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The Human Factor

2013-09-07T14:14:14Z

Recharge138:

{{disambig2|the episode of ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]''|the story originally published in [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (Marvel US)]] #68|The Human Factor!}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 45
|prev=New Recruit
|next=Legacy
|image=TheHumanFactor Cylas and Megatron.jpg
|caption=Soundwave! Tell Dr. Frankenstein he forgot something!
|title="The Human Factor"
|airdate=[[September 14]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Bob Skir|Robert N. Skir]]
|directed by=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''After Silas is integrated into Breakdown's body, he approaches Megatron with a plan to join the Decepticon ranks.'''

==Synopsis==
In a [[MECH]] base, a small team of surgeons and technicians hook [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown]]'s reassembled remains up to their computer and infuse them with electricity and Energon. Breakdown awakens, only it's not Breakdown—MECH has implanted [[Silas]] within the Decepticon's corpse. Silas is impressed with their ingenuity, but decides that, as he is no longer human, he no longer needs their services, and slaughters them.

[[Image:TheHumanFactorCylas.jpg|thumb|left|250px| [[Brainmaster|BRAIN SET!]]]]
Some time later, Silas drives up to the entrance to a military facility, stopping at the gate to introduce himself. Meanwhile in the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] are trying to encourage [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to keep up his recuperation, despite the Wrecker's belief that he is being replaced. [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] suggests he uses the [[Apex Armor (Prime)|Apex Armor]] for extra strength and power, but Bulkhead sees it as a crutch and knocks it aside, causing it to damage the computer system. As Ratchet grumbles over the negative atmosphere, [[Jack Darby|Jack]] talks with [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] on the phone and is surprised to learn that Raf's been grounded for his slipping grades.

[[Image:TPrime-Season2Ep19-The_Human_Factor_-_COL_Leland_Bishop.jpg|thumb|right|250px| Would you buy a used Decepticon from this man?]]
The Decepticons on the ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'', namely [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], are likewise surprised when Breakdown's signal shows up on their scanners. Knock Out and some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are sent to investigate and find the military base wrecked. Moments after they arrive, what appears to be Breakdown strides out of the smoke. In response to the Decepticons' reaction to his marred appearance, "Breakdown" asks in Silas's voice to be taken to [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]].

[[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] briefs the Autobots on the theft of the [[Project Damocles]] satellite apparently by Breakdown assisted by a human whom Fowler believes is Silas. Ratchet strongly dismisses the idea of Decepticons and humans pairing together, rebuffed only by Jack's reasoning of the alliance working for the Autobots. Aboard the warship, Megatron is introduced to the Breakdown/Silas combo, now calling himself Cylas: "Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis". Though Megatron is disgusted by such an abomination and Knock Out is keen to dissect Cylas as revenge for Breakdown's torture and the subsequent desecration of his body, the MECH commander wants to strike a deal with the Decepticons and offers the Damocles weapon as a token of friendship, telling him it's the best he has to offer. As Fowler's briefing in the Autobot base ends, the Autobots realize they must protect the satellite's interface codes, currently stored on servers in [[Colorado]].

[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] has already gotten to the Colorado base, clearing it using a recording of Fowler's voice, and by the time the Autobots get there, the place is already heavily guarded by Decepticons. Cylas points out to Megatron that since Soundwave is now connected to the mainframe, he can operate the satellite. The Damocles satellite is duly launched from the ''Nemesis'', and Soundwave starts targeting the Autobots on the ground. His first shot narrowly misses Smokescreen, and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] contacts base for backup. Bulkhead is ready to go but Ratchet stops him as Optimus is actually after ''technical'' help to disable the satellite. Ratchet decides Raf is required for this mission and so Raf gets unexpected visitors in the form of Fowler, Miko and Jack.

While the Autobots try to keep Soundwave distracted, Bulkhead attempts to talk Ratchet into sending him to help. Ratchet finally concedes, but has his own ideas. While Raf works on a way to crash the satellite and Fowler tries to work out a way to get to the toilet without Raf's mom seeing, the Decepticons detect Raf's hacking attempt. When they track the source to [[Jasper]], Megatron sends Cylas to deal with the matter, despite Cylas's chagrin. Cylas soon hauls up outside Raf's house and takes aim, only for Bulkhead to come barreling down the street and slam him into a nearby drainage canal. After a tense reintroduction, Bulkhead realizes his opponent is not Breakdown — and is shocked to find that it is actually Silas/Cylas operating the Con's body. The pair start fighting, but Bulkhead's weakness quickly begins to show.

[[Image:TheHumanFactorProjectDamocles.jpg|thumb|right|250px| It's a bird! It's a plane! It's none of the above!]]
Ratchet contacts Optimus who is still running from the Damocles beam, to report that Bulkhead needs backup. Indeed, the Wrecker is still not operating fully and not doing well against Cylas, but the addition of Smokescreen to the fight helps. Megatron, impatient at Cylas's failure, orders Soundwave to target the source of the hack. The Autobots take advantage of the cessation of the Damocles attack to try to storm the command center. The kids, meanwhile, see that the satellite has moved and is now aiming at them. Raf manages to get the satellite's thrusters under his control, and the shot does little more than knock the corner off the [[KO Burger]] sign before the satellite starts reentry. Their celebration is interrupted by Raf's mom, but luckily they break out the "study group" defense. Meanwhile, the Autobots break into the command center in time to see Soundwave leaving. Elsewhere, Cylas begins to lose his fight and is called back to the ''Nemesis''. Bulkhead and Smokescreen see the satellite's reentry and congratulate each other.

Back on the ship, Megatron announces that Cylas has earned his place at the table—Knock Out's dissection table, that is—explaining that the MECH commander was correct about the human factor tipping the war's scales, but in the Autobots' favor. Cylas is then zapped from behind and dragged away for "study", much to his fearful displeasure and Knock Out's delight.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] (5)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (7)
*[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (8)
*[[Arcee (WFC)|Arcee]] (17)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] (18)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] (19)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (12)
*[[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] (14)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (15)

|c3=
*[[MECH Commando]]s (1)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (2)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (6)
*[[Jack Darby]] (9)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (10)
*[[Raf's mom]] (11)
*[[William Fowler]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Silas|Cylas]] (4)
}}

==Quotes==
"Thank you all for your dedication and a life time of service. But I now seem more suited to keep the exclusive company... of titans"
:—'''"Cylas"''' before killing his own men. Cold.

"Bulkhead! I ''needed'' that!"
:—'''Ratchet''' ''still'' hasn't learned that saying that phrase won't change anything.

'''Jack''': You've got to be kidding, Raf! You of all people, grounded?<br />
'''Raf''': Big time. I misplaced some homework and blew a couple of tests.<br />
'''Miko''': Translation, A- instead of A.
:—'''Miko''' thinks '''Raf''' is Mr. Perfect when it comes to school, unlike herself.

"Breakdown may act the brute, but he's a maestro behind a rotary buffer!"
:—'''Knock Out''' gives us his little secret for auto-detailing - a pal skilled with a rotary buffer.

"This is the human who dissected Breakdown!"<br />
''*Knock Out activates his circular saw*''<br />
"Please, my liege, allow me to return the favor."
:—'''Knock Out''', finally confirming the fans' belief that he ''does'' care about his former partner.

"Megatron, relax."<br />
''*Megatron glares at Cylas*''<br />
"''Lord'' Megatron."
:—'''Cylas''' learns that Megatron doesn't want to be his friend.

"What? No! If my mom sees you..."<br />
"Relax, I trained in covert ops."<br />
"I don't care if you were trained by a ninja! My mom has eyes in the back of ''your'' head."
:—'''Raf''' tells '''Agent Fowler''' why he can't use the restroom.

"FYI, you're low on T.P."
:— Somehow '''Agent Fowler''' found a way to use the restroom discretely.

"Looks like [[Silas|someone's]] big plan just burned up in re-entry." <br />
(''Bulkhead and Smokescreen give each other a high five'') <br />
"For the record, I studied every one of the Wreckers' battles." <br />
"There's hope for you yet. Newbie." <br />
:—'''Bulkhead''' and '''Smokescreen''' earn each other's respect.

'''Megatron''': Cylas, you have earned your place at the table.<br />
'''Cylas''': Lord Megatron, I am honored.<br />
'''Megatron''': Knock Out's dissection table!<br />
'''Knock Out''': Breakdown would be tickled.
:—Well, '''Knock Out''' finally got ''his'' wish.

"He will be a fascinating case for study."<br />
"I will leave no fiber or ''fiber optic'' unexamined."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Knock Out''' get a new science project.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* On the same screen as Breakdown's image, the map of the United States shows the state of Louisiana inside Texas, with an empty spot where it's supposed to be. The same map error reappears when Soundwave begins operating the Damocles satellite.
* When Cylas targets Raf's house, he initially zooms in on one of the front windows, but the view showing the room's occupants is of one of the side windows.
* The final shot of the satellite fires parallel to Raf's house. To do this, the satellite would have to be in position below the equator. When it fires, it is shown to be above North America, and burns up in the skies above Jasper not long after. In addition, the beam is constant, even though it should be changing position with the satellite.

===Continuity errors===
* When Knock Out detects Breakdown's signal, the image of Breakdown on the screen shows his current appearance, when logically the last image they should have had on file would be one with his optic patch. However, this may not be a mistake, since it is unclear how such images are obtained in the first place. Cybertronian self-portraits may well update themselves, much like real life technology is capable of similar things.
*Raf's house, previously seen in "[[Out of His Head]]", now has a lamp post in the pavement in front of it.

===Continuity notes===
* The base in which Silas is revived is the same one used in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]".
* During Cylas's revival, one of the console's screens depicts the blueprints shown during Breakdown's dissection during "[[Operation: Breakdown]]".
* MECH was preparing to save Silas using Breakdown's corpse at the end of "[[Nemesis Prime (episode)|Nemesis Prime]]".
* Silas refers to his merger with Breakdown's corpse as "the perfect meld of man and machine", the same line he used to describe [[Nemesis Prime (Prime)|Nemesis Prime]] in its eponymous episode.
* Smokescreen offers Bulkhead the use of the Apex Armor, which he took from Starscream in the [[New Recruit|previous episode]]. Bulkhead's resentment of the newbie also started in that episode, but he seems to have resolved it by this one's end.
* Bulkhead uses the [[Cybertronian sport#Lobbing|lobbing]] ball from "[[Con Job]]" as a medicine ball.
* Cylas uses his real name (Leland Bishop) to introduce himself to the guard at the military base, which was first revealed by Fowler in the episode "[[Grill]]". Likewise, Project Damocles was first mentioned in that episode.
* After taking crippling injuries in "[[Toxicity]]", Bulkhead is finally well enough to go out in the field. He's far from 100%, but he can put up a fight.
* Knock Out references the events of "[[Operation: Breakdown]]" and wants vengeance for it.
* The place in which Cylas, Bulkhead and Smokescreen fight is the same place Arcee and Bumblebee engaged the Vehicons back in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]", and it is shown to be - as Raf said in that episode - "right up the street" from Raf's house.
* Before fighting Bulkhead, Cylas states that the former will never again interfere with his operations, which references "Operation: Breakdown".
* Soundwave displays the picture he took of Jack, Miko, and Raf back in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 5]]".


===Transformers references===
* This isn't the [[Autobot Spike|first time]] a human mind was placed in a robot body to preserve it.
* Nor is this the [[Novo|first MECH operative]] who would control a mechanical body.
* Nor is it the [[Attack from Outer Space|first]] [[Crisis|time]] the Decepticons attempted to target Autobots from space.
* Silas/Cylas' position in [[Breakdown (WFC)|Breakdown's]] corpse is nearly identical to where the [[Brainmaster|Brainmasters]] merge with their [[Transtector|Transtectors]].

===Real-world references===
* The surging electricity and twitching hand during Silas' revival reflects toward the animation of [[Frankenstein's monster]].
* The missing-eye appearance on Breakdown's face resembles that of the ''Terminator''.
* Cylas' request of "take me to your leader" is a stereotypical phrase used in early sci-fi movies involving aliens arriving to Earth from another world.
* The satellite's name, Damocles, refers to the ancient anecdote referred to as "[[wikipedia:Damocles|the Sword of Damocles]]".

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der menschliche Faktor'''" ("The Human Factor")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 16|16 February]] [[2013]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Jinzō Henkei! Kaettekita Hakai Senshi'''" (人造変形!帰ってきた破壊戦士, "Manmade Transformation! The Warrior of Destruction is Back")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 9|9 February]] [[2013]]

'''Brazilian Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Fator Humano'''" ("The Human Factor")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 27|27 June]] [[2013]]

===Trivia===
* Aww, Knock Out is willing to avenge Breakdown.
* We learn Raf's full name in this episode.
* Silas tells Knock Out to "Take me to your leader." A term, ironically, that is known for being quoted by aliens to humans.
* One of Silas' biological eyes appears to be permanently dilated, known medically as [[wikipedia:Anisocoria|anisocoria]]. Not only does it match Breakdown's uneven eye look, a permanently dilated pupil can also be a sign of serious cranial injury.
* It's ironic that someone like Silas, who has spent most of his time and activity dissecting Autobots and Decepticons just to see how they tick, ends up becoming someone else's experiment instead. Especially since it's Knock Out who's doing the operating! (More ironically in Hong Kong, Knock Out and Silas's Cantonese dubber is the same person.)
* Silas renaming himself Cylas ("Cybernetic Life Augmented by Symbiosis") is reflected in the end credits.
* The episode title is also a song by the band Metal Church. Along with Toxicity, Speed Metal and possibly Hurt, it would appear someone on the episode naming team is a big heavy metal fan.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Factor}}
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Lex Lang

2008-03-20T19:07:32Z

Recharge138:

{{picsneeded}}

'''Lex Lang''' (born '''Walter Alexis Lang''' on November 12, 1965) is an American voice actor and singer. He has played a wide variety of voice roles; among his more notable roles are Ecliptor on ''Power Rangers: In Space'', Captain Cold and Atomic Skull on ''Justice League Unlimited'' (but ironically did not play either Lex Luthor or Lana Lang), and Crim on ''.hack//SIGN''

He is married to fellow voice actor [[Sandy Fox]].

==Voice roles==
===''Robots in Disguise''===
* [[Tow-Line (RID)|Tow-Line]]

==External links==
* [http://www.lexlang.com/ Lex Lang's official website]
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485670/ Lex Lang at the Internet Movie Database]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lang, Lex}}
[[Category: Voice actors]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2008-03-19T19:45:19Z

Recharge138:

{{picsneeded|Optimus dying and turning gray, perchance?}}

Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Transformers is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that has been brought back into vogue recently'''

: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that of the original 1980's cartoon being the best fiction and most influential/successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.

:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise after its cancellation, or even before (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once the puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in both popularity, quality and sales, since it's not what they remember.

:"Transformers" instead is in fact a term describing several lines of toys, cartoons and comics that span over two decades with no sign of stopping; in fact Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when their target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction. While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over. Arguably, Transformers is in an endless cycle of creating new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest".

*'''A now-rare (and thus valuable) blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

:The very earliest [[Generation 1 (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy catalogs used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[box art]]; Bluestreak's box art was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.

:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''[[Wikipedia:ToyFare|ToyFare]]'' magazine has a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.

:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one.

: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in {{m-}}[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, for example{{m-}}, yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner.

*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], with a character model that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model.)

*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''

:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker]]. But like the Bluestreak, no samples have been found.

*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''

:Some ''[[Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974 TAKARA" stamped on them, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage]]". However, the date 1974 refers to the introduction of the original [[Microman]] franchise; the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s.

*'''A winged variant of Sludge was available during Generation 1.'''

:A [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] [[knockoff]] that featured wings and a pterodactyl-like beast head was fairly commonplace during the Generation 1 era, and in some cases people who owned this knockoff as children seem to have misremembered it as being a [[HasTak]]-produced [[variant]]. [http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html]

*'''A "giant"-sized Optimus Prime toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:In at least a few cases, claims regarding a "giant" Generation 1 Prime may stem from dim memories of coming across [http://www.geocities.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbyg2.html oversized Optimus Prime knockoffs that were made in Korea]... or because they had the ''normal'' Prime as kids, when they (the former kids) were about ''half'' the height they are now. Masterpiece Prime isn't helping matters.

*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:No toys of Unicron were available (or even produced) until [[Unicron#Toys|2003]]. The fictional existence of a Generation 1 Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upsmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day [[Primus|God]] would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.

*'''The Decepticon combiner team Seacons is pronounced "See-ih-cons" vice "See-cons."'''

:This belief stems from the fact that all other Decepticon teams had a "i" vowel break in between the prefix and "con" (Construct'''i'''cons, Combat'''i'''cons, etc). A few even say it was "See-ah-cons." This is incorrect. This was hard to prove or disprove since there was very little audio media mentioning them by name. However, fans have since found there was one toy commercial for the set and the narrator clearly calls them "See-cons."

===Generation 2===
*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''

:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.

:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Generation 2|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995{{m-}}years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.

===Robots in Disguise===
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''

:As information about the then-new [[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a/3a0dfb6f548a05dd?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#3a0dfb6f548a05dd]</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.

===Other===
*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''

: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.

:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the litigious U.S. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically).

:*"More [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was '''[[Beast Machines|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not the original toys. (''See also'': [[Show-accuracy]])

:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two swords, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun-mode Megatron in the [[Transformers Collection]] reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Energon (franchise)|Superlink]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well.

:*"Sweeter exclusives" is really a matter of taste. If endless redecos of Generation 1 toys as completely unprecedented Generation 1 characters, buying $40 worth of toys you got a month ago for a single [[Mini-Con]], and shelling out half your mortgage for [[Lucky Draw]] gold chrome figures is what floats your boat, then yeah, Japan has better exclusives.

:*"Tighter quality control" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's (pretty much everything for both markets is made in China), and their standards of quality control are just as likely to let mistakes creep through.

*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works... and they're sooooooo not doing that.

*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most Transformers product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like [[Alternators (toyline)|''Alternators'']] and [[Classics (2006)|''Classics'']] with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy Transformers for them. The bulk of Transformers product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if it wants to stay in business and keep making money, Hasbro must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors -- enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the fans speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or awful.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====The original cartoon====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''

: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the Generation 1 cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.

: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out, the writing and original voice recording of [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' were entirely done in America.

: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, coupled with the later realization that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime (presuming they didn't know this when they were kids) and, due to ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> obvious Japanese influence, have made the assumption that it too was anime. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.

*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''

: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.

: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[Generation 1 (cartoon)#Season 4|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.

: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up.

====The Transformers: The Movie====
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "Death of Optimus Prime" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequece, there is a very distinct, self-contained series of notes that appears nowhere else. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light.

*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''
: A widespread (but false) assumption among Western fans holds that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' is not part of Japanese Generation 1 [[canon]], and that ''[[Scramble City]]'' was effectively its Japanese replacement. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' went unreleased in Japan until August 1989, and the various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800]</ref>

*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title ''Matrix Forever''.'''

: ''[[Matrix Forever]]'' was actually the title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western (and even Japanese) fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed ''Matrix Forever''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29]</ref>

====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''

:There a few instances of Japanese fiction that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[Takara]] prior to the release of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. There is also a ''Transformers: 2010'' [[manga]] story that depicts [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] commanding a legion of automatons created in [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron's]] image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans have interpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179]</ref>

*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''

: The Autobots were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also renamed Cybertron "Seibertron" in order to avoid confusion.<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522]</ref>

*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''

:[[Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]], two characters from ''[[Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'', both have their function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of their on-package [[bio]]s misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe.

*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''

: [[Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the [[Zone]] portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522"/>

====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''

: This rumor is only partly true. The ''Transformers'' cartoon used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the 1986 movie used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs use Starscream as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo]</ref> however the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point Megatron calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>[http://bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes]</ref> All the same is also true for Shrapnel, who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by Kickback in the movie.

*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''

: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the Generation 1 cartoon until 1989. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that Starscream's death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than Spike's infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.

===Beast Wars===
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''

: Although the Japanese dub of the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon originally did state that [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] were new incarnations of the Generation 1 faction leaders (possibly due to a communications breakdown with Hasbro and/or [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]]), the translators eventually backed away from that idea.<ref>[http://www.bwtf.com/bw/toys/techspecs/primalultra.shtml] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=180]</ref>

*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''

: [[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon... but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his actions earlier had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior... none of which could be used to accurately describe Apache at all.

===Robots in Disguise===
*'''The Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars Neo''.'''

: Some fans seem to have concluded, based on the similar animation style and overall tone, that the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Car Robots'' cartoon]] was meant to pick up where ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' had left off, but all indications are that ''Car Robots'' wasn't meant to take place in any pre-existing TF continuity. But now Takara says it's in the Generation 1 continuity. Along with the 2007 movie. Oooookay.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=490]</ref>

===Transformers (2007)===
*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''

: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''[[Wikipedia:Disturbia|Disturbia]]'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the [[Wikipedia:Motion Picture Association of America|Motion Picture Association of America]]. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (2007)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers

2008-03-19T19:42:20Z

Recharge138: Last edit was me, forgot to log in. Added bit about Seacons which I always used to see argued on ATT in the day. Also a line about MP Prime.

{{picsneeded|Optimus dying and turning gray, perchance?}}

Over the years, many '''misconceptions and urban legends''' have sprung up within ''Transformers'' [[fandom]], often resulting from such factors as fuzzy childhood memories, inaccurate catalog illustrations, and mistranslations of foreign material.

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Transformers is (only) a cartoon from the Eighties that has been brought back into vogue recently'''

: A misconception usually held by casual fans or nostalgic adults is that of the original 1980's cartoon being the best fiction and most influential/successful line to date, with all other successors being unpopular and/or unsuccessful ventures.

:Some of this misconception is based on the fact that most of the original audience stopped watching and following the franchise after its cancellation, or even before (as it wasn't "cool" to be kiddy once the puberty hit). Without any exposure to the market, the toyline and the new cartoons, they simply assume that ''Transformers'' has sunk in both popularity, quality and sales, since it's not what they remember.

:"Transformers" instead is in fact a term describing several lines of toys, cartoons and comics that span over two decades with no sign of stopping; in fact Hasbro considers it a core brand. Each line has experienced varying degrees of success, rebooting when their target audience gets too old or uninterested in the toyline and fiction. While it's hard to measure the overall success of every line in all its aspects, the original line has been surpassed in both quality and sales multiple times over. Arguably, Transformers is in an endless cycle of creating new fans who share new opinions on what is "teh greatest".

*'''A now-rare (and thus valuable) blue variant of Bluestreak was available during Generation 1.'''

:The very earliest [[Generation 1 (toyline)|Generation 1]] toy catalogs used a photo of a blue-sided ''[[Diaclone]]'' Fairlady Z to represent [[Bluestreak]]; photographs of the same toy were used for Bluestreak's own [[instruction booklet]]. The same blue-sided color scheme was also used on his [[box art]]; Bluestreak's box art was in turn shown on ''every'' 1984 instruction booklet as a sample tech spec.

:All this gave rise to a long-standing myth that a blue Bluestreak toy was sold under the ''Transformers'' brand during Generation 1, with some people going so far as to "remember" owning blue Bluestreaks as children, or at least knowing someone else who did. Adding to the confusion, ''[[Wikipedia:ToyFare|ToyFare]]'' magazine has a long history of listing the supposed blue Bluestreak as a "foreign [[variant]]" in its monthly price guide.

:However, actual samples of a blue-sided Bluestreak in a sealed ''Transformers'' box have ''never'' appeared, and the [[Karl Hartman|collectors who have been at it since the very beginning]] and [[Jon Hartman|amassed ''insane'' numbers of rare Transformers]] have never seen one.

: Oddly enough, numerous other Transformers toys from that era were depicted in both catalogues and packaging art with colors they were never released in {{m-}}[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, for example{{m-}}, yet Bluestreak is the only one to be (mis)remembered in this manner.

*'''A show-accurate Skyfire toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:Due to some legal entanglements, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] was renamed "Skyfire" for the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], with a character model that bore only a vague resemblance to the toy. Some confused viewers seem to have come away assuming that there had to be a [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] Generation 1 toy by the name of Skyfire. (The ''[[Classics (2006)|Classics]]'' Jetfire toy is actually designed as a mix between the original toy and the cartoon character model.)

*'''A green variant of Trailbreaker was available in some European countries.'''

:This belief seems to stem from the fact that [[IGA]]'s Mexican version of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] (which, like most Mexican Transformers, was widely available on the European gray market circa 1989) used the same head sculpt as [[Trailbreaker]]. But like the Bluestreak, no samples have been found.

*'''Some Generation 1 toy molds were in use as long ago as 1974.'''

:Some ''[[Microchange]]''-derived toys have the text "©1974 TAKARA" stamped on them, and as a result are occasionally sold on eBay with descriptions such as "original 1974 [[Ravage]]". However, the date 1974 refers to the introduction of the original [[Microman]] franchise; the first ''Microchange'' toys weren't even designed until the early 1980s.

*'''A winged variant of Sludge was available during Generation 1.'''

:A [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] [[knockoff]] that featured wings and a pterodactyl-like beast head was fairly commonplace during the Generation 1 era, and in some cases people who owned this knockoff as children seem to have misremembered it as being a [[HasTak]]-produced [[variant]]. [http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Knockoffs/Sludge1.html]

*'''A "giant"-sized Optimus Prime toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:In at least a few cases, claims regarding a "giant" Generation 1 Prime may stem from dim memories of coming across [http://www.geocities.com/scrambledcity/skorbia/skorbyg2.html oversized Optimus Prime knockoffs that were made in Korea]... or because they had the ''normal'' Prime as kids, when they (the former kids) were about ''half'' the height they are now. Masterpiece Prime isn't helping matters.

*'''A Unicron toy was available during Generation 1.'''

:No toys of Unicron were available (or even produced) until [[Unicron#Toys|2003]]. The fictional existence of a Generation 1 Unicron toy is likely based on schoolground one-upsmanship: if one kid had a larger toy such as [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] or [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], a rival kid would claim to have a Unicron toy in order to appear cooler, but would most likely retire to his bed a sobbing mess, knowing in his heart that one day [[Primus|God]] would punish him for being a HUGE FIBBER.

*'''The Decepticon combiner team Seacons is pronounced "See-ih-cons" vice "See-cons."'''

:This belief stems from the fact that all other Decepticon teams had a "i" vowel break in between the prefix and "con" (Construct'''i'''cons, Combat'''i'''cons, etc). A few even say it was "See-ah-cons. This is incorrect. This was hard to prove or disprove since there was very little audio media mentioning them by name. However, fans have since found there was one toy commercial for the set and the narrator clearly calls them "See-cons."

===Generation 2===
*'''"Generation 2" means "after ''The Transformers: The Movie''."'''

:This common but explicitly false idea probably stems from the many casual fans who grew up with the original ''Transformers'' line but stopped paying much attention around 1986, when the animated ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' debuted and the ''Transformers'' craze began to die down. Many such fans regained some interest in ''Transformers'' many years later, particularly with hype surrounding the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]]. Seeing the phrase "Generation 2" batted around in fandom, it might seem natural to assume it refers to the big changeover that happened with the animated film. It certainly didn't help that, early in the life of [[Dreamwave]], [[Pat Lee]] shared in this misconception, leading other new arrivals to the fandom to ape his use of the term.

:While the original animated movie certainly marked a change from one "generation" of toys to another, along some new design trends, the phrase "Generation 2" refers to [[Generation 2|a very specific franchise]], marketed from 1992 to 1995{{m-}}years after the animated film had come and gone. Its relative obscurity probably contributes to the mis-attribution of the term, as ''Generation 2'' marks a low point in popularity for ''Transformers'' as a whole.

===Robots in Disguise===
*'''The ''Robots in Disguise'' toyline was known as "Transformers 2000" in Japan.'''

:As information about the then-new [[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|''Car Robots'' toyline]] began to trickle out of Japan in 2000, early rumors purportedly from Japanese sources indicated that it was officially named "Transformers 2000".<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_frm/thread/e6436b92178f0c0a/3a0dfb6f548a05dd?hl=en&lnk=st&q=#3a0dfb6f548a05dd]</ref> It's possible those Japanese sources were also going by early, inaccurate rumors or perhaps a soon-to-be-discarded working title for the line. The idea persisted with many Western fans well after the true name of the show was revealed, encouraged by online import retailers (who were equally misinformed) using the title to promote pre-orders on their sites.

===Other===
*'''Takara's Japanese-market releases are always of intrinsically better quality than their U.S. counterparts. (E.g., they have sweeter exclusives, and are always more show-accurate, have more accessories, and have tighter quality control.)'''

: This one depends a bit on the speaker, as it can either be a genuine misconception, a matter of opinion, or at worst, [[Personal canon|willful]] [[True fan|snobbery]]. But, like any broad generalization, it does have some basis.

:*"Better quality" can refer to the fact that Japanese versions of individual toys sometimes have clear plastic instead of painted-on windows like [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Movie Bumblebee]], or have vac-metallized parts where the equivalent U.S. release doesn't, like [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|''Energon'' Optimus Prime/Grand Convoy]]. Or, "better" quality can refer to the fact that Japan is a less litigious society, with different toy safety laws, and Takara can thus give [[Optimus Prime (G1) toys|Prime]] toys old-school long smokestacks, which are now shortened in the litigious U.S. These laws also mean that [[Megatron (G1)|Masterpiece Megatron]] is freely available in Japan, but hard to get in the U.S. (the exact opposite of ''real'' handguns, ironically).

:*"More [[Show accuracy|show-accurate]] decos" does have some basis, as Takara frequently releases its toys later than Hasbro does Stateside, and thus they are better able to reflect discrepancies between late-run changes to a character's coloration in a show (such as with the original [[Rattrap]] or [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Tidal Wave]]). The most extreme example of this was '''[[Beast Machines|Beast Wars Returns]]'', the Japanese release of ''Beast Machines'', which was ''years'' later than in the U.S., allowing Takara to add a lot of the deco that was added to the characters by [[Mainframe Entertainment]] that was not the original toys. (''See also'': [[Show-accuracy]])

:*"More accessories" mostly comes from the fact that ''some'' of Takara's releases have some extra accessories, but the only cases of this before the reissues were [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'s two swords, Megatron's sword and bullets (even though the Japanese release lacked the barrel, scope and stock extensions) and clear cases from the various cassettes. Japanese reissues have included additional accessories from the cartoon (the axe, chain mace, Energon cubes and gun-mode Megatron in the [[Transformers Collection]] reissues of Optimus and Megatron, Insecticons and Starscream, respectively, the Matrix from New Year's Convoy). Some ''[[Energon (franchise)|Superlink]]'' releases came with [[redeco]]ed [[Energon weapon]]s as well.

:*"Sweeter exclusives" is really a matter of taste. If endless redecos of Generation 1 toys as completely unprecedented Generation 1 characters, buying $40 worth of toys you got a month ago for a single [[Mini-Con]], and shelling out half your mortgage for [[Lucky Draw]] gold chrome figures is what floats your boat, then yeah, Japan has better exclusives.

:*"Tighter quality control" is a total myth. Takara products are manufactured under much the same production conditions as Hasbro's (pretty much everything for both markets is made in China), and their standards of quality control are just as likely to let mistakes creep through.

*'''Hasbro is responsible for your local store not having the newest toys right now.'''

: Hasbro actually has almost nothing to do with distribution (when Product A arrives in Store B) beyond making sure the manufactured product leaves the factories and shipyards of China at the desired time. Once the items arrive on US shores, they are almost immediately sent from the ships to the distribution centers for the retail chains that ordered them. From there, it's more truck rides to various regional warehouses, which is all controlled by the retailers, not Hasbro. After that, the schedule for taking product from those warehouses and putting it on shelves is dictated by each chain's inventory system.

: It's ''conceivable'' that Hasbro could take more control of the situation, but that would require chains like Wal-Mart to release the vise-like death grip they have on manufacturers' nuts that lets them dictate how the system works... and they're sooooooo not doing that.

*'''Hasbro should totally cater to the wishes of older collectors, as they purchase the most Transformers product.'''

: Fans would like to think they've got some sway over the direction of the [[Transformers brand]]. After all, they've been buying toys for many years (as opposed to the limited purchasing span of most children), and they buy many ''more'' toys than any individual child. And in truth, Hasbro does pay attention to the desires and discussions of its older buyers, even designing certain line segments like [[Alternators (toyline)|''Alternators'']] and [[Classics (2006)|''Classics'']] with collectors as the primary target audience.

: Collectors, however, simply can't compare to the vast numbers of children out there whose parents buy Transformers for them. The bulk of Transformers product is purchased for and/or by young children, and if it wants to stay in business and keep making money, Hasbro must design and market its products accordingly. No accurate figures exist on the collector/children ratio, but estimates mentioned at BotCon panels range from around 10% to 20% of all purchases coming from older collectors -- enough to be worth listening to, but not at all the driving force behind the brand. Past toylines have shown that betting ''too much'' on sales from adult collectors can be disastrous.

: Furthermore, it's not as though the fans speak with a unified voice. More often, for every fan pushing for one particular idea, there's another fan who thinks that same idea is boring or awful.

==Fiction==
===Generation 1===
====The original cartoon====
*'''The original ''The Transformers'' series was redubbed anime which originated in Japan, just like ''Battle of the Planets'', ''Voltron'', ''Robotech'' and other such shows screened in the '80s.'''

: Although most moderate-to-hardcore fans are well aware that this is a fallacy, there are those more casual fans (or those who have not rewatched the Generation 1 cartoon since childhood) who are under the misconception that [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|''The Transformers'']] was an anime.

: Although the original toyline and thus the characters' basic visual designs were taken from Japanese-originated products, the original characters, names, factions and entire story premise of the whole ''Transformers'' franchise were developed in the United States by [[Hasbro]], [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and eventually [[Sunbow Productions|Sunbow]]. Although the animation was farmed out, the writing and original voice recording of [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|all four seasons of the original series]] plus ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|The Movie]]'' were entirely done in America.

: This misconception probably stems from distant childhood memories of the cartoon, coupled with the later realization that shows like the aforementioned ''Robotech'' were redubbed anime (presuming they didn't know this when they were kids) and, due to ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> obvious Japanese influence, have made the assumption that it too was anime. This ''may'' also be due to passing exposure to ''[[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' and the [[Unicron Trilogy]] shows which, viewed as an adult, are ''very'' obviously redubbed anime.

*'''''The Headmasters'' was going to be dubbed into English and shown in America.'''

: In America, "Season 4" consisted of "The Rebirth", a 3-episode mini-series. In Japan, "The Rebirth" was ignored, and a full-fledged series titled ''The Headmasters'' continued the story instead. Rumors once swirled in the fandom of an American-led dub of ''The Headmasters'' series; the dub was largely finished, goes the story, till the materials were lost in a warehouse fire.

: Given the meandering pace of the series (common for Japanese shows but anathema to American sensibilities), the presence of numerous characters who had no toy equivalent on US shelves, the incompatibility with the "[[Nebulan]]" head characters, the number of Japanese cultural references, and the very existence of "[[Generation 1 (cartoon)#Season 4|The Rebirth]]", this rumor seems unlikely on the surface.

: More to the point, no official confirmation or other evidence has ever surfaced to back it up.

====The Transformers: The Movie====
*'''There exists an "uncut version" of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' containing all sorts of non-kid-friendly content.'''

: These stories stem mainly from the fact that many home-video releases of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' omit two relatively minor instances of characters using profanity, which during the 1990s resulted in some [[alt.toys.transformers]] posters advertising "uncut" VHS copies of the movie for sale, thus either intentionally or unintentionally creating the myth of a really foul-mouthed and ultra-violent alternate version of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.

:A much stranger rumor, whose origins are unclear, claims that the original theatrical cut of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' depicted [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] crumbling into dust after dying, and that that scene was cut by the distributor in mid-release because children were traumatized by the imagery. Interestingly, the "Death of Optimus Prime" track on the original soundtrack album does contain ten extra seconds of music. At the end, just before the song's final low-octave percussion sequece, there is a very distinct, self-contained series of notes that appears nowhere else. However, no other evidence of this "lost" animation sequence exists among the many storyboards, preliminary animations, interviews, varying formats, etc., that have come to light.

*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was never released in Japan.'''
: A widespread (but false) assumption among Western fans holds that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' is not part of Japanese Generation 1 [[canon]], and that ''[[Scramble City]]'' was effectively its Japanese replacement. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' went unreleased in Japan until August 1989, and the various discrepancies between it and subsequent Japan-only Generation 1 fiction are largely a matter of the Japanese animators and writers being unaware of the precise details of ''The Transformers: The Movie''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216153#post216153] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?s=&postid=216478#post216478] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/community/showthread.php?threadid=30800]</ref>

*'''''The Transformers: The Movie'' was released in Japan under the title ''Matrix Forever''.'''

: ''[[Matrix Forever]]'' was actually the title of a 20-minute video created to promote the Japanese release of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', but some Western (and even Japanese) fans have been confused into thinking that ''The Transformers: The Movie'' itself was renamed ''Matrix Forever''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/a5d29844863d2c29]</ref>

====Japanese Generation 1 fiction====
*'''In Japanese continuity, Megatron and Galvatron are two separate characters.'''

:There a few instances of Japanese fiction that would seem to support this notion, all of which can be attributed to a lack of communication between [[Hasbro]] and [[Takara]] prior to the release of ''The Transformers: The Movie''. There is also a ''Transformers: 2010'' [[manga]] story that depicts [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] commanding a legion of automatons created in [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron's]] image, which some non-Japanese-speaking fans have interpreted as depicting Galvatron and Megatron co-existing.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=179]</ref>

*'''In Japanese continuity, the Destrons (Decepticons) were invaders from a planet called Destron.'''

: The Autobots were renamed "Cybertrons" in the Japanese translation, resulting in a misconception that the Destrons must hail from somewhere other than the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Japanese translation also renamed Cybertron "Seibertron" in order to avoid confusion.<ref name="tfa522">[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522]</ref>

*'''Black Shadow and Blue Bacchus are both members of a "Space Mafia".'''

:[[Black Shadow]] and [[Blue Bacchus]], two characters from ''[[Victory (franchise)|Victory]]'', both have their function listed as "Space Gangster". An early fan translation of their on-package [[bio]]s misinterpreted the Japanese word for "gangster" to mean "Mafia", hence the belief that a "Space Mafia" exists in the Japanese Generation 1 universe.

*'''Metrotitan is a zombie version of Metroplex.'''

: [[Metrotitan]] was a Destron [[redeco]] of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] from the [[Zone]] portion of Japanese Generation 1 continuity. For unclear reasons, Western fans believe that Metrotitan was a "zombified" version of Metroplex, and a stranger variation on this rumor holds that Metrotitan was somehow "regrown" from one of Metroplex's legs.<ref name="tfa522"/>

====European Generation 1 fiction====
*'''Starscream and Shrapnel are female characters in the French dub of Generation 1.'''

: This rumor is only partly true. The ''Transformers'' cartoon used three different dub teams for the French version: one for the TV show's dub broadcast in Quebec, one for the TV show's dub broadcast in France and one for the 1986 movie used in both countries. Neither of the TV show's dubs use Starscream as a female as he uses a distinctively male voice,<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhOCYZRxypM]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMXCeXw5Vdo]</ref> however the movie's dubbing team used a female voice for Starscream, and at one point Megatron calls Starscream "une imbécile" (articles in French are gender-specific), clearly cementing Starscream's movie status as a female.<ref>[http://bigbot.com/mp3/transformers_mp3.shtml#Femmes]</ref> All the same is also true for Shrapnel, who is even referred to as "Mademoiselle Shrapnel" by Kickback in the movie.

*'''The German version of ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was edited and didn't depict Starscream's death scene.'''

: German TV didn't air a dubbed version of the Generation 1 cartoon until 1989. ''The Transformers: The Movie'' was aired for the first time on German TV in 1994, with only one repeat. For unknown reasons, a rumor was circulating for several years claiming that Starscream's death was considered too "violent" for German TV standards for children's programs and had therefore been edited out.<ref>[http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung&fid=7489&vid=38680 German movie database ''still'' listing the rumor about Starscream's "edited death" in TF:TM]</ref> However, recordings of the TV airing still exist, which don't feature any obvious edits other than Spike's infamous "swear" line. Furthermore, a German DVD edition of the movie released in 2004 that features an entirely different dub also depicts Starscream's death in all its glory.

===Beast Wars===
*'''In Japanese ''Beast Wars'' continuity, Optimus Primal and Megatron were the same characters as their Generation 1 namesakes.'''

: Although the Japanese dub of the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon originally did state that [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] were new incarnations of the Generation 1 faction leaders (possibly due to a communications breakdown with Hasbro and/or [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]]), the translators eventually backed away from that idea.<ref>[http://www.bwtf.com/bw/toys/techspecs/primalultra.shtml] </ref><ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=180]</ref>

*'''In ''Beast Wars II'', Apache is a drunkard as part of a Native American stereotype.'''

: [[Apache]] did indeed get drunk in the first episode of the ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' cartoon... but only in grief, believing (erroneously) that his actions earlier had caused the death of [[Lio Convoy]] (which didn't happen). He did not get drunk again for the duration of the cartoon, nor did he ever do so in the manga. Outside of that, the Native American stereotype "common" to Japanese fictions is a stoic, silent, and often mystical warrior... none of which could be used to accurately describe Apache at all.

===Robots in Disguise===
*'''The Japanese ''Car Robots'' cartoon was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars Neo''.'''

: Some fans seem to have concluded, based on the similar animation style and overall tone, that the [[Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Car Robots'' cartoon]] was meant to pick up where ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' had left off, but all indications are that ''Car Robots'' wasn't meant to take place in any pre-existing TF continuity. But now Takara says it's in the Generation 1 continuity. Along with the 2007 movie. Oooookay.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=490]</ref>

===Transformers (2007)===
*'''''Transformers'' was nearly rated R by the MPAA.'''

: In the spring of 2007, it was reported that ''[[Wikipedia:Disturbia|Disturbia]]'', a then-upcoming [[DreamWorks]] film starring [[Shia LaBeouf]] and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], had received an R rating from the [[Wikipedia:Motion Picture Association of America|Motion Picture Association of America]]. That film's rating was eventually lowered to PG-13 on appeal, but in the meantime some ''Transformers'' fans became confused and believed that it was ''[[Transformers (2007)|Transformers]]'' that had been rated R, leading to some heated discussion on ''Transformers'' message boards.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/creative/showentry.php?s=522 Ten popular but incorrect rumors about Japanese Transformers]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Lists]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Karl Hartman

2008-03-07T22:45:23Z

Recharge138: New page: Can I say how happy I am the side of my head and shoulder made the wiki? Also a photo from my camera. - Recharge

Can I say how happy I am the side of my head and shoulder made the wiki? Also a photo from my camera. - Recharge<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Kremzeek!

2007-07-05T15:46:03Z

Recharge138:

{{disambig2|the Generation 1 cartoon episode|the electrical life form that first appears therein|Kremzeek}}

'''[[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation One]] > [[Generation 1 (cartoon)#Season 2|Season 2]]'''

[[Kremzeek|An electric pest]] annoys everyone.

==Detailed synopsis==

==Stats==
'''Original airdate:''' December 27, 1985

'''Written by:''' [[David Wise]]

===Featured Characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"
! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human|Humans]]
! style="background:#FFEEB8" | Others
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |

*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" | '''Regulars'''
*[[Sparkplug]]
'''Guests'''

| style="background:#FFEEB8" valign="top" |
*
|}

==Notable quotes==
* Quotes

==Other notes==

===Animation and/or technical glitches===
* Glitches

===Continuity errors===
* Continuity errors

===Transformers references===
* References

===Real-world references===

===Miscellaneous trivia===

* When Teletraan-1 is scrambled by Kremzeek, he first babbles something about ammonia being stolen, then proceeds to start speaking in Newspeak a la [[wikipedia:Nineteen Eighty-Four|George Orwell's ''1984'']].

* Writer David Wise recycled this plot for an episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and possibly other shows.

===Keywords===
(''separate by commas and link each one so a page can be created for it if it does not already exist'')

==External links==

[[Category: Generation 1 episodes]]
{{stub}}<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Talk:Kremzeek

2007-07-03T19:51:32Z

Recharge138:

Derik, you do know we have to rewrite this entire thing, right? Why do you do this to us? --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 04:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
:I just assumed this would end up a sub-section on the Kremzeek page. (Probably losing the jingle.) And I do this for the same reason I would tug the curls of that girl with the adorable overbite in second grade. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Shouldn't this be branded as Kremzeek (drink), or something? Wouldn't it be better to go the eventual episode entry (as horrible as the damn thing is) if someone were to search Kremzeek, rather than drink? --[[User:Gouki|Gouki]] 02:38, 11 September 2006
:The episode is Kremzeek!, not Kremzeek. Thei entry interferes w/ that not-at-all. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 04:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
::Ah, I see. I always forget he exclamation point. Carry on. --[[User:Gouki|Gouki]], 10:31 12 September 2006

To be pedantic, we don't even KNOW that the drink is even CALLED "Kremzeek", just that it uses the bastard as a mascot. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 04:47, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

== Botcon script reading? ==

My question is- is the Return of Kremzeek script reading considered cannon? (Other script readings seem to be...) -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 05:20, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Is there an actual entry for Kremzeek, or is there only this one for the drink? Not that I would be disappointed to learn that there's no entry on the "real" Krem, but it would alleviate some confusion for... the confused.--[[User:OctopusPrime|Octopus Prime- King of the Road!]] 21:03, 6 October 2006 (UTC)

There is no article for the "real" Krem, and for some reason there are links to this page (about a tasty refreshing beverage) on the Kiss Players pages, because Autroopers use Kremzeek bullets. I think all this is doing is confusing people based on a cheap joke that DW did to be funny. I'd write it myself, but to be honest I cannot recall a blessed thing about Kremzeek, other than it was a really bad episode. -- [[User:Dataraven|Dataraven]] 22:35, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

==The horror==
Well, here's Kremzeek's new profile art!

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/4329/1164127259091ka2.jpg

--[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 17:52, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

DO NOT WANT

:It's just a different culture! It's socially acceptable for electric beings to come out of a vagina! Happens all the time, too! (That's gonna burn.) [[User:Interrobang|Interrobang]] 20:00, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

==Plot==

Didn't the writer of Kremzeek blatantly recycle this script/plot on other cartoons? I want to say it was at least reused on TMNT and TRGB. Might be interesting to put a trivia section.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Humanization

2006-08-30T18:46:34Z

Recharge138:

Throughout the various Transformers canon, there have been several instances of Transformers with humanistic traits and having very human actions that possibly contadict their status as mechanical robots. Many of these instances can be dismissed as stylistic choices by the artists or as gags not to be taken seriously.

'''Sweating'''

* In issue nine of the original G1 comic, [[Frenzy]] is seen leaking lubricant from his head during a stressful confrontation with [[Shockwave]] (as Shockwave points out), in a manner resembling sweating.

* Numerous times in the [[UK comic]], [[Kup]] can be seen "sweating."

'''Flatulence'''

* In the [[Beast Wars]] episode ''[[The Low Road]]'', Rhinox lets out an extreme amount of flatulence after consuming wild bean vines. This could be due to Maximals having organic parts in their makeup.

'''Crying'''

* Throughout [[Beast Wars II]], several characters are seen crying in conventional anime fashion.

'''Intoxication'''

* In the G1 episode ''[[Microbots]]'', the [[Decepticons]] are noticeably behaving in an intoxicated fashion after consuming a high-grade energon.

* In Beast Wars II, [[Galvatron (BWII)|Galvatron]] gets "drunk" on numerous occasions.

* In the UK comic, the [[Wreckers]] frequent a "bar" on Cybertron called [[Maccadams']], where they consume high-grade energon, presumably for the purposes of getting intoxicated.

'''Sleeping/Dreaming/Yawning'''

* In the G1 comic, Ratchet fall asleep and dreams (or rather, has a nightmare). This goes against established canon that Transformers deactivate fully rather than "sleep," a point Ratchet himself makes.

* Beast Wars II Galvatron often nods off in a narcoleptic-like fashion.

* In the English [[Headmasters]] dub, Galvatron yawns upon witnessing [[Soundwave]]'s death (though this is most likely a translation error, in the original Japanese he roars in anger).

'''Teeth/tongues/eyeballs'''

* Throughout the latter G1 comic and in the G2 comic, several Transformers can clearly be seen with teeth, tongues and sometimes organic eyes. This is most likely a simple stylistic choice by the artists.

* Most of the characters in Beast Wars have teeth in robot mode. It could be theorized that they actually use them to masticate organic matter to maintain their organic parts.

* A [[Legion]] character in the [[Kiss Play]] manga has a distinctive prehensile tongue.

'''Non mechanical body parts'''

* In the G1 episode ''[[The Girl Who Loved Powerglide]]'', [[Powerglide]] is seen at the end of the episode having a human heart within his chasis. This is completely nonsensical within in the context of the show (the contents of Transformers chest cavitites had been show several times before), and is probably merely meant as a one-off sight gag.

* [[Alpha Trion]] and [[Wreck-Gar]] both sport "facial hair" in the G1 cartoon.

===Sexuality===

One of the most controversial aspects of Transformers is the idea of sexuality. While it is established through most canons that Transformers do not reproduce sexually, most canons have distinctive male and female characters (with the notable exception of the G1 comic, which explicitly states there is no sexual distinction).

The G1 cartoon brought the first official female Autobots into the canon, including [[Elita One]] and [[Arcee]]. The characters are noticably more feminine in design and have clearly defined romantic relationships with male Autobots.

The issue becomes more complicated in Beast Wars, where the sexuality line is clearly defined ([[Blackarachnia]] has a particularly well defined female figure, including what appears to be an ample bosom). It is hinted on occasion that the robots may engage in activities resembling human sex acts. Rattrap slyly makes a double entendre to [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]] regarding his suspected kinky activities with Predacon Blackarachnia, and later makes a comment about going to what sounds like a Cybertonian version of a strip club.<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>