beast Wars''. When the two clash fists, echoes of their future selves from ''Beast Machines'' appear.
* Overlord is seen battling ''Animated'' [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]], who's equipped with the [[Magnus Hammer]] and the "Wingblade" [[jet pack]], as was the case in "Endgame, Part II". The battle takes place in Earth orbit, with the moon visible in the background, referencing Overlord's lunar battle with God Ginrai (whose design directly inspired the look of ''Animated'' Optimus' flight mode, hence why he's here instead of Ginrai) in the ''Masterforce'' episode "[[God Ginrai - Into the Sky!!]]".
* The man [[Marissa Faireborn]] is kissing is the swindler [[Dirk Manus]] from the episode "[[Money Is Everything (episode)|Money Is Everything]]". He only appeared in that one episode of the original cartoon, but expansions to Japanese ''Transformers'' lore have since established that he and Marissa got back together and had a [[Sue Faireborn|daughter]].
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] opening the Matrix is made to parallel ''Armada'' [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]] using that series' Matrix to resurrect his Optimus in "[[Miracle (episode)|Miracle]]" and Dai Atlas raising the Zodiac above his head, presumably meant to nod to Optimus Prime's resurrection as Star Convoy in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|''Battlestars'' story pages]].
* The live-action films get some representation in the form of the [[Transformers (film)|first film]]'s Autobot and Decepticon teams charging their opposites down on a barren highway. ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'' gets some love too, with its versions of [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], [[Stratosphere]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)#Rise of the Beasts film|Bumblebee]], [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]], [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], and [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] staring off into the distance. As it was in the film, Airazor is the only one without a robot mode.
* The final scene sees the Generation 1 versions of Optimus and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] stare each other down, as several human families from across the franchise's history look on: [[Denny Clay]] and his son [[Russell Clay|Russell]]; the adult version of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] with his wife [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and his son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]; the [[Malto (disambiguation)|Malto]] family from ''EarthSpark''; and [[Koji Onishi]] and his parents [[Kenneth Onishi|Kenneth]] and [[Kiko Onishi|Kiko]] (notably, Kiko's ''only'' prior animated appearance having been a single scene in the [[Battle Protocol!|first episode]] of ''Robots in Disguise''). The angle then cuts back to Prime and Megatron, only now, they have been replaced with their ''EarthSpark'' counterparts shaking hands—the series' more black-and-white roots have thematically given way to its more nuanced present (while also likely nodding to the use of the G1 designs for the flashback sequence in the [[Secret Legacy, Part 1|first episode]] of ''EarthSpark''). We then pan up to see [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]'s head orbiting Cybertron as the credits roll.

===Real-world trivia===
* Notable among the Studio Trigger staff that worked on this video are key animators [[Masaru Sakamoto]] and [[Hiroki Mutaguchi]] and director [[Akira Amemiya]]. Sakamoto previously helped design [[Flame Toys]]' Furai Model Lio Convoy kit and was one of a few guest artists on the [[Generations Selects Special Comic Finale]], Mutaguchi drew the cover for the ''[[Transformers Generations 2022]]'' book, and Amemiya is a ''huge'' fan of the franchise that's done multiple official illustrations and designed various other Furai Model kits.
* Outside of Studio Trigger's staff, multiple animators veteran to previous ''Transformers'' series were brought on as guest animators; these include lead animators for the Japanese produced ''Transformers'' shows and Unicron Trilogy [[Munetaka Abe]] and [[Masahiro Yamane]], and even [[Studio OX]] artists [[Tsuyoshi Nonaka]] and [[Morifumi Naka]].
* Longtime Japanese ''Transformers'' artist [[Hayato Sakamoto]] also contributed to the ''Special Movie'' as another key animator and a project supervisor. As confirmed by Sakamoto himself, this video marks his debut as an animator.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=構成協力及び原画で参加しました！TF40周年記念作品に関われてとても嬉しかったです！そしてアニメーターデビュー！それもトランスフォーマーのアニメ！更にスタジオtriggerのアニメに！やった！超豪華スタッフと一緒にお仕事出来て信じられない感じです。是非見てくださいーーー！！|link=https://twitter.com/hayatoron/status/1834238504290976209|name=Hayato Sakamoto|site=Twitter|year=2024|month=09|day=12}}</ref>
* For whatever reason, TakaraTomy's initial upload of the ''Special Movie'' to YouTube has been marked as unavailable to watch in most regions outside of Japan. It was reuploaded to Twitter without region locking around 12 hours later.
* The lack of the human cast from the live-action film series can be chalked up to actor-likeness licensing issues on both sides of the Pacific, especially since Japan is much more strict than America about that sort of thing.
* Somewhat ironically, despite the use of ''Earthspark'' as a means of book-ending the entire short, it would be announced less than 72 hours later that the Japanese dub of the series would be concluding with [[The Last Hope: Part 2|the Season 1 finale]].
...'''PHEW!'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOfJT_Kwna8 ''40th Anniversary Special Movie'' at TakaraTomy's official YouTube account] (region locked)
*[https://twitter.com/TF_pr/status/1834429279255605698 ''40th Anniversary Special Movie'' on the TakaraTomy ''Transformers'' Twitter account]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u92rRvHluuA Making-of director interview with Akira Amemiya at the Studio Trigger YouTube channel] (with English subtitles)

[[Category:Web series]]

Scarlett issue 4

2024-09-14T09:23:56Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' #4
|prev=Scarlett issue 3
|next=Scarlett issue 5
|image=Scarlett 4 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[September 4]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=September 2024
|written by=[[Kelly Thompson]]
|art by=[[Marco Ferrari]]
|colors by=[[Lee Loughridge]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Everything converges as the Arashikage must keep the weapon from falling into the hands of a new enemy.'''

==Synopsis==
On the forty-seventh floor of the [[Sato]] building “Sakura”, [[Jinx]] uses her and [[Scarlett]]’s secret code to silently communicate with her old friend, warning her that there are eyes and ears everywhere. As such, the two maintain their charade when [[Storm Shadow]] summons them to the room where their target was being held - keyword being was. It appears the [[Arashikage]]’s arrival tripped a security system and the weapon has been moved. With the [[Mugenonami]]’s forces amassing on floor forty-four, Storm Shadow believes that to be where they’re keeping it and prepares to strike there. He orders Jinx and Scarlett to find an alternative route through the stairs, but Scarlett begins to suspect this is actually a trap.

As Storm Shadow makes his way to floor forty-four, Jinx uses an E.M.P. device to disrupt any surveillance that may be around, allowing the two a brief two minutes of reunion. Jinx asks if Scarlett came on her own or if someone sent her, and Scarlett confirms that [[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] sent her, just as he had with Jinx. Jinx gives Scarlett some intel to take back for her, but Scarlett insists she leave with her now. However, Jinx refuses; she believes that the Arashikage could be a powerful ally against the rising threat of [[Cobra]] and that she can help guide them toward that path by staying with them. As their two-minute window closes, Scarlett shares her theory that forty-four is a diversion, suggesting that the best way to hide the weapon would be to send it ''up'' when it appeared to go down.

The pair sneak to floor forty-eight in an air vent and attack the Mugenonami as they wait for their buyer, their target sitting in a large wooden crate at the center of the room. Jinx radios Storm Shadow that they’ve found the weapon when a squad of [[Cobra]] Troopers storms in. One of the Troopers quickly calls for his [[Cobra Commander|Commander]] to send reinforcements. Storm Shadow then arrives and helps dispatch the rest of the Mugenonami before turning his attention to the crate. He opens it, revealing the legendary weapon ''Ichi no Ken'' - the [[Sword of Life]]. Taking it for himself, Storm Shadow feels the power of the blade filling him, as though he was destined for its power. As Scarlett watches, she wonders if she made the right choice in helping the Arashikage.

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in photos. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h1=[[United States military]]|c1=
* [[Scarlett]] (2)

|h2=[[Arashikage]]|c2=
* [[Jinx]] (1)
* [[Storm Shadow]] (3)
* Arashikage ninjas (4)

|h3=[[Cobra]]|c3=
* Cobra Troopers (6)
* Cobra Air Trooper (7)

|h4=Others|c4=
* Mugenonami enforcers (5)
}}

==Quotes==
"Glad you made it." 
"Piece of cake. So where is this thing? I almost got killed for it, can I at least set eyes on it?" 
"What happened to 'piece of cake'?"
:—'''Storm Shadow''' and '''Scarlett'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue marks Cobra's first known operation in the [[Energon Universe]]. Up until now, they have remained clandestine, with Cobra Commander saying in ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 1|issue #1]] that they must remain in the shadows. Jinx appears to have only learned about them during her time with the Arashikage.

===G.I. Joe references===
* The designs for the Cobra Troopers are based on the designs used in the ''G.I. Joe Classified Series'' toyline.
** One of the Troopers' helmets is decorated with an inverted chevron that has been used on several different trooper variations over the years: first appearing on a single gas-masked Cobra Trooper from ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #44, the design inspired a Cobra Trooper figure from a comic pack reprinting said issue, which itself later served as inspiration for the Cobra Air Trooper in the 25th Anniversary line. In ''Classified'', the inverted chevron denotes Officer ranked Troopers, although the design of it varies slightly between different figures.

===Real life references===
* Scarlett's theory about the floor numbers is based on actual Japanese superstitions about numbers: four is considered unlucky and associated with death (a byproduct of the words being homophones), while seven and eight are considered lucky.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Scarlett fighting Storm Shadow, by Marco Ferrari and Lee Loughridge.
* '''Cover B:''' Scarlett finds a secret Arashikage bunker, by [[Yasmine Putri]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Gleb Melkinov]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Hard Master on explosion background, by [[Vasco Georgiev]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Scarlett and Storm Shadow, by [[Eric Canete]].

<gallery>
File:Scarlett 4 Cover A.jpg|
File:Scarlett 4 Cover B.jpg|
File:Scarlett 4 Cover C.jpg|
File:Scarlett 4 Cover D.jpg|
File:Scarlett 4 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 5-page preview for ''Ultramega''
* ''G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra''

===Reprints===
* '''''Scarlett Volume 1: Special Mission''''' ([[November 20]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534329552 / ISBN 978-1534329553 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Scarlett V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Special Mission''''' – cover art by Marco Ferrari and Lee Loughridge
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Scarlett issues]]

Spotlight: Kup

2024-09-12T23:18:44Z

Pointblank:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]'' #7
|prev=Spotlight: Soundwave
|next=Spotlight: Galvatron
|image=Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg
|caption=[[Zombie|The Dawn of the Dead]] or just [[Humanization|a bad dream]]?
|title="The Transformers: Spotlight Kup"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 25]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=April 2007
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|illustrated by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Andrew Elder]]
|letters by=[[Robbie Robbins]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#Escalation|Escalation]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
}}
'''Kup is in danger. The threat? Himself.'''

==Synopsis==
A spaceship crash-lands on [[Tsiehshi|a desert planet]] covered in [[Ore-8|yellow crystals]]. Among the wreckage, a [[Dreadlocked alien species|mechanoid survivor]] sees a vehicle approaching, which transforms into [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]. However, Kup ignores his pleas for assistance and decapitates him with a club. From Kup's interior monologue, we learn that his spaceship also crashed on this planet, that he has no hope of being rescued, but that the strange crystals fill him with a sense of well-being so that he gives little thought to anything else. As the suns set, he returns to a makeshift shelter, which contains the remains of [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], a fellow survivor of the crash who was killed when a generator meltdown caused the crystals to go critical. Kup is clearly not in his right mind, as he has a conversation with Outback while wielding his severed arm as a weapon.

[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95|Kup sees dead people.]]
At night-time, as Kup powers down, [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|an apparition]] emanates from Outback's corpse, informing Kup that "we're coming to get you!" Outside, Kup sees [[zombie]] robots, from which he defends himself until sunrise. In the daylight, he emerges and lies within the crystals, feeling himself becoming more alive. The following night, the 'zombots' reappear. With Kup having forgotten to secure his shelter's shutters, they easily enter. Kup fights them off with unforeseen strength. Only one escapes, fleeing as Kup's [[spark]]core threatens to go into meltdown.

The zombot is revealed to be [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], who, after returning to his ship via [[orbital jump]], angrily berates first [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] and then Springer for the loss of his team and the pointlessness of the task. The radiation that has damaged Kup's mind also restricts his would-be rescuers to [[anti-rad armor|cumbersome protective armor]] that makes him think they are zombies, and any energy discharge, from their weapons or from Kup's damaged body, could detonate the crystals in a catastrophic chain reaction. Yet Springer, who is the 'ghost' attempting to communicate with Kup, is determined to rescue his former mentor because of what he and the entire [[Autobot]] army owe to his training. Both [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and Perceptor, in their respective ways, advise Springer to give up this quixotic quest before any more Autobots lose their lives, but then he learns that the 'specialist' he requested has arrived...

Once again at nightfall, the 'zombots' reappear, and once again Kup wreaks havoc among them—pushed over the edge by the accidental destruction of Outback's corpse, the exertion driving his sparkcore into meltdown again. However, the appearance of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], minus rad-armor and protected by his forcefield, shocks Kup momentarily, permitting Trailbreaker to secure him and prevent disaster. Back on board the ''[[Ark-17]]'', Springer and Trailbreaker consider the situation—although Kup has been rescued, his mind is broken, his body is severely damaged and too outdated to repair, and his spark is being maintained by artificial means. Springer wonders whether bringing him back in this condition, and at the cost of so many other lives, was worth it.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (2)
* [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (3)
* [[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (4)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (5)
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (6)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (7)
* [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] (8)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
|c4=
* [[Dreadlocked alien species|Dreadlocked alien]] (1)
}}

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
* Springer makes reference to the events of the ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' series as being the reason he was late arriving on the scene.
* Outback dying in this story forced a change to the [[Megatron Origin issue 2|second issue of ''Megatron Origin'']], which was written semi-simultaneously but published after ''Spotlight: Kup'' was released. Outback and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] had been written to be the first Autobot victims of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s illegal underground deathsports, which obviously would cause continuity problems. Thus, the creation of "[[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]", who looks a hell of a lot like Outback but totally isn't, really.
** You might feel bad for Outback given his horrible death and the nostalgic way Kup reminisces about him, but [[Iron_in_the_Blood|later]] [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|stories]] reveal him to have been a thoroughly nasty thug who was no better than the Decepticons he hated. This implicitly recontextualizes Kup's thoughts on him to being just another part of his delusions, being so far gone that he remembers the unhinged murderer he once trained as an old friend.
* The planet Kup is stranded on is not named in this issue and would not be till years later, in [[Shockwaves|''Robots in Disguise'' #17]], where it is also revealed that [[Ore-8|the damaging crystals]] on the planet are the result of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] project.
[[File:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|150px|thumb|''Always look on the briiiight side of death!'']]
* Years later, [[James Roberts]], Roche's partner on ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', would think up the [[Shimmer]], a ghostly green entity that Autobots believe visits you as a sign of oncoming death. Which Springer's hologram is often mistaken for. Hmmm...
* '''First appearances:''' Kup, Outback, Siren, Sizzle, Trailbreaker; Perceptor previously appeared as a holographic head in ''Stormbringer''.

===Trivia===
* The issue includes 5 pages of sketches by [[Nick Roche]].
* Page 4 is completely silent... but it's not ''supposed'' to be! The lettering was accidentally left out, of which Roche says: "Luckly it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Luckily it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724571997821407232|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref> It would ultimately be restored in the trade paperback release.
* In several panels throughout the issue, Kup's arms and legs have extra-thick black outlines. This was an alteration to Roche's art carried out in-house at IDW, in response to a decision that Kup looked "too skinny."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also,fun fact: The artwork was altered in-house. A Hasbro (I assume) mandate came that Kup was too skinny. Hence ugly, fat inked outlines.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724572280823623680|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* A page was cut where Kup drives to a cliff every day to dump the "zombie" heads into a lake so they will stop staring at him. That was cut by Roche, not editorial... but only because another scene needed more room!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DPbginVXE Moonbase 2's AA2010 interview], 27:04 - 27:40</ref>
* Kup—and his visions of zombies—are drawn in a different style from the "real world", such as the scenes on board the ''Ark-17''. Kup's nightmarish world is rendered with messy black cross-hatching and shadowy splotches, colored with either primarily orange tones (for daylight) or blue (at night), and the panels are given thick, jagged borders. In contrast, the "real world" events are cleanly rendered and colored normally. When the two "worlds" collide with Trailbreaker's arrival, even the dinged-up Trailbreaker looks polished compared to the been-through-hell Kup.
* Roche had the idea of writing an ''I Am Legend'' with Transformers, and Kup seemed like the best fit. He has also stated that due to concerns about trying to "dive in" to pre-existing continuity, he wrote the story as if it could be slotted into any continuity.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Errors===
* On page 3, 'cos is misspelled cos'.
* A bit of Trailbreaker's shoulder is clipping through Springer's on the final page.

===Foreign Localization===
'''Swedish'''
**''Title:'' "'''Berättelsen om Kup'''" ("Kup's Story")

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Kup attacks zombies; art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (colors).
* '''Cover B:''' Kup in swamp; art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]] (colors).
* '''Cover RI-A:''' Uncolored cover A
* '''Cover RI-B:''' Uncolored cover B

<gallery>
File:Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg|We'll get you, Kup!
File:Spotlight Kup cvrB.jpg|Kup, smelling swampy.
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIA.jpg|Cover RI-A
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIB.jpg|Cover RI-B
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell''
* ''Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between''
* ''Adventures in Oz'' comic
* ''Angel: Auld Lang Syne'' comic
* [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] toys
* IDW trade paperbacks (''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'', ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'', ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', ''[[War and Peace]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|Generations]]'') (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Volume 2''''' ([[February 20]], [[2008]]) ISBN 1600101542 / ISBN 978-1600101540
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Soundwave|Soundwave]]'', ''Kup'', ''[[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet|Ramjet]]''.
** Includes covers art for each issue and bonus art for each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' ([[June 17]], [[2009]]) ISBN 1600104371 / ISBN 978-1600104374
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Mirage|Mirage]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Cyclonus|Cyclonus]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead|Hardhead]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Doubledealer|Doubledealer]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Sideswipe|Sideswipe]]''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Two]]''''' ([[October 6]], [[2010]]) ISBN 978-1600107511
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' issues [[Stormbringer issue 1|#1]]–[[Stormbringer issue 4|4]], ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' issues [[Escalation issue 1|#1]]–[[Escalation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Sixshot|Sixshot]]'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus]]'', ''Kup'', ''Mirage'' & ''Optimus Prime''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' ([[April 15]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631402463 / ISBN 978-1631402463
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Shockwave|Shockwave]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Nightbeat|Nightbeat]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hot Rod|Hot Rod]]'', ''Sixshot'', ''Ultra Magnus'', ''Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''Blaster'', ''Arcee'' and ''Grimlock''.
** Bonus material unknown at this time.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1]]''''' ([[July 6]], [[2016]]) ISBN 163140637X / ISBN 978-1631406379
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection|The IDW Collection]] [[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One|One]]'' and ''Two''.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Transformers: Wreckers sista strid]]''''' ([[June 18]], [[2018]]) ISBN 978-91-88131-23-2
** Swedish reprint volume.

<gallery>
File:TF Spotlight v2.jpg|'''''Spotlight Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Gabriel Rodríguez]]
File:Premier Collection 2.jpg|'''''The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
File:IDWCollection2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Two''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
File:TF Spotlight Omnibus v1.jpg|'''''Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Jeffrey Veregge]]
File:IDWCollectionCompendiumV1.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1''''' – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge
File:LSOTW SWECover.jpg|'''''Wreckers sista strid''''' – cover by [[Trevor Hutchison]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 38: Devastation''''' ([[August 7]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''Devastation'' issues #1–6, and ''Spotlight: Kup'', ''Ramjet'' & ''[[Spotlight: Cliffjumper|Cliffjumper]]''.
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery and an introduction by Simon Furman.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection_v38.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 38: Devastation''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Sunstreaker) and [[Robby Musso]] (Sixshot)
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/lostkup Kup's MySpace page], maintained by [[Nick Roche]]

[[Category:Spotlight issues|Kup]]

Spotlight: Kup

2024-09-12T23:15:45Z

Pointblank:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]'' #7
|prev=Spotlight: Soundwave
|next=Spotlight: Galvatron
|image=Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg
|caption=[[Zombie|The Dawn of the Dead]] or just [[Humanization|a bad dream]]?
|title="The Transformers: Spotlight Kup"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 25]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=April 2007
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|illustrated by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Andrew Elder]]
|letters by=[[Robbie Robbins]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#Escalation|Escalation]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
}}
'''Kup is in danger. The threat? Himself.'''

==Synopsis==
A spaceship crash-lands on [[Tsiehshi|a desert planet]] covered in [[Ore-8|yellow crystals]]. Among the wreckage, a [[Dreadlocked alien species|mechanoid survivor]] sees a vehicle approaching, which transforms into [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]. However, Kup ignores his pleas for assistance and decapitates him with a club. From Kup's interior monologue, we learn that his spaceship also crashed on this planet, that he has no hope of being rescued, but that the strange crystals fill him with a sense of well-being so that he gives little thought to anything else. As the suns set, he returns to a makeshift shelter, which contains the remains of [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], a fellow survivor of the crash who was killed when a generator meltdown caused the crystals to go critical. Kup is clearly not in his right mind, as he has a conversation with Outback while wielding his severed arm as a weapon.

[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95|Kup sees dead people.]]
At night-time, as Kup powers down, [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|an apparition]] emanates from Outback's corpse, informing Kup that "we're coming to get you!" Outside, Kup sees [[zombie]] robots, from which he defends himself until sunrise. In the daylight, he emerges and lies within the crystals, feeling himself becoming more alive. The following night, the 'zombots' reappear. With Kup having forgotten to secure his shelter's shutters, they easily enter. Kup fights them off with unforeseen strength. Only one escapes, fleeing as Kup's [[spark]]core threatens to go into meltdown.

The zombot is revealed to be [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], who, after returning to his ship via [[orbital jump]], angrily berates first [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] and then Springer for the loss of his team and the pointlessness of the task. The radiation that has damaged Kup's mind also restricts his would-be rescuers to [[anti-rad armor|cumbersome protective armor]] that makes him think they are zombies, and any energy discharge, from their weapons or from Kup's damaged body, could detonate the crystals in a catastrophic chain reaction. Yet Springer, who is the 'ghost' attempting to communicate with Kup, is determined to rescue his former mentor because of what he and the entire [[Autobot]] army owe to his training. Both [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and Perceptor, in their respective ways, advise Springer to give up this quixotic quest before any more Autobots lose their lives, but then he learns that the 'specialist' he requested has arrived...

Once again at nightfall, the 'zombots' reappear, and once again Kup wreaks havoc among them—pushed over the edge by the accidental destruction of Outback's corpse, the exertion driving his sparkcore into meltdown again. However, the appearance of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], minus rad-armor and protected by his forcefield, shocks Kup momentarily, permitting Trailbreaker to secure him and prevent disaster. Back on board the ''[[Ark-17]]'', Springer and Trailbreaker consider the situation—although Kup has been rescued, his mind is broken, his body is severely damaged and too outdated to repair, and his spark is being maintained by artificial means. Springer wonders whether bringing him back in this condition, and at the cost of so many other lives, was worth it.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (2)
* [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (3)
* [[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (4)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (5)
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (6)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (7)
* [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] (8)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
|c4=
* [[Dreadlocked alien species|Dreadlocked alien]] (1)
}}

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
* Springer makes reference to the events of the ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' series as being the reason he was late arriving on the scene.
* Outback dying in this story forced a change to the [[Megatron Origin issue 2|second issue of ''Megatron Origin'']], which was written semi-simultaneously but published after ''Spotlight: Kup'' was released. Outback and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] had been written to be the first Autobot victims of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s illegal underground deathsports, which obviously would cause continuity problems. Thus, the creation of "[[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]", who looks a hell of a lot like Outback but totally isn't, really.
** You might feel bad for Outback given his horrible death and the nostalgic way Kup reminisces about him, but [[Iron_in_the_Blood|later]] [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|stories]] reveal him to have been a thoroughly nasty thug and murderer who was no better than the Decepticons he hated. This implicitly recontextualizes Kup's thoughts on him to being just another part of his delusions.
* The planet Kup is stranded on is not named in this issue and would not be till years later, in [[Shockwaves|''Robots in Disguise'' #17]], where it is also revealed that [[Ore-8|the damaging crystals]] on the planet are the result of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] project.
[[File:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|150px|thumb|''Always look on the briiiight side of death!'']]
* Years later, [[James Roberts]], Roche's partner on ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', would think up the [[Shimmer]], a ghostly green entity that Autobots believe visits you as a sign of oncoming death. Which Springer's hologram is often mistaken for. Hmmm...
* '''First appearances:''' Kup, Outback, Siren, Sizzle, Trailbreaker; Perceptor previously appeared as a holographic head in ''Stormbringer''.

===Trivia===
* The issue includes 5 pages of sketches by [[Nick Roche]].
* Page 4 is completely silent... but it's not ''supposed'' to be! The lettering was accidentally left out, of which Roche says: "Luckly it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Luckily it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724571997821407232|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref> It would ultimately be restored in the trade paperback release.
* In several panels throughout the issue, Kup's arms and legs have extra-thick black outlines. This was an alteration to Roche's art carried out in-house at IDW, in response to a decision that Kup looked "too skinny."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also,fun fact: The artwork was altered in-house. A Hasbro (I assume) mandate came that Kup was too skinny. Hence ugly, fat inked outlines.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724572280823623680|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* A page was cut where Kup drives to a cliff every day to dump the "zombie" heads into a lake so they will stop staring at him. That was cut by Roche, not editorial... but only because another scene needed more room!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DPbginVXE Moonbase 2's AA2010 interview], 27:04 - 27:40</ref>
* Kup—and his visions of zombies—are drawn in a different style from the "real world", such as the scenes on board the ''Ark-17''. Kup's nightmarish world is rendered with messy black cross-hatching and shadowy splotches, colored with either primarily orange tones (for daylight) or blue (at night), and the panels are given thick, jagged borders. In contrast, the "real world" events are cleanly rendered and colored normally. When the two "worlds" collide with Trailbreaker's arrival, even the dinged-up Trailbreaker looks polished compared to the been-through-hell Kup.
* Roche had the idea of writing an ''I Am Legend'' with Transformers, and Kup seemed like the best fit. He has also stated that due to concerns about trying to "dive in" to pre-existing continuity, he wrote the story as if it could be slotted into any continuity.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Errors===
* On page 3, 'cos is misspelled cos'.
* A bit of Trailbreaker's shoulder is clipping through Springer's on the final page.

===Foreign Localization===
'''Swedish'''
**''Title:'' "'''Berättelsen om Kup'''" ("Kup's Story")

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Kup attacks zombies; art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (colors).
* '''Cover B:''' Kup in swamp; art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]] (colors).
* '''Cover RI-A:''' Uncolored cover A
* '''Cover RI-B:''' Uncolored cover B

<gallery>
File:Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg|We'll get you, Kup!
File:Spotlight Kup cvrB.jpg|Kup, smelling swampy.
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIA.jpg|Cover RI-A
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIB.jpg|Cover RI-B
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell''
* ''Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between''
* ''Adventures in Oz'' comic
* ''Angel: Auld Lang Syne'' comic
* [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] toys
* IDW trade paperbacks (''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'', ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'', ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', ''[[War and Peace]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|Generations]]'') (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Volume 2''''' ([[February 20]], [[2008]]) ISBN 1600101542 / ISBN 978-1600101540
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Soundwave|Soundwave]]'', ''Kup'', ''[[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet|Ramjet]]''.
** Includes covers art for each issue and bonus art for each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' ([[June 17]], [[2009]]) ISBN 1600104371 / ISBN 978-1600104374
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Mirage|Mirage]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Cyclonus|Cyclonus]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead|Hardhead]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Doubledealer|Doubledealer]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Sideswipe|Sideswipe]]''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Two]]''''' ([[October 6]], [[2010]]) ISBN 978-1600107511
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' issues [[Stormbringer issue 1|#1]]–[[Stormbringer issue 4|4]], ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' issues [[Escalation issue 1|#1]]–[[Escalation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Sixshot|Sixshot]]'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus]]'', ''Kup'', ''Mirage'' & ''Optimus Prime''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' ([[April 15]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631402463 / ISBN 978-1631402463
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Shockwave|Shockwave]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Nightbeat|Nightbeat]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hot Rod|Hot Rod]]'', ''Sixshot'', ''Ultra Magnus'', ''Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''Blaster'', ''Arcee'' and ''Grimlock''.
** Bonus material unknown at this time.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1]]''''' ([[July 6]], [[2016]]) ISBN 163140637X / ISBN 978-1631406379
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection|The IDW Collection]] [[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One|One]]'' and ''Two''.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Transformers: Wreckers sista strid]]''''' ([[June 18]], [[2018]]) ISBN 978-91-88131-23-2
** Swedish reprint volume.

<gallery>
File:TF Spotlight v2.jpg|'''''Spotlight Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Gabriel Rodríguez]]
File:Premier Collection 2.jpg|'''''The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
File:IDWCollection2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Two''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
File:TF Spotlight Omnibus v1.jpg|'''''Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Jeffrey Veregge]]
File:IDWCollectionCompendiumV1.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1''''' – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge
File:LSOTW SWECover.jpg|'''''Wreckers sista strid''''' – cover by [[Trevor Hutchison]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 38: Devastation''''' ([[August 7]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''Devastation'' issues #1–6, and ''Spotlight: Kup'', ''Ramjet'' & ''[[Spotlight: Cliffjumper|Cliffjumper]]''.
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery and an introduction by Simon Furman.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection_v38.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 38: Devastation''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Sunstreaker) and [[Robby Musso]] (Sixshot)
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/lostkup Kup's MySpace page], maintained by [[Nick Roche]]

[[Category:Spotlight issues|Kup]]

Spotlight: Kup

2024-09-12T23:13:10Z

Pointblank:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]'' #7
|prev=Spotlight: Soundwave
|next=Spotlight: Galvatron
|image=Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg
|caption=[[Zombie|The Dawn of the Dead]] or just [[Humanization|a bad dream]]?
|title="The Transformers: Spotlight Kup"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[April 25]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=April 2007
|written by=[[Nick Roche]]
|illustrated by=[[Nick Roche]]
|colors by=[[Andrew Elder]]
|letters by=[[Robbie Robbins]]
|edits by=[[Chris Ryall]] & [[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#Escalation|Escalation]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
}}
'''Kup is in danger. The threat? Himself.'''

==Synopsis==
A spaceship crash-lands on [[Tsiehshi|a desert planet]] covered in [[Ore-8|yellow crystals]]. Among the wreckage, a [[Dreadlocked alien species|mechanoid survivor]] sees a vehicle approaching, which transforms into [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]. However, Kup ignores his pleas for assistance and decapitates him with a club. From Kup's interior monologue, we learn that his spaceship also crashed on this planet, that he has no hope of being rescued, but that the strange crystals fill him with a sense of well-being so that he gives little thought to anything else. As the suns set, he returns to a makeshift shelter, which contains the remains of [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], a fellow survivor of the crash who was killed when a generator meltdown caused the crystals to go critical. Kup is clearly not in his right mind, as he has a conversation with Outback while wielding his severed arm as a weapon.

[[File:Zombiesspotlightkup.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.95|Kup sees dead people.]]
At night-time, as Kup powers down, [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|an apparition]] emanates from Outback's corpse, informing Kup that "we're coming to get you!" Outside, Kup sees [[zombie]] robots, from which he defends himself until sunrise. In the daylight, he emerges and lies within the crystals, feeling himself becoming more alive. The following night, the 'zombots' reappear. With Kup having forgotten to secure his shelter's shutters, they easily enter. Kup fights them off with unforeseen strength. Only one escapes, fleeing as Kup's [[spark]]core threatens to go into meltdown.

The zombot is revealed to be [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], who, after returning to his ship via [[orbital jump]], angrily berates first [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] and then Springer for the loss of his team and the pointlessness of the task. The radiation that has damaged Kup's mind also restricts his would-be rescuers to [[anti-rad armor|cumbersome protective armor]] that makes him think they are zombies, and any energy discharge, from their weapons or from Kup's damaged body, could detonate the crystals in a catastrophic chain reaction. Yet Springer, who is the 'ghost' attempting to communicate with Kup, is determined to rescue his former mentor because of what he and the entire [[Autobot]] army owe to his training. Both [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and Perceptor, in their respective ways, advise Springer to give up this quixotic quest before any more Autobots lose their lives, but then he learns that the 'specialist' he requested has arrived...

Once again at nightfall, the 'zombots' reappear, and once again Kup wreaks havoc among them—pushed over the edge by the accidental destruction of Outback's corpse, the exertion driving his sparkcore into meltdown again. However, the appearance of [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], minus rad-armor and protected by his forcefield, shocks Kup momentarily, permitting Trailbreaker to secure him and prevent disaster. Back on board the ''[[Ark-17]]'', Springer and Trailbreaker consider the situation—although Kup has been rescued, his mind is broken, his body is severely damaged and too outdated to repair, and his spark is being maintained by artificial means. Springer wonders whether bringing him back in this condition, and at the cost of so many other lives, was worth it.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (2)
* [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] (3)
* [[Siren (G1)|Siren]] (4)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (5)
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (6)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (7)
* [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]] (8)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (9)
|c4=
* [[Dreadlocked alien species|Dreadlocked alien]] (1)
}}

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
* Springer makes reference to the events of the ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' series as being the reason he was late arriving on the scene.
* Outback dying in this story forced a change to the [[Megatron Origin issue 2|second issue of ''Megatron Origin'']], which was written semi-simultaneously but published after ''Spotlight: Kup'' was released. Outback and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] had been written to be the first Autobot victims of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s illegal underground deathsports, which obviously would cause continuity problems. Thus, the creation of "[[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]", who looks a hell of a lot like Outback but totally isn't, really.
** You might feel bad for Outback given his horrible death and the nostalgic way Kup reminisces about him, but [[Iron_in_the_Blood|later]] [[New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|stories]] reveal him to have been a thoroughly nasty thug and murderer who was no better than the Decepticons he hated. Seems karma eventually came for him.
* The planet Kup is stranded on is not named in this issue and would not be till years later, in [[Shockwaves|''Robots in Disguise'' #17]], where it is also revealed that [[Ore-8|the damaging crystals]] on the planet are the result of [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s [[Regenesis]] project.
[[File:SpotlightKup Springersholograph.jpg|150px|thumb|''Always look on the briiiight side of death!'']]
* Years later, [[James Roberts]], Roche's partner on ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', would think up the [[Shimmer]], a ghostly green entity that Autobots believe visits you as a sign of oncoming death. Which Springer's hologram is often mistaken for. Hmmm...
* '''First appearances:''' Kup, Outback, Siren, Sizzle, Trailbreaker; Perceptor previously appeared as a holographic head in ''Stormbringer''.

===Trivia===
* The issue includes 5 pages of sketches by [[Nick Roche]].
* Page 4 is completely silent... but it's not ''supposed'' to be! The lettering was accidentally left out, of which Roche says: "Luckly it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Luckily it was the ONLY page in the WHOLE book that could have lost it. Any other page, and NONE of the story would have made sense.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724571997821407232|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref> It would ultimately be restored in the trade paperback release.
* In several panels throughout the issue, Kup's arms and legs have extra-thick black outlines. This was an alteration to Roche's art carried out in-house at IDW, in response to a decision that Kup looked "too skinny."<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also,fun fact: The artwork was altered in-house. A Hasbro (I assume) mandate came that Kup was too skinny. Hence ugly, fat inked outlines.|link=https://twitter.com/NickRoche/status/724572280823623680|name=Nick Roche|site=Twitter|year=2016|month=04|day=25|(defunct=)}}</ref>
* A page was cut where Kup drives to a cliff every day to dump the "zombie" heads into a lake so they will stop staring at him. That was cut by Roche, not editorial... but only because another scene needed more room!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9DPbginVXE Moonbase 2's AA2010 interview], 27:04 - 27:40</ref>
* Kup—and his visions of zombies—are drawn in a different style from the "real world", such as the scenes on board the ''Ark-17''. Kup's nightmarish world is rendered with messy black cross-hatching and shadowy splotches, colored with either primarily orange tones (for daylight) or blue (at night), and the panels are given thick, jagged borders. In contrast, the "real world" events are cleanly rendered and colored normally. When the two "worlds" collide with Trailbreaker's arrival, even the dinged-up Trailbreaker looks polished compared to the been-through-hell Kup.
* Roche had the idea of writing an ''I Am Legend'' with Transformers, and Kup seemed like the best fit. He has also stated that due to concerns about trying to "dive in" to pre-existing continuity, he wrote the story as if it could be slotted into any continuity.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Nick Roche interview with Moonbase Two]</ref>

===Errors===
* On page 3, 'cos is misspelled cos'.
* A bit of Trailbreaker's shoulder is clipping through Springer's on the final page.

===Foreign Localization===
'''Swedish'''
**''Title:'' "'''Berättelsen om Kup'''" ("Kup's Story")

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Kup attacks zombies; art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (colors).
* '''Cover B:''' Kup in swamp; art by [[Alex Milne]] and [[Josh Perez]] (colors).
* '''Cover RI-A:''' Uncolored cover A
* '''Cover RI-B:''' Uncolored cover B

<gallery>
File:Spotlight Kup cvrA.jpg|We'll get you, Kup!
File:Spotlight Kup cvrB.jpg|Kup, smelling swampy.
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIA.jpg|Cover RI-A
File:Spotlight Kup cvrRIB.jpg|Cover RI-B
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Star Trek: Klingons: Blood Will Tell''
* ''Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Space Between''
* ''Adventures in Oz'' comic
* ''Angel: Auld Lang Syne'' comic
* [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] toys
* IDW trade paperbacks (''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'', ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'', ''[[Hearts of Steel]]'', ''[[War and Peace]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|Generations]]'') (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Volume 2''''' ([[February 20]], [[2008]]) ISBN 1600101542 / ISBN 978-1600101540
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Soundwave|Soundwave]]'', ''Kup'', ''[[Spotlight: Galvatron|Galvatron]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Optimus Prime|Optimus Prime]]'' and ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet|Ramjet]]''.
** Includes covers art for each issue and bonus art for each issue.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''The Transformers: The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' ([[June 17]], [[2009]]) ISBN 1600104371 / ISBN 978-1600104374
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'' issues [[Devastation issue 1|#1]]–[[Devastation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Blaster|Blaster]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Arcee|Arcee]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Mirage|Mirage]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Grimlock|Grimlock]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Wheelie|Wheelie]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Cyclonus|Cyclonus]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead|Hardhead]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Doubledealer|Doubledealer]]'' & ''[[Spotlight: Sideswipe|Sideswipe]]''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Two]]''''' ([[October 6]], [[2010]]) ISBN 978-1600107511
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: Stormbringer|Stormbringer]]'' issues [[Stormbringer issue 1|#1]]–[[Stormbringer issue 4|4]], ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'' issues [[Escalation issue 1|#1]]–[[Escalation issue 6|6]], and ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Sixshot|Sixshot]]'', ''Ramjet'', ''[[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus]]'', ''Kup'', ''Mirage'' & ''Optimus Prime''.
** Hardcover format.

* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' ([[April 15]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631402463 / ISBN 978-1631402463
** Collects ''Spotlight: [[Spotlight: Shockwave|Shockwave]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Nightbeat|Nightbeat]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Hot Rod|Hot Rod]]'', ''Sixshot'', ''Ultra Magnus'', ''Soundwave'', ''Kup'', ''Galvatron'', ''Optimus Prime'', ''Ramjet'', ''Blaster'', ''Arcee'' and ''Grimlock''.
** Bonus material unknown at this time.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1]]''''' ([[July 6]], [[2016]]) ISBN 163140637X / ISBN 978-1631406379
** Collects ''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection|The IDW Collection]] [[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume One|One]]'' and ''Two''.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Transformers: Wreckers sista strid]]''''' ([[June 18]], [[2018]]) ISBN 978-91-88131-23-2
** Swedish reprint volume.

<gallery>
File:TF Spotlight v2.jpg|'''''Spotlight Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Gabriel Rodríguez]]
File:Premier Collection 2.jpg|'''''The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] and [[Josh Burcham]]
File:IDWCollection2.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Two''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
File:TF Spotlight Omnibus v1.jpg|'''''Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Jeffrey Veregge]]
File:IDWCollectionCompendiumV1.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1''''' – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge
File:LSOTW SWECover.jpg|'''''Wreckers sista strid''''' – cover by [[Trevor Hutchison]]
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 38: Devastation''''' ([[August 7]], [[2019]])
** Collects ''Devastation'' issues #1–6, and ''Spotlight: Kup'', ''Ramjet'' & ''[[Spotlight: Cliffjumper|Cliffjumper]]''.
** Bonus material includes a cover gallery and an introduction by Simon Furman.
** Hardcover format.

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection_v38.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 38: Devastation''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] (Sunstreaker) and [[Robby Musso]] (Sixshot)
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.myspace.com/lostkup Kup's MySpace page], maintained by [[Nick Roche]]

[[Category:Spotlight issues|Kup]]

Spotlight: Optimus Prime

2024-09-12T01:24:11Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Spotlight]]'' #9
|prev=Spotlight: Galvatron
|next=Spotlight: Ramjet
|seriesissue2
|prev2
|next2
|image=Spotlight OptimusPrime cvrA.jpg
|title="The Transformers: Spotlight Optimus Prime"
|caption=[[Elita One (G1)|Does your man have an ass like mine?]]
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[August 29]], [[2007]]
|coverdate=August 2007
|written by=[[Simon Furman]]
|art by=[[Don Figueroa]]
|colors by=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|edits by=[[Dan Taylor (IDW)|Dan Taylor]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline#Escalation|Escalation]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime's search for answers about his predecessors leads to a dark discovery.'''

==Synopsis==
In the wake of his brush with death at [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s hands, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] is pensive. To find out more about [[Nova Prime|the sinister presence]] he felt while transferring his [[spark]] through [[infraspace]], he takes ''[[Ark-32]]'' and journeys to the [[Muta-Gaath Nebula]]—secret home of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, another ship observes his transit, its [[Pretender Monster|inhabitants]] vowing to destroy whoever is inside the asteroid base that Omega calls home.

Optimus Prime quizzes Omega Supreme about [[Nova Prime]]. He believes that he encountered Nova while in infraspace, and was filled with a sense of dread, something only Megatron and [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] normally cause. Omega explains that Nova Prime felt that Cybertronians were superior to other life forms and had a duty to impress their likeness on the rest of the universe. Optimus surmises that the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' was not an exploratory vessel, but part of Nova's expansion, something Omega also suspected.

[[File:Monstructor-idw1.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Seriously. Forget Sunstreaker or Prowl. Give '''this''' guy a <s>''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''</s> ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toy.]]
But before they can further pursue the matter, [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] smashes his way in to Omega Supreme's domain. The enraged combiner robot has come for Omega Supreme; Monstructor makes short work of him, ripping off his cannon arm within seconds and nearly crushing him with a shuttlecraft. Optimus Prime's weapons are repelled by an energy-dampening field, so Prime blasts open an airlock, sucking all three of them into space.

Omega Supreme uses his rocket-engine arm to transport himself and Optimus Prime as far away as he can, but they both know Monstructor is hot on their heels. Prime demands answers, and Omega explains that Monstructor was an attempt by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], at Nova Prime's behest, to combine minds and bodies of a group of Transformers to enhance strength and intellect. But the process failed, and the combined form "devolved into a monster". After Jhiaxus and Nova Prime disappeared aboard the original ''Ark'', Omega locked Monstructor away in a dimensionally-displaced prison, an act which Prime finds reprehensible.

Further debate is ended as Monstructor's ship arrives, and the monster dives at them. Omega Supreme tells Optimus Prime that Monstructor has one weak spot, an area of his chest; unable to reason with the giant, Prime strikes the area, and Monstructor breaks apart into his components. Prime swears to the fallen robots that he will help them.

An Autobot cleanup crew arrives later, to restore Omega Supreme and take the Monstructor team prisoner. Omega warns Optimus Prime that if the gestalt technology falls into Megatron's hands, the result will be an all-consuming war. [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] takes the combiner robots away, leaving Optimus to reflect on the tarnished legacy of the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] lineage.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (2)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (4)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] (5)
* [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] (6)
* ''[[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'' (9)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (10)
* [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] (18)
* [[Gunrunner (G1)|Gunrunner]] (19)
* [[Override (G1)|Override]] (20)
* [[Pointblank]] (21)
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] (22)
* [[Dogfight (G1)|Dogfight]] (23)
* [[Backstreet (G1)|Backstreet]] (24)
* [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] (25)
* [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (26)
* [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (27)
* [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (28)
* [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] (29)
}}
|c2=
* ''[[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'' (7)
|c4=
* ''[[Nova Prime]]'' (8)
* [[Birdbrain]] (11)
* [[Bristleback]] (12)
* [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]] (13)
* [[Scowl (G1)|Scowl]] (14)
* [[Slog (G1)|Slog]] (15)
* [[Wildfly]] (16)
* [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] (17)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
[[File:Primes IDW.JPG|200px|upright=1.1|thumb|[[Nominus Prime|You]] [[Zeta Prime (G1)|two]] are not important enough.]]
[[File:Sentineltruck.gif|200px|thumb|Being Prime requires that your altmode has at least six wheels and a trailer. It's tradition.]]
* When Optimus talks about the Primes, we see a picture of their lineage (the ones before Nova are shadowed). This caused some confusion among fans when "[[Spotlight: Blurr]]" introduced the concept of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Sentinel's successor, even though this issue showed no Primes between Sentinel and Optimus; later, [[James Roberts]] would add in [[Nominus Prime]] between Nova and Sentinel! "[[The Crucible]]" would introduce IDW's version of the [[Thirteen|original Thirteen Primes]], making it likely that the two shadowed Primes behind Nova are members of the Thirteen.
* While it was par for the course at the time, the expanded backstory and lore provided by [[John Barber]] and Roberts would make Optimus' veneration of the Prime legacy come off as ''very'' strange in hindsight, as it would be firmly established that the Prime legacy had long devolved into a collection of [[Nominus Prime|corrupt state puppets]], [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|fascists]], and [[Zeta Prime (G1)|murderous psychopaths]]. Optimus had in fact opposed all three of his predecessors prior to becoming leader himself, and was personally the mentee to Zeta and witnessed his descent into madness.
* Among the Autobots reporting in to Prime at the issue's opening are:
** [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], presumably the one reporting on [[Spotlight: Kup|Kup's status]].
** [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]], with a new lead on [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]—possibly implying that he [[Spotlight: Ultra Magnus|cut another deal with Swindle]].
** [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], making his first appearance in the IDWverse, wondering if anyone can hear him. The reason for his transmission would be shown almost a year later in [[Spotlight: Wheelie|his own ''Spotlight'']].
** [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] reporting [[Spotlight: Galvatron|Sideswipe's desire to follow up]] on [[Escalation issue 1|Sunstreaker's disappearance]].
* A similar scene starts off [[Escalation issue 1|''Escalation'' #1]].
* This issue establishes that the various combiner teams shown to date in the IDW universe ([[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s, [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the odd [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]], and [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]) aren't actually combiners yet.
* Also, the [[Pretender Monster]]s are not [[Pretender]]s nor [[Decepticon]]s, as they were locked away before the Pretender process and factions were developed. {{storylink|The Transformers: Stormbringer |Stormbringer}} ''See [[2005 IDW timeline]].''
* '''First appearances:''' Wheelie, the Monstructor Six, Nova Prime, Sentinel Prime

===Errors===
* A strange conversation occurs among the Monstructor bots:

''Panel 1:''
:'''Unknown:''' Is it him?

''Panel 2:''
:'''Birdbrain:''' Only one sure way to find out.
:'''Bristleback:''' Which is?
:'''Birdbrain:''' ''Smash'' our way in...

''Panel 3:''
:'''Bristleback:''' ...and kill ''whoever'' and ''whatever'' we find inside!

* It's ''possible'' that Bristleback did indeed chime in with his two cents' worth (particularly given the intertwined nature of this team), but considering IDW's history of mis-attributed speech balloons, it also seems likely that Birdbrain and Bristleback's speech balloons got switched in the second panel. Whatever the case, the conversation was not altered for the trade paperback version.

===Other trivia===
* The issue includes 2 pages of sketches by [[Don Figueroa]]—one of Optimus Prime in several stages of transformation (though it's the transformation design of Masterpiece/Dreamwave Optimus, not the IDW one), and the other of the various alternate modes of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and [[Nova Prime]].
* Colorist Josh Burcham made the vents on the butt of Optimus Prime's [[Ion blaster]] a sort of ammo gauge, based upon an idea from [[fandom]]. After each subsequent blast, the blue glow dips lower.
* This issue further establishes that the Pretender Monsters are AWESOME and that Monstructor is a total bad-ass death machine. We already knew that, though.
* This issue was reissued in December 2008 as a special 3-D edition, including a pair of cardboard unfoldable 3-D glasses.
* Ironically, Monstructor, the final combiner released by Hasbro, predates Devastator, the first combiner released by Hasbro, in the IDW continuity.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus in spotlight; art by [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Josh Burcham]] (colors).
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus with gun; art by [[Gabriel Rodríguez]].
* '''Cover RI:''' Uncolored cover A
* '''3-D Cover:''' Optimus vs Monstructor; art by [[Hoon]].

<gallery>
File:Spotlight OptimusPrime cvrA.jpg|Spotlight: Optimus Prime's ass
File:Spotlight OptimusPrime cvrB.jpg|I need some low-fat Energon.
File:Spotlight OptimusPrime cvrRI.jpg|Cover RI
File:Spotlight OptimusPrime 3D.jpg|3D cover
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'', including a 6-page preview
* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending|The Ascending]]''
* ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' (back cover)

===Reprints===
* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Volume 2''''' ([[February 20]], [[2008]]) ISBN 1600101542 / ISBN 978-1600101540
* '''''[[The Transformers: The Premiere Collection]] Volume 2''''' ([[June 17]], [[2009]]) ISBN 1600104371 / ISBN 978-1600104374
* '''''[[The Transformers: Best of Optimus Prime]]''''' ([[June 2]], [[2010]]) ISBN 1600106668 / ISBN 978-1600106668
* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Volume Two]]''''' ([[October 6]], 2010) ISBN 1600107516 / ISBN 978-1600107511
* '''''The Transformers: Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' ([[April 15]], [[2015]]) ISBN 1631402463 / ISBN 978-1631402463
* '''''[[The Transformers: The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1]]''''' ([[July 6]], [[2016]]) ISBN 163140637X / ISBN 978-1631406379

<gallery>
File:TF Spotlight v2.jpg|'''''Spotlight Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Gabriel Rodríguez]]
File:Premier Collection 2.jpg|'''''The Premiere Collection Volume 2''''' – cover art by [[Nick Roche]] & [[Josh Burcham]]
File:BestofOptimus.jpg|'''''The Best of Optimus Prime''''' – cover art by [[Livio Ramondelli]]
File:IDWCollection3.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Volume Two''''' – cover art by [[E. J. Su]]
File:TF Spotlight Omnibus v1.jpg|'''''Spotlight Omnibus Volume 1''''' – cover art by [[Jeffrey Veregge]]
File:IDWCollectionCompendiumV1.jpg|'''''The IDW Collection Compendium, Vol. 1''''' – cover art by Jeffrey Veregge
</gallery>

* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 39: Hearts of Steel''''' ([[April 5]], [[2017]])

<gallery>
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v39.jpg|'''''The Definitive G1 Collection: Volume 39: Hearts of Steel''''' – cover art by [[Don Figueroa]], [[Guido Guidi]] and [[Aaron Leach]]
</gallery>

[[Category:Spotlight issues|Optimus Prime]]

Form Follows Function

2024-09-10T01:04:53Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory|series=tfvsjoe
|issueno=4
|prev=Funeral for a Friend
|next=Everybody Hates Metroplex
|image=TFvsJoe4_regcvr.jpg
|title="Form Follows Function"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[November 26]], [[2014]]
|coverdate=October 2014
|written by=[[Tom Scioli]] and [[John Barber]]
|art by=Tom Scioli
|colors by=Tom Scioli
|letters by=Tom Scioli
|production by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|editor=[[Carlos Guzman]]
|continuity=[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]
}}

'''While Scarlett's Joes make peace with the Autobots, another group led by Psych Out gets caught between the deposed Autobot leader Hot Rod and revolutionary Blaster, and the Joes' non-human unit clashes with the Oktober Guard.'''

==Synopsis==

In [[Decepticobracropolis]] on [[Earth]], [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]]'s undercover mission has gone wrong. Though his identity has been discovered, he doesn't take it lying down: after stuffing a grenade in [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s mouth to free himself from the robot's grip, he fights his way through a team of [[Cobra]] troops, and takes down loquacious Cobra pugilist [[Big Boa]]. Out for a bit of personal revenge, he then hunts down the apparent turncoat [[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]], who has just completed a meditation ritual and believes his mastery of body and mind will allow him to make the journey through the [[M.A.S.S. Device]] that has killed so many others. Duke tackles Snake Eyes through the M.A.S.S. Device portal, and the pair are sent tumbling through the [[unspace|void between worlds]].

In [[T.H.E. P.I.T.]], [[Doctor Venom]] conducts an arcane experiment with [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s remains, [[General Flagg]]'s [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblecycle]] and some Joe greenshirts. As Venom reads in the native tongue of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] from some kind of grimoire, the Bumblecycle springs to life and begins coiling around his arm...

A fleet of G.I. Joe [[G.I.Rocket|green bombs]] hurtles through space towards Cybertron, led by a supply rocket manned—so to speak—by G.I. Joe's "non-human personnel" unit [[U.S.7]], made up of the team's animal sidekicks and captained by [[Polly]], aka "Seasick". As they draw near to the metal planet, U.S.7's ship is attacked and boarded by G.I. Joe's Russian counterpart, the creepy, kooky [[Oktober Guard]], but after only a few moments of fighting, their ship is snatched out of the air by the gigantic [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. The energy-starved colossus pulls them down to Cybertron's surface, shakes animal and guardsman alike out of the ship, and tosses them down his gullet.

At Cybertron's north pole, a Joe team is marking the huge rocket-furnaces growing out of the planet's as targets for the approaching wave of green bombs. Team leader [[Psych Out]] is dismayed; he is fascinated by the constantly morphing geography of Cybertron, and would much rather be investigating the two curious mountains that have sprung up at the south pole. Though they successfully accomplish their task, misfortune strikes when the team are suddenly snagged in a [[turborat]] trap, laid around the furnace to catch robotic vermin. The traps are collected by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], a fallen [[Autobot]] leader once known as "Imhotep Rodimus", now a maintenance worker for [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s empire. Loading up his traps and going on his weary way, trying to ignore the grisly sight of the [[smelting pool|smelting pits]] fueling the furnaces, Hot Rod finds his path barred by Autobot revolutionary [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], who is appalled by the once-great young hero's defection and eager to take him out. As the two Autobots fire on each other, the Joes are blasted free from their trap, but at that point, the green bombs begin falling. One bomb-blast kicks up a chunk of rubble that knocks out Blaster; Decepticons [[Apeface]] and [[Demolisher (G1)|Demolisher]] arrive in time to see Hot Rod standing over his fallen body and, believing he has defeated Blaster, congratulate him on a job well done. Disgusted by words of praise from the lowest of the low, Hot Rod is galvanized into action: he hurls the two Decepticons into one of the furnaces, loads Blaster into his alternate mode, and heads off for [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. This is good news for the Joes, who secretly use their grappling hooks to hitch a ride on Hot Rod, enabling them to outrun the green bomb blasts.

[[File:FormFollowsFunction-extradimensionaloptimus.jpg|thumb|left]]

In the terraformed [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], [[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]] is in a portable toilet that is thrown through the air when [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]'s Autobot unit attacks. Emerging from the collapsed commode, he is horrified to see what appears to be a battlefield strewn with dead bodies... but as he cradles [[Scarlett]]'s fallen form, she and all the other combatants turn out to be alive. Before hostilities can break out again, though, the crawling form of Metroplex climbs appears and disgorges [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s Autobots and the small Joe team they had captured. Grimlock loudly announces that a truce has been brokered, and the Autobots and Joes all have a dance party to cement their new friendship. During the celebration, Bazooka tries chewing on some of the foliage that the terraforming process has created, but the bizarre [[technorganic|techno-organic]] leaves prove to be psychoactive, and induce a hallucination of some kind of composite intelligence known as "[[Primus]]".

The mesmerized Bazooka tries to explain what he is seeing, but Grimlock mistakenly believes he is asking about [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], and explains how the lost Autobot leader fled the planet after being defeated by Megatron; Rodimus was Optimus's appointed successor, but Grimlock overthrew him. The other Autobots grumble that Grimlock is twisting the facts, and that nobody knows why Optimus left or where he went...

Lost in the interdimensional gulf, Duke and Snake Eyes continues to struggle, both clinging onto the ninja's sword, which somehow seems to protect them from the ravages of the space between realities. Oblivion looms, but just then, the two are snatched to safety by the claws of a mysterious, misshapen robotic creature... which the two soldiers have no way of knowing is Optimus Prime himself, his body reconfigured into a form that can survive in the void!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s body/Bumblecycle (11)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] (28)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] (35)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (36)
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (44)
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (45)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (55)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (56)
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (57)
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (62)
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] (63)
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] (64)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (67)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (72)
*[[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (drawing, 74)

|c2=
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (1)
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s body (9)
*[[Apeface]] (37)
*[[Demolisher (G1)|Demolisher]] (38)
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (drawing, 73)

|h3=[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (2)
*[[Doctor Venom]] (10)
*[[Order]] (12)
*[[Junkyard (G.I. Joe)|Junkyard]] (13)
*[[Max (G.I. Joe)|Max]] (14)
*[[Clyde (G.I. Joe)|Clyde]] (15)
*[[Sandstorm (G.I. Joe)|Sandstorm]] (16)
*[[Freedom]] (17)
*[[Polly|Seasick/Polly]] (18)
*[[Airtight]]? (19)
*[[Shipwreck]] (20)
*[[Spirit]] (21)
*[[Psych Out]] (29)
*[[Frostbite (G.I. Joe)|Frostbite]] (30)
*[[Barbecue]] (31)
*[[Chuckles]] (32)
*[[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]] (33)
*[[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|Lt. Falcon]] (34)
*[[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]] (39)
*[[Snow Job]] (40)
*[[Tripwire (G.I. Joe)|Tripwire]] (41)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Stalker (G.I. Joe)|Stalker]] (42)
*[[Rock 'n Roll]] (43)
*? (46)
*? (47)
*[[Dusty]] (48)
*[[Scarlett]] (49)
*[[Recondo]] (50)
*[[Blowtorch]] (51)
*[[Beachhead]] (52)
*[[Quick Kick]] (53)
*[[Steeler]] (54)
*[[Breaker (G.I. Joe)|Breaker]] (58)
*[[Jinx]] (59)
*[[Cover Girl]] (60)
*[[Clutch (G.I. Joe)|Clutch]] (61)
*[[Gung-Ho]] (65)
*[[Roadblock (G.I. Joe)|Roadblock]] (66)
*[[Doc (G.I. Joe)|Doc]] (68)
*[[Lifeline (G.I. Joe)|Lifeline]] (69)
*[[Joe Colton]] (image, 71)
{{!}}}
|h4=[[Cobra]]|c4=
*[[Cobra]] troopers (3)
*[[Big Boa]] (4)
*[[Snake-Eyes|Snake Eyes]] (5)
*[[Crimson Guard]]smen (8)

|h5=Others|c5=
*[[Soft Master]] (memory, 6)
*[[Hard Master]] (memory, 7)
*[[S.H.R.I.E.K.]] (22)
*[[Colonel Breakoff]] (23)
*[[Horrorshow]] (24)
*[[Daina|Denia]] (25)
*[[Dragun]] (26)
*[[Münchnik]] (27)
*[[Primus]] (70)
}}

==Quotes==

"Trickings and Treatings, G.I Joes. Come and get your sweeties."
:—'''S.H.R.I.E.K.''' announces the October Guard's arrival

"'''Turncoat!''' The once-great polymath warrior prince '''Imhotep Rodimus''' spends his days cleaning turborat droppings and hauling energonic hot rods to fuel Megatronian death engines!? How '''far''' have the mighty '''fallen?''' Are there no heroes left on Cybertron?"
:—'''Blaster''', a mite peeved

"The party gets weird. The dancing simultaneously speeds up and slows to a crawl. I see each creature, man and cyberman, become the same centipede. It's life cycle, womb to tomb is arrayed before me. I see Earth growing ever larger, haloed by the sun just behind it. The bodies merge. The minds become one. Is there a name for this? I hear it spoken... two syllables... a name? A call to action? A plea? A command? A prayer? <big>'''PRIME US.'''</big>"
:—'''Bazooka''' has a vision

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*The street preacher from [[I Saw Three Ships|issue #1]] is revealed to have been one of Snake-Eyes's teachers, the [[Soft Master]] (see "G.I. Joe references", below).
*As the green bombs strike, an image of [[Joe Colton]]'s eyes appears over the scene, and the narration recalls his lifetime dream of remote warfare, as introduced back in issue #1 with his [[Coltonbolt]].
*Shipwreck and Polly have received cybernetic upgrades to replace the damaged portions of their body following the injuries they sustained last issue. The issue's commentary notes that Shipwreck's cybernetic eye can see through Polly's own.
*Though Grimlock's "cave-painting" style recap of Cybertronian history seems to imply that Optimus left Cybertron aboard [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], the Autobot leader's fate, reveal at the issue's end, seems to indicate their belief is incorrect. Indeed, back in [[Targetmasters (issue)|issue #2]], Megatron mentioned that he had "booted [Prime's] hide into the void", suggesting he is responsible for stranding him in interdimensional space.

===Transformers references===
*Classic Cybertronian locations the [[smelting pool|smelting pits]] and the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] put in appearances.
*It's not clear what it means yet, but the two "mega-mountains" that have emerged from Cybertron's surface certainly are reminiscent of [[Unicron]]'s famous horns.
*While the depiction of Rodimus is a fairly dramatic departure from the flawed, insecure hot-head he has historically been portrayed as in fiction, it actually lines up fairly well with his original toy bio, which depicted him as a wise and trusted leader in a similar vein to Optimus himself.
*Blaster's grim, uncompromising depiction in this issue hearkens back to the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|original Marvel series]], which also debuted the character in [[The Smelting Pool!|a story revolving around the smelting pits]].
*A surprising face among the Decepticons is the [[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|''Armada'']] Decepticon [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]], but not unprecedented, as a [[Demolisher (G1)|Generation 1 version of the character also exists]].
*The Autobots and G.I. Joe boogie down to establish their truce, probably a reference to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', when the Autobots and [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] did the same.
*Optimus Prime's form is based around a mistransformation of his original toy, rather than a new body.

===G.I. Joe references===
*As Snake-Eyes meditates, he recalls the teachings of his masters. While unnamed in the issue, they are recognizable to ''G.I. Joe'' fans as the [[Soft Master]] and the [[Hard Master]], names reflected in the philosophies Snake-Eyes remembers them espousing.
*Doctor Venom's experiment with the Bumblecycle already looks pretty gruesome, but it becomes even more horrifying when you can recognize the device that one of the "greenshirt" Joes is strapped into as the [[Brainwave Scanner]], a particularly torturous mind-reading device of Venom's design that appeared frequently in the original Marvel ''G.I. Joe'' series.
*The Joes' animal team is made up of all real animal partner characters from ''G.I. Joe'' history. Franchise mainstays include [[Law]]'s German shepherd Order, [[Mutt (G.I. Joe)|Mutt]]'s Rottweiler Junkyard, Spirit's eagle Freedom, and of course, Shipwreck's parrot Polly, now granted a codename of her own, "Seasick". Less well-known are Spearhead's bobcat Max and Dusty's coyote Sandstorm; the odd-beast-out is warthog Clyde, who is not originally a Joe animal, but actually owned by the [[Dreadnok]] poacher Gnawgahyde. His file card here notes he was "liberated from a poacher" in reference to this.
*The Oktober Guard are the Russian counterpart to G.I. Joe, and have featured in much past ''Joe'' fiction. Originally named for the {{w|October Revolution}}, they are here completely reimagined as a Halloween-themed horror team. Only team bruiser Horrorshow gets to retain his original name, given its appropriateness; infantry trooper Schrage becomes torture robot "S.H.R.I.E.K."; team leader Colonel Brekhov is now "Colonel Breakoff" (as in, "breaking off your fingers"); flamethrower-wielding mechanic Dragonsky is reinvented as fire-breathing reptilian quadruped "Dragun"; paratrooper Stormavik is replaced by the diminutive Münchnik; and [[Daina]], the only member of the Guard to have appeared in ''Transformers'' fiction before, has become "Denia" (that is, she'll "deny ya" mercy).

===Real-life references===
*The title is derived from architect {{w|Louis Sullivan}}'s famous dictum that {{w|Form follows function|"form ever follows function"}}, often quoted by Modernist designers.
*The one-page scene of Doctor Venom working on the Bumblecycle is labelled "Tales from T.H.E. P.I.T.", a reference to the classic EC horror comic, ''{{w|Tales from the Crypt (comics)|Tales from the Crypt}}'', complete with a direct homage to the comic's logo. This comes on the heels of last issue's reference to Venom as the Crypt Keeper, the comic's host.
*The Joe's "non-human personnel" team is named "U.S.7" after the comic book ''{{w|We3}}'', about cybernetically enhanced animals.
*U.S.7's ship is designed to resemble {{w|Snoopy}}.
*The Joes announce their intention to "Steranko" their way out of Hot Rod's cage, a reference to comic book artist {{w|Jim Steranko}}, who performed as an escapologist in his younger days. Steranko is particularly well known for the psychedelic spy/military stories he told on ''[[Nicholas Fury|Nick Fury]]'', a big influence on the look and tone of this series.
*As the Joes and Autobots party together, some words (not in a speech bubble, but probably intended to convey a chant or song) read "Yub Yub"—a reference to "[[wikia:starwars:Ewok Celebration|Yub Nub]]", the Ewok victory song that plays at the end of the original theatrical release of [[Star Wars (franchise)|''Return of the Jedi'']], as the Ewoks and [[Rebel Alliance|Rebels]] have a similar celebration.
*Barbecue quips that the planetary engines are hot enough to "turn [them] all into M.R.E's"; "M.R.E." stands for "{{w|Meal, Ready-to-Eat}}", a kind of military field ration. M.R.E.s replaced the unpopular "{{w|C-ration}}s", which the characters of the original Marvel ''G.I. Joe'' run would often comment on with relief.
*Hot Rod was once known as "Imhotep Rodimus". {{w|Imhotep}} was an ancient Egyptian polymath: an accomplished engineer, physician, and architect of pyramids. He was also chancellor to the pharaoh, perhaps mirroring Rodimus's high status as Optimus's choice of successor. Given Scioli's penchant for wordplay, it's not surprising that you can find the name "Hot Rod" within "Im'''hot'''ep '''Rod'''imus".

===Errors===
*As Bazooka has his vision, quoted above, "it's" is used instead of "its".

===Other notes===
*This issue was originally solicited for release in October, with the solicitation blurb specifically noting that the Oktober Guard were appearing "just in time for Halloween". Unfortunately, the issue didn't make it out until the end of November.
*Naturally, when Bazooka's portable toilet is sent flying into the air, the onomatopoeia is ''BA-THROOM''.

===Covers (4)===
*'''Standard cover:''' Megatron, Apeface and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] fend off a G.I. Joe attack, by [[Tom Scioli]]
*'''Subscription cover:''' Soundwave versus a small group of Joes, by [[Riley Rossmo]]
*'''Cover RI:''' Optimus Prime, [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and Scarlett by Tom Scioli; connects to the RI covers from issues #2 and #3 to form a larger image
*'''Yesteryear Comics exclusive cover:''' The [[Baroness]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], by [[Jamie Tyndall]] and [[Ula Mos]], available exclusively from Yesteryear Comics

<gallery>
File:TFvsJoe4_regcvr.jpg
File:TFvsJoe4_subcvr.jpg
File:TFvsJoe4_cvrRI.jpg
File:TFvsJoe4_yycvr.jpg
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
*''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' #5
*''[[The Transformers: Drift - Empire of Stone|Drift - Empire of Stone]]''
*''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' graphic novel
*''[[Angry Birds Transformers (comic)|Angry Birds Transformers]]''
*''V-Wars'' graphic novel (back cover)

==Reprints==
* '''''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''''' Volume 1 TPB
* '''''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe Quintessential Collection''''' Hardcover
* '''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]]: Volume 73: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, Part 1'''''

<gallery>
File:IDW-TFvsJoeV1.jpg|'''Volume 1'''; cover art by [[Tom Scioli]]
File:IDW-TFvsJoeQC.jpg|'''''Quintessential Collection'''''; cover art by Scioli
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v73.jpg|'''''Definitive G1 Collection: Vol. 73: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, Pt. 1'''''; cover art by [[Don Figueroa]] and Scioli
</gallery>

==External links==
*[http://tformers.com/idw-comics-preview-the-transformers-vs-/25240/news.html Preview]

Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

2024-09-09T00:30:53Z

Pointblank:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''Transformers: Zone'' ep 1
|prev=Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!
|title="Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!"
|japanese=新総司令官ダイアトラス登場!
|romaji=Shin Sōshireikan Diatlas Tōjō!
|translation=
|image=ZonePoster1.jpg
|caption=Zone of the [[Tail-ender|Tail-Enders]]
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Columbia Music Entertainment|Nihon Columbia]]
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Hiromichi Matano]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[July 21|21 July]] 1990
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''When nine of the most powerful Decepticons are gathered together under the rule of Violengiguar, Autobot Powered Master Dai Atlas must step forward to prevent them from acquiring the power of the mystical Zodiac.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Victorysaber feminia destruction.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If only he were a [[Star Saber (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|hideous zealot]] in this clip.]]

Seeking to conquer the universe, the mysterious, demonic [[Violengiguar]] gathers together the [[Decepticon]]s [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[King Poseidon]], [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] as his [[Nine Great Demon Generals]]. To remove the threat the [[Autobot]]s pose to his goal, he has the generals devastate the planet [[Feminia]], drawing the attention of Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] and his troops, who arrive to save the planet's populace. Victory Saber saves the life of a young boy named [[Cain]], but is unable to escape the planet's destruction himself and is left missing in action when Feminia explodes.

With the Autobots in disarray following the loss of Victory Saber, Violengiguar charges his generals with obtaining the Autobots' new energy source [[Energon Z]], and the [[Zodiac]], the enigmatic energy force responsible for the creation of the universe, which he intends to fuse together to create the super-energy that will fuel his dreams of conquest.

Meanwhile, Cain and his pet [[Emusa]] are brought to [[Micro|Planet Zone]], the fortified defence base of the Autobot [[Micromaster]]s, where [[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] and [[Rabbicrater]] give him the lowdown on its history. Zone was created by the [[Powered Master]]s, early Transformer pioneers of space, and the [[Zone Base]] is powered by [[Energon Z]]—which makes the planet the next target for the Demon Generals. Overlord, Menasor, Bruticus, and Abominus attack the planet and steal the Energon Z, escaping into space as Moonradar leads the [[Super Car Patrol Team]] and the [[Battle Patrol Team]] in pursuit. Their way is barred by BlackZarak, who impedes their progress with an energy net. The [[Jet Patrol Team]] free their companions, and [[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] tracks the Generals with his radar, discovering that the capsule of Energon Z has been handed off to the other half of the group, who are on their way to Earth.

[[File:EnergonZ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Ha ha, I have stolen the prop from {{w|My Science Project}}!"]]

Back on Zone, as the [[Rescue Patrol Team]] cleans up, the Powered Masters [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] return from their search for Victory Saber, bringing the wounded commander back safely. The two Powered Masters briefly watch over Victory Saber in the infirmary, then set out for Earth, where Devastator, King Poseidon, Trypticon, and Predaking are already wreaking havoc. The Micromasters, meanwhile, have already arrived on the planet, just in time to save a young boy named [[Akira Serikawa|Akira]], who... ''befriends''... Cain as the Micromasters do the best they can to hold off the Generals. In the nick of time, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrive, and the battle goes underground as Devastator and Dai Atlas race to find the Zodiac, buried in a cavern beneath the Earth's surface. As Devastator is dispatched by a river of lava, King Poseidon attempts to escape with the Zodiac, but is stopped by Sonic Bomber, and tosses it to his fellow Generals. Dai Atlas is able to snatch it from their grasp, but the enraged Trypticon then unleashes a beam of Energon Z from the capsule directly at him. Sonic Bomber valiantly takes the hit for Dai Atlas and is nearly killed by the beam, but Trypticon simply fires off another shot. In desperation, Dai Atlas holds aloft the Zodiac and petitions it for help, and as the Energon Z washes over it, its power is unleashed. Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber are transformed into "Zone Modes", heavily armed base forms that dispense with King Poseidon and Trypticon. Attempting to flee, Predaking is cleaved in two by Dai Atlas's Zone Sword Cutter attack, and the Zodiac is retrieved.

[[File:CainAkiraPetals.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|And as the cherry blossoms lowered, so did our expectations.]]

The Autobots, Cain and Akira then discuss the nature of the Zodiac amongst themselves, with Akira revealing that he learned about the existence of Zodiac from [[Professor Serikawa|his father]], but he wants to know more about space and the Transformers. Conversely, Cain and Moonradar want to learn about Earth, and they all agree to teach each other about their respective subjects. Emusa then invites Akira to Zone, and Dai Atlas approves; Akira is ecstatic, but stops to pull something from his backpack—he presents Cain and Emusa with some flowers, and wants to bring plenty along for the trip!

Returning to Zone, Victory Saber appoints Dai Atlas as the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. The flying Emusa throws a bouquet into the air that falls apart, and as the petals rain down on the laughing boys and nearby Autobots, the crowd cheers Dai Atlas's name.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] (6)
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (7)
*[[Holi]] (8)
*[[Pīpō]] (9)
*[[Fire]] (10)
*[[Boater]] (11)
*[[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] (17)
*[[Rabbicrater]] (18)
*[[Star Cloud]] (20)
*[[Windrim]] (21)
*[[Gunlift]] (22)
*[[Whisper (Zone)|Whisper]] (23)
*[[Nightflight (Zone)|Nightflight]] (24)
*[[Sidetrack (Zone)|Sidetrack]] (25)
*[[Powerbomb]] (26)
*[[Gingham]] (27)
*[[Black Heat]] (28)
*[[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] (29)
*[[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (31)
*[[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] (32)
*[[Tailspin]] (33)
*[[Swindler]] (34)
*[[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] (35)
*[[Deadhour]] (37)
*[[Road Hugger (Zone)|Road Hugger]] (38)
*[[Road Caesar]] (39)
*[[Grand Maximus]] (40)
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] (41)
*[[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] (42)
*[[Lander]] (43)
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]] (44)
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]] (45)
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]] (46)}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] (3)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (4)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (5)
*[[Violengiguar]] (12)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (13)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (14)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (15)
*[[King Poseidon]] (16)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (19)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] (30)
|c3=
*[[Akira Serikawa|Akira]] (36)
|c4=
*[[Cain]] (1)
*[[Emusa]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Autobots' Supreme Commander, [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]], has vanished into space like dust." 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer]" 
"I shall take control over the entire universe to create a Decepticon Zone!" 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer again]" 
"[Changes face] Find the Super Energy that is needed." 
"[Changes face again] And retrieve it by any means necessary!"
:—'''Violengiguar's''' only speaking lines.

==Notes==
*Opening song is "[[Transformer Z no Theme]]" and ending song is "[[Ashita no Kimi e]]".
*The episode was produced by [[Kenji Yokoyama]], who also produced ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: Headmasters]]''.
*The fictional timeframe of ''Zone'' is not given, but presumably the story transpires between ''Victory'' in [[2025]]<ref>The timeframe of the ''Victory'' anime was never specified within the series itself, but it must have been published in something which eventually informed the ''Kiss Players'' timeline in the real-life 2007 to specify the fictional 2025.</ref> and ''Return of Convoy'' in [[2031]].<ref>Likewise, contemporary ''Return of Convoy'' material never gave a date, but decades later in real life, [[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|a chapter]] of the ''Legends'' online manga would identify Star Convoy as returning to life in 2031.</ref>

===Animation or technical glitches===
*When Devastator goes underground after trying to attack Dai Atlas from behind, the part of his cape on his shoulders is colored green instead of purple.

===Continuity notes===
*During Dai Atlas's coronation, [[Grand Maximus]], the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], [[Lander]], [[Road Caesar]], and [[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] can be seen at Star Saber's side.

===Transformers references===
*The Transformers previously visited Planet Feminia in [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|issue #5]] of the 1986 manga, ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]''. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] also mentioned it in "[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]".
*Planet Zone is an overhauled, upgraded version of [[Micro]], seen previously in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' animated series.
*The core of the Zone Base, referred to as the "Rocket Base" in the toyline and ''[[TV Magazine]]'' spreads, is identical to the Shuttle Base from ''Victory''. While it is unclear if the Shuttle Base and the Rocket Base were originally intended to be the same structure, ''[[Transformers: The Ark II|The Ark II]]'' has declared them to be so.
*The [[Hot House (facility)|fire station]], [[Gasoline Base|gas station]], [[Airwave (facility)|airport]], and [[Ironworks (facility)|construction station]] Micromaster Bases belonging to [[Hot House (Micromaster)|Hot House]], [[Glasspit]], [[Overair (Micromaster)|Overair]], and [[Ironworks (Micromaster)|Ironworks]], respectively, all appear as part of the Zone Base, although their Micromaster owners do not.
*Devastator got [[Heavy Metal War|soaked by hot lava once again.]]

===Trivia===
[[File:ZoneOPCreatures.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|What the hell?]]
*According to an interview featured in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'', ''Zone'' was to receive a second episode in the form of a TV special. However, production was cancelled due to unspecified circumstances (likely declining interest in the ''Transformers'' brand, a factor that brought about the end of the American toyline the same year ''Zone'' was released), making "Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!" the only episode of ''Zone'' to be animated.
*Although [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumors]] have always circulated that as many as five could have been completed, only this first episode was released, and serves as the final animated installment of the Japanese ''Generation 1'' cartoon.
*The episode is an adaptation of the single chapter of ''Zone'' [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|manga]], or perhaps vice-versa—the manga was released three months before the OVA, although it's not totally clear which media the story was first conceived for. There are some small differences between the anime and the manga: most notably, in the manga, Predaking is blasted by Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber's Zone Modes along with King Poseidon and Trypticon, while the anime sees him make a run for it and wind up getting bisected. [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Story pages]] in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' would later establish that all three generals survived the Zone Mode blast in the manga, whereas they rather definitively died in the anime. As such, the story pages are, in the strictest sense, not in-continuity with the anime, although the official 2007 [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline|timeline]] established that their events, in broad strokes, also occurred in animated continuity.
*The ''Zone'' VHS came packaged with the [[exclusive]] figure, [[Rabbicrater]].
*The ''Zone'' [[title sequence]] features Sonic Bomber fighting a strange blue winged creature and Dai Atlas fighting a huge pink bear-esque creature, both of which end up destroyed by the Autobots. Just who or ''what'' these things are is never explained in any contemporary ''Zone'' fiction, but later fiction would call them the "[[new beast warrior]]s" and explain their origin.
*Four complete Micromaster teams appear in this episode: the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], the [[Battle Patrol Team]], the [[Jet Patrol Team]], and the [[Super Car Patrol Team]]. The latter two use the molds from the [[Air Strike Patrol]] and the [[Sports Car Patrol]], who were Decepticons in the West.
*Only three members of the [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car Patrol Team]] appear in this episode—in cameos from behind, nonetheless. The missing member is [[Free Wheeler]], who can briefly be spotted in the opening sequence.
[[File:CainAkiraBlush.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Beating [[Chromedome_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Rewind]] by 22 years.]]
*While it's never outright drawn explicit attention to, the subtext between Cain and Akira is not exactly hard to miss, between the lingering shot of them blushing after Akira falls back into Cain's arms, or the credits sequence depicting them running through a field and watching the sunrise together. Exactly ''what'' motivated this direction is unknown, but there's at least a decent chance of it being tied to director [[Hiromichi Matano]]'s past work on ''{{w|Saint Seiya}}'', a franchise famous for its strong ''boy's love'' following, and which Cain's design is pretty obviously modeled in reference to. Another possibility is that Akira may have originally been intended as a girl, given that the character is never referred to with gendered pronouns in the OVA or story pages, and the incredibly feminine design used by [[Ban Magami]] in the latter.
*Devastator pretty unambiguously plows through the [[World Trade Center]]. Unfortunately [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|not the last time]] an attack on New York would age poorly in a Transformers cartoon.
*As Predaking's freshly sliced halves separate, what appears to be [[:File:PredaBrain1.jpg|an organic brain]] is briefly visible inside. Which is odd.
*Much like the "[[Scramble City: Mobilization|Scramble City]]" OVA, [[Shout! Factory]] was outright denied the distribution license for the ''Zone'' OVA in the United States by co-producers [[Toei Animation|Toei]]. Precisely why Toei would not permit the OVA to be released in the United States has never been made public.
*An unofficial fansubbed version of the OVA was included as part of [[Metrodome]]'s "Complete Takara Collection" DVD set, with commentary by [[Chris McFeely]].
*It may look like an error during Victory Saber's repair operation, where his battle helmet is blue, but everything that is red is consistently blue under the repair screen. Close ups on Victory Saber's battle helmet have the regular red helmet.
*Despite being a robot, Star Saber gets an IV drip and a nice comfy pillow to rest his head on while recovering in the med-bay.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|jsubs}}
[[File:Columbia Zone DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1990 — ''Transformers: Zone'' ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Zone'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection ([[Metrodome]]) — Optional commentary by [[Chris McFeely]]. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2008 — ''The Transformers: Victory'' ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2014 — ''[[Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~]]'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーZ|''Transformers Zone''}} at Japanese Wikipedia

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon episodes]]
[[Category:Zone media]]

Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

2024-09-08T22:22:17Z

Pointblank:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''Transformers: Zone'' ep 1
|prev=Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!
|title="Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!"
|japanese=新総司令官ダイアトラス登場!
|romaji=Shin Sōshireikan Diatlas Tōjō!
|translation=
|image=ZonePoster1.jpg
|caption=Zone of the [[Tail-ender|Tail-Enders]]
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Columbia Music Entertainment|Nihon Columbia]]
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Hiromichi Matano]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[July 21|21 July]] 1990
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''When nine of the most powerful Decepticons are gathered together under the rule of Violengiguar, Autobot Powered Master Dai Atlas must step forward to prevent them from acquiring the power of the mystical Zodiac.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Victorysaber feminia destruction.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If only he were a [[Star Saber (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|hideous zealot]] in this clip.]]

Seeking to conquer the universe, the mysterious, demonic [[Violengiguar]] gathers together the [[Decepticon]]s [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[King Poseidon]], [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] as his [[Nine Great Demon Generals]]. To remove the threat the [[Autobot]]s pose to his goal, he has the generals devastate the planet [[Feminia]], drawing the attention of Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] and his troops, who arrive to save the planet's populace. Victory Saber saves the life of a young boy named [[Cain]], but is unable to escape the planet's destruction himself and is left missing in action when Feminia explodes.

With the Autobots in disarray following the loss of Victory Saber, Violengiguar charges his generals with obtaining the Autobots' new energy source [[Energon Z]], and the [[Zodiac]], the enigmatic energy force responsible for the creation of the universe, which he intends to fuse together to create the super-energy that will fuel his dreams of conquest.

Meanwhile, Cain and his pet [[Emusa]] are brought to [[Micro|Planet Zone]], the fortified defence base of the Autobot [[Micromaster]]s, where [[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] and [[Rabbicrater]] give him the lowdown on its history. Zone was created by the [[Powered Master]]s, early Transformer pioneers of space, and the [[Zone Base]] is powered by [[Energon Z]]—which makes the planet the next target for the Demon Generals. Overlord, Menasor, Bruticus, and Abominus attack the planet and steal the Energon Z, escaping into space as Moonradar leads the [[Super Car Patrol Team]] and the [[Battle Patrol Team]] in pursuit. Their way is barred by BlackZarak, who impedes their progress with an energy net. The [[Jet Patrol Team]] free their companions, and [[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] tracks the Generals with his radar, discovering that the capsule of Energon Z has been handed off to the other half of the group, who are on their way to Earth.

[[File:EnergonZ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Ha ha, I have stolen the prop from {{w|My Science Project}}!"]]

Back on Zone, as the [[Rescue Patrol Team]] cleans up, the Powered Masters [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] return from their search for Victory Saber, bringing the wounded commander back safely. The two Powered Masters briefly watch over Victory Saber in the infirmary, then set out for Earth, where Devastator, King Poseidon, Trypticon, and Predaking are already wreaking havoc. The Micromasters, meanwhile, have already arrived on the planet, just in time to save a young boy named [[Akira Serikawa|Akira]], who... ''befriends''... Cain as the Micromasters do the best they can to hold off the Generals. In the nick of time, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrive, and the battle goes underground as Devastator and Dai Atlas race to find the Zodiac, buried in a cavern beneath the Earth's surface. As Devastator is dispatched by a river of lava, King Poseidon attempts to escape with the Zodiac, but is stopped by Sonic Bomber, and tosses it to his fellow Generals. Dai Atlas is able to snatch it from their grasp, but the enraged Trypticon then unleashes a beam of Energon Z from the capsule directly at him. Sonic Bomber valiantly takes the hit for Dai Atlas and is nearly killed by the beam, but Trypticon simply fires off another shot. In desperation, Dai Atlas holds aloft the Zodiac and petitions it for help, and as the Energon Z washes over it, its power is unleashed. Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber are transformed into "Zone Modes", heavily armed base forms that dispense with King Poseidon and Trypticon. Attempting to flee, Predaking is cleaved in two by Dai Atlas's Zone Sword Cutter attack, and the Zodiac is retrieved.

[[File:CainAkiraPetals.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|And as the cherry blossoms lowered, so did our expectations.]]

The Autobots, Cain and Akira then discuss the nature of the Zodiac amongst themselves, with Akira revealing that he learned about the existence of Zodiac from [[Professor Serikawa|his father]], but he wants to know more about space and the Transformers. Conversely, Cain and Moonradar want to learn about Earth, and they all agree to teach each other about their respective subjects. Emusa then invites Akira to Zone, and Dai Atlas approves; Akira is ecstatic, but stops to pull something from his backpack—he presents Cain and Emusa with some flowers, and wants to bring plenty along for the trip!

Returning to Zone, Victory Saber appoints Dai Atlas as the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. The flying Emusa throws a bouquet into the air that falls apart, and as the petals rain down on the laughing boys and nearby Autobots, the crowd cheers Dai Atlas's name.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] (6)
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (7)
*[[Holi]] (8)
*[[Pīpō]] (9)
*[[Fire]] (10)
*[[Boater]] (11)
*[[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] (17)
*[[Rabbicrater]] (18)
*[[Star Cloud]] (20)
*[[Windrim]] (21)
*[[Gunlift]] (22)
*[[Whisper (Zone)|Whisper]] (23)
*[[Nightflight (Zone)|Nightflight]] (24)
*[[Sidetrack (Zone)|Sidetrack]] (25)
*[[Powerbomb]] (26)
*[[Gingham]] (27)
*[[Black Heat]] (28)
*[[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] (29)
*[[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (31)
*[[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] (32)
*[[Tailspin]] (33)
*[[Swindler]] (34)
*[[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] (35)
*[[Deadhour]] (37)
*[[Road Hugger (Zone)|Road Hugger]] (38)
*[[Road Caesar]] (39)
*[[Grand Maximus]] (40)
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] (41)
*[[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] (42)
*[[Lander]] (43)
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]] (44)
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]] (45)
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]] (46)}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] (3)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (4)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (5)
*[[Violengiguar]] (12)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (13)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (14)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (15)
*[[King Poseidon]] (16)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (19)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] (30)
|c3=
*[[Akira Serikawa|Akira]] (36)
|c4=
*[[Cain]] (1)
*[[Emusa]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Autobots' Supreme Commander, [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]], has vanished into space like dust." 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer]" 
"I shall take control over the entire universe to create a Decepticon Zone!" 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer again]" 
"[Changes face] Find the Super Energy that is needed." 
"[Changes face again] And retrieve it by any means necessary!"
:—'''Violengiguar's''' only speaking lines.

==Notes==
*Opening song is "[[Transformer Z no Theme]]" and ending song is "[[Ashita no Kimi e]]".
*The episode was produced by [[Kenji Yokoyama]], who also produced ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: Headmasters]]''.
*The fictional timeframe of ''Zone'' is not given, but presumably the story transpires between ''Victory'' in [[2025]]<ref>The timeframe of the ''Victory'' anime was never specified within the series itself, but it must have been published in something which eventually informed the ''Kiss Players'' timeline in the real-life 2007 to specify the fictional 2025.</ref> and ''Return of Convoy'' in [[2031]].<ref>Likewise, contemporary ''Return of Convoy'' material never gave a date, but decades later in real life, [[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|a chapter]] of the ''Legends'' online manga would identify Star Convoy as returning to life in 2031.</ref>

===Animation or technical glitches===
*When Devastator goes underground after trying to attack Dai Atlas from behind, the part of his cape on his shoulders is colored green instead of purple.

===Continuity notes===
*During Dai Atlas's coronation, [[Grand Maximus]], the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], [[Lander]], [[Road Caesar]], and [[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] can be seen at Star Saber's side.

===Transformers references===
*The Transformers previously visited Planet Feminia in [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|issue #5]] of the 1986 manga, ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]''. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] also mentioned it in "[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]".
*Planet Zone is an overhauled, upgraded version of [[Micro]], seen previously in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' animated series.
*The core of the Zone Base, referred to as the "Rocket Base" in the toyline and ''[[TV Magazine]]'' spreads, is identical to the Shuttle Base from ''Victory''. While it is unclear if the Shuttle Base and the Rocket Base were originally intended to be the same structure, ''[[Transformers: The Ark II|The Ark II]]'' has declared them to be so.
*The [[Hot House (facility)|fire station]], [[Gasoline Base|gas station]], [[Airwave (facility)|airport]], and [[Ironworks (facility)|construction station]] Micromaster Bases belonging to [[Hot House (Micromaster)|Hot House]], [[Glasspit]], [[Overair (Micromaster)|Overair]], and [[Ironworks (Micromaster)|Ironworks]], respectively, all appear as part of the Zone Base, although their Micromaster owners do not.
*Devastator got [[Heavy Metal War|soaked by hot lava once again.]]

===Trivia===
[[File:ZoneOPCreatures.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|What the hell?]]
*According to an interview featured in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'', ''Zone'' was to receive a second episode in the form of a TV special. However, production was cancelled due to unspecified circumstances (likely declining interest in the ''Transformers'' brand, a factor that brought about the end of the American toyline the same year ''Zone'' was released), making "Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!" the only episode of ''Zone'' to be animated.
*Although [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumors]] have always circulated that as many as five could have been completed, only this first episode was released, and serves as the final animated installment of the Japanese ''Generation 1'' cartoon.
*The episode is an adaptation of the single chapter of ''Zone'' [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|manga]], or perhaps vice-versa—the manga was released three months before the OVA, although it's not totally clear which media the story was first conceived for. There are some small differences between the anime and the manga: most notably, in the manga, Predaking is blasted by Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber's Zone Modes along with King Poseidon and Trypticon, while the anime sees him make a run for it and wind up getting bisected. [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Story pages]] in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' would later establish that all three generals survived the Zone Mode blast in the manga, whereas they rather definitively died in the anime. As such, the story pages are, in the strictest sense, not in-continuity with the anime, although the official 2007 [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline|timeline]] established that their events, in broad strokes, also occurred in animated continuity.
*The ''Zone'' VHS came packaged with the [[exclusive]] figure, [[Rabbicrater]].
*The ''Zone'' [[title sequence]] features Sonic Bomber fighting a strange blue winged creature and Dai Atlas fighting a huge pink bear-esque creature, both of which end up destroyed by the Autobots. Just who or ''what'' these things are is never explained in any contemporary ''Zone'' fiction, but later fiction would call them the "[[new beast warrior]]s" and explain their origin.
*Four complete Micromaster teams appear in this episode: the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], the [[Battle Patrol Team]], the [[Jet Patrol Team]], and the [[Super Car Patrol Team]]. The latter two use the molds from the [[Air Strike Patrol]] and the [[Sports Car Patrol]], who were Decepticons in the West.
*Only three members of the [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car Patrol Team]] appear in this episode—in cameos from behind, nonetheless. The missing member is [[Free Wheeler]], who can briefly be spotted in the opening sequence.
[[File:CainAkiraBlush.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|Beating [[Chromedome_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Chromedome]] and [[Rewind_(G1)/2005_IDW_continuity|Rewind]] by 22 years.]]
*So, Cain and Akira are pretty gay. There's a scene in the story where, during Predaking and Trypticon's attack on the base-mode Galaxy Rocket, Akira is shaken up and falls back into Cain's arms, and they linger on the pair in close-up as both of them blush. Then, the whole closing sequence is about them running through a field of [[tvtropes:Main/Main/LoveBubbles|shōjo bubbles]] and watching the sunrise together. Exactly ''what'' motivated this direction is unknown, but there's at least a decent chance of it being tied to director [[Hiromichi Matano]]'s past work on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Seiya| Saint Seiya], a franchise famous for its strong BL following, and which Cain's design is pretty obviously modeled in reference to.
*Devastator pretty unambiguously plows through the [[World Trade Center]]. Unfortunately [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|not the last time]] an attack on New York would age poorly in a Transformers cartoon.
*As Predaking's freshly sliced halves separate, what appears to be [[:File:PredaBrain1.jpg|an organic brain]] is briefly visible inside. Which is odd.
*Much like the "[[Scramble City: Mobilization|Scramble City]]" OVA, [[Shout! Factory]] was outright denied the distribution license for the ''Zone'' OVA in the United States by co-producers [[Toei Animation|Toei]]. Precisely why Toei would not permit the OVA to be released in the United States has never been made public.
*An unofficial fansubbed version of the OVA was included as part of [[Metrodome]]'s "Complete Takara Collection" DVD set, with commentary by [[Chris McFeely]].
*It may look like an error during Victory Saber's repair operation, where his battle helmet is blue, but everything that is red is consistently blue under the repair screen. Close ups on Victory Saber's battle helmet have the regular red helmet.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|jsubs}}
[[File:Columbia Zone DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1990 — ''Transformers: Zone'' ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Zone'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection ([[Metrodome]]) — Optional commentary by [[Chris McFeely]]. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2008 — ''The Transformers: Victory'' ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2014 — ''[[Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~]]'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーZ|''Transformers Zone''}} at Japanese Wikipedia

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon episodes]]
[[Category:Zone media]]

File:TF Galaxies 9 clean.jpg

2024-09-08T21:46:12Z

Pointblank:

{{IDW2019
|description=
{{art|art=[[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]}}
|series=galaxies
|cover= Clean B
|excerpt=
|issueno=9
|storylink=Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth
|storytitle=Gauging the Truth, Part Three: Moment of Truth
|year=20}}

[[Gauge]] loves [[Arcee (G1)|her]] [[Greenlight|moms.]]

[[Category: Images by Sara Pitre-Durocher]]

Codexa

2024-09-08T04:28:57Z

Pointblank:

:''Codexa is a [[Transformer]] from the [[2019 IDW continuity|2019 IDW portion]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[File:TheWorldInYourEyesPart3-Codexa.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"You never call! You never write! You only come and visit when you need something! You have any idea how boring it is being stuck to a wall like this?"]]

Bonded to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself, the Cybertronian known as '''Codexa''' is a wise sage, and a frequent advisor to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] when the Senator needs an ear. However, her long hibernation, combined with her decrepit physical form, has rendered her more than a little scatterbrained, prone to muddling details and forgetting the identities of her visitors.

==Fiction==
===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The World In Your Eyes Part Three|''Transformers'' #3]]}}

During the [[Expansion|Age of Expansion]], Codexa became head archivist of Cybertron. As the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]s frontlined Cybertron's colonial era, Codexa witnessed many of their feats, but took an increasingly dim view of how the Cybertronian race had encroached on other populated worlds in its never-ending quest for new sources of energy. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}} Codexa became the [[mentor]] to a young archivist named Orion Pax, and encouraged his development. They walked in the [[Light Garden]] at one point, where she told him to always remember Cybertron was a living world. {{storylink|Radical Time}}

During the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], Codexa, [[Nominus Prime]] and the [[Great General]]s attended [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]]'s briefing regarding [[Exarchon]]'s altered physiology. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

While other Transformers who had lived through the Expansion yearned for a return to the days of conquest and colonization, Codexa took a dim view of the past and published ''[[The Way We Were, by One Who Saw It]]'', which argued that the [[Nominus Edict]] that had permanently curtailed Cybertron's expansionism would prove a net positive for the universe. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Five}}

[[File:EndOfTime CodexaPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6|left|I love you too, Mom.]]
At one point, Codexa sent Orion Pax to observe the opening of the great [[Winged Moon]] before the politicians arrived, and encouraged him to go further out and visit the colonies to expand his horizons. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}} Four kilocycles later, He returned to Cybertron with stories of his travels. Codexa had once intended Orion to succeed her as head archivist, but she had long suspected he would serve in other ways. After his exploration, Orion Pax confirmed he now realized he felt the same way. [[Proxima (G1)|Proxima]] would replace Codexa as head archivist, while Orion Pax would follow his old friend Megatron into the Senate, perhaps serving as a bridge between the Autobots and Megatron's new party, the Ascenticons. Meanwhile, Codexa planned to go [[immersant]] upon her retirement, sublimating into the very nature of Cybertron itself. {{storylink|End of Time}}

By the present day, Codexa had indeed retired, retreating to a secluded chamber beyond the outskirts of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. While conflicted over the rise of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and his [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]]s, Orion sought out Codexa for advice, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}} though as he reminisced on his history with the Ascenticon leader he revealed that he had actually come to her to seek validation for his next move—a move that might send him down the path of no return. Codexa simply responded that the "single song" of a united Cybertron had begun to falter, a statement that Orion could only agree with. {{storylink|Orion Pax: Free Fall}}

When Orion Pax merged with the [[Matrix of Leadership]], its [[Mediator]] software greeted him in the likeness of Codexa to put him at ease. {{storylink|War World: Prime|Prime}}

When the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]] began to collapse, Codexa felt the planet-wide tremor, fearing what would become of Cybertron. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Enigmatic|Enigmatic}}

In the aftermath of the battle, Optimus Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] went to visit Codexa, though Optimus was unsure if the voice was truly just his mentor's anymore, who managed to impart on the two that Exarchon had returned and claimed [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]] as a new body. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

The Matrix's Mediator program once again took Codexa's form during a vision warning Optimus Prime of Cybertron's imminent collapse. {{storylink|Radical Time}}

[[Category:Comic-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Elderly Transformers]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]

Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

2024-09-04T01:18:09Z

Pointblank: Deciding to make this a little more academic in its observations.

{{episode|
|otherseries=''Transformers: Zone'' ep 1
|prev=Echo Across the Galaxy! Bell of Love!!
|title="Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!"
|japanese=新総司令官ダイアトラス登場!
|romaji=Shin Sōshireikan Diatlas Tōjō!
|translation=
|image=ZonePoster1.jpg
|caption=Zone of the [[Tail-ender|Tail-Enders]]
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Columbia Music Entertainment|Nihon Columbia]]
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Hiromichi Matano]]
|animation studio=[[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[July 21|21 July]] 1990
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}
'''When nine of the most powerful Decepticons are gathered together under the rule of Violengiguar, Autobot Powered Master Dai Atlas must step forward to prevent them from acquiring the power of the mystical Zodiac.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Victorysaber feminia destruction.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|If only he were a [[Star Saber (G1)#2005 IDW continuity|hideous zealot]] in this clip.]]

Seeking to conquer the universe, the mysterious, demonic [[Violengiguar]] gathers together the [[Decepticon]]s [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]], [[King Poseidon]], [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]], and [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] as his [[Nine Great Demon Generals]]. To remove the threat the [[Autobot]]s pose to his goal, he has the generals devastate the planet [[Feminia]], drawing the attention of Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] and his troops, who arrive to save the planet's populace. Victory Saber saves the life of a young boy named [[Cain]], but is unable to escape the planet's destruction himself and is left missing in action when Feminia explodes.

With the Autobots in disarray following the loss of Victory Saber, Violengiguar charges his generals with obtaining the Autobots' new energy source [[Energon Z]], and the [[Zodiac]], the enigmatic energy force responsible for the creation of the universe, which he intends to fuse together to create the super-energy that will fuel his dreams of conquest.

Meanwhile, Cain and his pet [[Emusa]] are brought to [[Micro|Planet Zone]], the fortified defence base of the Autobot [[Micromaster]]s, where [[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] and [[Rabbicrater]] give him the lowdown on its history. Zone was created by the [[Powered Master]]s, early Transformer pioneers of space, and the [[Zone Base]] is powered by [[Energon Z]]—which makes the planet the next target for the Demon Generals. Overlord, Menasor, Bruticus, and Abominus attack the planet and steal the Energon Z, escaping into space as Moonradar leads the [[Super Car Patrol Team]] and the [[Battle Patrol Team]] in pursuit. Their way is barred by BlackZarak, who impedes their progress with an energy net. The [[Jet Patrol Team]] free their companions, and [[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] tracks the Generals with his radar, discovering that the capsule of Energon Z has been handed off to the other half of the group, who are on their way to Earth.

[[File:EnergonZ.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Ha ha, I have stolen the prop from {{w|My Science Project}}!"]]

Back on Zone, as the [[Rescue Patrol Team]] cleans up, the Powered Masters [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] return from their search for Victory Saber, bringing the wounded commander back safely. The two Powered Masters briefly watch over Victory Saber in the infirmary, then set out for Earth, where Devastator, King Poseidon, Trypticon, and Predaking are already wreaking havoc. The Micromasters, meanwhile, have already arrived on the planet, just in time to save a young boy named [[Akira Serikawa|Akira]], who... ''befriends''... Cain as the Micromasters do the best they can to hold off the Generals. In the nick of time, Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber arrive, and the battle goes underground as Devastator and Dai Atlas race to find the Zodiac, buried in a cavern beneath the Earth's surface. As Devastator is dispatched by a river of lava, King Poseidon attempts to escape with the Zodiac, but is stopped by Sonic Bomber, and tosses it to his fellow Generals. Dai Atlas is able to snatch it from their grasp, but the enraged Trypticon then unleashes a beam of Energon Z from the capsule directly at him. Sonic Bomber valiantly takes the hit for Dai Atlas and is nearly killed by the beam, but Trypticon simply fires off another shot. In desperation, Dai Atlas holds aloft the Zodiac and petitions it for help, and as the Energon Z washes over it, its power is unleashed. Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber are transformed into "Zone Modes", heavily armed base forms that dispense with King Poseidon and Trypticon. Attempting to flee, Predaking is cleaved in two by Dai Atlas's Zone Sword Cutter attack, and the Zodiac is retrieved.

[[File:CainAkiraPetals.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|And as the cherry blossoms lowered, so did our expectations.]]

The Autobots, Cain and Akira then discuss the nature of the Zodiac amongst themselves, with Akira revealing that he learned about the existence of Zodiac from [[Professor Serikawa|his father]], but he wants to know more about space and the Transformers. Conversely, Cain and Moonradar want to learn about Earth, and they all agree to teach each other about their respective subjects. Emusa then invites Akira to Zone, and Dai Atlas approves; Akira is ecstatic, but stops to pull something from his backpack—he presents Cain and Emusa with some flowers, and wants to bring plenty along for the trip!

Returning to Zone, Victory Saber appoints Dai Atlas as the new Supreme Commander of the Autobots. The flying Emusa throws a bouquet into the air that falls apart, and as the petals rain down on the laughing boys and nearby Autobots, the crowd cheers Dai Atlas's name.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
*[[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]] (6)
*[[Galaxy Shuttle]] (7)
*[[Holi]] (8)
*[[Pīpō]] (9)
*[[Fire]] (10)
*[[Boater]] (11)
*[[Moonradar (G1)|Moonradar]] (17)
*[[Rabbicrater]] (18)
*[[Star Cloud]] (20)
*[[Windrim]] (21)
*[[Gunlift]] (22)
*[[Whisper (Zone)|Whisper]] (23)
*[[Nightflight (Zone)|Nightflight]] (24)
*[[Sidetrack (Zone)|Sidetrack]] (25)
*[[Powerbomb]] (26)
*[[Gingham]] (27)
*[[Black Heat]] (28)
*[[Sunrunner (Zone)|Sunrunner]] (29)
*[[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] (31)
*[[Sonic Bomber (G1)|Sonic Bomber]] (32)
*[[Tailspin]] (33)
*[[Swindler]] (34)
*[[Roadhandler (G1)|Roadhandler]] (35)
*[[Deadhour]] (37)
*[[Road Hugger (Zone)|Road Hugger]] (38)
*[[Road Caesar]] (39)
*[[Grand Maximus]] (40)
*[[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] (41)
*[[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] (42)
*[[Lander]] (43)
*[[Lightfoot (robot)|Lightfoot]] (44)
*[[Ranger (robot)|Ranger]] (45)
*[[Road King (robot)|Road King]] (46)}}
|c2=
*[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]] (3)
*[[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (4)
*[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] (5)
*[[Violengiguar]] (12)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (13)
*[[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] (14)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (15)
*[[King Poseidon]] (16)
*[[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (19)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]] (30)
|c3=
*[[Akira Serikawa|Akira]] (36)
|c4=
*[[Cain]] (1)
*[[Emusa]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"The Autobots' Supreme Commander, [[Star Saber (G1)|Victory Saber]], has vanished into space like dust." 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer]" 
"I shall take control over the entire universe to create a Decepticon Zone!" 
"[The Nine Demon Generals cheer again]" 
"[Changes face] Find the Super Energy that is needed." 
"[Changes face again] And retrieve it by any means necessary!"
:—'''Violengiguar's''' only speaking lines.

==Notes==
*Opening song is "[[Transformer Z no Theme]]" and ending song is "[[Ashita no Kimi e]]".
*The episode was produced by [[Kenji Yokoyama]], who also produced ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: Headmasters]]''.
*The fictional timeframe of ''Zone'' is not given, but presumably the story transpires between ''Victory'' in [[2025]]<ref>The timeframe of the ''Victory'' anime was never specified within the series itself, but it must have been published in something which eventually informed the ''Kiss Players'' timeline in the real-life 2007 to specify the fictional 2025.</ref> and ''Return of Convoy'' in [[2031]].<ref>Likewise, contemporary ''Return of Convoy'' material never gave a date, but decades later in real life, [[The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|a chapter]] of the ''Legends'' online manga would identify Star Convoy as returning to life in 2031.</ref>

===Animation or technical glitches===
*When Devastator goes underground after trying to attack Dai Atlas from behind, the part of his cape on his shoulders is colored green instead of purple.

===Continuity notes===
*During Dai Atlas's coronation, [[Grand Maximus]], the [[Godmaster (lifeform)|Godmaster]]s, [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], [[Lander]], [[Road Caesar]], and [[Landcross (G1)|Landcross]] can be seen at Star Saber's side.

===Transformers references===
*The Transformers previously visited Planet Feminia in [[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|issue #5]] of the 1986 manga, ''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers]]''. [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] also mentioned it in "[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime]]".
*Planet Zone is an overhauled, upgraded version of [[Micro]], seen previously in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' animated series.
*The core of the Zone Base, referred to as the "Rocket Base" in the toyline and ''[[TV Magazine]]'' spreads, is identical to the Shuttle Base from ''Victory''. While it is unclear if the Shuttle Base and the Rocket Base were originally intended to be the same structure, ''[[Transformers: The Ark II|The Ark II]]'' has declared them to be so.
*The [[Hot House (facility)|fire station]], [[Gasoline Base|gas station]], [[Airwave (facility)|airport]], and [[Ironworks (facility)|construction station]] Micromaster Bases belonging to [[Hot House (Micromaster)|Hot House]], [[Glasspit]], [[Overair (Micromaster)|Overair]], and [[Ironworks (Micromaster)|Ironworks]], respectively, all appear as part of the Zone Base, although their Micromaster owners do not.
*Devastator got [[Heavy Metal War|soaked by hot lava once again.]]

===Trivia===
[[File:ZoneOPCreatures.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|What the hell?]]
*According to an interview featured in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'', ''Zone'' was to receive a second episode in the form of a TV special. However, production was cancelled due to unspecified circumstances (likely declining interest in the ''Transformers'' brand, a factor that brought about the end of the American toyline the same year ''Zone'' was released), making "Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!" the only episode of ''Zone'' to be animated.
*Although [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumors]] have always circulated that as many as five could have been completed, only this first episode was released, and serves as the final animated installment of the Japanese ''Generation 1'' cartoon.
*The episode is an adaptation of the single chapter of ''Zone'' [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|manga]], or perhaps vice-versa—the manga was released three months before the OVA, although it's not totally clear which media the story was first conceived for. There are some small differences between the anime and the manga: most notably, in the manga, Predaking is blasted by Dai Atlas and Sonic Bomber's Zone Modes along with King Poseidon and Trypticon, while the anime sees him make a run for it and wind up getting bisected. [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Story pages]] in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' would later establish that all three generals survived the Zone Mode blast in the manga, whereas they rather definitively died in the anime. As such, the story pages are, in the strictest sense, not in-continuity with the anime, although the official 2007 [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon timeline|timeline]] established that their events, in broad strokes, also occurred in animated continuity.
*The ''Zone'' VHS came packaged with the [[exclusive]] figure, [[Rabbicrater]].
*The ''Zone'' [[title sequence]] features Sonic Bomber fighting a strange blue winged creature and Dai Atlas fighting a huge pink bear-esque creature, both of which end up destroyed by the Autobots. Just who or ''what'' these things are is never explained in any contemporary ''Zone'' fiction, but later fiction would call them the "[[new beast warrior]]s" and explain their origin.
*Four complete Micromaster teams appear in this episode: the [[Rescue Patrol Team]], the [[Battle Patrol Team]], the [[Jet Patrol Team]], and the [[Super Car Patrol Team]]. The latter two use the molds from the [[Air Strike Patrol]] and the [[Sports Car Patrol]], who were Decepticons in the West.
*Only three members of the [[Race Car Patrol|Race Car Patrol Team]] appear in this episode—in cameos from behind, nonetheless. The missing member is [[Free Wheeler]], who can briefly be spotted in the opening sequence.
[[File:CainAkiraBlush.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|]]
*So, Cain and Akira are pretty gay. There's a scene in the story where, during Predaking and Trypticon's attack on the base-mode Galaxy Rocket, Akira is shaken up and falls back into Cain's arms, and they linger on the pair in close-up as both of them blush. Then, the whole closing sequence is about them running through a field of [[tvtropes:Main/Main/LoveBubbles|shōjo bubbles]] and watching the sunrise together. Exactly ''what'' motivated this direction is unknown, but there's at least a decent chance of it being tied to director [[Hiromichi Matano]]'s past work on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Seiya|Saint Seiya]], a franchise famous for its strong BL following, and which Cain's design is pretty obviously modeled in reference to.
*Devastator pretty unambiguously plows through the [[World Trade Center]]. Unfortunately [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)#Production|not the last time]] an attack on New York would age poorly in a Transformers cartoon.
*As Predaking's freshly sliced halves separate, what appears to be [[:File:PredaBrain1.jpg|an organic brain]] is briefly visible inside. Which is odd.
*Much like the "[[Scramble City: Mobilization|Scramble City]]" OVA, [[Shout! Factory]] was outright denied the distribution license for the ''Zone'' OVA in the United States by co-producers [[Toei Animation|Toei]]. Precisely why Toei would not permit the OVA to be released in the United States has never been made public.
*An unofficial fansubbed version of the OVA was included as part of [[Metrodome]]'s "Complete Takara Collection" DVD set, with commentary by [[Chris McFeely]].
*It may look like an error during Victory Saber's repair operation, where his battle helmet is blue, but everything that is red is consistently blue under the repair screen. Close ups on Victory Saber's battle helmet have the regular red helmet.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote|jsubs}}
[[File:Columbia Zone DVD.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
;VHS
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1990 — ''Transformers: Zone'' ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Zone'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Takara Collection ([[Metrodome]]) — Optional commentary by [[Chris McFeely]]. 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2008 — ''The Transformers: Victory'' ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Japan Generation 1'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2014 — ''[[Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~]]'' (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only. 
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{w|lang=ja|トランスフォーマーZ|''Transformers Zone''}} at Japanese Wikipedia

[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon episodes]]
[[Category:Zone media]]

Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!

2024-09-04T00:40:01Z

Pointblank: I think Skybound Starscream would like a word with this.

{{episode
|series=Headmasters
|ep=21
|image=Weakspot.jpg
|caption=It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A!
|title=Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!
|japanese=メガザラックの弱点をあばけ!!
|romaji=MegaZarak no Jakuten o Abake!!
|production code=
|production company=[[TakaraTomy|Takara]], [[Toei Animation|Toei]]
|airdate=[[December 18|18 December]] 1987
|writer=[[Toyohiro Andō]]
|director=[[Takao Yoshizawa]]
|animation studio=Toei
|continuity=[[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''On the planet Daros, the Autobots aid desperate prisoners in overthrowing the Decepticons and the planet's decadent ruling class. But that's not all—the key to defeating Scorponok is also hidden on this world!'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:HM21 Gunslinger Daniel.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|[[Carly (G1)|Carly]], don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys.]]
As the [[Autobot]]s onboard Battleship Maximus continue in their pursuit of the Decepticons from planet to planet, [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] and [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] are afforded a brief moment of relaxation, which Daniel spends playing [[Video Challenger]], shooting holographic Decepticons with his [[Challenge Blaster]]. Wheelie is unimpressed with his marksmanship and plays William Tell with a ball, challenging Daniel to shoot it out of his hand—only to wind up getting shot in the arm.

On the bridge, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s detect an SOS signal, which they trace to the planet [[Daros]]. Setting down in the planet's northern hemisphere, they trace the signal to a factory, where the Decepticon Headmasters are playing target practice with the human-like workers. As the villains kill the workers with a hail of laser fire, they justify their actions by pointing out that this is a penal colony, and the dead are convicted criminals. This, of course, does not wash with the Autobots, who attack the Decepticons, forcing them into a quick and painful retreat. Searching for their enemies, the Autobots come upon a group of three prisoners, who explain that a [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformer]] named [[Tekna]] was responsible for sending the SOS.

[[File:HM21 Curl holds Daniel.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Alright, show of hands, who was rooting for Curl during this moment?]]
The three prisoners are brought to Battleship Maximus to recuperate, and Daniel and Wheelie attempt to make friends with them. Unfortunately, the lead prisoner, [[Curl]], seizes the boy and holds a knife to his throat, demanding control of Battleship Maximus in exchange for Daniel's life. As [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] stalls for time, telling the prisoners that the Headmasters must return to the ship in order to pilot it, Daniel is able to wrestle free and use his video game gun to blind the prisoners, who are then hit with a paralysis ray by Fortress. Their advantage lost, the trio explain the reason for their actions—in the past, the wealth of the energy-rich southern hemisphere of Daros was shared amongst its inhabitants, until an elite group seized power and monopolized control of the planet's resources. The lead prisoner was in charge of a failed rebellion against this corrupt ruling class, and consigned to the prison camp. Now knowing the truth of the matter, Fortress offers the Autobots' aid.

[[File:HM21 meeting Tekna.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Aw, look, it's sucking on my fing--OW! GET IT OFF!]]
Meanwhile, still out exploring, the Headmasters come upon a mass grave of dead prisoners. [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] arrives on the scene, and explains to the Headmasters that this massacre was ordered by [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], to prevent the secret weakness of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s [[Transtector]] being revealed. The being who knew this secret, Tekna, was one of the Beastformers who worked on the construction of the Transtector, but who managed to escape the killing and is currently hiding in the [[South-North Caves]]. While [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] return to Battleship Maximus, [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] head into the caves to search for Tekna, who they soon locate. Tekna explains that Scorponok's Transtector has a secret weak spot hidden on it—but before he can tell the Autobots what it is, he is cut down from behind by a laser blast from [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]]! As Chromedome holds off the Decepticon, Highbrow takes Tekna to Battleship Maximus for medical care.

[[File:HM21 Head Formation.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|The Autobot Headmasters first use of the <s>Care Bear Stare</s> Head Formation.]]
Meanwhile, Battleship Maximus has set down in the southern hemisphere, where the ruling class and the Decepticons are enjoying a feast as energy from the planet's sub-aquatic oilfields is being loaded into Scorponok as part of the deal between the two groups. A battle between Hardhead and Brainstorm and [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] and the [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]] erupts, while Chromedome and Highbrow soon returning from their mission to join in. The Headmasters suggest using the Master Shot attack, but Hardhead and Brainstorm find that the battle has depleted their energy, leaving them unable to transform. Leaping from their Transtectors, the four Headmasters initiate the "[[Head Formation]]", linking hands and pooling their internal energies, recharging Hardhead and Brainstorm and allowing all four to transform to robot form. Battleship Maximus disconnects its cannon, and the Headmasters take control of it, opening fire on the Decepticons. When the weapon is turned on Scorponok, he transforms to [[robot mode]], and Fortress retaliates by transforming into Fortress Maximus. As the two titans battle, Galvatron orders Scorponok to retreat—although defeated in battle, the Decepticons still successfully escape will all the energy they have acquired from Daros.

Shortly, the Autobots confront the planet's rulers, who offer them energy in exchange for protecting them. Daniel speaks up for the group, who shouts the Autobots' refusal in the [[King of Daros|king]]'s face so hard that he collapses back into a reflecting pool. It's soon made abundantly clear that Curl will be taking charge of the planet, and the Autobots depart, with more pressing matters still to be dealt with. As Chromedome tries to gently coax the information on Scorponok from the badly-injured Tekna, the Beastformer raises one hand, and then drops it, as he dies. Beneath the fur of his forearm, however, the Autobots discover a strip of microfilm, which Higbrow suspects contains the secret of Scorponok's weak spot. Tekna's body is given a space burial, and Highbrow sets to work attempting to decode the information.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (1)
*[[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] (2)
*[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress/Fortress Maximus]] (7)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (8)
*[[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] (9)
*[[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] (10)
*[[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] (11)
*[[Yukikaze (G1)|Yukikaze]] (13)
*[[Shouki]] (14)
*[[Suiken]] (15)
*[[Getsuei]] (16)
*[[Seizan]] (17)
*[[Kaen]] (18)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] (19)
*[[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]] (20)
|c2=
*[[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] (3)
*[[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] (4)
*[[Skullcruncher (G1)|Skullcruncher]] (5)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (21)
*[[Apeface]] (22)
*[[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] (23)
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] (25)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] (26)
*[[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] (27)
|c3=
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] (6)
|c4=
*[[Curl]] (12)
*[[King of Daros]] (24)
*[[Tekna]] (27)
}}

==Notes==

===Continuity notes===
*Enslaved Beastformers were shown working on Scorponok's Transtector back in "[[The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok]]". Tekna is a generic Beastformer, not based on any figure from the toyline, but similar dog-based Beastformers appeared in "[[Rebellion on Planet Beast]]".
*The power-up ability used by three of the Headmasters in the previous episode returns in this episode, only now, all four Headmasters are involved, and they connect to their ''own'' Transtectors, rather than swapping between each other's, as with the "Cross-Head On". This process is given the name "Head Formation", and will be an important power for the remainder of the series, and key in the final battle.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Danny first appears to "save" Arcee and Wheelie, the animation has been flipped, apparently to accommodate a production boo-boo that would otherwise cause his gun holster to switch hips. As a result, the "D" on Danny's jumpsuit is backwards and appears on the wrong side.
*As Brainstorm and Headhead "head on" shortly after landing on Daros, their heads disappear for a bunch of frames.
*When we first see Curl's group, the rotund chap in the brown outfit is standing at the back, but in the next show he switches places with the fellow in blue.
*As Curl tells his tale of woe, in some shots Daniel's left arm appears to be in a sling, while in others it isn't.
*When Scorponok departs Daros, he's about three or four times longer than he should be. He actually looks more like a ship, instead of just a giant flying scorpion.
*During the pan across the Autobot Headmasters as they confront the rulers of Daros, the top of Brainstorm's head is blue.

===Continuity errors===
*How would Daniel's light gun, essentially just an NES Zapper, be able to hit the ball, let alone injure Wheelie's arm?
*Fortress seems oddly keen on regime change for a planet he's never been to before based on the word of a guy who was holding a child hostage at knifepoint mere minutes earlier.

===Trivia===
*As in "[[Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears]]", the MegaZarak mentioned in the title is, of course, the Japanese name for Scorponok's Transtector.
*This episode originally aired in Japan as part of a triple bill alongside "[[Battle for Defense of the False Planet]]" and "[[Head Formation of Friendship]]" on December 18.
*The R2 DVD release of this episode suffers from a subtitling glitch, in which, on a few occasions throughout the episode, subtitles from another episode appear onscreen. Painfully ironically, the subtitles are from "[[I Risk My Life for Earth]]", the episode in which Scorponok's weak spot is ''revealed'', and one of the subs which appears is ''the very line that contains that revelation''. Oy.
*The R4 release of this episode, despite being released ''two years'' after the R2 release, ''still'' contains the same subtitle errors, including spoiling the actual location of Scorponok's weakness. Way to be observant there, [[Madman Entertainment|Madman]].
*This episode is one of the very few instances in the G1 era of the franchise where Decepticons are shown killing humans on-screen.

===Foreign localization===
'''English'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Scorponok's Weakness'''" ([[Omni Productions]] dub)
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 6]], [[1992]]

:*''Title:'' "'''Find Scorponok's Weak Spot'''" ([[Shout! Factory]] sub)

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jiēchuān Sàkè Jùrén de Ruòdiǎn '''" (揭穿萨克巨人的弱点, "Expose Scorponok's Weakness")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Il Segreto di Lord Zarak'''" ("The Secret of Lord Zarak")

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

[[Category:The Headmasters episodes]]

Transformers (2023) issue 9

2024-09-03T02:31:05Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #9
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 8
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|image=Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Where's [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] when you need him?
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[June 12]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=June 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The battles on Earth and Cybertron finally collide, with horrifying consequences for Optimus and his allies.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Autobot]]s near the [[Decepticon]]s' location in the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activates a device from the bridge of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. From an antenna atop the ship, a whirlpool begins to form and a beam of pink energy fires into the sky which grazes [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], sending the Autobot jet careening to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Autobots are thrown from their companion, they are confronted by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s as they work on the device — a [[space bridge]], through which [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] steps through! The Autobots scramble to fight back as the Decepticons converge on them. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] is cornered by Soundwave, wielding Shockwave in his gun mode, but is saved from execution by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] taking the blast for him and allowing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to intervene. Shockwave quickly engages the Autobot leader, eager to pay him back after their last encounter.

In [[Farmingham]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] make their way back to the dam, hoping to repair their [[energon]] turbine with supplies from the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Carly is eager to learn how to fight, but Arcee informs her that being linked is more about looking out for each other than it is fighting. However, a mile out from the dam, they are confronted by the [[Farmingham milita]]. Carly rushes out in front of the militia and urges them to stand down, telling them the Autobots are the good guys. Meanwhile, at [[Farmingham Hosptial]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] learns from the doctor that his spine was grazed by the bullet when the militia accidentally shot him. Spike asks if he'll ever walk again, but the doctor's words of reassurance are interrupted by the sound of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who has come looking for Spike. Though he doesn't wish to to harm any "lesser beings", he threatens to destroy the hospital if Spike doesn't come with him; Spike agrees without hesitation.

[[File:TF2023 no 9 - Beachcomber Rescues Spike.jpg|left|thumb|"Aren't you a little short for—Oh wait [[Star Wars (franchise)|wrong franchise]]".]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are cornered by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Unable to find an escape, Elita follows a pink glow at the end of a corridor, discovering the portal Shockwave used to come to Earth, arriving on the alien world in the midst of Optimus and Shockwave's battle. The Combaticons begin to follow them through, with [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] giving the order to merge. Without missing a beat, Elita grabs Prime's [[ion blaster]] and fires at the space bridge. Onslaught leaps through, but [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] is caught in between the portal and is bisected as it closes. Soundwave orders the Decepticons to eliminate the rest of the Autobots and they open fire on Cliffjumper and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Elita insists that she and Optimus retreat, dragging both him and Magnus away from the combat. Soundwave prepares to go after them, but Shockwave tells him to focus on repairing the space bridge. The cyclopean Decepticon then discovers the abandoned Cliffjumper and Jazz, eager to have new subjects to "experiment" with.

As Astrotrain approaches the Pacific, he tells Spike about how Cybertron has been plagued with disease, but that the resources of Earth will help the Decepticons save their world, even at the cost to the humans. Spike protests, but Astrotrain nonchalantly says that it is simply the way for "a weaker species." Astrotrain also reveals that he will be delivered to Shockwave as an offering from Soundwave to experiment with the native lifeform. As they approach the coastline, a blue-and-white machine attaches to the Decepticon, shutting off his engines and sending him crashing to the shore. The side of Astrotrain is torn open by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who's here to rescue Spike!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (1)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (15)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (24)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (25)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (29)

|c2=
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (4)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (5)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (8)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (9)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (10)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (11)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (21)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (22)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (26)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (27)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (28)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* Militia (17)
* Doctor (18)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (19)
* Hospital security (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"Still sniveling. Still slimy. Still '''weak'''." 
"'''Weak?''' Did you forget our last meeting, Shockwave? Shall I make you cry for mercy a '''second''' time?"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Optimus'''

"You fought dirty last time, Optimus. But I have learned much since that day. '''''Your ending shall be slow and brutal.'''''"
:—'''Shockwave''' drives home how he's changed.

"It must be surprising to you, seeing us standing in front of you, in all our metallic glory. But where we hail from is a shell of its former self. Our home is in need of sustenance. And look at the land you live in. Your resources are immeasurable and ripe for the taking." 
"But... this is our ''home!''" 
"Such is the way for a weaker species. I feel sorry for you, human."
:—'''Astrotrain''' teaches '''Spike''' how colonization works.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire is now sporting an [[Insignia|Autobrand]], something which must have occurred in between panels [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]].
* The Decepticons who fired on Elita's team in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]] are confirmed to have been the Combaticons. In their previous appearance, only their shadowed silhouettes were seen.
* Spike was shot by one of [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]]'s militia in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]].
* So why ''does'' Soundwave want Spike as a test subject for Shockwave when presumably any human will do? Could it perhaps have something to do with the fact Spike is responsible for Ravage getting shot in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]] and this is a bit of petty revenge?
* So we weren't crazy, that ''was'' Beachcomber hiding in the shadows [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]]. He didn't appear to be part of the resurrected Ark crew and he didn't come through with Elita and Magnus, so how the heck did he get to Earth?

===''Transformers'' references===
* The Combaticons are colored in their [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] colors.
* In something of a counter-reference, Shockwave is acting unusually emotional throughout the issue, even ''laughing'' at one point. In a series that has taken pains to recapture the personality traits of the G1 cast, this is a glaring exception; time will tell if it was artistic license (or, uh, error) or a setup for an upcoming in-story personality adjustment.
* Faced with Astrotrain's attack on the hospital, the security guard quotes the phrase “[[Furmanism#IT_NEVER_ENDS|IT NEVER ENDS!]]”.
* Shockwave refers to the stranded Cliffjumper and Jazz as "gifts from [[Primus]]", the first indication that the character (or, at least, the faith) exists in this continuity.

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave paraphrases the human idiom "tickled pink," replacing "pink" with his own "purple."
* As noted in the opening blurb of the letters page, Daniel Warren Johnson is ecstatic that Jorge Corona didn't bat an eye at the direction of drawing Shockwave performing {{w|The Undertaker}}'s signature {{w|Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Kneeling reverse_piledriver|Tombstone Piledriver}} finishing move on Optimus.

===Errors===
* Shockwave uses the word "welp" as an insult. It should be spelled "[[Wiktionary:whelp|whelp]]"; the word "[[Wiktionary:welp|welp]]" is a corruption of "well", typically used to express helpless exasperation.

===Other trivia===
* In a franchise first, Shockwave's gun mode is shown to shrink down to a size that a "normal" character like Soundwave can wield. In all prior media, Shockwave's gun mode had been a gigantic levitating contraption, not requiring anyone to hold it and in any case too big for all but [[The Revenge of Bruticus|the largest bearers]].
* On the letters page, one paragraph explains how [[size changing]] works in the Energon universe...by copying word for word this wiki's ''own'' description of how the process was explained by [[Dreamwave|Dreamwave's]] [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye]], a genetic ability that automatically kicks in when a Cybertronian transforms, even using the identical terminology of "mass conversion".
* In the [https://youtu.be/tZp2ZlpIW98?t=1554 "director's commentary"] for this issue, Daniel Warren Johnson stated that he originally wanted to have Astrotrain threaten a ward of babies at the hospital. However, Skybound vetoed the idea, deeming it too dark. In a rather sly nod to this, artist Jorge Corona included a baby among Astrotrain's would-be-victims in the corner of the final panel.

===Roll Call===
* Shockwave arrives on Earth via the Space Bridge, followed not long after by Elita carrying the barely alive Ultra Magnus, and then Onslaught and the upper half of Brawl.
* After managing to go relatively unscathed since the first issue, the Autobots suffer their first major casualty here, as Ratchet is killed protecting Cliffjumper from Soundwave.
* After being teased the previous issue, Beachcomber comes onto the scene to rescue Spike from Astrotrain.
* '''Autobots:''' 9. '''Decepticons:''' 14.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus holds the world on his shoulders ala {{w|Atlas (mythology)|Atlas}}, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave and his victims, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave, by [[Jonathan Wayshak]] and [[David Baron]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Combaticons, by [[David Baldeón]] and [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover F:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover, by [[Jason Howard]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover G:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover (black and white), by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover G.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/gi-joe-a-real-american-hero-compendium-set Kickstarter for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' Hardcover Compendiums].
* 5-page preview of ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 1|#1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZp2ZlpIW98 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 11

2024-09-03T02:18:46Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #11
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 12
|image=Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[August 14]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=August 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots must rescue their captured comrades from Shockwave’s clutches as the ultimate doom rains down upon them.'''

==Synopsis==
Using a high-tech surfboard, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] investigates the whirlpool created by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s attempt to bring [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] into [[Earth]] orbit.

Meanwhile, on the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] speaks to an unconcious [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], guilt-ridden for leaving him to be tortured by Shockwave. [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] chastises Arcee for leaving as well, causing Arcee to deck her in anger. Witnessing this exchange, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks what happened to him, leading Arcee to reveal that this is what happens to bots captured by Shockwave, meaning that [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] are likely being tortured as they speak. The idea horrifies Carly. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] confers with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] about Magnus’s repairs, but Wheeljack is unable to fully repair Ultra Magnus without [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and doing so would use up their remaining [[Energon]]. Wheeljack suggests that they could keep him in his current state and revive more [[Autobot]]s instead, but Magnus awakens and pleads with Optimus that he wants to fight as part of this new resistance.

Aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] asks Shockwave to take [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] back to Cybertron to be repaired, but Shockwave insists that there are more important matters to be attended to. He then returns to Cybertron himself and orders the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s to ready their defenses against any potential attacks from the remaining Autobot rebels. When the Combaticons inquire about the status of [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]], Shockwave brushes aside their concerns as well.

The Autobots quickly deduce that the [[space bridge]] bringing Cybertron is connected between the ''Nemesis'' and [[Shockwave's Tower|Shockwave' fortress]], using that to siphon the energy collected from Earth into Energon stores in the fortress. If they can destroy the ''Nemesis'', they can cut that connection off, but it's likely Shockwave already has enough Energon stored up to crush the remaining Autobots on Cybertron. Carly insists that their first priority should be rescuing Cliffjumper, to which Optimus agrees. However, Elita balks at this. She chastises Prime for leaving her and the rest of the Autobots alone on Cybertron for centuries and letting Shockwave's forces slowly destroy them. She does not want to risk losing their home to the [[Decepticon]]s to save this new world. Optimus merely says that he is confident in their abilities and old friends. Arcee, enraged by what the Decepticons did to Magnus, prepares for battle while Carly—surprised at the turn her [[Iron Intercessor]] has taken—looks on. Elita One tells her that she is proud to see her fire returning.

The Autobots formulate a plan: using [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s teleportation abilities, now connected to [[Teletraan I]], they will teleport inside the ''Nemesis'' and use a series of explosives to destroy the Decepticon flagship, severing its space bridge connection. Carly insists on coming along, believing rescuing Cliffjumper to be her responsibility, but both Optimus and Arcee refuse, promising to bring him home for her.

Beachcomber returns to where he left [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and tells Spike of what he saw. Spike asks if they should do something, but Beachcomber solemnly states that there's nothing they can do. He leaves a canister of Energon for Astrotrain before taking Spike to find another quiet part of the world to wait for the inevitable end. As they walk through the woods, Spike sees a deer and recalls when Optimus first stepped foot on the planet. Spike tells Beachcomber that while he knows the fighting is wrong, that doesn't mean they can just run away.
[[File:TF2023 no.11 - Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|200px|left|[[Derek Yaniger|Yaniger]] would be proud.]]
Aboard the ''Nemesis'', Shockwave continues to torture Jazz and Cliffjumper, but is interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime and the other Autobots. As Optimus frees their comrades and Elita finishes planting the charges, Arcee threatens to execute Shockwave, but Prime stops her, fearing what might happen if she gives into her anger. Unfortunately, her hesitation gives Shockwave an opening to attack, taking Cliffjumper hostage and escaping. The Decepticon leader orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s to form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], but Optimus isn't worried: teleporting in behind them are Wheeljack and the now fully restored Ultra Magnus!

However, upon seeing Shockwave again, Magnus freezes. He can't do it. In a fit of panic, he drops his weapon and retreats, apologizing all the while. As their strongest warrior drives off, Shockwave gloats. He broke the mind of the mighty Ultra Magnus, and now he’ll break the rest of the Autobots' bodies!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (1)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (3)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (7)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'' (15)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (18)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (8)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (9)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (10)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (11)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (12)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (13)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (14)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (17)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (18)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (19)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (20)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (21)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (22)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (24)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (5)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"I know how you feel, Beachcomber. It feels... 'wrong' to fight. But I don't think I have to. I just know I can't run away."
:—'''Spike''' finds his resolve.

"Ratchet said I was too concerned with this world. But I brought this war to them. They need us now." 
"We have our own problems, Optimus." 
"That is true. But I am beginning to think we need them to survive, as well."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Elita One''' talk objectives.

"HAHAHA! I broke his mind! And now I will break your bodies!"
:—'''Shockwave''' celebrates over the Autobots

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Soundwave has been trying to repair Ravage ever since Optimus damaged him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* The Combaticons were shown to be defending Shockwave's fortress in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]].
* Skywarp's willingness to help the Autobots is likely due to the combination of wanting revenge for what Soundwave and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] did to him back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]], as well as Arcee saving him from Carly’s attack in [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|issue #8]].
* Spike recalls Optimus's unfortunate encounter with another deer from [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* Beachcomber's use of a surfboard is likely a reference to a similar scene in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode “[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]” - the multi-part epic this arc is largely based on - where the Autobots must surf to reach the [[sea funnel]].
* Just as in [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|issue #9]], Shockwave is shown as highly emotional, even laughing. He continues to be starkly out-of-character compared to everybody else, in a way that sure ''looks'' deliberate....

===Real-world references===

===Errors===

===Other trivia===

===Roll Call===
* Having spent the entire arc to this point a barely living husk, Ultra Magnus is fully repaired physically. ''Mentally'' however is another story.
* '''Autobots:''' 9. '''Decepticons:''' 14.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Shockwave fires on Optimus, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave attacks Elita, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Elita fires a blast, by [[Ludo Lullabi]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave stands over a fallen Optimus, by [[Wes Craig]].
* '''Carnivore Comics Cover:''' by [[Ryan G. Browne]].
* '''Big Time Collectables Cover:''' by [[Ivan Tao]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover A:''' by [[Tiago da Silva]].
* '''The 616 Comics Cover B:''' by Tiago da Silva.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Carnivore Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 Big Time Collectibles Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 11 The 616 Comics Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 4|#4]] and ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 4|#4]].
* ''Invincible: The Hero-Building Game''
* ''Impact Winter''
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''Transformers'', ''[[Void Rivals]]'', ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 10

2024-09-03T02:13:45Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #10
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 9
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 11
|image=Transformers 2023 10 Cover B.jpg
|caption=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKkgzhIA2IQ "Let's go on an awesome adventure!"]
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[July 10]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=July 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Two Transformers discover the beauty of Earth's nature. Their reactions are very different.'''

==Synopsis==
''Millions of years ago, the [[Decepticon]]s attack the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' as it reaches [[Earth]] orbit. During the battle, [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] is thrown out of the ship by [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and lands on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. As he looks up, he sees the Earth; overwhelmed with its beauty, he spends the next million years staring at it until [[July 20]], [[1969]], when the [[Apollo 11]] moon mission arrives. Hitching a ride on their return flight, he makes his way to Earth, finding the planet’s surface just as wondrous as he imagined. While exploring, he finds the ''Ark'' and its off-line passengers. Though he begins to activate [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]]'s repair function, he hesitates. Fearing the devastation that could come if the [[Transformer]]s' war began again on Earth, he abandons them, allowing them the peace of sleeping forever.''

Beachcomber tells his tale to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], having rescued him from [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who Beachcomber has chained up to prevent him from attacking. However, he still offers the [[Triple Changer]] some of the [[energon]] he took from the ''Ark''{{'}}s reserves as a peace offering. Astrotrain reveals to Beachcomber that [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] has come to Earth with the intent of harvesting its resources. Though Beachcomber knows the destruction Shockwave will bring, he also vowed never to hurt anyone or anything again and wants no part in the war.

[[File:TF2023 issue 10 the whale part.jpg|left|thumb|[https://youtu.be/4IUxK_0WLbg "Gotta nuke something."]]]On the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', where the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s have finished repairing the portal to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Shockwave finds [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] trying to repair [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Shockwave balks at his sentimentality, suggesting he instead recycle his pet, but is then distracted by the sight of humpback whales in the ocean, marvelling at the creatures. At that moment, [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] informs him that "the [[feeder]]" is ready. Upon its activation, it sucks the ocean - whales and all - into its maw, as Shockwave looks on and cheers maniacally.

Back at the dam, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] puts the finishing touches on his [[Energon turbine]] when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] returns with [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] in tow. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] is shocked to see her old [[mentor]], believing him dead. Wheeljack reassures Magnus that Ratchet will fix him right up, leading Optimus to reveal that Ratchet didn't survive the battle. Wheeljack excuses himself to grieve. Optimus regrets also leaving [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] behind, with Elita telling him that Shockwave will likely do to them what he did to Magnus. She then chastises him for leaving Cybertron and letting it fall to the Decepticons; Shockwave stripped their home for everything it had, and now he’ll do the same to Prime’s new paradise.

[[File:TF2023 no 10 Space Bridge Cybertron.jpg|right|thumb|"Is anyone else getting a sense of [[The Ultimate Doom|dèjá]] [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|vu]]?"]]In the depths of the ''Nemesis'', Jazz and Cliff are in chains as Shockwave arrives, eager to begin "experimenting" on them. [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], who finds Shockwave's actions dishonorable, is led outside by Soundwave to discuss their next steps, and though they may not like it, they need Shockwave. Thundercracker then argues they should mount an assault on the ''Ark'' to rescue Skywarp, but Soundwave shoots it down. Shockwave then gathers the Decepticons. He announces that time is of the essence if they want to save their world and, using the Energon converted by the feeder, reactivates the [[space bridge]], though now on a much larger scale in order to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit. Beachcomber and Spike look on in horror as the Transformers' home fills the sky.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (1)
* ''[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'' (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* ''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (6)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (16)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (19)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (20)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (21)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (22)

|c2=
* ''[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'' (2)
* ''[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]'' (3)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (10)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (11)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (12)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (13)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (14)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (23)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (24)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (25)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (26)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (27)

|c3=
* ''[[Neil Armstrong]]'' (8)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (9)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (17)
* [[Farmingham militia]] soldier (18)
}}

==Quotes==
"I promised myself I would never hurt anyone or anything again. That mindset doesn't exactly help in a war. And I want no part of it."
:—'''Beachcomber'''

"I had to make a choice. What I did was for the good of Cybertron." 
"There's not much good left there, Prime. No energon. Decepticon rule. Our people starving and enslaved. And here you are, in your new paradise. Shockwave has seen this place now. He won't leave it untouched. He's going to take what is here to fuel our home and the Decepticon army."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' is rebuffed by '''Elita One'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* So that’s how Beachcomber got to Earth. The opening scene of the Decepticons attacking the ''Ark'' was previously depicted in the ''[[Transformers Energon Universe Special story|Energon Universe Special]]'', where we learned what became of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] in the same battle.
** While previous issues had the characters reference that the war had been going for "two centuries", Beachcomber's flashback confirms the ''Ark'' crashing as happening "millions of years ago." This is consistent with ''[[Void Rivals]]''{{'}} presenting [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] as being in stasis for millennia, as well as with the Energon Universe's continued use of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] as its main inspiration.
* Ravage was wounded by Optimus back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Brawl was cut in half by the space bridge [[Transformers (2023) issue 9|last issue]]. His operational status is unclear, though Onslaught's dialogue suggests that he's still alive.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Beachcomber's love of Earth and staunch opposition to the war are long-time character traits of his, best highlighted in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]".
* Shockwave refers to Soundwave's cassettes as "Recordicons"— a relatively obscure name for the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette]]s that has seen more use in recent years.
* This issue features the Decepticons using a space bridge to teleport Cybertron into Earth orbit, a plot that first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[The Ultimate Doom]]" and would later be used again in ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' (which, funnily enough, also featured a Moon landing sequence.)

===Real-world references===
* In a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZp2ZlpIW98 "director's commentary" for issue #9], Daniel Warren Johnson compared his writing of Astrotrain to the character of Donny "the Bear Jew" Donowitz from ''{{w|Inglourious Basterds}}'', something that becomes much more pronounced in his speech with this issue.

===Errors===
*The Lunar Excursion Modules used during the Apollo missions had to account for the weight of whatever they brought back to Earth, to the extent of leaving behind handheld cameras to meet the narrow weight margins.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=both cameras with lenses were left behind on the Moon in order to meet narrow weight margins for successful return. The journeys home from the Moon made very special demands on what could return regarding weight; from Apollo 11 to the final Apollo 17 mission, a total of twelve camera bodies were left behind on the lunar surface. Only the film magazines containing the momentous images were brought back.|link=https://www.hasselblad.com/about/history/hasselblad-in-space/|title=HASSELBLAD IN SPACE|site=hasselblad.com}}</ref> How did they not notice Beachcomber hitching a ride all the way to Earth?
*Additionally, when launching back into lunar orbit, the LEM separates the aluminum ascent stage and leaves behind the gold foil-covered descent stage when leaving the moon. It is drawn on page 4 launching with both modules still together.
*On the two-page spread of Shockwave bringing Cybertron to Earth, the moon is in the foreground with a US flag planted. The flag should've been bleached white from exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays after being on the moon for over 50 years.<ref>[https://www.nasa.gov/history/alsj/ApolloFlags-Condition.html Six Flags on the Moon: What is Their Current Condition? - NASA.gov]</ref>

===Other trivia===
*

===Roll Call===
* '''Autobots:''' 9. '''Decepticons:''' 14.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Carly and Arcee gaze at the stars, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Beachcomber and Spike, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover featuring [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave disposes of Ravage, by [[Jonathan Wayshak]] and [[David Baron]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The 'waves look over Cybertron, by [[David Baldeón]] and [[Rex Lokus]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 10 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 10 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 10 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 10 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 10 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 2|#2]], ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 2|#2]], and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 11|#11]].
* Codename: [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] continues in ''Scarlett''!
* The [[Cobra]] threat continues in ''Destro''!
* Experience the Energon Universe in the trade paperbacks for ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'', ''Void Rivals'', ''Transformers'', and ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]''
* ''Invincible: The Hero-Building Game''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 9

2024-09-03T02:10:59Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #9
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 8
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 10
|image=Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg
|caption=Where's [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] when you need him?
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[June 12]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=June 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The battles on Earth and Cybertron finally collide, with horrifying consequences for Optimus and his allies.'''

==Synopsis==
As the [[Autobot]]s near the [[Decepticon]]s' location in the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] activates a device from the bridge of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. From an antenna atop the ship, a whirlpool begins to form and a beam of pink energy fires into the sky which grazes [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], sending the Autobot jet careening to the bottom of the ocean floor. As the Autobots are thrown from their companion, they are confronted by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s as they work on the device — a [[space bridge]], through which [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] steps through! The Autobots scramble to fight back as the Decepticons converge on them. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] is cornered by Soundwave, wielding Shockwave in his gun mode, but is saved from execution by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] taking the blast for him and allowing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] to intervene. Shockwave quickly engages the Autobot leader, eager to pay him back after their last encounter.

In [[Farmingham]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] make their way back to the dam, hoping to repair their [[energon]] turbine with supplies from the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Carly is eager to learn how to fight, but Arcee informs her that being linked is more about looking out for each other than it is fighting. However, a mile out from the dam, they are confronted by the [[Farmingham milita]]. Carly rushes out in front of the militia and urges them to stand down, telling them the Autobots are the good guys. Meanwhile, at [[Farmingham Hosptial]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] learns from the doctor that his spine was grazed by the bullet when the militia accidentally shot him. Spike asks if he'll ever walk again, but the doctor's words of reassurance are interrupted by the sound of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who has come looking for Spike. Though he doesn't wish to to harm any "lesser beings", he threatens to destroy the hospital if Spike doesn't come with him; Spike agrees without hesitation.

[[File:TF2023 no 9 - Beachcomber Rescues Spike.jpg|left|thumb|"Aren't you a little short for—Oh wait [[Star Wars (franchise)|wrong franchise]]".]]
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] are cornered by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Unable to find an escape, Elita follows a pink glow at the end of a corridor, discovering the portal Shockwave used to come to Earth, arriving on the alien world in the midst of Optimus and Shockwave's battle. The Combaticons begin to follow them through, with [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] giving the order to merge. Without missing a beat, Elita grabs Prime's [[ion blaster]] and fires at the space bridge. Onslaught leaps through, but [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] is caught in between the portal and is bisected as it closes. Soundwave orders the Decepticons to eliminate the rest of the Autobots and they open fire on Cliffjumper and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. Elita insists that she and Optimus retreat, dragging both him and Magnus away from the combat. Soundwave prepares to go after them, but Shockwave tells him to focus on repairing the space bridge. The cyclopean Decepticon then discovers the abandoned Cliffjumper and Jazz, eager to have new subjects to "experiment" with.

As Astrotrain approaches the Pacific, he tells Spike about how Cybertron has been plagued with disease, but that the resources of Earth will help the Decepticons save their world, even at the cost to the humans. Spike protests, but Astrotrain nonchalantly says that it is simply the way for "a weaker species." Astrotrain also reveals that he will be delivered to Shockwave as an offering from Soundwave to experiment with the native lifeform. As they approach the coastline, a blue-and-white machine attaches to the Decepticon, shutting off his engines and sending him crashing to the shore. The side of Astrotrain is torn open by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who's here to rescue Spike!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (1)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (15)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (24)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (25)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (29)

|c2=
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (4)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (5)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (8)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (9)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (10)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (11)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (21)
* [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] (22)
* [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] (23)
* [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]] (26)
* [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] (27)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (28)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* Militia (17)
* Doctor (18)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (19)
* Hospital security (20)
}}

==Quotes==
"Still sniveling. Still slimy. Still '''weak'''." 
"'''Weak?''' Did you forget our last meeting, Shockwave? Shall I make you cry for mercy a '''second''' time?"
:—'''Shockwave''' and '''Optimus'''

"You fought dirty last time, Optimus. But I have learned much since that day. '''''Your ending shall be slow and brutal.'''''"
:—'''Shockwave''' drives home how he's changed.

"It must be surprising to you, seeing us standing in front of you, in all our metallic glory. But where we hail from is a shell of its former self. Our home is in need of sustenance. And look at the land you live in. Your resources are immeasurable and ripe for the taking." 
"But... this is our ''home!''" 
"Such is the way for a weaker species. I feel sorry for you, human."
:—'''Astrotrain''' teaches '''Spike''' how colonization works.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire is now sporting an [[Insignia|Autobrand]], something which must have occurred in between panels [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]].
* The Decepticons who fired on Elita's team in [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|issue #7]] are confirmed to have been the Combaticons. In their previous appearance, only their shadowed silhouettes were seen.
* Spike was shot by one of [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]]'s militia in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]].
* So why ''does'' Soundwave want Spike as a test subject for Shockwave when presumably any human will do? Could it perhaps have something to do with the fact Spike is responsible for Ravage getting shot in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]] and this is a bit of petty revenge?
* So we weren't crazy, that ''was'' Beachcomber hiding in the shadows [[Transformers (2023) issue 8|last issue]]. He didn't appear to be part of the resurrected Ark crew and he didn't come through with Elita and Magnus, so how the heck did he get to Earth?

===''Transformers'' references===
* The Combaticons are colored in their [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] colors.
* In something of a counter-reference, Shockwave is acting unusually emotional throughout the issue, even ''laughing'' at one point. In a series that has taken pains to recapture the personality traits of the G1 cast, this is a glaring exception; time will tell if it was artistic license (or, uh, error) or a setup for an upcoming in-story personality adjustment.
* Faced with Astrotrain's attack on the hospital, the security guard quotes the phrase “[[Furmanism#IT_NEVER_ENDS|IT NEVER ENDS!]]”.

===Real-world references===
* Shockwave paraphrases the human idiom "tickled pink," replacing "pink" with his own "purple."
* As noted in the opening blurb of the letters page, Daniel Warren Johnson is ecstatic that Jorge Corona didn't bat an eye at the direction of drawing Shockwave performing {{w|The Undertaker}}'s signature {{w|Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Kneeling reverse_piledriver|Tombstone Piledriver}} finishing move on Optimus.

===Errors===
* Shockwave uses the word "welp" as an insult. It should be spelled "[[Wiktionary:whelp|whelp]]"; the word "[[Wiktionary:welp|welp]]" is a corruption of "well", typically used to express helpless exasperation.

===Other trivia===
* In a franchise first, Shockwave's gun mode is shown to shrink down to a size that a "normal" character like Soundwave can wield. In all prior media, Shockwave's gun mode had been a gigantic levitating contraption, not requiring anyone to hold it and in any case too big for all but [[The Revenge of Bruticus|the largest bearers]].
* On the letters page, one paragraph explains how [[size changing]] works in the Energon universe...by copying word for word this wiki's ''own'' description of how the process was explained by [[Dreamwave|Dreamwave's]] [[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|''More than Meets the Eye]], a genetic ability that automatically kicks in when a Cybertronian transforms, even using the identical terminology of "mass conversion".
* In the [https://youtu.be/tZp2ZlpIW98?t=1554 "director's commentary"] for this issue, Daniel Warren Johnson stated that he originally wanted to have Astrotrain threaten a ward of babies at the hospital. However, Skybound vetoed the idea, deeming it too dark. In a rather sly nod to this, artist Jorge Corona included a baby among Astrotrain's would-be-victims in the corner of the final panel.

===Roll Call===
* Shockwave arrives on Earth via the Space Bridge, followed not long after by Elita carrying the barely alive Ultra Magnus, and then Onslaught and the upper half of Brawl.
* After managing to go relatively unscathed since the first issue, the Autobots suffer their first major casualty here, as Ratchet is killed protecting Cliffjumper from Soundwave.
* Beachcomber comes onto the scene to rescue Spike from Astrotrain.
* '''Autobots:''' 9. '''Decepticons:''' 14.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus holds the world on his shoulders ala {{w|Atlas (mythology)|Atlas}}, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Shockwave and his victims, by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Shockwave, by [[Jonathan Wayshak]] and [[David Baron]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Combaticons, by [[David Baldeón]] and [[Rex Lokus]].
* '''Cover F:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover, by [[Jason Howard]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover G:''' Energon Universe Anniversary connecting cover (black and white), by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 9 Cover G.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/gi-joe-a-real-american-hero-compendium-set Kickstarter for the ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' Hardcover Compendiums].
* 5-page preview of ''[[Destro (comic)|Destro]]'' [[Destro issue 1|#1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZp2ZlpIW98 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Corona]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 8

2024-09-03T02:01:05Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #8
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 7
|prev2=Transformers Energon Universe Special story
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 9
|image=Transformers 2023 8 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[May 8]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=May 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''As the Autobots ready themselves to go on the offensive, Soundwave begins a plan to bring Earth under Decepticon rule!'''

==Synopsis==
[[Carly (G1)|Carly]] brings [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] to a lake outside [[Farmingham]], thinking it will help his recovery to get some fresh air. When she asks how he feels, Spike tells her he doesn't feel ''anything''. Carly says that with the world changing, they have to protect themselves. [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] joins them, even offering them colas, but Carly is still angry at him for not killing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], feeling like she can't trust him anymore. She storms off, leaving Spike to comfort a dejected Cliff.

On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] carries the mangled body of a delirious [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] through the fortress, looking for an exit. Having experienced over a hundred fifty years of torture, Magnus begs Elita to kill him. Elita apologizes for taking so long to find him and assures him that she won't let him go again, but ultimately promises to follow Magnus's order—for both of them—if they are captured.

In the [[Pacific Ocean]], [[USS Henry Harrison|U.S.S. ''Henry Harrison'']] makes its way towards [[Washington (state)|Washington]] when [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] attack. Thundercracker pities the humans, and when the Captain begs for his life, he begins to let them go. Soundwave points out that while they pose no threat to them, they will likely inform their superiors about their attack, and thus they cannot be allowed to go free. He blasts the humans fleeing on lifeboats.

On the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] is still trying to use [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] despite the interference of [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], whose fusion with the computer gives him more control over it and whom Wheeljack can't remove without compromising what remains of Teletraan. Optimus pities the Seeker for what his fellow [[Decepticon]]s did to him, especially after seeing a video log of him getting ripped apart. However, Carly enters carrying a missile launcher, planning to kill what remains of Skywarp. Optimus tries to talk her down, but her finger slips on the trigger, sending the missile headed towards the computer. However, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] takes the shot, saving Teletraan and Skywarp, much to Carly's distress. Grateful to be saved, Skywarp uses Teletraan to fix Wheeljack's legs. Optimus tries to use this as a teaching moment for Carly, but she's not having any of it and storms off to her van. Arcee follows after her, and Carly apologizes. Carly admits that she’s confused why the [[Autobot]]s don't act like the giant badass robots she sees, but Arcee reveals that before Optimus brought them together, they were all scattered and lost. She tells Carly that while Optimus tries to hide it, his losses are greater than anyone's.

Later, Optimus awakens from a dream where he sees himself with a human child as the boy grows through the years. He questions what these visions mean, but is soon distracted by the newly-awoken [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], whom [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] was able to save from death, but unfortunately, he is now [[Transformation paralysis|mode locked]] and blind, much to Jetfire's horror. Optimus apologizes, trying to justify it as an allocation of resources, but when he turns to leave, Jetfire begs him to stay, not wanting to be left alone in the darkness. Optimus agrees to sit with him awhile.

[[File:TF2023 no. 8 - Nemesis Underwater.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]

Having sunk the ''Henry Harrison'', Soundwave and Thundercracker follow it down to the sea floor, where the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] have been unearthing the key to Soundwave's ultimate plan: the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the ship which brought the Decepticons to Earth all those years ago! As the Decepticons work to repair the ship, they hear a loud banging coming from inside the ship's brig. Soundwave orders the Decepticons open it, much to their trepidation, saying they need all the help they can get. As the doors open, an enraged [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] tears through them, demanding to know where [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is. As he tears through the smaller Decepticon warriors, Soundwave tries to get him to calm down, saying that they don't know where Megatron is now, but promising to give him to Astrotrain when they find him.

Back at the ''Ark'', Wheeljack detects the activation of the ''Nemesis''. Optimus orders the Autobots to board Jetfire so that they might finally take the fight to their enemy. Carly insists on coming, but Optimus refuses, telling her she isn't a warrior. Arcee offers to take Carly on as her [[iron apprentice]]—a sacred bond between (typically) an older and younger Cybertronian that marks the beginning of a [[clan]], and the same relationship Ultra Magnus had with Arcee many years ago. Optimus reluctantly agrees, but orders them to instead stay at the Ark with Wheeljack to defend their home and watch over Spike as the rest of the Autobots depart in Jetfire.

On the ''Nemesis'', Thundercracker asks when the ship will take to the skies, but Soundwave reports that that will require too much [[energon]]. What they really need is the ship's antennae, which will allow them to finally call for reinforcements. Soundwave activates the monitor on the ship's bridge, and the image of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] appears.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (3)
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]? (4, see "Continuity notes" below)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (5)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (6)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (12)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (13)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (18)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (14)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (15)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (16)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (17)
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (20)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (2)
* Captain of the ''Henry Harrison'' (8)
* "[[Skip (EU)|Skip]]" (9)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (19)
}}

==Quotes==
"That's why we have to protect ourselves, Spike. And we've got big metal warriors now. They can help us get the ones who killed our dads!" 
"But...my dad ''wasn't'' killed. He gave himself up for those robots, I can't help but think of how he disappeared. No body, no ashes, just ''gone''. Just like Jimmy. I didn't realize how much I needed him until he went away. I didn't know how bad it could get until now..." 
:—'''Carly''' and '''Spike''' discuss their reactions to their respective fathers deaths

"I don't get it. You're all huge and powerful! Total badasses. How come you don't '''act''' like it?" 
"We weren't always like this. We were scattered and lost before the war started on our planet. Optimus brought us together. He desires peace above all else." 
"Easy for '''him''' to say." 
"He doesn't speak of it often, but believe me-- His losses could fill a chasm."
:—'''Carly''' struggles to believe '''Arcee''' and the Autobots aren't warriors

"I... had to use what was left at my disposal. We needed a way to travel around this world in order to save it." 
"Is that what I am to you now? A '''husk?''' I cannot move. Everything is... black. I cannot see the '''stars''' anymore."
:—'''Optimus''' faces the repercussions of bringing '''Jetfire''' back to life

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Hidden in the shadows on the first page is a bot whose few identifying features look suspiciously similar to [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who was previously seen getting shot in a flashback to Cybertron in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]]. What is he doing here?
* Carly mentions that Starscream killed Bumblebee back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Cliffjumper’s refusal to kill Starscream occurred in [[Transformers (2023) issue 6|issue #6]].
* Wheeljack has been operating as only a torso since he was revived in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issues #4]].
* Skywarp getting torn apart to repair Teletraan One happened in issues #4 and [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|#5]].
* The Decepticons might not know where Megatron is, but readers who picked up the [[Energon Universe Special 2024]] certainly do.
* Arcee's relationship with Ultra Magnus was first glimpsed [[Transformers (2023) issue 7|last issue]].
* Clans were first mentioned back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]].
* After previously appearing in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]] and being alluded to last issue, Shockwave finally makes his first appearance in the ''Transformers'' title proper.

===''Transformers'' references===
* Introduced in this issue is the ''Nemesis'', the classic Decepticon flagship seen in both the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] and [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comic]]. Its name and fate - crashed and at the bottom of the ocean - first appeared in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' finale two-parter, "[[Nemesis Part 1|Nemesis]]".
* The Decepticons operating out of a crashed spaceship at the bottom of the ocean is yet another element pulled from the Generation 1 cartoon. However, it should be noted that, while the ''Nemesis'' was depicted as crashing into the ocean in the aforementioned ''Beast Wars'' episode, the Decepticon headquarters of the Generation 1 cartoon was actually a different ship, the ''[[Victory (G1)|Victory]]''.

===Real-world references===
* While the colas go unbranded, they are colored with red packaging of {{w|Coca-Cola}}.

===Errors===
* The establishing caption for the U.S.S. ''Henry Harrison'' again misspells the name as ''Henry Harrisson''.

===Other trivia===
* It is confirmed in the fan mail section that Frenzy (the [[FIRRIB|red one]] in this continuity) perished during the dam battle in Issue #5.
* Initially, DWJ had intended for Jetfire to be dead with the Autobots using his lifeless body for transportation. Hasbro, however, deemed it "too morbid" and wanted him to remain alive. Yeah, that ''definitely'' worked. Even DWJ himself was disturbed! <ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a thing that Hasbro asked for, actually. [...] I really needed a way for the Autobots to get around, 'cause none of them can fly [...] I was like 'Okay they'll use like, the transformed mode of Jetfire.' [...] But Hasbro was like 'We don't- It's too morbid, we don't want like, the husk of Jetfire to be travelling around with the Autobots.' [...] And then I had to write him being ''alive''. [...] I wrote it and I was like 'Oh my god, this is so f-ed up!' |link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gf3prR5PK0&t=2970s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRIPLE TAKEOVER | #81: Skybound Transformers (featuring Daniel Warren Johnson)|year=2024|month=06|day=10}}</ref>

===Roll Call===
* After being seemingly killed back in [[Transformers (2023) Issue 1|the first issue]], Jetfire is revealed to have pulled through, albeit left blind, immobile, and trapped in his alt-mode.
* Soundwave's Decepticons release the imprisoned Astrotrain from the Nemesis, before re-establishing contact with Shockwave on Cybertron.
* '''Autobots:''' 7. '''Decepticons:''' 11.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Elita One, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Thundercracker attacks the ''Henry Harrison'', by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Astrotrain, by [[Ethan Young]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The ''Nemesis'' in the sky over Optimus Prime, by [[Paul Azaceta]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 8 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 8 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 8 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 8 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 8 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* 5-page preview of ''[[Scarlett (comic)|Scarlett]]'' [[Scarlett issue 1|#1]].

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 7

2024-09-03T01:53:26Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #7
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 6
|next=Transformers Energon Universe Special story
|image=Transformers 2023 7 Cover A.jpg
|caption=I guess Starscream didn’t like the mixtape you made him.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[April 10]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=April 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=[[Jorge Corona]]
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Ben Abernathy]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''Having taken back their ship, the Autobots plan their next move against the Decepticons, who have found themselves caught in a power struggle. Meanwhile, the war still rages back on Cybertron…'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a squad of [[Autobot]]s led by [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] are ambushed by [[Decepticon]]s while attempting to storm a fortress belonging to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] looking for one of their own. One by one, [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] are taken down, with the latter urging Elita to keep going and save “him”. Kicking in the door to the fortress, Elita is horrified to find who they were looking for: [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], stripped to a near-skeletal pile of parts.

Back on [[Earth]], in the [[Pacific Ocean]], the captain of the U.S.S. ''Henry Harrison'' gets a call from an Admiral ordering him to head to the coast of [[Washington (state)|Washington]] in search of “[[Transformer|giant robots]].”

[[File:TF2023 no. 7 – "You Kicked My Ravage.".jpg|thumb|left|"Hello. My name is Soundwave. You kicked my cat. Prepare to die."]]
Meanwhile, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] calls a meeting amongst the Decepticons to challenge [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] for command. Starscream tries to turn the others against Soundwave, but [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] reminds Starscream that this is their way, and to prepare himself for combat. Soundwave begins to beat on Starscream without hesitation. Though the Seeker tries to bargain with Soundwave, he refuses to yield, and the battle culminates in Starscream losing an eye to [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] before Soundwave rips several pieces from Starscream's chest and sends him over the edge of a cliff. Soundwave promises the other Decepticons that he will not just act in his interests, but that they will rebuild, conquer, and destroy together. The rest of the Decepticons kneel before him, pledging their loyalty to their new leader.

Outside the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] introduces herself to [[Carly (G1)|Carly]], who's practicing with a rifle. Arcee asks if she can join her and blasts away Carly's makeshift can and bottle targets, impressing the human girl. Arcee laments her own talent for killing and tells Carly that she reminds Arcee of herself: her clan was killed when she was young, but she was rescued by Ultra Magnus, who taught her how to fight. But as the war progressed, Arcee learned how the path of hate takes more than it heals, claiming Ultra Magnus died because of her. Carly, incredulous at this lecture, returns to shooting her rifle. Inside the ship, the pair are watched by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]. Cliff tells Jazz that Carly hasn't spoken to him since he refused to pull the trigger on Starscream, but Jazz assures him he did the right thing.

[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] go to visit [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] at the [[Farmingham]] Hospital, but Spike doesn't wish to speak to him, saying that he needs more time after [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] sacrificed himself. As the two drive back to the ''Ark'', Optimus has a vision of himself holding a baby human. He is so distracted by this vision that he ends up driving off the road. Ratchet asks what happened, and Prime simply responds that he doesn't know. The pair eventually return to the ''Ark'', where [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] informs the Autobots that repairing more of their forces has been difficult with the [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]-augmented [[Teletraan I|Teletraan 1]] locking him out of the repair systems and that it will take him time to figure out a workaround. Optimus asks him to make haste; the Autobots have the upper hand but they need to take the fight to the Decepticons. Wheeljack says they'll need a way to find them, idly musing about creating some sort of flying vehicle. Optimus says he has a plan for that, looking at the remains of [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]].

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (1)
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (2)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] (3)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] (4)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (5)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (19)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (21)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (22)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (24)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (25)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (26)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (9)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (10)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (11)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (14)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (15)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (16)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (17)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (18)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (27)

|c3=
* “[[Skip (EU)|Skip]]” (6)
* Captain of the ''Henry Harrison'' (7)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (20)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (23)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (28)
}}

==Quotes==
"You kicked my Ravage."
:—'''Soundwave''' to Starscream, right before ripping his chest open.

"Optimus says I'm the best shot he's ever seen. I wish I wasn't so good at it." 
"What?! You should be totally '''stoked'''! It'll help when it comes to killing Decepticons. Killing '''Starscream'''." 
"I can see the fire in your eyes. Be careful it doesn't consume you."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Carly'''

"Eat. My. Vapors. Auto. Bast--" 
"That's enough of that."
:—'''Skywarp/Teletraan''' mocks '''Wheeljack'''.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This issue marks Cybertron’s first appearance outside of flashbacks in the main ''Transformers'' title. We had previously seen the planet in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]], with Shockwave standing vanguard while his fellow Decepticons were said to be in stasis due to low resources. However, the situation seems to have changed since then, with the Decepticon forces active and in conflict with Elita's Autobots. Also, while the lack of an exact timeframe seems to point at the possibility that these events could also conceivably take place ''before'' the peek at Cybertron in ''Void Rivals'', the following issues indicate this isn't the case.
* The comic doesn't ''directly'' state that the stripped Cybertronian Elita finds is Ultra Magnus, but context clues indicate they are one and the same: besides Arcee's flashback being the most obvious clue, the bot's considerably large size matches and what remains of his outer armor is the right shade of blue.
* This issue is the culmination of Soundwave's continued grievances with Starscream's leadership, a thread that began back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]]. In particular, Soundwave takes Starscream kicking Ravage back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|issue #5]] ''very'' personally.
* Rumble is depicted as having only one arm, stuck in piledriver mode, consistent with the injury inflicted on him by Jazz at the dam battle in issue #5.
* Arcee refers to her "clan" when telling her story to Carly, terminology established with Cliffjumper's similar story in issue #4.
* Optimus' vision is almost certainly a consequence of Sparky's sacrifice to the [[Matrix of Leadership]] [[Transformers (2023) issue 6|last issue]]. Paired with the fact that the vision occurred as Optimus was thinking about Spike and the baby having black hair, we can assume this is meant to be Optimus-as-Sparky cradling a baby Spike.
* Wheeljack's still operating as a torso mounted on a keypad-operated drone, as was last seen in issue #5. Similarly, we get a better glimpse at Skywarp as a retrofitted part of Teletraan 1, which was also first seen in that issue.
* Jetfire's remains have been brought back to the ''Ark'' since his death back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].

===''Transformers'' references===
* The fortress that Elita’s Autobots storm in the opening pages is drawn to resemble Shockwave’s eye and chest, suggesting it to be a new version of [[Shockwave's Tower]].
* Elita One leading a team of Autobots left behind on Cybertron against Shockwave is in line with her original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] counterpart.
* Soundwave claiming leadership of the Decepticons most directly recalls his [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Marvel UK counterpart]].
* Just like in their debut, ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Ultra Magnus and Arcee are presented as having a commander/subordinate relationship.

===Real-world references===
* U.S.S. ''Henry Harrison'' is named for the ninth [[President of the United States]], {{w|William Henry Harrison}}. This follows a tradition of aircraft carriers and other Navy ships being named after Presidents, though in real life, Harrison is one of the Presidents to not have a single Naval vessel named for him. In fact, the usage of Harrison's name in particular might be an ill omen: Harrison infamously was the first president to die in office, which also wound up making him the president with the shortest term — he was only in office for ''31 days''.
* Jazz notes that Skywarp "sounds seriously off the beat," continuing his use of musical analogies and puns.

===Errors===
* The introductory caption for the U.S.S. ''Henry Harrison'' misspells the name as ''Henry Harrisson''.
* Starscream calls Rumble a "welp", misspelling "whelp".
* In the letters page, editor Ben Abernathy notes that the scene with Optimus and the deer from [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]] "was a punch in the ''guy''."

===Other trivia===
*

===Roll Call===
* Huffer, Warpath, and Kup are all shown being killed helping Elita break into Shockwave's prison.
* After spending the first six issues being a murderous psychotic and horrible leader, Starscream ''finally'' gets his just desserts as his fellow Decepticons turn on him and Soundwave throws him down a volcano to his (apparent) doom. Soundwave takes over as leader to the remaining earthbound Decepticons.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 10.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream yanks the tape out of a destroyed Soundwave, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' The Autobots stand on top of the ''Ark'', by Jorge Corona and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Karen S. Darboe]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Soundwave stands over Starscream, by [[Caspar Wijngaard]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Arcee shoots Starscream, by [[Taurin Clarke]].
* '''Cover F (1:100 Copy Incentive):''' Arcee and Ultra Magnus, by [[Mike del Mundo]].
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive A:''' The Matrix emits light from inside Optimus' chest, by [[John Giang]].
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive B:''' Virgin foil variant.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive A:''' Optimus with Megatron's arm, by [[John Gallagher]].
* '''East Side Comics exclusive B:''' Optimus charges Megatron's [[fusion cannon]], by John Gallagher. Virgin foil variant.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive C:''' Optimus fires Megatron's fusion cannon, by [[Redcode]].
* '''Jonathan Comics exclusive A:''' Optimus Prime rolls out, by [[Tiago Da Silva]].
* '''Jonathan Comics exclusive B:''' Virgin foil variant.
* '''Stadium Comics variant:''' Optimus leads the Autobots into battle, by [[Alex Milne]].
* '''The Comic Corner VIP Club variant:''' Line art variant of Redcode's cover.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover E.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Cover F.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Big Time Collectibles Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Big Time Collectibles Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 East Side Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 East Side Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Redcode Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Jonathan Comics Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Jonathan Comics Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Stadium Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 7 Redcode Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 4|#4]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 5|#5]], and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 9|#9]].
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game'', and ''G.I. Joe: Mission Critical'' co-operative board game
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' ([[November 27]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534345272 / ISBN 978-1534345270 
** Collects issues #7–12.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V2.jpg|'''''Volume 2: Transport to Oblivion''''' – cover art by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 6

2024-09-03T01:47:40Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #6
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 5
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 7
|image=Transformers 2023 6 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''[[Iridescent|When you were standing in the wake of devastation'' ''When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown...]]''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[March 13]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=March 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots face total devastation! And the loss of one of their bravest soldiers...'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Autobot]]s and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky Witwicky]] attempt to take cover inside the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] attacks. Having fallen behind, [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] attempts to assist, but [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] advises him instead to look for an alternate way into the Ark so that they can find more firepower. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] cackles in delight at the destruction wrought by the [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]], only to be summarily kicked in the face by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Devastator grabs Prime and tosses him around, severely injuring the Autobot leader. [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] drags him into the Ark while [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] lays down suppressive fire. Devastator then grabs [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and attempts to drag him out, forcing the Autobots to close the Ark’s bay doors and cutting off Ratchet’s leg in the process. Devastator tries to punch through the door, but [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] orders him to stop as to not damage their sanctuary, instead suggesting getting into the Ark by digging through the mountain; Devastator complies. Cliffjumper and Carly scale the side of the mountain and reach the access port on the back of the ship, however they are soon confronted by Starscream.

[[File:SparkyIsOneWithTheMatrix.jpg|thumb|left|''Remember all the sadness and frustration?'' ''And let it go, let it go''.]]
The other Autobots get Optimus onto a table, but Ratchet tells them that his wounds are too severe for him to fix. As he starts to succumb to his injuries, Optimus apologizes to his friends for leading them on false hope. He takes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from his chest and attempts to give it to one of them, but is so weakened he drops it on the floor. Sparky approaches it, contemplating that every-time something bad has happened to the people he cares about, he’s always wondered if he could have somehow taken their place. He places his hand inside the Matrix and asks Optimus to tell [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] how proud he is of him before entering the Matrix completely, renewing its energy and repairing Prime in the process. Revitalized, Prime says Sparky will not be forgotten and promises to protect Spike and the whole world. At that moment, Devastator breaks through the ceiling of the ship, but a resolute Prime simply grabs him by the finger and rips it off! He then grabs his [[ion blaster]] and uses it in tandem with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]’s fusion cannon to unleash hell on the giant gestalt.

[[File:TF2023 no. 6 – Soundwave Rejects Prime's Olive Branch.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|''You felt the gravity of tempered grace, falling into empty space'' ''No one there to catch you in their arms'']]
Meanwhile, Starscream has Cliffjumper pinned down and gloats about how he massacred the Autobot's clan. As the two grapple, Carly aims one of the Transformers' guns at Starscream and fires. Cliffjumper then takes the gun and aims it directly at Starscream's head. He tells the Seeker that he's always wondered what this moment would feel like, ready to pull the trigger... but he can't do it. Carly angrily reminds Cliff of everything Starscream has done, but Cliff is simply too tired of all the fighting and death. However, his hesitation gives Starscream the chance to recover and he grabs Carly and begins to squeeze. Outside, Optimus leads Devastator to the edge of a cliff, goading him to follow him. As Devastator attempts to rush Optimus, Prime maneuvers under the giant and pushes him over the edge, where he falls right on top of Starscream and frees Carly from the Decepticon's grip. With their leader damaged, the Decepticons decide to retreat, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] hauling Starscream away. Optimus attempts to make peace with Soundwave so that the two sides can work together to save [[Cybertron (planet)|their home]], but Soundwave rejects the parlay and flies off with Thundercracker.

Back at the [[Farmingham]] Hospital, Spike wakes up. The Doctor tells him not to speak, so on a nearby piece of paper Spike writes just one thing: "Where's my dad?"

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (4)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (6)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (7)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (8)

|c2=
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (5)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (12)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (13)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (14)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (15)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (16)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (17)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (18)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (19)

|c3=
* ''[[Jimmy Witwicky]]'' (1)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky Witwicky]] (2)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (9)
* Nurse (20)
* Doctor (21)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"My men. Jimmy. Spike. Whenever something bad happened to them... I'd always think... ''"If only I could have taken their place. If only it was me instead of them."'' Maybe now is my chance. I know you're going to care for this world like I care for my boys." 
"Sparky..." 
"Watch over them for me? And when Spike wakes... Tell my son I'm proud of him." 
"You will not be forgotten, Sparky. And I promise, I will protect your son. I will protect the whole Earth."
:—'''Sparky''' gives his life to energize the Matrix as '''Optimus Prime''' swears to protect humanity.

"Make no mistake, Soundwave... I desire '''peace'''. But I am no fool."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gives Soundwave a warning.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Ratchet is missing most of his left leg when we first see him, reflecting the injury inflicted upon him by Scavenger at the end of [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|last issue]]. He loses the other leg to Devastator later in the issue... which cruelly, ironically recalls his buddy [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who was working as only his top half back at the dam.
* Thundercracker continues to believe that the Autobots are to blame for what Starscream and Soundwave did to [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] at the end of [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].
* The opening Carly and Cliffjumper (and later Starscream) climb into is the exact same hexagonal opening to Teletraan One's room that's been shown in nearly every issue up to this point, beginning ''all'' the way back with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flying in through it in [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Cybertronians were shown to not have the concept of “father” in [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|issue #2]]. To be fair to Starscream, even ''we'' weren't aware the guy named "[[Davey]]" he crushed was Carly's dad until the end of that same issue!
* Starscream was established to have wiped out Cliffjumper’s clan in [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|issue #4]].
* As he's dying, Optimus recalls [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s dying words from [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]].
* Though it is shaped near-identically, the Cybertronian pistol Carly fires at Starscream isn't actually the one Cliffjumper was using – we can see Carly running towards it at the very start of the fight.
* Optimus finds a new way to use the fusion cannon in his vehicle mode other than the oversized smokestack seen in the previous issue: it mounts backwards on his truck roof to serve as a powerful rocket booster he uses to race ahead of Devastator as he lures him to the cliff's edge.

===Transformers references===
* Optimus' near death is an homage to his death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', with panels even recreating specific shots from the scene.
* As Optimus unleashes his firepower on Devastator and leaps to kick the combiner in the face, the sound effects of those two panels spell out "AW YEAH" and “YOU KNOW THE SONG,” cueing the reader to hear "[[The Touch]]" by [[Stan Bush]], the song from ''The Transformers: The Movie'' used whenever Optimus does something insanely awesome. According to Daniel Warren Johnson, initially he planned on using the actual lyrics to the song, but Hasbro vetoed it because they would have had to get permission from Stan Bush first.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gf3prR5PK0]</ref>
* This isn’t [[Optimus Prime (comic)|the first time]] Optimus has asked Soundwave to put their conflict behind him.

===Real-world references===
* Starscream raises "{{w|Sign of the horns|the horns}}" with both hands as he watches Devastator stomp across the battlefield.
* Jazz's musical references continue, as he says that Optimus "might be coming up on that final encore..."
* Continuing the pro-wrestling moves from previous issues, Optimus performs a {{w|Dropkick#Missile dropkick|missile dropkick}} on Devastator's face. The missile dropkick is a favorite move of Kazuchika Okada, who DWJ previously stated to be one of his favorite pro wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsAown0-sio Kazuchika Okada dropkick compilation]</ref>
* Optimus' license plate, as seen when he drives away from Devastator, reads "MF." As amusing as it might be to consider the possibility of a hard swear sneaking its way into a ''Transformers'' comic, this is almost certainly short for "[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]", continuing the gag of DWJ using license plates to reference his previous work with Skybound.
* This issue ends with a dedication thanking [[Peter Cullen]] for the inspiration for the story from Daniel Warren Johnson.

===Errors===
* In the fourth panel on page one, Jazz is miscolored as Cliffjumper.
* In the fifth panel on page one, Jazz and Sparky have seemingly teleported to the opposite side of Optimus.
* On page eleven, when Optimus tears off Devastator’s finger, the leaking Energon is blue, when it should be yellow.
* In the second panel on page sixteen, Devastator has all of his fingers. Optimus had torn one off by that point.
** Two panels later, the error is seemingly fixed, and Devastator is drawn missing a finger…but it’s the wrong one. Optimus tore off the right ring finger, not the middle.
* * On page twenty, panel five, Scrapper’s helmet is colored green, when it should be black.

===Other trivia===
* In the physical release, the moment where Optimus tosses Devastator onto Starscream is a vertical double-page spread, requiring the reader to turn the comic in a way that mimics the motion of Optimus’ action, as well as acting as a callback to a similar moment from issue #1 when Optimus and Ratchet transformed for the first time.

===Roll Call==
* Optimus ''nearly'' [[The Many Deaths Of Optimus Prime|bites it]], but ends up being saved through the sacrifice of Sparky. The long-term ramifications of this will become apparent soon.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 11.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Sparky stands over a defeated Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus lies before Devastator, by [[André Lima Araújo]] and [[Chris O’Halloran]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Devastator winds up a massive punch, by [[Eric Canete]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' The Autobots standing their ground inside the ''Ark'' as seen from Devastator's perspective, by [[Joe Quinones]] and [[Stacey Lee]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 6 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''Extremity'' Signature Edition by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]] [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skyboundent/extremity-signature-edition on Kickstarter]
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 3|#3]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 4|#4]], and [[Void Rivals]] [[Void Rivals issue 8|#8]].
* Daniel Warren Johnson original art and commissions at [https://www.felixcomicart.com Felix Comic Art]

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 5

2024-09-03T01:42:30Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #5
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 6
|image=Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''Now this... is PEAK.''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[February 14]], [[2024]] (physical) [[February 21]], [[2024]] (digital)
|coverdate=February 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The ranks of Autobots and Decepticons grow as each side prepares to mount an offensive against their enemies.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] each reflect and share their experiences in their respective wars. Sparky asks Optimus, who has seen so much more than he ever will, why it has to be like this, but Prime solemnly laments that even he isn't sure. Staring at his reflection, with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s arm replacing his missing one, Prime wonders aloud if he's becoming the very thing he fights against.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Starscream chews out Reflector.jpg|left|thumb]]
In the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', the [[Decepticon]]s use [[Teletraan I]], now rebuilt using parts from [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s body, to rebuild their fellow soldiers. Upon revival, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] is horrified to see what's become of Skywarp, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] reassures him that Skywarp sacrificed himself for the greater good of the Decepticons. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] alerts [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] that the [[Autobot]]s have discovered their source of energy, so Starscream decides to lead Soundwave, Thundercracker, and the newly-revived [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] to attack.

At the local dam, Sparky helps [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and a newly revived [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (currently using only half his body due to their limited resources) to turn the water from the dam to power an [[energon]]-generating turbine. Wheeljack offers to repair Optimus, but Optimus insists on using their energy supply to help restore their fellow warriors, reviving [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] next. Arcee is happy to be back, but the Decepticons' attack interrupts the joyous occasion. [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] tries to attack Optimus, but is swiftly obliterated by his [[fusion cannon]]. Starscream rails at Prime for taking something "precious" to the Decepticons, but Optimus balks at this, taunting that Starscream fears the cannon as he feared its previous wielder. An enraged Starscream turns his [[null-ray]]s on the water turbine and destroys it, but is ultimately forced to retreat when Prime blasts him with the fusion cannon.

With their number bolstered and the Decepticons retreating, Prime decides now to retake the ''Ark''. Sparky decides to join them and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks to go as well, but both Optimus and Sparky refuse, not wanting her to get hurt like [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. Optimus orders the Autobots to roll out, but Cliffjumper decides to sneak Carly into his driver's seat, feeling she deserves to be there when they finally stop the Decepticons for good. Night falls as the Autobots arrive at the ''Ark'', but as they approach the ship, they are beset by a convoy of green construction vehicles. A repaired Starscream appears and gloats that he knew the Autobots would follow them back to the ship. He then orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to do what they do best: merge and form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'' (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* ''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (4)
* ''[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'' (5) (see “errors” below)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (13)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (15)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (17)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (8)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (10)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (11)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (12)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (18)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (20)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (24)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (25)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (26)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (27)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (28)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (29)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* ''[[Jimmy Witwicky]]'' (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"It is good to be back in focus, Starscream! Where is Meg--" 
"Stay focused on the ''enemy'', Reflector! These filthy Autobots want to take what makes our pistons move freely!"
:—'''Reflector''' accidentally gets on '''Starscream''''s nerves.

"How many of [[Seeker (body-type)| those planes]] '''are''' there?" 
"Too many--"
:—'''Carly''' and '''Cliffjumper''' are tired of all the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[redeco]]s.

"I don't know who you are, but if ''Optimus'' cares about you-- then ''I'' care, too."
:—'''Arcee''', rescuing Carly

"Prepare yourselves for '''ISO''', Autobots!!! '''I'''nstant '''S'''uffering and '''O'''blitera- Oh- ''Oh dear.''"
:—'''Reflector''' realizes how fragged he is.

"'''YOU!''' Taking something so precious and using it for your own evil purpose!" 
"'Precious'? Are you sure this doesn't make you quake in your jets, Starscream? Last I remember, you were cowering in front of this very weapon. A constant reminder of what you'll ''never'' be."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus''', on Megatron's fusion cannon

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* We once again get flashbacks to Sparky's experiences in the war and the death of Jimmy Witwicky, both of which we saw in the opening pages of [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. This issue also gives us our first proper look at Jimmy in a flashback panel to right before his launch.
* Optimus lost his arm back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]] during his fight with Skywarp, with Ratchet replacing it with Megatron's in the last issue after taking it from the ''Ark'' back in issue #1. This also affects his vehicle mode, with one corner of the truck cab being grey and the fusion cannon replacing the smokestack.
* Ravage was shot by Optimus back in issue #1. At the time, it was not confirmed if he survived, but here it's revealed that he was only injured.
* We get more hints about what happened to Megatron before the crash of the ''Ark'', with Optimus saying he last saw Starscream cowering before Megatron’s fusion cannon.
* Optimus still seems to be reluctant to use Megatron's fusion cannon - he can be seen wielding his traditional [[ion blaster]] in the early parts of the dam fight. He drops it to obliterate Reflector with the cannon.

===Transformers references===
* Arcee and Ratchet are shown to have a close relationship, not unlike their [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'']] counterparts.
* Long Haul has the same vehicle form as his [[Long Haul (ROTF)|movie iteration.]]

===Real-world references===
* Jazz continues his use of musical references in his speech.
* Almost all of Reflector's speech is comprised of photography puns, including a fun new meaning for the abbreviation 'ISO'. (Which actually stands for International Organization for Standardization and relates to the sensitivity of a camera's sensor.)
* Reflector and Long Haul are each branded with logos saying Zony and Kat respectively. An obvious play on words for the real-life companies The Sony Corporation and Caterpillar Inc.
* Instead of a nondescript futuristic car, Arcee's alternate mode resembles a 2023 {{w|Lamborghini Revuelto}}.

===Errors===
* In a flashback to the war on Cybertron, Optimus is seen cradling a bot with details that mark him as being [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. However, he is miscolored white and red.
* In the same flashback, Bumblebee is shown alongside Optimus, but while he retains his yellow color scheme, his character model is Cliffjumper's.
* As the Decepticons attack the dam, an offline Trailbreaker lies ready to be reactivated, but he's colored like [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]].

===Other trivia===
* The digital release of this issue was delayed by a week, meaning that physical customers got it a week early.

===Roll Call===
* After being seen previously amongst the deactivated bodies aboard the Ark, Thundercraker, Reflector, Frenzy, and Rumble are all revived. Not very long for half of them, though, as Reflector and Frenzy are both killed by Optimus in the subsequent raid on the dam.
* After being seen being repaired back in Issue #2, Wheeljack is fully revived sans his legs. Optimus then revives Arcee as well.
* Right as the Autobots come out to take back the Ark, Starscream whips out the Constructicons.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 11.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus sees his reflection in Megatron’s fusion cannon, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Teletraan-1 reactivates the Decepticons, by [[James Stokoe]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Cliffjumper and Carly stand in Starscream’s shadow, by [[Natacha Bustos]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus wields the might of Megatron’s arm and cannon, by [[Karl Kerschl]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]]!
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Cobra Commander'' [[Cobra Commander issue 2|#2]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 3|#3]], and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 7|#7]].
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', and ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game''
* ''Invincible: Escape From Mars''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 5

2024-09-03T01:39:21Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #5
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 6
|image=Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg
|caption=''Now this... is PEAK.''
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[February 14]], [[2024]] (physical) [[February 21]], [[2024]] (digital)
|coverdate=February 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The ranks of Autobots and Decepticons grow as each side prepares to mount an offensive against their enemies.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] each reflect and share their experiences in their respective wars. Sparky asks Optimus, who has seen so much more than he ever will, why it has to be like this, but Prime solemnly laments that even he isn't sure. Staring at his reflection, with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s arm replacing his missing one, Prime wonders aloud if he's becoming the very thing he fights against.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Starscream chews out Reflector.jpg|left|thumb]]
In the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', the [[Decepticon]]s use [[Teletraan I]], now rebuilt using parts from [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]'s body, to rebuild their fellow soldiers. Upon revival, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] is horrified to see what's become of Skywarp, but [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] reassures him that Skywarp sacrificed himself for the greater good of the Decepticons. [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] alerts [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] that the [[Autobot]]s have discovered their source of energy, so Starscream decides to lead Soundwave, Thundercracker, and the newly-revived [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] to attack.

At the local dam, Sparky helps [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and a newly revived [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (currently using only half his body due to their limited resources) to turn the water from the dam to power an [[energon]]-generating turbine. Wheeljack offers to repair Optimus, but Optimus insists on using their energy supply to help restore their fellow warriors, reviving [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] next. Arcee is happy to be back, but the Decepticons' attack interrupts the joyous occasion. [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] tries to attack Optimus, but is swiftly obliterated by his [[fusion cannon]]. Starscream rails at Prime for taking something "precious" to the Decepticons, but Optimus balks at this, taunting that Starscream fears the cannon as he feared its previous wielder. An enraged Starscream turns his [[null-ray]]s on the water turbine and destroys it, but is ultimately forced to retreat when Prime blasts him with the fusion cannon.

With their number bolstered and the Decepticons retreating, Prime decides now to retake the ''Ark''. Sparky decides to join them and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks to go as well, but both Optimus and Sparky refuse, not wanting her to get hurt like [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]. Optimus orders the Autobots to roll out, but Cliffjumper decides to sneak Carly into his driver's seat, feeling she deserves to be there when they finally stop the Decepticons for good. Night falls as the Autobots arrive at the ''Ark'', but as they approach the ship, they are beset by a convoy of green construction vehicles. A repaired Starscream appears and gloats that he knew the Autobots would follow them back to the ship. He then orders the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to do what they do best: merge and form [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]!

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* ''[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'' (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* ''[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'' (4)
* ''[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'' (5) (see “errors” below)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (13)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (14)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (15)
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (17)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (19)
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (21)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (6)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (8)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (9)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (10)
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (11)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (12)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (18)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (20)
* [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (23)
* [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (24)
* [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (25)
* [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (26)
* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (27)
* [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (28)
* [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (29)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (16)
* ''[[Jimmy Witwicky]]'' (22)
}}

==Quotes==
"It is good to be back in focus, Starscream! Where is Meg--" 
"Stay focused on the ''enemy'', Reflector! These filthy Autobots want to take what makes our pistons move freely!"
:—'''Reflector''' accidentally gets on '''Starscream''''s nerves.

"How many of [[Seeker (body-type)| those planes]] '''are''' there?" 
"Too many--"
:—'''Carly''' and '''Cliffjumper''' are tired of all the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[redeco]]s.

"I don't know who you are, but if ''Optimus'' cares about you-- then ''I'' care, too."
:—'''Arcee''', rescuing Carly

"Prepare yourselves for '''ISO''', Autobots!!! '''I'''nstant '''S'''uffering and '''O'''blitera- Oh- ''Oh dear.''"
:—'''Reflector''' realizes how fragged he is.

"'''YOU!''' Taking something so precious and using it for your own evil purpose!" 
"'Precious'? Are you sure this doesn't make you quake in your jets, Starscream? Last I remember, you were cowering in front of this very weapon. A constant reminder of what you'll ''never'' be."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Optimus''', on Megatron's fusion cannon

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* We once again get flashbacks to Sparky's experiences in the war and the death of Jimmy Witwicky, both of which we saw in the opening pages of [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|issue #1]]. This issue also gives us our first proper look at Jimmy in a flashback panel to right before his launch.
* Optimus lost his arm back in [[Transformers (2023) issue 3|issue #3]] during his fight with Skywarp, with Ratchet replacing it with Megatron's in the last issue after taking it from the ''Ark'' back in issue #1. This also affects his vehicle mode, with one corner of the truck cab being grey and the fusion cannon replacing the smokestack.
* Ravage was shot by Optimus back in issue #1. At the time, it was not confirmed if he survived, but here it's revealed that he was only injured.
* We get more hints about what happened to Megatron before the crash of the ''Ark'', with Optimus saying he last saw Starscream cowering before Megatron’s fusion cannon.
* Optimus still seems to be reluctant to use Megatron's fusion cannon - he can be seen wielding his traditional [[ion blaster]] in the early parts of the dam fight. He drops it to obliterate Reflector with the cannon.

===Transformers references===
* Arcee and Ratchet are shown to have a close relationship, not unlike their [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|''Animated'']] counterparts.
* Long Haul has the same vehicle form as his [[Long Haul (ROTF)|movie iteration.]]

===Real-world references===
* Jazz continues his use of musical references in his speech.
* Almost all of Reflector's speech is comprised of photography puns, including a fun new meaning for the abbreviation 'ISO'. (Which actually stands for International Organization for Standardization and relates to the sensitivity of a camera's sensor.)
* Reflector and Long Haul are each branded with logos saying Zony and Kat respectively. An obvious play on words for the real-life companies The Sony Corporation and Caterpillar Inc.
* Instead of a nondescript futuristic car, Arcee's alternate mode resembles a 2023 {{w|Lamborghini Revuelto}}.

===Errors===
* In a flashback to the war on Cybertron, Optimus is seen cradling a bot with details that mark him as being [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. However, he is miscolored white and red.
* In the same flashback, Bumblebee is shown alongside Optimus, but while he retains his yellow color scheme, his character model is Cliffjumper's.
* As the Decepticons attack the dam, an offline Trailbreaker lies ready to be reactivated, but he's colored like [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]].

===Other trivia===
* The digital release of this issue was delayed by a week, meaning that physical customers got it a week early.

===Roll Call===
* After being seen previously amongst the deactivated bodies aboard the Ark, Thundercraker, Reflector, Frenzy, and Rumble are all revived. Not very long for half of them, though, as Reflector and Frenzy are both killed by Optimus in the subsequent raid on the dam.
* After being seen being repaired back in Issue #2, Wheeljack is fully revived sans his legs. Optimus then revives Arcee as well.
* '''Autobots:''' 6. '''Decepticons:''' 5.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus sees his reflection in Megatron’s fusion cannon, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Teletraan-1 reactivates the Decepticons, by [[James Stokoe]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Cliffjumper and Carly stand in Starscream’s shadow, by [[Natacha Bustos]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus wields the might of Megatron’s arm and cannon, by [[Karl Kerschl]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 5 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]]!
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Cobra Commander'' [[Cobra Commander issue 2|#2]], ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 3|#3]], and ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 7|#7]].
* [[Renegade Game Studios]]' ''[[Transformers Deck-Building Game]]'', ''[[Transformers Roleplaying Game]]'', ''G.I. Joe Deck-Building Game'', and ''G.I. Joe Roleplaying Game''
* ''Invincible: Escape From Mars''
* Skybound Insiders

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 4

2024-09-03T01:31:47Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #4
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 3
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 5
|image=Transformers04A Cover.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 10]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=January 2024
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots put everything on the line to fend off a Decepticon onslaught and save Spike.'''

==Synopsis==
With the smoke from the battle in [[Farmingham]] still fresh, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] arrives to confront the severely-damaged [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] about the whereabouts of the [[Autobot]]s. Skywarp directs Starscream east, after which the [[Decepticon]] leader departs, promising to return for Skywarp.

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Prime Runs Over Starscream.jpg|left|thumb]]
At the quarry, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] is working on [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] when he receives a call for aid from [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who is driving [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] and the mortally-wounded [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] through the woods with Starscream hot on his tail. A blast from Starscream damages Optimus and cuts off the transmission, and Ratchet bemoans that his buddy's gonna have to wait... the Autobots need firepower. Back with the chase, Starscream lands in front of Optimus, only for [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] to emerge from hiding and knock the Decepticon off his feet, allowing Optimus to run over Starscream and escape with Cliff. Enraged, Starscream calls [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] for backup.

Our heroes soon arrive at the Farmingham Hospital, only for [[Laserbeak (G1)| Laserbeak]] to swoop in and barrage the group. Optimus and Cliff cover Sparky, Carly, and the medical staff as they rush Spike inside, but the Autobots are quickly caught off-guard by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and Soundwave. The latter prepares to execute Optimus, only for the arriving Starscream to tell him to wait — he's just realized, to his amusement, that this place is where the "squishy ones" go to get fixed, and has decided to make Optimus' death even more painful by blasting his precious humans' only hope of survival to smithereens. Inside, the doctors barely get Spike intubated before Starscream's assault begins, knocking the power offline. As Starscream relishes in the destruction he's causing, Soundwave alerts him to the impending approach of Ratchet and the "firepower" he's managed to bring back online — [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]! The Decepticons focus their firepower on the new arrival as he drifts into action, but Jazz proves too slippery for them, and he quickly takes them down. Now outnumbered, Starscream orders Soundwave and the cassettes to retreat. Carly returns as the battle concludes, and Optimus asks her about Spike…

[[File:TF2023 4 – Prime Uses the Matrix.jpg|right|thumb]]
The Autobots look on through a hole in the hospital as the doctors inform Sparky that although Spike has been stabilized, the hospital's backup generator was evidently a casualty of the battle, and without power, Spike — along with the hospital's other life support patients — are all but guaranteed to die. Just as Sparky begins to mourn the loss of another son, however, a bright blue glow begins emanating from Optimus' opened chest compartment. Ratchet attempts to dissuade Optimus, but he won't have any of it — he's determined to prevent more deaths at any cost, removing the [[Matrix of Leadership]] from his chest and opening it up, the energy within re-powering the hospital. Relieved and in awe, the doctors hurry to get Spike to the I.C.U..

Meanwhile, the Decepticons, including Skywarp, return to the ''Ark''. Soundwave berates Starscream for another failure, criticizing his shortsightedness and lust for destruction, and Starscream swiftly snaps back, upset that Soundwave hasn't been able to repair [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] so they can finally bring their brothers back online and facilitate repairs. Soundwave reiterates that they don't have the materials they need to do so, as they only exist in Cybertronian technology. As he says this, the two turn to Skywarp... and then, despite his protests, begin tearing him apart.

Back at the hospital, Sparky talks to the comatose Spike about his desire to restart the family's lives and protect Spike from a world that he's lost the ability to see the good in. His attention soon turns outside to Optimus, who's obliging a young patient's interest in his ability to transform. Sparky then talks with Optimus about the Matrix: it was a gift Optimus had received many years ago, and he had used every last bit of its energy to re-power the hospital, leaving Spike's fate in the hands of the Great Spark. Sparky is confused at the idea of Optimus having a "god", since Optimus seems to fit the bill himself, a notion that amuses Optimus — Sparky is underestimating his own might.

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Ratchet and Prime go over their options.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]
In the generator room, Optimus reunites with Jazz and Ratchet, who's finished fixing the hospital's generators. Ratchet berates his leader for his dangerous use of the Matrix, suggesting that he should've instead used it to fix himself — an idea Optimus finds abhorrent, given that the alternative would be letting the innocent humans die. Ratchet fires back that the humans aren't innocent; they're prone to anger and destruction... which, as Optimus muses, makes them just like Cybertronians. Just then, Jazz collapses — Ratchet had used up all the [[energon]] from the rest of their Autobot comrades' bodies to bring Jazz back online, but it was only ''just'' enough. Ratchet tells Optimus that they need to start thinking about themselves, as without a way to get more energon, the Autobots may as well be on death's door. However, Ratchet has something stashed in Optimus' trailer that might help the Autobots regain the initiative... which Optimus finds too disgusting to consider using. As Ratchet claims that they don't have much of a choice, Sparky interrupts them: he might have an idea regarding their energy problem...

Meanwhile, in a wrecked hospital room, Cliffjumper attempts to comfort the grief-stricken Carly, as he can relate to how she's feeling: long before the Autobots and Decepticons arrived on Earth, Starscream killed his entire clan (i.e. "family"), and he joined the war the very next day. Optimus then approaches, now equipped with a new arm that has a [[fusion cannon|large cannon]] mounted on the side, and asks Cliff if he's interested in going on the offensive. At the ''Ark'', Starscream's work of salvaging the still-living Skywarp for materials continues, as he triumphantly proclaims that he will forever be Decepticon leader... while in an Arctic region, an offline [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], badly damaged and conspicuously missing his right arm, remains partially embedded in ice.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (2)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (4)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (9)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (2)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (2)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (6)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (7)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (7)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (22)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (23)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (4)
* Hospital staff (6)
* Bed-ridden patient (7)
* Kid patient (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''Optimus: inferior.'''"
:-'''Soundwave''' insults the Autobot leader as he kicks him in the face.

"This... this is where they... '''fix''' the squishy ones. Is that right? You're so pathetic I can't even '''believe it!''' You bring these ants to a place to get '''repaired?'''"
:-'''Starscream''' has a sudden realization.

"What happens now... Is up to the Great Spark." 
"You mean... gods? Don't '''you''' fall into that category?" 
"Ha! Because of my size? I could say the same of you, human." 
"What, me? I'm nothing like--come on, look at me, compared to you!" 
"True. Small. But still mighty."
:-'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Sparky''' discuss the notion of humans vs Transformers.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Both Wheeljack and Jazz were revealed to be among the Autobots brought to Earth back in issue 1. Likewise, Reflector was nearly brought back online before Optimus destroyed Teletraan One in the same issue... and it seems that Starscream and Soundwave were able to finish what Teletraan started, if the end of this issue is any indication.
* Though we got a ''very'' brief look at him in cassette form in issue 2, we finally get to see Rumble's full robot mode in action this issue, equipped with cartoon-style piledrivers.
* DWJ continues to place importance on Prime's trailer: it was left behind at the quarry when Optimus left to combat the Decepticons in issue 2, so Ratchet has to tow it to the hospital in this issue.
* After a couple teases in issues 1 and 2, Optimus uses the Matrix of Leadership for the first time this issue. Ratchet's berating of Optimus later on reiterates what we already know: that the Matrix is directly connected to Optimus' lifeforce, and that using it could risk him killing himself. It's currently unclear whether the Matrix being "empty" means it can never be used again, or if further use requires an amount of Optimus' energy that makes it too risky.
* Optimus mentions some sort of God-like entity referred to as the "Great Spark". It's ''possible'' he's talking about [[Primus]], with "Great Spark" essentially being a title, but it's unclear at this point if Primus as either a concept or an actual, physical entity exists in the Energon Universe continuity or not.
* The theme of families pops up again this issue, as Cliffjumper equates his now-deceased "clan" to humans' concept of "family".
* Megatron's current status is finally revealed: he's offline somewhere in an Arctic-esque region, partially trapped in ice and missing his fusion cannon arm... because the Autobots have it and have grafted it to Optimus, replacing the one he tore off last issue. This implies that Megatron and his arm were separated sometime before Megatron departed the Ark. While we don't know ''how'' he got there, it's worth noting that the preview pages for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' seem to indicate it takes place in an area with lots of snow. ''Hmm...''
*It's not clear whether Skywarp is properly dead, or merely deactivated until his salvaged parts can be replaced. Either way, it's not made clear why they used him instead of one of the stasis-locked Decepticons aboard the Ark.

===Transformers references===
* Rumble's iconic piledrivers first debuted in the premiere episode of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".
* Soundwave insults Optimus with the line "'''Optimus: inferior.'''" He may not have said "Soundwave: superior," but we all know what [[The Transformers: The Movie|he's quoting]].
* Optimus previously wielded Megatron’s fusion cannon in [[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|issue #6]] of the [[Devil's Due Press]] ''[[G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers]]'' series.
* Megatron being stuck offline and trapped in ice recalls the [[Megatron (Movie)|live-action movie version]], who was similarly frozen in ice before the events of the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]].

===Real-world references===
* During Jazz's attack on the Decepticons, he shouts "Two! Five! One!", which is a reference to the {{w|ii–V–I progression|2-5-1 chord progression}}, appropriately common in jazz music.
* As the Decepticons retreat from battle, Cliffjumper is drawn giving them "{{w|The finger|the finger}}."

===Storytelling notes===

===Errors===
* On page 18, Ratchet's right hand unlocking the trailer is miscolored blue as Optimus' hand instead of red. If it was Optimus opening it, then it would have been a left hand since he's missing an arm.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains the same four-page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]] that was printed last issue.
* At the end of the letters section, Daniel Warren Johnson officially plugs the "director's commentary" livestreams he's been doing on his YouTube channel.

===Roll Call===
* After being previously seen amongst the pile of deactivated Autobots, Jazz is revived just in time to help save Prime and the others from the Decepticons.
* Skywarp, wounded badly from his prior fight with Optimus, ends up being brutally torn apart by Starscream and Soundwave as they use his body to repair Teletraan One. [[Transformers_(2023)_issue_8|Subsequent issues]] confirm that his consciousness still partially survives inside the computer, but for all intents in purposes he's out of the action.
* '''Autobots:''' 4. '''Decepticons:''' 3.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus, Cliffjumper, and Wheeljack stand ready for battle, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus leaps out of the frying pan and into the fire, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Soundwave fires on a group of airborne Autobots, by [[Sanford Greene]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Megatron's damaged, deactivated body partially trapped in ice, by [[Andrea Milana]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers04A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 4 Cover E.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 3

2024-09-03T01:21:15Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #3
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 4
|image=Transformers03A Cover.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[December 6]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=December 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''It's Optimus Prime versus Skywarp in a vicious battle, with humankind caught in the crossfire.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:TF2023 – Sparky threatens Cliffjumper.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Learning [[Davey|her father]] has been killed, [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] asks [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] how it happened, and Sparky tells her he was crushed by a giant robot. Carly realizes it must have been [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and begins to tell Sparky about her and Spike's discovery of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. Sparky desperately asks where [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] is when they are attacked by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. Sparky fires at the robot bird, only to get tossed around the room for his efforts. Laserbeak then corners Carly, but she is rescued by the timely arrival of [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], who delivers a swift kick to Laserbeak's face. As Cliff approaches Carly, however, Sparky yells at him to get away before firing a shotgun at the [[Autobot]]'s face. Carly tries to get him to stop, but Sparky pulls her into the police car he commandeered and they drive off.

In the ''Ark'', an irritated Starscream berates [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] for not fixing [[Teletraan I|Teletraan 1]]. Soundwave tells him that while they have enough [[energon]], the raw materials they gathered aren’t advanced enough to repair the computer. When Soundwave begins to mention what [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] would do, Starscream slaps him, repeating his order to not say his name. Soundwave receives an alert from Laserbeak and Starscream orders [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] to deal with it.

Sparky takes Carly to the veterans' bar. Carly asks why they’re there and Sparky tells her that the [[Decepticon]]s are jamming all phone, radio, and internet signals, so they need reinforcements from somewhere. Inside, [[Danny]] and a group of other veterans have heard the explosions and already formed a small militia to defend themselves. Carly tries to tell Sparky that they aren't all bad, but Sparky says that he's been in war: when the shooting starts, people die. At that moment, Cliffjumper appears in the doorway and Sparky unloads a machine gun on him. Skywarp then arrives, which the humans mistake for Cliffjumper having called in reinforcements, and they begin firing on both. On the outskirts of town, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] and Spike see smoke coming from the battle and Optimus quickly heads in to intervene. With Skywarp shaking off the humans' bullets like they're nothing, Danny decides they need something bigger: he and Sparky pull out a bazooka before the bar caves in on itself. Skywarp approaches Cliffjumper for the kill, but Carly tries to step in and defend him, much to Skywarp's amusement. The pair are saved by the timely intervention of Optimus, who rams into Skywarp in his truck mode. Optimus transforms and tells Spike to take cover while he deals with the Decepticon.

[[File:TF2023 – Spike tries to intervene.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
The two fight, Skywarp using his teleportation and Optimus using his [[energon-axe]]. Optimus pins Skywarp down and asks him to surrender, but their fight is interrupted by Sparky and Danny firing the bazooka at Optimus, severely damaging his right arm. This allows Skywarp to regain his footing and blast Optimus back. Sparky tells the militia to pour their fire on both of the Cybertronians as Spike runs towards the wounded Optimus… getting caught in the crossfire. Skywarp taunts Optimus as he moves to crush Spike, but Optimus tackles him to the ground. In a moment of desperation, Prime tears off his injured arm, using it as a club to beat Skywarp down. He then picks up Spike, now bleeding profusely from his injury. Sparky runs towards Prime, tears streaking his face and a handgun pointed at the Autobot leader, screaming at him to get away from his son. Optimus transforms and tells Sparky to come with him; he’s going to save his boy.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (12)

|c2=
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (5)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (6)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (7)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (8)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (2)
* [[Danny]] (9)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (10)
* Militia (11)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"I've been in '''war''', Carly. It doesn't matter whose team they're on or what glorious cause they fight for. When the shooting starts, people die."
:—'''Sparky'''

"Damn, Starscream was right! This is a blast!"
:—'''Skywarp'''

"Your kind have played with this planet '''enough'''. '''''I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!'''''"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' right before ripping his own arm off.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* One of the citizens' militia, [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]], was the same man raving about seeing [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|first issue]].
* Sparky notes the internet is down, throwing the implied setting of the 1980s into question.
* While talking to Starscream, Soundwave can be seen cradling [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] in his arms. Shot by Optimus in the first issue, it's still unclear if Ravage is in [[Stasis lock|stasis]] or dead.
* When Optimus sees Spike on the ground, he is reminded of the [[deer]] he accidentally stepped on in the [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|previous issue]].

===Transformers references===
* Optimus's iconic [[energon-axe]] first debuted in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".
* Skywarp swears "by the soul of [[the Fallen]]".

===Real-world references===
* Daniel Warren Johnson hides little references on the license plates of the vehicles and characters' alt-modes:
** The license plate of the police car Sparky commandeered has changed, now reading "[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]", the title of one of Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer’s previous Skybound comics.
** As Optimus drives into town, his front license plate reads "DAP", which stands for ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb]'', another Johnson/Spicer Image title.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Oh- what's this? ''Do a Powerbomb!'' DAP!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=937s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** When Optimus transforms at the end, his license plate also serves as Johnson's signature, with a small "DWJ '23".
* The wrestling influence on the action in this comic continues with Optimus Prime performing {{w|Kenta Kobashi}}'s iconic {{w|Professional wrestling throws#Inverted Death Valley driver|Burning Hammer}} on Skywarp, hoisting the Decepticon over his shoulders before slamming him into the ground head-first.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So this probably is my favorite page in the book, in issue #3. This is of course Optimus hitting a Burning Hammer! All you have to do is Google Kenta Kobashi, Burning Hammer, that's all I'm going to say about that. If you know, you know. There's this like [...] BREEEEE! I can feel like the pistons locking in, and like pushing, as he raises Skywarp above his head.|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* There are two references to the ''{{w|Gundam}}'' franchise:
** When Spike charges into the battle between Optimus Prime and Skywarp, the panel is framed to resemble the famous shot at the climax of ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket}}'' where Alfred Izuhara tries to intervene in the battle between Christina McKenzie's Gundam ALEX and Bernard Wiseman's Zaku II.
** Similarly, the scene where Optimus rips off his arm and uses it as a flail against Skywarp brings to mind Shiro Amada's Gundam Ez8 doing the same against Norris Packard's Gouf Custom in ''{{w|Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team}}''. Daniel Warren Johnson also shared a gif of the original scene on his Twitter<ref>{{citesocial|link= https://twitter.com/danielwarrenart/status/1732514531631374599|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=12|day=7}}</ref> and called the scene a homage to "one of [his] favorite anime shows of all time" in the letter column of the following issue.

===Storytelling notes===
* DWJ apparently struggled with the opening of this issue,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This whole first part of this issue was brutal for me to get through. Maybe it doesn't show, but I was having a really hard time. And I'll show you when I made a breakthrough, but it's not for a bit.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=346s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> only feeling that he had hit his stride with the page where the militia first appear.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Okay, so here! Here's where I started getting my mojo back. It took a while!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=613s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Skywarp sips Energon from a canister using a straw, as DWJ wanted to come up with a different way for Transformers to drink Energon, rather than drinking from cubes as they did in the original cartoon.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We do get a standout moment here, which which is Skywarp of course, sipping Energon. I wanted to figure out a better way to have them consume Energon, that wasn't them like drinking out of those cubes from the TV show. So yeah, he's drinking from the scream canister—sorry, accidentally copying Pixar a little bit—but yeah sipping, sipping canister, in true skywarp fashion.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=566s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Initially, DWJ drew himself into the militia, but ultimately he chickened out and revised the drawing!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I was scared of drawing this panel here, with all the soldiers, but it just worked out really well. I changed the design, I drew myself in here! I almost put myself in the militia, but I don't even own a gun, so I felt a little bit too much like a poser. And yeah, this is... I really really love this. I just, I... And this panel's great, her like pulling on the shirt, and... it's just... I got my, I got my groove back in this page. And it was, I was off to the races after this page, [...] page seven?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=705s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ had originally wanted a mid-transformation panel as Skywarp touches down amidst the militia; this was removed for space reasons, particularly as it was visually similar to a panel from the previous issue.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I forgot to get rid of this page. This was going to be a mid-transforming page of Skywarp coming down. So instead of him being here, already kind of landed, he was going to be ''landing''. But I felt it was a little too similar to the panel that you saw in issue #2 of Skywarp crushing everybody at the electrical plant. And this has a more, a little bit of like a calm kind of like flowing-down, whereas I just kind of wanted him to be established. There were going to be too many storytelling beats between [the panel where Skywarp is landing] and [the panel where he's being shot], it just... You know, it's not a huge deal, it wouldn't have really mattered, but... And this is like a little bit more of an intense angle. I pulled out a little bit here, I also really wanted to have room for Cliffjumper. It's just the storytelling worked a little better, with all- I needed to include all of these, like, militia guys, at the same time, while also having Skywarp land, and be a threat. So I have all these things that I'm juggling at once, and I don't like having to make compromises, 'cause honestly if I had another page or another few- if I had just a little more room, this would have been the panel. But maybe I'll ink it up someday, that'll be cool.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=828s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Easy to miss in the panel where Skywarp slaps a van aside, there's the ''lower half'' of one of the militia members!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Notice that this guy's getting cut in half here, by this van! Not Carly's van, it's not there, but I just wanted to draw a van again.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=953s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
** The sound effect from this panel was added at a late stage in the artwork, to unambiguously guide the reader's eye through the action of the panel.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I love this panel. This is awesome. I added the BREEEEEEEOOOOOO after a bit, it's not here on the thumbnail. But I really like, you know, this is the first person that's talking, the bartender going to Sparky... then you're kind of following it around. It kind of goes like this: left to right, but then you know you follow the letters, and it zooms around to him flying here, and circle is completed. So this is an intentional thing on my part, sometimes my compositions are unintentional, this one was definitely intentional, trying to ca- you through the entire reading experience in a way that is fun and dynamic.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=963s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* When depicting characters laughing—such as when Skywarp laughs at Carly—DWJ tries to draw the laughter as SFX into the panel, rather than deferring it to the letterer.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I don't like when in letters you have like little HAHAHAs in balloons. I like having really loud onomatopoeia HAHAs, so whenever someone's laughing, I try and include it in the background as an SFX. And then I will remove it from the letters. I'm sure Russ is very capable of drawing very great HAHAs, I just- it's a personal preference.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1052s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was influenced by ''{{w|Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim}}'' for the beat where Skywarp is rammed through buildings and cars by Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Getting a lot done here, transforming and tossing Spike to the side, get to safety, this car and the- [Skywarp] was just kind of falling in a parking lot before, and I really wanted Skywarp to be having some serious damage, really getting pounded and slammed into something. And that's a bit of a nod to ''Pacific Ram'' where they just get knocked into ''all'' of the buildings. And I don't have the time to draw them [...] crashing into every building, and it is a small town, but you know, you could be smushing some cars, and you know, rocking some bricks, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1147s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen on including Skywarp's teleportation ability. As Optimus fights Skywarp, DWJ wanted to build similar tension to that of a wrestler trying to tag in their partner—he keeps trying to ready his Energon axe, but never quite manages.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Teleport! Done on the page! Of course wanted to add that in, because I do love Skywarp and that is one of his most fun abilities. And through this entire sequence I was trying to do this kind of like hot tag thing, like you see in wrestling, where [...] somebody on a tag team's getting worked over by the other team, put in a submission, or... you know, they can't make this tag, to try and get that rescue partner. And in my mind it was like, in this scene, Optimus has got this energy ax, that everybody knows- everybody knows he's got an Energon axe! Even the people that aren't super fans of ''Transformers'', and... they're like, when is this guy... get... you know, BZOW, BZOW. Because I hint at it, I show, okay, this is a thing, he's activating it, ''nope'' just kidding. Okay, not going to happen...|link=https://youtu.be/MxfnknSUY4w?si=O4RC_XE6NmoidDFz&t=1263|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref> When it's finally fully activated, Prime's arm is destroyed before it can be used!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And then, again, we got- we're hinting, we're saying, "this is when the Energon ax is going to come out." And we get this glorious, just like, KRSHHHHH. I can just, I can see it in my head, you know? The scene was clear as day. Everybody's getting excited about this moment. He's finally got the Energon ax. We are going to wreck face. Let's do it. JUST. KIDDING. Ohhh man.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1407s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The panel where Spike runs to intervene between Skywarp and Optimus is deliberately composed so Spike appears the same size as the Transformers, to highlight his heroism.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So then we have Spike being a silly human, and running... Added a little step panel there, not sure why, just felt right! You know, I don't know if this works, but one of my goals was to have Spike be about the same size—compositionally—as Skywarp and Optimus, so that his actions are like, so heroic that he's like kind of now elevated to their stature, physicality wise.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1509s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* As Sparky runs in to check on Spike, the reactions of his comrades on the left side of the panel were intended to amplify the motion across the page.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted Sparky to have like forward motion, so left to right. We see the reaction of his fellow bar goers—militia, whatever—he's moving through them, and you see the reactions before you necessarily see Sparky, who's like at the forefront, who's most forward, and he's dropping his gun here... Did I tell you that I'm a pacifist?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1588s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* DWJ liked the idea of a Transformer killing a human by flicking them, as Skywarp threatens to do to Spike here.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You know I'm a big fan of flicking- robots flicking humans, and so I like this a lot. This makes me very happy. I don't know, the like... almost impact of, you know, getting his innards flung out by a middle finger.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1621s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* The two-page spread of Prime ripping his own arm off was originally meant to be a single page, but DWJ felt it needed to span a whole spread.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So here's here's the infamous- of course, going back to one of my favorite anime series of all time, ''Gundam: The 08th MS Team''. This is a total little shout out to that, of a robot ripping off its own arm and using it as a weapon. Not really sure what I was- So originally, this double page spread was not a double page spread, it was just going to be one page, until I made the call myself—without asking anybody over at Skybound for permission—to make this a double page spread. 'Cause I was like, you know what, we need this. So we're going to have a few less ads in the back of the ''Transformers'' comic, and he's going to be able to rip off his arm in full glory. The only problem is, the arm rip was indeed an addition, because it was a double page spread, and I did not have a lot of time. So I had to do this in an afternoon— or a few different afternoons, like tacking it on to other pages after those were done. [...] I like how he's got like kind of subtle Angry Eyes, I just kind of added that, just as a... artistic license.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1704s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>
* Sparky's hatred of Prime, even as the Autobot tries to save his son, was inspired by a similar emotion in a scene from ''{{w|All Star Superman}}''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This makes me think of [...] ''All-Star Superman'', Frank Quietly and Grant Morrison, when the two Kryptonians are- they get sick and Superman rescues them. They start by being kind of bad guys, kind of mean, and then they need help. And Superman rescues this Kryptonian's wife, and he's running towards Superman, being like, "Don't you touch her!" Like, "How dare you even lay hands on her?" Even though he's trying to help her. So that was kind of the vibe I was going for here—that's one of my favorite scenes in all of comics, is Superman rescuing that Kryptonian couple. Just a little subtle thing I was thinking about. Thank you Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly, wouldn't be here without you guys. Standing on the shoulders of giants as always.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w&t=1867s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 3 Director's Commentary|year=2024|month=01|day=10}}</ref>

===Errors===
* On pages 4 and 5, Cliffjumper's feet are occasionally colored grey like the rest of his legs when they should be red.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' [[Cobra Commander issue 1|#1]].
* While it is likely not intentional, the scene of Optimus ripping off his damaged arm and using it as a weapon is similar to a moment where [[Apeface]] does the same in [[Cold War!|issue #49]] of [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|the Marvel series]].

===Roll Call===
* '''Autobots:''' 3. '''Decepticons:''' 4.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime vs Soundwave and his cassettes, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' People cower beneath Optimus Prime as Skywarp rains fire upon him, by [[Taurin Clarke]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus and Skywarp square off, by [[Matías Bergara]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' A defeated Optimus sits in the shadow of Starscream, by [[Nick Dragotta]] and [[Patricio Delpeche]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Ratchet, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Skywarp, by Jason Howard.

<gallery>
File:Transformers03A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers03E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 3 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* The [[Cobra]] threat begins in ''Cobra Commander'' #1!

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxfnknSUY4w Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 2

2024-09-03T01:18:59Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #2
|prev=Transformers (2023) issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 3
|next2=Duke issue 1
|image=Transformers02A Cover.jpg
|caption=Once you pop, you can’t stop.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[November 7]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=November 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''The Autobots must learn to adapt to Earth with scant resources, while the Decepticons gather more energon to rebuild their army.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] walks through a wood, marveling at the natural beauty of Earth. The plants, the animals, the scenery; he finds it all breathtaking. However, his serenity is interrupted upon hearing a crunch underneath his foot: he's stepped on a small [[deer]], killing it. Optimus leans down, cradling the creature with remorse. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] emerges from the woods and reassures Optimus that it was an accident. Optimus tells Spike that this world is so fragile compared to his own. Seeing the [[Autobot]] leader's despair, Spike decides to change the subject of the conversation and asks Optimus about his name. Optimus tells him that the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] title denotes him as leader of the Autobots and was passed to him by the previous leader of their kind. Optimus in turn inquires about Spike's name, who reveals that [[Mrs. Witwicky|his mom]] used to call him "Spikey" before she passed away due to his hair always sticking up as a child. Optimus is confused; he’s never heard the terms "mom" or "dad" before, though he does know the concept of "family." Spike then asks Optimus about where he comes from, prompting Optimus to tell him about [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the war between the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s that has raged for the past two centuries. The Autobots' forces eventually dwindled from the Decepticons' relentless onslaught to the point where they were forced to flee the planet aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]''. However, their escape was attacked by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the Decepticons. The last thing Optimus saw before they crashed into the mountain was Earth. Optimus thanks Spike for assisting him during the battle, saying that he's not sure they would have escaped without him. Spike in turn offers condolences for [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]].

[[File:TF2023 – Cliffjumper freaks out.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|Sorry Cliff, but with Bumblebee gone, you're the closest thing we got to a [[kid-appeal character]].]]
Their somber heart-to-heart is soon interrupted by the newly reactivated [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], whom [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] was able to successfully repair. Optimus warmly greets his old friend, but Cliffjumper is not nearly as taken with Earth as his commander, freaking out upon seeing Spike and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] and bumping into the trees. Carly tells him to calm down. After all, if anyone should be freaking out about the giant robots from space, it's her. This gets Cliffjumper to calm down and the two shake hands. Inside the quarry, Ratchet has set about trying to revive the other Autobots, but has used up the last of their energon reserves fixing Cliffjumper. Optimus considers using the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to replenish their energon, but Ratchet says they can't. The Matrix is connected to Prime's own life force and if they lose him, they lose everything. Cliffjumper remarks that if they're running out of energon, the Decepticons will hopefully have the same problem.

Meanwhile, at the power plant [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparky]] and [[Davey]] work at, a police officer is surveying the damage caused by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s attack and taking statements, not believing [[Jordie|the plant manager]]'s story about a giant robot. The officer says they'll get some detectives out here to investigate, but a panicked Sparky insists they need to call in the Army. As the officer tries to reassure Sparky, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] drops from the sky, destroying his patrol car. Behind him descend Starscream and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] carrying an energy transfer module stolen from the ''Ark'', which will allow them to more efficiently convert energon from the plant. The police officer tries to shoot at Starscream, much to Sparky's protests, only for Starscream to step on him. As the Decepticons begin to drain the plant of its energy, Soundwave intercepts a transmission from the U.S. military asking a nearby pilot under the callsign "[[Frosting]]" to intercept their attack. Amused at the idea of the "squishies" trying to fight them, Starscream goes to intercept the fighter. He dogfights with them for a bit before transforming and smacking the jet down. The pilot and his ride-along eject, but Starscream catches up to Frosting and squashes him between his hands. The other soldier activates a button on his parachute, converting it into a winged jetpack. As Starscream advances, he pulls out his flare gun and fires at the Decepticon, getting a lucky shot at his eye before retreating. Starscream opts to give up on the minor annoyance and [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] flies away to fight another day.

Back at the plant, Sparky takes one of the patrol cars as he is chased down by Skywarp. Before he can catch the human, however, Frosting's F-18 comes crashing down on top of him and Soundwave, allowing Sparky to slip away. The resulting explosion is seen by the Autobots and Carly and Spike realize that the plant is under attack. Feeling responsible for bringing their war to this planet, Optimus opts to face the Decepticons, despite Ratchet's protest about their need to find their own energy sources. Optimus assigns Cliffjumper to stay with Ratchet and protect their sleeping comrades. Spike decides to come along to help his dad, which Optimus reluctantly allows. Carly tries to stop him, saying they need to get back home to their parents, but Spike insists. She decides to leave for home alone. As she drives back towards town, she is spotted by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], who identifies the image of Optimus Prime Carly drew on her van earlier that day. She arrives home to find Sparky already there, dressed in his old Army fatigues and carrying several guns. Carly asks where her dad is, and Sparky answers that "they" killed him; Davey is dead.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
* ''[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]'' (5)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (7)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (9)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (10)
* [[Roller (G1)|Roller]] (11)
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (12)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (13)
* [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] or [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] (14) (See "Errors" below)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (15)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (16) (See "Errors" below)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (4)
* ''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (6)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (20)
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (21)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (24)

|c3=
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (2)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (8)
* Police officer (17)
* [[Jordie]] (18)
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (19)
* [[Frosting]] (22)
* [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] (23)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Spike:''' "Um... Hi... Nice to meet y--" 
'''Cliffjumper:''' "Ah, we're not there yet, my man. Yeeesh... You're like a [[turborat]]-- creepy, little--" 
'''Carly:''' "Oh, please." 
'''Cliffjumper:''' "Yeow! How many of you '''are''' there?" 

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Spike identifies the town he and Carly live in as [[Farmingham]].
* Having been merely hinted at in the last issue, the flashback to the war on Cybertron gives us our first look at Megatron, though his whereabouts are still unknown. ([[Cobra Commander (comic)|#WhereIsMegatron]])
* While mentioned but not seen last issue, this issue gives us our first appearance of Laserbeak, still out scouting for new sources of energy.
* This issue confirms what Jetfire alluded to last issue, that unlike most incarnations of the ''G1'' story, the war has only been raging for two centuries instead of the more traditional four million years.
* Ratchet refers to deactivated brothers ''and sisters''. While [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] has previously been seen on the cover of the last issue (which confirms [[Female Transformer|female transformers]] exist in this continuity), this issue implies she's not the only female Autobot aboard the Ark... though exactly who these other female Autobots are is currently unknown.

===Transformers references===
[[File:TF2023_issue_2_Prowl_erased_his_name.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I'm not Kiryu. My name is Joryu.]]
* Cliffjumper compares Spike to a [[turborat]], a form of Cybertronian wildlife that first appeared in [[Form Follows Function|the fourth issue]] of [[Tom Scioli]] and [[John Barber]]'s ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]''.
* The police cars of the FPD are quite clearly based on [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], retaining his Japanese police car color layout, twin red siren lights (as opposed to red and blue) and the “highway patrol” markings on the back (none of which really make sense on an American city patrol car, but we'll let that slide.)
* Furthering the reference, in Daniel Warren Johnson's Director's Commentary for this issue, prior to Mike Spicer coloring the pages it is seen that DWJ had given a "PROWL" license plate to the police car Sparky steals to escape Skywarp and Soundwave. The car's license plate is blank in the final release.

===G.I. Joe references===
* First Sergeant Conrad S. Hauser, codename '''DUKE''', makes his debut in the [[Energon Universe]] in this issue ahead of [[Duke (comic)|his own title]] debuting next month.
* While [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] doesn’t exist yet in this continuity, it seems the U.S. military has been developing some hi-tech tools, such as the jetpack Duke uses. This could be a new take on Jet Mobile Propulsion Unit (J.U.M.P.) jetpack from the ''G.I. Joe'' toyline, which Duke famously used in the opening sequence of ''G.I. Joe: The Movie''.

===Real-world references===
* Frosting’s name is painted on the side of his jet’s cockpit, a real practice common on United States fighter aircraft. It’s worth noting, however, that the formatting is slightly off. His rank and full name should be on one line, with his callsign printed below. Instead, it lists simply his rank, first name, and callsign on the same line.

===Storytelling notes===
* Apparently, DWJ at one point considered modelling Spike on photos of himself as a kid—but he quickly decided it felt weird.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I did play with one design of Spike which kind of looked like me as a kid, but it just felt a little weird. So I was like, "I'm not going to do that." But I did think about it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=809s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> For Spike's final design, DWJ wanted to give him big ears, and make him appear "racially ambiguous". His [[Marty McFly]] jacket wasn't particularly a reference, just an aesthetic preference of DWJ's.<ref>{{citesocial|quote="How did I decide on drawing Spike?" How did I draw... I was trying to draw somebody- I really like drawing characters with like really large ears, 'cause I love drawing ears, so there was one excuse. And I wanted to try and make him look kind of like... racially ambiguous? So there was that. Other than that, you know, I was, with that kind of jacket- like the- people say like the Marty McFly jacket, I just really like drawing those kinds of jackets. I'm not necessarily trying to go for an 80s vibe, but it just felt right. So I was trying to just come up with something that felt natural, and that's kind of what you got there, was the design of Spike.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1328s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* On the first page, DWJ drew close-up panels of an {{w|American goldfinch}} and a {{w|Rhododendron macrophyllum|coast rhododendron}}—the {{w|List of U.S. state birds|state bird}} and {{w|List of U.S. state and territory flowers|state flower}} of {{w|Washington (state)|Washington}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This—I forget what bird this is, but it is the [state] bird of Washington. This is the state flower. [...] And this is just a toad that has no relevance to the state of Washington.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=454s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> Colorist Mike Spicer evidently was not told which specific species had been drawn, so they're just in random colors.
* The issue's opening scene, where Optimus Prime accidentally steps on a deer, was one that Hasbro got cold feet about. DWJ's editor suggested changing the animal for a squirrel, but DWJ was able to fight for the scene as he'd envisioned it. Following on from last issue, the scene draws further inspiration from ''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', in which the Iron Giant sees a deer get killed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Starting off with the [...] deer scene, which I wrote in the outline of the issue one outline to kind of give to everybody involved—Hasbro, Skybound—an idea of where I'm taking the story, and some of the beats. And this was initially totally fine, but, you know, I think maybe Hasbro read it a second time, and they were ''very'' nervous about Optimus stepping on a deer. So I definitely had to fight for this one. And to be fair to Hasbro, you know, I don't think they necessarily knew like the vibe that I was going to try and give this scene. In no way was I trying to do this for laughs, or to like... you know, be cheeky, or... in any way like disrespectful to the character of Optimus Prime. I honestly felt like this is the perfect 180 contrast to Starscream in issue one, squishing a dude. This just felt right. It felt like the perfect one-two of Starcream squishing and then Optimus accidentally hurting, not even a human but an innocent deer, and being completely wrecked. I've seen on Twitter, people are having a really hard time with the fact that Optimus Prime would accidentally step on a deer when a deer would run away... I don't know, what can I say, you know? A writer can't think of everything! So, yes, I remember one of my editors was like, "maybe he could step on a squirrel instead of a deer, to keep Hasbro happy?" and I was like, "Nope! Has to be a deer. Nobody feels the way they feel when they see a dead squirrel on the side of the road, versus a deer." This is also a subtle nod to one of my favorite films, ''The Iron Giant''—it is a bit different, because Optimus is directly responsible for hurting the deer, whereas the Iron Giant in the movie just sees the deer get killed. And I didn't really... with ''The Iron Giant'', it's very much that the robot in ''The Iron Giant'' is a little bit more of a baby, whereas Optimus Prime is of course way more like brainy, and able to process things in a more advanced way, that the Iron Giant was still just kind of grasping. So it is a different tone, but it is a little subtle homage to one of my favorite robot movies. So yeah, but anyway, so I definitely had to fight for this scene. And again, Hasbro I think had a right to be nervous, but I remember like writing, like in the conversation, about whether or not to do this scene, I was like, "Hey, I'm going to treat this with the utmost respect, and I think that this scene will be talked about as an Optimus Prime moment for a very long time to come, and I know I can pull it off." It's not like me stroking my back or whatever, inflating my own ego, I was just so confident, this scene ''screamed'' out to me as one of the absolute necessary scenes in the entire series. It just had to be in there. [...] I really did try and make this something to, you know, you could like ruminate over.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=201s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* For the planet Cybertron, DWJ looked to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' for reference.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=You can see this is loosely modeled after the Cybertron that we see in the 1986 movie, surprise, surprise. You know, I didn't know how much I wanted to show of Cybertron [...] for story reasons, but I figured, you know, get a nice big shot. I used a dinner plate to draw this large sphere, and then just kind of riffed for the rest of it. And this is all screen tone [...] with a little bit of highlights, call these the ''Akira'' highlights, you know that video of the lady dotting the background of the ''Akira'' cells. So definitely doing that here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=874s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Beachcomber, seen getting shot in flashback, is one of DWJ's favorite Autobots.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So we got one of my favorite Autobots here, Beachcomber, who is seemingly dying. Mmm, can't say more about that.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=939s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Prime's [[trailer]] being established as the Autobots' makeshift base stemmed from a feeling that previous ''Transformers'' media had underutilised the trailer, or downplayed its significance relative to Prime himself.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I never thought that Optimus's trailer was used enough in all the fiction—TF fiction, TF stories—that I saw. I always love that trailer, it's like- this is like a direct shoutout to the toy, of like this little robot that we don't really see that often in the show, in the cartoon, in the movie, in the comics (at least in the Marvel Comics that I'm most familiar with). So just definitely wanted to show that- and this like tiny little race car, you know? All secondary stuff when it comes to the toy—I mean like, we're really here for Optimus—but since they kind of are escaping from the Ark, it was kind of important to me that they have a new base, with still some Cybertronian tech, that's why this is here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Carly is seen adding Optimus Prime to her van's mural, following on from the previous issue, where she remarked that the painting was missing something. According to DWJ, this was primarily a mercenary bit of plotting to give Laserbeak a reason to follow her at the end of the issue<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So here, I was trying to give Carly some personality, and also later on in the issue it's important storywise that Laserbeak finds Carly—otherwise, you know, the story has trouble progressing. And this matters an issue #3, which I will not give away. But Laserbeak somehow needed to follow Carly, and I was like racking my head, I was like, "Why would he follow Carly from the Ottawa base?" Like, what would give him a reason to follow this heavy metal van, where he would probably just like leave it and go look at something else. So I was like, "Well, what if Carly was like, an artist, and she painted on her heavy metal van a picture of Optimus Prime, which like, would obviously attract the attention of an evil Decepticon." So that was written in- this, right here, her working with the airbrush, was directly just so that I would have a fun way for Carly to be followed by a bad guy. And I drew the heck out of this airbrush—you know, I do love airbrushes—drawing Optimus here. It's a very subtle detail, but of course, it's important, you know?|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>—from Laserbeak's POV, we can see him zooming in on the drawing of Prime, with his heads-up-display reading "!!".
* The police car seen this issue is drawn as Prowl as a way of deliberately playing with readers' expectations.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I know what you're all thinking: "Is this actually Prowl?" And... I have no comment, okay? Maybe it'll transform into Prowl in like issue #20, maybe it won't, okay? Who knows! I'm not going to pretend that this ''isn't'' the car that is Prowl, but that's all I can say about that, so... maybe I'm just swerving you, you know? You have no idea. This is what I really like about ''Transformers'', I'm playing with your expectations. You have no idea truly what's coming.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1652s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* The Energon converter is another plot device, as DWJ needed a quick-and-dirty way of solving the Decepticons' fuel problem. After the fact, he realised they resembled the scream canisters from ''{{w|Monsters, Inc.}}''!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Talk about a McGuffin! Having to draw like this technological thing that can, like, harvest energy... You know, we're all doing our best here, you know? I'm writing genre fiction, I'm writing ''The Transformers'', we got to find a way to get Energon, I got to figure out a way to make this work, I'm under a deadline, I'm writing a script, you got some great ideas, you got some whatever ideas... Here we've got this, like, Energon harvester, that just is like totally random! And I was like, "Yeah, this is in the Autobots' Ark, so." You know, don't want to give away the trade secrets too much, but what can I say, uh... This is like a bit of a way to get me out of trouble, 'cause I was like, "I'm not sure how they're going to get Energon. I guess I'll draw something that looks relatively cool." Definitely did not realize that these look like the scream canisters from ''Monsters, Inc.!'' You know, there is no origin originality anymore, I don't know. I'm doing my best here.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1783s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* The Seeker who stomps on the cop was originally intended as Skywarp, not Starscream! After spotting the coloring error, DWJ decided it didn't actually matter, so it remains that way in the final issue.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was meant to be Skywarp that was smooshing this cop, but Mike accidentally colored it Starcream, and I was like, "Eh, it actually doesn't matter!" So I didn't make him change it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=1882s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref> In the previous panel, Starscream is standing on the other side of the Energon converter from the cop.
* Unsurprisingly, the confrontation between Duke and Starscream, which serves to set up Duke's own miniseries, was mandated by Skybound, but DWJ had a lot of freedom over the specifics.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I love this scene. You know, it was requested to me by Skybound that I include a... some sort of interaction between which we now—spoiler alert—know is Duke and Starscream.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2365s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** DWJ came up with Frosting's callsign after seeing his wife's leftover cupcake frosting in the freezer!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had to come up- you know, when you're writing, you know these scenes like this, where it's like a character like Frosting that you know is not going to be around for that long... you're just kind of riffing, you know? And I was like, "Oh, what would be a cool call sign?" And I just was like, I saw, I was like looking in my freezer, and my wife makes a lot of cupcakes—thanks be to God—and so she makes so many cupcakes, she actually makes a bunch of frosting at a time, and she'll freeze what she doesn't use. And I saw that frosting in the freezer and I was like, "Frosting would be a great, great call sign." And thus we have Frosting.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2387s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** The {{w|McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F-18}} is specifically drawn as the older model, as seen in ''{{w|Independence Day}}'', instead of the revised F-18D.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the F-18—let me see if I can remember... there's two, the F-18D—this is the old F-18 from ''Independence Day''. The F-18D has a square exhaust opening, and I wanted to go old school. So... I am a nerd!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2451s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
** DWJ improvised the design for Duke's high-tech jetpack, and at [[Robert Kirkman]]'s prompting, came up with the story beat where he shoots Starscream with a flare gun.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is fun, I had to come up with a jetpack design on the fly—I literally designed on the fly. And I remember Robert- so Robert was like, had kind of some oversight over this scene, and he said like, "Hey, it's really important that Duke seems cool, like he can handle himself in a fight. Even though he's like, just a regular pilot, he needs to like seem really badass." And so I was like, "Well, what if he like shot Starscream in the face with a flare gun? You know, and thinking on his feet." And I do like this a lot.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2631s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>
* Optimus Prime is drawn mid-transformation in remarkable detail. DWJ was never satisfied by on-panel depictions of transformation in the Marvel or IDW comics.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Here we have Optimus transforming. And this is the first time I really tried to make it intentional, like... I don't know, like, I really wanted this to be cool, so I just drew the heck out of it. I gotta be honest, I was never a fan of either the- I was not a fan of like, in the Marvel Comics, when it would be like, either Optimus in robot form having just transformed, with a bunch of lines—just like random, like, you know, parallel lines against his body, implying that he just finished transforming—or the opposite where he's like a truck, and there's just a bunch of lines. And I was just like, "Ah... it just feels so... just feels like a missed opportunity!" Or in some of the, like, IDW comics, where it's like, they don't really draw transforming much at all. So I was like, "Well, it's a huge part of the vibe, I want to like... draw it!" And it's also really fun to get like, really out there with it, you know like? Just make things look weird in passing, and like an opportunity to show some really fun tech, that's a little messier than what the G1 designs are really known for.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg&t=2954s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS #2 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=11|day=29}}</ref>

===Errors===
* As mentioned above, the wildlife on the first page is miscolored; the Goldfinch is colored blue, while the pink rhododendron is skewed towards red.
* On page 4, 'millennia' is mis-spelled as 'millenia'.
* Amongst the deactivated Autobots in the quarry is Sideswipe who appears to be miscolored as [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], and a bot who appears to be either Inferno or Grapple (with their wheels on the side of their legs rather than their foot) in the colors of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]].
* On page 11, when Duke is alerting Frosting about an incoming bogey on their radar, his flight helmet is miscolored pink as if he were Frosting. Duke is sitting in the weapon systems officer's seat behind Frosting's pilot seat, therefore he would be the one to see Starscream on the radar screen, and not Frosting telling his passenger of an unidentified aircraft.
* On page 12, the round speech bubble is mistakenly pointed to Starscream instead of Frosting's F-18. If it were Starscream saying the line, then the speech bubble would be angular and boxy, plus Starscream was the one taking shots the previous panel, not Frosting.

===Other trivia===
* This issue contains a four page preview for ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]].

===Roll Call===
* Cliffjumper is the first Autobot successfully revived, joining the main cast.
* '''Autobots:''' 3. '''Decepticons:''' 4.

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Starscream attacks Frosting, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' Optimus Prime transforms as he drives off a cliff, by [[Afu Chan]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons, by [[Bryan Hitch]] and [[Alex Sinclair]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Duke uses his jetpack against Starscream, by [[Tom Reilly]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Duke, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Soundwave, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' Cliffjumper, by Jason Howard.
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers02A Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02B Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02C Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02D Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02E Cover.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
File:Transformers02 2nd Ptg Cover C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 2 3rd Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Codename: G.I. Joe starts in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]].
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #301.
* ''[[Universal]] Monsters [[Dracula]]''

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMmTay0C-zg Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2024-09-03T01:15:01Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #1
|prev=Void Rivals issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|prev2=
|image=Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=Alright, let’s do this one more time.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 4]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=October 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''After centuries of slumber, the Autobots and Decepticons awaken on a strange new world.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] finds his father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] were planning to go up to [[Hanger's Rock]] to look at the full moon. He says it helps him remember Jimmy, to which Sparky grouses that it's better to just forget. Spike fires back at his father, telling him he won't end up like Jimmy. Meanwhile, [[Jerry (G1)|another patron]] is drunkenly ranting about how he saw a giant boxy jet fly down from space. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky tells Spike that he has to grow up eventually, to which Spike angrily asks if he means being like him. As the adults drive off, Carly arrives to pick Spike up in her van. Carly consoles a dejected Spike by suggesting they go "pretend they're on another planet."

At Hanger's Rock, the pair climb the mountain in search of a better view and discuss their future ambitions. Spike has recently been accepted to the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he wishes to follow in Jimmy's footsteps and become an astronaut, though he's reluctant to actually tell his father about it since Jimmy's death. Carly, meanwhile, has been looking at art schools, but she and her father are struggling to make it work financially. Carly takes Spike's hand in hers, telling him how sorry she is about what’s going on with his family. As the two teenagers lean in closer, an earthquake shakes the ground, causing the mountain to split open and sending the two plummeting into the depths below. Recovering, they find themselves inside a giant circular structure — the booster of [[Ark (G1)|a giant spacecraft]]. Spike ventures further inside the spacecraft and finds the main control room, littered with the mangled bodies of what appears to be some sort of giant robots.

[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flies into the ''Ark'' and transforms, grateful to have found his fallen friends. He activates [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] to repair and reconstruct his fellow Cybertronians, granting them new forms he found on [[Earth]]. The first to be reactivated is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Jetfire warmly greets his old friend, having not seen him in centuries. Starscream thanks Jetfire for waking him and says that he's glad he "picked the right side" before immediately turning to the nearby [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and blasting his head off. The stunned Jetfire, unaware that their people have been at war for the past hundred years, tries to stop him, but Starscream turns his weapons on his old friend for showing weakness. Starscream aims his weapon at [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] next, but he is stopped by a reconstructed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]!

As the [[Autobot]] leader and [[Decepticon]] warrior fight, Prime notices the humans and instinctively dives to protect them from Starscream’s fire. Starscream's attack is halted by the intervention of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], right as Teletraan One reconstructs [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Realizing the computer is reconstructing them randomly, Starscream tells Skywarp to bring their fellow Decepticons closer. Optimus realizes that the Decepticons will outnumber them and orders a retreat, telling Ratchet to load their fellow Autobots into his new form's trailer while he fends off their opponents. He reaches for his [[ion blaster]] but is intercepted by cannon fire from a revived [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. As he recovers, he sees Bumblebee's remains, cradling him in despair before being beset by Starscream and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Seeing this, Spike and Carly run out and push Prime's blaster to him, allowing him to fight back.

[[File:TF2023 – Prime & Ratchet vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Left with no choice, Optimus fires at Teletraan One, destroying the computer and preventing the remaining Decepticons from being reconstructed. As Teletraan explodes, Optimus grabs Carly and Spike. He and Ratchet transform and drive out of the ''Ark'' into the mountains below, Starscream and Skywarp in hot pursuit despite their low [[energon]] levels. Jetfire regains consciousness and follows after them, firing on Starscream much to his regret. Starscream volleys back, critically wounding Jetfire. Fortunately for the Autobots, Skywarp begins to run out of energy and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] are forced to retreat.

Needing to recuperate, Spike leads the Autobots to an abandoned quarry. As he succumbs to his injuries, Jetfire apologizes to Optimus; so much has changed since he left Cybertron in hopes of saving it. Optimus tries to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal Jetfire, but Ratchet tells him that his injuries are too great. Optimus grips his old friend's hand as he passes, still lamenting his failure.

Back in the ''Ark'', Soundwave reports to Starscream that he is unable to fix Teletraan One, as they lack both the energon and the raw materials necessary. Until it is repaired, they are the only Decepticons left. Soundwave has already sent [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to scout for possible energon sources, but the job of harvesting it falls to Starscream since he has the most energon reserved. Begrudgingly, Starscream accepts. After all, he is leader of the Decepticons now.

As Davey and Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky about his recent troubles, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, irritated he has to be the one doing all the work. The pair try to escape, but Starscream notices them. Sparky hides inside the plant, while Davey is snatched up by the giant alien. Starscream smiles to himself as he crushes Davey in his hand, amused at how fragile, squishy, and pathetic the humans are.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (13)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (16)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (18)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]’s arm (19)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (20)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (7)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Where are you going? Isn't that... Jimmy's?" 
"Yeah. Carly and I were going to check out the full moon tonight, remember? On top of Hanger's Rock?" 
"Looking at '''stars''' again, huh?" 
"Doing this kind of thing... it reminds me of him." 
"Why would you want to remember? It's best to '''forget''' all that." 
"Is that how you're gonna '''live''' now? Just pretending he didn't '''exist?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' and '''Spike''' touch on their trauma

"You must forgive me. I have been away for centuries. I did not know about the war. I did not know you were the new Prime..." 
"I remember the day you left our home to find a way to save it." 
"And you... were so young then." 
"Much has changed since you left our planet. All for the worse." 
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Optimus Prime''' rekindle their friendship

"Why are you all looking at '''me?'''" 
"You have the most energon reserved. Thus the harvesting is up to '''you.''' It's what Meg---" 
"'''Do not''' say his name. '''I''' am the leader of the Decepticons now."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire's arrival on Earth follows from his awakening in [[Void Rivals issue 1|the first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]''. How long he was asleep exactly is a little unclear. In ''Void Rivals'', he mentions being stranded for millions of years, but here he says he was away for merely centuries. Due to the syntax used, it could be that Jetfire was ''searching'' for centuries but ''asleep'' for millions of years. The following issue confirms the centuries time frame, making ''Void Rivals'' use of millions of years the outlier.
* Cybertron's energon shortage was hinted at by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]].
* After being attacked by Starscream, Jetfire is seen leaking yellow fluid. This would appear to confirm that the yellow fuel used by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to reactivate him was indeed energon.
* Soundwave and Starscream allude to the absence of the usual Decepticon leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Hmm... [[Cobra Commander (comic)|where could he be]]?
* Yes, Bumblebee's really dead, having been destroyed by Starscream. The other Transformers, including those like Thundercracker whose reassembly is interrupted, are just offline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Thundercracker's not killed, he just was not fully built. [...] S'not like I shot him in the heart or something. Just FYI.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3774s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>

===Transformers references===
* Like with ''Void Rivals'', this new series draws heavy influence from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** The character designs all pull directly from Generation 1.
** The ''Ark'' crashing into a mountain and the Autobots and Decepticons being repaired by Teletraan One is lifted from the premiere episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", right down to one of the Decepticons being reactivated first. The "error" of the Transformers having their Earth-inspired designs before they receive their Earth alternate modes is also carried over.
** Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly were all major characters in the Generation 1 cartoon, though they have been heavily reimagined, especially Carly. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, as well as Jetfire dying after dogfighting Starscream, brings to mind "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
* Optimus Prime gains the upper hand over Starscream with a fist and a resounding "never", similar to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky in a conflict much like the [[Vietnam War]] and the explosion of a space shuttle reminiscent of the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster}}; based on the context, it seems likely that Jimmy was one of the victims in the latter. Whether these are meant to literally be those events (which would suggest the comic is actually supposed to be set in the 1980s) or merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events remains to be seen.
* Appropriately, Sparky is drinking at a {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bar.
* Carly's van art features several staples of van murals, such as a wizard inspired by {{w|Gandalf}} from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', a barbarian resembling {{w|Conan the Barbarian|Conan}}, and a fantasy castle and dragon.
* Optimus Prime enters the scene by ''clotheslining'' Starscream—this being the signature move of "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, one of DWJ's favorite wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And of course, next we have a rainmaker clothesline, as one does. This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Of course, you know, the rainmaker, the lariat, is not new in professional wrestling, and by the end of this series it will not be new to Transformers.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34jfv6 Kazuchika Okada's Finisher- Rainmaker on Dailymotion]</ref>

===Storytelling notes===
As both writer and artist on this ''Transformers'' series, Daniel Warren Johnson has a rare level of creative freedom while composing the issue and using the art to tell the story. Some of these creative choices were covered in a "director's commentary" livestream on his YouTube channel; key insights are reproduced here alongside our own analysis of the issue.
* DWJ keeps a copy of [[IP infringement|Magic Square]]'s "Light of Peace" figure close at hand, which influences his take on Optimus Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the Optimus Prime figure that Magic Square put out this past year in 2023. It's an update, so it has a new head sculpt, it looks just like the movie, the '86 movie which of course has been my bible. He looks so good that you can actually like, kind of pose him, and he looks pretty dynamic. And I knew that, man, if the toy looks this cool in real life, then I can make him look really cool... like look at this, it looks great, he looks kind of alive.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=798s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> He notes that he specifically avoids having Prime's "boots" flare out at all; he tries to draw them perfectly straight.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Another thing that I'll notice, that I'll give you a little preview of things to come artwise: you'll see Optimus's legs, you know, traditionally, you know, he's got kind of the 1970s design aesthetic here, which I think the Marvel Comics did, where, you know, the leg kind of comes out... like so it makes kind of like a boot cut kind of style for his like lower half of his leg. And I hate drawing that. I hate drawing that. Look how straight these legs are. As this series goes on you're going to see these legs get straighter and straighter. It's a stylistic thing something that I've been kind of like- it's been bugging me about drawing Optimus Prime, and it's just, I cannot stand drawing those legs widening out at the bottom. It's like, something about it, it just like, makes my eyes hurt. I've never liked it in the comics, it always read weird to me that they got wider. Some characters- like I remember when practicing, I was drawing Jazz. Jazz gets really wide, and if it's like, if it's really confident, like big and chunky, or Cliffjumper, big, chunky, no big deal. This? Like, Optimus's legs going wider? It just like, is it going wider is it not going w- anyway these are the ramblings of a crazy lunatic comic book artist.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2699s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* His primary ''Transformers'' comics influence comes from [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Dreamwave Productions]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to just highlight this poster that I had in my bedroom when I was like 16, when Pat Lee made this imagery. You know, I was a huge ''Transformers'' fan of course when I was growing up, and I read mostly the Marvel Comics, 'cause that was the only thing that was available at the time, and here we have the Pat Lee comics of course that Dreamwave put out. I was so excited, I thought it looked awesome. I still do appreciate its blockiness now. So this is another reason why I wanted to do the project, 'cause like I just remember these feelings, and these like super bright colors that like were so awesome... and just being excited with like every cover, and I just felt like a kid. [...] And of course this image, like this is very satisfying, I knew I didn't want to get this bulbous with the designs, but you know I can't say I wasn't influenced by the absolutely outlandishness of these kind of like larger-than-life characters, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=997s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> In the case of the latter, we'll note that [[Prime Directive|their opening miniseries]] prominently featured the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster which drew heavily from the real-world Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster.
* The first page of the story consists of five vertically-stacked cinematic landscape panels, with Sparky's flashbacks interspersed by a panel of the Ark crashing and of Prime's deactivated body. This gives us an idea of what's been going through Sparky's mind at the bar. In particular, the panel of Optimus Prime is bookended by Spike's offscreen dialogue getting his dad's attention; Prime is often positioned as something of a father figure in wider pop culture.
** At Hasbro's request, DWJ avoided being too specific as to the conflict being shown.<ref name=HasbroMandates>{{citesocial|quote=So here we've got the first page, and you can kind of see here, Hasbro wanted me to be be very like... don't show what kind of war it is... which is fine, and I did have to change these engines from three engines, which I just thought was a little cleaner, to five engines, like the Ark is, so I didn't think they'd care that much about being on model when it came to the Ark but they did!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?t=1316s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
** DWJ wanted to streamline the Ark's design to have just three rear thrusters, but Hasbro insisted on it having five,<ref name=HasbroMandates /> necessitating the digital addition of two more to the later splash page of the ship's engines.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So again, I had to make a bit of an edit. The original art has just three engines, so I had to add these digitally—which I did not want to do, but Hasbro wanted it, so, okay, you know? It's okay, it's okay, it's all right, it is what it is...|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1845s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The second page aims to bring the story into reality,<ref name=Page2>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted to go all in on the first half of this page, and like really sell to you how lived in this world is. Even though it's a ''Transformers'' book it was very important to me that we got a vibe and a sense of where the human characters come from. And there's nothing more fun, than drawing the heck out of, than like a crappy VW hall. [...] It was a hard thing to draw, but it was also fun. I had to kind of photobash a bunch of different VFW bars—obviously didn't want to take from any one specifically, or any one bar specifically, just kind of taking the best of everything and kind of combining it into one. And this bartender, Danny the bartender, I'm a big fan of, he just kind of stands there. And of course the old guy that maybe has seen something crazy... total shout out to—even his like haircut is the same as, and the hat, as—''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', so a little shout out there. [...] It doesn't really [take place in a specific time period like the '80s or '90s] in my opinion, there might be other people in the Energon Universe that have a different time, we don't really have a time period in place. I find time periods in comics like ''Transformers'' to be completely unnecessary. If I'm trying to make historical fiction then of course it is important, but when it comes to making things like the Transformers I have just never cared. JFK is not getting assassinated in the background on television here, so it's just not part of the story. But you will notice there's no cell phones, so. But that's cuz I hate writing stories with cell phones in them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1406s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> with much more detailed panels of varying shapes and sizes, and a muted earthen color palette.
** DWJ took reference from several different {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bars to arrive at the location seen in the comic.<ref name=Page2 />
** As Spike and Sparky exit, the cluttered interior gives way to the orange evening sky, with the generous negative space often physically separating Spike from his distant father.
** DWJ notes that the final panel of this spread is technically wrong; based on the perspective of the scene, Spike should be sinking into the ground. This was necessary so as not to obscure Carly's van,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I have a bit of a goof, a bit of a mistake [...] if you actually like do the perspective here, the way it should be done, it makes no sense. He would be sinking into the ground, he's like in quicksand right now, but I could not figure out a better dynamic shot choice that would show Carly and her artistic ability with this van. Like I tried to do it like this way, and it didn't really work, because it covered up too much of the van, and I realized just how big he would have to be, like his whole face would have to be like over here and it just didn't work. I wanted him to be in the middle, but then it also didn't make sense. So I was just like beating my head against the wall like, I hope this is okay, I hope people don't notice.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?si=QxISYwvu5QpUEbhw&t=1516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which is the same model of vehicle that appears in DWJ's previous original comic series ''[https://www.skybound.com/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Of course the dragon wagon, the van used in ''Murder Falcon''.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1578s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer has coloured the van using blue-pink tones, strongly contrasting with the orange otherwise dominating the spread. As we turn the page, these nighttime hues take over the story, marking the beginning of a transition towards the unreal.
* The mountain landscape was drawn to resemble that of an alien planet, to highlight the feeling of "otherworldliness".<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This also is one of my favorite panels in the book. I wanted to start getting a little crazy, a little more intense with the shot choices, to kind of start getting us into the vibe of otherworldliness. This looks a little bit like they're exploring Mars, that was the goal, completely clear sky, really pushing the envelope when it comes to dynamic composition.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1635s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As the earthquake begins, we get the first instance of hand-lettered sound effects, drawn into the lineart by DWJ. These appear more prominently and frequently as we transition towards comic-book action.
[[File:TF2023 1 Splash pages composition.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|Diagram illustrating DWJ's intended flow for the back-to-back splash pages.]]
* The reveal of the Ark is paired across the two-page spread with another splash page of the deactivated Autobots. DWJ hoped to create a seamless transition, with the reader's gaze travelling down towards the inset panels at the bottom left, then following Spike and Carly across to the right, before travelling up into the scene.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was a goal, this was the goal: to have these pages be bleeding into each other. [...] You know I don't like to do this very often, you have like two splash pages back-to-back, because they kind of like... it gets a little messy here. But you know I usually like- if I have a big splash here [on the left], I'll usually have something a little more reserved over here [on the right], and I won't have it bleed over to the left side of the page. But with here, you'll actually notice that I was trying to get people to read from... obviously you're reading here, then you go down, left to right, into this bottom part of the page, and have your eye trail up instead of going over here [diagonally across the center fold] to the top. So I was using these kind of inset panels to kind of get you to read that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1985s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer's coloring (exaggerated in the diagram on the right) again reinforces this intent, with the blue shade of the rocks at the bottom of the right-hand page carrying over from the left-hand page.
** Meanwhile, all of the lines of perspective inside the room point outside, where a tiny Jetfire can be seen approaching.
* Jetfire is one of Robert Kirkman's favorite Transformers, and his role in this series came entirely from Robert Kirkman's broad-strokes outline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So, full disclosure: Robert Kirkman came up with the Jetfire idea. Jetfire is one of Robert's favorite Transformers, and that's why he was chosen. He's also like part of the lore and it was kind of like in this big outline that Jetfire was the one that comes in and finds the Autobots on Earth in the Ark- Autobots and Decepticons. But he doesn't have knowledge about the war. So you know I can't give away too much, but that was a Robert Kirkman call, and I was happy to do it. I was a little afraid about drawing Jetfire at first, but I'm actually- of course I write the script first where he dies, because it's just what the story needed, but then as I got to drawing him I was like, "I really like drawing this guy, I'm so sad I have to kill him!"|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3301s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The shock death of Bumblebee was a deliberate choice, as DWJ felt like audiences would be getting a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere. Surprisingly, Hasbro felt the same way, and themselves asked if there was a way to write Bumblebee out of the series! DWJ also apparently doesn't enjoy drawing Bumblebee, which informed the decision,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Let me be totally honest about the Bumblebee page, let me address this. I do really- I do like Bumblebee. I don't like drawing Bumblebee, I don't like those rivets in his arms. That's not the only reason why he had to go, I just honestly wanted to change things up. I just wanted to change things up, and I had seen a lot of Bumblebee, I think we all have, in a lot of ''Transformers'' media, and I just thought it would be a fun little swerve. And this is actually funny, our contact over at Hasbro was also a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere, and he actually asked, before he saw my script, he's like, "is there any way we can not use Bumblebee in the main line?" And I told him, I was like, "I got good news for you!" He had to go, he had to go. Sorry Bumblebee fans, sorry to let you down like that, I am so sorry. They are Transformers, maybe they'll come back... but not for a long time. It's Cliff's time baby! You said it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2545s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which perhaps doesn't bode too well for Cliffjumper!
* When Starscream turns on Jetfire, DWJ struggled to get the composition exactly right, as he was limited by the need to make it explicitly clear that Jetfire was gravely wounded.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that Jetfire was gravely injured by this blast, which means I couldn't really white it out, had to be clear.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2498s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime uses several wrestling moves on Starscream; DWJ had previously created the original comic series ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb!]'', which had a central theme of loss—a motif which recurs throughout this first ''Transformers'' issue.
* As Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker look identical in black-and-white, DWJ labels them in his lineart so colorist Mike Spicer can easily distinguish.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also notice the color notes I had to leave for Mike, because Skywarp and Starcream look exactly alike in black and white.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2839s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime instinctively knowing about his trailer, and its sudden appearance in the story, is a riff on classic media where Prime's trailer would often appear and disappear out of nowhere per the needs of the story.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a little shoutout to like, the not-making-any-sense of ''Transformers'', where you know, very conveniently, this trailer just shows up out of nowhere. So you know, Prime's like, "What are we going to do?" and he's like, "We could use my trailer!" Look sometimes you just have to have fun and not think too much about the story.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3131s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As Prime's face is uniquely inexpressive, DWJ had to get creative to show his emotions to the reader, relying a lot on the character's eyes. Additionally, he tries to channel Prime's feelings through Spike.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Optimus is a character that does not emote—less so than even the rest of the cast, because of the face shield, because so much of his face is taken up, and he's really only got those eyes to work with. And I found that I was needing a way to channel Optimus through something, and I'm kind of trying to channel that through Spike, if you can't tell. I have a tendency to not be subtle, so... in life and in comics.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> When Spike sees Prime kneeling over Bumblebee's body, it seems that he recognises the grief this alien robot is experiencing.
* Amongst the many creative sound effects in this sequence, we have highlights like "GRAPPLE" and "ROLL" accompanying the action. Clicks and buzzes fill the air together with the floating components as the Transformers are reassembled.
* DWJ contrived the situation where Spike and Carly need to push Prime's gun into his reach as a way of giving the human characters agency during the action sequence.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sliding the gun! Super fun! I rewrote this scene a few times because the humans were just sitting, screaming, you know? Spike and Carly like, "Oh my god, what's happening!?" behind some rocks, and I was like, "They need to have some agency, they need to get involved somehow." And so that is why I had them push the gun, and it forces action, it just forces movement in a story, it gives Spike personality and like bravery, and I'm very happy with this moment. It's very hard to not just write fight scenes where it's just like fight fight fight fight fight, and finding new ways to tie everybody together, and I wish I had more time to do this but of course we work in genre fiction where there are deadlines, and sometimes that can't happen, but I was glad that I was able to figure this one out.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> The "SKRKK" sound effect of the gun scraping along the floor is drawn to follow the lines of action.
* When Prime gives the order to "Transform and roll out!", the ''entire comic'' shifts to a landscape orientation, requiring you to physically turn the comic in your hands. This is awesome.
* Ratchet's updated alternate mode came simply from a dissatisfaction with his classic Nissan look.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Any reason you went with a more modern style van, a Ford Transit rather than the traditional Nissan Vanette for Ratchet? You know what, I just didn't like the way the Nissan looked, so I just, I really wanted something different. I just wanted something different, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2966s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen to develop the Decepticons beyond their classic cartoonishly-evil characterisation, with a key example in this issue being Soundwave's clear concern for the injured Ravage.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's all about this, baby. It's all about trying to give some... you know... something other than... "The Decepticons are all evil, raah!" Like, Soundwave is a bad dude—but man, he loves his tapes, and one of these tapes is hurting bad and he's feeling real bad about it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* For Davey's gruesome death at the hand of Starscream, Hasbro requested it occur off-panel. The beat was intended to clearly set the stakes of the comic without being egregiously gory,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hasbro asked for Davey to be killed offscreen, which I was totally fine with. Did want to get kind of messy with it, though, because I did want to kind of make a little bit of a statement. You know, it's a book that your kids can read, but you know, not everybody's going to make it, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4593s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> and seems to mark a major turning point for Sparky.

===Errors===
* Bumblebee's body is seen near Optimus Prime’s trailer, despite him being across the ship near Teletraan One when Starscream blew his head open.
* When Starscream is forced to break off his pursuit of the Autobots, his speech balloon is pointing to Skywarp.

===Other trivia===
* Prior to its official release, an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023. The ashcan had certain pages taken out to prevent spoilers, as well as featuring concept art and designs for various characters.
* In early solicitations for this issue, the cover had an original logo with blue text broken over two lines;<ref>[https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG230407 ''Transformers'' #1 CVR A JOHNSON on PREVIEWSworld]</ref> the final cover uses the standard modern logo, leaving some unsightly negative space above Prime's head. This was changed at the request of Hasbro.
* This issue sold out at the distributor level before it was even officially released, prompting Skybound to announce a second printing the day before it hit retailer shelves.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>

===Roll Call===
* After being reactivated by Jetfire, Teletraan-1 in short order reactivates Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Skywarp, Soundwave, Laserbeak, and Ravage. Starscream almost immediately after coming online executes Bumblebee, taking the little guy out before he could even be part of the action.
* During the subsequent battle, Prime shoots Ravage, knocking him offline. Soundwave's desire to revive him becomes a recurring plot point in subsequent issues.
* After helping the Autobots escape, Jetfire succumbs to the wound inflicted on him by Starscream. [[Transformers_(2023)_issue_8|Issue 8]] reveals that he was able to be partially saved, albeit not in a means that he probably wanted...
* '''Autobots:''' 2. '''Decepticons:''' 4.

===Covers===
With over 50 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/75 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime emerges from an explosion, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' The Autobots, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' The Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' Optimus Prime destroys Starscream, by [[Ryan Ottley]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover E (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover F (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus leaps on Starscream to save Carly's van as Laserbeak and Ravage attack, by [[Cliff Chiang]].
* '''Cover G (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus Prime, by [[Francis Manapul]].
* '''Cover H (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Starscream holds Bumblebee’s head, by [[Ian Bertram]] and [[Gus Storms]].
* '''Cover I:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover A:''' Spike atop Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover B:''' Black-and-white version, only available at Skybound's Energon Universe convention panel.
* '''Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' Foil variant of main cover A. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive A:''' Wraparound variant of Optimus Prime playing basketball against the Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive B:''' Black-and-white virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Stadium Comics exclusive:''' by [[Santa Fung]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive A:''' by [[Von Randal]] and [[Alex Guimarães]]. Limited to 800 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''Alan Quah exclusive:''' by [[Alan Quah]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Hector Trunnec New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Hector Trunnec]]. Limited to 400 copies.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. Limited to 300 copies.
* '''Whatnot exclusive A:''' by [[Siya Oum]].
* '''Whatnot exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''TransMissions Podcast exclusive:''' by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''MFKiG exclusive:''' by [[Ainsworth Lin]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive A:''' by [[Flaviano]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Memory Lane Comics exclusive:''' by [[Hayden Sherman]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Rod Reis New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Rod Reis]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive A:''' by [[Rafael Grassetti]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies, exclusively at New York Comic Con 2023.
* '''Matthew Roberts exclusive:''' by [[Matthew Roberts]].
* '''Mike Bowden New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Mike Bowden]] and [[Pez Fred]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive A:''' by [[John Giang]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Big Time Collectibles exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] & Mike Spicer. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive B:''' Virgin variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive A:''' by [[Juni Ba]]. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Juni Ba exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Seibertron.com exclusive:''' by [[Marco Ferrari]].
* '''The 616 Comics exclusive:''' by [[Vincenzo Federici]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Francesco Tomaselli New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Francesco Tomaselli]]. Limited to 900 copies.
* '''Condemned Comics exclusive:''' by [[Christopher Mitten]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive:''' by [[Skottie Young]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Skottie Young exclusive second printing:''' Virgin foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive A:''' by [[Ryan Barry]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Ryan Barry exclusive B:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Things From Another World exclusive:''' by [[Frédéric Pham Chuong]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Starscream, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' The 'Bots, by [[Lewis LaRosa]] and [[Rico Renzi]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover D:''' The 'Cons, by Lewis LaRosa and Rico Renzi.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover E:''' Bumblebee's fate, by [[Greg Tocchini]].
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].
* '''Fourth Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Clayton Henry]].

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 Stadium Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Comic Grail Vault cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Alan Quah cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Hector Trunnec NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 DarlsDraws cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Whatnot cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 TransMissions Podcast cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 MFKiG cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 ForbiddenPlanet cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Memory Lane Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Rod Reis NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Carnivore Comics cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Mike Bowden NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Big Time Collectibles cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Maria The Wolf cvr C.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Juni Ba cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Seibertron.com cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 The 616 Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Francesco Tomaselli NYCC cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Condemned Comics cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Skottie Young cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Ryan Barry cvr B.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 Things From Another World cvr.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr A.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr B.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr D.jpg|
File:Transformers 2023 1 2nd ptg cvr E.jpg|
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File:Transformers 2023 1 4th Ptg Cover.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the [[Energon Universe]] in ''Void Rivals''
* Codename: G.I. Joe starts in ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' #1
* The rise of [[Cobra]] starts in ''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #1
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''[[G.I. Joe (comic)|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero]]'' #301
* ''Murder Falcon'' Deluxe Hardcover available now

===Reprints===
* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398171 / ISBN 978-1534398177 
** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Transformers (2023) issue 1

2024-09-03T01:13:39Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' #1
|prev=Void Rivals issue 1
|next=Transformers (2023) issue 2
|prev2=
|image=Transformers 2023 1 cvr.jpg
|caption=Alright, let’s do this one more time.
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[October 4]], [[2023]]
|coverdate=October 2023
|written by=[[Daniel Warren Johnson]]
|art by=Daniel Warren Johnson
|colors by=[[Mike Spicer]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editor=[[Sean Mackiewicz]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''After centuries of slumber, the Autobots and Decepticons awaken on a strange new world.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] finds his father, [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]], asleep in a bar. Spike asks his father how long he’s been there, to which [[Danny]] the bartender answers since noon. Sparky notices that Spike has his brother [[Jimmy Witwicky|Jimmy]]'s telescope with him. Spike tells him that he and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] were planning to go up to [[Hanger's Rock]] to look at the full moon. He says it helps him remember Jimmy, to which Sparky grouses that it's better to just forget. Spike fires back at his father, telling him he won't end up like Jimmy. Meanwhile, [[Jerry (G1)|another patron]] is drunkenly ranting about how he saw a giant boxy jet fly down from space. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Sparky's co-worker, [[Davey]], here to pick him up for their shifts. Sparky tells Spike that he has to grow up eventually, to which Spike angrily asks if he means being like him. As the adults drive off, Carly arrives to pick Spike up in her van. Carly consoles a dejected Spike by suggesting they go "pretend they're on another planet."

At Hanger's Rock, the pair climb the mountain in search of a better view and discuss their future ambitions. Spike has recently been accepted to the [[University of California, Berkeley]], where he wishes to follow in Jimmy's footsteps and become an astronaut, though he's reluctant to actually tell his father about it since Jimmy's death. Carly, meanwhile, has been looking at art schools, but she and her father are struggling to make it work financially. Carly takes Spike's hand in hers, telling him how sorry she is about what’s going on with his family. As the two teenagers lean in closer, an earthquake shakes the ground, causing the mountain to split open and sending the two plummeting into the depths below. Recovering, they find themselves inside a giant circular structure — the booster of [[Ark (G1)|a giant spacecraft]]. Spike ventures further inside the spacecraft and finds the main control room, littered with the mangled bodies of what appears to be some sort of giant robots.

[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flies into the ''Ark'' and transforms, grateful to have found his fallen friends. He activates [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]] to repair and reconstruct his fellow Cybertronians, granting them new forms he found on [[Earth]]. The first to be reactivated is [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Jetfire warmly greets his old friend, having not seen him in centuries. Starscream thanks Jetfire for waking him and says that he's glad he "picked the right side" before immediately turning to the nearby [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and blasting his head off. The stunned Jetfire, unaware that their people have been at war for the past hundred years, tries to stop him, but Starscream turns his weapons on his old friend for showing weakness. Starscream aims his weapon at [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] next, but he is stopped by a reconstructed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]!

As the [[Autobot]] leader and [[Decepticon]] warrior fight, Prime notices the humans and instinctively dives to protect them from Starscream’s fire. Starscream's attack is halted by the intervention of [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], right as Teletraan One reconstructs [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Realizing the computer is reconstructing them randomly, Starscream tells Skywarp to bring their fellow Decepticons closer. Optimus realizes that the Decepticons will outnumber them and orders a retreat, telling Ratchet to load their fellow Autobots into his new form's trailer while he fends off their opponents. He reaches for his [[ion blaster]] but is intercepted by cannon fire from a revived [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]. As he recovers, he sees Bumblebee's remains, cradling him in despair before being beset by Starscream and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Seeing this, Spike and Carly run out and push Prime's blaster to him, allowing him to fight back.

[[File:TF2023 – Prime & Ratchet vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Left with no choice, Optimus fires at Teletraan One, destroying the computer and preventing the remaining Decepticons from being reconstructed. As Teletraan explodes, Optimus grabs Carly and Spike. He and Ratchet transform and drive out of the ''Ark'' into the mountains below, Starscream and Skywarp in hot pursuit despite their low [[energon]] levels. Jetfire regains consciousness and follows after them, firing on Starscream much to his regret. Starscream volleys back, critically wounding Jetfire. Fortunately for the Autobots, Skywarp begins to run out of energy and the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] are forced to retreat.

Needing to recuperate, Spike leads the Autobots to an abandoned quarry. As he succumbs to his injuries, Jetfire apologizes to Optimus; so much has changed since he left Cybertron in hopes of saving it. Optimus tries to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal Jetfire, but Ratchet tells him that his injuries are too great. Optimus grips his old friend's hand as he passes, still lamenting his failure.

Back in the ''Ark'', Soundwave reports to Starscream that he is unable to fix Teletraan One, as they lack both the energon and the raw materials necessary. Until it is repaired, they are the only Decepticons left. Soundwave has already sent [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to scout for possible energon sources, but the job of harvesting it falls to Starscream since he has the most energon reserved. Begrudgingly, Starscream accepts. After all, he is leader of the Decepticons now.

As Davey and Sparky end their shift at the nearby power plant, Davey tries to talk to Sparky about his recent troubles, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Starscream, irritated he has to be the one doing all the work. The pair try to escape, but Starscream notices them. Sparky hides inside the plant, while Davey is snatched up by the giant alien. Starscream smiles to himself as he crushes Davey in his hand, amused at how fragile, squishy, and pathetic the humans are.

{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{Featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (11)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (13)
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (15)
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (16)
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (18)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]’s arm (19)

|c2=
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (8)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (9)
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] (10)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (20)
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] (21)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (22)

|c3=
* [[Sparkplug Witwicky|"Sparky" Witwicky]] (1)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (3)
* [[Danny]] (4)
* [[Jerry (G1)|Jerry]] (5)
* [[Davey]] (6)
* [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] (7)

|c4=
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
"Where are you going? Isn't that... Jimmy's?" 
"Yeah. Carly and I were going to check out the full moon tonight, remember? On top of Hanger's Rock?" 
"Looking at '''stars''' again, huh?" 
"Doing this kind of thing... it reminds me of him." 
"Why would you want to remember? It's best to '''forget''' all that." 
"Is that how you're gonna '''live''' now? Just pretending he didn't '''exist?'''" 
:—'''Sparky''' and '''Spike''' touch on their trauma

"You must forgive me. I have been away for centuries. I did not know about the war. I did not know you were the new Prime..." 
"I remember the day you left our home to find a way to save it." 
"And you... were so young then." 
"Much has changed since you left our planet. All for the worse." 
:—'''Jetfire''' and '''Optimus Prime''' rekindle their friendship

"Why are you all looking at '''me?'''" 
"You have the most energon reserved. Thus the harvesting is up to '''you.''' It's what Meg---" 
"'''Do not''' say his name. '''I''' am the leader of the Decepticons now."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Soundwave'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Jetfire's arrival on Earth follows from his awakening in [[Void Rivals issue 1|the first issue]] of ''[[Void Rivals]]''. How long he was asleep exactly is a little unclear. In ''Void Rivals'', he mentions being stranded for millions of years, but here he says he was away for merely centuries. Due to the syntax used, it could be that Jetfire was ''searching'' for centuries but ''asleep'' for millions of years. The following issue confirms the centuries time frame, making ''Void Rivals'' use of millions of years the outlier.
* Cybertron's energon shortage was hinted at by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in ''Void Rivals'' [[Void Rivals issue 4|#4]].
* After being attacked by Starscream, Jetfire is seen leaking yellow fluid. This would appear to confirm that the yellow fuel used by [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] to reactivate him was indeed energon.
* Soundwave and Starscream allude to the absence of the usual Decepticon leader, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. Hmm... [[Cobra Commander (comic)|where could he be]]?
* Yes, Bumblebee's really dead, having been destroyed by Starscream. The other Transformers, including those like Thundercracker whose reassembly is interrupted, are just offline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Thundercracker's not killed, he just was not fully built. [...] S'not like I shot him in the heart or something. Just FYI.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3774s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>

===Transformers references===
* Like with ''Void Rivals'', this new series draws heavy influence from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]:
** The character designs all pull directly from Generation 1.
** The ''Ark'' crashing into a mountain and the Autobots and Decepticons being repaired by Teletraan One is lifted from the premiere episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]", right down to one of the Decepticons being reactivated first. The "error" of the Transformers having their Earth-inspired designs before they receive their Earth alternate modes is also carried over.
** Spike, Sparkplug, and Carly were all major characters in the Generation 1 cartoon, though they have been heavily reimagined, especially Carly. Sparkplug's name is shortened to just "Sparky".
** Starscream and Jetfire/Skyfire being old friends, Jetfire helping Starscream out of ignorance to the war, as well as Jetfire dying after dogfighting Starscream, brings to mind "[[Fire in the Sky]]."
* Optimus Prime gains the upper hand over Starscream with a fist and a resounding "never", similar to ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Real-world references===
* Sparky's flashbacks on the first page of the issue features imagery of Sparky in a conflict much like the [[Vietnam War]] and the explosion of a space shuttle reminiscent of the {{w|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster}}; based on the context, it seems likely that Jimmy was one of the victims in the latter. Whether these are meant to literally be those events (which would suggest the comic is actually supposed to be set in the 1980s) or merely stylistic renderings of purely fictional events remains to be seen.
* Appropriately, Sparky is drinking at a {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bar.
* Carly's van art features several staples of van murals, such as a wizard inspired by {{w|Gandalf}} from ''{{w|The Lord of the Rings}}'', a barbarian resembling {{w|Conan the Barbarian|Conan}}, and a fantasy castle and dragon.
* Optimus Prime enters the scene by ''clotheslining'' Starscream—this being the signature move of "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, one of DWJ's favorite wrestlers.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=And of course, next we have a rainmaker clothesline, as one does. This is a wrestling move, this is one of my favorite wrestlers, Kazuchika Okada from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Of course, you know, the rainmaker, the lariat, is not new in professional wrestling, and by the end of this series it will not be new to Transformers.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2508s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref><ref>[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x34jfv6 Kazuchika Okada's Finisher- Rainmaker on Dailymotion]</ref>

===Storytelling notes===
As both writer and artist on this ''Transformers'' series, Daniel Warren Johnson has a rare level of creative freedom while composing the issue and using the art to tell the story. Some of these creative choices were covered in a "director's commentary" livestream on his YouTube channel; key insights are reproduced here alongside our own analysis of the issue.
* DWJ keeps a copy of [[IP infringement|Magic Square]]'s "Light of Peace" figure close at hand, which influences his take on Optimus Prime.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is the Optimus Prime figure that Magic Square put out this past year in 2023. It's an update, so it has a new head sculpt, it looks just like the movie, the '86 movie which of course has been my bible. He looks so good that you can actually like, kind of pose him, and he looks pretty dynamic. And I knew that, man, if the toy looks this cool in real life, then I can make him look really cool... like look at this, it looks great, he looks kind of alive.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=798s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> He notes that he specifically avoids having Prime's "boots" flare out at all; he tries to draw them perfectly straight.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Another thing that I'll notice, that I'll give you a little preview of things to come artwise: you'll see Optimus's legs, you know, traditionally, you know, he's got kind of the 1970s design aesthetic here, which I think the Marvel Comics did, where, you know, the leg kind of comes out... like so it makes kind of like a boot cut kind of style for his like lower half of his leg. And I hate drawing that. I hate drawing that. Look how straight these legs are. As this series goes on you're going to see these legs get straighter and straighter. It's a stylistic thing something that I've been kind of like- it's been bugging me about drawing Optimus Prime, and it's just, I cannot stand drawing those legs widening out at the bottom. It's like, something about it, it just like, makes my eyes hurt. I've never liked it in the comics, it always read weird to me that they got wider. Some characters- like I remember when practicing, I was drawing Jazz. Jazz gets really wide, and if it's like, if it's really confident, like big and chunky, or Cliffjumper, big, chunky, no big deal. This? Like, Optimus's legs going wider? It just like, is it going wider is it not going w- anyway these are the ramblings of a crazy lunatic comic book artist.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2699s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* His primary ''Transformers'' comics influence comes from [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Dreamwave Productions]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to just highlight this poster that I had in my bedroom when I was like 16, when Pat Lee made this imagery. You know, I was a huge ''Transformers'' fan of course when I was growing up, and I read mostly the Marvel Comics, 'cause that was the only thing that was available at the time, and here we have the Pat Lee comics of course that Dreamwave put out. I was so excited, I thought it looked awesome. I still do appreciate its blockiness now. So this is another reason why I wanted to do the project, 'cause like I just remember these feelings, and these like super bright colors that like were so awesome... and just being excited with like every cover, and I just felt like a kid. [...] And of course this image, like this is very satisfying, I knew I didn't want to get this bulbous with the designs, but you know I can't say I wasn't influenced by the absolutely outlandishness of these kind of like larger-than-life characters, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=997s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> In the case of the latter, we'll note that [[Prime Directive|their opening miniseries]] prominently featured the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster which drew heavily from the real-world Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster.
* The first page of the story consists of five vertically-stacked cinematic landscape panels, with Sparky's flashbacks interspersed by a panel of the Ark crashing and of Prime's deactivated body. This gives us an idea of what's been going through Sparky's mind at the bar. In particular, the panel of Optimus Prime is bookended by Spike's offscreen dialogue getting his dad's attention; Prime is often positioned as something of a father figure in wider pop culture.
** At Hasbro's request, DWJ avoided being too specific as to the conflict being shown.<ref name=HasbroMandates>{{citesocial|quote=So here we've got the first page, and you can kind of see here, Hasbro wanted me to be be very like... don't show what kind of war it is... which is fine, and I did have to change these engines from three engines, which I just thought was a little cleaner, to five engines, like the Ark is, so I didn't think they'd care that much about being on model when it came to the Ark but they did!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?t=1316s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
** DWJ wanted to streamline the Ark's design to have just three rear thrusters, but Hasbro insisted on it having five,<ref name=HasbroMandates /> necessitating the digital addition of two more to the later splash page of the ship's engines.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So again, I had to make a bit of an edit. The original art has just three engines, so I had to add these digitally—which I did not want to do, but Hasbro wanted it, so, okay, you know? It's okay, it's okay, it's all right, it is what it is...|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1845s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The second page aims to bring the story into reality,<ref name=Page2>{{citesocial|quote=I really wanted to go all in on the first half of this page, and like really sell to you how lived in this world is. Even though it's a ''Transformers'' book it was very important to me that we got a vibe and a sense of where the human characters come from. And there's nothing more fun, than drawing the heck out of, than like a crappy VW hall. [...] It was a hard thing to draw, but it was also fun. I had to kind of photobash a bunch of different VFW bars—obviously didn't want to take from any one specifically, or any one bar specifically, just kind of taking the best of everything and kind of combining it into one. And this bartender, Danny the bartender, I'm a big fan of, he just kind of stands there. And of course the old guy that maybe has seen something crazy... total shout out to—even his like haircut is the same as, and the hat, as—''{{w|The Iron Giant}}'', so a little shout out there. [...] It doesn't really [take place in a specific time period like the '80s or '90s] in my opinion, there might be other people in the Energon Universe that have a different time, we don't really have a time period in place. I find time periods in comics like ''Transformers'' to be completely unnecessary. If I'm trying to make historical fiction then of course it is important, but when it comes to making things like the Transformers I have just never cared. JFK is not getting assassinated in the background on television here, so it's just not part of the story. But you will notice there's no cell phones, so. But that's cuz I hate writing stories with cell phones in them.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1406s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> with much more detailed panels of varying shapes and sizes, and a muted earthen color palette.
** DWJ took reference from several different {{w|Veterans of Foreign Wars|VFW}} bars to arrive at the location seen in the comic.<ref name=Page2 />
** As Spike and Sparky exit, the cluttered interior gives way to the orange evening sky, with the generous negative space often physically separating Spike from his distant father.
** DWJ notes that the final panel of this spread is technically wrong; based on the perspective of the scene, Spike should be sinking into the ground. This was necessary so as not to obscure Carly's van,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I have a bit of a goof, a bit of a mistake [...] if you actually like do the perspective here, the way it should be done, it makes no sense. He would be sinking into the ground, he's like in quicksand right now, but I could not figure out a better dynamic shot choice that would show Carly and her artistic ability with this van. Like I tried to do it like this way, and it didn't really work, because it covered up too much of the van, and I realized just how big he would have to be, like his whole face would have to be like over here and it just didn't work. I wanted him to be in the middle, but then it also didn't make sense. So I was just like beating my head against the wall like, I hope this is okay, I hope people don't notice.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0?si=QxISYwvu5QpUEbhw&t=1516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which is the same model of vehicle that appears in DWJ's previous original comic series ''[https://www.skybound.com/murder-falcon Murder Falcon]''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Of course the dragon wagon, the van used in ''Murder Falcon''.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1578s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer has coloured the van using blue-pink tones, strongly contrasting with the orange otherwise dominating the spread. As we turn the page, these nighttime hues take over the story, marking the beginning of a transition towards the unreal.
* The mountain landscape was drawn to resemble that of an alien planet, to highlight the feeling of "otherworldliness".<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This also is one of my favorite panels in the book. I wanted to start getting a little crazy, a little more intense with the shot choices, to kind of start getting us into the vibe of otherworldliness. This looks a little bit like they're exploring Mars, that was the goal, completely clear sky, really pushing the envelope when it comes to dynamic composition.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1635s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As the earthquake begins, we get the first instance of hand-lettered sound effects, drawn into the lineart by DWJ. These appear more prominently and frequently as we transition towards comic-book action.
[[File:TF2023 1 Splash pages composition.jpg|thumb|right|upright=2|Diagram illustrating DWJ's intended flow for the back-to-back splash pages.]]
* The reveal of the Ark is paired across the two-page spread with another splash page of the deactivated Autobots. DWJ hoped to create a seamless transition, with the reader's gaze travelling down towards the inset panels at the bottom left, then following Spike and Carly across to the right, before travelling up into the scene.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This was a goal, this was the goal: to have these pages be bleeding into each other. [...] You know I don't like to do this very often, you have like two splash pages back-to-back, because they kind of like... it gets a little messy here. But you know I usually like- if I have a big splash here [on the left], I'll usually have something a little more reserved over here [on the right], and I won't have it bleed over to the left side of the page. But with here, you'll actually notice that I was trying to get people to read from... obviously you're reading here, then you go down, left to right, into this bottom part of the page, and have your eye trail up instead of going over here [diagonally across the center fold] to the top. So I was using these kind of inset panels to kind of get you to read that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=1985s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> Mike Spicer's coloring (exaggerated in the diagram on the right) again reinforces this intent, with the blue shade of the rocks at the bottom of the right-hand page carrying over from the left-hand page.
** Meanwhile, all of the lines of perspective inside the room point outside, where a tiny Jetfire can be seen approaching.
* Jetfire is one of Robert Kirkman's favorite Transformers, and his role in this series came entirely from Robert Kirkman's broad-strokes outline.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So, full disclosure: Robert Kirkman came up with the Jetfire idea. Jetfire is one of Robert's favorite Transformers, and that's why he was chosen. He's also like part of the lore and it was kind of like in this big outline that Jetfire was the one that comes in and finds the Autobots on Earth in the Ark- Autobots and Decepticons. But he doesn't have knowledge about the war. So you know I can't give away too much, but that was a Robert Kirkman call, and I was happy to do it. I was a little afraid about drawing Jetfire at first, but I'm actually- of course I write the script first where he dies, because it's just what the story needed, but then as I got to drawing him I was like, "I really like drawing this guy, I'm so sad I have to kill him!"|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3301s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* The shock death of Bumblebee was a deliberate choice, as DWJ felt like audiences would be getting a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere. Surprisingly, Hasbro felt the same way, and themselves asked if there was a way to write Bumblebee out of the series! DWJ also apparently doesn't enjoy drawing Bumblebee, which informed the decision,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Let me be totally honest about the Bumblebee page, let me address this. I do really- I do like Bumblebee. I don't like drawing Bumblebee, I don't like those rivets in his arms. That's not the only reason why he had to go, I just honestly wanted to change things up. I just wanted to change things up, and I had seen a lot of Bumblebee, I think we all have, in a lot of ''Transformers'' media, and I just thought it would be a fun little swerve. And this is actually funny, our contact over at Hasbro was also a little tired of seeing Bumblebee everywhere, and he actually asked, before he saw my script, he's like, "is there any way we can not use Bumblebee in the main line?" And I told him, I was like, "I got good news for you!" He had to go, he had to go. Sorry Bumblebee fans, sorry to let you down like that, I am so sorry. They are Transformers, maybe they'll come back... but not for a long time. It's Cliff's time baby! You said it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2545s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> which perhaps doesn't bode too well for Cliffjumper!
* When Starscream turns on Jetfire, DWJ struggled to get the composition exactly right, as he was limited by the need to make it explicitly clear that Jetfire was gravely wounded.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I wanted to make sure that everybody knew that Jetfire was gravely injured by this blast, which means I couldn't really white it out, had to be clear.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2498s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime uses several wrestling moves on Starscream; DWJ had previously created the original comic series ''[https://imagecomics.com/comics/series/do-a-powerbomb Do A Powerbomb!]'', which had a central theme of loss—a motif which recurs throughout this first ''Transformers'' issue.
* As Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker look identical in black-and-white, DWJ labels them in his lineart so colorist Mike Spicer can easily distinguish.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also notice the color notes I had to leave for Mike, because Skywarp and Starcream look exactly alike in black and white.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2839s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* Prime instinctively knowing about his trailer, and its sudden appearance in the story, is a riff on classic media where Prime's trailer would often appear and disappear out of nowhere per the needs of the story.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=This is a little shoutout to like, the not-making-any-sense of ''Transformers'', where you know, very conveniently, this trailer just shows up out of nowhere. So you know, Prime's like, "What are we going to do?" and he's like, "We could use my trailer!" Look sometimes you just have to have fun and not think too much about the story.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3131s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* As Prime's face is uniquely inexpressive, DWJ had to get creative to show his emotions to the reader, relying a lot on the character's eyes. Additionally, he tries to channel Prime's feelings through Spike.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Optimus is a character that does not emote—less so than even the rest of the cast, because of the face shield, because so much of his face is taken up, and he's really only got those eyes to work with. And I found that I was needing a way to channel Optimus through something, and I'm kind of trying to channel that through Spike, if you can't tell. I have a tendency to not be subtle, so... in life and in comics.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3516s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> When Spike sees Prime kneeling over Bumblebee's body, it seems that he recognises the grief this alien robot is experiencing.
* Amongst the many creative sound effects in this sequence, we have highlights like "GRAPPLE" and "ROLL" accompanying the action. Clicks and buzzes fill the air together with the floating components as the Transformers are reassembled.
* DWJ contrived the situation where Spike and Carly need to push Prime's gun into his reach as a way of giving the human characters agency during the action sequence.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sliding the gun! Super fun! I rewrote this scene a few times because the humans were just sitting, screaming, you know? Spike and Carly like, "Oh my god, what's happening!?" behind some rocks, and I was like, "They need to have some agency, they need to get involved somehow." And so that is why I had them push the gun, and it forces action, it just forces movement in a story, it gives Spike personality and like bravery, and I'm very happy with this moment. It's very hard to not just write fight scenes where it's just like fight fight fight fight fight, and finding new ways to tie everybody together, and I wish I had more time to do this but of course we work in genre fiction where there are deadlines, and sometimes that can't happen, but I was glad that I was able to figure this one out.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=3543s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> The "SKRKK" sound effect of the gun scraping along the floor is drawn to follow the lines of action.
* When Prime gives the order to "Transform and roll out!", the ''entire comic'' shifts to a landscape orientation, requiring you to physically turn the comic in your hands. This is awesome.
* Ratchet's updated alternate mode came simply from a dissatisfaction with his classic Nissan look.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Any reason you went with a more modern style van, a Ford Transit rather than the traditional Nissan Vanette for Ratchet? You know what, I just didn't like the way the Nissan looked, so I just, I really wanted something different. I just wanted something different, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=2966s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* DWJ was keen to develop the Decepticons beyond their classic cartoonishly-evil characterisation, with a key example in this issue being Soundwave's clear concern for the injured Ravage.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's all about this, baby. It's all about trying to give some... you know... something other than... "The Decepticons are all evil, raah!" Like, Soundwave is a bad dude—but man, he loves his tapes, and one of these tapes is hurting bad and he's feeling real bad about it.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4410s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* For Davey's gruesome death at the hand of Starscream, Hasbro requested it occur off-panel. The beat was intended to clearly set the stakes of the comic without being egregiously gory,<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hasbro asked for Davey to be killed offscreen, which I was totally fine with. Did want to get kind of messy with it, though, because I did want to kind of make a little bit of a statement. You know, it's a book that your kids can read, but you know, not everybody's going to make it, so.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0&t=4593s|name=Daniel Warren Johnson|site=YouTube|title=TRANSFORMERS Issue 1 DIRECTOR'S COMMENTARY|year=2023|month=10|day=06}}</ref> and seems to mark a major turning point for Sparky.

===Errors===
* Bumblebee's body is seen near Optimus Prime’s trailer, despite him being across the ship near Teletraan One when Starscream blew his head open.
* When Starscream is forced to break off his pursuit of the Autobots, his speech balloon is pointing to Skywarp.

===Other trivia===
* Prior to its official release, an ashcan copy of this issue was available exclusively at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2023. The ashcan had certain pages taken out to prevent spoilers, as well as featuring concept art and designs for various characters.
* In early solicitations for this issue, the cover had an original logo with blue text broken over two lines;<ref>[https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/AUG230407 ''Transformers'' #1 CVR A JOHNSON on PREVIEWSworld]</ref> the final cover uses the standard modern logo, leaving some unsightly negative space above Prime's head. This was changed at the request of Hasbro.
* This issue sold out at the distributor level before it was even officially released, prompting Skybound to announce a second printing the day before it hit retailer shelves.
* ''Transformers'' #1 was the best-selling comic issue of 2023, according to ICv2 industry sales estimates.<ref>[https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/56290/top-50-comics-full-year-2023 ICv2: Top 50 Comics - Full Year 2023]</ref>

===Roll Call===
* After being reactivated by Jetfire, Teletraan-1 in short order reactivates Starscream, Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Skywarp, Soundwave, and Ravage. Starscream almost immediately after coming online executes Bumblebee, taking the little guy out before he could even be part of the action.
* During the subsequent battle, Prime shoots Ravage, knocking him offline. Soundwave's desire to revive him becomes a recurring plot point in subsequent issues.
* After helping the Autobots escape, Jetfire succumbs to the wound inflicted on him by Starscream. [[Transformers_(2023)_issue_8|Issue 8]] reveals that he was able to be partially saved, albeit not in a means that he probably wanted...
* '''Autobots:''' 2. '''Decepticons:''' 3.

===Covers===
With over 50 to choose from, ''Transformers'' #1 features more variant covers than any other single ''Transformers'' comic issue ''by a long shot''.
{{comicstub|50/75 covers documented}}
* '''Cover A:''' Optimus Prime emerges from an explosion, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover B:''' The Autobots, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover C:''' The Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''Cover D:''' Optimus Prime destroys Starscream, by [[Ryan Ottley]] and [[Annalisa Leoni]].
* '''Cover E (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Connecting cover, by [[Orlando Arocena]].
* '''Cover F (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus leaps on Starscream to save Carly's van as Laserbeak and Ravage attack, by [[Cliff Chiang]].
* '''Cover G (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Optimus Prime, by [[Francis Manapul]].
* '''Cover H (1:100 Copy Incentive Foil):''' Starscream holds Bumblebee’s head, by [[Ian Bertram]] and [[Gus Storms]].
* '''Cover I:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover A:''' Spike atop Optimus Prime, by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer.
* '''San Diego Comic-Con Ashcan cover B:''' Black-and-white version, only available at Skybound's Energon Universe convention panel.
* '''Big Clutch/[[eBay]] exclusive:''' Foil variant of main cover A. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive A:''' Wraparound variant of Optimus Prime playing basketball against the Decepticons, by Daniel Warren Johnson & Mike Spicer. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Felix Comic Art exclusive B:''' Black-and-white virgin variant. Limited to 500 copies.
* '''Stadium Comics exclusive:''' by [[Santa Fung]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive A:''' by [[Von Randal]] and [[Alex Guimarães]]. Limited to 800 copies.
* '''Comic Grail Vault exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''Alan Quah exclusive:''' by [[Alan Quah]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Hector Trunnec New York Comic Con exclusive:''' by [[Hector Trunnec]]. Limited to 400 copies.
* '''East Side Comics exclusive:''' by [[DarlsDraws]]. Limited to 300 copies.
* '''Whatnot exclusive A:''' by [[Siya Oum]].
* '''Whatnot exclusive B:''' Foil variant.
* '''TransMissions Podcast exclusive:''' by [[E. J. Su]].
* '''MFKiG exclusive:''' by [[Ainsworth Lin]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
* '''Forbidden Planet exclusive A:''' by [[Flaviano]]. Limited to 1,000 copies.
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* '''Carnivore Comics exclusive C:''' Foil variant. Limited to 1,000 copies, exclusively at New York Comic Con 2023.
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* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' Optimus Prime, by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' Starscream, by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' The 'Bots, by [[Lewis LaRosa]] and [[Rico Renzi]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover D:''' The 'Cons, by Lewis LaRosa and Rico Renzi.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover E:''' Bumblebee's fate, by [[Greg Tocchini]].
* '''Third Printing Variant Cover:''' by [[Gerald Parel]].
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<gallery>
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===Advertisements===
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===Reprints===
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** Collects issues #1–6.
** Trade paperback format.

* '''''Transformers Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' ([[May 8]], [[2024]]) 
** Variant cover version of the above trade paperback, exclusively sold through the comic book direct market.

<gallery>
File:Transformers 2023 V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise''''' – cover art by [[Daniel Warren Johnson]] and [[Mike Spicer]]
File:Transformers 2023 V1 DM Variant.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Robots in Disguise'' Direct Market Exclusive''' – cover art by [[Jonboy Meyers]]
</gallery>

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joUZgObXmU0 Director's commentary by Daniel Warren Johnson]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Transformers (2023) issues]]

Starscream (G1)

2024-09-02T12:05:32Z

Pointblank:

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|predacon|cobra|unicron|senator|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Starscream}}{{suite}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Starscreamg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Let me guess. You're gonna attempt to overthrow Megatron, fail, cry, then repeat the cycle.]]
'''Starscream''' is the treacherous Decepticon [[Air Commander]] and the deadliest of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. The self-proclaimed pride of the [[Cybertron War Academy]], he's famous not only for his incredible skill, but also for his limitless (and troublesome) ambition. Starscream believes that he is more suited for command than [[Decepticon leader]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], his motive depending on the universe, from simply wanting the title to stroke his ego to having genuine concerns with how Megatron is running things. Thankfully for Megatron, Starscream's mutinous, power-grabbing plots are almost always transparent, and he can never muster up enough patience to complete a grandiose power play. Even on the few times he has taken command of the Decepticons, he quickly loses control of a situation, but is too arrogant to realize when he's in over his head. He never learns from his mistakes, but then again, Megatron doesn't either, seeing as how he's never turned Starscream into [[Slag (slang)|slag]]. Despite his constant failures, Starscream believes it is only a matter of time before he prevails—his destiny is inevitable.

Starscream's never-give-up attitude extends even to the afterlife: unlike most Transformers, he has a mutant, indestructible [[spark]]. His life-force cannot be destroyed and can persist even without a body to contain it. However, there is no indication that Starscream (or anybody else) was aware of this fact prior to his destruction.

{{bigquote|''Why?'' That's what they ''all'' asked me. Why him... why ''Starscream''? Why, of all the Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is ''legend''? Because I'm an ''idiot'', that's why!|Megatron on Starscream|"[[Total War!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[File:ClubCon flyme.jpg|left|thumb|Quickly! To the traitor-mobile!]]
{{Main|Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
Formally the political figurehead of the city-state of [[Vos (polity)|Vos]], Starscream sat ill in his position in the Decepticon ranks, but never posed a real threat to [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in their early days, delivering only the occasional snipe or criticism that the Decepticon leader would be quick to put down with a show of force. Deactivated following a battle with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Starscream spent several years in stasis, but once reactivated, he quickly ingratiated himself with the new Decepticon leader [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and through information gained from him was able to obtain the cosmic power of the [[Underbase]]. After going on a legendary rampage across Earth and slaying dozens of Transformers, Starscream himself was destroyed by the Underbase's unstoppable energies, but his corpse was recovered and brought back to life by Megatron as a mindless [[Pretender]]. Regaining his faculties thanks to [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]'s sabotage, Starscream joined [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticon cell on Earth, but his new powers led him to be feared and hated by his fellow Decepticons, even more than usual, and he proceeded to break away and help [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] start a [[Decepticon Civil War]]. Teleported to Cybertron to face the threat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], Starscream fled the planet aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and was knocked offline again when it crashed to [[Earth]] for a second time. Years later, Megatron defied common sense by once more reactivating him to join in his attempt to retake command of the Decepticons, and unsurprisingly, Starscream betrayed Megatron to [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] in order to briefly gain control of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. The scamp!
{{--}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:Tud3 starscream smirkiest.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"So if I beat [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|you]], will I become the chief Decepticon?"
"More people have said that and were sent offline than there are Energon decay products."]]
{{main|Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
{{quote|He never knows when to quit.|Dead End|"[[Starscream's Brigade]]"}}

A former scientist who joined the Decepticons with gusto after the loss of his friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], Starscream quickly decided that [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership was old and outdated, and that he was the one who should be in charge. Cue nine million years of backstabbing, treachery, cowardice, coups and general disobedience, which continued when the war moved from Cybertron to Earth. In fact, it was Starscream's refusal to listen to Megatron that kept the war going, when a petty parting blast that he delivered to the Autobot's crashed starship jostled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] into the path of [[Teletraan I]]'s restoration beam. Starscream's scheming was a constant throughout the Earth conflict, and it culminated in his expulsion from the Decepticon ranks, following which he created the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to serve as his personal army, only to have them turn on him, forcing him to rejoin Megatron's ranks.

Even in death, Starscream was unstoppable. Following Megatron's climactic battle with Optimus Prime in [[2005]], Starscream set his commander's battered body adrift in space and promptly appointed himself the new Decepticon leader. In the midst of a grandiose coronation ceremony, however, Megatron returned, recreated as [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] by the power of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], and promptly blasted Starscream to ashes. Surprisingly, Starscream's lifeforce persisted as a [[ghost]], which continued to bedevil the Transformers, even across the gulf of time.
{{--}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Catching the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] flying on route from the Antarctic towards the Autobots’ headquarters, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticon superjets attacked them in mid-air. After damaging [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons broke off their attack. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}}

Starscream and the other Decepticon jets took part in a series of hit-and-run attacks on Autobot superjet forces around the Pacific Rim to draw attention away from their operations on the island of [[Buru]]. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Deadly Paradise===
[[File:DeadlyParadise Windcharger kills Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sy-Yjk-jtg YOU. SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP!!]"]]
Starscream was stationed on [[Carob Island]], where the Decepticons had set up a mining and construction operation. Using a rare ore from the island, the Decepticons were building duplicate Autobots loyal only to Megatron. When a squad of captured Autobots escaped from their force cages, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and Starscream attempted to subdue them. Starscream was killed when [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] used his magnetic powers to pulverize Starscream's head into scrap. {{storylink|Deadly Paradise}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Starscream participated in a Decepticon assault on the Autobots, only to be once more beaten back. Under Megatron's orders, the Decepticons then lay low for several days, lulling the Autobots into a false sense of security. The Decepticons then stole the entirety of the Autobots’ fuel supply and attacked them once more. But Optimus, having anticipated a trick on the Decepticons’ part, arrived at the battlefield with a new supply of fuel for his troops. After sustaining too much damage, the Decepticons were forced to retreat once again. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons}}

Starscream attacked an Autobot construction site that Optimus and his troops were using to fix up a spaceship. {{storylink|Return to Cybertron}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
Starscream was one of Megatron's most vicious fighters. He was involved in Megatron's scheme to take over the Earth by holding millions of humans hostage. When Megatron feigned a friendly demeanor after the Autobots had invaded the Decepticon base, Starscream stood by his leader's side. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Starscream loved to follow Megatron's orders. (!) {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}} Megatron considered Starscream to be one of his "secret weapons" alongside Thundercracker. Starscream was in attendance at the Decepticons' latest meeting in their war room. There, Megatron explained his latest scheme; by salvaging sunken treasure in the waters near Alaska, the Decepticons would finance factories that would build a Decepticon army. Starscream and Thundercracker maintained a high altitude above the other Decepticons as they retrieved the treasure. Megatron called upon them when a squad of Autobots attempted to ambush the Decepticons. The Decepticons were ultimately defeated when one of Rumble's earthquakes backfired, and swallowed up all of the Decepticons (yes, even the flying ones...) {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}}

After Megatron has constructed his own prison for the Autobots, Starscream and the other Decepticons were tasked with rounding their enemies up. He and Thundercracker employed [[Sleep Net]]s to capture Bluestreak and Sideswipe. As the Decepticons incarcerated the Autobots, Starscream expressed concerned that they had missed one; Bumblebee was nowhere to be found. Megatron dismissed Starscream's concerns, stating that Bumblebee was too small to cause any trouble. Then Bumblebee tricked all of the Decepticons in leaving the prison unattended, and freed his comrades. Starscream and Thundercracker were shot out of the sky by Sideswipe and Bluestreak upon the Autobots' escape. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}

Megatron ordered Starscream to patrol "every inch of the Earth" in order to find a factory suitable for constructing a Decepticon army. Starscream wound up in orbit, and found no factories, only a few communication satellites. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp then happened upon an "Autobot Factory," and began attacking it. After repeatedly bombing the factory yielded no results, an enraged Megatron led his troops to tare the factory down with their bare hands. As it turns out, the factory had been a hologram all along, and the Decepticons barely avoided tumbling down the hole it concealed when Ravage attacked Mirage, who was projecting the illusion. The Decepticons then battled the Autobots, and Starscream was caught in Huffer's crushing grip. He surrendered to the Autobot immediately. {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}}

Decepticons was one of the many Decepticons who attempted to harm Buster and Sparkplug Witwicky, only to be repelled by the Autobots when the Decepticons began running low on fuel. He later joined his fellow Decepticons on their attack on the Hoover Dam. They were repelled once more by the heroic robots. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

Upon spotting a convoy of Autobots moving towards the Decepticons stronghold, Starscream and two other seekers mobilized themselves and attacked them. Huffer attempted to attack Starscream, but the Decepticon air commander was too fast for the land-bound Autobot... That is, until Windcharger stepped in and used his magnetic powers to pull Starscream within easy reach. Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons were forced to abandon their stronghold when the Autobots used their own [[Molecular transfer device]] against them, draining the Decepticons of their fuel in the process. {{storylink|Summertime Coloring Book}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}}}}

The urge to build a Decepticon factory came upon Megatron once more, and he ordered Starscream to clear a forest of its "stupid trees" to make room for one. Coincidently, the Autobots were vacationing in that very same forest, and confronted the Decepticons on their deforestation. Starscream took to the air to better fight against the Autobots, but was driven away by Optimus's Combat Deck. {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission}} {{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}}}

Starscream joined Galvatron in a mission to steal oil from [[Oil Valley]]. Once they were in the oil drilling area however, Soundwave informed them that he had detected Autobot activity nearby. Hoping to take their enemies by surprise, Starscream and Dirge took to the air. Starscream and Dirge then encountered the Dinobots and fought against them. Starscream was taken out of the fight when Grimlock grabbed him out of the sky. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Starscream fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
Starscream was part of the ambush party that boarded the Ark during the Cretaceous period, which led to Optimus Prime crashing his ship in a volcano and shutting everyone on board offline. When the Decepticons reawakened, they attempted to destroy the Ark, only for its automatic defences to deflect their firepower. The Decepticons then raided a nearby nuclear power to gain the additional power necessary to destroy the Autobots. When the Decepticons returned only to find the Ark deserted, Megatron became suspicious and split his troops into two attack squads. Starscream was part of the second squad, which attacked the Autobots after the first. Starscream delivered the most damage on the Decepticons’ side, short-circuiting Optimus with his null-rays. With the Decepticons running low on fuel once more, they were forced to retreat, vowing that the battle had just begun {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

[[File:DecepticonsCarShow.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I have no idea what colors I am!]]
Starscream and his fellow Seekers performed a threatening flyby over the Autobots' headquarters in order to distract the heroic robots while the other Decepticons stole a tanker of [[oil]] that would give them the power to rule the world. Thanks to [[Shooting Star]], the Autobots got wise to the Decepticons' tactics and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] blew up the villains by dropping missiles on them. Starscream arrived on the scene to spitefully blow up the [[oil tanker]] so that no one could have it, then he and his fellow airborne Decepticons carried off the remains of their fallen comrades. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

Starscream was part of the battle that resulted when the Autobots came to rescue the mind-controlled [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] from the Decepticons' clutches. When Grapple was freed from the effects of the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling him, he kicked Megatron over on top of Starscream and Skywarp, winning the day. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

At some point in the future, when Galvatron had taken leadership of the Decepticons, Starscream suggested to his leader that he create a city of his own to gather energy, as the Autobots did with their Autobot City. Galvatron decided to go about it in the most circular way possible, by stealing a robot car on display at a car show that night and duplicating its circuitry to create an army of drones to build said city. While investigating the Decepticons' presence at the show, Kup was captured by Starscream. When the Autobots arrived in response, Starscream threatened Kup's life to stay their hands, but luckily, Hot Rod soon saved Kup, and the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Car Show Blow Up}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:Starscream ladybird books.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Toy-accurate art makes Starscream ANGRY!]]
A brash and aggressive character, Starscream was constantly running up against the older, smarter Megatron. He once convinced Rumble to help him attack and destroy an Autobot tower (believed to be for communications) against Megatron's orders. In the process, he caused Megatron and the other Decepticons to come get him back. (They arrived ''just'' as he was slagging off Megatron.) Since that tower was actually used for channeling lightning storms into power, the entire Decepticon team was viciously injured by an electric surge due to his disobedience. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

Starscream later tried to overthrow Megatron when the commander was off on a mission and requested the other Decepticons rendezvous with him. Starscream's act of rebellion was to blow up the building he thought Megatron was in and declare himself leader. Megatron turned out to be standing behind him, and he gave Starscream a valuable lesson on leadership (i.e., told him how dumb that was whilst punching him). {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}}

Starscream grew frustrated with Megatron constantly testing out new technology instead of implementing it. He complained that if the Decepticons were under his command, they would have already completed the construction of their ship and be on their way back to Cybertron. His argument with Megatron was interrupted when it was discovered that Bumblebee was spying on them. Some time later, Starscream was one of the Decepticons assembling their ion drive when their assembly lab was discovered by the Autobots once more. Starscream was knocked away when Jazz pushed a train cart through the construction site. {{storylink|Autobots Fight Back}}

When Megatron was bemoaning the fact that time and again the Autobots had foiled his plans, Starscream pointed out to him that every enemy had a weak spot that could be exploited. Megatron agreed, and posited that the Autobots' human friend was their weakness. Starscream volunteered to exterminate the fleshling, but Megatron tasked Laserbeak with studying mankind instead. Starscream laughed at his leader's decision, declaring that Megatron had grown soft in his old age. Megatron assured his subordinate that he was old because he was ''hard''. During his investigation, Laserbeak was disabled by flying headlong into electrical cables, baffling Starscream over how the humans could have built such a devastating "zero magnetism energy mechanism." He, Soundwave and Megatron headed out to rescue Laserbeak, now "captive" in his cassette form to a human child. Laserbeak escaped on his own and rejoined his teammates, with an angry mob on his trail. Starscream was gung-ho to slaughter the humans en masse, but Megatron had him stay his hand once again. The Decepticons were soon distracted by the Autobots, and due to a series of misunderstandings, came to believe that a windmill was some sort of advanced weapon. They destroyed the windmill, but were buried in its rubble as it collapsed. {{storylink|Laserbeak's Fury}}

When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] time-travelled to the 20th Century and took command, Starscream served under him. He'd learnt his lesson since the early days, not trying to overthrow his commander ''once''. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}
{{--}}

===The Special Teams===
Starscream was equipped with an [[Electronic Pulse Gun]]. Starscream participated in a battle against the Autobots in the [[Burma ruby mines]], where he was able to squirrel away a stash of Energon cubes during the confusion.

The Decepticons' war efforts on Earth suffered greatly due to Starscream's self-interest and childish behaviour, despite Megatron's frequent reprimands. He once attempted to assassinate Megatron, but was met with failure. Starscream was sent by Megatron to fetch the Stunticons from Cybertron in order to counter the Aerialbots, but failed to report back after accomplishing his task. While the Stunticons had rejoined the main Decepticon forces, Starscream had taken off towards the Pacific. There, he mulled over his failure to take over the Decepticons. Starscream landed on a remote Pacific island, only to discover several military vehicles in the island's forest. Using his stash of Energon cubes, he transformed these military vehicles into the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Now ready to implement his latest coup, Starscream came into communication with Megatron, who ordered him to rendez-vous near a human power plant, as the Decepticons were preparing to raid it. Starscream did not meet with Megatron, but instead sent in the Combaticons ahead of himself. As they merged into Bruticus to take on the Autobots gestalts guarding the place, Starscream watched from afar. He ordered Bruticus to concentrate on Defensor, only for the Decepticon gestalt to be subsequently defeated by his opponent. Starscream then began bombarding Defensor with his artillery. The Aerialbots then separated to give chase after Starscream while Defensor took over the fight against Menasor. Outnumbered, Starscream took off. {{storylink|The Special Teams}}

===Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Starscream was annoyed when Megatron called off the attack on the Autobots which he was leading, and instead instructed him to scout out Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]]'s solar plant. So annoyed was Starscream, that when he got to the plant and saw the Autobots there, he attacked them anyway. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] wounded him before an enraged Megatron ordered him to call off the attack, and Starscream and his fellow seekers retired to a location a mile away. Megatron told him off for endangering the solar plant and ordered him to stay there while the other Decepticons went to secure the plant. Partway through the battle, Starscream pointed out to Megatron that the reactor had become too damaged to use, and he should probably retreat. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)}}

===Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Megatron worked out a plan to abduct human air travelers by disguising the jets as commercial airliners. Starscream requested he lead the mission to [[Phoenix International]], and was duly welded into a fake airliner body. When he, Skywarp and Bombshell reached the airport, they found it completely empty, so they headed for the warehouse where the previously obtained hostages were being held, only to find that there was an Autobot welcoming committee waiting for them. Starscream soon discovered that he was welded too securely into the fake airliner body and was unable to transform or use his weapons. The Decepticon squad was forced to retreat. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
{{quote|You are a born leader, Starscream; Not only handsome, but clever.|Starscream|[[Espionage!!!!!]]}}
Starscream was one of the group of Decepticons who followed the Autobots to [[South America]], and undermined Megatron's leadership whenever possible. The Decepticons attempted to attack the Autobots as the latter were examining [[Mount Sheelah]], only for the volcano to erupt, trapping them with lava. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} Starscream took part in the kidnapping on [[human]]s for use as slave labor. When [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] stole the Decepticons' [[global crystal]], Starscream pursued him, but failed to locate the Autobot, and the Decepticons were forced to release their slaves. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}} Flying over the [[Scranner Mountain Range]], Starscream's patrol spotted [[Stanley Lake]] dam, prompting the Decepticons to take it over. Their invasion was again foiled by the Autobots who used the power of the dam against them. {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}}

During a meeting of the high-ranked Decepticons, Starscream volunteered to infiltrate the Autobots as a spy. His story about Megatron having a list of Decepticons to bump off after victory was achieved appeared to work, and Starscream was accepted into the Autobot ranks. They even showed him the [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System]] they'd developed, which would be hidden on [[Mount Levram]]. After Starscream reported back to the Decepticons by radio, he found himself being placed under the guard—the Autobots hadn't been taken in at all, and when the Decepticons all went to level Mount Levram, the Autobots destroyed their base. Starscream was let go afterwards, but faced a difficult time explaining how he'd been duped. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Peril from the Stars===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Bombshell starscream uncle jack aunt sue peril from the stars.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
Behind the backs of the other Decepticons, Starscream recruited [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to help him capture the [[Los Palmos observatory]] and its staff [[Jack Richards|Jack]] and [[Sue Richards]] in order to track a weapons pod that had been launched from Cybertron. These weapons woud allow Starscream to defeat the other Transformers and conquer the Earth. It was only thanks to the intervention of the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (with [[you]]r help) that his plans for global domination were thwarted. {{storylink|Peril from the Stars}}

{{note|As "Peril from the Stars" is a [[multipath adventure]], Starscream's plans are not necessarily thwarted. If you choose the wrong path through the book you and Jazz could end up being killed by Bombshell, and Starscream presumably then goes on to conquer the world.}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
Starscream was one of many Decepticons at a somewhat premature victory bonfire celebration atop [[Mount Lomas]] after four of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s had joined their forces, courtesy of Bombshells [[cerebro-shell]]s, and ''reportedly'' crippled the Autobot ranks, assuring the success of Operation Black Coral. Suddenly, their new recruits turned against them, prompting Starscream to fire his laser at [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], which merely bounced the beam straight back and melted his gun. The Autobots emerged victorious that evening, though Starscream's fate is unclear.

Apparently he should have used his cluster-bombs instead, since an alternate path in that same micro-continuity nexus led him to blow [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] to smithereens with just one of them, ensuring Operation Black Coral's success. That's more impressive than it sounds, since Seaspray was a huge destroyer with at least two passengers at the time. Seriously, he was! {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

====Battle Drive====
[[File:BattledriveBumblebeevsBlitzwingStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Ahh! Where did my color go?!]]
Starscream and Blitzwing had been instructed by Megatron to wreak havoc and destroy the humans' wheat and corn farmland. They were meant to let the Autobots overhear that the Decepticons were planning to force the humans into starvation if they did not become Decepticon slaves, their true plan was a much more practical one. The two jets were to lure the Autobots into the open country, where they would have no cover against the flying Decepticons, and thus would be easy pickings.

In one possible sequence of events, Bumblebee happened upon the duo, and was able to take out Blitzwing with a sucker punch. Not having seen Blitzwing being taken out when it happened, Starscream panicked and pleaded for reinforcements over the radio, only to have his bravado returned to him when spotting the lone little Autobot. Laughing at his foe, Starscream dropped a barrage of [[cluster bomb]]s onto Bumblebee before nearly downed himself when the Autobot flung a bail of hay into one of Starscream's engines. At that moment, Starscream's reinforcements arrived in the form of Bombshell, and Bumblebee was forced to retreat.

If Bumblebee attempted to escape through the burning cornfield nearby, Starscream manages to stun him with his null rays, leaving the little Autobot to his mercies.

If Bumblebee fled back to a nearby town, the Autobot would manage to evade Starscream and Bombshell by ducking into a smokescreen emanating from a nearby burning field. Starscream wasn't able to spot Bumblebee hiding in the used-car parking lot nearby, but nonetheless transformed to [[robot mode]] and loudly had a conversation over his radio with Megatron, discussing their "plan" to force the humans into slavery or starvation. His ruse worked, as Bumblebee was within earshot.

In the event that the Autobots never showed up to stop the Decepticons, Starscream continued to burn acres of farmland.

If events unfolded a certain way, the Decepticons would learn that Sparkplug had discovered a fatal flaw in Decepticon circuitry, and Starscream would join the bulk of the Decepticon forces in hunting down the human to a cave in the mountains. At this point, Swoop was able to sneak up on the Decepticons while they were focused on the cave's entrance, and the Dinobot blasted Starscream out of the sky, and sent him crashing into the side of a mountain. Starscream survived the impact and remained with the Decepticon squadron. In one possible turn of events, Optimus and the Autobot cavalry arrived on-scene and forced the Decepticons to flee.

In a completely different possible series of events, Starscream was amongst a vast army of Decepticons that attacked Optimus's small squadron of Autobots, who had been lured into open farmland by Megatron's ploy.

In the event that Optimus separated from his squadron to provide cover fire, Starscream was one of the ten Decepticons who ganged up on the Autobot leader. If Jazz returned to rescue his commanding officer, Starscream was blasted away by a shot of Optimus's [[laser rifle]]. The Autobots managed to get away in the end however.

In many other versions of these events, Starscream was presumably amongst the immense Decepticon forces who managed to destroy the Autobots without much fanfare. {{storylink|Battle Drive}}
{{-}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonsattackStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
When Kickback spied Autobot activities in an underground cave and came to know of the Sun-Pak, an energy device created by the Autobots' human ally Sparkplug, he opened communications with Decepticon headquarters to inform Megatron of his findings, only to be answered by Starscream. Convincing the Insecticon to relay his findings to him, Starscream saw the Sun-Pak as an opportunity to take control of the Decepticons from Megatron. Leading a squadron of Decepticons to Kickback's location, Starscream began attacking the Autobots, demanding their surrender lest he and his Decepticons bury the Autobots underneath the crumbling cave's rubble. He was met with different fates depending on how Optimus Prime responded to his threats.

In the event that the Autobots decided to stand their ground and fight, Optimus noted Starscream's difficulty in flying in the small underground cave. This in turn would open two possibilities for the Autobot leader; order his Autobots to concentrate their firepower on Starscream or continue fighting all of the Decepticons Starscream brought into the fray equally.

If Starscream suddenly found himself the sole target of the Autobots' weapons, the Decepticon began to panic, and became unable to relay orders to the troops under his command. Under constant fire, Starscreams began to beg for mercy from his opponents.

If Optimus accepted Starscream's surrender, this only led to Starscream dying at Thundercracker's hand, as Thundercracker derided Starscream for his cowardice, and blasted him to death. If, however, Optimus continued to attack Starscream despite his pleas, Starscream owed his survival to Thundercracker's action, as a sonic boom from his subordinate allowed Starscream the opening to kidnap Sparkplug, and order a retreat from his Decepticons, all the while gloating that he would take control of the Decepticons for himself. Hiding out in a plane museum while in his [[alternate mode]], Starscream awaited the cover of night to attempt coercing Sparkplug into building a Sun-Pak for the Decepticons. Calling on Bombshell, Starscream informed the human that he would build the energy device either of his own volition, or thanks to the mind-controlling abilities of Bombshell's Cerebro-Shells.

In the event that Blaster and Buster, who had tracked down Starscream unbeknownst to him, had traded to Megatron an audio-clip of Starscream's gloats, revealing Starscream's plan to overthrow his leader, Megatron arrived on scene and berated the seeker for his clandestine activities. Starscream attempts to lie his way out of the situation, explaining that he only ever planned to use the Sun-Pak to benefit Megatron himself. Bombshell does not corroborate Starscream's story, leaving Megatron to give Starscream an ultimatum; either face the full force of the Decepticon army by himself, or return to Decepticon headquarters for reprogramming. Starscream chooses the later.

If Blaster and Buster did not complete an agreement with Megatron, the Decepticon leader arrives on-scene nonetheless, but allows Starscream to go through with his plan of mind-controlling Sparkplug. All of his machinations are for nought, however, as the Cerebro-Shell inadvertently damages Sparkplug's memory, making it impossible for him to produce the device for the Decepticons.

If Buster, Blaster and Bumblebee formulate a plan together to snatch Sparkplug from the Decepticons' clutches, it is Starscream himself who falls prey to the Cerebro-Shell. Hit by Blaster's Electro-Scrambler, Bombshell misses his mark, and Starscream becomes a mentally malleable moron. Convinced by Blaster that the Autobots are his masters, Starscream releases his captive, and allows the humans and Autobots to escape while an infuriated Bombshell attempts to convince Starscream of his true allegiance. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====Earthquake====
[[File:EarthquakeCosmosspies.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
True to form, Starscream schemed to overthrow Megatron in the middle of the Decepticon leader's latest attempt at destroying the human race. This time around, he had convinced Soundwave to join in his insurrection, promising that the two of them would lead the Decepticons jointly. Unbeknownst to Starscream, the Autobot Cosmos was spying upon them, and learned all about Starscream's plot.

In the event that Cosmos relayed this information to Megatron, the Decepticon leader became enraged and confronted the pair. The Decepticons subsequently began fighting amongst themselves, leaving the Autobots to their own devices.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, Megatron, Starscream, Thrust and Dirge captured Beachcomber and Buster as the pair were frantically searching the Decepticons’ base for the captured human Jessie. The prisoners were then taken to Megatron's lab so that the Decepticon leader could torture the pair by showing them the destruction of Center City via a view screen.

In another possible turn of events, where the human Jessie was brainwashed into being loyal to the Decepticons, Starscream had the honour of playing jailor to the heroic robots, after the girl had lured them into a trap. {{storylink|Earthquake (book)|Earthquake}}
{{--}}

====Decepticon Poison====
[[File:DecepticonPoisonMegatronFlying.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In one possible sequence of events, Starscream accompanied Megatron in order to take out the recently poisoned Autobots. They found themselves fighting against the now-cured Autobots, but gained the upper hand early in the fight nonetheless. They were nonetheless force into a retreat when Optimus led a second squad of Autobots into battle.

In another possible scenario, Megatron and his Decepticon squad were tricked into thinking that the Autobots were already dead, and strode into the Autobots’ base. The Decepticons lay down their weapons in order to carry out the Autobots’ "corpses," but were ambushed once they had disarmed themselves. Starscream and the others were then quickly defeated.

In another possible scenario, Starscream was led by Ramjet in a full-scale Decepticon assault. The Autobots, having miscalculated on how much antidote they had taken to cure themselves of the Decepticons’ poison, found themselves falling apart, leading to an easy victory for the Decepticons.

In yet another possible scenario, the Autobots managed to weaponize the tainted fuel, and ignited it before their base, catching Starscream in the toxic smoke that billowed out. Starscream then crashed close to the raging inferno bellow, and begun to melt into a putrid puddle of metal.

In completely different possible series of events, Ramjet and Starscream had the bad habit of loudly gloating about the Decepticons’ plan to enslave the human race, unawares that there might be Autobot spies lurking in the shadows nearby. He also took amusement in kicking around the mutated rats that scuttled about the Decepticons’ poison lab.

If the Autobots snuck up on the two Decepticons, Starscream and Ramjet were quickly overpowered and forced to watch as the Autobots destroyed the lab. Optimus then gloated to the pair, telling them that the Autobots would soon be back in full fighting force, before driving off.

In a possible later scenario, Starscream was one of the many Decepticons present at the water supply facility, about to poison it when the Autobots arrived on-scene. In one possible scenario that followed, he was shot down by the Autobots, creating his own grave in the charred earth bellow. {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}

====Autobot Alert!====
Starscream took part in a Decepticon mission to take over Earth's communication satellites. He was aboard Astrotrain when the Decepticon shuttle was performing an ammunitions delivery to the Decepticons’ ship out in Earth orbit.

If Bumblebee and Hot Rod had infiltrated Astrotrain, Starscream happened upon the pair, but was fooled by their disguises, as the two Autobots were garbed in Decepticon space gear. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
In one possible scenario, Starscream accompanied Galvatron on a patrol in a desert at night. Upon spotting a spaceship that flickered in-and-out of sight, the patrol investigated. Finding the Autobots Kup and Hot Rod conversing with a woman at the ship's landing site, Starscream and the others fired upon them, causing them to scramble away. Galvatron then ordered his troops to stay and scrutinize the spaceship instead of pursuing the Autobots.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, the Autobots were easily defeated and destroyed by the Starscream and the other Decepticons.

If Hot Rod and Kup silently followed the Decepticons back to their hide-out in a nearby canyon, they managed to tricked Starscream and the others into thinking that they were being ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots. Panicking, the Decepticons attempted to retaliate by firing in all directions. Amidst the confusion, Starscream took to the air to better assess the situation.

If Hot Rod attempted to attack Galvatron as this was happening, Starscream spotted the young Autobot, and dispatched him before he could reach his target.

If Hot Rod snuck down and successfully snatched the Invisibility Device from Shockwave, the Decepticons gave chase to the young Autobot. They were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon's walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks.

In an alternate scenario, Starscream and the other Decepticons decided to take off into space in [[Sarah Sanders]]'s ship after acquiring the Invisibility Device. Whether the Decepticons succeeded in mastering the Invisibility Device and subsequently destroyed the Autobots, or were destroyed or defeated themselves depended on what choices the Autobots made from this point on.

In another possible scenario, Starscream was part of a Decepticon assault on Metroplex. The Decepticons, having pilfered the secrets of Sarah Sanders's Invisibility Device though themselves guaranteed a victory. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots had in their possession an [[Invisibility Scrambler]], which they used to defeat the Decepticons. Starscream was taken prisoner in the aftermath of the battle.

In another possible scenario, Shockwave and the other Decepticons happened upon Sarah Sanders's ship before any Autobots had come in contact with her. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Starscream and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location. In whichever scenario that followed, the Autobots managed to steal the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons, either dazzling Starscream and the others with their headlights while Hot Rod took the device right out of their hands, or tricking him into leaving the spaceship behind while he pursued the young Autobot on a wild goose chase.

In one possible version of the events that followed, Hot Rod managed to shoot Starscream out of the sky. The injured Starscream was retrieved by a Decepticon hidden in a nearby secret base, who unwittingly revealed the location of the Decepticons’ stronghold, and caused it to fall to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}

===Beehive Books continuity===
Starscream, one of Megatron's most loyal Decepticons, was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. When Ultra Magnus was able to find his shuttle, which had been previously shot down by the Decepticons' defenses, Starscream squared off against the Autobot. Ultra Magnus's shuttle had been repaired by the Decepticons'automated robots, who had mistook it for one of their own. The advantage lay with either Starscream or Ultra Magnus depending on what changes the drones had implemented in the shuttle.
{{note|At this point in the book, the narrative is overtaken by a game of chance. The game determines which of the following outcomes plays out.}}
*Ultra Magnus managed to escape Starscream in his shuttle, ''or''
*Starscream managed to vaporize Magnus before the Autobot could escape in his shuttle, ''or
*Starscream managed to wing Ultra Magnus, forcing the Autobot to stop and blow Starscream out of the sky before proceeding in his shuttle, ''or''
*Unable to take off in the reprogrammed shuttle, Ultra Magnus was forced to stay and fight Starscream, who vaporized the Autobot, ''or''
*Unable to take off in the reprogrammed shuttle, Ultra Magnus was forced to fight his way out and blew Starscream away.
{{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Power Struggle}}}}
Starscream was amongst a squad of Decepticons who attempted to get to the power source within [[Sherman Dam|Boulder Dam]]. While Megatron dueled Optimus, Starscream joined Ravage, Buzzsaw and Soundwave in an attack formation. There might have been two of him... But no number of Starscreams was enough, and the Decepticons were ultimately unsuccessful in gathering the data they were after. {{storylink|Battle in the Desert Valley}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Starscream and Devastator attacked some power-lines, only to be thwarted by Optimus Prime. Even after the Autobot leader had toppled Devastator by himself, Starscream tried to gun him down. He received a laser-blast to his nosecone for his efforts. Later, Starscream came across Grimlock, Slag, and Snarl while flying over a desert. He assumed his robot form to face Grimlock in one-on-one combat. {{storylink|Sweepstakes Offer!}}

===''PDTF Comic''===
[[File:Starscream pd type.jpg|left|upright=1.05|thumb|HaHA! I have caught the Golden Snitch!]]
As various [[Decepticon]]s from across the timestream joined forces to track down the all-powerful [[Black ball]]s, Starscream proved most effective at the hunt. Discovering a Black ball, he immediately carried it over to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] for some praise. Unfortunately, the "Black ball" turned out to be a cartoon bomb, which promptly exploded in their faces. From a distance, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] were astounded that their plan actually worked. Inside the smoking crater, a badly singed Megatron strangled Starscream, frustrated at his consistent failures. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##3 "Don't Cry! Megatron!!"|Don't Cry! Megatron!!}}

Later, Starscream uncovered another Black ball. For a moment he considered giving it to Megatron, but then decided that if he kept it for himself, he could use the power to seize command of the Decepticons. He then immediately became suspicious that the Black ball might be another bomb, but dismissed the suspicion just as quickly. Then it exploded. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##10 "Good Luck! Starscream!!"|Good Luck! Starscream!!}}

{{-}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
[[File:G2StarscreamPackageArt.jpg|thumb]]
Back on Cybertron, Starscream was the leader of the Decepticons' air forces. {{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Starscreams's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' profile}} After the Transformers arrived on Earth, the Decepticons and Autobots became locked in a stalemate that lasted many years.

While on patrol, Starscream crossed some Autobots in the [[Nevada]] desert. Eavesdropping, he learned that they had uncovered an ancient Cybertronian ship in [[Africa]], with a starmap within that pointed the way back to Cybertron. He then sped back to Decepticon headquarters to report his findings. Though he tried to embelish his tale, pausing dramatically at several points, Megatron and the others soon lost patience with Starscream, and forced him to blurt out what he had uncovered all at once. The Decepticons headed out immediately afterwards to seize the ship for themselves. Sending the Autobots into a retreat and capturing the ship proved surprisingly easy. Once inside the vessel, the Decepticons learned why; it was a trap! They were locked within with no control over the ship as it shot up blindly into space. Though the Autobots knew this wouldn't get rid of the Decepticons permanently, they were happy enough to have them out of their hair for a while. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

Megatron brought Starscream along to ambush Optimus and a couple of his soldiers while they were investigating Transformer power emissions in [[Brazil]]. Starscream had the honor of firing the first shot in the attack. After he had thrown Optimus off-balance, Megatron was able to knock out most of the Autobots with a single blast. But the two unidentified Transformers turned out to be the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], and once they were shocked out of their primitive animal instincts, they turned their weapons on the Decepticons. Starscream chose to flee along with the rest of his team rather than face the Dinobots' awesome power. {{storylink|The Dinobots!}}
{{--}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Doug Parker]] (English), [[Kazuki Yao]] (Japanese)|[[Michel Vigné]] (French), [[Diego Sabre]] (Italian), [[Alfonso Obregon]] (Latin American Spanish), [[José Padilla]] (Castilian Spanish)}}
[[File:Agenda3-Starscream.jpg|right|thumb|350px]]
After the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] crashed on [[Earth]], Starscream's body lay in [[stasis lock]] next to his [[Megatron (G1)|leader]], along with [[Soundwave (G1)|the other]] [[Skywarp (G1)|Decepticons]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Into the Great War, Starscream was killed by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] for being a traitor. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[File:Starscream ghost BW.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|EBENEZER SCROOGE...!]]
Little was known about Starscream among the [[Maximal]]s, as the [[Maximal Elder]]s had classified most of his information. At some point in time, Maximal scientists had attempted to duplicate Starscream's mutant indestructible spark effect, which led to the origin of the monstrous [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]]. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], a student of military history, was familiar with Starscream's record of deceit and betrayal. It is possible that Megatron was also aware of his history, as he ordered [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] to keep an eye on Starscream when he arrived on Earth.

Starscream's ghost traveled through time and space to the prehistoric Earth of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], where he possessed [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]'s body during an electrical storm. He ingratiated himself with Megatron, claiming that he had been destroyed by [[Unicron]] while protecting [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After leading a successful raid on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', he was left in command of the captured Maximal ship, along with Scorponok and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]—the latter having sufficiently impressed Starscream by seeing through his historical deception that he took her on as a "protégé". When the defeated Maximals surrendered to him, he took Dinobot and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] hostage and ordered the remaining Maximals to attack the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]''. Scorponok objected, but he was very forcefully overruled. Shortly after the attack began, the two captive Maximals broke out and drove the Predacons out of the ''Axalon''. Starscream fled, pursued by Primal, and abandoned Blackarachnia to her fate. After a spirited chase, Primal cornered Starscream at an [[energon]] deposit, paralyzing him. As he tried to bargain his way out of his predicament, his vengeful ex-partner Blackarachnia detonated the energon, blowing Waspinator to scrap and forcing Starscream's spark out of his body. Waspinator was restored back to normal by Megatron, and Blackarachnia explained her betrayal as an attempt to find Starscream's true motives, and at that point, Megatron pardoned her.

Adrift in space once more, Starscream's ghost screamed vengeance into the void. {{storylink|Possession}}

A gray model of Starscream's head was a part of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s personal belongings. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
[[File:TransmetalWaspinatorBWSourcebook.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
As [[Magmatron]] surveyed the timestream, he witnessed several key moments during the Beast Wars. Among those moments was Starscream possessing the body of Waspinator. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

After his defeat at the hands of the Maximals, Starscream's immortal spark wandered through space and time, until it found [[Primax 208.06 Zeta|an alternate timeline]] with another Waspinator to possess. Starscream was somehow able to influence Waspinator's metamorphosis, giving him a third fighter jet mode resembling Starscream's own old alternate form.

Although the two of them bickered over control of the body constantly, their two separate voices audible to whoever hears them argue, Waspinator secretly enjoyed the enhanced skills Starscream granted him. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook #4}} Afterward, Starscream's whereabouts were reportedly unknown. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Glossary}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
In actuality, having been armed with the knowledge of Optimus Primal's gambit, Starscream permanently fused himself into Waspinator's body and killed all the Maximals before staging a coup against Megatron. The [[Vok]] intervened by activating their [[Planet Buster]]; Blackarachnia managed to disarm it but the quantum surge [[Transmetal]]lized some of the combatants, and Waspinator's body gained a jet mode.

Now calling himself "Waspscream", his new crew recruited [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] and commandeered a shuttle from the Ark. Waspscream headed home to Cybertron, intending to take over the [[Tripredacus Council]]. Along for the ride were their prisoners: Megatron, his loyalists Inferno and Scorponok, and the independent agent [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]].

However, as in [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]], Megatron escaped in transit and arrived ahead of Waspscream's crew on Cybertron. He created a [[transformation virus]] to capture the sparks of Cybertron's populace and converted their sparkless bodies into [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s. When Waspscream's crew arrived, those with Transmetal forms managed to escape the virus and stay mobile. Waspscream and his surviving Predacons were drawn to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], who [[Reformatting|reformat]]ted them into [[technorganic]] bodies that were immune from the virus. Waspscream proceeded to wage a valiant [[Spark War]] against Megatron, liberating Silverbolt and prompting Megatron to unleash a new general: the former Autobot military genius [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]. Obsidian, however, conspired with Tankor to assassinate Megatron. Inferno thus defected to Waspscream's Predacons, desiring revenge against the usurper of his queen. Waspscream continued to fight against Obsidian and Tankor, who were waging an increasingly brutal campaign against the Predacons and other resistance groups on the planet. [[Unicron]] eventually intervened by scooping up all three Vehicon generals to serve him in the [[Cauldron]].

With their leaders gone, the remaining Vehicons proved easy to dispatch. In the relative peace that followed, Waspscream joined forces with fellow resistance leaders [[Rodimus Primal]], [[Magmatron]], and [[Icebird]] to create a new High Council, in the hopes of bringing peace to Cybertron. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/16}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{main|Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
While Starscream lay [[stasis lock]]ed in the Ark, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] broke in and implanted a fraction of the original Megatron's spark into the Air Commander, allowing the two Megatron's to control him. The Decepticon leader, whose spark had been implanted into Megatron, attempted to use Starscream to return to his own body, but was subdued in a battle of wills with beast Megatron. Starscream's services ultimately went unused until the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] ended, at which point the [[Maximal]]s were able to extract the spark fragment. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

When the Autobots deployed the [[Sky Spy]] to counteract a weather machine Megatron was using to unleash a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, Starscream blasted the Autobot device, rendering it inoperative. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:Starscreamwarwithin.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|Smirkier-than-thou.]]
''Hailing from the city of [[Centurion (polity)|Centurion]]'', {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}} Starscream was an explorer and a scientist with many friends from the future Autobots, such as Jetfire and Grimlock. Albeit he was a known bully and manipulator, nobody who knew him predicted the atrocities he would eventually come to commit. {{storylink|Starscream (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Titanium Series Starscream toy bio}}

At some point, Starscream became a competitor in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s underground gladiatorial matches, the breeding ground for what would eventually become the Decepticons. He enjoyed baiting his fellow combatant, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]; in fact, he was a master at it, once goading the big brute into using excessive force to pummel fellow combatant [[Maul]] in the arena, simply for a lark. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}}

When Optimus Prime was first inaugurated as leader of the Autobots and bestowed the Matrix of Leadership, he was bestowed visions of the many enemies he would one day face. Among the images he saw was Starscream's smirking faceplate. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} As Megatron planed out a major offensive against the newly appointed Prime, Starscream urged his leader to strike at the Autobots as they were readying to evacuate Cybertron, pointing out that they could eliminate all of their enemies in one fell swoop. Telling his subordinate to leave the thinking to him, Megatron assured Starscream that the Autobots wouldn't be going anywhere. Megatron then sent Starscream out, alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp, to take out several Autobot outposts in sector zero-six, a tactically significant area. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} During this mission, Starscream came across Grimlock, and decided to once more taunt his old friend, hoping to turn him to the Decepticons. He told Grimlock of his target, and gave him a choice: Grimlock could either forewarn the Autobots that they were coming, or join him and help pick off whatever stragglers would be left after the attack. Starscream's plan backfired as Grimlock remained with the Autobots, alerted the outposts about the Decepticons' attack, and left a massive bomb behind to blow up upon Starscream's arrival. Starscream's life was saved only by the fast action of Skywarp. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}}

With his mission failed, Starscream was quick to blame Megatron, and waxed on how his leader only sought to control him through exercises in pain. Skywarp rightly pointed out that Starscream was solely to blame for his own failure, and then left with Thundercracker, disgusted with Starscream's ineptitude. Returning to [[Kolkular]], Starscream learned that Megatron had dispatched an full-scale assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] in his absence, a "tactical no-no" in his opinion. Megatron revealed to Starscream that the attack was merely part of a diversion tactic, and that his true goal was to power up Cybertron's planetary engine, using the Matrix of Leadership as a battery. Starscream ridiculed Megatron over this, calling the Matrix a "ceremonial bauble," earning him a swift back-hand blow to the face. Megatron warned Starscream never to question him again, and then left to meet Optimus in Cybertron's underground. The two faction leaders met atop of a bridge, and Starscream took this opportunity to strike, destroying the bridge and sending both Optimus and Megatron plummeting down into the pit bellow the overpass. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}}

With Megatron lost deep within the bowels of Cybertron, Starscream assumed command of the attack on the Autobot stronghold from the control room in the [[Kolkular|Cradle]]. Shockwave was less than thrilled to be taking command from him however, and claimed he would... "review the situation" once he had completed the taking of Iacon. Dismissing Shockwave's threat, Starscream had [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] forcefully extract data from within [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to uncover the true extent of Megatron's plans. Uncovering information that would allow him to initiate the planet's mechaforming sub-structure, Starscream decided to activate it immediately to better allow him to "start fresh" with Cybertron. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} He instructed [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] to carry this procedure out, hoping Megatron would be crushed in the planet's transformation sequence. Scrapper warned him against rushing the process, but Starscream simply didn't care about the Constructicon's misgivings. He gave Scrapper an ultimatum: he had a choice between beginning the mechaforming process immediately, or be himself be "mechaformed" by Starscream's enforcer, Motormaster. A group of Autobots were then discovered spying on the scene, and a firefight began between them and the Decepticons present. At this time, deep inside Cybertron, Optimus and Megatron were being fed visions of the future by the Matrix. In one of these visions, they saw Starscream participating in an attack on a hydro-electric dam on Earth. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Meanwhile, in reality, Starscream continued to pressure Scrapper into activating Cybertron's engine, even as they came under heavy fire. Optimus, fresh from his victory against Megatron, soon joined the fight, and proceeded to beat down the bulk of the Decepticons stationed to guard the engines. With the odds turned against him, Starscream chose to flee, and the engines were destroyed after his departure. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

[[File:Predaconstww.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|My... people.]]
A few millennia later, after the apparent death of Megatron, Starscream created a splinter group of Decepticons called [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recruit many intellectuals to his faction, leaving him with the likes of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Octane]] to command. One of the group's attempt to secure a plenty of energon was foiled by the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], led by Grimlock, who managed to distract Starscream and his troops long enough to swipe their goods and make a quick getaway with them in hand. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}}

Over time, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] managed to unite the Autobot forces once more, allowing them to take control of a significant portion of Cybertron's territories and resources. The Autobots gained enough power that both the [[Ultracon]]s and Shockwave's Decepticons felt it necessary to sign a peace treaty, ceding the Autobots victory in the war and putting an end to hostilities between factions. But Starscream refused to do so, and led his Predacons on an attack on the treaty. While he personally assassinated the newly reassembled High Council, Starscream had Motormaster and the bulk of his forces attack the faction leaders themselves at the signing. But Starscream's coup was interrupted by the return of Megatron, now heading an army of [[Air Warrior]]s. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} Starscream thought his massacre of the High Council would make him the stuff of legend, and so allowed [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] to walk away from the scene to tell the tale of how it transpired. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.3}} But Megatron was none too pleased that Starscream had robbed him of his vengeance against the council in his absence. While the Decepticon leader used his new troops to take over the planet, he angrily confronted Starscream for highjacking his plans. Though Starscream claimed he was merely following orders in spirit, Megatron grappled his underling by the throat, and made it clear through threats that Starscream shouldn't presume his own autonomy; he was to follow his orders to the ''letter'', and nothing else. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} To punish his treacherous subordinate, and to entertain himself, Megatron locked Starscream up inside a tank with a swarm of [[Piranacon (Quintesson)|Piranacons]], allowing the critters to slowly gnaw at the captive Decepticons. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

{{Unreleased WW comic}}
Starscream escaped from his confinement thanks to a rampaging Grimlock. He then unwittingly foiled the Quintessons' attempt to extract Cybertron's core, thinking the whole thing was Megatron's doing and wanting payback against the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.6}}

Starscream was among the Decepticon boarding party that attacked the Autobot flagship Ark, causing its crash-landing on Earth and putting all Autobots and Decepticons alike in emergency stasis. In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletraan-I, and it repaired all on board. Starscream's actions over the next fifteen years are largely unrecorded, but he probably did what he did best: strafe the Autobots and fleshlings and attempt to betray Megatron, smirking all the while. In 1998, the combined forces of the Autobots and Earth defeated and captured the Decepticons. Starscream was secured on board the ''[[Ark II]]'' along with the other Decepticons when the ship exploded, killing the human crew and scattering the Transformers across the ocean. Arms dealer Adam Rook (a.k.a. [[Lazarus]]) recovered several of the Autobots and Decepticons and used them as a reprogrammed weapons for hire for terrorists and despots. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} As part of a demonstration to prospective buyers, Rook had Starscream join an assault against the Smitco Oil Refinery alongside half a dozen Transformers. When Megatron eventually broke free of Rook's control, he freed the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

The reactivated Starscream, along with his Seeker brothers Thundercracker and Skywarp, took a particular pleasure in dismantling the Autobot Minicars. When Megatron complained that he didn't rewire them so they could sit around and do nothing, Starscream playfully said they were only having some fun with their new "toys". Megatron ordered the three Decepticons to follow him, and when Skywarp asked Starscream what their leader's plan was this time, the air commander casually tossed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s head over his shoulder and said that he didn't care, as it was going to be evil, and evil is ''always'' fun. Soon afterwards, the Autobots arrived and attacked. As Starscream attempted to choke [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] paid him back with a nice throat punch. All the combatants were then bombed by rogue members of the U.S. military. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}}

But the bomb's blast was absorbed by a cyber-forming virus previously unleashed by the Decepticons. Instead of being destroyed, all of the Transformer combatants were encased in a metallic dome. After extracating themselves from it, the Decepticons attacked [[San Francisco]]. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] appeared to stop [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Starscream led the other Seekers in bombing the Autobot giant, forcing the Aerialbots into their component team member forms and putting them at the mercy of Devastator. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} Starscream and the other Decepticons secured the Autobots after Optimus Prime defeated Devastator. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} The Autobot leader managed to free his comrades after humans distracted the Decepticons, and the battle started anew. Fellow F-15 [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] punched Starscream in the face, repaying him for the earlier defeat. After the Aerialbots, as Superion, sacrificed their lives to save San Francisco from [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s unauthorized nuclear strike, Starscream and the other Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''After the destruction of Devastator in [[California]], Starscream covertly recovered his pieces to rebuild the Combiner, ensuring the loyalty of the Constructicons and making him a secret weapon to help him overthrow Megatron when the time came. ''

''That time was when Megatron, Optimus Prime and some Autobot cannon fodder were kidnapped into space by the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]. Seizing the opportunity, Starscream brought the Constructicons out of hiding and declared himself ruler of the Decepticons. He acquired the services of Soundwave and most of the remaining Decepticons on Earth for a scheme to take over the human city of [[Las Vegas]]. Redubbing it New Centurion, Starscream's insidious plan was to coerce the locals into accepting Decepticon rule by appealing to their vanity and greed, playing it off like a reality TV show where the humans could sell their stories and profit from the occupation. To maintain control, he had [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] and the Constructicons drive back the few humans who accepted the chance to leave of their own free will, tricking the humans into believing they were in danger and the Decepticons were protecting them.''

''Starscream's rule obviously came to the attention of the American government, who arranged for an unmarked and official denied strike force from the Armed Forces to join up with the rogue Cybertronian, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. Grimlock in turn recruited [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to assault "New Centurion" in an effort to reclaim the city.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}

''During the battle for Las Vegas, Megatron and the Autobots returned, but brought their captors, the Keepers, with them. Megatron was weakened by his ordeal, and Starscream took the opportunity to consolidate his power by defeating Megatron in combat. Megatron lost, and was forced to officially cede leadership of the Decepticons to Starscream. The victory turned sour, however, when Soundwave and several Megatron loyalists renounced their ties to the Decepticon army and left with Megatron, costing Starscream roughly half his forces. He retained the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Devastator, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] and about half the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Recordicons]].''

''Starscream's reign continued to crumble when he was confronted by the Keepers, all-but-unknowable cosmic level creatures who had already killed and possessed the Autobot [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]. Starscream also fell before their power, and was seemingly killed to become the second Cybertronian host body for their might. His Decepticons were defeated and detained behind a powerful force field. Unknown to all, Starscream's mind still existed, hidden deep down inside his stolen body.''

''The Autobots and Megatron's ex-Decepticons joined forces to stop the Keepers, leading the formless entities to merge their two Cybertronian hosts, mixing Bluestreak and Starscream together into a nightmarish super mode. This proved to be their undoing. Alone, Starscream and Bluestreak were not strong enough to overcome the Keepers' control, but by merging bodies the Keepers also connected the two Cybertronians' minds. Together, the Autobot and the Decepticon fought back against the Keepers, forcing them out and restoring their independence. Optimus Prime ultimately ended the threat of the Keepers with the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}

''The chaos caused by the Keepers cost Starscream his city and his reign. Megatron reclaimed leadership of the Decepticons and, to add insult to injury, named Skywarp his aerospace commander and second-in-command, forcing Starscream to answer to him.''

''Unfortunately, the Keepers survived in an extra-dimensional realm. Their human agent, [[Franklin Townsend]], managed to retake control of Starscream (and Bluestreak) forcing them to work towards the Keepers' release. This continued until Franklin unleashed his plan to open a hole into the Void and allow the Keepers back to Earth. Starscream regained control of his senses while Franklin and the Keepers were focused elsewhere, although this didn't stop him from making another attempt on Megatron's life before being beaten down again. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}

[[File:Starscreamshhhhhh.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Holy crap! Expressions!]]
In the middle of a battle against Optimus's forces, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons were approached by Shockwave and his followers, newly arrived from Cybertron. Shockwave claimed that Cybertron was now at peace under his unified ruled, and demanded the Earthbound Transformers surrender to him. Though they tried to fight back, Shockwave had altered his troops, making them much more powerful than both Megatron and Optimus's followers. With Megatron crushed beneath Shockwave's heal, Starscream led the Decepticons in joining Shockwave's Cybertronians. As they boarded his ship, Shockwave instructed the Decepticons to enter [[CR chamber|CR Chambers]] to have themselves repaired, but Starscream guessed that the chambers had mind-altering devices incorporated within them. Starscream escaped his CR chambers long enough to jettison Megatron out of the ship, and into the void of space. {{storylink|New World Order}} Shockwave soon found about Starscream's clandestine actions, and set about disciplining him. But punishment didn't deter him, and Starscream continued plotting against Shockwave. Once on Cybertron, he set about disabling Soundwave, who had since worked himself in Shockwave's good graces. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} He continued creating a small sect of separatist Decepticons on Cybertron, next approaching Rumble and Frenzy after they had been ordered to release the psychotic Stunticons from incarceration, in order to distract Ultra Magnus from Shockwave's true motives. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} He used the cover of Menasor's release to steal the incapacitated Combaticons from the same prison wing. As the Autobots began openly rebelling against Shockwave's regime, Starscream crippled Shockwave's surveillance systems by assassinating the Reflector trio posted in his base's monitor womb. In thanks for his aid in delaying video footage throughout Shockwave's network, allowing Starscream to go about scheming freely, Starscream gave Soundwave a present: [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. He then invited the two of them to "enjoy the show" with him, and sat back to watch the Autobots tear down Shockwave's government. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} As the insurgence was nearing its end, Starscream opted to abscond from Cybertron with his small cadre of followers, and the inactive Combaticons. Unfortunately for him, the shuttle he attempted to hijack to this end turned out to be [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who took off on his own volition, with the Decepticons trapped within him. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

[[File:Starscreamdaydream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There but for the grace of a fusion cannon go I.]]
Despite this setback, Starscream and his soldiers managed to get back to Earth, and implement their plans there. Starscream first made his way to the ''Nemesis'', but found the ship in worst condition than anticipated. After bestowing the Combaticons with military alternate modes, scanned from an abandoned military testing ground, he set out to repair the Decepticon vessel. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} To this end, he set his sights on the ''Ark'', and unleashed the Decepticons on the Autobots under the leadership of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. His first wave of soldiers were captured, though Starscream had only sent them forth as a distraction; his real attack came in the form of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], the combined form of the Combaticons. With this mighty soldier at his side, Starscream managed to beat down all of the Autobots, save two: [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Pursuing them back to the ''Ark'', Starscream instructed Bruticus to retrieve the two runaways, but to keep the ship intact. But as Bruticus encroached on his prey, the Autobots engaged the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s self-destruct mechanism. Though all of his troops were freed, Starscream was robbed of his means to get to the ''Nemesis'' back in working order. To complicate matters further, Starscream's clone, [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], then arrived on Earth, babbling about some bizarre mission. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} The Decepticons turned their weapons on the new arrival, only for their shots to prove ineffective against him. Using his "divine light," Sunstorm deactivated all of the other Decepticons, forcing Starscream to flee the scene. Sunstorm pursued, eventually confronting his template within the Decepticon's base. Starscream demanded to know what Sunstorm wanted out of him, only for his clone to spew out more religious babble. Sunstorm then demanded that Starscream join him in his crusade, but Starscream declined, and instead distracted Sunstorm long enough for Jetfire to sneak up on him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Jetfire was able to disable Sunstorm, only to discover that the clone had rapid regenerative abilities. Out of options, both he and Starscream absconded from the ''Nemesis'', and went to find the Autobots once more. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Starscream was forced to ally himself with his hated enemies in exchange for getting his forces freed. The Autobots then pooled their knowledge with Jetfire's in order to formulate a battle plan against Sunstorm. While they implemented it, Starscream was left under Jetfire's watchful eye. But the attempt against Sunstorm quickly turned sour for the Autobots, forcing Jetfire to abandon his post. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} This allowed Starscream to disable to rest of the ''Orion''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew wit his null-rays, and fly off on his own to a hideout in Alaska. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

By the time Sunstorm tracked Starscream down once more, the Autobots had attached an energy siphon to the clone, severely weakening him. Sunstorm begged Starscream for his help, but Starscream refused by back-handing his "brother." {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} Then, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] came bearing down on the both of them. Finding himself incapable of defeating this much bigger opponent alone, Starscream destroyed the energy-siphon attached to Sunstorm. The clone reawakened, and though Omega Supreme put up a good fight, Sunstorm defeated him using both his radiation powers and his guile. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} Starscream was then taken to a concealed mechanical door, which Sunstorm uncovered using his radiant powers. Claiming he was the "chosen one," Sunstorm ordered Starscream to open the seal. Starscream complied just as Jetfire and Bumblebee came bearing down upon them. Despite the Autobots' best efforts, they were unable to stop the Decepticons from entering the underground chamber, but soon caught up to them. Jetfire was able to quickly subdue Starscream, only to be left in a stand-off against Sunstorm, who held Bumblebee in his irradiated grip. Unexpectedly, Starscream turned on Sunstorm and used his recently modified null-rays to blast his clone. After disabling Jetfire as well, Starscream kicked Sunstorm away, sending him tumbling down a nearby chasm. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Starscream then took to mocking Bumblebee at gunpoint, proclaiming that the young Autobot was completely clueless to the events unfolding around him... until Sunstorm returned, the energies within him now erupting more violently than ever. Having grown tired of his "brother's" constant betrayals, Sunstorm denounced Starscream, claiming that he had corrupted his divine mission through his perverse desires. But as Sunstorm turned to Bumblebee, claiming that ''he'' was now the recipient of divine favor, an eruption tore through his arm... from within! With a meltdown of his frame inevitably forthcoming, Sunstorm lashed out violently to everything surrounding him. Jetfire tackled Starscream out of the way of one of Sunstorm's energy arcs, and after telling the Decepticon he owed him one, flew the clone up into Earth's orbit. Starscream begrudgingly returned the favor by carrying Bumblebee to the surface. Bumblebee then pleaded Starscream to help Jetfire, only for Starscream to counter that he wasn't looking to help anyone beyond himself. Starscream flew away, leaving Jetfire to be destroyed. {{storylink|Atonement}}

Despite his words, Starscream had been thoroughly shaken by his ordeal. He was still trying to straighten out his thoughts when he arrived at the Decepticons' headquarters, where he was greeted by Frenzy. Brushing the little Decepticon away, Starscream made his way to Soundwave, who he found suspiciously shutting off a monitor as soon as he entered the room. Annoyed that his compatriots didn't seem all-too-pleased by his return, he demanded to know what they were all up to. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}}

Dissatisfied with their previous lackluster performances in combat, Starscream took the Combaticons for some practice against the captive Sky Lynx.[[File:DWMTMEPretenderStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]] This also ended in disaster, for [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] soon arrived, and Starscream discovered that Soundwave, his cassettes, and the other Seekers had allied with Predaking's master... Megatron! Starscream was again forced into a subservient position, with Megatron preparing to lead the Decepticons in the conquest of Earth... {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

As Starscream became more competent all around as time went on, the Decepticons that once laughed at him started taking his aspirations of leadership more seriously, and with the upgrade accompanying his [[Pretender]] shell, he became more powerful than ever. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye#Issue #7|Pretender Starscream's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}}
{{--}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:JoeVsTF1 Starscream transforms.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Even when Starscream's nothing more than a mindless drone, he still manages to smirk.]]
When the nascent terrorist organization known as [[Cobra]] uncovered the buried hulk of the Ark, they removed the bodies of numerous Transformers with the intention of using them as weapons of war to threaten America. Cobra scientist [[Doctor Mindbender]] hacked the brain functions of the captive Transformers, reducing them to the level of remote-controlled drones, and dubbed them "[[Battle Android Trooper]]s". Starscream was reconfigured to transform into a jet plane known as a "Night Raven", and was selected for use by the [[Cobra Commander]] as his personal aircraft.

Starscream was among the Transformers deployed during Cobra's opening attack on world freedom, when they targeted the [[United Nations]] Headquarters. Starscream transformed to [[robot mode]] and was punching his way through the building when a U.S. Military soldier code-named [[Snake-Eyes]] opened fire on him with a machine gun. Although unharmed by the attack, Starscream returned fire with his lasers, blowing up the missile tank upon which the soldier was perched and horribly scarring his face. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} Returning to Cobra's island base, Cobra Commander began his meeting with [[Destro]] by having Starscream dramatically fly by overhead and transform, for no reason other than to impress the arms dealer. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}}

Meanwhile, Autobot scientist Wheeljack had been able to avoid capture by Cobra, and had allied himself with America's newly formed special mission force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. Hacking into Cobra's system, he was able to shut off the terrorists' control of the Transformers, liberating their minds and bodies. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} Naturally, the first thing Starscream did once he was free was to interrupt a battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron by shooting Megatron in the chest in a bid for leadership. Megatron returned the sentiment, blasting him with his fusion cannon, and Starscream slunk away as Megatron returned to more important matters. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[File:Starscream snakeeyes eye gouge.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|left|"You've got something in your eye. Let me get it out."]]
Lurking in the island's jungle, Starscream crossed paths with Snake-Eyes, who took revenge for his disfigurement by shattering the unsuspecting Starscream's eye with his [[sword]] and shoving a grenade into the socket. Clawing at his face, Starscream tumbled over a cliff and was badly damaged in the fall. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} His still-operational body was soon happened across by Cobra Commander, who was attempting to flee the escalating battle between the Autobots, Decepticons, Joes and Cobras that was engulfing the island, and Starscream made the human proposition: help him remove the grenade, and he would get him off the island. Naturally, the commander agreed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

[[File:Starscream gijoe energyropes.jpg|thumb|Starscream is allergic to glow stick ropes.]]
Starscream and Cobra Commander resurfaced two years later, when Cobra Commander learned that human scientists had created an interstellar wormhole to Cybertron. With Starscream forced to do his bidding (via unspecified means), he used the portal to travel to Cybertron with the intention of gaining control of the wormhole technology by stealing the super-computer [[Teletran 3]]. However, a G.I. Joe ambush that struck just as they were carrying out their plan caused a catastrophic malfunction in Teletran 3, scattering numerous Transformers through the wormhole network across space and time. Starscream was not among those scattered, but he was promptly bound with [[energon chain]]s by Perceptor and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] while they assessed the severity of the situation. It transpired that the chronal disruption caused by the time-lost Transformers would destroy the Earth, and teams of Joes and Cobras were soon dispatched through the timestream to retrieve the robots and save the planet. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}}

While the Joes and Cobras were off on their time-tossed mission, the forcefield protecting Magnus, Perceptor and Teletran 3 collapsed, at which point Decepticon commander Shockwave struck. Shockwave freed Starscream and reprogrammed Teletran 3 to prevent Transformers from being able to return to their proper times, so that Earth would be destroyed and he could invade it, as he had always planned to—it was Shockwave who had leaked the wormhole technology to humans in the first place. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} When a small team of Joes and Cobras that remained on Cybertron tried to undo his programming, Starscream spotted [[Lady Jaye]] modifying Teletran 3 and shouted a warning, but it came too late. The Transformers were returned, and Starscream escaped in the midst of the chaotic battle that resulted.

In the aftermath of the battle, Shockwave accused Starscream of deliberately trying to foil his scheme by trying to steal Teletran 3. Starscream denied any treacherousness on his part, and Shockwave was just starting to come around when a recording Cobra Commander had programmed into Starscream began to play, informing the Decepticon leader of Starscream's general uselessness. At that point, Starscream promptly exploded, taking out the Decepticon headquarters in the process, courtesy of forty-five pounds of plastic explosives that Cobra Commander had lined his housing with, in case the Decepticon had ever escaped his clutches. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Starscream gijoe ww2.jpg|thumb|left|"Pathetic fools! There's no escape!"]]
When the foundling terrorist organization known as Cobra discovered the Ark buried in the [[Fera Islands]] in [[1938]], they inadvertently awoke the Decepticons from their stasis. The evil robots entered into an alliance with the organization's leader, Cobra Commander, to conquer the world and strip it of its energy, but Megatron's true goal was to take the Matrix of Leadership—stolen from the body of Optimus Prime—from around Cobra Commander's neck. Starscream adopted the [[alternate mode|alternate form]] of a P-51 Mustang aeroplane.

One year later, in [[1939]], the American military formed a special mission force to counter the Cobra-Decepticon alliance named "G.I. Joe". Laserbeak spied upon the first meeting of this team and reported the information to Cobra; Starscream stood nearby as Cobra Commander vowed to kill the Joes, and opined that heroes were ''born'' to die. G.I. Joe's first attack came soon after, and Starscream distracted their aircraft in his jet mode while Megatron attacked them from above and downed them. {{storylink|The Line}} As it happened, the Joes bailed out and landed near to the buried Ark, where they wound up awakening the Autobots within the craft. Starscream watched as the ship sent out a repair drone to scan for alternate modes, aware of what it meant and seeing it as a threat to Megatron's leadership that he could exploit. Megatron happened upon Starscream as he was monologuing about taking the power of the Matrix for himself, and witnessed the drone going about its business. Knowing he would need the scheming Starscream for the coming battle, he ordered the Air Commander to help him move their stockpiled energon cubes to safer location. {{storylink|Transformed}}

Megatron proceeded to mass the Decepticons for a major battle with the Autobots, save for Starscream, who was left to languish within their base. Unfortunately for Megatron, this merely left Starscream with an opportunity to conspire with Cobra Commander's own traitorous second, [[Destro]], and together the pair prepared to unleash the newly constructed giant robot, Bruticus, upon everyone. {{storylink|Wolves}}

[[File:Starscream gijoe ww2 weakspot.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"I...will...keep reaching...uuuhh."]]
Even this conspiracy proved to be a deception on Destro's part, however, when he had his lover, the [[Baroness]], shoot Starscream in his weak spot: an inch below his right ear, just behind his jaw hinge. Starscream's head flared with electricity and he collapsed, while Destro loosed Bruticus upon all his assembled enemies. G.I. Joe member Snake-Eyes ended the threat when he plucked the Matrix from Cobra Commander's clutches, and at Optimus Prime's direction, hurled it at Bruticus. The resultant explosion of creation energy destroyed Bruticus, but apparently killed all the Transformers in the process. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

Forty-six years later, in [[1985]], Starscream was revealed to have survived his injuries and the destruction of the Matrix through unexplained means. Discarding his archaic alternate mode for the form of an F-15, Starscream was performing a flyby over Cobra Island, seeking a means to return to Cybertron, when he intercepted a communication about an alien starship (actually a Cybertronian craft containing Blaster and Perceptor) crashing in [[Oregon]]. Starscream saw the craft as his ticket home, and while he was too low on energon to claim the ship for himself, he was content to let Cobra take it and then steal it from them later. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity}}

{{Unreleased TFGJ comic}}
When the Joes attacked Cobra's secret base in the Arctic, only to be met by Destro's COBRA/Decepticon hybrid warriors, Starscream waited on the sidelines to pick up the pieces in the battle's aftermath. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front #3}} At some point, Starscream and Soundwave uncovered information about a "terrible secret" buried beneath Cobra Island, and set out to destroy Cobra Commander should the terrorist refuse to allow them access to it. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front #5}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Starscream participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive, beating down Autobots at Soundwave's side. He cheered on when Predaking clashed with [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ merged form, but it did little good in helping the Decepticon gestalt. Starscream then joined several other flying Decepticons in a direct assault against The Beast, to little avail. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''Another Con''===
After Megatron had been transformed into a {{w|Pikachu|small electrical rodent}}, Starscream sarcastically assured him that the Autobots would find him much more intimidating in his new form. {{storylink|Another Con}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Starscream proclaimed his greatness, warning those who opposed him to tremble before his might... only for the cashier of the burger place he was in to insist that the price of his meal still added up to $1.36. A cent short, Starscream cursed the inventor of the penny for his misfortune.

Later, Starscream participated in an infiltration of [[BotCon]] to track down next year's toy designs, and use them to conquer the Autobots once and for all!

On Megatron's birthday, Starscream concealed a bomb in Megatron's cake... though he did a poor job of it, leading Megatron to wonder whether Starscream was putting any efforts in his schemes anymore. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Starscream got his mitts on a treasure map, and became convinced that by using it is, he could usurp Megatron... somehow. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
Starscream was one of the many Cybertronians caught up in a civil war that emerged due to greed, corruption and malice emerging in their planet's halls of power. {{storylink|Action Blast 1}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
[[File:StarscreamIDWF22-Infiltration4cvrA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|left|"A man may fight for many things: his country, his principles, his friends, the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock, and a sack of French porn!"]]
Starscream and his comrades, [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], were recruited by [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] when [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] requested fliers. After recruiting [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] and murdering the [[Senate]], he led the Seekers as air support in the overthrow of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] before, after a spell as recruitment agent, becoming Megatron's personal bodyguard, warning him about the power of the [[Phase Sixer]] [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], to which Megatron dismissed his concerns. During this time, he appeared to let his ambition rest, mostly out of fear of his leader.

Many years later, as leader of an [[Infiltration protocol|Infiltration unit]] on [[Earth]], he discovered an [[Ore-13|Ultra-Energon]] seam and saw in it his chance to finally overpower and defeat Megatron. His breach of protocol in pursuit of this drew Megatron to Earth personally, and despite Starscream's enhanced power, he easily defeated the treacherous Seeker and blew a hole in his chest. After a spell in a CR chamber, however, he was revived by his unit, worried about Megatron's seeming instability, and ultimately accepted back into the Decepticon army by Megatron after helping to defeat a rebellious Sixshot and the [[Reaper]]s.

He then did a deal with the mentally-damaged [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] ostensibly to help overthrow Megatron, before double-crossing him, leaving the Autobots at the point of total defeat. Ultimately, this period ended with Megatron comatose and Starscream in charge of the Decepticons... an opportunity he completely squandered, "leading" the Decepticons to rack and ruin on a remote asteroid. On revival, Megatron was not happy at the complete destruction of the Decepticon infrastructure, but let him live due to the lack of able-bodied soldiers.

After the Chaos War, he placed himself as a repentant soul, trying to do his best to help the vastly-expanded [[NAIL|neutral population]] on a reborn Cybertron. This, combined with the apparent blessing of [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], left him placed after a Decepticon uprising to kill his "friend", neutral leader [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], and use his death as a tool to evict both factions from [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and seize the leadership of the city.
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Starscream HOS.jpg|thumb|Ye olde Tyme treacherie.]]
Starscream was one of the many Decepticons who fought the Autobots on prehistoric Earth, taking on the [[beast mode]] of a reptilian flying creature before the ice age forced both factions into prolonged hibernation. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}}

[[File:Decepticonhuddle-HOS2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75]]
Starscream was later the nominal leader of the Decepticons on 19th-century Earth, while Megatron slept in [[stasis lock]]. He decided to conquer the Earth in this time, and to use that power to overthrow Megatron when he should wake. Posing as a benefactor to humanity, he enlisted the help of inventor [[Tobias Muldoon]] to design new [[Alternate mode|altmodes]] for the Decepticons. Starscream also commissioned Tobias to build the Decepticons a new base of operations, though he insisted that its location to be some place remote, away from prying eyes. All the while, he sent the Decepticons under his command to "appropriate" funds to finance the operation as a whole. Thanks to the Decepticons' tireless efforts, Starscream's machinations advanced at full speed. Tobias Muldoon eventually learned of Starscream's evil intentions for the Earth when he overheard Starscream gloating that he would soon subjugate the human race. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} Starscream built (or reformatted) [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] for an assault on [[New York City]], and the new electrical generators there. As the preparations for Astrotrain were being finalized, another human by the name of [[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] came to meet with Starscream. Starscream accepted Bonaventure's proposal for a partnership, stating that he still had use for an intermediary. While Bonaventure and his accomplice [[Vanflint]] were marveling at the Decepticons' efficiency, the two of them mentioned a "little yellow locomotive," piquing Starscream's interest. Starscream quickly deduced that the locomotive was indeed [[Bumblebee (G1)#Hearts of Steel|Bumblebee]], concluding that the Autobots had also reactivated themselves. Starscream then ordered [[Squawkbox]] to spread the word among the Decepticons, so as to prepare them for combat. Without further delay, the attack on New York City was put underway. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} When the Autobots moved to intercept Astrotrain, Starscream oversaw the blasting of a tunnel, cutting off the Autobots in turn. Confident that the Autobots could no longer interfere with his plans after a few more artillery volleys in their direction, Starscream boarded Astrotrain, and resumed travel towards New York. It all ended badly for him, as Bumblebee managed to make his way in front of the Decepticons, and literally derailed them off of a cliff. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[File:Henkei starscream pack in comic.jpg|thumb]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons who joined [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Megatron]] in attacking the Earth in the 21st century. During an attack on Tokyo, Starscream got the drop on some human military operatives who were observing a fight between Megatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Optimus Prime]], but before he could take them out, [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Bumblebee]] got the drop on ''him'', spraying him with a fire engine's hose. This gave [[Grimlock (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Grimlock]] the opening he needed to lash Starscream with his tail and send him crashing into Megatron, prompting the villains to retreat. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1|Henkei! Henkei! #1}}

Starscream later concocted a plan to have [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Astrotrain]] keep the Autobots busy while the Decepticons raided a power plant, but he had not factored in the Autobots' newest warrior, [[Hot Rod (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Hot Rod]], who took them by surprise and blasted Starscream in the back. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2|Henkei! Henkei! #2}} Seeking revenge, Starscream tried to return the favor, only for Hot Rod to dodge the blast, and cause Starscream to shoot Megatron instead! {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3|Henkei! Henkei! #3}}

Knowing that his friend [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Skyfire]] had been stranded on Earth tens of thousands of years ago, Starscream had [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ramjet]] search for his body, which was eventually located frozen in a glacier. Starscream thawed out Skyfire and placed a mind-controlling helmet on him, to ensure that his kind-hearted old friend would serve the destructive Decepticon cause. Together, they attacked a power plant, but while they fought off the plant's Autobot defenders, Skyfire began to struggle against the helmet's influence, eventually overpowering it and turning on Starscream. Realizing he was outnumbered, Starscream fled, as Skyfire called after him to remind him that even thousands of years ago, they'd never gotten along that well anyway... {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4|Henkei! Henkei! #4}}

Following Megatron's use of energon cubes to power himself up into [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Galvatron]], Starscream attempted to repeat the process on himself, and had [[Ravage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ravage]] steal a sack of cubes for him. Before he could put them to use, however, he was ambushed by [[Cheetor (BW)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cheetor]], who defeated him and reclaimed the cubes. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 8|Henkei! Henkei! #8}} Later, Starscream was led by [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cyclonus]] to a volcanic field, where Megatron was in the process of using the magma to again power up into Galvatron. Seething over his own inability to obtain the power Galvatron wielded, Starscream thought his chance to lead had finally come when a team of Autobots arrive and collapsed the volcano on top of Galvatron. His gloating was short lived, however, as Galvatron burst out from under the rubble, and, entirely unaware that a fight had even gone on, began berating Starscream and Cyclonus for being lazy idiots. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9|Henkei! Henkei! #9}}

When [[Ratchet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ratchet]] was trying to take a human girl to the hospital, Starscream arrived to take potshots at him. Ratchet's comrade [[Inferno (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Inferno]] blocked Starscream's shots, and the enabled Ratchet to escape by blinding Starscream with a blast from his water cannon. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Generations'' comic===
Starscream was part of the Decepticons. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the ghost of Starscream]] from [[G1 World|another universe]] met the native [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], he clarified that he was not the Starscream that Megatron was familiar with. {{Storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun comic===
[[File:Henkei1 enter starscream.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Hello, Tumblr...]]
Years ago on Cybertron, Starscream was a scientist and explorer. Together with his friend [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Skyfire]], he embarked on a search for energy on other planets, but when the duo visited Earth, Skyfire was caught in a blizzard and frozen in ice. Starscream subsequently returned to Cybertron and became a warrior, joining up with [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Megatron]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} Untold years later, when the legendary power source known as the [[Energon cube]] was lost to the reaches of space, Starscream was among a small team of Decepticons who departed Cybertron in pursuit of it. The Cube crash-landed on Earth in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]] and shattered into fragments, so Starscream and the other Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and machinery to remain hidden while searching for the shards. [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots had also followed the Cube to Earth, and so the Transformers' war continued in secret on this new world. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

Eleven years after arriving on Earth, Starscream and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] tracked Prime's Autobots to the human building known built over the Cube's impact crater called the [[Star Dome]], and launched an attack. Starscream was surprised to find a human boy, [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]], caught in the middle of the conflict, but gave the fleshling little thought and aimed his gun to destroy it. The human, however, had a protector: the littlest Autobot, [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Bumblebee]] came bursting out of nowhere to nail Starscream with a flying kick and save the boy. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} Starscream didn't take kindly to this insult upon his person, and pinned Bumblebee beneath his foot, but before he could finish him off, Wataru blinded the Air Commander with a fire extinguisher! Unfortunately for Starscream, it was at that point that Megatron himself chose to arrive, and he violently berated Starscream for going behind his back, throttling him and using him as a shield to block Optimus Prime's fire. After some further shots were exchanged, Megatron's attention was piqued by Wataru, and he decided to call retreat. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}} Back at the Decepticons' underwater base, Starscream opined that Megatron was growing old, but Megatron simply replied with equal sarcasm that the weakest dog barks the loudest. Starscream stalked off, vowing to himself that he would be leader of the Decepticons, then summoned Ramjet to join him on a personal mission to the Arctic. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

[[File:Henkei4 starscream and skyfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|*cue "ScreamerxSkyfire OTP" squeals*]]
Starscream and Ramjet located the glacier that Skyfire's body was trapped in, and released him from his frozen sleep. Skyfire was happy to see Starscream again, but Starscream soon proved how much he had changed when he sent a watching group of humans to their deaths by shooting the ice out from under them. Just as Skyfire demanded an explanation for his actions, Starscream slapped a helmet onto his head that took over his mind and co-opted him into the Decepticon ranks. Starscream proceeded to lead the brainwashed Skyfire in an attack on a power plant back in Hoshinochō, but through it all, Skyfire refrained from outright killing any human workers. Displeased with Skyfire's resistance to the helmet's control, Starscream set an example by opening fire indiscriminately. Just before he shot Wataru, who happened to be visiting the plant, Skyfire seized his arm at the last second, insisting they were researchers, not murderers. Luckily, this was enough of a delay to save Wataru's life, as Optimus Prime's Autobots then came blasting into the plant. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} In the battle that followed, Skyfire continued to struggle against the helmet, shielding Wataru and Bumblebee from Starscream's attacks. Starscream was shocked to learn that Wataru was a "[[Booster]]", a being born with the ability to control energon, when Wataru used his powers to liberate Skyfire from the control helmet. Skyfire turned his guns on Starscream, blowing off his left null ray cannon, then informed him of one important fact he had remembered: they never actually got along that well in the first place. With no options left, Starscream was forced to retreat. {{storylink|Wataru's Power}}

When both Optimus Prime and Megatron were left badly damaged after a fierce battle, Starscream, Ramjet and [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Astrotrain]] exploited the Autobots' reduced manpower by raiding a hydroelectric power plant. Together, they made short work of the Autobots who did turn up to fight them, but just as they were preparing to leave with a haul of Energon cubes, the revitalized Optimus Prime came speeding onto the scene. The three Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, but only Starscream got away, the other two taken down by a powered-up blast from Prime's [[ion blaster]]. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} With nothing to show for his efforts, Starscream returned to the volcanic caves were Megatron was recuperating from his injuries, bathing in a "bath" of molten energon cubes. Deeming it a waste of their energon resources, Starscream saw his chance when Optimus Prime and Bumblebee arrived in the caves, the Autobots having received a message that gave Megatron's location. Starscream greeted the two Autobots and gleefully led them to the chamber Megatron was in, serving them up the Decepticon leader in the hopes that they would destroy him and leave his throne free to be usurped. Starscream kept Megatron's newest soldier, [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Cyclonus]], busy so Prime could deliver the killing strike, but against everyone's expectations, Megatron did not die from Prime's sword slash, and was instead transformed by the power of energon into the deranged [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Galvatron]]! {{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}}

[[File:Henkei10 starscream survives.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb]]
Galvatron immediately attacked Optimus Prime, and Starscream exploited the opened, attacking his former leader from above. Galvatron proved able to shrug his shots off, and destroyed the rocky outcrop on which Starscream was standing, bringing him tumbling into Galvatron's clutches. After being slammed around a bit, Starscream fired his jets and blasted from Galvatron's grip, looping back around to deliver a jet-powered kick, but the attack accomplished little other than to thoroughly tax Galvatron's patience. Powering up his cannon, Galvatron unleashed a single earth-shattering blast that appeared to reduce Starscream to atoms. {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}}

[[File:Henkei10 starscreams end.jpg|thumb]]
Starscream proved hardier than Galvatron expected, though: after Galvatron had torn his way through the assembled Autobots, Starscream re-appeared, broken and crippled, but nonetheless determined to bring Galvatron down. His weapons still proved ineffective, however, and so Starscream demanded that Wataru use his powers to give him a boost. Naturally, Wataru was hesitant, but saw the logic in Starscream's plan and acquiesced, providing the Decepticon with a forcefield and a powered-up gun. Starscream was only able to get off one shot before Galvatron destroyed the field and his cannon, but the blast successfully reopened the original wound Optimus Prime had torn in Galvatron's armor. Taking the opening, Prime repeated the tactic and plunged his energon sword into the gash, ripping Galvatron open. A catastrophic release of energy from Galvatron's body ensued, which began to the collapse the cavern. The Autobots raced for the exit, but Starscream did not move, and Wataru could only look back to see a smile form upon the Air Commander's lips as he watched Galvatron's defeat, seconds before he too disappeared beneath the tumbling rocks. {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}}

Later, as Prime's Autobots prepared to return to Cybertron, Skyfire announced that he would be staying on Earth in order to search for Starscream, indicating that he believed his old friend was still alive. {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}
{{--}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 2}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 3}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 5}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 9}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 11}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 14}}}}

===Alternity===
[[File:Alternity starscream boxart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Carscream"? Really, that's the best [[Fandom|you]] could come up with?]]
A Starscream from an unidentified [[universal stream]] was selected by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|Megatron]] to become the leader of his team of cross-dimensional [[Questor]]s. Imbued with a small portion of the incredible powers over space and time that his leader had acquired from the god-beast [[Hytherion]], Starscream became incredibly powerful, equipped with an uncharacteristic sports car alternate mode, a [[Timaeus drive]] that allowed him to travel through dimensions, a "Retroactive Nullifer" capable of erasing victims from history, and four "Evil Optics" that can send an enemy into [[stasis lock]] with only a look. Despite all the new powers that this infusion of Hytherion power conveyed about him, Starscream was wary, wondering why Megatron would so empower him given his record of deceit. Despite fears that he might be the subject of some strange cosmic experiment that Megatron was conducting, Starscream still took to his new role with glee, seeking ways to put his new power to use overthrowing Megatron.

On a mission to Earth, Starscream confronted one of [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[auto-avatar]]s. Surprising Prime with his sports car form, Starscream scored a hit with his Nullifer, which slowly began killing the Autobot. Starscream had heard other species call the [[Alternity (species)|Alternity]] "gods", but taunted Prime by telling him that any story of gods must end with a Ragnarök. However, Starscream did not expect Prime to tell him that the Alternity were already well aware of the time and circumstances of their prophesied end, and were already prepared. {{storylink|Foreshadows}}

Learning that Megatron intended to use a magic tablet to seize control of the all-powerful [[Planicron]]s of [[Flatworld]], Starscream made his inevitable power play, hunting out a tablet of his own and mastering its abilities. Just as Megatron was in the process of taking control of the Planicrons, Starscream stepped in, paralysing his fellow Questors with his Evil Optics and using his tablet in an attempt to collapse Flatworld in on itself. It came as a rude shock, then, to find that Megatron had anticipated his treachery and was able to override his tablet's control of the Planicrons. Megatron explained that the only reason Starscream had been chosen to be a Questor at all was so that he would have a test subject to see if it was possible to kill a being infused with Alternium—and as it turned out, it was, as Megatron had the Planicrons enter Starscream's body and cause the Alternium within him to multiply rapidly, exploding his body from the inside out.

Of course, that was not quite the end for Starscream, who naturally survived as a ghost, like so many other versions of himself throughout the multiverse. Megatron was subsequently defeated by the Alternity when Thundercracker freed the Planicrons from his control, and Starscream's ghost appeared before his fellow Questor after the battle was done to taunt him with the fact he would never be forgiven for his betrayal. Though unclear, it seems possible Starscream may have actually possessed Thundercracker and caused him to free the Planicrons in the first place. {{storylink|Alternation}}

At some point, [[Cloud World]]'s [[Wreckers]] battled Starscream. {{storylink|TFC-A04}}
{{--}}

===Robot Heroes===
Starscream was one of the "pretty tough" soldiers in Megatron's army. He and the other 'bots serving Megatron traveled to Earth to gather energon, only to run afoul of the Autobots. Starscream was tackled out of the air by Arcee, and then shoved into a river by Drift! He then sulked over it. {{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}

===''United''===
After Megatron believed Optimus to have been forever vanquished, he proclaimed himself Cybertron's "Emperor of Destruction", and turned to Starscream for an update on a mysterious "item". Starscream only bitterly responded that the object in question would serve them better if he were to wield it. The conversation was cut short by the timely arrival of the still-living Optimus Prime and his troops! Upon their entry on the scene, Starscream goaded Megatron into battling the Autobot commander, and Megatron readily gave in to his urge to do so. {{storylink|A New Battle!}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:starscreamkreo-wallpaper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Renegade for life.]]
After [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]] managed to best [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the Decepticon leader tagged in Starscream. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing}} Starscream entered a dance competition, where his quiet, peaceful interpretive performance was roundly booed by the audience. He finished his piece by falling over and disintegrating. The judges ([[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]) nonetheless gave him ludicrously high marks. Score one for nepotism. (Decepotism?) {{storylink|Bot Stars}}

Starscream and his pilot pulled up beside Bumblebee, just after the Autobot had finished impressing another driver with his moves. {{storylink|My Ride Is Better than Your Ride}} When Megatron took part in a race, Starscream attempted to aid his leader by dropping a boulder onto Bumblebee. Unfortunately, the boulder hit Megatron instead. {{storylink|The Big Race}} During the holiday season, Starscream was unwrapping his presents when Optimus Prime and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] looked ominously in through the window. {{storylink|A Gift For Megatron}}

Starscream helped Megatron train to defeat the Autobots after his leader became annoyed at their constant losses. {{storylink|Megatron's Revenge}}

Starscream participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots... until Optimus Prime began talking about the plot of the [[live-action film series]] to the audience. Starscream directed the "recap" segments from a director's chair until [[Grimlock (Kre-O)|Grimlock]]'s attempt to order a pizza on the phone started bleeping out Optimus's lines. {{storylink|Take Us to the Movies}}

===Titan ''Kre-O'' comic===
Starscream was with Megatron when the Decepticon leader proclaimed that the alien world they were on was his. His attempt to amend Megatron's statements to "theirs" were ignored, as were his warnings about the approaching Optimus Prime. He transformed and left while Megatron was trampled on. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Kre-O Transformers}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Another Episode, Part 1}} {{storylink|Another Episode, Part 2}} {{storylink|To Earth}} {{storylink|Reunion and Parting}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)|Revenge}} {{storylink|The False Power}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}}}

===Starscream's New Power===
[[File:Starscream's New Power Starscream vs. Decepticons.jpg|thumb|150px|left]]
Using a cloaking device to infiltrate [[Shockwave's Tower|Shockwave's lab]], Starscream managed to swipe a couple of weapons, and fended off the Decepticons that attempted to apprehend him. He boasted that soon the Decepticons would kneel before him as their true leader, unaware of Megatron sneaking up behind him... {{storylink|Starscream's New Power}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
Starscream was one of the [[Decepticon]]s who joined [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] in the ''[[Nemesis (Kre-O)|Nemesis]]'' to chase the [[Autobot]]s in the ''[[Ark (Kre-O)|Ark]]''. After they boarded the ''Ark'', it crashed to [[Earth]] and the [[Transformer]]s fell to a four million year-long sleep. After waking up, Starscream was strangled by Megatron for not setting the alarm. {{storylink|Kreon Story}}

Starscream was part of a massive Decepticon invasion force intended to ruin the Autobots' picnic. However, [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] plowed through them with his truck and left them scattered... and then left. Returning to the scene after.. ''ahem'', taking care of some pressing business, Optimus gathered up the still-wiped-out Kreons, bound them up on a flatbed trailer, and took them to the picnic. {{storylink|Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus!}}

Starscream formed the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to help him overthrow Megatron, only for the team to become base guards and leave him at Megatron's mercy. {{storylink|New Military Unit Combaticon! Bruticus, Combine!}} He was among the Decepticons present during Megatron's brief takeover of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}} When Megatron wanted to place a giant golden replica of his head on top of his new [[Solar Tower]], Starscream refused to help fly it up there as it was just too heavy. {{storylink|Megatron's Ambition!? The Solar Tower Is Built!}} Starscream stayed up all night building a big statue of himself only to have [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] show up and wreck it during the unveiling. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

Starscream was charmed by [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] into cleaning the Decepticon base for her, {{storylink|The Beautiful Flower Has Thorns? Temptation of the Female Soldier, Airachnid!}} and later attended Megatron's hanami party together with the spider. {{storylink|Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!}} He was among the Decepticons accidentally sent to a world of giants, where they battled the Autobot until Megatron realized his underlings back home would forget about him unless they went back quickly. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise! The Transformers Are by Your Side!?}}

===''Construct-Bots'' cartoon===
[[File:Construct-Bots ep 2.jpg|thumb|150px|left]]
Starscream was playing cards with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] when [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] attacked their base. Megatron used a nearby Construct-Bots computer terminal and upgraded him using [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s blasters and wings, much to the spying Autobot's ire. He cringed when Megatron fell after slipping on some gumballs. {{storylink|Intro!}} He was later seen preening in front of a mirror (to the amusement of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and Bumblebee, who were spying on him) when Predaking flew by in dragon mode and smashed into him, scattering his pieces. As he reattached his pieces, Bumblebee switched his wings with wheels, and when he attempted to transform and fly away, he fell quite a nasty drop. {{storylink|Take Flight!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Seeking to ascend towards the Decepticon Elite in Megatron's army, Starscream devised a means to lure the legendary Optimus Prime out of hiding. To do so, he attempted to capture Bumblebee as the Autobot fled into outer space. The chase led Starscream to [[Cobra Commander]]'s private storage room on planet Earth, where he lost his quarry among the multitude of vehicles in the terrorist's collection. As Starscream rummaged about, he encountered [[Snake-Eyes]], who mistook him for a [[Cobra]] drone unit. Though Snake-Eyes's attempt to harm Starscream proved pitiful, the human escaped in the newly disguised Bumblebee, and Starscream resumed his chase.

Despite getting embroiled in a battle between [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Cobra, and getting one of his wings torn off by [[G.I.Rocket|Creeper vines]] along the way, Starscream managed to rip off Bumblebee's head and return to Cybertron with his prize in-hand. Starscream prostrated himself before his king as Megatron promised him a place in the highest echelon of his new order. {{storylink|The Golden Boys}}

Starscream later returned to Earth, this time accompanied by Soundwave and Shockwave, to demand the humans surrender to Megatron. While Ravage discussed their terms with their G.I. Joe welcomers, Starscream adopted an Earth alternate mode, based on [[Ace (G.I. Joe)|Ace]]'s [[Skystriker (vehicle)|Skystriker]]. The meeting soon escalated into a skirmish between the two teams, with Starscream getting half of his face melted off by [[Snake-Eyes]] by the end of it. The Decepticons were defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|I Saw Three Ships}}

The Decepticons allied themselves with Cobra, forming the "Decepticobra" alliance. Starscream was fitted with a partial face-plate to cover his wounded face, and participated on an attack on the [[USS Flagg|USS ''Flagg'']] in order to retrieve the body of Soundwave, killed in their previous encounter with the Joes. Discovering that the Decepticon's body was not being held there, and facing considerable resistance from the Joes, Starscream and the others retreated. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

Some time afterwards, Starscream served as the [[Baroness|Serpentress]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>s transport to the United Nations when she tried to strong-arm the Earth's leaders into submitting to Megatron's rule. Her speech was interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime, grappling with G.I. Joe forces outside. With the "ultimate prize" seemingly within his grasp, Starscream joined the fight and tried to slay Optimus. Unfortunately, Shockwave was too distracted by the sight of his brother's body being used as a robotic suit by [[Doctor Venom]] to assist him much. The battle became even more chaotic when [[Koh-Buru-Lah (creature)|Koh-Buru-Lah]], among others, joined the fray, allowing Optimus to escape Starscream. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}}

Later, Starscream and [[Viper (CW)|Viper]] attacked a Joe convoy, only to be ensnared in the road-coils of the disguised [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}}

During the final battle over the Sun, Starscream found himself briefly saddled by [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]], who hitched a ride up to the top of Megatron's head. After Megatron fell into the Sun, Starscream managed to snatch the Matrix from his fallen leader... only for it, in turn, to be grabbed out of his hand by Laserbeak. When the Matrix was returned to Optimus, Starscream petulantly mumbled that he intended to return the talisman to the Prime. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===''Transformers × Evangelion''===
[[File:Transformers Mode Eva ch 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Get in the robot, Optimus, or [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] will have to pilot it again.]]
His body destroyed during the war with [[Unicron]], Starscream wandered the universe as a ghost until arriving on an [[Earth]] under attack from [[Angel]]s. He proceeded to possess one of the creatures, becoming the monstrous "Angel"-scream, and attacked [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots. {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 2}} By scanning the human weapon [[Evangelion Unit-01|Eva-01]], Prime was able to grow greatly in size and battle "Angel"-scream, {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 3}} who repelled him using an impenetrable [[Absolute Terror Field|A.T. Field]] granted to him by the Angel's body. Tempted to use this newfound power against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], he first decided to get rid of Prime once and for all, but was distracted by trying to catch the tiny [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] while [[Tokyo-3]] was simultaneously shifting around him. This gave Optimus Prime the opportunity to slice through the A.T. Field and into the Angel's core with his [[energon-axe]], destroying the Angel and exorcising Starscream's ghost back into space. {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 4}}

===''Angry Birds'' comic===
[[File:ABTF1 BeetakesStarscreamprisoner.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
Starscream participated in the attack on the Autobot shuttle carrying the [[AllSpark]], but broke ranks to get his own mitts on the relic, intending to conquer the universe for himself. He chased down and cornered [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], the carrier of the AllSpark, but accidentally blasted open a window while firing on the Autobot, causing the AllSpark to be sucked out into space and down a [[unspace|quantum tunnel]]. Crestfallen, Starscream bemoaned his lost opportunity as Bumblebee took him into captivity. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
During the Great War, Starscream posed a challenge to Megatron's leadership position. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}} Once the war was restarted in 1984, Starscream lead an attack on the [[British Museum]] to claim a statue of [[Amenhotep III]] to try and gain the supposed [[magic]]al powers within to crush the Autobots. Even though the Autobot Minibots showed up, the Decepticons got away with the statue and [[Rosetta Stone|some useless stone]]. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}

[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was the result of experiments aimed at achieving immortality by mimicking Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 55|Rampage's profile in Club magazine #55}}

[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] lamented that all the great and famous Cybertronians, be they good or evil, were long gone by the time Cybertron was controlled by the [[Builder Assembly]], naming Starscream as an example of the evil ones. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:ATB Starscream boxart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
In [[Primax 096.0 Beta|one universe]], [[Megatron (G1)#Timelines|Megatron]] upgraded himself with flight capability and the ability to combine with Starscream during the latter days of the [[Great War (G1)|third Cybertronian war]]. In response, [[Optimus Prime (G1)#General Optimus|General Optimus Prime]] upgraded himself with heavier armor and weaponry. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime profile card}} During the obligatory Battle for [[Sherman Dam]], [[Hound (G1)#TransTech|Sergeant Hound]] kept Lieutenant Starscream from interfering in the fight between Megatron and General Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#September 6, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 06/09/2015}} At the war's final battle on [[Mirtonia]], the Autobots emerged victorious in routing the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]] when Decepticons accidentally blew up an experimental energon refinery and themselves along with it. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime profile card}}

===''Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Tomokazu Sugita]] (Japanese)}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Road to More Popularity than Autobots}}}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Of Masters and Mayhem flashback.jpeg|thumb|left|250px]]

Decepticon Aerospace Commander Starscream left Cybertron during the Great War to seek out the power of the [[Underbase]]. Allying with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s squadron, Starscream found the cosmic power he sought and turned it on the Autobots only for its power to ultimately overwhelm him, melting him from the inside out. Impactor later revealed that this mission had been part of a plan to upgrade [[Computron (G1)|Computron]], Starscream having been but an unwitting pawn. {{storylink|Lively Pursuit}}

When Megatron met the Autobot [[Pretender]]s on Earth, he informed them of how the Great War had transpired in this reality, remembering Starscream as one of the key Decepticons. {{storylink|History}}

===When Worlds Collide===
When Megatron and Cobra Commander stole the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Starscream flew by in jet mode. {{storylink|When Worlds Collide}}
{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' continuity===
====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Todaro]] (English)}}
[[File:PreludeToCombinerWarsStarscream.jpg|thumb|Look Mom, I'm in 3D!|upright=1.4]]

Starscream was among the Decepticon troops who bore witness to a pivotal duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, one meant to end the war before the never-ending arms race between the two factions spiralled further out of control. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Optimus Prime}} Following the end of the war, Starscream found a role on Cybertron's new ruling council alongside Rodimus Prime and [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]'s [[Mistress of Flame]]. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Starscream}} {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Windblade}} Although he claimed that his old backstabbing had given way to a newfound sense of responsibility, in reality he was just playing a long game to get his hands on the [[Enigma of Combination]]. {{storylink|A War of Giants}} {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Starscream}}

[[File:AWarOfGiants Starscream plus combiners.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|This isn't even my final form.]]

To contain Menasor, Starscream ordered the Council agent [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] to stop the Decepticon combiner, sparking a fight that spilled over to Caminus. Following the destruction, Starscream met with the Council to discuss the growing combiner threat, but no-one could come to a meaningful agreement. {{storylink|The Council}}

The Council examined the two dead combiners, Starscream regretting sending Computron on his suicide mission. When [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], Megatron, and Optimus Prime attacked the Council building, the trio opted to face the intruders without the aid of the Enigma. Starscream failed to convince Megatron of his good intentions, and the former Decepticon leader fired on his old second-in-command, triggering the turrets. Then Devastator showed up out of nowhere, ripping off one of Rodimus's arms and turning the tide in favor of the combiners. {{storylink|Homecoming (CW)|Homecoming}} When [[Victorion]] also showed up out of nowhere, the Mistress of Flame argued in favor of using the Enigma to control the combiners, a plan of action Starscream agreed with - as he touched the Enigma, Megatron realized that this was all Starscream's long con, and he had gotten all the players in his scheme right where he wanted them. Starscream, energized by the Enigma, absorbed the four combiners to become Ultimate Starscream... {{storylink|A War of Giants}}

[[File:DarkestHour-starcloud.jpg|thumb|Incoming barrage from the Big Giant Head!|upright=1.4]]

...and, after monologuing about his evil scheme for a while, the energies of the Enigma imploded on him, turning him into a giant, screaming head. Starscream threw around the interlopers for a while before knocking Windblade unconscious. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (CW)|Darkest Hour}} Windblade gained a second wind, however, and on regaining consciousness she had Metroplex reach out and crush whatever Starscream had become, killing him. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}

[[File:TR-Ep10-All-Things-Must-Pass-Ghost-Starscream.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Studying his body afterwards, Perceptor discovered that its consistency had changed as a result of his attempt at combination, taking on properties similar to the Enigma and the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|The Fight Begins}} Despite his death, Starscream's spark endured and was left to drift through space as he cursed at whatever higher power had left him in this predicament. His fortune shifted, however, when his spark was unexpectedly pulled into the body of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], resurrecting the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. {{storylink|Aftermath and Rebirth}} As the Autobots battled Trypticon, Starscream's latent personality would occasionally emerge, projected via dark smoke emerging from Trypticon's mouth, though his mind seemed to be addled as a result of his possession. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}} {{storylink|At the Last Second}} {{storylink|Run for Our Lives}} Ultimately, Trypticon was defeated by the power of the Matrix, freeing Starscream's spirit from within. The deceased Decepticon laughed, feeling reborn, as his spirit vanished into the air. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}

In the aftermath of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimal Optimus]]'s rise to power, neither he nor Optimus Prime noticed Starscream's ghost watching them, cackling that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material====
The scheming Decepticon air commander Starscream could wield powers of the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Starscream packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Starscream, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

===Transformers social media content===
[[File:Facebook-DatingProfiles2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Starscream, aka LOOKING4LOVE84, had an online Dating Profile.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/transformers/videos/1625292087540979/ Dating Profiles]</ref>

{{--}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:PrimesDirectivePart1-Decepticons.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
When [[World War III]] consumed [[Earth]], the [[Decepticon]]s fled the blighted planet aboard [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], trailing the Autobots aboard [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. When the two [[Titan (group)|Titans]] reached [[Cygnus Seven]], the Decepticons attacked, the battle sending Maximus hurtling into the moon and causing everyone to fall into [[stasis lock]]. Eventually, the [[Federation]] moved onto Cygnus Seven with a survey team accidentally rousing Maximus's autonomic systems. By random chance, the repair beam first struck [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] who proceeded to revive the other Decepticons and lead an attack on the surface. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} The attack brought the attention of the [[USS Enterprise|USS ''Enterprise'']], with the Decepticons managing to corner the away team sent by the human ship only for [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] to scare the Decepticons away with a [[photon torpedo]] barrage. Retreating to a nearby moon, the Decepticons found Trypticon with [[Klingon]]s occupying his city mode. When [[Kuri]] demanded the Decepticons identify themselves, Airachnid grumbled about all the organics pointing weapons at them. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}}

Though Megatron was initially intrigued by the human hating aliens, Starscream's pessimism about their usefulness soon spread to his leader before Kuri revealed the existence of the Klingon cloaking device. Taking advantage of the Klingon dedication to victory at any cost, Starscream smooth talked the commander into having one such device installed within his own chassis. After Trypticon had disabled the ''Enterprise'', Starscream led the attack on the surface of Cygnus Seven, pinning down Optimus Prime outside the mine shaft that led to Maximus. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

[[File:PrimesDirectivePart5-emperorstarscream.jpg|thumb|300px]]

As Starscream laughed at the humans' screams, Optimus Prime and Commander [[Spock]] of the ''Enterprise'' offered themselves as prisoners in exchange for the miners' safety. Contemptuous of the humans ever since the 20th century, Starscream instead prepared to slay Optimus before Fortress Maximus burst free from the moon's crust, now reformatted into a copy of the ''Enterprise''. As Starscream and Kuri pointed fingers, Maximus, or "Fortress Tiberius" as he now called himself, began to duel Trypticon. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}} Opting for the better part of valour, Starscream cloaked himself and absconded to the [[dilithium]] processing centre, noting that the fuel, while not [[energon]], would serve his needs nicely. Starscream then set off to conquer the Klingon homeworld, [[Kronos]], unaware that Megatron had already taken note of Starscream's desertion. Starscream blatantly violated the [[Neutral Zone]] and landed beyond the First City. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

Taking a second to learn Klingonese (which he loved), Starscream burst into the chambers of the [[Klingon High Council]] and fashioned a makeshift throne out of rubble, declaring himself the new emperor. When the Chancellor [[Gorkon]] scoffed at this, Starscream responded with his [[null-ray]]. No sooner had the councillors whipped out their disruptors did an orbital bombardment commence. Much to Starscream's horror, Megatron descended and promptly downed him. In stasis, Starscream played no role in the subsequent battle for Kronos and was taken into custody by the Klingons once the Decepticons had been defeated. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:GoForTheGold-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Eager to seize a volatile [[Cybertonium]] meteorite, Starscream press-ganged [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s into helping him retrieve the mineral, but the mission soon became a skirmish against Optimus Prime and the Autobots. In between barking orders at his fellow Decepticons, Starscream traded fire with Prime before the meteor threatened to explode; when the impending detonation sent the Autobots scattering, Starscream grabbed a fragment of the meteor and prepared to retreat... but reckoned without Bumblebee, whose midair tackle threatened to overload his meteor fragment. Starscream's self-preservation instincts promptly led him to drop the meteorite and escape aboard Astrotrain with the defeated Constructicons. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Go for the Gold}}

{{-}}

===''Go-Bots'' comic===
[[File:IDW go-bots starscream.jpeg|thumb|right|250px|So apparently, combining the corpses of two fascist despots, one of them mentally unstable, creates Starscream. Seems about right.]]
After much consideration, [[Road Ranger]] decided to use the remains of the deceased [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] to create a new [[GoBot|Go-Bot]], one that looks eerily familiar.... {{Storylink|Go-Bots issue 5|Go-Bots #5}}

{{-}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
[[File:MazingerVsTransformers-Mazinscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A final boss form for Starscream that's ''not'' a giant screaming head? Blasphemy!]]
During a battle between the Decepticons and Autobots on Earth, Starscream wound up clipping his own wing when his shots reflected off [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and sent him hurtling into a nearby [[space bridge]]. The subsequent surge of energy had the unexpected side-effect of briefly opening up a portal to another dimension, and both Autobots and Decepticons wound up in the Japan of an alternate universe. A still-wounded Starscream and the other members of Megatron's team wound up outside the [[Photonic Power Laboratory]] and planned to attack this facility in the hopes of harnessing its miraculous energy source—but the Autobots, who had been mislead by the villainous [[Doctor Hell]] and [[Baron Ashura]] into joining their evil [[Mechanical Beast]]s attacked first, and tangled with [[Kōji Kabuto]] and his powerful [[Mazinger Z]] super robot.

Realizing that they had a potential ally, Megatron's forces teamed up with Doctor Hell, and launched a second attack on the Photonic Power Laboratory; Starscream attacked from the air, and initially held the upper hand against the Mazinger until Optimus Prime, riding atop the [[Jet Scrander]], provided some air support for his new friends and shot the Seeker out of the sky. As the evil alliance lost ground, Starscream displayed the ability to absorb both Photon Power and Mazinger Z's spare parts, transforming him into the gigantic, out-of-control "'''Mazinscream'''". Mimicking some of Mazinger's own powers, such as the ability to fire powerful rocket punches, Mazinscream cut a swathe through friends and foes alike, melting legions of Mechanical Beasts with his superheated "Null Fire" blasts and even blasting Megatron himself in a demented bid for leadership. Only a three-way alliance susccessfully put Mazinscream down for good: Kōji deployed the Mazinger's rocket punch attack, which hurtled Optimus Prime and Megatron towards their mutual foe, and a blast of photonic power from Megatron's gun mode blew the Air Commander apart. The resulting explosion teleported the remaining Autobots and Decepticons back to their world, unaware that a council of [[Go Nagai|mysterious figures]] had masterminded the entire dimensional overlap, and witnessed Starscream's demise, for their own purposes. {{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Starscream-art.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|right]]

{{bigquote|Conquest is made of the ashes of one's enemies.}}

Starscream rose to prominence in [[Vos (polity)|Vos]], the home of the Decepticon Air Command, becoming the Air Commander of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}} During the war for Cybertron, Starscream was the [[Cybertronian military insignia|Air Force Infantry Captain]], whose function served as the Decepticon Air Commander. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' webpage]</ref>

With Cybertron's fate sealed and the Autobots gone, the Decepticons followed them closely through space aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' in pursuit of the [[AllSpark]]. During this period, Starscream's primary objective was to gain power, and his primary weapons were his Null Rays. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/earthrise ''Earthrise'' webpage]</ref>

Closer than ever to reaching the Allspark, the Decepticons awakened after crash-landing on pre-[[Ice Age]] [[Earth]]. While battling the Autobots, both sides were joined by the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, their epic battle changing their combined destinies.

During this period, Starscream's function was second-in-command, and he [[trans-scan]]ned into a jet. His Null Rays and speed were his powers and weapons, and his core traits were his scheming, ambition, and relentlessness. Starscream's message from the future was that as [[Megatron (G1)|old]] alliances are tested, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|new]] alliances will be forged. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/kingdom ''Kingdom'' webpage]</ref>

During the collective battle, Starscream teamed up with Predacons [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in pursuit of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and the Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Battle Across Time Collection marketing material}}<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TM6TDF7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Battle Across Time Collection on Amazon]</ref>
{{--}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Todaro]] (English), [[Setsuji Satō]] (Japanese)|[[Boris Rehlinger]] (French), [[Santiago Ziesmer]] (German), [[Simone Crisari]] (Italian), [[Rodrigo Oliveira]] (Portuguese), [[Jesús Maniega]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Irwin Daayán]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Samay Thakkar]] (Hindi)}}

{{bigquote|You like the sound of your own voice... ''don't you?''|[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] first meeting Starscream, [[Kingdom episode 1]]}}

[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep1-Starscream-threatens-Bee-n-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

Second-in-command of the Seekers, Starscream was part of the unit that cornered Bumblebee and Wheeljack at a Space Bridge only for Jetfire to cut his hand off for insubordination. After the Autobots had escaped, Starscream got a new hand and stood behind Megatron at a rally. {{storylink|Siege episode 1}} As he and Jetfire had their ideas shot down by Megatron, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] surrendered himself to the Decepticons for good faith negotiations. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}}

When Megatron announced his plan to use the Allspark to reformat the Autobots into Decepticons, Starscream aired his grievances about this to his fellow Seekers in a courtyard before Jetfire arrived and sent him on patrol. He was later approached by the fatally damaged Skywarp who managed to pass on the news of Jetfire's betrayal before he perished. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}

[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep4-Starscream-chases-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Armed with this information, Starscream confronted Jetfire at [[Tarn-Hauser Gate]], exposing him as a traitor to Megatron, the tyrant ordering Starscream to kill the traitor. Despite losses to the Seekers, Starscream managed to shoot Jetfire down, proudly reporting this to Megatron who promoted him to commander of the Seekers. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}} Soon afterwards, he was reporting to Megatron on the Seekers' observations of Autobot activity near the disused Space Bridge when Shockwave and Soundwave announced that Autobot Command had been located. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}

When Jetfire was found to be alive and had defected, Starscream duelled the traitor before he received priority orders to withdraw and destroy the Space Bridge. Reluctantly following, Starscream led his troops to Sector Seven and began an aerial attack where he claimed [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'s life before [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] arrived to attack the Decepticons. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

After Optimus and his Autobots fled Cybertron, Starscream and the other Decepticons stayed behind, struggling to keep their civilization running while also dealing with the remaining Autobots who hadn't left the planet with their leader. Using [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]'s corpse, Starscream baited [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] and her team of rebels into a trap, {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}} and brought them before [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] who'd launched "Project Nemesis" as a way to harvest the lifeblood of both Autobots and Deceptions. However, when the low-ranking Decepticon [[Scrapface]] helped the Autobots escape, Megatron blamed Starscream for the loss—but when the Decepticons picked up a signal from the ''Ark'', all other concerns were swept aside when Megatron ordered the activation of "Project Nemesis", the construction of a [[Nemesis (G1)|massive warship]] that would take them off-planet in pursuit of their old foes. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}}

[[File:EarthriseEp4-changeinmanagement.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

Some time later, Starscream sent an air patrol to flush out Elita's unit, but eventually left with the other high-ranking Decepticons in the newly constructed ''Nemesis''. When the Decepticons caught up with their old foes at [[Nebulon Station]] thanks to a tipoff from the crew of the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'', Starscream joined the boarding party. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}} However, the Decepticons encountered the gigantic [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]; when an explosion separated the feuding warriors from their respective leaders, Starscream announced that Megatron had died and he now led the Decepticons. His reign proved short-lived—when Megatron and Optimus limped back to the main antechamber, Starscream accused him of collaborating with the Autobots before Megatron blasted him in the chest. Amidst the chaos of battle, the Autobots took the opportunity to escape by disabling the station's gravity, and by the time that Starscream returned to the ''Nemesis'' ahead of Megatron the Autobots had already warmed up their ship's warp drive. Starscream lied that Megatron was dead and ordered [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] to fire on the station; when Barricade refused to follow his orders, however, Starscream did it himself and annihilated the space station. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 4}}

The explosion blew open a rift to the extradimensional [[Dead Universe]], but Megatron had survived his assassination attempt, and after a brief beating, banished Starscream from the bridge. The Decepticons followed the ''Ark'' through the Dead Universe, gaining a mysterious [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|golden disk]] with the power to change history in the process, and caught up with the Autobots over prehistoric [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 5}} The Decepticons boarded their ship, but had to contend with both an ambush and [[Deseeus]]'s remaining Mercenaries, intent on destroying both factions. The battle destroyed the ''Fool's Fortune'' but left the remaining ships drifting into Earth's gravity well, and ended with both sides hurtling toward the primordial jungle. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

[[File:KingdomEp3-StarscreamVsDinobot.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"You! Your beast mode should have feathers!"]]

After crash-landing, Starscream and Megatron discovered that they were not the only Cybertronians on this planet: a group of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, time-travelling Cybertronians from the future led by [[Megatron (BW)|their own Megatron]], had witnessed their descent. Annoyed by this new "Megatron" and his sycophantic appreciation toward his Decepticon namesake, the treacherous Predacon [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] proposed a secret alliance with the Seeker leader. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 1}} Fellow Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] soon caught wind of their treachery, but before he could intervene, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] informed them that they'd captured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], a Maximal spy. Later, Starscream spied on the two Megatrons as they enthused over over the Golden Disk and reported his findings to Blackarachnia. Again, Dinobot ambushed the pair—not to attack them, however, but to join forces: together, they could seize the Allspark and use its power to end the war. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}}

The three stole a shuttle to search for the Allspark, but interference caused their shuttle to crash in the Allspark's mystical "cyber-forest". When the artifact trapped both Starscream and Blackarachnia in illusory scenarios, Dinobot snapped them both back to reality. Disgusted by his selfishness and cowardice, Dinobot accused Starscream of using his past traumas as justification to hurt others—the remark caused Starscream to snap and throw the Predacon warrior off a nearby cliff. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 3}} With nowhere else to go, Starscream considered returning to Megatron's side until Blackarachnia convinced him to seize command through force. Using a cloaking chip, Starscream attempted to stealthily offline the Decepticon leader... but thanks to the Golden Disk's infallible knowledge of future events, he was able to take out the invisible Decepticon and steal his cloaking chip. With [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] trapped outside the temple the Allspark created for itself, Starscream and Blackarachnia arrived, trailed by "Beast" Megatron; furious at the idea of his subordinates for conspiring with a Maximal, the Predacon leader swatted the pair aside. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 4}}

[[File:KingdomEp5-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Starscream plays the Golden Disk backwards and discovers that John Lennon actually did bury Paul.]]

Using a sample of Megatron's [[energon]], Blackarachnia and Starscream jury-rigged a device capable of reading the Golden Disk, which they'd seized amidst the battle—in doing so, however, Starscream realized that Blackarachnia had manipulated him into picking an unwinnable fight with Megatron to get her hands on that energon. Starscream attacked Blackarachnia, then absconded with both the disk and its reader. The artifact chronicled a dark timeline, one where [[Unicron]] had corrupted Megatron into becoming [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]... and, somehow, Unicron's dark influence was able to reach backwards in time to show Starscsream a vision of a Unicron-dominated future. When Blackarachnia finally caught up with him, Starscream tersely informed her that they needed to warn Optimus and Megatron immediately.

The pair made it to the repaired ''Ark'' just as the Autobots prepared for takeoff; when Optimus gave the two a chance to explain themselves, a terrified Starscream babbled that Unicron had deliberately manipulated the history of the Cybertronian race and, unable to bear its burden, entrusted the disk to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]—who promptly shattered the artifact. When he rejoined the ''Nemesis'' during its final attack on the ''Ark'', Starscream tried to warn his Megatron that his current path would lead them all to ruin; to ensure that this future would not come to pass, Starscream tried and failed to kill Megatron by knocking him off the ship's ramp. Although the battle ended with all of the Decepticons captured and imprisoned, Starscream was unconcerned by this: he was more worried about the fact that the ''Ark'' would take them back to Cybertron—exactly what Unicron wanted. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 5}}

[[File:KingdomEp6-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

As the ''Ark'' flew through space, Starscream tried to convince the Autobots of what he'd seen and heard before the ship's [[stasis field]] temporarily incapacitated him. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream's worst fears were seemingly confirmed when Galvatron and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]—the two corrupted alter egos of the Autobot and Decepticon leaders—reached backwards in time to attack the Cybertronians. However, Starscream and Optimus Prime's impassioned encouragement to fight for the future of Cybertron inspired Megatron to turn on his future self, and the united factions bought just enough time for Bumblebee to implant the Allspark, reactivate Cybertron, and banish the two malevolent time-travellers. With the crisis having forced both sides together, Megatron agreed to a ceasefire, and Starscream was one of the many Decepticons who attended the peace ceremony. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}

{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The World In Your Eyes Part Four|''Transformers'' issue #4]] (mentioned), [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four|''Transformers'' issue #10]] (full depiction)}}

[[File:NauticaHome-StarscreamNautica.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

Starscream was forged at some point before the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. His [[mentor]] [[Cryak]] brought the young Starscream along on her expeditions, and their adventures in the Cybertronian wilderness opened Starscream's eyes to the beauty of his homeworld. Eventually, however, Cryak suffered a debilitating accident on one of her expeditions and chose to go [[immersant]]. {{storylink|I Have No Mouth And I Must Starscream}}

After the eccentric genius [[Termagax]] abandoned her political ambitions to her mentee [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and retired to a life of seclusion, Starscream occasionally showed up to bother her. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two}}

During the reign of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Starscream caught wind of a conspiracy in the uppermost echelons of the Cybertronian government: to uphold the terms of the [[Nominus Edict]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had diverted multiple [[Spark|Titansparks]] and stored them underneath the [[Forge Pyramid|Pyramid]] instead of bringing them to term. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} In exchange for his silence, Sentinel Prime promoted him to Head of Cybertronian Intelligence and removed [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] from the position. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} As Head of Intelligence, Starscream delivered reports on potential threats like rogue [[Mini-Cassette|infiltration trooper]]s {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} and kept abreast of interspecies politics, including spying on the secretive and hostile [[Thraal]] empire that bordered Cybertronian space. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

[[File:G1StarscreamMocksOrionIDW2019.jpg|thumb|250px|Gottem.]]

Off the books, Starscream began building a private spy network for his own benefit: handpicked moles like the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s right-hand 'bot [[Trickdiamond]] {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}} fed him a constant stream of intel; by only telling Sentinel Prime what ''he'' wanted the Autobot leader to know, his opportunism afforded the ambitious [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] a near-total monopoly on information. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} Whether through his repeated encounters with Termagax or through his myriad contacts, Starscream eventually deduced that she'd been entrusted with the mythical [[Enigma of Combination]]. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|Sea of Rust II}}

As a member of Sentinel Prime's inner retinue, Starscream joined his leader and other high-ranking government operatives for a tour of the [[Cybertronian colonies]] aboard the Titan [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]], secure that his various moles on Cybertron would fill him in when he returned. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} While in orbit around [[Hexagon]], Sentinel received word that both [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Rubble]] had been murdered, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} and informed his staff that they would be returning to Cybertron ahead of schedule. Starscream, after making some mildly racist remarks about a recently murdered [[Voin]], showed [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] that his team had finally cracked the Thraal's anti-security measures and gained security footage of the organics. When he showed footage of the visiting delegation leaving, the Head of Xeno-Relations, realising that the Thraal were plotting something, hurried away. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

When the group returned home, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} they made their way to the [[Senate]], where Sentinel found little concrete progress had been made and barked a few orders before stomping off. Following the Prime, Starscream sarcastically praised [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] for keeping the peace so effectively. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePartTwo-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

When [[Security Operations]] besieged four members of [[The Rise]] in an [[immersant]] Titan, Starscream arrived, claiming that he'd simply come to observe the standoff. In reality, however, he had come to receive a report from his mole in the Ascenticon Guard, [[Reflector (G1)#2019 IDW continuity|Refraktor]]. Chromia was simply glad that Soundwave was out of sight due to their history. As Refraktor finished his report, Starscream spotted Soundwave and his guards, and chastised his agent for not telling him the most significant news—that [[Bumblebee (G1)#2019 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] had joined the Ascenticon Guard. Before Refraktor could respond, however, the Titan suddenly exploded, forcing Starscream to cover his audio sensors. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}}

Starscream learned from his contacts that Sentinel Prime intended to arrest Soundwave for suspected collaboration with the Rise, and after the Reversionist senator [[Heretech]] warned Megatron of the plot, Starscream made contact with the leader of the Ascenticon movement too. Although he freely admitted he was still hedging his bets between the Autobots and Ascenticons, Starscream did give Megatron one tip for free—Bumblebee was deeply loyal to Orion Pax and likely the mole in the Ascenticon Guard who had alerted the Autobots to Soundwave's activities. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}}

After Bumblebee had been arrested for murdering [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], Starscream paid him a visit. Confident that his various connections would allow him to safely ride out Megatron's impending uprising, Starscream offered to ally with Bumblebee but left when the yellow bot offered him no answer. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|We Have Deceived You}} Indeed, when Megatron dropped all pretenses of civility and overthrew the Senate, Starscream had already fled the Senate and abandoned Sentinel to his fate. When the [[Rainmaker]]s slew Sentinel Prime not long afterwards, Sentinel, aware that Starscream intended to stand with Megatron, ordered his successor Orion to find and kill Starscream before he could reveal the secret of the Pyramid to the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|War World: Prime|Prime}} {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}}

[[File:Awakenings-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

A few days later, as Megatron consolidated his power over Iacon, Starscream came out of hiding to meet with the new leaders of the city, confident that his connections and secret knowledge would give him an edge in the new hierarchy to come. However, his smug attitude quickly eroded any goodwill; Soundwave, still nursing a grudge against his old rival, blasted him with his sonic cannon. When Megatron threatened to turn his [[fusion cannon]] on Starscream, the Seeker quickly revealed that he had information on both Titansparks and the Enigma of Combination. {{storylink|War World: Awakenings|Awakenings}} While recuperating from his injuries, Starscream ordered Refraktor to pass along information about the Titansparks to the Autobots—Megatron had gotten this far by holding all the cards, but now it was time for the Decepticon leader to face his first real test. As he was to be transferred to [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]]'s care, Starscream, aware that Megatron would have him watched, ordered Refraktor to volunteer for that role. {{storylink|War World: Hunt|Hunt}} Acting on Starscream's intelligence, both sides converged on the Pyramid for the Titan sparks at the same time, sparking a brawl that ended in the destruction of the facility and almost all of the sparks. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} Finding Starscream to still be of use, Megatron promoted the Seeker into his inner circle and gave orders for Soundwave to not kill him. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

[[File:IHaveNoMouthAndIMustStarscream-excuseme.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Osmosis Scream?]]

After the Autobots withdrew from Iacon, Starscream eavesdropped on Megatron as the Decepticon leader considered putting Starscream in charge of a new public relations unit that would hunt down and flush out any Autobot stragglers. However, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], citing Starscream's selfishness, pressured Megatron into appointing Soundwave instead. A frustrated Starscream stormed out of [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and ran into [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], who told him that they'd heard a ghost from Cybertronian mythology screaming somewhere out in the wilderness. Aware that Autobots could be using the ghost story as a cover to regroup, Starscream decided to investigate himself. When he tracked the noise to its source, however, he discovered that the "ghost" was a lost and confused Voin ape, tangled up in a glade of metallic flora. Starscream considered putting the creature out of its misery... but when his blade touched the metallic cable leeching [[energon]] directly from the planetary surface, a strange electrical reaction sucked out his [[spark]] and transplanted it into the body of the helpless Voin ape.

Upon reawakening in this fleshy form, Starscream briefly panicked... but soon realized that he was not the ''only'' Cybertronian inhabiting this body: this was the final resting place of his old mentor Cryak, who'd become trapped in this realm between life and death when the alien creature interrupted her return to the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]]. Although Cryak, now viciously insane after spending kilocycles in purgatory, intended to steal Starscream's body and use it to "free" dozens of Cybertronians from their physical forms, Starscream was able to stop her, and although he briefly contemplated trying to help his old mentor, eventually decided to simply keep her trapped in her predicament forever as punishment. {{storylink|I Have No Mouth And I Must Starscream}}

Some time later, Starscream was in Decepticon Headquarters when [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] brought [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] before the Decepticon leader for an interrogation. Although Magnus warned the Decepticons that [[Exarchon]], who'd kicked off the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], had returned, Megatron put no stock in these rumors and dismissed them. Starscream was curious by the specificity of his warnings, however, and Megatron grudgingly permitted him to investigate. Shortly afterwards, Starscream received a call from Trickdiamond, whom he'd once promised her everything if Swindle ever fell. When she informed him that her boss was voluntarily aiding the Autobots, Starscream passed the word along to Megatron and Sixshot. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}}

[[File:WarsEndPartTwo-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

As the Decepticons prepared to attack Crystal City, Cyclonus arrived, spouting more warnings about Exarchon, Starscream suggested to Megatron that, true or false, they spin the rumours to their advantage, painting the Decepticons as benevolent protectors against a foe to all of Cybertron. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Starscream later tried to make peace with Soundwave before [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] teleported in, bringing confirmation that Exarchon had returned. When the three made for the throne room, Megatron was in the process of speaking with Optimus Prime. Given that the Autobots were the least of the threats facing the Decepticons, Starscream advised Megatron to agree to a temporary alliance, being supported by Soundwave. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

In the Decepticons' big push on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], Starscream led the Seekers into battle against [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. After [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] had been felled, Starscream attempted to warn Megatron of the Autobots' imminent launch only for them to do so before he could even finish his sentence. {{storylink|Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron}}

{{--}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:GhostsOfCybertronPart1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

After the Decepticons won the Great War, the malevolent entity known as [[Gozer]] appeared on Cybertron. Though Starscream was quick to attack, Gozer simply reflected his weapon's power back at him before it was approached by the [[Decepticon leader]], offering Megatron the choice of which form it would assume to destroy Cybertron. In his arrogance, Starscream momentarily thought that only ''he'' was powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, and when Gozer picked up on this thought it reshaped itself into a monstrous parody of the Air Commander and began its attack. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}}

Though the Decepticons fought valiantly against the extradimensional menace, the invader proved too powerful, and the destruction of the [[Decepticon fleet]] and Megatron's pride meant that evacuation was not an option. As Megatron prepared to execute Starscream for giving Gozer a form, the energy being known as [[Kremzeek]] approached the members of [[Decepticon High Command]] and offered them a proposition: he would spare their lives by transforming them into [[ghost]]s... but once Megatron accepted the deal, he discovered that Kremzeek intended to use them to find the [[AllSpark]], which the Autobots had taken with them when they fled Cybertron, and seize it for his own ends. Megatron, Soundwave, and Shockwave refused, resulting in the Scavenger absorbing them into his being. Only Starscream chose to serve Kremzeek, and the energy creature sent him out into the galaxy to find the ''Ark'', and with it, the AllSpark. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

[[File:GhostsofCybertron1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

One thousand years later, Starscream's ghost manifested on [[Earth]] and drew the attention of the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, who sent [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] to investigate. When he arrived at the Autobot's coordinates, Starscream asked the nearby [[Ghostbusters]] to leave, but the humans responded by trapping him in one of their [[ghost trap]]s. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} Ectronymous accidentally set Starscream free, who nearly turned his wrath on the organics before they restrained him with their [[proton pack]]s. Noticing Ectronymous' Autobot insignia, Starscream called a truce and told an edited version of his story, claiming that he needed the AllSpark in order to rebuild his physical body. When one of Kremzeek's children arrived, Starscream, ostensibly to win the humans' trust, instructed them on how to destroy it before the group returned to the [[Ghostbusters firehouse]]. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}

[[File:GhostsOFCybertronPart4-youstillfunction.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Loitering through the building, Starscream failed to kill a [[Slimer|a gluttonous ghost]], much to [[Peter Venkman]]'s amusement. While the human sympathized with the attempted murder, he wasn't fooled for a second by Starscream's act and activated a hidden ghost trap that kept the Seeker contained while Ectotron and the Ghostbusters went out on a call. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 3}} While the Ghostbusters took care of a local ghost, Kremzeek created a power surge that disabled the trap and set his servant free. Starscream fled to the [[Grosbeak Generating Station]] and set a trap for the Ghostbusters—once they'd captured him, he shrieked for his master to save him, prompting the arrival of Kremzeek. Though Starscream intended to use the Prime as a hostage for the AllSpark, Kremzeek had reached his limit with the Seeker's lack of results and absorbed him into his being. Starscream's imprisonment was a short-lived one, however, for [[Killerwatt|an electricity consuming ghost]] made physical contact with Kremzeek, dissipated the both of them and freed the Decepticon ghosts. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

As Megatron attacked Optimus Prime, Starscream tried to kill the distracted Peter Venkman only to be restrained once again by a proton stream. Salvation came when Shockwave, also restrained by such a stream, fired a round near Venkman and shattered his hold on the Seeker. Opting for the better part of valour, Starscream fled the planet and swore revenge on the Ghostbusters. When Ectotron left Earth in an [[Autobot shuttle]], intending to search for other Cybertronian ghosts across the galaxy, Starscream watched him leave with an opportunistic smirk. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart2-Seekers.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
In the year [[1984]], Starscream and the other Decepticons awoke aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and killed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] before the Autobot leader could awaken. Without their adversary to slow them down, the Decepticons promptly began a destructive campaign against humanity, and in spite of the Earthlings forming [[Skywatch]] to fight back, this genocidal war ended with humanity's complete extinction. Only Skywatch's [[Skynet]] supercomputer network survived, and, under the pretenses of surrender, marshaled its resources to construct a time machine in the hopes of changing history. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}}

In the year [[2029]], Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons led the final attack on Skynet's [[Omega Base]], destroying scores of [[T-800]] robots, but were too late to prevent Skynet from activating its [[time displacement device]] and sending one T-800 back to the year 1984. Unaware of this gambit, Starscream destroyed the machine that the android had used and ordered the artificial intelligence's execution. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}}

[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPartThree-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

The Terminator travelled back to 1984 and, after recruiting [[Sarah Connor]] into its mission of complete Cybertronian destruction, hightailed it to [[Mount St. Hilary]] and attacked the Decepticons before they could kill Optimus Prime. Smaller and more agile than its Decepticon foes, the Terminator withstood both Soundwave and Starscream's attacks long enough for Sarah to accidentally reactivate Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Starscream panicked, assumed that ''all'' the Autobots were coming back online, and suggested a retreat. The Decepticons regrouped on an Oregon beach, where Starscream explained that the cyborg that had attacked them was ''not'' one of the native [[human]]s, but a cleverly disguised machine. Seeking power to fuel their invasion, the Decepticons then attacked the headquarters of [[Cyberdyne Systems]]. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}}

After the facility had been conquered, Starscream interrogated its scientists for information about the Terminator unit, even making attempts to bargain with the humans. By the time the Autobots arrived, the interrogation had allowed Starscream to work out the truth behind the Terminator's existence. After Refraktor had been killed, Starscream confronted the T-800 and offered to cut the android a deal, lest he exterminate his hostages and erase the android's timeline. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}

Seeking to turn the android's anti-Cybertronian mission against Megatron before he destroyed it, unaware that it had already deemed his hostages as expendable, Starscream downed Soundwave with a missile barrage before he launched the T-800 at Megatron. Even at point blank range however, the android failed to breach the warlord's armor who promptly hurled it back at Starscream, sending the Seeker down into a crash landing. As the T-800 told [[Sarah Connor]] that it would complete its mission of Cybertronian destruction, Starscream reverted to robot mode, his transformation bisecting the time traveller, before he prepared to execute the Terminator. As he gloated about his plan to make a legion of slaves in the T-800's image, Starscream was shot in the side by Soundwave. Cursing his foes, Starscream flew off, content to let them kill each other. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Four}}

{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:ShineLikeADiamond-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"You're just jealous of my ''swish''."]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons battling for control over a malfunctioning [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] (earning a hit to the face from a transformed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in the process) when it suddenly activated, transporting Autobots and Decepticons alike to the world of [[Equestria]]. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} Upon his arrival, Starscream attacked the city of [[Manehattan]], forcing [[Rarity]] and her boutique staff to make him look presentable for his eventual conquest of this new world. Though Rarity tried to appease him, Starscream remained unconvinced of her sincerity, asserting that the ponies would serve him. His tirade was interrupted, however, by the arrival of [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] who engaged him in battle. Enraged at the humiliation, Starscream fled vowing revenge. He returned with Skywarp and Thundercracker, though their attacks were hindered by Rarity conjuring a magical shield to defend Arcee. After Thundercracker was shot down, Rarity had Arcee force the remaining Seekers to fly closer together, allowing Rarity to use Starscream's own discarded cape to tangle him and Skywarp together. After a brief struggle, Skywarp teleported away, leaving Starscream to lose control and crash outside the city. {{storylink|Shine Like a Diamond}}

Starscream would later join the rest of the Decepticons and their new Changeling allies in an attack on the [[Crystal Empire]]. Eventually, Optimus Prime and [[Twilight Sparkle]] managed to combine the powers of friendship and the Matrix of Leadership to defeat the Decepticons and force them back through the reactivated spacebridge to Cybertron. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

[[File:Finale-StarscreamAxe.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Following the Decepticons' construction of a new spacebridge, Starscream led the Seekers to the Equestrian city of [[Las Pegasus]] to claim magical artifacts only to run afoul of [[Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends once again. The Seekers fell back to Cybertron where a magical beam from Twilight struck one of the pilfered artifacts and unleashed [[King Sombra]] who proceeded to enthrall several Decepticons. When the Autobots arrived to investigate the commotion, the ponies claimed, much to Starscream's chagrin, that the Cybertronian race would have to unify to combat the [[unicorn]] tyrant. {{storylink|The Magic of Cybertron}}

Starscream's mood only worsened when he found his Seekers allied with the [[Wonderbolt]]s. As he endured [[Rainbow Dash]]'s attitude, the fliers came under attack from the brainwashed Cybertronians. Though Starscream ordered an indiscriminate carpet bombing, the Wonderbolts instead created an atmospheric disturbance that instead allowed the Seekers to fire immobilizing nets at their kin. Landing, Starscream groused about the poor quality of opposition before launching into a speech that once he freed the rubes, they would pledge undying loyalty to him, a speech that no one heard as they were all too busy praising Rainbow Dash's plan. {{storylink|Stunt Flying}}

After [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Rarity had discovered how to free Sombra's thralls, Rainbow Dash was given a transformable [[exosuit]], turning into a handheld weapon for Starscream. When Optimus Prime confronted Megatron, Starscream eagerly jumped in to bludgeon his leader with his transformed ally, hoping that the surge of magical energy would kill his master but it simply freed the warlord instead. When Optimus Prime and Megatron stopped Sombra from getting control over [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Megatron revealed that the empathetic magic had made him aware of his second's treachery. As he dodged fire from Megatron's [[fusion cannon]], Starscream flew off, swearing revenge on Megatron and the ponies. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

===''Transformers/Back to the Future''===
[[File:TFBTTF1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

Starscream was one of the many dormant Decepticons who had been entombed aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crash-landed on [[Earth]] millions of years in the past. In the year [[1984]], [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]] reactivated the Decepticons ahead of schedule thanks to a time-travelling [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], who had used [[Doc Brown]]'s [[DeLorean time machine|DeLorean]] to travel back in time from [[2015]] and bring his comrades online. After executing the slumbering Autobots, the Decepticons quickly conquered Earth and enslaved the human race. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

When [[Hill Valley]] fell behind on its quota of [[energon cube]]s, Starscream was sent to investigate. As he humiliated Coordinator [[Biff Tannen]], [[Marty McFly]] lobbed a trash can lid at the Seeker's head, redirecting the SIC's anger. Starscream quickly cornered the youth but was prevented from executing him when the time travelling Autobot [[Gigawatt]] materialized and sent the Seeker tumbling into Jones Fertilizer. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 1|Transformers/Back to the Future #1}}

Hauling himself out of the excrement, Starscream attacked Gigawatt, briefly recognizing the turncoat, but was denied victory when the Autobot [[Skilz]] revealed himself, landing a kick to the Seeker's face that downed him long enough for Gigawatt to escape through time with Marty and Skilz. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

In 2015, Starscream made another visit to Hill Valley where he oversaw an execution of human rebels with four of the Constructicons. Before Biff Tannen could execute the humans, the Autobots and Marty McFly arrived. When McFly managed to use Brown's [[alpha-wave ionic nullifier]], Starscream shot him down only for [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] to confront the Seeker and down him with a mighty left hook. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 3|Transformers/Back to the Future #3}}

{{--}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Evil Leader's Big Miscalculation}}}}

[[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] told the other Autobots that they needed to work together to get some [[energon]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Pirme]] informed her that he had an idea about where they can get it. However, they were interrupted shortly afterwards by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Starscream, who wanted to steal the energon for themselves. {{storylink|Great Adventure on the Planet of Games!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Careless Scream}} {{storylink|The Iron Man of Repair}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 15}} {{storylink|I Want to Protect This Place}} {{storylink|The Transformers' Explosive New Years' Battle!}} {{storylink|Autobot Police Dispatched!}} {{storylink|Muscle Revolution! Ya!}} {{storylink|The Villains' Strategy Conference, Indeed!}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 26}} {{storylink|Zzzzzz}} {{storylink|Protect Freedom! Optimus!}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 32}} {{storylink|The Transformers Go! Go! Search Quiz is Here!|Search Quiz}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 40}} {{storylink|Go! Go! Fan Book 2024 special|Fan Book 2024}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 41}}}}

{{--}}

===''Last Bot Standing''===
Starscream was among the many Decepticons who fought against the Autobots as both sides drained the universe of its resources. {{Storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}

===Energon Universe===
{{quote|Starscream had no vision, no plan. His shortsightedness was only outpaced by his mindless need for violence.|[[Soundwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Soundwave]]|"[[Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8]]"}}
On Cybertron, Starscream fought alongside the other Decepticons for 200 years, felling many Autobots such as [[Beachcomber (G1)#Energon Universe|Beachcomber]] {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 2|Transformers #2}} as well as many unaligned Transformers such as [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|Cliffjumper]]'s clan. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 4|Transformers #4}}

During the battle aboard the crashing ''[[Ark (G1)#Energon Universe|Ark]]'', Starscream watched as a damaged [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|Megatron]] nearly fell out of the ship, clinging on with his remaining arm. Starscream seized the opportunity and fired on Megatron, sending the Decepticon leader plummeting to the planet below. {{storylink|Transformers Energon Universe Special story}}

[[File:TF2023 1 Starscream blasts Bumblebee.jpeg|left|thumb|225px|Say what you want about him, but he sure doesn't waste time.]]
Many years later, Starscream was one of many Decepticons lying dormant in the ''Ark'' when [[Jetfire (G1)#Energon Universe|Jetfire]] unearthed the ship and attempted to use [[Teletraan One]] to reactivate and rebuild the Transformers aboard. Starscream was the first to be rebuilt, and began his new lease on life by thanking his old friend, then shooting a dormant [[Bumblebee (G1)#Energon Universe|Bumblebee]] in the face. When Jetfire confronted him, Starscream told him that the [[Decepticon|markings]] on his wings were because of the war that had been raging for the past hundred years, before also shooting Jetfire in the abdomen. Starscream took aim at the dormant [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]]'s face before he was attacked by the newly rebuilt [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus Prime]].

A fight ensued, and after taking a kick from the revived [[Ratchet (G1)#Energon Universe|Ratchet]], Starscream ordered [[Skywarp (G1)#Energon Universe|Skywarp]] to drag more Decepticon warriors to his posistion to be revived by Teletraan One. Starscream then caught Optimus off-guard as the Autobot leader discovered Bumblebee's body. He grappled Optimus from behind, berating him for mourning the weak Autobot before asking [[Soundwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Soundwave]] for assistance. Soundwave deployed [[Ravage (G1)#Energon Universe|Ravage]], whom Starscream ordered to rip out Optimus' eyes. However, humans [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Energon Universe|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly (G1)#Energon Universe|Carly]] helped Optimus grab his blaster in time, allowing him to shoot Ravage and knock off Starscream before destroying Teletraan One to prevent the computer from reviving more Decepticons.

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream Takes Out Jetfire.jpg|thumb|right|''He had it coming'',]]
''Mildly'' upset at the destruction of Teletraan One, Starscream, in jet mode, gave chase to Optimus and Ratchet alongside Skywarp, but the pair were shot at by a still-alive Jetfire. Starscream fired on his former friend, fatally wounding him. The two Decepticons were forced to give up the chase soon after, as Skywarp's energy levels were dangerously low.

Upon returning to the Ark, Starscream learned from Soundwave that Teletraan One was irreparable without more energy, and since Starscream had the most [[Energon]] reserves, he had to find some. Starscream begrudgingly agreed, but not before telling Soundwave to not say [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|his]] name and asserting himself as leader of the Decepticons. Starscream traveled to a nearby power plant, where he crushed [[Davey|one of the human workers]] in his hand. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}}

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream slaps a jet.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.225|''he had it coming,'']]
Starscream took enough energy back to power the other Decepticons, and later returned to the power plant with them in tow to collect even more energy with a converter. A fighter jet attempted to investigate, but Starscream intercepted the jet and quite literally slapped it out of the sky. Starscream then killed one of the pilots, only to be shot in the face with a flare gun as [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|the other pilot]] escaped. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 2|Transformers #2}} He had no idea that this encounter would set the surviving pilot on a quest for vengeance {{storylink|Duke issue 1|Duke #1}} that would lead to the formation of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. {{storylink|Duke issue 5|Duke #5}}

The Decepticons returned to the ''Ark'', where Starscream expressed frustration at Soundwave's inability to repair Teletraan One due to the inadequacy of Earth's materials. Soundwave attempted to lament on what Megatron would have done, which earned him a swift slap from Starscream for mentioning that name. Just then, the Decepticons received a priority message from [[Laserbeak (G1)#Energon Universe|Laserbeak]] about an Autobot. As he was busy, Starscream sent Skywarp to deal with it. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 3|Transformers #3}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Prime Runs Over Starscream.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.225|''he only had himself to blame!'']]
Starscream arrived after the ensuing battle to find Skywarp beaten and in desperate need of repairs. Starscream asked his fallen comrade where the Autobots went and took off to pursue them. This led him into a chase with Optimus Prime, Starscream's fire interrupting a communication between the Autobot leader and Ratchet. Starscream transformed and landed in front of Optimus, intending to block his escape, only for Cliifjumper and Carly to sweep his legs out from under him and allow the Autobots to get away. Starscream would regroup with Soundwave and his cassettes at the local hospital, halting Soundwave from executing Optimus Prime. Starscream grew a smile as he realized the hospital was meant to fix the humans, gleefully mocking Optimus' pathetic empathy. To make Optimus' death more painful, Starscream opened fire on the building, damaging its generator. However, he was interrupted by the arrival of two new Autobots: Ratchet and [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]], the latter shooting Starcream in the shoulder. The Autobots rallied, prompting Starscream to order a retreat.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Starscream kicks Ravage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.225|''If you'd have been there,'']]
As the Decepticons returned to the ''Ark'', Soundwave berated Starscream's single-minded penchant for destruction. Starscream deflected blame, asserting that their failures were due to Soundwave's inability to repair Teletraan One. Yet their arguing led to a realization: they ''did'' have the Cybertronian materials to repair the computer, and the two proceeded to tear Skywarp apart to get them. After the computer was repaired, Starscream watched on as it repaired [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], gloating that he was the Decepticon leader now and forever. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 4|Transformers #4}} Soundwave was about to suggest that they use Teletraan One to repair Ravage, but Starscream was contemptuous of the idea of starting with the smallest of their number and punted the cassette away, instead picking [[Thundercracker (G1)#Energon Universe|Thundercracker]] as the next candidate for revival. Thundercracker was shocked to see what had become of Skywarp, but Starscream assured him that Skywarp had "volunteered his life for the greater Decepticon good." Soundwave then alerted Starscream that the Autobots had found a new source of energy at a power dam. Angry that the Autobots were stealing "their" energy, Starscream ordered an attack on them, to which a newly revived [[Frenzy (G1)#Energon Universe|Frenzy]] and Reflector volunteered. Reflector asked Starscream where Megatron was, but Starscream ordered him to shut up and stay focussed on the mission, and he and the Decepticons set out for the dam.


Once there, upon noticing that the Autobots were using power from the dam and a jerry-rigged turbine to revive their dormant comrades, Starscream and Thundercracker strafed the enemy, then deployed Reflector to attack, only for Reflector to be blown to bits by Optimus Prime, who had equipped himself with Megatron's arm and [[fusion cannon]]. Starscream took on Prime directly, scorning the Autobot Commander for using the "precious" weapon. Prime retorted by noting how much the cannon scared Starscream and how it reminded him of what he would never be. Enraged, Starscream managed to slip past Prime and severely damaged the turbine. Starscream gloated over his victory, and was shot by Optimus for his troubles, prompting him to order a retreat.

The Autobots then launched a counteroffensive to retake the ''Ark'', but Starscream, having anticipated this, dispatched the freshly revived [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to intercept the Autobots, then ordered them to merge into [[Devastator (G1)#Energon Universe|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 5|Transformers #5}} Starscream was still kicked down by Optimus Prime and then accidentally slammed away by a raging Devastator.

[[File:TF2023 no. 6 – "You Killed My Dad.".jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1|''if you'd have heard it,'']]
While clambering into the ''Ark'', Starscream encountered Cliffjumper and Carly trying to sneak in. Carly confronted him over the death of her father Davey, but Starscream didn't know what she was talking about. Starscream and Cliffjumper then grappled until Carly fired a discarded blaster at the Seeker. Cliffjumper then took aim and prepared to avenge his clan, but was unable to pull the trigger. Starscream then took advantage of his hesitation and grabbed Carly and prepared to crush the human. But it was then that Devastator, having been thrown over a cliff edge by Optimus Prime, slammed into Starscream, injuring them both and forcing the Decepticons to retreat. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 6|Transformers #6}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 7 – "You Kicked My Ravage.".jpg|left|thumb|''I betcha you would have done the same!'']]
As they regrouped in the mountains, Soundwave gathered the other Decepticons and confronted Starscream over his continual failures, challenging him for Decepticon leadership. Despite Starscream's objections, he was pushed into the ring and Soundwave gave the Air Commander a merciless beatdown, even siccing Laserbeak on him at one point to rip out one of his optics. Starscream tried begging, bargaining, and cheap tricks against Soundwave, even offering him joint leadership, but Soundwave wouldn't relent until he finally ripped out Starscream's internal mechanisms and shoved him off a cliff. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 7|Transformers #7}}
{{ongoing}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:Starscreamg1early.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I'm the black one! ...wait.]]
[[File:Commercial-PretenderStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Way to leave your shell stranded on the top of a skyscraper.]]
[[File:Commercial-AMStarscreamsits.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Where's our [[BotCon]] exclusive of ''this'' deco?]]
Starscream's [[commercial]] appearances with original footage include:
*An appearance in the first ''Transformers'' animation, a commercial for [[The Transformers (issue)|Issue #1]] of Marvel's ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' comic book. Alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp, Starscream attacked an Earth power plant, then defended himself against an Autobot counterattack. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#The Transformers #1|''The Transformers'' #1 commercial}}
*Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp encountered the Autobots Jazz, Sideswipe and Prowl in the middle of the desert. They briefly scuffled. This was a toy commercial for all six featured characters. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Decepticon jets & Autobot cars|Decepticon jets & Autobot cars commercial}}
*Starscream and Thundercracker were strafing three Autobots, when their enemies unveiled their newest warrior, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]! No longer possessing the advantage of flight, the Decepticons retreated so that their own newest recruit, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could deal with the flying Autobot. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Jetfire and Shockwave|Jetfire and Shockwave commercial}}
*Starscream led Thrust over the desert to attack the Autobots' new defense base, brushing off Thrust's concerns about the whereabouts of the Autobots themselves. He was caught off-guard when the base transformed into [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Good goin' there, Starscream. This was the only ad in which Starscream had a speaking part; he was given his usual cartoon voice. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Omega Supreme|Omega Supreme commercial}}
*Starscream, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*He led an attack on the Autobots' launch site while Optimus was away on Cybertron. Ultra Magnus led the Autobots in a counter-attack against Starscream's team. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus commercial}}
*Starscream and Skywarp battled alongside Galvatron - yes, Galvatron! - when the three Decepticons encountered [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] driving down a highway. The two Decepticon jets strafed about as Galvatron bellowed that his first encounter with the Autobot city commander would be Ultra Magnus' doom. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus and Galvatron|Ultra Magnus and Galvatron commercial}}
*Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker found themselves on the wrong end of a beating when they came to blows with the Dinobots. Starscream was batted away by a swing of [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]'s tail. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
*Starscream was lurking in the dark of an Earth city as Optimus Prime was reunited with Jazz and Bumblebee. (Narration from [[Victor Caroli]] led the viewer to believe that his lurking was quite evil.) Starscream emerged from his Pretender shell, and swooped down to attack the Autobots. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Classic Pretenders|Classic Pretenders commercial}}
*Still in his Pretender Classics body, Starscream was seen dunking [[Wildfly]], [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]], and [[Scowl (G1)|Scowl]] into colorful vats to create the [[Pretender Monster]]s. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Pretender Monsters|Pretender Monsters commercial}}
*Starscream was seen battling Prowl aboard his [[Turbo Jet]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Action Master vehicles|Action Master vehicles commercial}}
*His jet form was seen flying over a rocky landscape alongside Ramjet. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2#Jets and cars|Generation 2 jets and cars commercial}}

He also appeared in some online promotional videos:
*Starscream learned from eavesdropping on a conversation between Optimus and Megatron that [[BotCon 2009]] would have some sweet exclusive toys. He demanded that the Decepticons attend the convention, and was eager to be the first to get the "Wings of Honor" box set! {{storylink|BotCon 2009!}}
*Starscream gushed about his Botcon exclusive Kup toy when Megatron interrupted him, demanding to know if Starscream had completed the work on the Decepticons' anti-matter gun. When Starscream fumbled his words, Megatron caught on that Starscream hadn't done any work on the weapon whatsoever. Megatron was convinced to attend BotCon in the hopes of finding some new weapons there, and Starscream readied himself for the convention by putting on a kitty hat. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}
*Megatron rode atop of Starscream's jet mode in outer space. {{storylink|Mega Spice -- The Transformer Your Fan Could Be Like}}
*Starscream and Megatron visited Shockwave's lab on Cybertron. Despite being told off from touching Shockwave's newest creation, the "continuum transmorpher," Starscream did so anyways as soon as Megatron and Shockwave stepped out of the room. He then attempted to upload his toy review using Shockwave's computer, fumbling the transmorpher in the process. The device summoned Starscream's [[Starscream (Animated)|"Animated" counterpart]] to his reality. The two Starscreams then discussed how awesome BotCon was. They also teamed up to blast Megatron, but then argued over which one of them was now the new Decepticon leader. Not that it mattered, since Megatron was far from being defeated... {{storylink|Who is the Greatest Starscream Of All Time?}}
*Starscream nominated himself as the official reviewer for BotCon exclusive toys. He was about to reveal the first of the [[BotCon 2012]] exclusives when Megatron interrupted his video. While Starscream was distracted, Grimlock stepped in and revealed the [[Overlord (G1)|Gigatron]] toy, spoiling the review. {{storylink|BotCon 2012: Figure Reveal!}}
*After a dance-off between Soundwave and Blaster, Starscream prepared to take the stage by first putting on a pair of sunglasses... {{storylink|Blaster VS Soundwave 2013}}
*Starscream was part of an epic battle in a desert against the Autobots. He provided Megatron air support against Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Ratchet. Optimus managed to snag him out of the air by riding atop of Bumblebee. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O TRANSFORMERS Online Exclusive commercial}} When the narrator pointed out that the Transformers' battles had never been bigger, Bumblebee's Kreon pointed out that they never had been small either, and kicked Starscream's Kreon over, reducing him to pieces. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O TRANSFORMERS teaser trailer}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Starscream could hinder Optimus Prime's progress, pushing him back towards Optimus's point of origin in the Decepticon's maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
[[File:Jetron MoCsprites.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Starscream was among the [[Decepticon]] troops who sought to destroy [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] on his journey, confronting him in the [[Temple Ruins]]... in theory. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

{{note|Starscream's supposed appearance in this game is from a [[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy (promo video)|''Mystery of Convoy'' promo video]], calling him one of the "[[Seeker (body-type)|Jetron]]" foes. These enemies being copies of Starscream is... less dubious than all the other jets the video claims use the same sprite, since the sprite ''is'' in the right colors... but still.}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Merluzzi]]}}

While the Autobots were on their way to ELTA, Starscream appeared and told them to stop right where they were. Transforming to robot form, he announced that he would be their opponent. Optimus Prime asked him where he had been during the whole adventure, but Starscream just told him to shut up and warned him that his null ray was not like the others. Despite saying that he was going to shut Optimus' mouth forever, Starscream was defeated by the Autobots. Deciding to make a strategic withdraw and that discretion was the better part of valor, despite knowing that Megatron was going to chew him out, Starscream transformed to jet form and flew off. In the post credits Starscream was drained off all of energy and was helpless and drifted off into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (N64)===
[[File:N64Starscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Yes, that's Transmetal Waspinator in original Waspinator colors as Generation 1 Starscream. No, that's not normal.]]

{{voiceactor|[[Alec Willows]] (English)}}

In an alternate timeline created when Megatron sent a message through Transwarp back to his past self, Starscream returned to the Beast Wars following the [[quantum surge]], which granted him a strange but powerful new [[Transmetal]] body. Fearing that the Beast Wars would alter history against his liking, Starscream set out to destroy any Maximal or Predacon that opposed him. After vanquishing his foes, Starscream entered the Ark and infused himself with the power of his old body, just as Megatron and Optimus Primal had increased their power. This fusion of old and new allowed Starscream to finally achieve his eons long goal of restoring his original body. Finally whole, Starscream undertook the long journey through transwarp back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Beast Wars Transmetals}}

{{BW fighter ending|Starscream|N64}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Starscream, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of a Decepticon team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Autobots in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Bumblebee, Rodimus, Grimlock, Jetfire and Optimus Prime, Starscream was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Starscream serves under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] as one of his Decepticon soldiers, battling [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

===Sector Seven Alternate Reality Game===
[[File:Starscream 1982.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Masterpiece attack!]]
Disguised as an F-15 Eagle fighter jet, Starscream was active on Earth in [[1982]], with documented sightings of jets sporting his unique colors on several continents before he was caught on camera transforming to [[robot mode]] in California. This sighting (and its subsequent leak) was the direct impetus for [[Hungry Dragon|Hungry Dragon 1]].

Later, during late April/early May of [[2007]], [[Sector Seven]] intercepted two sound clips through Agent Cod3x and another source (currently unknown). Apparently, Starscream wanted to make his presence known and left a message announcing that he would have the All Spark, and that Agent Powers would be the one to hand it over. These messages were somewhat garbled, as they were apparently received over a SETI@home system. So far, only these two "blips" have been analyzed (the second still needing work), but more may come in the near future. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven}}
{{-}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' - The Game (Xbox 360/Sony PS3/PC)===
[[File:ROTF 360PS3PC DLC G1Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Why do I feel like [[Pat Lee]] designed me?"]]
{{voiceactor|[[Charlie Adler]] (English)}}

{{Note|Starting on [[August 27]], [[2009]], Starscream was made available as one of a handful of downloadable characters in a DLC pack for Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3. }}
{{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Battle Universe===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Starscream was among several warriors summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Starscream g1awakening stats.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons who pursued and boarded the Autobot [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. When the ship crashed on [[Earth]], all inside were sent into stasis, but the Decepticons woke up four million years later and resumed their conquering ways. Picking up [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], whom they tricked into becoming a Decepticon, Starscream took part in an attack on [[Dyson Dam]]. He was later present when the Decepticons trapped Optimus Prime's team on Cybertron, though he was unable to prevent the Autobots from subsequently escaping imprisonment. He returned to Earth where he picked a fight with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and was soundly defeated by the Dinobot. He also took part in Megatron's ill-fated assault on the Ark, and completely failed to stop the Autobots when they attacked the Decepticon fortress on Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

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

===''Construct-Bots Builder''===
The components necessary for building "Construct-Bot" Starscream were accessible within the Cybertron construction zone. Despite it being against protocol, [[you]] could mix his parts with those of Autobots! (gasp!) {{storylink|Construct-Bots Builder}}

===''Bumblebee Boulder Dash''===
Bumblebee was driving peacefully down a road when Starscream started making boulders roll along the road at him. {{storylink|Bumblebee Boulder Dash}}

===''Kreon Chaos''===
There were lots of Starscreams! They bedeviled the Autobots on their quest to retrieve the Optimus Prime Kre-O kit parts held within the Decepticons' base on Cybertron. {{storylink|Kreon Chaos}}
{{charstubgame|"Earth" and "Moon" stages}}

===''Starscream Stand Off''===
Starscream engaged in aerial combat against the many units of the Autobot/Human Alliance Air Defence. {{storylink|Starscream Stand Off}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Once one of Cybertron's defenders, Starscream was stationed aboard an orbital station. The long isolation resulted in him becoming greedy and ambitious, and he eagerly took up Megatron's offer to lead troops in battle. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Starscream's card bio}}

Following the disappearance of Megatron, Starscream stole the [[Exponential Generator]] from [[Doctor Arkeville]] with the intention of using it to destroy [[Earth]] and harness the energy from the planet's destruction. Luckily the Autobots stopped him, firing the generator into orbit after a battle. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (Legends)|Countdown to Extinction}} Starscream was among the Decepticons who coated themselves in [[Electrum]] from a Golden Lagoon, though their campaign against the Autobots was halted when the Autobots found the lagoon, and the Electrum was destroyed in the ensuing battle. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}} After the Decepticons discovered a [[Crystal of Power]] in [[South America]], Starscream and Reflector were sent to steal materials for a cannon. They succeeded, despite Autobot interference, though the Autobots later managed to destroy the cannon anyway. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (Legends)|Fire on the Mountain}}

Starscream was among a group of Decepticons who accidentally time travelled back to the sixth century and ended up having to battle some similarly displaced Autobots using medieval technology. They lost, and returned to the present as prisoners of the Autobots. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (Legends)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} The Decepticons manage to drive the Autobots off Earth, and proceeded to set about conquering the planet. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots soon returned and succeeded in badly damaging Megatron, resulting in Starscream and the other Decepticons retreating with their wounded leader. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron (Legends)|All Hail Megatron}}

Starscream took part in an all-out assault on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|One Shall Fall...}} Following Megatron's death, Starscream wrested control of the Decepticons. Despite resistance by Megatron loyalists, Starscream organized a coronation, however the event was gatecrashed by Galvatron, who blasted Starscream into dust. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

Reduced to an insubstantial ghost, Starscream sought the help of [[Unicron]] and was pressed into service as an instrument of Unicron's will, becoming an agent of chaos. During a period when the barrier between the physical and ethereal plane was weakened, Starscream enlisted [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to help him pass through the [[spirit portal]]. Thanks to the interference of the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], he was unable to take physical form before the portal collapsed and was again left stuck on the ethereal plane. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (Legends)|Ghost in the Machine}} Unicron again struck a deal with Starscream, who took control of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] to enact a plan to provide Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Though the trio managed to steal one of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s eyes, they were intercepted by Autobots en route to Trypticon, and defeated. Though Starscream was forced to flee, he had regained corporeal form thanks to a new body supplied by Unicron. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

An ancient prophecy discovered by [[Scoop (G1)|Scoops]] appeared to name Starscream as the chosen one who would bring Cybertron to a new Golden Age, though Starscream himself was skeptical. He and the other Transformers attempted to make contact with the newly arrived [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], only to find it had some connection with the [[Dead Universe]] and an annoying immunity to being attacked. {{storylink|Dark Cybertron (Legends)|Dark Cybertron}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|Minion Pig#As Starscream}}
Starscream appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by a Minion Pig. He also comes in an [[Minion Pig#As Energon Starscream|Energon version]], which one of the first unlockable characters in the game, and a [[Minion Pig#As Captain Starscream|Captain version]], which is part of War season 3. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
Starscream participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in multiple different bodies:
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
*''Starscream'' - This Common character could be recruited by collecting 12 units of cybermetal.
*''Starscream'' - This Rare character could be recruited by collecting 160 units of cybermetal, 95 units of transmetal, and 90 exclusive cores.
*''Starscream (Gen)'' - This Super Rare character was available as a reward in the "Lord Starscream" event.
*''Starscream (G2)'' - This Super Rare character first appeared in the "Lord Starscream" event, and could be recruited by collecting 250 units of cybermetal, 75 units of transmetal, 35 event cores, and 10 cores of this character.
*''Lord Starscream'' - This Epic character was available as a reward in the "Lord Starscream" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(Classics).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Oh, how it pains me to do this!]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(Gen).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|He's [[Starscream (SG)|Shattered Glass Starscream]] turned evil!]]
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(G2).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Lord-Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Who disrupts my coronation?]]
{{!}}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{voiceactor|[[Scott Whyte]] (English)}}

After the ''[[Proudstar]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Plasma Core]] had been ejected from the ship, Starscream fought the Autobots at [[Liberty Bridge]] in an attempt to stop them from reaching the core only to be defeated. He recovered in time to steal the Core from under the Autobots' olfactory sensors and prevent them from launching off-planet. In his haste however, the Core had yet to be repaired, Megatron ordering that Starscream bring it to the space bridge so it could be repaired on Cybertron. Though Starscream made it back to [[New York City]], the weather, combined with the increasingly unstable Core, caused him to lose control of his flight and crash. He eventually made it back to the ''Proudstar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s command tower as everyone was going through the space bridge, being ordered to guard the rear. Duelling the Autobots in [[unspace|transwarp]], Starscream was defeated once again and sent hurtling across the floor, asking Megatron to help him up. The Decepticon leader declined to do so.

When the Core was repaired and reinstalled, Starscream led his Seekers in defending the [[Ferrotaxis]] from the Autobots only for he and his troops to defeated. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:StarscreamEarthWars.jpg|upright=1.75|thumb|My Null Ray cannons will blast you into... wait what?]]

Vain, arrogant, ruthless and self-serving, Starscream believes he was made to rule, not to serve, and he'll stop at nothing to advance his own cause.
He'll betray anyone, ally or enemy - and that extends to his own leader, Megatron, whose tactics Starscream views as antiquated.
He believes conquest is made from the ashes of his enemies, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Starscream bio}}

Starscream was the first Decepticon to arrive on Earth. After Starscream established a base and took out [[Jetfire (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Jetfire]] by building an Auto Cannon, Luca advised Starscream bring [[Bludgeon (G1)|"the disturbing sword guy"]] through. Starscream is then contacted by Megatron, who commanded him to bring him to Earth, or be stuck on the dreary mudball forever. Seeing as Starscream did not want to be abandoned on a planet full of Autobots, he reluctantly brought Megatron though the Space Bridge after finding a [[quantum crystal]] powerful enough to bring their leader through. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Get Megatron! Campaign}}

Starscream and Bludgeon attended a battle with Megatron where there were a few mortars around. Starscream, being the coward he was, tried to hide from the mortar fire. Megatron got irritated with the Decepticons cowardice and led a ''Rallying Charge'' and destroyed the mortars. He then lorded the victory over the rest of the decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Lost Map Campaign}}

After that whole endeavour, Starscream contacted his agent on Cybertron to get some inside information on the shards of the [[Fractal Map]], who just so happened to be [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. Swindle then got Starscream out of a sticky situation by dealing with some Mortars and Laser Turrets, but now he owed the swindler big time. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Power Play Campaign}}

Starscream then brought in [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and another Decepticon recruit. With their help, Starscream tried to snag another piece of the Fractal Map, but was stopped by Bludgeon. Megatron then took control of the operation much to Starscreams chagrin. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Codex Showdown Campaign}}

Finally, Starscream witnessed along with Bludgeon, Megatron, Razorclaw, Kickback, and Shockwave the creation of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]! He watched in awe as Devastator destroyed many Autobot outposts. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Combiner Wars Campaign}}

Upon [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]'s arrival to Earth, Starscream rudely questioned why another air bot was getting in his way. In response, Scourge warned Starscream to watch his mouth or else Hook would spend the weekend "assembling a 100 piece puzzle" with Starscream's name on it.

Starscream was present in almost all of the Decepticons' future exploits, hoping to use whatever was discovered to overthrow Megatron.

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 1 star
*'''Weapons:''' Starscream shoots buildings with his null rays dealing a good amount of damage at a steady rate.
*'''Ability: Air Strike:''' Fires 4 powerful rockets at a target building dealing moderate damage.
**'''Cost:''' 4 ability points + 2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:staracream Starscream at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

Starscream's unique quotes when walking around the base:
* "Ha! Megatron will never see that coming..."
* "What's in it for me?"
* "Never let it be said... I don't look out for Number One."

;'''Cybertron Starscream'''
[[File:Cybertron_Starscream_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75]]

*'''Class''': Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Ability: ''' Cybertronian Laser - Fire laser dealing damage to regular buildings or double damage to Cybertron raid event buildings (except HQ).
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:cybertron-starscream Cybertron Starscream at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

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

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

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:Starscream-Forged to Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now, fear the power of my nullifying Null Ray!]]
Starscream was one of the Decepticons pulled from [[The Transformers (franchise)|his universe]] by the [[Quintesson]]s and forced to fight. He eventually joins the [[You|Commander]]. There are at least a few of him running around!
As a Tactician, his Null Rays literally Nullify any kind of buff.

{{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}
Starscream was flying around the area in a search pattern for Shockwave and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. After Shockwave was defeated, he stole his Aim Enhancer and Unstable Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Shocking Revelation}}

Starscream with the Aim Enhancer repaired met up with Ramjet, but he considered him too treacherous to lead him, and had Bludgeon relieve him of the Aim Enhancer. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Power Seeker - Brothers No More}}

{{chargamestub}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive''===
[[File:BBOStarscream.jpg|thumb|100px]]
Starscream commands the twenty-fourth Decepticon Base to be bombarded by Autobot forces. He puts up a swift resistance utilizing his jet mode but is eventually defeated. Starscream will make his presence known once players reach a total of 627,000,000 points. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Heavy Metal''===
[[File:TFHeavyMetal Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
With Megatron trapped in Cybertron, Starscream took control of the Decepticons and led them on an invasion of Earth in search of Energon. Despite losing at least one battle to Bumblebee, Starscream would occasionally contact the humans recruited into the [[Guardian Program]] and suggest they join the winning side represented by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Heavy Metal}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Starscream is the leader of the Seekers and Megatron's second in command. His boisterous ego is complimented by his skills as a warrior and flyer. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}} His fickle and self-serving nature sometimes provided interesting interactions between himself, his fellow Decepticons, and the Autobots—be it a desperate call for aid, a greedy grab for power, a malevolent plot, or a mysterious conspiracy the finer details of which are only known to him.<ref>[https://renegadegamestudios.com/transformers-roleplaying-game-free-bonus-material Starscream's Self-Serving Scheming]</ref>

Along with his Seekers, Starscream assumed control of an Autobot Energon facility and launched an assault on [[Sherman Dam]] to attain even more power. His grip on the dam was loosened by a crew of rookie Autobots, but not before he managed to acquire enough Energon to overthrow Megatron once and for all. Where have we heard that one before? {{Storylink|Troubled Waters}}

In cahoots with Soundwave, Starscream then attempted to foil the Autobots attempts to establish a communications beacon in deep space. The terrible two's plot was once again halted by a few uppity Autobot recruits. {{Storylink|A Beacon of Hope}}

* '''Threat Level''' 17
* '''Health:''' 18
* '''Size:''' Large/Long
* '''Movement:''' 30 ft Ground/45 ft Aerial (Bot-Mode); 75 ft Aerial (Alt-Mode)
* '''Strength:''' 8 '''Toughness:''' 21
* '''Speed:''' 12 '''Evasion:''' 22
* '''Smarts:''' 9 '''Wilpower:''' 19
* '''Social:''' 11 ''' Cleverness:''' 21
* '''Specialized Skills'''
** Deception +d10
** Driving (Flying) +d10
** Persuasion (Scheming +d6
** Targeting +d8
** Languages: Cybertronian, English, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Junkion.
* '''Perks'''
** '''Aerial Superiority:''' Starscream gains an Edge as well as ↑1 on attacks when attacking from higher ground.
** '''Barrel Roll:''' Starscream can take the Defend action for 2 Free Actions instead of a Standard action, provided he moves using Aerial Movement on his turn.
** '''Earlier is Better Than Later:''' While in Alt Mode, Free Actions used for additional Movement adds 10 feet to Starscream's movement instead of 5 feet.
** '''Energon Hoarder:''' Starscream has access to 3 Energon Points at the beginning of any scene.
** '''Expert Swordsbot:''' Starscream gains Multiple Attack (2) when using any kind of one-handed blade.
* '''Powers'''
** '''Flak Pods:''' Starscream adds 1 damage to his Flyby attack and changes its damage type to Sharp.
** '''Mock Surrender:''' If Starscream starts his turn with 5 or fewer Health, he can use his Standard action to plead and fast-talk his way out of danger. Until his next turn, an enemy must succeed on an DIF20 Alertness Skill Tests to target Starscream with a Skill Test.
** '''Scramble:''' Starscream forces attacks to target his Evasion rather than any other defense. If an attack hits, the damage is reduced by 1 (minimum of 1).
* '''Armor:''' Heavy Armor Matrix (+3 Toughness)
* '''Weapons:''' Electronic Pulse Guns x2, Flak Pods, Focused Energon Blade, Missile Rack.
* '''Hangups'''
** '''All For Me:''' Starscream is unable to Lend Assistance in any capacity.
** '''I'll Get You Next Time!:''' If Starscream starts his turn with 3 or fewer Health, roll 1d4. If the result is higher than his current Health, he will attempt to escape the scene.

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Starscream (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[File:Ulchtar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Phew.]]
*In [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil]]'s original ''Transformers'' treatment, Starscream was named "'''Ulchtar'''". Yes. When [[Bob Budiansky]] took over ''Transformers'' preproduction from them, he changed it to "Starscream".<ref>[http://transformers-advent.blogspot.com/2009/07/exclusive-interview-with-bob-budiansky.html Exclusive Interview with Bob Budiansky!]</ref> And "Starscream" was the name given to [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s bio, so who knows what else was going on. This may be related to a mix-up that involved all three jets' [[Tech Spec]] numbers being switched around (Starscream was given Skywarp's stats by mistake).
**Years later, it was established that some versions of [[Starscream (Armada)|Unicron Trilogy Starscream]] were named Ulchtar.
*An early ''[[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Universe]]''-style character profile published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]'' gave Starscream the smirk-worthy nickname of '''The Silver Snake'''. A second "alternate name" for Starscream shows up in Bob Budiansky's hand-written write-up of his bio, which is briefly visible in one of [[Shout! Factory]]'s DVD featurettes. In addition to "The Silver Snake", the hand-written bio gives Starscream the alternate name of '''Pretty Poison'''. Oookay then...
*An actor in a Starscream costume was among the "live" Transformers one could meet at the 1985 [[The Transformers Universal Studios Tour|Universal Studios Tour]].
*According to the line art of Starscream by Studio OX, each side of his chest has a turbine mounted on it. This concept has influenced his [[Action Master]], [[The Transformers: Masterpiece]], and [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] toys and the [http://tfu.info/2004/Destron/RMStarscream/starscream.htm art of the Robot Master version].<ref>[[Transformers Visualworks]]</ref>
[[File:StarscreamMW Genesis.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Bringing a [[Particle cannon|cannon]] to a [[canon]]-fight.]]
*A 1986 [[Panini]] stickerbook sold in Belgium and the Netherlands gave Starscream the alternate French language name "Starscrim". Whether this name was used in any other media made for French-speaking regions is unknown.
*In ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' is a picture by [[Matt Kuphaldt]] of ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Starscream wearing a purple cape and brandishing [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s torn-off arm cannon. To date, this remains the only canonical appearance of Starscream in this body—so far as the canonicity of art books can be placed. The Facebook edition of [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]] would later [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Ask Vector Prime 2|elaborate]]<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#August 27, 2015|Ask Vector Prime 27/08/2015]]</ref> on the nature of the scene being pictured in Matt Kuphaldt's illustration.
*Starscream appears in the DLC for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in his G1 appearance with quite a few new features, not the least of which is the fact that he can summon and fire [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s gun mode (despite the fact that Megatron is already playable as a separate downloadable character).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Starscream''' (スタースクリーム ''Sutāsukurīmu'')
*''Armenian:'' '''Astghagoch''' (Աստղագոչ, "Starscream")
*''Basque:'' '''Izaroihu'''
*''Cantonese:'' '''Seng Seng Giu''' (星星叫, "Star Shouting")
*''Czech:'' '''Hvězdolam''' ("Starbreak"), '''Křikloun''' ("Screamer")
*''French:'' '''Égo''' (Canada)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Koháv Tsoék''' (כוכב צועק, "Shouting Star")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Üstökös''' ("Comet")
*''Italian:'' '''Astrum''', '''Tornado''' ("Set Commandos" four-pack), '''Arcan''' (Action Master), '''Scintillor''' (''Beast Wars'')
*''Korean:'' '''Starscream''' (스타스크림 ''Seutaseukeurim'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǒu Hsīng''' (Taiwan, 吼星, "Roaring Star"), '''Hóng Zhīzhū''' (China, 红蜘蛛, "Red Spider")
*''Polish:'' '''Gwiazdowrzask''' ("Starscream"), '''Gwiezdny Krzyk''' (''Beast Wars'', "Star Cry")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Estrela-Estridente''' (Portugal comics, "Shrill Star"), '''Cometa''' (Brazil comics, "Comet")
*''Russian:'' '''Skandalist''' (cartoon, Скандалист, "Brawler")
*''Spanish:'' '''Grito de Estrella''' ("Star Cry"), '''Destello''' (Latin America ''Beast Wars'', "Sparkle")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Zorekryk''' (Зорекрик, "Starscream")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Seekers]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Live-action film ARG characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Mystery of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Predacon leaders]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]
[[Category:War Within Predacons]]
[[Category:Zombies]]

Omega Supreme (G1)

2024-09-02T11:27:23Z

Pointblank:

{{factions|autobot|hofsilver}}
{{Disambig3|Omega Supreme}}
: ''Omega Supreme is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:StudioOxOmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Favorite punctuation mark: colon.]]

'''Omega Supreme''' is one of the largest Autobots, and perhaps the most powerful. He isn't much for words; his mountainous frame and vast firepower tend to do the talking for him. He is the last line of the Autobot defense, and this responsibility gives him a solemn, even grim personality - for he knows that if a battle calls for his involvement, the rest of his team must have already fallen. This titanic last survivor of the [[Guardian robot]]s instills fear and panic into the [[spark]]s of [[Decepticon]]s foolhardy enough to stand against him in battle.

Except [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. Kill that little guy, it just makes him angry.

{{bigquote|I am the guardian of the gates... the junction of your destruction... the laser lighting the way to your doom... the planner of your obsolescence... the furnace that fires your demise... I am the number you cannot compute, Decepticon.|Omega Supreme|"[[Command Performances!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese, ''2010'')|[[Yang Wenyuan]] (Mandarin), [[Henry Djanik]] (European French), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French, "The God Gambit"), [[Carlos Agosti]] (American Spanish), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "The Big Broadcast of 2006"), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, "The Golden Lagoon" ''Generation 2'' dub), [[Garcia Neto]] (Portuguese), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 & 2"), [[Ettore Zuim]] (Portuguese, "War Dawn")}}

[[File:Omegadefendscrystalcity.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|How his base ends up on the planets his rocket flies to is just another of those eternal mysteries of life.]]
Millions of years ago, Omega Supreme was a member of the legendary [[Guardian robot]]s, and was charged with defending [[Crystal City]], the most spectacular city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. He befriended the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the city's creators. However, as it would happen, the Constructicons were attacked by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s [[Robosmasher]] and converted into [[Decepticon]]s. The now-evil Constructicons convinced Omega to leave his post to help defend the capital city, and promised to look after the city in his stead. When he left, they demolished the Crystal City, to Omega Supreme's horror. He hunted them down, trapping them in a pit, and tried to reverse the reprogramming done by the Robo-Smasher. Though he appeared to be successful, the programming was irreversible, and Megatron had given the Constructicons a new combined form named [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The treacherous Constructicons lured Omega into an ambush and in their new form attempted to use the Smasher to convert him into a Decepticon, but he destroyed the machine and they fled before he recovered from the attack.

{{Quote|I lived, but changed. Since then, I feel only hate for the Constructicons.}}

[[File:Robo-Smasher and Omega Supreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.45|Et tu, Robo-Smasher?]]
Some time after these events transpired—after the launch of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot]] and [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon starships]]—the Constructicons left Cybertron in a starship and tried to locate the missing Megatron. Omega Supreme pursued them, "for millions of years, across the galaxies"; eventually, the Constructicons rejoined Megatron on [[Earth]], and Omega Supreme followed them there, still seeking revenge. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

[[File:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|A shuttle in the hand is worth two on the track.]]
For the most part, he acted as inter-planetary transport for the Autobots, as well as their last line of defense. While he was preparing for a round of target practice, Omega lost contact with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] when [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] began broadcasting the music from a concert over the Autobot communications frequencies. The interference resulted in Megatron getting away clean with the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], which necessitated a trip to the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] to retrieve it. Omega took Optimus, [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]]. There, he got to battle [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], who taunted him for being outdated technology, but changed his tune after Omega triumphed. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} When the Decepticons found a pool of [[electrum]], rendering them invulnerable, they attacked Omega Supreme. His weapons had no effect on them, and the titan fell. Later the Autobots got the opportunity for payback when they located the electrum pool and used it themselves, gaining the advantage as the Decepticons' electrum coating wore off. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}}

After [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] crashed on [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], Omega carried [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] there on a rescue mission. Unfortunately he just barely had enough energy to land, and was left teetering on the edge of a cliff overhanging a lake of deadly liquid. The moon was fortunately rich in [[energy crystal]]s, and Perceptor was able to use them to repower Omega. The explosion of the crystal deposit caused the island they were on to begin to disintegrate, so Omega Supreme used his base mode to transport everyone across to safety. {{storylink|The God Gambit}}

[[File:Secretomegachatinwoods.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Storytime: informative.]]
Omega Surpreme finally got his chance at revenge when the Constructicons started mining an asteroid that turned out to be the egg of an [[Asteroid bird alien|strange creature]]. Omega left the creature to its own devices, which would have resulted in it devouring [[San Francisco]]. However, Optimus Prime convinced Omega to lead the creature back to its asteroid, which would sustain it. Omega lost his chance at revenge, but he did his duty. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

After the energy pest [[Kremzeek]] took out most of the Autobots, Omega Supreme transported the survivors of his attack to [[Japan]] in an attempt to track down the creature. When they arrived, they were immediately beset by Kremzeek, however the Autobots remembered that Omega had not been coated with the insulating compound that was protecting them. Omega took to the air, but Kremzeek managed to reach him anyway, and he quickly crashed onto the Japanese beach. [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] promised they'd fix him up as soon as possible. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

The Autobots used Omega Supreme to follow the Decepticons back to Cybertron when Megatron intended to use [[Vector Sigma]] to create a new group of Decepticon warriors. After failing to stop the Decepticons from creating the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} the Autobots created a new team of their own to counter the new threat, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. As Omega Supreme escaped Cybertron, he was hit by weapons fire from the [[Centurion droid]]s, and once he safely disembarked his passengers on Earth, he catastrophically exploded.

[[File:KtVS2 Omega Supreme in pieces.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Exploding: painful.]]
[[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]], [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] connected Omega Supreme's mind to the [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']]'s life support unit while they set about putting the giant back together. The arrogant Aerialbots, unimpressed with both the Autobots and the humans they protected, refused to help their comrades in defeating the Decepticons until their group leader [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] showed them how Sparkplug was able to disregard his fatigue and continue repairing Omega Supreme simply because of his concern for a friend's well being. Soon afterwards, the Aerialbots were facing defeat as [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] at the hands of the Stunticon combined form, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], when the newly repaired Omega Supreme suddenly appeared and helped them defeat the combiner and send the Decepticons packing. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[File:BigBroadcast Omega Supreme attacked in rocket mode.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Enemy fire: tickles.]]
He transported the Autobots and the Aerialbots back to Cybertron when they detected strange energy readings emanating from the planet. The trip expended his energy so he was forced to sit out the mission. While the Autobots dealt with a [[Kronosphere|time machine]] sending the Aerialbots to the past, the Decepticons reactivated one of Omega's fellow Guardian Robots. After the Aerialbots returned from their trip through time, Silverbolt handed over some power packs they had taken from the Cybertron's Golden Age to refuel Omega. {{storylink|War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn}}

After the coming of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], his space transport role was fulfilled by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], though he still carried out occasional missions. He transported several Autobots to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to investigate the strange behaviour of the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. He was shot down by [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] crashing the Autobots on an asteroid. After being repaired Omega quickly turned the tide of the battle. Upon arriving on Junkion, Omega again battled the Decepticons. He was knocked down by a blast from [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s cannon mode, but recovered and battled the Decepticons until Blaster asked him to bring him to altitude to counter the Quintesson signals. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

He was off on an undescribed mission when [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] acquired super-intelligence. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
Omega Supreme discovered [[Protectobot (G1)|five survivors]] on the wreckage of the ancient colony world, [[Archon]]. He brought them back to Earth, where they were eventually revived by an infusion of energon from the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. They would later become known as the Protectobots. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/21}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
Omega Supreme (at least, his rocket component) was amongst the Autobots who accompanied Optimus into Earth orbit to stop Megatron’s take-over of the ''[[Trigger]]''. They were able to repel the Decepticons from the space station in short order. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

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

=====''MPG'' toy bios=====
By [[2011]], Omega Supreme had retired from his role as Autobot transport for a career pivot into space exploration. The [[Trainbot]]s inherited the job. {{storylink|Shouki#MPG|''MPG'' Shouki bio}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
When the Constructicons tricked [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] into helping them build a new Crystal City on Earth, Omega Supreme seemingly set aside his enmity against the team in favor of aiding in the reconstruction of his former home. {{storylink|Crystal City Reconstruction Project!}}

=====Metrowars=====
After a devastating battle with the [[Decepticon]]s during an energy crisis, Omega Supreme was forced to use [[Guardian robot]] components as spare parts for his own body. He apologized to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] for his failure in defending him, but the city-bot took it in stride. When [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] and the Decepticons attacked again, the rebuilt Metroplex transformed into [[robot mode]] and Omega manned one of his cannons. After Omega Supreme pointed out that Metrotitan was reprogrammed by the [[Nine Great Demon Generals]], Metrotitan rejected the rumor, leading Metroplex to definitively banish the traitor from the Autobots. With the Autobots' combined efforts, the Decepticons were sent fleeing. {{storylink|Metrowars}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
While recapping Metroplex's life story to [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] in the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]], [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] included the time he battled Metrotitan alongside Omega Supreme. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter|The Mysterious Knowledgeable Grandpa Chapter}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Omega Supreme initially supported the human efforts to harvest [[Angolmois Energy]] on Earth. It was used, in part, to create a new breed of robots known as [[Selector]]s. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}} However, when the Selectors demanded freedom to make their own choices, Omega Supreme joined Autobots and Decepticons in opposing human control of the Selectors. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}}

====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''====
Omega Supreme was deployed alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to defend the [[Prime Energy Tower]] of planet [[Feminia]] from the Decepticons. Together, the three giant Autobots were a match for [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Unfortunately, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] had a trump card ready: [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]]. With a single blow from his fist, Predaking toppled Omega Supreme, Defensor, and Superion. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year [[2001]], the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Omega Supreme aided in the Autobots' exodus of the planet, though he came under heavy enemy fire during this mission. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====''The Animated Movie''====
[[File:TAM TPB Gestalt Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Plot hole: filled in.]]
During the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in [[2005]], Omega Supreme was unable to come to the aid of the stricken city, as he was defending [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] against an attack by Menasor and Bruticus. {{storylink|Transformers: The Animated Movie|The Animated Movie trade paperback}}

====''Wings Universe''====
Nine million years ago, Omega Supreme was introduced to the rest of the Constructicons by [[Hauler]], while the team was still in the process of building Crystal City. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 42|Hauler's ''Wings of Honor'' profile}}
{{--}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Omega comics.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|I... AM DARKWING DUCK!]]
Soon after [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] was brought online on Earth, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] had a secret project in mind for the architect: {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} the construction of Omega Supreme. Designed to be the Autobots' last line of defense and given life by Prime's [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], Omega Supreme was unveiled in front of the Autobot rank and file. With Omega completed, they were now free to leave the base en masse to attack the Decepticons, an advantage Optimus Prime utilized immediately. As the Autobots attacked the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon headquarters]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], unaware of Omega Supreme's birth, took [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]], [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] with him to attack the Ark, which he believed to be unguarded. At first Megatron underestimated the tank and rocket ship sitting outside their target, even when the tank one-shotted Skywarp with its [[laser cannon]], but then Omega Supreme transformed to robot mode and within moments destroyed all of them one by one without pause. Only Laserbeak managed to escape with a wounded Megatron back to the Decepticons. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Early on in the first [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] encounter, the Autobots openly talked about siccing Omega Supreme on the Decepticons. And then '''never did so''', despite it being a smart idea and knowing it was an option.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''Later, believing that Optimus Prime was dead thanks a plan involving a [[facsimile construct]], Omega attended a funeral for the Autobot leader before Prime was returned to them from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] via the [[space bridge]].'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Omegasupreme-blasterandgrimlock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Size: indeterminate.]]
Though Omega Supreme continued to guard the Ark, he didn't seem to stay [[Scale|quite as huge]] as he used to be. He could soon fit into the Ark, where watched with other Autobots as [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] tried to repair Optimus Prime, who had fallen in battle. Prime was declared irreparable, and Omega Supreme helped install a remote-control system for the Ark's defenses so all Autobots could attend their leader's funeral. During the ceremony, Omega placed Optimus's body in his final resting place, a spaceship casket which they shot into space. Upon the Autobots' return to the Ark, they found that its defenses would not shut down; in their absence, a villainous [[Mechanic|human]] had infiltrated their base and disabled the newly installed remote-control system. Ratchet, who had stayed behind, managed to defeat the intruder, and promised to repair all damaged Autobots within the following couple of days. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} The funeral motivated Omega to work even harder so as to not let Optimus Prime down. He defended the Ark against an assault by [[Cobra]] aircraft and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. [[Serpentor]] then blew up Dirge as a demonstration of Cobra's peaceful intent and Omega ceased fire. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and Omega cemented their alliance with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Cobra as the Decepticons took control of [[Power Station Alpha]]. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

Omega entered the Ark again when he and other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate Prime's replacement, and he suggested courage as a valuable trait for their imaginary candidate. When [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked, the Decepticon carpeted the entrance to the Ark with sonic scrambler mines, disabling Omega and the other Autobots within; Omega was thus unable to square off against the giant. Fortunately, they were rescued by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and the other [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], a turn of events that persuaded him, along with the other Autobots, to support Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} He later changed his mind and was amongst the Autobots that approached the deserter Blaster to take over the leadership. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} To settle the issue, Omega Supreme acted as a sort of Master of Ceremonies when Blaster and Grimlock were due to fight it out for Autobot leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. He had shrunk more by then, but once [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]'s Decepticons surprise-attacked them, he seemed bigger again. Omega survived the battle seemingly uninjured. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Buzzsawyikes4.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|It: Over 9000.]]
Omega traveled with the rest of the Autobots to the [[Arctic]] to investigate a distress signal sent by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Soon, they were ambushed by two Decepticon armies, and Buzzsaw [[Mortar cannon|cannon-blasted]] Omega Supreme—and Omega actually seemed to be getting knocked over. This was all revealed as a plot by Starscream to divert both factions away from his attempts to absorb the powers of the [[Underbase]]. Omega traveled to [[Buenos Aires]] as part of a team led jointly by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. When Fortress Maximus was in danger, he jumped to his rescue—however, the Underbase-powered Starscream, recalling his earlier defeat at Omega's hands, gleefully killed him. {{storylink|Dark Star}} {{storylink|Fallen Star!}}

Ratchet was tormented by his inability to repair all of the Autobots under his care, to the extent that the medic started to have nightmares about Omega Supreme and various other deactivated Autobots reviving as [[zombie]]s to kill him for his failures. Ratchet's nightmares came true for a short while, when the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]] managed to infiltrate the Ark and took control of the damaged Autobots' bodies to torment him. When this failed to make Ratchet snap completely, the Decepticons' plan was abandoned and Omega Supreme was shut down once more. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

''Omega was repaired in time for the [[Transformer]]s' [[1989]] [[Christmas]] party, where he joined [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and Grimlock behind the sofa in scowling at [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] and [[Darkwing (G1)|Darkwing]].'' {{storylink|:File:MarvelUK-250.jpg|''The Transformers'' #250 cover}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
[[File:Omega supreme big broadcast of 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9]]
In an alternate future of [[2006]], Omega Supreme flew a group of Autobots to [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to investigate some strange goings-on there. Several aliens had been affected by a subliminal broadcast emanating from the planet, causing them to gather in its orbit and duke it out between themselves. Omega Supreme fought off several of the alien spacecrafts that were attacking his fellow Autobots. He also battled with "[[Scourge (G1)|Sweeps]]" and helped disrupt the [[Quintesson]] hypnosis signal by flying [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] into the air to broadcast soothing music. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Omega supreme destiny.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Return: EPIC.]]
When [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Blitz Engine]]s were unleashed on the surface of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Omega Supreme was activated by [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] to take care of the menacing pests. Soundwave ordered [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] to take him out with prejudice. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} Omega proved more than capable of resisting the gestalt, however; as [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] defeated Bludgeon and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] (under the command of Starscream) destroyed the ''[[Warworld]]'', Omega blasted Monstructor into many little bits. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:TheOmegaEffect OmegaSupreme Sunstorm Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Starscream's pants: soiled]]
Some time after the departure of the Ark, Omega Supreme and [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] were part of one of the last Autobot space programs, tasked with containing the expansion of the Decepticons to other worlds and, more importantly, to find [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the crew of the Ark. The two eventually parted ways with the other members of the operation, [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] and [[Groundshaker (G1)|Groundshaker]], in order to investigate a beacon emanating from the [[Solar System|Sol System]]. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Jetfire and Omega detected what they thought was the energy signature of the Ark, only to be attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|a mysterious, powerful assailant]] and ultimately ended up buried under Antarctica on Earth. {{Storylink|Original Sin}} Millions of years later, Jetfire remotely reactivated Omega Supreme in an attempt to defeat the powerful and insane [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]. Though Omega Supreme managed to capture the weakened Sunstorm thanks to Ratchet's energy siphon, Starscream destroyed the device to enable his own escape, reactivating Sunstorm and truly commencing the battle between the two powerhouses. Omega was ultimately successful in overpowering Sunstorm in a straight fight, but when he retracted his damaged visor in order to examine his quarry, Sunstorm blasted him right in the face with a burst of solar radiation, instantly knocking him off line. {{Storylink|The Omega Effect}} Omega rebooted as [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and Jetfire came upon him, and explained what had transpired in his confrontation against Sunstorm to them. {{Storylink|Original Sin}} While he was recuperating from his damage, he shared Cliffjumper's concerns over the danger their friends were in and how useless they felt. {{Storylink|Atonement}} Omega later recovered and helped the Autobots in building [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{Storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 OmegaSupreme Sixshot Astrotrain.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Characteristic speech pattern: averted.]]
Omega Supreme served as security during an Autobot peace ceremony on Cybertron. When [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces attacked, he transformed and shot down [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but soon found himself surrounded by [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], [[Piranacon (G1)|Piranacon]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} The combined might of the three giants was too much for Omega, who was defeated and almost crushed a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]] as he fell to the ground. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

Following the defeat of Serpent O.R. and the Decepticon army, Omega Supreme helped repair damaged buildings in [[Capitol City]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
* ''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 1|''Stormbringer'' #1]] (cameo); [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]] (full)
[[File:Unicron-3-OmegaSentinelsTogether.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Apocalypse: Now.]]
Leader of the [[Guardian robot|Omega Sentinels]], Omega Supreme was an extremely ancient Transformer, hailing from the time of the [[Knights of Cybertron]] in the planet's largely-forgotten past. Following the formation of the [[Thirteen]], the bestial [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] masterminded a Cybertronian [[expansion]] across the universe. Bound by honor to follow the will of the [[Prime (rank)|Primes]], Supreme led his Sentinels in making first contact with the planet [[Antilla]], laying waste to the planet at Onyx's command and driving the [[Antillan]]s to the brink of extinction. In retaliation, the Antillans constructed [[Talisman (G1)|a machine]] that eventually warped their lifeless world into [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], much to Omega's regret and horror. {{storylink|The Falling, Interlude: The First Who Was Named|The First Who Was Named}} {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} {{storylink|Our Finest}}

[[File:Monstructor and Omega Supreme Primus All Good Things.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
During the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]], Omega served as the guardian of the subterranean [[Crystal City]], protecting a lone [[Titan (group)|Titan]] that lay slumbering beneath the city's foundations. When war erupted between the Cybertronians on the surface, Omega abstained from entering the conflict, holding true to his vigil. Eventually, a leader named [[Nova Prime]] brought the war to an end, and soon discovered Crystal City and Omega while searching for ways to bring peace and prosperity back to the planet. Approving of his goals, Omega allied with him and helped raise Crystal City back to the surface, but he did not entirely trust Nova and his plans to spread his influence to other worlds, and kept [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]'s existence a secret. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} During this time, Omega was an expert on metaphysics who would teach his fellow Cybertronians on the subject: [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] claimed to have studied under him, {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}} and he was likely the namesake of the thought experiment known as "Omega's Conundrum". {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} Eventually, Omega's caution proved warranted when [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] alerted him to the fact that Nova Prime and his scientist [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] had created the horrific combiner, [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]]—the first step towards their goal of eliminating all free will. Omega attacked the beast and battled with it while Nova Prime and his followers departed on their mission of conquest aboard the first [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and eventually subdued it. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} {{storylink|Shockwaves}}

[[File:OmegaSupreme SpotlightPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Privacy: Requested. Expurgation: Imminent.]]
With Nova Prime's departure and the destruction of Crystal City, Omega Supreme handed the duty of guarding Metrotitan over to Dai Atlas, {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} sealed Monstructor in a dimensionally-displaced prison, {{Storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} and withdrew to the remote [[Grav-Haraan glacier]] to stand watch for Nova, intending to destroy him on his return. {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} Millions of years later he was discovered by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] who, after proving to be [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] by his possession of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], told him Nova had been lost in space long ago. Relieved of his duties, Omega agreed to follow the new Matrix-bearer back to civilization. {{storylink|Primacy issue 1|Primacy #1}} He had trouble adapting to society after his years of solitary vigilance, however, and merely took on a similar role: silently guarding Optimus Prime's quarters. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}} When the Decepticons attacked Iacon, Optimus Prime ordered Omega Supreme into battle, and although he was hesitant to go to war against fellow Cybertronians, he complied after recognizing Optimus's potential for greatness and the Decepticons' similarities to Nova Prime. The Decepticons tried keep him from joining the battle with a strategic bombardment, {{storylink|Primacy issue 3|Primacy #3}} but he was saved by [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s force field and went on to fight them. During the battle he took out the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], preventing them from interfering with Optimus's battle with [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

At some point in the war, Omega Supreme left Cybertron behind and entered seclusion in a specially-shielded artificial asteroid within the [[Muta-Gaath Nebula]]. His existence remained known to the Transformers on Cybertron and he was nominally aligned with the Autobots, though in an advisory capacity, not participating in the combat itself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} When [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] threatened to destroy the planet, however, Omega joined the allied forces of the Autobots and Decepticons to stop him, alongside Optimus Prime, Megatron, and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}

[[File:Omega Supreme Spotlight Hardhead.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Centuries later, Optimus Prime came to Omega's asteroid to consult the ancient sentinel on Nova Prime. It was while Optimus was present that Monstructor attacked, having at last escaped his imprisonment and seeking revenge against Omega. Informing Optimus of his history with Nova and Monstructor, Omega provided the Autobot leader with information on Monstructor's weak spot, enabling him to defeat the gestalt, though Prime condemned him for attempting to play god by simply locking them away. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} Some time later, when the [[Dead Universe]] Transformers began attacking the Autobots, Omega confirmed the identities of [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] for [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]], informing him that they too were members of Nova Prime's Ark crew. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}}

[[File:Omega Arrives in AHM.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|RAAAAAIIIID?!]]
When Decepticons initiated a [[Surge (event)|galaxy-wide assault]] on all Autobot outposts, pushing their enemies to the brink of extinction, Omega Supreme was also targeted, but his power proved too much for the Decepticons to handle. Around a year after this "Surge", Omega followed a distress call sent by [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] to Cybertron, arriving just in time to turn the tide of a battle between the Autobot survivors camped out on the planet and the feral [[Insecticon swarm]] stalking them. Apologizing for taking so long, Omega assumed his rocket mode at Optimus Prime's request, and ferried the Autobots to Earth for a confrontation with Megatron and the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} During the battle that followed in New York City, Omega engaged the new Decepticon combiner [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} moving their fight out to Liberty Island to minimize collateral damage. Notionally, that is—Omega won the bout when he pushed Devastator against the [[Statue of Liberty]] and took him out with a blast to the midsection, which also destroyed Lady Liberty. Whoops. {{Storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

[[File:NewArrivalsOldEncounters OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Movieverse redesign: funky]]
Omega remained on Earth with the other Autobots during the two years that followed the New York battle, hiding out in a remote canyon in base mode. When Optimus Prime surrendered to the forces of [[Skywatch]] and Autobot leadership was divided between Hot Rod and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]], the two new leaders had different plans for Omega. Hot Rod approached him with the proposal that they use his rocket mode to get off the planet, but Omega refused, both because he lacked the fuel, and because he was insistent upon staying on Earth as long as Optimus Prime remained there. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee then hid him from Skywatch by having him relocate to a cramped cave, which Omega—now too low on energon to even transform into base mode—found extremely uncomfortable. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}} Omega was later present at the cave's opening when [[Gordon Horiuchi]] made a visit to repair Bumblebee's supposedly damaged killswitch board. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}} After Horiuchi's scheme to control the Autobots was thwarted with the help of [[Daniel Klonowski]], Omega Supreme was present when Bumblebee's new, more powerful body was unveiled. {{Storylink|Wings of Wax}}

A few months later after an alliance had been formed between the Autobots and Skywatch, the Decepticons returned to Earth and wrecked their headquarters, a Skywatch base. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] had the place evacuated and tried to regroup at Omega Supreme, still hiding in the desert. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies|Woken Furies}} After some trouble along the way, the Autobots reached their destination and made Omega's base mode their new headquarters. When Megatron let himself get captured, he was imprisoned inside Omega Supreme, who was ordered to transform and crush him in the process if he tried to escape. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

[[File:Omega Supreme rocket Chaos Theory 1.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
When the Autobots learned that Cybertron had become habitable once again only for Galvatron to occupy it, they elected to return to their home planet on Omega Supreme. Charged up with whatever energy Skywatch could offer and a fuel cell invented by [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Omega's rocket mode carried most of Optimus Prime's Autobots and the captive Megatron into space, while his base mode remained on Earth with Bumblebee. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} {{storylink|Police Action: Prologue}} When Optimus Prime wanted to have a private chat with Megatron, Omega shut off the viewscreens to the room to prevent the other Autobots from peeping, and he also cut the power to the [[variable voltage harness]] when Optimus lost patience and almost killed Megatron with it. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1|Chaos Theory #1}} {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 2|Chaos Theory #2}}

[[File:Omega Supreme Kings.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Upon arriving at Cybertron, Omega Supreme was ordered to remain in orbit while the Autobots went down to the surface. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}} With Rodimus captaining him, he participated in the battle against Galvatron's weaponized [[Kimia Facility]], but when the Autobot air forces failed to damage it, he and Rodimus agreed that their only choice was for Omega to ram it. However, just as they were about to, Kimia suddenly exploded from internal sabotage, damaging Omega's rocket mode and forcing him to land on Cybertron. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} Unable to take off, he was easy prey for a [[Deceptigod|gigantic monster]] created out of Galvatron's entire army, which attacked and ripped the rocket in half. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} This caused pain to his other half on Earth, where he had to report to Bumblebee that their former ally [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Spike Witwicky]] had fled the premises. {{storylink|Police Action Part 3: A Second Chance at Eden|A Second Chance at Eden}}

Omega's base and tank components continued to serve as the Earth-bound Autobots' headquarters. After Bumblebee managed to defeat all five Stunticons on his own, he had Ultra Magnus put his captives in one of Omega's prisoner holds. {{storylink|The Question}}

[[File:Omega Supreme on Cybertron The Autonomy Lesson.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Once the Autobots had won the battle on Cybertron and abandoned Earth, Omega Supreme's rocket was repaired and the rest of him returned home as well. He was still recharging three weeks later and thus couldn't help put down a [[NAIL]] riot, forcing the Autobots to get the Decepticons' help instead. Rodimus wanted to use Omega in the search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], but Bumblebee wouldn't let him. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] broke one of Omega's walls while returning from exploring Cybertron's hostile surface, but was assured that it'd grow back. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

When word reached Omega that [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]—who had long since left Cybertron along with Dai Atlas–had returned and promptly died, he spoke to [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]] about what the Titan had said before he perished. The titan had dubbed [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] the Cybertronian who would unite their race, calling many of Metalhawk's beliefs into question, and Omega concluded that the Titan's purpose had been to foster that sense of uncertainty to open the way for change. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}} [[File:Metalhawk and Omega Supreme Primus All Good Things.jpg|thumb|left|200px]] Starscream approached him in a televised interview to ask if he had anything to add about the Titan's claims, but he refused to comment. Soon after their talk, a massive explosion struck Omega Supreme, nearly killing him and causing outrage among the public, who revered him as their ancient protector. With Omega on life support, the Autobots and neutrals blamed the Decepticons in general for the attack, while Starscream's own primary suspect was [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] drove past the defeated giant as he lay comatose in the streets where he'd fallen. {{storylink|The Verge}} The true culprit behind the attack later turned out to be a mind-controlled Prowl, whose motive had been to eliminate the one Autobot capable of standing up to Megatron's new Devastator. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} Eventually, all Autobots and Decepticons were exiled from Iacon by Starscream, who promised the Autobots that the NAILs would repair Omega Supreme before giving him the choice to either renounce the Autobot cause or join the others in exile. {{storylink|Second Exodus}}

Six months later, Omega Supreme was still undergoing repairs in a facility alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}} He remained comatose through the [[Combiner Wars (event)|Combiner Wars]] and the ''next'' Decepticon uprising. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 2: Lagrange|Lagrange}}

When [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] attacked [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], Bumblebee ventured inside the planet-eater and found a ruined Omega Sentinel. Convinced that the ancient guardians might have knowledge about the Chaos Bringer, the yellow minibot sought out Omega Supreme's comatose form. Though initially hoping to use [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s telepathy and only having come to check on the ancient bot's state, Bumblebee somehow mind-melded with Omega Supreme. With the last of his strength, Omega imparted onto Bumblebee what knowledge he had on Unicron's past before he finally succumbed to his injuries and perished. {{storylink|Stranger Eons}} His body was destroyed soon after by Unicron, along with the rest of Cybertron. {{storylink|Road's End}}

When Soundwave utilized the [[Enigma of Combination]] to connect to the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]], Omega Supreme appeared as one of the departed [[sparks]] that beckoned the Decepticon to join them while they sent their strength to Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
[[File:KreO OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|200px]]
After being asked to by [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the [[Autobot]]s attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away [[Vortex (G1)#Kre-O|Vortex]]. In thanks, Megatron hosted a gathering in the base, which Omega Supreme attended. {{Storylink|A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFVsJoeOmegaSupreme.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Life: highway. Riding all night long: desired.]]
According to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s drawing of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s exile from Cybertron, Prime departed with help from Omega Supreme. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}} He later hid himself on Earth in the form of a road called "Highway Omega", only revealing himself once some [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] were attacked by Decepticons and [[Cobra]] while driving on him. After taking out [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and [[Viper (CW)|Viper]], Omega announced that he had heard the call to fight for his homeworld and transformed into rocket mode, returning to Cybertron and unintentionally bringing the Joes along. In space he ran into [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and the two old rivals fought until they crashed on Cybertron's surface where Omega was able to restrain his nemesis. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}} He went on to participate in the joint Autobot-Joe assault on the Decepticon army. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Omega-Supreme-art.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Omega Supreme's function was City Defender, and he was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Space Command Transport Captain]] {{storylink|#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' toy}} (or maybe a Ground Command Engineering Specialist).{{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}} During the war for Cybertron, Omega Supreme was dispatched to the location where [[Crystal City]] once stood. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}
{{--}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Keith Silverstein]] (English), [[Tesshō Genda]] (Japanese)|[[Marco Wittorf]] (German), [[Samir Murad]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Santos Alberto]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:WFC-S Omega Supreme in mist.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Omegas in the mist.]]
When the war between the Autobots and Decepticons began, the Guardians refused to get involved. Later, Optimus Prime summoned the Guardians for their assistance but, in spite of his pleas, the giants continued to hold their neutral stance. As Optimus Prime left, Omega Supreme watched from the mist. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}} In the name of Cybertron, Omega Supreme came to the Autobots' assistance by holding off the Decepticons as the ''Ark'' pursued the [[AllSpark]] through a Space bridge. When the bridge exploded, Omega vanished in the blast. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

[[File:WarForCybertronSiege Ep6.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Surprise: immediate!]]
He reemerged to fight alongside [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]]'s Autobots for a time but disappeared following the fall of [[Crystal City]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}} A hologram in Omega Supreme's likeness was created by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] to distract [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] from attacking [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], during the skirmish in [[Nebulos|Nebulon]] Station. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}} During a raid on the [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]], suspecting that she was being watched, bluffed that Omega Supreme and the Guardians were on stand-by for an attack, the falsehood luring out the cloaked [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}
{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
Omega Supreme was an old friend of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Upon returning from his mission to find [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Ultra Magnus attempted to hail Omega Supreme but did not receive a response.{{storylink|Storm Horizon Part 3}}

==Commercial appearances==
* Starscream and Thrust happened upon the "Autobots' defense base" in the middle of a desert, unaware that the installation was really Omega Supreme in disguise. Omega Supreme rectified this by transforming and counter-attacking the two Decepticon jets. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Omega Supreme|Omega Supreme commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Legends''===
Omega Supreme was once friends with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] but they had a falling out of some sort. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (Legends)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Omega Supreme commanded a special escort mission tasked with protecting important cargo from a Decepticon strike force. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} After the Decepticons coated themselves with [[Electrum]], Omega Supreme still thought he could crush them with superior firepower, but he was quickly proven wrong. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}}

In the chaos following Optimus and Megatron's clash during a battle in Autobot City, Omega Supreme arrived with reinforcements, including [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]. The newcomers were able to bring some order to the battle. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

Learning that the Constructicons were working on an asteroid, Omega Supreme rushed off to attack them and inadvertently released a huge space beast. After helping defend [[San Diego]] from the beast, Omega and his fellow Autobots took the surviving Constructicons into custody. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (Legends)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Omega Supreme Earth Wars.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]‎

A long time ago Omega Supreme departed Cybertron and somehow ended up on Earth. In the present day the Autobots contacted Chromia for the location of the dormant Autobot in order to defeat Deathsaurus and his new combiner. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars/Events|Slumbering Giants}}
{{gamestub}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
[[File:BombSupreme.jpeg|thumb|200px]]
{{main|Bomb (AB)#As Omega Supreme}}
A rather small version of Omega Supreme portrayed by Bomb helps demolishing towers on [[Piggy Island]]. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Omega Supreme was one of the largest Autobots in active duty. Despite his size and vast arsenal of weapons, Prime rarely called upon his services; when he did, Omega knew that the situation must be dire indeed. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

After the introduction of [[combiner]] technology at the height of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], the Autobots were forced to protect their few Titans, including [[Rails]] and Omega Supreme, from Decepticon aggression. {{storylink|The Enigma of Combination}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{anchor|Generation 1}}[[File:G1OmegaSupreme toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Little yellow clips: misplaced.]]
<ul class ="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Omega Supreme''' (Motorized Defense Base, 1985)}}</ul>
:* ''Accessories'': 2 small shields, 2 medium shields, 2 large shields, 4 armour halves (A, B, C, D), 4 ankle halves (E, F, G, H), 2 feet, backpack, 4 tracks (J, K, L, M)

: Released in the second year of the US [[The Transformers (toyline)|''The Transformers'' toyline]], Omega Supreme transforms into three individual components simultaneously: a large rocket base, a rocket and a Cybertronian tank. Omega Supreme's "transformation" involves very little manipulation of his moving parts, in fact, the only part that transforms is his main body/tank. Instead, it is achieved by disassembling him into his component pieces, which are then put back together in a different configuration. The tank forms his main body, the rocket forms his forearms, the track makes up most of his legs, while the gantry forms his feet and backpack, with extra track parts forming wings. The torso features a [[Battery-powered motor|battery-operated motor]] which propels the tank around the track as its turret spins and flashes with orange light, or allows Omega to walk (very slowly) forward in robot mode. This motor is extremely susceptible to failure.

: Normally it's not possible to have every part of the rails attached to him if one follows the instructions and animation model, but by arranging the "wings" into an "X" shape on his back, one can store all of his parts in robot mode.

: Omega Supreme was one of several toys licensed by [[Hasbro]] from a company other than [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. In this case, Omega was licensed from a company called [[Toybox]], who also would provide [[Sky Lynx (G1)#The Transformers|Sky Lynx]] the following year. As a consequence, Omega Supreme was never released in the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European]] or [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japanese]] toylines... at least, during the original 1980s run.

::* ''[https://www.transformerland.com/wiki/toy-info/transformers-g1-bases-omega-supreme/548/ Patent info, price guide, and further reading on Omega Supreme at Transformerland.com]''
::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/OmegaSupreme/OmegaSupreme.htm More information on Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|omegaspreem}}
[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Identity: specious. Colors: [[Neon|abrasive]].]]
<ul class ="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Omega Spreem''' {{sic}} (Action Master Elite, 1991)}}</ul>
:* ''Accessories'': Gun/tread unit
{{toydesigner|[[Takio Ejima]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the seventh year of the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European-market ''Transformers'' toyline]] (the first year following the end of the US line), "Omega Spreem" is an [[Action Master Elite]], the only variety of [[Action Master]]s that could actually transform into an (admittedly tenuous) alternate mode; Omega turns into a really awkward Cybertronian "laser tank". A push-button on Omega's butt spins his upper body around, which in tank mode means the upper "turret" spins like a drill. Despite having a gun on the back of his head, there is not enough clearance for his head to fold down far enough to make it point forward in vehicle mode. Due to his "transformation," he is one of the most articulated Action Masters, featuring universal shoulder joints, a wrist bend, an upwards neck joint (though at the price of a sideways neck joint), and even a waist swivel, though it's pretty loose. Like the other Action Master Elites, Spreem has universal joints rather than the standard Action Master rubber bands in his hips, making him significantly more durable in that department. Spreem is also the heftiest of the four Elites, who are already slightly larger in every direction than regular Action Masters, having a torso almost twice as thick as a regular Action Master.

: There is a minor variant to this toy, having either a thin gun barrel on the back of his head or a shortened, thicker barrel. Good luck.

: Like the other Action Master Elites, he was only released in Europe and Australasia. As such, he can command some pretty exorbitant prices for a complete, clean figure, even loose. Also like the other Elite figures, his gimmick can be prone to breakage, so be careful. He's gonna be a bear to replace.

: "Omega Spreem" is one possible transliteration of the Katakana (a Japanese syllabary used for foreign words and names) spelling of "Omega Supreme", suggesting that the error could have resulted from the name [[Japanese language|going from English to Japanese and then back to English again]]. ''Why'' it would have gone through this rigmarole, however, is unknown. The ''[[Transformers Vault]]'' book reveals more details for how this might have happened, without really ''explaining'' it: the design artwork for an unreleased standard (''not'' Elite) Action Master Omega Supreme has his name written (correctly) on the top of the sheet in big black marker. However, there's also an illustrator's note written in very small pen/pencil next to the toy's design artwork, which misspells the character's name as "Omega Spreem", despite the correct spelling being in giant text directly above it (though to be fair, it's possible that the black marker text was added after the fact).

::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/1991/Autobot/OmegaSpreem/omegaspreem.htm More information on Omega Spreem at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Encore''===
<ul class ="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Omega Supreme''' (2008)}}</ul>
:* ''ID number'': '''9'''
:* ''Accessories:'' 2 small shields, 2 medium shields, 2 large shields, 4 armour halves (A, B, C, D), 4 ankle halves (E, F, G, H), 2 feet, backpack, 4 tracks (J, K, L, M)

: In June 2008, TakaraTomy released the toy for the first time in Japan as part of their ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' line. This new release was slightly [[retool]]ed to have a face (well, the top half of one) in the tank turret which becomes his head, although this ends up looking odd in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]].

: This retooled version was later [[redeco]]ed as a [[Guardian robot#Collector's Edition|Guardian robot]] (aka "GADEP"), available through the online [[e-HOBBY]] store.

::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/OmegaSupreme/OmegaSupreme.htm More information on ''Encore'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Kre-O''===
<ul class ="iconlist">{{Bp-a1d1|'''Kreon Class of '85''' (Kreon figure set, 2015)}}</ul>
:* ''Set number'': '''B5152'''
:* ''Voted'': The Athlete

: ''[[Kre-O]]'' Omega Supreme is a small brick-built [[Kreon]] figure, using the 2015-style construction with the sturdier "peg-in-peg" torso/waist connection. His body [[tampograph]]s are heavily toy-based, but he has a cartoon-based face design. While he lacks wings, he has white clip-on tank treads, plus rather than normal Kreon hands, he has a big claw and a 1x1 cone-piece to replicate the original toy's rocket-part arms.

: He was only available as part of the [[San Diego Comic-Con]]-[[exclusive]] "[[Kreon Class of '85]]" 30-Kreon set. This set was also sold online through [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] after the show.
{{-}}

===''War for Cybertron: Siege''===
{{anchor|Generations}}
[[File:WFC-Siege-WFCS29-Titan-Omega-Supreme.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Tax return: yet to arrive.]]
<ul class ="iconlist">{{Bp-a1|'''Omega Supreme''' (Titan Class, [[2019]])}}</ul>
:* ''Hasbro ID number'': '''WFC-S29'''
:* ''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SG-39'''
:* ''TakaraTomy release date'': [[December 26]], 2019
:* ''Hidden message code'': '''CRYSTALCITY'''
:* ''Accessories'': [[Micromaster]] [[Countdown (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Countdown]], 7 [[Fire Blast effect]]s, 2 track/wing pieces
{{toydesigner|[[John Warden]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] and [[Shogo Hasui]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' Omega Supreme is a huge Titan Class figure that transforms into a rocket base and comes with [[Countdown (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Countdown]]. His tank component can store a vehicle mode Micromaster in a front hatchway, with a track upscaled to the point that a deluxe class figure can roll on it. A robot mode Micromaster can fit in a space at the top of the rocket, with plenty of spaces in his general body for smaller figures. Like most ''Siege'' figures, Omega features extensive articulation and numerous [[5 mm post|5mm holes]] across his body to accommodate the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]], and his large size means you can overload his arsenal.

: The tank mode can elevate its central turret as well as two smaller side cannons - however, once clipped into place against the robot head the turret cannot spin. The robot head has a very small faux tank cannon attached to the back of it, which can be folded out of sight.

: Omega's track pieces use [[A.I.R. Lock System]] connectors to attach to his main body. Additional A.I.R. Lock connectors can be found at the ends of the ramps on his thighs as well as on flip-out black pieces on his legs/gray track segments. He also features ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' compatible connectors on the outer circumference of his tracks, though only [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Titans Return|Fortress Maximus]] (or [[Grand Maximus#Legends|Grand Maximus]]) has ramps that can reach them at a flat level. Other figures have to be boosted or have their ramps bent.

: While Omega does sport 'battle damage' paint operations on his limbs like most other toys from his subline, on him the effect is much tamer than usual, being limited to faded 'burn' marks around six ports (two on each arm, one on each leg) that accommodate the 'Fire Blast' effects simulating blaster fire. Notably, Omega is also the first Titan Class toy to not feature any [[sticker]]s of both the customer-applied and factory-applied variety.

: When transforming Omega Supreme's arms into rocket mode, the instructions say to collapse the forearms towards the shoulder section before closing the quarter-circular panels. However, the toy is designed to have the quarter-circular panels closed first. Then, line up the arrows on the forearms with the corresponding arrows on those panels, then collapse the forearms in towards the shoulders and rotate them in the indicated direction to lock them in place.

: This figure was [[redeco]]ed into [[Guardian robot#Generations Selects|Guardian robot]].

::* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy65-NPwDWo Official conversion video at the TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]''
::* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIjeeBa7xlw Ten facts of ''Siege'' Omega Supreme at the TRANSFORMERS OFFICIAL YouTube channel]''
{{WFCSiegeOmegaSupremeFireBlastMold}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===''Super Collection Figure''===
[[File:SCF Omega Supreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Stick: Given. Stick: DON'T GIVE HIM THE STICK]]
* '''Omega Supreme''' (2001)
** ''Act'': '''5'''
** ''Accessories'': Stand

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Omega Supreme was available in "Act 5" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Super Collection Figure]]'' line (which, oddly, centered around ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Transformers: Super-God Masterforce|Super-God Masterforce]]'', a series which Omega Supreme was not part of). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.

: Omega lacks the face-canopy, and has a... very unfortunate face.

: In eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Omega Supreme came packaged with the left leg of the [[Scorponok (G1)#Super Collection Figure|BlackZarak]] collectible "build-a-figure". This part could be either full-color or clear plastic, packed at an equal ratio of 4:4.

::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/SCFOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on ''Super Collection Figure'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/PewterOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on pewter Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Heroes of Cybertron''===
[[File:HOC Omega Supreme.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH]]
* '''Omega Supreme''' (2003)

: Part of the fifth and final (normal) wave of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron (toyline)|Heroes of Cybertron]]'', Omega Supreme is a redeco of the ''Super Collection Figure'' release (above), given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. This means his entire head-gun is clear-blue rather than red.

: Omega was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an individual blister card with a collector's card. He also came with the torso of the [[Metroplex (G1)#Heroes of Cybertron|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

::* ''[https://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/HoCOmegaSupreme/omegasupreme.htm More information on ''Heroes of Cybertron'' Omega Supreme at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Diamond Select===
[[File:Ark Globe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Appearance: cameo. Residuals: minimal.]]
* '''Autobot Snow Globe''' (2007)

: Omega Supreme appears as part of the base of this snow globe, sculpted by [[Art Asylum]] and sold by [[Diamond Select Toys]].

{{-}}
[[File:Omega statue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Pose: [[Pat Lee#Transformers by Dreamwave|Dreamwave]]. Knees: buckling.]]
* '''Omega Supreme Statue''' (2008)

: Omega Supreme was released as a statue in 2008 by Diamond Select Toys. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1,000 pieces.
{{-}}

===''Transformers Trading Card Game''===
[[File:W2OmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
* '''Omega Supreme, Autobot Defense Base''' (2019)
** '''Wave 2P'''
** ''Rarity: '''''SRT'''
** ''Card Number: '''''P2'''
** ''Stars: ''19

: Omega Supreme, Autobot Defense Base was released exclusively in the February 2019 Loot Crate.

: The card's artwork is reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.

{{-}}
[[File:W4CaptainOmegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
* '''Captain Omega Supreme, Transport-City Defender''' (2019)
** ''Stars: ''22
** '''Omega Supreme(Base), Transport-City Defender'''
*** '''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
*** ''Rarity: '''''RT'''
*** ''Card Number: '''''T13/T52'''
*** ''Stars: ''8
** '''Omega Supreme(Spaceship), Transport-City Defender'''
*** '''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
*** ''Rarity: '''''RT'''
*** ''Card Number: '''''T14/T52'''
*** ''Stars: ''7
** '''Omega Supreme(Tank)//Transport•City Defender'''
*** '''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
*** ''Rarity: '''''RT'''
*** ''Card Number: '''''T15/T52'''
*** ''Stars: ''7

: Captain Omega Supreme, Transport-City Defender was released as part of Wave 4 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege II. This version of Omega Supreme begins the game as three separate cards in Alt Mode, one depicting his tank portion. one depicting his spaceship portion, and the third depicting his base portion. Once the player's opponent shuffles their deck, Omega Supreme's Alt Mode components combine into one Combiner Mode, depicting Omega Supreme's robot mode.

: Captain Omega Supreme, Transport-City Defender's artwork is based on the ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' Omega Supreme toy, with the Combiner Mode artwork being reused from the toy's packaging. The Alt Mode components all received original art (really just a single piece of art with each card focusing on a different component), with line-art by [[Andrew Griffith]].

{{-}}

===Prime 1 Studio===
[[File:Prime-1-Studio-WFC-Megatron.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
* '''Megatron''' (<s>2022</s>)
** ''ID Number'': '''PMTF-06UT'''

: A statue based on [[Megatron (G1)/merchandise#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Megatron]]'s appearance in the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' cartoon by [[Prime 1 Studio]]. The exclusive version includes a defeated Omega Supreme as part of the statue's base.

: This item was canceled due to the combination of rising production costs and insufficient preorders.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Character Card''===
[[File:Transformers Character Card Devastator and Omega Supreme.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
* '''Omega Supreme & Devastor Set''' ([[August 14]], [[2023]])
** ''ID number:'' '''55 & 56'''

: Released as part of the eighth wave of the [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive ''[[Transformers Character Card]]'' series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Omega Supreme and "[[Devastator (G1)|Devastor]]" along with [[bio|character profiles]] and [[Tech Spec|tech specs]].
::* ''[[Source:Transformers Character Card#55|Translation of Omega Supreme's Transformers Character Card]]''

{{--}}

==Notes==
===Toy origins===
[[File:ToyboxMechabot-1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Repaint]]: [[Black redeco|black]].]]
* Unlike the bulk of early Transformers that drew their molds from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' toys, Omega Supreme's original form was "Super Change Robo Mechabot-1", produced by a company called [[Toybox]]. Toybox did not actually design Omega Supreme, instead commissioning his design, along with [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], from Takara's then-rival Tomy. As mentioned above, he was not released in [[Japan]] under the ''Transformers'' brand during the original 1980s run. As a result of the merger of Takara and Tomy in 2006, the merged company was able to release the figure under the ''Transformers'' brand for the first time in Japan, as part of the ''Encore'' line.
* Similar to [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Notes|Shockwave]] and his [[pre-Transformer]] predecessor "Astro Magnum", Omega Supreme/Mechabot-1 also saw a plethora of licensed versions released in various international (in his case, all of them European) markets concurrently with Hasbro's Transformers version, during a weird transitional phase when different companies' versions were influencing each other. Overall, there are two main color variants: Toybox's Mechabot-1 colors and Hasbro's Omega Supreme colors.<ref name="mechabot-1">[https://soundwavesoblivion.blogspot.com/2015/03/grandstand-convertors-omegatron.html "Grandstand Convertors: Omegatron, Mechabot-1 & Omega Supreme"] at the Soundwave's Oblivion blog.</ref> Due to these licensed releases, Omega Supreme was not released as part of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' line in these markets.
** In the United Kingdom, a company named Grandstand released the figure in its original "Mechabot-1" colors as part of its ''Convertors'' line, under the name "Omegatron".
** In Germany, a company named GAMA releasd the figure in its original "Mechabot-1" colors under the name "Trans Robot". The overall packaging design was the same one used for Toybox's original "Mechabot-1" version (down to the photos used), but the "Trans Robot" logo took some very obvious cues from Hasbro's "Transformers" logo. Additionally, the tank's long barrel was crudely cut off and replaced by a new radar dish accessory, presumably because German kids at the time weren't supposed to play with war toys.
** In Italy, [[GiG]] released the figure in its Hasbro colors as part of their ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line, under the name "Megarobot". The packaging design was directly based on Hasbro's packaging for Omega Supreme, the only GiG ''Trasformer'' release without the official ''Transformers'' branding to do so.
** Lastly, in France, a company named [[Orli Jouet]] released the figure in its Hasbro colors as part of a line named "Robotrack", under the name "Mecabot". Like with GiG's "Megarobot", the packaging design was directly based on Hasbro's packaging for Omega Supreme; what's more, the toy was actually manufactured in Italy, possibly as part of a partnership with GiG, and on top of that, the official TV commercial for the figure actually ''used footage from Hasbro's ''Transformers'' commercial for Omega Supreme!''

===Other===
* According to [[Bob Budiansky]]'s notes at [[BotCon 2010]], Omega Supreme was originally going to be named '''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'''. Why the name changed is uncertain, but since it was later applied to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] in the [[The Planet-Eater!|Marvel adaptation]] of the ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers]]'' movie before being used on the Headmaster, it seems someone ''really'' wanted to use it.
* Omega Supreme's name could be translated as "Last of the Best"; given his role as the "last line of defense", this is appropriate.
* Omega Supreme's voice in the cartoon is a combination of a downwards pitch shift and short delay, the echo effect in particular making his voice more "cavernous" sounding. Well, he is big.
* In the cartoon, Omega Supreme can launch his rocket into space, leaving the remaining parts behind at his launch base, and then transform fully back to [[robot mode]] even though the majority of his body parts are separated from the rocket by a good planetary diameter or two (if not several light years). Indeed, sometimes his base mode is seen to be inexplicably awaiting his rocket mode at his destination, leading some to speculate that Omega (rather implausibly) has duplicate body parts on some other planets, "just in case". Some [[fanon]] alternatively holds that in cases such as these, Omega's non-rocket parts actually use [[Size changing|size-changing technology]] to shrink down and travel as cargo inside his rocket mode, which are then disgorged and enlarged before landing. Another theory is that the base is transported to [[Unspace|subspace]], as some believe happens with Optimus Prime's trailer. Whatever helps you sleep at night...
* Although over half of the episodes from the Generation 1 cartoon featuring Omega were written by [[David Wise]] (including his showcase episode, "The Secret of Omega Supreme"), don't let that fool you into thinking Wise had a soft spot for Omega—he really didn't like him! In fact, the uncharacteristic eloquence displayed by Omega in "Secret" was actually a script error by Wise, who was unaware of Omega's trademark speech pattern and wrote the episode with normal dialogue. Script editors had to add in lines about Omega being able to talk normally when he wanted to make it work without a wholesale rewrite.<ref>[https://moonbase2.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=553015 Moonbase 2 interview with David Wise]</ref>
[[File:JoemegaSupreme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Declarative: YO JOE!]]
* At JoeCon 2011, Hasbro's [[Rik Alvarez]] hosted a "Treasures from the Hasbro Archives" panel, where he revealed that he had then-recently found a box in the company archives containing an assortment of artwork, concept boards, and proposals for what "could have been" in a series of Transformers/[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] crossovers. Of these concepts, the only one shown at the panel were parts of an Omega Supreme that had been redecoed and intended for release in the G.I. Joe toyline (this was later shown again at [[BotCon 2011]], though no photos were allowed then). Whether these redecoed parts were intended for use as a "crossover" G.I. Joe/Transformers character or as a non-living G.I. Joe vehicle was unsaid, as was ''when'' this toy was proposed.
* According to the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] of Marvel UK issue #285, "[[External Forces!]]", Omega is tougher than a "block of triple-strength [[durabyllium]] steel."
* Like all non-toy robot Kreons in these ''Kre-O'' online manga (at least, ones that didn't exist ''yet''), Omega Supreme is made from existing Kre-O parts. His exact construction is mostly concealed, but the comic design uses the diver helmet from ''Kre-O'' Battleship... which the later actual Kreon Omega would do!
* In [[2015]], Hasbro started a [[Fan polls|poll]] on their Facebook page on which of [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], and Omega Supreme fans would want as the next Titan Class figure in the ''Generations'' toyline after ''Thrilling 30'' [[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|Metroplex]]. [[Trypticon (G1)#Titans Return|Trypticon]] won and got a toy in ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'', but Omega also eventually got a new toy as well in ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege]]''.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''Omega Supreme''' (オメガ・スプリーム ''Omega Supurīmu'')
* ''Hungarian:'' '''Szuper Omega'''
* ''Italian:'' '''Megarobot'''
* ''Mandarin:'' '''Omega''' (Taiwan, 奧米加 ''Àomǐjiā''), '''Dàlì Jīngāng''' (China, 大力金刚, "Powerful Vajra")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''Ômega Supremo'''
* ''Russian:'' '''Omegator''' (Омегатор)
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''Omega Velychnyi''' (Омега Величний, "Grand Omega")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://news.tfw2005.com/2008/01/28/japanese-hobby-magazine-scans-for-january-2008-164116 Interview with Junichi Ishikawa, who was in charge of designing Omega Supreme and Sky Lynx at Tomy, detailing the story of how their Encore reissues came to be.]

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Carnage in C-Minor

2024-09-02T10:54:21Z

Pointblank:

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=82
|ep2=14
|prev2=Surprise Party
|next2=Fight or Flee (episode)
|image=Carnage C-Minor Autobots harmonic attack.JPG
|caption=[[Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime|Hey, what is that awful noise? Okay, let me straighten him out!]]
|title="Carnage in C-Minor"
|season=3
|season ep=17
|production code=700-102
|airdate=[[October 14]], 1986
|written by=[[Buzz Dixon]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[AKOM]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
|video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm4ZFBIV4gM
|videosite=YouTube
}}
'''Several Autobots and Decepticons battle over a planet whose civilization revolves around music and whose inhabitants can use sound as a powerful weapon.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:Broadsidecrushesdevastator.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Die, Atlas!]]
The [[Decepticon]]s are building engines into the side of a comet in order to alter its course and crash it on top of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. As they fire up the engines, a group of [[Autobot]]s close in, led there by [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]]. The Autobots attack, much to [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]]'s dismay. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] form [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]], who is promptly flattened when [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] drops on him in ship mode. In the ensuing battle, the engines are destroyed, and the comet is sent hurtling towards a small planet, which Perceptor reports is inhabited.

The Autobots attempt unsuccessfully to stop the comet before Galvatron again orders his men to engage their foe. While Galvatron and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] are grappling, waves of [[Harmony|sound energy]] destroy the comet and cause both groups of Transformers to plummet to the planet's surface. In a nearby city, three aliens are having a disagreement. One of them, [[Allegra]], storms out, saying that she's going to her retreat.

The Transformers recover from their crash, wondering what hit them. [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] describes it as the most perfect harmony ever, but Galvatron is more interested in its destructive power. Broadside breaks up the discussion by punching Galvatron, and the fight resumes. As the Constructicons form Devastator again, Perceptor blows the giant apart with one shot from his cannon. Galvatron and Soundwave depart in search of the source of the harmony they heard earlier, but Ultra Magnus spots them leaving and takes Broadside and [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] in pursuit. Perceptor reflects that unless the trio are swift, there might not be much of them left.

[[File:Carnage CMinor Blaster Magnus Basso.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|"I now pronounce you bot and wife. You may kiss the bride."]]

Broadside swiftly passes the two Decepticons and overflies the city, which Blaster realises is laid out like a musical harmony. Magnus and Blaster meet with [[Basso Profundo]], leader of the planet [[Eurythma]], but Basso refuses to help them, believing that the harmony is all his people need to protect themselves. He drops a hint that Allegra might be able to help them, a fact overheard by Galvatron and Soundwave, who are spying outside. As the three Autobots go in search of Allegra, the Decepticons drop a bridge on them. To make sure, Galvatron blasts the wreckage, and the pair fly off to find Allegra.

Basso watches the two Decepticons leave, and fellow [[Eurythman]] [[Zebop Skandana]] uses a harmony to help the Autobots out of the rubble. Blaster realises that Zebop was creating part of the harmony which originally blew the Autobots out of space, and Zebop says he's sympathetic to their cause and will help them find Allegra.

[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Galvatron loved going to the opera. He always showed his appreciation by blowing the theater to kingdom come afterwards.]]

The two Decepticons meet Allegra, offering to help her overthrow Basso in return for the secret of the harmony. She obliges and Soundwave records it, but to Galvatron's rage, it turns out that she is only one part of the harmony; Basso and Zebop make up the other two thirds. Still, when the Autobots arrive with Zebop, Soundwave is testing the part of the harmony he has by destroying a rock. The Autobots set up an ambush, but Zebop is so distressed by the fact that Allegra is working with the Decepticons that he gives away their position. Galvatron starts firing, and Zebop takes refuge in Ultra Magnus's cab. Soundwave begins battering the Autobots with the harmony. When Zebop counters with ''his'' part of the harmony, Soundwave promptly records it and uses the resulting two-thirds of the harmony to devastating effect.

[[File:Carnage CMinor Allegra Zebop.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Alas, poor Zebop. We knew him we- Wait. No, we didn't.]]

With the Autobots apparently gone, Galvatron terminates the alliance with Allegra. She attempts to attack them with her part of the harmony, but Soundwave retaliates, knocking her out. The Autobots climb out of their hole in time to prevent Galvatron from terminating the Eurythman, but during the resulting fight, Blaster and Soundwave struggle and accidentally fall on Zebop. Galvatron grabs his minion and departs, leaving Allegra cradling Zebop in her arms. Though the Autobots believe he's had it, Allegra uses a harmony to revive him. The Autobots leave for the city.

Back at the landing site, the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons are still fighting. Hot Spot voices his hope that Magnus, Blaster and Broadside hurry. The Eurythmans have spotted the battle, and Basso uses an amplifier to direct a destructive harmony at it. [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] is forced to disassemble, but the two factions fight on. Basso is depressed, and his aide points out he needs Allegra and Zebop to complete the harmony. Arriving, Soundwave begins playing two-thirds of the harmony, shaking the city and provoking Basso into using the third part again, which Soundwave promptly records. He is subsequently able to use the complete harmonic weapon to attack the city. Pleased, Galvatron announces their next targets are Metroplex and then [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

[[File:Carnage CMinor Soundwave harmony.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Soundwave finds himself too big to fly through the rings in the Training Stage.]]

Ultra Magnus's party arrives back at the city to find it devastated and their fellow Autobots badly damaged. The Eurythmans are able to repair Perceptor and the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] with a harmony, and the Autobots set off for Earth.

Galvatron and Soundwave attack Metroplex with the harmony, but the Autobots soon arrive with the three Eurythmans, who nullify Soundwave's weapon with anti-sound. Blaster grabs Soundwave and uses his buttons to erase the harmony from Soundwave's tapes. Despite Galvatron raging that he hasn't ordered a retreat, the Decepticons flee anyway. The Autobots return the Eurythmans to their world, where Ultra Magnus tells them they need to learn to live in harmony.
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (9)
*[[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] (10)
*[[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (11)
*[[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] (12)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (13)
*[[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] (16)
*[[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (17)
*[[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (21)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (22)
*[[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (23)
*[[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (24)
*[[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (25)
*[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (26)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (27)
*[[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (28)
*[[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (29)
*[[Scamper]] (30)
*[[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (31)

|c2=
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] (1)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] (2)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] (3)
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] (4)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (5)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (6)
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (7)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (8)
*[[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] (14)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] (15)

|c4=
*[[Basso Profundo]] (18)
*[[Allegra]] (19)
*[[Zebop Skandana]] (20)
*[[Eurythman communicator]] (21)
}}

==Quotes==
"What was that?!" 
"That was heaven. The purest, most vibrant, most perfect harmony I've ever heard."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Soundwave''' wonder what hit them, to the latter's monotoned enjoyment.

"You! Because of you, I got blasted out of space. DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THAT DID TO MY PAINT JOB?!"
:—'''Broadside''', right before he sucker-punches Galvatron

"Broadside! Blaster! Galvatron and Soundwave went to find the weapon that knocked us out of space!" 
"Weapon? That was no weapon. That was harmonic bliss! A musical kiss!" 
"Whatever."
:—'''Ultra Magnus''', who doesn't have any soul, and '''Blaster''', who does.

"Blaster, you picking up anything?" 
"Yeah, yeah! Beauty like you wouldn't believe, Broadside. Sweet soul music. It's their art, their commerce, their philosophy, their whole—uh-oh, bummer. Galvatron and Soundwave are here."
:—'''Broadside''' and '''Blaster''' get their vibes harshed.

"I don't wanna see your ugly face, just the button that says 'ERASE'!" 
"My tapes! You've erased my tapes!"
:—'''Blaster''' destroys '''Soundwave'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s tapes, to the Decepticon's monotoned horror.

==Notes==
"Carnage in C-Minor" is perhaps the most famously error-laden episode in the series, and a regular contender among fans for "worst G1 episode". Even by the cartoon's own low standards, the art and animation are of poor quality, while the sheer volume of animation errors — many of them glaringly obvious — is almost unmatched. Add to that the irritating sing-song speech and shrilly modulated voices of the alien protagonists, and you've got an episode that is pretty widely loathed. Despite all this, the actual script and plot are certainly not the weakest to grace the cartoon series — certainly not at level of, say, "[[B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.]]".

===Real-world references===
*Galvatron's plan to smash Metroplex with a comet is based on the popular sci-fi idea of "kinetic bombardment". The trope would see use in [[Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|an issue of]] IDW's 2010 ongoing series.
*The Decepticons are said to be working in an Oort cloud, referring to the swarm of comets and proto-planet stuff believed to be orbiting the sun far beyond Pluto (not ''the'' Oort cloud, however, since it's close to the alien planet Eurythma — which raises the question of why the Decepticons didn't pick a comet in Earth's own solar system instead.)
*The Eurythman characters' names are all music-related puns. Allegra is named after either the Italian operetta and opera composer {{w|Salvatore Allegra}} or {{w|Tempo#Italian tempo markings|Italian tempo marking "allegro"}}, while Basso Profundo is derived from the singing style {{w|Bass (voice type)|basso prof'''o'''ndo}}. While these are all related to classical music, Zebop Skandana is named after popular music guitarist {{w|Carlos Santana}} and his 1981 album {{w|Zebop!}}... and the difference shows.
*Eurythma was possibly named after the popular '80s band The {{w|Eurythmics}}.
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' sound effects:
**''[[Millennium Falcon]]'' engine burst as Broadside takes off after the Decepticons.
**[[X-wing Fighter|X-Wing]] whine and [[Death Star]] superlaser as Galvatron and Soundwave take off after burying the Autobots, again as the Autobots pursue them back to the city, and again as the Decepticons depart for Earth.

===Animation or technical glitches===
[[File:Carnage CMinor Allegra Zebop.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|This episode ensured that no kid would ever, ever, ever want Broadside's toy.]]
*Like much of Season 3, this episode was animated by AKOM, using their usual incorrect character models:
**Galvatron is consistently colored using an outdated color model that gives him pale purple "underpants".
**Throughout the entire episode, Broadside is drawn using [[:File:Broadsidecharactermodels.jpg|his pre-final robot and jet mode]] [[character model]]s. On the other hand, his aircraft carrier mode is actually that of his final model colored like the pre-final version with a purple Autobot insignia.
**Soundwave's head crest is supposed to be the same blue as his body, but its lines and/or triangle randomly turn grey throughout the episode. His back piece is also grey when it should be blue, and his hands are colored black instead of blue.
**Magnus's gun is blue instead of white. Remarkably, he doesn't have a colored mouth like AKOM gives him in so many other episodes.
*Other episode-wide errors:
**The Transformation sound effects are frequently cut off.
**Soundwave's face plate doesn't move when he speaks for most of this episode.
**The harmony's effects are rarely consistent from scene to scene. Sometimes it's a ray or beam; other times it's a whispy wave or radiating circle of light. Sometimes it's actually sung; other times it's shown as a sort of telepathic ray. When Galvatron attacks the Autobots with it at the running battle, it's a green woobery line moving backwards through the air.
*Freeze-frame-o-vision:
**Bonecrusher pulls the engine activation lever with a serial freeze-frame effect, as if it were some great epic act.
**The comet's explosion is likewise "animated" with successive freeze-frames.
**Metroplex's transformation to battle station mode is also done this way.
*Grimlock is drawn with a mouth as he and the others fly toward the comet.
*An Autobot of made-up model is shown approaching the comet to Magnus's right, where Grimlock had been a couple of shots prior.
*Two more generic Autobots are shown alongside Magnus as they come into view above the Decepticons. Only Galvatron, Soundwave and Bonecrusher are shown on the comet, but more Decepticons will appear out of nowhere as the battle rolls on.
*In that same shot, Galvatron and Soundwave are facing away from the engine; in the next shot, as they react to the first shots, they're facing towards it.
*Combiner issues:
**Superion is consistently shown as the same size as the other Autobots; he should be twice as large even without any size changing.
**Devastator is exactly the same size as Soundwave as they return fire on the approaching Autobots.
**Devastator is shown firing alongside Soundwave in the first salvos of the comet battle; a moment later, the Constructicons are shown combining into Devastator.
**When the Constructicons form Devastator for the second time, the first shot shows Scavenger (''not'' Scrapper) and Mixmaster forming the legs, Bonecrusher forming the pelvis, and Long Haul forming the torso. The second shot shows Bonecrusher and Scavenger forming the arms and Hook forming the upper torso. This means that Scrapper, the Constructicon leader, didn't contribute to Devastator, but ''two'' Bonecrushers and Scavengers did, and [[Devastator (ROTF)|''seven'' Constructicons formed Devastator.]]
**Devastator doesn't just de-combine when Perceptor shoots him — he actually explodes into a bunch of little pieces!
**When the Protectobots are combined as Defensor, Hot Spot (Defensor's torso) is fighting alongside his combined self!
*Ultra Magnus has Optimus Prime's rifle sound effect as he dives toward the comet.
[[File:DeceptiBrawn1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|AKOM, it's really simple. Dead guys don't get to fight. Because they're dead. You know what 'dead' is, right?]]
[[File:Hotspot defensor.jpg|'ey you! Get back in mah belleh!|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*Appearing/disappearing robots: The cast fluctuates so much it's almost impossible to tell who's actually supposed to be there. Autobots routinely appear for only a shot or two; it's hard to know if the appearances were scripted or not.
**Grimlock vanishes after the first couple of shots.
**Cyclonus appears for one shot, firing alongside Soundwave and Bonecrusher, and is never seen again.
**In the episode's most infamous shot, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (who should both be dead) show up alive and well. And it seems [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] has switched sides, as he's helping them shoot at the giant Decepticon rocket engine he just helped build! (Huffer's orange is so dark it appears red, to boot.)
**Hot Spot suddenly appears after the rocket explodes.
**In one shot, only four Transformers are shown falling out of the sky; a second shot shows six or seven. Eight are shown in the subsequent crater; there should be at least half a dozen more.
**Perceptor and Hot Spot seem to be the only ones left fighting once Broadside and company depart.
**Hot Spot abruptly replaces Broadside for several shots during the end of the battle at Allegra's retreat.
**Soundwave appears alongside the Constructicons for several shots during the ongoing firefight; at this point he's still running around with Galvatron.
**Defensor suddenly appears in the battle as Basso Profundo uses the harmonic amplifier on the Transformers. He separates into his components, who then show up in several more shots, so it's clearly a scripted appearance. (And as noted elsewhere, Hot Spot — his torso — is standing right next to him!)
*Galvatron sees Magnus flying right at him... then transforms to cannon mode and ''turns the other way''.
*During or after the ensuing cloud-obscured struggle, Galvatron returns to [[robot mode]], but no transformation sound is heard.
*When the engine explodes, it vanishes without a trace, leaving only a smooth metal platform behind — no debris, no crater, no damage.
*As observed by Perceptor, the comet seems to have a tiny moon following it! We also get Perceptor's microscope-vision before he's actually transformed.
[[File:Carnage C-minor Magnus Broadside.JPG|{{w|Monty Python's Life of Brian|"Hail Caesar!" "Hail Thaethar."}}|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*While the Autobots are shooting at the meteor, they are so badly drawn that they appear to have only one leg each, left arms starting from the elbows, and enormous heads...and Superion and Broadside (whose hugeness was a plot point just a couple of shots ago) are tiny. Perceptor's also drawn with a visor instead of single eyes.
*In a subsequent shot, the Autobots' lasers aren't actually reaching the comet they're firing at.
*"They thwarted me" — Soundwave's head crest is colored as though it were his face! The result is that he looks like an excited guy with a gaping-open mouth and the biggest chin strap this side of ''Animated''. Mixmaster also appears to have stolen [[Leadfoot (DOTM)|Leadfoot]]'s goggles and beard.
*Sudden starry night:
**When he picks up Galvatron, Broadside has starry night sky behind him in his closeup shot, but dusky clouds in the wide shots.
**Perceptor has night sky behind him in the same scene.
**Magnus gets random night sky as he asks about finding "the bandleader".
**Starry night as Galvatron drops and dismisses Allegra.
**Starry night as Superion prepares to tackle Galvatron.
*When Bonecrusher orders the formation of Devastator, he's wearing an Autobot insignia. See also the continuity error below.
*After Devastator gets blown apart by Perceptor, there are two Long Hauls firing at the Autobots, one with a malformed face.
[[File:Bigmagnus tinyconst.jpg|We'll take revenge by merging into Devastator! That can't possibly fail!|thumb|right|upright=1.1|'Kids, did I ever tell you the story of how I met your mother?']]
*After watching Galvatron and Soundwave leave, Ultra Magnus dispatches Hook and Scrapper—by picking them up in his hands and bashing them together. Magnus is supposed to be big, but not ''that'' big. (It's ''possible'' that the animators used the [[toy]]s for reference, unaware that the cartoon [[scale]] traditionally doesn't match the toys' scale in this case.)
*Blaster's voice is missing its usual modulation.
*Perceptor and Hot Spot seem to jump all over the place as they fight:
**They're beside each other in the crater as Perceptor takes out Devastator.
**A tiny Superion takes Hot Spot's place in a subsequent shot.
**Then Hot Spot is by himself as he turns and fires.
**Then Perceptor is back beside him as he continues firing.
**Then they turn and jump into the crater they were already in.
**The pair run from the firefight (not transform and drive, but ''run'')... then suddenly are standing still, rising up as though from a crouch.
*As Broadside overtakes the Decepticons, Blaster and Ultra Magnus aren't shown.
*As they approach the city, Blaster and Magnus have gone from hanging onto the back edges of Broadside's wings to hanging onto the (much more logical) front edges.
**In the same shot, Blaster's torso — hidden by the wing — has to be about twice as long as his legs to actually connect to them.
**And Magnus's mouth doesn't move as he delivers his lines.
*As Blaster and Ultra Magnus talk to Basso, Blaster is Magnus's height in closeup shots but (correctly) shorter than him in the long shots.
*As Galvatron shoots the bridge, his cannon has the usual Decepticon laser sound effect rather than its own sound effect.
*Broadside's eyes are yellow when he gets up from under the rubble on the bridge.
*Allegra is waving her arms around for several seconds before Galvatron walks in on her. It's not clear if she's supposed to be singing — in which case the vocals are completely missing — or if she's supposed to be playing music from the device in front of her, in which case she would be ''playing the show's own background music!'' Either way, it seems like a total non-sequitur when Galvatron walks in and says "Very impressive!"
[[File:Carnage CMinor Galvatron Soundwave Allegra.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Very impressive arm-waving!"]]
*When Galvatron and Soundwave first talk to Allegra, Soundwave has eyes rather than a visor, and his face is colored blue instead of grey.
**As he receives the first part of the haromony, his "nose" goes up so high into his visor that it appears as separate eyes again.
*Allegra goes from standing up (in bold defiance) to casually laying down in the span of two shots.
[[File:Soundwaveautobotgalvy.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"Very impressive shrinking!"]]
*Soundwave has a purple Autobot [[insignia]] after recording Allegra's harmony section.
*Soundwave successively shrinks through this scene — at first he's the same height as Galvatron, then he's a head shorter, then only comes up to Galvatron's waist when Galvatron picks him up.
*After learning that they only have one third of the harmony, a recycled shot makes Galvatron look quite happy as he snarls in angry frustration.
*"Everybody's a critic" — Broadside is missing the passengers who are supposed to be hanging onto his wings.
*"I'm not so sure this is a good idea anymore" — Soundwave is missing his Decepticon symbol, and his headcrest comes down so far it separates his visor.
*Blaster is drawn delivering Broadside's line about "scorch-marks on top of everything else".
*The open parts of Magnus's trailer are misdrawn, making the entire trailer appear solid.
*Many of Magnus's white truck parts are colored light gray.
[[File:Carnage C-Minor Autobots harmonic attack.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Remember that shot a while back, where Broadside was twice as tall as Magnus in robot mode?]]
*A wide shot of Magnus advancing against the harmony has Blaster and Broadside at human scale, shorter — ''much'' shorter — than Magnus's truck mode.
*Allegra reacts to being grabbed by Galvatron a couple of seconds before it actually happens.
*While singing his harmony, Zebop goes from inside Magnus's cab to outside between shots.
**After Magnus frees himself from the pit a moment later, Zebop jumps out of the cab ''again''.
*After Soundwave blasts the Autobots into the ground, he transforms and walks toward the edge of the frame — but disappears ''before'' leaving the frame.
*While Soundwave and Blaster are fighting, Soundwave's grunts are unprocessed, making him sound like Dr. Claw.
*Galvatron has the standard Decepticon laser sound effect as he blasts Magnus, rather than his own signature sound.
*The script presumably calls for Zebop to move Allegra to safety; instead, the animation shows him putting her down and standing right over her, as Blaster and Soundwave fall on what would seem to be both of them.
*Blue face on Soundwave after he and Blaster fall on Zebop.
*When Blaster explains that the Eurythmans use the harmony even for healing, Ultra Magnus is the one mouthing the words; Magnus also has a visor instead of eyes.
*Our first shot of the still-going battle features lasers being fired at a forest, with nobody from either side in view.
*Hot Spot has consistently had a faceplate till now, but as he asks Perceptor about the other Autobots, he's suddenly got a mouth.
*When Perceptor gets shot, he grunts in a voice like that of Ultra Magnus.
*The running battle is in a forest, but when Galvatron and Soundwave intervene it's suddenly in the city.
*When Galvatron orders Soundwave to play the harmonics on Earth, Soundwave's tape deck door is the same color as his body (it should be light blue).
[[File:CarnageMiniBlaster.jpg|It's his little shoulder-angel.|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]
*When Soundwave plays the harmonics to disrupt Metroplex, the waves are shown emanating from ''Galvatron's head''! We then pan over to Metroplex, who is hardly any bigger than the two Decepticons.
*Metroplex does a sort of malformed half-transformation out of battle station mode, then stops; a shot later he's in robot mode with no additional animation or sound.
*"Autobots! Impossible!" — Galvatron's mouth doesn't move.
*Soundwave suddenly has a Decepticon symbol on his back as he <s>dances</s> struggles with Blaster.
*As Blaster flies off after erasing Soundwave's tapes, a cel-layering error causes him to appear smaller than Soundwave's head!
*As the Decepticons retreat, Blaster is shown flying away (again!) behind two Constructicons.
*"The Decepticons won't be back" — Magnus's eyes change size and shape between successive shots.

...And all this is overlooking the frequently malformed bodies, incorrect proportions, minor coloring foul-ups, and just generally poor artwork that marks the whole episode.

===Continuity errors===
*Flying Autobots:
**The entire Autobot assault force flies through space to the comet. As usual, no rocket packs are in evidence, nor are they mentioned. Only Superion and Grimlock are usually capable of robot mode flight.
**Despite this, Blaster and Magnus have to hang on to Broadside to fly after the Decepticons once they're on the planet.
**Despite ''this'', they both take off alongside Broadside after Allegra heals Zebop, and are seen flying along on Earth too. Blaster even has a whole fight sequence with Soundwave while floating in the air.
*The Decepticons all fly away from the comet as the rocket activates. As the Autobots approach, they're back alongside it — well, three of them, anyway.
*Anyone bothered that this "sonic weapon" was used to destroy a comet IN SPACE?
*Bonecrusher is shown ordering the Constructicons to combine. Scrapper is supposed to be their leader. Granted, it's in line with Mixmaster giving the orders back in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]".
*Since when does Perceptor pack enough firepower to blast the once-invincible Devastator to pieces?
**Likewise, how come one little shot from the Constructicons knocks Superion apart?
*Much like the Season 2 episode "[[Kremzeek!]]", once characters start hanging on to another character to get around, the script seems to forget that there's any other way for them to travel. Blaster and Magnus ride around on Broadside's wings for the rest of the episode, and even poor Zebop has to do so once he joins them!
[[File:Carnage CMinor Blaster Magnus Basso.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|"No." "What did he say?" "He said 'no'."]]
*Despite the aliens' dialog being in perfectly understandable English (or Galactic Standard or whatever), because they say everything in a sing-song rhythm, apparently none of the Transformers except Blaster and Soundwave can understand them, and the two tape decks spend a large (and annoying) amount of time translating Eurythman to "non-sing-song" for everyone else — at times repeating the same lines word-for-word.
**Blaster also somehow extrapolates quite a bit of information from short lines like "This is your war, not ours."
*At one point [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] states the Autobots are "outnumbered two to one", but even excluding oddities like Brawn and Huffer, the ''Autobots'' actually ''seen'' in this episode outnumber the ''Decepticons''. See also Appearing/Disappearing Robots, above.
*"Soundwave, are you getting this?" "I am... I am!" "Never mind that. Did you get the harmony?" Did a line get dropped?
*Superhuman aliens:
**Allegra is still in Galvatron's hands when Magnus shoots him in the back, causing Galvatron to drop her from what looks like a height of 30 or 40 feet. Despite this, she's up and running about a moment later.
**It's an animation error, not a scripted one, but she seems to survive being smushed by two Transformers just fine.
*When the Decepticons reach Earth, they ''pass'' Autobot City (in the usual lush valley) to reach Metroplex, who seems to be hanging out in a barren desert for no reason.
*The Autobots (Scamper, anyway) don't notice the Decepticons till they're literally already there and firing at them. Nobody noticed the Decepticons fly to Earth? What happened to the Earth Defense Command satellites?
*Why does Soundwave even ''have'' an 'erase' option? Better hope his [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|tapes]] had their copy-protection tabs removed!

===Trivia===
*Galvatron is ''weirdly'' chummy with Soundwave throughout the episode, never once abusing him in the ways he ordinarily treats his lieutenants. They're even briefly shown holding hands while flying! Perhaps there might be some lingering fondness from the formers previous life coming through?
*This was one of several episodes subjected to the [[MSTF]] treatment at [[BotCon 1999]].
*[[Ask Vector Prime]] [[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#September 30, 2015|identified]] the [[Eurythma|Eurythmic]] [[Harmony]] as an especially potent source of [[animation error|time-space anomalies]]. This retroactively means that every single "error" that occurred in this episode actually happened.
*This episode marks the only time Broadside is shown in jet mode in the US cartoon. Further, the model that was used is actually his pre-final model which had previously only been used in the 1986 [[Triple Changer]] [[commercial]]. His final jet mode model wouldn't actually be used until ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' cartoon.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title (European French broadcast):'' ?
:*''Title (Canadian French broadcast and European French DVD release):'' "'''Massacre en do mineur'''" ("Massacre in C-Minor")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Concerning the European French dub:
:::*Galvatron calls Metroplex "Métropolésie". That is the first and the last time this name is used in the cartoon.
:::*Once again, a lot of battle grunts and screams are recovered from the original version.
:::*The Eurythmans talk normally, the singing side was removed. However, their harmonies were recovered from the original version.
:::*Before Allegra sings for Galvatron and Soundwave, the cut to recover the original version was made too soon, we can hear the ending of the English voice actress' "harmonyyyyy!".
:::*Despite being called "Zebop" in the rest of the episode, Allegra calls him "Zebob" when telling the Decepticons about him.
:::*The dialogue between Broadside and Blaster as they approach the island is missing.
:::*After falling on Zebop, Blaster's "Zebop!" is dubbed by a satisfied "My dear Zebop!", which sounds pretty weird.
:::*The voice actors did not fall in the trap of the animation error where Ultra Magnus moves the lips when Blaster is talking. Like in English, it's indeed Blaster's voice actor who delivers his line.
:::*Soundwave's line "My tapes! You've erased my tapes!" is dubbed by "Oh no, I can't believe it! I was so happy! And he erased everything!".
:::*Despite the final joke about living in harmony also working in French, Blaster does not comment it, his line was replaced by "I sing too out of tune, I wouldn't live with them!".
:::*Name-dodging:
::::*Ultra Magnus' phrase "Ah, very good Perceptor, and that comet can serve as their prison" is dubbed by "Yes, you were not wrong. I hope that this way we will manage to surprise them".
::::*Bonecrusher's line "Constructicons! Form Devastator!" is replaced by "Quickly, regroup! We will have more strength by forming a single robot, let's hurry!".
::::*Galvatron saying "Soundwave! Soundwave!" is dubbed by "Ah, they are too many! They are resisting us!".
::::*Broadside's line "Blaster, you picking up anything?" is dubbed by "Maybe '''you''' can show us the way".
::::*Galvatron's "Soundwave, are you getting this?" is replaced by "Go, record this! And I advise you not to miss". Soundwave's answer "I am. I am" is dubbed by "Yeah, do not worry, we'll record this".
::::*Later, Galvatron's "Soundwave!" about the second harmony is dubbed by "Listen to this!" Record it!". Of course, the next "Soundwave" is missing too.
::::*Again, his "Soundwave!" about the third harmony is dubbed by "No but listen to this!".
::::*Ultra Magnus does not name Perceptor when telling him "It's a long story, I'll tell you on the way back to Earth".
::::*Galvatron's "Soundwave! The harmonics now!" is dubbed by "Come on, go ahead! Quickly play the magic harmonies!".

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Das Gemetzel in Cis-Moll'''" ("The Slaughter in Cis-Minor")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Italian'''
:*''Title (first dub):'' "'''Sinfonia mortale'''" ("Deadly Symphony")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*Ultra Magnus's line: «I told you: they use their harmonies for everything, even healing!» is voiced by Blaster and Galvatron's actor, [[Angelo Nicotra]]. The fact that, immediately after, he talks again with his usual voice makes the scene pretty odd.
:*''Title (second dub):'' "'''Massacro in do minore'''" ("Carnage in C-Minor")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''音楽惑星の挑戦'''" (''Ongaku Wakusei no Chōsen'', "Challenge of the Music Planet")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 20]], [[1987]]

'''Mandarin'''
:*''Title:'' "'''C Xiǎodiào Dàtúshā '''" (C小调大屠杀, "The Slaughter in C-Minor")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' '''?'''
:*''Original airdate:'' ?
::*This episode's original translated title is currently lost due to a glitch in the only known surviving copy of the audio track.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[1989]] — ''Transformers'' — Carnage in C Minor / The Ultimate Weapon ([[Tempo Video]])
;{{w|LaserDisc}}
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[1999]] — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[File:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] [[2001]] — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2004]] — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[File:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2005 — ''Transformers'' — Volume 19 ([[Déclic Images]]) — European French audio only. 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2006]] — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] [[2007]] — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] [[2009]] — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[File:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2010]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2011]] — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] [[2014]] — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory) 
[[File:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2014 — ''Transformers'' — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

==External links==
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808817/ IMDb's page for this episode]
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=118hXiMvCPKsu45gR_be5DtX2mBId8W5A Episode dialogue script]

[[Category:The Transformers episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1

2024-09-02T09:40:05Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'' #1
|prev=Dead Men's Boots
|next=Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2
|image=LSotW 1cvrA.jpg
|caption=We peed a little.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[January 27]], [[2010]] [[February 10]] (2nd printing)
|coverdate=January 2010
|story=[[Nick Roche]] & [[James Roberts]]
|script=Nick Roche
|pencils=Nick Roche
|inks=Nick Roche & [[John Wycough]]
|colors=[[Josh Burcham]]
|letters=[[Neil Uyetake]]
|editor=[[Andy Schmidt]]
|associate editor=[[Denton J. Tipton]]
|continuity=[[2005 IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[2005 IDW timeline|Current era (2010)]]
}}
'''When Overlord turns Garrus-9 into his personal playground, it's time to call in the suicide mission specialists.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers1-newrecruits.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|Yay, we get to join the team where everybody dies!]]
Three years ago, at [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and his subordinate [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]] deal with a massive [[Decepticon]] assault on the prison. Kick-Off smells an inside job, while Fortress Maximus replies that only he has the codes to the Garrus-9 doors—good thing, too.

Decepticon general [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]] intends to take the facility for [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]], but is interrupted by the arrival of [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]. All the Decepticons are in awe of him, terrified as well. Refusing Overlord's request for him to relinquish command, Skyquake is shot in the back; Overlord then leads the Decepticons in storming the prison and slaughtering its defenders. He offers the freed prisoners the entire planet as a source of entertainment, free from the narrow whims of Megatron. As a game, Overlord throws the battered body of Fortress Maximus to the mob, saying all they have to do is try not to kill him.

Eight months ago, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]], and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] are scolded by annoying local reconstruction manager, [[Dipstick]], for blowing up the fuel depot with their new guns. Guzzle says that's what [[Wreckers]] do. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s ship arrives. Only Pyro farewells the manager Dipstick in a civil manner, but is blown off by Dipstick. The bots leave on Ultra Magnus's ship, becoming the newest Wreckers.

On board, they are greeted by [[Verity Carlo]], one of the humans who made first contact with the [[Autobot]]s on [[Earth]]. They're dubious as to her being a Wrecker, but [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] walks in (with [[Twin Twist (G1)|Twin Twist]], [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]], [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]], and [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]) and informs them that none of them are, yet. The situation on Garrus-9 is explained; it's been overrun by the Decepticons, but any attempt by other Decepticons to get in has been blown out of orbit with extreme prejudice. The new Wreckers are there to investigate. Springer explains to the new guys the dangers of Wreckership: Being a Wrecker means your first day could be your last.

Two years ago, the Garrus-9 Decepticons start hunting Autobots as sport. A purple Decepticon subdues the Autobot being hunted, but his cockiness catches him off guard and the Autobot leaps at his throat. Overlord kills the Autobot and then the purple Decepticon, explaining to the others that any bot that careless is wasting his life and therefore wasting Overlord's time.

In the present day, Ironfist suffers a mysterious blackout on Ultra Magnus's ship. It's revealed he was a journalist who wrote the extensive ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'' datalogs on the Wreckers, under the alias Fisitron—to the amazement of Twin Twist and Topspin. Wreckers old and new talk, while Springer notices Ironfist may be hiding something. Springer himself seems burdened by the danger of Wreckership, wondering if there's any point to forming these teams for the Wreckers, only to have them blown apart at a moment's notice. Kup remarks that Springer can't stop thinking about [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]. Springer replies that it's hard but not impossible, walking off scowling. They're then interrupted by a call to the bridge.

One month earlier, Overlord watches as Kick-Off battles the Decepticon [[Borehole]] in gladiatorial combat; the Autobot viciously beats his opponent, kicking him down. Borehole pleads with Kick-Off reminding him he's an Autobot. Kick-Off replies that being an Autobot means nothing on Garrus-9. With that, he rips Borehole's head off. Overlord is pleased and invites Kick-Off into his quarters, where he says Kick-Off may choose his reward.

On Ultra Magnus's ship in the present, the Wreckers discover the battered hull of a Decepticon dropship, which detonates even as they watch. They prepare to fire as a single form flies from the explosion towards them, but Kup stops them as they recognize the damaged Cybertronian before them. To their shock and amazement, they realize it is... Impactor. He asks permission to come aboard...

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{collist|2|
* ''[[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]]'' (1)
* ''[[Turbofire]]'' (2)
* ''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'' (3)
* [[Dipstick]] (8)
* [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] (9)
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]] (10)
* [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] (11)
* [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] (12)
* [[Twin Twist (G1)|Twin Twist]] (14)
* [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] (15)
* [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]] (16)
* [[Perceptor (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Perceptor]] (17)
* [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] (18)
* ''[[Spin-Out (IDW)|Spin-Out]]'' (20)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (23)
* [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (24)
}}
|c2=
* ''[[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]]'' (4)
* ''[[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]'' (5)
* ''[[Snare]]'' (6)
* ''[[Stalker (G1)|Stalker]]'' (7)
* ''[[Fearswoop (G1)|Fearswoop]]'' (19)
* ''[[Wingblazer]]'' (21)
* ''[[Borehole]]'' (22)
|c3=
* [[Verity Carlo]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"All of you are to remain here with ''me''. In return I will ''protect'' you. I will ''reward'' you. I will ''entertain'' you. Like ''this''... Let us play a ''game''. I will turn Fortress Maximus over to ''you''. All ''you'' have to do is try ''not'' to kill him."
:—'''Overlord''' lets us know he's a leader that appreciates the need for recreation.

"We'll be seeing you, sir." 
"Hah! You '''think''' so? You're joining the '''Wreckers'''... what makes you think you're coming '''back?'''"
:—'''Pyro''' hasn't read the Marvel UK material, but '''Dipstick''' sure has.

"Ultra Magnus has shrunk..."
:—A confused '''Rotorstorm''' on Verity

"By the sacred spires! A '''human'''! '''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime's]]''' data was '''right!''' They're so '''delicate''' and in need of our '''protection...'''"
:—'''Pyro''' has strong maternal instincts.

"Please, '''Kick-Off'''... you're an Autobot!" 
"Know what that means in '''this''' place, Borehole? '''NOTHING.'''"
:—As his head gets brutally separated from its body, '''Borehole''' learns just how depraved '''Kick-Off''' has become.

"All weapons are trained on them in case they try something '''<nowiki>'hilarious'.</nowiki>'''"
:—'''Ultra Magnus''' rocks the sarcasm.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Skyquake and Overlord's assault on Garrus-9 was part of the galaxy-wide offensive occurring mostly off-panel during ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]''.
* You might be wondering why Ironfist is drawn with that little scar on his head. Keep it in mind...
* Verity now sports a small tattoo of a green alien head on the back of her right shoulder. This is in tribute to her departed friend [[Hunter O'Nion]], who throughout ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'' wore a shirt with a similar green alien head on it.
* We learn the Autobots have their ''own'' [[Autopedia|Transformers wiki]]!
* The issue comes with an in-universe profile of Rotorstorm, written by Roberts, and presented in-universe by [[Rung (G1)|Rung]].
* Pyro really ''has'' copied Prime's look, and #5 will [[Primus apotheosis|reveal why]].
* This issue has the first ever mention of the [[Deception Justice Division]], given as just a throwaway bit of worldbuilding. Springer also mentions [[Dominus Ambus|an Autobot spy]] within the organization, a fact which will become ''very'' important several years down the line.
* '''First appearances:''' This is Overlord's ''second'' appearance; he was a crowd extra back in ''Megatron Origin'' #2. Actual firsts include Ironfist, Pyro, Rotorstorm and Guzzle; Dipstick; Stalker, Fearswoop and Snare; and Rung (as the Autopedia narrator.)

===Transformers references===
* The [[Action Master]] Kick-Off declares that "alt modes are for wimps!" In-universe, this could mean he's a [[Monoformer]]. His role in the story also alludes to the [[Tech Spec]] bio of Kick-Off's original toy, which described him as a shell-shocked veteran who was forced to do terrible things to survive in a Decepticon prison. The implication seemingly being that Overlord's takeover of Garrus-9 led Kick-Off to fall back on the ruthless habits that kept him alive the first time he was in such a situation.
* Ironfist brings up the "[[siege of T'Muk]]", a reference to [[Transmasters UK]] (TMUK for short, get it?), the fan club and circle of authors and artists that Roberts and Roche are longtime members of, and in which they originally rose to prominence.
* On page four, there are a pair of Autobots, one green and one orange, beheaded by Snare. These were colored by Josh Burcham in ''Revenge of the Fallen''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]] and [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]]'s decos as an "homage", if you can call it that.<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=166695#166695</ref>
* The Autobot captured by Wingblazer is named [[Spin-Out (IDW)|Spin-Out]] (so named in the script<ref>http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=167537#167537</ref>), which was the working name of G1 [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]].

===Real-life references===
* While attempting to hail a Decepticon ship, Verity makes a reference to [[Nyota Uhura|Uhura]] from ''[[Star Trek]]''.
* Verity calls Rotorstorm "Hitman", a reference to professional wrestler {{w|Bret Hart|Bret "Hitman" Hart}}, who is known for pink wrap-around sunglasses.
** Rotorstorm is the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.
* Verity references an album title from the British band {{w|The Darkness (the band)|The Darkness}} with the words, "{{w|One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back|One way ticket to hell... and back}}".

===Errors===
* On page 2, the handle bit on the top of Overlord's gun is missing.
* On page 14, on Ironfist's POV shot of the Wreckers checking on him, Topspin is colored with a black helmet and a red visor, apparently mistaken for [[Rotorstorm (G1)|Rotorstorm]] by colorist [[Josh Burcham]]. This error is corrected in the trade paperback.
* Between pages 15 and 16, Twin Twist and Topspin switch positions while talking to the new recruits.

===Other trivia===
* This story comes [[Simon Furman|Furman]]-approved!<ref>[http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/comics-candy-addendum/]</ref>

===Production===
The hardcover trade of ''Last Stand'' reveals information about both Roche's original pitch and early Roche-Roberts scripts.

In Roche's pitch:
* Springer, Kup, and Perceptor would be taking a trip to Earth to pick up underwear, White Castle burgers, and DVDs for Verity (who is introduced as a mechanoid before she takes the armour off). Ratchet procures it for them via his holomatter avatar.
* Ultra Magnus is dealing with an 'escapee' and so Verity is greeting the Wreckers.
* We see Springer taking a deep breath about meeting the soon-to-die recruits before heading in with a game face on.

In early scripts:
* The opening was a version of the Snare and Impactor scene from next issue.
*Originally the audience was introduced to the new recruits in a scene of Springer and Perceptor going over the their data files. The next rewrite added the sequence on Igue Moor which provided a more natural introduction to the new characters.
* It was going to be explicitly stated that the new recruits aren't being picked because they're The Best: it's because at this point in the war, especially after ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'', they're The Best of the Autobots still alive.
* Verity is deliberately signing up for the mission and is approved. "Ultra Magnus vouches for her."
* We learn here that Overlord's offering people to fight him rather than be killed. When taunted that he's developed "a taste for carnage", Kick Off spits back that "maybe" he already had one.
*The issue ends with Impactor coming aboard the ship and having a terse reunion with Springer. It was dropped as Impactor's explosive reappearance provided a stronger climax.

===Covers (4)===
* '''Cover A:''' The Wreckers looking like they just blew something up; art by [[Nick Roche]] and colors by [[Josh Burcham]]. This cover art was reused for the TPB.
* '''Cover B:''' Perceptor, Kup, Springer, Topspin, and Twin Twist in heroic poses; art and colors by [[Trevor Hutchison]].
* '''Cover RI:''' "Virgin" title-free edition of cover B.
* '''2nd Printing Cover:''' Impactor riding an explosion with a grin (art taken from last page of this issue), art by Nick Roche and colors by Josh Burcham.

<gallery>
File:LSotW 1cvrA.jpg|Naturally, Nick's Irish pride means he puts the green guy in the front.
File:LSotW 1cvrB.jpg|The Magnificent <s>Seven</s>Five.
File:LSotW 1cvrRI.jpg|"Title? We don't need no steenking title!"
File:LSotW 1cvr2nd.jpg|"Woo, I'm back from the dead, skidplates!"
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 2|''The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #2]]
* ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]'' [[Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|#3]]
* ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]: Operation Hiss''
* ''{{i|G.I. Joe: Cobra II}}''
* ''The Adventures of Digger and Friends''
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===Reprints===
Other than [[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers#Collections|collections of the full series]]
* N/A

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Last Stand of the Wreckers issues]]

Cobra Commander issue 1

2024-09-01T07:34:53Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Cobra Commander (comic)|Cobra Commander]]'' #1
|prev=
|next=Cobra Commander issue 2
|image=Cobra Commander 1 Cover A.jpg
|caption=
|title=
|publisher=[[Image Comics]] [[Skybound Entertainment]]
|date=[[January 17]], [[2024]]
|coverdate=January 2024
|written by=[[Joshua Williamson]]
|art by=[[Andrea Milana]]
|colors by=[[Annalisa Leoni]]
|letters by=[[Rus Wooton]]
|editors=[[Sean Mackiewicz]] & [[Jonathan Manning]]
|continuity=[[Energon Universe]]
|chronology=
}}

'''An ambitious man begins his journey to ensnare the world in his coils.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Cobra Commander|A mysterious man in a mask and trenchcoat]] walks into the [[No Man's Land]] truck stop on the outskirts of a mountain range and tells the bartender he needs a vehicle. One of the patrons, [[Jimmy (Cobra Commander)|Jimmy]], teases the stranger over his hiss-like "lisp" and wishes him luck before heading out to his truck. The stranger follows Jimmy and tells him that his vehicle will do nicely, using—as Jimmy describes it "some kind of toy"—to attack him. The bartender follows after Jimmy to collect his pay... only to find Jimmy's bloody remains in the snow, next to the image of a [[Cobra|cobra]] drawn in blood.

''In the secret society of [[Cobra-La]], an angry mob gathers outside of a science lab, angry at the scientists for bringing a "monstrosity" into the city. One of the scientists insists that they retreat, but he is shot in the head by their commander, who insists no one retreats. He orders the other scientists to protect their research and hands them weaponized spores to combat the mob. The commander begins fighting back as the doors to the lab opens, but the other scientists hesitate. One of them asks the commander if she should also throw her spore, which promptly explodes in the commander's face.''

''Once the commander recovers from the explosion, he is given a reflective metal helmet to hide his shame. [[Pythona]] appears and tells him to put it on; he has been summoned. The commander is brought before Lord [[Golobulus]], the leader of Cobra-La who first brought him into Cobra-La when he was wandering the world without purpose. Golobulus castigates him for his actions; the people of Cobra-La respect organic life above all else, yet the commander has cost the lives of their people experimenting with "the specimen" and its "blasphemous technology". The commander balks at this, believing his work of such value that he should be given a position of leadership within Cobra-La. Golobulus reveals he knows the commander is responsible for leaking information about the specimen and instigating the riots, and that the only reason he was healed was so that Golobulus could personally oversee his execution. The [[Royal Guard]]s attack the commander, but he uses a series of small, insectoid robots to attack, infest, and kill them from within. The commander tells Golobulus that Cobra-La is a powder keg, cut off from the world so long that their resources are dwindling and civil war is imminent, but with this technology, they can make Cobra-La strong again. If Golobulus wants to further his control of the world, he must let the commander live to pursue a special mission in the outside world.''

''The commander returns to the science compound where they are keeping the "specimen" in question: [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]! Thinking out loud to the inactivate robot, he reflects that while Cobra-La is advanced for Earth, they are nothing compared to what awaits in space. While the other scientists tried to communicate with Megatron, the commander opts for a more direct approach, activating a machine that (quite painfully) extracts the [[energon]] from Megatron's body. This also reveals to him that there are other energy signatures similar to Megatron's in the outside world. The commander decides he will track down these others and learn the secrets of the energy that fuels them. Then no power in Cobra-La or any world will be able to stop Golobulus's army—an army ''he'' shall lead. As the commander exits the laboratory, Megatron looks up and smiles.''

The commander watches a sunset fall over a lake when he is confronted by the [[Nemesis Enforcer|enforcer]] Golobulus sent to keep an eye on the him during his mission. The enforcer insists they keep moving and recommends taking on a disguise so as to draw less attention. The commander doesn't care. He ''wants'' the attention. They have a long journey ahead of them to [[Florida]], and by the time they are done, the world will fear the name of... '''Cobra Commander!'''

Meanwhile, a small cabin on the edge of a swamp awaits, the door marked with a logo and name: "[[Dreadnok]]s"!

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks. 
{{Featuredcharacters
|h2=[[Cobra]]/[[Cobra-La]]|c2=
* [[Cobra Commander]] (4)
* ''Cobra-La citizens'' (5)
* ''Cobra-La scientists'' (6)
* ''[[Pythona]]'' (7)
* ''[[Royal Guard]]s'' (8)
* ''[[Golobulus]]'' (9)
* "[[Nemesis Enforcer|Enforcer]]" (12)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Jimmy (Cobra Commander)|Jimmy]] (1)
* Woman (2)
* Bartender (3)
* ''[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'' (10)
*''[[Guardian robot]]'' (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"'''HA!''' How the hell you get all the way out here without a truck, buddy?! And what's with the '''lisp?''' Dang '''circus''' is in town, and no one told us, boys."
:—'''Jimmy'''{{'}}s (unwise) response to Cobra Commander asking for help in procuring a vehicle.

"Put it on. Hide your '''shame.''' You have been summoned."
:—'''Pythona''' orders the recently-revived science officer.

"'''LIES.''' I know '''you''' instigated the riots. I will not tolerate your betrayal. I healed you... because I wanted to watch you die with my own '''eyes.'''"
:—'''Golobulus''' takes the commanding science officer to task.

"Your sacrifice has shown me that there are '''other''' energy signatures similar to yours in the outside world. I will track them down and learn about this energy that fuels you. It does not merely power... it is '''transformative.''' Once I unlock its secrets... Golobulus will have his [[Cobra|army]]. That '''I''' will lead. And no force in Cobra-La, or in any world, will be able to stop us."
:—'''Cobra Commander''' rants to Megatron about his plans.

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Much like how the first issue of sister miniseries ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' jumps forward in time, ''Cobra Commander''{{'}}s first issue is largely comprised of a flashback, showing us Cobra Commander's final days in Cobra-La before venturing out into the wider world to form what will become Cobra.
* Cobra-La was previously foreshadowed by a conspiracy theorist in [[Duke issue 1|''Duke'' #1]], who spoke of "a secret society in the ice".
* #WhereIsMegatron? In the depths of Cobra-La, apparently! Though the issue doesn't say exactly, it would appear that this story takes place ''after'' our first look at the [[Decepticon]] leader frozen in the ice in ''[[Transformers (2023 comic)|Transformers]]'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 4|#4]].
* When Cobra Commander siphons the energon from Megatron, the electric effect is colored yellow. While this could just be a representation of electricity, it's worth noting that we've previously seen yellow energon in ''[[Void Rivals]]'' [[Void Rivals issue 1|#1]] when [[Darak]] and [[Solila]] used it to repower [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (a detail kept for ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 1|#1]].)
* The fact that Cobra Commander detects more energy signatures like Megatron's indicates that this issue takes place after the [[Autobot]]s and Decepticons have awoken in the pages of ''Transformers'', but when exactly is not clear.
* One of the monitors showcasing the knowledge Cobra Commander was able to extract from Megatron has an image of Optimus Prime missing an eye. Presumably a reference to the fight Megatron and Optimus had during the Ark crash, which was seen in a flashback in ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 2|#2]].

===G.I. Joe references===
* The rather-boxy truck that Cobra Commander steals has the treads and colors of a [[H.I.S.S. tank]].
* '''''[[Cobra-La|COBRA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA]]!!!''''' The secret society of snake-people—including Golobulus, Pythona, and the Royal Guard—made their debut in ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', where we learn that they were responsible for the creation of Cobra and that Cobra Commander hails from them. While often maligned by fans, personally despised by [[Larry Hama]], and excised from most re-imaginings of ''G.I. Joe'', their inclusion here continues the Energon Universe's trend of basing their mythology on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cartoons. As he elaborates in the letter to the reader at the end of the issue, writer Joshua Williamson also incorporated Cobra-La ''explicitly'' due to its weirdness and fandom reputation.
* Cobra Commander is established to be a normal human who Cobra-La took in, something glimpsed by his Caucasian skin tone while recovering, marrying his more typical backstories in other media with his Sunbow origin. Whether this CC was a used car salesman remains to be seen.
* In a clever subversion of expectations, the Cobra-La scientist yelling to retreat is drawn to resemble Cobra Commander’s pre-mutated form from ''G.I. Joe: The Movie'', making the reader think this is the classic Cobra Commander we know and love... only to be shot by our actual Commander.
* Cobra Commander's science officer armor is based on his [https://www.yojoe.com/action/91/cobracommander4.shtml 1991 action figure]. A ''very cool'' detail is that some of Commander's facial features are faintly visible through his mask in a couple panels, replicating similar detailing from the original figure.
* The Dreadnoks are a gang of bikers and mercenaries, often led by the master of disguise, [[Zartan]], and who frequently find themselves in the employ of Cobra. Like in the G.I. Joe comics published by [[Marvel Comics]] and [[Devil's Due Press|Devil's Due]], they're holed up somewhere in Florida.

===Transformers references===
* The pistol Cobra Commander's holding on Cover A greatly resembles Megatron in gun mode (minus the ''{{w|The Man from U.N.C.L.E.}}''-inspired silencer and stock attachments). This led to ''lots'' of speculation as to whether or not he was going to show up here, and ''sure enough''...
* The outfit Cobra Commander wears as he enters the outside world draws heavily from his "Old Snake" guise from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Only Human]]".
* The "Megatron being captive and used for research" plotline returns again. Given what we already know about ''this'' Megatron, it's safe to assume the Energon Universe is again drawing its influences from the [[Transformers (film)|first live-action movie]].
* In the panel featuring a look at [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], we also glimpse a few cameos, including a [[Guardian robot|Guardian]], an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]], and several tetrajet [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] that are colored after the [[Rainmaker]]s.
** The involvement of a certain [[Guardian robot|big, blue and white robot]] in the war on Cybertron begs some questions, namely, what do we ''call'' this robot? Are they a "Guardian?" An "Omega Sentinel?" A "GADEP," even? Considering the [[Sunbow Productions]] influence pervasive across the Energon Universe and the more recent usage of both "Guardian" and "Guardian Robot" in places like the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' animated series and ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' toyline, we'll just use "Guardian" to refer to this guy.

===Real-world references===
*

===Errors===
* Just as with ''[[Duke (comic)|Duke]]'' [[Duke issue 1|#1]], the back cover of the comic is patterned after a classified file (this time in red). However, it features the same grammatical errors, reading: "The contents of this booklet '''is''' confidential. '''This''' unauthorized disclosure of information within is prohibited."

===Other trivia===
*

===Covers===
* '''Cover A:''' Cobra Commander emerges as the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashes behind him, by Andrea Milana and Annalisa Leoni.
* '''Cover B:''' Cobra Commander stands with his machines, by [[David Aja]].
* '''Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander in a dark and snowy night, by [[Chris Burnham]] and [[Brian Reber]].
* '''Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander on explosion background, by [[Steve Epting]].
* '''Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive):''' Cobra Commander holds his beloved pet cobra, by [[Andrea Sorrentino]] and [[Sofie Dodgson]].
* '''Cover F:''' Cobra Commander and the captive Megatron, by [[Jonboy Meyers]].
* '''Cover G:''' Blank sketch cover.
* '''Cover H (1:250 Copy Incentive):''' by [[David Mack]].
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch cover A:''' by [[Maria Wolf]] and [[Mike Spicer]].
* '''Wanted Comix / Rupps Comics / JJ's Comics & Art / Big Clutch cover B:''' Virgin Foil variant.
* '''The Comic Mint cover:''' Cobra Commander sends out his insectoid robots, by [[Vincenzo Federici]].
* '''Southern Comics Cartel cover:''' Cobra Commander sits with his pets, by [[Santa Fung]].
* '''Bird City Comics cover:''' Cobra Commander, by [[John Giang]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover A:''' by [[Jason Howard]].
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover B:''' by Jason Howard.
* '''Second Printing Variant Cover C:''' by Andrea Milana.

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover C.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover D.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover E.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover F.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover G.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Cover H.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Maria Wolf Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Maria Wolf Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 The Comic Mint Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Southern Comics Cartel Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 Bird City Comics Cover.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover A.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover B.jpg|
File:Cobra Commander 1 2nd Ptg Cover C.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* Explore the Energon Universe in ''Duke'' [[Duke issue 2|#2]], ''Transformers'' [[Transformers (2023) issue 5|#5]], and ''Cobra Commander'' #2!
* A new era for G.I. Joe starts in ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' #301!
* ''Kroma'' by [[Lorenzo de Felici]]
* ''Arcade Kings''

===Reprints===
* '''''Cobra Commander Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' ([[June 12]], [[2024]]) ISBN 1534398155 / ISBN 978-1534398153 
** Collects issues #1–5.
** Trade paperback format.

<gallery>
File:Cobra Commander V1.jpg|'''''Volume 1: Determined to Rule the World''''' – cover art by [[Andrea Milana]]
</gallery>

==External links==
*

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Cobra Commander issues]]

Go-Bots issue 5

2024-09-01T02:50:30Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Go-Bots (comic)|Go-Bots]]'' #5
|prev=Go-Bots issue 4
|next=
|image=GoBots5-cvrA.jpg
|title=
|caption=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[March 27]], [[2019]]
|coverdate=February 2019
|written by=[[Tom Scioli]]
|art by=[[Tom Scioli]]
|colors by=[[Tom Scioli]]
|letters by=[[Tom Scioli]]
|editor=[[David Hedgecock]]
}}

'''Old ways die, new leaders arise, and the shocking destiny of the Go-Bots is revealed.'''

==Synopsis==
[[File:GoBots5Cafeteria.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
The chase is on over [[Earth]], as [[Turbo (GoBots)|Turbo]] gets a lift from [[Spay-C]]'s shuttle mode to pursue [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]], his [[Renegade]]s, and their captive [[Scooter]] in their stolen [[Command Center (GoBots)|Command Center]]. The determined Go-Bot is able to punch his way into the vessel, and deals with Cy-Kill's retinue one after the next: dousing [[Fitor (GoBots)|Fitor]] with volatile liquigen fuel, downing [[Tank (GoBots)|Tank]] in the ship's cafeteria, overpowering [[Loco (GoBots)|Loco]] and hurling him into the [[Disintegration Chamber]], where his body disappears in a flash of light. Meanwhile on the ship's bridge Cy-Kill seeks to understand the full scope of [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]]'s duplicity; having gained access to the [[Enemy Re-programming Center]], the Renegade leader has come to understand that nothing on Gobotron is as it seems: all Go-Bots, including himself, have had their minds wiped and reset, their bodies disintegrated and regenerated —all to preserve Leader-1' s despotic rule over Gobotron. Not far away, Turbo and two of the human astronauts are conducting their own investigation of the re-programming center, and Turbo is briefly struck by a flash of memory, of Scooter's own traumatic experience. Curiosity overrides his better urges, and despite himself Turbo calls up the files to learn the truth of what happened that fateful day... and learns, much to his horror, that Scooter had consented to the process due to his traumatic memories, and it was ''Turbo'', unaware of this, who yanked him out of the machine early and damaged his friend's mind. Seeking to plumb the full depths of the truth about their civilization, an impatient Cy-Kill is more than ready to start testing the reprogramming center on his captives, both human and Go-Bot. Their worries are cut short when an enraged, vengeful Turbo crashes through the doors and opens fire on the group, his shots taking the rest of Cy-Kill's inner cadre out of action and sending [[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] fleeing.

Having escaped the depredations of Leader-1 long ago, Turbo is one of the few Go-Bots not to have had his mind erased, and though Cy-Kill tries to assure his foe that he will be a better leader for Gobotron. Turbo warns him that the only way their civilization can go forward is if Cy-Kill shuts down the Command Centers, the memory wipes, the myriad deceptions and lies of Leader-1. But then Turbo spies Cy-Kill's human prisoners on the testing slab and a struggle breaks out, and Turbo finally puts Cy-Kill down by shooting him through the eyes, destroying his head. In his last moments, Cy-Kill flashes back to the moment of his creation, which set him on the path he followed for the rest of his life: his creator telling him that his function was to be a motorcycle for his fellow Go-Bot servants to ride. The threat vanquished for the moment, Turbo springs Scooter from prison, and the two dodge their way past laser grids and other defense measures to take control of the Command Center—only for Crasher to bar their way. But Turbo is done with fighting, and simply tells the Renegade warrior that he just wants to go home. The war is over, and what to either of them stand to gain by carrying on the old hatreds that their leaders perpetrated? Crasher gratefully accepts, and the two of them fly the Command Center and the [[Thruster]] back to the surface of Earth, to rendezvous with the other Guardians.

[[File:GoBots5Slice.jpg|300px|thumb]]
As they disembark, Turbo announces that it's time to rebuild their society and forge a new world that's truly their own, not the simple imitation of old Earth culture that Leader-1 clung to. Turbo invites the four human astronauts to stay on Gobotron, should they choose to abandon the ruins of Earth, but Leader-1's old right hand 'bot [[Major Mo|Major Domo]] reveals that there's another way home: the so-called "Disintegration Chamber" is, in fact, a time tunnel capable of sending Spay-C and his crew back to their own time period. Two of the astronauts choose not to make the trip; rather, they will stay on Earth in the hopes of teaching the primitive humans to rebuild civilization. As the rest of the Go-Bots board their respective ships and take off, Turbo looks back over his shoulder to see the two astronauts spelling out the message "GOODBYE GO-BOTS."

The crew return to Gobotron to find that the planet has changed greatly during their voyage, noting that the planet's roads and buildings have been ripped to shreds. It doesn't take long before the culprit reveal themselves: none other than a horde of [[Vamp]]s, who quickly swarm over the Command Center and send it crashing to the ground. Their gloating leader, [[Zebediah Braxis|Professor Braxis]], effuses at his triumph only to be felled from behind by the mighty [[Road Ranger]], who contemptuously cleaves the mad doctor in half before turning his fury on the army of Vamps. With them gone Road Ranger reveals that he's had help from "the forgotten:" those young new Go-Bots who have never known Earth, and also the towering forms of [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]], [[Von Joy|Baron Von Joy]], [[Destroyer (GoBots)|Destroyer]], [[Zeemon]], and [[Staks]], mighty titans larger than any other Go-Bot. Road Ranger reveals that his convoy are marching towards [[Gobotropolis]], capital of Gobotron, so that he can claim the crown and inherit control of the planet, and invites the stragglers to join him on this quest. The Go-Bots immediately takes a liking to this new leader, and even Turbo can only admit that the next generation is taking over: a statement made all the clearer as Road Ranger orders his Go-Bots to "transform and roll out!"

[[File:GoBots5Crackle.jpg|200px|thumb|left]]
That evening, Turbo says his goodbyes to Spay-C and his two crewmates, who have opted to make the trip back in time. Turbo, content to let Road Ranger take the wheel for a change, chooses to shut down for a time... and as he drifts off, he dreams of his old friends [[Matt Hunter]] and [[A.J. Foster]]. Flanked by the other Go-Bots, Spay-C and his human friends approach the time tunnel, and after double-checking their coordinates the trio vanish in a flash of light. [[Path Finder]] wonders what will become of the three heroes, and [[Small Foot]] responds that they'll never find out; even if their actions somehow prevent this current timeline from coming to pass, the people of Gobotron will have no way of knowing. Unbeknownst to all, Loco has peacefully settled into life in the Wild West, posing as an ordinary steam locomotive. In Gobotropolis, Road Ranger, now the new leader of Gobotron and its people, is inaugurated before a cheering crowd. He denounces everything that Leader-1 held dear, including his irrational attachment to the organic world that birthed him and their kind. Road Ranger decides that it is time for the Go-Bots to embrace their potential as a species and find their true place in the cosmic order. So it is, on Road Ranger's command, that Gobotron ''itself'' transforms for the first and last time; as the barricaded shell around Earth unlocks, the metal planet hurtles into deep space, leaving Earth and its people behind. Below, humans and [[Rock Lord]]s watch the retreating shape of Gobotron before turning to focus on their own destiny. Setting sail from the "Valley of the Rock Lords", the humans set about rebuilding civilization one step at a time, under the watchful eye of those Go-Bots like [[Dive-Dive]] who have chosen to stay on Earth, now protectors of humanity. One such guardian comes to their rescue while exploring the ruins of a distant acropolis; beset by the monstrous [[Magmar]], the malevolent Rock Lord is himself defeated by [[Screw Head]], who pledges to assist humanity as they rebuild.

[[File:IDW go-bots starscream.jpeg|200px|thumb]]
As Gobotron flies through interstellar space, Road Ranger outlines his plans for the next step of their evolution to his consort Bug Bite. The dawn of their new era will coincide with the mass production of new Go-Bots and Gobotrons, seeding the [[multiverse]] with new mechanical worlds and robotic lifeforms. Road Ranger has already begun on the first of these new Go-Bots, an "heir" that is a faster, stronger version of himself, a mechanical "son" that Road Ranger regards as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|an "optimized" version of himself]]. Road Ranger recommends that Bug Bite [[Bumblebee (G1)|do the same]], but when the yellow Volkswagen inquires as to the fates of Cy-Kill and Leader-1, and whether or not they too will be regenerated, Road Ranger declines; the two have proven to be far more trouble than they're worth. Instead, their parts will be combined into a single new Go-Bot, one that will hopefully embody the best traits of ''both'' leaders. As the new robot—[[Starscream (G1)|a red, white, and blue F-15 jet]]—takes shape, Road Ranger hopes that this experiment will turn out for the best.

And, in the present day, Spay-C and the two humans have returned to their own time period, in the last days before the original Go-Bot uprising that spelled doom for humanity. But although they're armed with the knowledge of the dark timeline that will come to pass, their mission to change the past isn't so successful; their superiors are unwilling to listen, arrogantly convinced that renegade Go-Bots can be easily rounded up and decommissioned--just as an alert comes through warning that the Go-Bot motorbike Cy-Kill has recently gone rogue. Astronaut Charlotte Scott's mention of "Gobotron" piques her commander's interest, however, as he knows "Gobotron" as a simple autonomous space station run by the Go-Bots. Charlotte warns him that if humanity is to survive, they need to shut it ''all'' down before the Go-Bots rise up...

...The End?
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in visions. 

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardians]]|c1=
*[[Turbo (GoBots)|Turbo]] (1)
*[[Spay-C]] (2)
*[[Scooter (GoBots)|Scooter]] (3)
*[[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] (11)
*[[Rest-Q (GoBots)|Rest-Q]] (12)
*[[Small Foot]] (16)
*[[Major Mo|Major Domo]] (17)
*[[Road Ranger]] (20)
*? (26)
*[[Blaster (GoBots)|Blaster]] (27)
*? (28)
*? (29)
*[[Path Finder]] (30)
*? (31)
*[[Tic Toc]] (32)
*[[Dive-Dive]] (35)

|h2=[[Renegade]]s|c2=
*[[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] (4)
*[[Fitor (GoBots)|Fitor]] (5)
*[[Loco (GoBots)|Loco]] (6)
*[[Tank (GoBots)|Tank]] (7)
*[[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] (8)
*[[BuggyMan]] (13)
*[[Crain Brain]] (14)
*[[Geeper-Creeper]] (15)
*[[Vamp]]s (18)
*[[Screw Head]] (37)

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
*[[Charlotte Scott]] (9)
*Human astronauts (10)
*[[Zebediah Braxis|Braxis]] (19)
*''[[Nick Burns]]'' (29)
*''[[A.J. Foster]]'' (30)

|h4=Others|c4=
*[[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] (21)
*[[Von Joy|Baron Von Joy]] (22)
*[[Destroyer (GoBots)|Destroyer]] (23)
*[[Zeemon]] (24)
*[[Staks]] (25)
*[[Pulver-Eyes]] (32)
*? (33)
*[[Granite]] (34)
*[[Magmar]] (36)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (38)
}}

==Quotes==
"Once so haughty... now an utter buffoon. You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you?"
:—'''Cy-Kill''' to Scooter

"The freaks shall inherit the Earth."
:—'''Braxis'''

"Who are you?" "My name is Screw Head." 
"It suits you!" 
"I'm a rock man's worst nightmare!"
:—'''Magmar''' versus '''Screw Head'''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Thanks to some nifty time-travel shenanigans, the final page is set right before Cy-Kill's debut in [[Go-Bots issue 1|issue #1]], with a cellphone alert notifying the public that he has just gone rogue.
* It's probably not a coincidence that [[Tic Toc]], who transforms into a watch, puts in an appearance as Spay-C activates the time tunnel.

===Transformers references===
* Okay, so... the big narliphant in the room is, of course, the reveal that the Go-Bots of this universe are suggested to be the creators of Cybertron, the Cybertronians, and, presumably, all of the many other mechanical lifeforms who populate the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]]. There's some wiggle room here, as it's never specifically ''said'' outright, but Road Ranger (who rallies his troops with a cry of "Transform and roll out!") alludes to his next creation being an "optimized" version of himself in a clear nod to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Bug Bite (who is depicted with a very [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]-like head that doesn't appear on his toy) considers a similar course of action, and Leader-1 and Cy-Kill's remains come together to create a distinctly colored jet-bot that's unmistakably a proto-[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. Now, this does have ''some'' precedence in Tom Scioli's other major piece of ''Transformers'' fiction; [[Earth: R.I.P.|issue #10]] of ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' alluded to a living planet known as "[[Daiakuron]]", which had supposedly seeded the galaxy with many transforming planets in the early days of the universe—and art in ''that'' issue depicts Daiakuron with a loose resemblance to Gobotron's own bifurcated appearance. All of this certainly does seem to tie in to Road Ranger's intent to populate the multiverse with "Gobotrons, each with their own name..." though ''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' would also postulate that the [[Maker]]s who supposedly created Daiakuron would, themselves, eventually evolve into the higher-dimensional Quintessons, so... it's all a little up in the air, is what we're saying.
* Quite how combining the best parts of a fascist despot and blood-crazed wannabe fascist despot results in Starscream is unclear and probably best not thought about.

===Real-world references===
* Scioli's cover is a homage to ''Daredevil'' Vol. 1 #164's cover by Frank Miller and Wally Wood.
* Page 17 quotes a line from the {{w|Book of Genesis}}: "There were giants in the earth in those days."
* The panel of humanity beginning its road to rebuilding mirrors the end of {{w|The Dark Knight Return}}, complete with the closing line of "This is good.".
* The series closes out with a paraphrased line from the {{w|Stanley Kubrick}} film ''{{w|Barry Lyndon}}'': "It was in the reign of [[King George|George III]] that the aforesaid personages lived and quarrelled; good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now."

===Other trivia===
* According to the Diamond Sales charts, 4,363 copies of the issue were shipped to stores, the 253rd highest of the month.<ref>https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/43079/top-500-comics-march-2019</ref>

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Leader-1 cradles Cy-Kill, by [[Tom Scioli]]
*'''Cover B:''' Zod and the Command Center battle it out, by [[Dash Shaw]]
*'''Retailer incentive cover:''' The Guardians, by [[Ryan Brown]]
<gallery>
File:GoBots5-cvrA.jpg|
File:GoBots5-cvrB.jpg|
File:GoBots5-cvrRI.jpg|
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''G.I. Joe: Sierra Muerte''
* ''Dungeons and Dragsons: A Darkened Wish''
* ''[[Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase|Synergy]]''


[[Category:Go-Bots issues]]

Scourge (G1)

2024-08-31T23:46:52Z

Pointblank:

{{factions|decepticon|unicron|convoy}}
{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{suite}}
:''Scourge is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:DreamwaveMTMTE5-ScourgeFracas.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Looks just like daddy.]]
'''Scourge''' is [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s implacable tracker and leader of his own cadre of huntsmen, the deadly [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]]. He was created by [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] from the remains of a dead [[Decepticon]]. Immensely powerful like all the Unicronian Decepticons, arrogance is his only true weakness. Despite being quite powerful in his own right, Scourge generally acts as a near subordinate to [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and, despite his leadership of the Sweeps, is generally content to take orders from others. Scourge tends to grumble and complain a bit (a habit sometimes shared by his Sweeps).

But then again, you'd also complain if your boss spent so much time beating you up, wouldn't you?

{{bigquote|What kind of Decepticon are you, ugly?}}
{{bigquote|The ''ultimate'' kind!|[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] and Scourge|"[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Stan Jones]] (English), [[Yū Shimaka|Yutaka Shimaka]] (Japanese), [[Masashi Hirose]] (Japanese, "The Rebirth")|[[Lin Dongfu]] (Chinese), [[Zhang Lin]] (Chinese, "The Rebirth"),[[Víctor Mares]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, "Dark Awakening", "Surprise Party", "The Rebirth"), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "Starscream's Ghost", "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, "Webworld", "The Quintesson Journal"), [[Thomas Albus]] (German, "The Movie" TV dub), [[Peter Zilles]] (German, ''Generation 2''), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "Dark Awakening" & "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"), [[Francis Lax]] (European French, "Starscream's Ghost"), [[François Leccia]] (European French, "Surprise Party" & "Webworld"), [[Philippe Roullier]] (European French, "The Dweller in the Depths"), [[Serge Bourrier]] (European French, "The Rebirth" episodes), Unknown (European French, "Five Faces of Darkness" episodes), [[Magalhães Graça]] (Portuguese, "The Movie" VHS dub), [[Ayrton Cardoso]] (Portuguese, season 3), [[Lauro Fabiano]] (Portuguese, "Ghost in the Machine")}}

[[File:TFTM Decepticonshipbridge.jpg|thumb]]
Following the [[Battle of Autobot City]] in 2005, Scourge was created from [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]]'s corpse by [[Unicron]]. Scourge was designated commander of his legion of huntsmen, the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]]s, and traveled with his new leader, [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Galvatron, Scourge and [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] then returned to [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] and sent the remaining Autobots fleeing into outer space.

After blasting their ship, the Decepticons believed the Autobots dead. Unicron sent a painful message to Galvatron, informing him he was wrong. Galvatron argued the point until Scourge reminded his leader "we belong to him". The Decepticons then tracked the Autobots to the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]] where Scourge and the Sweeps dismembered [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and stole the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Unicron learned of Galvatron's intended rebellion and attacked Cybertron. Whether Scourge, who was vocally loyal to Unicron, fought to protect Cybertron is unknown. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Scourge’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'', the storybook "[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]" and the "Special Edition The Transformers: The Movie extra page" of "[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]".}}

[[File:FFOD1-Scourgeface.jpg|left|thumb|Van-Dyck of destruction.]]

After the Decepticons were sent packing to [[Chaar]], Cyclonus and Scourge went on an expedition to track down their lost leader, Galvatron, who hadn't been seen since Unicron went kablooey. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} They found Galvatron soaking in a lava pit on [[Thrull]], and much to their disappointment, discovered their leader had gone totally nuts. Galvatron was set to plow his way through his minions before Scourge took to bended knee and appealed to Galvatron's ego to stop. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Scourge and Cyclonus took their leader back to Chaar to command the Decepticon army, only to find the planet all but deserted. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} It turned out that the other Decepticons had allied with the [[Quintesson]]s, which after some negotiation led to a Decepticon-Quintesson joint attack on Cybertron. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}} Scourge participated in this attack, but the Decepticons were eventually driven away. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Scourge and his Sweeps were working with Galvatron and Cyclonus to hunt Rodimus Prime, when they came across the [[Autobot Mausoleum]] in deep space. Infiltrating the space barge, they continued their attack on the Autobots until [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] himself rose from the grave to fight back. Scourge and his huntsmen fled before the former Autobot leader, forcing Galvatron and Cyclonus to withdraw as well. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

[[File:Fightorflee Cyclonus Scourge Superion.jpg|thumb|Scouurrge iiiin spaaaaace.]]

Scourge and Cyclonus were hunting the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]] called [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] for sport, but were caught in an ambush when the other Aerialbots jumped them in an asteroid field. The two Decepticons fled through a nearby vortex and crashed on the peaceful planet known as [[Paradron]]. Finding the world rich with energon resources, Scourge and Cyclonus immediately alerted Galvatron to their find and began to plunder the world of energy. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

When [[Octane]] took [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] to [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] without permission, Scourge came with Galvatron and the other Decepticons to chastise the fueler for disobedience. His discovery of super-energon made from Carbombyan oil temporarily assuaged Galvatron's anger, but once the Decepticons were forced out of Carbombya by the Autobots, Galvatron expelled Octane as a traitor to the cause. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} Sometime later, Scourge was hunting Octane on Cybertron with Cyclonus and the Sweeps, when their prey fled underground into the [[Decepticon Crypt]]. Scourge would prove to be a very poor leader, with his followers, the Sweeps, refusing his order to follow Octane below (though they were scared to death of Cyclonus). {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

Scourge stood with Cyclonus and Galvatron as they eavesdropped on the Autobots, who were preparing for a galactic Peace Conference. Foolish Autobots, thinking there can be peace! Galvatron ordered Cyclonus, Scourge, and the Sweeps to intercept a shuttle commandeered by [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

[[File:GhostintheMachine-Scourgealt.jpg|thumb|left|Y'know how dogs like to stick their heads out the window of moving cars?]]

He was later possessed by the disembodied [[Spark|ghost]] of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], though this eventually became a mutual partnership. Starscream intended to help Unicron turn Cybertron into his new body in exchange for a new body of his own. Scourge began to have second thoughts about this until Unicron reminded him that "what I have given you, I can also take away". Scourge eventually left Unicron and rejoined the Decepticons. Why Galvatron accepted his return instead of, oh...reducing him to composite particles is unknown. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

After [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] detected a Quintesson transmission, Scourge joined a Decepticon party in attempting to retrieve the secrets of the Quintessons' journal, but ultimately lost out to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[File:VampireDepth.jpg|thumb|I'm not a monster, Tom. Well, technically I am.]]

While searching for a new source of [[anti-electron]]s, the Decepticons attempted to raid Unicron's brain. Galvatron and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] occupied the Autobots while Scourge and Cyclonus went after the prize. They found a flask of anti-electrons just waiting to be drained, but upset Unicron in the process and were blasted by his internal defenses. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

[[File:Matrix burden 2.jpg|thumb|left|If that's "the touch", you don't want to get it!]]
At one point, Autobot commander [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] was separated from the Matrix of Leadership by Galvatron. Galvatron, who was haunted by the spirits within it, instructed Scourge to dispose of the Matrix. Scourge decided to use the power of the Matrix to his advantage and installed it within his chest. ''Very'' bad idea. The Matrix proved incompatible with Scourge's programming (perhaps as a result of his [[Unicron|origin]]), causing him to morph into a hideous freak with the power driving him mad. Scourge attempted to seize control of the Decepticons until Hot Rod took back the Matrix. Scourge was left at the mercy of a very unhappy Galvatron, but somehow beat the reaper yet again. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[File:Rebirth 1 Plasma energy Scourge.JPG|thumb]]

In 2007, the Decepticons stole the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] on Cybertron, and Scourge was set with infiltrating the chamber whilst the other Decepticons performed a full-scale assault on the planet as a diversion. He succeeded, but inserting the key into the chamber led to a plasma energy burst that very nearly killed him. He was saved by an [[Energon infuser|energon infusion]] from Cyclonus, and was subsequently sent to find the Autobots who had taken the key back while Scourge was unconscious. Together with Cyclonus, [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]], [[Triggerhappy (G1)|Triggerhappy]], and [[Misfire (G1)|Misfire]], Scourge tracked the Autobots to [[Nebulos|Nebulon]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}}

After clashing with the brand new Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] and losing badly, Scourge and the others were kidnapped by the Nebulon group known as the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], who offered to [[Binary bonding|binary-bond]] with the Decepticons and increase their power. Scourge chose to become a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]], getting the loud Nebulan [[Fracas]] as his partner, and the Decepticon Headmasters and Targetmasters subsequently attacked and defeated the Autobots. Scourge got the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber back and voiced his desire to destroy the Autobots completely before moving on, only for Fracas to threaten to shoot him unless the Decepticons went back to the Hive as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the Autobots copied their Targetmaster technology and went back into battle, and [[Arcee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Arcee]] managed to knock Scourge down and steal the key back. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Webworld}} {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}} {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}} {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Macrocosmic Seekers''=====
When the Decepticons intercepted an Autobot transmission detailing the acquisition of a "great treasure," Galvatron led Cyclonus and Scourge on a raid to intercept Rodimus Prime's ship. The Autobot vessel was brought down, and under heavy weapons-fire, Kup, [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] and [[Scrapheap (G1)|Scrapheap]] fled the battleground. Cyclonus and Scourge pursued them, but were unable to hault the Junkions' progress as they would swap places as vehicle and rider every time they took a hit. {{storylink|Unending Battle}} The battle was interrupted by the appearance of the [[Seeker (United)|Seeker]], who abducted all of the combatants into his crystalline spaceship. Scourge, alongside Cyclonus, Galvatron and Rodimus, were put into suspended animation by the Seeker. {{storylink|A Treasure Lost}} These four transformers intrigued the Seeker, as they had undergone "miraculous" reformattings; Rodimus due to the Matrix of Leadership, and the three Decepticons due to the power of Unicron. Using his advanced technology, the Seeker turned back his captives' internal clocks, and held them in time at the very moment of their reformatting, intending to perpetually keep them in this state as items in his collection. {{storylink|Eternal Moment}} Rodimus was rescued by Junkheap, and in the conflict that followed, stray shots freed Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge from their stasis as well. However, all three were caught in between their former and current identities, leaving them quite confused. Despite his transitional state, Galvatron managed to put a halt to the Seeker's attacks. The group then mobilized to make their escape. {{storylink|Time to Move}} Though the Seeker resumed his assault in short order, Scourge found out that he and the others trapped in a transitional state benefited from increased strength and firepower. Additionally, the supersonic powers he had as Thundercracker were restored. He put them to good use fighting back against their captor alongside the Autobots. With their combined might, the robots were able to bring the Seeker offline. {{storylink|Those Who Resist}} With the energy of the Seeker's experiment depleted, Scourge reverted to his normal state. Upon discovering that the Autobots' treasure was an old piece of armor of Optimus Prime, purely sentimental in value, Galvatron sounded a retreat. The Decepticons left without provoking further conflict. {{storylink|A Treasure's True Worth}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic'' (1)=====
Scourge was present when the [[Quintesson]]s first lent the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s to the Decepticon cause. {{storylink|Abominus comic 1}}

In [[2011]], Scourge was involved in the battle against the reforming Unicron before he was banished to the [[Triple Z Point]]. {{storylink|Generations Selects Special Comic Finale|Finale}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{voiceactor|[[Masaharu Satō]] (Japanese), [[Simon Broad]] (English)}}

[[File:MysteryofPlanetMaster-ScourgeCyclonus.jpg|left|thumb|"Hey, Cyclonus, wouldn't it be great if our weapons could turn into little men?"]]

Scourge assisted Galvatron in the attack on Cybertron to seize control over [[Vector Sigma]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} As part of their attack, Scourge and Cyclonus met Optimus Prime in the chamber of Vector Sigma. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Scourge participated in the Decepticon operations on Planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], but was largely ineffective in Galvatron's fight with Rodimus Prime. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} Scourge later called the Sweeps to help occupy the Autobots until Galvatron's gravity-warping meteorite could reach [[Athenia]]. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} He later informed Galvatron that [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had arrived for a meeting. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

Scourge and Cyclonus attempted to prove their worth by stealing [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and using him to hunt down a mysterious Six Changer. However, that plan failed miserably when that Six Changer turned out to be their own ally, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]]. Both Scourge and Cyclonus ditched Trypticon in battle, leading to the Decepticon city's destruction (though he was eventually repaired). {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}} After Galvatron vanished during Cybertron's destruction, and the unfamiliar [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] took over as Emperor of Destruction, Scourge and Cyclonus felt even less secure in their positions. When [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] proudly sucked up to Scorponok, reporting on a new energy-absorbing satellite named [[Sol 1]] set for launch, Scourge vowed to steal the satellite in order to gain favor in Scorponok's eyes. Joined by Cyclonus and [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]], he attacked the launch pad, but was repelled by [[Raiden]] and the Headmasters. [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] did some aerial dogfighting with Scourge, and the Decepticons were forced to leave empty-handed. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}}

Scourge and Cyclonus were concerned that Scorponok's latest series of attacks on Earth were more likely to destroy the planet than allow the Decepticons to gather energy. Scorponok told to them that the awe-inspiring [[plasma energy]] was released from Cybertron in its destruction. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} In his next scheme, Scorponok explained to the duo that he planned to detonate a series of bombs to destroy the planet [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], and harvest the plasma energy its destruction would surely generate. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

[[File:ReturnoftheImmortalEmperor-CyclonusScourge.jpg|thumb|When did we become Bebop and Rocksteady?]]

Later, Scourge and Cyclonus made arrangements for Scorponok's official debut as leader of the Decepticons. The Autobots attacked during the proceedings on the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], but all combatants were interrupted by the triumphant return of Galvatron. Scourge was quick to redirect his boot-licking towards his old commander, as Scorponok's leadership was immediately overruled. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Scourge and Cyclonus would later field an SOS call from the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]], and reported their findings to Galvatron. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

After Galvatron returned from an energy-plundering journey in space, Galvatron heaped praise on Sixshot, telling Scourge and Cyclonus that they could learn a thing or two from the Ninja Commander. Grumbling to themselves, the duo noticed [[Punch (G1)|Counterpunch]] acting shifty, but were too caught up in their own problems to think too much about it. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

Much later, Scourge attended to Scorponok in [[Lemuria (myth)|Lemuria]]. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2021]], Scourge participated in a battle with the Autobots that ended with both sides being infected with [[black ball]]s, forcing him and the Sweeps to abandon their bodies and become [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} The Decepticons then traveled to the [[Legends World]] and joined forces with [[Tera-Kura Co.]] to get them [[transtector]]s, and Scourge was reunited with a version of Galvatron. During a lineup of the Sweeps, Scourge explained to Galvatron that [[Sweep No. 4]] was long dead. {{storylink|LG-26 Scourge Prologue}} While he and the Sweeps were working at janitors at Tera-Kura, they were approached by [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]], who offered them new bodies and a place at his side in exchange for kidnapping [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and used his Matrix powers to take over the company. Scourge had other ideas and turned on Terrorsaur as soon as he acquired the Matrix, claiming sole leadership of Tera-Kura. Unfortunately for him, the Sweeps wanted a piece of the action and crowded over him, combining with his body and causing it to explode from an overload of Matrix energy. He returned being a janitor, but already had his eyes on another energy source: the [[Zodiac]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 26|Bonus Edition Vol. 26}}

Somehow acquiring the Zodiac, Scourge was transformed by its power into a giant two-headed monster and went on a rampage through [[Tokyo]] until [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] took the energy source from him and defeated him with a barrage from his new base mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 27|Bonus Edition Vol. 27}} Scourge's body was later briefly stolen by a Legends native transformed into a Headmaster through mass-produced [[Master-Brace]]s. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 28|Bonus Edition Vol. 28}} During a rampage by [[Devil Z]], the new boss of Tera-Kura Co., Scourge hid behind Megatron. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 36|Bonus Edition Vol. 36}} He later handed [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] some [[energon cube]]s to carry, {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}} and was present when the other Scorponok loyalists were finishing their [[Godbomber]] {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 42|Bonus Edition Vol. 42}} and when the [[Dimensional Patrol]] confiscated everyone's transtectors. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Black Convoy 2)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} Scourge was probably with the Sweeps when they attacked Metroplex for his transformation cog and fought with [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]] clones. {{storylink|LG43 Trypticon Mobilization Chapter: Decepticon Civil War|Decepticon Civil War}}

While having his Sweeps search for another Zodiac, Scourge instead discovered the lost [[Blowpipe (G1)|Blowpipe]]. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} Finding that the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] had the ability to clone Transformers, the Sweeps tried to create an army of loyal [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]] until Hot Rod and [[Shaoshao Li]] put an end to their plan. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 44|Bonus Edition Vol. 44}} Scourge evaded capture, used Blowpipe to create two-headed monster clones of himself and attacked Tokyo until Hot Rod came after him again. He turned the Targetmaster on Hot Rod and created evil clones of him, only to be defeated by a blast from Shaoshao's own Targetmaster mode. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 45|Bonus Edition Vol. 45}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic'' (2)=====
Under undisclosed circumstances, Scourge had reverted to being Thundercracker by the [[Selector]] revolt of [[2050]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}}

=====''TV Magazine'' comic continuity=====
=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
Scourge took part in one of Galvatron's schemes alongside Cyclonus and [[Gnaw (G1)|Gnaw]]. The Autobots intervened when their mechanized space monster captured a human vessel. The Decepticons almost managed to snare Rodimus Prime, but he tricked Galvatron into blasting him an exit, leaving behind an explosive device that ended the Decepticon threat. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #1}} Later on, Scourge and his Sweeps joined the assault on the [[Prime Energy Tower]] on [[Feminia]]. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
After the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Scourge battled [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and the other Autobots in deep space. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''Cybertron'' comic====
Among the many momentous events witnessed by [[Vector Prime]] across the [[multiverse]] was the moment Optimus Prime unleashed the wisdom of the Matrix on a Hate Plague-infected Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus. {{storylink|Vector Prime: In the Beginning}}

====Rodimus vs. Cyclonus====
After Galvatron had blasted apart Ultra Magnus on the Planet of Junk, Scourge pledged his loyalty to him rather than to Unicron, seeing as Galvatron now possessed that which their dark master feared most. Galvatron sent out both Scourge and Cyclonus to terminate as many Autobots as they could, promising whichever one came back with the higher head-count a position as his second-in-command. This competition brought Scourge to the [[Rayzor Nebula]], where he picked up an Autobot emergency signal emanating from within. In truth, this was a false trail created by Cyclonus. While Scourge and his Sweeps searched through the gaseous mass for enemy units to destroy, Cyclonus happened upon a Quintesson ship carrying Hot Rod and his allies. Kup, also aboard the Quintesson ship, made contact with another nearby Autobot vessel, and had them draw Scourge's attention before coming about to meet them. Scourge took the bait and, upon seeing Cyclonus, attacked his comrade to ensure his own victory in their contest. This wound up undermining ''both'' of the Decepticons' efforts in racking up kills, and all of the Autobots escaped from them safely. {{storylink|Rodimus vs. Cyclonus}}
{{-}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:WingsofHonor-CyclonusScourge.jpg|thumb|My weird pink flower thing will destroy you!]]

In [[2007]], after the [[The Rebirth|Rebirth]], Galvatron and Lord Zarak led Cyclonus, Scourge, and the rest of the Decepticons to further the war on Nebulos and other civilized worlds. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

[[File:RapidoandScourgeshake-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|left]]
In [[2010]], Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps surrounded an [[Autobot shuttle]] during a surprise attack. They lost track of the shuttle when it disappeared into a nebula. Eventually they found it and attacked its crew, which consisted of Rodimus, Kup, and the Dinobots. Scourge was defeated when Kup threw his blaster, which he'd set to overload, at Scourge. At first Scourge laughed at what seemed to be a pathetic tactic by the elder Autobot, but then suddenly stopped when his torso was blown open. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

Scourge was present at the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]]. He planned to have Cyclonus inform Galvatron about the peace treaty when he came out of stasis lock. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

====''TransTech''====
In [[Primax 1086.01 Alpha]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s corpse was vaporized when he sacrificed himself to stop a [[Quintesson]] plot. Possibly because Optimus's essence was more firmly incorporated into the Matrix, Scourge was thus able to defeat [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and retain possession of the Matrix, thereafter becoming undisputed leader of the Decepticons. Over the centuries, the influence of the Matrix inspired him to broker a peace deal between Autobot and Decepticon, and the two factions united when [[Unicron]] returned. In the ensuing battle, the Chaos-Bringer tried to blast Scourge, but the Matrix shielded him, allowing him to survive by being shunted into [[unspace|transwarp space]]. [[Rhinox (TransTech)|Rhinox]] plucked him out of unspace into [[Axiom Nexus]], where he became a member of the [[Convoy (group)|Convoy]]. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/02/07}}

Scourge's name was among the classified data stolen by [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]]'s Renegades and publicly released by [[Crasher (GoBots)|Crasher]] and [[Cop-Tur (GoBots)|Cop-Tur]] in a hacked broadcast of [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2016/01/16}} [[Andromeda (TransTech)|Andromeda]] tracked him down but was too intimidated to ask him for a quote. {{storylink|Rook - Axiom Nexus News: Investigative Journalist|Rook - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/02/07}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In one particularly weird version of the [[Unicron War]] engineered by [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], [[Deadlift]] replaced Scourge as Galvatron's lead hunter created by Unicron. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

===Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics===
{{noteukonly}}
After the Decepticons were beaten back into a retreat, following a failed attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], they boarded [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and headed back towards [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. But Astrotrain didn't have the energy necessary to make the trip with all the Decepticons inside him, so the injured were jettisoned into the vacuum of space. These soldiers were drawn to Unicron, who reforged the lot into new, powerful soldiers to do his bidding. Among these creations was Scourge, who was given an army of Sweeps to aid him in his hunting. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

Scourge, Cyclonus, and Galvatron then went forth, stopping by Cybertron first so that Galvatron could eliminate [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] and secure his position as Decepticon leader. After this deed was done, Unicron began devouring Cybertron's moons, enraging Galvatron. Galvatron claimed that Cybertron and all its moons belonged to him, though Scourge retorted that they, in turn, belonged to Unicron. The Decepticons then made their way to [[Earth]], and attacked the Autobots as they were readying to make their way off the planet. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

[[File:Scourge marvel uk 83.jpg|thumb|"I CAN'T GET OUT OF THIS CONFOUNDED MAZE!!"]]
''Afterwards, Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge [[Time travel|traveled back in time]] from [[2006]] to [[1986]] as part of a plan to free themselves from Unicron's control by constructing a massive cannon that would destroy him upon their return to the future. The three Unicronian Decepticons proved themselves almost invincible in the face of the Autobots' attacks, though a lucky shot destroyed Scourge's [[acid ray]] after he had incapacitated [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], and Scourge was relatively weaponless (most of his weapons could only be used in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]). Though he also took down [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] managed [[Anti-grav manacles|to down]] Scourge and use him as a bargaining chip. The future Decepticons were finally defeated when Galvatron was duped into believing he was trapped in a temporal paradox, and returned to his own time to live out the remaining events of 2006.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[File:Cyclonuspullsthebeardy.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Yeouch!! That's my secret weakness you're pulling at, Cyclonus!"]]
''Following the destruction of Unicron at the hands of [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], Galvatron transported himself back in time to [[1987]], leaving Cyclonus and Scourge in the future, under [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]’s command. The duo were attacked by the freelance peace-keeping agent, [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]], who was seeking the bounty on Galvatron’s head, and Cyclonus revealed Galvatron’s whereabouts to him.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''Later, Shockwave hired Death’s Head to kill Rodimus Prime, but Cyclonus and Scourge interfered with the job as they sought to kill Rodimus first, in order to reclaim their lost standing amongst the Decepticons.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''This did not please Death’s Head, and consequently, he willingly accepted a contract from Rodimus to hunt down Cyclonus and Scourge, eventually tracking them down to the [[Junkion (planet)|planet of Junk]] as [[2008]] dawned. Before he could finish the job, however, all three of them fell under the mind-controlling influence of Unicron, whose disembodied head had survived the destruction of his body and had landed on the planet, where he was having the native [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] construct a new body for him.''

''Under Unicron's control, Cyclonus and Scourge killed Shockwave and became Decepticon leaders, reigniting the stalemated Cybertronian war to a furious degree to cover Unicron's actions. Death's Head, however, was able to fight the mind control and work with the Autobots long enough to stop the chaos-bringer's plan. As explosions destroyed Unicron, Death's Head tackled Cyclonus and Scourge, pushing them through a [[time portal]] Unicron had built, promising to kill them another time. The two Decepticons were hurled into the past of Cybertron by the portal, where they came under the command of [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]].'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[File:Scourge scorponok cyclonus marvel uk 151.jpg|thumb|"I just don't get why we never do anything but attack Qatari villages, that's all." "SHUT UP AND KEEP FIRING!"]]
Cyclonus and Scourge traveled with Scorponok and several other Decepticons to the peaceful planet [[Nebulos]] in pursuit of [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]'s Autobots. After Scorponok and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]] were defeated by the new Autobot [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]], the Nebulan [[Vorath]] attempted to duplicate the technology on the Decepticons. Scourge was partnered with [[Fracas]], a Nebulan recruit who had been bio-mechanically engineered to be able to transform into his weapon. Scourge was soon presented with an opportunity to test his new Targetmaster abilities when some Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] prisoners escaped. The fury of the battle destroyed the city of [[Koraja]], culminating in Fortress Maximus knocking down Scourge and the other Decepticon Targetmasters with part of a beloved fountain. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''At some point afterwards, Scourge and the other Decepticon Targetmasters lay in ambush for the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] at the [[Fortress of Despair]] where they had the Autobot Targetmasters held captive. However, once Scorponok had abducted [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] to study the Headmaster process further, the remaining Headmasters were able to free their Targetmaster comrades and turn the tables on the Decepticons. During the fight, Scourge attempted to sneak up on [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], only for [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] to warn his teammate of the Decepticon's approach. Scourge was blasted away by his intended victim, and the Autobots emerged victorious.'' {{storylink|Worlds Apart!}}

Ultimately, Scourge and Scorponok's Decepticons followed the Autobots off Nebulos to [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Once there, Scourge and Cyclonus sought out Galvatron, and arranged a meeting with their former leader. En route to the meeting grounds, Scourge and Cyclonus were accosted by a squad of human-piloted jet fighters. Though the pair enjoyed using the crafts as target practice initially, Cyclonus was lured into crashing into a rock peak and they were forced to retreat from the skirmish. Scourge noted that being defeated by organics bode ill for upcoming events; no longer willing to serve Galvatron, Scourge and Cyclonus were planning to instead force him to hand over his [[Time-jump trigger device|time travel device]]. With it in hand, they would return to the future and their position as Decepticon leaders. Though Scourge and Cyclonus were able to take Galvatron by surprise thanks to their Targetmaster partners, the confrontation was disrupted by the sudden appearance of the Autobot commando squad, the [[Wreckers]]. Scourge took on both [[Twin Twist]] and [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] until he realized that the whole thing had become counter-productive to his own goals. He sent Fracas to go and fetch Cyclonus so they could both retreat. Springer, putting into motion his own plan to draw the battle away from the human settlement, professed to have stolen Galvatron's time jump mechanism, when in reality, the Decepticon no longer even had it for him to take. Scourge and Cyclonus went after him, and learned of Springer's bluff just in time for the rest of the Autobots to catch up to him. Unwilling to take them all on at once, Scourge and Cyclonus flew off.'' {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

''Having met with failure again, Cyclonus and Scourge decided to cut their losses and team up with Shockwave's present-day Earth-based Decepticon forces.''

[[File:Cyclonus scourge marvel uk 189.jpg|left|thumb|"Cyclonus, remember that thing that we absolutely, positively, definitely shouldn't say to Shockwave?" "Yep." "You're sure?" "Yep." "You're not going to mention it at all, are you?" "Nope."]]
''Unfortunately, Cyclonus accidentally let slip that they would kill Shockwave in the future. Naturally wanting to ensure his continued existence, Shockwave unleashed a brainwashed [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron clone]] upon the two. As Megatron killed [[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]] and grappled with Cyclonus, Scourge took aim at the clone... but stopped. He realized that killing Megatron in [[1988]] would likely prevent Galvatron's creation in 2006, and possibly his own as well. Unwilling to take the chance, he abandoned his comrade and fled.'' {{storylink|Dry Run!}}

[[File:Shockwavetimewars.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"Oh no!! I've told Shockwave about me and Cyclonus killing him. Should I kill him? I... can't... resist..."]]
''Scourge ended up falling back in with Galvatron for unspecified reasons, even as Galvatron brought Megatron in as an unexpected ally. What none of them realised until too late was that Cyclonus and Scourge's displacement into the past had circumvented the normal [[Mass substitution|mass-replacement method]] used by time travel, and had hence unbalanced the space-time continuum, causing a [[Time rift|rift]] to appear in the fabric of space and time. Cyclonus's death, eighteen years before he was even created, proved to be the final straw, accelerating the rift, which soon threatened to consume Earth and Cybertron.

''[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] used this fact to distract Scourge during a Wreckers/[[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhem]] raid and while Scourge survived, he knew realized that the only way to stop the rift was to return them and Cyclonus to their original time. He thus attempted to recover Cyclonus’ body from Shockwave but was attacked by the deranged Decepticon, who had lost his mind due to the illogical nature of the situation, and had strung Cyclonus' remains up like a twisted trophy. Scourge staggered back to the time rift and allowed it to take him, hoping that that would have some effect on the situation. It didn't. [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], however, succeeded where Scourge had failed, and was able to bring Shockwave back to sanity enough for him to deposit Cyclonus's remains after Galvatron and Scourge, and then seal it with an x-ray blast.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

''After the war, time-traveller [[Dicet Alpha-zero]] peeked on nine key events in the Transformers' war for a history project. After stepping on the proverbial butterfly at [[Mount Verona]], Dicet saw a Time Wars where Optimus threw the remains of a beaten Scourge into the rift.'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

====The Big Broadcast of 2006====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of 2006, Scourge participated in a battle on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] where he was tossed around by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and misidentified as "Sweeps" by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. He later agreed with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], who said Junkion should be off-limits to Decepticons. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

====Rhythms of Darkness!====
[[File:Cyclonus scourge marvel 67.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|The deadliest bathtub in the skies.]]
A version of Scourge inhabited [[Primax 490.0 Gamma|an alternate timeline]] where he helped hunt down and destroy a group of Autobots led by Rodimus Prime on the planet Junkion. As Rodimus Prime was briefly distracted, Scourge and Cyclonus were able to shoot the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] away from Rodimus, giving [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] the opening to finish off the last of the Primes.

Unknown to any of these Decepticons, though, they were observed by a Hot Rod originating from [[Primax 512.5 Gamma|another time and place]]. They were probably unaware that this Hot Rod had been the one who inadvertently distracted their Rodimus, and chances are they didn't notice that the Matrix had landed at this Hot Rod's feet before they both disappeared. {{storylink|Less Than Zero}}

By [[2009]], Cybertron had been destroyed, along nearly all resistance in the Americas. With only seven Autobots left alive, the governments of the remaining free nations planned to launch nuclear weapons towards the United States in a bid to eliminate the Decepticons themselves. Anticipating this move, Galvatron equipped a fortress with the necessary machinery to convert the fallout into energon. Scourge and Cyclonus were posted to guard the [[Decepticon Powerbase]], and the pair passed the time gripping over how conquering the Earth wasn't as fun without any Autobot opposition. They were suddenly ambushed by [[Getaway]], [[Chainclaw (G1)|Chainclaw]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]], who distracted them while the rest of their team made a last desperate raid on the Powerbase. Scourge was killed by the combined might of these warriors. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

====''Transformers '84''====
An aerial warrior under [[Scorponok (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Scorponok]]'s command, Scourge was part of a bombing run against [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]'s troops after the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] had been lost. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 3|Secrets & Lies #3}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
[[File:Scourgeinoil-ASO.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.5|"It's your eyebrows! He's jealous of your capacity for self-expression!"]]
Scourge was part of a flight of Decepticons that interrupted an Autobot salvage expedition. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}

On Nebulos, the Decepticons learned that the majority of cosmic energy for the planet came from pulsar strikes at the north pole, and planned to build an energy interceptor there to capture limitless power. When the first interceptor was sabotaged by the Autobots, Cyclonus appointed Scourge head of security for the next project. Scourge suggested they move the entire Decepticon base, Scorponok, to the pole as a deterrent against Autobot aggression. Unfortunately, the Autobots then used Scorponok's vast bulk against the Decepticons by melting the ice out from under him, leaving them thrashing in the slush. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole}}

When the Autobots planned a pipeline to tap into a Nebulan oil reservoir, the Decepticons turned the tables and sabotaged them. Scourge was standing by with a team of hunters to eliminate any Autobots that came to fix the pipeline, but the Autobots doubled back on him and let Scourge's team thrashing in the oil released in their own sabotage efforts. {{storylink|Autobots Strike Oil}}

===Marvel coloring books===
{{charstubfiction| {{storylink|The Invasion of the Decepticon Camp}}}}

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Scourge fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Hot Rod's Escape}}}}
{{-}}

===Toy pack-in material===
The Decepticons having successfully stolen the Creation Matrix from the Autobots, Scourge was one of the soldiers posted to prevent their enemies from retrieving it. He was fooled by an army of Autobot [[decoy]]s, and the Autobots retook possession of the relic. {{storylink|Start Your Own Decoy Collection}}
{{-}}

===Autobot Alert!===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:AutobotAlertBumblebeedisguise.jpg|left|thumb]]
Scourge is a Decepticon scanner, capable of detecting Autobots even when they are in disguise. He was tasked with patrolling the space-bound Astrotrain as the Decepticon shuttle was making a munitions delivery to the Decepticons’ ship out in orbit.

In one possible scenario, Scourge happened upon Bumblebee and Hot Rod who had infiltrated Astrotrain by disguising themselves in Decepticon space gear. Not fooled by the Autobots’ disguise, he confronted the pair as they were about to commandeer Astrotrain's military controls. Though he was unable to stop the Autobots from firing Astrotrain weapons towards Cyclonus, Scourge quickly overpowered the pair and flung them out into the blackness of space. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[File:TheTest-Scourge.jpg|thumb|''You're'' the leader in the Marvel Comics stuff?]]
Scourge was part of a Decepticon mission to track down the source of an [[Energon]] reading on an asteroid. As [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] returned to [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Scourge warned him that Galvatron was in a particularly foul mood. As it turned out, the [[little informant|creature]] Cyclonus had brought back was the source of the Energon, however the situation escalated when they detected they were being spied on by [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]. Scourge and Cyclonus gave chase, only to find themselves running into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], who were chasing [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] in the other direction. The usual chaos ensued. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Scourge and several Sweeps took part in an assault on [[Tau-Ursa]], when Galvatron acquired a component for his latest weapon. Galvatron ordered them to destroy everything, but to let the Tau-Ursans live. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}
{{--}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:ColdWar-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|Pssst, Scourge, "then you crack the nuts inside."]]
Millions of years ago, as [[Unicron]] entered a stage of hibernation, the first wave of his herald drone fleet was launched to scour the galaxy, looking for Cybertron. The Alpha drone designated Scourge managed to find Cybertron during the [[Great Shutdown]], an enforced shutdown of all Transformers on the planet, and managed to reactivate [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] for the purpose of observing the Decepticon from afar. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} However, Shockwave was soon attacked by the [[Quintesson]] [[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticon]] extermination units left behind on this world. Forced to intervene, Scourge easily destroyed a number of Sharkticons and drove off the rest, saving Shockwave's life. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} As a way a saying thank you, Shockwave shot Scourge in the back, took him prisoner, dissected him and studied the Unicronian Transformer, gaining great knowledge of Cybertron's origin and its inhabitants. {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}}

[[File:OriginalSin-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Later I look like my toy!]]
Scourge escaped to Earth and attacked [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s shuttle just as it arrived on its mission to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Tricking the drone into pursuing an escape pod, Jetfire managed to shutdown the advanced Transformer's systems and was dragging him back to their crashed ship when they were both buried in an avalanche. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Thousands of years later, the Autobots were drawn to the [[Alaska]]n shore, right into a trap set by the Decepticons. The Autobots fought desperately to keep the Autobot escape pod out of Megatron's hands, and during the fighting, it was inadvertently activated. Just as the Autobots gained the upper hand, Scourge ordered the combatants to stand down, informing them that the war was over, the factionalism that had divided their race had ended, and Cybertron was now unified under a new leader. Before he could speak further, Shockwave shot him in the back, declaring both Autobots and Decepticons to be war criminals. {{storylink|New World Order}}

Evidently Shockwave never bothered to recover Scourge's body, as he was retrieved by the [[Earth Defense Command]] and taken to their secret base for reverse-engineering. Unfortunately for the humans, Scourge was such an advanced Cybertronian that they were having serious problems figuring out his systems. {{Storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] were still working on Scourge when [[Marissa Faireborn]] enlisted the aid of the Autobots under [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s command in investigating the mystery of [[San Desto]]. {{Storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
Scourge was rescued from the EDC facility by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Issue 13|Generation 1 #13}}

===Dreamwave ''Armada'' continuity===
[[File:WorldsCollide2-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"How do you feel, mighty not-Megatron?" ''*kick*'']]

====Ask Vector Prime====
A version of Scourge, created alongside [[Galvatron (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Galvatron]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)#Ask Vector Prime|Cyclonus]], served as one of [[Unicron]]'s dimension-hopping [[Herald of Unicron|heralds]]. Cyclonus was eventually decapitated by a version of Megatron seeking in vain to protect his home reality. Cyclonus was eventually replaced with versions of [[Thunderwing (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Thunderwing]], [[Bludgeon (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Bludgeon]], and [[Dirge (G1)#Dreamwave Armada continuity|Dirge]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/19}}

====Dreamwave ''Armada'' comic====
Unicron sent his heralds ahead of him to prepare [[Aurex 402.24 Gamma|this particular reality]]'s Cybertron for his imminent arrival. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 1 of 4}} After effortlessly conquering [[Decepticon Command Headquarters]] on Cybertron and taking control of its [[space bridge nexus]], they found that the local [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] was nowhere to be found, and moved on to search for him on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4}} At [[Silver Ridge]], Scourge detected [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] in the vicinity, and the Heralds chose to interrogate him in regards to Megatron's whereabouts. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 3 of 4}} Thrust ended up being useless to them, but the Heralds suddenly learned of something else to worry about—the space bridge nexus was under attack. They immediately returned to Cybertron, where [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] and his team had already placed bombs throughout the Decepticon base. Upon arrival, Scourge ordered the others to kill Jetfire... and was promptly killed when the whole building was blown to kingdom come. {{storylink|Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Whlist serving under [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] on Cybertron, Scourge and Cyclonus were shocked when one of their Decepticon comrades was suddenly teleported across space and time by [[Teletran 3]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} Shortly afterwards, he and many other flying Decepticons gathered around the computer and waited for [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s force field to go down. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

In a dystopian future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, Scourge and his Sweeps patrolled the ruins of [[New York City]]. They attacked a team of [[G.I. Joe (team)|Joes]] and [[Cobra]]s who arrived from the past, but were chased off by the [[Dreadnok]]s. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

While this future was eventually averted, Scourge and the Sweeps existed in the present, as part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces on Cybertron. They fought back against a major Autobot/G.I. Joe assault on Serpent O.R.'s headquarters. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

====''TransTech''====
In [[Primax 806.30 Gamma]], Scourge and his comrades came to ally with the [[Kalistan]]ian terrorist organization [[S.K.A.R.]] As part of this alliance, Scourge was binary-bonded to the S.K.A.R. member [[Red Scream]], using technology derived from the old [[I.R.O.N. Army]]. A globe-spanning conflict ensued between the Decepticons and S.K.A.R. against the Autobots and their [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] allies. Ultimately, the Decepticons and their human allies were defeated by [[Sgt. Savage]]'s [[Screaming Eagle]]s and the Autobots. {{storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2016/05/01}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Hearts of Steel Scourge.JPG|thumb|Red Zeppelin]]
While traveling in the Astrotrain convoy, Scourge transformed into a blimp (with a familiar-shaped gondola) and dropped bombs on the Autobot freight. [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (or possibly [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]) popped his airbag, causing him to crash, then explode. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Rebirth|''All Hail Megatron'' #14]]}}

While accusing [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] of having no plan or goal beyond the conquest of Earth, Starscream wondered aloud who might be the Decepticon to take action, and suggested Scourge as a possibility.<ref>[[Shane McCarthy]] originally envisioned Scourge as being the Decepticon equivalent of Kup. Hasbro vetoed this idea, but this reference remained.</ref> {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

[[File:AHM14Rebirth-Scourge.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|"How have I gone so long without a manicure?"]]
Scourge, a Cybertronian who lived during the era of [[Nova Prime]], first met [[Cyclonus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Cyclonus]] in a basement bar on Cybertron. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} The two would later become part of the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', which was lost in the [[Benzuli Expanse]] and ended up in the [[Dead Universe]].

After the failure of the [[Expansion]], Cyclonus gathered the remains of his comrades on [[Gorlam Prime]] and prepared to melt them down as a warrior's burial. Scourge was barely alive, and Cyclonus sadly said this was the last thing he could do for him. However, [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] emerged from the [[solar pool]] and blasted Scourge and the others. Though Cyclonus thought him crazy, Galvatron explained the [[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]] would not let Scourge die. Scourge recovered, and Galvatron again flung him into the slag, from which he emerged in pain but fully restored. Soon, the other warriors were transformed into clones of Scourge (though Galvatron complained they should have been made in ''his'' image). The clones, known as the [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]], were bonded to Scourge, who was to keep them in line. Scourge asked Cyclonus what they should do, and Cyclonus responded that as [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, they should follow Galvatron's bidding. {{storylink|Rebirth}}

[[File:Scourge asks a question Heart of Darkness 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right]]
At Galvatron's command, the Seekers searched all over Gorlam Prime for signs of life, as the planet's entire population had apparently vanished at some point while they had been wasting away. Scourge and his Sweeps found nothing, so Galvatron opted to track down their ally [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and the portal to the Dead Universe. They found him as a crushed and dismembered wreck, but Galvatron easily undid his injuries using the Darkness. Jhiaxus took them to the portal, which was different from before, but upon arrival they were attacked by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]] and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 1|Heart of Darkness #1}} Scourge and Cyclonus took on Hardhead, but even the two of them together were overpowered by the much larger and stronger Autobot. They were saved by Galvatron's mighty firepower, and were sent by him to chase after Arcee as she tried to flee. After sending her tumbling into an abyss, they returned to Galvatron's side and watched him enter the Dead Universe, where he met the malevolent entity known as "the [[D-Void]]". He emerged rather panicky, telling his troops that they needed to raise an army to stand against this threat. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 2|Heart of Darkness #2}}

Scourge and his Sweeps accompanied Galvatron as he traveled to a wide variety of planets, reviving and recruiting robotic lifeforms to stand with him against the D-Void. At one point they visited [[Spindrift]], where they added [[Thinkbox]] and the corpses that inhabited the [[Realm of Wrecks]] to their cause. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 3|Heart of Darkness #3}} Scourge was also part of a scout party sent to [[Dykayra]], where Galvatron was attacked by [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]], revived by the D-Void. He and the others defended their leader, but failed to harm Nemesis, who was then possessed by the D-Void and transformed by its power into a huge beast. Several of Scourge's Sweeps were destroyed by the monster, but it was eventually defeated with the arrival of Galvatron's army. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}}

[[File:Scourge and Cyclonus The Transformers Infestation 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.3]]
Seeking to add [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s Autobots to his army, Galvatron travelled towards [[Earth]]. On the way, his ship encountered a space-time anomaly containing a frozen block of corpses, both organic and robotic. The crew brought in on board to investigate it, only to be faced with a [[zombie]] outbreak once the ice was thawed. Scourge and the others battled the undead, including several of his infected Sweeps, until their ship was sabotaged and crashed in [[Las Vegas]], Earth. There, they attempted to team up with the local Autobots to contain the outbreak. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} After some initial distrust between the two factions, they managed to stop bickering long enough to defeat the zombie mastermind, [[Britt]]. The Autobots still wouldn't join Galvatron, though, so Scourge and the others left Earth via a portal. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Galvatron then took his entire army with him to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], declaring the planet their first line of defense against the D-Void. {{storylink|Heart of Darkness issue 4|Heart of Darkness #4}} Scourge (or a chatty Sweep, it's hard to tell) was in charge of [[Kimia Facility]] once Galvatron conquered it, and on his orders transformed it into its cannon mode. {{storylink|Chaos Part One: Lamentations|Lamentations}}

Scourge was killed at an unknown point during the Chaos Event.<ref>"Poor Scourge. He's been dead in the other IDW comics as long as I've been writing them."—[[John Barber]] in [[Targetmasters (issue)|''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe'' #2]] story commentary</ref> Cyclonus, however, believed that he had detected Scourge's life sign while flying around on a reformatted Cybertron—this turned out to just be some mutilated Sweep corpses. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}}
{{--}}

===''United''===
[[File:FierceFightingOnPlanetNebulos-StraxusDecepticons.jpg|thumb|Peekaboo.]]
At some undetermined point in time, Scourge stood in close proximity to [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Lugnut (TF 2010)|Lugnut]]. {{storylink|A New Battle!}}

A [[nano-virus]] that afflicted most Autobots save the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] required [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] to lead a team to [[Nebulos]] for an anti-virus. However, the nano-virus was merely a ploy by the Decepticons to draw out the Targetmasters and Headmasters to abduct their [[Nebulan]] partners, so when the Autobots arrived on Nebulos, Scourge and several other Decepticons were waiting for them! Once Scourge noticed their leader, [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], had been defeated, he and the others quickly fell into disarray. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

===''Generations'' toy bio===
Little was known about the powerful hunter Scourge's origins, and he himself preferred not to speak of them. {{storylink|Scourge (G1)/toys#Generations|''Generations'' Scourge toy bio}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
[[File:ScourgeAligned-UltimatePopUpUniverse.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left]]
Scourge was one of the many Decepticons who pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-13-CyclonusScourge.jpg|right|thumb]]
Scourge was among the Decepticons terrified by the newly created [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s violent rampage. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Scourge was among the Decepticons unleashed upon [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'s ''[[Defiant (G.I. Joe)|Defiant]]'' in response to its attack on [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], but instead of capturing any of the aliens they returned to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] with two captured Autobots, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]. Megatron was unconcerned about Autobots, however, and shot Scourge through the chest for wasting his time. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}} Despite the seemingly fatal injury, he was later repaired and standing ready to fight the Autobot/G.I. Joe alliance beneath [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s forcefield. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Titans Return'' marketing material===
Scourge and [[Squeezeplay (G1)|Crashbash]] tracked [[Haywire (Targetmaster)|Hyperfire]] to [[Velocitron]], and attempted to abduct Blurr's [[Titan Master]] on the final lap of the planet's biggest race. They didn't get far before having to fight [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Hardhead, and Optimus. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
Scourge was one of Galvatron's chief lieutenants during the Great War. On [[Nebulos]], he was instrumental in bringing Targetmaster technology to the Decepticons when Fracas and Nightstick of the Autobot / [[World Watcher]] alliance defected to the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]] / Decepticon alliance, becoming binary-bonded with Scourge and Cyclonus.

After the [[Scouring of Nebulos]] and the [[Armistice]], the Decepticons moved on to the colony world of [[Master (planet)|Rebirth]]. Galvatron allied with the [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]] revolutionaries of the [[Cyberdroid]] population to recreate Master technology with non-organics. As Galvatron became a [[Triple-Threat Master]], Scourge also adopted a Cyberdroid Headmaster partner named [[Krunix (G1)|Krunix]] to work with him and Fracas. Rebirth was conquered for the Decepticons and renamed [[Master (planet)|Master]]. Even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] was unable to reclaim Master from the Decepticons, despite his "victory" on Nebulos.

Galvatron and Scourge next moved on to the [[Great Push]], attempting to break the Armistice and attack the [[Human Confederacy]] using a scheme known as the [[Grendel Gambit]]. They failed, apparently due to heroic actions by Cyclonus that betrayed their cause. Despite [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s legal maneuvering, Galvatron and Scourge were found guilty and sentenced to die by a [[Quintesson]] court. {{storylink|A Brush With Infamy–Prologue}} {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

Krunix never got over Scourge's death. Centuries later, the Cyberdroid was running a bar called [[The Scourge of Athenia]] in his name, with a hologram eulogizing Fracas on display in the bar as well. {{storylink|Identity Politics}}

The Predacon [[Scourge (BW)|Skurge]] liked to spell his name à la the infamous Decepticon Scourge, though some bots like his superior Queen [[Rage (BW)|Rage]] refused to indulge his affectation. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}} {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Commercial appearances==
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and Scourge faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. With the appearance of these new arrivals, Scourge declared that no one would escape his Sweeps. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*Scourge aided Galvatron, Cyclonus battle the Autobots until [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] showed up, and begun taking care of the opposing team all on his own. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sixshot|Sixshot commercial}}
*Scourge, [[Octane]], and Cyclonus launched an attack on the Autobots' base, only to be met with the [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s, who gave them a good trouncing. Scourge was chased off through the skies by [[Grotusque]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Monsterbots|Monsterbots commercial}}
*Scourge and one of his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] could be seen following Galvatron into combat while the war on Cybertron raged on, and Transformers of both factions left the planet to expand the war to the planet [[Nebulos]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Headmaster comic book|Headmaster comic book commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Barry Gjerde]] (English)}}
Right before the Autobots found the giant jewel of the Atalstan mine, Scourge ambushed them. Announcing that the "Autofools" had reached the end of the road, he transformed to [[robot mode]]. Saying that the noise caused by the Autobots engines was going to destroy his transducers, Scourge declared that he was going to shut them up forever. After a fight, Scourge admitted defeat and begged the Autobots to spare his life. Before his enemies could do anything, he transformed back to his hovercraft form and flew away.

Scourge later challenged the Autobots to a rematch on their way to ELTA, and was later joined by Cyclonus, but the Sweep leader was defeated again. When Cyclonus fled in his fighter craft form, Scourge called out for Cyclonus to wait for him before also fleeing in his hovercraft form. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

[[File:TFLegendsApp-Scourge.jpg|thumb|left]]

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] was reformatted into Scourge at some point. He and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] served under [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} Cyclonus and Scourge were tasked with leading raids on an Autobot supply convoy and managed to deal the Autobots a heavy blow. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} Following Megatron's demise, the pair opposed [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s bid for leadership. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}} They later aided [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after his rebirth in [[Unicron]]'s maw, but their might was insufficient and they were defeated by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]'s forces. {{storylink|All Hail Galvatron}} Scourge was among a handful of Decepticons who ventured inside Unicron to search for [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After encountering [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] and [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]], then falling foul of Unicron's internal defenses, the Decepticons resumed their search. {{storylink|Belly of the Beast (Legends)|Belly of the Beast}}

Cyclonus and Scourge both fell under Starscream's control as the Air Commander attempted to supply Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. They were intercepted by Autobots and defeated, forcing Starscream to relinquish control, however the pair had no memory of the events, and returned bewildered to base. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

Either Scourge, or one of his Sweeps, fell victim to a bear-like Trans-Organic when Galvatron was tricked into attacking the resting grounds of the Dweller. {{storylink|Dweller in the Depths (Legends)|Dweller in the Depths}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsScourgeG1.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|You could use level 1-17 Scourges as Sweeps.]]
Scourge participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited after collecting 60 units of Cybermetal, 25 units of Transmetal, and 15 scout cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:ScourgeEarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=2|So do I get my Sweeps back? Not at the same time I'm around apparently.]]

Scourge was accidentally brought to Earth because of a Space Bridge miscalibration and a space-time continuum error. Starscream complained that another air bot would get in his way, and Scourge threatened to turn him into a 100-piece puzzle for Hook to assemble if he didn't watch his mouth. He then searched for a raiding party.

He bemoaned that they had lost the future, but Cyclonus pointed out he has the chance to hunt down the Autobots he had deleted again. But Scourge said the worst part is that they're expected to serve Megatron instead of Galvatron. He began to change his mind when Megatron gave him the task to lure any Autobot into an ambush.

Sometime later he encountered [[Swoop (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Strafe]] and was about to duel, but a transmission came from Galvatron and he ordered him to cease and desist, for they have evolved. Scourge started to agree with Divebomb that Galvatron is a total killjoy.

But Scourge wouldn't, so Galvatron declared that he would stand alone without his help. While he and Ultra Magnus pursue their vendetta, Scourge called his Sweeps to hunt for prey. Strafe retorted that he would be more impressed if hadn't been built from bits of old Insecticons, which Scourge would never live down.

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Weapons:''' Scourge uses his double-barreled blaster to fire at the target.
*'''Ability:''' '''Fire Mission:''' Sets out to damage targets in an area, striking them up to 18 times.
**'''Cost:''' 5 ability points +5 for reuses.

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

==Toys==
{{main|Scourge (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Scourge (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:ScourgeG1-charactermodels.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hooked On Steroids worked for me!]]
*Like most of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 animated film]] characters, Scourge has two [[character model]]s. The first one was designer [[Floro Dery]]'s original, which inspired the action figure and was used prominently in the Marvel Comics stories. The second was revised from Dery's to have more standard, "heroic" proportions and was used in the original cartoon, though not 100% consistently. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of Dery's Scourge was the revealed head in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]. This was removed entirely for the revised version, probably because it looked extremely dorky.
*When asked why Scourge and the Sweeps stick their heads out while they're in vehicle mode, Floro Dery replied: ''"The heads stick out because the idea is like a regular fighter plane. You can see just the head of the fighter pilot. If you have seen my [http://archive.is/kR3lr "Egg" design] on my web site, I based Scourge on it."''<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060625115408/http://members.aol.com/tfencyc/interview_dery.html Zobovor's Interview with Floro Dery]</ref>
*Early drafts of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' script also portray Scourge as propping his head out in vehicle mode to serve as sort of the "eyes" of the expedition. More interestingly, his alt mode was originally land based with Cyclonus and his armada being the only jets. There's a remnant of this in his ''[[The Transformers Universe]]'' profile where it states that Scourge has a "marauding automotive mode which handles any terrain", a technically true but still very odd description of a flying alt-mode.
*A close examination of Scourge's character model (both final and early versions) reveals that his animation model transforms somewhat ''backwards'' from the way his toy representations do. Whereas the toys have the upward-facing torso concealed fully within the wings, the animation model actually has nearly ''all'' of the chest and body front details visible on the ''underside'' of the vehicle mode. This further implies that the robot head twists 180 degrees and folds backwards to complete formation of the vehicle mode rather than just staring at his own chest.
*It's not known how much (if any) communication there was between Marvel's US office and the UK offices where Simon Furman was churning out his behind-the-scenes stories, but regardless, Cyclonus and Scourge completely disappeared from the US book after ''[[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]]''—leaving Furman free to send them off to find Galvatron in "[[Wrecking Havoc]]".
*For some reason, Scourge's head-mounted cannon was implied to not be a cannon in the comics, as the loss of a handgun in "[[Target: 2006]]" apparently left Scourge completely weaponless in [[robot mode]], making transformation a complete necessity.
*Scourge's history in the franchise has been decidedly ignominious compared to his fellow movie characters. Despite it and other contemporary media playing him and Cyclonus up as equals, Season 3 of the cartoon would mostly only focus on the latter as Galvatron's lieutenant, with Scourge only being focused on in a handful of episodes, a dynamic which would be reflected in most G1 media over the next 20 years. He was only introduced in the original 2005 IDW continuity via [[Rebirth|a retcon]], wherein he would end up doing very little before [[Liars,_A_to_D_Part_1:_How_to_Say_Goodbye_and_Mean_It|dying off-screen]], after which he wouldn't appear or be mentioned ''once'' in the multiple flashbacks expanding on Nova Prime's era, whilst Galvatron and Cyclonus became main characters. And then, in the 2019 IDW continuity, Cyclonus would once again be a major character while Scourge once again never showed up. To top it off, Scourge's final major appearance in media to date would be in ''[[Transformers_vs._G.I._Joe]]'', wherein he didn't even last an issue before being shot and (seemingly) killed by Megatron. Moral of the story: No one likes Scourge.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')
*''Czech:'' '''Bič''' ("Whip")
*''French:'' '''Fléo''' (Canada, altered spelling of ''fléau'', which means "scourge")
*''Italian:'' '''Sheriff'''
*''Hungarian:'' '''Ostor''' ("Whip"), '''Korbács''' (first ''The Movie'' dub, "Scourge")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiānqiǎn''' (Taiwan, 天譴, "Scourge"), '''Wēnyì''' (China, 瘟疫, "Plague")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Aperto'''
*''Russian:'' '''Knut''' (Кнут, "Whip")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Kara''' (ICTV, Кара, "Punishment")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dead Universe]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Sweeps]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Trackers]]
[[Category:TransTech Decepticons]]
[[Category:United Decepticons]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Decepticons]]

Circular reporting

2024-08-29T02:13:35Z

Pointblank:

[[File:AHM 15cvrB.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The cover for ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron]]'' [[All Hail Megatron issue 15|issue #15]], featuring text from [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor's article on this wiki.]]]]
As befitting a franchise that has run continuously for {{#expr: {{CURRENTYEAR}}-1984}} years, the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] is a vast and sprawling one. However, as an intellectual property based around the inherently transient medium of [[To sell toys|merchandising]], both [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] have, historically, taken a laissez-faire approach to storytelling and don't have a complete, centralized repository of internal reference material.

As a result, the largest compendium of ''Transformers'' knowledge is, in fact, this [[TFWiki.Net|very website]] you are reading this article on right now, and many creatives have confirmed that they have used our wiki when writing stories or looking for toy references. While wikis have a few advantages over "in-house" lore bibles—they can be edited by anyone, not just professionals, for instance—their main downside is that... well, they can be edited by anyone. Although we at {{SITENAME SHORT}} strive for accuracy and neutrality when covering ''Transformers'' topics, there have been cases where inaccurate, misleading or misinterpreted information on this very wiki have gone on to inform official ''Transformers'' toys and fiction.

Of course, people working on official Transformers work use references outside of the wiki, namely other sites reporting on ''Transformers'', leaving the door open for many, many more errors. See the [[Miscolorings based on the Generation 1 cartoon|miscolorings]] page for more information.

This phenomenon is formally termed '''{{w|circular reporting}}''', commonly nicknamed '''citogenesis''' due to a 2011 [https://xkcd.com/978/ xkcd webcomic strip] that satirized the concept. This article provides a non-comprehensive cross-section of such mishaps.

{{quote|Some of the biggest shows and franchises you follow have zero in-house continuity documents. They do everything off of fan wikis.|{{w|Gail Simone}}|Twitter<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Now, I am not talking about some niche comic book property, I am talking about massively successful film, game and tv properties. Some of the biggest shows and franchises you follow have zero in-house continuity documents. They do everything off of fan wikis.|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20200913142152/https://twitter.com/GailSimone/status/1304831678045585408|name=Gail Simone|site=Twitter|year=2020|month=09|day=12}}</ref>}}

{{TOC|limit=3}}

==Hasbro's in-house continuity documents==
[[File:Ultimateguide.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Comprehensive. Definitive. Authoritative.]]
In the mid-2000s, Hasbro licensees were provided with copies of [[Simon Furman]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' as reference—notably, [[Roberto Orci]] and [[Alex Kurtzman]] regularly consulted the guide while writing the 2007 ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' movie. In a similar vein, [[IDW Publishing]]'s reprints of [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' profile series were directly referenced for ''[[The Art of Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]]'', and have been used by other licensees such as [[Fun Publications]] and [[Space Ape Games]].

The only known example of a high-level continuity document designed solely for internal use was the 2010 [[Binder of Revelation]], compiled to help new creatives in the franchise get up to speed with key characters, concepts, and settings, to bring the various stories they were producing at the time into alignment. This lore bible went on to inform vast swathes of modern ''Transformers'' storytelling, most notably the ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'' cartoon, which proved extremely influential in its own right.

As the creatives behind the Binder have moved on from the company over the years, however, it appears to have fallen by the wayside, with Hasbro happy to have different concurrent media diverge entirely so long as some key synergies remain—such as the ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' cartoon being informed by the script for the 2018 ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' movie—directing writers to the wiki for lore nitty-gritty. ''Cyberverse'' showrunner [[Randolph Heard]] cites this as one reason for the show's starring roles for many more obscure fan-favourite characters.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I came to this, again, without a lot of ''Transformers'' knowledge, and I was directed to TFWiki, and I started reading TFWiki and I'm like, oh my god, I don't understand ''anything'', is this a multiverse, or- why- why are there so many variations on things? I'm never gonna learn this thing or understand it. And fortunately my staff were very helpful in that regard. But I think that ''Cyberverse'' to me was like, because I came from the outside in a way, I looked at it as a big box of toys, and I could play with any of them. And you know, that's how kids are, right? They're not going to distinguish between a [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] toy, a [[DC Comics|DC]] toy, and something else—if they're cool they'll make a battle between anything. And so to me I felt the freedom, like, yeah, I'll just pick stuff and no-one said no. In fact they seemed delighted that we were bringing back characters. [...] I researched lists of 'weirdest Transformers ever.' [...] I said I don't, you know, I confessed to [[Mikiel Houser]], and he said that's fine, check out the TFWiki and that'll tell you everything you need to know, and I was kind of like- it told me too much, you know? It was overwhelming. And I love TFWiki—they have such great writers, they're hilarious.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vindAiN7YNY&t=1087s|name=Randolph Heard is too kind,|site=Keyan Carlile's Transformer Channel|title=The cancelled TF show BEFORE Cyberverse! (Randolph Heard talks Early Development & Seasons 1-2)|year=2021|month=11|day=20}}</ref> Another franchise newcomer, [[Brian Ruckley]], writer of [[IDW Publishing]]'s rebooted ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' series, plucked a large number of obscure characters from the wiki, in particular a great many [[female Transformer]]s. All of this is to say that the referencing of fan wikis is perfectly normal and can often be positive. It's also why the wiki should strive for completeness and accuracy when documenting the ''Transformers'' universe—as the following cautionary tales show...
{{-}}

==Examples of circular reporting through TFWiki.net==


===Absence of evidence===
[[File:SpotlightHardhead-CaughtInAVortex.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The original Tailwind that went undocumented on this wiki...]]
[[File:BeforeAndAfter-DriftTailwindTentakil.jpg|thumb|200px|...and this guy showed up! Maybe if he gets hurt, [[Mario (ROTF)|he'll shrink back?]]]]
In the [[2008]] comic story ''[[Spotlight: Hardhead]]'', the [[Micromaster]] toy character [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]] was given a cameo as one of the many [[Gorlamite]]s attacking [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]—but for many years, Tailwind was the only one whose appearance in that comic was not documented on his own wiki page. As part of a general desire to make use of characters who had yet to be introduced to the [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW continuity]], writer [[James Roberts]] evidently decided to check him off the list by writing a full-sized Cybertronian Tailwind into [[Before & After|''More than Meets the Eye'' #12]], being bisected by [[Drift (G1)|Drift]].

{{anchor|Trickshot}}
Similarly, the 2007 online [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] profile for [[Flashdrive]]—based on the Japanese-exclusive Mini-Con Processor—refers to a teammate called "[[Trickshot]]", clearly intended to be his fellow [[Micron Booster]] toy Triac; the wiki failed to note this, and soon thereafter the Mini-Con bio regimen ended without Trickshot's own profile being published. Thusly, the 2015 [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]] column would instead give Triac the localized identity of "Bingo".
{{-}}

===Text transfer===
====(Heavy) Artillery Drones====
[[File:Sparkwar3 Heavy Artillery Drone vehicle.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Once we were nameless...]]
[[File:Sparkwar3 Heavy Artillery Drone robot.jpg|thumb|200px|...until a mix-up gave us our name!]]
The [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] belonging to [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] were never named in the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'' cartoon]], [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]], or related media. Back when TFWiki started out on Wikia (now Fandom), [https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Special:Contributions/72.48.102.5 an anonymous user] created the article for Strika's drones in [[2008]] using the fan name "Heavy Artillery Drone". Due to an oversight (as no one knew that it ''wasn't'' an official name), this remained the article's name for nearly a decade.

In a non-visual, text-only instance of this roundabout reporting, the [[2016]] prose story "[[Derailment]]" officially named Strika's drones as "Artillery Drones" based on the wiki's use of the name "Heavy Artillery Drone". The article was soon moved to "[[Artillery Drone]]" shortly after in early [[2017]], to reflect the official name. But, the official name only came about in the first place because of the wiki unknowingly using a completely made-up fan name.
{{-}}

===Coloring conundrums===
The use of {{SITENAME SHORT}} images as color references can occasionally result in... interesting... new color schemes. Original colors are given to the left when possible.

{{anchor|Horri-Bull}}
====IDW ''Robots in Disguise'' Horri-Bull====
In the [[IDW Publishing]] comic issue [[The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|''Robots in Disguise'' #1]], [[Horri-Bull]]'s colorization is apparently based on photos of a [[Photodegradation|photodegradated]] example of his original toy that was once used on his page. When asked, colorist [[Josh Perez]] said he chose to use the yellow to "help him stick out a lot more".<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/84653-idw-rid-teaser-images/page-5|name=Josh Perez|site=The Allspark forums|defunct=yes}}</ref>

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G1toy-Horri-Bull.jpg|''Original 1988 toy pictured''
File:Horribull bullhorn toy.jpg|''Degraded toy pictured''
File:Autonomy Lesson Horri-Bull Zetca.jpg|''2012 comic scene pictured'' [[Photodegradation|It's canon folks!]]
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|Vortex}}
====''Fall of Cybertron'' Vortex====
[[Vortex (FOC)|Vortex]]'s color scheme in ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron]]'' is an unusual red and beige, derived from [[Vortex (G1)|G1 Vortex]]'s ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' character art that is his main page image—in particular, our previously-used scan of the artwork makes it appear to have a much warmer tone than it does in print, shifting the gray towards brown and the lilac towards pink. These tones influenced the coloring of Vortex's ''Fall of Cybertron'' [[:File:FOC Vortex.jpg|concept art]], which evolved to the in-game colors.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G1Vortex toy.jpg|''Original 1985 deco pictured''
File:MTMTE2003-Vortex.jpg|''Better scan of 2003 art pictured''
File:MTMTEVortex.jpg|''Worse scan of 2003 art pictured''
File:FOC-HMS-render-Vortex-robot mode.jpg|''2012 game render pictured''
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|Roadburner}}

====''Legends'' Roadburner====
[[Roadburner]]'s 2013 appearance in the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game can only be described as a fit of insanity. His appearance is based on a catastrophic misinterpretation of this wiki's photography for the toy, depicting his partner [[Wheel Blaze]] as white... because they didn't understand the greyed-out photo this wiki uses to indicate ''which toy the article isn't about''. To make matters worse, it is highly likely Roadburner ''wasn't supposed to be in the game to begin with.'' Considering that the theme of [[By Land, Sea, or Air|the event he appeared in]] was basically "These Autobots with military alt-modes do stuff," and the fact that [[Roadbuster (G1)|Road''buster'']] would make more sense given [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]'s prevalence in said event... yeah. Not helping matters is that when in the process of typing "Roadbuster" into this wiki's search bar, Roadburner shows up first in the search results. Someone must have been in a hurry.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G1-toy Roadburner.jpg|''1990 toy pictured'' HOW???
File:TFLegends-Roadburner.jpg|''2013 art pictured''
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|Azimuth}}

====IDW ''Transformers'' Azimuth====
[[Azimuth (COP)|Azimuth]] was originally a minor character who appeared in ''[[Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus]]''. Beyond a brief namedrop, she went unseen for several years until 2015, when the [[Ask Vector Prime]] Facebook feature revealed that she sported a body based on the gold MC-6 ''[[Kronoform]]'' toy. However, when [[Azimuth (G1)|a new incarnation of Azimuth]] appeared in 2020, in IDW's ''[[Transformers (2019 comic)|Transformers]]'' comic, she was colored silver—a mixup that almost assuredly stems from the photo on Azimuth's wiki article more prominently displaying ''that'' figure, with the "correct" gold figure tucked away on the far right.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:Aligned Azimuth Toy.jpg|''Original 1993 deco pictured''
File:Mc-06 kronoform catalog.jpg|''Catalogue scan uploaded to the wiki in 2015'' Hey, she got a [[Azimuth (G1)#Toys|''Transformers'' toy]] out of it.
File:Tremors-Azimuth.jpg|''2020 comic scene pictured'' You know what, you're welcome.
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|Dile}}
====''Earth Wars'' Dile====
In the ''[[Transformers: Earth Wars]]'' mobile game, [[Dile]] was revealed as a forthcoming character in early September 2020, sporting an unusual gray and purple deco which doesn't match his toy's colors at all. The following month, [[Space Ape Games]] put out a new render via their official newsletter, explaining that the original colors were based on the washed out scan of his card art seen at the top of his TFWiki character page. This makes it one of the few known instances where circular reporting was caught and corrected before release. The new render instead uses a more light-green and silvery hue based on a somewhat color-corrected version of the card art, rather than the much more pronounced green of [[:File:G1toy dile.jpg|the toy itself]].

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G1toy dile.jpg|''Original 1987 toy pictured''
File:G1 Dial boxart.jpg|''Scan of 1987 art pictured'' A washout, that's all you are! A washout!
File:Early Dile-EarthWars.jpg|''Initial 2020 CG model pictured''
File:Dile Fixed-EarthWars.jpg|''Finalized 2020 CG model pictured''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

====''Siege'' Ion Storm====
The stock photography for ''Siege'' [[Ion Storm]]'s jet mode mistakenly showed [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Thundercracker]]'s jet instead—which is nearly identical apart from red highlights. With the 2019 [[Rainmaker]]s set being hard to come by, this erroneous image was used on the wiki for a couple of years, and appears highly in Google Image searches—leading Ion Storm's jet mode to be colored accordingly as Thundercracker in [[Volcanicus comic 2|a TakaraTomy comic]] released in September 2020 and in [[Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|an IDW comic]] released in September 2021.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:TF-Generations-WFC-S-Rainmaker-3-pack-Ion-Storm.jpg|''Erroneous 2019 vehicle mode pictured''
File:Siege-toy IonStorm.jpg|''True 2019 vehicle mode pictured''
File:GS-Volcanicus comic 2-Rainmakers.jpg|''2020 comic scene pictured''
File:SeaOfRustPartII-Rainmakers.jpg|''2021 comic scene pictured''
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

===Deco disasters===
On rare occasions the aforementioned coloring misadventures can escalate to the point of affecting the characters' actual future toys. Once again, original colors are given to the left when possible.

{{anchor|Igu}}
====''Prime 10 Year Anniversary'' Igu====
The ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Post-Prime releases|10 Year Anniversary]]'' reissue of [[Igu]] ([[Vehicon (Prime)|Jet Vehicon]]'s [[Arms Micron]] partner from the [[TakaraTomy]] ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)#Takara Prime toyline|Prime]]'' toyline) mistakenly colors him bright silver, as opposed to the black of the original release.

This can be attributed to the set designer using the first image in the "Toys" subheading of Igu's wiki page for reference—which was actually an "elite" redeco packed with [[Vehicon (Prime)#JetGeneral|Jet Vehicon General]]. The original black release of Igu is used as the article's mainpic instead of being used in the "Toys" section, due to a lack of images of his vanishingly few fictional appearances. From a toy design perspective, this error means that the now-silver Igu breaks aesthetic cohesion with his mostly-black partner Jet Vehicon.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:Prime-toy Igu.jpg|''Original 2012 deco pictured''
File:Primetoy-TakaraTomy-ArmsMicronIguS.jpg|''Secondary 2013 deco pictured'' Please, "Igu S" was my father.
File:Prime-toy Igu 10Year.jpg|''2020 reissue deco pictured''
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|T-Wrecks}}
====''Kingdom'' T-Wrecks====
The ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' Leader Class toy of [[T-Wrecks#Generations|T-Wrecks]] has a colour scheme which is much more drab than the original ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' Ultra Class iteration, with the brown-tinted torso being swapped for a dull grey, and the bright bronze of his helmet being swapped for the same red as his beast-mode skin. More noticeably, only the lower portion of T-Wrecks's crotch is molded blue, with the waist itself being left unpainted grey. It seems that these changes are the result of the wiki's photo of the original toy being primarily used for reference; the lighting in the image is a little misleading, and the toy's posed leaning forward such that its belly overhangs its waist entirely! The ''Kingdom'' T-Wrecks's eyes are also yellow rather than the green of the ''Beast Machines'' toy. It would seem that [[:File:Disclosure-Dinobots.jpg|some of the]] [[:File:TWrecksdinobotspackaging art.jpg|other pictures]] on his page may have played into this color change also.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:Beast Machines T-Wrecks.jpg|''Finalized 2000 deco pictured''
File: BM T-Wrecks toy.jpg|''Prototype 2000 deco pictured''
File:WFC-K T-Wrecks stock.jpg|''2021 toy pictured'' His bronze and innocence: Gone.
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

===The big ones===
{{anchor|Black Roritchi}}
====Black Roritchi's antennae====
For years, the main image for [[Black Roritchi]] on this wiki used an image from the [[2006]] [[Metrodome]] release [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Masterforce'' cartoon]] depicting him against a pitch-black backdrop, which his equally-black antennae blended into. When ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' Black Roritchi was produced in 2020 as a redeco of [[Fasttrack (G1)#Generations|Fasttrack]], the figure was given a custom head solely to remove the antennae under the mistaken belief that he didn't have them. Color-correction in later re-releases of the cartoon would reveal Black Roritchi to have blue antennae against a starfield. The timing of those re-releases? [[2012]]. Oops.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:MF-toy Black Roritchi.jpg|''Original 1988 toy pictured''
File:Mf35 guardminder leader.jpg|''2006 [[Metrodome]] version of 1988 anime scene pictured'' He's literally about to turn his head and show off his black antennae.
File:Black roritchi masterforce.jpg|''2012 [[Shout! Studios|Shout! Factory]] restoration pictured'' Uh, make that blue antennae. 
File:GS-toy BlackRoritchi.jpg|''2020 toy pictured'' The only time people wouldn't care if Hasbro [[Rotorstorm (G1)#Generations|accidently forgot to show off the new head]].
</gallery></center>

{{-}}{{anchor|Scrapmetal}}

====''Studio Series'' Scrapmetal====
[[File:ROTF Constructicon concept.jpg|thumb|250px|left|{{SITENAME SHORT}}'s beautiful son. Our little guy.]]
[[File:Studio-Series-MV2-41-Deluxe-Scrapmetal.jpg|thumb|250px|Nobody tell him he was an accident.]]
The character that the wiki identifies as "[[Scrapmetal (ROTF)|Scrapmetal]]" was created through a complicated, decade-long tennis match between the wiki and Hasbro. In 2009, shortly after the theatrical release of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'', the wiki created a page for the then-nameless character under the half-jokey title "Ze little one". Rather than assuming that the character was a [[Scrapper (ROTF)|Scrapper]] clone, wiki editors at the time decided that he was his own character, as the scene where [[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicons]] went underwater featured a yellow Volvo excavator that didn't match to any of the other characters. "Ze little one" quickly picked up an ironic fan following, and by December 2009 Hasbro called him "Scrapmetal" and identified his alternate mode as "the bulldozer."<ref>[http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/641 Hasbro Q&A December 2009 at TFviews.com]</ref> The wiki documented this and moved on. Around the same time, ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Devastator (ROTF)|Devastator]]'s page noted that the film version of the character was formed from [[Unknown Constructicon shovel|an extra bulldozer]] compared to the official list of his components.

Almost ten years later, Hasbro announced a giant, fully-articulated ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Devastator (ROTF)#Studio Series|Devastator]] toy formed from multiple Constructicon figures from the ''[[Studio Series]]'' toyline. It is not 100% clear, but what appears to have happened is that whoever was planning the character selection looked at both Devastator and Scrapmetal's pages and decided to marry these two random tidbits by making Scrapmetal the extra bulldozer. ''Then'', the individual(s) assigned to design Scrapmetal's toy consulted the wiki page to figure out who the character was and instead made them a yellow excavator with the robot mode of the concept art randomly chosen for the main picture of the article—the result of the wiki stringing together tidbits of contradictory information from the movie.

{{-}}{{anchor|Sideways}}
====Sideways the dimension-hopper====
[[File:Sidewayses.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|''Can you see all of me? Walk into my mystery Step inside and hold on for dear life'' ''Do you remember me? Capture you or set you free I am all, I am all of me'']]
Oh dear.

In [[2002]], Hasbro released two motorcycle toys bearing the same name: ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] and ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]]. The Hasbro toy bio for the latter recycled much of the same text from the bio of the former, nearly verbatim. This led to speculation at the time about whether or not they were meant to be the same character, ''regardless'' of the differences in toyline release since ''Robots in Disguise'' Sideways also came packaged with [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise|Axer]], whose own bio hinted at his being the same person as [[Axer (G1)#The Transformers|his Generation 1 namesake]], having crossed dimensions from Generation 1 to ''Robots in Disguise''.

In [[2004]], Takara's ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' line released another motorcycle toy named [[Sideways (RM)|Double Face]], who shared the exact same colors and Japanese name of ''Armada'' Sideways. Since the ''Robotmasters'' series was a big crossover event similar in concept to the concurrent ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Transformers: Universe]]'' series, compounded by the then notoriously scattershot documenting done for the Japanese side of the franchise, fans in the West initially mistook ''Robotmasters'' for a [[multiverse|multiversal]] event, with characters crossing dimensions from different universes to team up with each other in a Generation 1 setting (as was the case in ''Universe''). In actuality, ''Robotmasters'' only featured time travel, not dimensional travel. But because of the initial misconception, what came next was very easily believed.

In early [[2005]], a mere two months after Double Face's release, a [https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/lKVCHWhYoJM/m/1NhElIcSnwwJ fan-given claim] was made online about Takara's official [http://web.archive.org/web/20070618040111/www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/robotmasters/main2.htm ''Robotmasters'' website] supposedly declaring Double Face to be the same character as ''Robots in Disguise'' Sideways. When the [[Sideways (Armada)|original TFWiki article for Sideways]] was first being put together in [[2006]], this same claim was reiterated several times on the article's [[Talk:Sideways (Armada)|talk page]], which misled the article's original creators to believe it and treat the ''Robots in Disguise'', ''Armada'', and ''Robotmasters'' characters all as the same Sideways, assuming that ''Robotmasters'' had confirmed the character to have dimension-hopped from another universe into Generation 1 (when it actually ''hadn't'').

With the wiki article treating all three as the same person, able to jump from universe to universe, the article went on to inspire later versions of Sideways, like ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Sideways (Animated)|Sideways]] and [[Ask Vector Prime]] [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]], who not only were ''explicitly'' presented as dimension-hoppers, but also had ''implicit'' ties to the originally-unrelated ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Sideways (ROTF)|Sideways]], which only led to even ''more'' debates about how ''that'' Sideways related to the others, and whether or not ''every'' Sideways was really the ''same'' individual!

It wasn't until late [[2022]] that the validity of the original claim about ''Robotmasters'' Double Face was finally investigated; the results of this investigation revealed that there had actually been ''zero evidence'' in support of the claim found anywhere on the Takara ''Robotmasters'' website. And thanks to this false claim influencing the wiki, Sideways went on to have a reputation for being a multiversal mischief maker who jumps across multiple realities, which was never originally supposed to be the case.
{{-}}
<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:RIDtoy-Sideways.jpg|''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Sideways (RID)#Toys|Sideways]]
File:Armadatoy-Sideways-wrongways.jpg|''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Sideways (Armada)#Armada|Sideways]] / ''Legends of the Microns'' Double Face
File:RMtoy-Doubleface.jpg|''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' [[Sideways (RM)#Toys|Double Face]]
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

===The littlest one===
====Spelling the word Robo-Smasher====
In perhaps the amusingly smallest example of circular reporting from this wiki, the "[[Robosmasher]]" from the 1985 cartoon episode "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme]]" was in fact written as one plain word in the episode's script. However, as is prone to happening with televised media, the original dialogue's text was not consulted when a TFWiki article for the device was created in [[2006]], under the hyphenated spelling "Robo-Smasher". This spelling was thus used by the [[Ask Vector Prime]] Facebook page as well as ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' text stories in [[2015]] prior to the wiki article being amended in [[2017]] to acknowledge the original spelling.

==Non-TFWiki misreporting==
Of course, people working on official ''Transformers'' material make use of unofficial reference material outside of this wiki, and errors in ''Transformers'' scholarship elsewhere are just as capable of leading to incorrect or occasionally, outright made up, information making it into the final product.


===Incorrectly-colored animation models===
[[File:Incorrect R.E.D. Soundwave Shins.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|''Inaccurate model at left'' ''Accurate model at centre'' ''Off-model 2020 product at right'']]
{{main|Miscolorings based on the Generation 1 cartoon}}

The [[1984]]-[[1987]] [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' animated series]] that has become a centerpiece of the brand was, to be blunt, not a high-quality production in the animation department. All four seasons were prone to [[animation error]]s, adding an additional challenge to modern fans attempting to isolate simple views of any given [[character model]]. To make matters worse, Hasbro and licensees have often relied upon a set of fan-colorings from the Ukrainian ''Transformers'' fan website, [https://www.transformers.kiev.ua/index.php?pageid=g1encyclopedia Transformers.kiev.ua,] that attempted to recreate Sunbow animation models using screen captures of episodes, while eye dropping the colors from said screen captures, and then replacing the heads of the models with traced headshots also taken from episode screen captures. These fan-colorings regularly make rounds on the web since they are readily available on Pinterest and Fandom wikia pages, making it hard not to come across them through a simple Google Search.

On top of all of this, the models Transformers.kiev.ua would frequently use were also the ones published in [[The Ark series|''The Ark'' series]] books as they were the only real source available for Generation 1 animation models at the time. In the years since, better copies of animation models have surfaced through eBay and various Japanese auction sites, revealing that a large majority of the models used in the books were actually out of date pre-final models that had been revised anywhere from once, to several times afterwards. The author of the books, [[Jim Sorenson]] has also stated in conversation with the wiki team that due to the condition of some of the models he had found or been given access to, [[Bill Forster]] had to sometimes trace, redraw and digitally mend models, such as the [[Junkion (species)|Junkion]]s, to make them more presentable for publishing; this has also led to several inaccuracies with the original model sheets that have surfaced since.

As can be seen in the example at right, the 2020 ''[[Transformers R.E.D.|R.E.D. <nowiki>[</nowiki>Robot Enhanced Design<nowiki>]</nowiki>]]'' [[Soundwave (G1)/merchandise#RED|Soundwave]] figure's shins were incorrectly left blue instead of being painted silver/gray due to Hasbro once again basing the figure on the [https://www.transformers.kiev.ua/g1/soundwaveg1.html Transformers.kiev.ua fan-colored model].

Hasbro also tends to use the images from Transformers.kiev.ua whole-hog in their social media posts on Instagram and Facebook for memes, visuals for trivia and holiday celebration posts, as well as using them as placeholder images for pipeline reveals of upcoming figures in the works. A notable example of this was the pipeline reveal of ''[[Transformers: Legacy|Legacy]]'' [[Devcon (G1)#Legacy|Devcon]], whose [https://www.transformers.kiev.ua/g1/devcong1.html placeholder "model" image] isn't even a model at all, rather [[:File:Devcon-Body01.jpg|a couple of]] [[:File:Gambler Devcon vehicle.jpg|traced screencaps]] from the episode "[[The Gambler]]".<ref>[https://news.tfw2005.com/2023/01/31/transformers-jan-23-livestream-recap-legacy-evolution-wave-2-and-more-474374 Transformers Jan 23 Livestream Recap – Legacy Evolution Wave 2 and More!] at TFW2005</ref> The same had also been done for [[Snarl (G1)#Legacy|Snarl]], [[Bombshell (G1)#Legacy|Bombshell]], [[Dirge (G1)/toys#Legacy|Dirge]], and so on. It's one thing to use them as reference for toys and design inspiration, but the practice of taking them whole-hog without a background check, and using them in official posts is a bit of a shoddy practice, to say the least.
{{--}}

===Other oddities===
====Discmaster====
This might be one of the earliest cases of circular reporting in the history of the ''Transformers'' brand and fandom (and one of the rare, non-visual, text-only cases). The [http://tflab.net/japaspe/second/bd20.html toy bio] for ''[[Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers|Beast Wars II]]'' [[Autolauncher]] refers to both himself and his rival [[Mantis]] with the turn of phrase ''enban tsukai'' (円盤使い, meaning "disc user"). When the bio was translated into English in the late 1990s/early 2000s, the phrase was written in English as "Discmaster", with the one responsible having likely taken some creative inspiration from [[Headmaster (technology)|the]] [[Targetmaster (technology)|various]] [[Powermaster|forms]] [[Godmaster (lifeform)|of]] "[[Brainmaster|-master]]" [[Micromaster|technology]] [[Powered Master|of]] Generation 1.

During the mid-2000s, when putting together the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', longtime fan [[Ben Yee]] (who was co-author of the ''Sourcebook'' with [[Simon Furman]]) took this translation to heart and applied the term to the book's profiles for both Autolauncher and Mantis—unaware that "Discmaster" was actually creative liberty on part of the fan translation and not an accurate representation of what was originally written in the Japanese bio text. As a result, the term "[[Discmaster]]" now referred to a martial art practiced by both characters, despite the term having never actually existed beforehand in the first place.

====''Transformers Legends'' Axe====
[[File:TFLegends Axe vehicle.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.5]]
In 2014, the ''Transformers Legends'' mobile game added a card based on [[Axe (G1)|Axe]], a character designed by [[Alex Milne]] for ''[[The Transformers: Drift]]''. However, for alt-mode reference, the card directly copied a piece of fanart created by Sara Guyon-Gellin.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Nicely done, but the game's artist lacks some creativity IMHO. For the design of jet mode in particular. Done and uploaded in 2011. Nice to know my work is good enough that someone officially hired by Hasbro decided there was no need for further adjustment and simply copied his/her own pictures from it :( I mean, couldn't you at least have changed the tail rudders ? </sarcasm>|link=https://www.deviantart.com/alteride/journal/Nice-to-be-an-inspiration-for-official-TF-artists-494832421|name=Sara Guyon-Gellin|site=deviantART|title=Nice to be an inspiration for official TF artists|year=2014|month=11|day=16}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.deviantart.com/alteride/art/Axe-alt-modes-studies-252754825|name=Sara Guyon-Gellin|site=deviantART|title=Axe alt modes - studies|year=2011|month=08|day=14}}</ref> Milne had intended the character to have a land-based mode!<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Too bad for the jet part, though, [Alex Milne] told me later Axe was land-based only. Voice of God :/|link=https://www.deviantart.com/comments/1/252754825/2172060396|name=Sara Guyon-Gellin|site=deviantART|year=2011|month=08|day=30}}</ref> Also, not cool.

{{-}}{{anchor|Menasor}}
====''Combiner Wars'' G2 Menasor====
At first glance, Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]''-themed redeco of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' [[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]] looks to be a simple homage to the original, canceled ''Generation 2'' toy. However, a closer inspection reveals that it took some notable inspiration from a 2014 fanmade digibash [http://air-hammer.deviantart.com/art/G2-Stunticons-Digibash-471989649 posted to DeviantArt] by longtime fan artist Air Hammer, which was itself based on another fan's [http://cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?p=76573 hand-painted customization] of the original Generation 1 Stunticons in an attempt to recreate the canceled ''Generation 2'' toys. Most glaringly, [[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]] winds up having [[:File:Generations g2 breakdown.jpg|purple and silver]] in place of the proper [[:File:G2-toy Breakdown.jpg|pink and gold]]. As an extra, the official Transformers Facebook page [[:file:G2Offroad.jpg|posted a promotional pic of the set]] that used the aforemented digibashes of the individual Stunticons instead of their proper stock photos... which featured [[Offroad (CW)|Offroad]] as the fifth member of the team, rather than [[Wildrider (G1)|Brake-Neck]] (whose ''Combiner Wars'' version wasn't revealed yet when the digibash was made) as the official set.

<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G2 Menasor and G2 Defensor.jpg|''Original 1994 deco pictured, left''
File:G2 Stunticons 1995 Tomart.jpg|''Purple-faced Menasor, as seen in promotional materials''
File:Transformers-Generations-Combiner-Wars-G2-Menasor.jpg|''2015 deco pictured'' Why, these limbs are the wrong toolings entirel- [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|Oh, right.]]
</gallery></center>
{{-}}

====Warriorbot====
[[File:Warriorbot hobby lobby.jpg|thumb|150px]]
In [[2017]], a Hasbro license, [[Open Road Brands]], released a [[:File:Open road brands faction sign.jpg|tin wall sign]] exclusively to Hobby Lobby stores, meant to showcase the many [[Insignia|faction symbols]] from the [[Transformers brand|brand]]'s history, but one symbol stood out. The self-proclaimed "Warriorbots" were never a real thing. So were did they come from? The answer can be found on the "[https://transformers.fandom.com/wiki/Insignia?diff=prev&oldid=405151 Insignia]" page on the Transformers Fandom (formerly Wikia) wiki from 2014 to 2017, with it being listed among the others. In other words: Whoever designed it used that page as reference.
{{-}}

====''Legacy United'' Ruckus====
The [[2024]] modernised toy of [[Ruckus (G1)#Legacy|Ruckus]] released as part of the ''[[Transformers: Legacy#Exclusives 3|Doom 'n Destruction Collection]]'' [[capsule]] subline of ''Legacy: United'' sports an oddly bare chest, with [[paint operation]]s on his forearms. In addition, the suspension springs sculpted into his legs are upside down compared to the original toy and [[package art]]. The toy was clearly designed with reference to an incorrectly-[[sticker]]ed sample of the G1 toy, with the hip detailing mistakenly applied to the forearms, and the leg stickers placed upside-down. For several years prior to this incident, the TFWiki itself had been using [https://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/g1-1988/ruckus/124/1/ images from Seibertron] with misplaced hip stickers—but the upside-down springs on the legs point towards a different specific sample of the toy being the culprit.
<center><gallery heights=200px widths=200px>
File:G1 Ruckus toy.jpg|''Original [[1988]] toy with correct sticker placement'' Many thanks to [[Sixo]]! You wreck and rule!
File:Misstickered G1 Ruckus toy.jpg|''Original 1988 toy with'' '''''incorrect''''' ''sticker placement, from Seibertron.com''
File:TF-Legacy-United-Deluxe-Rukus.jpg|''2024 toy pictured''
</gallery></center>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[IP infringement#Third party designs in official products and marketing|Mistakes caused by unlicensed toys using ''Transformers'' likenesses]]

[[Category:Fandom]]

State Games

2024-08-28T05:17:26Z

Pointblank:

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers Annual 1986]]
|prev=The Return of the Transformers
|next=Victory!
|title=A Tale from Cybertron "State Games"
|image=State games 1.JPG
|caption=The golden age before the golden age.
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=September [[1986]]
|coverdate=[[1986]]
|writer=[[James Hill]]
|art=[[John Stokes]]<ref name="TFCUK2cred">''The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2'', pg 254</ref>
|lettering=
|editor=[[Sheila Cranna]]<ref name="TFCUK2cred"/>
|chronology=[[Marvel Comics timeline|Immediately pre-Great War]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]] ([[Primax 984.20 Gamma|Marvel UK]])
}}
'''The war begins...'''

==Synopsis==
Though a line of [[Overlord (rank)|Overlords]] once ruled Cybertron in an Autocracy, their time is now all but at an end; only one of them remains, holding dwindling political influence in [[Tarn (polity)|Tarn]]. Tensions rise on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the result of new [[Transformer]] life being created unabated, putting increased pressure on the planet's resources. In order to combat this, the Overlord creates the [[Games (competition)|Games]]—an inter-city [[Gladiatorial combat|gladiatorial competition]] put into practice to facilitate goodwill between the planet's various [[Polities of Cybertron|city-states]], such as [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Tarn and [[Vos (polity)|Vos]]. Unfortunately, they have the opposite effect and rivalries between the city-states boil over into outright enmities.

[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], a citizen of Tarn, is a successful but particularly vicious athlete. [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] is very much his equal, and the two share a somewhat acrimonious sporting rivalry. During a match between Megatron and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] held in Tarn, Megatron cuts loose and nearly slays his opponent. Optimus intervenes, but the Overlord remains blind to Megatron's growing ambitions, and reprimands Optimus for interfering in the contest.

Meanwhile, the Vos athletic team breaks into Tarn's power generator with the purpose of planting a bomb, destroying Tarn, while at the same time leaving evidence to suggest that it was Iacon who was responsible. The resulting war would decimate Tarn and Iacon, leaving Vos (ruled by a criminal syndicate headed by [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]) the most powerful city on Cybertron. However, the team is caught in the act by a lowly second-engineer. The bomb still goes off, but not before Vos's guilt becomes known. Tarn soon becomes a barren warzone as its conflict with the enemy city escalates. Though [[Xaaron]] of Iacon attempts to convince his fellow councilors to send their forces over as peace-keepers, his request is shot down by High Councillor [[Traachon]]. The latter is convinced that should Iacon refrain from getting involved, the war will not affect them. Further, he believes that it might be in Iacon's best interest if the other two city states annihilate one another.

[[File:StateGames-Overlordautobot.jpg|left|upright=1.5|thumb|"The only water in the forest is the river."]]
Back in Tarn, the hostilities trap the athletes and the Autobot Overlord in what is now the frontline of an inter-city war. The Autobot Overlord is ancient and frail, and requires frequent care. Megatron and Optimus Prime accompany the Overlord's two bodyguards, [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] and [[Nightstalker (G1)|Nightstalker]] in attempting to return the Overlord to Iacon through the battlefield. However, the fighting becomes too intense, and Optimus Prime leaves the other three with the Overlord to go to Iacon alone and gather reinforcements. After Prime's departure, a small force of shock troops, the remainder of Tarn's defunct military, attacks. Initially, Megatron holds them off with a [[fusion cannon]] he recovers from a dead soldier, but even this powerful new weapon is not enough to win the day. In order to protect his master, Nightstalker sacrifices himself in a suicide explosion, leaving only Ravage and Megatron to stand guard. Megatron, seeing that Cybertron is on the cusp of a major political change, leaves the Overlord to die, with Ravage following suit.

When the war between Vos and Tarn finishes, Megatron convinces the survivors to unite as a new faction, the [[Decepticon]]s, against Iacon. He tells the gathered crowd that Iacon could have easily intervened to prevent the war. As they once had done in the gladiatorial arena, Megatron's admirers chant his name, signaling the beginning of his rise to power.
{{-}}

==Featured Characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (2)
*[[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]] (3)
*[[Nightstalker (G1)|Nightstalker]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Xaaron]] (8)
*[[Tomaandi]] (9)
*[[Traachon]] (10)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] (5)
|c4=
*[[Tornado]] (7)
}}

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
*"State Games" is a prequel to, and was directly inspired by, the earlier story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", published in [[Transformers Annual 1985|the previous year's annual]], sharing a variation of its "Tales from Cybertron" title prefix. A slight retcon of its events is performed, however; "And There Shall Come..." established that Megatron and Optimus did not know each other prior to the war, while "State Games" makes them fellow gladiators acquainted with one another.
*At this point in real-world Transformers history, the "Prime" part of Optimus Prime's name held no special meaning, essentially serving only as his "surname." Later stories would retcon it into being the title of the Autobot who bears the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], making its use in this story, when he is nothing but an Iaconian athlete, notably anomalous.
*The Vos team includes [[Tornado]], who previously appeared in [[The Enemy Within!|issue #15]] of the weekly ''Transformers'' comic.
*Iaconian council members [[Xaaron]], [[Tomaandi (G1)|Tomaandi]], and [[Traachon]] all previously appeared in "And There Shall Come...a Leader!" Just a few weeks after the annual's publication, Xaaron would make the jump to appearing in the weekly comic, beginning with [[Target: 2006|issue #78]].
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] are mentioned as leaders of Tarn and Vos, respectively. This seems to be an implicit explanation for why these two Decepticons in particular keep trying to take command from Megatron in the present day: they used to be in charge (with Megatron even being Shockwave's subject!) and want that back.

===Transformers references===
*Hill describes the "spark" for the gladiatorial setting as coming from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s fight on [[Sherman Dam]] in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]".<ref name="TFCUK2int">Interview with James Hill in ''The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2'', pg 256-257</ref>

===Real-life references===
*The terrorist attack on the Games was a reference to the {{w|Munich massacre|events surrounding the 1972 Munich Olympics}}. It was also intended as the lead-up to [[World War I]] and the Russian Revolution "through a fantasy prism".<ref name="TFCUK2int"/>

===Artwork and technical errors===
*Megatron and Sunstreaker are described in the text as wearing masks. In the accompanying illustration of the scene, however, presumably so we can clearly identify Megatron, he is not wearing one. We can't see Sunstreaker's face, but his whole head is off-model, lacking his distinctive "ear" protrusions.
*Megatron should be wearing his newly-acquired fusion cannon in the final illustration of the story, but it is absent.

===IDW remake===
James Hill pitched an adaptation of "State Games" as a comic to [[IDW Publishing]] in [[2007]]. The pitch is included in [[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 2]] and is intended to sell a 22-page one shot.

The pitch said the story would be retold "in a "mythical" context... a fairy tale quality that would reinforce its nature as ''A'' Tale From Cybertron not necessarily ''The'' Tale From Cybertron." Thus the story would open with an ancient, damaged Autobot using a quill writing the first paragraph of the old text story, and his subsequent writings would be the narrative captions. At the end, the writer would toss his story in a 'bottle' that would be found and transmitted by a space-faring Transformer, while the ancient writer goes on to write another story about Optimus.

As the story was pitched in 2007, it likely ran afoul of the fact ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin]]'' was already pitched and approved. And for that, see below...

===Other trivia===
*Contrary to the annual prose stories' tendency to be throwaway, forgotten tales, "State Games" would go on to become hugely influential on future media. The concept of the Decepticons having their origins in gladiatorial games and of political tensions on a declining Cybertron were revisited in first [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave's]] comics, then [[2005 IDW continuity|IDW]], and then part of the 'bible' for the [[Aligned continuity family]] which cemented it as [[Gladiatorial combat|something you just have Decepticons ''do'']]. IDW's ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'', in particular, is in many ways a retelling of "State Games", using combat games (albeit illegal, rather than state-sanctioned), economic depression, and anger towards the politics of Iacon as major plot points; and writer [[Eric Holmes]] was a Marvel UK reader as a kid, and almost certainly read "State Games".
**The story is also notably the first to depict a relationship between Prime and Megatron from before the war itself, something which the Aligned continuity would establish as a central tenant of the characters' relationship moving forwards.
*In [[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 2]], Hill expressed amazement that his young self dared to write something so massive for a licensed property and talked about how unlikely this would be under the more restrictive modern licensing deals. He's worked both sides of the fence, as a licensor who understands the need for brand cohesion and a creator frustrated he not only can't write new stories, "we've not even been allowed to ''draw'' pictures of the characters." "The 40-year-old editor James Hill would probably reject something as radical," he told [[James Roberts]], but "I think there's a valuable lesson" in the fact young Hill wrote it and everyone still talks about it.

===Courtesy of my...===
*In the Games, Megatron and Sunstreaker are armed with [[Axe (weapon)|energy axes]] and shields.
*When Prime intervenes, he pulls a [[photon pistol]].
*Vos and Tarn take each other off the map with [[photon missile]]s.
*One of the troops from Tarn fires an [[electron pistol]], destroying one of Nightstalker's [[missile]] launchers.
*Megatron salvages a [[fusion cannon]] from a dead warrior.

===Cover===
*'''Transformers Annual 1986:''' Prime and other early Transformers, by [[Barry Kitson]].
<gallery>
File:Transformers annual 1987.jpg|'''Transformers Annual 1986'''
</gallery>

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Classicuk2.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 2|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 2]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2012)
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Marvel UK Annual stories]]

Astrotrain (G1)

2024-08-27T07:43:04Z

Pointblank:

{{factions|decepticon|decepticong2|ascenticon}}
{{disambig3|Astrotrain}}
{{suite}}
: ''Astrotrain is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:TransformersCollectionAstrotrainDatafile.jpg|upright=2.3|thumb|Choo Choo Rocket]]

'''Astrotrain''' loves to sow confusion. To this end, his [[Triple Changer]] abilities serve him well. Nothing pleases him more than confronting an Autobot in a dark corner and making him wonder if he's up against one Decepticon or two. He craves having this power over others. Single-minded, you may say, but when most of your time is spent transporting troops around, you have to take your jollies where you can. He wants more from life, but it's either fly the other Decepticons around, or get scrapped by them.

He also craves having power over a massive [[Astroforce|army of train drones]]. Follow your dreams, Astrotrain. Follow your dreams.

{{bigquote|It's always the same thing. I fly them to points unknown, exhaust all my fuel, and they get to have all the fun.|Astrotrain on his eternal role as the Decepticons' ride|"[[The Gambler]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Angel]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese)|[[Zhang Mingyu]] (Chinese), [[Jorge García]] (Latin American), [[Gerd Wiedenhofen]] (German, "Hoist Goes Hollywood", ''The Movie''), [[Reinhard Brock]] (German, "The Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, "The Killing Jar" Generation 1 and "Triple Takeover" ''Generation 2''), [[Walter von Hauff]] (German, "Ghost in the Machine"), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, "The Big Broadcast of 2006"), [[Holger Schwiers]] (German, "The Burden Hardest to Bear"), [[Gerd Rigauer]] (German, "Prime Target" ''Generation 2''), [[Tonio von der Meden]] (German, "Ghost in the Machine" ''Generation 2''), [[Hélio Ribeiro]] (Portuguese), [[Júlio César]] (Portuguese, "Hoist Goes Hollywood"), [[José Sant'anna]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' TV dub), [[Ronaldo Artinic]] (Portuguese, ''The Movie'' Fox Kids dub), [[François Leccia]] (European French, "Blaster Blues" & "Cosmic Rust"), [[Pierre Garin]] (European French, "The God Gambit"), Unknown actors (European French, "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "Hoist goes Hollywood" & "Chaos"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Gambler"), [[Serge Lhorca]] (European French, "Sea Change" & "Prime Target"), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French, "Triple Takeover")}}

[[File:AstrotrainTakeover.jpg|left|thumb|It doesn't matter if you're grey or white... if you're a boy or a girl...]]
Astrotrain arrived on [[Earth]] during the second year of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s campaign to conquer the planet and its energy resources. His activities prior to that point remain unclear, but he was first seen guarding human slaves in an energy mine following the Decepticon takeover of [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]]. When the Autobots returned from a brief exile in space, Astrotrain and his comrades were defeated and sent packing. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

He once transported Megatron to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] where he and the Decepticons' leader attempted to jam Earth's radio waves. The attempt was interrupted by the arrival of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], [[Carly (G1)|Carly]], and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Astrotrain engaged in a bad pun, accused Omega Supreme of being too outdated to catch him, and then was the victim of a Cybertronian's impression of a sandworm (see image) before being thrown a few planetary diameters. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}

[[File:Omegasupreme astrotrain.jpg|thumb|Behold my mighty hand!]]
Typically one of the more easy-going among the Decepticons, even Astrotrain isn't above letting a little power go to his head. While tracking [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], he shot down the Autobot, who had been on a fuel scouting mission, and managed to trick the [[Titan (species)|people]] of [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] into believing that he was one of their [[Sky God]]s, so that they would mine [[energy crystal]]s for him and the Decepticons. Astrotrain used [[Jero]], a corrupt High Priest who was as fanatical as he was ruthless, to further his ends. However, the Autobots [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] arrived aboard Omega Supreme looking for Cosmos. Omega Supreme was virtually out of fuel after the trip, but the Autobots soon managed to refuel him using the energy crystals. Knowing that he, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] alone couldn't beat Omega Supreme, Astrotrain destroyed the crystals in a fit of pique before flying off, leaving Jero to die like the worm he was. Harsh, Astrotrain, harsh. {{storylink|The God Gambit}}

Astrotrain was used by Megatron to transport energy rich asteroid ore being mined by the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in high orbit. Astrotrain maintained his shuttle mode so that [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] could load him with cargo. He apparently did not have very keen sensors in that form, as the Autobot Cosmos was able to very clumsily swipe some ore from his open cargo bay, then loudly fell over Astrotrain's side without the Decepticon even reacting. {{storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme (episode)|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

Astrotrain later transported [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] and [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] to the planet [[Monacus]] to check up on Decepticon sympathizer [[Gyconi|Lord Gyconi]]. When they learned that Gyconi had captured a number of Autobots and brainwashed them into mindless slaves, the Decepticons tried to stow them aboard Astrotrain to take them back to Megatron. However, their plan was stopped by [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] and [[Slizardo]], and the latter two followed Astrotrain into space as he escaped with his comrades. {{storylink|The Gambler}}

[[File:TripleTakeover-ThrustAndAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|]]

When [[Deceptitran]] sent word for assistance in overcoming [[Tlalakan (species)|Tlalakan]] rebels, Astrotrain transported Megatron and his warriors to that distant world to protect their energon horde. The rebellion gained Transformer aid of their own, though, and [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] and friends drove off the Decepticons and led the Tlalakans to freedom. {{storylink|Sea Change}}

However, the incident on Titan had given Astrotrain a taste of power, and he decided he liked it. With the help of [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], Astrotrain froze Megatron and Starscream in a sewer system in order to take over the Decepticons. He then created an army of trains to help him rule, thinking it was a good idea. Although he managed to amass a surprisingly large amount of [[energon cube]]s, the productive day ended with him flooding the entire city after bursting a water main. Worse, Megatron thawed out. The embarrassment of these incidents forced Astrotrain to creep back into the Decepticon ranks quietly... at [[fusion cannon]] point. {{storylink|Triple Takeover}}

[[File:Search4atelitakicks.jpg|thumb|Boot to the head]]
[[Chumley|Lord Chumley]] used Astrotrain's likeness as a lure to capture [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]]. Megatron later sent the real Astrotrain (as well as Blitzwing) to go negotiate with Chumley so they could team up to annihilate the Autobots. The Triple Changers arrived in time to see Optimus refuse to rescue a distressed young woman. Astrotrain was curious, but Blitzwing fell for the ruse and got stuck, so Astrotrain was left with no other option but going to the castle to free him. On his way there, Astrotrain found Chumley using a [[Chumley's arachnoid drones|robotic scorpion]] to fight Optimus Prime, and proposed Megatron's deal. Chumley responded by flinging the Decepticon away, hanging him up to the walls, and defusing his weapons. Astrotrain was frustrated and explained himself, but Chumley rejected the notion and claimed he'd rather have the help of an aardvark. But as Prime inched closer, Chumley panicked and freed the Decepticons, who promptly made their getaway. He learned that day, to never trust Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}}

[[File:HoistGoesHollywood-AstrotrainClaws.jpg|thumb|left|No razors here, folks.]]
Megatron dispatched Astrotrain, Starscream, Ramjet, and [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in order to catch the [[Female Autobots]], making up for Shockwave's failure. Running into their leader, [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]], Astrotrain and Ramjet grabbed her and took her prisoner. When Optimus Prime arrived to rescue Elita, she kicked Astrotrain in the face, forcing him to lose his grip. He recovered and was able to celebrate Prime's apparent disintegration, later got zapped by the duo of [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Firestar (G1)|Firestar]], and in shuttle mode he transported the retreating Decepticons away. {{storylink|The Search for Alpha Trion}} Megatron's next mission for Astrotrain was to go with Thrust and Ramjet to salvage Dirge and his cargo, who crashed in a swamp near a movie set. When they arrived, Astrotrain deployed a pair of claws to haul Dirge back, while a nearby [[Attack of the Alien Robots director|director]] filmed them. Once they returned to headquarters, Astrotrain informed Megatron of the film crew that was watching them as they carted the device, and the enraged Megatron set out to destroy the film. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (episode)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Astrotrain transported Megatron, Starscream and Rumble to the lost Autobot colony of [[Antilla]], where they discovered the entire civilization had been wiped out by the deadly [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. Not heeding a holographic warning from the Autobots, Megatron ventured further into the colony and seized an [[Lightning Bug|advanced heat ray weapon]] from its storage chamber. As they left Antilla, a Cosmic Rust spore-filled asteroid appeared to chase after Astrotrain, prompting Megatron to test out of the power of the 'Lightning Bug' weapon on the space rock. The blast obliterated the asteroid, but the shrapnel from the explosion pierced Astrotrain's hull and punctured Megatron's chest plate, infecting him with Cosmic Rust. Oddly enough, Astrotrain was never infected. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[File:TFTM-AstrotrainCoronation.jpg|thumb|I guess you could say it's his... ''crowning moment''! Gah ha ha ha!]]
Astrotrain witnessed Starscream throw a fit over Megatron's obsession with Shockwave, and was surprised as everyone else when the Seeker shot Megatron in the back. But when Megatron overpowered his subordinate, Astrotrain was disgusted and allowed Starscream to be humiliated. He was then present for a battle with Starscream's new team of [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], but didn't contribute anything in particular. At the end of the day, Megatron ordered Astrotrain to take the traitorous Starscream and the Combaticons to an asteroid floating through space, where they would be banished forever. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Astrotrain could be glimpsed on the simulation of Megatron's [[orbit disruptor cannon]], but did not get to actually see it in person. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

In the year [[2005]], he transported the Decepticons away after getting their aft-sections [[Battle of Autobot City|handed to them]] at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. He couldn't make it back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] with the amount of weight on board, so they tossed [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|some]] [[Insecticon (G1)|dead]] [[Thundercracker (G1)|weight]] overboard. After that, Astrotrain served as the ring for the subsequent fight among the Decepticons to replace the ejected Megatron, where the Constructicons formed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] inside him (slag, Astrotrain is big!) and Rumble and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] used their piledrivers (slag, Astrotrain is sturdy!) Apparently, they all made it back fine, and Astrotrain was the one to crown Starscream during his coronation as the new [[Decepticon leader]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{note|Astrotrain's involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' and the storybook "[[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|Transformers the Movie]]".}}

[[File:FFOD1 Cyclonus Astrotrain energon.jpg|thumb|left]]
When the Decepticons lost their hold on Cybertron, Astrotrain went with the rest of them to [[Chaar]], where he was seen trying to deliver Energon cubes to the starving army. When he tried to take a cube for himself while the Constructicons were fighting amongst themselves for the energy, they merged into Devastator and kicked him aside. Devastator was then distracted by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and Astrotrain made another move for the cube, only to be shot by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Such is life. When Cyclonus insulted the Decepticons for their behavior, Astrotrain somewhat notably mentioned that he knew [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] and Megatron "were the same guy". Cyclonus later stated that he needed energon as it was needed to revive Galvatron, and Astrotrain gave him the rest of his supplies. He got an inspirational speech in return. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

When the Quintessons offered the Decepticons energon, Astrotrain joined his cohorts in the feasting, and when the Quintessons made a proposition, he agreed to go with it and went to battle the Autobots with everyone else. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} He later participated in a battle in space under unknown circumstances. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar}}

[[File:Chaos-astrotrain-swisscheese.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain then helped Galvatron and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] with the plan to destroy Cybertron with a [[death crystal cannon]], supervising the loading of the cannon with the deadly crystals. {{storylink|Chaos (episode)|Chaos}}

Later on, when [[Scourge (G1)|intruders]] found their way inside [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Astrotrain responded to the alarm but ended up being possessed by Starscream's [[Spark|ghost]] because of his useful cargo space. Starscream flew his body most of the way to [[Unicron]]'s head, then left it when he closed in on Cybertron, leaving Astrotrain to be shot down by the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]. Astrotrain was then captured and interrogated by the Autobots, but was as confused as they were about why he had been flying so close to Cybertron all by himself. He was later released as a way of thanking Scourge for revealing Unicron's plans to them. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine}}

Later, Astrotrain stumbled upon [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] in space and battled him until the two were suddenly interrupted by a laser barrage from the nearby [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]] and retreated. Astrotrain returned to Chaar to report this to Galvatron, who punched him in the face, insulted him and stated that he didn't care. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

Astrotrain was later seen participating in a Decepticon attack on Japan, trying to ram a bullet train head-on, before being driven off by the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}
{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[File:SGB1 giant astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|275px]]
In the mid-1990s, Astrotrain ferried the Decepticons through space for their attack on the orbital interstellar teleportation platform known as the ''[[Trigger]]'', created as part of a joint effort between the Autobots and the American government. His shuttle mode serving as the perfect disguise to allow the villains to draw in close before striking, he raised brief suspicion by not matching any known Earthly spacecraft, but when Starscream and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] deployed from within him and flew on ahead, the impossible sight of jets flying in outer space led the ''Trigger''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew to believe Astrotrain and his passengers were Autobots. This fatal mistake led to the deaths of three of the four-man crew at the Decepticons' hands before the Autobots arrived to rout the villains. Astrotrain transformed for battle ''without'' changing size and entered the fray as a gigantic robot, but even his huge size couldn't win the day, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|First Contact (Star Gate)|First Contact}}

Several months later, Astrotrain was employed by Starscream to carry the large payload of energon cubes he had gathered through a deal with the [[Prime Minister of Japan]] back to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]]. When the Decepticons came under attack by the Autobots, Astrotrain took flight, but his escape was barricaded by the time-displaced ghost of Starscream from the future (yes, really), {{storylink|Activation}} who spirited the present-day Starscream and the energon cubes away to the ''Trigger''. Astrotrain nervously reported this baffling turn of events to his leader, then joined with all the other Decepticons and Autobots in attacking the twin Starscreams, who had fused their body with the ''Trigger''. The battle ended when Optimus Prime and Megatron combined their power to destroy Starscream's new body, but the backwash from the explosion was so powerful that Astrotrain and all the other Transformers were sent hurtling down to Earth in uncontrolled re-entry, and were not heard from again for many months. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:FMYOVM Astrotrain.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and [[Octane]] were amongst the troops serving under [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] in Trypticon on Earth in the year 2011. Together, they helped Sixshot distract [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] and his warriors from assisting the Autobots' forces on Cybertron when Galvatron staged a major attack on the planet. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The three were later dispatched to protect Trypticon from an attack by the Autobot Triple Changers [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], unaware that it was just a distraction to allow [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] to infiltrate the base. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} He also served as Galvatron's personal transport to the planet [[Praum]], where the Decepticons had set a trap for the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} He also transported Galvatron and [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundblaster]] to Earth from Chaar, where they prepared their strike on Cybertron. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Astrotrain then went into Earth's orbit to help steal the energy-gathering satellite known as [[Sol 1]], {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} and much later he witnessed [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] reveal his gigantic [[transtector]] at [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

Astrotrain joined the rest of the Decepticon forces in the [[Arctic]] for [[Scorponok (G1)|MegaZarak]]'s final assault on the Earth. When the Autobots proved victorious, he and the rest of the Decepticons were driven from the Earth and into the reaches of space. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
When [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] attempted to overthrow Megatron in the 1980s, he blasted Astrotrain and some other Decepticons to establish dominance. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}} Astrotrain was part of a group of Decepticons who fell in a pitfall trap prepared by [[Twin Twist (G1)|Twin Twist]], but being Decepticons, they simply flew back out. {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter#Operation: Destroy the Decepticons|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

Under Scorponok's command, Astrotrain was battling [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s forces in space when Scorponok detonated a nearby [[black hole]], infecting Autobots and Decepticons alike with [[Black ball|miniature black holes]] that doomed their bodies to shrink into nothingness. They only survived by giving up their bodies and converting their heads into small [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] forms. {{storylink|Headmaster Chapter Prologue}} Astrotrain traveled to the [[Legends World]] and worked for [[Tera-Kura Co.|Decepticon Tera-Kura Co.]], but was hard pressed to transport much of anything in his tiny new form and ended up losing his job as cargo transporter to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortunately, he encountered roboticist and fugitive [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and blackmailed him into building him a [[transtector]] in exchange for protection from the police, after which his ambition grew and he made plans to conquer the world. By forming the [[Astrotrain Transport Company]] and promising new employees free copies of his transtector, he lured in other bodiless Headmasters, then used restrain devices in the transtectors to enslave them and make them his personal army. The plan failed when his egotistical refusal to share energon with his soldiers led to the deactivation of the restraint devices, and he was buried in trains as the freed Headmasters sent their transtectors crashing into him. In the end, Astrotrain settled for using his train mode to run a commuter service instead. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 40|Bonus Edition Vol. 40}}

During [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s rampage across [[Akihabara]], he picked up Astrotrain's train and swallowed all its occupants whole, including Astrotrain. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 43|Bonus Edition Vol. 43}} His train was later seen traveling across a bridge over the rebuilt "Neo Akihabara City", {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Prologue}} and he was among the victims of [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]]'s [[anti-electron]] assault. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 55|Bonus Edition Vol. 55}} After an evening of drinking with Blitzwing and putting up with his boasting, Astrotrain was caught up in a Quintesson attack on the Legends World and used his transtector to shoot down one of the attacking [[Overcharge (G1)|Overcharges]], allowing Blitzwing to modify it into a body for himself. He was surprised to learn that another Overcharge had been Blitzwing himself from the distant past, but the novelty quickly wore off and he was soon getting sick of his buddy's stories again. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 59|Bonus Edition Vol. 59}}

When the Legends World was threatened by plasma energy bombs, Astrotrain was one of many transports used to evacuate the population back to the OG World. {{storylink|Targetmaster Chapter Finale: Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two|Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two}} Arriving first in [[2023]], Astrotrain joined the Autobots and Decepticons on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]]. He helped their old allies the [[Beastformer (species)|Beastformers]] in their conflicts against the [[Laser Beast]]s. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 1}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons supporting the [[Selector]] revolt at [[Neo Scramble City]]. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 1}} He later helped humans and Selectors flee from the [[Angolmois Energy]] eruptions plaguing the Earth. {{storylink|Abominus comic 2}}

====''TV Magazine'' comic continuity====
[[File:SRLF4 astrotrain snaps metroplex.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Astrotrain joined the rest of the Decepticon forces in an assault on Autobot HQ in [[Arizona]]. This acted as a cover for Soundwave's covert operations in [[Japan]] (which were ultimately foiled).{{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Later, when the Autobots began construction of the battle fortress [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]], Astrotrain was assigned to carry out surveillance of the project with [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]. Using Reflector's camera mode to capture images of Scramble City's transformations, Astrotrain brought the images back to Megatron so he could deduce whether or not it was powerful enough to stand up to their own near-complete battle station, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #3}}

=====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic=====
"Astrotrain" joined several legendary Decepticons in battle against [[Ginrai (human)|Super Ginrai]]. "Astrotrain" was ultimately revealed to be nothing more than a holographic illusion created by [[Giga]]. {{storylink|Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai!}}
{{--}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year [[2001]], the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. As the Autobots evacuated off-planet, Astrotrain was one of the many space-worthy Decepticons who pursued them into orbit and attacked. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====''Mars Attacks: The Transformers''====
[[File:Mars Attacks The Transformers - Prowl and Astrotrain.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
Astrotrain was among the Decepticons who were defeated by the Autobots after a battle in a city. When the city was subsequently invaded by [[Martian]]s, the Decepticons attempted to team up with them, only to be double-crossed. The Decepticons instead formed an alliance with the Autobots to see off the Martians, and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] even saved Astrotrain from one of the Martian war robots, though they agreed to continue hating each other. {{storylink|Mars Attacks: The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
When [[Gong (GoBots)|Gong]] and [[Sideways (AVP)|Sideways]] got together for a little mischief, they spiced up the [[Battle of Autobot City]] with some [[GoBot]]s. In this new timeline, Astrotrain participated in the assault on [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]] City and killed [[Apollo (GoBots)|Apollo]]. Megatron battled [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] and fell in battle, and the Decepticons retreated aboard Astrotrain.

Then reality changed again, and the Decepticons now co-existed with the [[Renegade]]s. Astrotrain ordered his passengers to jettison weight, and they promptly did so. The group then turned their attention to nominating the next leader of the Renegade-Decepticon alliance, which quickly turned into a free-for-all. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

====''Deviations''====
In a universe where Megatron didn't survive his duel with Optimus, Astrotrain ferried the defeated Decepticons off of Earth and back to Cybertron, pausing only to jettison the casualties of the battle. Unsurprisingly, Starscream seized the title of Decepticon leader, and Astrotrain was present for his coronation on Cybertron... a coronation that was interrupted by Unicron. When Starscream pledged allegiance to Unicron and became "Megascream", Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons who received an upgrade as part of the deal.

During Unicron's final attack on Cybertron, Astrotrain accompanied Megascream when the Decepticon leader tried to steal the Matrix. Astrotrain's new upgrade allowed him to merge with his leader, and the five Decepticons transformed into a massive combiner that flattened Optimus. Astrotrain was presumably killed when Hot Rod opened the Matrix shortly afterwards. {{storylink|Transformers: Deviations|Deviations}}

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

[[File:Ratbatcratercritters.jpg|left|thumb|"Thus, my new fuel economy plan will increase fuel efficiency. Any other questions, Astrotrain?" "Yeah. What the hell did you just say, Ratbat?"]]

''Astrotrain was one of Lord [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s warriors on Cybertron, operating out of [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]] in [[Polyhex]]. At [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s demand, he [[Communicube|called]] a group of Decepticons back from a planned assassination attempt on [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] and the Autobot leaders, leaving all the Decepticons unaware that it was actually a ploy by the Autobots to wipe them out.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''Some time later, Megatron was teleported to Cybertron alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Straxus came to see Megatron as a liability and sought to take control of his more powerful body. Astrotrain witnessed the mind-swapping process, unaware that it had gone awry upon its completion, leaving both Megatron and Straxus trapped within the same frame.''{{storylink|Resurrection!}}

Later still, Astrotrain and his fellow Triple Changers were commissioned by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to investigate the loss of his [[Wash and Roll|priceless cargo]] that had arrived on Earth via a low-cost freighter, but hadn't checked in as scheduled. Additionally, while on Earth, the trio were tasked with enlisting the aid of a human with access to many "bucks" and connections to the automotive industry, to further help the Decepticons acquire fuel. Upon making contact with the crashed ship, Astrotrain and his companions were infected with [[Scraplet]]s, and began to slowly waste away. The Autobots [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Goldbug]] came upon the site as well, and the Decepticons reveled at the chance at some destructive fun before their demise. Though Goldbug escaped, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and Octane cornered Blaster {{storylink|Crater Critters}} and took him prisoner. The group then holed up inside the ship, and Astrotrain updated Ratbat on their situation, urging him to send them a cure for the Scraplets. Instead, Ratbat sent over the captured [[Throttlebot]]s with canisters of acid, instructing them to eliminate all of the infected. Lucky for them, Blaster's friends had managed to re-discover the [[Water|strange and wondrous chemical]] that acted as a cure for Scraplets, and prepared to use said cure instead. But Blaster, who had gotten himself infected as well during his fight with the Triple Changers, instructed the Autobots not to use the cure: he would rather die than be instrumental in allowing a Decepticon to live. Goldbug's hand was forced against Blaster's wishes when thousands of Scraplets combined to form a monster, and the only ones with enough firepower to take it down were the Decepticons. All those within the crater were doused with water, and the Triple Changers made short work of the remaining Scraplets. Following their victory, Astrotrain showed quick thinking when he identified a nearby [[G.B. Blackrock]] as a useful asset and [[stroboscopic opticon|hypnotically gained control of him]], thus ensuring the viability of [[Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom|Ratbat's greatest plan]]. The Triple Changers then beat a hasty retreat, hauling away Ratbat's cargo. {{storylink|The Cure!}}

[[File:Astrotrain space pirates.jpg|thumb|You can't stop the Train, baby!]]

After delivering the [[Wash and Roll|cargo]] to its intended destination, the Triple Changers linked up with Shockwave's Decepticons on Earth, {{storylink|Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom}} who soon fell under Ratbat's command. Astrotrain joined the Decepticons in an assault on the Autobot crews of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and [[Steelhaven (G1)|Steelhaven]] on Earth's moon. {{storylink|Totaled!}} Relocated to the [[Arctic]], Astrotrain was among the Decepticons who rushed to defend themselves from an apparently hostile [[Semper Tyrannis|ship]] before it was revealed that the ship also contained Decepticons. When Ratbat and [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s armies temporarily came to blows thanks to [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] manipulating both sides, Astrotrain was seen rolling over [[Snapdragon (G1)|Snapdragon]] and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] in the melee. {{storylink|Cold War!}} Once the Decepticons united against a nearby Autobot regiment, Astrotrain again saw action when he ionically disrupted the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]], [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]. Both factions quickly learned they were both victims of Starscream's manipulations, and united to stop the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] from attaining the power of the legendary [[Underbase]]. Through their efforts, Starscream was prevented from taking in all but a tiny fraction of the Underbase's energies. Unfortunately, this was still enough to endow the Seeker with unimaginable might. Three squads were formed to tackle Starscream as he attacked three different Earth cities, with Astrotrain being assigned to look over [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina. He was destroyed, alongside the other Decepticon triple changers, in a blast of cosmic power. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Astrotrain the planet-eater.jpg|thumb|left]]

When [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] was completed in [[2004]], Astrotrain was one of several Decepticons brought by Shockwave to attack the opening day festivities. {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

In [[2005]], after the [[Battle of Autobot City]] went pear-shaped, Astrotrain acted as emergency escape transport for the Decepticons. However, he wasn't properly fueled for such a flight, and requested his passengers jettison some weight for the flight home. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}} He was present when Megatron returned as [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] to overthrow the usurper, Starscream, and joined the returning Decepticon leader in another attack against the Autobots on Earth. {{storylink|Judgment Day!}}

In [[2008]], the Decepticons were tipped by the [[Quintesson]]s to an opportunity for wiping the Autobots off the face of Cybertron. Astrotrain acted as point-man for the invasion, not only leading the air force of flying [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], Triple Changers and [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], but also acting as transport for [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Commander Soundwave]] and the legion of ground troopers in his cargo hold. Things turned sour when the Quintessons ambushed the Decepticons on their way to [[Autobase]], though: Astrotrain was forced to dump the soldiers in his hold and quickly transform in order to greet their adversaries. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

=====The Big Broadcast of 2006=====
{{NoteMarvelBB2006}}
In an alternate future of [[2006]], Astrotrain discovered that the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] appeared to all be hypnotized. He flew to [[Chaar]] and timidly approached [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] with his report. Galvatron angrily hit him into a rock face and declared that he cared nothing about what the Junkions were up to. He told Astrotrain he should leave, so he did. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

=====Rhythms of Darkness!=====
In [[Primax 490.0 Gamma|an alternate version]] of [[2009]], Unicron had destroyed Cybertron and the Decepticons (under [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]]'s command) controlled America. Astrotrain and Octane were seen defending the [[Decepticon Powerbase]] from one last, desperate Autobot assault. They shot down the [[Pretender]] [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]], when he was disrupting the base's [[Force field|energy field]]. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
[[File:Triple changers shockwave secrets.jpg|thumb]]
Astrotrain happily worked for Shockwave's faction in the [[Decepticon Civil War]], along with his fellow Triple Changers. He took the time to slug it out with [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] after the [[Enclave]] between Shockwave and Megatron went sour. {{storylink|The Bad Guy's Ball!}} Thanks to an inside informant, Astrotrain and the other Triple Changers joined Shockwave in surprising Megatron at an energon shipment rendez-vous point, overpowering him with blaster fire until the Decepticon leader fell off the side of a cliff. {{storylink|Secrets (G1)|Secrets}}

With [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] in command, Astrotrain joined a massive Decepticon offensive against the Autobot [[Earthbase]]. Their goal was to kill some Autobots, while also distracting them as [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] looted a human [[oil tanker]] in the [[Gulf of Mexico]]. Both goals proved fruitless, and the Decepticons were driven off. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer!}} Later, Astrotrain and Blitzwing received an SOS from their fellow Triple Changer, Octane, who had somehow driven himself into the middle of a military testing range. After they fended off some live ammunition that threatened to set off their tanker truck comrade, Astrotrain and Blitzwing learned that Octane had been "playing" again, attacking human vehicles for sport, when [[Jazz (G1)|one of them]] led him on a merry chase right into his current predicament. Infuriated by the idiot's antics, Astrotrain happily buggered off and left him. {{storylink|Manoeuvres!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
Astrotrain showed up among a crowd of Decepticons all fired up to tackle the [[Cybertronian (faction)|armies]] of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], just before they pretty much got slaughtered. {{storylink|New Dawn}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Astrotraincrossingovershuttle.jpg|left|thumb|Astrotrain is relieved he only has to carry five Constructicons now.]]
Astrotrain's carcass lay undiscovered at the bottom of the sea for ten years until [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] managed to find him. His remains were excavated piece by piece by enslaved [[human]]s and transported to Megatron's base of operations within the wrecked [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] in northern [[Canada]]. Using incomplete schematics and Megatron's memories of Astrotrain's old body, Astrotrain was finally reconstructed. Astrotrain was immediately put in charge of finding the remnants of the rest of the Decepticons who fell at the hands of the [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream, plus the unpleasant task of carting them back to their headquarters. This morbid job took its toll on Astrotrain, who yearned for real battle. He at one point snapped upon discovering a human space station in Earth's orbit, his last refuge from the organic vermin, and went on a two-day long rampage, sending several satellites raining down onto the planet's surface. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14|Astrotrain's profile in Club magazine #14}}

[[File:Devastatormegatronastrotraincrossingover.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Clearly, Astrotrain's interior is bigger than it looks.]]

After the appearance of the mysterious crossdimensional Decepticon [[Landquake (Timelines)|Landquake]], Astrotrain and the other rebuilt Decepticons under Megatron's command traveled to [[South America]] to investigate an equally mysterious power source that seemed to share traits with Landquake. En route, they were attacked by [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]]'s [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] squad. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 2}} Astrotrain managed to shake off these interlopers just before [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots arrived in search of this same power source, and a new battle between the factions began in the jungles surrounding the power source. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} As the battle escalated, Astrotrain joined with some of his peers in surrounding [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus]], {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} but ultimately, Megatron was forced to call for a withdrawal. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

Megatron soon granted the mysterious [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]] and his rogue group of Decepticons an audience. However, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons under Megatron's command were forcibly implanted with reverse-engineered [[cerebro-shell]]s. Bug Bite's plan was cut short when a jammer activated by [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] disabled the shells, and a fight soon erupted between Megatron's Decepticons, Bug Bite's Decepticons, and the Autobots under [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]' command. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

When Megatron ended the [[Decepticon Civil War]] with [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], Astrotrain was stationed aboard Starscream's warship. He informed his captain when the fortress below began powering down their weapons, thanks to the [[Seacon (G1)|traitors]] in Bludgeon's ranks eliminating the [[Pretender]]. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Megatrons zombie army loose ends 2.jpg|thumb|left|Ohh, for God's sake! He's got an arm off!]]
Years after being killed by an Underbase-powered Starscream, Astrotrain was reanimated by Megatron and further lobotomized so that he would unquestioningly follow orders. Pressed into service as part of Megatron's [[zombie]] army in [[2012]], Astrotrain was part of a detachment ordered to chase down [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] and the [[Wreckers]]. When [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] managed to subdue Kup, Astrotrain was ordered by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to return him to Megatron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}} He and the other zombified Cybertronians were offlined permanently once [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Regeneration One|Circuit Smasher]] frizzle-fried the Ark's computer, [[Aunty|Auntie]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} After Megatron's defeat, all of the deactivated zombies were piled into a large pit by the Autobots and obliterated from orbit. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

====''Transformers '84''====
As the [[Great War (G1)|war]] raged on Cybertron, Astrotrain was one of many Autobots and Decepticons seen in battle with one another. {{storylink|Transformers '84 issue 0|'84 #0}}
{{--}}

===''Find Your Fate Junior''===
{{notemultipath}}

====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|"You win this round, squirrel!"]]
Astrotrain took part in a Decepticon ploy to take over Earth's communication satellites. Ferrying troops and weapons from Earth to the Decepticons’ ships in orbit, Astrotrain may have unknowingly been infiltrated by Hot Rod and Bumblebee. If so, Hot Rod may have commandeered Astrotrain's military controls to fire upon Cyclonus.

In another possible scenario, Astrotrain was sent into a wild spin out into space when the Autobots successfully sabotaged the Decepticons’ computer systems. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

====Project Brain Drain====
Astrotrain was stationed at the Decepticons’ lab, charged with guarding the [[Brain Drain device]], with which the Decepticons planned to syphon away the Earthlings’ intelligence and transmute it into energy. In one possible scenario, he was one of the few Decepticons too afraid of Galvatron to desert his post when a squad of Autobots stormed the lab. He was unsuccessful in fending them off. {{storylink|Project Brain Drain}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Astrotrain warwithin.jpg|thumb|left|Finally, I get to fight instead of carry people.]]
When [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] needed a major distraction to infiltrate the subsectors of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and establish Cybertron as a living war world, he sent Shockwave to command a full frontal assault against the Autobot capital. Astrotrain was among the many Decepticons who aided Shockwave in this siege {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} and aided several of his fellow airborne Decepticons in destroying bridges leading out of the Autobot stronghold. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}} As the Decepticons managed to breach the Autobots' final defenses, Astrotrain came down to the ground to help in mopping up the last of the enemy soldiers. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} The Decepticons evacuated the area when [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] destroyed the place. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

Later on, after Megatron's disappearance led to a factioning of the Decepticon army, Astrotrain began serving with Starscream's [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. One of the group's attempt to secure a plenty of energon was foiled by the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], led by Grimlock, who managed to distract Astrotrain and his teammates long enough to swipe their goods and make a quick getaway with them. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}}

The Predacons remained the only major hold out among the factions when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] negotiated a great peace between the Autobots and Decepticons due to low energon reserves planet-wide. Astrotrain and the Predacons attempted to prevent the peace treaty and the consolidation of their opponents, but their efforts were in vain until the surprise return of Megatron with his new [[Air Warrior|Aerospace Extermination Squadron]], thousands of super-charged warriors grown from [[Quintesson]] cloning technology. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}}

The Decepticons managed to establish an [[Age of Internment]] until [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] finally returned to free the Autobots and equalize the sides once more. After the disappearance of the [[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]] and its crew, Astrotrain and his fellow future Triple Changers, Octane and Blitzwing, began serving directly under Shockwave's command. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Some time into Shockwave's reign, [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] took over the Decepticons and posed as Shockwave to retain command over the other full-sized Transformers in the ranks. Astrotrain was among the troops duped by the diminutive 'bot into launching an all-out offensive, despite their resources being at an all-time low. {{storylink|Recipe for Hate}} During what was meant to be a suicide mission, the Decepticons nearly claimed victory against the Autobots... until both factions' Micromasters turned up to put an end to the conflict. After the miniature 'bots began brandishing about Shockwave's decapitated head, the Decepticon forces got spooked and fled the battlefield. {{storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

[[File:LostAndFound AstrotrainTransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
When Shockwave learned how to perfect his Triple Changer process after the [[Great Shutdown]], due to [[Unicron]]ian technology he pilfered from [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], Astrotrain was one of the first to benefit from the procedure.

In 2003, Astrotrain, along with [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Blitzwing, [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] and Octane arrived with Shockwave on [[Earth]] to place the Earth-bound Transformers under arrest for war crimes and take them back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. {{storylink|New World Order}} {{storylink|Generation 1 issue 0|Generation 1 #0}} They took Optimus Prime and most of his troops into custody, ferrying them back to the homeworld. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} But Optimus and his followers were soon freed from their cells, leading to an Autobot insurrection of Shockwave's regime. Astrotrain guarded Shockwave's tower during the uprising, keeping Kup, Prowl, and Arcee from breaching its perimeter. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} Despite his best efforts, the Autobots were victorious, and the bulk of the Decepticon forces were taken prisoners. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Despite Shockwave's defeat, Astrotrain and Blitzwing remained his loyal servants, and helped him set up a base of operations in Cybertron's wastelands. While on monitor duty, the pair spotted what appeared to be a derelict wandering about their perimeter. Shockwave sent out both triple-changers to investigate, and they made short work of the [[Air Warrior]] they found. While they were puzzling over what it was doing on Cybertron, they were ambushed by [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]], who informed them that Megatron had returned to retake control of his troops! This news caused Astrotrain to switch loyalties, while Blitzwing was destroyed. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 OmegaSupreme Sixshot Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|I choo choo choom you! And there's a picture of a trai...er, space shuttle]]
As part of [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces on Cybertron, Astrotrain attacked an Autobot peace ceremony alongside [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], Blitzwing and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. The Autobots responded by activating [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who blasted Astrotrain out of the air. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} When he opted to fight on ground level instead and wounded a [[Optimus Prime's rescuees|civilian]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] landed on top of him after falling from the sky, then proceeded to pummel the Triple Changer into the ground. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Astrotrain participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive against the Autobots. During its initial stages, the battle swayed in the Decepticons’ favour, and Astrotrain fired away at Powerglide as the Decepticon triple-changer stood atop the defeated Red Alert. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{First|[[Infiltration issue 5|''Infiltration'' #5]]}}
[[File:Overthrown Astrotrain dropoff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]

When [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] wanted to have a peaceful chat with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Orion Pax]] in the early days of the Decepticon revolt, Astrotrain and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] held [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] hostage to make sure Orion didn't get any funny ideas. {{storylink|The Hunt for Soundwave}} This went well until Autobot reinforcements arrived, at which point Astrotrain was punched out by [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|Cause and Effect}} He later transported the Decepticons back to [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] after they saved Orion Pax from [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s attack on [[Nyon]]. {{storylink|Choices}} Astrotrain later dropped Orion Pax and Megatron into Zeta Prime's citadel and after Zeta Prime's death, Megatron broke the alliance between him and Orion's unit. {{storylink|Overthrown}} When Megatron was defeated in combat with Orion-turned-Optimus Prime, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] brought him to safety him by flying past on Astrotrain and grabbing him off the ground. {{storylink|Endgame}}

Looking to punish Megatron for leading the Decepticons into defeat, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] had Astrotrain carry his damaged leader into space and drop him off near [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]]. {{storylink|Derelicts}} Following a failed attack on [[Starsreach Spaceport]], [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s troops retreated on board Astrotrain, who brought them to the [[Toraxxis mega-refinery|Toraxxis crater]] on Scorponok's orders. {{storylink|Unleashed}} Astrotrain then took [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] to the planet of [[Canis Tor]] in order to recruit the wayward [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] back into the Decepticon fold. {{storylink|Primacy issue 2|Primacy #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor1-woops.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

In the wake of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s world-ending rampage, {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 1|Stormbringer #1}}, Cybertron left was unable to support life and as the Cybertronian race fled to the stars Astrotrain fell under Starscream's command. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} In the mid-19th century, Starscream formed a brief alliance with a swarm of [[Dire Wraith]]s led by [[Vekktral]] in the hopes of stealing an [[energon synthesizer]] that had been developed by the [[Solstar Order]] to nourish their Cybertronian recruit [[Stardrive]]. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

Astrotrain adopted a new [[alternate mode]] based off a [[Galactic Council]] shuttle and used it to ferry the Wraiths, disguised as Council representatives, to the Solstar Order station ''[[Orchid Crossing]]'' over the icy world of [[Xetaxxis]]. Vekktral soon revealed himself as a Wraith imposter and Astrotrain transformed into robot mode and opened fire on the [[Space Knight]]s, killing [[Auxin]], before he himself was pinned down by [[Sata]]. The situation quickly worsened when the Autobots arrived, {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}} and an attempt by the Dire Wraiths to assimilate [[Sky Blast (G1)|Sky Blast]] turned him into an uncontrollable monster. Deciding to use the chaos to his advantage, Starscream told Astrotrain to aid him in retrieving the synthesizer, which was cut short when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] sabotaged the station and sent it tumbling towards the planet below. Starscream ordered Astrotrain to evacuate the Dire Wraiths in his shuttle mode; as the Decepticons and Wraiths regrouped, Vekktral used Astrotrain's sensors to deduce that the Wraith/Cybertronian hybrid had survived reentry.
{{storylink|Shining Armor issue 2|Shining Armor #2}}

[[File:ShiningArmor3-AstrotrainAndVekktral.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|[[Vekktral|He]]'s goin' off the rails on a crazy train.]]
The Decepticons caught up with the monster as it rampaged through a [[Xetaxxan|Xetaxxian]] village and eventually burned itself out, though Vekktral was enthusiastic about trying again, Starscream made it clear that it wouldn't be his men that Vekktral sacrificed. While Starscream and the [[Conehead]]s headed off to retrieve the synthesizer from the wreckage, Astrotrain hung back with Vekktral and his Wraiths to spring a trap for the Autobots. When a group of Xetaxxans — preying on [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] 's sympathy for the natives — revealed themselves as Wraiths, Astrotrain crashed through a wall to ferry Vekktral into battle, forcing Magnus to fight a rearguard action while Bumblebee and Sata made a beeline for the station. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 3|Shining Armor #3}}

In the ensuing melee, Astrotrain wisely stuck to the sidelines and merely watched as Magnus battled — and eventually succumbed to — the swarm of Wraiths, observing with some discomfort as Vekktral used his [[magic]] to merge with the Autobot into another monstrous fusion. Astrotrain rejoined the other Decepticons as the Wraith-Magnus led the charge against the Autobot-Knight alliance... but was unprepared for Vekktral to backstab his mechanical allies, intending to turn them into more Wraith hybrids. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 4|Shining Armor #4}} Ensnared by Wraiths, Astrotrain was rescued by Blitzwing; the two Triple Changers joined Starscream as he announced a new plan: to grab the synthesizer and get off world as fast as possible. Stardrive tailed them and managed to rip off Starscream's wings, forcing Astrotrain to carry their humiliated leader offworld as the Seeker detonated the energon synthesizer so that the Autobots couldn't have it either. {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 5|Shining Armor #5}}

[[File:Infiltration5 AstrotrainImwaiting.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|Not even alien invasions can stop Astrotrain from updating his blog.]]

A century later, Astrotrain was still a part of Starscream's squad, now operating under the [[infiltration protocol]]. They arrived and worked covertly on [[Earth]] for at least four years, working to destabilize Earth's governing organizations and create global anarchy. Astrotrain oversaw the extraction and refinement of the mysterious, Energon-like substance, [[Ore-13]], {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} but despite having sampled its power, he was unwilling to stand alongside Starscream against Megatron. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Later on, he took Starscream's place as the Earthbound Decepticon Infiltration Unit's second-in-command under Megatron, and continued to oversee the Ore-13 research. {{storylink|Escalation issue 1|Escalation #1}} During Megatron's scheme to escalate the tensions between [[Brasnya]] and [[Russia]], Astrotrain served as air cover for their ground forces, but was severely damaged by [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}} and later retreated.

After being humiliated in battle with Optimus Prime, Megatron ordered [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]] to come to Earth several phases before his presence is normally requested. Upon hearing this, the wire in Astrotrain's forehead nearly exploded, but Megatron told him to shut up. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[File:Man&Machine3 Uselesshumans.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left]]
Astrotrain was involved in Megatron's plot in the country of Latveria. He helped supercharge his fellow Decepticons with energy siphoned from [[Spider-Man]] as part of the Decepticons' "[[Mirror response mode]]." {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} While other Decepticons helped fend off the combined forces of the Autobots and the Avengers, Astrotrain remained within the Decepticons' Latverian installation at Megatron's side. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} When Megatron headed outside to deal with the opposition personally, Spider-Man broke free of his restraints, and Astrotrain attempted to subdue the super-hero once more. Unexpectedly, he was stunned by [[Doctor Doom]], the human villain being spiteful over Megatron's recent betrayal. After Earth's heroes managed to destroy the "Psycho-Prism" integral to Megatron's scheme, the Decepticon leader recognized that the current mission no longer served a purpose. Megatron warped Astrotrain and the rest of his troops away from the battlefield before retreating himself. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

Witnessing his leader straying further from protocol every nano-klik but knowing none of them would dare tell Megatron he was wrong, Astrotrain decided to do the unthinkable, something no sane Transformer would ever do except as a very last resort: deliberately reactivate Starscream so he could do it ''for'' them. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}}

[[File:Devastation6 shownomercy.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Don't cross the streams, Astrotrain!]]
When the alien [[Reaper]]s suddenly attacked their headquarters, {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}} Astrotrain left his post (forcing Blitzwing to cover for him) to plot how to exploit the situation with Starscream (though he was openly concerned if the plan failed they'd be dead). The plan worked: Starscream successfully removed Sixshot from the board and attacked the Reapers, at which point Astrotrain popped up in the command bunker to go "look at how brave Starscream is bravely attacking the Reapers by himself!". Megatron deduced what was going on behind his back, but instead of punishment, led the Decepticons into battle. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} After the destruction of the Reapers, Astrotrain expressed surprise at their victory and callously declared that the deaths of [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] were acceptable losses. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[File:AHM3 Astrotrain.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|left|Somebody didn't mind the gap.]]
A year later, the Decepticons on Earth, including Astrotrain, defeated the Autobots on the planet in a mighty battle. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} As the Decepticons subsequently began conquering the planet, Astrotrain carried on being by-the-book and tactically minded in the attack on [[New York City]], suggesting they send the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] to handle ground forces to avoid ballistic attacks. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 2|All Hail Megatron #2}} [[Marissa Faireborn]] would watch as Astrotrain and his fellow Decepticons went on a rampage through the city. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 2: Detonation Boulevard|Detonation Boulevard}}

He also took to the subway lines in locomotive form to eradicate the humans hiding in the subway stations. Inexplicably, his train mode was seen to resemble an outdated steam locomotive instead of the diesel freight engine it had been a year earlier. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 3|All Hail Megatron #3}} Astrotrain was one of many Decepticons to listen to Megatron's speech about conquest. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} He later watched Starscream try to take control of the Decepticons using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], although the revolt was interrupted by the arrival of human jets from [[Europe]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} This was soon followed by the return of the exiled Autobots, at which point Astrotrain wrestled with [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] and laughed at the Autobots when they were seemingly retreating (in reality, they were just [[Omega Supreme (G1)|making room]]). Astrotrain was then tackled into a building by Roadbuster, who commented that the Decepticon was a "lightweight". {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} Megatron and his army were defeated, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}} and Astrotrain served as their escape vehicle as they fled Earth. {{storylink|Uneasy Lies the Head}}

[[File:HeartlikeawheelAstrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Three years later, Astrotrain was stationed on the desolate asteroid base where Starscream was in charge. He responded to [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]'s infiltration of the base, but ended up running straight past the intruder without noticing. {{storylink|Heart Like a Wheel}} When Megatron finally returned to take back command, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons watched him brutally punish Starscream for his actions. {{storylink|Spotlight: Megatron}} They then followed Megatron back to Earth for revenge. There, Astrotrain was present when Megatron was approached by a lone Optimus Prime, and was ordered to stop the Autobot when he apparently tried to escape. As it turned out, Prime was only getting some distance away from the imminent impact of a satellite he had arranged to be dropped on the Decepticons from space. Astrotrain and his comrades were blown sky high from the ensuing explosion. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine|Enemy Mine}}

Megatron then let himself be captured by the Autobots and taken to Cybertron, where he used the [[space bridge]] technology built into in his new body to summon Astrotrain and the other Decepticons who were waiting on Earth. {{storylink|The Question}} At first they did battle with the Autobots, but were soon mind-controlled by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] into combining with his [[Sweep (G1)|Sweep]] army and forming a huge monster. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} After the war, Astrotrain was among a Cybertronian crowd recruited by Starscream to pressure [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] into revealing one of his secret discoveries below ground on Cybertron. After following Starscream underground, they witnessed [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], a dying [[Titan (group)|Titan]], declare that Starscream was the Cybertronian destined to unite their whole race. Astrotrain and the other Cybertronians celebrated by carrying Starscream on their shoulders through Iacon. {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things|All Good Things}}

[[File:BeforeTheDawn AstrotrainSkracratssh.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
In spite of his support of Starscream, Astrotrain's true loyalty lay with Shockwave and Soundwave, who were secretly in contact with Megatron. As part of Megatron's plan, he and the other loyalists were captured by a mind-controlled Prowl and taken to the [[Black Room]], {{storylink|The End of the Beginning of the World}} where they were upgraded into new forms in preparation of their leader's return. {{storylink|The Verge}} Astrotrain then proceeded to aid Blitzwing in capturing a mixed group of Autobots and [[NAIL|neutrals]] sent to investigate Prowl, running over [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] and breaking off his arm in the process. {{storylink|Before the Dawn}} While it looked like the Decepticons had the upper hand, Astrotrain was taken off guard along with the others when [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] revealed her true loyalties to the Autobots and killed [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. In the Decepticons' resulting escape from the Black Room, Astrotrain helped provide covering fire. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} The Decepticons went on to fight the Autobots over control of Iacon, but the battle ended with Megatron defeated and Starscream rising to leadership of the neutrals. Starscream's first action was to exile all Autobots and Decepticons who refused to abandon their factions, including Astrotrain. {{storylink|Heavy Is the Head}}

[[File:Winners&Losers-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Astrotrain lost his caboose.]]

Out in the wilderness, Soundwave declared that he would lead the Decepticons to hunt down the deserted Shockwave, but Astrotrain and Blitzwing were sick of listening to him after their recent failure and rebelled. They attacked the communications expert and fought his cassettes until the fight was broken up by [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] and Soundwave left to confront Shockwave alone. {{storylink|Shockpoint}} He soon returned and tried to rally Astrotrain and the other Decepticons again, claiming they had to save all Cybertron from Shockwave's machinations. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}} As the Decepticon forces converged on Shockwave's newly arrived [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], they ran into the exiled Autobots and a battle broke out. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} They were rudely interrupted when the Necrotitan suddenly unleashed an energy wave that gravely wounded soldiers on both sides, among them Astrotrain. {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}}

Having lost his legs and an arm to the death wave, Astrotrain was carried to safety and guarded by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. He let his defenders borrow his binoculars, explaining he had bad eyes but kept this secret so Megatron wouldn't consider him a liability. {{storylink|No Exit: Dark Cybertron Chapter 6|No Exit}} Astrotrain wound up at the Autobots' wasteland camp, and when the Necrotitan was defeated by [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]], he and the other death wave victims were cured from its corruption. He also got his limbs back somehow. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} He celebrated the victory by going to [[Swerve's]] to drink and sing alongside both Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} The celebrations came to an end when Shockwave put his final plan into action and summoned an army of [[Ammonite]]s to Cybertron, forcing all Autobots and Decepticons to fight back. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}}

[[File:TheMindBomb-SpaceBus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|In case that "Astrotrain" trademark falls through.]]
Following Shockwave's defeat, Astrotrain fell under the command of new Decepticon leader Galvatron, who took his troops to Earth under Soundwave's advice of starting a new approach to peace there. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 4: Full Fathom Five|Full Fathom Five}} When an enraged Galvatron went on a rampage in their ship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Astrotrain tried to calm him down only to end up redirecting the rage at himself. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 3: The Mind Bomb|The Mind Bomb}} When the ''Nemesis'' was brought down by Prowl during the Autobots' attack on the [[Earth Defense Command]]'s [[Marshall Islands|Bikini Atoll]] base, Astrotrain was injured and had to be pulled out of the wreckage by Blitzwing. {{storylink|Earthfall Part 5: I Dream of Wires|I Dream of Wires}}

[[File:SouthOfHeaven-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Astrotrain then ended up taking Galvatron to a swamp for a secret meeting with Arcee. Astrotrain was a little stupefied when Galvatron offered to kill him after Arcee expressed annoyance at his not coming alone, and was also not happy about the bugs infesting the area; his intake manifolds got full of them, and a rather large one startled him when it flew up to his face. {{storylink|Now and On Earth}} Astrotrain next transported some tanks of oxygen, along with a group of Decepticons and humans, to the Decepticons' [[Jupiter]] commune, which was in the midst of being constructed (and which he considered to be a much better place to visit than a swamp). He thought the docking process could have been a little gentler, but didn't hold any ill feelings against the [[Stockbridge|human crew member]] responsible. {{storylink|South of Heaven}}

As the Decepticons made preparations to board the Autobots' [[Ark-7|ship]] and seize its space bridge, Astrotrain wondered how long it would be before the craft's power ran out and the force field surrounding it was gone. He also expressed confusion at the idea that Galvatron had ever been young. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 1: Aphelion|Aphelion}}

Soon after, Astrotrain and the Decepticon elite were summoned to Shanghai, China by Galvatron, as the Decepticon invasion of Earth was to begin. {{storylink|Conquerors Part 4: Perihelion|Perihelion}}. When Optimus Prime and his forces arrived in Shanghai, Astrotrain and the rest of the Decepticons present engaged with them. He was one of the Decepticons teleported away from the battle when the [[People's Liberation Army Mecha Force]] attacked the battling Cybertronians. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 1: Once Upon a Time on Earth|Once Upon a Time on Earth}} He dropped Galvatron off at the Copahua volcano for his "appointment" with Arcee, then later picked him up. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 3: The Medium and the Message|The Medium and the Message}}

[[File:ItsBeginningToAndBackAgain TeamGalvatronus.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
He was once again among Galvatron's Decepticons fighting forces defending the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' at the bottom of the ocean. When Galvatron turned the Earth into a giant [[Enigma of Combination]], Astrotrain was forcibly combined with [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]], [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]], and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] into [[Galvatronus (CW)|Galvatronus]] (Astrotrain formed the left leg). Galvatronus punched [[Victorion]] and grappled with [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] with support from two [[Seeker clone]]s. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 4: It's Beginning To And Back Again|It's Beginning To And Back Again}} After Superion disabled the Earth Enigma, Galvatronus was disassembled into his components. Galvatron ordered Astrotrain to carry him away from the battle while under fire from [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], leaving the rest of the Decepticons behind. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 5: As Above...So Below|As Above...So Below}}

[[File:NoFairFight-AstrotrainDies.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"Then there was trouble..."]]
The two fled in the direction of [[Sanctuary Station]], but were pursued into space by [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and Arcee. Galvatron shot and disabled Cosmos, who was then able to shoot Astrotrain in the engine, forcing him to enter Jupiter's atmosphere. They were pursued further into Jupiter's atmosphere, but could not land due to Jupiter being a gas giant. Astrotrain tried to convince Galvatron to let him retreat to the space station, claiming he would be able to get free somehow, but Galvatron told him he was not yet through serving the Decepticon cause. Galvatron sacrificed Astrotrain by flinging him in his disabled shuttle mode at Arcee, who trisected him with her swords. {{storylink|All Hail Optimus Part 6: No Fair Fights|No Fair Fights}}

His divided body was subsequently infected by an alien organism that altered his physiology, keeping his [[brain module]] alive, and seemingly moved him back to Earth where the three pieces crashed in different locations. They were targeted by [[V.E.N.O.M.]] and [[Destro]], who sought to use the organism as a genetic weapon, but [[M.A.S.K.]] and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] put a stop to their plan by retrieving them first. {{storylink|The Deathstone}}

====Spotlight: Mirage====
With the Autobots reduced to a small rag-tag rabble, Astrotrain accompanied Starscream's small strike team to the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]]. Astrotrain and Blitzwing both attacked Optimus Prime after the mercenary [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] destroyed the Autobot bunker's security system, allowing the Decepticons in. Astrotrain avoided death when Mirage forced Prime to lower his weapon in exchange for [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]'s life. He could barely hold Prime back as Mirage executed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], losing his grip when the furious Autobot leader attacked the mercenary.

But it was all Mirage's dream... or was it? {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Astrotrain HOS.jpg|left|thumb|That's Mister The Astrotrain.]]
Referred to as ''the'' Astrotrain, he was a black-and-purple locomotive, with a retracted propeller on the front and batwings along the side.

The Decepticons built (or modified) the Astrotrain to be the locomotive engine pulling their battle train to [[New York City]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} En route he rammed through an Army blockade undamaged, but ended up driving off a cliff thanks to [[John Henry]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], and apparently falling to his destruction... despite having wings. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}
{{--}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Astrotrain loaned out his right hand to serve as a prop for [[BotCon 2006]]. Though he hoped to get it right back after the convention, it didn't seem that would be the case. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei astrotrain pack in.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Astrotrain was one of the Decepticons who accompanied Megatron in his attacks on Earth in the 21st century. He was first seen going on a rampage in the Japanese district of [[Shinjuku]], forcibly pushing a train along from behind while in his own train mode, threatening to derail it. [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Mirage]] and [[Grimlock (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Grimlock]] arrived to save the train, prompting Astrotrain to switch to shuttle mode and take off through the city, shattering windows and forcing [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Bumblebee]] to shield human bystanders from the rain of glass with their own bodies. He then transformed into [[robot mode]] and began battling the Autobots, who were unaware he was merely staging a diversion so the other Decepticons could raid a power plant. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} The powerful Triple-Changer had the Autobots on the ropes until their newest ally, [[Hot Rod (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in manga|Rodimus]], arrived to join the fight. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Generations'' manga===
When the [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] of another universe attempted to attack [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], Astrotrain and [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] defended their leader. However, Starscream possessed Onslaught and used his body to knock out Astrotrain. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===
Astrotrain was among the small group of Decepticons serving under [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Megatron]] who departed Cybertron in pursuit of the [[Energon cube#Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bun pack-in manga|Energon Cube]]. When the Cube crash-landed on Earth and shattered into fragments, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and machinery to remain hidden while searching for the shards.

Eleven years after the crash of the Cube, when [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ramjet]] and [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Starscream]] found themselves battling the Autobots in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]], Ramjet put in the call to Astrotrain. Astrotrain passed the message on to Megatron, who departed the Decepticons' warehouse base to join the fight. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}}

Some time later, Astrotrain joined Starscream and Ramjet in attacking a hydroelectric power plant, and easily fended off the leaderless Autobots who resisted them, as [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Optimus Prime]] was incapacitated at the time. Astrotrain took down [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Bumblebee]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Mirage]] single-handedly, then transformed to shuttle mode so the other Decepticons could load the [[energon cube]]s they had gathered. When the revived Optimus Prime came speeding onto the scene soon after, Astrotrain quickly took off in a bid for escape, but was struck by a powered-up blast from Prime's [[ion blaster]] and disappeared in a colossal explosion. However, he was barely able to make it back to the Decepticons' undersea base to deliver the stolen energon cubes, but was denied any usage by [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Cyclonus]]. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} Astrotrain did not reappear again throughout the Transformers' battles on Earth.

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 2}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 3}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 5}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 9}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 14}}}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Fated Rival, Once Again...}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}}}}

===''Kre-O'' comic===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-5-Astrotrain.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.5]]
Astrotrain was part of a massive Decepticon invasion force intended to ruin the Autobots' picnic. However, [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] plowed through them with his truck and left them scattered... and then left. Returning to the scene after.. ''ahem'', taking care of some pressing business, Optimus gathered up the still-wiped-out Kreons, bound them up on a flatbed trailer, and took them to the picnic. {{storylink|Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[Image:tfvsgi the astrotrain.jpg|thumb|350px]]
The Astrotrain, "the Hell Ride", was an old foe of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}} and shuttled captured prisoners to the [[Polyhex Killway]] and the horrifying [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. These passengers included some squishy humans, [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and [[Scarlett]], who sneaked aboard him. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}} Shortly after, just before the destruction of Earth, Astrotrain engaged Omega once more and was soundly trounced. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
Astrotrain was one of the many Decepticons who pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material===
Partnered with the [[Titan Master]] [[Darkmoon]], who granted him cloaking ability, {{storylink|Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Titans Return|''Titans Return'' Darkmoon/Astrotrain toy bio}} Astrotrain was part of a group of Decepticons dispatched to [[Jungle Planet (colony)|Eukaris]] in the hopes of intercepting [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Clobber]]. While the other Decepticons set up an ultimately bungled ambush, Astrotrain swooped down to try and capture the two Autobots. Later, Astrotrain was present for a Decepticon attack led by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters}}

===''Win If You Dare''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Go for the Gold}}}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Astrotrain-art.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|left|Much like my cartoon appearance [[#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|below]], I show up to places and do nothing.]]

{{bigquote|In confusion there is opportunity.}}

On Cybertron, Astrotrain was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Space Force Transport Captain]], whose function was transport. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> During the war for Cybertron, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] was dispatched to [[Protihex]] as part of his patrol. While there, he detected the presence of Astrotrain and reported to [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]] that the superhighway's waypoint had been compromised. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

With Cybertron's fate sealed and the Autobots gone, the Decepticons followed them closely through space aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' in pursuit of the [[AllSpark]]. During this period, Astrotrain's primary objective on this mission was creating confusion and his primary weapon was the "Ionic Displacer Blaster". {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/earthrise ''Earthrise'' website]</ref>

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Marcus Clark-Oliver]] (English), [[Taichi Takeda]] (Japanese)|[[Kevin Kraus]] (German), [[Sergio Becerril]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Mike Fédée]] (French)}}
[[File:WFC-Kingdom-Ep1-Astrotrain-prepared.jpg|thumb|250px|]]

Astrotrain was among the Decepticon troops that attacked the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' after its location had been discovered. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}} When the ship managed to escape through a space bridge, Astrotrain joined Megatron's crew to pursue it aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. However, their subsequent battle with the ''Ark'' resulted in a team of Autobots led by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] taking control of the bridge. Astrotrain and the other Decepticons present surrendered in response. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

Following the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crash on [[Earth]], Astrotrain was among the Decepticons attending to the ship's damage. He later accompanied Megatron outside to check a perimeter breach reported by Soundwave, where they encountered the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], one of which identifying himself as [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 1}}

Patrolling the halls of the ''Nemesis'', Astrotrain encountered [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], who was supposed to be guarding their prisoner, the [[Maximal]] scout [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], and was put on edge. However, he saw nothing out of the ordinary, missing [[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] due to him clinging to a ceiling. He eventually caught Rattrap outside Airazor's cell and closed in on the little Maximal only to be sent flying by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], took advantage of his unconscious state to impersonate him. Though he quickly awakened, he was overpowered by the disguised Mirage and trapped in a prison cell along with [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] while Mirage, Rattrap, and Airazor escaped. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}}

Having been freed from his earlier predicament, Astrotrain participated in another assault on the ''Ark''. This time, the Autobots gained the upper hand on account of the ''Ark'' assuming a massive robot mode. Astrotrain and the other Decepticons were captured and imprisoned aboard the ''Ark'' as the ship returned to Cybertron. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 5}} Astrotrain was locked in a stasis field until he was freed to partake in a climactic showdown against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]], which ended with the arrival of spark spirits. After [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]]'s spirit bought a swift end to the threat, Astrotrain and the other Decepticons came together with the Autobots to mark a tentative end to the Great War before departing under Megatron's command. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}
{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The Change In Your Nature Part Four|''Transformers'' #16]]}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePart4-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|left|300px|I'm the last of the good ol' puffer trains. I'm the last of the soot and scum brigade. And all this peaceful living is drivin' me insane.]]

Astrotrain was a member of [[The Rise]], acting as transport for [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and "[[Team Stream]]" as they attacked a [[Titan Net]] subsidiary hub thanks to his large-scale size. The Rise injected a [[data-bomb]] into the hub to disable all the orbiting [[Titan (group)|Titans]] save [[Vigilem]] whom [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] imparted new orders on. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} Once Vigilem moved into action, Slipstream ordered her team to depart before [[Security Operations]] arrived. Though Astrotrain was confident he could defeat anything Security threw at them, Slipstream deemed a confrontation unnecessary and reiterated her command. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

[[File:Transformers-2019-17-Team Stream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right]]
Later, Astrotrain brought Team Stream to the [[Winged Moon]] on a mission to claim its energon. {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} However, an engineering team on the moon fortified the control center with barricades and booby traps that kept the Rise out. Worse, Astrotrain detected an incoming threat -- [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] of [[Colonial Security]]. Astrotrain engaged him, but Sky Lynx's other section landed Security forces on the moon for Team Stream to deal with. In the end, the energon stockpile was destroyed. Astrotrain evacuated the Rise and returned them to Cybertron. {{storylink|War World: Moon|Moon}}

Astrotrain and Team Stream ambushed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] when he visited the [[immersant]] site of his mentor, [[Codexa]]. His [[Senate Guard|Guard]] got the Prime to safety, though, with the sacrifice of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Astrotrain personally delivered the final blow bringing down the [[Great General]]. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part One}}

At the direction of Shockwave, Astrotrain intercepted a meteor passing by Cybertron. It carried the lost combiner, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], whom Astrotrain safely transported to the surface of Cybertron. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

===Energon Universe===
[[File:TF2023 no. 8 – Astrotrain Stomps Thundercracker.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25|"I'm going to start beating you now. I don't know when I'll stop."]]
Long ago, Astrotrain had been sealed within the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' by Megatron, being aboard when it launched after the ''Ark''. When the ship crashed, Astrotrain remained in his prison for a century before being released at [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s orders when [[Decepticon High Command]] returned to claim the ship. Exiting his prison, Astrotrain began beating up [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], demanding to know where Megatron was. Unable to provide that information, Soundwave simply promised that whenever the Decepticon leader was found, he would be given over to Astrotrain for justice. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}}
[[File:TF2023 no. 9 – Astrotrain Captures Spike.jpg|right|''"We're going on a trip, in our favorite rocket ship!"''|thumb|upright=1.25]]
At Soundwave's order, Astrotrain went to collect [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], intended as a peace offering to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Astrotrain found the boy at [[Farmingham Hosptial]]. Though he stated he did not wish to hurt lesser beings, Astrotrain threatened to kill everyone in the building if Spike was not handed over per his leader's orders. Hoping to save the people's lives, Spike surrendered himself. Impressed by the boy's bravery, Astrotrain transformed to space shuttle mode and took off back to the ''Nemesis'' with Spike. On the way, he explained to Spike the dire situation Cybertron was in and that Earth's resources were needed to sustain it. He also explained that Shockwave would no doubt want to torture Spike to find out more about the human species. Just then, Astrotrain's engines shut off, sending him crashing to the ground. He was then broken into by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]], who had come to save Spike. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 9|Transformers #9}}

Beachcomber subsequently tied up Astrotrain in chains as he and Spike got acquainted. Beachcomber offered Astrotrain some [[energon]] only for the [[Triple Changer]] to promise to kill Beachcomber, slowly, if he was let free. When the light from the [[space bridge]] flared, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself passed through the portal, Astrotrain recognizing the planet's arrival as Shockwave's doing. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 10|Transformers #10}}

{{ongoing}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
* Astrotrain battles against both [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]. As more Autobots joined the fray, Astrotrain feigned a retreat in his locomotive mode, only to take to the air and double back in his shuttle mode as the busted rails came to an end. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Triple Changers and Perceptor|Triple Changers and Perceptor commercial}}
* Astrotrain and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] had the Autobots [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] pinned down, until [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]] arrived to turn the tide of battle. Though the Decepticon triple-changers attempted to flee, their Autobot counterparts were able to keep pace by rapidly shifting through all three of their modes. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sandstorm, Broadside, Octane|Sandstorm, Broadside, and Octane commercial}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{bigquote|Astrotrain, the triplechanger! With space shuttle and train engine forms, this is the ultimate transporter. He carries the logistical burden of the Decepticons' evil plans!|The [[narrator]]|''[[The Transformers (G1 PS2)|The Transformers]]''}}
{{voiceactor|[[Russ Veillard]] (English)}}

====Autobot story====
Megatron sent Astrotrain to collect the energy they had drained from the [[Monogan Hydroelectric Power Station]]. When Astrotrain was almost at the generator, he had caught up to a squad of Autobots who had come to stop the Decepticons. Astrotrain got the Autobots' attention by blowing his train whistle and approached them in his train form. When he reached the Autobots, he transformed to robot form and announced that all the energy at the power station belonged to the Decepticons. He told the Autobot squad his orders, warned them that he would destroy the Autobots if they got in his way, and threatened to show them the true power of a triple changer. Optimus Prime requested that Astrotrain leave, but the locomotive/space shuttle Transformer brushed this off with a "whatever", and engaged the Autobots. Despite his best efforts, Astrotrain was defeated. Optimus told the triple changer to fly back on his prized wings, back to Megatron. Realizing that he was defeated, Astrotrain decided to retreat, transforming to his space shuttle form and blasted off. He faced off the Autobots once again outside ELTA. Despite having already fought Snapdragon, Apeface, and countless Decepticon foot soldiers in between them all, the Autobots managed to overcome the triple changer once again.

====Decepticon story====
Astrotrain was a member of a team that Megatron sent to investigate a mysterious UFO that was spotted in the area of [[Zel Samine]]. Something caused the team to lose contact with the main Decepticon forces, and they found out that they could not leave the planet, as Zel's sun, [[Paradius]], emitted electromagnetic rays that was harmful to them. Unable to contact Megatron and with no way to leave the planet safely, Astrotrain and the others scattered across Zel.

The Decepticon forces went to Zel in order to investigate, and Astrotrain found the Decepticons while they were at the hydroelectric power station. He called out to them in his train mode and blew his whistle. He rolled up to them and transformed to robot mode once he was close enough, expressing relief for finding them as his energon supplies had been getting low. When Megatron announced that he was sure Astrotrain would be useful, Astrotrain assured him that he was great in fighting, not just for transporting. {{storylink|The Transformers (G1 PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Astrotrain, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of a Decepticon team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Autobots in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Bumblebee, Rodimus, Grimlock, Jetfire, and Optimus Prime, Astrotrain was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
After [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] crashed into a movie set, [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], and Astrotrain were sent to retrieve him and the weapon he was transporting. Unfortunately they got into an altercation with the Autobots and failed to destroy the film evidence of the crash, which subsequently made it into a blockbuster film. {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood (Legends)|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Astrotrain.jpg|thumb|400px]]
Astrotrain participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited after collecting 100 units of Cybermetal, 50 units of Transmetal, and 30 exclusive cores. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{-}}

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

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Astrotrain-EarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
Astrotrain was sent to the [[Enigma of Combination|Enigma]] battlefield to grab the Enigma so the Decepticons could make combiners. But he ran into [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. The two had some banter, until Astrotrain left, saying they would settle it later, Triple-changer to Triple-changer. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}

* '''Class''': Triple Changer
* '''Weapons''': Astrotrain dual wields large laser rifles to deal damage to whatever he targets.
* Abilities: Being a triple changer Astrotrain is available to two abilities!
** '''Defensive Perimeter''': Bombard all nearby targets with 8 missiles that deal 27 damage. Also puts up a defensive shield that attracts defensives!
** '''Aerial Support''': Rush to a friendly bot healing heath in a wide area when landing.
{{--}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Astrotrain was happy to serve as Megatron's primary troop transport, but his true desire was to create an army of loyal train drones. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}} Astrotrain picked up rumors that the Autobots were moving a large shipment of energon cubes to the East Coast via rail. However, the Autobot defense grid detected his movements, forcing him to lay low and call in a group of new Decepticon recruits to steal the energon for him. After providing some assistance to the rookies throughout their adventure, Astrotrain helped take down [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and successfully claimed the energon for the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Great Energon Robbery}}

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

==Notes==
[[File:TheTransformerTheMovie-Astrotrainexcaping.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Not shown: Thomas and the stationmaster's house.]]
* Astrotrain's peculiar mix of space shuttle and steam train may have been influenced by ''{{w|Night on the Galactic Railroad}}'', a seminal Japanese children's story about a train traveling through the Milky Way whose iconography inspired many later pieces of fiction in Japan.
* In an early Japanese sales catalog from 1985, the black and white Astrotrain was listed as an '''Autobot''' with the [[List of Japanese ID numbers|ID number]] 16, with [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]] being #17 (when released, Megatron was #16, while Astrotrain was #48). In fact, the more realistic black and white deco ''does'' look more like an Autobot...
* Paperwork from 8/15/1984 shown off by Bob Budiansky lists the then unnamed toys that would become Astrotrain and Blitzwing as Autobots, which is crossed off in pencil with "Decepticons" penciled in next to it.
*The opening battle of the [[The Transformers: The Movie (first draft)|original 1984 draft]] of Transformers the Movie features Rails, a giant fire breathing Autobot snake which turns into an old fashioned freight train and a flying "ULTRA TECH FUTURE TRAIN." Now based on the previous points it seems likely that this guy was intended to be the early Autobot version of the character. Writer [[Ron Friedman]] may have been told to include something like an "Autobot triple changer train" in his script and based on that limited description created Rails.
**In his autobiography Friedman seems to confirm this theory by recounting the opening sequence and Rails role in it referring to him as Astrotrain. He also dubiously claims to have created him. Expanding on the character's creation he states that he intended to surprise both the characters and the audience. Mission accomplished there, Ron.
* Astrotrain, along with Cosmos and Omega Supreme, was one of three space-faring characters added to the cartoon in 1985. In addition to the usual voice flanging given to the show's robotic characters, all three had an echoing reverberation applied to their voices, presumably to play up the "outer space" aspect.
* Astrotrain's voice in the Generation 1 cartoon contained a peculiarly-modulated flange effect, mixing a normal voice with a higher-pitched version of the same recording.
* While Astrotrain does not appear in the [[The Transformers: Stormbringer|''Stormbringer'' comic series]] (due in part to him being on Earth at the time), the trade paperback includes a design sketch for a Triple Changer which appears to be intended as Astrotrain's pre-Earth Cybertronian form.
* In the [[2005 IDW continuity]] during [[Simon Furman]] and [[E. J. Su]]'s run, Astrotrain's flight mode was originally depicted as a realistically rendered space vehicle, while his train mode was a modern diesel-electric locomotive akin to a {{w|GE U28C|General Electric U28C model}}... with a decidedly non-standard giant cannon mounted on the engine cowling. From ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'' onward, however, Astrotrain's robot mode was reworked to better resemble his ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' toy... but rather than transforming into that toy's bullet train form, he instead becomes a purple D62 steam locomotive like his original toy.
*According to [[Darren Warren Johnson]], Astrotrain's depiction in the Energon Universe is modelled on Donny "the Bear Jew" Donowitz from ''{{w|Inglourious Basterds}}''.
{{--}}

===Character models===
[[File:AstrotrainCharacterModel.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|That ass be fly, yo. (''Final robot mode models pictured'')]]
* Astrotrain has at least three robot mode [[character model]]s that are known to exist:
** The first is a design that features a lot of extra lines and details on his arms, torso and legs. This model has a gray helmet and mostly gray wings.
** The second is the same model design, just with a purple helmet, which can be seen off and on throughout episodes animated by [[AKOM]] and the [[unknown Generation 1 animation studios]]. This could easily be written off as an [[animation error]], but given the rather large frequency it appears in the cartoon in non-[[Toei Animation|Toei]]-animated episodes, it would seem a variant like this existed.
** The third is his final model, which removes a lot of the details and redesigns the way his lower legs merge with his feet. The colors of this model follow a similar guideline to the second one, however; the wings have more purple covering them than gray.
* Astrotrain's [[robot mode]] models were based on an early prototype of his toy, with a different head design and color scheme. However, like most of the new season 2 characters, it is apparent that his character model was created with only a front-facing photo of the toy for reference—a mistransformed photo in Astrotrain's case, which did not have his shuttle tailfin unfolded into its chestplate form, leading to it being left out from future revisions of his models and by extension, his cartoon and comic book appearances. Additionally, the train mode panels on the sides of his legs were left folded into the train mode positions, leaving the two protruding wheels exposed, thus giving Astrotrain a pair of random gray wheels jutting off of his otherwise detail-less legs in his character models.
* With the lack of any rear-view toy references, the animation model artist(s) designed two entirely distinct rear-view robot mode models for Astrotrain:
** The first design features detailed wings that incorporates circular shapes which are reminiscent of either the toy's space shuttle thrusters or the train wheels—though it's not entirely certain if that was the intention by the artist/s or whether they were just made up greebles. This model was used in the [[Commercial/Generation 1|toy commercial]] advertising the [[1985]] [[Triple Changer]]s and a few scenes in the episode "[[Triple Takeover]]". This model so far, has yet to surface to the wider public.
** The second design (aka the final design) places the shuttle mode tailfin on his back (see right).
* Astrotrain's pre-final front-facing model was published in [[The Ark series|''The Ark'' series]] books alongside his final rear-view robot mode model and final vehicle mode models. This is down to the availability of animation models [[Jim Sorenson]] owned or had access to at the time of the book's creation.
* Due to the prominence of his Generation 1 cartoon animation model, Astrotrain is typically depicted without a chestplate in fiction and most toys. Both his pre-final and final models also feature two eyes, even though the original toy has a visor. The separate eyes were also used for subsequent depictions of the character in fiction, as well as his subsequent toys.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''Astrotrain''' (アストロトレイン ''Asutorotorein'')
* ''Hungarian:'' '''Űrvonat''' ("Space Train"), '''Űrmozdony''' ("Space Engine", first ''The Movie'' dub)
* ''Italian:'' '''Triplex Uno''' ("Triplex One")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''Tàikōng Huǒchē''' (Taiwan, 太空火車, "Space Train"), '''Dà Huǒchē''' (China, 大火车, "Big Train")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''Astro-Comboio''' (Portugal, "Astro-Train")
* ''Russian:'' '''Astropoyezd''' (Астропоезд, "Astrotrain")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''Astrotyag''' (Астротяг, "Astrohauler")

==External links==
* [https://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/Astrotrain_template.html Original Hasbro Astrotrain, original Takara Astrotrain and Takara reissue Astrotrain at TF-1.com]
* [https://www.tf-1.com/articles/reissue/Animeastro_template.html e-Hobby Astrotrain and original Astrotrain at TF-1.com]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Decepticon starships]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 combiners]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 gods]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Decepticons]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Decepticons]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]
[[Category:Regeneration One zombies]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Decepticons]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Titans Return Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Decepticons]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]
[[Category:War Within Predacons]]

Action Master

2024-08-27T03:42:14Z

Pointblank:

[[File:Logo-ActionMastersAlt.png||350px|center]]
[[File:Neutro-fusiontank.jpg|upright=2.6|thumb|Alive! Alive! Alive!]]
Transformers who use [[Nucleon (substance)|Nucleon]] as a fuel source lose their [[transformation]] ability due to the fact that their figure alteration [[system]]s get converted into energy storage reactors. However, through this process, '''Action Masters''' become harder, better, faster, stronger and more alive. They have equipped themselves with transformable [[Action Master partner|partners]] and [[:Category:Action Master vehicles|vehicles]] to aid them in battle.

A few Action Masters managed to retain (or possibly regain) the ability to transform; they are known as [[Action Master Elite]]s.

Action Masters are among the few Transformers to feature [[Power Plans]] on the [[packaging]], in addition to the more traditional [[Tech Spec]] and [[bio]].

{{quote|Alt-modes are for '''wimps'''!|[[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]]'s in denial|[[Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|''Last Stand of the Wreckers'' #1]]}}

==Fiction==
===Toy packaging blurb===
[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] went searching for new energy sources and, within the heart of a [[black hole]] discovered Nucleon: a miracle fuel that made Transformers stronger, faster, and more alive, but cost them the ability to transform. Soon the Decepticons stole the technology and created Action Masters of their own, with [[Magmatrynon]] alloy being used for the construction of [[Action Master Exo-suit|exo-suits]].

{{note|This story was later referenced with the Japanese release of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Nucleon Quest Super Convoy]], a black repaint of Powermaster Optimus Prime who was given the backstory of being Prime specially outfitted for this trip into the black hole.}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] heard about a risky new miracle fuel on the planet [[Hydrus Four]]. Against orders he stole the non-functioning bodies of his fellow [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] and headed there to find out. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} What he discovered was a ruined world filled with [[Nucleon guardian|creepy, obsessive, rotting zombie-like beings]] warning him that it was all because of Nucleon. Being Grimlock, he then went ahead and used the fuel anyway, first on himself and then to revive his fallen teammates. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

Grimlock soon found parts of his body inexplicably seizing up, and began to fear that he should have listened to the creepy dying robots after all. {{storylink|...All This and Civil War 2}} After returning to the Ark Grimlock used the Nucleon to repair all the damaged Autobots in the ship's medical bay (as well as [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], whom he didn't know was there). {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Following the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]], Grimlock froze up entirely. It was then that [[Hi-Q]] (in the process of merging with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]) saw with "[[Powermaster]] eyes" that Grimlock wasn't malfunctioning, but changing. He used his Powermaster abilities to speed up the process and Grimlock burst forth in his new, more-powerful Action Master form. {{storylink|Still Life!}}

Meanwhile, Hi-Q's own mental merger with Prime was also accelerated by his contact with Nucleon. Soon afterward, the [[Last Autobot]] re-created Hi-Q as Optimus Prime in a new body. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

=====Another Time & Place=====
As time progressed more and more Autobots, including Prime, [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]], [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], also succumbed to mode-lock. [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and Slag were among the few that could still transform, but they had doubts that this would remain much longer. Hearing rumours of further developments on Hydrus Four, Grimlock led the Dinobots there to see if a cure could be found. Amidst a Decepticon ambush, he discovered a new version of Nucleon that lacked the side effects of the original and restored the ability to transform. {{storylink|Another Time & Place}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
The Decepticons on Earth had a team of Action Masters. These sinister types had the power to combine into ground stations, super-heavy vehicles and air units! {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 16|Transforming Robots in Action: The Case of Optimus Prime}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was still an Action Master.

===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
Optimus and Megatron's pre-G2 bodies share a striking similarity to their Action Master toys. Likewise Optimus Prime has been documented as searching out a New Energy source called Nucleon that's located within a black hole. Finally, Optimus Prime's Action Master was sold with New Years Convoy, and described as the intermediate form between Prime's various G2 Bodies. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Monoformer}}
In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], nucleon does not appear to affect ability to transform. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} {{storylink|Cybertronian Homesick Blues}} {{storylink|The Permanent Revolution|The Permanent Revolution}} However, some Cybertronians had their [[transformation cog]]s removed for medical, political or religious reasons, and were known as [[monoformer]]s. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} {{storylink|Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
After the starship ''[[Iron Hope (G1)|Iron Hope]]'' crash-landed far from Cybertron, the surviving crew—who would come to be known as the "''Iron Hope'' Hundred"—were forced to subsist on nucleon, rendering them permanently [[mode lock]]ed. Survivors of the disaster included [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]], who was locked in robot mode, and [[Catgut]], who was locked in a quadrupedal form. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: All Fall Down|All Fall Down}} As well as [[Axer (G1)|Axer]], [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] {{storylink|Tread & Circuits Part 2}} and [[Charger]], although his partner [[Fire Beast|Fire Beast's]] ability to combine might exclude him. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Swindle's II|Swindle's II}} Members of the Hundred found themselves victims of discrimination, especially on alt-mode oriented colonies like [[Velocitron]]. A number of these mode-locked bots made use of [[Exo-suit (Action Masters)|exo-suits]] or [[Off-Road Cycle|personal vehicles]] as essentially mobility aids, able to provide them additional speed and power in lieu of alternate modes. {{storylink|Tread & Circuits Part 2}}

Upon learning that her teleport rig used nucleon as a fuel source, Jumpstream noted that the substance was notorious for causing mode-locking. Perceptor pointed out to her that it took sustained amounts of nucleon abuse over a long period of time to affect one's physiology. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight I|Test Flight I}}

====Alternate future====
In an alternate future where [[Exarchon]] had triumphed, he began beaming Cybertron's energon supply into space, forcing the resistance to use nucleon, depriving them all of their [[alternate mode]]s. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Test Flight II|Test Flight II}}

==Reception and legacy==
{{quote|I DEFINITELY like my transformers to transform. Down with the action masters.|Josh Freeman Frankel, 25 February 1994|[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/4ed4b0a1a761bcd7 alt.toys.transformers]}}

The Action Master toyline, depicting the obvious oxymoron of "Transformers who don't transform," generated initial ire ("BLASPHEMY!") from some fans. This was magnified as Action Masters were released in the final year of the original Transformers toy line in the US. When Transformers was summarily canceled in North America, some fans blamed the gimmick for the [[Ruined FOREVER|death of the franchise]] (despite the wide variety of other factors that doubtlessly were involved).

One aspect Action Masters is notable for, however, is the mass reintroduction of "classic" characters. New toys for old characters was not a theme the original toy line visited very often–in fact, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee's]] re-imaged [[Throttlebot]] form [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Goldbug]] released in 1987, 1988's [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and the [[Classic Pretender]]s from 1989 were the only notable exceptions. In other words, to have a single sub-line with so many recurring favorites was, at the time, a novelty. In addition, the classic characters were designed to [[show-accuracy|resemble their cartoon counterparts more closely]]. For much of the Season 1 and 2 cast, the original figures having been designed years before they were stylized and simplified for the cartoon, these Action Masters were the closest likenesses of their fiction representations until the advent of the ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line, in which screen accuracy is one of its primary selling points. Notably the first television commercial for the Action Masters featured a segment where the animated character models dissolved into film of the actual toys, suggesting that "show accuracy" was Hasbro's intended marketing strategy for the line.

As with many other changes to the Transformers brand, initial hostility towards Action Masters from the fandom eventually became less intense and diversified into a broad range of opinion, with many of the original characters introduced getting cult followings and prominent appearances in later fiction (likely helped by how the toys weren't restricted by the somewhat samey designs that predominately made up the later years of the toyline). Some of the most in-demand vintage (and therefore expensive) ''Transformers'' toys are Action Masters, and new characters from this subgroup continue to appear in newer toy lines. For example:
[[File:Timelinestoy-BC2010DoublePunch.jpg|thumb|upright=2.0]]
* [[Double Punch]] started the trend with a new [[exclusive]] toy at [[BotCon Japan 1998]]. Another toy of Double Punch was produced for [[BotCon 2010]].
* [[Axer (G1)|Axer]] showed up in the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline]]. Another toy of Axer (as [[Axor]]) would be released in the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' 2010]] toyline. This toy would, in turn, be redecoed to homage [[Circuit (G1)|Circuit]] as [[Circuit (Movie)|a movie-universe character]] in the first [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]] in 2013.
* Action Master Optimus Prime was [[Generation 1 reissues|reissued]] in [[Japan]] in [[2002]] as part of the "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|New Years Convoy]]" [[giftset]].
* ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Overload (Armada)|Overload]] has design elements based on [[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] (with his [[Mini-Con]] companion actually ''named'' [[Rollout (Armada)|Rollout]]).
* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Smokescreen (Cybertron)|Smokescreen]]'s colors are a partial homage to [[Rad (G1)|Rad]].
* [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] was an exclusive at [[BotCon 2009]]. Another Banzai-Tron (as [[Banzaitron (TF 2010)|Banzaitron]]) would be released in the ''Transformers'' 2010 toyline. Yet another would be part of the ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' line in 2012. Banzai-Tron and his partner [[Razor-Sharp]] also got new, still-nontransforming toys in [[Super7]]'s ''Transformers ULTIMATES!'' line.
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] was homaged with [[Sparkcrusher]] in 2009.
* [[Slicer (G1)|Slicer]] (partially renamed into "Decepticon Slice") was an exclusive at BotCon 2010. Slicer was also homaged in the shared exclusive [[Dark Energon]] version of [[Wheeljack (Prime)#DarkEnergon|Wheeljack]] in ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'', and with [[Wheeljack (SG)|''Shattered Glass'' Wheeljack]].
* [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]] was an exclusive at [[BotCon 2012]].
* Soundwave's partner, [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]], received new toys in the Japanese ''[[Transformers Encore]]'' line in 2012, and again as a ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' figure in 2017, and then in ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Selects]]'' in 2020.
* [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] was ported to ''[[Jackpot (Animated)|Animated]]'' as part of the first [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]], and was later given a new [[Jackpot (G1)#War for Cybertron: Kingdom|G1-styled figure]] as part of the Amazon-exclusive "Golden Disk Collection" of ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom]]''.
* [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]] received a new figure as part of the Figure Subscription Service series 2.0 in 2014.
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] was featured in the Transformers Figure Subscription Service series 3.0 in 2015, and then received an additional new toy in ''[[Titans Return (franchise)|Titans Return]]'' in 2017.
* The Collection Pack version of [[Shockwave (G1)/toys#G2BruticusSet|Shockwave]] in ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' bore the same color scheme as the Action Master.
* Rad's partner, [[Lionizer (G1)|Lionizer]], received a new [[Battle Master]] mold in ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' and was redecoed in more accurate colors in a ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Battle 3-Pack as "Captive Lionizer". A few other Action Master partners, namely [[Needler (G1)|Needler]], [[Vanguard]], [[Turbo Board]], and Sights, were also given Battle Master status by the ''Siege'' themed fourth wave of the ''[[Transformers Trading Card Game]]''. Turbo Board, who was previously of questionable sentience, was even given a proper robot mode as a result of this!
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] got a new toy in the ''War for Cybertron: Kingdom'' line.
* The Action Master designs for [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and his partner Needler received new toys in the ''Transformers ULTIMATES!'' line - once again as non-transforming figures. ''ULTIMATES!'' [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] also comes with his partner [[Basher]] despite otherwise being based on his animation model.

In 2013, [[James Roberts]] could even say he'd have liked to see ''more'' Action Masters and they were "cool".<ref>[http://www.fullmetalhero.com/t14540/ Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts - 58:20]</ref>

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
{{Note|In addition to the original line-up of Action Master product released worldwide in 1990, several additional assortments were introduced in European markets for 1991.}}
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Figures Asst. 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Figures Asst. 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Figures Asst. 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Figures Asst. 4 (Europe)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#ActionMaster|Bombshell]] with [[Needler (G1)#Toys|Needler]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Charger#Toys|Charger]] with [[Fire Beast]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Powerflash#Toys|Powerflash]] with [[Road Rocket (G1)#Toys|Road Rocket]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Sideswipe]] with [[Vanguard]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Take-Off#Toys|Take-Off]] with [[Screech (Action Master)#Toys|Screech]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Tracks]] with [[Basher]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Blaster AM.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster with Flight-Pack]][[File:G1Axer toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Axer with Off-Road Cycle]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Action Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master Exo-suit|Exo-Suit]] Action Masters (Europe)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|[[Circuit (G1)#Toys|Circuit]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Thundercracker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Exo-Suit Action Masters (Europe)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|[[Rumbler (G1)#Toys|Rumbler]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Slicer (G1)#Toys|Slicer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Elites (Europe)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-d1|[[Double Punch#Toys|Double Punch]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)#omegaspreem|Omega Spreem]]{{sic}}}}
{{bp-d1|[[Turbo Master#Toys|Turbo Master]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Windmill (G1)#Toys|Windmill]]}}
|}
{{--}}

==Notes==
*It appears that the name "Action Masters" for this segment of the toy line was a late decision: Hasbro's Spring 1990 "Pre-Toy Fair" catalog,<ref name="vendor">[https://web.archive.org/web/20230128185129/https://botriot.jemmagic.com/transformershasbro1990s.html Spring 1990 Hasbro "Pre-Toy Fair" catalog at Botriot] (archived)</ref> published in mid-to-late 1989, consistently refers to the toys simply as "Action Figures", with no mention of the term "Action Master". It also makes mention of a different back story wherein the Transformers give up the ability to transform to transfer these powers to their weapons and vehicles. The "Action Master" name was evidently decided on sometime between the "Pre-Toy Fair" vendor event and the Toy Fair of February 1990, as the finalized term appears in Hasbro's standard 1990 catalog.
*In an interview with [[Transformers Collectors' Club]], Simon Furman said that had the comic not ended at issue #80, Optimus Prime's return would not have come when it did.<ref>[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 2|Club magazine #2]]</ref> Additionally, Furman said that he hated the idea of using Action Master Prime at the time, and hoped that by the time Prime came back, this Action Master plot would be [[Furmanism|over—finished]]!<ref>[[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 1|Club magazine #1]]</ref> Conclusion—the use of Optimus Prime in his Action Master version may very well have not occurred had the comic not ended when it did.
*Bob Budiansky's treatment for the Action Masters was printed in the [[Titan Books]] trade ''[[Transformers: Last Stand]]''. Bob can't remember writing it.<ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Bob Budiansky interview]</ref>
*In a case of "too little, too late", the fourth (and final, only being released in Europe) assortment of Action Master figures made some minor course corrections in terms of figure design and accessories. The fourth assortment figures no longer have blocks sculpted into the hips that forced the legs to move in 90° increments or awkward side angles. Additionally, in keeping with other late Action Masters such as the Elites, there are minor uses of the then-new technique of textured plastic, as well as having sculpts that were mildly bulkier than previous waves. Lastly, in lieu of animal weapon partners or action feature backpacks, fourth assortment figures all had partner machines that unfolded into helmets and backpacks, strictly split between beasts for Decepticons and artillery units for Autobots.
*The Action Masters' weapon-handle pegs, being 3mm wide, are compatible with the "[[c joint]]" weapon mounting system used on many modern toys, such as the 2011 version of ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]''.
*Excluding the Action Master Elite, regular Action Masters utilized elastic-and-hook joints (similar to many ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' toys and the [[Laser Rod]]s) in their hips. This gave them their relatively wide range of motion, but it also made them somewhat floppy, and the elastic could harden and become brittle with age. Legless Action Masters are sadly common on the aftermarket.
[[File:Unproduced_AM_Animatron.jpg|upright=1.5|thumb|[[Serpentor|Totally new character]].
[https://www.yojoe.com/action/86/serpentor.shtml Yup]. (We were robbed!)]]
*Over the decades, an inordinate amount of Action Master concept art <ref>[https://www.allspark.com/2015/02/the-spacebridge-shares-unproduced-action-master-artwork/ A small partial spread of unproduced Action Masters, originally from the Generations Deluxe book.]</ref> along with resin models of both figures ''and'' vehicles of multiple <ref>[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/AMExoTankSuitProtoUnprod.html A resin model of an unproduced Action Master tank Exo Suit.]</ref> sizes <ref>[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/AMHalfTrackTankHardcopy.html A resin model of an unproduced motorized Action Master half-track vehicle.]</ref> have come to light, suggesting very strongly that Hasbro was betting big on the line. While the idea was probably fueled by [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] being in one of its stronger sales periods <ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-05-07-8904100699-story.html "G.I. Joe: 25 and $2 Billion In The Till", Chicago Tribune, May 7 1989.]</ref> despite leaning slightly more into sci-fi at the time, the Action Master line ultimately fizzled in the United States.
*Early plans for [[BotCon]] [[BotCon#BotCon 2017|2017]] would have seen Action Masters as the focus of the convention, with a box set "Action on Hydrus Four" featuring [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]], [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]], [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] in Action-Master inspired decos using [[Titans Return (toyline)|''Titans Return'']] figures.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-images-of-concepts-and-customized-figures-from-fun-pub-at-petes-robot-convention-2017/39073/]</ref>
*The Action Master name was brought back in 2020 by Takara Tomy for their release of ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (toyline)|Transformers: Cyberverse]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Transformers: Cyberverse (toyline)#Cyberverse (TakaraTomy)|Deluxe Class figures]]. Ironically, one of the big selling points for these figures is featuring far more involved transformations than the rest of the ''Cyberverse'' line!
*Action Masters were extensively used as proof-of-concept mock ups for the [[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]] subline ''Armor-Tech''.<ref>''Creating G.I. Joe A Real American Hero'' volume 9, p59</ref><ref>''Creating G.I. Joe A Real American Hero'' volume 10, p54</ref> Additionally, silhouettes of Action Master card art were used to represent ''Armor-Tech'' figures in the 1993 figure catalogue before said figures were finalized.

===Foreign names===
*''Italy'': '''Super Azione''' ("Super Action")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters| ]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Gimmicks]]

Crisis of Command!

2024-08-27T01:13:46Z

Pointblank:

{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #42–44
|prev=Christmas Breaker!
|next=The Icarus Theory
|title="Crisis of Command!"
|image=MarvelUK-043.jpg
|caption=Bumblebee criticizes the size of the Decepticon's weapons!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=Part 1: [[December 28|28th December]], 1985 Part 2: [[January 4|4th January]], 1986 Part 3: [[January 11|11th January]], 1986
|coverdate=Part 1: [[January 4|4th January]] Part 2: [[January 11|11th January]] Part 3: [[January 18|18th January]], 1986
|writer=[[Mike Collins]] (Part 1 & 3), [[James Hill]] (Part 2)
|art=[[Geoff Senior]] (Parts 1-2), [[John Stokes]] (Part 3)
|colour=[[Steve Whitaker]] (Part 1), [[John Burns]] and [[Stuart Place]] (Part 2), [[Gina Hart]] and Stuart Place (Part 3)
|letters=[[Mike Scott]]
|editor=[[Ian Rimmer]]
|chronology=[[Marvel Comics timeline|1986]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]] ([[Primax 984.20 Gamma|Marvel UK]])
}}
'''Optimus Prime struggles to maintain discipline when a group of Autobots want to use the Matrix to build an army of super warriors. Then Bumblebee is captured by the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
===Part 1===
[[File:Prowlg1crisisofcommand.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6|Prowl's gonna build his own Autobot army. With blackjack! And hookers!]]
A group of [[Autobot]]s led by [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] petition [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to use the recently-reclaimed [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to create an army of [[Ultimate Autobot|super warriors]] to defeat the [[Decepticon]]s. Other Autobots, fronted by [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]], disagree, and the argument becomes heated. Prime refuses to pervert the Matrix in such a manner, fearing what will become of the Earth if such warriors are unleashed upon it, but the Autobots' discontent with his ruling is evident. This only fuels the feelings of self-doubt that Prime has been dealing with, brought on by the Autobots' recent string of defeats by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], and he worries that he may no longer be fit to command.

Prime is unaware that his maudlin musings are being observed by [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], who has infiltrated the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] to learn the Autobots plans following their re-acquisition of the Matrix. He deliberately trips the Ark's alarms, alerting the Autobots to his presence, and after a short battle, he is deceived by [[Mirage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Mirage]]'s illusions and captured in an energy net by [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. But Ravage's capture is all part of the Decepticons' scheme; [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] observes the whole scene and reports to acting commander [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] that things are going according to plan. Then, as night falls, Ravage escapes with ease, using his electromagnetic emission shield to simply walk through his cell's energy bars...

===Part 2: "Bumblebee Alone!"===
[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] discovers that Ravage has escaped and reports the matter to Optimus Prime. An already-low Prime is shaken even more by this revelation, and Prowl is quick to capitalize on his leader's state of mind, continuing to push for the creation of new warriors. Dismayed to see how low Prime has sunk, Bumblebee disobeys his leader's order to inform Hound and Mirage of Ravage's escape, and decides to try and recapture the Decepticon spy by himself. Unfortunately, Bumblebee does not realize that luring unsuspecting Autobots such as himself into an ambush was the very reason Ravage allowed himself to be captured in the first place, and when he follows the fleeing feline into a box canyon, he finds himself confronted by Soundwave and the other Decepticons. [[File:CrisisofCommand leader killer.jpg|thumb|250px]] Bumblebee attempts to escape, but is quickly subdued and captured, and his severed arm is dropped in front of the Ark by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] as an invitation to Optimus Prime to come and recover the rest of him.

===Part 3: "Primed for Action!"===
As the Autobots react in horror to the sight of Bumblebee's severed limb, the hovering Laserbeak warns Optimus to come for Bumblebee alone. All indecision forgotten, Prime heads for the [[Fortress Sinister|Decepticon fortress]], but upon approach, is caught up in an earthquake generated by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. Optimus dispatches the little punk, but is then ambushed by [[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]]. It seems the Autobot leader has fallen, but just as [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] is closing in for the final blow—boasting about how he is a ''true'' leader of 'bots, unlike the "defeated" Prime—Optimus springs back to life and takes down all three of them with his bare hands, proving how empty Starscream's words truly are. Finally, Prime storms the fortress, defeats Soundwave and Laserbeak, and rescues Bumblebee.

After returning to the Ark, Prime addresses the Autobots on the issue of super-warriors once more. Crediting Starscream's show of false bravado with proving to him how a real leader should act, Prime formally declares that for the sake of the Earth, no such new warriors will be created—and the Autobots, moved by their commander's renewed passion and determination, accept his ruling without question.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] (2)
*[[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] (3)
*[[Mirage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Mirage]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] (6)
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (7)
*[[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] (9)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (10)
*[[Ultimate Autobot]]s (11)
*[[Wheeljack (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Wheeljack]] (22)
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (23)
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (24)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (25)
|c2=
*[[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] (12)
*[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] (13)
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (14)
*[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] (15)
*[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] (16)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Thundercracker]] (17)
*[[Skywarp (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Skywarp]] (18)
*[[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (19)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (20)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (21)
}}

==Quotes==
"That is why Megatron, and Shockwave after him, were leaders, and you will never be anything more than '''battle fodder!''' You have no ''strategy'', no ''subtlty''. You are a missile with a mouth, '''Starscream!'''"
:—'''Soundwave'''

"[Optimus Prime]'s just waiting to be put out of his misery... waiting for the final blow from '''Starscream—the leader killer!'''" 
''<Optimus beats the tar out of everyone else in a matter of seconds>'' 
"Now, '''leader killer.''' We are '''alone.''' No lackeys to order or hide behind. Just you... just me... '''so kill me!'''"
:—'''Starscream's''' bluff is called by '''Optimus Prime''', a second before Prime punches him so hard his wings fly off

==Notes==
===Production notes===
[[File:CrisisofCommand hounds legs.jpg|thumb|275px|Upon entry to the US all Cybertronians are gifted with snazzy pairs of blue pants.]]
*In their interview in ''[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1]]'', writers [[Mike Collins]] and [[James Hill]] explained the story of "Crisis of Command!" was partially conceived as part of a planned new marketing campaign for the comic. Certain scenes were designed to "mirror" ones from [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the Generation 1 cartoon]], so that television adverts for the comic could show the cartoon clips and have them "morph" into the comic panels. These ads did not come to pass, as it was concluded that they contravened broadcast standards.
*In the same interview, they said Prowl got the job of being the heavy because he turned into a police car; specifically, they were inspired by the character of Lt. Hunter from ''Hill Street Blues''. The proposed arms race was inspired by bellicose rhetoric from Reagan and Thatcher at the time.
*Parts 1 and 2 of "Crisis of Command!" are the first published Transformers work by artist [[Geoff Senior]], who would go on to become one of the most celebrated artists on the UK title, and eventually move over to drawing the US series. Senior's two parts are also the closest the first-year UK stories come to clearly and properly drawing all the Transformers based on their finished [[character model]]s (while the third part, drawn by [[John Stokes]], defaults to the character model/[[package art|box art]]/toy mash-up designs previously used by the artist in "[[Decepticon Dam-Busters!]]"). As such, without past artistic ambiguities to cloud the matter, "Crisis of Command!" is the first story to clearly establish that the UK comic will be consistently ignoring some US coloring choices going forward and setting its own rules: namely, it will always colour Soundwave in his correct, toy-accurate blue (instead of the US comic's purple), and Hound's legs in cartoon-based white and green (as opposed to the solid blue used by the US comic, seen in the comparison at right).
{{--}}

===Continuity notes===
[[File:CrisisofCommand decepticon ambush.jpg|thumb|275px|"I've been expecting you, Mr. Bee!"]]
*The insecurities that plague Optimus Prime in this story—the product of his and the Autobots' recent string of defeats at the hands of Shockwave in [[The Last Stand|US issue #4]]-[[Prime Time!|12]], to which he flashes back—were first hinted at in [[Christmas Breaker!|the previous issue]]. This story was intended to show Prime getting 'back in the saddle' after all of those events, through the medium of having a badass ''Die Hard'' inspired fight.<ref>[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1]], page 148</ref>
*Soundwave serves as acting commander of the Decepticons (right) following Shockwave's defeat at the hands of Optimus Prime in US issue #12, which saw him hurled into a swamp. Soundwave will retain this position for the subsequent run of UK stories, all set before Shockwave's return in [[Rock and Roll-Out!|US issue #14]].
*The Decepticons have relocated to base this operation out of their [[Fortress Sinister|old fortress base]], constructed in [[Power Play!|US issue #2]] and abandoned in [[The New Order|US issue #5]]. Oddly, Page 4 of Part 3 appears to give this base the name of "Fortress Sinister"—a name that is never used again, making one wonder if it was a mistake (as in, if the text "THE DECEPTICONS' FORTRESS SINISTER!" was meant to be the more descriptive "THE DECEPTICONS' SINISTER FORTRESS!"). Regardless, it is objectively an awesome-sounding name!
*While their last known status in US stories permits Soundwave and his cassettes to have relocated to the old fortress by the time of his story, the presence of Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker is not a smooth fit with the upcoming US issue #14, which will present the three jets as having been trapped on the captured [[Oil-drilling platform|Blackrock oil-drilling platform]] since [[The Worse of Two Evils!|US issue #6]]. However, this itself seems to ignore Starscream having been shown on the mainland with the main Decepticon army in [[DIS-Integrated Circuits!|US issue #9]], so it would appear there was some travel back and forth.
*Though US writer [[Bob Budiansky]] had stopped writing Laserbeak and Ravage as possessing the power of speech by this point in the series, this story continues to present both as capable of talking. UK stories will eventually fall into line with Laserbeak, but Ravage will be a consistent talker.
*While facing the Decepticon jets, Optimus Prime remembers back to [[Xaaron|Emirate Xaaron]] appointing him supreme Autobot leader and telling him "the fate of the Autobots is in your hands now." This took place (precise dialogue and all) in the story "[[And There Shall Come...a Leader!]]", published in the [[Transformers Annual 1985|1985 Annual]], which many young readers would have received for [[Christmas]] not long before the publication of this story.
*It's not this story's fault so it's not fair to consider it an error, but Optimus Prime's decree that he will not use the Matrix to create super-warriors is turned into a lie six months later, when US stories require him to do ''exactly that'' to bring to life [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] in [[Command Performances!|US issue #19]], and later the [[Special Teams]] in [[Aerialbots over America!|issues #21]]-[[Afterdeath!|#24]]. This incongruity will be addressed in [[Transformers Annual 1986|the 1986 Annual]] story "[[The Return of the Transformers]]."

===Transformers references===
[[File:CrisisofCommand ravage captured.jpg|thumb|275px]]
*As a product of the above-mentioned advertising plan, Ravage's role in the first part of "Crisis of Command!" is loosely inspired by the cartoon episodes [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2|"More than Meets the Eye," Part 2]] and [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 3|Part 3]]. In the cartoon, Ravage and Soundwave infiltrate the Ark, only for Ravage to be captured in an energy net by the Autobots, then imprisoned and watched over by Mirage and Hound; in this story, Ravage infiltrates alone, and is captured in an energy net ''by'' Mirage and Hound (right). Later, in Part 2 of the comic, Bumblebee tracks Ravage using infra-red vision, which is how the Autobots found him to catch him in the cartoon, though there, it was Gears who used it, since infra-red vision is actually supposed to be one of his unique powers, per his [[bio]].
*Though less obvious, in-keeping with this understanding of how the story was written, it seems likely that the comic's scenes of Bumblebee fleeing through the desert from the Decepticons in vehicle mode, only to be stopped by Starscream, were inspired by similar material from "[[Transport to Oblivion (episode)|Transport to Oblivion]]."

===Continuity and plotting errors===
*When the Decepticons confront Bumblebee in the Hill-written Part 2, Buzzsaw and Frenzy are both part of the group, but the pair are unaccounted for in the Collins-penned Part 3, the only 'Cons not defeated by Optimus. Again, this probably has something to do with the cartoon influence on this story, as neither had appeared in it at the time this story would have been written and drawn.
{{--}}

===Artwork and technical errors===
[[File:CrisisofCommand cartoon ark.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb]]
*Gina Hart is incorrectly credited with colouring Part 2; a correction published in [[Shooting Star!|issue #52]] clarified that [[John Burns]] and [[Stuart Place]] were responsible, and that Place also assisted Hart on Part 3.
*Presumably as a result of the cartoon being referenced for the new marketing plan, two artistic inconsistencies jump out: in part 1, page 10, panel 3, the Ark is drawn to match its cartoon appearance (though still coloured comic-accurate grey, as seen at right), and in Part 3, Rumble uses his piledriver arms, which are not a feature of the character in the Marvel comic (but which did previously appear in "Decepticon Dam-Busters!" for similar, cartoon-inspired reasons).
*Repeating a common recurring error from early Marvel UK stories, Optimus Prime has an all-blue [[mouthplate]] throughout part 1.
*Part 1, page 1: Mirage is missing his shoulder-mounted rocket launcher. Bluestreak's forehead crest is grey instead of red. Gears is colored as Sideswipe.
*Part 1, page 4:
**Panel 2: Mirage is still missing his launcher. Bumblebee is replaced in the Autobot group with... ''[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]??'' Colourist Gina Hart has coloured him black and yellow like 'Bee, but ''that'' error pales next to the fact the character is present at all; he has not yet debuted in the comics, and when he does (in [[The Smelting Pool!|US issue #17]]), it will be under circumstances that preclude him from ever having been here.
**Panel 3: Mirage now has his launcher, but he's coloured like Sideswipe.
*Page 7, panel 1: Bluestreak is coloured like Prowl.
*Throughout Part 2, Prowl's forehead crest is coloured entirely red, lacking the white portion in the middle.
*Part 2, page 4: Hound's thighs are colored green like the rest of his legs, instead of white.
*Part 2, page 6, panel 1: Rumble and Frenzy both have dark blue faces. Depending on how close the UK coloring is hewing to the limited palette of the US comic, these should be very pale blue at best, or the same greyish as their guns (though Rumble's gun is incorrectly colored black here, now you mention it). Skywarp's face is also blue, when it should be the roughly same black as the rest of him; the rest of the story gets it right.
*Part 2, page 11, panels 3-4: Prowl is coloured sort of like Bluestreak, but with a blue chest instead of grey, white thighs instead of red, and a grey forehead crest instead of red.
*Throughout Part 3, Bumblebee's horns (which are drawn more like blunt nubs) are colored green, and Soundwave has an all-blue mouthplate.
*Part 3, page 1:
**Wheeljack is coloured all-blue.
**Bluestreak is coloured like Bumblebee. The colours of Bumblebee's arm are partially inverted; it's got the correct black/blue forearm and fist, but a black/blue shoulder and yellow bicep, instead of vice versa.
**Hound is drawn far too short, only coming up to Jazz's chest.
*Part 3, page 2:
**Panel 4: Wheeljack's still all blue.
**Panel 5: Prowl's forehead crest is white.
*Part 3, page 3, panel 2: Ratchet is colored like Prowl.
*Part 3, page 11, panel 4: Ironhide is drawn to look like his headless toy. Well, we ''assume'' it's Ironhide; it might be a generic. It's all-white, which suggest Ratchet, but he's in the foreground of the panel already, so it's probably just block-colouring.
{{--}}

===Other Trivia===
[[File:BattleForCybertron vs UK44 Prime Shot.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb]]
*The first panel of Part 1 was (somewhat poorly) pasted onto the two-page spread of the Autobots introducing themselves in ''[[The Transformers: The Complete Works Part 1]]''. The original pair of panels (showing the Decepticons escaping the Ark and Prowl talking to Optimus Prime) had been omitted when the spread was turned into a pull-out poster for the UK's version of ''The Transformers'' issue #2, replaced with the series' logo. Evidently the original panels had become lost when it came time to reprint the story for ''Complete Works'', requiring the substitution.
*John Stokes swipes more art from other issues, and even a [[Battle for Cybertron|Big Looker storybook]] (see right).
*While the toy bio, cartoon and US book as portrayed Soundwave as little more than a stoic loyalist to Megatron, this story is significant as the first instance of him being depicted as a strong, competent leader in his own right, focused on strategy and cunning over reckless offensives. This interpretation, despite being seemingly at odds with how he was characterized throughout much of the franchise, would go on to be the main portrayal for him in the UK stories, and eventually be solidified as the default characterization for the character, being utilized in both IDW continuities and the [[Engeron Universe]].

===Back-up material===
'''Issue #42:'''
*'''[[Back-up strips]]:''' ''Machine Man'' ("Victory," Part 4), ''[[Robo-Capers]]'' and ''Matt and the Cat''. The ''Machine Man'' back-up concludes this issue.
*'''[[Fact File|Fact File Interface]]:''' [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]
*Soundwave resumes control of the [[Letters page (Marvel UK)|letters page]] from Ratchet after a one-issue absence.
'''Issue #43:'''
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''[[Iron Man]]'' ("Night of the Octopus," Part 1), ''Robo-Capers'' and ''Matt and the Cat''
'''Issue #44:'''
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''Iron Man'' ("Night of the Octopus," Part 2), ''Robo-Capers'' and ''Matt and the Cat''

===Covers (3)===
*'''Issue #42:''' Ravage infiltrating the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], by [[Will Simpson]].
*'''Issue #43:''' Bumblebee facing down Decepticon weapons, by [[John Ridgway]].
*'''Issue #44:''' Optimus Prime takes on the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] trio, by [[Jeff Anderson]].
<gallery>
File:MarvelUK-042.jpg|'''Issue #42'''
File:MarvelUK-043.jpg|'''Issue #43'''
File:MarvelUK-044.jpg|'''Issue #44'''
</gallery>

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Tfcolcom08.jpg|'''[[Transformers Collected Comics#8 – Spring Special 1988|''Collected Comics'' #8]]'''; cover by [[Robin Smith]] (Marvel UK, 1988)
File:Classicuk1.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics UK Volume 1|''The Transformers Classics UK'' Volume 1]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2011)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v3.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection]], Vol. 3: Dinobot Hunt''''' (Hachette Partworks Ltd, 2018)</gallery>

The ''Classics UK'' reprint uses the version of the story from ''Collected Comics'', lacking the individual "next time" boxes that end each chapter, and concluding with one that says "Continued in Collected Comics #9."

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]