MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

The Transformers: The Movie

2009-09-08T07:44:19Z

RecallBerserk: /* Animation errors */ Updated with scene from 5mins 11secs. Cliffjumper pressing buttons on an invisible computer.

{{disambig3|Transformers: The Movie}}

{{episode|
|seriess=[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]
|prev=B.O.T. (episode)
|next=Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1
|seriess2=[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]
|prev2=Scramble City
|title=''The Transformers: The Movie''
|image=Transformersanimatedfilmposter.jpg
|caption=Featuring the deaths of all your favorite Transformers characters.
|production code=
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|writer=[[Ron Friedman]]
|directed by=[[Nelson Shin]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|release date=[[August 8]], 1986
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''''The Transformers: The Movie''''' is an animated feature film based on the original Transformers toyline. It was released in the United States on August 8, 1986.

The film's storyline introduces a [[Scale|planet-sized Transformer]] called [[Unicron]] who eats other planets, and is approaching [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As part of their continuing wars, the Autobots and Decepticons have a [[Battle of Autobot City|fierce battle]] on Earth which sees both Optimus Prime and Megatron mortally wounded. Prime passes the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to Ultra Magnus and dies, and Megatron is transformed by Unicron into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (briefly) assumes leadership of the Decepticons, but is killed when Galvatron arrives at Cybertron. Galvatron then chases the surviving Autobots on Earth across space, splitting them up and taking the Matrix. The Autobots find their way back to each other, and follow Galvatron to Cybertron just as Unicron transforms into robot mode and begins to eat their world. Travelling inside Unicron, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] recovers the Matrix, transforms into Rodimus Prime, and uses the Matrix to destroy Unicron.

Often referred to by fans simply as "the movie" or "TFTM", the movie was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons the film remains very popular with children of the 1980s.

The film opens with characters who had been featured in the first two years of the toyline and associated media (cartoons, comic books, etc.), but quickly introduces new characters and kills many of the old ones to make room. In particular, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] are all destroyed during the course of the film.

{{quote|The Japanese have funded a full-length animated cartoon about the doings of these toys, which is all bad outer-space stuff. I play a planet. I menace somebody called Something-or-other. Then I'm destroyed. My plan to destroy Whoever-it-is is thwarted and I tear myself apart on the screen.|Orson Welles<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=KlqsYy512WIC&source=gbs_navlinks_s "Orson Wells: A Biography"] page 522</ref>}}

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFTM_Unicron_Lithone.jpg|left|200px|thumb|That's no moon. It's a space station.]]

A mechanical planet travels through the depths of space, attacking [[Lithone|a metal planet]] which has robotic inhabitants. Robots, vehicles, buildings, and even large chunks of rock are sucked off the surface and devoured by the monstrous planet.

It is the year 2005, and the [[Decepticon]]s are now in control of Cybertron. The [[Autobot]]s are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a [[Autobot shuttle|shuttle]] to pick up a final shipment of [[Energon (fuel)|energon]] from [[Earth]] before they strike.

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I have a bad feeling about this.]]

Plans for the attack are overheard by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], who reports back to Megatron. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and the [[Brawn (G1)|guy in the picture over there]]). Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, [[Autobot City]], before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.

During the battle at Autobot City, both [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and Megatron suffer mortal injuries, and a number of other characters are also killed. Eventually the Decepticons retreat, but the damage suffered by the Autobots has been severe.

{{note|For an extensive synopsis of the battle, see [[Battle of Autobot City]].}}

[[Image:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|200px|thumb|If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.]]

Shortly after the battle, Prime lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and gives him the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. (Though Hot Rod actually touches the Matrix before Magnus does.) Prime relates a prophecy: "One day, an Autobot shall rise from our ranks, and use the power of the Matrix to light our [[darkest hour]]." He then gives the oath, "[['Til all are one]]", and [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|dies]]. This sequence of events is observed remotely by Unicron, who appears unusually concerned by the survival of the Matrix.

The Decepticons are making their escape aboard [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest. One of the most severely injured Decepticons is Megatron. Starscream tosses him out and claims leadership of the Decepticon army.

Megatron and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. Megatron agrees, and is [[Reformatting|reformatted]] into [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. The other Decepticons are turned into [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweep]]s. Unicron provides them with a [[Decepticon mothership|ship]], and sends them to kill Ultra Magnus and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.

[[Image:Tftm1986c.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed.]]
Galvatron first stops at Cybertron to take his revenge by killing Starscream and reclaiming leadership of the Decepticons. Almost immediately afterwards, Unicron arrives in Cybertron's vicinity and devours at least two moons—both of the Autobots' moon bases are destroyed. Under coercion by Unicron, Galvatron finally heads to Earth to kill Ultra Magnus, but Magnus and the other surviving Autobots flee in a pair of shuttles. Eventually Galvatron manages to cause one shuttle to crash on yet another metal planet ([[Quintessa]]), and detonates the other with a volley of missiles. However, the Autobots in the second shuttle escape unnoticed by separating the front portion of their shuttle just before impact.

The Autobots in the crashed shuttle, [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], find themselves separated and in a hostile environment. Hot Rod and Kup are captured by a squad of [[Allicon]]s and taken before a [[Quintesson]] [[Quintesson#Judges|judge]] and his court. While being held there, they learn the name and nature of Unicron from [[Kranix]], a survivor of the planet destroyed in the opening of the film, which he calls [[Lithone (planet)|Lithone]]. Meanwhile, the Dinobots encounter and befriend a young, wild Autobot named [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] who has been living alone on Quintessa. Together, they crash the trial just as Hot Rod and Kup are fighting losing odds against the Quintessons' [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]. The tide is turned, and the Autobots commandeer a [[Quintesson spacecraft#Quintesson_Cruiser|Quintesson Cruiser]].

[[Image:Tftm1986d.jpg|left|200px|thumb|What an incredible smell you've discovered!]]
The other group of Autobots has landed on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]] to make repairs, but are attacked yet again by Galvatron, who was tipped off to their survival by Unicron. During the battle, Ultra Magnus tries to open the Matrix to use its power, but is unable to do so, and instead is killed. Galvatron absconds with the Matrix, taking it away to Unicron. The remaining Autobots—[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike's]] son [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel]]—are then ambushed by [[Junkion]]s, the eponymous natives of Junkion, who are also giant transforming robots. This battle is cut short, however, by the arrival of Hot Rod's group in their Quintesson ship. After exchanging the [[universal greeting]] they all make friends, and the Junkions restore Ultra Magnus to life. Together, the whole group travels to Cybertron to try to recover the Matrix.

[[Image:TFTM Unicron smashes cybertron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Rebel base in range. You may fire when ready.]]
Galvatron attempts to open the Matrix to use its power against Unicron, but is also unable to get it open. Unicron, not pleased with this attempted treachery, shocks Galvatron by transforming from a planet into a [[Scale|planet-sized robot]]. Unicron plucks Galvatron off his chest and swallows him, Matrix and all, and then begins attacking Cybertron itself. [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] scrambles the Decepticon forces to defend the planet, but they are ineffective against so large an enemy. Shortly the Autobots arrive from Junkion, and fly the Quintesson ship straight through Unicron's eye. This impact destroys the ship, and the Autobots fall out inside Unicron. Hot Rod, separated from the others, eventually runs into Galvatron. During their fight, Hot Rod gets his hands on the Matrix and hears Optimus's voice speak the words, "Arise, Rodimus Prime." Hot Rod grows in stature, adopts a much sterner demeanor, and quickly dispatches Galvatron by tossing him through Unicron's hull out into space. He then opens the Matrix, which fills Unicron with light and begins destroying him.

[[Image:Tftm1986e.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Use the Force, Luke.]]
In the meantime, the other Autobots inside Unicron have located some of their comrades from the moon bases who had been presumed dead, including [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and Daniel's father, Spike. The Autobots, including Rodimus, escape through Unicron's remaining eye just as he begins to fall apart and explode. The scene then immediately shifts to the surface of Cybertron, where—for unclear reasons—the Autobots seem to be in charge again. Rodimus predicts an era of peace and prosperity, and the film closes with a shot of Unicron's severed head still floating in orbit around Cybertron.

[['Til all are one]].
{{-}}

==Quotes==
"Such heroic nonsense."
:—'''Megatron''' coldly finishes off Ironhide. The 'Cons always get the best lines.

"I've got better things to do tonight than die!"
:—'''Springer''', telling it like it is.

"One shall stand. One shall fall."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' uttering the most quoted line of the Movie. An ass kicker cometh.

"Until the day...'til all are one..."
:—'''Optimus Prime''''s final words

"Oh, how it ''pains'' me to do this." 
"Wait! I still function!" 
"Wanna ''bet''?"
:—'''Starscream''' fights back the tears as he throws '''Megatron''' out of Astrotrain.

"I have summoned you here for a purpose." 
"Nobody summons Megatron!" 
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
:—'''Unicron''' shows '''Megatron''' who's the boss.

"Who disrupts my coronation?" 
"Coronation, Starscream? This is bad comedy." 
"Megatron? Is that you?" 
"Here's a hint!"
:—'''Galvatron''' drops "hints" for '''Starscream''' like others drop anvils.

"Did we ''have'' to let them detonate three quarters of the ship?" 
"Seeing as how they would have detonated ''four'' quarters, I think it was a good choice."
:—'''Arcee''' and '''Springer'''

"For a time… I considered ''sparing'' your wretched little planet of Cybertron. But now... you shall witness... its ''dismemberment''!"
:—'''Unicron''' really needs to work on his anger management skills…

"Me Grimlock kick butt!" 
:—'''Grimlock''' isn't speaking figuratively.

"Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian Wars as we march forward into a new era of peace and happiness! 'Til all are one!" 
:—'''Rodimus Prime''' announces the end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]... yeah, right.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]/Rodimus Prime ([[Judd Nelson]])
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] ([[Robert Stack]])
*[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] ([[Lionel Stander]])
*[[Springer (G1)|Springer]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] ([[Susan Blu]])
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] ([[John Moschitta]])
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] ([[Gregg Berger]])
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] ([[Paul Eiding]])
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] ([[Buster Jones]])
*[[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Slag (G1)|Slag]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] ([[Scatman Crothers]])
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] ([[Dan Gilvezan]])
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Casey Kasem]])
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] ([[Don Messick]])
*[[Auto-combatant]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Eject]]
*[[Rewind]]
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
*[[Ramhorn]]
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
*[[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
*[[Grapple]]
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
*[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
*[[Bluestreak]]
*[[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]* ([[Walker Edmiston]])
|c2=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] ([[Leonard Nimoy]])
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] ([[Chris Latta]])
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] ([[Stan Jones]])
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] ([[Arthur Burghardt]])
*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] ([[Neil Ross]])
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] ([[Hal Rayle]])
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] ([[Clive Revill]])
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] ([[Jack Angel]])
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] ([[Bud Davis]])
*[[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] ([[Ed Gilbert]])
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]
*[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
*[[Sweep]]s
*[[Cyclonus's Armada]]
|c3=
*[[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] ([[Corey Burton]])
*[[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] ([[David Mendenhall]])
|c4=
*[[Unicron]] ([[Orson Welles]])
*[[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] ([[Eric Idle]])
*[[Kranix]] ([[Norman Alden|Norm Alden]])
*[[Junkion]] ([[Michael Bell]])
*Junkion ([[Frank Welker]])
*[[Quintesson]] leader ([[Roger C. Carmel]])
*Quintesson judge ([[Regis Cordic|Rege Cordic]])
*[[Arblus]]
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s
*[[Allicon]]s
|nonumbering=true
}}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Credited, but did not appear.

==Animation errors==
* When Unicron is approaching Lithone at the start of the movie, at the line "Look, it's Unicron!", a [[Animation error#Sizing errors|cel stacking error]] results in Unicron's ring appearing in front of a building arch, [[Distribution|making Unicron look very tiny]] in that shot. In the next shot, it is clear that Unicron is several times larger than the entire planet of Lithone.
* The inside of one of the Lithonian ships being devoured by Unicron is visible for a couple of frames. The pilot of the ship appears to be Kranix, even though he apparently screams out Kranix's name, and Kranix appears later in the Quintesson prison.
* When the inside of Unicron is shown after he devours Lithone, the "blinking energy" effect of Unicron's innards was apparently achieved by recycling backgrounds from other animated TV shows or movies. A frame by frame viewing reveals what appear to be several images of post-apocalyptic buildings inside Unicron.
* When Optimus Prime asks Jazz to report security status, it shows both Jazz and Cliffjumper. Cliffjumper is seen twiddling knobs above the actual drawn computer, as if a section was supposed to be present.
* When the Decepticons blow a hole through the Autobot shuttle to get in, it is a clean break. However, Megatron is still shown ripping through random ship components to get in.
* When the Decepticons are killing the Autobot shuttle crew, there is one of the common Starscream/Skywarp/Thundercracker miscolors. Megatron transforms into gun mode and Starscream catches him and kills Brawn. When they cut back to the Decepticons, Starscream is in front of the Constructicons without Megatron and is firing one of his arm rifles (this probably should have been Skywarp or Thundercracker). When they cut back to the Decepticons for the third time, Starscream has Megatron again and is finishing off the rest of the Autobots.
* When the Decepticons fly to the shuttle's controls, all of the Autobots have changed positions from when they fell—Brawn is now on his back, for example, while Prowl is now face-down.
* Hot Rod has at least two totally different transformation schemes during the course of the film.
* When Kup and several Autobots at the roadblock react to Hot Rod's attack on the hijacked Autobot shuttle, Bluestreak is represented by Prowl's [[Character model|animation model]], in Bluestreak's grey and black colours.
* Sunstreaker appears with Kup's group on Earth as they observe Hot Rod firing on Ironhide's shuttle. Sunstreaker later appears as Optimus Prime's co-pilot when they arrive on Earth with the Dinobots, and is seen disembarking the shuttle along with Optimus Prime and Hound.
* When [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] sends out his cassette troops, [[FIRRIB|Rumble is the same color as Frenzy]].
* Blaster first ejects what looks like Eject, who stays blue up until he gets to the edge of the screen. He then turns black like Rewind. Then Blaster ejects another blue cassette, which after about a second turns black. This one gets through half his transformation colored black, then turns blue for a split second then turns black again. Then, when the cassettes are fighting each other, Eject runs in from the left and jumps over Perceptor. And then he runs in from the left ''again'' to shoot Ravage. Suddenly [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl/Devastator]] doesn't look so bad, does he?
* Swoop's lower leg (with its distinctive red claw/knee) appears for a brief second during the Autobot City battle, long before the rest of him gets there.
* When Devastator forms in Autobot City, his chest plate is the same green as the rest of him. In the next shot, it's the usual purple. However, it promptly turns green again in the next shot.
* In the battle for Autobot City, when Prime drives up behind the Decepticons, Blitzwing turns his head and its color changes to purple for a split second. However, when he turns it back it's tan again.
* When Optimus Prime takes the Matrix out of his chest to give to Ultra Magnus, there is another Matrix beneath it in his chest. (On which note, see also ''[[Matrix of Leadership#Universe|Matrix of Leadership, Universe comic]].'')
* When Ultra Magnus accepts the Matrix, he's seen inserting it into his chest twice, or at best readjusting its "fit".

[[Image:Coronation .jpg|thumb|right|250px| *''trumpet fanfare''* ]]

* Even after the [[Battle of Autobot City]], characters who are supposedly dead continue to appear in crowd shots and battles. Shrapnel's role in the fight on [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] is the most noticeable, but Thundercracker and Skywarp can be seen at both Starscream's coronation and later flying into Unicron's mouth.
* When Cyclonus is strafing the Autobot shuttle in space, he briefly flies offscreen, and during that time his laser blasts come from a point that in no way matches his flight path.
* When Hot Rod tells the Junkions the universal greeting, the Autobot insignia on his chest is coloured black.
* When Unicron transforms, the first hand we see (his right) is backwards relative to how the arm is shown on screen.

== Continuity errors ==
[[Image:G1TFTM Snarl cameo.JPG|thumb|right|250px|He used to bulls-eye womp-rats in his T16 back home.]]

* The Dinobot [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] is mysteriously absent from almost the entire movie, even though the Dinobots as a group are featured prominently. Copies of the script which have come into fans' hands repeatedly list the Dinobots, but never make mention of Snarl by name. In fact, at one point the script refers to "the four Dinobots". Despite this, Snarl does appear in three very brief shots {{m-}} in which ''Swoop'' is entirely absent. Hmm.
* Also curiously absent are the 1985 Autobot cars and Mini-Vehicles, such as Inferno, Smokescreen, Cosmos, Warpath, etc. It would seem that these characters were available at the time of the movie:
** Perceptor and Blaster both debuted at the same time in the cartoon as the 1985 cars, and both play prominent roles in the movie.
** Grapple is [[:Image:BattleAutobotCity.jpg|seen ''very'' briefly]] during the battle for Autobot City.
** The 1985 Decepticons (Astrotrain, Dirge, etc.) appear in the film.
** Tracks, Red Alert and Smokescreen all appeared in storyboards but not the finished film.
* Devastator is treated as ''the'' ultimate threat, while in the cartoon, his role (and apparent power) was already being [[Starscream's Brigade|severely diminished]], in large part because Omega Supreme and several other combiners had been introduced. In story terms, the absence of those characters is inexplicable. In real-life terms, those characters didn't exist when the film commenced production. (The [[Transformers: The Animated Movie]] adaptation shows Omega Supreme, Superion and Defensor guarding the Ark against an attack by Bruticus and Menasor, rectifying this.)
[[Image:Cyclonus armada tftf.jpg|thumb|right|250px|We'll be safe enough once we make the jump into lightspeed.]]
* During the Battle of Autobot City, Starscream gets his leg caught. He shoots downward and gets away while screaming "My foot!", but it's his shin that's smoking while his foot looks fine. Later he kicks Megatron with the same foot. Shouldn't that hurt, according to him? Note there is a time lapse between the "foot shooting" and the kicking, leaving the option of a battlefield repair.
* So Ultra Magnus just happens to have a ready-made Matrix chamber installed in his chest cavity? Is this standard issue for all Autobots?
* It's never made clear just why Astrotrain needs to "jettison some weight" while flying through space, where there is no gravity. Fans have offered much speculation on this topic (he was still accelerating, he was concerned about being able to land safely), but nothing within the film supports any theory over any other.
* The cartoon had already established that Astrotrain increases his size when he transforms to shuttle mode, being large enough to carry a pair of Decepticons in his cockpit. However, within the movie itself, his size is [[scale|noticeably inconsistent]]: When he leaves Autobot City, he's just large enough for the Decepticon army to cram themselves in; later, he's so huge that the Constructicons can quite comfortably form Devastator inside him.
* The number of minions created by Unicron changes throughout the film, with more Sweeps appearing as the story progresses. A second Cyclonus ("Cyclonus, the warrior, and [[Cyclonus's Armada|his armada]]") is shown being created but disappears shortly thereafter.

[[Image:SSBQ.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"I've been looking forward to this for a long time." "Yes, I bet you have."]]

* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] is capable of reducing [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] to ashes with a single shot from his cannon mode. Though in later episodes Galvatron is shown blowing up even small ''[[Thrull|planets]]'' with his cannon, his extraordinary killing power seems to be gone—like when he scores a direct hit in cannon mode on Ultra Magnus in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" and Magnus isn't especially hurt at all, or how a similar blast against Scourge in "[[The Burden Hardest to Bear]]" only leaves the latter temporarily incapacitated. [[Marvel Comics]] bios explain this by suggesting that Galvatron had nearly limitless power through Unicron... but then again, Galvatron himself claims to be "more powerful than ever" after Unicron is dead. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} [[To sell toys|Who knows.]]
* Why didn't anyone notice Unicron until he was within devouring distance of Cybertron's moons?
* Despite running out of energon goodies on Quintessa, Hot Rod has at least one to offer to the Junkions. Maybe he got some on the ship. It's also possible that, when he told the Allicons "No more," he meant that he wasn't going to ''feed'' them any more energon goodies, not that he didn't ''have'' anymore.
* Daniel, who was just learning how to use his exo-suit, had to knock down the acid cover inside Unicron to save his loved ones. Why couldn't the more experienced Spike do the same with his suit from above? He had both of his arms free and a clear shot at the cover.
* It's not clear how Rodimus Prime (carrying two humans) and the other Autobots survived their jump out of Unicron's eye and their plunge towards the surface of Cybertron.
* It's also unclear just how the dozen or so Autobots (and one shipload of Junkions) managed to retake the whole planet of Cybertron. Did Unicron really wipe out ''that'' many Decepticons?

==Easter eggs==
* When Sludge gets haymakered by Devastator, his eyes pop out of their sockets in Looney Tunes fashion.
* The Quintesson jail cell includes robot debris ''strongly'' resembling the RX-178 MK II and the MSZ-006 mobile suits from 1985's ''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''.

==Adaptations==
*[[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel Comics)|A comic adaptation of the movie]] was published by [[Marvel Comics]] in 1986, concurrently with the movie's theater run. It was based off a non-finalized version of the script, and differs in many details from the final film. Additionally, most of the major character models (and possibly their unedited original character write-ups) appear in Issue #4 of the ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]'' series.
* [[Transformers the Movie (Ladybird adaptation)|A storybook adaptation]] was released in the UK by [[Ladybird Books]].
*A four-part adaptation was released in 2006/2007 by [[IDW Publishing]], as part of the film's 20th anniversary celebration. It was titled ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' to differentiate it from the [[Michael Bay]] [[Transformers (2007)|live-action film]]. Unlike its predecessor, it adheres rigidly to the script and plot of the finished movie.

==Soundtrack==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack}}

==Promotions==
* Early in the movie's production, a [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional trailer]] was made to sell the project to potential investors.
* The movie was advertised on related 1986 toy packages via the [[Decipher the Decepticon]] Sweepstakes, which included a pack-in poster and contest.
* The movie was heavily advertised directly by TV [[commercial]]s, and tail-end segments on Transformer toy ads. Portions of its story were also retold in altered fashion by animation segments of commercials for the movie character toys, such as a spot showing Springer doing battle with Wreck-Gar.

==In the comic continuity==
The [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel UK comic]] made extensive use of the Movie as the basis for a series of stories involving the Transformers in the future. However there are several differences between the events seen on screen and those referenced in the comic:

*The comic always dates the move to 2006, following the date given in a treatment that was all [[Simon Furman]] had when he wrote [[Target: 2006]].
*In Target: 2006, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] states that he was previously "[[Life Spark]]".
*The Matrix is always called the "Creation Matrix" in the comic, a name that predates the "Matrix of Leadership" but which is now used for the same physical object.
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] both survive the events, both later appearing in [[Space Pirates!]] (set in 2008).

In addition Shockwave definitely survives the attack by Unicron.

The US comic ignored the events of the Movie, though later in the run an alternative future is briefly shown in "[[Rhythms of Darkness!]]" and "[[A Savage Circle]]". In this timeline at least some of the events of the Movie took place such as the creation of Galvatron from Megatron, which is dated to 2005, though Prowl's death was overlooked. [[Prowl II|Wouldn't be the first time. Or the last.]]

==Edits==
Several English-language versions of the film exist, with the following differences in content from the American theatrical run:

* In some versions (notably the European version) the opening credits are replaced with a scrolling text ("''Star Wars'' style") which provides backstory.
* In some versions (notably the European version) the film ends with [[Victor Caroli|a narrator]] reassuring the audience that Optimus Prime will return.
* Instances of swearing in the film (there are two) were edited out; sometimes one, sometimes both. Those instances are: Spike yelling, "Oh shit, what are we gonna do now?" after the self-destructing Moon Base 2 fails to scratch Unicron, and Ultra Magnus growling, "Open, damn it, open!" while trying to open the Matrix to fend off Galvatron and the Sweeps on Junkion. The United Kingdom cinema version had the swearing included but, when it was released on VHS in the United Kingdom, Spike's line was cut ("damn" not being considered offensive in the UK). However it has been restored on all United Kingdom DVD releases.
* In some early FHE video releases, the shot of the Matrix falling out of Optimus Prime's hand and being caught by Hot Rod is edited so that it appears that Ultra Magnus simply takes the Matrix from Prime. Why this was done is not known, and the replay of the Hot Rod catch on Unicron's monitors was left intact.
*Instead of DEG, the Rank Film "gong man" appears before the film, as Rank were the United Kingdom distributors.

None of these edits significantly affect the story. They should not be confused with various other sequences which were changed before the film's final release:

* Originally, Ultra Magnus's "death sequence" on Junkion called for him to be lassoed and drawn and quartered by the Sweeps' energy beams, but this was deemed too graphic for audiences, hence the less disturbing "shot to death" sequence seen instead. There is evidence that the original sequence had been fully animated when the decision was made, however; the Sweeps still kept their solid energy lassos when they fire upon Mags, and Mags is seen visibly straining against what appears to be said lassos (edited out and replaced with laser fire) before exploding.
* A number of other sequences were illustrated as [[storyboard]]s but dropped, presumably without ever being animated. Among them were:
** A short scene showing the Autobot shuttle veering around some meteors, explaining how the Decepticons caught them unawares.
** An extended sequence with Hot Rod and Daniel outside the city.
** A sequence of Mirage blasting Bombshell and being fired on by Megatron.
** The Autobots finally bringing down Devastator with a barrage of missiles (and Skywarp subsequently shooting Red Alert in the back).
** The Decepticons dogpiling Optimus Prime, explaining why he seems to be standing up just before his fight with Megatron.
:Some of these concepts were in earlier versions of the script, and hence made it into the comic adaptation.
* Rumors have occasionally circulated in the fandom of additional animated footage that was dropped from the film, such as ultra-violent battle scenes. No evidence has ever surfaced to back these claims; the only known edits are those listed in this section.
:{{see|Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#The Transformers: The Movie|Urban legends about ''The Transformers: The Movie''}}

==Reception==
''The Transformers: The Movie'' was almost universally panned by professional critics upon its release. Well-known film critic and animation enthusiast, Leonard Maltin, gave it a rating below 1 1/2 stars in his ''1987 Movie & Video Guide'', regarding it as a "bomb". He went on to say, "Obnoxious animated feature about the title good guys, who defend the universe against an evil planet (which has a voice of its own... provided by Orson Welles.) That deafening rock score certainly doesn't help. Little more than a feature-length toy commercial."

Over time, however, the movie has acquired something of a cult following beyond the core base of [[fandom|Transformers fans]], particularly among children of the 80s. It is sometimes screened as a midnight movie at colleges. Online, it is not hard to find amateur reviews lauding everything about it as utterly awesome, from the premise to the soundtrack, and dismissing more critical views out of hand.

To date, the budget of the film has not been disclosed—at least, not in any place the [[fandom]] has found. According to most box office tracking sites,<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm</ref><ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1986/0TRTM.php</ref> ''The Transformers: The Movie'' made $5,849,647 in domestic (e.g., United States) theaters. Comparing this with other animated films of 1986, the results are not particularly charitable; while it did better financially than ''[[Tonka GoBots|GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords]]''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gobots.htm</ref> ($1,338,264) and ''Heathcliff: The Movie''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heathcliff.htm</ref> ($2,610,686), it performed worse than the ''[[My Little Pony]]'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mylittlepony.htm</ref> ($5,958,456) and the '''second''' ''Care Bears'' movie<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=carebearsmovie2.htm</ref> ($8,540,346). Bringing up ''The Great Mouse Detective''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greatmousedetective.htm</ref> ($25,336,794) and ''An American Tail''<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=americantail.htm</ref> ($47,483,002) would really just be overkill.

==Significance in Transfandom==
''The Transformers: The Movie'' remains one of the most important elements of the entire Transformers brand, both within the fiction and from the perspective of the brand's popularity and "mindshare".

Fictionally, it established several story concepts that have been used repeatedly in the years since 1986, some of which—such as Unicron and the Matrix—are now central to the entire Transformers mythos. The movie is also the centerpiece of the most well-known Transformers continuity: the Generation 1 animated universe. The ''Transformers'' cartoon is split into "pre-movie" and "post-movie" sections which feature different characters and settings, and even somewhat different visual styles. (Most pre-movie episodes were animated by the studio [[Toei]], while most post-movie episodes were animated by [[AKOM]].)

On a practical note, it was widely available on videotape, and remained so long after the ''The Transformers'' cartoon had gone off the air. Only a [[Family Home Entertainment|handful of series episodes]] were available on video, making ''The Transformers: The Movie'' the logical choice for someone looking to pick up a ''Transformers'' cartoon; this made it far more well-known among fans than any particular cartoon episode.

To an entire generation of young fans, the movie was the most visually spectacular and narratively epic ''Transformers'' experience of their entire youth. Events such as the death of Optimus Prime are widely reported to have reduced many kids to tears. It is hardly a surprise that these emotional experiences embedded themselves deeply in many fans' memories.

==Criticisms==
All this is not all to say that the movie is a "masterpiece", exactly. The film met with extremely harsh critical reviews on its release, and some of those criticisms still ring true today.

The film displays an arguably cynical attitude towards itself as [[To sell toys|a vehicle for advertising toys]], especially in the way beloved characters are killed—sometimes gratuitously—for sake of justifying the story's focus on a new group of toys. (Note that the poster at the top of this article features ''only'' new characters.)

Further, the two primary plot devices—[[Unicron]] and the [[Matrix]]—have no prior establishment in the fiction. Unicron is given no backstory or justification; he simply exists, is very dangerous, and is afraid of the Matrix, all for no adequately explained reason. The introduction of the Matrix itself is a heavy [[retcon]]. The story asks the audience to accept that this cosmically powerful artifact has been in Prime's possession all along (even though an X-ray of Optimus Prime's innards in the second season episode "[[A Prime Problem]]" show absolutely no signs of said Matrix), but has somehow never been relevant before. In fact, this lack of prior establishment is what led [[Simon Furman]] to develop the divinity backstory of Unicron and [[Primus]] in the UK comics run.

[[Image:Megatronlightsaber.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Your powers are weak, old man!]]
The movie bears many similarities to ''[[Star Wars]]'': There are several character-parallels ([[Springer (G1)|Springer]] is a [[Han Solo]]-type and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] even has Princess Leia's hairdo!), the primary threat is similar (it's the [[Death Star]]... [[Unicron|but it transforms!]]), and both feature a climactic battle where the [[Hot Rod (G1)|young hero]] hears the voice of his [[Optimus Prime (G1)|dead, wise mentor]] one last time before saving the day.

To be a bit more fair to ''The Transformers: The Movie'', however, most of these similarities are either superficial (Arcee's Leia-hair; Megatron's "lightsaber" he briefly uses in his duel against Optimus Prime) or can be seen as elements common to thousands of years worth of epic storytelling through human history, not just common to ''Star Wars''. As a simple example, the phenomenon of two charismatic leaders dealing each other mortal injuries in battle hearkens back to some versions of the "King Arthur" myth; in their final battle, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Arthur]] and his arch-enemy [[Megatron (G1)|Sir Mordred]] deal one another lethal injuries and both apparently expire—though Arthur according to the legend will [[The Return of Optimus Prime|return]] when [[Cybertron (planet)|England's]] need [[Darkest hour|is greatest]].

==Formatting==
[[Image:Tftm widescreenesque.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The "widescreen" picture (left) actually ''cuts off'' the top and bottom of the fullscreen picture (right).]]
Although it was billed in some advertisements before its theatrical release as being "widescreen", the movie was in fact animated in a 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio. For its theatrical screenings, the film was matted down in the projector by the projectionist to a 16:9 aspect ratio (widescreen), chopping the top and bottom off the picture, but all video transfers of the movie were done without mattes, meaning that there was actually more picture visible in the fullscreen video and DVD releases than there would have been in theaters. Across 2006 and 2007, new editions of the DVD of the film were released by Sony BMG and [[Metrodome]] which applied the mattes in order to replicate the original theatrical presentation of the film for the first time in home entertainment. Some fans, however, didn't realize that the film wasn't actually ''animated'' in widescreen, and, hearing that the DVD was to be in widescreen, expected to see the fullscreen image with additional footage at the sides, causing them to complain that the top and bottom were cut off, thereby totally missing the point.

==International versions==
{{main|The Transformers: The Movie/dubs}}

==Commercial Releases==
* The movie was originally released in North America on home video in 1987 by [[Family Home Entertainment]], minus Spike's swear. Not long after, it was releasd in the UK by Video Gems. This version featured the opening text crawl and closing narration inherent to the UK version of the film. In Australia, the film was releaed on video by RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts. In Japan, Hillcrane released a Laserdisc version alongside a VHS copy.
*The movie was released spottily in the '90s, beginning with a budget VHS by Avid Home Entertainment in 1991. [[Malofilm]] released a VHS in Canada in 1995, notable for being the first home entertainment version to include Spike's swear. In 1998, Japanese company Pioneer produced another pair of Laserdisc and VHS releases. In 1999, things kicked off when American company [[Kid Rhino]] secured the Transformers license and released the film on VHS once again.
*The 21st century's flirtation with ''The Transformers: The Movie'' started with a UK budget VHS release of that country's version by [[Maverick Entertainment]]. A Japanese company called CatCo followed this up with a VideoCD, and Malofilm—now Seville—were the first to release a DVD version of the film, though it was just a dump of their VHS version.
*In November 2000, ''The Transformers: The Movie'' got its first, full professional DVD release from Kid Rhino. This edition, labelled a "Special Collector's Edition", is the first to feature remastered video and audio, and several special features, including storyboards and an interview with [[Vince DiCola]]. Rhino concurrently released this version on VHS, sans extras.
*In 2001 in the UK, Maverick Entertainment released their own much-delayed DVD version of the film. It was the UK version of the film, but included Spike's swear. However, the release was burdened by badly interlaced video, though it notably included the [[RTM 1 dub]] version of the ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|Headmasters]]'' episode "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]" as an extra. This version (including the ''Headmasters'' episode) was simultaneously released on VHS.
*The movie was released on DVD in Australia in 2003 by [[Madman Entertainment]], using the same video as the Maverick version, but distinguished by some nifty new cover art by [[Don Figueroa]], and special features not seen on other editions, such as ''[[Stan Bush|The Touch]]'' music video and 80s TV spots.
[[Image:Tftm uk covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The UK poster art (left) has been the most common DVD and VHS cover in its home country, but the Ultimate Edition featured new art by Andy Wildman (right).]]
*After acquiring the license to release ''Transformers'' DVDs in the UK, [[Metrodome]] focused on completing their run of series box sets before turning their attention to the movie properly, releasing only a cheap budget DVD of the UK version through Prism Leisure with no extras, and a UMD of the same version.
*In 2005, Metrodome released "Transformers: The Movie - Reconstructed", a new version of the film designed to expose as much of the animated picture as possible. This, however, only resulted in exposing the rough, unfinished edges of the animation, and an overly pale remaster was compounded by excessive interlacing due to an unnecessary NTSC to PAL transfer. This, coupled with a 5.1 remix from [[Magno Sound]], featuring the same extra sound effects that they added to Rhino's season box sets, made this release both controversial and disappointing to many. This was the first time that the US version of the movie was released in the UK, and the first to feature the US poster art as a cover (although a Silverscreen store exclusive version of the disc included a reversible cover with the UK poster art as well). Extras include trailers, TV spots, the character biographies from the Madman release, and a subtitled version of "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]".
[[Image:Tftm sony covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Sony's covers, by Don Figueroa.]]
*For the movie's 20th anniversary in 2006, new license holder [[Sony]] BMG released a two-disc special edition of the film, featuring both a high-quality widescreen remaster and the original fullscreen version, audio commentaries from crew and fans, several new featurettes interviewing those involved in the movie's production, storyboards, tv spots, American and Japanese commercials and more. Most notably, this version included the first Western release of "[[Scramble City]]", albeit silent and unsubtitled, featuring only audio commentary. This release featured two covers by Don Figueroa: one is of the '84-'85 cast that appear in the movie, and one is of the movie's new characters, available either as a lenticular hologram that switches between the two, or as a reversible sleeve with the images printed on either side.
[[Image:Tftm madman covers.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Madman's 2003 DVD cover (left), and their 2007 Special Edition cover (right).]]
*Delayed a bit to coincide with the hype for the 2007 [[Transformers (2007)|live-action movie]], Metrodome also released a two-disc "Ultimate Edition" with a different widescreen master. Like "Reconstructed", this version used the US edition of the film, but this time, the UK version was also included, in fullscreen, on the second disc. Extras include TV spots, commercials, the Madman biographies, storyboards, commentary, Scramble City (with audio and subtitles), featurettes with [[Flint Dille]] and [[Peter Cullen]], and more. The double-disc edition was sold in a steel case featuring new art by [[Andrew Wildman]], with the UK poster art adorning the standard case inside. Various store exclusives were available, including postcards from Play.Com, a reversible cover with the US poster art from HMV, art cards from Virgin Megastore and [[posters]] from Woolworths and [[Toys"R"Us]]. It was also available in an extra-less single-disc version. This version was premiered at the Mid Ulster Film Festival in Ireland which was the only cinema showing of the remastered version of the film to date.
*The film was released in Full HD 1080p on Blu-ray in the UK in October 2007. The Blu-ray is not region-locked, so it will play anywhere in the world. It features a 2.0 soundtrack, 5.1 Dolby Digital track, and a full bitrate DTS 5.1 track. The master used was the same used by Sony for their US DVD. The picture is quite stunning and the sound very good. Sadly, there are no extras on the DVD. The version of the film on the Blu-ray is the US one, complete with swear word.
*Madman produced their two-disc special edition through some collaboration with Metrodome, and consequently it features much of the same content, with additional extras taking the form of The Touch music video and a bonus episode of ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]''. This release again features cover artwork by Don Figueroa, specifically the cover of [[IDW]]'s ''[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]'' adaptation.

==Notes==
* This film was one of the last professional performances by [[Orson Welles]], if not the very last. According to production materials shown at [[BotCon 2000]] by Tim Finn, the voice recording sessions for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' were done on September 10 and 11 of 1985. Welles died on October 10 of that same year. It has often been speculated that Unicron's last line ("Destiny… you cannot destroy my destiny!") was recorded by another actor—possibly [[Leonard Nimoy|Nimoy]]—because it sounds different than the other lines. This speculation has been quashed by statements by Transformers voice director [[Wally Burr]].<ref>http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/wally_burr_3.html</ref>
[[Image:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Uncle Owen! Aunt Beru!!]]

* With the exception of Starscream, Unicron, and possibly Shockwave, only the Autobots suffered casualties in the movie. All of the other "dead" Decepticons from the Autobot City battle were rebuilt into Galvatron's new troops, and although more Decepticons were shown taking heavy damage and suffering huge casualties while fighting Unicron, their identities and their condition are uncertain. Additionally, both Starscream and Unicron survived in the post-movie series in some form or another. Shockwave's death in the finished film is highly uncertain, although in the script it is fairly strongly implied. He does make some miscolored appearances in crowd shots in later cartoon episodes, but these are probably examples of the fairly common animation errors in those episodes.

*[[:Image:TFTM-MaybeBeachcomber.jpg|A robot resembling Beachcomber]] appears alongside Spike and the Autobots inside Unicron seconds before Daniel blasts the acid cover. Whether this was actually meant to be Beachcomber or just coincidental coloring is unknown, but regardless, Beachcomber shows up alive and well in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]".

==External links==
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=transformers.htm ''The Transformers: The Movie'''s box office domestic gross.]
* [http://www.tftm.net/ ''The Transformers: The Movie'' "Unofficial Fansite", an extremely thorough site about the movie]
* [http://www.wombatking.com/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=4 ''The Transformers: The Movie'' deleted storyboards]

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers: The Movie}}
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Prime Directive issue 1

2009-08-24T13:47:29Z

RecallBerserk: /* Synopsis */ A part of the synopsis for issue 2 was incorrectly placed here in the synopsis of issue 1.

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Prime Directive|''The Transformers: ''Generation 1'']]
|prev=Prime Directive Preview
|next=Prime Directive issue 2
|title=''The Transformers: ''Generation 1'' #1
|image=G1_Vol.1_Issue1_1.jpg
|caption=You! Imagine I have a chair to sit on!
|publisher=[[Dreamwave Productions]]
|date=April 4, 2002
|coverdate=April, 2002
|writer=[[Chris Sarracini|Chrislock]]
|penciler=[[Pat Lee|Patimus Prime]]
|inker=[[Rob Armstrong|Robonus]]
|colorist=[[TheRealT!]]
|graphic design=[[Paul Villafuerte|Paulceptor]]
|letterer=[[Dreamer Design]]
|editor=[[Roger Lee|Hot Rog]]
|continuity=[[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]]
|chronology=[[Dreamwave timeline|Modern era]]
}}

'''Lazarus has weapons for sale while Spike learns that he can't escape his past.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Human|Humans]] have discovered the [[Transformer|Transformers]] again after a year and a half of searching. [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] and [[Autobot|Autobots]] are captured by a human organization and used as metallic puppets of war. The U.S. Government contacts the only person on record as ever having known about Transformers: Spike Witwicky, who currently is a working man taking care of his infant son, Daniel.

It is revealed that the Autobots had united with humans to defeat the Decepticons. Together, the two races built a giant ship known as the ''[[Ark II]]'', which they planned to transport themselves and the captive Decepticons back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Also aboard were a handful of [[Earth]] scientists and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. The ''Ark II'' exploded before exiting Earth's atmosphere, and no humans survived.

However, the U.S. military reveals to Spike that it has found one of the surviving Transformer bodies...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (7)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (1)
|c3=
* [[Manny (G1)|Manny]] (2)
* "[[Pisser|The Pisser]]" (3)
* [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] (4)
* [[General Hallo]] (5)
* [[Lazarus]] (6)
}}

==Errors==
* None yet identified.

==Quotes==

==Items of note==
* The final page of the issue serves as a dramatic reveal of the Transformer that the U.S. forces have found. The collected volumes do not present this image in the same way, losing a lot of the dramatic impact.
* Following the story is a 2-page fictional news article entitled "Reliving the '99 ''Ark II'' Tragedy—What Happened?"
* [[James Raiz]], [[Alan Wang]] and [[Kenny Li]] created a [http://transfans.net/graphics/specials/interviews/raizextra5b.jpg large lithograph] that contained over 600 characters from multiple Transformers continuities. Each issue of ''[[Prime Directive]]'' came in two cover variants, Autobot and Decepticon, and each variant of each issue had a 2-page center spread which was 1/12 of the lithograph. Split up, it was 4 issues wide by 3 issues high.

===Covers (6)===
* '''Regular Cover:''' Autobots wraparound by [[Pat Lee]]
* '''Regular Cover:''' Decepticons wraparound by Pat Lee
* '''2nd printing:''' Prime and Bumblebee by Pat Lee
* '''3rd printing:''' Omega Supreme by Pat Lee
* '''Foil Cover:''' Battle wraparound by Pat Lee
* '''Incentive Cover:''' Superion wraparound by Pat Lee and [[James Raiz]]

<gallery>
Image:G1_Vol.1_Issue1_1_full.jpg|Autobot cover
Image:G1_Vol.1_Issue1_2_full.jpg|Decepticon cover
Image:G1_Vol.1_Issue1_Foil_full.jpg|Foil cover
Image:Dw_cover_number_1_prime_and_bumblebee.jpg|2nd printing cover
Image:DW_cover_number_1_omega.jpg|3rd printing cover
Image:Dw cover number 1 devastator.jpg|Incentive cover
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* [[BotCon]] 2002
* [[Titan Books]] G1 reprints
* [[Prime Directive issue 2|''Prime Directive'' #2]]
* ''Darkminds: Macropolis'' #3
* ''Warlands'' TPB #2
* [[Predaking]] lithograph
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] poster
* Transformers posters (back interior cover)

[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 issues]]

"Weird Al" Yankovic

2009-08-19T14:43:43Z

RecallBerserk: Corrected punctuation

[[Image:WeirdAl.jpg|right|230px|thumb|Okay, sure... how did you get this number?]]
'''"Weird Al" Yankovic''' (born '''Alfred Matthew Yankovic''' on [[October 23]], 1959) is a god among men.

A multi-Grammy-winning musician for over twenty years, "Weird Al" is famous for his parodies of popular songs, as well as "style parodies" that emulate specific acts' musical styles.

Al has also directed music videos for various other musicians, including Ben Folds Five and Hanson. He has produced and starred in numerous specials on MTV and VH1, a cult-hit movie ''UHF'', and his own one-season Saturday morning TV show. He also has a long list of cartoon voice acting cameos (particularly for [[Cartoon Network]]), appearing on such shows as ''[[Jeff Glen Bennett|Johnny Bravo]]'', ''The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy'', ''Robot Chicken''... and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]''.

=="Roles"==
===Generation 1 (musician)===
* "[[Dare to Be Stupid]]" — ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' soundtrack

===Transformers Animated (voice)===
* [[Wreck-Gar (Animated)|Wreck-Gar]]
* [[Sumdac Systems]] technician ("[[Garbage In, Garbage Out]]")

===Convention guest===
* [[BotCon 2009]]

==Notes==
* [http://community.livejournal.com/tf_animated/271043.html In an interview], [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] revealed that during Weird Al's recording session for ''Animated'', regular voice actor [[Tom Kenny]] wasn't scheduled to show up, but came anyway just so he could introduce his son to Weird Al. ''Dawwwwww.''
* Coincidentally enough, he has made songs about [[Spider-Man]], [[Darth Vader|Anakin Skywalker]] and [[eBay]].

==External links==
*[http://www.weirdal.com/home.htm The Official "Weird Al" web site]

*[http://twitter.com/alyankovic Al on Twitter]

*[http://weirdal.wikia.com/ The Weird Al Wiki]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yankovic, "Weird Al"}}
[[Category:Convention guests]]
[[Category:Musicians]]
[[Category:Voice actors]]

Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2009-08-19T10:14:38Z

RecallBerserk: /* Errors and critiques */ Correcting description.

{{stub|Omitted Action Master vehicles and accessories; careful check for errors. We're getting close now!}}
{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
{{disambig2|the Dreamwave-produced bio series|the Marvel-produced bio series|Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)}}
[[Image:Mtmte-oiler.jpg|right|300px|thumb|True to form, [[Oiler]] looks like he's about to pass out.]]
'''''More Than Meets The Eye''''' is the first of a series of profile books published by [[Dreamwave Productions]] in 2003. The book introduced readers to every character within the ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' continuity. A sequel series was published for ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (Armada)|Armada]]'', and the same was planned for ''[[Unreleased Dreamwave issues|Energon]]''.

The series has no known physical weaknesses.

==Overview==
Originally conceived to be a 4-issue series, ''Transformers Profile Book One'' was scheduled to be released in December, 2002. After a name change and a delay of over four months, the series was released as eight issue in 2003. The series was also released as a 2-volume trade paperback edition in December 2004, which included introductions by the authors, and bonus artwork, though ''not'' the intro and conclusion story.

The series profiled all characters that were released by Hasbro between 1984 and 1991, as well as a few characters that appeared only within [[Marvel Comics]]/[[Sunbow Productions]] animated projects between 1984 and 1987. The series also introduces new content in order to establish parameters for stories within the Dreamwave continuity, particularly in the "special topics" issue. A number of personalities were created from scratch for the Micromasters, many of whom were little more than toys and names prior.

The profiles follow the same format as the original 1980s Marvel profile book, ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]''. A characteristic quote leads off each bio, followed by Bio, Weapons/Abilities, and Weaknesses. Many profiles are told from the perspective of another character ("from the [[datatrax]] of"); [[Grapple]], for example, narrates the profile for his friend and associate [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. Despite initial reports that the profile book would be re-creating the entire Transformers universe from scratch, most established characters stay close to their original profiles, with some [[Thunderwing (G1)|occasional]] [[Carnivac (G1)|massaging]] when a character's popular fictional portrayals [[Bludgeon (G1)|clashed]] with their profile.

Artwork was done by numerous artists. As such, there are stylistic differences among the various profiles. Some of the original art submissions were rejected as not being consistent with the Dreamwave "house style", i.e. that of [[Pat Lee]]. Lee's hand and/or influence is particularly visible on some of the earlier and more popular characters, who often feature his characteristic rounded, swollen limbs, tiny heads, and enormously thickened metal panels. [[Don Figueroa]] drew a huge number of profile entries as well, including many of the best known characters. Lesser known characters were apparently left to other artists, who were allowed a freer hand; however, attempts at conveying a character's personality through their profile art were generally [[Blades (G1)|quashed]].

==Issue #1==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] has the odd feeling of being followed.]]
Issue #1 opens with a one-page intro story in which [[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]] (or the Dreamwave universe's version of him) gains access to [[Vector Sigma]], with the intent of reading all these files. 
'''Originally published:''' [[April 30]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]
** [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]
** [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]]
** [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]
** [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]]
** [[Slingshot]]
** [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]
* [[Airwave]] and his [[airport]]
* [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]
* [[Apeface]] with [[Spasma]]
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
* [[Axer]] and his [[Turbo Cycle]]
* [[Backstreet]]
* [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp]]
* [[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]]
* [[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]]
* [[Battletrap]]
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]
* [[Beastbox]]
* [[Big Daddy (G1)|Big Daddy]]
* [[Big Hauler]]
* [[Big Shot]]
* [[Blackjack]]
* [[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]]
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]
* [[Blast Master]]
* [[Blaze Master]]
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (2 pages)
* [[Bluestreak]]
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]
* [[Bomb-Burst]] (2 pages)
* [[Bombshock (G1)|Bombshock]]
* [[Brainstorm]] with [[Arcana]]
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
* [[Bugly]] (2 pages)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
* [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]]
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (2 pages)
* [[Catilla]] (2 pages)
* [[Cement-Head]] with the [[Cannon Transport]]
* [[Chainclaw]] (2 pages)
* [[Chase (G1)|Chase]]
* [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] with [[Stylor]]
* [[Cindersaur]]
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]
* [[Cloudburst]] (2 pages)
* [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]]
* [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]
** [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
** [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
** [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]
** [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
** [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]
** [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]}}

==Issue #2==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dudes, we're free - FREE!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[May 29]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]:
** [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]
** [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]
** [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
** [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
** [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
** [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]
** [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]
* [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] and his [[Rocket Base|rocket base]] (2 pages)
* [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]
* [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (2 pages)
* [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] with [[Pinpointer (G1)|Pinpointer]]
* [[Crumble]]
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]
* [[Darkwing]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]]
* [[Detour (G1)|Detour]]
* [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]:
** [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2 pages)
** [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
** [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
** [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
** [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* [[Direct-Hit (G1)|Direct-Hit]]
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
* [[Dogfight]]
* [[Doublecross]]
* [[Doubledealer]] with [[Knok]] and [[Skar]] (2 pages)
* [[Doubleheader]] (2 pages)
* [[Downshift (G1)|Downshift]]
* [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] with [[Hi-Test]]
* [[Dropshot (G1)|Dropshot]]
* [[Eagle Eye (G1)|Eagle Eye]]
* [[Eject]]
* [[Erector]] and his [[crane]]
* [[Excavator (G1)|Excavator]]
* [[Fangry]] with [[Brisko]]
* [[Fastlane]]
* [[Finback]] (2 pages)
* [[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]]
* [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]]
* [[Fizzle]]
* [[Flak]]
* [[Flamefeather]]
* [[Flattop (Decepticon)|Flattop]] and his [[aircraft carrier]]
* [[Flywheels]]
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] with [[Cog (G1)|Cog/Gasket/Grommet]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] (3 pages)
* [[Free Wheeler|Freewheeler]]
* [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]]
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]
* [[Full-Barrel]]
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (2 pages)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]
* [[Getaway]] with [[Rev]]
* [[Gnaw]]
* [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]]
* [[Grand Slam]]}}

==Issue #3==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|By Primus, [[Fandom|they're]] everywhere! Don't let them touch you with their fat greasy hands!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[June 25]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Grapple]]
* [[Greasepit (G1)|Greasepit]] with his [[gas station]]
* [[Greaser]]
* [[Grit (G1)|Grit]]
* [[Grotusque]]
* [[Ground Hog]]
* [[Groundbreaker]] (2 pages)
* [[Groundpounder]]
* [[Groundshaker]] with his [[ATV]]
* [[Growl (G1)|Growl]]
* [[Gunrunner (G1)|Gunrunner]] (2 pages)
* [[Gusher]]
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] with his [[Stratotronic Jet]]
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]
* [[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]]
* [[Hammer (G1)|Hammer]]
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Duros]]
* [[Heave]]
* [[Heavy Tread]]
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Gort]]
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]]
* [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]
* [[Horri-Bull]] and [[Kreb]]
* [[Hosehead]] and [[Lug]]
* [[Hot House]] with his [[fire station]]
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
* [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]]
* [[Hubs]]
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
* [[Hydraulic]]
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]]
* [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] (2 pages)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
* [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]:
** [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]]
** [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
** [[Chop Shop]]
** [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]
** [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]]
** [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]
** [[Venom (G1)|Venom]]
* [[Ironworks|Iron Works]] with his [[Construction station|communications station]]
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]
* [[Jackpot]] with [[Sights]]
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]
* [[Joyride (Autobot)|Joyride]] with [[Hotwire]]
* [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]] with his [[Turbo-Pack]]
* [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]]
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider]]
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]
* [[Landfill (G1)|Landfill]] with [[Silencer]] and [[Flintlock]]
* [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (2 pages)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
* [[Longtooth]] (2 pages)
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button]]
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (3 pages - includes Cybertronian forms)}}

==Issue #4==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Attack of the Stay-puffed Transformers]]
'''Originally published:''' [[July 30]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]]
* [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] with [[Six-Gun]], [[Slammer]] and [[Scamper]] (3 pages)
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Vorath]]
* [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] (4 models - 2 pages)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]
* [[Misfire]] and [[Aimless]]
* [[Missile Master]]
* [[Moonrock]]
* [[Motorhead]]
* [[Mudslinger]]
* [[Needlenose]] with [[Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag]]
* [[Neutro]]
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] with [[Muzzle]]
* [[Nightflight (G1)|Nightflight]]
* [[Octane]]
* [[Octopunch]] (2 pages)
* [[Oiler]]
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (2 pages)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2 pages)
* [[Outback]]
* [[Overdrive]]
* [[Overflow]]
* [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]
* [[Overload (G1)|Overload]] with his [[car carrier trailer]]
* [[Override (G1)|Override]]
* [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]] with his [[Attack Copter]]
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
* [[Phaser]]
* [[Pincher]] (2 pages)
* [[Pipeline]]
* [[Pipes]]
* [[Pointblank]] with [[Peacemaker]]
* [[Pounce]]
* [[Power Punch (G1)|Power Punch]]
* [[Powerdasher|Powerdashers]] (3 models)
* [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]
* [[Power Run]]
* [[Powertrain]]
* [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]:
** [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]
** [[Headstrong]]
** [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]
** [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
** [[Tantrum]]
** [[Predaking]]
* [[Pretender Monster|Pretender Monsters]]:
** [[Birdbrain]] (2 pages)
** [[Bristleback]] (2 pages)
** [[Icepick]] (2 pages)
** [[Scowl]] (2 pages)
** [[Slog]] (2 pages)
** [[Wildfly]] (2 pages)
** [[Monstructor]]}}

==Issue #5==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] makes any cover awesome!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[September 4]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]:
** [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]
** [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]
** [[Groove (G1)|Groove]]
** [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]
** [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]
** [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
* [[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]] (2 pages)
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] with [[Tiptop]] and [[Heater]]
* [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] with [[Boomer]] and [[Ricochet (Nebulan)|Ricochet]]
* [[Quickswitch]] (2 pages)
* [[Rad (G1)|Rad]] with [[Lionizer]]
* [[Raindance]]
* [[Ramhorn]]
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
* [[Red Hot]]
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]:
** [[Spectro]]
** [[Spyglass]]
** [[Viewfinder]]
* [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]
* [[Retro]]
* [[Rewind]]
* [[Road Hugger (G1)|Road Hugger]]
* [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]] (2 pages)
* [[Roadburner]]
* [[Roadbuster]]
* [[Roadgrabber]] (2 pages)
* [[Roadhandler (G1)|Road Handler]]
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]
* [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]]
* [[Roller Force]]
* [[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] with [[Glitch]]
* [[Roughstuff]] and his [[military transport]]
* [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]]
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]
* [[Runabout]]
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
* [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] with [[Holepunch (G1)|Holepunch]] and [[Tracer (Nebulan)|Tracer]]
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] with [[Zarak (Nebulan)|Zarak]] and [[Fasttrack (Scorponok)|Fasttrack]]
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]
* [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]:
** [[Nautilator]]
** [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
** [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]]
** [[Skalor]]
** [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
** [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]
** [[Piranacon]]
* [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]
* [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]]
* [[Seawatch]]
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (2 pages)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]
* [[Sidetrack]]}}

==Issue #6==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 6.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[September 24]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Siren]] with [[Quig]]
* [[Sixshot]] (2 pages)
* [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]]
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]
* [[Skullcruncher]] with [[Grax]]
* [[Skullgrin]] (2 pages)
* [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]] (2 pages)
* [[Sky High (Micromaster)|Sky High]]
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]
* [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy]]
* [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]] (2 pages)
* [[Skyhopper]] with his [[helicopter]]
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] with his [[interstellar shuttle]]
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
* [[Slamdance]]
* [[Sledge (G1)|Sledge]]
* [[Slide]]
* [[Slow Poke]]
* [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]]
* [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] with [[Caliburst]]
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]
* [[Snapdragon]] with [[Krunk]]
* [[Snarler]] (2 pages)
* [[Slapdash]] with [[Lube]]
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
* [[Spaceshot]]
* [[Sparkstalker]]
* [[Spinister]] with [[Hairsplitter]] and [[Singe]]
* [[Splashdown]] (2 pages)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]
* [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]] with his [[Attack Cruiser]]
* [[Squawkbox]]
* [[Squawktalk]]
* [[Squeezeplay]] with [[Lokos]]
* [[Stakeout]]
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
* [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
* [[Stonecruncher (G1)|Stonecruncher]]
* [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]]
* [[Stranglehold]] (2 pages)
* [[Strikedown]]
* [[Stunticon|Stunticons]]:
** [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]
** [[Drag Strip]]
** [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
** [[Motormaster]]
** [[Wildrider]]
** [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]
* [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] (2 pages)
* [[Sunrunner]]
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
* [[Surge]]
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] with [[Spoilsport]]
* [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]
* [[Swindler]]
* [[Tailgate]]
* [[Tailspin]]}}

==Issue #7==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 7.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[October 29]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]]
* [[Takedown]]
* [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]:
** [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]]
** [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]]
** [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]]
** [[Scattershot]]
** [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]]
** [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]
* [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]:
** [[Blot (G1)|Blot]]
** [[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]]
** [[Hun-Gurrr]]
** [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]]
** [[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]]
** [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]
* [[Terror-Tread]] with the [[Cannon Transport]]
* [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] (2 pages)
* [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
* [[Tote]]
* [[Tracer (Decepticon)|Tracer]]
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]
* [[Tread Bolt]]
* [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut]]
* [[Triggerhappy]] with [[Blowpipe]]
* [[Trip-Up]]
* [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] with [[Full-Tilt]] and [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]
* [[Twin Twist]]
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (2 pages)
* [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]]
* [[Vroom]] (2 pages)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]
* [[Waverider]] (2 pages)
* [[Weirdwolf]] with [[Monzo]]
* [[Wheel Blaze|Wheelblaze]]
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
* [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
* [[Whisper (G1)|Whisper]]
* [[Wide Load|Wideload]]
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
* [[Windsweeper]]
* [[Wingspan]]
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] with [[Haywire]]
* Pretender [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (2 pages)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] with [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]]
* Pretender [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2 pages)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] with [[Firebolt]]
* Pretender [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (2 pages)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] with [[Recoil]]
* Powermaster [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] with [[Ginrai]]
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] with [[Fracas]]
* Pretender [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (2 pages)}}

==Issue #8==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 8.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[December 3]], 2003 
Includes a one-page conclusion to the Megatron story begun in issue 1.

{{collist|3|
* [[Ark (G1)|The ''Ark'']] (2 pages)
* [[Autobot|Autobots]] (3 pages)
* [[Cloning|Cloning Technology]]
* [[Combiner|Combiners]] (2 pages)
* [[CR chamber|CR chambers]] / [[Stasis pod|stasis pods]]
* [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] (6 pages)
** [[Iacon]]
** [[Kaon]]
** [[Protoform|Protoforms]]
** [[Transformation]]
* Cybertronian martial arts (2 pages):
** [[Circuit-Su]]
** [[Crystalocution]]
** [[Diffusion]]
** [[Metallikato]]
** Pit fighting
* [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] (3 pages)
* [[Earth]] (2 pages)
* [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]
* Energon-based weaponry
* [[The Fallen]] (2 pages)
* [[Gladiatorial combat]]
* The [[Great Shutdown]]
* [[Guardian robot|Guardian robots]] (3 pages)
* [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] (2 pages)
* [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] and [[Junkion]] (2 pages)
* The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] (2 pages)
* [[Micromaster|Micromasters]]
** Autobot [[Battlefield Headquarters]]
** Decepticon [[Anti-Aircraft Base]]
** Autobot [[Missile Launcher]] Transport
* [[Nebulos|Nebulon]]
* [[Nemesis (G1)|The ''Nemesis'']] (3 pages)
* [[Powermaster|Powermasters]]
* [[Pretender|Pretenders]]
* [[Quintessa]] and [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] (2 pages)
* Shockwave's experiments:
** [[Duocon|Duocons]]
** [[Triple Changer|Triple Changers]]
* [[Size changing|Size/mass change]]
* [[Space bridge]]
* [[Spark|Sparks]]
* Special abilities (3 pages)
** [[Laser scalpel|Laser scalpels]]
** [[Teleportation]]
** Chemical spray
** Invisibility
** Telepathy
** [[Force field]]
** [[Null-ray|Null ray]]
** Super-speed
** Common enhancements
* [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]]
* [[Transwarp Drive]]
* [[Unicron]] (2 pages)
* [[Vector Sigma]]
* [[Wrecker|Wreckers]]
* Glossary (2 pages)}}

==Omissions==
[[Image:WingthingDreamwave.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Don't worry pal, I know who you are."]]
* While ''More Than Meets The Eye'' featured Action Masters, it did not include Action Master versions of pre-1990 characters and therefore also not their [[:Category:Action Master partners|partners]]. Thus the guide omits the following US characters entirely: [[Fistfight]], [[Scorpulator]], ([[Turbo Board]],) [[Tyrannitron]], and [[Wingthing]]. This becomes goofier with the collected editions; due to their choice of [[20th Anniversary Lithograph|artwork]], Wingthing appears on the back cover but not in the actual books.

* Gasket and Grommet are not shown as separate vehicles, only in their combined form as [[Cog (G1)|Cog]].

* Weapon modes are not shown for [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]'s Targetmaster partners [[Tracer (Nebulan)|Tracer]] and [[Holepunch (G1)|Holepunch]].

* Combined vehicle modes are not shown for the [[Mega Pretender|Mega Pretenders]] ([[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Vroom]] and [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]]).

* [[Ultra Pretender|Ultra Pretenders]] [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]] and [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]] are both missing their outer vehicular shells, though both are mentioned in the text.

* Base mode is not shown for the [[ATV]].

* Only one-half of the [[Cannon Transport]] is shown (the same half, in mobile artillery mode, is shown with both partners.) Its base and combined transport modes are not shown at all.

* Mobile artillery and combined transport modes are not shown for the [[Missile Launcher]].

* The [[Tanker Truck]] is not shown at all, either with its respective Micromasters or in the Micromasters reference section.

* The [[Anti-Aircraft Base]]'s tank mode is not shown.

* Base and flight modes are not shown for the [[Battlefield Headquarters]].

==Errors and critiques==
[[Image:Mtmte-yeahright.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Surrrrrre he can turn into that truck.]]
[[Image:RavageCassetteDreamwaveMTMTE.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The perfect disguise: a panther box.]]
[[Image:StarscreamBioPicMTMTEDreamwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pat Lee's Starscream. Wait, why's everyone laughing?]]
* Not an error per se, but the alphabetization is inconsistent. Earlier subgroups like the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and the combiner teams are alphabetized by their subgroup names, while the [[Micromaster]] teams are split up by individuals. One theory is that Dreamwave figured the profile issues with nothing but Micromasters would sell less than those with the more well known characters, so they scattered them instead.

* Likewise, Micromaster bases are inconsistently shown. Some appear with their owners; of these, many are only shown in one configuration. Others only show up in the special topics issue.

* For many characters, the vehicle-mode art was not drawn by the same artist as the robot mode, leading to some glaring incongruities when the two modes appear side-by-side. For example, the angled windshield on [[Oiler]]'s robot-mode chest (pictured at top) is a nearly-flat windshield on his truck mode. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (pictured above) has a similar problem as well as differently styled windows. Though a reason for this is that the art is based on the truck cab section of [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest, which when transformed had no relation at all to his truck cab mode.

* Artwork for characters' alternate modes is, on occasion, a maddeningly literal drawing based on their toy, instead of any kind of accurate, in-universe representation of the actual object they transformed into. [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s tape mode, for instance, is more of a folded-up-robot mode than an actual cassette tape.

* Most of the Pretender shell penciling and colouring is ridiculously basic, but yet the Pretender Monster shells feature highly detailed pencils and colours (though their robot art suffers from the "literally being based on the toy" problem).

* Frustratingly, some of the best-known characters such as Bludgeon, Megatron, Fortress Maximus, Jetfire and Octane have some of the poorest artwork.

==Notes==
*''More Than Meets The Eye'' was originally to be outsourced by Dreamwave and meant to be written by [[Destination Entertainment]], under the title of ''Transformers: Profiles''. Destination's rather grandiose original plans involved weaving their own take on the Dreamwave timeline passively throughout all the character profiles, seizing this opportunity to shape some of the then-contemporary fiction since presumably they were being kept well away from contributing anything in the main books. Destination's timeline was to have been a remarkably convoluted creation, having each original year of Transformers characters originating with each millennium of the war (with even the very definition of millennium here being stretched to "every million Cybertronian years"). The 1984 characters would originate in the first millennium, the 1985 ones in the second, and so on, despite this idea ''already'' being contradicted by books Dreamwave [[The War Within|had already published]] at the time.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=563 Destination's original interview previewing Profiles at Newsarama]</ref> (and not making even remotely one lick of sense either way, as it would mean that, for instance, Kup would have been younger than Bumblebee). Additionally, explanations as to how characters such Galvatron, Goldbug and Powermaster Optimus Prime could exist at the same time as their original counterparts were not forthcoming. Needless to say, three months later Destination was removed from the project and the entire endeavor was re-solicited as a far more modest and uncomplicated series of ''Transformers: Universe''-style profiles.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=711 Newsarama reports that Profiles has "transformed" into More Than Meets The Eye]</ref>

*During the time that the Dreamwave were releasing the individual issues it became known that they only ever had the rights to release Transformers comics in North America. With immediate effect supply of Transformers comics to foreign countries was stopped. This left international Transfans with only a partially completed run of MTMTE, and having to resort to other methods to acquire the remainder.

*Additional profiles for characters such as [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (rather notably absent in the MTMTE profile books) and the [[Female Autobots]] were to be released in [[Unreleased Dreamwave issues|Generation One 2004 Datatracks Annual]]. However, Dreamwave went bankrupt before it would be produced.

==Collections==
[[Image:MTMTECollectionCoversDW.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Unsurprisingly, Megatron's bio is actually in Volume 1.]]
Dreamwave released two trade paperbacks (TPB) of the entire collection. Volume 1 contained issues 1-4, Volume 2 contained issues 5-8. No changes were made to the order of articles, and as such the same criticisms apply. Both volumes are quite rare, and as a result can be expensive to acquire. It is much easier to obtain the original individual issues.

* DW Volume 1: [[October 27]], 2004 (ISBN-10: 0973381760, ISBN-13: 978-0973381764)
* DW Volume 2: [[December 8]], 2004 (ISBN-10: 0973381779, ISBN-13: 978-0973381771)

[[IDW Publishing]] have reprinted the ''Generation 1'' guides. Despite the considerably different IDW-specific plots (such as the [[Dead Universe]], Galvatron's new origin, and the considerably different history, geography and political landscape of Cybertron) the collections have been released unchanged from the Dreamwave originals (and thus reference the DW plots of the Great Shutdown, Shockwave's inventions of the Triple Changers, Duocons etc).

*IDW Volume 1: [[September 29]], 2008 (ISBN-10: 1600102506 ISBN-13: 978-1600102509)
*IDW Volume 2: [[December 25]], 2008 (ISBN-10: 1600102956 ISBN-13: 978-1600102950)

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/dreamwave/guide/?s=mtmte Guide at TFArchive.com]

[[Category:Dreamwave titles]]
[[Category:Profile books]]

Transformers: More than Meets the Eye

2009-08-19T10:11:58Z

RecallBerserk: /* Errors and critiques */

{{stub|Omitted Action Master vehicles and accessories; careful check for errors. We're getting close now!}}
{{disambig3|More than Meets the Eye}}
{{disambig2|the Dreamwave-produced bio series|the Marvel-produced bio series|Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)}}
[[Image:Mtmte-oiler.jpg|right|300px|thumb|True to form, [[Oiler]] looks like he's about to pass out.]]
'''''More Than Meets The Eye''''' is the first of a series of profile books published by [[Dreamwave Productions]] in 2003. The book introduced readers to every character within the ''[[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]]'' continuity. A sequel series was published for ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (Armada)|Armada]]'', and the same was planned for ''[[Unreleased Dreamwave issues|Energon]]''.

The series has no known physical weaknesses.

==Overview==
Originally conceived to be a 4-issue series, ''Transformers Profile Book One'' was scheduled to be released in December, 2002. After a name change and a delay of over four months, the series was released as eight issue in 2003. The series was also released as a 2-volume trade paperback edition in December 2004, which included introductions by the authors, and bonus artwork, though ''not'' the intro and conclusion story.

The series profiled all characters that were released by Hasbro between 1984 and 1991, as well as a few characters that appeared only within [[Marvel Comics]]/[[Sunbow Productions]] animated projects between 1984 and 1987. The series also introduces new content in order to establish parameters for stories within the Dreamwave continuity, particularly in the "special topics" issue. A number of personalities were created from scratch for the Micromasters, many of whom were little more than toys and names prior.

The profiles follow the same format as the original 1980s Marvel profile book, ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]''. A characteristic quote leads off each bio, followed by Bio, Weapons/Abilities, and Weaknesses. Many profiles are told from the perspective of another character ("from the [[datatrax]] of"); [[Grapple]], for example, narrates the profile for his friend and associate [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]. Despite initial reports that the profile book would be re-creating the entire Transformers universe from scratch, most established characters stay close to their original profiles, with some [[Thunderwing (G1)|occasional]] [[Carnivac (G1)|massaging]] when a character's popular fictional portrayals [[Bludgeon (G1)|clashed]] with their profile.

Artwork was done by numerous artists. As such, there are stylistic differences among the various profiles. Some of the original art submissions were rejected as not being consistent with the Dreamwave "house style", i.e. that of [[Pat Lee]]. Lee's hand and/or influence is particularly visible on some of the earlier and more popular characters, who often feature his characteristic rounded, swollen limbs, tiny heads, and enormously thickened metal panels. [[Don Figueroa]] drew a huge number of profile entries as well, including many of the best known characters. Lesser known characters were apparently left to other artists, who were allowed a freer hand; however, attempts at conveying a character's personality through their profile art were generally [[Blades (G1)|quashed]].

==Issue #1==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] has the odd feeling of being followed.]]
Issue #1 opens with a one-page intro story in which [[Megatron (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Megatron]] (or the Dreamwave universe's version of him) gains access to [[Vector Sigma]], with the intent of reading all these files. 
'''Originally published:''' [[April 30]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]
** [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]]
** [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]]
** [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]
** [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]]
** [[Slingshot]]
** [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]
* [[Airwave]] and his [[airport]]
* [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]
* [[Apeface]] with [[Spasma]]
* [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]
* [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]
* [[Axer]] and his [[Turbo Cycle]]
* [[Backstreet]]
* [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp]]
* [[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]]
* [[Barricade (G1)|Barricade]]
* [[Battletrap]]
* [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]]
* [[Beastbox]]
* [[Big Daddy (G1)|Big Daddy]]
* [[Big Hauler]]
* [[Big Shot]]
* [[Blackjack]]
* [[Blackout (G1)|Blackout]]
* [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]
* [[Blast Master]]
* [[Blaze Master]]
* [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]
* [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (2 pages)
* [[Bluestreak]]
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]
* [[Bomb-Burst]] (2 pages)
* [[Bombshock (G1)|Bombshock]]
* [[Brainstorm]] with [[Arcana]]
* [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]
* [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]
* [[Bugly]] (2 pages)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]
* [[Camshaft (G1)|Camshaft]]
* [[Carnivac (G1)|Carnivac]] (2 pages)
* [[Catilla]] (2 pages)
* [[Cement-Head]] with the [[Cannon Transport]]
* [[Chainclaw]] (2 pages)
* [[Chase (G1)|Chase]]
* [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] with [[Stylor]]
* [[Cindersaur]]
* [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]
* [[Cloudburst]] (2 pages)
* [[Cloudraker (G1)|Cloudraker]]
* [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]
** [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]]
** [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]]
** [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]
** [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]
** [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]
** [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]}}

==Issue #2==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dudes, we're free - FREE!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[May 29]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]:
** [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]]
** [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]
** [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]]
** [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]]
** [[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]]
** [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]]
** [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]
* [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]]
* [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]] and his [[Rocket Base|rocket base]] (2 pages)
* [[Crankcase (G1)|Crankcase]]
* [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]] (2 pages)
* [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] with [[Pinpointer (G1)|Pinpointer]]
* [[Crumble]]
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]
* [[Darkwing]] and [[Throttle (G1)|Throttle]]
* [[Detour (G1)|Detour]]
* [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]:
** [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2 pages)
** [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
** [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]
** [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
** [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* [[Direct-Hit (G1)|Direct-Hit]]
* [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]
* [[Dogfight]]
* [[Doublecross]]
* [[Doubledealer]] with [[Knok]] and [[Skar]] (2 pages)
* [[Doubleheader]] (2 pages)
* [[Downshift (G1)|Downshift]]
* [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]] with [[Hi-Test]]
* [[Dropshot (G1)|Dropshot]]
* [[Eagle Eye (G1)|Eagle Eye]]
* [[Eject]]
* [[Erector]] and his [[crane]]
* [[Excavator (G1)|Excavator]]
* [[Fangry]] with [[Brisko]]
* [[Fastlane]]
* [[Finback]] (2 pages)
* [[Fireshot (G1)|Fireshot]]
* [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]]
* [[Fizzle]]
* [[Flak]]
* [[Flamefeather]]
* [[Flattop (Decepticon)|Flattop]] and his [[aircraft carrier]]
* [[Flywheels]]
* [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] with [[Cog (G1)|Cog/Gasket/Grommet]], [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] (3 pages)
* [[Free Wheeler|Freewheeler]]
* [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]]
* [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]
* [[Full-Barrel]]
* [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] (2 pages)
* [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]
* [[Getaway]] with [[Rev]]
* [[Gnaw]]
* [[Goldbug (G1)|Goldbug]]
* [[Grand Slam]]}}

==Issue #3==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 3.jpg|right|200px|thumb|By Primus, [[Fandom|they're]] everywhere! Don't let them touch you with their fat greasy hands!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[June 25]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Grapple]]
* [[Greasepit (G1)|Greasepit]] with his [[gas station]]
* [[Greaser]]
* [[Grit (G1)|Grit]]
* [[Grotusque]]
* [[Ground Hog]]
* [[Groundbreaker]] (2 pages)
* [[Groundpounder]]
* [[Groundshaker]] with his [[ATV]]
* [[Growl (G1)|Growl]]
* [[Gunrunner (G1)|Gunrunner]] (2 pages)
* [[Gusher]]
* [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]] with his [[Stratotronic Jet]]
* [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]
* [[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]]
* [[Hammer (G1)|Hammer]]
* [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] and [[Duros]]
* [[Heave]]
* [[Heavy Tread]]
* [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] and [[Gort]]
* [[Highjump (G1)|Highjump]]
* [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]]
* [[Horri-Bull]] and [[Kreb]]
* [[Hosehead]] and [[Lug]]
* [[Hot House]] with his [[fire station]]
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]
* [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]]
* [[Hubs]]
* [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]
* [[Hydraulic]]
* [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)|Hyperdrive]]
* [[Iguanus (G1)|Iguanus]] (2 pages)
* [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]]
* [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]:
** [[Barrage (Insecticon)|Barrage]]
** [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]
** [[Chop Shop]]
** [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]]
** [[Ransack (G1)|Ransack]]
** [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]
** [[Venom (G1)|Venom]]
* [[Ironworks|Iron Works]] with his [[Construction station|communications station]]
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]
* [[Jackpot]] with [[Sights]]
* [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]
* [[Joyride (Autobot)|Joyride]] with [[Hotwire]]
* [[Kick-Off (G1)|Kick-Off]] with his [[Turbo-Pack]]
* [[Knockout (G1)|Knockout]]
* [[Krok (G1)|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider]]
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]
* [[Landfill (G1)|Landfill]] with [[Silencer]] and [[Flintlock]]
* [[Landmine (G1)|Landmine]] (2 pages)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]
* [[Longtooth]] (2 pages)
* [[Mainframe (G1)|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button]]
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (3 pages - includes Cybertronian forms)}}

==Issue #4==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 4.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Attack of the Stay-puffed Transformers]]
'''Originally published:''' [[July 30]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]]
* [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] with [[Six-Gun]], [[Slammer]] and [[Scamper]] (3 pages)
* [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] and [[Vorath]]
* [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] (4 models - 2 pages)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]
* [[Misfire]] and [[Aimless]]
* [[Missile Master]]
* [[Moonrock]]
* [[Motorhead]]
* [[Mudslinger]]
* [[Needlenose]] with [[Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag]]
* [[Neutro]]
* [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] with [[Muzzle]]
* [[Nightflight (G1)|Nightflight]]
* [[Octane]]
* [[Octopunch]] (2 pages)
* [[Oiler]]
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (2 pages)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (2 pages)
* [[Outback]]
* [[Overdrive]]
* [[Overflow]]
* [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]]
* [[Overload (G1)|Overload]] with his [[car carrier trailer]]
* [[Override (G1)|Override]]
* [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]] with his [[Attack Copter]]
* [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
* [[Phaser]]
* [[Pincher]] (2 pages)
* [[Pipeline]]
* [[Pipes]]
* [[Pointblank]] with [[Peacemaker]]
* [[Pounce]]
* [[Power Punch (G1)|Power Punch]]
* [[Powerdasher|Powerdashers]] (3 models)
* [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]
* [[Power Run]]
* [[Powertrain]]
* [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]:
** [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]]
** [[Headstrong]]
** [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]
** [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]]
** [[Tantrum]]
** [[Predaking]]
* [[Pretender Monster|Pretender Monsters]]:
** [[Birdbrain]] (2 pages)
** [[Bristleback]] (2 pages)
** [[Icepick]] (2 pages)
** [[Scowl]] (2 pages)
** [[Slog]] (2 pages)
** [[Wildfly]] (2 pages)
** [[Monstructor]]}}

==Issue #5==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 5.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] makes any cover awesome!]]
'''Originally published:''' [[September 4]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]:
** [[Blades (G1)|Blades]]
** [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]
** [[Groove (G1)|Groove]]
** [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]]
** [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]]
** [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]
* [[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]] (2 pages)
* [[Quake (G1)|Quake]] with [[Tiptop]] and [[Heater]]
* [[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] with [[Boomer]] and [[Ricochet (Nebulan)|Ricochet]]
* [[Quickswitch]] (2 pages)
* [[Rad (G1)|Rad]] with [[Lionizer]]
* [[Raindance]]
* [[Ramhorn]]
* [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]
* [[Red Hot]]
* [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]]:
** [[Spectro]]
** [[Spyglass]]
** [[Viewfinder]]
* [[Repugnus (G1)|Repugnus]]
* [[Retro]]
* [[Rewind]]
* [[Road Hugger (G1)|Road Hugger]]
* [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]] (2 pages)
* [[Roadburner]]
* [[Roadbuster]]
* [[Roadgrabber]] (2 pages)
* [[Roadhandler (G1)|Road Handler]]
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]
* [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]]
* [[Roller Force]]
* [[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] with [[Glitch]]
* [[Roughstuff]] and his [[military transport]]
* [[Ruckus (G1)|Ruckus]]
* [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]
* [[Runabout]]
* [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]]
* [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]]
* [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]] with [[Holepunch (G1)|Holepunch]] and [[Tracer (Nebulan)|Tracer]]
* [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] with [[Zarak (Nebulan)|Zarak]] and [[Fasttrack (Scorponok)|Fasttrack]]
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]
* [[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]:
** [[Nautilator]]
** [[Overbite (G1)|Overbite]]
** [[Seawing (G1)|Seawing]]
** [[Skalor]]
** [[Snaptrap (G1)|Snaptrap]]
** [[Tentakil (G1)|Tentakil]]
** [[Piranacon]]
* [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]]
* [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]]
* [[Seawatch]]
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (2 pages)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]]
* [[Sidetrack]]}}

==Issue #6==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 6.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[September 24]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Siren]] with [[Quig]]
* [[Sixshot]] (2 pages)
* [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]]
* [[Skids (G1)|Skids]]
* [[Skullcruncher]] with [[Grax]]
* [[Skullgrin]] (2 pages)
* [[Sky High (Pretender)|Sky High]] (2 pages)
* [[Sky High (Micromaster)|Sky High]]
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]
* [[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy]]
* [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]] (2 pages)
* [[Skyhopper]] with his [[helicopter]]
* [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] with his [[interstellar shuttle]]
* [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]
* [[Slamdance]]
* [[Sledge (G1)|Sledge]]
* [[Slide]]
* [[Slow Poke]]
* [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]]
* [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] with [[Caliburst]]
* [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]]
* [[Snapdragon]] with [[Krunk]]
* [[Snarler]] (2 pages)
* [[Slapdash]] with [[Lube]]
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
* [[Spaceshot]]
* [[Sparkstalker]]
* [[Spinister]] with [[Hairsplitter]] and [[Singe]]
* [[Splashdown]] (2 pages)
* [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]
* [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]] with his [[Attack Cruiser]]
* [[Squawkbox]]
* [[Squawktalk]]
* [[Squeezeplay]] with [[Lokos]]
* [[Stakeout]]
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
* [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]
* [[Stonecruncher (G1)|Stonecruncher]]
* [[Storm Cloud (G1)|Storm Cloud]]
* [[Stranglehold]] (2 pages)
* [[Strikedown]]
* [[Stunticon|Stunticons]]:
** [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]
** [[Drag Strip]]
** [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]]
** [[Motormaster]]
** [[Wildrider]]
** [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]
* [[Submarauder (G1)|Submarauder]] (2 pages)
* [[Sunrunner]]
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]
* [[Surge]]
* [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]] with [[Spoilsport]]
* [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]]
* [[Swindler]]
* [[Tailgate]]
* [[Tailspin]]}}

==Issue #7==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 7.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[October 29]], 2003

{{collist|3|
* [[Tailwind (G1)|Tailwind]]
* [[Takedown]]
* [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]:
** [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]]
** [[Lightspeed (Technobot)|Lightspeed]]
** [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]]
** [[Scattershot]]
** [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]]
** [[Computron (G1)|Computron]]
* [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]:
** [[Blot (G1)|Blot]]
** [[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]]
** [[Hun-Gurrr]]
** [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]]
** [[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]]
** [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]]
* [[Terror-Tread]] with the [[Cannon Transport]]
* [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]
* [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] (2 pages)
* [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]]
* [[Tote]]
* [[Tracer (Decepticon)|Tracer]]
* [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]
* [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]
* [[Tread Bolt]]
* [[Treadshot (G1)|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut]]
* [[Triggerhappy]] with [[Blowpipe]]
* [[Trip-Up]]
* [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] with [[Full-Tilt]] and [[Brunt (G1)|Brunt]]
* [[Twin Twist]]
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (2 pages)
* [[Vanquish (G1)|Vanquish]]
* [[Vroom]] (2 pages)
* [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]]
* [[Waverider]] (2 pages)
* [[Weirdwolf]] with [[Monzo]]
* [[Wheel Blaze|Wheelblaze]]
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]
* [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]]
* [[Whisper (G1)|Whisper]]
* [[Wide Load|Wideload]]
* [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]
* [[Windsweeper]]
* [[Wingspan]]
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]]
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] with [[Haywire]]
* Pretender [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (2 pages)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] with [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]]
* Pretender [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] (2 pages)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] with [[Firebolt]]
* Pretender [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (2 pages)
* [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] with [[Recoil]]
* Powermaster [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] with [[Ginrai]]
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] with [[Fracas]]
* Pretender [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (2 pages)}}

==Issue #8==
[[Image:DW MTMTE 8.jpg|right|200px|thumb|]]
'''Originally published:''' [[December 3]], 2003 
Includes a one-page conclusion to the Megatron story begun in issue 1.

{{collist|3|
* [[Ark (G1)|The ''Ark'']] (2 pages)
* [[Autobot|Autobots]] (3 pages)
* [[Cloning|Cloning Technology]]
* [[Combiner|Combiners]] (2 pages)
* [[CR chamber|CR chambers]] / [[Stasis pod|stasis pods]]
* [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] (6 pages)
** [[Iacon]]
** [[Kaon]]
** [[Protoform|Protoforms]]
** [[Transformation]]
* Cybertronian martial arts (2 pages):
** [[Circuit-Su]]
** [[Crystalocution]]
** [[Diffusion]]
** [[Metallikato]]
** Pit fighting
* [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] (3 pages)
* [[Earth]] (2 pages)
* [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]]
* Energon-based weaponry
* [[The Fallen]] (2 pages)
* [[Gladiatorial combat]]
* The [[Great Shutdown]]
* [[Guardian robot|Guardian robots]] (3 pages)
* [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] (2 pages)
* [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] and [[Junkion]] (2 pages)
* The [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] (2 pages)
* [[Micromaster|Micromasters]]
** Autobot [[Battlefield Headquarters]]
** Decepticon [[Anti-Aircraft Base]]
** Autobot [[Missile Launcher]] Transport
* [[Nebulos|Nebulon]]
* [[Nemesis (G1)|The ''Nemesis'']] (3 pages)
* [[Powermaster|Powermasters]]
* [[Pretender|Pretenders]]
* [[Quintessa]] and [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] (2 pages)
* Shockwave's experiments:
** [[Duocon|Duocons]]
** [[Triple Changer|Triple Changers]]
* [[Size changing|Size/mass change]]
* [[Space bridge]]
* [[Spark|Sparks]]
* Special abilities (3 pages)
** [[Laser scalpel|Laser scalpels]]
** [[Teleportation]]
** Chemical spray
** Invisibility
** Telepathy
** [[Force field]]
** [[Null-ray|Null ray]]
** Super-speed
** Common enhancements
* [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]]
* [[Transwarp Drive]]
* [[Unicron]] (2 pages)
* [[Vector Sigma]]
* [[Wrecker|Wreckers]]
* Glossary (2 pages)}}

==Omissions==
[[Image:WingthingDreamwave.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Don't worry pal, I know who you are."]]
* While ''More Than Meets The Eye'' featured Action Masters, it did not include Action Master versions of pre-1990 characters and therefore also not their [[:Category:Action Master partners|partners]]. Thus the guide omits the following US characters entirely: [[Fistfight]], [[Scorpulator]], ([[Turbo Board]],) [[Tyrannitron]], and [[Wingthing]]. This becomes goofier with the collected editions; due to their choice of [[20th Anniversary Lithograph|artwork]], Wingthing appears on the back cover but not in the actual books.

* Gasket and Grommet are not shown as separate vehicles, only in their combined form as [[Cog (G1)|Cog]].

* Weapon modes are not shown for [[Scoop (G1)|Scoop]]'s Targetmaster partners [[Tracer (Nebulan)|Tracer]] and [[Holepunch (G1)|Holepunch]].

* Combined vehicle modes are not shown for the [[Mega Pretender|Mega Pretenders]] ([[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]], [[Vroom]] and [[Crossblades (G1)|Crossblades]]).

* [[Ultra Pretender|Ultra Pretenders]] [[Roadblock (G1)|Roadblock]] and [[Skyhammer (G1)|Skyhammer]] are both missing their outer vehicular shells, though both are mentioned in the text.

* Base mode is not shown for the [[ATV]].

* Only one-half of the [[Cannon Transport]] is shown (the same half, in mobile artillery mode, is shown with both partners.) Its base and combined transport modes are not shown at all.

* Mobile artillery and combined transport modes are not shown for the [[Missile Launcher]].

* The [[Tanker Truck]] is not shown at all, either with its respective Micromasters or in the Micromasters reference section.

* The [[Anti-Aircraft Base]]'s tank mode is not shown.

* Base and flight modes are not shown for the [[Battlefield Headquarters]].

==Errors and critiques==
[[Image:Mtmte-yeahright.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Surrrrrre he can turn into that truck.]]
[[Image:RavageCassetteDreamwaveMTMTE.jpg|right|200px|thumb|The perfect disguise: a panther box.]]
[[Image:StarscreamBioPicMTMTEDreamwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Pat Lee's Starscream. Wait, why's everyone laughing?]]
* Not an error per se, but the alphabetization is inconsistent. Earlier subgroups like the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], and the combiner teams are alphabetized by their subgroup names, while the [[Micromaster]] teams are split up by individuals. One theory is that Dreamwave figured the profile issues with nothing but Micromasters would sell less than those with the more well known characters, so they scattered them instead.

* Likewise, Micromaster bases are inconsistently shown. Some appear with their owners; of these, many are only shown in one configuration. Others only show up in the special topics issue.

* For many characters, the vehicle-mode art was not drawn by the same artist as the robot mode, leading to some glaring incongruities when the two modes appear side-by-side. For example, the angled windshield on [[Oiler]]'s robot-mode chest (pictured at top) is a nearly-flat windshield on his truck mode. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (pictured above) has a similar problem as well as differently styled windows. Though a reason for this is that the art is based on [[Powermaster]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]], who had the front windshield and grill of a semi-cab on his chest, which when transformed had no relation at all to his semi-cab mode.

* Artwork for characters' alternate modes is, on occasion, a maddeningly literal drawing based on their toy, instead of any kind of accurate, in-universe representation of the actual object they transformed into. [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]'s tape mode, for instance, is more of a folded-up-robot mode than an actual cassette tape.

* Most of the Pretender shell penciling and colouring is ridiculously basic, but yet the Pretender Monster shells feature highly detailed pencils and colours (though their robot art suffers from the "literally being based on the toy" problem).

* Frustratingly, some of the best-known characters such as Bludgeon, Megatron, Fortress Maximus, Jetfire and Octane have some of the poorest artwork.

==Notes==
*''More Than Meets The Eye'' was originally to be outsourced by Dreamwave and meant to be written by [[Destination Entertainment]], under the title of ''Transformers: Profiles''. Destination's rather grandiose original plans involved weaving their own take on the Dreamwave timeline passively throughout all the character profiles, seizing this opportunity to shape some of the then-contemporary fiction since presumably they were being kept well away from contributing anything in the main books. Destination's timeline was to have been a remarkably convoluted creation, having each original year of Transformers characters originating with each millennium of the war (with even the very definition of millennium here being stretched to "every million Cybertronian years"). The 1984 characters would originate in the first millennium, the 1985 ones in the second, and so on, despite this idea ''already'' being contradicted by books Dreamwave [[The War Within|had already published]] at the time.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=563 Destination's original interview previewing Profiles at Newsarama]</ref> (and not making even remotely one lick of sense either way, as it would mean that, for instance, Kup would have been younger than Bumblebee). Additionally, explanations as to how characters such Galvatron, Goldbug and Powermaster Optimus Prime could exist at the same time as their original counterparts were not forthcoming. Needless to say, three months later Destination was removed from the project and the entire endeavor was re-solicited as a far more modest and uncomplicated series of ''Transformers: Universe''-style profiles.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=711 Newsarama reports that Profiles has "transformed" into More Than Meets The Eye]</ref>

*During the time that the Dreamwave were releasing the individual issues it became known that they only ever had the rights to release Transformers comics in North America. With immediate effect supply of Transformers comics to foreign countries was stopped. This left international Transfans with only a partially completed run of MTMTE, and having to resort to other methods to acquire the remainder.

*Additional profiles for characters such as [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] (rather notably absent in the MTMTE profile books) and the [[Female Autobots]] were to be released in [[Unreleased Dreamwave issues|Generation One 2004 Datatracks Annual]]. However, Dreamwave went bankrupt before it would be produced.

==Collections==
[[Image:MTMTECollectionCoversDW.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Unsurprisingly, Megatron's bio is actually in Volume 1.]]
Dreamwave released two trade paperbacks (TPB) of the entire collection. Volume 1 contained issues 1-4, Volume 2 contained issues 5-8. No changes were made to the order of articles, and as such the same criticisms apply. Both volumes are quite rare, and as a result can be expensive to acquire. It is much easier to obtain the original individual issues.

* DW Volume 1: [[October 27]], 2004 (ISBN-10: 0973381760, ISBN-13: 978-0973381764)
* DW Volume 2: [[December 8]], 2004 (ISBN-10: 0973381779, ISBN-13: 978-0973381771)

[[IDW Publishing]] have reprinted the ''Generation 1'' guides. Despite the considerably different IDW-specific plots (such as the [[Dead Universe]], Galvatron's new origin, and the considerably different history, geography and political landscape of Cybertron) the collections have been released unchanged from the Dreamwave originals (and thus reference the DW plots of the Great Shutdown, Shockwave's inventions of the Triple Changers, Duocons etc).

*IDW Volume 1: [[September 29]], 2008 (ISBN-10: 1600102506 ISBN-13: 978-1600102509)
*IDW Volume 2: [[December 25]], 2008 (ISBN-10: 1600102956 ISBN-13: 978-1600102950)

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.tfarchive.com/comics/dreamwave/guide/?s=mtmte Guide at TFArchive.com]

[[Category:Dreamwave titles]]
[[Category:Profile books]]

User:RecallBerserk

2009-08-19T05:00:53Z

RecallBerserk: New page: Hi

User talk:RecallBerserk

2009-08-19T05:00:04Z

RecallBerserk: New page: Hi. It is I, Recall.

Hi.

It is I, Recall.

Space bridge

2009-08-18T14:55:09Z

RecallBerserk: /* Animated cartoon */ Corrected spelling of Blackarachnia's name.

The '''space bridge''' is a means of moving Transformers from one planet to another almost instantaneously, without the need for a spacecraft.

Space bridges are not to be confused with [[Transwarp]] technology, which is generally used to propel a spaceship between worlds (and, on occasion, through time.)

{{note|Space bridge technology varies widely between continuities, as described below.}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====Generation 1 cartoon====
[[Image:DivideConquer Earth spacebridge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Colonel White has been looking for his control panel.]]
The space bridge was apparently first conceived by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in 1984, as a means of transport back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] for the [[Decepticon]]s stranded on [[Earth]], and to allow them to ferry [[energon cube]]s to revitalize the planet {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}.

The Cybertronic end of the space bridge is a fixture in Shockwave's command center, where it takes the form of a cylindrical tube, the top of which projects outside of the center's dome; it is through this open end that transportees enter or depart amid a geyser of energy. The Earth-based end of the space bridge is decidedly more flexible—the Decepticons frequently constructed new space bridges in various locations, normally in the form of large metal rings.

In early uses of the space bridge, the dimensional portal could only remain open and stable for a maximum of 11 minutes. Early Space Bridge travel likewise proved somewhat unstable, and required the use of a small vehicle to safely transport any cargo. The vehicle was rolled into the ring on a railed structure, and then had to be piloted along "a beam of light". [[Reflector (G1)|Some]] Decepticons displayed pronounced horror at being chosen for this unenviable task, as not staying on the light beam would cause the pilot and cargo to "cease to exist". {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} In the very first practice run of the mechanism, the villains opted to use the captive [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], rather than risk any of their number.

[[Image:SpaceBridgeCartoon1.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Indiana Jones and the Flower of Doom!]]
After being knocked into the bridge by accident, [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] proved able to traverse the bridge without a craft. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} Several Autobots likewise survived the trip in their vehicle forms. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} After this, the need for the craft seems to have been removed, as many Transformers and various cargoes would travel by space bridge with no vessel and no difficulties. On one occasion, two humans in a convertible even made the trip with no ill effects. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} The process could, however, still go wrong, as it did when the Decepticons attempted to convert a baseball field into a new space bridge site, and a malfunction blasted a small group of Transformers to an alien world of giants. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

It's never made clear exactly how the space bridge works. Typical activation sequences show what appears to be a dimensional portal in the sky above the bridge, opened up by a blast of energy from the bridge ring; the bridge's contents (along with a great deal of rock and detritus) were then drawn into the portal, which then closed with a large discharge of energy. On the Cybertron end, the arrival is marked by a beam or gusher of energy arriving from deep space.

[[Image:TransportOblivion Cybertron spacebridge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|That door wasn't there a moment ago.]]
The space bridge technology was taken to its ultimate extent when the Decepticons constructed three colossal pylons that would generate a "space pyramid", the apex of which extended to Cybertron's location in another galaxy. Using this, Cybertron was transported into Earth's orbit for a brief period. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} Cybertron was later removed from Earth's orbit by an explosion; though never explicitly addressed, this event by rights should have left Cybertron ''much'' closer to Earth, possibly accounting for the ease of travel between the two planets thereafter. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

The space bridge was used for planetary transportation once more when the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]] wired his missile guidance systems into it and used its powers to redirect the orbit of Earth, intending to send it spiraling into the sun, only to be stopped by an [[Autobot]]-Decepticon team-up. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

The space bridge fell into disuse when the Autobots reclaimed Cybertron in 2005, and throughout 2006, both they and the Decepticons were shown to rely on more mundane means of space travel (shuttles, self-propelled flight) in addition to space bridge-like devices called "[[Warp Gate]]s" located throughout space. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
{{cleanup|May 2009|Needs storylinks.}}
By the year 2011, the Autobots had studied and duplicated the space bridge technology for their own use. They developed their own space bridge network, allowing transport between Cybertron, Earth and the planet [[Athenia]], with fixed space bridge receptors in each base (the transport beam was, of course, now the traditional Autobot orange, as opposed to the Decepticons' iconic purple). They did not, however, destroy the original Decepticon space bridge, as the Decepticons were unable to use it to travel to the planet due to Vector Sigma maintaining an Autobot balance of power. This proved to be a mistake, however, when the [[Matrix]]'s energy was released in 2010 to cure the [[Hate Plague]]; this caused Vector Sigma to become destabilized, and the Decepticons were able to exploit this to use the space bridge to invade Cybertron.

When [[Mars]] was destroyed by [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], the gravimetric balance of the solar system was disrupted, making space bridge travel to Earth unstable. This soon ceased to be an issue, however, when the Decepticons headed off on an interplanetary energy raid; in order to slow the Autobots down, [[Sixshot]] destroyed the Earth-based space bridge, causing a chain reaction that detonated the entire network.

The destruction of the space bridge left the only means to travel to Earth as the [[Trainbot]]s and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]] (or on one occasion, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]). This reduced ability to travel to Earth is one of the reasons for the heavy human involvement in the [[Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|following battles]], since Transformers are mostly unable to join the battle on Earth themselves.

===Marvel Generation 1 comics===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Spacebridgemarvelcomic.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Get it? Space "bridge"? Ahahaha.]]
The space bridge was built by [[Straxus (G1)|Lord Straxus]]'s Cybertronian Decepticons, in response to the discovery that [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s lost group of Decepticons were alive and had set up operations on Earth. The bridge, which resembles a normal Earthen suspension bridge when not in use, has two halves; one which which remains stationary on Cybertron, and another which teleports to Earth. Passing through the bridge's central arch transports objects across vast distances, instantly and painlessly. Although a properly functioning space bridge is a far more pleasant mode of transportation than the more fuel-efficient Autobot version, the [[Trans-Time Dimensional Portal]], an improperly calibrated space bridge will annihilate any object or being who attempts to pass through its arch. Lord Straxus illustrated this fact when [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] sent him over the edge during transit.

The original space bridge was built from the vast body of [[Spanner (G1)|Spanner]], a neutral scientist who had been captured by Straxus's forces and forced to design the Bridge. ''After the space bridge was almost completely destroyed, a new Bridge was built to replace it.''

===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
{{main|Global Space Bridge}}

===Dreamwave Generation 1 comics===
The space bridge was developed by the Decepticons as a means of exploring (and presumably conquering) other worlds far away from Cybertron. These bridges were <s>[[wikipedia:Stargate_(device)|stargates]]</s> small portals that could only be programmed for a certain number of people. Megatron himself underwent the first test of the space bridge. However, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] collided with him before he entered. As it had been only programmed to accept one, the space bridge exploded, and both leaders were presumed dead. {{storylink|War Within: The Dark Ages|The War Within: The Dark Ages}} In actuality, they had survived, and been transported to [[Quintessa]], where they remained for several millennia. {{storylink|War Within: The Age of Wrath|The War Within: The Age of Wrath}}

===Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity===
Space bridges are the main mode of traveling in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. Unlike their Generation 1 counterparts, they do not appear to need the use of a fixed device at both ends.

They appear to change in variation from series to series, although this is likely simply due to art direction. In ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the Transformers are 'stretched' into warp gates, while in ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', space bridges tend to appear as a large hole in the sky that may or may not have a clear ramp leading into it.

===IDW movie comics===
There is a network of space bridge terminals scattered across the galaxy, with the furthest from Cybertron being the [[Mars]] terminal, constructed by [[Thundercracker (Movie)|Thundercracker]] while the other Decepticons were on Earth. {{storylink|The Reign of Starscream issue 2}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Image:TFA Space Bridge.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Chevron seven is locked.]]
Space bridges are used to travel around the galaxy. This incarnation takes the form of a large, forked structure and works by generating a sphere of energy between the two prongs. The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] was thrown into one to keep it out of Decepticon hands. [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] and his [[Bumblebee (Animated)|small]] [[Bulkhead (Animated)|band]] [[Prowl (Animated)|of]] [[Ratchet (Animated)|Autobots]] were put in charge of repairing space bridges.

These and the AllSpark were apparently the key to the Autobots winning the [[Great War (Animated)|Great War]], and [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] planed to use some schematics to build his own. He kidnapped [[Isaac Sumdac]] to design it and used [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] and [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] to build it, but it wasn't enough. {{storylink|The Elite Guard}}

With [[Bulkhead (Animated)|some additional help]] he completed it, {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part I}} but as often is the case with Decepticon plans, it didn't end well. {{storylink|A Bridge Too Close, Part II}} During the [[Decepticon Uprisings]], [[Team Chaar]] attempted to use a space bridge in order to travel to the [[Space bridge nexus]] on Cybertron but were stopped by Shockwave who was waiting for Megatron's signal to begin the attack. The network was later shut down by the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]]. {{storylink|TransWarped}}

[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] used components from a transwarp generator in order to create a teleportation pod which she used to transform [[Wasp]] into a [[Technorganic]] being; however, after its use, the chamber exploded. {{storylink|Predacons Rising}} Bulkhead along with Isaac Sumdac later attempted to work together in making a space bridge on Earth for the Autobots but faced many arguments on how to calibrate the equipment. Luckily, Sari Sumdac managed to activate the system which was later used to transport Optimus Prime onto the [[Elite Guard flagship]] which had been taken over by the former Decepticon prisoners. {{storylink|Decepticon Air}}

===IDW continuity===
[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] created a space bridge using information gained from [[Sixshot]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

===Movie continuity===
Seekers have the ability to create space bridges, teleporting across worlds or possibly between planets.

[[Jetfire (ROTF)|Jetfire]] mentions the Space Bridge by name shortly before he does a really half-assed job of throwing himself and the rest of the heroes halfway across the world to Egypt, wrecking Sam's hand in the process (Jetfire wasn't entirely sure they were still on the right planet). The even-more-ancient but significantly less senile [[The Fallen|Fallen]] shows a similar ability where he teleports across short distances, seeming to use it as a form of flight. {{storylink|Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}

[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise]]
[[Category:Energon]]
[[Category:Cybertron]]
[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]

Fortress Maximus (RID)

2009-08-18T05:10:17Z

RecallBerserk: /* Trivia */ Removal of repetitive word, now making the line coherent.

{{faction|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] from the Japanese [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] and American [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] [[Continuity family|continuity families]].''

[[Image:Bravemax giant.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Friend to all children! But not a giant turtle.]]
'''Fortress Maximus''' is a colossal Autobot guardian hidden on [[Earth]] to protect the planet from evil. Immense in strength, unmatchable in firepower and impregnable in durability, Fortress Maximus' only weakness is his compassion for children.

Fortress Maximus does not appear to be sentient in and of himself, but rather, is controlled by [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]]. Even Cerebros himself does not make his own decisions, instead operating on a tri-lateral recognition program that defines the actions he will take. Cerebros on his own will only respond to an Autobot energy signature, and when combined with Fortress Maximus, will react only to the bio-energy of human beings. To prevent his power being used for evil, his recognition program operates on "harmonic resonance," which allows him to sense the intentions of those that would command him. He will not follow commands of an evil or self-serving nature; consequently, due to their worldly innocence, human children are particularly adept at controlling him.

:''Japanese Name:'' '''Brave Maximus''', whose head is '''Brave''', head-on by '''Plasma'''

==Fiction==
===''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Steve Blum]] (English), [[Masayuki Kiyama]] (Japanese)

{{note|Most websites list [[Steve Kramer]] as Fortress Maximus due to the fact that he provided the voice of Cerebros, but from the small number of lines he actually speaks, it does not appear to be Kramer behind the microphone.}}
[[Image:Bravemax city.jpg|left|180px|thumb|...Well, actually, if he keeps sitting in green liquid, he might become a giant turtle.]]
Fortress Maximus was hidden on [[Earth]] eons ago in order to protect the planet, slumbering in stasis beneath the surface of the planet, where [[Metro City]] would come to be built. The various keys that would enable his reactivation—the [[O-Parts]], the [[Orb of Sigma]] and his [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] component, Cerebros—were scattered across the globe and sealed within ancient structures, suggesting that ancient human civilizations had some hand in the process. Although his existence went on to slip into the realm of legend amongst most of the populace on Cybertron, certain high-ranking Autobots and Predacons were well aware of the truth behind the story, and, in the mid-20th century, a team of six Autobots were sent to Earth to reactivate Maximus, only for their ship to crash into the mountain that would come to be known as [[Castle Peak]], trapping them all in stasis. {{storylink|The Decepticons|The Decepticons}}

Around the beginning of the 21st century, the [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] leader [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] was dispatched to Earth by the Predacon Council to acquire Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!|Surprise Attack!}} Attacking the National Scientific Symposium, he captured archaeologist [[Doctor Kenneth Onishi]], whose research had led him to discover the trail that led to Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Battle Protocol!|Battle Protocol!}} The Predacons' battles with their [[Autobot]] enemies steadily led to the discovery of several O-Parts, which fell into Autobot hands; the Autobot craft in Castle Peak, however, was uncovered by Megatron and the Autobots within co-opted into [[Decepticon|Decepticons]], led by [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]].
[[Image:Bravemax head.jpg|right|200px|thumb|And I'll form the head!]]
While tunnelling beneath Metro City, the [[Build Team]] found themselves affected by a strange energy field that caused them to hallucinate and fight amongst each other, eventually forcing them to withdraw. Investigating, the Autobots discovered that the cavern beneath the city containing Fortress Maximus, and that the energy field was a defense mechanism designed to keep away any intruders. {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} Exposure to Maximus's energies reawakened Scourge's memories of his original mission to reawaken the fortress, but his Decepticon programming twisted the mission, and he now sought to acquire Maximus's power for himself. As [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] held him off, the Build Team relocated Maximus—in his city mode—to a concealed structure in the middle of Metro City, hiding him from the Decepticons. {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish|Koji Gets His Wish}}

During this battle, Doctor Onishi was freed from the Predacons, and equipped the Autobots with tracking devices that allowed them to quickly and easily track down all the remaining O-Parts. {{storylink|A Friendly Contest|A Friendly Contest}} United, the O-Parts led to the Orb of Sigma, resulting in a battle that ended with Megatron's disappearance. {{storylink|Peril from the Past|Peril from the Past}} The Orb in turn led to Cerebros, who the Decepticons and Predacons—now led by Scourge—were able to capture. Having discovered the hiding place of Fortress Maximus, Scourge utilised the Autobot portion of his energy-signature to activate Cerebros, who then brought Fortress Maximus online. Maximus, however, then proceeded to run wild, stomping his way through Metro City unheeding of Scourge's commands, until the Autobots' human ally [[Koji Onishi|Koji]] called out for him to stop, and he obeyed. Transforming back to city mode, Maximus vanished beneath the Earth, and the villains absconded with Cerebros once more. {{storylink|Maximus Emerges|Maximus Emerges}}

Realising that Koji had been able to control Fortress Maximus because he was human, Scourge amplified the portion of his bio-signature that was human (derived from [[Kelly]]) to seize control of Maximus once more when the city reappeared in the Sahara Desert, only for the Autobots to gather a mass of human children together to override his command. {{storylink|The Human Element|The Human Element}} Deciding that he required a human of his own to control Maximus for him, a case of mistaken identity led Scourge to kidnap Koji's friend [[Karl]]; nevertheless, Maximus was successfully activated and piloted by Karl when he resurfaced in a jungle. By this point, Megatron had returned—having been upgraded to Galvatron by the power of the Orb of Sigma's pyramid—and Scourge chose this moment to reveal his treachery, ordering Fortress Maximus to crush his former leader. However, Karl's selfish desire to defeat the villains himself and show up Koji caused Maximus to power down, and the Autobots arrived in time to save him and finally take possession of Cerebros, as Maximus vanished once more. {{storylink|Mistaken Identity|Mistaken Identity}}

[[Image:Bravemax megastar.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Clash of the Really Big Hands]]
With the Autobots having acquired a full understanding of Fortress Maximus's activation protocols thanks to Cerebros, their base was then attacked by the Predacons and Decepticons, the latter having been reprogrammed back to loyalty by Galvatron. In the midst of the battle, [[Wedge]]'s determination to defeat Galvatron resonated with Cerebros, and he summoned and activated Fortress Maximus. Galvatron combined with his ship, the ''[[Megastar]]'' and battled with Maximus, but was defeated when Maximus unleashed his Maximum Firepower attack and blew the ship to smithereens. {{storylink|Surprise Attack!|Surprise Attack!}}

[[Image:Bravemax finalburn.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Ka-BOOM!]]
Galvatron survived the barrage, however, and restored his strength by affixing himself to Maximus and draining the giant robot's energy, supercharging himself. {{storylink|Galvatron's Revenge|Galvatron's Revenge}} [[Omega Prime]] proceeded to challenge Galvatron to a final battle at the Earth's core. Koji, meanwhile, contacted as many children as he could, instructing them to send their energy to Fortress Maximus to re-power him; Maximus absorbed and re-channeled the energy to Omega Prime in the form of the [[Matrix Blade]], which Prime used to finally defeat Galvatron. With the Predacons and Decepticons at last beaten and captured, Fortress Maximus transformed to starship mode and transported the villains to the [[asteroid prison colony]]. {{storylink|The Final Battle (RID)|The Final Battle}}

{{note|As of 2007, ''Car Robots'' has been retconned into being part of the Japanese Generation 1 animated continuity, with a large number of story expansions and tie-ins centering on Fortress Maximus. This does not apply to the American version of either series, however, which remain separate continuities.}}

===''Robot Masters''===
After taking the Predacons to prison, Fortress Maximus returned to Earth. When construction of [[Autobot City]] began in 2003, Maximus formed the core of the fortress. Later, in 2004, Maximus (also known as "Cybertron Base" at the time) had his central systems re-written to comply with the new [[Solitarium]]-based enhancements made to the [[Scramble City]] project.

===''Kiss Players'' radio drama===
[[Image:KPMaximus1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Continuity, shmontinuity.]]
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"Kiss Players? Oh slag, there goes the planet."]]
In 2007, after a year-long anti-Transformer campaign by the [[Earth Defense Command]], Fortress Maximus played a part in the goodwill campaign to repair human-Transformer relations by serving as a performance stage for the singing group, the [[Kiss Players (singing group)|Kiss Players]]. During one of their shows, the mysterious [[Sparkbot|Sparkbots]] suddenly appeared and demanded that the human group members kiss them. When they complied, they and Maximus were all whisked away on a whirlwind tour of time and space, with Maximus serving as their transport and base as they collected fragments of the so-called "[[Allspark]]" from famous Autobot and [[Maximal]] leaders throught Transformer history. Notably, he did not demonstrate any signs of intelligence or independence during the journey.

Near the end of the adventure, while being piloted in pursuit of a mysterious golden hand that had taken several Allspark fragments, Maximus accidentally struck the "Wall of Time". With its passengers scattered across dimensions, Maximus was hurled back in time 4 million years and crash-landed on the planet [[Master]]. His planetfall was observed by a group of Cybertronians who had migrated there, and their leader, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] used the technology of Maximus to refine his own "Headmaster" theory, creating [[Transtector|Transtectors]], including his own gigantic one, Battleship Maximus.

Meanwhile, after briefly adventuring in the [[Unicron Trilogy]] universe, the Kiss Players returned to their home dimension and accompanied [[Primus]] back through time to prehistoric [[Earth]]. There, it was revealed that they had not been collecting fragments of the Allspark, but portions of the scattered lifeforce of [[Unicron]]. Resurrected by the Sparkbots, the resurrected Unicron was then destroyed by Primus and his lifeforce was sealed deep within the planet. The heretofore unknown origin of Fortress Maximus was then revealed when Primus created him to serve as the eternal guardian of Unicron's lifeforce. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players}}

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{picsneeded|Toys}}
===Car Robots===
* '''Brave Maximus''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-027'''
**''Accessories:'' Plasma Headmaster unit, Brave large Headmaster unit, Brave's Mini Laser Rifle, Radar Scope

: Brave Maximus is an extensive [[redeco]] of ''Generation 1'' [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]], essentially replacing much of Fortress's lighter colors with darker ones. Due to marketing campaign concerns, Brave Maximus was never released with all of Fortress Maximus' accessories, missing his two hand guns, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s components, and the two [[Master Sword|Master Swords]]. These parts were later offered as campaign and lucky draw prizes by [[Takara]].

: Despite this, Brave Maximus retains all of Fortress' functionality, being able to transform from his 2 foot tall robot mode to battleship mode to city mode and back again. In city mode he features a rotating radar, a jail cell, a working elevator that leads to a button-activated car launcher, and two manual car launchers on his arm-ramps. The [[Spy Changers]] are the only figures from the toyline that interact with him particularly well, although his two arm-ramps can also launch the Autobot Brothers. In particular, the Spy Changer toy of Scourge fits in the robot's control room perfectly, allowing you to replicate the scenes from the cartoon, as well as actually providing an "evil" figure to lock in the jail cell. (Of course, Spychanger Scourge wasn't part of the ''Car Robots'' toyline, and Maximus wasn't part of ''Robots in Disguise''! Still, Japanese fans were eventually able buy chibi-Scourge like they buy many US-"exclusive" toys, as a "US Edition" in its American packaging.)

: The back of Maximus's instruction leaflet features a color play mat that the city connects to for use with other ''Car Robots/Robots in Disguise'' toys.

: This mold was also used to make [[Grand Maximus]] and Cybertron Base.

===Robot Masters===
*'''Cybertron Base''' (Contest prize, 2004)
**''Accessories:'' Zebres Headmaster unit, Master large Headmaster unit, Brave's Mini Laser Rifle, Radar Scope

: First Prize in a ''Robot Masters'' contest where only 10 were awarded, Cybertron Base is completely identical to the retail-release ''[[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Car Robots]]'' Brave Maximus toy, down to what accessories are lacking from the other incarnations of the mold, coming only with the two head-robots, a radar dish and the gun for the mid-robot. His head modules are renamed [[Zebres]] and [[Master (RM)|Master]] - fictionally speaking, whether or not these are just renamed versions of the Emissary and Cerebros, or if they were replaced by these new robots, is unknown.

: Cybertron Base was shipped in a fairly plain white box, and came with newly-printed instructions. He ''also'' came with the exact same paperwork packet as ''Car Robots'' Brave Maximus, including unchanged instructions, a ''Car Robots'' catalogue, and the Brave Maximus bio card.

==Trivia==
* According to the toy's profile card, Brave Maximus' robot mode is 350 meters tall (1,148 feet).

* In 2002, [[Hasbro]] began to solicit a United States release of Brave Maximus as ''Robots in Disguise'' Fortress Maximus. The toy was to be an exclusive to the retailer FAO Schwartz. However, it was later canceled due to the toy's failure of [[For safety reasons|standard industry drop tests]].

* The figure was released in Korea by [[Sonokong]] in 2003, identical to the Takara version save for one detail—the Autobot [[insignia]] sticker on the city's central tower was upside-down.

==External links==
* [http://tfu.info/2000/Cybertron/BraveMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Japanese-original characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Non-Triple Changer third mode]]
[[Category:Robot Masters characters]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise characters]]
[[Category:Starships]]

Transformers: Energon (cartoon)

2009-08-10T06:23:57Z

RecallBerserk: /* Scripting and dubbing */ Correcting the meaning of ADR to better fit the written context.

{{nav-energon}}
[[Image:TransEnergonTitle.JPG|right|250px|thumb|Bringing you pain for far too long.]]
The '''''Energon''''' animated series aired in the US from January 2004 to June 2005 for <strike>52</strike> 51 episodes, in support of the toyline of the same name. It is a direct sequel to ''[[Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]'' and forms the second part of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]".

The show takes place ten years after the finale of ''Armada'', opening in an age of peace on Cybertron and Earth which is destined not to last long. ''Energon'' pits the Autobots against an array of villains: the reborn [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]], the barely functional [[Unicron]], and the mysterious [[Alpha Q]] and his [[Terrorcon (Energon)|Terrorcon]] minions.

''Energon'', like ''Armada'', was written and animated in Japan and dubbed for US consumption. The series introduced to Transformers cartoons the technique of combining cel-shaded [[CGI|computer animation]] with 2D cel-animation, creating a fusion between the CGI of ''[[Beast Wars]]''/''[[Beast Machines|Machines]]'' and traditionally animated series such as ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]''.

:''Preceded by: [[Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]''
:''Followed by: [[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]''

==Characters==
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot|Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon|Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
'''Main Cast'''

* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] ([[Brent Miller]])
* [[Inferno (Energon)|Inferno/Roadblock]] ([[Michael Daingerfield]])
* [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] ([[Matt Hill]])
* [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
* [[Wing Saber]] ([[Colin Murdoch]])
* [[Omega Supreme (Energon)|Omega Supreme]] (Scott McNeil)

'''Team Rodimus'''

* [[Rodimus (Energon)|Rodimus]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
* [[Prowl (Energon)|Prowl]] ([[Alistair Abell]])
* [[Landmine (Energon)|Landmine]] ([[Ward Perry]])

'''Team Bulkhead'''

* [[Bulkhead (Energon)|Bulkhead]] ([[French Tickner]])
* [[Cliffjumper (Energon)|Cliffjumper]] ([[Doron Bell Jr.]])
* [[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] ([[Ty Olsson]])

'''Omnicons'''

* [[Arcee (Energon)|Arcee]] ([[Sharon Alexander]])
* [[Signal Flare (Energon)|Signal Flare]] ([[Michael Dobson]])
* [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] ([[Terry Klassen]])
* [[Strongarm (Energon)|Strongarm]] (Scott McNeil)

'''Combiner teams'''

*[[Air Team]]
** [[Superion Maximus]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
** [[Storm Jet (Energon)|Storm Jet]]
** [[Sky Shadow (Energon)|Sky Shadow]]
** [[Terradive (Energon)|Terradive]]
** [[Treadshot (Energon)|Treadshot]]
** [[Windrazor (Energon)|Windrazor]]

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
'''Main Cast'''

* [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron/Galvatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus/Snowcat]] ([[Don Brown]])
* [[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] ([[Alvin Sanders]])
* [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] ([[Michael Dobson]])
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|Tidal Wave/Mirage]] ([[Doug Parker]])
* [[Shockblast (Energon)|Shockblast]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
* [[Six Shot]] ([[Terry Klassen]])

'''Combiner teams'''

* [[Construction Team]]
** [[Constructicon Maximus]] (Don Brown)
** [[Steamhammer (Energon)|Steamhammer]]
** [[Bonecrusher (Energon)|Bonecrusher]]
** [[Duststorm]]
** [[Sledge (Energon)|Sledge]]
** [[Wideload (Energon)|Wideload]]

* [[Destruction Team]]
** [[Bruticus Maximus (Energon)|Bruticus Maximus]] ([[Trevor Devall]])
** [[Barricade (Energon)|Barricade]]
** [[Blackout (combiner)|Blackout]]
** [[Blight (Energon)|Blight]]
** [[Kickback (Energon)|Kickback]]
** [[Stormcloud (Energon)|Stormcloud]]

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | '''Regulars'''
* [[Kicker Jones|Kicker]] ([[Brad Swaile]])
* [[Misha Miramond]] ([[Ellen Kennedy]])
* [[Brian Jones]] ([[Ron Halder]])
* [[Alexis]] ([[Tabitha St. Germain]])
* [[Carlos Lopez]] ([[Matt Hill]])
* [[Miranda Jones]] ([[Nicole Oliver]])
* [[Rad White]] ([[Kirby Morrow]])
* [[Sally Jones]] (Nicole Oliver)

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |
* [[Alpha Quintesson]] ([[Trevor Devall]])
* [[Primus]] ([[Ron Halder]])
* [[Unicron]] ([[Mark Acheson]])

'''Terrorcons'''

* [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]] ([[Colin Murdoch]])
* [[Battle Ravage]]/[[Command Ravage]]
* [[Divebomb (Energon)|Divebomb]]/[[Blackout (Terrorcon)|Blackout]]
* [[Cruellock]]
* [[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticon]]

|}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Energon episodes}}

{{collist|4|
#[[Cybertron City (episode)|Cybertron City]]
#[[Energon Stars]]
#[[Scorpinok]]
#[[Megatron's Sword]]
#[[The New Cybertron City]]
#[[Megatron Resurrected]]
#[[Megatron Raid]]
#[[Starscream the Mysterious Mercenary]]
#[[Battle of the Asteroid Belt]]
#[[Energon Tower (episode)|Energon Tower]]
#[[The Legend of Rodimus]]
#[[Crisis in Jungle City]]
#[[Kicker Beware!]]
#[[Energon Grid]]
#[[Rodimus: Friend or Foe?]]
#[[Go for Unicron!]]
#[[The Return of Demolishor]]
#[[A Tale of Two Heros]]
#[[Battle Stations]]
#[[Alpha Q: Identity]]
#[[Shockblast: Rampage]]
#[[Survival Instincts]]
#[[Each One Fights...]]
#[[Unicron Unleashed]]
#[[Open Fire!]]
#[[Ripped Up Space]]
#[[Team Optimus Prime]]
#[[Protection]]
#[[Improsoned Inferno]]
#[[Jungle Planet (episode)|Jungle Planet]]
#[[Bulkhead (episode)|Bulkhead]]
#[[Farewell Inferno]] [[Return! Our Scorponok]]
#[[Crash Course]]
#[[Omega Supreme (episode)|Omega Supreme]]
#[[A Heroic Battle]]
#[[The Power]]
#[[Optimus Supreme]]
#[[Unicron Perishes]]
#[[Ambition]]
#[[Wishes]]
#[[Galvatron!]]
#[[Break Through]]
#[[Distribution]]
#[[The Omega Train]]
#[[Deception Army]]
#[[Ironhide Team]]
#[[Formidable]]
#[[Galvatron Terror]]
#[[Destructive Power]]
#[[Spark (episode)|Spark]]
#[[The Sun]]
}}
"Return! Our Scorponok" was to be "Scorponok's Scars", but it never aired and was probably never dubbed. It is not considered to exist in the English version of the series.

==Criticisms==
{{bigquote|Something cool ''finally'' happened!|[[Alpha Q]] announces that the series is over.<ref>No, really! In every preview for ''Super Link'', Alpha Q promised the audience that "Something cool might happen" in the next episode. When the series ended, he finally declared that the promised coolness had, at last, come to pass. He might be crazy, but he's not ''entirely'' wrong in the head.</ref>}}

The [[Unicron Trilogy]] was a franchise that got off to a poor start, fictionally speaking. ''Armada'' (the predecessor to ''Energon'') suffered from a bad beginning that, in the eyes of many, condemned the entire show. Although it improved as it went along (with the "Unicron Battles" story arc regarded as fairly good in comparison), the sub-par start left it laboring under a bad reputation that it never escaped. Many fans had hopes that ''Energon'' would be a return to glory. In retrospect, the fans' positive initial reaction may have been simply because it wasn't ''Armada.''

It was quite the proverbial [[brick]] to the testicles, then, that ''Energon'', the televisual representation of Transformers for its 20th anniversary year, turned out to be just the opposite — a series with a strong beginning, which slowly but surely degenerated into what is widely considered the worst Transformers cartoon broadcast in the U.S.

===Conceptual and storytelling flaws===
====Plotting====
The primary flaw of ''Energon'' is that it simply does not have enough plot to fill 52 episodes. The first half of the series moves at a respectable pace, and around episode #20, the villains achieve their objective — the restoration of Unicron. However, because there are another 30 episodes to fill, an attack by the Autobots and their allies [[Battle Stations|deactivates Unicron]]. The storyline is then essentially ''repeated'' for twenty more episodes, until Unicron is reactivated ''again'' and [[Unicron Perishes|destroyed ''again'']]. But even then, there are ''still'' thirteen more episodes to go, and with the ''driving aspect of the plot'' destroyed, viewers are served up a virtually pointless storyline full of [[To sell toys|repaints and combiners]], which added nothing to what had already taken place.

Individual episodes are likewise padded out with time-killing scenes such as [[stock footage]] sequences, generally a minimum of three per episode. An ''incredible'' amount of time is consumed in communication and report scenes, in which the characters stand around in front of video screens and [[Team Optimus Prime|tell one another things that the viewers already know]].

====Character de-evolution====
The series takes a ''very'' dismissive attitude towards characters and their development. With the exception of [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]] (who survives the series and resolves his long-running feud with [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]]), the writers seemed unable to carry personal sub-plots and conflicts through to any conclusion. Instead, they would either quietly drop these opportunities for character development, or (much more gallingly) the characters would die and/or get mindwiped, so the stories would not ''have'' to be resolved. Examples:

* Demolishor's uncertainty in the Decepticon cause? "Resolved" by having him sacrifice himself to save Megatron, then having Megatron resurrect him with no memories.
* Inferno's struggle against Megatron's Decepticon programming? Brought to an end by having him kill himself, then be resurrected, only to do ''absolutely nothing'' for the rest of the series.
* Kicker's hatred of Transformers? Vanishes with no explanation after roughly two episodes, save for the occasional kick to Ironhide.
* Rodimus and Optimus Prime's ideological feud over whether Unicron should be destroyed? Rodimus puts himself under Optimus's command for the mission to defeat Galvatron, and the argument never comes up again.
* Wing Saber's dedication to capturing Shockblast? Well, he captures him . . . but when Shockblast escapes again, Wing Saber doesn't say a word.

Many similar examples exist.

====Promoting toys====
Of course, any Transformers series exists [[to sell toys]], but in promoting the abilities and gimmicks of its toyline, ''Energon'' frequently ignored common sense to the most amazing degree in order to shoehorn these concepts into a setting and story where they didn't make sense.

[[Image:Carsinspace.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Their wheels spin and everything.]]
In choosing to set most of its action in the void of space, ''Energon'' foolishly robbed the Transformers of any real reason to ''transform.'' They can all happily fly in robot mode (in space, on planets, anywhere), inviting the question of why transformation is necessary. But, to promote the fact that the toys transform, characters would routinely change to vehicle mode anyway, even in outer space. Cue innumerable scenes of cars, trucks, and snowmobiles ''driving through space.'' Characters would even transform to vehicle mode on the ground, and then ''drive away into the air''. Everyone could control their flight with no problem in either form, completely invalidating the need for any variety in [[alternate mode]]. Conversely, on occasions when it might actually make sense to transform to a speedy vehicle form for fast or long-distance travel, characters often choose to run to where they're going instead.

Whereas the English version of the series takes its name from the central plot element (the collection of Energon) the Japanese version, ''Super Link,'' takes its name from the main thematic concept/[[gimmick]]: Autobots [[Powerlinx|powerlinxing]]. The Japanese version of the show contained a lot of waffling about the symbolic nature of this ("Even when one heart is weak, together, we are strong!"). Unfortunately, the fact remains that, almost without exception, these combinations are used in straight firefights, where combining two soldiers into one means ''fewer guns to fire at the enemy.'' Further, the resulting combined soldier rarely shows any sign of enhanced firepower.

Further failing to advertise the combining gimmick are the "Maximus" combiner teams. For about 90% of their screen time, the three giants are seen in ''only'' their combined super robot modes, rarely splitting into individual vehicles. The central torso units are seen as individual robots for perhaps 5 seconds in the entire series, and the show doesn't even acknowledge that the limbs could ''be'' individuals.

===Production flaws===
====Art and animation====
[[Image:Scorponok blacklines.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Rescale what now?]]
''Energon'' introduced a new concept to Transformers cartoons: the blending of CGI with traditional cel animation. The animators rendered the Transformer characters in cel-shaded CGI, while animating humans and other aspects of the show through traditional means. On the plus side, this allowed for a consistently high level of cel animation quality (especially enjoyable after the often scattershot quality of ''Armada''). In particular, the show uses the CGI to show many characters in motion at once, often with a high frame rate that gives them a very fluid appearance (for example, the many charges of the [[Battle Ravage]] Terrorcon drones, replete with numerous stamping legs and bobbing heads and tails.)

On the other hand, the CGI animation is positively primitive. Characters possess no sense of weight and can not move in any manner but the most basic. Even ''walking'' is a challenge for characters with bulky models, like Ironhide, who is often reduced to swinging his arms and legs back and forth while sliding along a predetermined path. The black-line outlines of character models were often not rescaled for different shots, resulting in the characters sometimes appearing as indecipherable masses of heavy black lines.

[[Image:GuessIronhidesEmotion.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The above images feature: A horrified Ironhide witnessing Demolishor's death; a surprised Ironhide asking a question; a determined Ironhide charging into battle; and a fighting-mad Ironhide striking a decisive blow. Can you figure out which is which?]]
[[Image:Energon InfernoImprisoned torture.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Are you @&#%$ kidding me?!]]

Additionally, "emotion" is nonexistent; the blank-faced CGI models could not easily display any [[Dull surprise|facial expressions beyond "mouth open" and "mouth closed."]] Numerous characters don't ''have'' facial animation, even ones with mouths. Most prominent among these is Alpha Q, who has ''no facial animation at all'' despite the fact that he's basically nothing but four faces. In some cases, when it was necessary for a character to emote visibly (Megatron's pronounced yawning, Inferno's [[Improsoned Inferno|tortured screaming]]), or to do something visually dynamic ([[Jungle Planet (episode)|acrobatic transformation]]), the CGI would actually be ''replaced'' with cel animation, because it just ''looked more impressive''. Does that seem ''right'' to you?

In addition, the show's CGI compares very poorly with ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines,'' both of which came out ''years'' previously, both of which were ''fully'' CGI (without the crutch of cel animation to fall back on), and both of which had characters who boasted complex, nuanced facial expressions and fluid, constant body language — even [[Diagnostic Drone|the ones with utterly inhuman faces and bodies]]. The only way to spare the animators' reputation is to assume that Energon's budget was minuscule in comparison.

Even within the limits of the animation, many bad editing, design, and lighting choices make the series difficult to follow visually. Unicron's body -- primarily black, to match his ''Energon'' redeco toy -- is frequently lost against the blackness of space. When Alpha Q energizes Unicron's head, it becomes a [[Energon orb]], with no visual indication as to what it used to be. Scenes set underground or within Unicron's body are commonly underlit, to the point that the characters can't even be distinguished. Strange elements such as the [[Rift (Energon)|rift in space]] are inconsistently animated and described by the characters, making it difficult to figure out what they are.

====Editing====
At times, ''Energon'' tends to flow like a single feature-length film... a film that has been mercilessly chopped up into 22 minute segments. Thus, confusing, unclear elements like the [[Rift (Energon)|rift in space]] and [[Unicron]]'s dark, partially re-energized body are routinely shown in closeup without any introductory establishing shots, making it extraordinarily unclear what's happening or where for the viewer who's just watching one particular episode by itself. To be a ''little'' bit fairer, this "chopped-up film" sensation is not exactly uncommon in Japanese animated series with a defined length, but ''Energon'' is a good example of the method at its very worst.

The show's scene editing also tends to be very abrupt and choppy. Battle animation in particular routinely cuts between numerous, very short scenes, showing several simultaneous but unrelated events as if the viewer must be kept up to date on ''all'' of them in real time. This makes it difficult to grasp the significance of ''any'' of the events shown. When boiled down, this editing style often serves to mask the fact that not much is actually happening.

To make things worse for the credibility of the editors, [[Scorpinok]], [[A Tale of Two Heros]], [[Improsoned Inferno]], and [[Deception Army]] all have blatant spelling errors '''''in the titles!''''' Making it more annoying is that only the latter two of those four were corrected for the DVD release.

====Scripting and dubbing====
The original Japanese version of the show is, in short, sluggish and confusing... but at least the conversations make sense. Even that got lost when the show was ported for North American consumption.

The dub of ''Energon'' seems even ''more'' rushed than ''Armada,'' which was already known for being so hurried that dubbers were working with unfinished animation, got names wrong, and had moments of dialogue that didn't jibe with the action. ''Energon'' [[Battle of the Asteroid Belt|generally]] got completed animation, and ''usually'' got names right—but [[Misha Miramond|Misha]] gets three different names during the course of the show, and [[Downshift (Energon)|Downshift]] and [[Cliffjumper (Energon)|Cliffjumper]] are constantly confused.

The rushed dub script is full of mistranslations. Though some elements obviously needed to be altered to suit a Western audience, it seems that many portions of the dub were never checked to see if they made logical sense. As a result, the script is stilted, perfunctory, and repetitive, constantly throwing in cliche, time-killing phrases like "We've gotta [repeat the plot which everyone already knows]", "Let's do it!", and "It's time to [perform some action that's already blatantly obvious]". There is arbitrary new dialogue (that seems to exist purely due to writers' carelessness) which ''does not match what is occurring onscreen''. The final result is a show with some bizarre non-sequiturs and more than a few moments of ''genuine nonsense.''

To cite just one example: at the start of "[[Team Optimus Prime]]", Dr. Jones says, in a frustrated tone, "I ''can't'' get back the energon I sent to Kicker. That's ''impossible!''" The entire notion of "getting it back" is absurd on the surface, akin to trying to get back water that went down a drain; saying that not getting it back is ''impossible'' is even more ridiculous; and further, the original dialog is a passive lament, more along the lines of "It's not like that energon I sent is ever coming back." Similar examples exist in nearly every single episode of the show.

Outside of these accidents, there are also some strange ''deliberate'' changes, chief among them the tendency for [[Primus]] to be intermittently ignored. In one episode, Primus would be dubbed accurately, talking with other characters normally, while in the next, he would be deliberately edited out, with his lines erased or given to other characters, and references to him replaced with "the core". Other odd instances include Terrorcon drones having spoken lines randomly inserted in some scenes, never attributed to any one Terrorcon.

Given all of this, the quality of voice acting frequently suffers throughout the show. This can be a common result of the antiseptic [[ADR]] (Additional Dialogue Recording) environment, where actors perform solo, with no one to play off. But ''Energon'' is particularly bad in this regard. Lead talents such as [[Garry Chalk]] and [[David Kaye]] still turn in strong performances, but actors for many of the secondary characters clearly struggle to make something of the material they're given, often sounding flat and uninspired, or just confused. There are many times when ''all'' the actors clearly have no idea what their lines mean in the greater scheme of things, nor any idea of what they're really talking about; the Dr. Jones quote cited above is also an example of this problem.

There's also a pronounced amount of "filling dead air," with characters talking from offscreen simply to make noise where there was none originally. Take a drink every time someone goes "Uhh?" to break the silence, and you'll be hammered by the first commercial break.

{{bigquote|I really wish they would put this terrible series out on DVD. Not because I really want to watch it again, but because it would fill that unsightly gap between Armada and Cybertron with unsightly content.|The nicest words ever spoken about the Energon cartoon, [http://tinyurl.com/5tuucc "Gustavo!", August 2008]}}

==DVD releases==
{{stub|Needs more information, if known}}

===''Super Link''===
The ''Super Link'' version of ''Energon'' was released on DVD by [[Inter Channel Inc.]] in [[Japan]] while the series was still on air.
<gallery>
Image:Tf superlink vol 01.jpg|'''Volume 1 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 02.jpg|'''Volume 2 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 03.jpg|'''Volume 3 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 04.jpg|'''Volume 4 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 05.jpg|'''Volume 5 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 06.jpg|'''Volume 6 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 07.jpg|'''Volume 7 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 08.jpg|'''Volume 8 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 09.jpg|'''Volume 9 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 10.jpg|'''Volume 10 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 11.jpg|'''Volume 11 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 12.jpg|'''Volume 12 DVD cover'''
Image:Tf superlink vol 13.jpg|'''Volume 13 DVD cover'''
</gallery>

===''Energon''===
====Paramount Home Entertainment====
When [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Home Entertainment]] released a handful of ''Energon'' DVDs in 2004 and 2005, several episodes were re-dubbed to fix numerous mistakes that occurred in the episodes that were broadcast, as well as throwing in some new dialogue.

*'''''Transformers - Energon'': Volume. 1 - The Battle For Energon''' (2004)

: Contains the episodes "Cybertron City", "Energon Stars", "Scorpinok", and "Megatron's Sword". "Cybertron City" and "Energon Stars" are noticeably edited from the original broadcast versions, with some dialogue re-recorded and some footage removed and shifted around.

*'''''Transformers - Energon'': Volume 2 - The Return Of Megatron''' (2004)

: Contains the episodes "Megatron Resurrected", "Megatron's Raid", "Starscream the Mysterious Mercenary", and "The Battle of the Asteroid Belt".

*'''''Transformers - Energon'': Volume 3 - Shockblast Unleashed''' (2005)

: Contains the episodes "Shockblast: Rampage", "Open Fire!", "Ripped Up Space", and "Protection".

*'''''Transformers - Energon'': Volume 4 - Omega Supreme''' (2005)

: Contains the episodes "Crash Course", "Omega Supreme", "Heroic Battle", and "The Power of Unicron".

*'''''Transformers: Energon'' - The Ultimate Collection''' (2008)

: On [[September 22]], 2008, Hasbro and Paramount Home Entertainment announced that they would release "all 52 episodes" of ''Energon'' in a single boxset, similarly to their previously-released ''Cybertron'' DVD set. This set was released on [[December 16]], 2008.<ref>[http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Transformers-Energon-The-Ultimate-Collection/10563 TV Shows on DVD announcing the ''Energon'' DVD boxset.]</ref> The specific reference to "52 episodes" was a curious one, given the absence of "Return! Our Scorponok" from the original broadcast run. The set, as released, in fact only contains the 51 episodes that were dubbed into English. As a side note, it features the redubbed DVD versions of the first few episodes rather than the broadcast ones, and finally corrects the title of "Improsoned Inferno" and "Deception Army" to "Imprisoned Inferno" and "Decepticon Army".

==Footnotes==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%95%E3%82%A9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC_%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BC%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF ''Transformers: Super Link'' at the Japanese Wikipedia]

[[Category:Television series]]
[[Category:Energon]]