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Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)

2019-03-22T18:11:03Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Production */

{{disambigr|Battle for the Spark|the online game in the [[Live-action film series|live action film]] continuity|Battle for the Allspark}}

{{nav-bm}}

'''''Beast Machines: Transformers''''' is a 26-episode cartoon that aired in the US from 1999 to 2000, in support of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It is a direct follow-up to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', set in the same G1 continuity and featuring many of the same characters. Like ''Beast Wars'', its [[computer-generated imagery|computer animation]] was created by [[Mainframe Entertainment]].

==Overview==
[[File:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|upright=1.67|thumb|The Maximals, in a rare moment of Not Running Away.]]
The show follows the adventures of the core ''Beast Wars'' cast upon their return home to Cybertron; there, Optimus Primal and his crew find that the whole planet is abandoned, and the streets are patrolled by mindless [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] serving [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], who somehow escaped his captivity.

Worse still, they learn that they are infected with a deadly [[Transformation virus|virus]] that will kill them in a matter of hours. Salvation comes from the mysterious supercomputer known as the Oracle, who sees them fit to complete its mission of a planetwide "reformatting", and turns them into [[technorganic]] warriors, a perfect blend of organic and technological matter.

As the show progresses, Primal and his fellow Maximals learn to balance their technological side with their newly introduced organic aspects, mastery coming in slow stages. Unlike the previous [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|conflict]], where sides had been roughly equal, the four original Maximals were quite outnumbered by their Vehicon enemies, and the battles took on a "guerilla warfare" feel, with the Maximals using sewers and underground levels to their advantage and avoiding surface levels unless for combat purposes. As the show progresses, two brand-new Maximals and a returning face boost their numbers.

Initially, Optimus is driven by a crusade to restore the organic above the technological and to right his failure to stop Megatron. Over time, it becomes increasingly clear that he's becoming obsessed and overzealous. At the midpoint, after Cybertron is almost destroyed, he realises that the point should be to create a ''balance'' of organic and technological, not a supremacy. Under this new, saner cause, the Maximals eventually turn Cybertron into an [[technorganic]] paradise, though at the cost of their [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|leader]]'s life.

{{--}}

===Production===

{{bigquote|I am more proud of [''Beast Machines''] than anything else I've ever had produced, because I got to do a twenty-six episode novel for television. It almost f**kin' ''killed me'', but I did it!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|right|upright=1.20|thumb|"Help me! My arms won't stop growing!"]]

Writer [[Steve Gerber]] had once pitched a "wildly original take on ''Transformers''" ([[Dan DiDio]]'s words) as part of the development of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>May 2008 "DC Nation" editorial appearing in {{w|DC Comics}} publications, following Steve Gerber's death</ref> Mainframe instead went with a different outline by Marv Wolfman: the Maximals returning to Cybertron and finding Megatron had conquered it. (The Vehicons may be him as well)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir in 2015], 42:00 to 42:30 and [http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Back in these early days, the show was to be called Beast Hunters.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]. In 1999, Bob seems to say other BM writers came up with Vehicons but in 2015 he says that's Wolfman</ref> [[Bob Skir]] and [[Marty Isenberg]] were invited into a discussion, despite not knowing much about Transformers, because of their good working relationship with [[Fox Kids]] (who they'd worked on shows like ''[[Godzilla]]: The Series'' for). Skir didn't think he had a shot but it'd be good to network with Mainframe for the future. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 39:13 to 41:57</ref> In the end, Fox said they wanted the duo script editing a show based on Wolfman's outline <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 42:00 to 42:57</ref> (Bob felt a bit bad about that and made sure to hire Wolfman to write episodes<ref>49:50 to 50:00</ref>).

[[File:Oracle (The Reformatting).jpg|left|upright=1.34|thumb|]]

[[Bob Skir]] says that other writers came up with the Vehicon Generals and "all the mystical stuff came from Marty [Isenberg] and I, based on Hasbro's request that we add a "spiritual dimension" to the show". (The phrase "I am transformed" comes from Hasbro too) The overall arc of the series also came from Skir and Isenberg "based on many conversations with Hasbro, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], [[Fox Kids|Fox]], and us".<ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Hasbro was quite keen on the spiritual tone out of a desire to try something new with the franchise, while Skir felt Nature versus Tech was an obvious theme but he felt that was a lazy cliché and the show should be about a balance between the two. (The technorganic characters helped him argue this)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 43:20 to 46:00</ref> He merrily went all-out with the spiritual aspect, expecting Hasbro to change their mind but he found they liked it and asked for more!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 46:50 to 47:29</ref> It was Hasbro itself who said "hey, what if someone turned into a ''plant''?" as part of their drive to stretch the franchise to its limits. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:36:40 to 1:36:49</ref>

One odd brief was that both Mainframe boss [[Dan DiDio]] and Hasbro didn't want Skir and Isenberg to watch old episodes, as they wanted a fresh take and DiDio felt ''Beast Wars'' was too continuity heavy. (He'd even told Wolfman that ''Beast Wars'' had no ties to the original series and to do as he pleased with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity]] when doing his outline!<ref>''Beast Machines'' DVD supplementary materials</ref>) Again: ''Beast Machines'' was a sequel to a sequel. As it turned out, ''Beast Machines'' ended up being ''more'' continuity heavy and one reason was because Hasbro ''told'' them about things like [[Vector Sigma]] and [[Hate Plague]] and encouraged them to be used! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:13:30 to 1:16:04</ref>

Isenberg did most of the work on ''Beast Machines'' S1 due to Skir's workload and a bereavement, while Skir did most of S2 due to Isenberg running ''Action Man''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:11:36 to 1:12:46</ref>

Skir originally wanted the character of Nightscream to be a young female Transformer, patterned after the girl "Newt" from the movie ''{{w|Aliens (film)|Aliens}}''. When that was nixed, Nightscream ended up becoming {{w|John Connor}} in ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}'' instead.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095033/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A 3 December 1999] (archive copy)</ref>

Fox Kids' press release in 1999 not only still used the Beast Hunters name, it said the enemies would be ''Predacons''.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]</ref> Shortly after the press release, the production toyed with various titles before finalizing "Beast Machines". The use of the term Predacons in the press release may be an error or a deliberate "well nobody's heard of Vehicons yet" decision, as no other source has talked about Predacons being in it.

This series introduced the now-ubiquitous term "Allspark", in an episode written by Skir, when Optimus explained that the Matrix was "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

===Reception===

{{bigquote|It's been ''thirteen years!'' ... If there was one particular [Transformers] show you didn't like, I'm really sorry but, y'know, there were other ones too!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:Endgame1 Nightscream sonic attack.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|'''I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I - HATE - ''YOU''!''']]

Controversial even by the standards of other ''Transformers'' reinventions, ''Beast Machines'' is remembered by some as a series which tried to tackle heavy philosophical concepts, discussing such issues like what it meant to live in an increasingly technological society, the dichotomy between the desires of the individual and the needs of the whole, the inevitability of conflict and inequality in a free society, the ugly consequences of fanaticism, and the paradox of a living technological world. Story editor [[Bob Skir]] describes the series as a "religious epic novel for television".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkRF4QBKew Bob Skir interview at youtube.com]</ref> Most of the Transformers [[franchise]] lore about [[spark]]s, their abilities, and the mechanism of their life cycle, was introduced or developed in this series.

The series amassed many detractors early on, who complained that core cast portrayals were inconsistent with how these personalities had been established over the years of the preceding ''Beast Wars'' series. Examples include Megatron being a far grimmer villain with a completely different agenda from before; Rattrap appearing to be too cowardly; Rhinox apparently ''choosing'' to become a villain (though it sounded like he was no longer in his right mind);<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A]</ref> and, later on, Silverbolt being a grim, vengeance-driven soldier with none of his former goofy-noble personality. Critics also alleged a "hippie" agenda behind ''Beast Machines'', with Optimus Primal becoming an anti-technology guru (it was actually intentional that Primal was going too far and he'd moderate his views in Season 2), and criticised Bob Skir's decision that the Maximals would not use guns (though big swords and highly destructive laser blasts were okay).

The show's "epic novel" storytelling structure meant that at times it was forced to tread water, relying on repetitive chase scenes and expository speeches. The plot and tone, with the heroes outnumbered and outgunned and on the run, also meant many episodes would have them running or under stress, without the humorous, occasionally zany approach of ''Beast Wars'' to balance it out: this was intentional but often a frustrating viewing experience. It was also, at that point in time, by far the most serialized American ''Transformers'' cartoon, making it difficult for new viewers to join at some random episode and be hooked in. It didn't help that the series began "in medias res" and with the characters suffering amnesia, with many foundational issues deliberately left vague until at last resolution was established in flashbacks in episodes 7-9. By then, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] executive [[Asaph Fipke]] had become somewhat notorious for repeatedly assuring fans that "all will be revealed". ''Why'' the series opened with the Maximals having amnesia and being in their Season 1 organic bodies is not obvious, as (aside from explaining why they're not immediately looking for Rhinox and Silverbolt) it wouldn't have affected the plot either way. It ''may'' have been because ''Beast Wars'' repeats were airing on [[Fox Kids]] at the same time ''Beast Machines'' had started.

The show is one of the darker ''Transformers'' animated series and the most thought-provoking. It is also the final animated entry into the Generation 1 story canon, bringing the events in that continuity family to a rather conclusive ending (which ''also'' didn't win it many popularity points). If nothing else, the creators had ambitions to do more than [[to sell toys|sell toys]].

Despite all the criticisms, the show continued and improved on the high production values of ''Beast Wars'', with solid scripting and excellent voice acting. The CGI varied from competent to gorgeous. A step up in quality from ''Beast Wars,'' it dramatically overshadows the later semi-CGI shows ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].'' Mainframe's animators showed their considerable talents in giving highly emotive expression to such alien characters as the [[Vehicon general]]s and even the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who ''didn't have a face''. As with ''Beast Wars'', [[Robert Buckley]] provided the series background music, this time creating a stylized electronic music in keeping with the mechanical environment of Cybertron.

Hasbro was happy enough with how the show was doing that they asked Skir if there could be a third season. Believing that the show was strongest with 26 episodes and that (after the fandom controversy) Hasbro would want a rethink soon, Skir turned this down.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 52:39 to 54:57</ref> A [[Transtech|followup line]] was planned instead but after that aforementioned rethink, it was subsequently scrapped. Hasbro's next foray into animation would be to bring over a [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|year-old Japanese show]] for consumption in the United States, till a [[Unicron Trilogy|new story]] could be concocted.

[[File:GuessIronhidesEmotion.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|This is what we got after. ''This is what we got''.]]

In [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|light]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|of the]] [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|results]], and with [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|the passage of time]], some fans have re-evaluated ''Beast Machines'' more favorably, though the newfound positive reception is still not universal by any means.

{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Machines episodes}}
===Season 1===
[[File:Tankor flames.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Tankor, YOU'RE FIRED!]]
Season 1 largely centers on the Maximals' efforts to find out what has happened to them, as they arrive on Cybertron with no memories. In addition to Megatron and the core Maximal cast, three new Vehicon generals are introduced, as well as the new Maximal Nightscream. By the end of the season, Optimus Primal has been driven down a road of extremism, and an apocalyptic confrontation marks the season finale...

{{collist|2|
#[[The Reformatting]]
#[[Master of the House]]
#[[Fires of the Past]]
#[[Mercenary Pursuits]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Weak Component]]
#[[Revelations Part I: Discovery]]
#[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]
#[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]
#[[Survivor]]
#[[The Key]]
#[[The Catalyst]]
#[[End of the Line]]
}}

===Season 2: Battle for the Spark===
[[File:Botanica5.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This freakish, tentacled, multi-limbed creature is one of the kid-friendly good guys!]]
The ultimate face-off at the end of Season 1 is resolved in a most unusual and cerebral manner, setting the tone for Season 2 as Primal realizes his mission is one of balance, not extremism. Silverbolt rejoins the Maximal ranks, a new Maximal arrives from off-world, and two dangerous new generals join Megatron's side as the Maximals search for the lost Sparks of their brethren and battle to regain control of Cybertron.

{{collist|2|
#[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]
#[[Savage Noble]]
#[[Prometheus Unbound]]
#[[In Darkest Knight]]
#[[A Wolf in the Fold]]
#[[Home Soil]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege]]
#[[Spark of Darkness]]
#[[Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral]]
#[[Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall]]
#[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]
}}

==Characters==
[[File:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There's a caption under me?!]]
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of named on-screen characters in ''Beast Machines'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (Most drones are not listed, and neither are incidental flashback characters.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Machines'' characters, having appeared in other media.

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett|Ian Corlett]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] ([[Alessandro Juliani]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] ([[Kathleen Barr]])
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] ([[Christopher Gaze]]/[[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] ([[Patricia Drake]])
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c3=
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|The Oracle]] ([[Carol Savenkoff]])
*[[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]] ([[David Kaye]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==International Release==
===Japanese release===
[[File:BeastWarsReturnsLogo01.jpg|center|250px|]]

The ''Beast Machines'' franchise was not initially released in Japan. As such, the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon did not reach Japan's shores until late 2004, where it was retitled '''''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, ''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''). The series was initially broadcast on the satellite-only network MobaHO! - TAKARAND from [[November 6]], 2004, to [[January 30]], 2005. In February of 2005, it was reaired on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]] and, following that, other networks including Gifu Broadcasting. Having been released on a satellite network, the series was not edited for time like other ''Transformers'' cartoons.

The localization was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], the man responsible for the dubbing of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', and thus ''Beast Wars Returns'' was reworked to the same extent as the previous series had been in Japan. The overblown jovial character quirks exclusive to the Japanese version of the series were retained while new quirks were created for the newer characters.

Perhaps most troubling of this satirical and humor-driven dub was [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s characterization. Nightscream was turned into a flaming homosexual stereotype, lifting many quirks from the then-popular "Hard Gay" persona of comedian {{w|Masaki Sumitani}} (including ripping off his catchphrase, "Fuu!"). Other homosexual stereotypes attached to Nightscream included a new obsession with fashion and style, highly effeminate petnames for other characters (such as calling Rattrap "Aunty"), and a more lustful infatuation with the character [[Noble (BM)|Noble]]. While effeminate, vaguely homosexual characters are not uncommon in Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons (many Japanese incarnations of [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] are ''preeeeetty'' gay), the portrayal of Nightscream in this manner was not particularly respectful. For example, as they were both flyers, Silverbolt often spent more time with Nightscream than he did Blackarachnia. Already feeling jilted due to Silverbolt's new standoffish personality, this regularly incited angry commentary from the jealous fembot, who derisively referred to Nightscream and Silverbolt as the "gay boys" ("homo-tachi").

Other changes included Megatron's various Vehicon drone forces taking on individual chants that they would repeat ad nauseum for every second of screen time. Additionally, one of the series' major plot twists was ignored for the sake of goofy adlibbing, as Thrust and Jetstorm retained not only the voice actors for Waspinator and Silverbolt, but all of the unique vocal and personality quirks belonging to those characters, thus eliminating any ambiguity to their previous identities. And needless to say, with this being a parody dub, all moments in the original version that were intended to be dramatic were reworked for comedy value.

Given the low-key release of the series, a new [[theme song]] was not recorded. Instead, "[[Phat Planet]]" by [[Leftfield]] was retained. Characters from the series would proceed to talk over the entire length of the [[title sequence]], having "amusing" conversations (likewise, they talked over the ending credits). Only one original piece of music was recorded for the series, "[[Megatron Ondo]]" by [[Yukio Hibariya]] and partly performed by [[Shigeru Chiba]], created exclusively for Volume 7 of the ''Beast Wars Returns'' DVD release.

Also exclusive to the final DVD release of the series was an additional, goofy clip show:

*[[Where Is the Banana? R]]
===Spanish America===
Like the dub for Beast Wars, Beast Machine's dub was produced in Mexico. Unlike Beast Wars, the show was dubbed at Barrero Productions, with an almost completely different cast.

==Home video releases==
===Japan===
[[File:Geneon BWReturns Volume7 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px]]
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 7 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — DVD Box (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[File:Rhino Beast Machines DVD.jpg|thumb|125px]]
{{main|Rhino Entertainment}}
*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (2006)
<br>
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*''Transformers Beast Machines'': The Complete Series (2014)

===Australia / New Zealand===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume Two (2007)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
[[File:UK Beast Machines Season1 DVD.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|[[Transformers (film)|Their]] tagline. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|His]] head.]]
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (2007)

===France===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (2009)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (2009)
{{-}}

===Germany===

{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 1 (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 2 (2007)
{{-}}

===Spain===

{{main|20th Century Fox}} {{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Primera temporada completa (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Segunda temporada completa (2007)
{{-}}

===Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}

*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — [[The Reformatting]] & [[Master of the House]] (1999)
*''Beast Machines: Transformers: Battle for the Spark'' — [[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|Sparkwar Part I: The Strike]] (2000)

==Notes==
*The idea of Cybertron having once been organic was a throwaway idea in [[Marvel Comics]] original treatment!<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*Skir had to pass up his dream project, an ''[[Avengers]]'' series featuring "lower-tier characters" such as the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Wonder Man, and Tigra, which he had developed with Isenberg; the series got greenlit the same day the writing team had just committed to spearheading ''Beast Machines''. (The resulting ''Avengers: United They Stand'' series was a bomb and quickly vanished from the Fox Kids lineup.)
*The theme tune for the show was Leftfield's "Phat Planet". This was also used for a famous Guinness advert. The latter proved a more popular TV slot.
*This was the first ''Transformers'' fiction where the good guys didn't use any form of guns. This was down to Fox Kids' edict against firearms, as well as Bob Skir preferring to write heroes who didn't rely on guns,<ref name="FKPR"/> and Hasbro wanting to have less gunplay than before (though super-explodey lasers and sharp instruments were fine!).<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> When Skir said this online, [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Beast Machines|many fans wraxed wroth because they believed he was talking about gun usage in ''all'' adventure fiction and real-life gun users too]] (he wasn't).
*Fox Kids made some edits to their ''Beast Wars'' repeats, but ''Beast Machines'' got no requests to tone down the violence! <ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999"/>
*Apart from flashbacks, visions and such, ''Beast Machines'' takes place entirely on (or in orbit of) Cybertron, thus making it the only television series ''not'' to feature any [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|annoying]] [[Kicker Jones|human]] [[Bud Hansen|companions]].
*[[Simon Furman]] thinks Beast Machines was too dark and serious for being a cartoon show for kids.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=705 SIMON FURMAN Transformers Q&A! It's here! at the IDW Publishing Forums]</ref> And trust us: the guy who wrote ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' is something of an expert on 'too dark and serious for kids'.
* [[Vector Prime]], in contrast, thinks it was an awesome show.<ref>[[Ask Vector Prime/src|Ask Vector Prime]]</ref>
*This is the only Transformers cartoon that had a complete German dub.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, "Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Returns")
*''Cantonese'': '''''Maangsau Haap''''' (Hong Kong, 猛兽侠, "Beast Heroes")
*''French:'' '''''Mécanimaux''''' (Canada, "Mechanimals")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bǎibiàn Jīngāng: Zhòng Jīxiè Xìliè''''' (Taiwan, 百變金剛：重機械系列, "Morph Vajra: Heavy Machinery Series"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Shòu Xiè Zhēngbà''''' (China, 变形金刚：兽械争霸, "Transformers: Beasts vs. Machines")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Zvero-Roboty''''' (Трансформеры: Зверо-Роботы, "Transformers: Beast Robots")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: Bestias y Máquinas''''' (America, "Transformers: Beasts and Machines")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines media]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)

2019-03-22T18:10:11Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Production */

{{disambigr|Battle for the Spark|the online game in the [[Live-action film series|live action film]] continuity|Battle for the Allspark}}

{{nav-bm}}

'''''Beast Machines: Transformers''''' is a 26-episode cartoon that aired in the US from 1999 to 2000, in support of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It is a direct follow-up to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', set in the same G1 continuity and featuring many of the same characters. Like ''Beast Wars'', its [[computer-generated imagery|computer animation]] was created by [[Mainframe Entertainment]].

==Overview==
[[File:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|upright=1.67|thumb|The Maximals, in a rare moment of Not Running Away.]]
The show follows the adventures of the core ''Beast Wars'' cast upon their return home to Cybertron; there, Optimus Primal and his crew find that the whole planet is abandoned, and the streets are patrolled by mindless [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] serving [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], who somehow escaped his captivity.

Worse still, they learn that they are infected with a deadly [[Transformation virus|virus]] that will kill them in a matter of hours. Salvation comes from the mysterious supercomputer known as the Oracle, who sees them fit to complete its mission of a planetwide "reformatting", and turns them into [[technorganic]] warriors, a perfect blend of organic and technological matter.

As the show progresses, Primal and his fellow Maximals learn to balance their technological side with their newly introduced organic aspects, mastery coming in slow stages. Unlike the previous [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|conflict]], where sides had been roughly equal, the four original Maximals were quite outnumbered by their Vehicon enemies, and the battles took on a "guerilla warfare" feel, with the Maximals using sewers and underground levels to their advantage and avoiding surface levels unless for combat purposes. As the show progresses, two brand-new Maximals and a returning face boost their numbers.

Initially, Optimus is driven by a crusade to restore the organic above the technological and to right his failure to stop Megatron. Over time, it becomes increasingly clear that he's becoming obsessed and overzealous. At the midpoint, after Cybertron is almost destroyed, he realises that the point should be to create a ''balance'' of organic and technological, not a supremacy. Under this new, saner cause, the Maximals eventually turn Cybertron into an [[technorganic]] paradise, though at the cost of their [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|leader]]'s life.

{{--}}

===Production===

{{bigquote|I am more proud of [''Beast Machines''] than anything else I've ever had produced, because I got to do a twenty-six episode novel for television. It almost f**kin' ''killed me'', but I did it!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|right|upright=1.20|thumb|"Help me! My arms won't stop growing!"]]

Writer [[Steve Gerber]] had once pitched a "wildly original take on ''Transformers''" ([[Dan DiDio]]'s words) as part of the development of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>May 2008 "DC Nation" editorial appearing in {{w|DC Comics}} publications, following Steve Gerber's death</ref> Mainframe instead went with a different outline by Marv Wolfman: the Maximals returning to Cybertron and finding Megatron had conquered it. (The Vehicons may be him as well)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir in 2015], 42:00 to 42:30 and [http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Back in these early days, the show was to be called Beast Hunters.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]. In 1999, Bob seems to say other BM writers came up with Vehicons but in 2015 he says that's Wolfman</ref> [[Bob Skir]] and [[Marty Isenberg]] were invited into a discussion, despite not knowing much about Transformers, because of their good working relationship with [[Fox Kids]] (who they'd worked on shows like ''[[Godzilla]]: The Series'' for). Skir didn't think he had a shot but it'd be good to network with Mainframe for the future. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 39:13 to 41:57</ref> In the end, Fox said they wanted the duo script editing a show based on Wolfman's outline <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 42:00 to 42:57</ref> (Bob felt a bit bad about that and made sure to hire Wolfman to write episodes<ref>49:50 to 50:00</ref>).

[[File:Oracle (The Reformatting).jpg|left|upright=1.34|thumb|]]

[[Bob Skir]] says that other writers came up with the Vehicon Generals and "all the mystical stuff came from Marty [Isenberg] and I, based on Hasbro's request that we add a "spiritual dimension" to the show". (The phrase "I am transformed" comes from Hasbro too) The overall arc of the series also came from Skir and Isenberg "based on many conversations with Hasbro, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], [[Fox Kids|Fox]], and us".<ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Hasbro was quite keen on the spiritual tone out of a desire to try something new with the franchise, while Skir felt Nature versus Tech was an obvious theme but he felt that was a lazy cliché and the show should be about a balance between the two. (The technorganic characters helped him argue this)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 43:20 to 46:00</ref> He merrily went all-out with the spiritual aspect, expecting Hasbro to change their mind but he found they liked it and asked for more!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 46:50 to 47:29</ref> It was Hasbro itself who said "hey, what if someone turned into a ''plant''?" as part of their drive to stretch the franchise to its limits. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:36:40 to 1:36:49</ref>

One odd brief was that both Mainframe boss [[Dan DiDio]] and Hasbro didn't want Skir and Isenberg to watch old episodes, as they wanted a fresh take and DiDio felt ''Beast Wars'' was too continuity heavy. (He'd even told Wolfman that ''Beast Wars'' had no ties to the original series and to do as he pleased with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity]] when doing his outline!<ref>''Beast Machines'' DVD supplementary materials</ref>) Again: ''Beast Machines'' was a sequel to a sequel. As it turned out, ''Beast Machines'' ended up being ''more'' continuity heavy and one reason was because Hasbro ''told'' them about things like [[Vector Sigma]] and [[Hate Plague]] and encouraged them to be used! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:13:30 to 1:16:04</ref>

Isenberg did most of the work on ''Beast Machines'' S1 due to Skir's workload and a bereavement, while Skir did most of S2 due to Isenberg running ''Action Man''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:11:36 to 1:12:46</ref>

Skir originally wanted the character of Nightscream to be a young female Transformer, patterned after the girl "Newt" from the movie ''{{w|Aliens (film)|Aliens}}''. When that was nixed, Nightscream ended up becoming {{w|John Connor}} in ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}'' instead.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095033/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A 3 December 1999] (archive copy)</ref>

Fox Kids' press release in 1999 not only still used the Beast Hunters name, it said the enemies would be ''Predacons''.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]</ref> Shortly after the press release, the production toyed with various titles before finalizing "Beast Machines". The use of the term Predacons in the press release may be an error or a deliberate "well nobody's heard of Vehicons yet" decision, as no other source has talked about Predacons being in it.

This series introduced the now-ubiquitous "Allspark", in an episode written by Skir, when Optimus explained that the Matrix was "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

===Reception===

{{bigquote|It's been ''thirteen years!'' ... If there was one particular [Transformers] show you didn't like, I'm really sorry but, y'know, there were other ones too!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:Endgame1 Nightscream sonic attack.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|'''I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I - HATE - ''YOU''!''']]

Controversial even by the standards of other ''Transformers'' reinventions, ''Beast Machines'' is remembered by some as a series which tried to tackle heavy philosophical concepts, discussing such issues like what it meant to live in an increasingly technological society, the dichotomy between the desires of the individual and the needs of the whole, the inevitability of conflict and inequality in a free society, the ugly consequences of fanaticism, and the paradox of a living technological world. Story editor [[Bob Skir]] describes the series as a "religious epic novel for television".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkRF4QBKew Bob Skir interview at youtube.com]</ref> Most of the Transformers [[franchise]] lore about [[spark]]s, their abilities, and the mechanism of their life cycle, was introduced or developed in this series.

The series amassed many detractors early on, who complained that core cast portrayals were inconsistent with how these personalities had been established over the years of the preceding ''Beast Wars'' series. Examples include Megatron being a far grimmer villain with a completely different agenda from before; Rattrap appearing to be too cowardly; Rhinox apparently ''choosing'' to become a villain (though it sounded like he was no longer in his right mind);<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A]</ref> and, later on, Silverbolt being a grim, vengeance-driven soldier with none of his former goofy-noble personality. Critics also alleged a "hippie" agenda behind ''Beast Machines'', with Optimus Primal becoming an anti-technology guru (it was actually intentional that Primal was going too far and he'd moderate his views in Season 2), and criticised Bob Skir's decision that the Maximals would not use guns (though big swords and highly destructive laser blasts were okay).

The show's "epic novel" storytelling structure meant that at times it was forced to tread water, relying on repetitive chase scenes and expository speeches. The plot and tone, with the heroes outnumbered and outgunned and on the run, also meant many episodes would have them running or under stress, without the humorous, occasionally zany approach of ''Beast Wars'' to balance it out: this was intentional but often a frustrating viewing experience. It was also, at that point in time, by far the most serialized American ''Transformers'' cartoon, making it difficult for new viewers to join at some random episode and be hooked in. It didn't help that the series began "in medias res" and with the characters suffering amnesia, with many foundational issues deliberately left vague until at last resolution was established in flashbacks in episodes 7-9. By then, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] executive [[Asaph Fipke]] had become somewhat notorious for repeatedly assuring fans that "all will be revealed". ''Why'' the series opened with the Maximals having amnesia and being in their Season 1 organic bodies is not obvious, as (aside from explaining why they're not immediately looking for Rhinox and Silverbolt) it wouldn't have affected the plot either way. It ''may'' have been because ''Beast Wars'' repeats were airing on [[Fox Kids]] at the same time ''Beast Machines'' had started.

The show is one of the darker ''Transformers'' animated series and the most thought-provoking. It is also the final animated entry into the Generation 1 story canon, bringing the events in that continuity family to a rather conclusive ending (which ''also'' didn't win it many popularity points). If nothing else, the creators had ambitions to do more than [[to sell toys|sell toys]].

Despite all the criticisms, the show continued and improved on the high production values of ''Beast Wars'', with solid scripting and excellent voice acting. The CGI varied from competent to gorgeous. A step up in quality from ''Beast Wars,'' it dramatically overshadows the later semi-CGI shows ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].'' Mainframe's animators showed their considerable talents in giving highly emotive expression to such alien characters as the [[Vehicon general]]s and even the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who ''didn't have a face''. As with ''Beast Wars'', [[Robert Buckley]] provided the series background music, this time creating a stylized electronic music in keeping with the mechanical environment of Cybertron.

Hasbro was happy enough with how the show was doing that they asked Skir if there could be a third season. Believing that the show was strongest with 26 episodes and that (after the fandom controversy) Hasbro would want a rethink soon, Skir turned this down.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 52:39 to 54:57</ref> A [[Transtech|followup line]] was planned instead but after that aforementioned rethink, it was subsequently scrapped. Hasbro's next foray into animation would be to bring over a [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|year-old Japanese show]] for consumption in the United States, till a [[Unicron Trilogy|new story]] could be concocted.

[[File:GuessIronhidesEmotion.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|This is what we got after. ''This is what we got''.]]

In [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|light]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|of the]] [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|results]], and with [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|the passage of time]], some fans have re-evaluated ''Beast Machines'' more favorably, though the newfound positive reception is still not universal by any means.

{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Machines episodes}}
===Season 1===
[[File:Tankor flames.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Tankor, YOU'RE FIRED!]]
Season 1 largely centers on the Maximals' efforts to find out what has happened to them, as they arrive on Cybertron with no memories. In addition to Megatron and the core Maximal cast, three new Vehicon generals are introduced, as well as the new Maximal Nightscream. By the end of the season, Optimus Primal has been driven down a road of extremism, and an apocalyptic confrontation marks the season finale...

{{collist|2|
#[[The Reformatting]]
#[[Master of the House]]
#[[Fires of the Past]]
#[[Mercenary Pursuits]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Weak Component]]
#[[Revelations Part I: Discovery]]
#[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]
#[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]
#[[Survivor]]
#[[The Key]]
#[[The Catalyst]]
#[[End of the Line]]
}}

===Season 2: Battle for the Spark===
[[File:Botanica5.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This freakish, tentacled, multi-limbed creature is one of the kid-friendly good guys!]]
The ultimate face-off at the end of Season 1 is resolved in a most unusual and cerebral manner, setting the tone for Season 2 as Primal realizes his mission is one of balance, not extremism. Silverbolt rejoins the Maximal ranks, a new Maximal arrives from off-world, and two dangerous new generals join Megatron's side as the Maximals search for the lost Sparks of their brethren and battle to regain control of Cybertron.

{{collist|2|
#[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]
#[[Savage Noble]]
#[[Prometheus Unbound]]
#[[In Darkest Knight]]
#[[A Wolf in the Fold]]
#[[Home Soil]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege]]
#[[Spark of Darkness]]
#[[Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral]]
#[[Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall]]
#[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]
}}

==Characters==
[[File:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There's a caption under me?!]]
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of named on-screen characters in ''Beast Machines'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (Most drones are not listed, and neither are incidental flashback characters.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Machines'' characters, having appeared in other media.

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett|Ian Corlett]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] ([[Alessandro Juliani]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] ([[Kathleen Barr]])
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] ([[Christopher Gaze]]/[[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] ([[Patricia Drake]])
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c3=
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|The Oracle]] ([[Carol Savenkoff]])
*[[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]] ([[David Kaye]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==International Release==
===Japanese release===
[[File:BeastWarsReturnsLogo01.jpg|center|250px|]]

The ''Beast Machines'' franchise was not initially released in Japan. As such, the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon did not reach Japan's shores until late 2004, where it was retitled '''''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, ''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''). The series was initially broadcast on the satellite-only network MobaHO! - TAKARAND from [[November 6]], 2004, to [[January 30]], 2005. In February of 2005, it was reaired on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]] and, following that, other networks including Gifu Broadcasting. Having been released on a satellite network, the series was not edited for time like other ''Transformers'' cartoons.

The localization was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], the man responsible for the dubbing of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', and thus ''Beast Wars Returns'' was reworked to the same extent as the previous series had been in Japan. The overblown jovial character quirks exclusive to the Japanese version of the series were retained while new quirks were created for the newer characters.

Perhaps most troubling of this satirical and humor-driven dub was [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s characterization. Nightscream was turned into a flaming homosexual stereotype, lifting many quirks from the then-popular "Hard Gay" persona of comedian {{w|Masaki Sumitani}} (including ripping off his catchphrase, "Fuu!"). Other homosexual stereotypes attached to Nightscream included a new obsession with fashion and style, highly effeminate petnames for other characters (such as calling Rattrap "Aunty"), and a more lustful infatuation with the character [[Noble (BM)|Noble]]. While effeminate, vaguely homosexual characters are not uncommon in Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons (many Japanese incarnations of [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] are ''preeeeetty'' gay), the portrayal of Nightscream in this manner was not particularly respectful. For example, as they were both flyers, Silverbolt often spent more time with Nightscream than he did Blackarachnia. Already feeling jilted due to Silverbolt's new standoffish personality, this regularly incited angry commentary from the jealous fembot, who derisively referred to Nightscream and Silverbolt as the "gay boys" ("homo-tachi").

Other changes included Megatron's various Vehicon drone forces taking on individual chants that they would repeat ad nauseum for every second of screen time. Additionally, one of the series' major plot twists was ignored for the sake of goofy adlibbing, as Thrust and Jetstorm retained not only the voice actors for Waspinator and Silverbolt, but all of the unique vocal and personality quirks belonging to those characters, thus eliminating any ambiguity to their previous identities. And needless to say, with this being a parody dub, all moments in the original version that were intended to be dramatic were reworked for comedy value.

Given the low-key release of the series, a new [[theme song]] was not recorded. Instead, "[[Phat Planet]]" by [[Leftfield]] was retained. Characters from the series would proceed to talk over the entire length of the [[title sequence]], having "amusing" conversations (likewise, they talked over the ending credits). Only one original piece of music was recorded for the series, "[[Megatron Ondo]]" by [[Yukio Hibariya]] and partly performed by [[Shigeru Chiba]], created exclusively for Volume 7 of the ''Beast Wars Returns'' DVD release.

Also exclusive to the final DVD release of the series was an additional, goofy clip show:

*[[Where Is the Banana? R]]
===Spanish America===
Like the dub for Beast Wars, Beast Machine's dub was produced in Mexico. Unlike Beast Wars, the show was dubbed at Barrero Productions, with an almost completely different cast.

==Home video releases==
===Japan===
[[File:Geneon BWReturns Volume7 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px]]
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 7 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — DVD Box (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[File:Rhino Beast Machines DVD.jpg|thumb|125px]]
{{main|Rhino Entertainment}}
*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (2006)
<br>
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*''Transformers Beast Machines'': The Complete Series (2014)

===Australia / New Zealand===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume Two (2007)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
[[File:UK Beast Machines Season1 DVD.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|[[Transformers (film)|Their]] tagline. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|His]] head.]]
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (2007)

===France===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (2009)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (2009)
{{-}}

===Germany===

{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 1 (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 2 (2007)
{{-}}

===Spain===

{{main|20th Century Fox}} {{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Primera temporada completa (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Segunda temporada completa (2007)
{{-}}

===Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}

*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — [[The Reformatting]] & [[Master of the House]] (1999)
*''Beast Machines: Transformers: Battle for the Spark'' — [[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|Sparkwar Part I: The Strike]] (2000)

==Notes==
*The idea of Cybertron having once been organic was a throwaway idea in [[Marvel Comics]] original treatment!<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*Skir had to pass up his dream project, an ''[[Avengers]]'' series featuring "lower-tier characters" such as the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Wonder Man, and Tigra, which he had developed with Isenberg; the series got greenlit the same day the writing team had just committed to spearheading ''Beast Machines''. (The resulting ''Avengers: United They Stand'' series was a bomb and quickly vanished from the Fox Kids lineup.)
*The theme tune for the show was Leftfield's "Phat Planet". This was also used for a famous Guinness advert. The latter proved a more popular TV slot.
*This was the first ''Transformers'' fiction where the good guys didn't use any form of guns. This was down to Fox Kids' edict against firearms, as well as Bob Skir preferring to write heroes who didn't rely on guns,<ref name="FKPR"/> and Hasbro wanting to have less gunplay than before (though super-explodey lasers and sharp instruments were fine!).<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> When Skir said this online, [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Beast Machines|many fans wraxed wroth because they believed he was talking about gun usage in ''all'' adventure fiction and real-life gun users too]] (he wasn't).
*Fox Kids made some edits to their ''Beast Wars'' repeats, but ''Beast Machines'' got no requests to tone down the violence! <ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999"/>
*Apart from flashbacks, visions and such, ''Beast Machines'' takes place entirely on (or in orbit of) Cybertron, thus making it the only television series ''not'' to feature any [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|annoying]] [[Kicker Jones|human]] [[Bud Hansen|companions]].
*[[Simon Furman]] thinks Beast Machines was too dark and serious for being a cartoon show for kids.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=705 SIMON FURMAN Transformers Q&A! It's here! at the IDW Publishing Forums]</ref> And trust us: the guy who wrote ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' is something of an expert on 'too dark and serious for kids'.
* [[Vector Prime]], in contrast, thinks it was an awesome show.<ref>[[Ask Vector Prime/src|Ask Vector Prime]]</ref>
*This is the only Transformers cartoon that had a complete German dub.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, "Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Returns")
*''Cantonese'': '''''Maangsau Haap''''' (Hong Kong, 猛兽侠, "Beast Heroes")
*''French:'' '''''Mécanimaux''''' (Canada, "Mechanimals")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bǎibiàn Jīngāng: Zhòng Jīxiè Xìliè''''' (Taiwan, 百變金剛：重機械系列, "Morph Vajra: Heavy Machinery Series"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Shòu Xiè Zhēngbà''''' (China, 变形金刚：兽械争霸, "Transformers: Beasts vs. Machines")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Zvero-Roboty''''' (Трансформеры: Зверо-Роботы, "Transformers: Beast Robots")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: Bestias y Máquinas''''' (America, "Transformers: Beasts and Machines")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines media]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)

2019-03-22T18:02:49Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Notes */

{{disambigr|Battle for the Spark|the online game in the [[Live-action film series|live action film]] continuity|Battle for the Allspark}}

{{nav-bm}}

'''''Beast Machines: Transformers''''' is a 26-episode cartoon that aired in the US from 1999 to 2000, in support of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It is a direct follow-up to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', set in the same G1 continuity and featuring many of the same characters. Like ''Beast Wars'', its [[computer-generated imagery|computer animation]] was created by [[Mainframe Entertainment]].

==Overview==
[[File:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|upright=1.67|thumb|The Maximals, in a rare moment of Not Running Away.]]
The show follows the adventures of the core ''Beast Wars'' cast upon their return home to Cybertron; there, Optimus Primal and his crew find that the whole planet is abandoned, and the streets are patrolled by mindless [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] serving [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], who somehow escaped his captivity.

Worse still, they learn that they are infected with a deadly [[Transformation virus|virus]] that will kill them in a matter of hours. Salvation comes from the mysterious supercomputer known as the Oracle, who sees them fit to complete its mission of a planetwide "reformatting", and turns them into [[technorganic]] warriors, a perfect blend of organic and technological matter.

As the show progresses, Primal and his fellow Maximals learn to balance their technological side with their newly introduced organic aspects, mastery coming in slow stages. Unlike the previous [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|conflict]], where sides had been roughly equal, the four original Maximals were quite outnumbered by their Vehicon enemies, and the battles took on a "guerilla warfare" feel, with the Maximals using sewers and underground levels to their advantage and avoiding surface levels unless for combat purposes. As the show progresses, two brand-new Maximals and a returning face boost their numbers.

Initially, Optimus is driven by a crusade to restore the organic above the technological and to right his failure to stop Megatron. Over time, it becomes increasingly clear that he's becoming obsessed and overzealous. At the midpoint, after Cybertron is almost destroyed, he realises that the point should be to create a ''balance'' of organic and technological, not a supremacy. Under this new, saner cause, the Maximals eventually turn Cybertron into an [[technorganic]] paradise, though at the cost of their [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|leader]]'s life.

{{--}}

===Production===

{{bigquote|I am more proud of [''Beast Machines''] than anything else I've ever had produced, because I got to do a twenty-six episode novel for television. It almost f**kin' ''killed me'', but I did it!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|right|upright=1.20|thumb|"Help me! My arms won't stop growing!"]]

Writer [[Steve Gerber]] had once pitched a "wildly original take on ''Transformers''" ([[Dan DiDio]]'s words) as part of the development of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>May 2008 "DC Nation" editorial appearing in {{w|DC Comics}} publications, following Steve Gerber's death</ref> Mainframe instead went with a different outline by Marv Wolfman: the Maximals returning to Cybertron and finding Megatron had conquered it. (The Vehicons may be him as well)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir in 2015], 42:00 to 42:30 and [http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Back in these early days, the show was to be called Beast Hunters.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]. In 1999, Bob seems to say other BM writers came up with Vehicons but in 2015 he says that's Wolfman</ref> [[Bob Skir]] and [[Marty Isenberg]] were invited into a discussion, despite not knowing much about Transformers, because of their good working relationship with [[Fox Kids]] (who they'd worked on shows like ''[[Godzilla]]: The Series'' for). Skir didn't think he had a shot but it'd be good to network with Mainframe for the future. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 39:13 to 41:57</ref> In the end, Fox said they wanted the duo script editing a show based on Wolfman's outline <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 42:00 to 42:57</ref> (Bob felt a bit bad about that and made sure to hire Wolfman to write episodes<ref>49:50 to 50:00</ref>).

[[File:Oracle (The Reformatting).jpg|left|upright=1.34|thumb|]]

[[Bob Skir]] says that other writers came up with the Vehicon Generals and "all the mystical stuff came from Marty [Isenberg] and I, based on Hasbro's request that we add a "spiritual dimension" to the show". (The phrase "I am transformed" comes from Hasbro too) The overall arc of the series also came from Skir and Isenberg "based on many conversations with Hasbro, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], [[Fox Kids|Fox]], and us".<ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Hasbro was quite keen on the spiritual tone out of a desire to try something new with the franchise, while Skir felt Nature versus Tech was an obvious theme but he felt that was a lazy cliché and the show should be about a balance between the two. (The technorganic characters helped him argue this)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 43:20 to 46:00</ref> He merrily went all-out with the spiritual aspect, expecting Hasbro to change their mind but he found they liked it and asked for more!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 46:50 to 47:29</ref> It was Hasbro itself who said "hey, what if someone turned into a ''plant''?" as part of their drive to stretch the franchise to its limits. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:36:40 to 1:36:49</ref>

One odd brief was that both Mainframe boss [[Dan DiDio]] and Hasbro didn't want Skir and Isenberg to watch old episodes, as they wanted a fresh take and DiDio felt ''Beast Wars'' was too continuity heavy. (He'd even told Wolfman that ''Beast Wars'' had no ties to the original series and to do as he pleased with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity]] when doing his outline!<ref>''Beast Machines'' DVD supplementary materials</ref>) Again: ''Beast Machines'' was a sequel to a sequel. As it turned out, ''Beast Machines'' ended up being ''more'' continuity heavy and one reason was because Hasbro ''told'' them about things like [[Vector Sigma]] and [[Hate Plague]] and encouraged them to be used! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:13:30 to 1:16:04</ref>

Isenberg did most of the work on ''Beast Machines'' S1 due to Skir's workload and a bereavement, while Skir did most of S2 due to Isenberg running ''Action Man''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:11:36 to 1:12:46</ref>

Skir originally wanted the character of Nightscream to be a young female Transformer, patterned after the girl "Newt" from the movie ''{{w|Aliens (film)|Aliens}}''. When that was nixed, Nightscream ended up becoming {{w|John Connor}} in ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}'' instead.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095033/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A 3 December 1999] (archive copy)</ref>

Fox Kids' press release in 1999 not only still used the Beast Hunters name, it said the enemies would be ''Predacons''.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]</ref> Since the first episode was aired five months after the press release, in an advance screening at [[BotCon 1999]], the name change to ''Beast Machines'' seems to have been a late decision. The Predacons may be an error or a deliberate "well nobody's heard of Vehicons yet" decision, as no other source has talked about Predacons being in it.

===Reception===

{{bigquote|It's been ''thirteen years!'' ... If there was one particular [Transformers] show you didn't like, I'm really sorry but, y'know, there were other ones too!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:Endgame1 Nightscream sonic attack.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|'''I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I - HATE - ''YOU''!''']]

Controversial even by the standards of other ''Transformers'' reinventions, ''Beast Machines'' is remembered by some as a series which tried to tackle heavy philosophical concepts, discussing such issues like what it meant to live in an increasingly technological society, the dichotomy between the desires of the individual and the needs of the whole, the inevitability of conflict and inequality in a free society, the ugly consequences of fanaticism, and the paradox of a living technological world. Story editor [[Bob Skir]] describes the series as a "religious epic novel for television".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkRF4QBKew Bob Skir interview at youtube.com]</ref> Most of the Transformers [[franchise]] lore about [[spark]]s, their abilities, and the mechanism of their life cycle, was introduced or developed in this series.

The series amassed many detractors early on, who complained that core cast portrayals were inconsistent with how these personalities had been established over the years of the preceding ''Beast Wars'' series. Examples include Megatron being a far grimmer villain with a completely different agenda from before; Rattrap appearing to be too cowardly; Rhinox apparently ''choosing'' to become a villain (though it sounded like he was no longer in his right mind);<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A]</ref> and, later on, Silverbolt being a grim, vengeance-driven soldier with none of his former goofy-noble personality. Critics also alleged a "hippie" agenda behind ''Beast Machines'', with Optimus Primal becoming an anti-technology guru (it was actually intentional that Primal was going too far and he'd moderate his views in Season 2), and criticised Bob Skir's decision that the Maximals would not use guns (though big swords and highly destructive laser blasts were okay).

The show's "epic novel" storytelling structure meant that at times it was forced to tread water, relying on repetitive chase scenes and expository speeches. The plot and tone, with the heroes outnumbered and outgunned and on the run, also meant many episodes would have them running or under stress, without the humorous, occasionally zany approach of ''Beast Wars'' to balance it out: this was intentional but often a frustrating viewing experience. It was also, at that point in time, by far the most serialized American ''Transformers'' cartoon, making it difficult for new viewers to join at some random episode and be hooked in. It didn't help that the series began "in medias res" and with the characters suffering amnesia, with many foundational issues deliberately left vague until at last resolution was established in flashbacks in episodes 7-9. By then, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] executive [[Asaph Fipke]] had become somewhat notorious for repeatedly assuring fans that "all will be revealed". ''Why'' the series opened with the Maximals having amnesia and being in their Season 1 organic bodies is not obvious, as (aside from explaining why they're not immediately looking for Rhinox and Silverbolt) it wouldn't have affected the plot either way. It ''may'' have been because ''Beast Wars'' repeats were airing on [[Fox Kids]] at the same time ''Beast Machines'' had started.

The show is one of the darker ''Transformers'' animated series and the most thought-provoking. It is also the final animated entry into the Generation 1 story canon, bringing the events in that continuity family to a rather conclusive ending (which ''also'' didn't win it many popularity points). If nothing else, the creators had ambitions to do more than [[to sell toys|sell toys]].

Despite all the criticisms, the show continued and improved on the high production values of ''Beast Wars'', with solid scripting and excellent voice acting. The CGI varied from competent to gorgeous. A step up in quality from ''Beast Wars,'' it dramatically overshadows the later semi-CGI shows ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].'' Mainframe's animators showed their considerable talents in giving highly emotive expression to such alien characters as the [[Vehicon general]]s and even the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who ''didn't have a face''. As with ''Beast Wars'', [[Robert Buckley]] provided the series background music, this time creating a stylized electronic music in keeping with the mechanical environment of Cybertron.

Hasbro was happy enough with how the show was doing that they asked Skir if there could be a third season. Believing that the show was strongest with 26 episodes and that (after the fandom controversy) Hasbro would want a rethink soon, Skir turned this down.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 52:39 to 54:57</ref> A [[Transtech|followup line]] was planned instead but after that aforementioned rethink, it was subsequently scrapped. Hasbro's next foray into animation would be to bring over a [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|year-old Japanese show]] for consumption in the United States, till a [[Unicron Trilogy|new story]] could be concocted.

[[File:GuessIronhidesEmotion.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|This is what we got after. ''This is what we got''.]]

In [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|light]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|of the]] [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|results]], and with [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|the passage of time]], some fans have re-evaluated ''Beast Machines'' more favorably, though the newfound positive reception is still not universal by any means.

{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Machines episodes}}
===Season 1===
[[File:Tankor flames.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Tankor, YOU'RE FIRED!]]
Season 1 largely centers on the Maximals' efforts to find out what has happened to them, as they arrive on Cybertron with no memories. In addition to Megatron and the core Maximal cast, three new Vehicon generals are introduced, as well as the new Maximal Nightscream. By the end of the season, Optimus Primal has been driven down a road of extremism, and an apocalyptic confrontation marks the season finale...

{{collist|2|
#[[The Reformatting]]
#[[Master of the House]]
#[[Fires of the Past]]
#[[Mercenary Pursuits]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Weak Component]]
#[[Revelations Part I: Discovery]]
#[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]
#[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]
#[[Survivor]]
#[[The Key]]
#[[The Catalyst]]
#[[End of the Line]]
}}

===Season 2: Battle for the Spark===
[[File:Botanica5.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This freakish, tentacled, multi-limbed creature is one of the kid-friendly good guys!]]
The ultimate face-off at the end of Season 1 is resolved in a most unusual and cerebral manner, setting the tone for Season 2 as Primal realizes his mission is one of balance, not extremism. Silverbolt rejoins the Maximal ranks, a new Maximal arrives from off-world, and two dangerous new generals join Megatron's side as the Maximals search for the lost Sparks of their brethren and battle to regain control of Cybertron.

{{collist|2|
#[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]
#[[Savage Noble]]
#[[Prometheus Unbound]]
#[[In Darkest Knight]]
#[[A Wolf in the Fold]]
#[[Home Soil]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege]]
#[[Spark of Darkness]]
#[[Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral]]
#[[Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall]]
#[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]
}}

==Characters==
[[File:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There's a caption under me?!]]
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of named on-screen characters in ''Beast Machines'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (Most drones are not listed, and neither are incidental flashback characters.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Machines'' characters, having appeared in other media.

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett|Ian Corlett]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] ([[Alessandro Juliani]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] ([[Kathleen Barr]])
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] ([[Christopher Gaze]]/[[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] ([[Patricia Drake]])
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c3=
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|The Oracle]] ([[Carol Savenkoff]])
*[[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]] ([[David Kaye]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==International Release==
===Japanese release===
[[File:BeastWarsReturnsLogo01.jpg|center|250px|]]

The ''Beast Machines'' franchise was not initially released in Japan. As such, the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon did not reach Japan's shores until late 2004, where it was retitled '''''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, ''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''). The series was initially broadcast on the satellite-only network MobaHO! - TAKARAND from [[November 6]], 2004, to [[January 30]], 2005. In February of 2005, it was reaired on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]] and, following that, other networks including Gifu Broadcasting. Having been released on a satellite network, the series was not edited for time like other ''Transformers'' cartoons.

The localization was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], the man responsible for the dubbing of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', and thus ''Beast Wars Returns'' was reworked to the same extent as the previous series had been in Japan. The overblown jovial character quirks exclusive to the Japanese version of the series were retained while new quirks were created for the newer characters.

Perhaps most troubling of this satirical and humor-driven dub was [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s characterization. Nightscream was turned into a flaming homosexual stereotype, lifting many quirks from the then-popular "Hard Gay" persona of comedian {{w|Masaki Sumitani}} (including ripping off his catchphrase, "Fuu!"). Other homosexual stereotypes attached to Nightscream included a new obsession with fashion and style, highly effeminate petnames for other characters (such as calling Rattrap "Aunty"), and a more lustful infatuation with the character [[Noble (BM)|Noble]]. While effeminate, vaguely homosexual characters are not uncommon in Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons (many Japanese incarnations of [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] are ''preeeeetty'' gay), the portrayal of Nightscream in this manner was not particularly respectful. For example, as they were both flyers, Silverbolt often spent more time with Nightscream than he did Blackarachnia. Already feeling jilted due to Silverbolt's new standoffish personality, this regularly incited angry commentary from the jealous fembot, who derisively referred to Nightscream and Silverbolt as the "gay boys" ("homo-tachi").

Other changes included Megatron's various Vehicon drone forces taking on individual chants that they would repeat ad nauseum for every second of screen time. Additionally, one of the series' major plot twists was ignored for the sake of goofy adlibbing, as Thrust and Jetstorm retained not only the voice actors for Waspinator and Silverbolt, but all of the unique vocal and personality quirks belonging to those characters, thus eliminating any ambiguity to their previous identities. And needless to say, with this being a parody dub, all moments in the original version that were intended to be dramatic were reworked for comedy value.

Given the low-key release of the series, a new [[theme song]] was not recorded. Instead, "[[Phat Planet]]" by [[Leftfield]] was retained. Characters from the series would proceed to talk over the entire length of the [[title sequence]], having "amusing" conversations (likewise, they talked over the ending credits). Only one original piece of music was recorded for the series, "[[Megatron Ondo]]" by [[Yukio Hibariya]] and partly performed by [[Shigeru Chiba]], created exclusively for Volume 7 of the ''Beast Wars Returns'' DVD release.

Also exclusive to the final DVD release of the series was an additional, goofy clip show:

*[[Where Is the Banana? R]]
===Spanish America===
Like the dub for Beast Wars, Beast Machine's dub was produced in Mexico. Unlike Beast Wars, the show was dubbed at Barrero Productions, with an almost completely different cast.

==Home video releases==
===Japan===
[[File:Geneon BWReturns Volume7 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px]]
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 7 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — DVD Box (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[File:Rhino Beast Machines DVD.jpg|thumb|125px]]
{{main|Rhino Entertainment}}
*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (2006)
<br>
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*''Transformers Beast Machines'': The Complete Series (2014)

===Australia / New Zealand===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume Two (2007)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
[[File:UK Beast Machines Season1 DVD.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|[[Transformers (film)|Their]] tagline. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|His]] head.]]
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (2007)

===France===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (2009)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (2009)
{{-}}

===Germany===

{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 1 (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 2 (2007)
{{-}}

===Spain===

{{main|20th Century Fox}} {{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Primera temporada completa (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Segunda temporada completa (2007)
{{-}}

===Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}

*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — [[The Reformatting]] & [[Master of the House]] (1999)
*''Beast Machines: Transformers: Battle for the Spark'' — [[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|Sparkwar Part I: The Strike]] (2000)

==Notes==
*The idea of Cybertron having once been organic was a throwaway idea in [[Marvel Comics]] original treatment!<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*Skir had to pass up his dream project, an ''[[Avengers]]'' series featuring "lower-tier characters" such as the Scarlet Witch, the Vision, Wonder Man, and Tigra, which he had developed with Isenberg; the series got greenlit the same day the writing team had just committed to spearheading ''Beast Machines''. (The resulting ''Avengers: United They Stand'' series was a bomb and quickly vanished from the Fox Kids lineup.)
*The theme tune for the show was Leftfield's "Phat Planet". This was also used for a famous Guinness advert. The latter proved a more popular TV slot.
*This was the first ''Transformers'' fiction where the good guys didn't use any form of guns. This was down to Fox Kids' edict against firearms, as well as Bob Skir preferring to write heroes who didn't rely on guns,<ref name="FKPR"/> and Hasbro wanting to have less gunplay than before (though super-explodey lasers and sharp instruments were fine!).<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> When Skir said this online, [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Beast Machines|many fans wraxed wroth because they believed he was talking about gun usage in ''all'' adventure fiction and real-life gun users too]] (he wasn't).
*Fox Kids made some edits to their ''Beast Wars'' repeats, but ''Beast Machines'' got no requests to tone down the violence! <ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999"/>
*Apart from flashbacks, visions and such, ''Beast Machines'' takes place entirely on (or in orbit of) Cybertron, thus making it the only television series ''not'' to feature any [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|annoying]] [[Kicker Jones|human]] [[Bud Hansen|companions]].
*[[Simon Furman]] thinks Beast Machines was too dark and serious for being a cartoon show for kids.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=705 SIMON FURMAN Transformers Q&A! It's here! at the IDW Publishing Forums]</ref> And trust us: the guy who wrote ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' is something of an expert on 'too dark and serious for kids'.
* [[Vector Prime]], in contrast, thinks it was an awesome show.<ref>[[Ask Vector Prime/src|Ask Vector Prime]]</ref>
*This is the only Transformers cartoon that had a complete German dub.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, "Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Returns")
*''Cantonese'': '''''Maangsau Haap''''' (Hong Kong, 猛兽侠, "Beast Heroes")
*''French:'' '''''Mécanimaux''''' (Canada, "Mechanimals")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bǎibiàn Jīngāng: Zhòng Jīxiè Xìliè''''' (Taiwan, 百變金剛：重機械系列, "Morph Vajra: Heavy Machinery Series"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Shòu Xiè Zhēngbà''''' (China, 变形金刚：兽械争霸, "Transformers: Beasts vs. Machines")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Zvero-Roboty''''' (Трансформеры: Зверо-Роботы, "Transformers: Beast Robots")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: Bestias y Máquinas''''' (America, "Transformers: Beasts and Machines")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines media]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)

2019-03-22T17:56:45Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Spainsh America */

{{disambigr|Battle for the Spark|the online game in the [[Live-action film series|live action film]] continuity|Battle for the Allspark}}

{{nav-bm}}

'''''Beast Machines: Transformers''''' is a 26-episode cartoon that aired in the US from 1999 to 2000, in support of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|toyline]] of the same name. It is a direct follow-up to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', set in the same G1 continuity and featuring many of the same characters. Like ''Beast Wars'', its [[computer-generated imagery|computer animation]] was created by [[Mainframe Entertainment]].

==Overview==
[[File:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|upright=1.67|thumb|The Maximals, in a rare moment of Not Running Away.]]
The show follows the adventures of the core ''Beast Wars'' cast upon their return home to Cybertron; there, Optimus Primal and his crew find that the whole planet is abandoned, and the streets are patrolled by mindless [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] serving [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]], who somehow escaped his captivity.

Worse still, they learn that they are infected with a deadly [[Transformation virus|virus]] that will kill them in a matter of hours. Salvation comes from the mysterious supercomputer known as the Oracle, who sees them fit to complete its mission of a planetwide "reformatting", and turns them into [[technorganic]] warriors, a perfect blend of organic and technological matter.

As the show progresses, Primal and his fellow Maximals learn to balance their technological side with their newly introduced organic aspects, mastery coming in slow stages. Unlike the previous [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|conflict]], where sides had been roughly equal, the four original Maximals were quite outnumbered by their Vehicon enemies, and the battles took on a "guerilla warfare" feel, with the Maximals using sewers and underground levels to their advantage and avoiding surface levels unless for combat purposes. As the show progresses, two brand-new Maximals and a returning face boost their numbers.

Initially, Optimus is driven by a crusade to restore the organic above the technological and to right his failure to stop Megatron. Over time, it becomes increasingly clear that he's becoming obsessed and overzealous. At the midpoint, after Cybertron is almost destroyed, he realises that the point should be to create a ''balance'' of organic and technological, not a supremacy. Under this new, saner cause, the Maximals eventually turn Cybertron into an [[technorganic]] paradise, though at the cost of their [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|leader]]'s life.

{{--}}

===Production===

{{bigquote|I am more proud of [''Beast Machines''] than anything else I've ever had produced, because I got to do a twenty-six episode novel for television. It almost f**kin' ''killed me'', but I did it!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:OptimusPrimalBMconcept.jpg|right|upright=1.20|thumb|"Help me! My arms won't stop growing!"]]

Writer [[Steve Gerber]] had once pitched a "wildly original take on ''Transformers''" ([[Dan DiDio]]'s words) as part of the development of ''Beast Machines''.<ref>May 2008 "DC Nation" editorial appearing in {{w|DC Comics}} publications, following Steve Gerber's death</ref> Mainframe instead went with a different outline by Marv Wolfman: the Maximals returning to Cybertron and finding Megatron had conquered it. (The Vehicons may be him as well)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir in 2015], 42:00 to 42:30 and [http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Back in these early days, the show was to be called Beast Hunters.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]. In 1999, Bob seems to say other BM writers came up with Vehicons but in 2015 he says that's Wolfman</ref> [[Bob Skir]] and [[Marty Isenberg]] were invited into a discussion, despite not knowing much about Transformers, because of their good working relationship with [[Fox Kids]] (who they'd worked on shows like ''[[Godzilla]]: The Series'' for). Skir didn't think he had a shot but it'd be good to network with Mainframe for the future. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 39:13 to 41:57</ref> In the end, Fox said they wanted the duo script editing a show based on Wolfman's outline <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 42:00 to 42:57</ref> (Bob felt a bit bad about that and made sure to hire Wolfman to write episodes<ref>49:50 to 50:00</ref>).

[[File:Oracle (The Reformatting).jpg|left|upright=1.34|thumb|]]

[[Bob Skir]] says that other writers came up with the Vehicon Generals and "all the mystical stuff came from Marty [Isenberg] and I, based on Hasbro's request that we add a "spiritual dimension" to the show". (The phrase "I am transformed" comes from Hasbro too) The overall arc of the series also came from Skir and Isenberg "based on many conversations with Hasbro, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]], [[Fox Kids|Fox]], and us".<ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999]</ref> Hasbro was quite keen on the spiritual tone out of a desire to try something new with the franchise, while Skir felt Nature versus Tech was an obvious theme but he felt that was a lazy cliché and the show should be about a balance between the two. (The technorganic characters helped him argue this)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 43:20 to 46:00</ref> He merrily went all-out with the spiritual aspect, expecting Hasbro to change their mind but he found they liked it and asked for more!<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 46:50 to 47:29</ref> It was Hasbro itself who said "hey, what if someone turned into a ''plant''?" as part of their drive to stretch the franchise to its limits. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:36:40 to 1:36:49</ref>

One odd brief was that both Mainframe boss [[Dan DiDio]] and Hasbro didn't want Skir and Isenberg to watch old episodes, as they wanted a fresh take and DiDio felt ''Beast Wars'' was too continuity heavy. (He'd even told Wolfman that ''Beast Wars'' had no ties to the original series and to do as he pleased with [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity]] when doing his outline!<ref>''Beast Machines'' DVD supplementary materials</ref>) Again: ''Beast Machines'' was a sequel to a sequel. As it turned out, ''Beast Machines'' ended up being ''more'' continuity heavy and one reason was because Hasbro ''told'' them about things like [[Vector Sigma]] and [[Hate Plague]] and encouraged them to be used! <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:13:30 to 1:16:04</ref>

Isenberg did most of the work on ''Beast Machines'' S1 due to Skir's workload and a bereavement, while Skir did most of S2 due to Isenberg running ''Action Man''.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 1:11:36 to 1:12:46</ref>

Skir originally wanted the character of Nightscream to be a young female Transformer, patterned after the girl "Newt" from the movie ''{{w|Aliens (film)|Aliens}}''. When that was nixed, Nightscream ended up becoming {{w|John Connor}} in ''{{w|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}'' instead.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071202095033/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A 3 December 1999] (archive copy)</ref>

Fox Kids' press release in 1999 not only still used the Beast Hunters name, it said the enemies would be ''Predacons''.<ref name="FKPR">[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/msg/946225010fc740fb "Fox Kids Fall Press Release" from alt.toys.transformers on February 10, 1999]</ref> Since the first episode was aired five months after the press release, in an advance screening at [[BotCon 1999]], the name change to ''Beast Machines'' seems to have been a late decision. The Predacons may be an error or a deliberate "well nobody's heard of Vehicons yet" decision, as no other source has talked about Predacons being in it.

===Reception===

{{bigquote|It's been ''thirteen years!'' ... If there was one particular [Transformers] show you didn't like, I'm really sorry but, y'know, there were other ones too!|Bob Skir<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir]</ref>}}

[[File:Endgame1 Nightscream sonic attack.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|'''I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I - HATE - ''YOU''!''']]

Controversial even by the standards of other ''Transformers'' reinventions, ''Beast Machines'' is remembered by some as a series which tried to tackle heavy philosophical concepts, discussing such issues like what it meant to live in an increasingly technological society, the dichotomy between the desires of the individual and the needs of the whole, the inevitability of conflict and inequality in a free society, the ugly consequences of fanaticism, and the paradox of a living technological world. Story editor [[Bob Skir]] describes the series as a "religious epic novel for television".<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAkRF4QBKew Bob Skir interview at youtube.com]</ref> Most of the Transformers [[franchise]] lore about [[spark]]s, their abilities, and the mechanism of their life cycle, was introduced or developed in this series.

The series amassed many detractors early on, who complained that core cast portrayals were inconsistent with how these personalities had been established over the years of the preceding ''Beast Wars'' series. Examples include Megatron being a far grimmer villain with a completely different agenda from before; Rattrap appearing to be too cowardly; Rhinox apparently ''choosing'' to become a villain (though it sounded like he was no longer in his right mind);<ref>[http://www.bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_03_Dec_1999.html Bob Skir Q&A]</ref> and, later on, Silverbolt being a grim, vengeance-driven soldier with none of his former goofy-noble personality. Critics also alleged a "hippie" agenda behind ''Beast Machines'', with Optimus Primal becoming an anti-technology guru (it was actually intentional that Primal was going too far and he'd moderate his views in Season 2), and criticised Bob Skir's decision that the Maximals would not use guns (though big swords and highly destructive laser blasts were okay).

The show's "epic novel" storytelling structure meant that at times it was forced to tread water, relying on repetitive chase scenes and expository speeches. The plot and tone, with the heroes outnumbered and outgunned and on the run, also meant many episodes would have them running or under stress, without the humorous, occasionally zany approach of ''Beast Wars'' to balance it out: this was intentional but often a frustrating viewing experience. It was also, at that point in time, by far the most serialized American ''Transformers'' cartoon, making it difficult for new viewers to join at some random episode and be hooked in. It didn't help that the series began "in medias res" and with the characters suffering amnesia, with many foundational issues deliberately left vague until at last resolution was established in flashbacks in episodes 7-9. By then, [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] executive [[Asaph Fipke]] had become somewhat notorious for repeatedly assuring fans that "all will be revealed". ''Why'' the series opened with the Maximals having amnesia and being in their Season 1 organic bodies is not obvious, as (aside from explaining why they're not immediately looking for Rhinox and Silverbolt) it wouldn't have affected the plot either way. It ''may'' have been because ''Beast Wars'' repeats were airing on [[Fox Kids]] at the same time ''Beast Machines'' had started.

The show is one of the darker ''Transformers'' animated series and the most thought-provoking. It is also the final animated entry into the Generation 1 story canon, bringing the events in that continuity family to a rather conclusive ending (which ''also'' didn't win it many popularity points). If nothing else, the creators had ambitions to do more than [[to sell toys|sell toys]].

Despite all the criticisms, the show continued and improved on the high production values of ''Beast Wars'', with solid scripting and excellent voice acting. The CGI varied from competent to gorgeous. A step up in quality from ''Beast Wars,'' it dramatically overshadows the later semi-CGI shows ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]].'' Mainframe's animators showed their considerable talents in giving highly emotive expression to such alien characters as the [[Vehicon general]]s and even the [[Diagnostic Drone]], who ''didn't have a face''. As with ''Beast Wars'', [[Robert Buckley]] provided the series background music, this time creating a stylized electronic music in keeping with the mechanical environment of Cybertron.

Hasbro was happy enough with how the show was doing that they asked Skir if there could be a third season. Believing that the show was strongest with 26 episodes and that (after the fandom controversy) Hasbro would want a rethink soon, Skir turned this down.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DaZTNszyGU Moonbase 2 interview with Bob Skir], 52:39 to 54:57</ref> A [[Transtech|followup line]] was planned instead but after that aforementioned rethink, it was subsequently scrapped. Hasbro's next foray into animation would be to bring over a [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|year-old Japanese show]] for consumption in the United States, till a [[Unicron Trilogy|new story]] could be concocted.

[[File:GuessIronhidesEmotion.jpg|right|upright=1.34|thumb|This is what we got after. ''This is what we got''.]]

In [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|light]] [[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|of the]] [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|results]], and with [[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|the passage of time]], some fans have re-evaluated ''Beast Machines'' more favorably, though the newfound positive reception is still not universal by any means.

{{-}}

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Beast Machines episodes}}
===Season 1===
[[File:Tankor flames.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Tankor, YOU'RE FIRED!]]
Season 1 largely centers on the Maximals' efforts to find out what has happened to them, as they arrive on Cybertron with no memories. In addition to Megatron and the core Maximal cast, three new Vehicon generals are introduced, as well as the new Maximal Nightscream. By the end of the season, Optimus Primal has been driven down a road of extremism, and an apocalyptic confrontation marks the season finale...

{{collist|2|
#[[The Reformatting]]
#[[Master of the House]]
#[[Fires of the Past]]
#[[Mercenary Pursuits]]
#[[Forbidden Fruit]]
#[[The Weak Component]]
#[[Revelations Part I: Discovery]]
#[[Revelations Part II: Descent]]
#[[Revelations Part III: Apocalypse]]
#[[Survivor]]
#[[The Key]]
#[[The Catalyst]]
#[[End of the Line]]
}}

===Season 2: Battle for the Spark===
[[File:Botanica5.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|This freakish, tentacled, multi-limbed creature is one of the kid-friendly good guys!]]
The ultimate face-off at the end of Season 1 is resolved in a most unusual and cerebral manner, setting the tone for Season 2 as Primal realizes his mission is one of balance, not extremism. Silverbolt rejoins the Maximal ranks, a new Maximal arrives from off-world, and two dangerous new generals join Megatron's side as the Maximals search for the lost Sparks of their brethren and battle to regain control of Cybertron.

{{collist|2|
#[[Fallout (episode)|Fallout]]
#[[Savage Noble]]
#[[Prometheus Unbound]]
#[[In Darkest Knight]]
#[[A Wolf in the Fold]]
#[[Home Soil]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]
#[[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege]]
#[[Spark of Darkness]]
#[[Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral]]
#[[Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall]]
#[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]
}}

==Characters==
[[File:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There's a caption under me?!]]
Because developing new CGI character models was, at the time, an expensive and time-consuming process, the number of named on-screen characters in ''Beast Machines'' was relatively small compared to most other ''Transformers'' shows. It is thus practical to list all the Transformers who appeared in the cartoon. They are listed in order of appearance. (Most drones are not listed, and neither are incidental flashback characters.) Note that many characters besides these are also full-fledged ''Beast Machines'' characters, having appeared in other media.

{{-}}

{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] ([[Garry Chalk]])
*[[Rattrap (BW)|Rattrap]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] ([[Ian James Corlett|Ian Corlett]])
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] ([[Venus Terzo]])
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] ([[Alessandro Juliani]])
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] ([[Richard Newman]])
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] ([[Kathleen Barr]])
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] ([[David Kaye]])
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] ([[Christopher Gaze]]/[[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] ([[Brian Drummond]])
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] ([[Jim Byrnes]])
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] ([[Paul Dobson]])
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] ([[Patricia Drake]])
|h3=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c3=
*[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] ([[Scott McNeil]])
|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|The Oracle]] ([[Carol Savenkoff]])
*[[Noble (BM)|Savage/Noble]] ([[David Kaye]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==International Release==
===Japanese release===
[[File:BeastWarsReturnsLogo01.jpg|center|250px|]]

The ''Beast Machines'' franchise was not initially released in Japan. As such, the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon did not reach Japan's shores until late 2004, where it was retitled '''''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, ''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''). The series was initially broadcast on the satellite-only network MobaHO! - TAKARAND from [[November 6]], 2004, to [[January 30]], 2005. In February of 2005, it was reaired on [[Cartoon Network|Cartoon Network Japan]] and, following that, other networks including Gifu Broadcasting. Having been released on a satellite network, the series was not edited for time like other ''Transformers'' cartoons.

The localization was headed up by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]], the man responsible for the dubbing of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', and thus ''Beast Wars Returns'' was reworked to the same extent as the previous series had been in Japan. The overblown jovial character quirks exclusive to the Japanese version of the series were retained while new quirks were created for the newer characters.

Perhaps most troubling of this satirical and humor-driven dub was [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]'s characterization. Nightscream was turned into a flaming homosexual stereotype, lifting many quirks from the then-popular "Hard Gay" persona of comedian {{w|Masaki Sumitani}} (including ripping off his catchphrase, "Fuu!"). Other homosexual stereotypes attached to Nightscream included a new obsession with fashion and style, highly effeminate petnames for other characters (such as calling Rattrap "Aunty"), and a more lustful infatuation with the character [[Noble (BM)|Noble]]. While effeminate, vaguely homosexual characters are not uncommon in Japanese ''Transformers'' cartoons (many Japanese incarnations of [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] are ''preeeeetty'' gay), the portrayal of Nightscream in this manner was not particularly respectful. For example, as they were both flyers, Silverbolt often spent more time with Nightscream than he did Blackarachnia. Already feeling jilted due to Silverbolt's new standoffish personality, this regularly incited angry commentary from the jealous fembot, who derisively referred to Nightscream and Silverbolt as the "gay boys" ("homo-tachi").

Other changes included Megatron's various Vehicon drone forces taking on individual chants that they would repeat ad nauseum for every second of screen time. Additionally, one of the series' major plot twists was ignored for the sake of goofy adlibbing, as Thrust and Jetstorm retained not only the voice actors for Waspinator and Silverbolt, but all of the unique vocal and personality quirks belonging to those characters, thus eliminating any ambiguity to their previous identities. And needless to say, with this being a parody dub, all moments in the original version that were intended to be dramatic were reworked for comedy value.

Given the low-key release of the series, a new [[theme song]] was not recorded. Instead, "[[Phat Planet]]" by [[Leftfield]] was retained. Characters from the series would proceed to talk over the entire length of the [[title sequence]], having "amusing" conversations (likewise, they talked over the ending credits). Only one original piece of music was recorded for the series, "[[Megatron Ondo]]" by [[Yukio Hibariya]] and partly performed by [[Shigeru Chiba]], created exclusively for Volume 7 of the ''Beast Wars Returns'' DVD release.

Also exclusive to the final DVD release of the series was an additional, goofy clip show:

*[[Where Is the Banana? R]]
===Spainsh America===
Like the dub for Beast Wars, Beast Machine's dub was produced in Mexico. Unlike Beast Wars, the show was dubbed at Barrero Productions, with an almost completely different cast.

==Home video releases==
===Japan===
[[File:Geneon BWReturns Volume7 DVD.jpg|thumb|100px]]
{{main|Geneon Universal Entertainment}}
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 (2004)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 3 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 4 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 5 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 7 (2005)
*''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — DVD Box (2005)
{{-}}

===United States===
[[File:Rhino Beast Machines DVD.jpg|thumb|125px]]
{{main|Rhino Entertainment}}
*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series (2006)
<br>
{{main|Shout! Factory}}
*''Transformers Beast Machines'': The Complete Series (2014)

===Australia / New Zealand===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume Two (2007)
{{-}}

===United Kingdom===
[[File:UK Beast Machines Season1 DVD.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|[[Transformers (film)|Their]] tagline. [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|His]] head.]]
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume Two — Revelations (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (2007)

===France===
{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (2009)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (2009)
{{-}}

===Germany===

{{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 1 (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Die komplette Season 2 (2007)
{{-}}

===Spain===

{{main|20th Century Fox}} {{main|Sony}}
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Primera temporada completa (2007)
*''Transformers: Beast Machines'': Segunda temporada completa (2007)
{{-}}

===Giveaways===
{{main|Hasbro}}

*''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — [[The Reformatting]] & [[Master of the House]] (1999)
*''Beast Machines: Transformers: Battle for the Spark'' — [[Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike|Sparkwar Part I: The Strike]] (2000)

==Notes==
*The idea of Cybertron having once been organic was a throwaway idea in [[Marvel Comics]] original treatment!<ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*Skir and Isenberg had to pass up a dream project, an ''[[Avengers]]'' cartoon, as they'd accidentally committed to doing ''Beast Machines''. (The resulting ''Avengers: United They Stand'' series was a bomb and quickly vanished from the Fox Kids lineup.)
*The theme tune for the show was Leftfield's "Phat Planet". This was also used for a famous Guinness advert. The latter proved a more popular TV slot.
*This was the first ''Transformers'' fiction where the good guys didn't use any form of guns. This was down to Bob Skir preferring to write heroes who didn't rely on guns,<ref name="FKPR"/> and Hasbro and Fox Kids both wanting to have less gunplay than before (though super-explodey lasers and sharp instruments were fine!).<ref name="Skir">[http://web.archive.org/web/20080222040119/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html Archived Q&A from Bob Skir's now-defunct website,] where Skir responds to the gun controversy (question 7).</ref> When Skir said this online, [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers#Beast Machines|many fans wraxed wroth because they believed he was talking about gun usage in ''all'' adventure fiction and real-life gun users too]] (he wasn't).
*Fox Kids made some edits to their ''Beast Wars'' repeats, but ''Beast Machines'' got no requests to tone down the violence! <ref name="Bob Skir FAQ from 12 October 1999"/>
*Apart from flashbacks, visions and such, ''Beast Machines'' takes place entirely on (or in orbit of) Cybertron, thus making it the only television series ''not'' to feature any [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|annoying]] [[Kicker Jones|human]] [[Bud Hansen|companions]].
*[[Simon Furman]] thinks Beast Machines was too dark and serious for being a cartoon show for kids.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?t=705 SIMON FURMAN Transformers Q&A! It's here! at the IDW Publishing Forums]</ref> And trust us: the guy who wrote ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]]'' is something of an expert on 'too dark and serious for kids'.
* [[Vector Prime]], in contrast, thinks it was an awesome show.<ref>[[Ask Vector Prime/src|Ask Vector Prime]]</ref>
*This is the only Transformers cartoon that had a complete German dub.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''''Chō Seimeitai Transformers Beast Wars Returns''''' (超生命体トランスフォーマービーストウォーズリターンズ, "Super Lifeform Transformers Beast Wars Returns")
*''Cantonese'': '''''Maangsau Haap''''' (Hong Kong, 猛兽侠, "Beast Heroes")
*''French:'' '''''Mécanimaux''''' (Canada, "Mechanimals")
*''Mandarin:'' '''''Bǎibiàn Jīngāng: Zhòng Jīxiè Xìliè''''' (Taiwan, 百變金剛：重機械系列, "Morph Vajra: Heavy Machinery Series"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Shòu Xiè Zhēngbà''''' (China, 变形金刚：兽械争霸, "Transformers: Beasts vs. Machines")
*''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Zvero-Roboty''''' (Трансформеры: Зверо-Роботы, "Transformers: Beast Robots")
*''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: Bestias y Máquinas''''' (America, "Transformers: Beasts and Machines")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines media]]
[[Category:Television series]]

Allspark Pictures

2019-03-22T17:51:49Z

Toonscribe1961:

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
[[File:AllsparkPictures.svg|right|thumb|200px|Films that are truly by the Allspark.]]
'''Allspark Pictures''' is a film production company owned by [[Hasbro]] under the [[Hasbro Studios]] unit. Launched in [[2015]], it is an outgrowth of Hasbro's live-action feature film activity, which began with ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' in [[2007]]. The first ''Transformers'' film with Allspark Pictures' involvement was [[2018]]'s ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' (produced with [[Paramount]]), and Allspark Pictures is working with Paramount and [[Boulder Media Studio]] on an animated film set in the [[Live-action film series|movie-verse]].

On the television front, Allspark Pictures will be producing their first live action television series in the form of ''Power Rangers: Beast Morphers''.

The term "Allspark" was first introduced in the 1999 series Beast Machines, when Optimus explained that the Matrix was "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

[[Category:Hasbro Studios]]
[[Category:Hasbro subsidiaries]]

Allspark Animation

2019-03-22T17:50:57Z

Toonscribe1961:

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
'''Allspark Animation''' is a [[Los Angeles]] based television cartoon production house owned by [[Hasbro]]. It was founded in [[2009]] as the animation unit of [[Hasbro Studios]] to produce content for [[Hub Network|the Hub]] and later, [[Discovery Family]]. The current name was adopted in [[2018]]. The studio produces animated shows around core Hasbro brands such as ''[[My Little Pony]]'', ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[Hanazuki]]'', ''Stretch Armstrong'', ''Kaijudo'', ''Littlest Pet Shop'', ''Micronauts'', ''Pound Puppies'' and of course ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers Prime]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'', ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'', ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'', ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'', ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]''.

Since July 2016, Allspark Animation has been a sister company to [[Boulder Media Studio]].

The term "Allspark" was first introduced in the 1999 animated series Transformers: Beast Machines, when Optimus explained that the Matrix was "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allspark Animation}}
[[Category:Hasbro Studios]]
[[Category:Hasbro subsidiaries]]

Allspark Animation

2019-03-22T17:50:04Z

Toonscribe1961:

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
'''Allspark Animation''' is a [[Los Angeles]] based television cartoon production house owned by [[Hasbro]]. It was founded in [[2009]] as the animation unit of [[Hasbro Studios]] to produce content for [[Hub Network|the Hub]] and later, [[Discovery Family]]. The current name was adopted in [[2018]]. The studio produces animated shows around core Hasbro brands such as ''[[My Little Pony]]'', ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'', ''[[Hanazuki]]'', ''Stretch Armstrong'', ''Kaijudo'', ''Littlest Pet Shop'', ''Micronauts'', ''Pound Puppies'' and of course ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers Prime]]'', ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'', ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'', ''[[Transformers: Titans Return (cartoon)|Titans Return]]'', ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'', ''[[Transformers: Cyberverse (cartoon)|Cyberverse]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy (cartoon)|Rescue Bots Academy]]''.

Since July 2016, Allspark Animation has been a sister company to [[Boulder Media Studio]].

The term "Allspark" was first introduced in the 1999 animated series Transformers: Beast Machines, when Optimus explained that the Matrix as "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allspark Animation}}
[[Category:Hasbro Studios]]
[[Category:Hasbro subsidiaries]]

Allspark Pictures

2019-03-22T17:47:13Z

Toonscribe1961:

{{disambig3|Allspark}}
[[File:AllsparkPictures.svg|right|thumb|200px|Films that are truly by the Allspark.]]
'''Allspark Pictures''' is a film production company owned by [[Hasbro]] under the [[Hasbro Studios]] unit. Launched in [[2015]], it is an outgrowth of Hasbro's live-action feature film activity, which began with ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' in [[2007]]. The first ''Transformers'' film with Allspark Pictures' involvement was [[2018]]'s ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' (produced with [[Paramount]]), and Allspark Pictures is working with Paramount and [[Boulder Media Studio]] on an animated film set in the [[Live-action film series|movie-verse]].

On the television front, Allspark Pictures will be producing their first live action television series in the form of ''Power Rangers: Beast Morphers''.

The term "Allspark" was first introduced in the 1999 series Beast Machines, when Optimus explained that the Matrix as "the Allspark containing every Spark that ever was, or ever will be."

[[Category:Hasbro Studios]]
[[Category:Hasbro subsidiaries]]

Transformer afterlife

2019-03-22T17:38:24Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Singularity Ablyss */

{{Disambig3.5|the afterlife|the life giving object|AllSpark|Allspark}}

[[File:Theallspark.jpg|upright=2|thumb|The Allspark. Yes, it does kind of look like a big sperm on purpose.]]
Whereas [[human]]kind has fought wars over the meaning behind life and death, the [[Transformer]] race is fortunate enough to possess a sense of security in knowing for certain that their lifeforce will persist in some form when they pass on from the material plane to the '''Transformer afterlife'''.

At the heart of an endless, cyclical process of birth, [[death]] and resurrection, the Cybertronian afterlife is an extradimensional realm that is the living essence of their creator [[Primus]]. It is the wellspring from which all Transformers' [[spark]]s are born, and the place to which they return when they die. When a Transformer is brought online, it is commonly through use of a [[sacred implement]] which serves as a means of access to Primus's realm. Through this implement, a spark departs the afterlife and enters the new Transformer's body, granting it life. The Transformer then lives out their life, and upon the moment of their death, their spark will return whence it came, taking with it all the emotions, experiences, and knowledge that the Transformer has gained throughout their time online. All this information is suffused into the collective essence of the afterlife, gathering with that derived from all other sparks from throughout time, forming a collection of information known as the "Wisdom of the Ages".

There is little individuality in the great beyond; deceased Transformers lose all sense of self-awareness as their experiences become one with all the others in the afterlife and they effectively cease to exist as a singular entity. However, some Transformers do retain their individuality—typically, those who have had close contact with sacred implements, such as the Autobots who have carried the [[Matrix of Leadership]]—and can serve as guides for any visitors to their realm.

The afterlife is known by many names in many different [[universal stream]]s, often shared with the names of sacred implements and locations that allow access to it; these include the '''Matrix''', the '''Allspark''', the '''Well of All Sparks''', and the '''Afterspark'''. If considered the analog of "heaven" in the Transformers' belief system, its "underworld" counterpart is [[Pit|The Pit]], but there is no evidence that realm actually exists.

{{bigquote|Where...all are one.|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] after travelling through the Allspark|"[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]"}}

==Conceptual history==
[[File:FFoD4 rodimus ancient robot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|Rodimus Prime ventures into the Matrix, guided by the spirit of [[Primon|an ancient robot]].]]
The concept of the Transformers having an afterlife to which they go when they expire has existed since near the beginning of the line, and has evolved and coalesced over the last thirty years. The history of this development is covered here for clarity; for the specifics on the different interpretations in various continuities, see the "Fiction" section below.

The very beginnings can be found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], which introduced the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. The Matrix was a powerful, ancient talisman, revealed in the episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" to be a vessel containing the "life forces" of its previous bearers, who stood sentinel over the accumulated "Wisdom of the Ages" within the Matrix and guided [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] through its depths. Additionally, the deceased Autobot [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] was shown to exist within both the Matrix in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]" and the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]]—source of Transformer life in this continuity—in "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"; this was a contradiction at the time, but would become hugely relevant years later.

While the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Generation 1 Marvel comic]] had debuted its version of the Matrix, the Creation Matrix, ''before'' the cartoon under writer [[Bob Budiansky]], it was not until after the cartoon introduced these concepts that writer [[Simon Furman]] expanded on the nature of the comic's Matrix. Under Budiansky, the Matrix had already established to be the source of new Transformer life in the comic continuity, while Furman further revealed it to be a vessel containing the essence and power of the Transformers' creator and god Primus, in addition to explaining that all Transformer life-forces are fragments of Primus' own.

[[File:TheReformatting allspark oracle.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|''Beast Machines'' was responsible for clearly explaining most of the mechanics of the afterlife, which it depicted as a huge mass of sparks when seen from the "outside."]]

It was the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon that took understanding of Transformer life to the next level when it established the concept of [[spark]]s, a Transformer's "soul." Sparks, it was explained, came from somewhere or something called "the Matrix," and returned to this realm when they died. Additionally, the Transformers could often be heard swearing "by the Matrix," indicating its reverential place in their belief system. Behind the scenes, ''Beast Wars'' writers [[Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio]] did not have the specifics of this "Matrix" fleshed out; they envisioned it variously as a mysterious facility on Cybertron from which Maximal protoforms emerged, or as the nebula that was home to the cartoon's enigmatic aliens, the [[Vok]], thus making those creatures responsible for Transformer life in the Beast Era. The latter idea was never used (and has since been pushed well out of the realm of possibility by subsequent fiction) while the former would later be officialized over a decade later in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] story "[[The Razor's Edge]]." Regardless, it was ''Beast Wars'' own sequel series ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' that was first to expand on what this "Matrix" truly was, forging it into the central concept of its own storyline. ''Beast Machines'' introduced an additional name for the Matrix, the "Allspark" (a term coined by Story Editor Robert N. Skir), and established it to be the realm from which all Transformer sparks "that ever lived, or ever will live" come from, cementing the vast majority of the details covered in the top section of this article.

[[File:RebirthPt2 optimus and alpha.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|This scene from "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]", depicting Alpha Trion inside Vector Sigma, was contradicted by an earlier scene from "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]" that showed him within the Matrix. The discontinuity was retroactively corrected when the details of the afterlife were further explored.]]

In ''Beast Machines'', the Allspark was accessed by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] supercomputer, at the core of which was Vector Sigma, tying back into the Generation 1 cartoon and indicating how the computer had been able to provide life in its version of events. The ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon soon reiterated the connection, describing Vector Sigma as "the Allspark" in "[[Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!]]". A year or two later, [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' guidebook did the same for the Matrix of Leadership, describing it as a conduit for the life-giving power of Primus (as in the Marvel comic), a container of great wisdom (as in the cartoon), and the source and destination of all sparks (as in the ''Beast'' cartoons). With all these links in place, the Alpha Trion contradiction mentioned above suddenly took on new meaning: he was not within either the Matrix ''or'' Vector Sigma, but within the afterlife realm, which was merely being ''accessed'' by these two items. As a final touch, in 2006, the bio of the e-Hobby exclusive "Laser" [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] figure explained why the Autobot leaders from the Generation 1 cartoon had appeared as individuals within the afterlife when ''Beast Machines'' had established this should not be the case: those who had held the Matrix of Leadership were exempt from this rule, and retained their individuality.

Following ''Beast Machines'', which favored the "Matrix" name in-show despite the secondary moniker it introduced, "Allspark" became the standard term used to refer to the afterlife, presumably to avoid confusion with the physical Matrix object. This held for several years, until the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 live-action movie]] and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon used "AllSpark" (with a camelCase "S") as the name of the [[AllSpark|ancient object]] that was the source of Transformer life in these continuities (itself identified as a "[[sacred implement]]" like the Matrix and Vector Sigma by Takara's [[World of the Transformers]] website). Faced with finding a new way to avoid confusion, ''Animated'' referred to the afterlife not as the "Allspark," but as the "Well of All Sparks," after a location introduced in Dreamwave's comics which was itself another means of accessing the realm, while the movies simply avoided referring to the afterlife by any kind of name or identifier. The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon, however, did not replicate either solution, resulting in a somewhat confusing depiction of the Allspark/AllSpark in "[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]" that practically treated the physical object and the afterlife realm as if they were the same thing—not unlike the treatment of the Matrix in the Generation 1 cartoon, but with the weight of history against it. Such conflation was probably inevitable given the afterlife had three different names, each one shared with an item or location connected to it; in 2011, [[IDW Publishing]] sought to sidestep such issues by providing a fourth, original name, the "Afterspark," introduced in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''.

{{--}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:RoOP2 enter the matrix.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Injured in battle with the [[Decepticon]]s in 2005, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s lifeforce temporarily retreated into the [[Matrix of Leadership]], where he was offered confusing glimpses of the Transformers' history that implied a connection with the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Desperate to learn more about the evil aliens and why they were targeting the Transformers, Rodimus voluntarily short-circuited himself so that he could travel into the Matrix once again. This time, he was greeted by the spirits of the deceased leaders who had come before him, who took him on a guided tour through twelve million years of Cybertronian history that revealed the full extent of their origins. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

When Optimus Prime was returned to life in 2006, he entered the Matrix in the hope that amongst the wisdom it contained was a cure for the [[Hate Plague]] currently ravaging the galaxy. Welcomed back to the afterlife by the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus journeyed back through history to consult the earliest known entity within the Matrix, "[[It]]," who revealed that the unthinking rage brought on by the spores could be counteracted by the wisdom found within the Matrix itself. Prime emptied the Matrix to cure the plague, {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}} but subsequently used its empty shell to reactivate [[Vector Sigma]] so that he could commune with Alpha Trion once more, seeking answers about the Decepticon's theft of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
[[File:Legends trion finds magnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.25]]
Following [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s death in 2011, {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} his temporary custodianship of the Matrix saw him inducted into the ranks of past Autobot leaders who retained their individuality in the afterlife. Decades later, when [[Galvatron II]] arrived from another dimension, Magnus sensed the danger from within the Matrix. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#G-2|G-2 Laser Ultra Magnus bio}} Requiring help to battle Galvatron, Optimus Prime called upon Alpha Trion's spirit—now bonded to the Matrix after he had restored it from its emptied state {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}—to help him resurrect Magnus. Trion ventured into the afterlife and located Magnus's spirit, then used his Matrix-granted powers to bring both Magnus and himself back to life. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#Resurrection Chapter|Resurrection Chapter}}

The indestructible nature of the treacherous Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s mutant spark meant that when he died, rather than go to the afterlife, he found himself in the twilight realm of [[Limbo]], between life and death. From there, Starscream created a [[flip-soul|crystal]] that allowed him to return to the physical plane as a ghost. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

After his death in the war against the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s, {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|The Cost of Victory}} [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spirit ended up in the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rattrap)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} As a ghost, Rhinox was able to fight and defeat fellow ghost Starscream. Afterwards, Rhinox had his soul placed into a fully-functional body built in the Legends Universe, and he returned to his home universe with his friends. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rhinox)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

{{-}}

===Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[File:ComingoftheFuzors2 other side of the matrix.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25]]
The Beast Warriors' first reference to the Matrix came when Tigatron swore by it as an exclamation of shock. {{storylink|The Probe}} When [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] perished, [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] said a prayer for his spark to "join the Matrix, the finest of Cybertron." {{storylink|Code of Hero}} [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was heard to invoke it as a threat; when firing what he thought was a killing shot at [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], he mockingly declared "Time to go back to the Matrix, hero!" {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

When Optimus Primal perished in a [[transwarp]] explosion and his spark crossed over into "the other side of the Matrix," the nature of the explosion meant that it left a trans-ion trail behind, an ethereal pathway leading into the great beyond. Piggybacking on this trail, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was able to project his own consciousness into the afterlife, where he located Primal's spark, bringing it back to reality and implanting it into a blank [[protoform]], restoring Primal to life. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|Miscellaneous overlapping voices (English)}}
{{quote|We are all but fragments of the Matrix, which releases each of us in order to struggle, and grow, and evolve—so when we return to it, ''it'' may grow and evolve. Thus do we serve the Matrix, not just by battling, but also by acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and experiencing love.|Optimus Primal|[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]}}

[[File:BMEndgame2 Optimus allspark vision.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Upon their return to Cybertron, Optimus Primal and his Maximals were summoned to the planet's depths by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] supercomputer. Thanks to his "receptive spark," Primal was able to interface with the Oracle, and via its Vector Sigma core, commune with the Matrix itself—referred to by the Oracle as "the Allspark that links everyone and everything that ever lived or ever will live." {{storylink|The Reformatting}} Through this link, Primal would often experience prophetic, metaphorical visions that steered him on a mission that he believed was the Matrix's purpose for him: to restore organic matter to Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} It was while he was in the middle of such a communion that Primal found himself unexpectedly joined on this higher plane of consciousness by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], whose [[spark]] had been separated from her body during a battle with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. Blackarachnia was confused, but Primal explained that all Transformers were linked through the Matrix. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[File:Fallout primal enters allspark.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]

It was also through communion with the Oracle and the Allspark that Primal discovered Rhinox's spark was trapped within the Vehicon general [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. As Tankor, Rhinox manipulated Optimus and Megatron into releasing the energies of the Plasma Energy Chamber and the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the resultant clash between the two threatened to destroy the planet, with Tankor as one of its first victims. In the heart of the maelstrom, Primal found himself drifting into the Matrix once more, where Rhinox's spark appeared to impart a final message. Spurred on, Primal was able to take control of the forces ravaging Cybertron and directed them through the Oracle, into the Matrix itself. In doing so, however, Primal destroyed himself, and his own spark began to join the Matrix. Just before he merged with it, he had another vision that finally made clear what the Matrix's mission for him was: not to ''replace'' the planet's technology with organic matter, but to unite the two and create a [[technorganic]] Cybertron. Realizing his work was not yet done, Primal's spark refused to join the Matrix, and he returned to the physical world to continue leading his Maximals. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}

[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] saw the Allspark when the Oracle granted her a vision of what had been happening to Cybertron. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Soon after, when Optimus petitioned the Oracle for aid in fighting the final battle against Megatron's forces, the Allspark itself answered the call, super-charging the sparks of the Maximals with the energy of the innumerable sparks that made up its being. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Optimus subsequently perished defeating Megatron and his spark appeared one last time to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] through his own newfound connection to the Oracle before departing to join the Matrix. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====Singularity Ablyss====
During his ongoing battles with the Maximals for control of the sparks of Cybertron, Megatron's own spark became separated from his body. Against his own wishes, his spark began to drift into the next world, where it was greeted by the spark of the deceased Rhinox. The Maximal explained that he was to serve as Megatron's guide through the "[[Tree of Life]]" that linked the physical world to the Allspark, and that he would lead him through the eight "levels" on the tree, each one repsenting a different emotion or ethic that would educate Megatron's spark in preparation for his arrival at the "top" of the tree and his merging with the Allspark. Revulsed at the notion of losing his individuality, Megatron fought back, obliterating Rhinox's spark and returning to the material world to continue his plans. (Written by Beast Machines Story Editor Robert N. Skir, this short story was published in the anthology Transformers Legends, and runs parallel to the episode "Demon-Haunted World, written by Nick DuBois.) {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}

===Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity===
[[File:Vector Primevs.Megatron.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
In [[Aurex 802.23 Alpha|this reality]], sparks emerge from the Allspark via something called the "Iacon chamber." {{storylink|Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion}} Characters could be heard to swear by the Allspark, and [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] once referred to death as being sent to "meet the Allspark." {{storylink|Trap}}

When [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] died defending Earth against the threat of the [[Hydra Cannon]], the [[Mini-Con]]s were able to resurrect him by recovering his spark from the great beyond via the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Miracle}}

After [[Vector Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] met their ends during the quest for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, their spirits were shown duelling one another in the next world. {{storylink|Beginning}}

Mini-Cons have what is essentially their own version of the Allspark, called the [[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage]]. {{storylink|Linkage (comic)|Linkage}}
{{-}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
Uniquely, the afterlife is referred to as the "Well of All Sparks" in this dimension, first referenced by the Autobot medic [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] when wryly commenting on the non-life-threatening severity of injuries received by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]: "Well, he's not quite ready to join the Well of All Sparks, if you know what I mean." {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

In order to sufficiently reconstitute the shattered AllSpark crystal, Prowl added his own spark to the crystal mass. He died in the process, but his spark did not move on to the afterlife, instead persisting as a ghost. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

{{note|Had ''Animated'' been renewed for a fourth season, a further episode would have explored Prowl's adventures as a ghost, possessing Transformers animated by AllSpark fragments.}}

===Live-action film series===
[[File:ROTF-sixprimes.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
While carrying the knowledge of the [[AllSpark]] in his mind, [[Sam Witwicky]] was gravely wounded by a blast from [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. As his body lay apparently dead, his consciousness ascended into the Transformer afterlife, where he was met by the [[Dynasty of Primes]]. Congratulating Sam on his valiant efforts to resurrect the fallen [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], the Primes revealed that by being willing to die in Optimus's name, Sam's had proven himself worthy of the power of the Matrix of Leadership. The Primes then returned him to the material world so he could complete his mission and use the Matrix to revive Optimus. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:DoOP afterspark.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|Optimus Prime initially mistook the blighted, primordial landscape of the transformed Cybertron for the Afterspark.]]
The afterlife is typically referred to as the "Afterspark," though when [[Nominus Prime]] was given a grand funeral, it was said to honor his "ascension to the Allspark". {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

According to legend, the Afterspark had been created by the [[Guiding Hand]] after the [[God War]] so that Cybertronians could live forever following their deaths. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}} One interpretation of the Afterspark was that it was an informational cloud with skies of program code and mountains of ancient data. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}}

After awakening from his "sacrifice" to cleanse [[Vector Sigma]] of the [[D-Void]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] thought he was in the Afterspark. Subsequent exploration soon revealed his belief to be incorrect; the world was [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself in a period of rebirth. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} The massive changes to the planet caused [[Hipotank]] to ask the Autobots "What in the Afterspark have you done?" {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

During a discussion on [[Primus]], [[Ore]] told [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] that he didn't believe in the Afterspark or any other afterlife for that matter. Once Ore suddenly vanished, the more religious Swerve assumed that Primus had intervened and sent the poor soul to the Afterspark. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] was similarly skeptical, but considered himself agnostic rather than atheist, because while he considered the existence of the Afterspark to be in doubt, he had no doubts that Hell was real—and that he had created it in [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]] prison. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

"Afterspark" was also utilized in insults. When [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] casually mentioned killing other bots, [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] denounced him "Afterspark-spawned". {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}}

[[File:Unicron6 Spirits of the Dead.jpg|thumb|200px|right|"''This'' is the Bad Place!"]]

[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Onyx Prime]] referred to [[infraspace]] as a limbo between the land of living and the afterlife. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|Ghost in the Machine}}

On [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], devout adherents of the [[Way of Flame]] believe in reincarnation: the Sparks of the departed return to the forge of [[Solus Prime]], which burns beneath the Primal Wellspring, and are eventually reborn as new Cybertronians. {{storylink|The Life of Sideswipe}}

After an accident with the [[Warren]], [[Team Rodimus]] found themselves on [[Mederi]] which presented itself to them as [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]'s interpretation of the Afterspark based on his powerful desire to reunite with the believed to be deceased [[Tailgate (G1)|Taligate]]. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

Though all the myths and legends of Cybertron had been disproved, [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] managed to use the [[Enigma of Combination]] and the "Earth-Enigma" to tap into a metaphysical realm populated by the spirits of deceased Cybertronians, alongside fallen [[human]]s and [[Space Knight]]s, though whether this realm truly was the Afterspark is unclear. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

===Aligned continuity family===
[[File:PredaconsRising allspark.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1]]
In this world, the distinction between the afterlife and the sacred implement used to access it is harder to define. At first, it seemed as if there was a physical AllSpark object through which the afterlife was accessed, kept within the [[Well of All Sparks]], {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} but later, it was explained the "physical" Allspark was actually nothing of the sort: it was ethereal energy, which was placed within a container built by [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] so that it could be launched into space and put beyond Megatron's reach. The language used to describe the energy was vague, but spoke of how it was "extracted from the ether" and was made up of "a multitude of sparks," suggesting that the energy might have actually been that of the Allspark realm itself, drawn into the material world. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

[[File:Rebellion prime sees the light.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2|Don't go into the light, there's a whole season left yet!]]
As [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] lay dying, he had a vision of approaching the Allspark and speaking with Alpha Trion, who invited him to join it. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}} The power of the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] saved Optimus's life, and he returned to the material plane to resume his war with Megatron, which culminated in Megatron's death at [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s hands—but Megatron was soon to learn that ''his'' spark was ''unable'' to join the Allspark, as it was forever marked with the taint of [[Unicron]]'s evil by [[Dark Energon]]. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

When Optimus recovered the reliquary containing the Allspark, he found it necessary to empty the container so it could be used as a prison for Unicron's dark spark. To keep safe the energy of the Allspark, he transferred it from the container into the Matrix of Leadership, bonded to his own spark. Gravely, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokscreen]] realized that Optimus had quite literally enacted the metaphysical concept of becoming "one with the Allspark." Only by sacrificing his own life could Prime release the energy of the Allspark, returning it to the Well of All Sparks and restoring Cybertron's ability to generate new life. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}} However, before his own spark could join the Allspark, it was intercepted by the [[Thirteen|legendary Primes]] and transported to the [[Realm of the Primes|their realm]], {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} from whence he was resurrected. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe12 afterlife.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
After being slain by the god-emperor [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s sparks embarked on the journey to their eternal rest, travelling across a digital wireframe plane. Informed by the spirit of Alpha Trion that as they were not guaranteed a place in the pantheon of the Matrix, they had to prove their worth by facing the weird landscape's many perils, including [[Kremzeek (G1)|Kremzeek]], the "eater of souls", who threatened to consume their lifeforces before they could transcend to the next world. Grimlock struggled along the way, weighed down by the metaphorically representative burden of his sword, but Prime helped him, and together they climbed a winding mountain pain, where they were confronted by the [[Bludgeon (G1)|Angel of Death]], who told them that only those possessing the "[[Key to Vector Sigma|Key to Vector Stigmata]]" could cross over into the Matrix. Prime realized that the wounds on his body were the key, but the angel would not permit him to bring Grimlock with him. Prime traded Grimlock the key for his sword, and allowed the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] to take his place in the Matrix. From his new seat in the afterlife, Grimlock tormented the talisman's current holder, Megatron himself, mockingly telling him there was nowhere he could hide from him. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} [[Scarlett]] subsequently used [[Doctor Venom]]'s [[Brainwave Scanner]] to induce a transcendental experience, allowing her to make contact with Optimus Prime's spirit and guide it back to his repaired body. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
After his death at the hands of the [[GoBot]] [[Vamp]], the [[Maximal]] [[Overshoot]] was faced with a choice: he could either join the Allspark — and abandon his partner [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] — or remain in the material plane, forever forsaking his chance to transcend to the next life. He chose the latter option, remaining an incorporeal presence who could prod the thoughts of his ex-partner. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}

Following the end of the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]], Overshoot, his job in this life done, rejoined the Oracle, reaching transcendence of a sort. {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Notes==
[[File:Ffod tree of life.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]
*When Rodimus Prime gains his first glimpse of the afterlife in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]", he is shown travelling down a purple-walled corridor, and experiences a psychedlic vision of flying mathematical formula which then explode (see collage, at right). The prose story "Singularity Ablyss" by ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]], ''also'' included these pieces of imagery during its description of Megatron's journey into the afterlife—but only as the result of an absolutely ''incredible'' coincidence, as Skir had never seen the G1 episode!
*[[Unicron]]'s ''Transformers: Armada'' 2003 Fleer/Skybox trading card—the first new modern retelling of the Unicron/Primus origin story—claimed that "the All Spark" was responsible for birthing both him and Primus. This doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense, and when the story was recounted in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' within the following year, the "All Spark" was replaced with [[The One]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Matrix Zone''' (マトリクスゾーン ''Matorikusu Zōn'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Huǒzhǒng Yuán''' (火种源, "Origin of Sparks")

==See also==
*[[Primus]]
*[[Vector Sigma]]
*[[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage]]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising]]
[[Category:Dimensions]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1]]
[[Category:Interjections]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]

Transformer afterlife

2019-03-22T17:34:47Z

Toonscribe1961: /* Conceptual history */

{{Disambig3.5|the afterlife|the life giving object|AllSpark|Allspark}}

[[File:Theallspark.jpg|upright=2|thumb|The Allspark. Yes, it does kind of look like a big sperm on purpose.]]
Whereas [[human]]kind has fought wars over the meaning behind life and death, the [[Transformer]] race is fortunate enough to possess a sense of security in knowing for certain that their lifeforce will persist in some form when they pass on from the material plane to the '''Transformer afterlife'''.

At the heart of an endless, cyclical process of birth, [[death]] and resurrection, the Cybertronian afterlife is an extradimensional realm that is the living essence of their creator [[Primus]]. It is the wellspring from which all Transformers' [[spark]]s are born, and the place to which they return when they die. When a Transformer is brought online, it is commonly through use of a [[sacred implement]] which serves as a means of access to Primus's realm. Through this implement, a spark departs the afterlife and enters the new Transformer's body, granting it life. The Transformer then lives out their life, and upon the moment of their death, their spark will return whence it came, taking with it all the emotions, experiences, and knowledge that the Transformer has gained throughout their time online. All this information is suffused into the collective essence of the afterlife, gathering with that derived from all other sparks from throughout time, forming a collection of information known as the "Wisdom of the Ages".

There is little individuality in the great beyond; deceased Transformers lose all sense of self-awareness as their experiences become one with all the others in the afterlife and they effectively cease to exist as a singular entity. However, some Transformers do retain their individuality—typically, those who have had close contact with sacred implements, such as the Autobots who have carried the [[Matrix of Leadership]]—and can serve as guides for any visitors to their realm.

The afterlife is known by many names in many different [[universal stream]]s, often shared with the names of sacred implements and locations that allow access to it; these include the '''Matrix''', the '''Allspark''', the '''Well of All Sparks''', and the '''Afterspark'''. If considered the analog of "heaven" in the Transformers' belief system, its "underworld" counterpart is [[Pit|The Pit]], but there is no evidence that realm actually exists.

{{bigquote|Where...all are one.|[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] after travelling through the Allspark|"[[Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)]]"}}

==Conceptual history==
[[File:FFoD4 rodimus ancient robot.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|Rodimus Prime ventures into the Matrix, guided by the spirit of [[Primon|an ancient robot]].]]
The concept of the Transformers having an afterlife to which they go when they expire has existed since near the beginning of the line, and has evolved and coalesced over the last thirty years. The history of this development is covered here for clarity; for the specifics on the different interpretations in various continuities, see the "Fiction" section below.

The very beginnings can be found in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], which introduced the Autobot [[Matrix of Leadership]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. The Matrix was a powerful, ancient talisman, revealed in the episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" to be a vessel containing the "life forces" of its previous bearers, who stood sentinel over the accumulated "Wisdom of the Ages" within the Matrix and guided [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] through its depths. Additionally, the deceased Autobot [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] was shown to exist within both the Matrix in "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]" and the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]]—source of Transformer life in this continuity—in "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]"; this was a contradiction at the time, but would become hugely relevant years later.

While the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Generation 1 Marvel comic]] had debuted its version of the Matrix, the Creation Matrix, ''before'' the cartoon under writer [[Bob Budiansky]], it was not until after the cartoon introduced these concepts that writer [[Simon Furman]] expanded on the nature of the comic's Matrix. Under Budiansky, the Matrix had already established to be the source of new Transformer life in the comic continuity, while Furman further revealed it to be a vessel containing the essence and power of the Transformers' creator and god Primus, in addition to explaining that all Transformer life-forces are fragments of Primus' own.

[[File:TheReformatting allspark oracle.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.35|''Beast Machines'' was responsible for clearly explaining most of the mechanics of the afterlife, which it depicted as a huge mass of sparks when seen from the "outside."]]

It was the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon that took understanding of Transformer life to the next level when it established the concept of [[spark]]s, a Transformer's "soul." Sparks, it was explained, came from somewhere or something called "the Matrix," and returned to this realm when they died. Additionally, the Transformers could often be heard swearing "by the Matrix," indicating its reverential place in their belief system. Behind the scenes, ''Beast Wars'' writers [[Bob Forward]] and [[Larry DiTillio]] did not have the specifics of this "Matrix" fleshed out; they envisioned it variously as a mysterious facility on Cybertron from which Maximal protoforms emerged, or as the nebula that was home to the cartoon's enigmatic aliens, the [[Vok]], thus making those creatures responsible for Transformer life in the Beast Era. The latter idea was never used (and has since been pushed well out of the realm of possibility by subsequent fiction) while the former would later be officialized over a decade later in the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] story "[[The Razor's Edge]]." Regardless, it was ''Beast Wars'' own sequel series ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'' that was first to expand on what this "Matrix" truly was, forging it into the central concept of its own storyline. ''Beast Machines'' introduced an additional name for the Matrix, the "Allspark" (a term coined by Story Editor Robert N. Skir), and established it to be the realm from which all Transformer sparks "that ever lived, or ever will live" come from, cementing the vast majority of the details covered in the top section of this article.

[[File:RebirthPt2 optimus and alpha.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.35|This scene from "[[The Rebirth, Part 2]]", depicting Alpha Trion inside Vector Sigma, was contradicted by an earlier scene from "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]" that showed him within the Matrix. The discontinuity was retroactively corrected when the details of the afterlife were further explored.]]

In ''Beast Machines'', the Allspark was accessed by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] supercomputer, at the core of which was Vector Sigma, tying back into the Generation 1 cartoon and indicating how the computer had been able to provide life in its version of events. The ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 cartoon)|Robots in Disguise]]'' cartoon soon reiterated the connection, describing Vector Sigma as "the Allspark" in "[[Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!]]". A year or two later, [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' guidebook did the same for the Matrix of Leadership, describing it as a conduit for the life-giving power of Primus (as in the Marvel comic), a container of great wisdom (as in the cartoon), and the source and destination of all sparks (as in the ''Beast'' cartoons). With all these links in place, the Alpha Trion contradiction mentioned above suddenly took on new meaning: he was not within either the Matrix ''or'' Vector Sigma, but within the afterlife realm, which was merely being ''accessed'' by these two items. As a final touch, in 2006, the bio of the e-Hobby exclusive "Laser" [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] figure explained why the Autobot leaders from the Generation 1 cartoon had appeared as individuals within the afterlife when ''Beast Machines'' had established this should not be the case: those who had held the Matrix of Leadership were exempt from this rule, and retained their individuality.

Following ''Beast Machines'', which favored the "Matrix" name in-show despite the secondary moniker it introduced, "Allspark" became the standard term used to refer to the afterlife, presumably to avoid confusion with the physical Matrix object. This held for several years, until the [[Movie (franchise)|2007 live-action movie]] and ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers Animated]]'' cartoon used "AllSpark" (with a camelCase "S") as the name of the [[AllSpark|ancient object]] that was the source of Transformer life in these continuities (itself identified as a "[[sacred implement]]" like the Matrix and Vector Sigma by Takara's [[World of the Transformers]] website). Faced with finding a new way to avoid confusion, ''Animated'' referred to the afterlife not as the "Allspark," but as the "Well of All Sparks," after a location introduced in Dreamwave's comics which was itself another means of accessing the realm, while the movies simply avoided referring to the afterlife by any kind of name or identifier. The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' cartoon, however, did not replicate either solution, resulting in a somewhat confusing depiction of the Allspark/AllSpark in "[[Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising]]" that practically treated the physical object and the afterlife realm as if they were the same thing—not unlike the treatment of the Matrix in the Generation 1 cartoon, but with the weight of history against it. Such conflation was probably inevitable given the afterlife had three different names, each one shared with an item or location connected to it; in 2011, [[IDW Publishing]] sought to sidestep such issues by providing a fourth, original name, the "Afterspark," introduced in ''[[Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]''.

{{--}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:RoOP2 enter the matrix.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Injured in battle with the [[Decepticon]]s in 2005, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s lifeforce temporarily retreated into the [[Matrix of Leadership]], where he was offered confusing glimpses of the Transformers' history that implied a connection with the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}} Desperate to learn more about the evil aliens and why they were targeting the Transformers, Rodimus voluntarily short-circuited himself so that he could travel into the Matrix once again. This time, he was greeted by the spirits of the deceased leaders who had come before him, who took him on a guided tour through twelve million years of Cybertronian history that revealed the full extent of their origins. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

When Optimus Prime was returned to life in 2006, he entered the Matrix in the hope that amongst the wisdom it contained was a cure for the [[Hate Plague]] currently ravaging the galaxy. Welcomed back to the afterlife by the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], Optimus journeyed back through history to consult the earliest known entity within the Matrix, "[[It]]," who revealed that the unthinking rage brought on by the spores could be counteracted by the wisdom found within the Matrix itself. Prime emptied the Matrix to cure the plague, {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}} but subsequently used its empty shell to reactivate [[Vector Sigma]] so that he could commune with Alpha Trion once more, seeking answers about the Decepticon's theft of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber|key]] to the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]]. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
[[File:Legends trion finds magnus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2.25]]
Following [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s death in 2011, {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} his temporary custodianship of the Matrix saw him inducted into the ranks of past Autobot leaders who retained their individuality in the afterlife. Decades later, when [[Galvatron II]] arrived from another dimension, Magnus sensed the danger from within the Matrix. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#G-2|G-2 Laser Ultra Magnus bio}} Requiring help to battle Galvatron, Optimus Prime called upon Alpha Trion's spirit—now bonded to the Matrix after he had restored it from its emptied state {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}—to help him resurrect Magnus. Trion ventured into the afterlife and located Magnus's spirit, then used his Matrix-granted powers to bring both Magnus and himself back to life. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue#Resurrection Chapter|Resurrection Chapter}}

The indestructible nature of the treacherous Decepticon [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]'s mutant spark meant that when he died, rather than go to the afterlife, he found himself in the twilight realm of [[Limbo]], between life and death. From there, Starscream created a [[flip-soul|crystal]] that allowed him to return to the physical plane as a ghost. {{storylink|MP-3G Destron Air Commander / Starscream Ghost Ver.}}

After his death in the war against the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s, {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|The Cost of Victory}} [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s spirit ended up in the [[Legends World|Legends Universe]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rattrap)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} As a ghost, Rhinox was able to fight and defeat fellow ghost Starscream. Afterwards, Rhinox had his soul placed into a fully-functional body built in the Legends Universe, and he returned to his home universe with his friends. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Rhinox)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}}

{{-}}

===Beast Era===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
[[File:ComingoftheFuzors2 other side of the matrix.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.25]]
The Beast Warriors' first reference to the Matrix came when Tigatron swore by it as an exclamation of shock. {{storylink|The Probe}} When [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] perished, [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] said a prayer for his spark to "join the Matrix, the finest of Cybertron." {{storylink|Code of Hero}} [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was heard to invoke it as a threat; when firing what he thought was a killing shot at [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], he mockingly declared "Time to go back to the Matrix, hero!" {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

When Optimus Primal perished in a [[transwarp]] explosion and his spark crossed over into "the other side of the Matrix," the nature of the explosion meant that it left a trans-ion trail behind, an ethereal pathway leading into the great beyond. Piggybacking on this trail, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was able to project his own consciousness into the afterlife, where he located Primal's spark, bringing it back to reality and implanting it into a blank [[protoform]], restoring Primal to life. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|Miscellaneous overlapping voices (English)}}
{{quote|We are all but fragments of the Matrix, which releases each of us in order to struggle, and grow, and evolve—so when we return to it, ''it'' may grow and evolve. Thus do we serve the Matrix, not just by battling, but also by acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and experiencing love.|Optimus Primal|[[Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future]]}}

[[File:BMEndgame2 Optimus allspark vision.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Upon their return to Cybertron, Optimus Primal and his Maximals were summoned to the planet's depths by the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] supercomputer. Thanks to his "receptive spark," Primal was able to interface with the Oracle, and via its Vector Sigma core, commune with the Matrix itself—referred to by the Oracle as "the Allspark that links everyone and everything that ever lived or ever will live." {{storylink|The Reformatting}} Through this link, Primal would often experience prophetic, metaphorical visions that steered him on a mission that he believed was the Matrix's purpose for him: to restore organic matter to Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} It was while he was in the middle of such a communion that Primal found himself unexpectedly joined on this higher plane of consciousness by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], whose [[spark]] had been separated from her body during a battle with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]. Blackarachnia was confused, but Primal explained that all Transformers were linked through the Matrix. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[File:Fallout primal enters allspark.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]

It was also through communion with the Oracle and the Allspark that Primal discovered Rhinox's spark was trapped within the Vehicon general [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. As Tankor, Rhinox manipulated Optimus and Megatron into releasing the energies of the Plasma Energy Chamber and the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the resultant clash between the two threatened to destroy the planet, with Tankor as one of its first victims. In the heart of the maelstrom, Primal found himself drifting into the Matrix once more, where Rhinox's spark appeared to impart a final message. Spurred on, Primal was able to take control of the forces ravaging Cybertron and directed them through the Oracle, into the Matrix itself. In doing so, however, Primal destroyed himself, and his own spark began to join the Matrix. Just before he merged with it, he had another vision that finally made clear what the Matrix's mission for him was: not to ''replace'' the planet's technology with organic matter, but to unite the two and create a [[technorganic]] Cybertron. Realizing his work was not yet done, Primal's spark refused to join the Matrix, and he returned to the physical world to continue leading his Maximals. {{storylink|Fallout (episode)|Fallout}}

[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] saw the Allspark when the Oracle granted her a vision of what had been happening to Cybertron. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Soon after, when Optimus petitioned the Oracle for aid in fighting the final battle against Megatron's forces, the Allspark itself answered the call, super-charging the sparks of the Maximals with the energy of the innumerable sparks that made up its being. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Optimus subsequently perished defeating Megatron and his spark appeared one last time to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] through his own newfound connection to the Oracle before departing to join the Matrix. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====Singularity Ablyss====
During his ongoing battles with the Maximals for control of the sparks of Cybertron, Megatron's own spark became separated from his body. Against his own wishes, his spark began to drift into the next world, where it was greeted by the spark of the deceased Rhinox. The Maximal explained that he was to serve as Megatron's guide through the "[[Tree of Life]]" that linked the physical world to the Allspark, and that he would lead him through the eight "levels" on the tree, each one repsenting a different emotion or ethic that would educate Megatron's spark in preparation for his arrival at the "top" of the tree and his merging with the Allspark. Revulsed at the notion of losing his individuality, Megatron fought back, obliterating Rhinox's spark and returning to the material world to continue his plans. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}

===Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity===
[[File:Vector Primevs.Megatron.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]
In [[Aurex 802.23 Alpha|this reality]], sparks emerge from the Allspark via something called the "Iacon chamber." {{storylink|Rebellion (Armada)|Rebellion}} Characters could be heard to swear by the Allspark, and [[Starscream (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Starscream]] once referred to death as being sent to "meet the Allspark." {{storylink|Trap}}

When [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] died defending Earth against the threat of the [[Hydra Cannon]], the [[Mini-Con]]s were able to resurrect him by recovering his spark from the great beyond via the Matrix of Leadership. {{storylink|Miracle}}

After [[Vector Prime]] and [[Megatron (Armada)/Cartoon continuity|Megatron]] met their ends during the quest for the [[Cyber Planet Key]]s, their spirits were shown duelling one another in the next world. {{storylink|Beginning}}

Mini-Cons have what is essentially their own version of the Allspark, called the [[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage]]. {{storylink|Linkage (comic)|Linkage}}
{{-}}

===''Animated'' cartoon===
Uniquely, the afterlife is referred to as the "Well of All Sparks" in this dimension, first referenced by the Autobot medic [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] when wryly commenting on the non-life-threatening severity of injuries received by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]: "Well, he's not quite ready to join the Well of All Sparks, if you know what I mean." {{storylink|Transform and Roll Out}}

In order to sufficiently reconstitute the shattered AllSpark crystal, Prowl added his own spark to the crystal mass. He died in the process, but his spark did not move on to the afterlife, instead persisting as a ghost. {{storylink|Endgame, Part II}}

{{note|Had ''Animated'' been renewed for a fourth season, a further episode would have explored Prowl's adventures as a ghost, possessing Transformers animated by AllSpark fragments.}}

===Live-action film series===
[[File:ROTF-sixprimes.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
While carrying the knowledge of the [[AllSpark]] in his mind, [[Sam Witwicky]] was gravely wounded by a blast from [[Megatron (Movie)|Megatron]]. As his body lay apparently dead, his consciousness ascended into the Transformer afterlife, where he was met by the [[Dynasty of Primes]]. Congratulating Sam on his valiant efforts to resurrect the fallen [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], the Primes revealed that by being willing to die in Optimus's name, Sam's had proven himself worthy of the power of the Matrix of Leadership. The Primes then returned him to the material world so he could complete his mission and use the Matrix to revive Optimus. {{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:DoOP afterspark.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.5|Optimus Prime initially mistook the blighted, primordial landscape of the transformed Cybertron for the Afterspark.]]
The afterlife is typically referred to as the "Afterspark," though when [[Nominus Prime]] was given a grand funeral, it was said to honor his "ascension to the Allspark". {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 2: Patternism|Patternism}}

According to legend, the Afterspark had been created by the [[Guiding Hand]] after the [[God War]] so that Cybertronians could live forever following their deaths. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (2): The God War|The God War}} One interpretation of the Afterspark was that it was an informational cloud with skies of program code and mountains of ancient data. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (1): Metastasis|Metastasis}}

After awakening from his "sacrifice" to cleanse [[Vector Sigma]] of the [[D-Void]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]] thought he was in the Afterspark. Subsequent exploration soon revealed his belief to be incorrect; the world was [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself in a period of rebirth. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} The massive changes to the planet caused [[Hipotank]] to ask the Autobots "What in the Afterspark have you done?" {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}}

During a discussion on [[Primus]], [[Ore]] told [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] that he didn't believe in the Afterspark or any other afterlife for that matter. Once Ore suddenly vanished, the more religious Swerve assumed that Primus had intervened and sent the poor soul to the Afterspark. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations}} [[Tarn (DJD)|Tarn]] was similarly skeptical, but considered himself agnostic rather than atheist, because while he considered the existence of the Afterspark to be in doubt, he had no doubts that Hell was real—and that he had created it in [[Grindcore (prison)|Grindcore]] prison. {{storylink|Speak, Memory! (Part 2)}}

"Afterspark" was also utilized in insults. When [[Outback (G1)|Outback]] casually mentioned killing other bots, [[Jetfire (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Jetfire]] denounced him "Afterspark-spawned". {{storylink|New Cybertron End: Feel Safe Without Regrets|Feel Safe Without Regrets}}

[[File:Unicron6 Spirits of the Dead.jpg|thumb|200px|right|"''This'' is the Bad Place!"]]

[[Shockwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Onyx Prime]] referred to [[infraspace]] as a limbo between the land of living and the afterlife. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (IDW)|Ghost in the Machine}}

On [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]], devout adherents of the [[Way of Flame]] believe in reincarnation: the Sparks of the departed return to the forge of [[Solus Prime]], which burns beneath the Primal Wellspring, and are eventually reborn as new Cybertronians. {{storylink|The Life of Sideswipe}}

After an accident with the [[Warren]], [[Team Rodimus]] found themselves on [[Mederi]] which presented itself to them as [[Cyclonus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Cyclonus]]'s interpretation of the Afterspark based on his powerful desire to reunite with the believed to be deceased [[Tailgate (G1)|Taligate]]. {{storylink|The Everlasting Voices (3): You Are Here|You Are Here}}

Though all the myths and legends of Cybertron had been disproved, [[Soundwave (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Soundwave]] managed to use the [[Enigma of Combination]] and the "Earth-Enigma" to tap into a metaphysical realm populated by the spirits of deceased Cybertronians, alongside fallen [[human]]s and [[Space Knight]]s, though whether this realm truly was the Afterspark is unclear. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

===Aligned continuity family===
[[File:PredaconsRising allspark.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1]]
In this world, the distinction between the afterlife and the sacred implement used to access it is harder to define. At first, it seemed as if there was a physical AllSpark object through which the afterlife was accessed, kept within the [[Well of All Sparks]], {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} but later, it was explained the "physical" Allspark was actually nothing of the sort: it was ethereal energy, which was placed within a container built by [[Alpha Trion (WFC)|Alpha Trion]] so that it could be launched into space and put beyond Megatron's reach. The language used to describe the energy was vague, but spoke of how it was "extracted from the ether" and was made up of "a multitude of sparks," suggesting that the energy might have actually been that of the Allspark realm itself, drawn into the material world. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

[[File:Rebellion prime sees the light.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2|Don't go into the light, there's a whole season left yet!]]
As [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] lay dying, he had a vision of approaching the Allspark and speaking with Alpha Trion, who invited him to join it. {{storylink|Rebellion (Prime)|Rebellion}} The power of the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] saved Optimus's life, and he returned to the material plane to resume his war with Megatron, which culminated in Megatron's death at [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]]'s hands—but Megatron was soon to learn that ''his'' spark was ''unable'' to join the Allspark, as it was forever marked with the taint of [[Unicron]]'s evil by [[Dark Energon]]. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}}

When Optimus recovered the reliquary containing the Allspark, he found it necessary to empty the container so it could be used as a prison for Unicron's dark spark. To keep safe the energy of the Allspark, he transferred it from the container into the Matrix of Leadership, bonded to his own spark. Gravely, [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokscreen]] realized that Optimus had quite literally enacted the metaphysical concept of becoming "one with the Allspark." Only by sacrificing his own life could Prime release the energy of the Allspark, returning it to the Well of All Sparks and restoring Cybertron's ability to generate new life. {{storylink|Predacons Rising (Prime)|Predacons Rising}} However, before his own spark could join the Allspark, it was intercepted by the [[Thirteen|legendary Primes]] and transported to the [[Realm of the Primes|their realm]], {{storylink|Decepticon Island (Part 1)}} from whence he was resurrected. {{storylink|Battlegrounds, Part 1}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe12 afterlife.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75]]
After being slain by the god-emperor [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s sparks embarked on the journey to their eternal rest, travelling across a digital wireframe plane. Informed by the spirit of Alpha Trion that as they were not guaranteed a place in the pantheon of the Matrix, they had to prove their worth by facing the weird landscape's many perils, including [[Kremzeek (G1)|Kremzeek]], the "eater of souls", who threatened to consume their lifeforces before they could transcend to the next world. Grimlock struggled along the way, weighed down by the metaphorically representative burden of his sword, but Prime helped him, and together they climbed a winding mountain pain, where they were confronted by the [[Bludgeon (G1)|Angel of Death]], who told them that only those possessing the "[[Key to Vector Sigma|Key to Vector Stigmata]]" could cross over into the Matrix. Prime realized that the wounds on his body were the key, but the angel would not permit him to bring Grimlock with him. Prime traded Grimlock the key for his sword, and allowed the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] to take his place in the Matrix. From his new seat in the afterlife, Grimlock tormented the talisman's current holder, Megatron himself, mockingly telling him there was nowhere he could hide from him. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} [[Scarlett]] subsequently used [[Doctor Venom]]'s [[Brainwave Scanner]] to induce a transcendental experience, allowing her to make contact with Optimus Prime's spirit and guide it back to his repaired body. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
After his death at the hands of the [[GoBot]] [[Vamp]], the [[Maximal]] [[Overshoot]] was faced with a choice: he could either join the Allspark — and abandon his partner [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] — or remain in the material plane, forever forsaking his chance to transcend to the next life. He chose the latter option, remaining an incorporeal presence who could prod the thoughts of his ex-partner. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}

Following the end of the [[Vehicon Apocalypse]], Overshoot, his job in this life done, rejoined the Oracle, reaching transcendence of a sort. {{storylink|Derailment}}

==Notes==
[[File:Ffod tree of life.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]
*When Rodimus Prime gains his first glimpse of the afterlife in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2]]", he is shown travelling down a purple-walled corridor, and experiences a psychedlic vision of flying mathematical formula which then explode (see collage, at right). The prose story "Singularity Ablyss" by ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]], ''also'' included these pieces of imagery during its description of Megatron's journey into the afterlife—but only as the result of an absolutely ''incredible'' coincidence, as Skir had never seen the G1 episode!
*[[Unicron]]'s ''Transformers: Armada'' 2003 Fleer/Skybox trading card—the first new modern retelling of the Unicron/Primus origin story—claimed that "the All Spark" was responsible for birthing both him and Primus. This doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense, and when the story was recounted in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]'' within the following year, the "All Spark" was replaced with [[The One]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Matrix Zone''' (マトリクスゾーン ''Matorikusu Zōn'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Huǒzhǒng Yuán''' (火种源, "Origin of Sparks")

==See also==
*[[Primus]]
*[[Vector Sigma]]
*[[Linkage (dimension)|Linkage]]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Beast Machines]]
[[Category:Beast Wars]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising]]
[[Category:Dimensions]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:IDW Generation 1]]
[[Category:Interjections]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Revenge of the Fallen]]