Transformers: Historia

2019-01-17T23:31:51Z

Teratron: The term "monster planet" did not originate in the UK opening crawl. It was coined by Bumblebee in the movie itself during his and Spike's transmission to Earth.

{{disambig2|the well-researched IDW recap comic|the poorly-researched IDW recap comic|The Transformers Continuum}}
{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers: Historia''
|title=
|image=Historia.jpg
|caption=
|next=
|prev=
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Chris McFeely]]
|date=[[January 9]], [[2019]] (UK)<br>[[January 16]], [[2019]] (US)
|illustrated by=various.
|pagecount=59
|ISBN=
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity]]
}}

'''''Transformers: Historia''''' is a double-sized one-shot book that documents the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]]. A "capstone" released after the finale of said continuity, ''Historia'' serves as a retrospective guide to the universe, documenting its chronological history from beginning to end.

{{quote|The year was 2005. The treacherous Decepticons and their heroic Autobot counterparts descended upon the Earth and unleashed a new era of Transformers comics through IDW Publishing. Thirteen years and hundreds of issues later, that universe has come to a close. Join Transformers historian Chris McFeely on a guide distilling the past 13 years of publishing history and remember the masterful storytelling of the first IDW Transformers run.|Solicitation blurb}}

==Synopsis==
''Historia'' is a prose guide to [[IDW Publishing]]'s first ''Transformers'' continuity in advance of [[Transformers (2019 comic)|the 2019 reboot]]. In rough chronological order, the book describes:
* The origins of the [[Guiding Hand]] and the rise of the Cybertronian species, as documented in [[Crucible (Part 5): The Unremembering|''Lost Light'' #23]]
* The age of the [[Thirteen]], the [[First Cybertronian Civil War]] and the ascension of [[Nova Prime]], from ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots In Disguise]]'' and ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]''
* [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]'s early life and the foundation of the Decepticons, as seen in the "[[Chaos (IDW)|Chaos Theory]]" two-parter and ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]''
* The outbreak of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], from the ''[[The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Monstrosity|Monstrosity]]'', and ''[[The Transformers: Primacy|Primacy]]'' trilogy
* The wartime events of [[Strange Visitors|''Revolutionaries'' #5]], ''[[Spotlight: Shockwave]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Drift|Drift]]'', ''[[Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor]]'', ''[[Spotlight: Soundwave]]'', and [[The Secret of the Mummy's Tomb|''Revolutionaries'' #3]]
* The adventures of the Autobots on Earth and beyond, from ''[[The Transformers: Infiltration|Infiltration]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Escalation|Escalation]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation]]'', ''[[The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots|Maximum Dinobots]]'', and ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]''
* The Decepticon [[Surge (event)|Surge]] and Megatron's all-out attack on Earth, from ''[[The Transformers: All Hail Megatron|All Hail Megatron]]'', and the [[Wrecker]]s' doomed mission to [[Garrus-9]] in ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''
* The Autobot-[[Skywatch]] conflict, Hot Rod's adventures in space, and [[D-Void]]'s attack on Cybertron, from ''[[The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers]]''
* The launch of the ''Lost Light'' and political turmoil on Cybertron in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]'', ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'', and ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise]]'' comics
* [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]]'s attack on the universe, in ''[[Dark Cybertron (IDW)|Dark Cybertron]]''
* Megatron's trial and co-captaincy of the ''Lost Light'', as seen in "season 2" of ''More than Meets the Eye'', and Optimus Prime's new mission to Earth, in ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|The Transformers]]''
* [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]]'s arrival on Cybertron and the formation of the [[Council of Worlds]], from ''[[The Transformers: Windblade|Windblade]]'' and ''[[Combiner Wars (comic)|Combiner Wars]]''
* The events of ''[[The Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers]]''
* The mutiny that sees "Team Rodimus" stranded in the [[Functionist Universe]] and their quest to find [[Getaway|Getaway]], from ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light]]''
* Windblade vs. [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] and [[Vigilem]], from ''[[The Transformers: Till All Are One|Till All Are One]]''
* Optimus Prime's annexation of [[Earth]], the revenge of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] and the battle against [[Baron Karza]] for Earth's [[Ore-13]], as seen in ''[[The Last Autobot|Titans Return]]'' and ''[[Revolution]]''
* The Junkion refugee crisis, from ''[[Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime]]''
* [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the next generation of Cybertronian life, from ''[[The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation]]'' and "[[The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2]]"
* [[Joe Colton]]'s attack on Cybertron in ''[[First Strike]],'' and the events of "[[The Falling]]" and ''[[Transformers vs. Visionaries]]''
* The grand finale: the ''Lost Light'' crew's battle against Getaway, Adaptus, and the [[Functionist Council]], and, finally, the world-shattering events of ''[[Transformers: Unicron|Unicron]]''

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
As the final sendoff for the original [[IDW Generation 1 continuity]], ''Historia'' takes the opportunity to engage in some last-minute smoothing of continuity, plugging in some lingering discrepancies and unanswered questions.
* ''[[The Transformers: Lost Light|Lost Light]]'' never stated ''how'' [[Epistemus]]'s head wound up in the care of the [[Omega Guardian]]s and became the Magnificence; ''Historia'' reveals that, following the [[God War]], Epistemus joined up with the Knights of Cybertron and voluntarily stayed behind with the Omega Guardians during the early days of the Knights' quest across the galaxy, eventually giving up his body in pursuit of knowledge. Shockwave was noted to have theorized a similar sequence of events in [[The Ties That Bind|''Lost Light'' #14]].
* The Omega Guardians are specifically noted to have been organic, which suggests that they might have been one of the vectors for the outbreak of [[atrophosia]] that drove the Knights of Cybertron to [[Mederi]].
* The concept of the "thirteen colonies" formed an integral part of the IDW mythos in the final years of the continuity; however, thanks to some loose-end tying by [[John Barber]], the concept was folded in with Shockwave's thirteen Regenesis planets in ''Unicron'', and as a result only a handful of these thirteen planets could truly be called "colonies" that had been inhabited by Cybertronian settlers: [[Caminus]], [[Devisiun (planet)|Devisiun]], [[Eukaris]], [[Velocitron]], and (possibly) [[Arduria]]. ''Historia'' smooths over this discrepancy by noting that this idea of "thirteen colonies" was merely a ''legend'', one that conflated the existence of these five planets with the seven other worlds that had been touched by the dark legacy of the Primes.
* Seemingly corroborating Centurion's profile in ''[[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook]]'' [[Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook issue 1|#1]], the narration notes that the Maximals came to Earth in search of the Enigma of Combination... though it's as vague as ever if that was ''truly'' why "Onyx Prime" sent the crew of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' into space, or if it was simply a pretext so that they could be shot down over Earth and fulfill the ontological paradox posed by Shockwave's younger self.
* ''Why'' exactly [[Merklynn]] came to Earth, of all planets, was never expounded on; here, it's established that he came in search of sufficient magical energy in order to restore his lost homeworld of [[Prysmos]], finding such an artifact in the [[Talisman (G1)|Talisman]].
* Following on from revelations in the ''Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook'' and ''[[First Strike]]'' [[First Strike issue 5|#5]], ''Historia'' explicitly confirms that the Decepticon [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s and the [[Insecticon swarm|"swarm" of failed clones]] that precluded their creation were the product of genetic experimentation on a naturally-occurring subterranean subspecies.
* The two non-[[Hasbro Universe]] crossover stories, ''[[New Avengers/Transformers]]'' and ''[[Infestation (IDW)|Infestation]]'', are ignored entirely, presumably for reasons of space and them not really having much to do with the main IDW storyline.
* The discrepancy between the timeframes of ''Lost Light'' versus ''Till All Are One'' and ''Optimus Prime''—the former playing out over a matter of weeks, the latter two over a much longer timeframe—is not addressed, though (as we humbly propose elsewhere on this wiki) travel through the [[Warren]] might go a ways towards no-prizing this error.
* The exact correlation between the "real" Unicron—the transformed [[Antilla]]—and the mythical Unicron, the dreaded "uncreator" of Cybertronian legend, had not previously been made clear in the IDW continuity; ''Historia'' posits that the Talisman's energy burst in ''[[Transformers vs. Visionaries]]'' [[The Curtain|#5]], revealed in [[Our Darkest|''Unicron'' #0]] to have transmitted the word "Unicron", bestowed that legendary name upon the monster planet.
* The book ends with the events of [[Ceremony|''Unicron'' #6]], with the [[Lunarian]]s of [[Moonbase One|Luna One]] receiving a mention, but otherwise omitting [[How To Say Goodbye And Mean It: Part 2|''Lost Light'' #25]]'s quantum duplication of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' and that issue's glimpse into the far-distant future.

===Transformers references===
* The origins of the [[Enigma of Combination]] had never been stated in any actual issue; ''Historia'' confirms that it was forged by Solus Prime, hearkening to her incarnation in the [[Aligned continuity family]], who was explicitly responsible for the creation of all of the [[Artifacts of the Primes]].
* Unicron and Functionist Cybertron are described as "monster planet[s]", a description coined by [[Bumblebee_(G1)|Bumblebee]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Hasbro franchise references===
* [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] is introduced as a "daring, highly-trained special mission force", the description of the team given in the opening sequence of the original 1980s ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' cartoon.

===Errors===
* [[Vivian Grannell]], who [http://twitter.com/chrismcfeely/status/1083334406788530176 acted as a sensitivity reader] in regards to Arcee's origins, goes uncredited.
* The [[Darkness (G1)|Darkness]] is consistently referred to as the "Heart of Darkness", even though it didn't gain that name until it fused with Galvatron.

===Other trivia===
* Originally solicited for December 19, this issue was delayed by nearly a month, releasing halfway through January.
* Backmatter includes reprinted profiles from the ''Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook'' series: print copies include just [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], while digital copies feature [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]], [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]] as well. Arcee's profile is tweaked to note her sibling relation to Galvatron, which had not been revealed at the time of the ''Sourcebook's'' publication.
* The book also includes a reading guide to the continuity for the benefit of new Transformers fans looking to catch up.

===Cover===
* A smattering of characters and concepts from across the continuity within [[photonic crystal]]s, spewing from the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], by [[Sara Pitre-Durocher]]. The list of characters include [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], [[Aileron]], [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], [[Arcee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Arcee]], [[Drift (G1)|Drift]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], [[Minimus Ambus]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]], one of [[Mortilus]]'s spark-flowers, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Thundercracker]] and [[Buster (IDW)|Buster]], [[Pyra Magna]], [[Chromedome (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Chromedome]]'s hand on [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]]'s shoulder, [[Galvatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Galvatron]], [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]] as both an Autobot and Decepticon, [[Nova Prime]], [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]], [[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Shockwave]], [[Starscream (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Starscream]], [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], [[Anode]], [[Verity Carlo]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ratchet]], and last but not least, [[Rung (G1)|Rung]].

==See also==
*[[IDW timeline]]

==External links==
* [http://www.newsarama.com/43338-the-history-of-cybertron-is-told-in-transformers-historia.html Preview]

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[[Category:IDW Generation 1 issues]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Reference texts]]

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Transformers: Historia