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Jetfire (G1)

2025-10-25T19:52:25Z

Whalermouse: /* Why "Skyfire"? */

{{factions|decepticon|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{Disambigm|Jetfire (disambiguation)|Skyfire (disambiguation)}}
{{suite}}
:''Jetfire is an [[Autobot]] and former [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TFU Jetfire.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Science means that not all dreams can come true.]]

'''Jetfire''' (aka '''Skyfire''') is a bot of science, literally. Not only is his mind dedicated towards scientific pursuits, but his body is a testament to the technology he studies so intensely. (Some would say "religiously", but not in his presence.) Every inch of his chassis is cutting-edge and kept up-to-date. However, he does not have the trust of his teammates; it was not so long ago that he was a [[Decepticon]]. Jetfire is compassionate, so some Autobots feel that he could be soft on their enemies or, even worse, he may turn on them after realizing his "cold calculations" swing the other way.

Jetfire would find their misconceptions about science appalling. After all, is not science just the pursuit of truth? And truth, he maintains, walks hand-in-hand with liberty.

{{bigquote|Sorry, Sunstorm. I don't '''believe''' in destiny.|Jetfire|"[[Atonement]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Gregg Berger]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese, "Attack of the Autobots", "Day of the Machines")|[[Yin Chaobin]] (Chinese), [[Javier Pontón]] (American Spanish), [[Edgar Givry]] (European French), Unknown (European French, "Attack of the Autobots"), [[Olney Cazarré]] (Portuguese), [[Francisco José]] (Portuguese, "A Plague of Insecticons"), [[Zdeněk Dvořák]] (Czech), [[Robin van der Velden]] (Dutch)}}
[[File:Jetfireskyfire.jpg|left|upright=1.3|thumb|They dug him out of the Arctic to be their taxi.]]
[[MYA|Millions of years ago]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], before the war, Skyfire and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] were good friends and fellow scientists. On a mission of exploration to prehistoric [[Earth]], Skyfire was lost in a storm. Starscream searched, but there was no sign of his comrade. He returned home.

Millions of years later, after the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s had crashed and awoken on Earth, the Decepticons found Skyfire encased in a block of Arctic ice and revived him. Skyfire joined them due to his past friendship with Starscream, though he expressed discomfort with their methods. When Skyfire's compassion for [[human]]s and, later on, several Autobot prisoners led to his disobeying orders, Starscream, who had changed much in the intervening millennia, turned on his friend. Skyfire left the Decepticons and joined the Autobots, sacrificing himself to be buried beneath the ice again to stop the Decepticons' plans. The Autobots held a memorial service for him at the location of his involuntary burial. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}}

[[File:FireontheMountain Optimus pats Skyfire.jpg|thumb|Good boy, Skyfire. Wanna Snausage?]]
[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] returned later to dig him up when the Autobots needed a ride down to [[South America]]. [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and his Decepticons were in [[Peru]] seeking the [[Crystal of Power]], which was kept in an Incan temple. He dropped off [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] so they could see what the Decepticons were up to, but a short time later had to go back and rescue them—intercepting them mid-jump—to return to [[Ark (G1)|Headquarters]]. Collecting the other Autobots, he took them all to Peru and earned a pat on his nosecone from [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Scouting ahead, he arrived at the temple, only to be shot and disabled by Starscream. Skyfire was dumped inside the temple, where [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Luisa]] found him and effected emergency repairs while under attack from [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]]. Reactivated, Skyfire dealt with Ravage before giving the Autobots outside some much-needed aerial support as they attacked the Decepticon positions. He destroyed Megatron's cannon in a strafing attack and later helped Wheeljack cap the energy geyser that remained. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (episode)|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[File:TUD2 Skyfire catches Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.55| Grand Theft Skyfire.]]When the energies unleashed by Cybertron's presence in Earth's orbit caused activity in the volcano in which Headquarters was embedded, Skyfire evacuated the base with most of the rest of the Autobots. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], Windcharger and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were ejected from the top of the mountain in a violent eruption, and Skyfire swooped in to save them. Spike learned that [[Sparkplug Witwicky|his father]] had been taken to Cybertron, and Skyfire volunteered his services to fly the boy and several Autobots there. After some deft flying, they landed on the other planet, but Skyfire, Wheeljack and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] were separated from their smaller companions, who fell into a trap. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} The trio caught up with their fellows in time to rescue them from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]. Skyfire thanked Shockwave for blasting a hole in the wall large enough for him to fly through. He provided air support against some [[Seeker (body-type)|tetrajets]], allowing the ground-based Autobots to reach [[Wheeljack's workshop]]. Once Wheeljack worked out a way to counteract the [[hypno-chip]]s which the Decepticons were using to control humans, Skyfire ferried everyone back to Earth to put the invention to good use. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

[[File:PlagueofInsecticons Skyfire sitting in puddle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I'm perfectly all right, Susan."]]
Following strange reports of giant robotic insects in [[Bali]], Skyfire carried Brawn, Windcharger and Spike there, only to discover a field being consumed by the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s. Despite believing the trio would be a pushover, the Autobots found themselves outnumbered by clones, and the arrival of Megatron and a couple of his goons didn't improve the odds. Fortunately, the rest of the Autobots arrived and, after a brief fight, the Decepticons departed for an oil refinery. Some quick repairs were made on Skyfire to fix his ability to transform, and the Autobots began the pursuit. The Insecticons latched on to Skyfire's wings until Wheeljack was able to lend a hand, or rather, a couple of missiles. A short time later, Skyfire caught Brawn after the latter's failed attempt at a mid-air brawl. When they reached the refinery, he kicked the battle off by physically knocking the Insecticons off the [[oil tanker]] they were drinking from. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[File:AttackOTAutobots Jazz on Skyfire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|"I have an inside, you know."]]
Skyfire and most of the Autobots were distorted by Megatron's [[Personality destabilizer device|personality destabilizer]], turning them evil. As Skyfire was hunting down and blowing up human aircraft, Autobots who had been reverted to good by Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s arrived on scene and changed Skyfire back. He then flew the Autobots and humans to save Optimus Prime and the others. The Decepticons managed to launch a rocket they'd commandeered, so Skyfire dropped Optimus and Ratchet off on it so they could steal its cargo. As the Decepticons attempted to fight off the boarders, Jazz climbed on Skyfire's nose and used his [[sound and light show]] to provide a distraction. Finally, Skyfire flew them up into space, so the satellite from the rocket could be properly placed in orbit. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots (episode)|Attack of the Autobots}} When [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] was captured by the Decepticons, [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] blamed himself, but was persuaded by Sparkplug to try and rescue her. Hitching a lift with Skyfire, Ironhide located Bumblebee and Spike before bailing out so he could tell them what had happened to Carly. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[File:Skyfire Gerwalk.jpg|thumb|Mid-transformation, or a reference to the toy's "third mode"? CHOOSE WISELY.]]
Skyfire ferried Spike and Hound to the middle of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] to investigate an unexplained change to oil tanker shipping patterns that converged suspiciously close to [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]]. Flying overhead, the trio discovered that the bad bots were stealing the oil using a platform docking structure secured by a force field. Skyfire, Hound and Spike hid aboard one of the tankers and attacked Megatron and Hook as they siphoned the oil. As usual, Spike was captured by the Decepticons and held hostage, forcing Skyfire and Hound to surrender. Confined to a cell on a lower deck, Skyfire warned Spike to be careful of an [[electromagnet]] he found as the human put his escape plan into action. With Rumble and Ravage incapacitated by the magnet, Skyfire punched through the cell door. The three rushed to the control room for the force field generator. Skyfire and Spike kept [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] distracted as Hound blew up the generator, causing the force field dome to collapse. Facing defeat, Megatron activated the platform's self-destruct function, which left Skyfire and his two friends stuck inside as the structure began to sink. Optimus Prime ripped through the bulkhead above them, and the three were able to climb out. Skyfire then flew them all to safety. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

In [[2006]], Skyfire (or a very similar space vehicle) was briefly seen as part of the Autobot fleet attacking the [[Quintesson]]s. He was shot along with [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and several [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|Dark Awakening (episode)|Dark Awakening}}

{{Note|The Aerialbots were later shown to have survived, so Skyfire could possibly have survived as well... assuming it was actually him getting shot. Due to the number of [[animation error]]s in this episode, it is by no means guaranteed that these were the "real" Skyfire or Powerglide "really" perishing. However, in "[[Grimlock's New Brain]]" when [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] lists the then-active Autobots capable of spaceflight, he does not mention Skyfire.}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Dark Skyfire bio=====
In an era millions of years before the establishment of the Decepticon faction's army, Skyfire was specialized for outer space exploration, his entire body coated with a substance that protected it against unknown viruses, magnetic storms, and the like. Although he had a strong scientific curiosity, he agonized over it being at odds with his great combat skills. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Henkei! Henkei!|Dark Skyfire toy bio}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
In the late 1990s, Skyfire was led to Japan by Optimus Prime, along with a small team of other Autobots, to stop the Decepticons’ latest Energon-gathering scheme. Optimus ordered him to pursue Astrotrain to prevent the Decepticons from escaping with their loot. {{storylink|Activation}}

Skyfire was amongst the Autobots who once more confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the ''[[Trigger]]'' in Earth orbit. When Starscream combined himself with the Trigger to create a powerful new body for himself, Skyfire had to contend with the volley of asteroids thrown towards both Autobots and Decepticons from Starscream's star gate. He was then almost sucked into a portal to a black hole when Starscream neared defeat, but was instead sent plummeting down to Earth when Optimus and Megatron worked together to defeat Starscream. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
[[File:Transformers Legends LG07 Jetfiresuitsup.jpg|thumb|]]
In the late 1980s, Skyfire was at the Autobot base when [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] and [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]] wrecked its intruder alert in preparation for a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

As Skyfire grew more willing to fight for the sake of protecting innocents, he changed his name to Jetfire to symbolize his change as a person. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} In 2004, he and [[R-Blade]] were working with a piece of [[solitarium]] at the Autobot base when [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] attacked and blasted the material, causing an reaction that sent both him and Jetfire to [[Legends World|another dimension]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 6|Bonus Edition Vol. 6}} There, Jetfire witnessed [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] terrorizing the populace and stepped in to put a stop to it, blasting the villain so hard he turned back into the harmless [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]. He then used another solitarium stone to open a portal back home, inviting Tankor's directionless cohorts, [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]], to come with him and join the Autobots. They accepted, and Jetfire attended the unveiling of their new unit, the [[Wreckers]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 7|Bonus Edition Vol. 7}} {{storylink|Jumpstarter Chapter}} He later told [[Perceptor (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Perceptor]] of the Legends World. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 56|Bonus Edition Vol. 56}}

In [[2022]], Jetfire battled the forces of the [[Concurrence]] alongside [[Marissa Faireborn]]. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. EX (Greatshot)|Bonus Edition Vol. EX}} Over a decade later, he was present when Optimus Prime announced his plan to revive [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|LG14 Ultra Magnus Prologue}}

=====Train Wars=====
Once [[Shouki|Mach]], [[Getsuei|Night]], and [[Yukikaze (G1)|Snow]] stopped [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]'s attempt at hijacking [[Shiden|G Liner]] and stealing their still unactivated brothers, Jetfire assisted in the cleanup efforts. {{Storylink|The Train Wars: The Origin}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:Skyfire Headmasters Cameo.jpg|thumb|left]]
In [[2011]], Skyfire was present at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] (alongside [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]]) while the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] were repairing [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

=====Metrowars=====
While Jetfire was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] during its rebuilding following an attack from [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], the Decepticons attacked again. With fellow [[Cyberjet]]s [[R-Blade]] and [[Delta Seeker]], Jetfire helped defend the city. {{Storylink|Metrowars}}
{{-}}

=====''G-2'' story pages and pack-in comic=====
{{note|While in the English continuity, ''Generation 2'' Jetfire was the same character as Generation 1 Jetfire/Skyfire, the same would not appear to have initially been the case in Japan. In Japan, the Generation 1 character was called "Skyfire" in the cartoon, which was the only Japanese media he appeared in, as his toy was never released in Japan. The "Jetfire" that appears in the ''G-2'' comic probably would have originally been a different character, though ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''{{'}} backstory and the character's appearance in the ''15 Go! Go!'' comics seemed to consolidate the two retroactively. The [[Transformers Legends (comic)|''Legends'' comic]] eventually confirmed this by having Skyfire explain he changed his name to Jetfire.}}

[[File:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Ten points if you can find Wheeljack and Perceptor in this picture!]]
Jetfire was once friends with the Decepticon [[Cyberjet]]s during his days back on Cybertron. However, after the war had raged on for centuries, two of his Cyberjet friends ([[Strafe (G2)|Strafe]] and [[Aero Raid]]) began to have their doubts about the Decepticon cause. Taking Jetfire's advice, the two Cyberjets switched sides and became Autobots. This act forever earned Jetfire, Strafe and Aero Raid the hatred of the remaining loyal Decepticon Cyberjets. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

At one point, Megatron kidnapped the Autobot [[Laser Rod]], [[Electro]]. While Megatron attempted to persuade Electro into joining the Decepticons, Jetfire infiltrated the headquarters. Busting-in at full-force, Jetfire took the Decepticons by surprise and managed to successfully rescue his fellow Autobot. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (pack-in manga)|G-2 #16}}

Jetfire was also the head of a research team staffed by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] that discovered a [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new attribute]] of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. This discovery allowed Optimus Prime to survive a fatal attack from Megatron and form a newer, more powerful body. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}
{{-}}

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[File:TGGJetfire1.jpg|left|thumb|Whoever he is, he looks awesome.]]
[[File:TGGJetfire2.jpg|thumb|Bandai's gonna suuuuue.]]
On a trip into the future with her companion [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]], the humanoid computer [[Teletraan 15]] encountered the Autobot scientist Jetfire. He immediately realized that they had come from a different time and cautioned them that the area was about to become a war zone. Recognizing Jetfire's scent despite the unfamiliar body, Steeljaw asked if he was the same being as his old warrior acquaintance. {{storylink|Steeljaw Volume}}

Concerned for the pair's safety, Jetfire offered to take them to his commander, unaware that the Decepticons [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] and [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]] were following. Under heavy attack, Jetfire and his passengers were saved by the intervention of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Battle Convoy]]. {{storylink|Battle Convoy Volume}}

After the battle, Teletraan 15 recorded Jetfire's information and announced that her mission to restore [[Teletraan I]]'s damaged databanks was at last complete. Before she and Steeljaw returned to their own era, Jetfire asked 15 to tell him something: in her travels through time, had she ever discovered when the fighting would end? When would the progress of science finally bring about peace? {{storylink|Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go! Volume 14|15 Go! Go! Volume 14}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Skyfire and the Autobots aligned themselves with the [[Selector]]s, a race of human-made robots who wanted freedom from their masters. The Selectors' revolution had injured Carly Witwicky, though, and so the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s sided against them. Skyfire confronted [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] in the air, but was coldly blasted down by the Dinobot bombardier. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}}
{{-}}

====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
In the year 2001, the Decepticons had managed to conquer Cybertron completely. Jetfire aided in the Autobots' exodus of the planet, though he came under heavy enemy fire during this mission. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In [[Primax 1185.04 Alpha]], Skyfire was one of the few allies who [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] found in his campaign against [[Cobra]]-controlled [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#June 13, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 13/06/2015}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Jetfireg1marvel1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Brainless Jetfire brings home small mammals.]]
Early in the war on [[Earth]], [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] held the head of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] captive, hoping to use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] he possessed to create a new army of Decepticons, including the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] and Jetfire. Optimus Prime had secretly passed the energies of the Matrix onto the teenaged [[human]], [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], so although the Constructicons were brought to life {{storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}} Shockwave was stopped short of animating Jetfire's constructed body. Shockwave soon learned of the human's involvement, so he sent Jetfire after the human even though the lifeless robot could do nothing more than follow orders. When Jetfire found Buster, he was accompanied by the Autobots [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] for his protection, but it was Buster's Creation Matrix powers that ultimately disassembled Jetfire before their eyes. Buster reassembled Jetfire, and with Bumblebee's help, changes were made to allow Buster to directly control him. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}}

[[File:Jetfireisafunnyguy.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|A sense of humor that borders on murderous negligence.]]
However, Jetfire's programming reasserted itself, and maneuvered so wildly that Buster, riding in the cockpit, blacked out. Buster woke up inside Shockwave's base at [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One]], strapped to a machine ready to drill the Creation Matrix out of him. In the meantime, knowing that the Autobots were eavesdropping on him, Shockwave sent Jetfire to drop a fake Optimus Prime head at a disclosed location for the Autobots to find. The fake head attached itself to Optimus Prime's body and began attacking the Autobots, causing many injuries. At the last moment, Buster was able to control Jetfire once again, knocking out Shockwave, and delivering the true Optimus Prime head to the Autobots, allowing them a costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}} ''These events were observed by the [[time travel]]ling [[Dicet Alpha-zero]].'' {{storylink|The Quest!}}

With Optimus Prime fully restored, Jetfire was quickly given life and joined the Autobots. ''He was briefly mistrusted due to his Decepticon origin, and during the "Dinobot Hunt" [[Ironhide (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ironhide]] resented being given orders by someone with a Decepticon [[insignia]]; Jetfire proved himself by restraining [[Slag (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Slag]], and had his badge torn off in the process.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} ''[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], who still didn't trust Jetfire, almost deactivated him and returned him to the Decepticons as part of a deal for technology with [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]], but decided against it at the last minute.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}}

Having proven himself, he was granted the [[Rite of the Autobrand]] marking him as one of their rank. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} When Bumblebee, depressed, had left the Autobots and gotten himself attacked by the Decepticons, Jetfire eagerly came to his rescue. He arrived to the battlefront ahead of the rest of the Autobots and attempted to take on Shockwave and his troops on his own, but was no match for the Decepticon commander. The enemy was driven off when the rest of Optimus's troops caught up to him. {{storylink|Plight of the Bumblebee!}} Later, Jetfire helped the Autobots approach the [[Wyoming base|Decepticon base]] to steal information that would allow them to build their own [[combiner]]s. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

[[File:DinobotHunt ironhide and jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
''When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] were lost in [[Limbo]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] assumed command of the Decepticons, Jetfire became acting leader. His headstrong tactics got the Autobots defeated several times, and out of desperation he even formed an alliance with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]. He also mistrusted [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]], thinking his arrival too convenient. However, after seeing Magnus be beaten half to death trying to stop Galvatron, Jetfire realised he was wrong and came to his aid. When the future Decepticon was driven off, Jetfire thanked Magnus for all he'd done.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

Jetfire accompanied [[Donny Finkleberg]] to the spot where Finkleberg claimed seven Autobots had crossed over from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], though they found nothing but traces of [[Transformer fuel|fuel]]. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} ''Soon afterwards, he was sent to provide air support for [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] and Prowl as they attempted to prevent Soundwave, [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] and [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] from contacting Cybertron at a [[NASA]] facility. Ignoring Prowl's orders to stop Soundwave, Jetfire instead attempted to engage Kickback but the Decepticon merely shrank to insect size, effectively disappearing. This gave Dirge ample time to floor Trailbreaker, pick up Soundwave and escape, leaving Jetfire to be bawled out by Prowl.''

[[File:Jetfire jazz blackrocks chemical plant.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
''Just before [[Christmas]] [[1986]], Jetfire and [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]] were taking delivery of a consignment of fuel at [[Blackrock's chemical plant]] when they came under attack from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] and [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. An out-of-control fire threatened to set off a chain reaction within the plant that could kill thousands of people, and at [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]]'s urging Jetfire quickly saw off the Decepticons and extinguished the fire, averting disaster. The disparity between the results of these two missions made Jetfire worry that his response time was quicker when humans were in danger than Autobots were, and he talked with Buster Witwicky to come to terms with this; he came to realise that it was because he viewed Earth as his home, as he'd been built there.'' {{storylink|The Gift}}

''At some point, Jetfire supervised the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] as they prevented the Decepticons from using a [[power siphon]] to drain a power plant of its energy. He was shot down early in the battle and so did not witness the Aerialbots' subsequent disunity, giving them a positive review in his report back to Optimus Prime.'' {{storylink|The Return of the Transformers}}

''After reviewing Jetfire and the other Autobots' performance against Galvatron, Optimus Prime decided that he needed to fake his own death in order to teach them how to cope without him. Jetfire was one of a team of Autobots that found a destroyed [[facsimile construct]] of the Autobot leader'' {{storylink|Prey!}} ''and believing it to be the real deal, buried it with a headstone in accordance with Earth custom. However, Prime, who had been on Cybertron, was returned via space bridge before the funeral was even over.'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Jetfireyourehit.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Naw, you think?]]
After Optimus Prime died ''for real,'' Jetfire was among the many Autobots who watched on as Ratchet futilely tried to repair his body. With the attempt a failure, Jetfire joined his teammates in paying their respects at Optimus Prime's funeral, where they blasted his body into space ''instead''. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}} {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}}

[[File:Skalorjetfiredie.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|At least look at him when you're killing him, Starscream!]]
After the death of Optimus Prime, Jetfire was among several Autobots gathered to determine who would next lead their forces. The meeting was interrupted by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]] [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who demanded that command was handed to him. The other Autobots dismissed him at first, but when Grimlock proved himself a worthy leader against [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], they reevaluated their opinion of the Dinobot. After Trypticon was driven off, Jetfire and the rest of the Autobots voted Grimlock to take command. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} He later seemed to regret this decision, offering to help [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] usurp him {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} and when the rivalry ended in a duel staged on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]], he was among the Autobots who watched. There, the Autobots were ambushed by the entire Decepticon army and he was blasted out of the sky by both [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Jetfire was among the Autobots who responded to a distress signal sent out by Buster Witwicky, after the boy had been captured by the Decepticons and subsequently escaped their Arctic base. A confrontation against the Decepticons inevitably ensued, though it was cut short when both sides realized the whole set-up was a distraction, orchestrated to divert them from [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'s bid for the legendary [[Underbase]]. They were unable to prevent Starscream from sampling the Underbase's power, allowing the Seeker to begin a rampage across the globe. Jetfire led the Aerialbots in the first attack against him in [[New York City|New York]]. Only Jetfire managed to evade Starscream's lethal retaliation but a second shot following the death of the [[Skalor|last]] [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] was not as easily avoidable. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

''Blaster later reported that Jetfire was alive and simply waiting in the wings (groan!).''<ref>[[Source:Darn 'n' Blast#Issue 301|Darn 'n' Blast, issue 301]]</ref>
{{-}}

====''Transformers Comic-Magazin''====
Jetfire was among the Autobots monitoring the Decepticons from a distance when Megatron made peaceful gestures to Humanity in New York City. The Autobots returned to the Ark and discovered that a statue of Snaptrap that the Decepticons had gifted to New York was actually Snaptrap in disguise. Snaptrap went on a rampage and the Decepticons used this distraction to attack various other targets. Optimus Prime led the Autobots to narrowly defeat this menace. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 4#Transformers in Action: The Troy Principle|The Troy Principle}} Those events were recorded on a videotape that was later found and watched by Autobots on Cybertron after a [[City of Fear!|nuclear disaster]] in [[Kalis]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 21|In Memory of Earth}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Classicscomicautobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Jetfire, Prime, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] encountered Megatron just as he was smashing his way through the human [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNTs]] and a mysterious extra-dimensional arrival named [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]]. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1|Crossing Over #1}} Learning that the Decepticons were staging an attack in [[South America]] to secure a new energy source, the Autobots traveled to face them, with Jetfire meeting with their aerial force as they tore through human-piloted jets. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} Jetfire engaged in a dogfight with Starscream and Ramjet while the rest of the Autobots dealt with the bulk of the Decepticon forces on the ground. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} Though Ramjet managed to bypass him, Jetfire kept Starscream busy until Megatron called for a withdrawal of his troops. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

After that battle came to an end, the Autobots reconvened at their headquarters. Optimus had Jetfire contact [[Walter Barnett (G1)|Walter Barnett]] to tell him not to have his troops engage the Decepticons without Autobot support again, as doing so always ended in too many human casualties. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

At another time, Jetfire fought alongside Prime, Ironhide, and Sunstreaker in order to protect some humans from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Jetfire rodimus priam war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]]
After the [[Gene Key]] fiasco, Jetfire attended the Autobot leadership conference to get up to date. {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}}

When the [[Warworld]] appeared in the skies over Cybertron, Jetfire and the flying Autobots attempted to engage it. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} He provided a smokescreen cover for the [[Wreckers]]' vessel to land on the Warworld and infiltrate it. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Jetfire was at the next leadership conference when [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] was officially named Autobot leader by Optimus stepping down. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} He acted to support Rodimus during talks with [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], but was shot by the visiting "delegate". {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 2}}

As the Autobots took the fight to Jhiaxus, Jetfire served aboard the ''[[Priam]]'' as part of Rodimus's bridge crew during the assault. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 3}} Unfortunately, the enemy response was hopelessly beyond the Autobots' ability to counter, and they were captured until Jhiaxus was dealt with by an outside party. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}

Jetfire and the Autobots returned to Cybertron, only to find it overrun by [[Shadow-leech|shadow-demons]] that could turn Cybertronians into more of their number. He retrieved the [[Sword of Primus]] for Rodimus, who was able to use the blade to generate a temporary safe zone for the group. If Jetfire survived, he would have been rendered decidedly mortal by Rodimus's victory over the Dark Matrix creature, which cut them off from Primus and the wider multiverse, before setting off across the universe to spread a message of peace for the rest of his life. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
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====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:SecretsAndLies1 ShockwaveSkyfireBrain.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|In Marvel, he's Shockwave's old bestie, not Starscream's.]]
A close friend of Starscream's and a valued subordinate of Shockwave's, Skyfire was one of the Decepticons' top scientists, working on [[Project Dreadnought]]. After Cybertron had been sent hurtling out of orbit, Skyfire felt that the [[planetary engine|planetary turbines]] could have carried them to other worlds for resources and agreed with Starscream's assessment that Megatron's vendetta against Optimus Prime was detrimental to the foundation of the [[Decepticon Empire]].

After the destruction of a half-completed turbine had sent the planet towards the [[Stellae Cimeterium]], Skyfire briefed Megatron on the situation. When the Decepticon leader learnt that the Autobots would be launching a ship to destroy an oncoming [[asteroid belt]], he ordered Skyfire to construct a ship in which they could pursue. Despite his accomplishment, Shockwave barred Skyfire from boarding the [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']]. When a silent alarm was triggered at the destroyed turbine, Skyfire flew ahead to confront the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]], initially holding the advantage until [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] sliced off his wing, sending him down to the ground as a fiery wreck. After Shockwave had blown up the Dynobots, he retrieved Skyfire's intact [[brain module]] and promised that his friend would live again. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 1|Secrets & Lies #1}}
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===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Skyfire was scouting the [[Kalahari Desert]], on the lookout for the many humans to have been abducted by the Decepticons. He found one of the humans, lying unconscious on the desert floor. Patching the information to Optimus and Prowl at Autobot headquarters, he continued his search.

[[File:SatelliteOfDoom JetfireShootsSatellite.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|]]
Once the Autobots learned the full extent of the Decepticons’ plans, Skyfire was sent out to intercept the [[crystal satellite]] they had been building as it launched from the Earth's surface. Optimus ordered Skyfire to destroy Megatron and his newest weapon, but his weapons were ineffectual against it. The satellite then soared out of Skyfire's range, and the Autobot superjet was forced to return to Optimus for further instructions.

Skyfire was retro-fitted with external fuel tanks in order to be able to reach the satellite in orbit. He then headed out to destroy Megatron's instrument of destruction, despite knowing that he would not have the fuel necessary to return safely from his mission. Out in space, he once more attempted to destroy the satellite with his arsenal of [[null-ray]]s and missiles, to no avail. His weapons and fuel depleted, Skyfire fell back to Earth and burned up on re-entry. {{storylink|Satellite of Doom}}

Skyfire attempted to bring down the Decepticons’ hovercraft oil transporter after it had stolen several gallons of crude oil from the [[Prudhoe Bay]] company. He only had enough fuel to maintain his attack for a short period of time, but managed to do a substantial amount of damage to the Decepticons’ transport in that window of time. {{storylink|When Continents Collide}}

Skyfire spotted the Decepticons in the middle of their deforestation plot while flying overhead. He was able to make contact with Autobot headquarters, despite Soundwave's attempt at garbling his communication network. He returned shortly with Optimus and Bumblebee and forced the Decepticons to retreat once more. {{storylink|Storms of Destruction}}

Skyfire led the Autobot superjets on their routine patrols over the Pacific, on the lookout for Decepticon activity. His patrol was interrupted by Ramjet, Skywarp and Starscream in a hit-and-run attack. Skyfire gave chase. These kinds of attacks repeated themselves over the next several days. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
[[File:Autobots secret weapon autobot jets.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0]]
As part of a strategy to liberate a group of Autobots held captive by the Decepticons, Jetfire and several other Autobots hid within a statue of Devastator that was then wheeled before Decepticon headquarters as a peace offering. Once the Decepticons had let down their guard, Jetfire and the others burst forth from within the statue and ambushed the evil robots. Though Megatron deployed the Decepticon jets to combat Jetfire and the other Autobot fliers, the Autobots nonetheless arose victorious from the battle that day. {{storylink|The Autobots' Secret Weapon}}

===Milton Bradley mini-comic===
[[File:Jetfire-MB-comic.jpg|upright=1.0|thumb|left|Crazy moonman languages!]]
With [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] heading towards an asteroid belt, the Autobot leader Jetfire had an [[Ark (G1)|ark]] constructed with which to clear a path. The ship was attacked by the Decepticons, and Jetfire set the spaceship on a crash dive towards [[Earth]]. When it hit dirt, the crew were knocked out. Four million years later, an erupting volcano triggered the ship's computer, causing the systems to repair Jetfire and the other Autobots, as well as the Decepticons. Their civil war began anew on this strange new world. {{storylink|The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|The Transformers}}
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===Beehive Books continuity===
[[File:Decepticonjetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|]]
Jetfire was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. He may have in fact been a Decepticon himself. {{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Attack of the Insecticons===
{{notemultipath}}
Jetfire was present, yet mostly uninvolved, in a number of possible adventures revolving around the Sun-Pak, a device invented by Sparkplug that would end the Autobots' energy woes. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
Jetfire was the Autobots' resident technological genius. After the Autobots and Decepticons had been left in a prolonged stalemate during their battles on Earth, [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] devised of a plan that would at least temporarily rid the planet of the Decepticons. The Autobots concocted a story wherein Jetfire had uncovered an ancient Cybertronian spaceship, out-of-phase with their dimension, atop of [[Table Mountain]] in [[Africa]]. After Jetfire had managed to recall the ship to the material plane, the Autobots had discovered that it contained a star map which pointed the way back to Cybertron. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was allowed to "overhear" this story, and the Autobots then stationed themselves around their prop spaceship on the mountaintop. When the inevitable attack came from the Decepticons over control of the ship, Jetfire was easily batted away by Megatron. The rest of the Autobots made themselves scarce after a brief skirmish, and allowed the Decepticons to claim their prize. Once Megatron and his cronies were locked inside the vessel, it blasted off uncontrollably away from the planet. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

During an aerial patrol, Jetfire uncovered a Decepticon construction project on [[Clarke Atoll]]. His report confirmed information already uncovered by [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]]; Megatron was building giant rockets to shift the Earth out of its orbit. The Autobots launched a sabotage mission, hearing that the rockets would fire in twenty minutes upon their approach. The more maneuverable Jetfire and [[Deftwing]] entered the thruster tubes to destroy the rockets from within while the others kept the Decepticons busy. Finding that the engines were powered by the [[Earth's core|Earth's molten core]], the pair set about disrupting the machine's electromagnetic coils and have the plasma wreck up the structure for them. Successfully doing so, Jetfire and Deftwing then darted back to the surface to avoid getting caught in the resulting explosion. As the entire island was caught in a lava swell, they helped carry all earthbound Autobots to safety. {{storylink|Moving Day Planet Earth}}
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===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:Jetfiredarkages.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|I bet Skywarp pulled that mask over his face a lot in junior high.]]
Before the war, the scientist Jetfire and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] were friends. But when Starscream joined the Decepticons in their assault on outlying city-states, Jetfire was torn. If he followed his beliefs and upheld justice and life, he would end up facing his dearest friend on the battlefield. Jetfire did end up with the Autobots, but not before a barrier of distrust had been built between them due to his inaction and his past loyalties.

These loyalties came to a head during a period when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] were presumed lost forever, the two factions splintered into five. After going out for a routine metallurgical survey, Jetfire returned to the Autobots' base to find that the place was both deserted and on high-alert. {{storylink|Escalation}} Events conspired behind the scenes, building up to an unknown crescendo, and Jetfire was suspicious, not knowing that he was being targeted by [[The Fallen]] for an arcane ritual. Putting his already-shaky trustworthiness on the line, Jetfire met up with [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] in secret to discuss the looming front of darkness. However, The Fallen had leaked their correspondence to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], who held a grudge against the scientist. {{storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}}

[[File:Jetfireg1dw.jpg|left|thumb|I've always said there's nothing an agnostic can't do if he really doesn't know whether he believes in anything or not.]]

As Jetfire and Shockwave were exchanging information, [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]], [[Bugly (G1)|Bugly]], and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], three followers of The Fallen, attacked them. Jetfire found himself at their mercy, until Grimlock intervened and defeated all three mystics. Jetfire then tried to explain to Grimlock about the forthcoming evil he and Shockwave had discovered, only for Grimlock to assault Jetfire, intending to execute him for treason. {{storylink|Revelation (The Dark Ages)|Revelation}} Before Grimlock could act, both Autobots were overwhelmed by The Fallen. The ancient Transformer dragged his victims far inside [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], and strapped them to a four-paneled contraption in the [[Well of All Sparks]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} Jetfire, Grimlock, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] were the "[[Angles of Dissolution]]", four "unique sparks" which could catalyze the breach of the [[Seal of Primus]]. Combined forces from several factions penetrated The Fallen's operation, but despite Jetfire and Grimlock's teamwork, The Fallen was destroyed only by his own scheme — the hand of [[Primus]] reached out, awakened from his slumber, and smote the enigmatic being to pieces. Jetfire, a skeptic towards things supernatural, began to wonder if there might be something bigger than them going on, something no one could comprehend. {{storylink|Conflagration}}

Long after, Jetfire and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] were sent out into space to search for the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] as part of one of the last Autobot space programs. The two eventually parted ways with the other members of the operation in order to investigate a beacon emanating from the [[Solar System|Sol System]]. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} Arriving on [[Earth]], they were attacked by [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], whom Jetfire disabled him with an EM pulse from their ship. He then ventured outside to identify his assailant, and enclosed him within a stasis pod. But as he was dragging his prisoner along, he was caught in an avalanche and buried in ice. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

[[File:SkyfireIssue JetfireTransforms.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
Millions of years later he was found by [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and stored aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', still encased in a block of ice. When the zealot [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] arrived on Earth, Starscream freed Jetfire from his icy prison to stop him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Thanks to the radiation shielding built-in Jetfire's armor, he was able to defeat Sunstorm... only for his opponent to rapidly begin regenerating. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} With only a brief respite, Jetfire and Starscream traveled to meet with the Autobots aboard the ''Orion''. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} An uneasy alliance formed between Jetfire, Starscream, and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s team of Autobots as they tried to come up with a plan to stop the unbelievably powerful [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]], but Sunstorm was unstoppable. Despite all signs pointing towards Sunstorm being a supernatural being, Jetfire stuck fast to his belief that what they were dealing with was simply "unexplained" and not "unexplainable." By pooling their knowledge on the clone, the Autobots were able to formulate a plan on how to stop Sunstorm; by creating a mock-signature based on Starscream for the clone to follow, they would distract him long enough to suppress his power-cells, putting him in stasis-lock. Though Jetfire protested the arrangement, Bumblebee was the first to take on Sunstorm next, while Jetfire was left behind to keep an eye on Starscream. The battle turned sour for the Autobots quickly, and Jetfire left his post to once more confront the super-clone. With his help, Bumblebee managed to attach an inhibitor on Sunstorm, but before it could take on its full effect, Sunstorm flew off. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}}

[[File:DWAtonement Jetfire Sunstorm.jpg|thumb|left|The power of Primus compels you!]]
Jetfire and the others returned to the ''Orion'', only to find its entire crew disabled. After a brief scan, Jetfire concluded that it hadn't been Sunstorm responsible for this, but rather Starscream, who had betrayed them and fled. As the Autobots were tending to the wounded, they heard a distant explosion, signifying that [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], their last ace-in-the-hole, had tracked down Sunstorm and engaged him in combat. Bumblebee was confident that the titan would be able to subdue Sunstorm, but Jetfire warned him not to underestimate their opponent. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} Indeed, Omega Supreme did not end up emerging victorious from the encounter. Leaving Cliffjumper behind to tend to the giant, Jetfire and Bumblebee blasted off together to track down Sunstorm once more. They came upon Starscream and his "brother" opening up an ancient Cybertronian bunker, and swooped down to stop whatever machinations the Decepticons were partaking in. Following them underground, Jetfire was able to subdue Starscream, only to find himself in a stare-down against Sunstorm, who had Bumblebee in his irradiated grasp. Unexpectedly, Starscream turned on his clone to bring an end to the stand-off... only to knock out Jetfire with his null-ray immediately afterwards. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Jetfire quickly recovered, finding Sunstorm ranting more deliriously than ever, while the energies within him erupted more and more violently. Jetfire came to realize that Sunstorm's internal fusion reactor was about to go critical. Turning to his Starscream one last time, and telling him he "owed him one," Jetfire left Bumblebee and his former friend behind to fly Sunstorm up into orbit. Contemplating how he had neglected to accept all possibilities during his struggles with Sunstorm, mainly ones of divine origin, Jetfire flew and grappled with his opponent until Sunstorm went critical. The Earth was spared any damage from the blast, but Jetfire was annihilated. His demise caused Bumblebee to throw down his arms and quit the war. {{storylink|Atonement}}

{{Unreleased DW G1 comic}}
Returning to consciousness, Jetfire found himself within the Well of All Sparks, with the unnerving sensation that he was being watched by a familiar presence... In this place, he was witness to a vision of [[Primus]] deconstructing The Fallen with a gesture of his hand! Jetfire refused to believe the legitimacy of what he was witnessing, as it contradicted his long-held atheistic beliefs... only to be confronted by The Fallen, who informed him that his mindset would be the cause of Jetfire's undoing, and The Fallen's return to power!

After a brief scuffle with his opponent, Jetfire suddenly found himself elsewhen: on a prehistoric and mobile Cybertron, heading towards a [[Unicron|monstrous and enormous malevolence]]. In this era, The Fallen attacked him again, only for Jetfire's surroundings to shift once more. This time finding himself in a war-zone dominated by The Fallen, Jetfire took the initiative and struck against the fiery enemy, only to be returned to the Well of All Sparks. Now closer to the present, Jetfire looked on as Shockwave planted a siphon into the Well... and puzzled out that through it, The Fallen had been loosened from his prison. In time, The Fallen's essence found a home in [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], who transferred it into Jetfire upon his demise.

Jetfire's mind was finally returned to reality, where the Autobots were nearing freeing him from the icy prison he had found himself trapped in after his bout against Sunstorm. Though he tried to warn his comrades about The Fallen, his words were not heard by his rescuers... {{storylink|The Enemy Within}}
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===''The Beast Within''===
In the aftermath of a brutal battle against first the Decepticons, and then [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ monstrous combined form, Jetfire ran rescue by himself. He managed to pick up Springer and Wheeljack's unconscious forms before meeting with Optimus, still on the run from The Beast. Lowering himself, Jetfire picked up Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, and Bumblebee from Prime's trailer, leaving Optimus to finish off The Beast on his own. He nonetheless gave The Beast a blast from his rockets as a parting gift. Jetfire managed to make it back to the battlefield after dropping off the Autobots within him, just in time to witness Optimus leading The Beast over the edge of a chasm. Swooping down at the last possible moment to rescue his leader, Jetfire then dropped Optimus off on the Cliffside, and both of them contemplated The Beast's inert form below them. {{storylink|The Beast Within Part 2, Consequences}}
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===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Jetfire AoW4.jpg|thumb|left]]
During a Decepticon attack on an Autobot peace ceremony, Jetfire fought back and fired on [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], only to be ordered to cease fire as Optimus Prime was using the Decepticon to negotiate with [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] When it turned out that the negotiations involved Prime giving himself up to the Decepticons, Jetfire joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} Together with [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], they fought and defeated Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}
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===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Underworld-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"I'm a scientist, Ranger Brad. I don't believe in anything."]]

{{main|Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}

A would be member of the [[scientific class]], the prejudice against those with aerial alternate modes drove a young Jetfire to join the Decepticons before the brutality of their operations convinced him to abandon the cause, later signing on with the Autobots after [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] had been overthrown, becoming one of their top scientific personnel. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|The Transformers: Autocracy|Autocracy}}

After the Great War had led to Cybertron becoming uninhabitable, Jetfire helped oversee the more scientific countermeasures against [[Nova Prime]]'s [[Expansion]], {{storylink|The Transformers: Devastation|Devastation}} before the [[Surge (event)|Surge]] all but destroyed the Autobot war machine, Jetfire being among those who sought refuge on Earth. When [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s Chaos War forced the Autobots back to Cybertron, Jetfire took part in the final battles of the Great War that ended with Cybertron's rebirth. {{storylink|The Transformers (IDW)|The Transformers}}

Along with his drone [[D.0.C.]], Jetfire was part of the ''[[Ark-7]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, returning to Earth to retrieve [[Alpha Trion]] and was later captured as part of [[G.B. Blackrock|Garrison Blackrock]]'s schemes before Optimus annexed Earth into the [[Council of Worlds]], something Jetfire blamed the [[Torchbearer]]s' negative influence for. The Autobots' stay on Earth was cut short when [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]] returned to Cybertron, [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]] bridging them all home where the Titan was slain and the Prime revealed as a temporally displaced Shockwave. Though the false Prime was defeated, his scheme had served to awaken the ultimate danger: [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise}} {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}}

Acting as the Council's scientific advisor during the crisis, Jetfire was teleported away to Earth when the monster attacked and destroyed Cybertron. During the last stand, Jetfire assisted in [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]]'s plan to utilize the [[Enigma of Combination]] to reach the [[Transformer afterlife|Afterspark]], even if he couldn't fully explain what he was seeing, the psychic boost helping [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus]] defeat [[Unicron's creator]].

In the new era of peace, Jetfire left Earth, captaining a science ship with the [[Colonist Soldiers]] as his crew. As they flew through an ice field, they picked up an anomaly six light years out and set course for it. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (comic)|Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Transformers: Unicron|Unicron}}
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===''Classics'' toy bio===
The first Cybertronian to travel to the black depths of deep space, Jetfire encountered the [[Star pirates]] of the [[Blot Nebula]], and is the only one to ever have faced and defeated them. He was known as a famous hero for these deeds, but he disappeared millions of years ago, much to the dismay of Cybertron's populace. However, once he was uncovered from inside a glacier, he rose to challenge the threat of the Decepticons immediately. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Classics|Voyager Class ''Classics'' Jetfire toy bio}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkei 04 autobot skyfire.jpg|left|thumb|No magic insignia-swapping stickers this time.]]
[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] questioned [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] about the new mech they'd found frozen in a glacier up in the Arctic Circle, but Starscream had ''unsavory'' plans for it involving a mind-control helmet.

Back in [[Japan]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] raided an energy plant, revealing the newcomer as Skyfire. Amidst the plundering, Skyfire pleaded with Starscream to stop shooting at the [[human]] workers, but to no avail. Luckily, the Autobots showed up to save the workers. Skyfire's pleas caused Starscream to yell at him, exclaiming that Skyfire's reason for living was to be a soldier. Just before getting shot at, Skyfire finally ripped off the control helmet and declared himself a scientist (with a sweet new Autobot symbol, too). However, he said he ''would'' become a soldier, if only to defend humans from those like his old friend. Watching the Seekers retreat, Skyfire wistfully reminisced that he and Starscream never really got along that well in the past, anyway. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}
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===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 6}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! BunBun'' manga===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|To Earth}} {{storylink|Reunion and Parting}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}}}

===''BeCool'' shorts===
'''White Jet''' (白のジェット機 ''Shiro no Jettoki'') was part of the audience of ''Quiz! BeCool''. {{storylink|The Story of Quiz! BeCool}}

===''Kre-O'' online manga===
[[File:KreO-webcomic-3-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Somewhere, Harmony Gold is getting a greed-chubby.]]
After being asked to by [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the [[Autobot]]s attacked the Decepticon Base and chased away the overzealous guard [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]. In thanks, Megatron hosted a gathering in the base, which Jetfire attended. {{Storylink|A Reliable Warrior!? Vortex the Lookout from Hell}}

===''Generations'' toy bio===
A peaceful scientist at heart, Jetfire preferred to stay in the background rather than on the front lines. The senseless violence of the Decepticons sickened him, and thus he left Cybertron and went into hiding on Earth. Upon being reawakened by the arrival of the war on Earth, Jetfire decided to join the Autobots. {{storylink|Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generations|''Thrilling 30'' Jetfire toy bio}}

===''Timelines''===
In [[Primax 096.0 Beta]], Jetfire was a member of [[Optimus Prime (G1)#General Optimus|General Optimus Prime]]'s newly reconstituted [[Firestormer|Firestormer Squadron]]. At the final battle of the [[Great War (G1)|third Cybertronian war]] on [[Mirtonia]], the General led the Autobots to victory over the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]], though this ended with the General and [[Hound (G1)#TransTech|Sergeant Hound]] being blasted away by an energon explosion into [[Nexus 208.0 Epsilon]]. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime's profile card}}

===2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity===
Jetfire was one of the many casualties of the Great War before the signing of the [[Pax Cybertronia]] in [[2035]]. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Jetfire was a repentant former Decepticon who became a member of the [[Rescuebot]]s, a team of Autobots dedicated to protecting humans. He formed one half of the torso of [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], the team's [[combiner]] form. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Toxic Transformer Toxie VS Jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7]]
In a manner reminiscent of [[Jetfire (G1)#Marvel Comics continuity|other realities]], Jetfire was reportedly created by the Decepticons when they temporarily had access to the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], or a reasonable facsimile. Fortunately for the Autobots, he ultimately chose to join their side. {{storylink|Foundation and Wreckage Part 1: Deadly Aim|Deadly Aim}}

Jetfire was a scientist working on the Ark project, designing heat regulators to compensate for quantum irregularities while moving at hyper-speed. The factory came under attack by the monstrous Decepticon creation known as [[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]], however. The entity's toxic sludge made close quarters combat virtually impossible for most Autobots. Jetfire fared better than most due to the heat shielding in his exo-armor. With the death toll rising and the Ark damaged in the fighting, Jetfire ordered an evacuation of the facility. He apparently died in battle with Toxitron while trying to stall for his fellow Autobots to safely escape. {{storylink|The Toxic Transformer}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Jetfire-art.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|"I traded in my scientist origin for this kick-ass battle helmet!"]]
During the war for Cybertron, Jetfire was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Air Command Engineering Captain]] for the Autobots, whose function was Air Guardian. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> Amidst the chaos of the war, Jetfire was dispatched to the [[Neutral Territories|Borderlands]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Keith Silverstein]] (English), [[Kenji Nomura]] (Japanese)|[[Serge Faliu]] (French), [[Florian Clyde]] (German), [[Manolo Rey]] (Portuguese), [[Iñaki Crespo]] (Castilian Spanish), [[José Gilberto Vilchis]] (Latin-American Spanish)}}

[[File:SiegeEp1JetfireSlicesStarscream.jpg|thumb|300px|Could be worse, could be ripping and tearing involved.]]
Jetfire was the fearsome leader of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. He and his Seekers discovered [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] investigating a [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] threatened to attack them without his command, Jetfire sliced his hand off at the wrist with his arm-blade. This earned the ire of Starscream and the other Seekers, and Jetfire briefly battled his own team instead of the enemy. He later threatened to "disarm" Starscream again. Megatron had to frequently silence their bickering. {{storylink|Siege episode 1}}

Megatron ordered Jetfire to lock [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] away in a cell when he failed to denounce the Autobots' role in the ongoing war. When Shockwave presented his plan to reformat the Autobots into Decepticons, Jetfire noted to himself that it would be a victory without honor. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}} When Starscream rallied Decepticons to denounce Megatron and the plan to reformat the Autobots, Jetfire berated him for his false sense of superiority, leading to another scuffle that Megatron had to break up. After ordering the Seekers to go on patrol, he was put off by Megatron's description of soldiers as "tools that can easily be replaced", and was appalled soon after when Megatron threatened to fire at Shockwave at close range. Later, when Ultra Magnus escaped torture and threatened to shoot Megatron in the back, Jetfire witnessed Megatron calling his bluff, believing he would never do something so dishonorable as fire at someone's back. Megatron was correct, and Jetfire subdued Magnus quickly. Megatron advised Jetfire to "take the shot" whenever the opportunity presented itself. When Skywarp and Jetfire tracked Impactor's comm to Autobot Command, Skywarp was prepared to slaughter them all, but Jetfire took a stand and said wholesale annihilation for the sake of peace was wrong. Skywarp attacked him, but before Skywarp could report to Megatron, Jetfire shot him in the back, critically wounding him as he flew away. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}

[[File:SiegeEp3JetFireBladeMegatron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"If Sentinel holy blood is spilled on these grounds... you will lose all sovereignty here!"]]

At [[Tarn-Hauser Gate]], Jetfire readied the Seekers to attack the alleged Autobot base underneath [[Alpha Trion|Alpha Trion's]] memorial. When Megatron realized Magnus had lied about the base's location, he killed Magnus, and Jetfire witnessed his death. Megatron ordered him to take Ultra Magnus's corpse to Shockwave, but Starscream arrived and accused him of killing Skywarp, firing at him. Jetfire admitted to his actions and asserted that genocide was wrong. Megatron marked him as an enemy as he escaped, and the Seekers chased him and eventually shot him down. Eventually, he mustered the strength to fly to Autobot Command and expressed a wish to join them. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}} Skeptical of his intentions, the Autobots imprisoned Jetfire. He told Optimus Prime that Megatron intended to annihilate them all, and that the Decepticons had crossed a line. Later, when the Autobots needed to navigate the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], they learned that, as a Decepticon, Jetfire had a map of the area. To earn the Autobots' trust, he agreed to have a [[core override]] installed that would detonate his brain module by remote control. At the Sea of Rust, he provided safe passage for the Autobots through the electrical storm and saved Prowl from a metallic vortex. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}

While battling the [[Zombie#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Sparkless]] with the Autobots, he provided an explanation for their zombie-like behavior while slicing them up. After returning to the Ark, he attacked his former Seeker teammates, not hesitating to destroy them. He was confronted by Starscream, and they had a one-on-one battle. When Megatron forced Starscream to suspend his duel and attack the spacebridge, Jetfire followed him. He managed to knock Megatron flat on his back before being shot by his fusion cannon. Much later, after the Ark vanished and the spacebridge was destroyed, Jetfire offered his support to the remaining Autobots on Cybertron. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

[[File:Earthrise1AutobotsInFog.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Jetfire, now an Autobot, was part of an Autobot force to help free Decepticon prisoners. After the mission he questioned [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] on why they were rescuing Decepticon prisoners. Jetfire attacked a group of air-borne Seekers from behind and defeated them all. He then joined Elita-1 on the ground to help with their attack on the [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] prison-camp, but they were captured by Starscream and his Seekers. They were brought before Megatron, who was disgusted to see Jetfire. Megatron then showed the group a demonstration of Project [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']] and promised that they would be next. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}} In the detention cells, the Autobots tried to work out what Project Nemesis was. The group was brought before Megatron who put them in the Project Nemesis tubes. As the machinery activated, it shut off just as quickly and the group was rescued by [[Scrapface]], who helped them escape Megatron's citadel. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}} The group had to take cover from another group of Seekers. Scrapface shot the Seekers, but one managed to escape. Jetfire gave chase and shot down the Seeker. He reported to Elita-1 that he was uncertain if their positions had been transmitted. The group received [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s message and Elita-1 realized that it was a trap to harvest Decepticon sparks. Jetfire pledged his support to protect the Decepticons. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}}

Jetfire and the rest returned to Kaon, intending to stop Shockwave's operations. They planted time bombs across the seemingly unmanned citadel as Elita-1 confronted Shockwave. However, Jetfire and the others were ambushed by Decepticons using stealth technology and held at gunpoint. Jetfire tried to warn the Decepticons about the time bombs, but they wouldn't listen. A wounded [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] managed to snipe all the Decepticons threatening Jetfire's group and the Autobots made a run for it. They couldn't escape fast enough and the bombs went off, destroying the citadel and killing Jetfire and the rest. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

When the [[AllSpark]] was returned to the [[Temple of the Allspark]] on Cybertron by Bumblebee, Jetfire was among the Transformer spirits who witnessed Elita-1 strike down [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] before finally reuniting with the Allspark. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:Finale-UltraMagnus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Jetfire was one of the many Transformers who had been [[magic]]ally enthralled by [[King Sombra]]. Along with the other slaves, he worked to excavate the ancient [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] to serve as Sombra's new body. When Sombra was defeated, Jetfire was freed of his control. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

{{-}}

===Calm Sleep Stories===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Building Bridges with Optimus Prime}}}}

===Energon Universe===
[[File:VoidRivals1 Jetfire leaves.jpeg|thumb|left|''Note: Jetfire died on the way back to his home planet.'']]

On Cybertron, Jetfire was a scientist. Determining that Cybertron was on the verge of an energy crisis, Jetfire made plans to leave his homeworld and seek out new energy sources in the larger galaxy. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} In the earliest days of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], on Jetfire's last night on the planet, Jetfire, [[Starscream (G1)#Energon Universe|Ulchtar]] and [[Genvo]] travelled to [[Moonbase Two]] to glimpse [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] flying by. Wanting more, Ulchtar detonated a round of ammunition, getting Omega's attention who waved at the three fliers. Soon afterwards, Jetfire blasted away. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 13|Transformers #13}}

Under unrevealed circumstances, Jetfire crashed in his jet mode on a desolate planetoid not far from the [[Sacred Ring]], spending million of years in [[stasis lock]]. His vehicle mode was discovered by the stranded [[Zertonian]] pilot [[Solila]], who showed the ship to her reluctant [[Agorrian]] ally [[Darak]] in hopes that they could use it to get off the planet. When Solila hooked up a power cell to assess if the vehicle's systems still worked, it provided enough energy for Jetfire to awaken and transform. He assured the pilots he meant them no harm and asked if they knew how long he was inactive, but then noticed several environmental clues that made him realize millions of years had passed. He immediately became concerned for the state of Cybertron, causing him to abruptly abandon Solila and Darak and hastily take off for home. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 1|Void Rivals #1}} When Darak and Solia later met [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], they mentioned their encounter with Jetfire, something that made them more inclined to believe Springer, {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 9|Void Rivals #9}} though Darak later noted to Springer that he had no idea where Jetfire had gone. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 13|Void Rivals #13}}

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream Takes Out Jetfire.jpg|thumb|Told ya.]]
Jetfire eventually made his way to [[Earth]], where a [[Ark (G1)|Cybertronian spaceship]] had been laying dormant. Jetfire triggered an earthquake to uncover it, and entered the vessel to reactivate the ship's computer, [[Teletraan I|Teletraan One]]. Jetfire instructed Teletraan One to reactivate all Cybertronians on board, as well as fit them with Earth-friendly alternate forms; unaware that Cybertron had erupted into civil war during his absence. The first to be reassembled and brought online was Ulchtar, now going by the name Starscream. To Jetfire's horror, Starscream immediately shot the deactivated [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in the face, killing him. Jetfire tried to stop Starscream, and was blasted in the chest for his trouble. Fortunately, the next to be reactivated was another of Jetfire's old friends, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. As battle erupted around Jetfire, Optimus eventually decided to retreat, and Jetfire pulled himself up and followed. He engaged Starscream in a brief airborne firefight, forcing the [[Decepticon leader]] into a retreat of his own. Further wounded by Starscream, Jetfire crashed in an abandoned quarry. Optimus attempted to use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to heal him, but he was too far gone. As Jetfire died, he asked Optimus to forgive him, lamenting that he had failed to save Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}} Though very near death, enough of Jetfire's [[spark]] endured to revive him. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 8 – Jetfire is Back.jpg|thumb|left]]
Once the Autobots succeeded in retaking the ''Ark'', they decided they needed an eye in the sky, and hit upon the idea of reviving Jetfire. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 7|Transformers #7}} They succeeded in doing so, but their limited resources meant that when Jetfire was revived, he was stuck in vehicle mode, blinded, and unable to move by himself. Optimus expressed regret for Jetfire's situation, and offered to stay with him for a bit so he wasn't alone. Not long after, Decepticon activity was detected, and [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|Cliffjumper]] piloted Jetfire to the scene while Optimus, [[Ratchet (G1)#Energon Universe|Ratchet]], and [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]] rode along in an attached carrier module. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 8|Transformers #8}} Tracking the Decepticons to the [[Pacific Ocean]], Jetfire was downed when the beam from the Decepticon's [[space bridge]] blew off his wing, causing him to crash into the seabed. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 9|Transformers #9}}

Jetfire was later retrieved by [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 20|Transformers #20}}

{{ongoing}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Go! Go! issue 43}} {{storylink|The Transformers Gather on the Snowy Mountain!|Search Quiz 2}}}}

{{ongoing}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Jetfire, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of an Autobot team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Decepticons in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Menasor, Trypticon, Astrotrain, Starscream, and Megatron, Jetfire was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Gluawakening jetfire.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5]]
The Decepticons found Jetfire on Earth and tricked him into joining their ranks. He joined [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in an attack on [[Dyson Dam]], however [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots were on hand to defend it. They badly damaged Jetfire during the battle, but were puzzled when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] could find no record of him existing. Once the situation was established and Jetfire realized he'd been duped, Optimus invited him to join the Autobots. Jetfire's first mission was to take out three power stations that were generating force fields. Despite Megatron's anger at seeing the traitor return, Jetfire was able to capture all three of the stations and bring the force fields down, revealing that the Decepticons had built a [[space bridge]]. He also later helped save [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] from some attacking Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{--}}

===''Bot Shots Battle Game!''===
Jetfire participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! {{storylink|Bot Shots Battle Game!}}

===''Transformers: Legends''===
[[File:TFLegendsApp-Jetfire.jpg|thumb]]
Jetfire was dug from his icy prison by the other Autobots and sent to [[South America]] to help stop the Decepticons from building a cannon to harness the [[Crystal of Power]]. He and his teammates managed to destroy the cannon and cap the shaft on which the crystal had stood. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (Legends)|Fire on the Mountain}} Jetfire was part of an escort squadron led by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], tasked with protecting important cargo from a Decepticon strike force. {{storylink|Cold Delivery}} When the [[Military Patrol]] team ran amok in [[New York City|New York]], Jetfire led a team including [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] which succeeded in driving them from the city. {{storylink|Full Assault}}

In the chaos following Optimus and Megatron's clash during a battle in Autobot City, Omega Supreme arrived with reinforcements, including Jetfire. The newcomers were able to bring some order to the battle. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

At some point Jetfire fought in a battle alongside [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], and [[Overlord (G1)|Overlord]]. {{storylink|Fan Favorite}}

Jetfire designed an experimental space bridge. Galvatron sought to take control of the device in order to teleport weapons into enemy territory, and Jetfire helped Rodimus defend his invention. A stray shot threw all nearby combatants into the distant past, where they witnessed the epic battle between Primus and Unicron before Cybertron's formation. The Autobots allied themselves with Primus while Galvatron joined forces with Unicron. The Autobots eventually prevailed, and were sent back to their proper place in the timestream by Primus. {{storylink|Battle of the Brothers}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Jetfire.jpg|thumb]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Jetfire-II.jpg|thumb]]
Jetfire participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in two different bodies:
*''Jetfire'' — This Rare character could be recruited by collecting 150 units of Cybermetal, 90 units of Transmetal, and 55 scout cores.
*''Jetfire II'' — This Super Rare character could be recruited by collecting 250 units of Cybermetal, 75 units of Transmetal, 50 exclusive cores, and 5 cores of this character. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers Operation Omega''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers Operation Omega}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
;'''Jetfire'''
[[file:Jetfire-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|I don't think I'm supposed to be fighting... I mean, I am only a scientist.]]

Jetfire's reckless daring, the result of being the swiftest of all the Autobots, creates an image of gung ho bravado.
But in truth, Jetfire believes the key to victory is hard, laboratory-based science, and only by solving the big questions and advancing Autobot tech can they truly defeat their enemy.
His allegiance to the cause is matched only by his devotion to science, but his fellow Autobots distrust him as he was formerly a Decepticon.{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Jetfire Bio}}

Jetfire was the very first Autobot to reach Earth, and he set up base next to the Ark. Jetfire soon found a [[Crystal (Earth Wars)|crystal]] and brought Ironhide though. Ironhide stated that the base was in disarray and missing Energon. Lots of missing Energon. They built a harvester, and Ironhide decided it was time to beat up Decepticons. They destroyed a base and Blaster told them to upgrade the HQ. After that they received a transmission from Optimus Prime. Prime desperately needed to get to Earth or else Megatron would beat him there. They brought in another recruit and all three of them headed out to get a Leader Crystal to get their leader through. Prime came to Earth, then commanded Jetfire and Ironhide to help him find the [[Fractal Map]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Get Optimus! campaign}}

Jetfire and Ironhide started to worry about the mortar and beam lasers that are ahead of them at the next outpost. But Optimus told them not to worry and led the charge in an '''Inspiring Charge'''. Optimus then congratulated everyone on the victory, for which Jetfire was impressed. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Lost Map campaign}}

Jetfire was present for the battle for the Codex Key. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Codex Showdown campaign}}

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 1 star
*'''Weapons:''' Jetfire uses a standard issue [[photon rifle]] to blast targets for moderate damage.
*'''Ability: Airstrike''' - Hits the target with four powerful missiles dealing moderate damage!
**'''Cost:''' 4 ability points, +2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:jetfire Jetfire at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

;'''Cybertron Jetfire'''
[[File:Cybertron_Jetfire_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Whatever body he's in, Jetfire's driving faith in the power of science remains the same. In fact, his upgraded and reimagined Cybertronian form reinforces his belief that the path to victory lies through technological advancement and not force of arms.
Now with increased resistance to the rigors of high-speed flight and space travel, Jetfire can truly push the boundaries of knowledge and exploration, driving ever further and deeper into the unknown in pursuit of universal truths. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Cybertron Jetfire Bio}}

{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

*'''Class:''' Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 stars
*'''Ability: Cybertronian Laser''' - Fire laser dealing damage to regular buildings or double damage to Cybertron raid event buildings (except HQ) and disabling them.
**'''Cost:''' 6 ability points +2 for reuses.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:cybertron-jetfire Cybertron Jetfire at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

;'''Jetfire [[Skystriker (G.I. Joe)|Skystriker]]'''
[[File:Jetfire GiJoe EarthWars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]

Jetfire is accompanied this time with [[Snake-Eyes]].
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars}}}}

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 stars
*'''Ability: Ninja Strike''' - Fire 4 powerful rockets at a target building dealing damage. You also fire 16 missiles dealing damage in an area. In flight mode, the Sky Striker is invisible to the enemies.
**'''Cost:''' 5 ability points +2 for reuses.
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:jetfire-skystriker Jetfire Skystriker at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:JetfireF2F.jpg|thumb|Probably best friends with [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]].]]
Jetfire was one of many bots pulled from his universe to fight for the Quintessons. There are a lot of him running around! As a Tech Bot, his Parry Shield reflects Ranged and Melee attacks with well-timed blocks, each success granting him an Energy Charge which powers up his Heavy Shocks, Special attacks, or Damage Control Repair. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}

{{chargamestub}}

===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
The cold and calculating Jetfire originally wanted to become a scientist, but Cybertron's reigning doctrine of [[Functionism|functionalist]] meant that he was required to serve in Cybertron's air defense forces. As energon ran low, Jetfire spent more and more time in shutdown, and spent most of his active hours studying the stars in search of new energy sources. Eventually, Jetfire discovered [[Earth]], a planet with abundant energon sources; realizing that Megatron would simply burn the world and everything on it to cinders, Jetfire defected to the Autobots instead and alerted Prime to the existence of this new world. As an Autobot, Jetfire's penchant for applying his theoretical sciences in real-world scenarios made him a skilled aerial combatant. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook|Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}}

==Commercial appearances==
*Tired of losing battles due to the Decepticons' air superiority, the Autobots created the ultimate flying warrior: Jetfire! The newborn Autobot managed to take down Starscream and Thundercracker, but was in turn countered by the Decepticons' newest secret weapon, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]! {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Jetfire and Shockwave|Jetfire and Shockwave commercial}}
*Jetfire was standing idle inside the Autobots' base when [[Punch (G1)|Punch]] reported back to Optimus on what he had recently found out about the Decepticons. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Jetfire (G1)/toys}}

==Why "Skyfire"?==
[[File:Jetfire-SkyfireModels.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|I went from 98-ton weakling to muscle-bot on... the Dery plan!]]
We may never be certain of the exact circumstances behind the change from Jetfire to Skyfire. There are, however, a few known factors, and a lot of theories.

* Not all of Hasbro's ''Transformers'' product originated with [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. Among others, the ''[[Super Dimension Fortress Macross|Macross]]'' Super Valkyrie, the toy that would become Jetfire, came from a company called [[Takatoku Toys]]. Why did Hasbro market non-Takara product? [[Bob Prupis]], one of the original members of the Transformers marketing team, would frequently go to Toy Fairs in Asia, where ''"any product that really looked good that was exciting we didn't care where it came from. We did some work with Bandai, who had been working with other people, and took a few products that looked right for our line"''.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/94f5cb70b08a646d G1 Hasbro marketing executives panel]</ref> The Super Valkyrie, then, must have met their criteria for inclusion.
* As a larger toy, it would follow that Hasbro would want to sell Jetfire by including him in the ''Transformers'' animated series. However, even though Hasbro had the rights to release Takatoku's Super Valkyrie in the US ''Transformers'' toyline, Hasbro's chief collaborator on ''Transformers'' was still Takara. It may have been that Takara always had plans to air the ''Transformers'' animated series in their own market (as it featured a majority of their products), and objected to the inclusion of a competitor's product on the show. This may also be why the other Takatoku-designed toys (the [[Deluxe Vehicle|Deluxe Vehicles]] and [[Insecticon_(G1)|Deluxe Insecticons]]) did not appear in the series, although their relatively smaller sizes as compared to Jetfire may have been a factor in Hasbro not including them.
* As the theory goes, the Jetfire animation model was adjusted to look less like the toy as a compromise to Takara. However—perhaps because it now failed to look like the product it was supposed to be advertising—the character became "Skyfire".
* Conversely, it is possible that licensing issues played into the decisions to change Jetfire to Skyfire; the [[Production bible|story bible]] for Generation 1 writers mentions how Jetfire had been "transformed" into Skyfire for "legal reasons". See also [[#Notes|Notes]].
* As a testament to how late in production Jetfire's name was changed, all five of the first-season episodes featuring the character were originally scripted and recorded using the name "Jetfire", later necessitating every instance having to be re-recorded as "Skyfire" prior to broadcast.
** The second episode to be produced featuring the character, "Fire on the Mountain", had its revised script completed on [[July 2]], 1984. The script initially used Jetfire's name in the character's first scene—which was inserted to maintain continuity with the character's fate in "Fire in the Sky"—before abruptly using the name "Skyfire" throughout the rest of the script. A curious note on the episode's draft script indicates that the name "Skyfire" was used "incorrectly", and a later revision to the script on [[July 9]], 1984 duly corrected all instances of Skyfire ''back'' to Jetfire. The draft script for this episode is the earliest known use of the name "Skyfire".
** Jetfire's name continued to be used in the scripts for remainder of the character's appearances throughout the first season of ''The Transformers'', up to the final script revision of "A Plague of Insecticons" dated [[August 13]], 1984.
** The initial, toy-based version of Jetfire's animation model was approved on [[July 3]], 1984, and storyboards for "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3" are known to have used this character model. The original Jetfire animation model is likely to have also been used in the storyboards for the other first-season episodes featuring the character, although no other storyboards have yet turned up to confirm this.
** The revised "Skyfire" animation model was completed in late [[August]] 1984 and sent to Toei along with the model pack for "[[Heavy Metal War]]" - notably the final episode produced for the series' first season.
** During pre-production on the second season of ''The Transformers'', a "New Products" internal document for the forthcoming 1985 product range was prepared. The first draft of this document was completed on [[November 9]], 1984 (before any episode featuring the character had aired), and specifically notes regarding "JETFIRE (aka SKYFIRE)" that he "should not be used unless necessary".
** With "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2", the first episode featuring the character to be broadcast, airing on [[November 10]], 1984, the available evidence points to Jetfire's transformation into Skyfire to have been a relatively late decision that was completed somewhere between August and November 1984 at the latest.
* The evidence of ''{{w|Robotech}}'' influencing Jetfire-related decisions is murky.
** ''Robotech'' began airing in syndication in [[March]] [[1985]], whereas "Fire in the Sky", the first episode produced to feature Skyfire, aired [[December 8]], [[1984]]—with the episode's final script revision completed on [[July 19]], 1984.
** Statements indicate that it took nine months to edit ''Robotech'' together, placing the start of its production somewhere around July 1984. Additionally, a pre-''Robotech'' English-language dub of the first three ''Macross'' episodes was made available from Harmony Gold as a mail-order video tape in [[September]] 1984, two months ''before'' the first episode featuring Skyfire aired.<ref>''Starlog'' #87, October 1984 et al.</ref> So... who knows. All that's certain is that Hasbro licensing the Super Valkyrie seemingly ''did'' prevent the use of that toy in Matchbox's ''Robotech'' toyline.

Beyond Prupis's statement and the notes in the story bible, however, nothing supporting (or denying) any of the previous statements has come out.

==Notes==
[[File:TakatokuSuperValkyrie.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|C'mon, Hasbro. You '''know''' you want to make a "Skull Squadron" version of ''some'' [[Jetfire (disambiguation)|Jetfire]]. What's [[Bandai]] going to do? Sic the [[Power Rangers]] on you? Oh wait, you now outright own Power Rangers.]]

* As mentioned above, unlike most of the early ''Transformers'' range, the Jetfire toy was designed by [[Takatoku Toys]], being a [[redeco]] (with a minor retool to blunt the nosecone) of their 1/55 [http://1501bc.com/pretf/macross.html ''Macross'' VF-1S Super Valkyrie]. Naturally, because he was not designed by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], Jetfire was not released in Japan, since the toy (or, at least, a dozen variations of it) was released by one of Takara's rival toy companies.
* Jetfire—or more accurately, Skyfire—is notably absent in all of the original Japanese tie-in ''[[TV Magazine]]'' material that squeezes itself in between episodes/seasons of the Generation 1 cartoon—even down to the accompanied artwork. Whether this was done as a way for Takara to distance themselves entirely from the character to escape potential lawsuits, or done simply because the toy wasn't part of the Japanese toyline, or a mix of both, is not entirely certain. [[Studio OX]], the company responsible for the ''TV Magazine'' story page artwork, also tended to merge a ''lot'' of the toy colors and aesthetics with the characters' cartoon designs, which probably would have led to more potential legal trouble for Takara, making it all the more reason for them to leave out the character from tie-in material.
* The story bible for the original animated series contains a different character model for Jetfire, one clearly based on the actual toy. This model did appear three times "fictionally", once as a miscolored, partially-obscured background character in the [[The Last Stand|fourth Marvel Comics issue]], again in the Marvel Comics as a [[Ashes, Ashes...|spectator at Optimus Prime's funeral]] (right next to his "Skyfire" model) and finally in the [[The Transformers (Milton Bradley comic)|Milton-Bradley promotional comic]]. It would also occasionally crop up in secondary media, such as coloring books and the animated portion of the commercial for Jetfire and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]].

[[File:Jetfireg1commercial.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Lawsuit!]]
* In fact, the ''Transformers'' story bible includes multiple notes on Jetfire. An early page notes how ''"JETFIRE has been "transformed" into SKYFIRE — with a different model — due to legal reasons. Do not use this character unless necessary"'',<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#012 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> whereas a subsequent page on new Season 2 characters notes that ''"Although Reflector should no longer be used as a character in the series, JETFIRE will be redesigned and reintroduced in the near future"''.<ref>[http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/#090 Transformers Production Bible at Tfarchive.com]</ref> As the Valkyrie-derived animation model never appeared in the cartoon, and Skyfire was never redesigned, it's uncertain just what the latter note refers to; it is likely that the latter note is a repeat of the earlier note and wasn't edited. Either way, it seems they took the former advice, as Skyfire appeared in only three early episodes of the second season, and more or less vanished after "[[Day of the Machines]]."

* "Jetfire" is listed as a "Special Guest Star from Cybertron" on the [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for "Fire in the Sky". Later, on the cast list entry for "Fire on the Mountain", "Skyfire" is typewritten as part of the main cast list, but a drawn dash pointing to (or from) it leads to the handwritten name "Jetfire". From there on out, Skyfire is referred to as Jetfire in the listings.
* In the aforementioned Jetfire commercial, it claims that the ''Autobots'' created Jetfire, the "ultimate robot jet", to counter the Decepticon planes. As Sunstreaker, Hound, and Prowl are under attack, the trio release Jetfire from within an opening cliffside, revealing their new creation. (See image above.)
* Jetfire had the preliminary name of '''Fireball'''.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20071230210811/http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=41003 Post by Jim S on The Allspark Forums, 2007/12/25 (via the Internet Archive)]</ref>
* When Hasbro launched the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|''Transformers'' line on the European continent]] using the domestic subsidiaries of [[Milton Bradley]] in 1985, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Optimus Prime]] was notably absent from the initial line-up and ''Jetfire'' was declared leader of the Autobots instead. He not only appeared in that function in a [[pack-in material|pack-in]] mini-comic, but Dutch comic book publisher [[Junior Press]] even changed Optimus Prime's name to "Jetfire" in their translated version of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''Transformers'' comic]] until the Optimus Prime toy was released in Europe after all, and Junior Press corrected the name for subsequent issues. A commonly cited explanation for this is a [[trademark]] problem,<ref name="optimusdutch">[http://www.oocities.org/futuristgroup/veuro2.html The origin (?) of the "Optimus trademark conflict in Europe" rumor?] at Fred's Complete Transformers Variants and Variations Page (oocities mirror)</ref> but a more likely theory suggests that an exclusive contract between [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] and French toy company [[Joustra]], which allowed Joustra to release their own version of Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' line in Europe, initially made all the toys released by Joustra (which included the Optimus Prime sculpt) off-limits for the MB line-up until a deal was made between MB and Joustra.<ref name="mijofive">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ Mijo's "MB Transformers: Part 5" article] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>

[[File:EvolutionSkyfire.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Curiously, for the toy commercial the animators chose to go with the 1st version of the Jetfire model rather than any of the two revised versions.]]
* The ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Omnicon]] [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] was created as an [[homage]] to Skyfire. He [[Blastification|would have been given the name "Skyfire" as well]], but the [[trademark]] had been secured (and registered) by Hasbro rival [[Mattel]]. Also on the homage front, ''Robotmasters'' [[R-Blade]] features a very Jetfirey deco.
*In the 1980s, [[Larry Hama]] kept a Jetfire [[prototype]] on his desk in the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] offices. This, apparently, kept Hama safe from paper clip thieves.<ref>[[Letters page|Transmissions]] page, [[Warrior School!]]</ref>
* In a decidedly unusual move, Jetfire in the Japanese ''Kre-O'' manga is ''not'' based on the actually-in-the-cartoon-that-aired-in-Japan "Skyfire" cartoon model. No, he's based on the didn't-appear-in-the-cartoon-and-never-sold-in-Japan-as-Jetfire-because-it's-from-major-competitor-[[Bandai]] [[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|original Jetfire toy]]. His parts in the comic are mostly concealed by his placement in the panel. However, he seems to use the ubiquitous [[Hound (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Hound]] helmet and a similar wing construction to [[Thrust (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Thrust]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Skyfire''' (スカイファイアー ''Sukaifaiā''), '''Jetfire''' (ジェットファイヤー ''Jettofaiyā'', ジェットファイアー ''Jettofaiā'')
*''Czech:'' '''Premiant'''
*''Cantonese:'' '''Tin1 Fo2''' (Hong Kong, 天火, "Sky Fire")
*''French:'' '''Bolide''' (Canada toy, "Meteor"), '''Aérobo''' (Canada cartoon)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Sh'méy Ésh''' (שמיי אש, "Skies of Fire")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Röptűz''' ("Fly Fire")
*''Italian:'' '''Aquila''' ("Eagle")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tiān Huǒ''' (China, 天火, "Sky Fire")
*''Polish:'' '''Ognisty Odrzutowiec''' ("Firey Jet")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Jacto''' (Portugal comic, "Jet")
*''Russian:'' '''Istrebitel'''' (Истребитель, "Aircraft Fighter")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Blyskavka''' (Блискавка, "Lightning")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Cyberjets]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Earth Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Void Rivals characters]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]

Age of Wrath

2025-09-29T20:00:16Z

Whalermouse:

{{disambig3|Age of Wrath}}
[[File:Quintessons-CovenantofPrimus.jpg|thumb|right|400px|"Yet across the gulf of space, [...], intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us".]]
The '''Age of Wrath''' is a period early in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s history, characterized by the [[Quintesson]] invasion, their temporary rule of Cybertron, and the planet's revolt against their masters.
{{--}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned continuity family===
[[File:COP-coldwelderandratchet.jpg|thumb|left|200px|'It's true! [[Quintesson|They]] had eyes... They're glowing and then tentacles! And maps with planets with X's through them!"]]
Because the [[Great Cataclysm]] had severely disrupted the development of Cybertron's societies, the comparatively young Cybertronian race had lagged behind in their technological and social development and lived in a largely feudal society ruled by scattered kings and warlords. When the Quintessons — the forgotten efforts of [[Quintus Prime]] — discovered the planet, they began observing the planet and its inhabitants remotely. Before long, the Quintessons began abducting lone Cybertronians and implanting probes in their bodies. One early victim was the menial worker [[Coldwelder]], who sought medical treatment from [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] and [[Cogwheel]] after his traumatic experience.

Soon afterward, the Quintessons revealed themselves to the masses, landing their ships in all of Cybertron's population centers. Claiming to be emissaries sent to "uplift" Cybertron, they won the adoration of Cybertronians by revealing the secret of the [[Transformation cog (biology)|T-cog]], which allowed Cybertronians to assume other shapes. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution}} The Quintessons shared their technological knowledge with Cybertronians, artificially accelerating Cybertron's public and private infrastructure and introducing the Transformers to spaceflight and dimensional travel. The Quintessons established the rule of law and helped regulate the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]], overseen by [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]], a member of the [[Elite Guard]].

Hoping to subjugate and enslave Cybertronians, the Quintessons began re-organizing the Cybertronian social structure based on the ideals of [[Functionism|Form and Function]]. Many Transformers were organized into working collectives, while others, such as the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, had their bodies modified with [[cockpit]]s to carry their new masters around. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}
[[File:OrionPaxSeesSpaceBridge-COP.jpg|thumb|250px|The Game has Changed.]]
The Quintesson presence on Cybertron interfered with the [[Well of All Sparks]], to the point where some Cybertronians began emerging without names or personalities. The Quintessons claimed that this was for the best, since these new Transformers would not yearn for anything more out of life. One Transformer created during this time was [[Megatron (WFC)|D-16]], who was assigned to work in the mines. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution}} Perhaps the most ominous development was the establishment of the [[Supreme Court]], a kangaroo court where anyone could be imprisoned or executed based on hearsay. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

The Quintessons also began building mysterious structures, which [[Prowl (WFC)|Prowl]] and [[Bluestreak (Prime)|Bluestreak]] analyzed. They discovered that they were dimensional gates, or "[[space bridge]]s", although it was unclear just how they worked. The final straw came when a young scientist known as [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] translated the Quintesson language, which Senator [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] analyzed... and realized that the Quintessons were discussing selling off the population of Cybertron.

The Council enacted "Plan T-Cog", which involved raiding the Well to prove that Cybertronians could transform without Quintesson assistance. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} Once this was done, Sentinel Prime declared war on the Quintessons, and called the Transformers to arms. In the conflict that followed, D-16 was one of the many Cybertronians who fought the Quintessons under Sentinel's command. {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution}} One archivist known as [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Orion Pax]] did not fight on the front lines, but embarked on a secret mission to inform resistance leaders of the various Quintesson subspecies. {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}}

With the defeat of the Quintessons, Cybertron entered its [[Golden Age]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}} {{storylink|Transformers: The Covenant of Primus|The Covenant of Primus}} Over the course of time, many Cybertronians forgot their memories of the Quintessons entirely. Although they were denied Cybertron, the Quintessons eventually annexed the Cybertronian colony world of [[Aquatron]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Retribution}}
{{--}}
===Energon Universe ===
[[File:Trions.jpg|thumb|300px]]
The Age of Wrath was a period of history that took place centuries before the [[Agorrian]] [[Darak]] and [[Zertonian]] [[Solila]] joined forces. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 3|Void Rivals #3}}

On Cybertron, the oppressive Quintessons ruled over slaves, including "[[Alpha Trion|A-3]]" and "[[Beta (G1)|Beta]]". A-3 and Beta would lead a [[Autobot Rebellion|rebellion]] against the Quintessons, eventually earning the names Alpha Trion and Zerta Trion, {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 17|Void Rivals #17}} with "Trion" being an honorific title for individuals with great wisdom and authority. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 10|Void Rivals #10}} {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 17|Void Rivals #17}} The Quintessons sought retaliation via their ultimate weapon, [[Goliant]] a planet-sized giant. Zerta drew Goliant away from Cybertron, towards a distant star around the planets that would eventually become [[Agorria]] and [[Zertonia]]. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 17|Void Rivals #17}}

In the present day, a [[Quintesson Prosecutor]] that Darak and Solila met in their quest noted that his species had yet to live down the Age of Wrath. {{storylink|Void Rivals issue 3|Void Rivals #3}}
{{--}}
==Notes==
*The Age of Wrath's origins stem from the unproduced movie script ''[[The Secret of Cybertron]]'', which introduced the concept of the Quintessons. Many of the ideas introduced in ''The Secret of Cybertron'' would find their way into the [[Five Faces of Darkness]] arc, particularly its [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|fourth]] episode which introduced two key concepts: the Quintesson's control over a pre-[[Great War (G1)|Great War]] Cybertron, and their claim to having created the [[Transformer|Transformers]].
*The name of this Cybertronian epoch, the "Age of Wrath", originated from [[Dreamwave Productions]]' [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|G1 continuity]] ''[[Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath]]'' miniseries. While this miniseries involved the Quintessons and an invasion of Cybertron, the "Age of Wrath" was meant as an early name for the [[Expulsion of Unicron]]. Unfortunately, this information never made publication due to Dreamwave's collapse, and is only found in [[Simon Furman]]'s script for the unpublished [[The Age of Wrath Pt.5|''Age of Wrath'' #5]].

{{AlignedTimeline nav}}
[[Category:Aligned history]]
[[Category:Generation 1 history]]
[[Category:History]]

Dreamwave Productions

2025-08-24T14:51:09Z

Whalermouse: added note explaining why the action masters and micromasters had no personalities until dreamwave made ones up

[[File:Dreamwave.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"We're not saying you should buy Dreamwave comics, only that you'll regret it."]]

'''Dreamwave Productions''' was a fairly unknown independent [[Comics|comic book]] publisher when it obtained the ''Transformers'' license in 2001. For a time, there was gigantic buzz surrounding Dreamwave's relaunch of the Generation 1 title, even pushing it past Marvel and DC's top titles. Many comic book fans had been away from Transformers for a long time and were overjoyed to see highly detailed manga-style art driving a childhood favorite.

Dreamwave published a good deal of ''Transformers'' books, including many varied miniseries, before capitulating to internal pressures and mismanagement. Towards the end of 2004 delays started getting more and more frequent. This was followed by rumors of writers and artists leaving because they weren't being paid, which were then confirmed. In early January 2005, Dreamwave declared bankruptcy, and there were no Transformers comics to be had for more than half of 2005.

{{quote|TO ME DREAMWAVE WAS MORE THAN JUST A WORD. IT'S MEANING TO ME FULLFILLS ALL OF WHAT I BELIEVE IN. SUCCESS, LOVE, FRIENDSHIP, HOPES ANS WISHES. WHEN ALL IS BAD HUMANS EXCLUDE THEMSELVES FROM REALITY ONLY TO FIND THEMSELVES IN THE REALM OF DREAMS. BECAUSE HERE IN OUR DREAMS WE FIND THE FREEDOM FROM THE SHACKLES THAT THIS SOCIETY HAS LOCKED US IN REALITY.|[[Pat Lee]]<ref>[http://www.angelfire.com/pa/infrarred/infrarred4.html Pat Lee's Angelfire homepage]</ref>}}

==History==
===The beginnings===
Dreamwave Productions was originally launched by brothers [[Pat Lee|Pat]] and [[Roger Lee]] as a studio within [[Image Comics]] in 1996, at the height of the Image boom.

In 1998, Dreamwave would start to publish various <s>blatantly plagiarized</s> originally created titles such as ''{{w|Ghost in the Shell|Darkminds}}'' and ''{{w|Record of Lodoss War|Warlands}}'', as well as accepting work-for-hire assignments for other publishers such as the four-issue limited series ''Wolverine/Punisher: Revelation'' for Marvel. Other titles such as ''Shidima'', ''Fate of the Blade'' or ''Arkanium'' would follow. Furthermore, Dreamwave also collaborated with {{w|VIBE (magazine)|VIBE}} and {{w|Wizard (magazine)|Wizard: The Comics Magazine}} on various projects, developed an advertising campaign for the {{w|Dr. Martens}} shoe label and created the production designs for the music video to {{w|Janet Jackson's}} song "Doesn't Really Matter".

Initially, the "hook" for Dreamwave's financial success was the drawing style of its president, Pat Lee, which many readers viewed as "manga-like" (although readers of actual Japanese manga had a different opinion on this matter).

===Big 80s===
[[File:Big80sWizard.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Oh boy, were we naïve.]]
In October 2000, issue #111 of ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'' ran a feature named "Big 80s", featuring various popular properties of the 1980s in new interpretations by modern artists, such as ''Thundercats'' drawn by [[Jim Cheung]], ''Masters of the Universe'' drawn by Ed McGuinness, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' drawn by J. Scott Campbell, and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' drawn by Joe Madureira. Dreamwave submitted their own take on the ''Transformers'', one of Pat's personal favorites from his childhood days, with Pat Lee himself and Alvin Lee handling the art. ''Wizard'', making suggestions for a modern ''Transformers'' comic, named Mark Millar as their number one choice for the writer of the book, with Pat Lee (aka "Mr. Mecha") on art duties.

Needless to say, the modern-style "manga"-like ''Transformers'' artwork caused an uproar in the established fandom as well as among regular comic fans who remembered ''Transformers'' from their childhoods. Seven months later, Pat got another chance of drawing Transformers characters in a feature named "How to draw Mecha" for issue #118 of ''Wizard''.

In retrospect, this very first image depicting [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron's]] [[fusion cannon]] on the wrong arm turned out to be foreshadowing.

===Splitting from Image and getting the Transformers license===
[[File:WIZautobots.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.55|How to draw a mess of lines that look like Transformers once the colorist has salvaged it.]]
Still in 2000, a group of Dreamwave employees (including Alvin Lee, who had worked with Pat on the ''Wizard'' piece) departed from their company to form their own business, [[UDON Entertainment|UDON Studios]].

A year later, [[Hasbro]] was offering the license for new Transformers comics, which had effectively remained unused since [[Marvel Comics]]'s ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|Generation 2]] '' [[A Rage in Heaven!|issue 12]] in 1994. Several companies, including Marvel (with UDON being supposed to handle the art), were interested, but all of them used the piece of artwork Dreamwave had done for ''Wizard''. Dreamwave at one point intended to cooperate with Top Cow, but Top Cow rejected the offer. Ultimately, Dreamwave decided to get the license themselves instead of going through another company, claiming that Pat Lee would only handle the art if Dreamwave got the license. Marvel ultimately backed out because of the license fee Hasbro demanded.<ref name ="litgtfspec">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14153 Lying in the Gutters ''Transformers'' Special], July 2002</ref>

Dreamwave officially acquired the ''Transformers'' license in December 2001,<ref>[http://tformers.com/New-Transformers-Comic/130/news.html TFormers confirms that Dreamwave acquired the Transformers comic license]</ref> although Hasbro would ultimately never get the license fee in full. To commemorate the new flagship title, Dreamwave officially cut all ties with Image and became an independent publisher on their own.
{{-}}

===Success of the Transformers titles===
Dreamwave's launch title, [[Prime Directive|''Transformers: Generation One'' vol. 1]], written by [[Chris Sarracini]] and drawn by Pat Lee, became an instant hit, dominating Diamond's sales charts for months. Back then, rumors were circulating that Dreamwave had manipulated the market through a special deal with Diamond to ensure their success, or that Hasbro had set up an account to order large numbers of the ''Transformers'' comics. In fact Hasbro had ordered less than 200 copies per issue, primarily because they were not guaranteed free copies from their contract with Dreamwave.<ref name ="litgtfspec" /> Later that year, other companies also reported high sales of "nostalgia" titles, thus further challenging those rumors.<ref name="litgnostal">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14245 Lying in the Gutters], October 2002.</ref>

Dreamwave would soon expand their range of Transformers comics to include an ongoing ''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Transformers: Armada]]'' series (which later evolved into ''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Transformers: Energon]]'' to accompany the respective toylines), initially also written by Sarricini. Although the [[War and Peace|second ''Generation 1'' volume]] was originally supposed to be written by Sarracini again, he was replaced by new writer [[James McDonough]] (who originally worked under the alias "Brad Mick"), who ultimately wrote an entirely different story than what was originally intended.<ref>[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=1051 TFormers citing a ''Wizard Edge'' article that hints at the originally proposed plot for Dreamwave's Transformers: Generation 1 vol. 2]</ref> With [[Original Sin|issue #5]] of the [[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|third ''Generation One'' volume]] (now an ongoing title), McDonough was joined by his longtime friend [[Adam Patyk]], now forming a writing duo, eventually shifting out his "Brad Mick" alias.

Furthermore, Dreamwave hired fan-favorite [[Simon Furman]] to pen various ''Transformers: The War Within'' mini-series, the first official Transformers fiction ever to be not directly based on an existing toyline. Furman would be joined by artist [[Don Figueroa]], whom Dreamwave had hired directly out of the fandom. More fan artists such as [[Guido Guidi]] and [[Joe Ng]] would soon follow Don into the professional comic book world. Meanwhile, Furman would later also take over the ''Armada'' title as a writer.

===Trouble on the horizon===
The first problems arose in late 2002, when it turned out that Dreamwave had only acquired the license for distributing ''Transformers'' titles in the United States, which resulted in a temporary hold in the international distribution until the matter was settled.<ref>[http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=580 Newsarama reporting on problems resulting from Dreamwave's lack of a license for an international release of their ''Transformers'' titles]</ref> However, Dreamwave were far from being the only company suffering from that problem, as [[Devil's Due Press]] (then part of Image Comics) were also no longer allowed to distribute their ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' comic abroad, and other companies encountered similar problems.<ref name="litglicen">[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14266 Lying in the Gutters], November 2002.</ref> The problem was eventually resolved, and comics were allowed to be distributed internationally again.

Following the success of their ''Transformers'' titles, Dreamwave put their own titles ''Warlands'' and ''Darkminds'' on hold, instead focusing on other licensed books such as ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'', numerous {{w|Capcom}} franchises such as ''{{w|Mega Man}}'', and ''{{w|Duel Masters}}'' (a [[Hasbro]]-backed Japanese import card game/toyline). None of those titles would last particularly long, and some (mainly numerous Capcom titles) never even got the first issue out. This was also when rumors of creators not getting paid first came up.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=1760 Lying in the Gutters reporting on early rumors of Dreamwave artists not getting paid]</ref> Rumors about a rigid "house style" committing other artists to draw in a style close to company president Pat Lee started to circulate as well, most evident in the second ''War Within'' miniseries, where the original pencils by artist [[Andrew Wildman]] were drastically reworked by the inker, with rather disappointing results. In a rather bizarre move, a press release for "manga-sized" reprints (one of them for ''Energon'') would tell retailers that the trades were shorter and more expensive than regular manga ''in the first paragraph''.<ref>[http://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/4572/dreamwave-publish-trades-manga-format ICV2: "DREAMWAVE TO PUBLISH TRADES IN 'MANGA' FORMAT"], 5th April 2004</ref>

In mid-2004, Dreamwave announced the "addition" of new creators,<ref>[http://www.brokenfrontier.com/headlines/p/detail/dreamwave-adds-transformers-creators The infamous "Dreamwave adds Transformers' creators" press release]</ref> failing to mention that this also meant the departure of Adam Patyk and James McDonough from the company. Although Dreamwave tried to contain this delicate bit of information by asking websites to consider any public statements by the two regarding their current situation with Dreamwave as "private" and thus delete them,<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2033 Lying in the Gutters reporting on Dreamwave's attempt to contain information about Patyk and McDonough's firing]</ref> some sites ignored that request, thereby revealing that Patyk and McDonough were owed a significant amount of money for their work.<ref>[http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=3842 TFormers.com quoting a statement by Patyk and McDonough]</ref> A worried [[James Raiz]] would turn down an offer to draw the next ''War Within'' miniseries, not wanting to risk doing a lot of work for no money.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090916001311/http://transfans.co.uk/interviews_raiz.php TransFans.co.uk interview with James Raiz]</ref>

At the same time, Pat Lee would start to do contractual work for Marvel and DC again, such as issues of ''House of M'' or ''[[Superman]]/[[Batman]]''.

===The end===
While other artists and writers, including Simon Furman, at least temporarily joined the fold of creators not getting paid by Dreamwave, Chris Sarracini was asked to rewrite the stories previously submitted by Patyk and McDonough.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2045 Lying in the Gutters reporting that even Simon Furman was temporarily not paid, and the stories by Patyk and McDonough were being rewritten]</ref> Likewise, a long-since announced ''Beast Wars'' title McDonough and Patyk had previously worked on was now supposed to be written by Furman instead. Those stories would ultimately never be published, as Hasbro had already declined to renew Dreamwave's license to publish Transformers comics by this point.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14839 Lying in the Gutters reporting that Hasbro had revoked Dreamwave's ''Transformers'' license]</ref> Following numerous rumors, including one posted by [[Ben Yee]] on his own website [http://www.bwtf.com/ BWTF.com], Dreamwave officially declared bankruptcy on [[January 4]], 2005, blaming the weak United States Dollar and other scapegoats for the company's failure, including a vastly incorrect claim about Dreamwave being the "only Canadian independent comics publisher".<ref>[http://www.tformers.com/article.php?sid=4053 Dreamwave's final press release]</ref>

By this time, Pat and Roger had already spent four months secretly moving most of Dreamwave's assets to a new company named Dream Engine, whose website domain was registered to Roger's name. The existence of Dream Engine first became public in early January 2005.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2059 Lying in the Gutters discovering the existence of Dream Engine]</ref>

===The aftermath===
The overall amount of Dreamwave's debt was far over a million dollars.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=14886 Lying in the Gutters' list of Dreamwave's creditors]</ref> While former Dreamwave employees never saw a single cent of the money they were owed for their work, Pat Lee repeated the performance a year later with Dream Engine, ultimately resulting in him departing from the new company and once again starting a new business, ''Pat Lee Productions''. Meanwhile, a Canadian entrepreneur named Christian Dery acquired the remaining Dreamwave assets, including the name "Dreamwave" and the rights to their "original" titles such as ''Warlands'' or ''Darkminds'', in August 2005. Ultimately, no new Dreamwave comics would ever see the light of day, and the "new" Dreamwave ended up not paying employees ''either''.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2765 Lying in the Gutters reporting on trouble with the "new" Dreamwave]</ref> Eventually, Dreamwave II would close shop in mid-2006, selling back the remaining Dreamwave properties to Roger Lee and Dream Engine.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?column=litg&article=2769 Lying in the Gutters reporting on the final fate of the "new" Dreamwave]</ref>

[[Mike Costa]], writer on [[IDW Publishing]]'s later ''Transformers'' comics, blames Dreamwave for damaging the franchise in the US comics market: on top of some stories being, in his opinion, "not that great", the business crash meant "a lot of people got burned... a lot of stores got defaulted upon because their orders weren't being met".<ref>[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/webpage/the-underbase-reviews-ongoing-31 The Underbase podcast interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")]</ref>

{{bigquote|Looking back, I'm glad I didn't do any work for Dreamwave... at the time, I'd have worked for free but it turns out everyone else at Dreamwave was doing that anyway.|[[Nick Roche]] <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIkqheta3GE Moonbase 2 interview with Roche]</ref>}}

===Legacy===
Despite the ignoble end of the company, Dreamwave ''has'' had some lasting impact on the franchise beyond Pat Lee jokes and a damaged perception among comic shops:

* The habit of Cybertronian redesigns for characters began in ''The War Within''.
* The characters of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]] and [[The Fallen]] first appeared during Dreamwave's ''Generation 1'' series, and arguably the idea of adding new characters to an 'old' continuity can be credited to their writers. Also introduced during the Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' series was the concept of the [[Thirteen]], which has since been carried over into other franchises.
* The concept of [[Unicron]] as a reality-hopping entity was first used for their ''Armada'' title and went on to dominate his portrayal for a while.
* They were the first fiction to use the "white Optimus Prime" cab robot of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s original toy, thereby precipitating [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|countless Optimus repaints]] from Hasbro.
* Dreamwave were the first to add a "scientist" element to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s character, which has gone on to be a defining feature of most subsequent incarnations of the character.
* IDW's ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[The Transformers: Megatron Origin|Megatron Origin]]'' both began as Dreamwave stories. Megatron's titular origin story would also go on to influence the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]].
* Creators like [[Don Figueroa]], [[Guido Guidi]], and [[Alex Milne]] got their start at Dreamwave, and [[James Raiz]] got his start in Transformers there.
* Do you like the Micromaster and Action Master personalities on this wiki? A lot of them only exist because of Dreamwave's profile books making them up! These characters' toys were released at the tail end of G1 as less new fiction was being produced, so they had no official characterization back then.

But still, screw Pat Lee.

==Series published==
=== Dreamwave G1 ===
*''[[Prime Directive|Prime Directive (G1 Volume 1)]]''
*''[[War and Peace|War and Peace (G1 Volume 2)]]''
*''[[Transformers: Generation 1 (Dreamwave)|Generation 1 Ongoing (G1 Volume 3)]]''
*''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]''
*''[[Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages]]''
*''[[Transformers: War Within: The Age of Wrath|War Within: The Age of Wrath]]''
*''[[Transformers: Micromasters]]''

''See also:
* [[Dreamwave timeline]]
* [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity]]''

=== Unicron Trilogy ===
*''[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)|Armada]]''
*''[[Transformers: Energon (comic)|Energon]]''

=== Transformers/G.I. Joe ===
*''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe]]''
*''[[Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front]]''

=== Other ===
*''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]''
*''[[More than Meets the Eye: Transformers: Armada]]''
* ''[[20th Anniversary Transformers Summer Special]]''

{{See also|Unreleased Dreamwave issues}}

==Japanese release==
For better or worse (likely the latter), the Dreamwave comics hold the honor of being the very first Western ''Transformers'' comics to be officially translated and published in Japan. They were published by {{w|lang=ja|ジャイブ|JIVE Ltd.}} (JIVE American Comics Series) and translated by [[Eugene Ishikawa]] and [[Katsuya Akitomo]]. Releases began in November 2003 and ended in December 2004.

The graphic novels released in Japan were identical to the ones released in the US (aside from language, of course). The following collections were released:

*[[Prime Directive#International printings|Generation 1 Vol. 1]]
*[[War and Peace#Japan|Generation 1 Vol. 2]]
*[[Transformers: The War Within#Japan|The War Within Vol. 1]]
*[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)#International printings|Armada Vol. 1]]
*[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)#International printings|Armada Vol. 2]]
*[[Transformers: Armada (Dreamwave)#International printings|Armada Vol. 3]]

This gave Japanese ''Transformers'' fans their very first glimpse, at least on an official level, of what Western ''Transformers'' comics were like. A very unfortunate first impression, to be sure.

==In fiction==
===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Quadwal 1215.15 Epsilon]], even the [[GoBot]]s license couldn't stop Dreamwave from cratering themselves! {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#December 21, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 21/12/2015}}

==References==
{{Reflist|3}}

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/comics/dreamwave/ By-issue guides, G1 timeline and information (TFArchive)]
* [http://seibertron.com/comics/series.php Cross-referenced information about series and creators (Seibertron)]
* [http://tfarchive.com/community/showpost.php?p=509985&postcount=44 Unpublished Dreamwave G1 continuity timeline]
[[Category:Comics]]
[[Category:Companies]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Productions| *]]

The Transformers (toyline)

2025-08-07T01:49:43Z

Whalermouse: added wikipedia link to 1970s energy crisis

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchises]] for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America and eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOC|limit=3}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. [[Mattel]] was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''[[Starriors]]'' reconfigurable robots (a ''[[Zoids]]'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than its competitors. At the time, Hasbro truly benefited from having already tried out several successful ideas with the 1982 revival of its ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' brand as ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero''. Those tried and tested tactics were then subsequently employed for the ''Transformers'' line as well.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures—one of the elements shared with the aforementioned 1982 ''G.I. Joe'' relaunch—would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini-Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging, too, was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if at all, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. This, too, was carried over from ''G.I. Joe'', where [[Larry Hama]] had written background file cards for each character. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" (mirroring the ''G.I. Joe'' line's "Flag Points") clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s then recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante by teaming up with comic book publisher [[Marvel Comics]], its animation arm [[Marvel Productions]], advertising agency [[Griffin Bacal]] and its subsidiary [[Sunbow Productions]], having them produce both a comic book series and a cartoon series for television, starting again with ''G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'', and then followed by [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium under the furious eye of scary-loud and panicky parental watchdog/religious groups who were riding the "{{w|Satanic Panic}}" for everything they could)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Toys|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Toys|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure; a lingering effect from {{w|1970s energy crisis|the petroleum price crises of the '70s}} made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Toys|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Toys|Bumblebee]] (available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|"''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]''"<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Toys|Cliffjumper]] (available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Toys|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Toys|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Toys|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Toys|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Toys|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Toys|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Toys|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Toys|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Toys|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Toys|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Toys|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Toys|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Toys|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Toys|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]]
[[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Plane Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Toys|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Toys|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Communications'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Toys|Soundwave]] and Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Toys|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Roller (G1)#Toys|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Toys|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Kronoform]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|"[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]"}}
{{Bp-a1|"[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]"}}
{{Bp-a1|"[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]"}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}

====Notes====
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses, with their molds being derived from Takara's small ''[[Mech Soldier]]'' toyline.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Toys|Brawn]] (w/ yellow Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Toys|Bumblebee]] (yellow or red, w/ white Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Toys|Cliffjumper]] (red or yellow, w/ white Motorized Transformer)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]] (w/ yellow Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]] (w/ blue Motorized Transformer)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Toys|Windcharger]] (w/ blue Motorized Transformer)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)#Toys|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)#Toys|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|1 [[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#Toys|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|2 [[Scavenger (G1)/toys#Toys|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|3 [[Scrapper (G1)/toys#Toys|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|4 [[Hook (G1)/toys#Toys|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|5 [[Long Haul (G1)/toys#Toys|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|6 [[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#Toys|Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Toys|Devastator]] (gift set of all six Constructicons)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist (G1)#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Toys|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Toys|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Toys|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Toys|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Toys|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Toys|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Toys|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Toys|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Toys|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Toys|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Insecticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Toys|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Toys|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Toys|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Scientist'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Toys|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Communicator'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Toys|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Toys|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Air Guardian'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Toys|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)#Toys|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Electric Racing Set (w/ "[[Natron#Toys|Natron]]" & "[[Freezon#Toys|Freezon]]")}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]

====Mail-aways and promos====

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#CookieCrisp|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
====Notes====
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1986 (Scramble City and 2010)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)/cast#Season 1|older cast]] of not-shipping-any-more-1984-toys was shuffled out, with many characters openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time (and still uncommon today, mostly only the [[live-action film series]] works this way). These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini-Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Toys|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Toys|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|A1 [[Air Raid (G1)#Toys|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A2 [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Toys|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A3 [[Fireflight (G1)#Toys|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A4 [[Slingshot (G1)#Toys|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|A5 [[Silverbolt (G1)#Toys|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)#Toys|Superion]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|S1 [[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S2 [[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S3 [[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S4 [[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|S5 [[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]] (w/ [[Roller car]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Menasor, the Stunticon combiner]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|P1 [[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P2 [[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P3 [[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P4 [[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|P5 [[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|C1 [[Brawl (G1)#Toys|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C2 [[Swindle (G1)#Toys|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C3 [[Blast Off (G1)#Toys|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C4 [[Vortex (G1)#Toys|Vortex]]}}
{{Bp-d1|C5 [[Onslaught (G1)#Toys|Onslaught]]}}

</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Toys|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Toys|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Toys|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|1 [[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|2 [[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|3 [[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|4 [[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|5 [[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car Hot Rod]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Planes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Toys|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Toys|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[City Commander]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Toys|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Toys|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] (w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]] (w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====
[[File:G1-toy Reflector.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Toys|Reflector]] ([[Spectro#Toys|Spectro]], [[Spyglass#Toys|Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder#Toys|Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Headmaster [[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (with [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $260 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].
{{-}}
====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|TK1 [[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK2 [[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK3 [[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK4 [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|TK5 [[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|TR1 [[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR2 [[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR3 [[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR4 [[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|TR5 [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Freeway.jpg|thumb|200px|Throttlebot [[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]]][[File:G1-toy Computron.jpg|200px|thumb|Technobot combiner [[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]]]][[File:G1-toy Misfire.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Targetmaster [[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] with [[Aimless#Toys|Aimless]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Duocon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]] (w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]] (w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]] (w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]] (w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]] (w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]] (w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon (G1)|Horrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]] (w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]] (w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Bases]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]] (w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)#Toys|Scorponok]] (w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]] (w/ [[Haywire (Targetmaster)#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]] (w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] (w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] (w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] (w/ [[Aimless#Toys|Aimless]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]] (w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]] (w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]] (w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]] (w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}

===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group.

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.

====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|SE1 [[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE2 [[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE3 [[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE4 [[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE5 [[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|SE6 [[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]] (giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon [[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]]][[File:G1-toy Landfill.jpg|thumb|200px|Targetmaster [[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]]]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]]]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender [[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]] (w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]] (w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]] (w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]] (w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]] (w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]] (w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]] (w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]] (w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]] (w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]] (w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powermaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]] (w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]] (w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]] (w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (G1)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]] (w/ [[Rev (G1)#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]] (w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]] (w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s Assortment 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pretenders Assortment 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}

====Mail-aways and promos====

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which was, at the time, one of the most successful mass-retail chains in the nation. Shocking, we know).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph. All other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinction between Autobot and Decepticon toys (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.
{{-}}

====General retail====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|PM1 [[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM2 [[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM3 [[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM4 [[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM5 [[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|PM6 [[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender [[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]]]][[File:G1-toy Overload.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] with [[Car carrier trailer#Toys|car carrier trailer]] Micromaster Transport]]

|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols Assortment 1'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">Micromaster Patrol Assortment 1 began shipping in late 1988, and sported packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]] ([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]] ([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]] ([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Patrols Assortment 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]] ([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]] ([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]] ([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]] (w/ [[Crane#Toys|Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (G1)#Toys|Flattop]] (w/ [[Platonix#Toys|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] (w/ [[Car carrier trailer#Toys|Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]] (w/ [[Military transport#Toys|Military transport]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Stations'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]] (w/ [[Airwave (facility)#Toys|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]] (w/ [[Greasepit (facility)#Toys|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]] (w/ [[Hot House (facility)#Toys|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]] (w/ [[Ironworks (facility)#Toys|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Bases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]] (w/ [[ATV#Toys|ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]] (w/ [[Helicopter#Toys|Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]] (w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]] (w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}

====Exclusives====
:'''[[Kmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
====Notes====
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
====Retail releases====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols Assortment 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]] ([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]] ([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]] ([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (G1)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Patrols Assortment 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]] ([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]] ([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (Micromaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]] ([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]] ([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]] ([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]] ([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]] ([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-ROC-toy Sledge.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Constructor Squad [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]] (with [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]])]][[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner [[Tanker Truck#Toys|Tanker Truck]] (with [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])]][[File:G1Gutcruncher toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]] with his [[Stratotronic Jet#Toys|Stratotronic Jet]]]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport#Toys|Cannon Transport]] (w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher#Toys|Missile Launcher]] (w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck#Toys|Tanker Truck]] (w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base#Toys|Anti-Aircraft Base]] (w/ [[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters#Toys|Battlefield Headquarters]] (w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]]s Assortment 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon#Toys|Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board#Toys|Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Masters Assortment 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack#Toys|Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight-Pack#Toys|Flight-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Masters Assortment 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack#Toys|Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack#Toys|Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron#Toys|Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter#Toys|Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle#Toys|Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)#Toys|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet#Toys|Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser#Toys|Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer#Toys|Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet#Toys|Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank#Toys|Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy#Toys|Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==International toylines==
Beyond the United States, various other countries would get their own unique licensed versions of ''The Transformers''. All of these are elaborated at greater length in their respective articles, but since they all sprung up from the original ''Transformers'' toyline, we will nonetheless briefly summarize them down below.

===Japanese ''Transformers'' lines===
[[File:Transformers JG1 Logo.png|center|250px]]

{{Main|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)}}
[[File:TF-Victory-Star-Saber-toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Victory Star Saber, one of the most emblematic characters of the Japanese portion of the Generation 1 toyline.]]
[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a couple years prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, but over time the two companies pursued some pretty different visions for the brand. Takara gave the accompanying advertising media different sub-franchise titles for each year, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines in Japan (which would eventually end up making its way Stateside), although the toyline itself would not gain over-arching secondary titles until 1991, instead only featuring gimmick-specific brandings for relevant toys, some of which just happened to mirror the accompanying media's title. They would also create a variety of all-new toys unique to their version of ''Transformers'' (although some of them also saw release in Europe), most of them highly sought-after by collectors. By the end of the series, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead for the bulk of the line, with new molds being relegated to a small handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.
{{-}}

===European ''Transformers'' lines===
[[File:G1-thirdlogo.png|center|250px]]

[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Action Master Elite Omega Supreme.]]
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}
The early history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. Some companies, like [[France]]'s [[Joustra]] and [[Greece]]'s [[El Greco]], did earn the permission to manufacture their own local copies of ''Transformers'' figures rather than simply acting as distributors, but these are mostly identical to their originals save for a handful of small variants and differences in plastic colors. There are a couple of notable releases, such as the [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]], as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]], but their scarcity has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough).
[[File:G1-toy ThunderClash.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Turbomaster Thunder Clash, the new Autobot leader of 1992.]]
Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]].

In [[1992]], the line got much more cohesive, moving back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensor#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]).

In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
{{-}}

===Latin American ''Transformers'' lines''===
[[File:TransformersEstrela-Logo.png|center|120px]]
[[File:G1-toy_Cliffjumper-Antex.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Antex "Carrera" (Cliffjumper).]]
:'' Main article: [[Generation 1 toylines in Latin America]]''

Perhaps the most unusual bundle of Transformers toylines around, [[Mexico]] and a good portion of [[South America]] would see a variety of national companies gaining the license to manufacture and market their own Hasbro / Takara-derived ''Transformers'' toys. Presumably, this was the product of protectionist laws across these countries making it difficult for Hasbro to export their products without being subjected to high tariff costs, thus; the simplest solution was giving local manufacturers the permissions to make their own toys and take a share of their profits instead.

The result would be a confusing and yet inextricably fascinating mess of different regionalized Transformers toylines, with these being far smaller in scope compared to their international Hasbro / Takara counterparts but also frequently getting entirely new colors, promotional materials, and even some exclusive molds - at least within the ''Transformers'' brand - to boot. Mexico's [[IGA]] would release a mostly similar toyline to their U.S. counterpart but with the occasional odd variants and redecoes thrown in, [[Brazil]]'s [[Estrela]] would get an almost entirely distinct toyline reusing the Mini-Vehicles and Jumpstarters (renamed into Minicars and Salt-Men respectively) but importing an entire new set of gimmicky figures from [[Yonezawa Toys]] and [[Asahi Corporation]] (becoming the [[Eletrix]] and the [[Bat-Robô|Bat-Robôs]] respectively) and introducing the all-new [[Optimus]] and [[Malignus]] factions, [[Antex]] would import a portion of Estrela's toyline to [[Argentina]] and give most of the molds yet another batch of unique colors, [[Comando Toys]] was yet another Argentinian company which [[Radio AM Robot|inexplicably rebranded a knockoff as an official toy]], [[Peru]] and [[Chile]] would get far cheaper-looking Mini Vehicle variants with minimal paint apps through [[Lynsa]], and [[Venezuela]] would also get their own similar cheap Mini Vehicle toyline with [[Rubiplas]].

Truly, the only consistent aspect of the Latin American ''Transformers'' toylines is their lack of consistency, with the sheer amount of variants produced for existing toys - coupled with the rarity of a lot of these - making many Latin American ''Transformers'' into some of the most coveted vintage figures on the collectors' market. Not all of these are similarly rare and expensive - for instance; the Estrela Eletrix, Bat-Robôs and Salt-Men are fairly common and affordable even with the original packaging included, and the fact that a multitude of sealed Antex Robocars were discovered in the 2010s has also made them a lot more accessible in terms of value - but some of these figures, like the elusively colorful Optimus and Malignus Robocars, frequently go for three digits loose and well into the four digits carded.

{{-}}

===Chinese ''The Transformers'' toyline===
[[File:BattlesOfVictory-Logo.png|center|300px]]
[[File:G1Cyclonus-Chinese.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Chinese reissue of Cyclonus.]]
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, Hasbro International started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''Victory'' toys releasing under the "Battles of Victory" (胜利之斗争) logo seen above.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.
{{-}}
{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Generation 1 reissues|Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

====Takara====
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

:This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
{{-}}

====Hasbro====
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz. (''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]]. Outside of the 1990's ''Classics'' and the following toylines, reissues would also be released alongside "modern" lines, including the 2006's [[Transformers: Classics|''Classics'']], 2008's [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'']], and ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]''. Generation 1 toys were also redecoed for ''Generation 2'' and ''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]''.

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a Toys"R"Us staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage|Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn… although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.

*'''''[[Transformers Retro|Retro]]''''' (2023)
{{toystub}}
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===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MW-toy Hoist.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
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*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RobotMastersStarscream toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy continuity family|Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind.

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
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*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line even started adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster before ending in 2024, being replaced by its own spinoff line ''[[The Transformers: MPG|MPG]]''.

:Hasbro would occasionally release their own versions of ''Masterpiece'' toys, exclusive to various stores. Due to the brand unification, these were stopped in favor of simply importing the toys.
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*'''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally, the majority of the product is Generation-1-based, and sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
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*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. The results often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
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*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys.

:The line eventually turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, though at this point "''Generations''" has kind of become more a ''descriptor'' than an actual line: generally used as an umbrella branding for the more collector-oriented product, which includes not just multiple themed lines of "Generation 1"-based toys (expanding to other eras for the nostalgic fan as well), but more elaborate live-action movie product.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (Japan)|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015)
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco.

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (RID)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:Starting with 2018's ''Power of the Primes'', the brand unification meant ''Generations'' toys would not end up in diverging toylines between Hasbro and TakaraTomy. While each company would have their exclusives, they would often be imported over by the other company.

:TakaraTomy also created various smaller toylines, such as ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' and ''[[The Transformers Golden Lagoon|Golden Lagoon]]'', based on Generation 1 characters and designs, though focusing on a certain gimmick or idea.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (toyline), The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]

Constructicon (disambiguation)

2025-08-02T23:11:37Z

Whalermouse:

{{disambig}}

The '''Constructicons''' are a group of bots who are just as adept at mass destruction as they are at building things. In some universes, the Constructicons are capable of combining with one another to form the well known [[combiner]], [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]].

==Major Constructicons==
<center><gallery widths="200px" heights="150px">
File:Constructicons mode2.jpg|[[Constructicon (G1)|"Generation 1" Constructicons]]
File:Energon-Constructicon Maximus Catalog art.jpg|[[Constructicon Maximus|''Energon'' Constructicon Maximus]]
File:TFAni Threes a Crowd Constructicons.jpg|[[Constructicon (Animated)|''Animated'' Constructicons]]
File:Constructicons-ROTFcanyon.jpg|[[Constructicon (ROTF)|''Revenge of the Fallen'' Constructicons]]
</gallery></center>

==Full list of Constructicons==
{{disamb|y=[[1985]]|[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], the [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] team from [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]].}}
{{disamb|y=[[2004]]|[[Constructicon Maximus]], the combined form of the Decepticon [[Construction Team]] from ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=2004|[[Constructicon (Universe)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon [[Micromaster]] combiner team from the [[Unicron Trilogy]] via the 2003 ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' franchise.}}
{{disamb|y=[[2006]]/[[2015]]<ref name="askvectorprime">First named retroactively in [[Ask Vector Prime]]</ref>|[[Constructicon (RID)|Constructicon]]s, the Decepticon combiner team from the 2001 ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' franchise also via ''Universe''.}}
{{disamb|y=[[2007]]|[[Mini-Constructicon]]s, the Decepticon [[drone]] creations of [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] from the [[2005 IDW continuity]].}}
{{disamb|y=[[2008]]|[[Constructicon (SG)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon medic team from ''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=2008|[[Constructicon (Animated)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon subgroup from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=[[2009]]|[[Constructicon (ROTF)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon combiner team from ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (franchise)|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=2009|[[Constructicon Scout]]s, the mass-produced Decepticon bodyforms from the ''[[Battle for the Allspark v2]]'' portion of ''Revenge of the Fallen''.}}
{{disamb|y=[[2010]]|[[Constructicon (WFC)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon subgroup from the [[Aligned continuity family]].}}
{{disamb|y=[[2011]]|[[Constructicon (PCC)|Constructicons]], a group of Decepticon drones lead by [[Steamhammer (PCC)|Steamhammer]] from ''[[Power Core Combiners]]''.}}
{{disamb|y=[[2013]]|[[Constructicon (Kre-O)|Constructicons]], the Decepticon combiner team from ''[[Kre-O]]''. }}

==Not to be confused with...==
*[[Construction Patrol]], the Autobot Micromaster construction-vehicle group from Generation 1.
*[[Constructor Squad]], the Decepticon [[Micromaster Combiner]] construction-vehicle group from Generation 1.
*[[Construction Team]], the Decepticon construction-vehicle combiner group from ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]''.
*[[Build Team (disambiguation)|Build Team]], a name applied to various combining construction-vehicle groups.
*[[Destructicon (disambiguation)|Destructicon]], a name applied to various Decepticon groups.
*[[Construct-Bots]], a sub-line of buildable Transformers.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

Microman

2025-07-22T13:02:39Z

Whalermouse: /* Origins and Microman (1974–1980) */

[[File:Microman logo.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA64agJPR8w ''Meeeee-ku-ro-maaaaaaan!'']]]
'''''Microman''''' (ミクロマン ''Mikuroman'') is the name applied to a broad series of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] toy lines sold in Japan from 1974 onwards. It is significant to ''Transformers'' due to it spawning the ''[[Micro Change]]'' subline and ''[[Diaclone]]'' spin-off, both of which heavily contributed toy molds that would go on to form much of the [[The Transformers (toyline)|original ''Transformers'' toyline]].

Outside of ''Transformers'', ''Microman'' is also a major stepping stone in the journey from the original ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''–the first ever range of action figures–to the industry standard of 3.75-inch figures as we know it today.

==Overview==
===Origins and ''Microman'' (1974–1980)===
{{multiple image|image1=Microman M251 Robin.jpg|width1=150
|image2=Microman Robotman.jpg|width2=150|footer=The line was mostly made up of 3.75-inch figures like M251 Robin (left). Their modular construction allowed them to interact with bases, vehicles, and mech suits such as Robotman (right), which has a yellow Microman pilot visible in its chest.}}
''Microman''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s roots lie, perhaps surprisingly, with the original 12-inch ''[[Joe Colton|G.I. Joe]]'' range of toys, which introduced the world to the term "action figure" when released in 1964. Takara imported the line in Japan in 1970 as "''NEW GI Joe (ニューＧＩジョー)''", but when the militaristic styles of "America's Moveable Fighting Man" received only a tepid market response, they instead repurposed the molds to create ''Henshin Cyborg''. The titular character was a cybernetic superhero with a distinctive chromed head and translucent body parts that revealed his inner mechanical parts. Henshin Cyborg could "transform" by replacing his modular limbs with weaponry, or by donning separately sold costumes to embody other popular characters like [[Devilman Crybaby|Devilman]] or [[Mazinger Z]].

Then, the {{w|1970s energy crisis}} happened. The increased cost of oil meant that the planned expansion of ''Henshin Cyborg'' into vehicles and playsets was untenable. These cost concerns–coupled with the acknowledgement that Japanese household space is typically too limited for a collection of such large toys–led to Takara creating the 3.75-inch scale ''Microman'' as, effectively, ''Henshin Cyborg'' shrunken down to about a third of its size. The line included bases, converting vehicles, figures, and piloted mech suits; notable highlights include [[1975]]'s [[Robotman]], Takara's first toy that could transform (or rather, [[Partformer|partsform]]) from a robot to a vehicle, and [[1978]]'s "Cosmo Countach", a primitive robot that could come apart and be reassembled into a Lamborghini supercar.<ref>[http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~mikuro/sub1-6.htm "Micro Command" toys, including the Cosmo Countach]</ref>

In what would end up being a [[Pre-Transformer|remarkably prescient move]], American toy manufacturer {{w|Mego Corporation|Mego}} would choose to license the use of molds from ''Microman'' alongside other Takara lines, introducing the western world to the '''''[[Micronauts]]''''' franchise in 1977. ''Micronauts'' gained a tie-in comic series from [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] in 1979, which proved popular enough to outlast the toyline. ''Micronauts'' was one of the earliest toylines in the American market to utilize the 3.75-inch figure scale (the first being 1975's ''Adventure People'' by Fisher Price); bolstered by the [[Kenner]] toyline for [[Star Wars (franchise)|some space movie or other]], it became the standard for many lines of the era, and a format for action toys that survives to this day. In particular, Mego's alterations to existing ''Microman'' engineering would come back around to influence ''G.I. Joe'', resulting in the creation of its "''A Real American Hero''" franchise. The impact of ''Microman'' on the global boys' toy market can scarcely be overestimated, despite the fact that ''Microman'' itself is little known outside of Japan.
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===''New Microman'' (1981–1984)===
[[File:MicromanMicroChange.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Takara has re-used some of ''Microman''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s parts, along with some other new parts, and has reconstructed another ''Microman'', and renamed it ''New Microman''.]]
1981 saw a shake-up for the ''Microman'' line. The transforming mecha aspect of the line was spun off into '''''[[Diaclone]]''''' which, like ''Microman'' before it, was a third-scale miniaturisation of its predecessor. The tiny "Dianaut" pilots inherited the bright colours and chromed heads of ''Henshin Cyborg'' that had since become a hallmark of ''Microman'', and the Cosmo Countach served as inspiration for the "[[Diaclone#Car Robots|Car Robots]]" series toy "No. 1 Countach LSP500S"–predecessor to the Autobot [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|Sunstreaker]], and the first fully-fledged transforming car-to-robot toy ever designed, according to [[Hasbro]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100513020804/http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/discover/movie-news/TRANSFORMERS-HALL-OF-FAME-INAUGURAL-MEMBERS.cfm Hasbro press release for the 2010 Transformers Hall of Fame inductees (archived)]</ref>

Meanwhile, ''Microman'' was rebranded as ''New Microman'', with a renewed focus on its action figure characters. The story lore that had been building up in the ''Microman'' toy catalogues was streamlined, with renewed emphasis placed on the Microman pilots being refugees from [[Micro Earth]], fighting against the mutated [[Acroyear]]s by joining forces with human children like [[you]]–an alliance facilitated by the Microman characters being at 1:1 scale with their action figures. This unique selling point was especially evident with 1983's "[[Micro Change]]" subseries, which introduced robot figures and vehicles that could transform into ordinary household objects like ''[[Mini Vehicle|Penny Racers]]'', [[Mini-Cassette|audio cassettes]], and, um, [[Megatron (G1)/toys|handguns]].

Takara exhibited their ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' toys at the [[1983]] [[Tokyo Toy Show]], where an anonymous Hasbro representative saw the potential in these transforming robots and, in short order, the toys were reborn in Western markets as '''''[[The Transformers (franchise)|The Transformers]]'''''. Takara would soon shutter the ''Microman'' and ''Diaclone'' brands in favour of ''re''importing ''The Transformers'' alongside its tie-in animated series (which the previous lines both lacked).
{{-}}

===''Micro Millennium'' (1998–2000)===
[[File:Microman Magne Powers catalogue.jpg|right|upright=0.8|thumb|Before adopting LEDs, ''Magne Powers'' made use of bishie sparkle.]]
Fifteen years after being taken off the market, ''Microman'' returned amidst the hype of the upcoming futuristic-sounding space year [[2000]] (you had to be there) in the form of two distinct series. The ''Replica Microman'' series was aimed at older collectors and consisted of reissued and redecoed molds from ''Microman''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s heyday. The other series, aimed at children, began life as ''Magne Powers'' before rebranding in its second year as ''LED Powers''. The Microman figures in the ''Powers'' range were all-new designs, though some sets also featured strange appearances from pre-existing ''Transformers'' molds. The toyline was supported by a manga serial in ''[[Comic BomBom]]'' and a 52-episode anime series, with a companion short film released in Japanese cinemas alongside the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)#Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals|Metals]]'' episode "[[Cutting Edge|Convoy's Great Transformation!]]" and a ''[[Licca Kayama|Super Doll Licca-chan]]'' short film as part of the ''[[1999 Summer Toei Anime Fair]]'' anthology.

Unfortunately, the ''Powers'' range underperformed and Takara, which was dealing with financial issues, reduced the size of the line before cancelling it altogether. The ''Replica Microman'' series survived until 2003, but only in the form of limited editions and exclusives to retailers such as [[e-HOBBY]].{{-}}

===''Microman 2003'' (2003–2007)===
[[File:Microman 2004 catalogue.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|The invention of "Full Action Bodies" allowed ''Microman'' to become the dopest shit ever.]]
Another new line of figures appeared in [[2003]], appropriately named ''Microman 2003'' and re-envisioned as an adult-oriented collectible. The first series of this toyline, ''Micro Force'', established a new style of body construction proudly advertised as "Full Action Bodies", which featured over thirty points of articulation and interchangeable sets of hands. The line evidently proved enough of a success, and it dropped the ''2003'' from its name, expanding into subsequent years with mech suits, the "Material Force" range of blank figures for customised builds, and licensed crossover toys for popular characters like [[Batman]], [[Superman]], [[Evangelion Unit-00|Rei Ayanami]], [[Evangelion Unit-02|Asuka Langley Soryu]], [[Chun-Li]], the [[Predator (alien)|Predator]], and [[Godzilla]] (the figures actually going inside rubber monster suits!) among many others.

Following the Takara/Tomy merger in [[2006]], the ''Microman'' line was put on a brief hiatus. It returned in [[2007]] with the ''Wecker Signa Project'', a series of toys of the characters from the low-budget {{w|tokusatsu}} show ''{{w|Jikuu Keisatsu Wecker Signa}}''. Each release came with a DVD or CD featuring episodes or other media from the show, and heavy focus was put on the unmasked forms of the female heroes, played on the series by {{w|Japanese idol|idols}}. After ''Wecker Signa'', ''Microman'' quietly came to a close, but the design team evidently used the experience with its idol stars to resurrect the "Full Action Bodies" in ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R]]'', as you'll see [[#GT|below]].{{-}}

===''Microman Arts'' (2014–2015)===
[[File:Microman Kantai Collection Kongou.jpeg|right|upright=1|thumb|Yes, you're still on the ''Microman'' page.]]
With TakaraTomy having learned the lesson from the [[GT Sister]]s that {{w|Moe (slang)|moe}} anime girls were the way forward, the ''Microman'' brand resurfaced as ''[https://www.takaratomy-arts.co.jp/specials/hobby/ma/ Microman Arts]'', released by the subsidiary company [[TakaraTomy A.R.T.S]] (or T-ARTS). ''Microman Arts'' consisted entirely of highly detailed recreations of characters from pre-existing brands, including the anime series ''{{w|Love Live! School Idol Project}}'', [[Sega]]'s ''{{w|Project 575|Go! Go! 575}}'', and TakaraTomy's own ''{{w|PriPara}}'', but the most prolific subline by far featured the {{w|Moe anthropomorphism|anthropomorphised}} World War II warship girls of wildly popular browser game ''{{W|Kantai Collection}}''.

After two years from T-ARTS, ''Microman'' came to a close, with not a single chromed head in sight and apparently no plans for a return on the horizon. Despite its long lifespan and history of innovation, the ''Microman'' brand went into dormancy, even while ''Diaclone'' got a full-throated [[Diaclone#The return|reboot]] and the ''[[Micronauts]]'' came back in comic form.{{-}}

===T-SPARK (2025–)===
[[File:T-SPARK Project M.jpeg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Kept you waiting, huh?]]
And ''then'', at Shizuoka Hobby Show 2024, TakaraTomy dropped [[T-SPARK]], a boutique label encompassing a number of collector-oriented brands including ''Transformers'', ''Diaclone'', ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]'', and ''[[Zoids]]''. Among this vast array of products were prototypes for a series codenamed [https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tsparkofficial/projectm/ "Project: M"], an action figure line promoted off the back of being designed by ''{{w|Metal Gear Solid}}'' and ''{{w|Death Stranding}}'' art director {{w|Yoji Shinkawa}}. "Project: M"'s accompanying artwork and prototypes showed familiar concepts like Micro Knight, Spy Magician, and the iconic Easter Island head, suggesting that we would finally be seeing the return of ''Microman''. But naaaaah, this was a ''completely different'' line of 3.75-inch scale spacemen hailing from "the nano world" called ''Altered Nano''.

Compounding this weird reluctance to call a spade a spade, when TakaraTomy announced its ''Legacysoul'' brand of limited edition, ''[[Missing Link]]''-style remakes of legendary toys from the company's history, ''Microman'' was front and centre, beginning with the four lads from 1977's ''Microman Command''. So we know it's not a [[trademark]] thing – maybe Takara wants ''Altered Nano'' as a successor in spirit only...? {{-}}

==Toys==
As a ''Transformers'' Wiki, a full list of all ''Microman'' toys falls rather outside our scope. However, noted below are the toys in ''Microman'' that have directly borrowed from ''Transformers'', alongside convincing cases of the reverse happening.

===''Transformers'' in ''Microman''===
====''Microman: LED Powers''====
{{anchor|MachSpeeder}}
[[File:Microman toy Mach Speeder.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"Redeco" feels like a strong word.]]
*'''Mach Speeder with Rider Arthur''' (Micro Bikes, May 18, 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-14'''
**''Series 4'': '''Laser Microman'''
**''Accessories:'' LED Rotor Sword
:Part of the ''LED Powers'' "Micro Bikes" assortment, Mach Speeder (マッハスピーダ ''Mahha Supīda'') is a redeco and retool of ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Laser Cycle]] [[Road Rocket (G2)#Generation 2|Road Rocket]], transforming into a Yamaha GTS1000 motorcycle. Mach Speeder is predominantly cast in red plastic with gold metallic flake, with black robot parts. The main gimmick of ''LED Powers'' was that each Microman featured an LED bulb in their chest; when their "Energy Pack" backpacks were attached, the bulbs would activate and [[Light-piping|pipe lighting]] through the rest of the figure. As such, the light-up electronics present in Road Rocket were removed for Mach Speeder, and retools were made to the toy's handlebars and buzzsaw weapon to allow ''Microman'' figures to grip them.
:Mach Speeder was packaged with ''Rider Arthur'', who could mount Mach Speeder's vehicle mode and illuminate its "LED Rotor Sword" with his own electronics. This mold was also used to make [[#HyperSpeeder|Hyper Speeder]] below, [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Sideways (RID)#Toys|Sideways]], and ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' [[Road Rocket (G2)#Robotmasters|Road Rocket]]. The latter two Transformers retained the retools made for ''Microman'' compatibility (apart from the saw handle), but reinstated the mold's electronics.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20221129141848/https://www.micromanforever.com/MicroBikes.htm More information on Mach Speeder with Rider Arthur at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

{{anchor|RoadBison}}
[[File:Microman toy Roadbison.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Wait, is that [[Throttle (GoBots)|Throttle]]?]]
*'''Road Bison with Rider Walt''' (Micro Bikes, May 18, 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-15'''
**''Series 4'': '''Laser Microman'''
**''Accessories:'' LED Muffler Cannon
:The other release in the "Micro Bikes" assortment, Road Bison (ロードバイソン ''Rōdo Baison'') is a redeco and retool of the other ''Generation 2'' Laser Cycle, [[Road Pig (G2)#Generation 2|Road Pig]], transforming into a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide touring motorcycle. Road Bison is predominantly silver with red and black highlights and, as with Mach Speeder, features gutted electronics and altered handlebars to allow compatibility with its partner, Rider Walt.
:This mold was also used to make [[#HyperSpeeder|Tornado Bison]] below, ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Axer (G1)#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Axer]], and ''Robotmasters'' [[Sideways (RM)#Robotmasters|Double Face]]. Again, the latter two Transformers retained the retooling and reinstated the mold's electronic innards.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20221129141848/https://www.micromanforever.com/MicroBikes.htm More information on Road Bison with Rider Walt at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

{{anchor|MicroTrailer}}
[[File:Microman toy Micro Trailer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|"I was hired to take photos, not apply stickers."]]
*'''Micro Trailer with Pilot Edison''' (Micro Trailer, July 19, 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-20'''
**''Series 5'': '''Secret Breast'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 blasters, gun barrel piece, 4 cannons, 2 smokestacks, rifle
:The centrepiece of the "Secret Breast" theme, the Micro Trailer is a redeco of the [[Action Master]] vehicle [[Armored Convoy#Toys|Armored Convoy]]. The trailer is cast predominantly in pearl white and translucent green, with black tyres and mostly gold accessories; a sticker sheet is provided for additional detail. The Micro Trailer retains all of the functionality of the original Armored Convoy; its cab transforms into a "Stealth Jet" mode that can seat one pilot and a gunner, and the trailer unfolds into "Battle HQ Base" mode, revealing battlement positions for more figures. Naturally, the set no longer includes [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]], instead coming with Pilot Edison; since Action Masters were about 3.75-inch scale anyway, the vehicle is a good fit for ''Microman'', but even better is that the 2 mm holes in ''Microman'' figures' feet are the same size as those in the Action Masters' soles, allowing them to be pegged into place on the trailer's mounting points.
:Two additional Micro Trailers were available in limited quantities; see [[#DarkTrailer|below]].
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20240624061737/https://www.micromanforever.com/Microtrailer.htm More information on Micro Trailer with Pilot Edison at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

{{anchor|HyperSpeeder}}
[[File:Microman toy Hiper Speeder and Tornado Bison.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Mmm, citrus!]]
*'''Hyper Speeder with Master Microman Laser Arthur and Tornado Bison with Laser Shakunetsu''' (multi-pack, August 2000)
**''ID number:''
**''Series 5'': '''Secret Breast'''{{fact}}
**''Accessories:'' LED Rotor Sword, LED Muffler Cannon
:Released during the "Secret Breast" portion of ''LED Powers'', this is a multi-pack gift set exclusive to [[Toys"R"Us]]. It contains: "Hyper Speeder" (ハイパースピーダ ''Haipā Supīda'', misspelled as "Hiper Speeder" on the toy), a redeco of Mach Speeder in predominantly translucent lemon yellow with black and translucent orange robot parts and a green-tinted Rotor Sword; Master Microman Laser Arthur, a variant on Mach Speeder's partner Rider Arthur; Tornado Bison (トルネードバイソン ''Torunēdo Baison''), a redeco of Road Bison in predominantly translucent orange with yellow and gold robot parts and a green-tinted Muffler Cannon; and Laser Shakunetsu, a new character created from a combination of winning entries to a ''[[Comic BomBom]]'' competition. The two Micro Bikes retain all the functionality of their previous releases.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20230417164026/https://micromanforever.com/toysrusmicrobikes.htm More information on Hyper Speeder with Master Microman Laser Arthur and Tornado Bison with Laser Shakunetsu at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

{{anchor|DarkTrailer}}
[[File:Microman toy Dark Trailer.jpg|upright=1|thumb]]
*'''Dark Trailer with Power Dark''' (September 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-20'''
**''Series 5'': '''Secret Breast'''
:This special "[[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]]" version of the Micro Trailer was available as a campaign promotion via Takara. Limited to 100 competition prizes worldwide, the "Dark Trailer" is a monochromatic version of the Micro Trailer, replacing the translucent green with opaque black, the other plastics with various shades of grey, and altering the paint applications to more fitting colours; the gold plastic used for most of the weapons remains the same, as does the sticker sheet. Pilot Edison is replaced with an eeeevil repaint, Power Dark.
:The set might have come in a plain white box with a small explanatory sticker on the side.<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/microman-led-power-black-lucky-draw-micro-trailer.1065311/ Pictures of Dark Trailer with Power Dark from a fan's collection]</ref>{{-}}

{{anchor|FlameTrailer}}
[[File:Microman toy Flame Trailer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Anybody got $3500?]]
*'''Flame Trailer with Laser Edison''' (September 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-20'''
**''Series 5'': '''Secret Breast'''
:''Another'' Lucky Draw version of the Micro Trailer, the "Flame Trailer" was limited to 50 competition prizes and, other than replacing the translucent green plastic with translucent red, was much the same as the regular Micro Trailer, down to including the same stickers, the same pilot (under the name "Laser Edison"), and even the same box (if this eBay auction is to be believed<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20220709140038/https://www.ebay.com/itm/304352099893 eBay auction for a pre-owned Flame Trailer (archived)]</ref>).{{-}}

{{anchor|RocketBase}}
[[File:Microman toy Micro Rocket Base.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Not really compatible, but they're making a damn good go of it.]]
*'''Micro Rocket Base with Shining Edison''' (Micro Base, October 27, 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-26'''
**''Series 6'': '''Shining Tector'''
:Part of the final series of this iteration of ''Microman'', the Micro Rocket Base is a redeco of the [[Micromaster]] [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket Base]], omitting that set's pack-in partner [[Countdown (G1)#The Transformers|Countdown]] as well as the mechanical grabber arm accessory. The Micro Rocket Base is decked out in a striking black, grey, and gold colour scheme, the rocket itself is painted silver with a smokey translucent booster section, and a new sheet of gold, ''Microman''-themed stickers is provided for details.
:The base transforms from a comparatively compact launching pad modelled on the Space Shuttle crawlers, with a gantry tower and a large rocket ship. Both rocket and base unfold into multiple ramps, platforms, and "buildings", along with a small "scout vehicle". Though originally designed for Micromasters, the various seats ''can'' accommodate ''Microman'' figures, though no concessions are made to make the set more compatible with the rest of the line. The set is bundled with a green Microman named Shining Edison.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20240715045643/https://www.micromanforever.com/rocketbase.htm More information on Micro Rocket Base with Shining Edison at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

{{anchor|GoldRocket}}
[[File:Microman toy Gold Rocket Base.jpg|upright=1|thumb|]]
*'''Gold Rocket Base'''? (Micro Base, November 2000)
**''ID number:'' '''L-26'''
**''Series 6'': '''Shining Tector'''
:A Lucky Draw version of the base, possibly known as "Gold Rocket Base",<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230417163836/https://www.micromanforever.com/2000LEDPremiums.htm "Shining Promotion Prize (11/00) (...) Gold Rocket Base (50 prizes) (archived)"]</ref> was available as a campaign prize, limited to 50 pieces. Presented in an unchanged box from the original release, this version of the Rocket Base replaced the black plastic with white and changed some of the silver paint applications gold, most noticeably the tip of the rocket and the head and belt of the included Microman Edison.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=ミクロマン　ミクロロケットベース
シャイニングキャンペーン L26

先日、カネモさんにて展示させて頂いたロケットベース！

変形させた写真は初なのではないでしょうか？？

クレッセントロケットは内側がゴールド塗装です！

今後のことも考えて載せておきます！|link=https://x.com/microman999/status/1496818210741522433|name=microman999|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=02|day=24}}</ref>
{{-}}

===''Microman'' in ''Transformers''===
====''Beast Wars'' (Japan)====
[[File:BWJ VolcBase.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The dimensional adventure game of pitfalls and perils!]]
*'''Volcano Showdown: Armor VS Snapper''' (Vs Playset, [[1997]])
**''ID number:'' '''VS-X1'''
**''Accessories'': Scenery mat, red ball (x8), cannon, cannon platform, cage segments, back panel
:Available only in the [[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)|Japanese version of the ''Beast Wars'' toyline]], the [[Volcano Base#Toys|Volcano Base]] is part of the "Volcano Showdown" (火山の対決 ''Kazan no Taiketsu'') versus set also containing [[Armordillo#VSX1|Armor]] and [[Snapper#VSX1|Snapper]].
:The volcano itself has a battery operated feature; when loaded with the included red balls, the volcano has an "erupting" feature where it causes the red balls to pop out the top of it and roll down the molded cascading slides on its face. A constructible cage can attach to the side of the volcano in addition to a large cannon platform which can also launch the included red balls. Also included is a thin plastic mat with earthen scenery printed on it that is intended to be placed underneath the whole set.
:Due to the scale of various sculpted details on the Volcano Base and its general incompatibility with the two figures it comes with, it has been hypothesised that this playset was originally slated for an abandoned ''Microman'' line.{{-}}

*'''Diver & Niagara Base''' (March [[1998]])
**''ID number'': '''X-2'''
**''Accessories'': Two cannons, missiles (x5), leaves (x7), play mat
:Released exclusively as part of ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#BWII|Beast Wars II]]'' with [[Diver (BW)#Toys|Diver]], the [[Niagara Base#Toys|Niagara Base]] is a playset of a plastic mountain. It has multiple tree plumes, two projectile-launching cannons and a Venus fly-trap (with a pressure panel that causes it to snap shut when pressed) that can be attached in various ports on the mountain. Also included with the playset is a plastic play mat with water and Earth terrain printed on it to place underneath the playset. An identical play mat was included with the Volcano Base playset.
:The mountain itself has no molded water details or paint operations, but instead has a divot on top which is intended to be filled with ''actual'' water which collects in a molded basin at the bottom of the mountain, to emulate an actual waterfall.
:Though we lack official confirmation, the Niagara Base has long been reported to be a recommissioned toy from a ''Microman'' line. At the very least, it clearly wasn't designed with contemporary ''Transformers'' toys in mind, not even Basic-sized ones, as the base interior is designed around a considerably smaller scale of figure.
::*''[http://tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/Diver/diver.htm More information on the Niagara Base (with Diver) at TFU.info]''

[[File:BWII-toy TakoTank.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You know about the Octorok, right? All you have to do is deflect that rock it spits out.]]
*'''Ikard & Tako Tank''' (October 1998)
**''ID number'': '''X-5'''
**''Accessories'': motorcycle, 6 missiles, pump
:Part of the ninth wave of ''Beast Wars II'' toys, the [[Tako Tank#Toys|Tako Tank]] is a large mechanical octopus, packaged with its pilot, [[Ikard#Toys|Ikard]]. Twin puppet-rods in the back give control of the front two tentacles, which are made of a soft rubbery plastic, and are also one of the most fun play-features in ''Transformers'' ever. A plunger in the back runs through the body, which activates a removable pump in the tank's "mouth". A small wheel behind each "eye" allows them to spin in concert, though for what purpose is unknown.
:The tank-head splits open to reveal a removable motorcycle Basic-scaled toys can ride. This bike has two flip-around spring-loaded missile launchers, featuring small pegs that are compatible with the [[Claw Jaw#Toys|Claw Jaw]]/[[Scuba#Toys|Scuba]] mold's tentacle-hands. The wheel assembly can serve as either a traditional land-based vehicle or swivel and tilt to perform as a hoverbike. The launchers fold up into the bike's rider compartment for storage inside the Tako Tank, so the Tank cannot be "piloted" in this form; however, once the bike is deployed, there is room to seat a Basic-scaled figure in the left-over socket to pilot the tank body, plus a nice window for them to look out of.
:Like the Niagara Base, there is speculation that the Tako Tank was originally an unreleased ''Microman'' concept. This may explain the bike's dubious-at-best compatibility with its pilots and why – uncharacteristically for Transformers toys by that time – there was no mode that could store all the missiles at once.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Cybertron/Ikard/ikard.htm More information on the Tako Tank (with Ikard) at TFU.info]''{{-}}

====''Super Link''====
[[File:En-toy Kicker-TakSS03.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|KICKER KICKER YOUR ELBOWS KICKER]]
*'''Kicker''' (March 25, 2004)
*'''SL Grand Convoy and Kicker''' (2004)
*'''Kicker Energon Edition''' (2004)
**''ID number:'' '''SC-14''' (Kicker), '''SS-03''' (SL Grand Convoy set)
**''Accessories:'' Energon Sword, chestplate, backpack, belt, Destron Clone Sword (SL Grand Convoy set only)
:Part of the fourth wave of Takara's ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)#Takara Super Link toyline|Super Link]]'' toyline, the [[Kicker Jones#Energon|first Kicker toy]] is based on the ''Microman 2003'' body construction. He is super-posable, and his parts are fully interchangeable with other ''Microman'' figures. He is armed with a small, non-transforming silver version of the [[Energon Saber]] (which is also compatible with [[5 mm post]]-holes), plus his torso armor and belt are removable.
:A [[Kicker Jones#GrandConvoy|second version of Kicker]] (pictured) was available as part of the limited-edition "Transformer X Microman Anniversary Set", celebrating the 30th anniversary of ''Microman'' and the 20th anniversary of ''Transformers'' in Japan, alongside an exclusive variant of [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Kicker2pack|Optimus Prime]]. This set also includes a pale-gold-chromed version of the Energon Saber accessory, as well as a chromed "[[Energon Sword|Destron Clone Sword]]" exclusive to this set.
:A [[Kicker Jones#EnergonEdition|third and final Kicker]] was available as part of a Lucky Draw competition, limited to 100 pieces. He also comes with a red-chromed Energon Saber accessory. Contest entries were found in the ''Super Link'' soundtrack CD and the first three volumes of the ''Super Link'' DVD and the prize winners were announced in August 2004.
:This toy is notorious for being ''incredibly'' breakable, with the knee and elbow joints in particular made up of thin pieces of hard plastic. The two-pack version uses clear-black plastic rather than opaque for these pieces, making it ''even more'' susceptible to breaking with even moderate pressure. The "Energon Edition" version is also cast in translucent plastic, in this case red with orange paint applications. With reports of even the standard version already having been broken when ''mint in box'', let's hope you didn't pay aftermarket prices for the Lucky Draw figure.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/Kicker/kicker.htm More information on Kicker at TFU.info]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/AnnivKicker/kicker.htm More information on Anniversary Kicker at TFU.info]''{{-}}

====''Robotmasters''====
[[Image:ArsenalForceWeapons.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|The Arsenal Force weapons are the new-mold, sprued-together Decepticon solitarium accessories that can combine, and are not to be confused with the new-mold, sprued-together not-solitarium Autobot weapons that don't combine, or the new-mold, not-sprued-together Decepticon solitarium accessories that combine with each other but not explicitly the rest. It's all very simple.]]
{{main|Solitarium#Toys}}
*'''Wrecker Hook''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-04''', July 15, 2004)
*'''Air Hunter''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-06''', July 15, 2004)
*'''Wingstun''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-08''', July 15, 2004)
*'''Psycho-Orb''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-09''', July 15, 2004)
:Most of the Decepticons in the first wave of the ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'' toyline came with a [[solitarium]] (read: translucent plastic) accessory that could combine to form the [[Arsenal Force]] weapon. These toys were [[Tow-Line (RID)#Robotmasters|Wrecker Hook]], [[Air Hunter#Robotmasters|Air Hunter]], [[Wingstun#Robotmasters|Wingstun]], and [[Psycho-Orb#Robotmasters|Psycho-Orb]], and they came with the [[Boost Hammer]], Sacred-Cut Sword '[[Gazan]]', [[Jamming Trident]], and [[Calamity Defenser]] respectively. This is notable since all four toys were redecoes, meaning the new tooling for the Arsenal Force pieces had to come from ''somewhere''... and since the abruptly-cancelled final portion of ''LED Powers'', "Shining Tector", was focussed around translucent plastic weapons that could combine to form bigger weapons and armour, ''and'' the solitarium parts feature identical handles to the ''LED Powers'' accessories, it was not hard to speculate that their origin lay in ''Microman''.
:Each of these four weapons were also redecoed multiple times; see the main [[solitarium]] page for more information.

*'''Ligier''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-03''', July 15, 2004)
*'''R-Blade''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-05''', July 15, 2004)
*'''Bound Rogue''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-07''', July 15, 2004)
:Three more new-mold weapons were included with three Autobots from the first wave of the toyline. They are not explicitly referred to as being made of solitarium, but if you strip off that [[Vacuum metallizing|chrome coat]] they're covered in, you'll find the same translucent green plastic as the Arsenal Force weapons. Later redecoes, also listed on the main solitarium page, make clear that they must be part of the same sprue or mold set as the first four accessories. The three weapons are [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Ligier]]'s JS Laser Gun, [[R-Blade#Robotmasters|R-Blade]]'s Flare Gun, and [[Bound Rogue#Robotmasters|Bound Rogue]]'s Type 93; all three share the same handles that suggest they were designed for ''Microman''.

*'''Smokesniper''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-13''', September 9, 2004)
*'''Gigant Bomb''' (''ID number:'' '''RM-14''', September 9, 2004)
:Another two solitarium weapon molds were released during ''Robotmasters'': [[Smokesniper#Robotmasters|Smokesniper]]'s [[Radial Pod]] and [[Gigant Bomb#Robotmasters|Gigant Bomb]]'s [[Pulverizer]]. While not officially part of the Arsenal Force, they could be attached with some creativity. They also feature the same size handles as the other solitarium weapons, again suggesting a ''Microman'' heritage. These two weapons were not redecoed.{{-}}

====''Collector's Edition''====
[[File:G1-toy GaMede.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|The last gasp of {{w|bishonen}} before ''Microman'' went moe.]]
*'''Magnificus & Ga'mede''' ([[2005]])
**''ID number'': '''68'''
**''Accessories'': 2-piece "Photon Armor" bandolier, holster, gauntlet, "Magno Gun" pistol, "Photon Wave Rifle", "High Frequency Machete", six pairs of hands, hand-rack, ''Microman'' stand

: Available only with the [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]] [[Magnificus (G1)#Toys|Magnificus]], ''[[The Transformers: Collector's Edition|Collector's Edition]]'' [[Ga'mede#Toys|Ga'mede]] is a [[redeco]] of the ''Microman'' 2004 series [https://web.archive.org/web/20220518202543/https://www.micromanforever.com/2004KMSP02.htm Microman "Walter"]. He is a ''super''-posable 3 3/4-inch action figure, and has six pairs of interchangeable hands for different poses and weapons (two clenched fists, two splayed palms, two flat palms, and three different pairs of gripping hands), and includes a mini "rack" to store the ten hands not plugged into the figure's wrists. Unlike regular modern ''Microman'' figures, his head is painted rather than chrome silver. Since he's roughly the same size as the 1980s ''Microman'' figures, he can pilot Magnificus's tank mode just as the original figures could.

: He comes with an unchromed-black set of the weapons and wearable accessories from the ''Microman 2003'' series MF1-01 Commander Microman: a machinegun that can attach to his bandolier's back (albeit a bit loosely), a pistol with leg-holster, and a machete that clips into a wrist-gauntlet. He also comes with a ''Microman'' stand to help him stay upright, though only one of the footpegs on it is sized to this style of ''Microman'' figure.

:Much like Kicker, this set celebrates the shared history of Takara's ''Transformers'' and ''Microman'' lines, pairing a ''Microman'' toy that homages various Japanese '70s/'80s sci-fi style shows with a reproduction of a Transformer in its original ''[[Micro Change]]'' coloration.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/Gamede/gamede.htm More information on Ga'mede at TFU.info]''{{-}}

====''GT''====
[[File:GT Anna.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|And I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.]]
*'''GT-R Prime''' (''ID number:'' '''GT-01''', May 25, 2013)
*'''GT-R Saber''' (''ID number:'' '''GT-02''', May 25, 2013)
*'''GT-R Megatron''' (''ID number:'' '''GT-03''', July 17, 2013)
*'''GT-R Maximus''' (''ID number:'' '''GT-04''', September 28, 2013)
{{toydesigner|[[DOGMASK]] (TakaraTomy)}}
:''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT: Mission GT-R]]'' was a small franchise produced by TakaraTomy in co-operation with the {{w|Super GT}} racing championship series. This somewhat whimsical series depicted a [[micro-continuity]] in which faction leaders from ''Transformers'' series past are reimagined as grand tourer racing cars. Each Transformer was paired with a ''Microman''-based {{w|race queen}}, featuring a high amount of articulation, interchangeable sets of hands for multiple poses, and outfits based on real life race sponsors. They were retooled and redecoed from the 2005 ''Microman'' "[https://web.archive.org/web/20240528204304/https://www.micromanforever.com/2005El.htm Micro Sister]" body by the mold's original ''Microman'' designer [[DOGMASK]].<ref>Article on ''Transformers GT'' in [[Transformers Generations 2013]], p. 34</ref>
:GT-R [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#GT|Prime]], [[Star Saber (G1)#GT|Saber]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|Megatron]], and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#GT|Maximus]] are partnered with [[Misaki#GT|Misaki]], [[Anna#GT|Anna]], [[Noa#GT|Noa]], and [[Hiiro#GT|Hiiro]] respectively.{{-}}

===Honourable mentions===
====''Microman''====
{{anchor|Escargot}}
[[File:Microman toy Escargot.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Straxus strikes fear into the sparks of his enemies at 0.048 kilometres per hour.]]
*'''Escargot''' (Mecha-Cosmo, 1975)
**''ID number:'' '''No.1'''
**''Series:'' '''Project Victory'''
:Part of the "Project Victory" series' "Mecha-Cosmo" assortment, the Escargot is spherical vehicle with battery-powered, motorised wheels. The Escargot is named after its snail-like shape when its two wheel-on-stalk accessories are pegged onto the front. Its bubble cockpit seats two Micromen (not included), and its modular construction allows it to be reconfigured into a radar tower, or a battle chariot, or whatever your creative mind can come up with.
:The comic story "[[Cybertron Magna Convoy prequel comic|Cybertron Magna Convoy prequel]]" made use of the Escargot's design as transportation for the [[Precursor World]] version of [[Straxus (G1)#Precursor World|Straxus]] who – in homage to his [[Straxus (G1)#Marvel The Transformers comics|Marvel UK appearances]] – had been rendered a disembodied head in a jar.
{{-}}

{{anchor|MicroKnight}}
[[File:MicroKnightMC11.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|[[Visionaries|Knights]] of the [[Star Power|Magical Light]]!]]
*'''Micro Knight''' (1979)
**''ID number:'' '''MC-11'''
**''Series:'' '''Police Keeper'''
**''Accessories:'' Pulsar Gun, Energy Backpack, Police Keeper Shield
:Released as part of the "Police Keeper" series, the Micro Knights were a range of Micromen in the style of medieval suits of armour, featuring a high level of sculpted detail and almost covered in chrome, save for the characteristic Microman white gloves. Two waves of Micro Knights were produced, with each individual toy differentiated only by colour and ID number.
:The Micro Knights – the second wave especially – proved difficult to find during the toyline's lifespan; like many ''Microman'' toys, they saw a reissue in the ''Replica Microman'' series in 2000, which also added a handful of new variations to the Knights' ranks.
:The manga "[[God Neptune comic 1]]" [[Repurposing|repurposed]] the blue Micro Knight, ID number MC-11, as the original body of the drone that would be reformatted into [[Magna Convoy]].
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20220710181058/https://www.micromanforever.com/MCXmicroknight.htm More information on the Micro Knights at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|GiantRobo}}
[[File:Microman Giant Robo G-1.jpg|right|upright=1.66|thumb|Not to be confused with Giant Robo G-2, which features bright colours and rap music.]]
*'''Giant Robo G-1''' (1979, cancelled)
**''Series:'' '''Rescue Team'''
{{toydesigner|[[Tsutomu Inoue]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>''Takara SF Land'' by [[Kōji Igarashi]], p49.</ref>
:Intended for release in the "Rescue Team" series, a resin prototype of the Giant Robo G-1 appeared for solicitation in the 1979 edition of the ''Takara General Catalog'', the company's periodical for potential vendors and other toy industry professionals. G-1 was intended to be a line centrepiece, pulling out all the stops: in addition to the traditional cockpit for a Microman figure as expected of larger toys, it was intended to include a compartment for the pilot's accessories, a motorised walking gimmick, radio control functionality, and even a voice changer. After being passed over for ''Microman'' proper, the design bounced around the Takara offices until it saw release in 1980 (sans about half the gimmicks from the original pitch) as the [[Diaclone#Early Diaclone|Great Robot Base]], the flagship release and mascot of the nascent mecha-focused spin-off line ''[[Diaclone]]''.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The large robot's transformation mechanism was based on the prototype for the unreleased Microman toy, Giant Robo G-1. This robot would later evolve into Diaclone Robot Base.|link=https://twitter.com/_necronomitron_/status/1631449712376315904|site= Twitter|name=Koji Igarashi in p.104 of ''Diaclone World Guide'', translated by Necronomitron|year=2023|month=03|day=03}}</ref>
:Starting with "[[Cybertron Magna Convoy prequel comic]]", the appearance of the Giant Robo G-1 was used as the [[Statue of The One]], an effigy of the Precursor World's [[The One|legendary creator]].{{-}}

====''New Microman''====
{{anchor|Bulsonic}}
[[File:Microman toy Bulsonic.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'd love to see the face of [[#Microman Arts (2014-2015)|one of the moe anime girls]] peering out of this.]]
*'''Bulsonic (Blue Type) with M009 Kenji''' (Armored Suit DX, January 1983)
**''ID number:'' '''DX3'''
**''Series:'' '''Micro Robot'''
:The third and final release in the "Micro Robot" Armored Suit range, and the only one to carry the "DX" suffix, Bulsonic is a large suit of power armour that transforms into a space jet. In robot mode, a Microman pilot can be housed in Bulsonic's chest, with their face being visible behind the clear plastic screen at the front of Bulsonic's helmet. Bulsonic was available in "Blue Type" (pictured), "Red Type" (which inverted the red/blue colour layout), and "Real Type", the latter of which was a military green version and included an additional plastic sprue with landing gear and other accoutrements for buyers to customise the toy into looking more realistic. Each Bulsonic came with a variant of the Microman M009 Kenji; Blue Type's was yellow, Red Type's was light blue, and Real Type's was dark green. Bulsonic also happens to hold the distinction of being the last ''Microman'' toy designed before the line refocused into ''[[Micro Change]]''.
:The "[[Metrowars]]" manga depicted a minor [[virtual redeco]] of the Blue Type Bulsonic as a body for [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] – giving him a blue helmet and more of a suggestion of a face than the clear screen of the ''Microman'' toy – in reference to a long-standing Japanese fandom theory that Straxus' original Marvel design was based on Bulsonic in the first place.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20220707084928/https://www.micromanforever.com/ASDXbulsonic.htm More information on Bulsonic at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

====''Replica Microman''====
{{anchor|Arcee}}
[[File:Microman toy Arcee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1|Forget the [[Arcee (Animated)#Toys|teacher]] and the [[Arcee (Energon)#Toys|bike]] and the [[Arcee (G1)/toys#BotCon2001|spider]], ''this'' is the first toy of Arcee.]]
*'''Arcee''' (2000)
**''ID number:'' '''M18X'''
**''Accessories:'' Angelic Wings
:Originally released in the 1977 ''Microman Command'' line, the "Lady Command" range was an assortment of female Microman pilots in vibrant colours, each of whom had a name beginning with "A" – Ann, Alice, Annie, and Ai.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230202010249/https://micromanforever.com/M18X.htm 1977 Lady Command series at micromanforever.com (archived)]</ref> Being girl toys in a boy's line, the Lady Command were produced in smaller numbers than other figures; their rarity made them a perfect candidate to appear in the ''Replica Microman'' series of reissues in November 1999. As with the Micro Knights, this allowed for additional variants and new members to join the Lady Command ranks.
:One such new member was produced as a Lucky Draw figure in conjunction with the publishing group Kodansha and their then-new guidebook, "The Official Guide to Takara SF Land", which paid tribute to the various sci-fi toylines by Takara over the years. In tribute to the shared history of ''Transformers'' and ''Microman'', this new Lady Command figure was named Arcee – though whether or not she represents [[Arcee (G1)|"our" Arcee]] or is simply named for her is unknown.
:Arcee is a redeco of the standard Lady Command body in white, with gold chromed limbs and a silver head. She includes a pair of "Angelic Wings" which can peg into her back, though their official placement is in the sides of her thighs (just go with it). Arcee came in an all-white version of the standard Lady Command packaging: a capsule in the shape of the [[Statue of Liberty]] (again, just go with it). Only five Arcees were produced.
::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20221201211348/https://micromanforever.com/sflandprize.htm More information on Arcee at micromanforever.com (archived)]''{{-}}

==Fiction==
===''DreamMix TV World Fighters''===
[[Image:DreamMixRobotman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's roomier in there than you'd think.]]
As part of [[DreamMix TV]]'s attempt to pull in more ratings, [[M121 Mason]] was invited to battle bunches of other beings, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], on the television show ''[[World Fighters]]''. Mason could summon the help of [[Robotman]], and some battles even took place on [[Micro Earth]]. {{storylink|DreamMix TV World Fighters|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[Microman Inn]] was an establishment in [[Warsaw]], [[Indiana]], across the road from the [[Acroyear (motel)|Acroyear motel]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} Presumably, they have something of a rivalry.

===''Animated'' cartoon===
[[Wyatt Toys]] advertised ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''Microman'' toys for sale in the [[Detroit Powell Press]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|The AllSpark Almanac}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20240412211726/https://www.micromanforever.com/main.htm Microman Forever (English fansite, archived)]
*[http://www.edit.ne.jp/~sashida/MICROMAN/micro.html Microman Maniacs (Japanese fansite)]
*[http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~mikuro/ Micro-Earth (Japanese fansite)]

[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]
[[Category:Microman| ]]
[[Category:Multi-property brands]]
[[Category:Other TakaraTomy properties]]

The Smelting Pool!

2025-03-08T19:04:48Z

Whalermouse: /* Other trivia */

{{disambig2|issue #17 of the Marvel US comic|the Decepticon torture and recycling device|Smelting pool}}
{{comicstory|seriesissue=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|''The Transformers'' (US)]] #17
|prev=Plight of the Bumblebee!
|next=The Bridge to Nowhere!
|title="Return to Cybertron Part 1: The Smelting Pool!"
|seriesissue2=[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|''The Transformers'' (UK)]] #66–67
|prev2=Second Generation!
|next2=The Bridge to Nowhere!
|image=MarvelUS-17.jpg
|caption=Apparently it melted Blaster's paint right off!
|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
|date=February [[1986]]
|coverdate=June 1986
|writer=[[Bob Budiansky]]
|penciler=[[Don Perlin]]
|inker=[[Keith Williams]]
|colorist=[[Nelson Yomtov|Nel Yomtov]]
|letterer=[[Janice Chiang]]
|editor=[[Michael Carlin]]
|continuity=[[Marvel Comics continuity]]
}}
'''On Cybertron, an Autobot spy discovers a message sent to the Decepticons from Earth.'''

==Synopsis==
The [[Transformer]]s' homeworld, the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], is a war-torn, resource-strapped wasteland. Struggling survivors hide from ruthless [[Decepticon]] overlords, who hunt them down for sport and scrap metal. In the slums of [[Polyhex]], known as the [[Dead End (place)|Dead End]], the [[Autobot]] [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]—waiting to meet up with his partner [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]]—spies one such hunter, [[Ferak]], pursuing a helpless robot, and quickly ends him.
[[File:Straxusholdscourt.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.75|All around me are unfamiliar faces...]]
Scrounge, meanwhile, is making his way to the Decepticon fortress headquarters of [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], seeking to discover what has become of the [[Neutral]] interdimensional engineer [[Spanner (G1)|Spanner]], whom the Decepticons recently abducted. Scrounge sends the wire-guided fingers of his "very special arm," containing audio and video recording modules, into the fortress's ventilation system to search. He fails to find Spanner, but instead comes upon a laboratory where [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] and some Decepticon technicians are analyzing a coded interstellar transmission they have received—a transmission of world-shaking importance, which is what has prompted Spanner's abduction. Scrounge makes a recording of the coded data, but as he retracts his sensors, he trips an alarm. Scrounge attempts to flee back through the Dead End to pass the data off to Blaster, but Shrapnel catches up to him and captures him. Scrounge is brought to the court of Polyhex's ruler, Lord High Governor [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], who crushes his special arm during a brief interrogation, then orders him tossed into the [[smelting pool]]—a colossal pit in the heart of Darkmount used to execute Autobots by melting their bodies down into raw materials that are then processed for use in the Decepticon war effort.
[[File:TheSmeltingPool scrounge melted.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25|"Oh, what a world!"]]
After Scrounge does not show up to their meeting, Blaster returns to [[Autobase]], the subterranean headquarters of the rebel Autobot cell of which he is a part. He informs [[Cybertron Seven|his fellow Autobots]] that they must assemble a search party to find Scrounge, but base commander [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] objects, citing Scrounge's past unreliability. Blaster tells him to get stuffed and turns to leave to find Scrounge on his own, but all the other Autobots agree to go with him, and Perceptor yields to the majority vote. The team heads for the Dead End to question the fuel-starved "[[Empty|Empties]]" about Scrounge's disappearance, and learn of his capture from the down-and-out [[Wheezel (G1)|Wheezel]]. The others lose all hope, sure that Scrounge is dead already, but Blaster refuses to give up hope and continues the hunt alone.

Brazenly storming his way into Darkmount, Blaster is quickly captured and brought before Straxus, who is in the process of overseeing a [[Space bridge|large construction project]]. The tyrant proves uninterested and orders Blaster tossed into the pool—which is just where Blaster wants to be, as it is where he knows he'll find Scrounge. Clinging to the walls of the pit to avoid falling directly into the bubbling slag below, Blaster spies Scrounge afloat in the deadly cauldron, and tries to fish him out. Scrounge struggles; he knows he will only slow Blaster down, and insists he needs to take the information he has and get away. As they argue, the other Autobots disobey Perceptor's orders and arrive to rescue Blaster. [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] drops a line down into the pit so Blaster can climb out, but when he tries to lift Scrounge out, he is horrified to discover that the pool has already melted away much of Scrounge's body. Forced to accept that Scrounge is too badly damage to be saved, he takes the recording of the Decepticon message from his old friend, and leaves him to his fate. The Autobots proceed to fight their way out of Darkmount, with the furious Blaster using molten metal pumped from the smelting pool as a weapon to drive off the attacking Decepticons.

The Autobots return to Autobase, where Perceptor decodes and plays the message, which turns out to be a transmission sent by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'s Decepticons, who disappeared from Cybertron millions of years ago. They still live, now stranded on an alien world known as [[Earth]]... as do [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots. This news galvanizes the team, and Blaster silently bids Scrounge a final farewell, thanking him for the new hope he has brought the Autobots.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (5)
*[[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] (6)
*[[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] (9)
*[[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] (10)
*[[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] (11)
*[[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] (12)
*[[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] (13)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (14)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (26)
|c2=
*[[Ferak]] (1)
*[[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] (7)
*[[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] (15)
*[[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] (16)
*[[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] (17)
*[[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] (18)
*[[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] (19)
*[[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]] (20)
*''[[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]'' (21)
*''[[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]]'' (22)
*''[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'' (23)
*''[[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]]'' (24)
*''[[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]]'' (25)
|h4=[[Empty|Empties]]|c4=
*[[Telus]] (2)
*[[Rotorbolt (G1)|Rotorbolt]] (3)
*[[Telus and Rotorbolt's buddy|Their friend]] (4)
*[[Wheezel (G1)|Wheezel]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ha ha! You are making great sport of this, slagger!" 
"...I have another game for you, Decepticon... I call it, "Try to fly straight -- after a blast from my ''electro-scrambler!''"
:—'''Ferak''' and '''Blaster'''

"Th-thank you, uh..." 
"The name's '''Blaster!''' And if you want to thank me you'll crawl back into your hole, pal. I've got better things to do than save the rusty hides of robo-wretches like you!"
:—a '''unnamed Empty''' and '''Blaster'''

"The rest of us obviously find Scrounge less valuable than you do. No doubt this is another one of his self-serving fantasies and he's afraid we'll catch him in another lie. Or else the Decepticons captured him -- in which case he's already a '''slag slick''' floating atop the '''smelting pool!''' Forget him, Blaster."
:—'''Perceptor''' is a harsh dude

[[File:TheSmeltingPool only death.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5|Most metal Transformers comic issue ever?]]

"Sit here and rust then, with your statues... '''I'm''' going to '''find''' Scrounge!"
:—'''Blaster''' doesn't care for Perceptor's leadership

"We've done no wrong! Have mercy!" 
"Please, spare us!" 
"'''Mercy''' is not dispensed here, fools... only '''death!'''"
:—two '''unnamed neutrals''' discover '''Straxus''''s brand of justice

"And what did you find out, Autobot? What were you going to tell your fellow weaklings?" 
"N-nothing I wish to share with you, S-Straxus!" 
"Maybe I can loosen your voice box by loosening a shoulder joint, eh?" 
"'''AGH!!''' My -- my '''arm!''' My special arm... there is no other like it!" 
[''crushes it''] "Now there is not even '''one''' like it!"
:—'''Straxus''' brutalizes '''Scrounge'''

"Toss him in the pool! And you, Shrapnel, can expect to '''join''' him there if you continue '''wasting my time!'''" 
''I like this Lord Straxus -- he thinks like I do. We both agree this is the place I should be.... 'cause this is the only place I even have a ''chance'' of finding Scrounge.''
:—'''Straxus''' wins the sarcastic approval of '''Blaster'''

[[File:TheSmeltingPool eat hot slag.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.75|Yeah, it totally is.]]

"I've always been a failure... as an Autobot... Now I have the chance... to change that... do something worthwhile... but I need your help to do it... bring this back to Autobase for me... '''please'''... Then maybe the others... will... think... better of me..."
:—'''Scrounge''''s last words, before vanishing into the smelting pool

''These pipes normally pump molten metal from the smelting pool -- but no longer...'' 
"'''''EAT HOT SLAG, DECEPTICONS!''''' '''Burn''', you tin-plated tyrants! '''Feel''' what '''Scrounge''' felt when you tossed him into your '''stinking pit!'''"
:—'''Blaster''' lets the Decepticons have it

"This recording is '''fantastic''', Blaster -- and more importantly than giving us mere '''facts'''.... it gives us '''hope!''' And there is no greater gift than '''that!'''" 
''Wherever you are, Scrounge, I hope you heard that... You did good, little buddy.''
:—'''Perceptor''' and '''Blaster'''

==Notes==
===Production notes===
[[File:The Smelting Pool! The Dead End.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
*This issue marks the first look at Cybertron offered by the comic since [[The Transformers (issue)|issue #1]], a year-and-a-half prior. The story is unambiguous in depicting it as a hellish nightmare where citizens struggle to survive; writer [[Bob Budiansky]] drew inspiration from the blasted post-apocalyptic wastelands shown in the 1984 movie ''The [[Terminator]]'',<ref name="Interview at Rusting Carcass">[http://rustingcarcass.yuku.com/topic/954/t/Bob-Budiansky.html Interview at Rusting Carcass]</ref> and began the description of the metal planet in the issue's script with: "Think of hell." <ref name="BC10">[http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc10/bc10bb.html griffin's 2010 BotCon report]</ref>
*The story is able to use its Cybertronian setting to introduce most of the remaining characters from the 1985 product line who have not yet appeared in the comic. In keeping with what we saw of Cybertron in issue #1, and in the [[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1|first episode]] of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|animated series]], many of the characters are given unique Cybertronian [[alternate mode]]s (though most of them aren't terribly different from their Earth forms). The Insecticons and the new Decepticon jets, however, seem to already have their Earth forms, which ''might'' be in anticipation of the journey to Earth next issue will reveal they are planning to take.

===Continuity notes===
*The message the Decepticons have received was sent by Soundwave in [[The Next Best Thing to Being There!|issue #10]].

===Continuity and plotting errors===
*The narration states that the smelted Transformers' metal will be used to build newer, more advanced Transformers. In the absence of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]—lost for four million years on Earth—it's not clear how those Transformers would be given life.
*The transmission received on Cybertron states that the Decepticons on Earth are led by Megatron and the Autobots by Optimus Prime. However, when Soundwave sent the message, ''[[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]]'' was leader of the Decepticons, with Megatron lost and presumed dead, and Optimus Prime was his captive, reduced to a severed head.

===Artwork and technical errors===
[[File:BlasterUS17.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1]]
*Blaster's finalized [[character model]] was evidently not ready for artist [[Don Perlin]] to use as reference while drawing this issue; in addition to the toy-accurate head he appears with, with its distinctive visor (right), as opposed to the individual eyes the finished model gave him, none of the details on Blaster's legs match the final model. Though the finalized model would eventually be cycled into use from [[Funeral for a Friend!|issue #26]] onward, Blaster would retain his toy-accurate head for most of the series, throughout all his major appearances.
*That said, the illustration of Blaster on the issue's ''cover'' uses the finalized character model.
*There's a huge design disparity between the toy-based characters and most of the generics invented for the issue; the latter are spindly, don't seem to turn into anything, and look like 1950s sci-fi robots.
[[File:TheSmeltingPool-Perceptor.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1]]
*Perceptor's face is consistently colored in a two-tone scheme throughout this issue, which makes the upper half dark blue/black, and the lower half white (right). This strange look is apparently derived from an attempt to colour him like his toy, which had a silver mouthplate instead of a normal face. It would be abandoned after this issue, with Perceptor's face appearing all-white going forward, but a blue-mouthplate/silver-eyes-area iteration would appear on his profile image in ''[[The Transformers Universe]]''. Oddly, [[IDW Publishing]]'s [[2013]]-[[2014|14]] comic ''[[The Transformers: Regeneration One|Regeneration One]]'' chose to revive it and consistently colored Perceptor that way.
*Shrapnel, meanwhile, is coloured in an early color scheme, with purple boots, solid-purple arms, a silver-white face and orange toes. Though everything but his boots are based on features of his toy, they would be removed from his finalized Marvel character model and would be dropped after this issue.
*Page 4, panel 5: Scrounge wonders "why the Decepticons would suddenly be interested in a neutralist who's specialty is interdimensional engineering." That should use the possessive "whose," rather than "who's" (contraction of "who is").
*Page 6:
**Panel 6: As Shrapnel grabs Scrounge, his thumb is colored yellow as if it were a part of Scrounge.
**Panel 7: Aside from his purple arm, Shrapnel's whole body is colored pale blue.
*Page 8, panel 1: Perceptor's left thigh is colored greyish-pink, like it's part of the background.
*Page 10:
**Panel 4: Shrapnel's right thigh is colored pale purple instead of blue-black.
**Panel 6: Shrapnel's thumb is colored yellow as if it were a part of Scrounge.
*Page 17, panel 2: The data-tape Scrounge ejects from his head is colored purple in this panel, when it is red in the others.
*Page 19:
**Panel 2: Dirge and Thrust have their colors switched. Shrapnel has yellow mandibles instead of silver-white, while Ramjet's body and Kickback's wings, which also ought to be silver-white, are the same blue as the background.
**Panel 4: Blaster's forehead and the side of his torso are colored yellow.
**Panel 5: The whole front of Blaster's torso is yellow, instead of just his chest door.
{{--}}

===UK printing===
'''Issue #66:'''
*'''Published:''' [[June 14|14th June]], 1986
*'''Cover date:''' [[June 21|21st June]], 1986
*'''[[Back-up strips]]:''' [[Robo-Capers issue 66|Bumblebee puts in an appearance]] in ''[[Robo-Capers]]''; ''Matt and the Cat'' gets a full-page strip this issue instead of the usual half-page; and ''Rocket Raccoon'' ("The Age of Enlightenment," Part 1).
*'''Free Gift:''' [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] collector card for the [[Second Generation!#Back-up material|Special Teams Special Collection Wallchart]]
'''Issue #67:'''
*'''Published:''' [[June 21|21st June]], 1986
*'''Cover date:''' [[June 28|28th June]], 1986
*'''Back-up strips:''' ''Robo-Capers,'' ''Rocket Raccoon'' ("The Age of Enlightenment," Part 2), and ''Matt and the Cat''
*'''[[Fact File|Fact File Interface]]:''' [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]
*'''Free Gift:''' [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] collector card for the [[Second Generation!#Back-up material|Special Teams Special Collection Wallchart]]
*'''Other features:''' "Mixed-Up Mechanoids" word puzzle.

===Other trivia===
[[File:Hunter seekers.jpg|right|thumb]]
*Cybertron is shown with two moons. This would go on to become pretty standard in ''Transformers'' lore, with ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' going on to also depict the planet with twin satellites.
*Another piece of persistent lore introduced this issue are the Cybertronian [[units of time]], the breem (8.3 minutes) and the vorn (83 years).
*{{w|Kirby Krackle}} can be seen throughout the issue. It's most noticeable on the first page and when Straxus wields his pick-axe.
*Ferak (seen in vehicle mode at right) would never appear in the Marvel US series again, but nearly 25 years later, showed up in [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Last Stand of the Wreckers]]''. For this appearance, he was drawn with a robot mode for the first time, which was based on that of the unnamed leader of the Decepticon [[airborne hunter squad]] seen in the Marvel UK story, "[[Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!]]". In [[2015]], the Facebook feature [[Ask Vector Prime]] would build on this to retroactively confirm that Ferak survived his encounter with Blaster in this issue and ''was'' the Decepticon seen in that later UK story.

===Courtesy of my...===
*Blaster's famous [[electro-scrambler]] gets its first namecheck here.
*The smelting pool is defended by [[laser sentinel tower]]s.

===Covers (3)===
*'''US issue #17:''' Blaster falling into the smelting pool, by [[Herb Trimpe]].
*'''UK issue #66:''' reuse of art from US cover.
*'''UK issue #67:''' Blaster attacking Decepticons, by [[John Higgins]].

<gallery>
File:MarvelUS-17.jpg|'''US issue #17''' - Cybertron could only afford red.
File:MarvelUK-066.jpg|'''UK issue #66''' - Delicious Transformer soup.
File:MarvelUK-067.jpg|'''UK issue #67''' - I can write my name in the snow too.
</gallery>

===Reprints===
<gallery>
File:Tf digest 9.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine issue 9|''The Transformers Comics Magazine'' #9]]''' (Marvel US, 1988)
File:Condor-comic-magazin-cover-issue-5.jpg|'''[[Transformers Comic-Magazin issue 5|''Transformers Comic-Magazin'' #5]]''' (Condor Verlag, 1989)
File:Titan-CybertronReduxSC.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: Cybertron Redux]]'' paperback''' (Titan Books, 2003)
File:Titan-CybertronReduxHC.jpg|'''''[[Transformers: Cybertron Redux]]'' hardback''' (Titan Books, 2003)
File:IDW Generations 5 Cover A.jpg|'''[[The Transformers: Generations#"The Smelting Pool!"|''The Transformers: Generations'' #5]] cover A''' (IDW Publishing, 2006)
File:IDW Generations 5 Cover B.jpg|'''[[The Transformers: Generations#"The Smelting Pool!"|''The Transformers: Generations'' #5]] cover B''' (IDW Publishing, 2006)
File:IDW Generations 5 Cover RI.jpg|'''[[The Transformers: Generations#"The Smelting Pool!"|''The Transformers: Generations'' #5]] cover RI''' (IDW Publishing, 2006)
File:Generations TPB.jpg|'''''[[The Transformers: Generations (comic)|The Transformers: Generations]]'' TPB''' (IDW Publishing, 2007)
File:Classic Transformers Vol2.jpg|'''[[Classic Transformers Volume 2|''Classic Transformers'' Volume 2]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2008)
File:TFClassicsVol2.jpg|'''[[The Transformers Classics, Vol. 2|''The Transformers Classics'', Vol. 2]]''' (IDW Publishing, 2012)
File:DefinitiveG1Collection v5.jpg|'''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection|''The Definitive G1 Collection, Vol. 5: The Smelting Pool'']]''' (Hachette Partworks, Ltd., 2019)
</gallery>

====IDW ''Transformers Classics'' edits====
For ''[[The Transformers Classics]]'' series of trade paperbacks, IDW Publishing "remastered" the coloring of the series with varying degrees of success. These changes were sometimes to fix errors, but often to alter characters' color schemes to make them resemble their toy and/or cartoon selves, and were rarely applied with consistency. IDW's recolored version was also used for Hachette's ''[[Transformers: The Definitive G1 Collection|Definitive G1 Collection]]''.
*Page 6, panel 6-7: The inconsistent "remastering" turns Shrapnel's arm a muddy brownish-purple that doesn't match with the shade of purple he is in the rest of the comic.
*Page 7, panel 6: The window on Blaster's chest door is changed from its correct grey to an incorrect yellow.
*Page 8:
**Panel 1: Cosmos's left shoulder is miscolored blue. Both of Perceptor's thighs have become light blue instead of white.
**Panel 3: Powerglide's light pink highlights become the same dark grey as his face and arm.
*Page 10, panel 6: The pale purple used to color Bombshell and Kickback's heads, Bombshell's arm, and Kickback's legs (representing not their actual color, but to make them look paler so as to mark them as being in the background) is changed to a light blue.
*Page 17, panel 2: The data-tape is changed from purple to red to match its appearance in other panels.
*Page 19, panel 6: the grating on the refinery is recolored blue instead of grey.

===Advertisements===
*[[M&M's]] (inside front cover)
*Mile High Comics - between pages 4 & 5 and between pages 5 & 6
*Alternate Realities Distributing - between pages 5 & 6
*Academic Industries "Comic Classics Offer" - between pages 7 & 8
*J&S Comics and Marvel Super Mart - between pages 8 & 9
*Various comic shops, Charles Atlas and typical ads from the era - between pages 16 & 17
*The ''Amazing [[Spider-Man]]: the saga of the Hobgoblin - between pages 17 & 18
*''Dakota North Investigations'' - between pages 19 & 20
*Bullpen Bulletins - between pages 20 & 21
*[[Letters page|Transmissions]] returns
*Marvel subscriptions
*''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]: Droids'' comic (inside back cover)
*''Power Pack'' and the ''Amazing [[Spider-Man]]'' with tips on ways to prevent sexual abuse (back cover)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smelting Pool!}}
[[Category:Marvel US issues]]
[[Category:Marvel UK issues]]

Ban Magami

2022-12-15T00:26:03Z

Whalermouse:

[[Image:BanMagamiSelfPortrait01.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Why would we want to ban Magami?]]

'''Ban Magami''' (まがみばん ''Magami Ban'') is a Japanese manga artist, born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in [[1957]]. Early in his career, he was one of the assistants of legendary manga creator {{w|Leiji Matsumoto}}, author of such works as {{w|Space Battleship Yamato}} and {{w|Space Pirate Captain Harlock}}.

Magami was a prolific creator on the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|original Japanese Generation 1 franchise]] and a frequent collaborator of series head writer [[Masumi Kaneda]]. He contributed character design work for all four Japanese-exclusive season of the Generation 1 cartoon, including characters such as [[Minerva (human)|Minerva]], [[Ginrai (human)|God Ginrai]], [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]], [[Victory Leo]], and many more.

Outside of cartoons, Magami illustrated the entirety of the franchise defining run of [[List of Generation 1 comics#TV Magazine|manga]] and [[List of Generation 1 story pages|story pages]] in [[TV Magazine]] alongside Kaneda from [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Season 1]] all the way through [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination |''Operation Combination'']].

He also works on children's books such as "The Secret of Tutankhamen" from [[Kodansha]].

==Major works in ''Transformers'' brand==
===Cartoons===
====Character design====
*[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]
*[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]
*[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]
*[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Transformers: Zone]]

===Manga===
====TV magazine====
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''
*''[[The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers|The Story of Super Robot Lifeform: The Transformers]]''
*''[[The Great Transformer War]]''
*''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (manga)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''
*''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (manga)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]]'' (graphic novel collection of all the manga from ''[[TV Magazine]]'')
*''[[Transformers: The Manga]]'' (English translated graphic novel series of all the manga from ''TV Magazine'')

====Million Publishing====
*[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics]] ''(a reissue of all the manga from "TV Magazine")''
*[[Headmasters VS Masterforce]]

====TakaraTomy====
*[[Generations Selects Special Comic]] "[[Abominus comic 2]]" (Guest Artist)

===Story pages===
====TV Magazine====
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010 (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers 2010]]''
*''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (story page)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''
*''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (story page)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars]]''
*''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (story page)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination]]''
*''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Comics'' (includes a curated collection of story pages from ''TV Magazine'')
*''Transformers: The Manga'' (includes a curated collection of English translated story pages from ''TV Magazine'')

===Illustration===
====DVD box package arts====
*[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]
*[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|Transformers: Super-God Masterforce]]
*[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory]]
*[[Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!|Transformers: Zone]]

===Known design works===
====''Super-God Masterforce''====
*[[Ginrai (human)#GodGinrai|God Ginrai]]
*[[Minerva (human)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Minerva]]

====''Victory''====
*[[Star Saber (G1)/toys#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Star Saber]]
*[[Victory Leo#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers|Victory Leo]]

====''Return of Convoy''====
*[[Megatron (G1)/Generations toys#SuperMegatron|Super Megatron/Ultra Megatron]]

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:FightSuperRobotLifeTransformersManga.JPG|The [[Autobot]]s and [[Kenji]] from [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' #1]].
Image:Megatron super robot life.jpg|[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is super happy from [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3|''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' #3]].
Image:Zone12FinalPage.jpg|The [[Powered Master]]s in the anime end credits dimension from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Zone (story page)|''Zone'']] story pages.
Image:Battlestars super megatron born.jpg|The birth of [[Megatron (G1)|Super Megatron]] in ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars]]'' story pages.
</gallery>

*''[[:Category:Images by Ban Magami|Extended Ban Magami gallery]]''</center>

==External links==
* [http://twitter.com/ban_magami0099 Magami's Twitter feed]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Magami, Ban}}
[[Category:Generation 1 designers]]
[[Category:Illustrators]]
[[Category:TakaraTomy designers]]

Sky Garry (G1)

2022-11-16T02:58:23Z

Whalermouse: /* Notes */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the ''Return of Convoy'' Autobot|the ''Animated'' Autobot cyber-ninja|Sky Garry (Animated)}}
:''Sky Garry is an [[Autobot]] [[Battlestars|Battlestar]] from the [[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:SkyGarryBoxArt1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Damn it Garry!]]
'''Sky Garry''' (スカイギャリー ''Sukai Gyarī'') is [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Star Convoy]]'s right-hand man. He has a great respect for the legendary Autobot Supreme Commander and was the one who brought Star Convoy back from the dead. Kinda creepy.

His special attack is his "Mystery Circle Punch", which is really just a regular punch, but don't tell anybody that. He can combine with Star Convoy and [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to perform the [[Battlestar Attack]].

His [[Micromaster]] partner is [[Shotbomber]].

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Battlestars'' manga and story pages====
Encountering an advance group of [[Dark Nova]]'s [[Galaman]] warriors sent from an asteroid, Sky Garry dispatched them with his "Mystery Circle Punch".

[[File:GarryGalaman1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Bad touch!]]
To counter the threat of Dark Nova, the Autobots formed an elite sub-group known as the [[Battlestars]]. Their mission was to revive [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] so that he might thwart Dark Nova. Sky Garry received the [[Zodiac]] from [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and was inaugurated as temporary Autobot Supreme Commander, at least until Prime was back on his feet again. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 1}}

Sky Garry then enlisted the youthful rookie, [[Sixliner]] into the Battlestars after watching an impressive battle between him and a horde of energy-plundering Galaman warriors. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 2}}

Aware of the mission of the Battlestars, Dark Nova stole Optimus Prime's body and cloned it as the evil [[False Convoy]]. Sky Garry and [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] managed to defeat False Convoy before he could kill Sixliner. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 3}} After False Convoy's defeat, Sky Garry rescued the fallen Supreme Commander's corpse from the [[Novaroid]] forces on planet [[Lucifer]]. Using the power of the Zodiac, Sky Garry brought Optimus Prime back to life and upgraded him into Star Convoy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 4}}

Later, Sky Garry was stuck out in space battling the remaining Novaroid and Galaman soldiers around planet Lucifer. He was concerned about Star Convoy and Sixliner facing [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Super Megatron]] alone on [[Earth]], frustrated he couldn't be there to help. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (manga)|The Battlestars special}}

[[File:SkyGarry1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sky Garry, Star Convoy and Grandus inside Star Giant's tummy.]]
Sky Garry eventually joined the other Battlestars in a space battle against Super Megatron and his [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] warriors. Combining into the [[Battlestar Attack]], they shot Super Megatron to pieces. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 7}}

Dark Nova then revealed himself and upgraded Super Megatron into Ultra Megatron. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 8}} Then after that, the Decepticon Emperor merged with Ultra Megatron to become the [[Dark Nova|Star Giant]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 9}} Sky Garry and the other Battlestars traveled into Star Giant's stomach and took the behemoth apart from the inside-out, narrowly escaping just as their foe exploded and died. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 10}}

====''Legends'' comic====
During a recap of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s life story, [[Waspinator (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Waspinator]] mentioned the time he became the Star Giant and fought against Sky Garry and the Battlestars. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 13|Bonus Edition Vol. 13}}

When Dark Nova stole the body of Optimus Prime, he did so right under the nose of Prime's loyal guard, [[Roller (G1)|Roller]]. Sky Garry and Grandus allowed Roller to join the Battlestars and help them in their mission to reform False Convoy and stop Dark Nova. Roller was destroyed fighting [[Novaroid]]s to divert enemy forces from the other Battlestars. When Sky Garry used to Zodiac to revive the Supreme Commander as Star Convoy, he placed the body of Roller next to the Prime, letting him be incorporated into the new leader's form. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two}}

In 2038, Sky Garry and the Battlestars were stationed on [[Micro|Zone]]. They opposed the new Dark Nova and his agents like [[Violengiguar]] and [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One|LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One}}

===3H comics===
Sky Garry in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] served as the shuttle that the Autobots (sans [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]) used to escape a horde of [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbirds]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:HtF-SkyGarryfightspirates.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left]]
Sky Garry was hanging out at the [[Galadria Space Bridge Outpost]] in the [[Delta Prysmos Sector]] when a [[Tidal Wave (G1)|pirate ship]] appeared overhead and dropped a bomb on him and several other passersby. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
{{anchor|Return of Convoy}}
[[File:ROC-toy SkyGarry.jpg|thumb|upright=2|The one Transformer you're more likely to own a [[knockoff]] of than the real deal.]]
*'''Sky Garry''' (Autobot, [[1991]])
**''ID number:'' '''C-360'''
**''Accessories:'' Two guns, ramp, platform, Micro Trailer #0

:Released in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)|Return of Convoy]]'' part of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|original Takara ''Transformers'' toyline]], Sky Garry transforms into a Cybertronic starship with landing skids. His canopy can open up and seat a [[Micromaster]] or two, though not securely so they rattle around. His middle section is expandable, allowing him to carry up to three [[Micro Trailer]]s, though he only comes with one. He has holes and pegs to secure the Trailers' sides, plus a catch in the center to grip the raised square on the trailers' top. Pulling his halves out from the trailers and pressing the orange button in the center of his expanded section (aka the robot groin) releases the catch and drops the trailers.

:He also has a third tower mode, using the gray platform on his back as a battle station midway up. In this mode, Sky Garry is ''supposed'' to attach Micro Trailers at his sides via the [[5 mm post]]s on his arms, plugging the Trailers to them with the holes midway down the Trailers' sides. Bizarrely though, these pegs were beveled into uselessness, which is even weirder given that Sky Garry is the ''only '' toy meant to attach the Trailers via those holes. He also has a standard Micromaster ramp connector and ramp piece (using the same mold as [[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]]'s [[Helicopter]] and [[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]]'s [[ATV]]), which lets him connect to any other ramp-compatible toy, such as Micromaster bases... though the point the ramp attaches to on him is a sheer vertical wall so its usefulness is... debatable.

:Sky Garry comes with his Micro Transformer partner [[Shotbomber]] and a black Micro Trailer.

:Sky Garry's sticker sheet includes multiple optional stickers: four Autobot symbols on white backdrops, and four black circles with yellow stars. The latter are marked as special stickers to denote whoever you attach them to is a member of the [[Battlestars]]. This set comes from an era where most of the Takara releases use laminated paper decals with notoriously weak adhesive, which makes the smaller decals (like the small black squares on his shoulders) very, very likely to fall off and get lost.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Cybertron/SkyGarry/skygarry.htm More information on Sky Garry at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:DeathGarrygun.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Not Fire Guts Sky Garry.]]
*According to ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', '''Star Garry''' was a pre-production name for the character.
*Both Sky Garry and Grandus have special attacks relating to things considered "mysterious". In Sky Garry's case, the "mystery circle" of his "Mystery Circle Punch" is the Japanese term for "crop circle". What this was actually supposed to connote is uncertain, but as far as it is known, the attack does not utilize wheat in any way.
*Sky Garry's mold was [[redeco]]ed into the evil "Deathgarrygun" (デスギャリガン ''Desugyarigan'') mecha for [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Brave of Gold Goldran'' series. This version came with three [[Micro Trailer]]s, but all of the launching mechanisms were removed from them. This was just one of several late-series ''Transformers'' molds recycled for a [[Brave (franchise)|Brave]] toyline. In the show itself, the mecha is considerably larger than the rest of the cast, and the face had a mouthplate. It was also mass-produced by the series' antagonistic faction, the Walzac Republic Empire. During the final battle, one of the units is transformed into a much larger and more demonic-looking form, Cyber Deathgarrygun. The Deathgarrygun toy would later become fairly easy to obtain thanks to its reissue by [[Sonokong]] in South Korea. [http://sak2-2.tok2.com/home/transrave/brave_series/gold09_deathgarrygun.html Deathgarrygun toy gallery at a Japanese fansite.]
*The word "Garry" isn't an English word, prompting fans to wonder what it's supposed to mean. Sadly, in the end, no one really knows...
**One theory is that Sky Garry's name is a misspelling of "Sky Carry". There is some support for this theory: First, the difference in Japanese between the katakana for the "Ca" sound and for the "Ga" sound is just one diacritical mark. Second, "Garry" is a commonly used suffix in Japanese names for transforming robots that transport ("carry") other robots or vehicles. Examples include {{gb|Jet Garry}} from Bandai's ''Machine Robo'' franchise. The criticism of this theory is that while bad transliterations (i.e. the word is spelled right in Japanese, just converted to English wrong) are fairly common in Japanese names, katakana misspellings of the Japanese words are much less common. Thus, it seems somewhat unlikely that decades of Japanese robots using the name "Garry" are simply misspelling it.
**Another theory is that Garry is short for "Garrison". The support for this theory is that Japanese versions of English words are often shortened versions, such as the Japanese word "Ice" used for "Ice Cream". However, "Garrison" seems like a poorer description than "Carry" for the transportation robots that are generally named "Garry" in Japan.
**The most obscure theory is that Garry is a mistransliteration of {{w|Galley}}, which is a type of ancient war ship. The advantage that this theory has over the "Carry" theory is that "Galley" and "Garry" have the same Japanese katakana spelling. This means that it would be a bad transliteration, like "Minelba" vs. "Minerva", which is much more common than an incorrect katakana spelling. However, like the "Garrison" theory, "Galley" is criticized for not being as good a descriptor of the transportation robots (both ground and air types) that are named "Garry".
*In the mid to late-1990s, Sky Garry was one of the most commonly [[Knockoff|bootlegged]] Transformers, appearing in several different sizes. Most of them were carded and of poor quality. The carded ones are notable for their extra chrome pieces and separating legs. There was also a bootleg Sky Garry in box packaging from another manufacturer, which saw release at Toys"R"Us in the mid-1990s under the name "Convert-A-Bot Cybertron FX-7". This bootleg was of surprisingly high quality and included his Microtrailer but with the Growl mold rather than Shotbomber's.

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Sky Garry (G1)

2022-11-16T02:46:31Z

Whalermouse: /* Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig2|the ''Return of Convoy'' Autobot|the ''Animated'' Autobot cyber-ninja|Sky Garry (Animated)}}
:''Sky Garry is an [[Autobot]] [[Battlestars|Battlestar]] from the [[Transformers: Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:SkyGarryBoxArt1.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Damn it Garry!]]
'''Sky Garry''' (スカイギャリー ''Sukai Gyarī'') is [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Star Convoy]]'s right-hand man. He has a great respect for the legendary Autobot Supreme Commander and was the one who brought Star Convoy back from the dead. Kinda creepy.

His special attack is his "Mystery Circle Punch", which is really just a regular punch, but don't tell anybody that. He can combine with Star Convoy and [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] to perform the [[Battlestar Attack]].

His [[Micromaster]] partner is [[Shotbomber]].

==Fiction==
===Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Battlestars'' manga and story pages====
Encountering an advance group of [[Dark Nova]]'s [[Galaman]] warriors sent from an asteroid, Sky Garry dispatched them with his "Mystery Circle Punch".

[[File:GarryGalaman1.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|Bad touch!]]
To counter the threat of Dark Nova, the Autobots formed an elite sub-group known as the [[Battlestars]]. Their mission was to revive [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] so that he might thwart Dark Nova. Sky Garry received the [[Zodiac]] from [[Dai Atlas (G1)|Dai Atlas]] and was inaugurated as temporary Autobot Supreme Commander, at least until Prime was back on his feet again. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 1}}

Sky Garry then enlisted the youthful rookie, [[Sixliner]] into the Battlestars after watching an impressive battle between him and a horde of energy-plundering Galaman warriors. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 2}}

Aware of the mission of the Battlestars, Dark Nova stole Optimus Prime's body and cloned it as the evil [[False Convoy]]. Sky Garry and [[Grandus (G1)|Grandus]] managed to defeat False Convoy before he could kill Sixliner. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 3}} After False Convoy's defeat, Sky Garry rescued the fallen Supreme Commander's corpse from the [[Novaroid]] forces on planet [[Lucifer]]. Using the power of the Zodiac, Sky Garry brought Optimus Prime back to life and upgraded him into Star Convoy. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 4}}

Later, Sky Garry was stuck out in space battling the remaining Novaroid and Galaman soldiers around planet Lucifer. He was concerned about Star Convoy and Sixliner facing [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Super Megatron]] alone on [[Earth]], frustrated he couldn't be there to help. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (manga)|The Battlestars special}}

[[File:SkyGarry1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Sky Garry, Star Convoy and Grandus inside Star Giant's tummy.]]
Sky Garry eventually joined the other Battlestars in a space battle against Super Megatron and his [[Galaman|Great Galaman]] warriors. Combining into the [[Battlestar Attack]], they shot Super Megatron to pieces. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 7}}

Dark Nova then revealed himself and upgraded Super Megatron into Ultra Megatron. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 8}} Then after that, the Decepticon Emperor merged with Ultra Megatron to become the [[Dark Nova|Star Giant]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 9}} Sky Garry and the other Battlestars traveled into Star Giant's stomach and took the behemoth apart from the inside-out, narrowly escaping just as their foe exploded and died. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: The Battlestars (story page)|The Battlestars Part 10}}

====''Legends'' comic====
During a recap of [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s life story, [[Waspinator (BW)#Transformers Legends comic|Waspinator]] mentioned the time he became the Star Giant and fought against Sky Garry and the Battlestars. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 13|Bonus Edition Vol. 13}}

When Dark Nova stole the body of Optimus Prime, he did so right under the nose of Prime's loyal guard, [[Roller (G1)|Roller]]. Sky Garry and Grandus allowed Roller to join the Battlestars and help them in their mission to reform False Convoy and stop Dark Nova. Roller was destroyed fighting [[Novaroid]]s to divert enemy forces from the other Battlestars. When Sky Garry used to Zodiac to revive the Supreme Commander as Star Convoy, he placed the body of Roller next to the Prime, letting him be incorporated into the new leader's form. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 5: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two|LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two}}

In 2038, Sky Garry and the Battlestars were stationed on [[Micro|Zone]]. They opposed the new Dark Nova and his agents like [[Violengiguar]] and [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]]. {{storylink|The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 4: LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One|LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One}}

===3H comics===
Sky Garry in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] served as the shuttle that the Autobots (sans [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]) used to escape a horde of [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbirds]]. {{storylink|Departure}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[File:HtF-SkyGarryfightspirates.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|left]]
Sky Garry was hanging out at the [[Galadria Space Bridge Outpost]] in the [[Delta Prysmos Sector]] when a [[Tidal Wave (G1)|pirate ship]] appeared overhead and dropped a bomb on him and several other passersby. {{storylink|Hoist the Flag}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers''===
{{anchor|Return of Convoy}}
[[File:ROC-toy SkyGarry.jpg|thumb|upright=2|The one Transformer you're more likely to own a [[knockoff]] of than the real deal.]]
*'''Sky Garry''' (Autobot, [[1991]])
**''ID number:'' '''C-360'''
**''Accessories:'' Two guns, ramp, platform, Micro Trailer #0

:Released in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1991 (Return of Convoy)|Return of Convoy]]'' part of the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|original Takara ''Transformers'' toyline]], Sky Garry transforms into a Cybertronic starship with landing skids. His canopy can open up and seat a [[Micromaster]] or two, though not securely so they rattle around. His middle section is expandable, allowing him to carry up to three [[Micro Trailer]]s, though he only comes with one. He has holes and pegs to secure the Trailers' sides, plus a catch in the center to grip the raised square on the trailers' top. Pulling his halves out from the trailers and pressing the orange button in the center of his expanded section (aka the robot groin) releases the catch and drops the trailers.

:He also has a third tower mode, using the gray platform on his back as a battle station midway up. In this mode, Sky Garry is ''supposed'' to attach Micro Trailers at his sides via the [[5 mm post]]s on his arms, plugging the Trailers to them with the holes midway down the Trailers' sides. Bizarrely though, these pegs were beveled into uselessness, which is even weirder given that Sky Garry is the ''only '' toy meant to attach the Trailers via those holes. He also has a standard Micromaster ramp connector and ramp piece (using the same mold as [[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]]'s [[Helicopter]] and [[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]]'s [[ATV]]), which lets him connect to any other ramp-compatible toy, such as Micromaster bases... though the point the ramp attaches to on him is a sheer vertical wall so its usefulness is... debatable.

:Sky Garry comes with his Micro Transformer partner [[Shotbomber]] and a black Micro Trailer.

:Sky Garry's sticker sheet includes multiple optional stickers: four Autobot symbols on white backdrops, and four black circles with yellow stars. The latter are marked as special stickers to denote whoever you attach them to is a member of the [[Battlestars]]. This set comes from an era where most of the Takara releases use laminated paper decals with notoriously weak adhesive, which makes the smaller decals (like the small black squares on his shoulders) very, very likely to fall off and get lost.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Cybertron/SkyGarry/skygarry.htm More information on Sky Garry at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:DeathGarrygun.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Not Fire Guts Sky Garry.]]
*According to ''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations Deluxe]]'', '''Star Garry''' was a pre-production name for the character.
*Both Sky Garry and Grandus have special attacks relating to things considered "mysterious". In Sky Garry's case, the "mystery circle" of his "Mystery Circle Punch" is the Japanese term for "crop circle". What this was actually supposed to connote is uncertain, but as far as it is known, the attack does not utilize wheat in any way.
*Sky Garry's mold was [[redeco]]ed into the evil "Deathgarrygun" (デスギャリガン ''Desugyarigan'') mecha for [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''Brave of Gold Goldran'' series. This version came with three [[Micro Trailer]]s, but all of the launching mechanisms were removed from them. This was just one of several late-series ''Transformers'' molds recycled for a [[Brave (franchise)|Brave]] toyline. In the show itself, the mecha is considerably larger than the rest of the cast, and the face had a mouthplate. It was also mass-produced by the series' antagonistic faction, the Walzac Republic Empire. During the final battle, one of the units is transformed into a much larger and more demonic-looking form, Cyber Deathgarrygun. The Deathgarrygun toy would later become fairly easy to obtain thanks to its reissue by [[Sonokong]] in South Korea. [http://sak2-2.tok2.com/home/transrave/brave_series/gold09_deathgarrygun.html Deathgarrygun toy gallery at a Japanese fansite.]
*The word "Garry" isn't an English word, prompting fans to wonder what it's supposed to mean. Sadly, in the end, no one really knows...
**One theory is that Sky Garry's name is a misspelling of "Sky Carry". There is some support for this theory: First, the difference in Japanese between the katakana for the "Ca" sound and for the "Ga" sound is just one diacritical mark. Second, "Garry" is a commonly used suffix in Japanese names for transforming robots that transport ("carry") other robots or vehicles. The criticism of this theory is that while bad transliterations (i.e. the word is spelled right in Japanese, just converted to English wrong) are fairly common in Japanese names, katakana misspellings of the Japanese words are much less common. Thus, it seems somewhat unlikely that decades of Japanese robots using the name "Garry" are simply misspelling it.
**Another theory is that Garry is short for "Garrison". The support for this theory is that Japanese versions of English words are often shortened versions, such as the Japanese word "Ice" used for "Ice Cream". However, "Garrison" seems like a poorer description than "Carry" for the transportation robots that are generally named "Garry" in Japan.
**The most obscure theory is that Garry is a mistransliteration of {{w|Galley}}, which is a type of ancient war ship. The advantage that this theory has over the "Carry" theory is that "Galley" and "Garry" have the same Japanese katakana spelling. This means that it would be a bad transliteration, like "Minelba" vs. "Minerva", which is much more common than an incorrect katakana spelling. However, like the "Garrison" theory, "Galley" is criticized for not being as good a descriptor of the transportation robots (both ground and air types) that are named "Garry".
*In the mid to late-1990s, Sky Garry was one of the most commonly [[Knockoff|bootlegged]] Transformers, appearing in several different sizes. Most of them were carded and of poor quality. The carded ones are notable for their extra chrome pieces and separating legs. There was also a bootleg Sky Garry in box packaging from another manufacturer, which saw release at Toys"R"Us in the mid-1990s under the name "Convert-A-Bot Cybertron FX-7". This bootleg was of surprisingly high quality and included his Microtrailer but with the Growl mold rather than Shotbomber's.

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Japanese-original Transformers]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

IP infringement

2022-10-11T02:47:55Z

Whalermouse: /* "Third party" toys */

{{disambig2|unlicensed toys based on ''Transformers''|third parties that produce actual ''Transformers'' products under license|Third party}}
[[File:01-Studio Headless Unicron.jpg|thumb|200px|"You underestimate me, Hasbro."]]
The many and varied facets of the [[Transformers brand|''Transformers'' brand]] are the intellectual property (IP) of [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]], and their ownership of these ideas and designs is [[Copyright|protected by law]]. Alas, some rascally elements have, over the years, decided they'd like a slice of that pie, which has led to the creation of what have been described as '''IP infringing items''' by employees of former Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]].

{{bigquote|Theft of IP like this is staggering, develop your own characters and designs!|[[Aaron Archer]], former [[Hasbro]] employee<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170510214929/https://aaron-archer-art.tumblr.com/post/88471654165/aeonmagnus-fans-toys-ft-03-scoria-gallery Aaron Archer on Tumblr]</ref><ref>Archer would later do design work for a not-[[Octopunch (G1)|Octopunch]] figure for an abortive Kickstarter project. TFWiki.net leaves you to make of this what you will.</ref>}}

==Kinds of IP infringement==
Technically, any use of Hasbro and Takara's ''Transformers'' names, characters, and concepts without obtaining a license could be considered IP infringement. Things such as fan art and fan fiction, however, are rarely considered problematic, being as they are not intended to generate profit or are otherwise one-off works. In fact, in the past Hasbro has laid out guidelines to fan-artists and similar creators wishing to make and sell art and crafts based on ''Transformers'', which basically boiled down to being careful how one "branded" it (or, in practice, ''didn't'' brand it by just avoiding the use of brand names and some minor semantics).

When things get dicey —and the license-holders get tetchy— is when IP infringement occurs on a grander, and more organized scale.

===Knockoffs===
[[File:DOTM.MIRAGEKO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Automatons in Concealment]]
{{main|Knockoff}}
In the context of ''Transformers'', [[knockoff]] is often used to describe both low-budget/quality toys, the kind of off-color, oversized/undersized thing that one might come across in a "dollar store" cranked out by the bajillions from China, and higher-quality toys that actually attempt to pass themselves off as genuine Hasbro or Takara products. Knockoffs that are direct replicas of existing Hasbro toys are very obviously the result of theft – in that case, it is the precise design and engineering for the toy that has been stolen. However, it is not unheard of for manufacturers to create their own cheap toys in the image of ''Transformers'' characters, and these still constitute IP infringement– Optimus Prime the Character is as much Hasbro's property as Optimus Prime the Specific Toy.

Conversely, a toy that copies the engineering (i.e. [[transformation]]) of an existing Hasbro/Takara product but is changed enough as to not resemble an existing character protected by copyright might not necessarily constitute IP infringement: Functionality is protected by patents, and patent protection legally expires after 20 years. This is why you occasionally see off-brand toys that work just like the [[Jumpstarter]]s but look nothing like [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] or [[Twin Twist]].
{{--}}

==="Third party" toys===
[[File:MechaformNotJetfire.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|I Can't Believe It's Not Jetfire!]]
In the late 2000s, spurred on by the ''Transformers'' nostalgia boom invoked by the [[live-action film series]], a new phenomenon arose—unlicensed products based on ''Transformers'' aimed at the adult collector market. The very earliest examples of this kind of product were accessories and then "upgrades" for existing Hasbro toys, such as a trailer/armor set for [[Ultra_Magnus_(G1)/toys#Classics|''Classics'' Ultra Magnus]], but the market quickly grew to include standalone action figures based on ''Transformers'' characters. The number of groups producing these figures has ballooned rapidly, to the point that two or even three separate companies will be simultaneously releasing toys of the same characters. Popular market trends have included [[combiner]]s and, more recently, faux-''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' figures.

The [[fandom]]'s generally recognized name for these kinds of figures is "third party Transformers", although this is ultimately a misnomer for the plain reason that they are not actual ''Transformers'' products. (This terminology makes more sense in light of their history, as the initial accessories, add-ons and "upgrade" kits can still somewhat be considered "third party" products, and the term, once established among the fandom, was simply never adjusted when standalone figures became the main focus of such offerings.) Obviously, these should not be confused with the actual [[Third party|third parties]] who produce ''Transformers'' merchandise under license from Hasbro or Takara. In (very half-hearted) attempts to dissuade the notion that they are pinching ''Transformers'' characters, "third party" toy manufacturers typically avoid using [[Insignia|faction symbols]] (although sometimes including molded spaces for the buyer to apply their own), and give their figures alternative names that attempt to capture the sound and/or spirit of the [[trademark]]ed originals, with varying degrees of bizarreness. A toy intended to look like [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscream]] might, for example, wind up named "Stellaryell". Initially, fans would often avoid confusion by referring to these figures as "not" versions of the characters they were based on (for example, "Not-Starscream"), though as the market has grown that terminology has been mostly abandoned since there's liable to be multiple different Not-Starscreams.

After many years of these products, name overlaps are bound to happen; for example, different companies have figures alternatively based on [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] that are both named "Rager". Even more hilariously (though not really surprising), there are even ''knockoffs'' of "third party" toys! Let's see ''them'' duke out their IP conflicts in court.

Desire for those toys arises for various reasons—wanting a toy of a toyless character, wanting a collection with consistent scale, wanting a new version of a toy that has not received a new official toy in years, desiring different visuals (be it show-accuracy or more unique takes on characters), or simply believing them to be higher-quality than the official releases are among those reasons.

For reasons that should, again, be obvious, TFWiki considers "third party" toys unrelated to its goal of documenting the ''Transformers'' brand, beyond examples where they have influenced official product.

====Types of "third party" toys====
Note: The following terms are descriptors rather than actual official terms since, well, they're clearly not official products.

* Accessories: these are generally items that are designed to interact with official product, but involve no modification to said official product. These are most often weapons (e.g. the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] and [[Dark Star Saber]] from ''Transformers: Prime''), but may also include [[:Category:MacGuffins|MacGuffins]] like the [[AllSpark Matrix]] or even characters like notable humans such as [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|Sari]] and [[Isaac Sumdac (Animated)|Isaac Sumdac]].
* Add-ons: these are items that are designed to interact with official product and modify their appearance. However, said modification takes advantage of preexisting tabs, slots, posts and so on, thus requiring no actual modification of the official product. An example would be panels designed to fill in the gaps in the thighs of [[Optimus_Prime_(G1)/Generations_toys#Titans_Return|''Titans Return'' Powermaster Optimus Prime]], which slot in snugly into the gaps.
* Upgrade kits: these are items designed to interact with official product and modify their appearance, but require some sort of actual modification to the official product. This can be as simple as popping off and swapping a limb on ball joints, to more comprehensive modifications like partial disassembly and replacing of parts. A kit that allows someone to switch the head of ''Classics'' Bumblebee to create a ''Classics''-styled Goldbug or giving ''G1'' Ironhide and Ratchet actual heads would be an example of this.
* Full figures: as mentioned above, these are generally what is meant when references are made to "third party Transformers". These are standalone fully transformable figures clearly based on and meant to evoke actual ''Transformers'' characters. One of the earliest and most (in)famous examples was a triple-changing Not-Springer which became wildly popular because official Springer toys of that time transformed into either a land vehicle or an air vehicle, but not both. These types of products are arguably the most problematic, as they may actually cause lost sales for an official figure. Add-ons and upgrade kits, in contrast, may actually encourage collectors to purchase the official products they are meant to complement.

Again, these are descriptors, partially because there is a lot of overlap. For example, would a replacement head for a reissue G1 Bruticus that comes with light up LED eyes be considered an upgrade kit (since it replaces the original head) or an add-on (since it makes use of the post hole already intended for the original head)? Would hands and feet for a ''Combiner Wars'' Combiner that also transform into weapons for the component bots fall under accessories (as they're weapons) or upgrade kits (since they replace the original hands and feet) or add-ons (since they slot into preexisting ports)? And what about stickers that can change, for example, [[Prowl (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' Prowl]] into an approximation of an [[Autotrooper (disambiguation)|Autotrooper]]? In fact, a lot of what created the demand for figures in the first place was that grey area. The first widely-successful "third-party" figures were technically an upgrade kit for [[Bruticus Maximus (ROTF)|Bruticus Maximus]], which were "fixing" the problem of the set having only two limb molds by adding two additional Basic-sized figures to the mix.
{{--}}

===Doujinshi===
Generally understood to mean fan-comics, ''doujinshi'' (同人誌) are a uniquely Japanese occurrence. Japan has a very healthy culture of fan groups who make their own manga, many of them starring original characters but a huge portion starring characters owned by companies (for a ''Transformers'' example, imagine a gag manga where [[Deathsaurus (G1)|Deathsaurus]] is portrayed as a little child and being raised by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the other Decepticons to be the mighty [[Emperor of Destruction]] he is in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)#Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory|''Transformers: Victory'']]. Hijinks ensue). This would of course never fly in a litigious society like the US, but in Japan doujinshi exist in a strange gray area.<ref>[https://www.tofugu.com/japan/doujinshi-definition/ A page explaining doujinshi and why they're tolerated in Japan]</ref>

Basically, the difference between what would be understood as a fan-comic in the West and a doujinshi in Japan is that in the West (especially the US) while a company might turn a blind eye to someone making fan-comics for fun (e.g. on a site like DeviantArt), they would come down on them if they tried to put those same fan comics up for sale. [[Hasbro]] might allow (or at least ignore) people selling fanart and fan-comics at a proper ''Transformers'' convention like [[BotCon]], but might be much less forgiving if those same people tried to sell those items at, say, a general science fiction convention. Meanwhile in Japan, there are various conventions where doujinshi are actually the key focus, such as the famous {{w|Comiket}}. A ''Transformers'' doujinshi might be sold at a ''Transformers''-related convention, but might also appear at, say, a mecha-related convention or a general science fiction-related convention (since the Transformers would fall under a mecha or science fiction category).

Long story short, [[TakaraTomy]] could complain and shut down groups making doujinshi any time they wanted, but like many Japanese companies, it appears that it simply isn't worth the hassle. People who make doujinshi are often the most hardcore of fans, and so alienating them isn't something most companies are eager to do. In addition, any victory would simply not be worth the resulting bad press, since fan groups are not exactly swimming in cash and while doujinshi are put up for sale, a lot of groups seem to just do it for love of the art or the series. Most doujinshi also receive extremely limited distribution, such as at dedicated conventions for only one or two days at a time. It should also be mentioned that many big names in manga got their starts or honed their skills in doujinshi circles, and it isn't impossible for a company to want to recruit some of these up-and-coming talents.

It, er, probably should be pointed out that some (though not all) doujinshi are very, ''very'' NSFW.

{{--}}

==Hasbro and IP infringement==
===Remarks and actions===
Official statements from Hasbro on "third party" toys are few and far between. In one response, provided as part of the company's now-defunct fansite Q&A program, they noted the illegal nature of the figures, and remarked that this kind of IP infringement was unfair to legitimate licensees who pay to produce ''Transformers'' merchandise.<ref>[http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/499 TFviews Hasbro Q&A, August 2009]</ref>

In 2015, Hasbro's UK branch distributed an online survey of the collecting habits of ''Transformers'' fans to coincide with the Auto Assembly unofficial convention, which included a surprising number of questions regarding "third party" products. In a bit of an embarrassing ''faux pas'', a Hasbro representative present at the convention itself also addressed a [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]] cosplayer as "Cynicus", the name of an unofficial figure of that character.<ref>[http://waspshot23.tumblr.com/post/127569311096/ok-so waspshot23 on Tumblr]</ref>

To date, there has only been one known instance of Hasbro pursuing actual legal action against the manufacturers of "third party" toys. While such unofficial toys were banned from being sold at the dealer room at [[BotCon 2012]],<ref>This mandate initially encompassed fan art too, but this was quickly relaxed.</ref> [[BotCon 2015|2015]] and [[BotCon 2016|2016]], they generally seem to adopt a "laissez-faire" approach to such toys; while they don't officially condone such material, they're happy to allow it to exist as long as it isn't impacting Hasbro's bottom line. The one instance of Hasbro taking legal action was an unofficial toy of [[Unicron]], announced during the [[Hasbro Pulse#HasLab|HasLab]] campaign for [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron|''War for Cybertron'' Unicron]], seemingly intended to directly undercut Hasbro's big-ticket crowdfunded toy; evidently and understandably unhappy with this, Hasbro apparently intervened to have all posts about the pretender to the throne taken down from social media.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/3rd-party-not-unicron-apparently-removed-by-hasbro/43937/ 3rd Party (Not) Unicron Apparently Removed by Hasbro] at Seibertron</ref>

===Third party designs in official products and marketing===
[[File:MTMTE18 cvrB.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|IP un-infringement?]]
Beginning in the 2010s, there have been occasions where "third party" figure designs have slipped into official media. One cover for [[Remain in Light 2 of 5: House of Ambus|''More than Meets the Eye'' #18]] saw [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] drawn based on unofficial figures "Rager" and "Cogz." Hasbro and [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] did not comment on this, although it seems likely that somebody somewhere might've gotten a slap on the wrist. (The artist in question has not done any comic covers since...)

Meanwhile, ''official'' third party licensee [[Imaginarium Art]]'s statues of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] seem to be based on the unofficial figures "Carry" and "Green Giant", with [http://imaginarium-art.com/project_news.php Rodimus Prime] featuring detailing on his forearms otherwise unique to Carry and [https://www.facebook.com/imaginarium.hobby/posts/575739045925230 Devastator] having kneepads only found on Giant. One has to assume Hasbro wasn't looking too closely, or were understandably unaware of those figures, when they signed off on these.

In what was presumably an innocent mistake that resulted from the use of a fan's personal collection, a slide shown at the Hasbro investor and press event presentation during [[Toy Fair 2016]] that represented Transformers "Spanning Generations" featured a photograph of a father and son surrounded by a variety of ''Masterpiece'' toys... and the "third party" [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] "Green Giant".<ref name="toyfair16">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/tfw2005-coverage-hasbro-toy-fair-2016-investor-press-event-309206 Slides from the Hasbro investor and press event presentation during Toy Fair 2016].</ref> Oops!
[[File:LL19 vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|250px|IP dis-infringement.]]
Although stylized, the ''[[Transformers: Earth Wars]]'' models for the Predacons are recognizably based upon the "Feralcons," one of the three notable sets of "third party" Predacons. It even leaked into their combined mode. Meanwhile, [[Motormaster (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Motormaster]] is modeled on the TransFormMission "Powertrain" interpretation of Motormaster's design from IDW's [[The Transformers (IDW)|2009-2011 ongoing series]].

Similarly, ''Earth Wars'' and the ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]'' cartoon feature models for the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] based on the Fanstoys' "Iron Dibots" figures, rather than those from the concurrent [[Power of the Primes (toyline)|toyline]].

In an odd occurrence for a game almost exclusively using screen models and recent toys, [[Jazz (G1)#Transformers: Forged to Fight|Jazz]] in ''[[Transformers: Forged to Fight]]'' is directly modeled on Toyworld's "Coolsville" figure.

[[E. J. Su]], fulfilling the role of guest artist for [[Crucible (Part 1): A Dance Before Dying|''Lost Light'' #19]], was not given vehicle mode references for Rodimus, Drift, Ratchet, and Chromedome. Consequently, he had to make do with googling and used alt-modes [[:File:LL19 vehicle modes.jpg|based directly]] on the Mastermind Creations "Calidus" and "Stray" figures. Ratchet and Chromedome were based on official, though inaccurate, toys of the character.

An [[Industrial Light & Magic|ILM]] [[:File:BBArcee Head Revisions.jpg|design presentation]] about the 2018 ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' movie used an image of Fans Toys "Rouge" as a [[Arcee (G1)|"Generation 1" Arcee]] design reference for [[Arcee (Movie)|''Bumblebee'' Arcee]].<ref>[https://www.ilm.com/visual_development/bumblebee-developing-an-epic-set-piece/ Bumblebee: Developing an Epic Set Piece - ILM San Francisco]</ref> This is an unsurprising research method as Arcee did not receive an official ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' figure until 2020, with multiple unlicensed third-party companies vying for fans' attention throughout the 2010s.
{{-}}

===Hasbro's own copyright dodging===
[[File:CYB sonic bomber originalsculpt.jpg|right|upright=0.85|thumb|First party problems.]]
Despite Hasbro's own (completely understandable) aversion against people making a profit off their IP without permission, it's not like Hasbro is entirely innocent in this regard: In fact, the ''Transformers'' toys' [[alternate mode]]s being unlicensed reproductions of real-world vehicles and aircraft goes back all the way to the very first ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Transformers]]'' toys.

While the whole market situation was still very different back in the 1980s, and car manufacturers apparently didn't start properly enforcing their intellectual properties in the field of toys and merchandise until the early 2000s, ''Transformers'' toys with [[licensed vehicle alternate modes]] are still the exception rather than the rule. The vast majority of [[popular Earth vehicle alternate modes]] are still unlicensed approximations of their real-life inspirations, basically "[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys|not-Lamborghinis]]" or "[[Powerglide (G1)/toys|not-A-10s]]", with a few details altered to avoid a lawsuit — though this wasn't enough in [[Side Burn (RID)#Toys|one notable case]]. [[Downshift (Energon)#Cybertron|Some]] [[Windcharger (G1)#Transformers (2010)|examples]] are a little more creative, meshing together two or more real-life inspirations to create a genuine "hybrid" design, but most are just barely altered and instantly recognizable for what they are supposed to represent. While the target audience is obviously a different one (most people who buy a Hasbro Sunstreaker do so because he represents Sunstreaker the ''Transformers'' character, not because they want a Lamborghini for their toy car collection; however, most, if not all, people who buy a "third party" version of Sunstreaker do so because he represents Sunstreaker the ''Transformers'' character), it illustrates the gray area involved.

Less of a gray area appears to be the case of the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[High Beam#Generation 2|High Beam]] (released in 1995), though: Its alternate mode looks plain ''identical'' to a vehicle from Mattel's ''Hot Wheels'' line that was first released in 1991 under the names "Back Burner" and "Sonic Special", but would eventually become more well-known in 1995 under the name "[[Wikia:hotwheels:Speed Blaster|Speed Blaster]]". Unless both toys were based on the same obscure real-life concept car that has since been ''completely'' forgotten by history, that would be a ''very'' blatant case of Hasbro ''literally'' copying one of its competitor's toys and just making it transform.

Hasbro's ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' and ''[[Kre-O]]'' toylines "knocking off" [[LEGO]]'s iconic bricks cannot be considered IP infringement, however, as the technical patents for their brick-building system expired in [[1978]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Shelfwarmer

2022-09-13T09:43:03Z

Whalermouse: /* Shelfwarmers in Beast Wars */

{{disambig2|toys from a long time ago that still haven't been sold|toys that have lots of kibble|Shellformer}}
[[File:ShelfwarmersBumblebeeTRUGermany.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|Low sales? A LARGE INFLUX OF '''BEES''' OUGHTTA PUT A STOP TO THAT! (Or not)]]
'''Shelfwarmer''' is the colloquial term for a toy or product that either fails to sell well or is over-produced, leaving residual quantities on store shelves for months or even years after its original release, conspicuously more than other toys from the same [[wave]]s... or from from the same toyline as a whole... or even subsequent toylines.

The phenomenon is of course heavily regional and the evidence largely anecdotal, as toys can linger in one area but sell briskly in others, especially in different nations where case ratios can be radically different. But there are plenty of notable examples widespread enough that most fans and collectors can agree... that toy just didn't sell.

The related term '''pegwarmer''' refers to toys packaged on cards, lingering unwanted for years on pegs instead of shelves.

{{TOCclear}}

==Shelfwarmers in Generation 1==
[[File:Euro classics optimus.jpg|upright=1.4|left|thumb|Not a shelfwarmer]]
Due to significant differences in the toy industry and [[fandom]] over the decades, it can be hard to demonstrate which toys were warming shelves in the 1980s. Unlike the modern era, it was very common to keep popular characters in case assortments for months or years on end without any changes. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] could still be found in large quantities through 1986, but this was because his toy still got shipped throughout that period (and being Starscream, still got sold). However, the [[Jumpstarter]]s were both over-produced and, as non-show characters, in such low demand that pretty much to this day you can find [[mint in sealed box]] specimens for significantly less than their contemporaries.
{{-}}

==Shelfwarmers in ''Beast Wars''==
[[File:Crosssell-beastwars.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]
''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]],'' as the first ''Transformers'' toyline to be released after Internet access became widespread, was the first to really introduce collectors to the concept of shelfwarming. Toys that were noted for their abnormally high shelfwarming capacity in ''Beast Wars'' included [[Injector (BW)|Injector]], [[Scavenger (BW)|Scavenger]], [[Transquito]], and even show character [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]. (Apparently, kids don't like bug-bots.) It was not uncommon to see store pegboards that were ''entirely'' Injector, and there were reports of Transquitos still being on shelves ''seven years'' after the initial release. Now ''that's'' a shelfwarmer.

In the [[United Kingdom]], both [[Cybershark]] and [[Claw Jaw]] struggled to sell due to being packed several per case in multiple waves and not featuring in the TV show.
{{-}}

==Shelfwarmers in later series==
[[Image:ShelfwarmerTRUWheelie.jpg|thumb|150px|left|A German Toys"R"Us store in 2010. Generations? Hunt for the Decepticons? Why, buy ROTF Wheelie instead! Still plenty left!]][[Image:ShelfwarmerSupremeGrimlock.jpg|thumb|200px|right|And yet another German TRU store, where Stomp & Chomp RID Grimlock follows his predecessor Stomp & Chomp AoE Grimlock as supreme shelfwarmer!]]

Each series has had its own notorious shelfwarmers. In North America, ''Armada'' clogged shelves with flocks of [[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeaks]] and fleets of [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreens]]. ''Energon'' made sure there was no shortage of [[Ironhide (Energon)|Ironhide]]. ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' gave us unmoving armies of [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]]s, who often stayed on the shelf long enough to sit beside their [[redeco]], the first movie [[Mudflap (Movie)|Mudflap]] (''itself'' a shelfwarmer). In the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' toy line]], any of the ''Cybertron'' redecos stayed on shelves for years on end, and you could still find [[Dropshot (G1)#Universe (2008)|Dropshots]] on the shelf at some Walmarts years after its release.

With the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]], the playing field was changed slightly. Suddenly, Transformers were '''big''' again. Toys were in short supply and any toys that stayed on the shelves for very long did so very conspicuously. During the Christmas shopping period following the 2007 movie, [[Payload (Movie)|Payload]]s could be found in hordes, even as ''everything'' else Transformers (including leftover ''Cybertron'' and ''Classics'' stock) was disappearing from shelves.

{{-}}

==Supply vs. demand==
[[File:BMToy BattleUnicorn CardedSample.jpg|left|200px|thumb|You will pay $14.99 just to look at this picture for the first time. Sucker.]]
[[Image:ShelfwarmersGermanyNovember2015.jpg|right|upright=0.7|thumb|Sometimes shelfwarmers are a localized phenomenon, occasionally even limited to one particular store.]]

Sometimes toys were in desperate demand in the fandom when they were difficult to get, but didn't do so well when released more widely. One online example of this phenomenon is [[Battle Unicorn]]. This ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toy was part of the very last wave of that series's product and was thus barely shipped to retailers. As such, it was ''very'' hard to get. It was so rare, in fact, that online store [[BigBadToyStore]] made a large special order for them from Hasbro — but despite the [[fandom]]'s previous clamoring for the toy, they were stuck sitting on a lot of that stock for quite a long time.

The original releases of ''[[Transformers: Alternators| Alternators]]'' [[Tracks (G1)|Autobot Tracks]] and [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Meister]], which only shipped in two [[wave]]s each, also demanded a high rise in aftermarket prices... until Hasbro decided to re-release them as part of a semi-relaunch of the ''Alternators'' line. Now, Tracks and Meister suddenly became major shelfwarmers.

A similar thing happened with ''Alternators'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]: In North America, he was released only at the [[San Diego Comic-Con]] and via the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] website for the few people who were able to get him from there, and so was very difficult to get. Fans of the ''Alternators'' line who desperately wanted the toy were furious about its release only at a non-Transformers [[convention]] and complained at length about it not being easily available. Then suddenly the toy turned up in Australia. It hit the retail store Toyworld in massive numbers, and at half the price of usual Alternators. But... no one there wanted it. The American fans had gotten over it by that point, and no one in Australia gave a damn.

Boy, did that thing sit around for ''ages''. It was still available in some stores as of September 2009!

Another example is the [[Unicron/toys#Transformers_.282010.29|25th Anniversary Unicron]] figure. When it was released as an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon.com]] exclusive in the US, it sold out quickly and was subject to much [[toy scalping|scalping]], but when it was released to mass retail stores in Canada and South-East Asia, the demand wasn't as high, and there he warmed shelves.

Some toys that sell well in one country may become shelfwarmers in others. Usually this is due to a toy only being released [[shortpacking|in very limited quantities]] in Country A but getting more favorable [[case|case ratios]] in Country B. ''Energon'' [[Ultra Magnus (Energon)|Ultra Magnus]] is a rather infamous example of this. ''Armada'' [[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] and [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie]] [[Swindle (Movie)|Swindle]] and [[Bonecrusher (Movie)|Bonecrusher]] ended up as prolonged shelfwarmers in many European stores because they were the ''only'' toys from their respective [[Size class|size classes]] those stores would ever get from Hasbro. It didn't help that the latter two shipped after the movie line nominally ended.
{{-}}

==Expensive toys==
[[File:ArmadaToy Unicron BoxedSample.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Your wallet proceeds to oblivion.]]
Sometimes, it doesn't matter how desirable a toy is if the asking price is too high! Large scale ''Transformers'' toys, such as Supreme Class and Titan Class figures, are often too expensive for parents to purchase lightly and are often reserved for special occasions. As a result, they tend to warm the shelves until the holiday season.

''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toys are an interesting case. Despite being stocked in very small quantities, they are so expensive that they can still warm the shelves. While ''Masterpiece'' figures of popular characters like Optimus Prime and Starscream are guaranteed to sell in short order, ''Masterpiece'' figures of minor characters are unlikely to sell with younger fans who are unfamiliar with them. ''Masterpiece'' Skywarp wound up being marked down to $30 at Wal-Mart. Good luck finding a ''Masterpiece'' [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] for that price now!

In the mid-2010s, the ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' line as a whole proved notorious for large quantities of shelfwarmers. The combination of a premium pricetag, a store-exclusive status, and consisting almost entirely of retools, redecos, and reissues, leaves a lot of its offerings undesirable to the average consumer or collector.
{{-}}

==The Mudflap Conspiracy==
[[File:ShelfwarmersTRUGermany.jpg|left|upright=1.5|thumb|You ''know'' something is wrong when you see toys from no fewer than ''four'' different lines, released several years apart, all side by side on the same store shelf.]]
For whatever reason, toys named "[[Mudflap (disambiguation)|Mudflap]]" tend to end up as shelfwarmers regardless of the sculpt: ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' Voyager Class [[Mudflap (Cybertron)|Mudflap]], the first toy using the name, started the trend, which was continued by his [[redeco]], ''[[Transformers (2007 toyline)|Movie]]'' [[Mudflap (Movie)|Mudflap]] (thus accompanying his ''Cybertron'' predecessor on many a store shelf). ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' gave us a [[Mudflap (ROTF)|Mudflap]] [[character]] with multiple toy incarnations: Deluxe Class Mudflap generally moved more slowly than his [[Twins (ROTF)|twin]] brother, [[Skids (ROTF)|Skids]], from the same assortment. Likewise, [[Fast Action Battlers]] Grapple Grip Mudflap was easier to find than Missile Blast Skids, and things got even worse with the Deluxe Class Mudflap redeco, Tuner Mudflap, a ''colossal'' shelfwarmer. Presumably, the only reason [[Human Alliance]] Mudflap didn't share the same fate was the fact that the toy was stocked in low numbers by stores in the first place, ironically making this particular toy hard to find.

{{-}}

[[Category:Fan terminology]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Sandstorm (G1)

2022-09-05T03:08:57Z

Whalermouse: /* Machine Wars */

{{factions|autobot|wreckers}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Sandstorm}}
{{suite}}
:''Sandstorm is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:G1AutobotSandstorm boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Enter Darude-Sandstorm joke here.]]
'''Sandstorm''' gets bored easily, and has a very hard time concentrating on humdrum tasks. He craves excitement, and since the [[Transformer]]s apparently don't have the X-Games (though they do have [[Optimus Primal (BW)|skateboarding apes]]), he goes in for fighting the [[Decepticon]]s. The ever-present threat of deactivation or maiming doesn't frighten him, but he does fear that the war might end any chance for him to enjoy life. For Sandstorm, war may not be heaven, but it's a hell of an adventure.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Think how great a first impression we'd make if I shot him in the crotch!"]]
''Sandstorm was one of three [[Triple Changer]]s recruited by [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] to back up the [[Wreckers]] in [[Operation: Volcano]], replacing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] after he went missing. In order to make a good first impression on [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], their new commander, Sandstorm and his buddies beat the titanium-coated stuffing out of him, thus proving that they'd fit right in with the Wreckers. However, there were still doubts as to whether the Triple Changers were up to their task in the mission. Such concerns became null when Volcano ultimately failed to lure their targets into the intended trap. All it yielded was Impactor's death, who was felled by a [[Macabre|Decepticon nobody]] while the rest of the forces drew back. After gunning down the assassin, Sandstorm and the others watch solemny as their commander's life force faded away.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''As a member of the Wreckers, Sandstorm helped capture what he believed to be a Decepticon spy disguised as Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]],'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''only to later discover the "spy" was actually the genuine article. Once Emirate Xaaron confirmed his old friend's identity, the Wreckers stood down.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Along with Ultra Magnus, they fought alongside Prime against [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] and his forces, plundering Decepticon strongholds of their [[energon]] before Optimus returned to the Autobots of [[Earth]].'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Technician wreckers legion of the lost.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
''After Prime was transported back to Earth, [[Autobase]] was moved to [[Kalis]]. It was soon rocked by a huge explosion and, believing the explosion to be caused by an underground reactor, Sandstorm and the other Wreckers searched in vain for the chamber. Upon their return to headquarters, the Autobots were overcome by a legion of [[zombie]]s! Springer, still ill-at-ease in his role as leader, floundered when the shambling horde burst through the floor, and without anyone to coordinate them, the Wreckers were easily vanquished. They were captured by the undead horde's controller, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], fitted with [[inhibitor band]]s, and detained within an underground cell. Though things seemed grim, Springer regained his senses following a pep-talk from Xaaron and managed to escape.'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}}

[[File:Wreckers magnus meltdown.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|It's all part of a new program we like to call "Deep Hurting"!]]
''Sandstorm and the rest of the Wreckers managed to break out of their cell as well, reacquired their weapons, and once more took up the fight against the zombies patrolling Flame's headquarters. They then bumped into a returning Springer, now accompanied by Ultra Magnus, [[Fizzle]], [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]. Unfortunately, any further progress towards Flame's inner sanctum was blocked off by a massive blast door. Though their weapons proved completely ineffective against it, the Autobots managed to get through when [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] arrived, repaying a favor that fellow Decepticon [[Flywheels]] owed Ultra Magnus. Unfortunately, they came to confront Flame too late; his machines had already destabilized, and the countdown to Cybertron's destruction had already begun. While Springer, Ultra Magnus, and Xaaron dealt with Flame, the rest of the group cut through the remnants of madbot's zombie army, and headed back to the surface. There, Sandstorm learned that a zombified [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] had forfeited his (un)life in order to prevent the whole planet from blowing up. The Autobots stood in solemn silence to honor Impactor's heroic passing.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:WreckingHavoc-yourfoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Coach, I want that hundred shanix." "You gotta earn it, kid!"]]
''Sandstorm helped prepare the squad to jump to Earth and eliminate the threat of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after receiving a warning from Ultra Magnus and the Sparklers.'' {{storylink|Deadly Games!}} ''Unfortunately, their portal dropped the Wreckers on Galvatron right in the middle of a human town, while the latter was having a meeting with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. This left the risk of civilian casualties unbearably high. The Wreckers were forced to focus on clearing Galvatron out of the town and securing the safety of the humans rather than actually fighting to capture or kill the super Decepticon. Unfortunately, Sandstorm's efforts in this task were met with difficulty, as the humans couldn't tell Autobots apart from Decepticons. Springer managed to lure Scourge and Cyclonus away, allowing the rest of his crew an opportunity to gang-up on Galvatron. But they were unwilling to simply abandon their leader to the Decepticons' mercies, and the Wreckers allowed Gavatron to escape in order to help their leader. Scourge and Cyclonus also retreated upon finding themselves badly outnumbered, and the Wreckers were forced to return to Cybertron to plan anew.'' {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

''Meanwhile...''

[[File:Blasterbeourleaderplease.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|left|Aren't you with the Wreckers? In space?]]
Oppressed under [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s tyrannical rule, Sandstorm and several others on board the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] pleaded for [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] to usurp Grimlock as leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} Later, he would join the other Autobots in watching them duel for leadership on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. No one knows how Sandstorm got there. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Advance surveillance unit firebug.jpg|thumb]]
''After the mission against Galvatron failed, Sandstorm was assigned to Earth duty full-time with [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] as an [[Advance Surveillance Unit]] for Galvatron's next move. Though they had been instructed to keep out of human affairs, Sandstorm was still itching for some action. He got more than he bargained for when he investigated a town fire; at first the situation seemed like an opportunity to safeguard life from a natural disaster. While helping the townsfolk evacuate however, Sandstorm, Inferno, and Broadside discovered that an alien life-form, a [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]], was the source of the conflagration. Working together, the trio caught the critter and sent him off to Mercury, where he wouldn't cause further trouble.'' {{storylink|Firebug!}}

''Later, the trio made a mess of some locals' [[Christmas]] celebration while trying to join in, leaving the town of [[Border Flats]] in ruins as a result. Sandstorm and his teammates made themselves scarce, only for the Autobot [[Powermaster]]s to track them down and attack, thinking they were dealing with a trio of Decepticon trouble-makers. Suitably ashamed of the damage they had caused, the Advance Surveillance Unit apologized for the misunderstanding. As the Autobots settled down, Optimus Prime joined them to impart on Sandstorm and the rest about their responsibility to the planet.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Once he reported to Cybertron about Galvatron amassing resources, Sandstorm joined a joint task force of Wreckers and [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhems]] in confronting the evil Decepticon from the future. They were strong. They were numerous. They were annihilated. Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] ended up obliterating Sandstorm while the task force was in full retreat after losing more than half their members.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Rodimus technobots wreckers peace.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Sandstorm was among the Autobots defending their territory during the Decepticons' all-out assault under the command of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

In an alternate future of [[2510]], Sandstorm joined the Wreckers on Cybertron's northern front where they finally exterminated the last Decepticon outpost, bringing the war to an end. Later on, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] called an official end to the war effort and announced his plans to pass the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] on to Springer. The Decepticons were not totally gone, however—a deep cover agent named [[Triton]] lived on inside the Autobot ranks. In order to stir up discord, Triton challenged Prime's decision, declaring that [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was a better choice to carry the Matrix. The situation quickly escalated into a firefight, during which Sandstorm murdered Triton. As conflict escalated further, a new Cybertronian Civil War between the Wreckers and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] began.'' {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Invasion SlapdashSandstormBroadsideInfected.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb]]
Sandstorm helped rebuild the [[Ironworks (facility)|Ironworks]]. When the evil Autobots attacked from the negative polarity universe, Sandstorm was one of the first wave assimilated by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9|Once a background character, always a background character.]]
In [[2012]], twenty-one years after the apparent end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and reoccupation of Cybertron, Sandstorm and the other Wreckers joined [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] in going AWOL to investigate the "loose ends" of the conflict on other planets such as Earth and [[Nebulos]].

Unfortunately, they only made it as far as a devastated Earth before they were apparently blown out of the sky by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}} The Wreckers escaped their ship in shuttles that took them to Earth's surface, where they decided to lay low while Rack'n'Ruin checked on Broadside and Topspin, as they had suffered damage during the battle. After, Sandstorm tried to draw off most of Megatron's [[zombie]] army with [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] while Kup tried to send a distress signal to Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

[[File:Laserbeak buzzsaw whirl sandstorm loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7]]
Upon returning to the other Wreckers, he found them being threatened by a [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|super-powered human]] calling himself Circuit Smasher. Topspin recognized the human as Spike Witwicky, a former ally of the Autobots, and Spike grudgingly took the to [[Argus Base]] where they met [[G.B. Blackrock]]. Sandstorm attended a meeting with Blackrock, Circuit Smasher, and Springer to form a plan to take down Megatron. During their meeting, they received a message from Megatron, informing them that he had Kup captive, and had infected him with [[Scraplet]]s! {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Sandstorm, Springer and Whirl split off from the other Wreckers, so they could try to save Kup, and, in the process, create a distraction so the other Wreckers could deactivate the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. They fought hard, but were quickly taken down by Megatron's forces. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} With the arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] with reinforcements from Cybertron and a joint Wrecker-human assault on the Ark, Megatron and his zombie army were defeated. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[File:Wreckers war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Sandstorm and the rest of the Autobots, sans Optimus Prime, returned to Cybertron aboard the ''[[Valiant (G1)|Valiant]]'' {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}} where he continued to serve with the Wreckers; helping to keep the peace at [[Eugenesis Plaza]] {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} and [[Auto-artery RG1]] {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} and participating in a failed attack at [[Fort Scyk]] to root out [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}} With the arrival of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s ''[[Warworld]]'' above the planet, he formed part of a raid on the Decepticon ship but was caught unawares by the master of [[Metallikato]] and found himself impaled by a sword. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Sandstorm was well enough recovered to join Rodimus Prime's assault on the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]], with the Wreckers operating separately from the main Autobot forces and using the Hub's interplanetary "[[slam rail]]" tube system to avoid detection while causing massive explosions to detach planets from its superstructure. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers '84''====
Sandstorm, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], and [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] were led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] in a counterattack against [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s forces as they laid siege to an Autobot fort in the [[Border Regions]]. Following their intervention, Straxus ordered his troops to retreat but to gather as many prisoners as they could as they did so. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jerry Houser]] (English), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese)|[[Xia Zhiqing]] (Chinese), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee"), [[Imo Heite]] (German, "Starscreams Ghost"), [[Frank Röth]] (German, ''Generation 2'' dub), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French), [[Dani Albiac]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Lauro Fabiano]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}
[[File:SandstormAutobot1.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Autobot Creamsicle]]
Sandstorm was a native of [[Paradron]]. His Autobot ancestors fled Cybertron during what he called [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|the Fourth Great War]] and ventured through a strange vortex, where they discovered a habitable world. There, they founded an energon-rich, democratic colony dedicated to nonviolence.

But this came to an end when [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] stumbled through the vortex and crashed on Paradron. They had no idea where they were, but they knew it was a land ripe for the picking. They literally pushed the welcoming Paradronians around, then alerted [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] to the planet's existence. Sandstorm tried to rally his fellows against the two Decepticons, but no one wanted to fight. And he was proven terribly right in the middle of a speech, when Cyclonus abruptly shot him as Galvatron's invasion force descended from the sky.

Sandstorm was jailed, and the Decepticons forced the Paradronians into labor, building weapons. However, Sandstorm escaped rather easily and took an old shuttle back through the vortex. He put out a distress call and was found by the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] [[Autobot]]s, whom he convinced to mount a counterstrike against Galvatron.

[[File:Sandstorm ThiefInTheNight.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|left|Technically you're not supposed to be here either, but at least we can say the episodes were just out of order.]]
The Autobots infiltrated Paradron and took guerrilla action. They freed a group of Paradronians, and though the pacifists were still wary of Sandstorm's pleas to fight, they did finally take up arms. Despite this victory, though, the Decepticons still presented a daunting battle. Sandstorm gave little objection to [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s order to detonate the planet's energon core, destroying the world to keep it out of Galvatron's hands. In fact, he seemed downright happy to get some use out of the planetary escape pods. The Paradronians departed thusly while Sandstorm and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] planted a bomb on what Magnus called the most beautiful thing in the entire galaxy.

[[File:SandstormOctane BFF.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|"Like the rest of my people, I deplore violins. Why that stopped us from fighting you guys, I have no idea."]]
When it detonated five minutes later, Sandstorm and the Paradronians stood alongside the Autobots and watched their homeworld's destruction. "It's as beautiful in death as it was in life," Sandstorm eulogized simply. Rodimus openly mocked him and told him Cybertron was better. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Maybe that's why he went to Earth instead. Though he was still on the abusive Rodimus' team investigating [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s theft of famous monuments. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} Interestingly, it was as a result of that caper that [[Octane]] was excommunicated from Galvatron's army. And then Sandstorm and Octane soon started hanging out, joyriding in and around [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]].

When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] tried to assassinate Octane, he and Sandstorm fled to a space station somewhere and had lunch. There, a [[Skuxxoid]] in Galvatron's employ tried to kill Octane several times but was comically thwarted by circumstance. Believing it would be safer, Sandstorm and Octane then went to Cybertron. But while Octane was alone there, he finally ''was'' captured by the Decepticons.

As he was being hauled away, Sandstorm tried to rescue him. And failed. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

{{note|Sandstorm's [[character model]] actually first shows up in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" in a Cybertronian [[:File:FFoDPart5Sandstorm.jpg|
battle scene]] with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]... miscolored as [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. Which is just as well, since he shouldn't have been there in the first place!}}

{{-}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:Hm4 Autobot Triple Changers.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Sandstorm was sent from [[Athenia]] to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Triple Changers then traveled to Earth, where they helped [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] sneak into [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. Apparently, Sandstorm wasn't on friendly terms with Octane anymore. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2030]], Sandstorm and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] were by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] when he declared he would turn his life around. {{Storylink|LG19 Sprung Prologue}}

{{-}}
====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:TherealSandstorm-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
At some point, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] created [[Sandstorm (MW)|a clone]] of Sandstorm and sent him to Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}} Two days before Jhiaxus' [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian]] clone army arrived on Cybertron, [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] contacted [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to show him that the ''real'' Sandstorm was with him on Earth. {{storylink|A Common Foe}} Meanwhile, the clone acted as a sleeper agent, living the original Sandstorm's life until Jhiaxus and his clone army attacked Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}
{{-}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Sandstorm served on an alien spacecraft with the Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] under the command of Ultra Magnus. While fighting Decepticons, their spaceship took heavy damage and crash-landed on the planet [[Barrenikon]]. There, he met [[you]], having just emerged from the Vortex, a portal through space and time contained within the planet. Together, you went on an adventure, fighting Decepticons, braving Barrenikon's barren desert or its putrid swamp, and trying to find a way to get the Autobots space-bound once more. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DWColdWar Sandstormdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|That's not healthy...]]
Sandstorm served under Springer as part of the Wreckers faction during the [[Dark Ages]] of Cybertron's civil war. They were primarily interested in keeping [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and the [[Ultracon]]s from gaining control of the [[Tagan Heights]], the primary manufacturing region of Cybertron. During one of their missions, they came to blows against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Springer ordered Sandstorm to evacuate the troops instead of battling the colossus, but Sandstorm quickly found out it was impossible to dissuade his fellow Wreckers from tackling their opponent. Realizing this, he charged into battle himself. {{storylink|Escalation}} [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] then joined the fight, though the resulting clash between the two combiners was so brutal that Sandstorm and the rest of the Wreckers were forced to retreat to avoid becoming collateral damage. {{storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}}

Originally only able to transform into a ground vehicle, Sandstorm received an additional flight mode after the [[Great Shutdown]], when Shockwave put him through Triple Changer engineering as part of the Pax Cybertronia between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He accompanied Shockwave to Earth along with several other Triple-Changers to apprehend both Optimus and Megatron's followers as war criminals. Though the Autobots escaped their clutches at first, the Decepticons were secured, and put in transit back to their home planet. {{storylink|New World Order}} Despite serving with Shockwave's Triple Changer Strike Force, Sandstorm and his partner [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] grew uneasy about Shockwave's ultimate intentions, and allied themselves with the Autobot underground resistance. Sandstorm was killed by an assassin, [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], while secretly leading Optimus Prime through the [[Old Slave Trails]] to make contact with the resistance. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 Sandstorm Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|So bored he's talking to himself.]]
When a number of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] vanished while chasing [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], Sandstorm and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] were sent out to look for them. Unfortunately, Serpent O.R. jammed their radars, and they didn't find a thing. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 2|''Stormbringer'' #2]]
[[File:Primacy4 SpringerSandstormKillGuys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|left|Getting their pre-Wrecker on.]]
Sandstorm was [[Reproduction|Forged]], and later recalled that his birth was the last time he saw a [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} In the era of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Sandstorm was involved in a riot by protesters rallying against the [[Outback (G1)|Autobot cop]] who reportedly killed an unarmed [[Hefter|Decepticon agitator]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} He participated in the defense of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] early in the war, ruthlessly killing Decepticons alongside [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

During the war Sandstorm became part of the elite [[Wreckers]] unit operating under [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'s command, replacing [[Blocker (G1)|Blocker]]. {{storylink|Out of Bullets}} He came out with the entire team for a warm Wreckers welcome on Springer's first day. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}} At one point, one of the things the Wreckers had to deal with was an anti-matter clone of Sandstorm. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Sandstorm saw things that would haunt him forever during his tour as a Wrecker- war crimes not just perpetrated by Decepticons, but by his own side as well. These atrocities would greatly inform his personal sense of justice, as well as instill a deep sense of guilt and paranoia in him. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-Sandstorm.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|This didn't happen, but this is what I looked like!]]
He participated in the final showdown between the Wreckers and [[Squadron X]] on [[Pova]], dogfighting with [[Crosscut (Decepticon)|Crosscut]] and [[Ferak]] in the air. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} However, after the Decepticons were defeated and imprisoned, the Wreckers were told to release them due to Pova being neutral territory. The increasingly deranged Impactor refused, and chose to personally execute every single member of Squadron X rather than let them go. Like most of the Wreckers, Sandstorm only looked away in shame and did nothing to stop him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Notably, Sandstorm was the only one out of the Wreckers that participated in Pova ''not'' to attempt to persuade Springer to testify and clear them of all charges. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

In order to cover up Impactor's crime, a new story was written for the official records. In this version of the events, Squadron X broke out of their bonds and injured Sandstorm, who collapsed after limping to warn his fellow Wreckers. The Wreckers were then forced to destroy Squadron X in a grand battle. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:Stormbringer4 SpringerSandstormWhirlVehicleModes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
Many years later, while Sandstorm and the other aerial Wreckers were assaulting the Decepticon Siege Mode Armature on [[Varas Centralus]], Springer was ordered by Operations-Command to pull out and return to Cybertron to deal with the resurrection of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Sandstorm participated in the short assault that crushed [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s cult, {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} and fought against Thunderwing himself when the creature was recalled to Cybertron. During the battle, he reported that their weapons were being shut down by Thunderwing charging the atmosphere and tried to tell Springer to get away, but he (along with several other Wreckers) were blasted away by the creature's microwave pulse. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

Sandstorm and his fellow Wreckers were later dispatched to [[Corata-Vaz]] to gain control of the [[Nega-Core]] in place on that world, but had serious trouble getting past its watchdog, Thunderwing. They had a brief reprieve when [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] used the old [[axis cradle]] to remotely shut down the Pretender, but Jetfire was soon distracted and the battle was renewed. The Jumpstarters worked on overriding the Nega Core's programming while Sandstorm and the others held back Thunderwing. Eventually the Nega-Cores were disabled and the Transformers of the [[Dead Universe]] defeated, causing Thunderwing to shut down once more. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:Sandstorm Seasons In Flight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|Sandstorm's <s>blue</s> Blurr period.]]
During the Decepticons' devastating attack against the Autobots across the galaxy, Sandstorm was one of several Autobots who had been captured by [[Turmoil]]. When the ship made a stop at a neutral alien world, two attacks on the Decepticons occurred simultaneously: the Autobot veteran [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] led the remaining Wreckers to blast their way into the ship, while the factionless swordsman who called himself [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] snuck into the ship and helped the Autobots free their compatriots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

Sometime later, after the defeat of the Decepticons in [[New York City]], Springer remarked that Sandstorm was deep behind enemy lines. Why he was there, and if it was by his own choosing, is unknown. {{storylink|Bullets}} Eventually, Sandstorm was one of the many Autobots stranded on Earth in the aftermath of the [[Surge (event)|Surge]]. After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] turned himself in to [[Skywatch]], Sandstorm decided to leave the Autobots along with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] had located Hot Rod's group, Sandstorm was one of the first Autobots to welcome him. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}}

[[File:Mtmte28-p23-sandstorm-at-trial.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|Chekhov's Gunman.]]
Sandstorm was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} After the war, [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] mentioned that of the Autobots involved with the Turmoil affair, only [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] were left on Cybertron, suggesting Sandstorm had left the planet, possibly aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' or at the Wreckers' ''[[Debris]]'' station with Roadbuster and the comatose Springer. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

Sandstorm returned to Cybertron at some point prior to the trial of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. Along with his fellow Triple-Changer, Broadside, Sandstorm acted as bailiff escorting Megatron to his trial on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} During the trial he helped repel an attack by a group of Decepticons attempting to free Megatron. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} He also began frequenting bars and befriending the Decepticons attending them. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}} He visited [[Swerve's]], the bar on board the ''Lost Light'', before the ship left Cybertron. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormDrinks.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|"I was just tired, you know? You... you ever been tired, Red?"]]
With the war over, and no more distractions, Sandstorm went about his next plan of action: punishment. Having been left mentally scarred by what he had seen during the war, Sandstorm was determined to see all those who had committed "unspeakable acts" killed. Sandstorm first set his sights on [[Brisko]], [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]], and [[Treadshot (IDW)|Treadshot]], murdering them for their massacre of the people of [[Traujor]] during the war. {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} Sandstorm then proceeded to murder [[Heavy Barrel (G1)|Heavy Barrel]] and [[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] for siphoning [[Pseudo-energon]] from a small mechanical world, causing its inhabitants to starve, along with [[Stratotronic Jet|Stratotronic]] for massacring refugees under the Wreckers' protection during the early days of the war. When Optimus Prime arrived in [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]'s bar, a hangout Sandstorm frequented, Sandstorm was quick to rebuke any affection his old comrade in arms showed him, making it clear to Prime that he was done with the Autobot cause. He ''did'', however, accompany Prime to the murder scene, but not before secretly setting the bar on fire, killing Gutcruncher, who had accompanied Stratotronic in massacring refugees. When he arrived at the scene of Heavy Barrel's murder with Prime, he found a familiar shell casing (no points for guessing why he recognized it). Before he and Prime could investigate any further, a call came in from the Autobot [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], informing them that Gutcruncher's bar was on fire, unaware of Sandstorm's involvement. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormSparkstalker.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left|"You hit 'em and they get back up. I hit 'em and they stay down!"]]
Sandstorm was quick to blame the deaths of all of his "friends" on Optimus upon seeing the fire. Optimus put paid to the notion, explaining that Gutcruncher was likely killed by someone unhappy with his illegal [[Engex]] operations. After calming down, Sandstorm revealed to Prime that the bullet he "found" was an [[Infernus bullet]], a weapon created by the [[Firecon]]s, effectively making ''them'' the prime suspects in the murders. When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] launched an all out attack against the Firecons, Sandstorm was more than happy to join in and "avenge" his "friends". As the Dinobots beat down [[Flamefeather (G1)|Flamefeather]] and [[Cindersaur (G1)|Cindersaur]], Sandstorm was prevented from executing [[Sparkstalker]] by Optimus, who was alarmed at their actions. {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} After being denied his chance to kill Sparkstalker, Sandstorm allowed Prime to comfort him as he feigned guilt for nearly letting his emotions get the better of him. Sandstorm made sure to keep up this charade, continuing to berate himself. While he was doing this, Prime came to the conclusion that the Firecons were innocent as they did not need Infernus bullets to create fire, and departed to confront a "friend". With Prime gone, Sandstorm set his sights on new targets, this time his fellow Autobots [[Skram (G2)|Skram]], [[Fireball]], [[Lander]], and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] for razing entire ''planets'' that had helped the Decepticons during the war. As Optimus investigated, Sandstorm listened in on an argument between Prime and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]], learning that the Dinobots had ''also'' committed horrible atrocities during the war, and began plotting their deaths. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormCaughtInTheAct.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|"''One batch... two batch... Penny and dime...''"]]
Sandstorm waited until the Dinobots were alone to make his strike. Slug, angry with Optimus's rants against the Dinobots threatened to kill Optimus, and dragged the other Dinobots along with him to do the deed. Before they could, however, Sandstorm fired an Infernus bullet at them causing an explosion that sent them flying. However, to Sandstorm's surprise the Dinobots were rescued by Windblade and [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. Optimus arrived, revealing that he had figured out Sandstorm was the murderer, and that revealing the Dinobots' war crimes to be a ploy to lure him out. Enraged, and possibly a little bit crazed, Sandstorm fired upon Prime with an Infernus bullet, but, as soon as the bullet was fired, Sandstorm came to his senses and became ashamed. Optimus, uninjured, placed Sandstorm under arrest. Sandstorm tried to explain his actions, saying that after all he had seen during the war, he could not let the war crimes others had committed go unpunished, explaining how he had befriended the Decepticons in order to have an easier time killing them. He then asked Optimus how ''he'' could live knowing of the atrocities committed by his Autobots during the war, before fleeing. Optimus simply knocked out Sandstorm, saying that he tries "to stay grounded." Sandstorm was then detained. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[File:Salvation SandstormBattleDiary.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|left|"I'm smack-dab in the middle of my right [[Primus]]-damned mind, and any scumbag, any lowlife, any maggot piece of slag that I put down, I did it... because I liked it! Hell, I loved it!"]]
Starscream had Sandstorm locked up in his secret prison, believing his skills could come in handy someday. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] ended up in the cell below Sandstorm's. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} Starscream eventually offered him freedom in exchange for eliminating the Dinobots without getting Starscream in trouble with Optimus Prime, and Sandstorm agreed, already considering the Dinobots and Prime his enemies. He tracked them in the wilderness and successfully killed Slug before his hunt brought him to a fresh hot spot in [[Alyon]], where he encountered and was defeated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. He awoke to find [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], but now aware of Bludgeon's plans to corrupt the hot spot's [[spark]]s, decided to put his mission aside and offer an alliance with the Dinobots. While Swoop agreed and accompanied Sandstorm to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] where the Dinobots were confronting Bludgeon, they found on arrival that the other Dinobots were less keen on working with Slug's killer and attacked him. Having let Sandstorm live for this purpose, Bludgeon let them fight among themselves, only to learn they were faking it when Sandstorm suddenly lobbed [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]'s [[Energo weapon|energo-sword]] into his [[Void Scepter]], ending his plans. Freed from Bludgeon's mind control, Trypticon settled into the depths of Cybertron to let the sparks within him grow, and Sandstorm agreed to protect these sparks together with the Dinobots. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

[[File:TheDeadComeHomePart2 SandstormVSOptimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"You know what I think of you, hero? I think you're a half-measure. I think you're a 'bot who can't finish the job. I think that you're a coward."]]
At some point, Sandstorm received Springer's final message before the former Wreckers leader entered the [[Timemaze]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}} He, [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]], and the Dinobots were brought into confrontation with Optimus Prime, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]], and the resurrected Slug after Bludgeon covertly used the Void Scepter to stoke their hostile emotions toward one another. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Optimus commented on the oddity of Sandstorm working with the Dinobots, given his attempt to kill them, but Sandstorm was more interested in throwing down with the Autobot commander himself. Centurion broke up their fight by punching Sandstorm, much to the [[Triple Changer]]'s anger, but everyone soon stopped fighting after Trypticon emerged from Cybertron's depths. Agreeing that safeguarding the young [[protoform]]s within Trypticon took top priority, Optimus Prime declared them to be under his protection. Sandstorm was disgusted at what he saw as a political move on Prime's part, but ultimately stood down. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

After [[space bridge|space-bridging]] to Earth aboard Trypticon, Sandstorm baby-sat the protoforms alongside Centurion during a battle between the [[Colonist Soldiers|colonist soldiers]] and the Dinobots. {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} He was present at a war council within Trypticon to determine how to effectively combat [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and was among the attack force that confronted the planet-eater above Earth. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} Sandstorm narrowly avoided an eye-beam from Unicron during the final battle. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
[[File:Pop-upSandstormAVP.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|]]
Sandstorm was one of the many Autobots that pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Decepticons in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
Sandstorm and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] came to the rescue of [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], pinned down by a Decepticon attack. The Autobot triple-changers shifted quickly through their modes to keep pace with their fleeing enemies, the Decepticon triple-changers [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sandstorm, Broadside, Octane|Sandstorm, Broadside and Octane commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsSandstorm.jpg|thumb|380px]]
Sandstorm participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character that could be recruited by collecting 110 units of Cybermetal, 60 units of Transmetal, and 35 hunter cores.{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Sandstorm_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75]]
*'''Class''': Triple Changer
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*Abilities: As a triple changer, Sandstorm has two abilities available to him.
**'''Tar Sands Rush''': Rush into combat and release toxic tar sands in a large zone on impact. Deal 61.6 damage over 10 seconds to enemies and provide 114 extra healing over 5 secs to all Autobots under the Supply Airdrop effect.
**'''Supply Airdrop''': Drops fuel supply from the air. Within a large area, all Autobots receive 114 healing for 10 seconds and all Decepticons buildings under the Tar Sands Rush effect receive an extra 61.6 damage over 5 seconds[-].
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:sandstorm Sandstorm at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1 Sandstorm toy.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|He's like one of those kids that wears a propeller hat.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Triple Changer, [[1986]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-83'''
**''Accessories:'' "Sandblaster gun"
:As a [[Triple Changer]], Sandstorm can transform from a robot to a "sand rail" dune buggy to a Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low (aka Super Jolly Green Giant) transport/search and rescue helicopter and back. Like many 1986 Transformers, there are two different versions; the initial releases use painted [[die-cast]] metal for his front bumper/[[robot mode]] feet, while the more common later releases have orange-colored plastic.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Sandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Sandstorm at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|1991Classic}}
*'''Sandstorm''' ([[1991]])
**''Accessories:'' "Sandblaster gun"
:Sandstorm was re-released in the European/Australian [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] reissue line in 1991. This [[variant|version]] has his black plastic feet painted orange. Unlike many toys with [[rubsign]] indents that were reissued in the Classics series, Sandstorm's indent was ''not'' [[retool]]ed out; however, the rubsign itself was not included.
{{-}}

----
===''Machine Wars''===
[[File:MW-toy Sandstorm.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He really blends in with all the foliage in the sky.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Mega, [[1997]])
**''Accessories:'' Left & right cannons, rotor blade

:A [[redeco]] of the European-line [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Rotorstorm (G1)#Toys|Rotorstorm]] toy, ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Sandstorm transforms into a Cybertronian helicopter with a US Air Force roundel added to his helicopter mode. Due to the small missiles of Rotorstorm failing US [[For safety reasons|choke gate]] tests, the turbine launchers were [[retool]]ed (well, more like "entirely gutted") into non-firing cannons, with no missiles included. A button on the back of the rotor housing drops down both engines/cannons for an "attack mode" feature.

: In robot mode, Sandstorm has quite restricted articulation, and holds his turbine launchers in his hands. He can also hold his rotor blade as a somewhat odd [[sword]]. The original Rotorstorm [[sticker]]s were not properly redecoed to match the new Machine Wars color scheme, resulting in black stickers that are left indistinguishable on his black gauntlets.

: Like all the other ''Machine Wars'' toys, Sandstorm was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] and, later, at the related Toy Liquidator stores.

: This mold was later redecoed (and given further-retooled-into-functionality launchers) to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Whirl (Universe)#Toys|Whirl]]. This toy was also [[repurposing|repurposed]] as the [[Sandstorm drone]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Autobot/Sandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Machine Wars Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
====GDO====
[[File:Generationstoy-SandstormGDO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|So [[Sandstorm (TF 2010)|Movie Sandstorm]] gets a redeco of a G1 guy, and G1 Sandstorm gets a redeco of a Movie guy. Okayyyyy.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Scout, [[2012]])
:''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Sandstorm is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]], transforming into a vehicle based on the [[Sector Seven]] dune buggies seen in the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' film]], which were heavily modified Chenowth Desert Patrol Vehicles (DPV) with added protective armor. This same vehicle also served as the basis for the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]]'s [[Landmine (Movie)|Landmine]]. The twin gatling guns mounted on Sandstorm's roof/shoulders have multi-jointed armatures for different firing positions.

:Originally developed by Hasbro Asia for release in their territories, Sandstorm was brought over with many other toys as [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusives for the 2012 holiday season.

:This mold was also used to make ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Beachcomber (ROTF)|Beachcomber]] and ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' [[Crankstart]] and [[Rollbar (RPM)|Rollbar]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GDOSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on ''Generations'' Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{ROTFDuneRunnerMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Voyager}}
====''Thrilling 30''====
[[File:Generationstoy-VoyagerSandstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now made of delicious cheese.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Voyager, [[2013]])
**''Series / Number:'' '''02 / 003'''
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, missile
:Part of the fourth wave of [[2012]]-[[2013]] ''Generations'' Voyager Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Sandstorm is a redeco and heavy retool of Voyager [[Springer (G1)/toys#Voyager|Springer]], and is a Triple Changer, transforming into a robot, VTOL aircraft, and dune buggy. He comes with a blaster which can fire its missile via pressure-launch, peg via [[5 mm post|5mm post]] onto his hands and back, and mount underneath his aircraft nose.

:With the extensive retool has also come a complete rework of the tolerances, making Sandstorm's panels align better than on Springer, especially in his [[Alternate mode|car mode]]. One notable and curious change involves the little dents inside the side-chest pieces: initially intended to hold the blade of the sword in his car mode, Springer's ones weren't able to do the job perfectly because of the asymmetrical shape of the sword, making it unable to fit inside the symmetrical dents. Sandstorm's side-chest dents, on the other hand have been modified to be asymmetrical, allowing the blade of Springer's sword to fit in better. This is, nevertheless, a pointless change, as Sandstorm doesn't come with his own heli-sword and doesn't have the same kneecaps as Springer that allow the handle of Springer's sword to be fitted in.

:The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Sandstorm features much more orange in his color layout than his western counterpart: his canopy/roof, wings, crotch, feet, rifle and missile are all rendered orange. There are also some other minor changes, such as a centered Autobot sigil and a painted silver bumper.

:The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Cloud|Hot Rodimus]] and it was retooled into [[BotCon 2015]] [[Battletrap (G1)#Timelines|Battletrap]]. It also served as the basis of the non-toy ''Beast Wars: Uprising'' incarnations of [[Dinobot (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Dynobot]] and [[Grimlock (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Grimlock]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on "Thrilling 30" Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsSpringerMold}}
{{--}}

===''Generations'' (Japan)===
*'''Sandstorm''' ([[December 28]], [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''TG-29'''
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, missile
:Part of the twelfth wave of [[TakaraTomy]]'s [[Transformers: Generations (Japan)|''Generations'']], Sandstorm features much more orange in his color layout than his western ''Thrilling 30'' counterpart: his canopy/roof, wings, crotch, feet, rifle and missile are all rendered orange. There are also some other minor changes, such as a centered Autobot sigil and a painted silver bumper.
{{GenerationsSpringerMold}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy SandstormKreon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, [[2014]])
**''Bag number'': '''33501 42'''
**''Accessories'': Stand brick, buildable pistol
:Part of the fourth assortment of [[blindpacking|blind-bagged]] [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, Sandstorm can be rebuilt from robot to helicopter mode. Note that the image to the right has Sandstorm's helmet not put on properly. It requires extra force to push it onto the head completely.

:He reuses the [[Sideswipe (Kre-O)|Sideswipe]] helmet.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/Kre-OSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W4SpecialistSandstorm.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard''' ([[2019]])
**'''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
**''Rarity: '''''CT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T50/T52'''
**''Stars: ''11

:Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard is one of 52 character cards released as part of Wave 4 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege II. In order to depict the [[Triple Changer]] nature of the character, Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard is a folding card, with both Alt Modes depicted when the card is folded in half, and Bot Mode depicted when the card is unfolded.

:The card features original artwork for all three modes, with line-art by [[Dan Khanna]] and colors by [[Volta]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Sandstorm's animation model has a color scheme pretty blatantly based on the toy minus ''all'' of the stickers... including the windows. Oops.
*The Italian names for Sandstorm and Springer were subject to a massive mix-up of "[[FIRRIB]]" or "[[Back#Notes|Back/Forth]]" dimensions. While [[GiG]]'s toy packaging, including the [[bio]]s/[[Tech Spec]]s, consistently called Sandstorm by the name "Bora" and Springer by the name "Ghibli", the [[instructions]] had their names switched. Advertising for the toys used the names featured in the instructions, as did the Italian dub of the cartoon. As a result, Italian fans generally consider the names on the toys' packaging an "error", but unless internal documentation is discovered, it's virtually impossible to tell what GiG's original intention was.
*Sandstorm's lone appearance in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]'' is pretty well hidden, only showing up on a paper flap behind the one featuring Inferno, Blaster, and Scrounge, on the book's third page, which itself is only viewable when a tab is pulled to unfold a display of Cybertron. On top of that, Sandstorm is only seen in alternate mode as a MH-53 Pave Low, which appears to be based directly on [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live action ''Transformers'' film]]. Except completely yellow. In fact, the Pave Low Autobot had no clear identity until an entry of the Facebook edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]], written with input from [[Matthew Reinhart|the author]], declared it to be an [[Iocus]] version of [[Primax]] Sandstorm.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sandstorm''' (サンドストーム ''Sandosutōmu'')
*''French:'' '''Siroco''' (Canada, "{{w|Sirocco}}")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Homokvihar''' ("Sandstorm")
*''Italian:'' '''Bora''' (toy packaging), '''Ghibli''' (toy instructions, advertising and cartoon)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shābào''' (沙暴, "Sandstorm")
*''Russian:'' '''Zatvor''' (Затвор, "Shutter")

[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
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[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Sandstorm (G1)

2022-09-05T03:07:29Z

Whalermouse: /* Machine Wars */

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{{disambig3|Sandstorm}}
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:''Sandstorm is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:G1AutobotSandstorm boxart.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Enter Darude-Sandstorm joke here.]]
'''Sandstorm''' gets bored easily, and has a very hard time concentrating on humdrum tasks. He craves excitement, and since the [[Transformer]]s apparently don't have the X-Games (though they do have [[Optimus Primal (BW)|skateboarding apes]]), he goes in for fighting the [[Decepticon]]s. The ever-present threat of deactivation or maiming doesn't frighten him, but he does fear that the war might end any chance for him to enjoy life. For Sandstorm, war may not be heaven, but it's a hell of an adventure.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}
[[File:Triplechangerstarget2006.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|"Think how great a first impression we'd make if I shot him in the crotch!"]]
''Sandstorm was one of three [[Triple Changer]]s recruited by [[Emirate]] [[Xaaron]] to back up the [[Wreckers]] in [[Operation: Volcano]], replacing [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] after he went missing. In order to make a good first impression on [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], their new commander, Sandstorm and his buddies beat the titanium-coated stuffing out of him, thus proving that they'd fit right in with the Wreckers. However, there were still doubts as to whether the Triple Changers were up to their task in the mission. Such concerns became null when Volcano ultimately failed to lure their targets into the intended trap. All it yielded was Impactor's death, who was felled by a [[Macabre|Decepticon nobody]] while the rest of the forces drew back. After gunning down the assassin, Sandstorm and the others watch solemny as their commander's life force faded away.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

''As a member of the Wreckers, Sandstorm helped capture what he believed to be a Decepticon spy disguised as Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]],'' {{storylink|...The Harder They Die!}} ''only to later discover the "spy" was actually the genuine article. Once Emirate Xaaron confirmed his old friend's identity, the Wreckers stood down.'' {{storylink|Distant Thunder!}} ''Along with Ultra Magnus, they fought alongside Prime against [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] and his forces, plundering Decepticon strongholds of their [[energon]] before Optimus returned to the Autobots of [[Earth]].'' {{storylink|Resurrection!}}

[[File:Technician wreckers legion of the lost.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
''After Prime was transported back to Earth, [[Autobase]] was moved to [[Kalis]]. It was soon rocked by a huge explosion and, believing the explosion to be caused by an underground reactor, Sandstorm and the other Wreckers searched in vain for the chamber. Upon their return to headquarters, the Autobots were overcome by a legion of [[zombie]]s! Springer, still ill-at-ease in his role as leader, floundered when the shambling horde burst through the floor, and without anyone to coordinate them, the Wreckers were easily vanquished. They were captured by the undead horde's controller, [[Flame (Marvel)|Flame]], fitted with [[inhibitor band]]s, and detained within an underground cell. Though things seemed grim, Springer regained his senses following a pep-talk from Xaaron and managed to escape.'' {{storylink|Legion of the Lost!}}

[[File:Wreckers magnus meltdown.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.8|It's all part of a new program we like to call "Deep Hurting"!]]
''Sandstorm and the rest of the Wreckers managed to break out of their cell as well, reacquired their weapons, and once more took up the fight against the zombies patrolling Flame's headquarters. They then bumped into a returning Springer, now accompanied by Ultra Magnus, [[Fizzle]], [[Sizzle (G1)|Sizzle]], and [[Guzzle (G1)|Guzzle]]. Unfortunately, any further progress towards Flame's inner sanctum was blocked off by a massive blast door. Though their weapons proved completely ineffective against it, the Autobots managed to get through when [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] arrived, repaying a favor that fellow Decepticon [[Flywheels]] owed Ultra Magnus. Unfortunately, they came to confront Flame too late; his machines had already destabilized, and the countdown to Cybertron's destruction had already begun. While Springer, Ultra Magnus, and Xaaron dealt with Flame, the rest of the group cut through the remnants of madbot's zombie army, and headed back to the surface. There, Sandstorm learned that a zombified [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] had forfeited his (un)life in order to prevent the whole planet from blowing up. The Autobots stood in solemn silence to honor Impactor's heroic passing.'' {{storylink|Meltdown!}}

[[File:WreckingHavoc-yourfoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|"Coach, I want that hundred shanix." "You gotta earn it, kid!"]]
''Sandstorm helped prepare the squad to jump to Earth and eliminate the threat of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] after receiving a warning from Ultra Magnus and the Sparklers.'' {{storylink|Deadly Games!}} ''Unfortunately, their portal dropped the Wreckers on Galvatron right in the middle of a human town, while the latter was having a meeting with [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. This left the risk of civilian casualties unbearably high. The Wreckers were forced to focus on clearing Galvatron out of the town and securing the safety of the humans rather than actually fighting to capture or kill the super Decepticon. Unfortunately, Sandstorm's efforts in this task were met with difficulty, as the humans couldn't tell Autobots apart from Decepticons. Springer managed to lure Scourge and Cyclonus away, allowing the rest of his crew an opportunity to gang-up on Galvatron. But they were unwilling to simply abandon their leader to the Decepticons' mercies, and the Wreckers allowed Gavatron to escape in order to help their leader. Scourge and Cyclonus also retreated upon finding themselves badly outnumbered, and the Wreckers were forced to return to Cybertron to plan anew.'' {{storylink|Wrecking Havoc}}

''Meanwhile...''

[[File:Blasterbeourleaderplease.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|left|Aren't you with the Wreckers? In space?]]
Oppressed under [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s tyrannical rule, Sandstorm and several others on board the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] pleaded for [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] to usurp Grimlock as leader of the Autobots. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}} Later, he would join the other Autobots in watching them duel for leadership on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. No one knows how Sandstorm got there. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

[[File:Advance surveillance unit firebug.jpg|thumb]]
''After the mission against Galvatron failed, Sandstorm was assigned to Earth duty full-time with [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] as an [[Advance Surveillance Unit]] for Galvatron's next move. Though they had been instructed to keep out of human affairs, Sandstorm was still itching for some action. He got more than he bargained for when he investigated a town fire; at first the situation seemed like an opportunity to safeguard life from a natural disaster. While helping the townsfolk evacuate however, Sandstorm, Inferno, and Broadside discovered that an alien life-form, a [[Firebug (G1)|Firebug]], was the source of the conflagration. Working together, the trio caught the critter and sent him off to Mercury, where he wouldn't cause further trouble.'' {{storylink|Firebug!}}

''Later, the trio made a mess of some locals' [[Christmas]] celebration while trying to join in, leaving the town of [[Border Flats]] in ruins as a result. Sandstorm and his teammates made themselves scarce, only for the Autobot [[Powermaster]]s to track them down and attack, thinking they were dealing with a trio of Decepticon trouble-makers. Suitably ashamed of the damage they had caused, the Advance Surveillance Unit apologized for the misunderstanding. As the Autobots settled down, Optimus Prime joined them to impart on Sandstorm and the rest about their responsibility to the planet.'' {{storylink|Cold Comfort and Joy!}}

''Once he reported to Cybertron about Galvatron amassing resources, Sandstorm joined a joint task force of Wreckers and [[Mayhem Attack Squad|Mayhems]] in confronting the evil Decepticon from the future. They were strong. They were numerous. They were annihilated. Galvatron's [[particle cannon]] ended up obliterating Sandstorm while the task force was in full retreat after losing more than half their members.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}
{{-}}

=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[File:Rodimus technobots wreckers peace.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.6]]
Sandstorm was among the Autobots defending their territory during the Decepticons' all-out assault under the command of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

In an alternate future of [[2510]], Sandstorm joined the Wreckers on Cybertron's northern front where they finally exterminated the last Decepticon outpost, bringing the war to an end. Later on, [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]] called an official end to the war effort and announced his plans to pass the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] on to Springer. The Decepticons were not totally gone, however—a deep cover agent named [[Triton]] lived on inside the Autobot ranks. In order to stir up discord, Triton challenged Prime's decision, declaring that [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] was a better choice to carry the Matrix. The situation quickly escalated into a firefight, during which Sandstorm murdered Triton. As conflict escalated further, a new Cybertronian Civil War between the Wreckers and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] began.'' {{storylink|Peace}}
{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:Invasion SlapdashSandstormBroadsideInfected.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb]]
Sandstorm helped rebuild the [[Ironworks (facility)|Ironworks]]. When the evil Autobots attacked from the negative polarity universe, Sandstorm was one of the first wave assimilated by the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]]. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:Wreckers loose ends.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.9|Once a background character, always a background character.]]
In [[2012]], twenty-one years after the apparent end of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]] and reoccupation of Cybertron, Sandstorm and the other Wreckers joined [[Kup (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Kup]] in going AWOL to investigate the "loose ends" of the conflict on other planets such as Earth and [[Nebulos]].

Unfortunately, they only made it as far as a devastated Earth before they were apparently blown out of the sky by [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 1}} The Wreckers escaped their ship in shuttles that took them to Earth's surface, where they decided to lay low while Rack'n'Ruin checked on Broadside and Topspin, as they had suffered damage during the battle. After, Sandstorm tried to draw off most of Megatron's [[zombie]] army with [[Leadfoot (G2)|Leadfoot]] and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] while Kup tried to send a distress signal to Cybertron. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 2}}

[[File:Laserbeak buzzsaw whirl sandstorm loose ends.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7]]
Upon returning to the other Wreckers, he found them being threatened by a [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|super-powered human]] calling himself Circuit Smasher. Topspin recognized the human as Spike Witwicky, a former ally of the Autobots, and Spike grudgingly took the to [[Argus Base]] where they met [[G.B. Blackrock]]. Sandstorm attended a meeting with Blackrock, Circuit Smasher, and Springer to form a plan to take down Megatron. During their meeting, they received a message from Megatron, informing them that he had Kup captive, and had infected him with [[Scraplet]]s! {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 3}} Sandstorm, Springer and Whirl split off from the other Wreckers, so they could try to save Kup, and, in the process, create a distraction so the other Wreckers could deactivate the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. They fought hard, but were quickly taken down by Megatron's forces. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 4}} With the arrival of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] with reinforcements from Cybertron and a joint Wrecker-human assault on the Ark, Megatron and his zombie army were defeated. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}}

[[File:Wreckers war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Sandstorm and the rest of the Autobots, sans Optimus Prime, returned to Cybertron aboard the ''[[Valiant (G1)|Valiant]]'' {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part Five}} where he continued to serve with the Wreckers; helping to keep the peace at [[Eugenesis Plaza]] {{storylink|Destiny, Part One}} and [[Auto-artery RG1]] {{storylink|Destiny, Part Two}} and participating in a failed attack at [[Fort Scyk]] to root out [[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]]'s Neo-Decepticons. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}} With the arrival of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s ''[[Warworld]]'' above the planet, he formed part of a raid on the Decepticon ship but was caught unawares by the master of [[Metallikato]] and found himself impaled by a sword. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}

Sandstorm was well enough recovered to join Rodimus Prime's assault on the [[Hub (G2)|Hub Network]], with the Wreckers operating separately from the main Autobot forces and using the Hub's interplanetary "[[slam rail]]" tube system to avoid detection while causing massive explosions to detach planets from its superstructure. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 4}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers '84''====
Sandstorm, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], and [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] were led by [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]] in a counterattack against [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]'s forces as they laid siege to an Autobot fort in the [[Border Regions]]. Following their intervention, Straxus ordered his troops to retreat but to gather as many prisoners as they could as they did so. {{storylink|Secrets & Lies issue 2|Secrets & Lies #2}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Jerry Houser]] (English), [[Yoku Shioya]] (Japanese)|[[Xia Zhiqing]] (Chinese), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, "Fight or Flee"), [[Imo Heite]] (German, "Starscreams Ghost"), [[Frank Röth]] (German, ''Generation 2'' dub), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French), [[Dani Albiac]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Lauro Fabiano]] (Brazilian Portuguese)}}
[[File:SandstormAutobot1.jpg|upright=1.55|thumb|Autobot Creamsicle]]
Sandstorm was a native of [[Paradron]]. His Autobot ancestors fled Cybertron during what he called [[Cybertronian Civil Wars|the Fourth Great War]] and ventured through a strange vortex, where they discovered a habitable world. There, they founded an energon-rich, democratic colony dedicated to nonviolence.

But this came to an end when [[Cyclonus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] stumbled through the vortex and crashed on Paradron. They had no idea where they were, but they knew it was a land ripe for the picking. They literally pushed the welcoming Paradronians around, then alerted [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] to the planet's existence. Sandstorm tried to rally his fellows against the two Decepticons, but no one wanted to fight. And he was proven terribly right in the middle of a speech, when Cyclonus abruptly shot him as Galvatron's invasion force descended from the sky.

Sandstorm was jailed, and the Decepticons forced the Paradronians into labor, building weapons. However, Sandstorm escaped rather easily and took an old shuttle back through the vortex. He put out a distress call and was found by the [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] [[Autobot]]s, whom he convinced to mount a counterstrike against Galvatron.

[[File:Sandstorm ThiefInTheNight.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|left|Technically you're not supposed to be here either, but at least we can say the episodes were just out of order.]]
The Autobots infiltrated Paradron and took guerrilla action. They freed a group of Paradronians, and though the pacifists were still wary of Sandstorm's pleas to fight, they did finally take up arms. Despite this victory, though, the Decepticons still presented a daunting battle. Sandstorm gave little objection to [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s order to detonate the planet's energon core, destroying the world to keep it out of Galvatron's hands. In fact, he seemed downright happy to get some use out of the planetary escape pods. The Paradronians departed thusly while Sandstorm and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] planted a bomb on what Magnus called the most beautiful thing in the entire galaxy.

[[File:SandstormOctane BFF.jpg|upright=1.3|thumb|"Like the rest of my people, I deplore violins. Why that stopped us from fighting you guys, I have no idea."]]
When it detonated five minutes later, Sandstorm and the Paradronians stood alongside the Autobots and watched their homeworld's destruction. "It's as beautiful in death as it was in life," Sandstorm eulogized simply. Rodimus openly mocked him and told him Cybertron was better. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (episode)|Fight or Flee}}

Maybe that's why he went to Earth instead. Though he was still on the abusive Rodimus' team investigating [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]'s theft of famous monuments. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}} Interestingly, it was as a result of that caper that [[Octane]] was excommunicated from Galvatron's army. And then Sandstorm and Octane soon started hanging out, joyriding in and around [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]].

When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] tried to assassinate Octane, he and Sandstorm fled to a space station somewhere and had lunch. There, a [[Skuxxoid]] in Galvatron's employ tried to kill Octane several times but was comically thwarted by circumstance. Believing it would be safer, Sandstorm and Octane then went to Cybertron. But while Octane was alone there, he finally ''was'' captured by the Decepticons.

As he was being hauled away, Sandstorm tried to rescue him. And failed. {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

{{note|Sandstorm's [[character model]] actually first shows up in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5]]" in a Cybertronian [[:File:FFoDPart5Sandstorm.jpg|
battle scene]] with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]]... miscolored as [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]]. Which is just as well, since he shouldn't have been there in the first place!}}

{{-}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[File:Hm4 Autobot Triple Changers.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], Sandstorm was sent from [[Athenia]] to Cybertron in order to defend against a major Decepticon assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} The Triple Changers then traveled to Earth, where they helped [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Twincast]] sneak into [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] by keeping their Decepticon counterparts busy with a dogfight. Apparently, Sandstorm wasn't on friendly terms with Octane anymore. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
In [[2030]], Sandstorm and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] were by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] when he declared he would turn his life around. {{Storylink|LG19 Sprung Prologue}}

{{-}}
====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:TherealSandstorm-ACommonFoe.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
At some point, [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] created [[Sandstorm (MW)|a clone]] of Sandstorm and sent him to Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}} Two days before Jhiaxus' [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian]] clone army arrived on Cybertron, [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] contacted [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to show him that the ''real'' Sandstorm was with him on Earth. {{storylink|A Common Foe}} Meanwhile, the clone acted as a sleeper agent, living the original Sandstorm's life until Jhiaxus and his clone army attacked Cybertron. {{storylink|Termination}}
{{-}}

===St. Michael ''The Transformers'' Sticker Book===
{{notemultipath}}
Sandstorm served on an alien spacecraft with the Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] under the command of Ultra Magnus. While fighting Decepticons, their spaceship took heavy damage and crash-landed on the planet [[Barrenikon]]. There, he met [[you]], having just emerged from the Vortex, a portal through space and time contained within the planet. Together, you went on an adventure, fighting Decepticons, braving Barrenikon's barren desert or its putrid swamp, and trying to find a way to get the Autobots space-bound once more. {{storylink|The Transformers Sticker Book (St. Michael)|The Transformers Sticker Book}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
[[File:DWColdWar Sandstormdies.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|That's not healthy...]]
Sandstorm served under Springer as part of the Wreckers faction during the [[Dark Ages]] of Cybertron's civil war. They were primarily interested in keeping [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and the [[Ultracon]]s from gaining control of the [[Tagan Heights]], the primary manufacturing region of Cybertron. During one of their missions, they came to blows against [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. Springer ordered Sandstorm to evacuate the troops instead of battling the colossus, but Sandstorm quickly found out it was impossible to dissuade his fellow Wreckers from tackling their opponent. Realizing this, he charged into battle himself. {{storylink|Escalation}} [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] then joined the fight, though the resulting clash between the two combiners was so brutal that Sandstorm and the rest of the Wreckers were forced to retreat to avoid becoming collateral damage. {{storylink|Devastation (issue)|Devastation}}

Originally only able to transform into a ground vehicle, Sandstorm received an additional flight mode after the [[Great Shutdown]], when Shockwave put him through Triple Changer engineering as part of the Pax Cybertronia between the Autobots and the Decepticons. He accompanied Shockwave to Earth along with several other Triple-Changers to apprehend both Optimus and Megatron's followers as war criminals. Though the Autobots escaped their clutches at first, the Decepticons were secured, and put in transit back to their home planet. {{storylink|New World Order}} Despite serving with Shockwave's Triple Changer Strike Force, Sandstorm and his partner [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] grew uneasy about Shockwave's ultimate intentions, and allied themselves with the Autobot underground resistance. Sandstorm was killed by an assassin, [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], while secretly leading Optimus Prime through the [[Old Slave Trails]] to make contact with the resistance. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:ArtofWar3 Sandstorm Springer.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|So bored he's talking to himself.]]
When a number of Autobots and [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] vanished while chasing [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]], Sandstorm and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] were sent out to look for them. Unfortunately, Serpent O.R. jammed their radars, and they didn't find a thing. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Stormbringer issue 2|''Stormbringer'' #2]]
[[File:Primacy4 SpringerSandstormKillGuys.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|left|Getting their pre-Wrecker on.]]
Sandstorm was [[Reproduction|Forged]], and later recalled that his birth was the last time he saw a [[hot spot (phenomenon)|hot spot]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}} In the era of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Sandstorm was involved in a riot by protesters rallying against the [[Outback (G1)|Autobot cop]] who reportedly killed an unarmed [[Hefter|Decepticon agitator]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}} He participated in the defense of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] early in the war, ruthlessly killing Decepticons alongside [[Springer (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Springer]]. {{storylink|Primacy issue 4|Primacy #4}}

During the war Sandstorm became part of the elite [[Wreckers]] unit operating under [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'s command, replacing [[Blocker (G1)|Blocker]]. {{storylink|Out of Bullets}} He came out with the entire team for a warm Wreckers welcome on Springer's first day. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}} At one point, one of the things the Wreckers had to deal with was an anti-matter clone of Sandstorm. {{storylink|Zero Point}} Sandstorm saw things that would haunt him forever during his tour as a Wrecker- war crimes not just perpetrated by Decepticons, but by his own side as well. These atrocities would greatly inform his personal sense of justice, as well as instill a deep sense of guilt and paranoia in him. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[File:LastStandoftheWreckers4-Sandstorm.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|This didn't happen, but this is what I looked like!]]
He participated in the final showdown between the Wreckers and [[Squadron X]] on [[Pova]], dogfighting with [[Crosscut (Decepticon)|Crosscut]] and [[Ferak]] in the air. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}} However, after the Decepticons were defeated and imprisoned, the Wreckers were told to release them due to Pova being neutral territory. The increasingly deranged Impactor refused, and chose to personally execute every single member of Squadron X rather than let them go. Like most of the Wreckers, Sandstorm only looked away in shame and did nothing to stop him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

Notably, Sandstorm was the only one out of the Wreckers that participated in Pova ''not'' to attempt to persuade Springer to testify and clear them of all charges. {{storylink|Zero Point}}

In order to cover up Impactor's crime, a new story was written for the official records. In this version of the events, Squadron X broke out of their bonds and injured Sandstorm, who collapsed after limping to warn his fellow Wreckers. The Wreckers were then forced to destroy Squadron X in a grand battle. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 4|Last Stand of the Wreckers #4}}

[[File:Stormbringer4 SpringerSandstormWhirlVehicleModes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.7]]
Many years later, while Sandstorm and the other aerial Wreckers were assaulting the Decepticon Siege Mode Armature on [[Varas Centralus]], Springer was ordered by Operations-Command to pull out and return to Cybertron to deal with the resurrection of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 2|Stormbringer #2}} Sandstorm participated in the short assault that crushed [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s cult, {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 3|Stormbringer #3}} and fought against Thunderwing himself when the creature was recalled to Cybertron. During the battle, he reported that their weapons were being shut down by Thunderwing charging the atmosphere and tried to tell Springer to get away, but he (along with several other Wreckers) were blasted away by the creature's microwave pulse. {{storylink|Stormbringer issue 4|Stormbringer #4}}

Sandstorm and his fellow Wreckers were later dispatched to [[Corata-Vaz]] to gain control of the [[Nega-Core]] in place on that world, but had serious trouble getting past its watchdog, Thunderwing. They had a brief reprieve when [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] used the old [[axis cradle]] to remotely shut down the Pretender, but Jetfire was soon distracted and the battle was renewed. The Jumpstarters worked on overriding the Nega Core's programming while Sandstorm and the others held back Thunderwing. Eventually the Nega-Cores were disabled and the Transformers of the [[Dead Universe]] defeated, causing Thunderwing to shut down once more. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

[[File:Sandstorm Seasons In Flight.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.6|Sandstorm's <s>blue</s> Blurr period.]]
During the Decepticons' devastating attack against the Autobots across the galaxy, Sandstorm was one of several Autobots who had been captured by [[Turmoil]]. When the ship made a stop at a neutral alien world, two attacks on the Decepticons occurred simultaneously: the Autobot veteran [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]] led the remaining Wreckers to blast their way into the ship, while the factionless swordsman who called himself [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] snuck into the ship and helped the Autobots free their compatriots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Drift}}

Sometime later, after the defeat of the Decepticons in [[New York City]], Springer remarked that Sandstorm was deep behind enemy lines. Why he was there, and if it was by his own choosing, is unknown. {{storylink|Bullets}} Eventually, Sandstorm was one of the many Autobots stranded on Earth in the aftermath of the [[Surge (event)|Surge]]. After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] turned himself in to [[Skywatch]], Sandstorm decided to leave the Autobots along with [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} When [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ultra Magnus]] had located Hot Rod's group, Sandstorm was one of the first Autobots to welcome him. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}}

[[File:Mtmte28-p23-sandstorm-at-trial.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|Chekhov's Gunman.]]
Sandstorm was among the Autobots poised to fight against [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]'s army on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Led by [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], he and the other Autobot fliers attacked [[Kimia Facility]] and fought with the many [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] defending it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers|Numbers}} After the war, [[Wheeljack (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Wheeljack]] mentioned that of the Autobots involved with the Turmoil affair, only [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] were left on Cybertron, suggesting Sandstorm had left the planet, possibly aboard the ''[[Lost Light]]'' or at the Wreckers' ''[[Debris]]'' station with Roadbuster and the comatose Springer. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

Sandstorm returned to Cybertron at some point prior to the trial of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. Along with his fellow Triple-Changer, Broadside, Sandstorm acted as bailiff escorting Megatron to his trial on [[Moonbase Two|Luna 2]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} During the trial he helped repel an attack by a group of Decepticons attempting to free Megatron. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} He also began frequenting bars and befriending the Decepticons attending them. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}} He visited [[Swerve's]], the bar on board the ''Lost Light'', before the ship left Cybertron. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormDrinks.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.3|"I was just tired, you know? You... you ever been tired, Red?"]]
With the war over, and no more distractions, Sandstorm went about his next plan of action: punishment. Having been left mentally scarred by what he had seen during the war, Sandstorm was determined to see all those who had committed "unspeakable acts" killed. Sandstorm first set his sights on [[Brisko]], [[Wilder (G1)|Wilder]], and [[Treadshot (IDW)|Treadshot]], murdering them for their massacre of the people of [[Traujor]] during the war. {{storylink|City of Steel (issue)|City of Steel}} Sandstorm then proceeded to murder [[Heavy Barrel (G1)|Heavy Barrel]] and [[Ransack (G2)|Ransack]] for siphoning [[Pseudo-energon]] from a small mechanical world, causing its inhabitants to starve, along with [[Stratotronic Jet|Stratotronic]] for massacring refugees under the Wreckers' protection during the early days of the war. When Optimus Prime arrived in [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]'s bar, a hangout Sandstorm frequented, Sandstorm was quick to rebuke any affection his old comrade in arms showed him, making it clear to Prime that he was done with the Autobot cause. He ''did'', however, accompany Prime to the murder scene, but not before secretly setting the bar on fire, killing Gutcruncher, who had accompanied Stratotronic in massacring refugees. When he arrived at the scene of Heavy Barrel's murder with Prime, he found a familiar shell casing (no points for guessing why he recognized it). Before he and Prime could investigate any further, a call came in from the Autobot [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], informing them that Gutcruncher's bar was on fire, unaware of Sandstorm's involvement. {{storylink|Fight or Flee (issue)|Fight or Flee}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormSparkstalker.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|left|"You hit 'em and they get back up. I hit 'em and they stay down!"]]
Sandstorm was quick to blame the deaths of all of his "friends" on Optimus upon seeing the fire. Optimus put paid to the notion, explaining that Gutcruncher was likely killed by someone unhappy with his illegal [[Engex]] operations. After calming down, Sandstorm revealed to Prime that the bullet he "found" was an [[Infernus bullet]], a weapon created by the [[Firecon]]s, effectively making ''them'' the prime suspects in the murders. When the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] launched an all out attack against the Firecons, Sandstorm was more than happy to join in and "avenge" his "friends". As the Dinobots beat down [[Flamefeather (G1)|Flamefeather]] and [[Cindersaur (G1)|Cindersaur]], Sandstorm was prevented from executing [[Sparkstalker]] by Optimus, who was alarmed at their actions. {{storylink|Quest for Fire}} After being denied his chance to kill Sparkstalker, Sandstorm allowed Prime to comfort him as he feigned guilt for nearly letting his emotions get the better of him. Sandstorm made sure to keep up this charade, continuing to berate himself. While he was doing this, Prime came to the conclusion that the Firecons were innocent as they did not need Infernus bullets to create fire, and departed to confront a "friend". With Prime gone, Sandstorm set his sights on new targets, this time his fellow Autobots [[Skram (G2)|Skram]], [[Fireball]], [[Lander]], and [[Diver (G1)|Diver]] for razing entire ''planets'' that had helped the Decepticons during the war. As Optimus investigated, Sandstorm listened in on an argument between Prime and [[Slag (G1)|Slug]], learning that the Dinobots had ''also'' committed horrible atrocities during the war, and began plotting their deaths. {{storylink|The Killing Jar (issue)|The Killing Jar}}

[[File:Punishment SandstormCaughtInTheAct.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|"''One batch... two batch... Penny and dime...''"]]
Sandstorm waited until the Dinobots were alone to make his strike. Slug, angry with Optimus's rants against the Dinobots threatened to kill Optimus, and dragged the other Dinobots along with him to do the deed. Before they could, however, Sandstorm fired an Infernus bullet at them causing an explosion that sent them flying. However, to Sandstorm's surprise the Dinobots were rescued by Windblade and [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]]. Optimus arrived, revealing that he had figured out Sandstorm was the murderer, and that revealing the Dinobots' war crimes to be a ploy to lure him out. Enraged, and possibly a little bit crazed, Sandstorm fired upon Prime with an Infernus bullet, but, as soon as the bullet was fired, Sandstorm came to his senses and became ashamed. Optimus, uninjured, placed Sandstorm under arrest. Sandstorm tried to explain his actions, saying that after all he had seen during the war, he could not let the war crimes others had committed go unpunished, explaining how he had befriended the Decepticons in order to have an easier time killing them. He then asked Optimus how ''he'' could live knowing of the atrocities committed by his Autobots during the war, before fleeing. Optimus simply knocked out Sandstorm, saying that he tries "to stay grounded." Sandstorm was then detained. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming (issue)|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[File:Salvation SandstormBattleDiary.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|left|"I'm smack-dab in the middle of my right [[Primus]]-damned mind, and any scumbag, any lowlife, any maggot piece of slag that I put down, I did it... because I liked it! Hell, I loved it!"]]
Starscream had Sandstorm locked up in his secret prison, believing his skills could come in handy someday. {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] ended up in the cell below Sandstorm's. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} Starscream eventually offered him freedom in exchange for eliminating the Dinobots without getting Starscream in trouble with Optimus Prime, and Sandstorm agreed, already considering the Dinobots and Prime his enemies. He tracked them in the wilderness and successfully killed Slug before his hunt brought him to a fresh hot spot in [[Alyon]], where he encountered and was defeated by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. He awoke to find [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]], but now aware of Bludgeon's plans to corrupt the hot spot's [[spark]]s, decided to put his mission aside and offer an alliance with the Dinobots. While Swoop agreed and accompanied Sandstorm to [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] where the Dinobots were confronting Bludgeon, they found on arrival that the other Dinobots were less keen on working with Slug's killer and attacked him. Having let Sandstorm live for this purpose, Bludgeon let them fight among themselves, only to learn they were faking it when Sandstorm suddenly lobbed [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]'s [[Energo weapon|energo-sword]] into his [[Void Scepter]], ending his plans. Freed from Bludgeon's mind control, Trypticon settled into the depths of Cybertron to let the sparks within him grow, and Sandstorm agreed to protect these sparks together with the Dinobots. {{storylink|The Transformers: Salvation|Salvation}}

[[File:TheDeadComeHomePart2 SandstormVSOptimus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|"You know what I think of you, hero? I think you're a half-measure. I think you're a 'bot who can't finish the job. I think that you're a coward."]]
At some point, Sandstorm received Springer's final message before the former Wreckers leader entered the [[Timemaze]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers|Requiem of the Wreckers}} He, [[Centurion (IDW)|Centurion]], and the Dinobots were brought into confrontation with Optimus Prime, [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]], [[G.B. Blackrock|Blackrock]], and the resurrected Slug after Bludgeon covertly used the Void Scepter to stoke their hostile emotions toward one another. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 1 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 1}} Optimus commented on the oddity of Sandstorm working with the Dinobots, given his attempt to kill them, but Sandstorm was more interested in throwing down with the Autobot commander himself. Centurion broke up their fight by punching Sandstorm, much to the [[Triple Changer]]'s anger, but everyone soon stopped fighting after Trypticon emerged from Cybertron's depths. Agreeing that safeguarding the young [[protoform]]s within Trypticon took top priority, Optimus Prime declared them to be under his protection. Sandstorm was disgusted at what he saw as a political move on Prime's part, but ultimately stood down. {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}}

After [[space bridge|space-bridging]] to Earth aboard Trypticon, Sandstorm baby-sat the protoforms alongside Centurion during a battle between the [[Colonist Soldiers|colonist soldiers]] and the Dinobots. {{storylink|A Sunrise Dark}} He was present at a war council within Trypticon to determine how to effectively combat [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and was among the attack force that confronted the planet-eater above Earth. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}} Sandstorm narrowly avoided an eye-beam from Unicron during the final battle. {{storylink|Ceremony}}

===''Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe''===
[[File:Pop-upSandstormAVP.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|]]
Sandstorm was one of the many Autobots that pursued the [[AllSpark]] to Earth. He participated in an enormous battle against the Decepticons in a human settlement. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
Sandstorm and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] came to the rescue of [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]], pinned down by a Decepticon attack. The Autobot triple-changers shifted quickly through their modes to keep pace with their fleeing enemies, the Decepticon triple-changers [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Sandstorm, Broadside, Octane|Sandstorm, Broadside and Octane commercial}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:BattleTacticsSandstorm.jpg|thumb|380px]]
Sandstorm participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character that could be recruited by collecting 110 units of Cybermetal, 60 units of Transmetal, and 35 hunter cores.{{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Sandstorm_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75]]
*'''Class''': Triple Changer
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*Abilities: As a triple changer, Sandstorm has two abilities available to him.
**'''Tar Sands Rush''': Rush into combat and release toxic tar sands in a large zone on impact. Deal 61.6 damage over 10 seconds to enemies and provide 114 extra healing over 5 secs to all Autobots under the Supply Airdrop effect.
**'''Supply Airdrop''': Drops fuel supply from the air. Within a large area, all Autobots receive 114 healing for 10 seconds and all Decepticons buildings under the Tar Sands Rush effect receive an extra 61.6 damage over 5 seconds[-].
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:sandstorm Sandstorm at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

==Toys==
===''The Transformers''===
[[File:G1 Sandstorm toy.jpg|upright=1.6|thumb|He's like one of those kids that wears a propeller hat.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Triple Changer, [[1986]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-83'''
**''Accessories:'' "Sandblaster gun"
:As a [[Triple Changer]], Sandstorm can transform from a robot to a "sand rail" dune buggy to a Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low (aka Super Jolly Green Giant) transport/search and rescue helicopter and back. Like many 1986 Transformers, there are two different versions; the initial releases use painted [[die-cast]] metal for his front bumper/[[robot mode]] feet, while the more common later releases have orange-colored plastic.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Sandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Sandstorm at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|1991Classic}}
*'''Sandstorm''' ([[1991]])
**''Accessories:'' "Sandblaster gun"
:Sandstorm was re-released in the European/Australian [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] reissue line in 1991. This [[variant|version]] has his black plastic feet painted orange. Unlike many toys with [[rubsign]] indents that were reissued in the Classics series, Sandstorm's indent was ''not'' [[retool]]ed out; however, the rubsign itself was not included.
{{-}}

===''Machine Wars''===
[[File:MW-toy Sandstorm.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|He really blends in with all the foliage in the sky.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Mega, [[1997]])
**''Accessories:'' Left & right cannons, rotor blade

:A [[redeco]] of the European-line [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Rotorstorm (G1)#Toys|Rotorstorm]] toy, ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Sandstorm transforms into a Cybertronian helicopter with a US Air Force roundel added to his helicopter mode. Due to the small missiles of Rotorstorm failing US [[For safety reasons|choke gate]] tests, the turbine launchers were [[retool]]ed (well, more like "entirely gutted") into non-firing cannons, with no missiles included. A button on the back of the rotor housing drops down both engines/cannons for an "attack mode" feature.

: In robot mode, Sandstorm has quite restricted articulation, and holds his turbine launchers in his hands. He can also hold his rotor blade as a somewhat odd [[sword]]. The original Rotorstorm [[sticker]]s were not properly redecoed to match the new Machine Wars color scheme, resulting in black stickers that are left indistinguishable on his black gauntlets.

: Like all the ''Machine Wars'' toys, Sandstorm was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] and, later, at the related Toy Liquidator stores.

: This mold was later redecoed (and given further-retooled-into-functionality launchers) to make ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Whirl (Universe)#Toys|Whirl]]. This toy was also [[repurposing|repurposed]] as the [[Sandstorm drone]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Autobot/Sandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Machine Wars Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
====GDO====
[[File:Generationstoy-SandstormGDO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|So [[Sandstorm (TF 2010)|Movie Sandstorm]] gets a redeco of a G1 guy, and G1 Sandstorm gets a redeco of a Movie guy. Okayyyyy.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Scout, [[2012]])
:''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Sandstorm is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' [[Dune Runner (ROTF)|Dune Runner]], transforming into a vehicle based on the [[Sector Seven]] dune buggies seen in the [[Transformers (film)|2007 ''Transformers'' film]], which were heavily modified Chenowth Desert Patrol Vehicles (DPV) with added protective armor. This same vehicle also served as the basis for the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie toyline]]'s [[Landmine (Movie)|Landmine]]. The twin gatling guns mounted on Sandstorm's roof/shoulders have multi-jointed armatures for different firing positions.

:Originally developed by Hasbro Asia for release in their territories, Sandstorm was brought over with many other toys as [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusives for the 2012 holiday season.

:This mold was also used to make ''Revenge of the Fallen'' [[Beachcomber (ROTF)|Beachcomber]] and ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers:]] [[Hunt for the Decepticons]]'' [[Crankstart]] and [[Rollbar (RPM)|Rollbar]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GDOSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on ''Generations'' Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{ROTFDuneRunnerMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|Voyager}}
====''Thrilling 30''====
[[File:Generationstoy-VoyagerSandstorm.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now made of delicious cheese.]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Voyager, [[2013]])
**''Series / Number:'' '''02 / 003'''
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, missile
:Part of the fourth wave of [[2012]]-[[2013]] ''Generations'' Voyager Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Sandstorm is a redeco and heavy retool of Voyager [[Springer (G1)/toys#Voyager|Springer]], and is a Triple Changer, transforming into a robot, VTOL aircraft, and dune buggy. He comes with a blaster which can fire its missile via pressure-launch, peg via [[5 mm post|5mm post]] onto his hands and back, and mount underneath his aircraft nose.

:With the extensive retool has also come a complete rework of the tolerances, making Sandstorm's panels align better than on Springer, especially in his [[Alternate mode|car mode]]. One notable and curious change involves the little dents inside the side-chest pieces: initially intended to hold the blade of the sword in his car mode, Springer's ones weren't able to do the job perfectly because of the asymmetrical shape of the sword, making it unable to fit inside the symmetrical dents. Sandstorm's side-chest dents, on the other hand have been modified to be asymmetrical, allowing the blade of Springer's sword to fit in better. This is, nevertheless, a pointless change, as Sandstorm doesn't come with his own heli-sword and doesn't have the same kneecaps as Springer that allow the handle of Springer's sword to be fitted in.

:The [[TakaraTomy]] release of Sandstorm features much more orange in his color layout than his western counterpart: his canopy/roof, wings, crotch, feet, rifle and missile are all rendered orange. There are also some other minor changes, such as a centered Autobot sigil and a painted silver bumper.

:The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Cloud|Hot Rodimus]] and it was retooled into [[BotCon 2015]] [[Battletrap (G1)#Timelines|Battletrap]]. It also served as the basis of the non-toy ''Beast Wars: Uprising'' incarnations of [[Dinobot (BW)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Dynobot]] and [[Grimlock (G1)#Beast Wars: Uprising|Grimlock]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on "Thrilling 30" Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsSpringerMold}}
{{--}}

===''Generations'' (Japan)===
*'''Sandstorm''' ([[December 28]], [[2013]])
**''ID number:'' '''TG-29'''
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, missile
:Part of the twelfth wave of [[TakaraTomy]]'s [[Transformers: Generations (Japan)|''Generations'']], Sandstorm features much more orange in his color layout than his western ''Thrilling 30'' counterpart: his canopy/roof, wings, crotch, feet, rifle and missile are all rendered orange. There are also some other minor changes, such as a centered Autobot sigil and a painted silver bumper.
{{GenerationsSpringerMold}}
{{--}}

===''Kre-O''===
[[File:KreO-Toy SandstormKreon.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
*'''Sandstorm''' (Kreon Micro-Changer, [[2014]])
**''Bag number'': '''33501 42'''
**''Accessories'': Stand brick, buildable pistol
:Part of the fourth assortment of [[blindpacking|blind-bagged]] [[Kreon]] [[Micro-Changer]]s, Sandstorm can be rebuilt from robot to helicopter mode. Note that the image to the right has Sandstorm's helmet not put on properly. It requires extra force to push it onto the head completely.

:He reuses the [[Sideswipe (Kre-O)|Sideswipe]] helmet.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/Kre-OSandstorm/sandstorm.htm More information on Sandstorm at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W4SpecialistSandstorm.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard''' ([[2019]])
**'''Wave 4: War for Cybertron: Siege II'''
**''Rarity: '''''CT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T50/T52'''
**''Stars: ''11

:Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard is one of 52 character cards released as part of Wave 4 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], War for Cybertron: Siege II. In order to depict the [[Triple Changer]] nature of the character, Specialist Sandstorm, Special Ops-Advance Guard is a folding card, with both Alt Modes depicted when the card is folded in half, and Bot Mode depicted when the card is unfolded.

:The card features original artwork for all three modes, with line-art by [[Dan Khanna]] and colors by [[Volta]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Sandstorm's animation model has a color scheme pretty blatantly based on the toy minus ''all'' of the stickers... including the windows. Oops.
*The Italian names for Sandstorm and Springer were subject to a massive mix-up of "[[FIRRIB]]" or "[[Back#Notes|Back/Forth]]" dimensions. While [[GiG]]'s toy packaging, including the [[bio]]s/[[Tech Spec]]s, consistently called Sandstorm by the name "Bora" and Springer by the name "Ghibli", the [[instructions]] had their names switched. Advertising for the toys used the names featured in the instructions, as did the Italian dub of the cartoon. As a result, Italian fans generally consider the names on the toys' packaging an "error", but unless internal documentation is discovered, it's virtually impossible to tell what GiG's original intention was.
*Sandstorm's lone appearance in ''[[Transformers: The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe|The Ultimate Pop-Up Universe]]'' is pretty well hidden, only showing up on a paper flap behind the one featuring Inferno, Blaster, and Scrounge, on the book's third page, which itself is only viewable when a tab is pulled to unfold a display of Cybertron. On top of that, Sandstorm is only seen in alternate mode as a MH-53 Pave Low, which appears to be based directly on [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] from the [[Transformers (film)|2007 live action ''Transformers'' film]]. Except completely yellow. In fact, the Pave Low Autobot had no clear identity until an entry of the Facebook edition of [[Ask Vector Prime]], written with input from [[Matthew Reinhart|the author]], declared it to be an [[Iocus]] version of [[Primax]] Sandstorm.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Sandstorm''' (サンドストーム ''Sandosutōmu'')
*''French:'' '''Siroco''' (Canada, "{{w|Sirocco}}")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Homokvihar''' ("Sandstorm")
*''Italian:'' '''Bora''' (toy packaging), '''Ghibli''' (toy instructions, advertising and cartoon)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Shābào''' (沙暴, "Sandstorm")
*''Russian:'' '''Zatvor''' (Затвор, "Shutter")

[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Transformers]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Plastic

2022-08-27T20:33:44Z

Whalermouse:

[[File:G1-toy Swindle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The G1 Swindle toy had two versions: the first uses a die-cast chestplate, but later releases had one made of plastic.]]
A '''plastic''' material is any that can be molded or shaped, but the term is specifically used nowadays to refer to a class of synthetic organic polymers with nearly magical properties. [[Jetfire (G1)|The heathen scientists]] insist that these materials are formed from chains of simpler hydrocarbons. They are named for the hydrocarbon ''monomers'' used in this chain; hence a molecule of polyethylene, used in plastic bottles, is made up of many molecules of ethylene.

Plastics contain resins, plasticizers, and fillers. The resin is the plastic itself. Plasticizers are stabilized oils that increase the flexibility of a plastic that they have been added to. (The vinyl in the seats of your 1972 Dodge pickup is the same plastic as the hard vinyl siding on your house; it has just been plasticized). Fillers are substances added to the plastic, sometimes to reduce the cost, and often to impart desirable mechanical properties, such as dispersing microscopic plastic bubbles throughout the material to improve its resilience.

[[File:Moldlayouts.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Mold layouts determine which pieces will be produced as which plastics.]]

Common plastic resins used in [[Toy|''Transformers'' toys]] include:

*Polycarbonate (PC)

:Can be transparent or opaque. This is the same plastic from which CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays are made. Any clear parts on a Transformer, such as windows and light-piped eyes, are PC.

*Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

:Strong and tough "engineering plastic". Lego bricks and car bumpers are made from ABS. The majority of any given Transformer toy is likely to be made of this. ABS also seems to suffer from a condition called [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]] when colored the swirled, metallic goldish-bronze color seen on some figures. However, not all gold plastic suffers from this; it seems to occur mostly in older plastics (pre-[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|RID]]). This issue appears to be largely fixed in newer toys. The translucent version of the plastic is called MABS (Methacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

*Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

:Strong and hard, PVC can be made rubbery with the addition of plasticizers. Flexible PVC is often simply called ''vinyl''. Most "rubber" tires are actually PVC.

*Polyoxymethylene (POM)

:A very tough, resilient, slippery plastic for mechanical parts. Any gears or small gimmick-related pieces are likely POM. POM [[Unpaintable plastic|cannot be painted]].

*Polyamide (PA)

:Known by brand names such as ''Nylon'', PA has similar properties to POM, but is stronger. Often used for larger parts that require resiliency, such as ball joints. PA also cannot be painted.

*Polypropylene (PP)

:Known for being strong and resistant to heat, so it's often used in food containers and plates, because you don't want plastic to leach out into your food. Was previously listed on this page as not being used in Transformers toys, but was used for parts of HasLab [[Unicron]]!

Other plastics that are commonly used in toys are Polystyrene (PS) and Polyethylene (PE).

Most plastics in Transformers and other toys are '''thermoplastics''', which liquefy when heated. '''Thermosetting''' plastics, an older technology, solidify when heated and are still widely used for many purposes, but only very rarely in toys. (Occasionally, they are found in toys' motors.)

Toys were super cool when they were mostly made of strong and awesome [[die-cast]] metal like [[Inferno (G1)|Inferno]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|the tape guy with the cool voice]], but later they [[Ruined FOREVER|changed to lame plastic for some stupid reason.]]

==Stupid reasons==
Thermoplastics are science's gift to the toy industry. They can be melted at fairly low temperatures (so broken pieces can be fixed easily with a soldering iron) and molded in colors with fine detail, as well as stand up well to play wear because of their resilience. They can be made transparent or opaque. They are electrical insulators. Finally, there are a great many plastics, as we have begun to see in the above list, with a wide variety of material properties, which makes it very likely that a suitable plastic could be found for a particular job.

==See also==
*[[Unpaintable plastic]]

==External links==
*{{w|Plastic}} on Wikipedia

[[Category:Substances]]
[[Category:Toys]]

Monstructor (G1)

2022-08-22T03:23:03Z

Whalermouse: /* Generation 1 */

{{disambig2|the evil Decepticon combiner|his heroic mirrorverse counterpart|Monstructor (SG)}}
{{factions|decepticon|unicron}}
:''Monstructor is a [[Decepticon]] [[combiner]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Monstructorg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|DE...COM...POSE!]]
Beneath the gibbous moons of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], in the great dark spaces of the sunless void, far beyond the realms of man's childish reachings, does the great dread '''Monstructor''' have his origin. A being that seems instinct with some fearful and unnatural malignancy, his form like a robot and a deep great shadow at once, his very presence is said to drain light and life from the world around him, feeding his ancient hunger. A palpable cloak of dread follows his movements, and the very sight of his summoning and formation has driven sane beings beyond the bounds of madness. All living things, mechanical or organic, decay and die at his merest touch.

Monstructor is the channel for an evil beyond the darkest Decepticon imagination, and far beyond the puerile concerns of the insignificant beings who make up his composite form. He longs for the day, foretold in darkness, when he shall be split asunder no longer, and will rise one final time, free to travel the stars, from world to world, extinguishing all life sparks, ravening for delight.

Monstructor's body is the combined form of six [[Pretender Monster]]s:

*[[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]] (right leg)
*[[Birdbrain]] (lower torso)
*[[Bristleback]] (right arm)
*[[Scowl (G1)|Scowl]] (left leg)
*[[Slog (G1)|Slog]] (upper torso)
*[[Wildfly]] (left arm)

{{bigquote|All that lives '''burns''' for Monstructor.|Monstructor|"[[Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:Monstructor-blackhorizon1.jpg|left|upright=0.85|thumb|Smashy = funny!]]
The Pretender Monsters, as individuals, had attacked the inhabitants of the undersea Autobot [[Arc II|base]]; later, they confronted an attacking [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] force as Monstructor. The titan proved unstoppable at first, his energy-leeching fields draining enemy equipment and causing at least [[Windmill (G.I. Joe)|one pilot]] to instantly age before crashing.

Monstructor's triumph never came to completion, though, as the Joe [[Laser Squad]] targeted his head module, causing it to explode. The combiner robot collapsed into a shower of unconscious Decepticons. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Megatron Origin issue 2|''Megatron Origin'' #2]] (apocryphal); [[Spotlight: Optimus Prime]]

[[File:Monstructor-idw1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Now, it's time to panic.]]
Monstructor was the first gestalt Transformer. He was created by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] under the direction of [[Nova Prime]], who sought to reproduce [[Nexus Prime]]'s combination technology without the aid of the lost [[Enigma of Combination]]. {{storylink|The Crucible}} Jhiaxus recruited six volunteers, and granted them the ability to combine. As a twisted take on "[['Til all are one|'til all are one]]", the combiner was intended to be the ultimate fusion of mind and body: a vast amount of intellect combined with unparalleled strength. Unfortunately, his six lobotomized components were driven into insanity by the merging process, and became monsters. [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] saw the newly dubbed Monstructor for the uncontrollable abomination he was and took him down, though the clash between the two titans caused the destruction of Nova's capital, the [[Crystal City]]. After Nova Prime departed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', Omega locked Monstructor's components in a dimensionally-displaced prison to live out the rest of their horrid existence. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} {{storylink|Primus: All Good Things}} However, an erroneous report placed Monstructor among the spectators of a gladiatorial match between [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] and [[Cy-Kill (G1)|Cy-Kill]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}}

Eventually, the "Monstructor Six" escaped their dimensional prison and tracked down and attacked Omega Supreme in their combined form. Fortunately, Omega had knowledge of Monstructor's weak spot, and was able to inform the visiting [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]], who blasted the vulnerable point and defeated him. Despite Omega Supreme's protestations about the dangers of gestalt technology falling into Decepticon hands, Prime had them taken into custody in an attempt to repair their shattered minds. {{storylink|Spotlight: Optimus Prime}} The six were taken to the prison colony [[Garrus-9]] but were soon sprung by [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron's]] [[Decepticon Secret Service]], {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}} only for the ''Decepticons'' to lose them too when Monstructor was activated and then carried off by minions of the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hardhead}} [[File:MonstructorArceeBanzaiCombat.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|An epic battle that takes place over the length and breadth of this single panel.]] Placed under the mental control of Jhiaxus, Monstructor was then installed on the planet [[Rotan]] as guardian of the [[Nega-Core]] the Dead Universe Transformers required for their [[Expansion]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} The surviving members of Decepticon Secret Service (backed up by [[Arcee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Arcee]]) engaged him in a vicious battle, while the Autobots sneaked in behind him using a [[space bridge]] and disabled the Nega-Core. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Reacquired by the Decepticons at some point over the next year, Monstructor fell under the extremely dubious command of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]. Monstructor attempted to capture [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]], but was forced to disassemble after a pinpoint shot to his weak connector port. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}} [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] used data acquired from Monstructor to further [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]]'s research on combiners, resulting in the creation of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Shockpoint}}

[[File:Monstructor kills Chaosteros and syndromica 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Bludgeon eventually found and recruited the six components, {{storylink|The Ties That Bind (issue)|The Ties That Bind}} with Monstructor himself next resurfacing on the frigid world of [[Arduria]] as the bait and hook of a trap laid by the deranged Decepticon. Pretending to be frozen, Monstructor ambushed Optimus Prime (now "Orion Pax") and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] when they came to the planet in response to a fake distress call sent out by Bludgeon. His weak spot removed by his new leader, Monstructor seemed unbeatable, but once Bludgeon rescued Jhiaxus from the Autobots' [[Ark-27|ship]], the combiner broke off the fight, splitting into his components and departing with his masters on their mission to locate the remaining [[Regenesis]] missiles. {{storylink|Syndromica (1)}} Their next target was the time-displaced world of [[LV-117]], where Jhiaxus and Monstructor ended up in a point in time close to the destruction of the planet. The [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] from this time period released a [[Chaosteros]] and [[Arachnosaur]] to attack the Decepticons, but Monstructor ripped the two creatures apart then followed Jhiaxus off the planet after he had secured what he came for. {{storylink|Syndromica (2)}}

Bludgeon and Jhiaxus next lured Orion Pax and company to [[Gorlam Prime]], where Monstructor attacked them and destroyed their ship, tricking Pax into awakening a dormant [[Titan (group)|Titan]] to fight the combiner. Once Jhiaxus had used [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to take control of the Titan for his own needs, the Decepticons left for Cybertron, with Monstructor straddled on top of their ship. {{storylink|Homecoming (IDW)|Homecoming}} Arriving on Cybertron, they joined up with Shockwave and returned to him the collected Regenesis ores needed for his master plan. Monstructor was tasked with restraining [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]] while Shockwave used him as a link to the Dead Universe. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} He was then sent into battle to defend Shockwave until the plan was finished, but before he could attack [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] he found himself faced with another combiner—Devastator. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} The two giants duked it out with no clear victor in sight until the starship ''[[Lost Light]]'' joined the fight, straight up ramming Monstructor and knocking him into pieces, allowing the Autobots to subdue his components. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}} Despite this, the Monstructor Six managed to escape, as [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]] would later note that Monstructor was still at large. {{storylink|The World of Tomorrow}}

[[File:OurFinest-VictorionVsMonstructor.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Monstructor resurfaced six years later as part of the [[Decepticon Vengeance Division]], serving aboard Bludgeon's [[Worldsweeper]] and being warped into a new form by [[Ore-11]]. As Unicron laid waste to Cybertron, the [[Council of Worlds]] retaliated by deploying their own combiner, [[Victorion]]. When Bludgeon opened fire on [[Vigilem|Carcer]], Victorion tore through Bludgeon's flagship, prompting the mad scientist to deploy Monstructor to counter her attack. Despite Victorion's best efforts, Monstructor easily overpowered her, fatally crushing [[Stormclash]] and forcing his foe to split into her remaining components. {{storylink|Our Finest}}

Monstructor remained on the ship as the fleet quantum jumped to [[Sanctuary Station]]. {{storylink|Road's End}} When [[Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Starscream]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] charged the fleet, Bludgeon casually sent Monstructor out to kill the trio. When the combiner made his way onto the upper hull however, Metroplex and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] space bridged in and disgorged a veritable army atop the flagship. {{storylink|Assembly (Unicron)|Assembly}}

[[File:Ceremony-halfmorethanyou.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Monster mashed.]]
As the battle for Earth intensified, Bludgeon's ship breached Earth's atmosphere and the scientist sent the combiner to the surface to take out [[Superion (G1)|Superion]]. At the same time, however, the energies unleashed by Superion's activation of the [[Enigma of Combination]] were able to reconstitute Victorion from the Torchbearers riding atop Bludgeon's ship, integrating [[Slide]] as a replacement limb. Together, the two combiners fatally tag-teamed Monstructor, with Superion blasting a hole in his chest and Victorion delivering the final blow by ramming her fist through his head. {{storylink|Ceremony}}
{{-}}

===''Regeneration One''===
[[File:DestinyPt5 MonstructorDeathTouch.jpg|left|upright=1.1|thumb|]]
[[Soundwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Soundwave]] prepared for the arrival of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s invasion of Cybertron by having [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]] alert the Neo-Decepticon cells to get ready, while he himself prepared to deploy Monstructor. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Three}} When [[Prowl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Prowl]] deployed [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to take out Bludgeon's [[Blitz Engine]]s, Soundwave ordered Monstructor to take out Omega Supreme. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}} The two giants clashed and just as the invasion was halted by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Rodimus Prime]]'s defeat of Bludgeon and the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s annihilation of the ''[[Warworld]]'', Omega Supreme utterly destroyed Monstructor. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Five}}
{{-}}
===Ask Vector Prime===
When [[Violengiguar|Bio Ranger Iga]] formed the [[Thirteen Great Demon Generals]], the [[Ebon Knights]] sent Monstructor to promote their "eldritch" concerns. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/27}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1Monstructor toy.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Pretend that you fear me. Then remember that it isn't pretend.]]
*'''Monstructor''' (1989)
**''Accessories:'' "Solar fission cannon" weapon, head, waist, fists, feet, Pretender shells

:''[[The Transformers (toyline)|The Transformers]]'' Monstructor is formed by combining all six individually-carded Pretender Monsters. Much like the earlier Transformer combiner teams, he requires the attachment of separate accessories—his head, waist, fists, and feet—to complete his [[robot mode]]. However, unlike earlier combiners, the separate pieces can all be stored on the individual team members; they fit on the backplates of the Pretender shells. As his individual components are not much larger than a Micromaster, Monstructor is the smallest of the Generation 1 combiners, standing about the same height as regular toys like Hot Rod... yes, even shorter than the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (franchise)|Micromaster Six-Teams]]' combined forms. Bear in mind that Bristleback and Slog both suffer from [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]], so attempting to combine them into Monstructor may lead to their breakage.

:Monstructor was the final Generation 1 combiner released by [[Hasbro]], and the only one to not be released in a [[giftset]] in any market.

:This set of robot molds was also used to make [[Dinoking#Toys|Dinoking]], the [[Dinoforce]]'s combined form.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Decepticon/Monstructor/monstructor.htm More information on Monstructor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Monstructor is one of the few Generation 1 toys that has no boxart. The closest he got is that his [[mold]] buddy [[Dinoking]] does have boxart. The [[2014]] book ''[[Legacy: The Art of Transformers Packaging]]'' would reveal that Hasbro created a Monstructor recolouring of Dinoking's art that ultimately went unused.
*In early solicitations from Hasbro, Monstructor was called "'''Titanus'''". We ''could'' make a Power Rangers joke, but Monstructor doesn't actually have the ability to combine with another robot.
*The IDW interpretation of Monstructor uses Slog's arms as an extra pair of ''Tyrannosaurus''-esque arms....which is horrifyingly reminiscent of the [[Beast (G1)|Beast]]. Though Monstructor makes it ''so'' much cooler because...well, he's actually ''good''.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Monstructor''' (モンストラクター ''Monsutorakutā'')
*''Mandarin'': Guàimó (Taiwan, 怪魔, "Monster"), Jù Mó Shòu(China,巨魔兽，"Giant Monster")

[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Decepticons]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Decepticons]]

Optimus Prime (G1)/toys

2020-12-25T20:03:34Z

Whalermouse:

{{suite}}
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime boxart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.95|Awwwwww yeah......]]
Since 1984, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 '''Optimus Prime''']] has received the largest number of toys for any single ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' character, a testament to the character's enduring popularity and status as a hero to many fans.

==''The Transformers''==
{{anchor|G1v1}}
[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|From the ''Diaclone'' Battle Convoy came Optimus Prime and all his subsequent incarnations.]][[File:G1toy optimus prime variants and running changes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Most people would be happy with just ''one'' Optimus Prime, but noooooo...]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (1984, 1985, 1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), [[Trailer]]/[[Combat Deck (G1)#Toys|Combat Deck]], [[Roller (G1)#Toys|Roller]], 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

: The original Optimus Prime toy started life as the ''[[Diaclone]]'' toy, "Battle Convoy", created by a team of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] designers who came on board when the original designer fell behind. This team included [[Hiroyuki Obara]] (listed as the sole creator on the toy's patent) and famed mecha designer [[Shōji Kawamori]]. The toy transforms into two major components; the first component being a red and blue White Freightliner WFT-8664T cabover semi-trailer truck partially composed of [[die-cast]] metal, and the second component being a large silver trailer of currently-undetermined model.

:The cab transforms into the [[robot mode]] of Optimus Prime himself, with the addition of a pair of removable blue fists that plug into his headlights. The fists themselves do not store anywhere in vehicle mode, but can fit easily in Prime's opening chest compartment (originally designed to accommodate two ''Diaclone'' driver figures). Prime is armed with a black laser rifle that, due to design, he cannot hold straight. His smokestacks can rotate, but don't serve much purpose whatsoever.

:Prime's trailer opens up into his [[Combat Deck (G1)|Combat Deck]], containing the scout drone, [[Roller (G1)|Roller]]. The interior of the Combat Deck features three pegs that can accommodate Prime's laser rifle, fuel pump and nozzle accessories, and seating for two ''Diaclone'' drivers. As its central feature, the Combat Deck features a missile-armed repair drone pod mounted upon a boom lift arm (featuring another cockpit for a ''Diaclone'' driver), which can also be extended through holes in the trailer's roof and front-end when it is closed. Situated in the base of the boom arm is a spring-loaded launcher that can launch Roller out of the Combat Deck and into action. Roller himself has seating for four ''Diaclone'' passengers, and features a port that can accommodate either Prime's rifle or the fuel pump. The interior space of the trailer allows storage room for one standard Autobot car, which can also be shot forward by the launcher.

:Optimus Prime was subject to several molding and color variations in his early days. The earliest release of the figure featured larger fists, a gun with a thick, round barrel, a slightly-differently shaped gas pump, grey rockets, a grey Roller, a grey launcher in his Combat Deck, and metal plates in the floor of the Combat Deck (a holdover from the ''Diaclone'' version of the toy, to which the magnetic feet of the pilots could cling). In short order, his fists were slimmed down, the gun's barrel was pared down to a more slender form, the gas pump's shape was altered, the rockets and launcher were recast in black plastic, the metal plates were removed from the Combat Deck, and Roller's color was changed to a light blue. Along with Roller's color change, however, the Combat Deck's drone pod also became light blue, and a third running change soon followed that saw it restored to its original darker blue, and Roller changed along with it. These modified components would become the default accessories used by subsequent reissues of the Prime toy, though Roller stills fluctuates back and forth between grey and dark blue, depending on how [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]] each reissue wants to be.

:The Japanese release of the figure also underwent the changes in weapon shapes, but never featured a silver Roller; instead, their original release of Prime featured a ''Diaclone''-style Roller without the two rear pegs, and the differently-shaped launcher that accommodated him, before a running change switched over to the Hasbro version of the mold. Finally, in some European countries, Prime sported red feet, as opposed to his traditional blue; this version of the figure is also known in some cases to feature a differently-painted forehead crest which leaves the three central indentations unpainted blue.

:For the mainland Europe [[Milton Bradley]] release, there were two [[variant]]s of Optimus Prime available: the first version, manufactured by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], sported blue feet like most other versions; the second version, manufactured by [[Joustra]]'s parent company [[Ceji]], sported red feet instead.<ref name="3mb" /> On top of that, the Italian release of "Commander" by [[GiG]] eventually featured a [http://www.fredsworkshop.com/vprime6.html later variant] that replaced the rubber tires and [[die-cast]] feet with plastic parts, similar to the US [[KB Toys]] variant of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Toys|Ultra Magnus]].

:Having been removed from toy store shelves after 1985, Optimus Prime was made available as a mail-away toy in the "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]" offer in the US in 1986 to coincide with the [[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers movie]] premiering that year. He cost $21.50 and 5 [[Robot Point]]s. He was also offered in 'The Autobots Have A Special Mission For...' mail-away pamphlet and came with a special "Movie Edition Certificate" and a round sticker that read " Movie . Edition . Transformer" with the Autobot symbol in the middle. (This item is considered ''rare''.)

:Over twenty-plus years, there have been a ''bajillion'' releases of this mold, some identical to the original toy, and some featuring significant variants with notably different paint jobs, color schemes, accessories and other pack-ins. We have striven to list all these variants on this page under their respective series; for a quick-reference list of all variants and releases [[#Notes|check here]]. The cab robot has also been used sparingly to represent different characters; outfitted with different trailers, it has become Generation 1 [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Pepsi Convoy]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Generation 1 Optimus Prime at TFU.info]

{{-}}{{anchor|PepsiPrime}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Pepsibots, roll out!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Limited edition promotional variant, 1985)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (dark blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:A limited edition of the Optimus Prime toy sold as a mail-away exclusive by [[Pepsi|PepsiCo]] was made available in North America in 1985. This version of the figure came with a small fold-out leaflet glued to the top-right of the packaging, which contained two Pepsi logo stickers for the buyer to attach to Prime, mid-way through the traditional silver-and-blue stripe on his trailer. [[Canada]] also got a version of this promotional figure, but with much larger stickers that were the full length and height of the trailer. This promotion would go on to serve as the inspiration for the Japanese character of [[Pepsi Convoy]], who would in turn be released by Hasbro as a new "[[#Classics|Pepsi Optimus Prime]]" in 2007.

{{-}}{{anchor|VSX}}
[[File:Convoy megatron vsx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Megatron, what are we doing in the same box???!!!!]]
*'''Convoy vs. Megatron''' (Versus set, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VSX'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

: This Japanese-[[exclusive]] release of Optimus Prime came with the Japanese release of [[Megatron (G1)/toys|Megatron]]. There are no differences between this release of Convoy and the individually released toy.

{{-}}{{anchor|goodbye}}
[[File:Goodbye convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He's not leaving! He's right behind you!]]
*'''Good Bye Convoy''' (Multipack, 1986)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (dark blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump
: Commemorating the death of Optimus Prime in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', this set contains a special version of the original Optimus Prime figure with show-inspired translucent blue windows. It was packaged with [[Mirage (G1)/toys|Ligier]] and [[Red Alert (G1)/toys|Alert]], in an apparent homage to the similar ''Diaclone'' "Powered Convoy DX" giftset that packaged the "Powered Convoy" version of the Optimus mold with figures using the molds of Ligier and Alert.

{{-}}{{anchor|G1UltraMagnus}}
[[File:Ultramagnusg1toy.jpg|right|upright=1.67|thumb|Honkimus Prime.]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, 2 trailer connectors/waist plates, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 large robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles
{{note|Ultra Magnus' inner white Optimus Prime redeco was [[repurposing|repurposed]] as Optimus Prime in the ''[[Transformers vs. G.I. Joe]]'' issue "[[The War Never Ends]]".}}

: Ultra Magnus is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' "Powered Convoy" figure, itself a redeco and slight retool of "Battle Convoy", the toy that became the original Optimus Prime figure, sporting a new trailer. One of the last few ''Diaclone'' toys to be released in the ''Transformers'' toyline, Magnus was recolored from the original toy's dark blue, red and black color scheme into a more patriotic red, white and blue, though his chestplate, which was rendered white in his package art followed a more the blue color scheme of his shoulders. He transforms into a Freightliner COE, towing a car-carrier trailer capable of transporting up to four normal-sized Autobot cars. As with Optimus Prime, his cab transforms into a small robot, which can then combine with the trailer to form a "super robot", although all original Generation 1 fiction prior to the 21st century ignored this and simply rendered the super robot as Magnus's default robot form. To facilitate this combination, Magnus sports a slightly longer front axle than Prime, thereby creating tabs on either side of the cab that slide into grooves in the trailer to help lock the small robot into place. He is armed with a rifle sporting two handles that allow either of his [[robot mode]]s to hold it, and two shoulder-mounted missile launchers, whose spring-loaded firing mechanism was removed for the Hasbro release of the figure.

:The ''Diaclone'' Powered Convoy figure had several additional features and modes which were mostly excised or left unmentioned for the ''Transformers'' release of Ultra Magnus. Principally, Powered Convoy came packaged with "Powered Buggy", who was left out of Magnus's release (see [[#Notes|notes below]] for further details). Omitted from Magnus's instructions is the ability of his chestplate and super robot head to combine to form a small vehicle; the Powered Convoy version of the figure included small rolling wheels on the underside of the chestplate which were removed for Ultra Magnus. Additionally, three additional modes were included in the ''Diaclone'' instructions that Hasbro left out: a "preparation base" mode and an "Autobot base" mode were excluded entirely, while the third, a "catapult launcher" mode originally intended and proportioned to accommodate the ''Diaclone'' Jet Robo figure that became [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]], was shown only on the front of his packaging, interacting with [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. The Japanese release of Ultra Magnus—released as part of the ''[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]'' sub-line—''did'' include instructions for the preparation base and catapult launcher modes, but replaced the original Autobot base mode with a new configuration.

:The original Ultra Magnus figure has been reissued and redecoed several times down the years, and this article strives to list each edition of the figure under its own heading. The first alteration to Magnus, however, was a [[variant|running change]] made while he was still on shelves: Originally, his tires were made of [[rubber tires|rubber]] and he sported paint on both his small and large robot heads, but this version was soon replaced with one featuring plastic tires and no paint on either head. In addition, the clear yellow plastic that formed his windows was removed from the cab, leaving just holes instead; and his thighs and fuel tanks were left white, as opposed to the vacuum metalized chrome ones of the original release.

:The small robot component, as well as being part of Optimus Prime, was also released with a different trailer as [[Pepsi Convoy]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|PMOP}}
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Powermaster, 1988)
**''Accessories:'' Hi-Q Powermaster unit, 2 Laser Rifles, 2 Twin Particle Beam Cannons, Super Robot head
[[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|My Japanese release has a lot more bling. And shorter stacks.]]
:Powermaster Optimus Prime was the first new toy of the Autobot leader since the original toy's release in 1984. He is an all-new design, featuring the [[Powermaster]] gimmick: His partner figure, Hi-Q, must be transformed into an engine and attached to Prime's vehicle mode in order to enable the transformation into robot mode.

:Like the original figure, Powermaster Prime is composed of two major components: his truck cab, which transforms into Prime himself, and his trailer, which is essentially a heavily-armed version of the original. The trailer has a fold-down ramp to allow the storage of a smaller Transformer, or perhaps spare accessories. The trailer transforms into a battle station armed with two long black rifles and two grey double-barreled cannons (featuring seating for Powermaster engine figures), all of which Optimus Prime can also wield in his fists.

:Aside from the Powermaster feature itself, the main [[gimmick]] of the toy is the ability of the truck cab to combine with the trailer to form the larger "Super Optimus Prime" figure. This is essentially accomplished by standing the trailer up, folding the cab in half and inserting it into the empty cavity in the trailer's torso, forming an imposing—if almost entirely unposeable—robot form armed with all four weapons. The head of this super robot form is a separate piece which can be stored in the rear of Prime's trailer when not in use. While Hi-Q was always shown plugged into Prime's chest in artwork of this mode (as seen in the picture here), this was actually entirely unnecessary as transforming into Super Optimus Prime didn't require the standard Prime toy's legs to be unlocked.

:The Japanese release of Powermaster Optimus Prime actually represented a new character named [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]], and featured several retools: the cab featured die-cast metal, shortened smokestacks, vacuum-metalized plastic and clear blue windows, while the trailer was given retractable super robot fists. This Japanese version was eventually issued by Hasbro in 2003 as part of the [[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] collection ([[#Commemorative Series|see below]]).

:This toy was later redecoed into the Japanese-exclusive Nucleon Quest Super Convoy.

:There were several different prototypes made for this toy. [[#Powermaster Optimus Prime design history|See a list here]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1988/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optmiusprime.htm More information on Powermaster Optimus Prime on TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|AM}}
[[File:ActionMasterPrime toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Eastbound and Down.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Action Master, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' 2 Laser Guns, Galactic Pulverizer Gun Barrels, 4 Blaster Cannons, 2 Energon Exhaust Stack, Photon Bazooka

: The largest [[Action Master]] set, this incarnation of Optimus Prime is a non-transforming action figure which comes with the "[[Armored Convoy]]", a large, heavily armed tractor trailer. The cab of the truck transforms into a small jet that can seat one Action Master figure, while the trailer itself converts into a larger battle station with turrets that several Action Masters can man. The sculpt of the Prime figure itself is closely based on his [[character model]], albeit with a coloration that seems to have been based at least partially on the small robot form of his Powermaster body.

:The Action Master Optimus Prime figure was later redecoed with a more [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] color scheme and included in the Japanese-exclusive "New Year" reissue of the original Optimus Prime toy in 2002.

:Also, unlike the one seen in the commercial, the final product loses paint operations of Optimus Prime's upper legs.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Action Master Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|EuroClassics}}
[[File:Euro classics optimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Original Optimus Prime''' (Original Autobot Leader, 1990)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (dark blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:This straight reissue of the original Optimus Prime figure was released in Hasbro's European markets in the early 1990s, at the same time as many other Generation 1 figures were being re-released as "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]". Oddly, although he shares their golden packaging, Prime is not actually ''identified'' as a "Classics" figure anywhere on his box, but is generally considered to be part of the sub-line for simplicity's sake.

{{-}}{{anchor|2000rerelease}}
*'''Convoy''' (reissue, 2000)[[File:2000 japanese prime reissue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (grey), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:The first in what would be a deluge of reissues of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure in the 21st century, this Japanese release sported a golden sticker on his packaging announcing the celebration of the Transformers' 15th anniversary in the country. It featured slightly modified fists to help hold the gun better.

:Simultaneously, this figure was available as a black convention-exclusive redeco, and a golden-chromed "[[Lucky Draw figure]]" (see below).

{{-}}{{anchor|JAFCON}}
[[File:Jafcon convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Not the first [[Black Lio Convoy|black Convoy]], but the first that wasn't a clone.]]
*'''Convoy Black Version''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (black), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:Released concurrently with the 2000 reissue of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy, this [[black repaint|black redeco]] of the original Prime was available exclusively at the Japanese convention JAFCON. ''Everything'' about it is black, including all of the Combat Deck and Roller.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Cybertron/JAFConvoy/jafconvoy.htm More information on JAFCON Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LuckyDrawPrime}}
[[File:G1toy convoy gold version.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's a gold digger/way over Cybertron.]]
*'''Convoy Gold Version''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (gold), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:Released concurrently with the 2000 reissue of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy, this "[[Lucky Draw figure|Lucky Draw]]" redeco of the original Prime replaced all of the figure's silver chromed parts and stickers with golden ones, and even included a blinged-out Roller. The figure is extremely rare; apparently only 25 are known to exist.

{{-}}{{anchor|NucleonQuest}}
[[File:Nucleon quest convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Epic Black repaints are the right of all toy collecting beings.]]
*'''Nucleon Quest Super Convoy''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-307X'''
**''Accessories:'' Hi-Q Powermaster unit, 2 Laser Rifles, 2 Twin Particle Beam Cannons, Super Robot head

:This redeco of the Ginrai tooling of the Powermaster Optimus Prime figure (released concurrently with the 2001 reissue of the Ginrai figure) was a Toys ''R'' Us Japan [[exclusive]] black repaint, made to represent the original Optimus Prime equipped for a special mission. All of his red and blue plastics were changed to black, his clear blue windows were now tinted red, making his overall colour scheme very reminiscent of the now-familiar '[[Black Convoy (disambiguation)|Black Convoy]]' color schemes.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/NucleonQuestConvoy/nqconvoy.htm More information on Nucleon Quest Super Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|NewYearConvoy}}
*'''New Year Special Convoy''' (2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''[[File:New year convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
**''Accessories:'' 2 Laser Blasters, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (dark blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump, Action Master Optimus Prime figure, [[Matrix of Leadership/toys|Matrix of Leadership]], chain, Autobot sticker sheet, mouse pad

:This Japanese-exclusive reissue of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure featured tinted blue windows, like those sported by the "Goodbye Convoy" edition of the toy, as well as show-accurate blue eyes. Prime came with all his original accessories, including ''both'' versions of his rifle, as well as a new die-cast metal Matrix of Leadership accessory, which can be tabbed into his chest. Additionally, the set included a show-accurate redeco of the Action Master Optimus Prime figure, a sheet of Autobot [[insignia]] stickers of varying sizes, and a mouse pad decorated with the Autobot symbol.

:The Matrix accessory was later recolored in gold chrome for inclusion with the 2005 [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron reissue toy]], and in green chrome as the [[Matrix of Leadership/toys|Creation Matrix]] for the [[e-HOBBY]]-exclusive [[Galvatron II#Toys|Galvatron II]] toy. It returned to its original silver coloration when it was included, sans chain, in the 2010 ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers: Reveal the Shield]]'' "Battle in Space" 2-pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Cybertron/NewYearsConvoy/nyconvoy.htm More information on New Year Special Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|bape}}
[[File:G1toy BAPE convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Trukk not munky|TRUKK...''AND'' MUNKY?]]]]
*'''Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver.''' (A Bathing Ape exclusive, 2011)
**''ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in July 2011, concurrently with a range of exclusive Transformers t-shirts, "Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver." (コンボイ復刻版 BAPE® Ver.) is a redeco of the original Optimus Prime toy sporting a unique new green color scheme, along with a tan trailer decorated with a camouflage pattern. Both trailer and Prime himself feature the A Bathing Ape logo in place of an Autobot symbol, while the floor of the trailer's Combat Deck mode features new Bathing Ape-themed labels. The figure comes in a recolored version of the original Japanese Optimus Prime packaging.
::*''[http://bape.com/transformer Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. on BAPE.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|bapeblack}}
[[File:G1toy BAPE ConvoyBlack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime at his audition for ''The Artist''.]]
*'''Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. BLACK'''<ref>Or "Ver. Black Camo," in ''[[Transformers Generations 2012]]''.</ref> (A Bathing Ape exclusive, 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in April 2012, "Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. BLACK" (コンボイ復刻版 BAPE® Ver. BLACK) is a redeco of the original Optimus Prime toy sporting a unique new grey color scheme, along with a grey trailer decorated with a camouflage pattern. Both trailer and Prime himself feature the A Bathing Ape logo in place of an Autobot symbol, while the floor of the trailer's Combat Deck mode features new Bathing Ape-themed labels. The figure comes in a recolored version of the original Japanese packaging.

{{-}}{{anchor|bapered}}
[[File:G1toy BAPE ConvoyRed.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Three times faster than the original BAPE version.]]
*'''Convoy Reissue BAPE VERSION RED CAMO'''<ref>Japanese listing on the BAPE website. The accompanying English text reads "01 CONVOY BAPE VERSION RED CAMO".</ref> (A Bathing Ape exclusive, 2013)
**''ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in March 2013, "Convoy Reissue BAPE VERSION RED CAMO" (コンボイ復刻版 BAPE® VERSION RED CAMO) is a redeco of the original Optimus Prime toy sporting a unique new red color scheme, along with a red trailer decorated with a camouflage pattern. Both trailer and Prime himself feature the A Bathing Ape logo in place of an Autobot symbol, while the floor of the trailer's Combat Deck mode features new Bathing Ape-themed labels. The figure comes in a recolored version of the original Japanese packaging.

::*''[http://www.bape.com/transformers_3 Convoy Reissue BAPE VERSION RED CAMO on BAPE.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TVKunCommanderConvoyBoxFigure}}
[[File:TF-Commander-Convoy-Box-Gold-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|For the people who wanted this for the S.T.A.R.S. kit, I have bad news for you.]]
*'''Transformers 35th Anniversary Commander Convoy''' (canceled)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right)

:Released as part of the "Transformers 35th Anniversary Commander Convoy Box Crowdfunding Project" kickstarted by TakaraTomy and TV-Kun, this Convoy is a gold-chrome-and-redeco of the ''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime figure, featuring a more balanced deco compared to the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#Gold Convoy Trophy|Gold Convoy Trophy]] (at least until [https://twitter.com/Televi_Kun/status/1152244044598132742 the second prototype reveals that the entire body is chromed]). Despite being etched on a trophy stand, Convoy is able to transform into truck mode, albeit facing upwards.

:In addition, the set also comes with a replica of the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] supply kit, a S.T.A.R.S. badge, a Transformers Fan Club card, a poster, and a Transformers Mook.

:Crowdfunding began on July 1st until August 31st, with a total of 2000 backers needed. Unfortunately, it only reached 840 backers with a total of 16,650,000 yen out of 33,600,000 yen needed.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

===''Transform Jr''===
{{anchor|1985Jnr}}
[[File:Convoy Junior toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's kid brother.]]
*'''Convoy''' (1985)
**''ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 fists (left and right), head, Laser Blaster, cardboard trailer

: As one of the first ''[[Transform Jr]]'' toys, this version of Optimus Prime was released under the early name for the series, ''Transform Gōkin''. As a smaller, simplified version of the original Generation 1 Prime figure intended as a low-cost alternative for younger children, Prime features a similar transformation, with a removable head in addition to fists, but lacks rubber tires and translucent windows. As with most other ''Transform Jr'' figures, he lacked any of his major accessories, coming only with his rifle and a cardboard replacement for his trailer that had to be assembled by the buyer.

{{-}}{{anchor|HeroSet}}
[[File:Transformjr hero set.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The true Heroes of Cybertron]]
*'''Cybertron Hero Set''' (multipack, 1987)
**''Accessories:'' 2 fists (left and right), head, Laser Blaster, cardboard trailer

:The ''Transform Jr'' version of Prime was re-released a few years later in a "Hero" set alongside the ''Jr'' versions of [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys|Fortress Maximus]].

*'''5 Years of Leaders Set''' (multipack, 1989)
**''Accessories:'' 2 fists (left and right), head, Laser Blaster, cardboard trailer

:Prime was again re-released several years later in a lucky Draw "5 Years of Leaders" set alongside the ''Jr'' versions of Rodimus Convoy, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys|Fortress Maximus]], God Ginrai, and Star Saber.
{{--}}

===''Return of Convoy''===
{{anchor|StarConvoy}}

[[File:StarConvoy toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Star Convoy''' (Powered Master, 1991)
**''ID number:'' '''C-372'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, [[Micro Trailer]], Microcarrier, small cannon, cannon turret stand, radar, connector, 2 ramps

: As the final new-design Optimus Prime toy from the original Generation 1 era, the Japanese-exclusive Star Convoy was a significant departure from previous versions. This incarnation of Prime transforms into an extended-hood cab truck of made-up model pulling an implausibly large trailer, incorporating the motorized "Microcarrier". Powered by four AA batteries, the Microcarrier drives Star Convoy either forward or backward, spinning a radar dish mounted on the rear of his trailer as he rolls along. Prime's teammate in the [[Battlestars]], [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]], can link up to the rear of Star Convoy's vehicle mode and be pulled along behind him; [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] can then land atop Grandus, forming a giant vehicle.

:Unlike previous Optimus Prime toys, the cab section does not separate from the trailer for transformation, instead forming the arms of his imposing 12-inch tall robot mode. He lacks any sort of leg articulation in this mode, but the Microcarrier comes into play again, allowing Prime to roll either forward or backward into action.

:Additionally, Star Convoy transforms into a large battle station that interacts with the [[Micromaster]]s that made up the vast majority of the ''Transformer'' toyline at the time. His chest contains a peg that allows Micromaster figures to stand inside it in either robot or base modes, and he comes with a unique Micromaster version of [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy|Hot Rod]] not available on its own. He features storage space in his legs for two spring-loaded figure-launching [[Micro Trailer]]s, and comes with one of his own, decorated in a unique black and orange color scheme. In this mode, two ramps are connected to the Microcarrier; when the carrier's treads are set rolling, they do not move the base, but instead act as conveyor belts that carry Micromaster figures down the ramps. The Microcarrier also spins a gun turret mounted between the conveyors, on which Micromaster figures can stand. Finally, a special connector packaged with Star Convoy allows the Microcarrier to be connected up to Grandus's base mode, powering his moving elevator.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Cybertron/StarConvoy/starconvoy.htm More information on Star Convoy at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|StarConvoyReissue}}
[[File:StarConvoy reissue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Star Convoy''' (reissue, 2005)
**''ID number:'' '''C-372'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, [[Micro Trailer]], Microcarrier, small cannon, cannon turret stand, radar, connector, 2 ramps

:Star Convoy was reissued by Takara in 2005, with some notable alterations to his deco: his white plastic was replaced with metallic silver, and the yellow star on his chest was chromed golden. Star Convoy himself retained some of his original decals but most notably his "simulated head lights" and "wind shield panels" were stamp graphed on him, similarly, Hot Rod's were replaced with the same stamp graphing applications. Additionally, where the original toy had been packaged in robot mode in a tall box decorated with the standard Japanese package art of the time, the reissue was packaged in vehicle mode, in a long, wide box more reminiscent of the original Generation 1 toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/StarConvoy/starconvoy.htm More information on reissue Star Convoy at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Generation 2''==
[[File:G2Prime toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I AM OPTIMUS PRIME.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (1993, 1994)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (light blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump, 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles, sound and lights module

:The first ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime toy was largely identical in sculpt to the original Generation 1 figure release. While his cab robot retained his original red and blue color scheme, his trailer was recast in black, with the original blue and silver striped sticker replaced with a red and silver one displaying Optimus's name. On the first release of the trailer, the internal components and Roller matched the blue of the cab robot. Later, the internal components were changed to a lighter blue, as was Roller. Another running change followed, making the dark blue of the cab robot match this lighter shade. A bright yellow "Autobot" [[tampograph]] was also added to the back of his right leg.

:''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime comes with all his original accessories, as well as two major new play features. To increase his arsenal, he is armed with a pair of black missile launchers that fit in his fists and fire red spring-loaded missiles; these launchers were retooled from the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' figure [http://www.yojoe.com/action/92/barricade.shtml Barricade]. Secondly, he comes with an electronic "sound and lights module" that can either plug into the front of the trailer (where it resembles the air conditioners used on refrigerated trailers), or hook onto Optimus's back in [[robot mode]] (via a new slot sculpted into the cab robot). Unfortunately, the soundbox is heavy enough that doing so can easily overpower Prime's hip joints, causing him to topple backward. The soundbox features a large, [[vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] Autobot symbol on its front, and three grey buttons which trigger two flashing red LEDs on either side of the module, and [https://tfwiki.net/mediawiki/images2/c/c6/G2OptimusNoises.ogg a trio of sound effects]: a truck engine noise, a laser gun sound effect and a garbled voice that said "I am Optimus Prime!". The module also features ports on either side into which the missile launchers can peg.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Generation 2 Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|HeroOptimusPrime}}
[[File:CombatheroPrime toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|BE A HEEEERO]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Hero, 1994)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun, 2 rockets

:[[Hero (G2)|Hero]] Optimus Prime was the first new-mold Optimus Prime toy created for the ''Generation 2'' line. He transforms into a Kenworth truck of unknown model which defies Optimus convention by being one continuous unit, rather than the traditional cab-and-trailer combo. Decals form the windows of a faux truck face to represent his chest, featuring both his name and what appears to be a [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|life support readout coming alive towards the end]]. In addition to a small gun, he is armed with a large missile launcher, which can fire a rubber-tipped rocket by means of a bellows which you slam your fist down on to produce a puff of air. The launcher is accessible in both modes, ending up mounted on his right forearm in robot mode; the bellows is attached via a rubber hose and cannot be disconnected, but stores on the figures's back when not in use, as do the rockets. A similar air-launching system with identical missiles was used by the simultaneously-released [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Hero Megatron]], and by Laser Optimus Prime the following year (see below).

: This mold was also used to create [[Sureshot (G2)|Sureshot]] and the [[KB Toys]]-exclusive [[Destructicon (RID)|Destructicon]] [[Scourge (RID)#Destructicon|Scourge]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1994/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Hero Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|LaserOptimusPrime}}
*'''Laser Optimus Prime''' (1995)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-13'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser cannon", "[[Laser Rod (weapon)|saber weapon]]", missile launcher, 10 missiles, 5 discs, 2 rockets
[[File:G2toy laser optimus prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|What was that about shoulder-speakers, Jazz?]]

: Laser Optimus Prime (released in Europe under the name "Laser Rod Optimus Prime") transforms into a mid-1990s Western Star 4964EX, pulling a grey and black fuel tank trailer. The sides of the trailer are decorated with a sticker depicting Prime using a flamethrower to burn down a banner with the words "Optimus Prime Octane" on it. The truck is armed with a disc launcher on the roof of its trailer, which launches five blue discs bearing the ''Generation 2'' Autobot insignia as a knob is turned. Like the other "[[Laser Rod|Laser]]" toys released this year, Prime features electronics powered by two button-cell batteries; in truck mode, pressing the button on the cab's roof causes his headlight to light up with yellow LEDs.

:In the grand Optimus tradition, the cab of Laser Optimus Prime disconnects to become the highly poseable robot mode of Prime himself. Like Powermaster Prime and Hero Prime, the toy features the iconic windshield pecs and grill abs, despite not actually being formed from the actual truck components they emulate. In robot mode, pressing the button on Prime's cab (now on his back) activates a red LED in his right fist which illuminates his clear-plastic sword (which stores beneath his legs in truck mode).

:Prime's trailer unfolds via a spring-loaded transformation mechanism in a battle station that is positively ''bristling'' with varied weaponry. In addition to the disc launcher, it is armed with a "ripple-fire" missile launcher that fires five missiles, an air-powered rocket launcher like the one previously seen on Hero Optimus Prime, and a small laser cannon that mounts on the base's main tower. Both the missile launcher and laser cannon can disconnect and be held by Prime; his LED-fist will illuminate the laser cannon like it does his sword. Additional missiles and a second rocket are stored in grooves inside the sides of the trailer.

:This mold was redecoed by Takara in 2000 as ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Black Convoy]]. The following year, it was released by Hasbro as Black Convoy's [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' franchise]] counterpart, Scourge, with retooled discs that lacked the Autobot insignia. Following this, the next use of the mold was planned to be ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]], which ended up being canceled. The modified tooling was also used when Laser Prime was reissued by Takara in 2006 with a modified deco ([[#G2reissue|see below]]), and for the e-Hobby exclusive [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#G-2|Laser Ultra Magnus]] that accompanied the reissue's release. In 2015, ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition Year of the Goat]]'' Optimus Prime, another repaint version, comes with partially transparent plastic torso.

:In addition to being the most popular Generation 2 figure, Laser Optimus Prime was, prior to 2003, a regular contender for most popular Transformers toy ''ever'', back in the days of the annual [[alt.toys.transformers]] fan awards; the toy won twice, and actually lost once to his redeco, Scourge.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Laser Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{G2LaserOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|GobotOptimusPrime}}
[[File:G2toy gobot prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Sweet ride, Prime]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: A redeco of the ''Generation 2'' [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[Firecracker]], Optimus Prime transforms into a red Hot Wheels-sized Lamborghini Diablo. Like most Go-Bots, he features high speed axles and can roll very well across smooth surfaces, but lacks the weight to propel him quickly. He is armed with a small red laser rifle. The plastic colors are a "solid" version of Firecracker's color layout, substituting opaque red for transparent red plastic.

:The Japanese release of this toy swapped out the orange plastic for neon yellow, and had a large tampograph on the car's hood that was shaped like a stylized letter 'T', with the Transformers logo in it. Going against the grain, this toy was released in Japan with the name "Optimus Prime" instead of "Convoy".

:In Europe, this deco was sold as Firecracker himself rather than Optimus Prime (at least in the French/Dutch/German packaging variant). The sculpt was later redecoed again for the third wave of Go-Bots to become [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Go-Bot|Sideswipe]] (who Prime ''really'' looks a lot like), and later still into the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Spy Changer]] [[R.E.V.]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/OptimusPrimeGobot/optimusprime.htm More information on Go-Bot Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{G2FirecrackerMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|CombatHeroOptimusPrime}}
[[File:CombatHeroPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Combat Hero, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, 2 rockets
{{anchor|g2combatheroprime}}
: Combat Hero Optimus Prime was to be a redeco of Hero Optimus Prime in dark blue and red. Packaged samples of this toy were produced, but it was ultimately never released.

:The packaged samples feature a "traditional" color scheme for the head, with a silver [[mouthplate]]; the prototype depicted in the official catalog image seen on the right sports an unusual ''red'' mouthplate, which inspired several later toys.

:A finished sample of Combat Hero Optimus Prime was among the rare toys auctioned off for charity at [[BotCon 1996]], along with several other unreleased ''Generation 2'' items.

::*''[http://www.toyarchive.com/Transformers/Prototypes/Generation2/HeroOptimusPrimeProtoMOSC.html "Combat Hero" Optimus Prime in packaging at Super Toy Archive]''
::*''[http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/resources/review/generation+2/blue+optimus+prime/3654 "Combat Hero" Optimus Prime in packaging at Transformers @ The Moon]''
::*''[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/g2/combat-hero-optimus-prime/3429/1/ "Combat Hero" Optimus Prime in and out of packaging at Seibertron]
{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|G2General}}
*'''General Optimus Prime''' (Auto Roller, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Four missiles
[[File:Un autorollers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]

: "General" Optimus Prime would have been a redeco of the Decepticon [[Auto Roller (G2)|Auto Roller]] [[Dirtbag#Toys|Dirtbag]] in green, ironically bearing a closer resemblance to [[Hound (G1)/toys|Hound]]'s color scheme than the also-unreleased [[Hound (G1)/toys#Generation 2|"Sgt. Hound"]] Auto Roller. General Optimus Prime would have transformed into a dump truck, and would've had an [[autotransformation]] gimmick.

: This mold was also used to make [[Autostinger#Toys|Autostinger]].

{{canceledtoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|G2reissue}}
[[File:LaserPrime reissue.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Battle Convoy''' (reissue, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TRF-13'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser cannon", "saber weapon", missile launcher, 10 missiles, 5 discs, 2 rockets

:This reissue of the original ''Generation 2'' Laser Optimus Prime figure was made using the modified version of the mold created for ''Robots in Disguise'' Scourge, lacking the sculpted ''Generation 2'' Autobot insignias on the disks featured on the original. It sported a modified deco, with the flat grey plastic on both the trailer and Prime's chest now replaced with silver chrome; additionally, new Autobot symbol tampographs were added to the doors of Prime's cab mode and the front end of his trailer, and a pair of new chest-window stickers featuring an illustration of the Matrix of Leadership replaced the original decals.

:This version of the mold was used to create the e-Hobby exclusive Laser Ultra Magnus, and somewhat more perplexingly, was briefly [[repurposing|repurposed]] by the [[Master of the Game|second]] ''[[Beast Wars Reborn]]'' text story as a temporary body for [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity#Beast Wars Reborn|Optimus Primal]]!
{{G2LaserOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Beast Wars''==
{{Note|Very early in the life of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' toyline (before the debut of the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon), Hasbro treated the series as an extension of the Autobot/Decepticon war, and so Optimus Primal was presented as being the same character as Optimus Prime.}}

*'''Optimus Primal vs Megatron!''' (Basic versus two-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-6'''[[File:BWtoy-Primalbat.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm Batman, and I can breathe in space.]]
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
:The first ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Optimus Primal]] is a Basic size class blue bat which could autotransform into a robot by pulling the tail. Two swords were removable from under its wings for use as weaponry in [[robot mode]]. It was packaged along with an alligator version of Megatron and a ''Beast Wars'' mini-comic.

:This figure was released during the short-lived period when Hasbro was treating the Beast Wars as an extension of the Autobot/Decepticon war, and Optimus Primal was presented as being the same character as Optimus Prime. This was soon relegated to the realms of [[micro-continuity]] when the ''Beast Wars'' animated series began and clearly established that the two Optimuses were different characters, but the toy remains one that was officially branded as Prime, and is consequently listed here.

:This mold was also used to make the [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Optimus Prime-recolored Convobat]] (who may or may not be a separate character to either Prime or Primal), and [[Onyx Primal]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimalBat/optimusprimal.htm More information on Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ultra}}
[[File:Optimusprimaltoyultraape.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Well, that's just Prime.]]
*'''Optimus Primal''' (Ultra, 1996/1997/1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords, four missiles, flail
: The second Optimus Primal toy was an ape in the Ultra size class. Though the transformation from primate to humanoid was a relatively simplistic one, the toy compensated with more than a fair share of weaponry and action features. A compartment on his right forearm opened to reveal a skull-shaped mace he could hold in his fist. His left forearm could open into a double-barreled missile launcher. On his back were two spring-loaded missile launchers which auto-flipped over each shoulder. By pulling a lever in the center of his back, both arms would either spin at the bicep or bend in and out at the elbow, depending on the placement of notch-buttons located on either bicep. This gimmick was shown to be an effort to simulate a gorilla beating its chest while Optimus was in [[beast mode]], but could also be used in robot mode, making him swing his weapons wildly before himself. And finally, like many first-year ''Beast Wars'' toys, a battle mask/"[[mutant head]]" could be deployed over his robot head.

:Takara released the toy as part of their ''Beast Wars'' line in July of 1997, nearly identical to the Hasbro version. The missiles for the Takara version are thinner and simpler than the original Hasbro version, and would be used in all subsequent releases of the mold.

:Just like Optimus Primal's basic bat toy, this figure was released during the short-lived period when the Beast Wars was still considered to be an extension of the Autobot/Decepticon war, and Optimus Primal was the same character as Optimus Prime. This was soon relegated to the realms of [[micro-continuity]] when the ''Beast Wars'' animated series began and clearly established that the two Optimuses were different characters, but the toy remains one that was officially branded as Prime, and is consequently listed here.

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Optimus Primal and [[Transformers: Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha Series]] DX Convoy, and [[retool]]ed into ''Beast Wars Reborn''/''Beast Wars Tenth Anniversary'' versus pack Optimus Primal. Takara also created multiple special variants, including all-gold (from ''Tele-V Magazine'', only ten awarded), red and gray (''Tele-V'' again, but only ''one'' awarded), and blue-fur (a ''Comics Bom Bom'' design-contest prize, only five awarded).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/OptimusPrimal/optimusprimal.htm More information on ape Optimus Primal at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|AmazonConvobat}}
[[File:BW-toy OptimusPrimalCDROM.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Freedom is the right of all superstitious, cowardly lots. Wait, no, that's not right...]]
*'''Amazon Showdown Special Version''' (1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-S1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two swords
: Available only in a special CD-ROM two-pack with a [[Megatron (G1)/toys#CDgator|purple redeco of "Megaligator"]], this version of Optimus Primal (maybe) retains its previous gimmickry. his back features a silver Maximal [[Insignia|faction symbol]] plus "C-ROM", as in "Cybertron", get it? Huh? And Megatron has the "D-ROM"? See what they did there?

: Just which character this toy represents is up for debate. The toy's [[bio]] claims he used to turn into a tractor-trailer (indicating Optimus Prime), but considering the timeframe of when they were written and the whole lack of a stance on who Primal "was" before the show and blah blah blah... it's just easier to file this under the same iffiness as the original toy bios set on modern [[Earth]] and leave it at that.

: This mold was also used to make [[Onyx Primal]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Cybertron/ConvoyBat/convoybat.htm More information on CD-ROM Convobat at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Machine Wars''==
[[File:MachineWarsPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Most Autobots [[Primus apotheosis|aspire]] to be Optimus Prime, Optimus Prime aspires to be [[Thunder Clash]].]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Ultra, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, 2 missiles

: Available only at [[KB Toys]], ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Optimus Prime is a redeco and slight retool of the European Generation 1 exclusive [[Turbomaster]] leader [[Thunder Clash]], transforming into a Cybertronic truck cab. It's easy to see why Thunder Clash was chosen to become the new Optimus Prime, given his adherence to Prime tradition: the cab disconnects to become the robot, while the trailer unfolds to become an assault tower with twin missile launchers. On the original Thunder Clash version of the mold, the launchers operated on a gravity-feed system that saw a new missile drop into the launcher from above each time one was fired, allowing for twelve to be fired in rapid succession, but for ''Machine Wars'' Prime, this feature had to be dialed back [[for safety reasons]]. The missiles had to be lengthened to prevent choking hazards, and so the toy's launchers were modified to accommodate them, becoming straightforward spring-loaded single-firing weapons. The original Thunderclash [[sticker]]s were not properly redecoed to match the new Machine Wars color scheme, resulting in white stickers that are meant to be unnecessarily applied to white patches on his pelvis.

: The [[package art]] for this toy is a retouched version of the art for ''Generation 2'' Laser Optimus Prime (see above), but now positioned so one robot arm is always "off the edge" of the box and unseen - conveniently hiding the sword that the toy no longer has.

: This version of the mold was planned to be [[redeco]]ed into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] for the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' line, but the release was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Machine Wars'' Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Choro-Q Robo''==
[[File:ChoroQOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]

*'''Convoy TV Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

:''[[Choro-Q|Choro-Q Robo]]'' Convoy is a small, cutesified transforming figure of Optimus Prime that changes from trailer-pulling truck directly to [[robot mode]]. The toy features a working pull-back motor, and is decorated in a color scheme based on Prime's appearance in the original Generation 1 cartoon, with blue eyes and windows and a grey stripe on the trailer.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/ChoroQConvoyTV/convoy.htm Move information on Convoy TV Version at TFU.info]''

*'''Convoy Metallic Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''Q/02'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

:This version of ''Choro-Q Robo'' Convoy is a redeco of the first, featuring glittering metallic plastic, and a deco based upon the original toy, with yellow eyes, black windows, and a silver-and-blue stripe on the trailer.
{{--}}

==''Commemorative Series''==
[[File:Commemorative series optimus prime modifications.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The snip that launched a thousand snits.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2002/2012)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (grey), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:The first reissue of the original Optimus Prime toy in North America since the Generation 1 toyline reached its end, this "[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]" edition of the figure was a Toys"R"Us exclusive. It was ''mostly'' identical to the original figure, save for some necessary modifications made [[for safety reasons]]: In the first instance of what would become a recognizable alteration to the mold, the toy's smokestacks were shortened, while the Combat Deck's firing missiles were elongated to prevent potential choking, as was the case with all other Commemorative Series figures' firing missiles. This release also had the trailer's launching feature removed.

:In 2012, a reissue of the Commemorative Series toy was released. Though the "Commemorative Series" label was not printed anywhere on the packaging, the included instructions retained the name. The toy itself is a mix of different versions. The cab has the safety modifications of the original ''Commemorative Series'' release, including the shortened smokestacks and longer missiles (and thicker rifle), but also has the modified hitch of the 2011 ''Chronicle'' two-pack (see below). Meanwhile, the trailer features the lighter gray plastic colors used for the 2008 ''Universe'' release, and the Autobot insignias on the robot's shoulders are tampographed (like on Takara's ''Encore'' version and Hasbro's ''Universe'' 25th Anniversary release). This version also seems to suffer from [[Mold#Deterioration|mold deterioration]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Commemorative Series Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ApexArmorPrime}}
[[File:GodGinrai toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The real one has a longer missile]]
*'''Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor''' (2003, 2012)
**''Accessories:'' Hi-Q Powermaster unit, 2 Laser Rifles, 2 Twin Particle Beam Cannons, Super Robot head, missile launcher, 2 missiles, [[Apex Bomber]] chest/trailer top, 2 legs (left & right), 2 arms (left and right), Armor chest/trailer front, 2 wings (left & right)

:Marketed as a reissue of Powermaster Optimus Prime, this Toys"R"Us-exclusive Commemorative Series figure is in truth based on the Ginrai tooling on the toy that had previously been exclusive to Japan. It features a die-cast metal cab with translucent blue windows, and shortened, chrome smokestacks, and comes packaged with the drone [[Apex Bomber]] (formerly Ginrai's partner [[Godbomber]]), who splits into several components and combines with Prime to form "Apex Armor". As with all other Commemorative Series figures, Prime's new spring-loaded missile launcher featured an elongated missile.

:The figure was re-released in Hasbro's Asian markets in 2012, with no known changes to the figure itself but several modifications to the packaging that makes it easy to tell the two releases apart: The flap containing the [[package art]] is omitted entirely, the "Commemorative Series II" label is missing, the age recommendation and safety warning labels, the "Changes from double tractor trailer to battle station to super robot!" call-out and the name of the toy have all been shuffled around (with the words "battle" and "super" being omitted in the process), and most notably, the toy is no longer named "Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor", but simply "Optimus Prime", with Apex Bomber's existence no longer acknowledged anywhere on the packaging.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/ApexPrime/apexprime.htm More information on Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''The Transformers Collection''==
[[File:Tf collection 0 convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''0'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (dark blue), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump, [[energon-axe]]

:As yet another in an increasingly large number of reissues of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy, this entry in the Japanese-exclusive ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' line of reissues added a few extra goodies to spice things up. Chiefly, the figure was armed with a new [[energon-axe]], based on the weapon used by Prime in the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]", which plugs into either of the headlight-holes that normally accommodate Prime's fists. Additionally, Prime came packaged with a ring binder folder designed to hold the pull-out character file sheets that were included with all the other ''Transformers Collection'' reissues. Notably, this figure reinstated the original, thick version of Prime's rifle as the standard for all future Japanese reissues.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Transformers Collection Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[File:Tfcollection prime fist.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Starscream''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''9'''

:This redeco of the original Generation 1 [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]] [[Starscream (G1)/toys|toy]] came packaged with a remolded right fist for Optimus Prime. This fist featured additional pegs that allowed it to hold [[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFCStarscream|the pistol mode Megatron accessory]] which was also included with Starscream.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Destron/AnimeStarscream/starscream.htm More information on Transformers Collection Starscream at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Smallest Transforming Transformers''==
[[File:WSTF Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|You didn't find my trailer, did you? Haw haw.]]
*'''Convoy''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''GTF 01A'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster
:Standing only two-and-a-quarter inches tall, ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Optimus Prime was the smallest fully transforming G1 Optimus toy for a while, at least until the release of his chubby super-deformed [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Q-Transformers]] versions. He features an accurate transformation sequence based on the original full-sized toy, replacing the detachable hands with actual sculpted fists, and even including a tiny version of his laser rifle. Unsurprisingly, he also has little articulation and is only capable of moving his arms and legs.

:His trailer and Roller were also available as a separate set in the same wave, as a rare [[shortpacking|shortpacked]] figure with the ID number "GTF-01B". It is a simplified version of the original Combat Deck, lacking features like the interior deco and the lift arm of the artillery robot, but still nonetheless looking fairly accurate to the original toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/SmallestPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|STTAnime}}
[[File:Wstf anime convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy (Anime Version)''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''GTF 06'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster
:''Smallest Transforming'' Prime was redecoed the following year for the second wave of the line, into a color scheme based on his Generation 1 cartoon appearance featuring brighter reds and blues, white thighs, yellow details on his bumper, and blue eyes and windows. This version of the figure was made available for a second time in the next wave ("Wave 2.5"), with a new anime-decorated version of the Combat Deck now available as a rare "chase" figure.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/SmallestAnimePrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Convoy (Anime Version) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|STTWhite}}
[[File:Wstf white convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy (White)''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''GTF X-4'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster
:Another version of Prime was also available in the second wave of the ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' series as a chase figure. This almost entirely white version of the figure is clearly based on the version of the original Prime cab robot used in the Generation 1 Ultra Magnus figure, but was nonetheless sold as Optimus Prime for the ''Smallest'' line.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/SmallestConvoyWhiteMode/convoy.htm More information on Convoy (White) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|smallestvsx}}
[[File:Wstf vsx.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Can't you guys ever get along?]]
*'''Convoy vs Megatron''' (multipack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''VSX'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster
:Available exclusively as a freebie through the September 2004 issue of [[Dengeki Hobby]] magazine, this ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' two-pack contains both Optimus Prime and Megatron, in homage to the original 1984 "VSX" giftset containing the original versions of the two leaders.
{{--}}

==''Mini Toy Shop Collection''==
[[File:G1toy mini toy shop convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|'Cause we got a li'l ol' convoy, rockin' through the night...]]
*'''Convoy''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID Number:'' '''01'''
:At about 2/3 the size of the ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'', this diminutive version of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy is the smallest figure of the Autobot leader made to date. It was sold as part of Takara's blindpacked ''[[Mini Toy Shop Collection]]'' line, a series of miniaturized figures from numerous classic Takara toylines, including ''Transformers'', ''[[Microman]]'', ''[[Licca Kayama|Licca-chan]]'', ''[[Choro-Q]]'' and others. Both of Prime's modes are represented by non-transforming individual figures, which come together in a two-pack. In-box, his truck form is even packed in a miniature recreation of his original Japanese packaging, which also includes a shrunken version of his sticker sheet. A tiny version of the original Takara Transformers catalog completes the set.
::*''[http://tformers.com/article.php?sid=3541&mode=flat More information on Mini Collection Convoy at tformers.com]''
{{--}}

==''Masterpiece''==
{{anchor|20th Anniversary}}
[[File:TF-Masterpiece-MP-1-Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|And the fandom rejoiced. ''(Takara Masterpiece Version Pictured)'']]
[[File:TF-MP-20th-Anniversary-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|''(20th Anniversary Version Pictured)'']]
*'''Optimus Prime'''/'''Convoy''' (2003/2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, cardboard trailer (Japanese release only)
:''20th Anniversary'' Optimus Prime was produced for the stated milestone of the ''Transformers'' brand. So successful was the figure that ''ToyFare'' magazine ultimately ranked it #1 in their quest for "Best Toy Ever".<ref>[http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/toyfare/000054376.cfm ToyFare Magazine Best Toys Ever]</ref>

:Created with the specific purpose of producing an Optimus Prime as accurate to the original animated series as possible, the toy is exceptionally poseable compared to toys prior, partially constructed from die-cast metal, features rubber tires and vacuum-metalized plastic and is heavily detailed, with sliding pistons in its joints and working spring-loaded suspension in vehicle mode. The figure also contains multiple non-intrusive gimmicks, such as a moving [[mouthplate]] to emulate Prime's traditional method of speech, flip-up communications panels on the forearms depicting images of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys|Starscream]], and an opening, light-up Matrix chamber in the chest, which contains a removable vacuum-metalized Matrix of Leadership that can also be pulled open.

:Optimus Prime comes with many accessories in addition to the aforementioned Matrix, including the character's traditional laser rifle, now termed (and henceforth known as) an [[ion blaster]]. The initial release of the figure cast the ion blaster in grey plastic, but later assortments recast it in its more familiar black coloration. Other accessories include a transparent orange energon-axe that plugs into either wrist when Prime's fist is retracted, and even a non-transforming gun mode Megatron weapon, with removable stock, silencer and scope accessories, in homage to [[Countdown to Extinction (episode)|several]] [[The Insecticon Syndrome|instances]] in the Generation 1 cartoon when Prime was forced to wield his enemy. Pack-in bonuses that came with the figure included an inner cardboard tray illustrated to resemble the interior of Prime's Combat Deck, and in later releases, a small poster drawn by [[Pat Lee]].

:Takara's version of the figure was released in their markets slightly earlier, as the first of their long-running ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' line. In addition to coming with a cardboard trailer that the buyer could assemble to "complete" Prime's truck mode, Takara's release differed from Hasbro's by featuring longer smokestacks (kept short on the Hasbro version [[for safety reasons]]), and lacking the black scorch-marked "battle damage" paint applications Hasbro included on the figure's shoulders, wrists and abdomen. In Western markets, the figure was intended to complement the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' line.<ref>[http://www.camphortree.net/tf/tidbits/otfcc2004.txt|Steve-o's OTFCC 2004 notes]</ref>

:This sculpt was redecoed by Takara into a golden Lucky Draw figure and later released in its original coloration with a trailer as a "Perfect Edition" (see below for both), while Hasbro would later redeco it into their ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''-branded "[[#Classics|DVD Edition]]". The mold was also used to make ''Masterpiece'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] and "[[Eldedroid|Convoy Black Version]]", representing one of many drones built in Prime's image, rather than Prime himself.

:In ''[[Transformers History Collection]]'', a [[Blindpacking|blind-packed]] Transformers trading figure line, Takara released an add-on hand for ''Masterpiece'' Convoy as a [[Chase figure]]. The hand holds a [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] figure and clips on to the end of Optimus Prime's arm, making the arm slightly longer than normal.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/20thPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{MPOptimusMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|goldmp}}
[[File:Gold masterpiece prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|We salute the brave soul who transformed this thing in order to photograph it.]]
*'''Convoy''' (Lucky Draw figure, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, cardboard trailer
:Offered as part of a Lucky Draw campaign in August 2004, this extremely rare version of ''Masterpiece'' Convoy is almost entirely vacuum-metalized gold, lacking any other painted detail or stickers. The parts which are not viable are molded in a flat golden plastic; the only exceptions are its rubber tires, the core of the Matrix and the energon-axe, which remain black, blue and orange, respectively. Whether or not the figure was intended to evoke Optimus Prime's [[:File:Goldenlagoon prime perceptor.jpg|entirely-golden appearance]] in the cartoon episode "[[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon]]", when he was coated with [[electrum]], is unknown; given that entirely chroming a figure gold is a fairly standard deco for Lucky Draw figures, it may just be happy coincidence more than anything else.

:The figure comes packaged in the standard ''Masterpiece'' Convoy box, with the only telltale sign of its fabled contents being the replacement of the traditionally silver foil lettering on the box with gold. It's not clear how many were made, but it is thought to be no more than 10 or 20.

::*''[https://web.archive.org/web/20080501195324/http://www.goldoptimusprime.com/?show=Gold-Optimus-Prime More information on gold ''Masterpiece'' Convoy at GoldOptimusPrime.com (via Internet Wayback Machine)]''

{{-}}{{anchor|mp4}}{{anchor|MP4}}
[[File:MP04Convoy2.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|You just paid $170 for a big box on wheels.]]
*'''Convoy Perfect Edition''' (2006/2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-4'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Combat Deck, ion Blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, cardboard trailer
:For this re-release of ''Masterpiece'' Convoy, Takara submitted to the biggest desire fans had for the figure and produced a full-size, fully transforming plastic and die-cast metal trailer. The trailer opens up into Convoy's Combat Deck, with storage for its accessories and a functional repair drone, though Roller is conspicuous by its absence. Like the original Combat Deck, the drone can extend through holes in the roof and front of the closed trailer, and the interior has enough room to accommodate one ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' figure in [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]. Some reports suggest that the paint on this figure's chest chips more easily than past editions.

:This version of Convoy, and Hasbro's 20th Anniversary DVD version of the toy depicts [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] on its communicators rather than Bumblebee and Starscream.

:Continuating the trend begun by their previous release of ''Masterpiece'' Ultra Magnus in 2005, Hasbro [[Australia]] released Convoy Perfect Edition as a Target Australia [[exclusive]] in 2008. Takara themselves then made the figure available for a second time in October 2009.

{{-}}{{anchor|sleepmode}}{{anchor|MP4S}}
[[File:MP4Sconvoysleepmode.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Remember that scene from the movie that made you cry and traumatised you as a kid? Well now you can display me doing just that!]]
*'''Convoy Sleep Mode''' (2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-4S'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Combat Deck, ion Blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe
:Released by TakaraTomy as part of a 2010 promotion honoring the "future era" of the original cartoon (which was set in 2010 in Japanese continuity, you see!), this exceptionally morbid re-release of the ''Masterpiece'' Convoy figure recolors the Autobot leader in blacks and greys, representing ''his dead body'' from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''—but don't worry, kids, it's actually a "sleep mode", according to the figure's name! Limited to 2010 pieces in Japan (see what they did there?), it comes with all its customary accessories, including the Perfect Edition trailer, redecoed where appropriate: the trailer itself has become translucent, its energon-axe is now transparent grey, and Megatron, in another movie homage, is rendered in translucent purple, evoking the scene depicting his transformation into [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]]. The figure was also released in other parts of Asia as a limited edition of 2010 as well, combined with the Japanese edition for 4020 total. The Japanese version denotes "Serial Number in Japan: ####/2010" on its bio card with the number out of 2010, while the Asian version denotes "C1 - ####/2010" with the number out of 2010 on its bio card.

:This version of Convoy depicts [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Hot Rod]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]] on its communicators.

{{-}}{{anchor|lastshot}}{{anchor|MP1L}}
[[File:MPtoy last shot convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Well, it had to end ''some'' day...]]
*'''Convoy Last Production''' (2011)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-1L'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, sound stage
:"Convoy Last Production" was the final re-use of the ''Masterpiece'' toy mold before it was at last retired after numerous re-releases and redecos. The figure is essentially identical to the original Japanese MP-1 release, aside from a slightly brighter red, and the addition of the words "LAST SHOT" in Transformers typeface molded into the small of Convoy's back, hidden beneath its headlight-flaps in [[robot mode]]. Lacking the trailer of MP-4, the figure instead comes with a redecoed version of the electronic base included with Hasbro's "[[#20thDVD|DVD Edition]]" of the figure from five years prior, which now features a collection of sixteen soundbytes of Convoy delivering famous lines from the Japanese version of the Generation 1 cartoon, recited by the character's original Japanese voice actor [[Tesshō Genda]]. The base was promoted as containing a hint as to the identity of the next ''Masterpiece'' toy; as it would turn out, this was a new version of Convoy himself (see below), foreshadowed by a sound clip on the base which played only intermittently, and which had Convoy announce that he would "soon be reborn".

:For its release in Korea, Hasbro Asia provided a [[collector coin]] featuring truck-mode Optimus Prime on one side and "MP-01L" on the other. The coin came mounted on a card featuring lineart of the Autobot leader's head, the stark black design of which could be mistaken for promoting the earlier "Sleep Mode" release. The limited release (and general lack of enthusiasm for the collector coins in Korea) makes this one of the more difficult Masterpiece coins to find.

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[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Here we go again...]]
*'''Convoy''' (2011, 2016)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#mp10|Ion blaster]], [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#mp10|Matrix of Leadership]], [[Energon-axe#mp10|energon-axe]], [[Combat Deck (G1)#mp10|trailer/Combat Deck]], [[Roller (G1)#Masterpiece|Roller]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Masterpiece|Spike Witwicky figurine]]
:MP-10 Convoy, advertised as a "perfect new model" on its packaging, is an entirely new tooling of Generation 1 Optimus Prime. Convoy is now smaller, making him more in-scale with other recent ''Masterpiece'' toys, such as [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|Rodimus]], and comes with a trailer and various accessories. While the front of the vehicle mode's cab is an accurate depiction of a mid-to-late-1980s Freightliner FLT cabover, the back half, (which is, as usual, made out of Convoy's legs) is much larger and robot-leggier in proportion. (So much that they sculpt a ladder on each side.)

:Many of the small features and electronics of the original ''Masterpiece'' mold are left out. Instead, this Convoy features better overall cartoon accuracy (chest interior, head, etc.), an extensive red paint job that covers much of his red plastic, corrected robot mode proportions, improved articulation, and its gun can now collapse and store inside a compartment on its back in either mode. In addition to Convoy's trailer, which can transform into Combat Deck, it also comes with Roller, a small Spike Witwicky figurine, a die-cast metal Matrix of Leadership (with a clear blue plastic center), and an energy axe that slips over Convoy's right hand. Spike can fit inside the cab in vehicle mode, ride in Roller's seat, or fit into any of the seating compartments inside Convoy's trailer. Roller has options to plug in Convoy's gun or pull Convoy's trailer, and the trailer itself can store Convoy's weapons in any mode. Although not easily breakable, care must be taken for posing the index fingers; extending the finger even far would cause it to pop off.

:Being a brand new and intricate remake of the Autobot leader, MP-10 was used as the gold standard in terms of scale for future Masterpiece figures, with all the upcoming releases being sized to best match him. Much like his older incarnation, he was also cherished by collectors, generating heated debates on which version is the best one up to this day.<ref>https://www.google.pt/search?q=mp01+vs+mp10</ref>

:On the other hand, this mold also became a staple source for various [[knockoff]]s, ranging from recolored to upscaled/downsized figures.

:This figure was re-released in 2016, with the packaging now advertising the "Long Life Design" award which the ''Masterpiece'' line won that same year.<ref name="lldaward">[https://www.g-mark.org/award/describe/44648 Good Design Long Life Award: Transformers Masterpiece]</ref> This mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Masterpiece|MP-10B Black Convoy]].

:''See also: [[#mp10hasbro|MP-10 Hasbro]] and [[#Masterpiece|Hasbro Masterpiece]].''

{{-}}{{anchor|mpbape}}{{anchor|MP10A}}
[[File:Bape-mp-optimus.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|In the jungle / the mighty jungle / the Convoy sleeps tonight]]
*'''MP Convoy (BAPE ver.)''' ([[2014]]-[[August 19|07-19]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10A'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#mpbape|Ion Blaster]], [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#mpbape|Matrix of Leadership]], [[Energon-axe#mpbape|Energon axe]]
:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in 2014, MP Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. is a trailer-less redeco of the MP-10 mold sporting a green color scheme matching the [[#bape|Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. of the original G1 toy]], with "BAPE's famous camouflage pattern" and an ape head print on the shoulder replacing the usual faction symbol.

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[[File:Eva-optimus.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Unlike Shinji, this guy won't go strangling his girlfriend or dating his mother's clone, if he even has a mother...]]
*'''Convoy Mode "Eva"''' (2014-[[November 28|11-28]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#eva|Ion Blaster]], [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#eva|Matrix of Leadership]], [[Energon-axe#eva|Energon axe]], [[Combat Deck (G1)#eva|trailer/Battle Station]], [[Roller (G1)#eva|Roller]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#eva|Spike Witwicky figurine]]
:Limited to 1,000 pieces, this figure was released as part of the ''[[Transformers × Evangelion]]'' crossover. It uses the MP-10 mold with all the same accessories, decoed in the green and purple color scheme of [[Evangelion Unit-01|Eva-01]]. The trailer, Roller, and Spike figure are done up in [[Nerv]]-themed colors.

{{-}}{{anchor|mpbape2}}{{anchor|MP10R}}
[[File:Bape2-mp-optimus.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|Because one overpriced clothing store exclusive MP10 repaint wasn't enough. Anyone like to give the odds for a BAPE Ver. BLACK in 2017 then?]]
*'''Convoy (BAPE REDCAMO ver.)''' (2015-11)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10R'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in 2015, MP Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. is a trailer-less redeco of the MP-10 mold sporting a unique deep red color scheme matching the [[#bapered|Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. RED of the original G1 toy]], with "BAPE's famous camouflage pattern" and an ape head print on the shoulder replacing the usual faction symbol.

{{-}}{{anchor|MP33}}
* '''Optimus Prime''' Mini Die-Cast figure (2016-[[November 26|11-26]])
**''ID number:'' '''1'''
**Included with '''[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Masterpiece|MP-33 Inferno]]'''
:Replacing the collector coins in previous releases, the Asia release of ''Masterpiece'' Inferno comes with a mini Optimus Prime figure, the first in a range of non transformable collectables made from <s>lost art</s> Die-Cast metal and based on the corresponding Masterpiece figure (MP10).

{{-}}{{anchor|mpbape3}}{{anchor|MP10K}}
[[File:Bapeblack-mp-optimus.jpg|upright=2.2|thumb|As predicted. What's the chances of a new BAPE color scheme? Teal Blue or Burnt Gold would be nice if you're reading this BAPE.]]
*'''Convoy (BAPE BLACKCAMO ver.)''' (2017)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10K'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Available exclusively from Japanese clothing company [[A Bathing Ape]] in 2017, MP Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. is a trailer-less redeco of the MP-10 mold sporting a unique black color scheme matching the [[#bapeblack|Convoy Reissue BAPE Ver. BLACK of the original G1 toy]], with "BAPE's famous camouflage pattern" and an ape head print on the shoulder replacing the usual faction symbol.

{{-}}{{anchor|MP711}}
[[File:MP711-Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|At your 7-Eleven, freedom's waiting for you.]]
*'''Convoy (7-Eleven ver.)''' ([[February 28]], [[2018]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-711'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Matrix of Leadership, energon-axe, trailer, Roller, Spike Witwicky figurine
:Available exclusively from Japanese 7-11 stores, MP-711 is an [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]]-decoed Convoy—white with green and blue highlighting—themed with [[7-Eleven]] logos. Unlike most MP-10 redecos, he comes with a trailer, Roller, and Spike figure, who is sporting a 7-Eleven uniform. Roller and the combat deck come with 7-Eleven logos, however Convoy's shoulder logos are stickers with the option of a green 7-Eleven logo or the standard Autobot logo on either shoulder.

{{-}}{{anchor|atmossafari}}{{anchor|MP10ASL}}
[[File:MP-10ASL.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Anyone up for a game of [[basketrek]]?]]
*'''Convoy (atmos safari LEBRON Ver.)''' ([[March 15]], [[2019]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10ASL'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores, this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Lebron James sneakers, in a fetching scheme of vibrant orange plus black and gray with extra details and logos. Unfortunately he does not come with a [[ballobot]] accessory.

{{-}}{{anchor|35th}}{{anchor|MP44}}
[[File:Masterpiece-MP44-Convoy-V3.jpg|upright=3|thumb|All this for the low, low price of an arm, a leg, and your firstborn son! (Note: [[The Master Builders (episode)|Basketball accessory]] not included.)]]
*'''Convoy''' ([[August 31]], [[2019]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-44'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, 2 beam effect parts, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe, damaged head, alternate head, Starscream head, Starscream shoulder intakes, damaged chestpiece, jetpack, trailer, Roller, Spike Witwicky figurine, [[Sparkplug Witwicky#Masterpiece|Sparkplug Witwicky figurine]], [[Carly#Masterpiece|Carly figurine]]
:An entirely new mold released to commemorate the brand's 35th anniversary, the third ''Masterpiece'' Convoy is a much more complex and cartoon-accurate figure than previous releases. At 50,000 yen (approximately $450 USD), this Convoy had the highest MSRP of any mass-market ''Transformers'' toy until ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron]]'' [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron|Unicron]]'s $575 price tag was announced.

:Alongside the Trailer (which retains the same function and can hold 4 standard-sized Autobot cars at a time when open), Roller, the Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, and Energon Axe, the Combat Deck's base can be removed and with the new flip-out wheels, Roller (now cast in stark grey with silver rims) can tow it around. The cannon and arm section can also be removed so it can function as a flight stand, while an adapter for [[Dinobot (BW)#Masterpiece|MP-41 Dinobot]]'s display stand is also included, and the Ion Blaster now has 2 effect parts, which can stimulate blaster fire and when used with the Sideswipe rocket pack included, can be used as booster flames. He also comes with a fuel hose like that on the original figure, as well as a soundbox feature that can be switched between recorded lines by the character's original Japanese ([[Tesshō Genda]]) and English ([[Peter Cullen]]) voice actors, with transformation effects (though the ascending and descending transformation sounds are spliced together in his English voice) and Douglas Walsh music to boot! As to note, Cullen's clips are closer to the recent [[Aligned]] portrayals.

:Like [[Megatron (G1)/toys#MP36|MP-36 Megatron]], Convoy includes a battle-damaged head and an abdomen cover to replicate the war wounds in the climatic battle in the movie, and alongside a modified version of MP-10's Spike figure, he comes with two of Sparkplug and Carly, any of them capable of riding inside via 2 small doors on the side of the cab. A second alternate head is based on his head's rounder design seen in the first season of the cartoon and the Marvel Comics. His accessories can be stored in the trailer's removable undercarriage.

:This figure, with the included intakes and alternate head in place, also doubles as [[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP44|Starscream]] from "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1]]".

:Unfortunately, Convoy has been known to suffer from differing quality control issues. Because of a design flaw, certain plastic parts in his lower ratcheted knee joints tend to build stress during movement and eventually break. Furthermore, grey and yellow paint in parts that tend to get scratched and bumped during transformation have been prone to paint chipping. Some units have come with their [[For safety reasons|soft plastic]] ear antennas on different heads warped in-package. The human minifigures can have their ball jointed limbs rather easily popping out of their sockets and misassembled ( in this case, Carly with her groin part in reverse from the front).

:Unlike MP-01 and MP-10, this version of Convoy did not get a fully localized Hasbro release for English-speaking markets. However, it is being imported by Hasbro through numerous retail outlets with additional branding using the localized Optimus Prime name and presumably with the same Hasbro-branded slipcover and English safety sheet given to other contemporary ''Masterpiece'' releases. In Canada, the figure is being released as an EB Games exclusive, where he'll cost even more than the game consoles sold there! Hasbro's online product description neglects to mention the voice box gimmick, possibly due to English-speaking audiences' unfamiliarity with Japanese ''Transformers'' media and the fairly late reveal of his English-language voice clips.

:This mold was also used (minus the trailer, battle damaged, and Starscream parts) for [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Black Convoy]].

{{-}}{{anchor|atmosduck}}{{anchor|MP10DC}}
*'''Convoy (atmos safari duckcamo Ver.)''' ([[March 26]], [[2020]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10DC'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores, this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Duck sneakers, in a fetching scheme of greens plus vibrant orange.
{{picsneeded|toy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|atmoselephant}}{{anchor|MP10ASE}}
*'''Convoy (atmos safari ELEPHANT CAMO Ver.)''' (2020?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10ASE''' (?)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores (?), this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Elephant sneakers, in a fetching scheme of black plus vibrant teal.

{{-}}{{anchor|atmosviotech}}{{anchor|MP10ASV}}
*'''Convoy (atmos safari VIOTECH CAMO Ver.)''' (2020?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10ASV''' (?)
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores (?), this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Viotech sneakers, in a fetching scheme of light grey plus light gold.

{{-}}{{anchor|atmostigerblack}}
*'''Convoy (atmos safari TIGER CAMO BLACK Ver.)''' (2020?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10AS?'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores (?), this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Tiger Black sneakers, in a fetching scheme of black plus shocking green and gold.

{{-}}{{anchor|atmostigeryellow}}
*'''Convoy (atmos safari TIGER CAMO YELLOW Ver.)''' (2020?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-10AS?'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe
:Exclusive to Japanese Atmos stores (?), this deco of Optimus matches Atmos Safari Tiger Black sneakers, in a fetching scheme of yellow and black tiger stripes plus white.
{{--}}

==''Robotmasters''==
[[File:RMConvoy toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|My vehicle mode is dangerous and unroadworthy!]]
*'''G1 Convoy''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' "Convoy Gun", missile launcher, missile, energon-axe, 4 fists (2 left, 2 right)

: ''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]'' "G1 Convoy" (as he is amusingly referred to even in fiction) visibly takes its cue from ''20th Anniversary'' Optimus Prime, featuring a similar sculpt, but sharing few to none of the larger toy's other attributes, least of all anything that could be described as a successful transformation.

:G1 Convoy comes with two sets of fists, each pair featuring differently-shaped fist holes: one pair with square holes to hold the figure's "Convoy Gun" (as his ion blaster is called), and the other with round 3mm-compatible holes to hold the spring-loaded translucent blue missile launcher (a generic accessory also available with ''Robotmasters'' [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Beast Megatron]] and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys|Beast Convoy]]). The fists are swapped out by simply popping them out of the wrist-hinge that holds them in place; the figure also includes an energon-axe that can be inserted into the wrist instead of a fist.

:Due to being molded in translucent plastic, the waist section is prone to breakage, so exercise some caution.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/Convoy/convoy.htm More information on G1 Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|RobotmastersDVD}}
[[File:RM DVDConvoy toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm shiny!]]
*'''G1 Convoy + DVD''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-10'''
**''Accessories:'' "Convoy Gun", missile launcher, missile, energon-axe, 4 fists (2 left, 2 right)

: This special edition release of G1 Convoy is decked out in metallic paint and a tint of yellow for his eyes, with an extra Autobot insignia tampographed onto his right shoulder, and a black Convoy Gun. The figure comes packed with a DVD containing the first episode of the ''Robotmasters'' cartoon, "[[Fight! The Group of the Strongest Commanders!]]".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Cybertron/DVDConvoy/convoy.htm More information on G1 Convoy + DVD at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|RobotmastersBlack}}
[[File:Rmblackconvoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I'm blacky!]]
*'''G1 Convoy Limited Black Version''' (2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' "Convoy Gun", missile launcher, missile, energon-axe, 4 fists (2 left, 2 right), Calamity Defenser

: Available only via mail-order through ''Dengeki Hobby'' magazine, the "Limited Black Version" of G1 Convoy is just that: a straight [[black repaint]] of the G1 Convoy toy. He comes with all his original accessories, appropriately redecoed (including a silver version of his axe), as well as a gold-chromed version of the "Calamity Defenser" [[Solitarium]] weapon that came with [[Psycho-Orb]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/HHG1Convoy/convoy.htm More information on G1 Convoy Limited Black Version at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|RobotmastersLuckyDraw}}
[[File:Crayola convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The third one is totally ''Shattered Glass'' Prime!]]
*'''G1 Convoy''' (Lucky Draw figure, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-01'''
**''Accessories:'' "Convoy Gun", missile launcher, missile, energon-axe, 4 fists (2 left, 2 right)

:When ''Robotmasters'' G1 Convoy was turned into a Lucky Draw figure, the color scheme into which he was redecoed was chosen through a children's coloring contest held in the pages of the December 2004 issue of ''[[TV Magazine]]''. The winning entry was a... ''startling'' mixture of blue, orange and two shades of green, earning the toy the [[fandom|fan]]-appointed nickname of "Crayola Convoy". As with all Lucky Draws, it is extremely rare, with only ten units produced.

::*''[http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/toy/gallery/review/transformers+robot+masters+-+lucky+draw+custom+colour+g1+convoy/1594/transformers+robot+masters+-+lucky+draw+custom+colour+g1+convoy.html More information on "Crayola Convoy" at LuckyDrawTransformers.com]''
{{--}}

==''Universe'' (2003)==
[[File:SpychangerG1Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Why won't they repaint my full-size toy in these colours?!?]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Spy Changer, 2004)

: ''Universe'' Optimus Prime is a [[redeco]] of the ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)#Spychanger|Scourge]] [[Spy Changer]] toy. He replaces most of the black plastic with predominantly red and blue, with silver for detailing, with an overall deco making him resemble the original Optimus Prime. Like most Spychangers, he features high speed axles and can roll very well across smooth surfaces, but lacks the weight to propel him quickly.

: Originally a KB Toys exclusive, the first release of this toy (and the others in the assortment) did not have any sub-line designation at all, but later releases for other chains, most notably "budget" chains like Family Dollar, marked them as ''Universe'' product.

:This mold would later be redecoed into [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Optimus Prime Figure|a Spy Changer version of]] the live-action movie [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/SpyPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Universe Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Collector's Edition''==
{{anchor|OrionPax}}
[[File:G1-toy OrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Welcome to The Past!"]]
*'''Orion Pax''' (2005)
**''ID number:'' '''67'''
**''Accessories:'' "Barrelroller" robot/"electromagnetic lift handle", "laser rifle"

: This ''[[Collector's Edition]]'' Japanese [[e-HOBBY]] exclusive is a [[redeco]] of [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]] [[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]], released in conjunction with [[Kup_(G1)/toys#The Transformers Collection|Kup's 2005 reissue]] in ''[[The Transformers Collection]]''. He transforms into a Cybertronian pickup truck, and is colored to represent [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Orion Pax]] as he appeared in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 television series]] episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]".

: Like the Kup reissue, he comes with both the original release's gun and a [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]], in this case [[Roller (G1)#Collector's Edition|Barrelroller]], a redeco of [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]]. The original-release rifle has been slightly retooled to fit in the wider fist-holes of the Targetmaster vesion of the mold.

: Just as the reissued Kup came with a reissue of [[Wheelie (G1)#The Transformers Collection|Wheelie]], this set also included a redeco of Wheelie as Orion's best friend, [[Dion (G1)#Toys|Dion]].

: This figure was recreated years later [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Tribute2Pack|under the]] ''[[Transformers Tribute|Tribute]]'' line.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/OrionPax/orionpax.htm More information on Orion Pax at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Hybrid Style''==
*'''Convoy''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''T.H.S.-02'''[[File:THS02Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Expensive and tiny.]]
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, ion blaster, gas pump, energon-axe, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, [[jet pack|rocket pack]], 8 hands (4 left, 4 right), Autobot insignia stand

: ''Hybrid Style'' Optimus Prime is an ''insanely'' detailed and complex transforming toy, created under the supervision of famed mecha designer [[Shōji Kawamori]]. Standing only three and three-quarter inches tall in robot mode, the figure is partially constructed from die-cast metal and features one of the most complex transformation sequences ever seen on a ''Transformers'' figure of its size. Alas, the small size of the figure also works against it, as it required several design concessions that resulted in (if we're being nice about it) an unimpressive cab mode.

:Prime is loaded with a ridiculous number of features and accessories. The robot itself is highly poseable, and both the smokestacks on Prime's shoulders and the fuel tanks on his legs can be rotated forward to act as guns, even featuring sculpted detail to this effect. As ever, he comes with a trailer that opens up into his crazy-detailed Combat Deck, featuring more action features than ever before. In trailer mode alone, it features a flip-down support stand so it can stand alone, a spring-loaded pop-out ramp instead of a fold-down one, and when the trailer is split for transformation, the traditional support legs underneath automatically swing out into place. The trailer houses most of Prime's accessories, including his ion blaster (with a moveable ammo clip to allow for multiple poses) and energon-axe, as well as his classic gas pump accessory, now with a poseable wire instead of a rubber hose. Two fold-out compartments provide storage space for six of Prime's interchangeable fists, while the other two remain attached the robot: two clenched, two open, a pointing right fist, a tilted left fist (for holding the ion blaster's ammo clip), and two fists with slots to grip the miniscule Matrix of Leadership that fits in a tiny chamber in Prime's chest. The Combat Deck's artillery robot features two flip-out handles that Prime can grip as if aiming the drone's guns, and Roller is also included, with three different 3mm ports to hold Prime's gun and gas pump. Lastly, Prime comes with a rocket pack like those used by the Autobots in such Generation 1 cartoon episodes as "[[Dinobot Island, Part 1|Dinobot Island]]", and a stand shaped like the Autobot insignia that allows him to be displayed in mid-air, as if in flight. The rocket pack also has 3mm ports for Prime's weapons, and stores on the front of the trailer in vehicle mode.

:Purchase of a ''Hybrid Style'' Optimus Prime at a Japanese [[Toys"R"Us]] store allowed the buyer the option of also purchasing the exclusive ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|Hot Rod]] toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Cybertron/HybridConvoy/convoy.htm More information on Hybrid Style Convoy on TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|THS02B}}
[[File:THS-02B G2Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Yanigerlicious!]]
*'''Convoy Black Version''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''T.H.S.-02B'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, ion blaster, gas pump, energon-axe, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, rocket pack, 8 fists (4 left, 4 right), Autobot insignia stand, 2 missile launchers, 2 heads

:Available exclusively through e-Hobby, this black and teal repaint of ''Hybrid Style'' Convoy features the traditional "[[Nemesis Prime (disambiguation)|Nemesis Prime]]" color scheme, but represents a version of Optimus Prime himself. In addition to all the original accessories, the toys also includes several more deliciously metatextual goodies, themed around the ''Generation 2'' toy and comics: two new large guns patterned after the new weapons wielded by the ''Generation 2'' Optimus Prime toy, and two additional (blue) Prime heads that can be swapped with the figure's regular noggin, sculpted explicitly in the style of [[Transformers: Generation 2 (Marvel)|''Generation 2'' comic]] artist [[Derek Yaniger]]. One head is pristine, the other decorated to match the battle damage seen on the cover of the [[War Without End!|first ''Generation 2'' issue]].

:As the more franchise-savvy TransFans may realise, these extra parts, plus the black trailer of Convoy Black Version, can all be used to modify the original, red ''Hybrid Style'' Optimus Prime into a comic-accurate ''Generation 2'' version, complete with a black trailer, trailer-mounted guns and your choice of Yaniger-style heads.

:This figure came in a unique box, packaged with a [[Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version|mini-comic]], both illustrated by [[Hidetsugu Yoshioka]].
{{-}}{{anchor|THSBlackGold}}
[[File:TF-Hybrid-Style-THS-02-Convoy-Black-Gold-Ver.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Convoy Black Gold Version''' (November 25, 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''T.H.S.-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, ion blaster, gas pump, energon-axe, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, rocket pack, 8 fists (4 left, 4 right), Autobot insignia stand, 2 missile launchers

:Available ''only'' in China markets, Convoy Black Gold Version is yet another black repaint of the first ''Hybrid Style'' Convoy figure, with some gold detailing. Convoy Black Gold Version does not include any extra accessories unlike the Black Version release above.
{{--}}

==''Alternators''/''Binaltech''==
[[File:Alternators OptimusPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I don't come with a creepy girl...]]
[[File:Convoy BT.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|...and neither do I...]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2006)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''21'''
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun
: ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]'' Optimus Prime transforms into an accurate 1:24 scale Dodge Ram SRT-10. The vehicle mode features rubber tires, functional steering, opening hood, tail gate and doors with a detailed cabin interior. Several of the details of his [[robot mode]] body are based on the sculpt of the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime figure, but the head itself shares more similarities with the Powermaster mold. He is armed with a small pistol which transforms into his vehicle mode engine.

:This figure was originally conceived by Hasbro to be another character (exactly who is unknown), rather than Optimus Prime, but Takara insisted that the toy be made into Optimus to help it sell well in their markets, as the vehicle mode was no particular draw, given its scarcity in Japan. Reportedly, the figure cost twice as much as other Alternators to construct, so Hasbro had to bow to this demand so Takara would help fund it. Ironically, Takara eventually wound up soliciting the figure ''not'' as Prime, but as his ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (franchise)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' lookalike, [[Ginrai (human)|Ginrai]] (perhaps connected to the Powermasteresque headsculpt), before its Japanese release was cancelled and moved over into the ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'' toyline (see below).

: It took two further years, but this figure was eventually released as part of the Japanese counterpart to the ''Alternators'' line (''Binaltech'') in 2008. ''Binaltech'' Convoy features some additional paint details, like his silver pelvis, additional patterns on his shoulders, and red paint on his engine-gun, and like all ''Binaltech'' figures, he also includes die-cast metal pieces. Unlike previous Binaltech releases, a bio-card was not included.

:This sculpt was also used to create ''Alternators'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/AltOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Alternators/Binaltech Convoy at TFU.info]''
{{AlternatorsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Kiss Players''==
[[File:Kiss Convoy toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|...And yet, I do!]]
*'''Convoy X Melissa''' (2006)
**''Accessories:'' Engine/gun, "[[Surfblade]]" surfboard/sword weapon, [[Marissa Faireborn]] figurine with stand and 2 pairs of arms and legs

: ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]'' Convoy is a redeco of ''Alternators'' Optimus Prime. While the figures may appear similar at first glance, given that ''Kiss Players'' Prime is still red, blue and black, there are many subtle differences, not least of all the replacement of the ''Alternators'' figure's bare, flat red plastic with a deep metallic red paint. Several of his body parts are cast in different colors of plastic (for example, his shins, formerly black, are now blue, while his formerly-blue hands are now black), and he features more intricate paint applications on his shoulders, and especially his pelvis, which is decorated to look like Prime's traditional bumper.

:In addition to the small engine-pistol of his ''Alternators'' figure, Prime comes with the "Surfblade", a pink surfboard that can be reconfigured into either two small knives or a large double-bladed sword. As with all the ''Kiss Players'' figures, Prime also comes with a [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of a cute girl: in this case, Marissa Faireborn, who can perch upon his shoulder or sit in his driver's seat, and comes with two pairs of interchangeable arms and legs. Additionally, the set includes a CD featuring the first five episodes of the [[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|''Kiss Players'' radio drama]], as well as the exclusive bonus audio adventure, "[[Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)#CD collections and special episodes|Someday, Under the Sun]]."

:This set was originally intended to be released under the ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech Asterisk]]'' line, as "Black Convoy meets Marissa", but this release was cancelled before it was officially even announced.
{{AlternatorsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Titanium Series''==
[[File:TitaniumHeroes WWPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Well he ''is'' a car... in a car ''crash''.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, display stand

: Based on Optimus Prime's [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] form as seen in the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] comic book "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]", this version of Prime transforms into Cybertronian truck. The figure was personally designed by comic artist [[Don Figueroa]], who created the original comic design in the first place, and his signature is left on the figure in the most literal way: the word "DON" can be seen sculpted into the barrel of his silver ion blaster.

:As a ''Titanium'' figure, Prime is made in large part from die-cast metal, but like so many of the other toys in the ''Titanium'' line, his plastic joints have trouble supporting his heavy metal weight. He comes with the generic display stand shared by all of the 6" "Cybertron Heroes", with a unique removable nameplate.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitTWW6OptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Titanium Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}[[File:Titanium war within 2pack.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now we just need a [[Sherman Dam|dam]]....]]
*'''War Within Optimus Prime vs. War Within Megatron''' (two-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster

:This [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] ''Titanium'' two-pack includes the previously-released ''War Within'' Optimus Prime figure along with the ''War Within'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Megatron]] Megatron figure and an exclusive [[variant]] cover of ''[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]'' [[The War Within issue 5|#5]].

:As the mass retail release of the last waves of the ''Titanium'' "Cybertron Heroes" figures was delayed for several months, the two-pack version of Megatron was at least initially more widely available than the individually packaged one.

:Despite being mentioned in the joint [[instructions]] leaflet for the set, neither figure includes their display base.

:There appears to be a variant of this two-pack: One version has the Optimus Prime figure more or less identical to its individual release, whereas the other one drops the additional black paint weathering, making him much cleaner-looking.
{{--}}

==''Classics''==
{{anchor|classicsprime}}
[[File:ClassicsPrime Voyager.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Rub my symbol, Marissa. Oops, wrong toyline.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/laser cannon, wind vane/ion blaster

: ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' Optimus Prime is an all-new modern Optimus Prime design based upon the original Optimus Prime, as is the intention for the ''Classics'' toyline. He transforms into a modern cab-over style truck of made up model, dominated by a large wind vane on his roof. As with most ''Classics'' toys, he features a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]].

:In [[robot mode]], his wind vane transforms into a large ion blaster, and his smokestacks transform into a smaller laser cannon. Additionally, both weapons can combine together to form a double-barrelled over-shoulder weapon. Undocumented in the instructions, Optimus can also use the wind vane as a shield, If one of his fists is folded down. The unusually high amount of yellow paint used throughout the body is supposed to emulate the yellow stickers from the original G1 toy.

:The toy has a trailer hitch, but does not come with a trailer. There do exist several [[IP theft|unlicensed upgrade kits]] that have a trailer compatible with all versions of this mold.

:Unfortunately, the yellow paint on his forearms tends to flake off.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Classics Voyager Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{ClassicsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|UltimateBattle}}
[[File:ClassicsPrime Vs.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|They did me right, [[#20th_Anniversary.2FMasterpiece|once]].]]
*'''The Ultimate Battle''' (Multi-pack, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

: This ''Classics'' Optimus Prime is a smaller, Deluxe Class figure with a noticeable physical resemblance to Takara's ''[[#Robotmasters|Robotmasters]]'' Prime figure, and a transformation that is about as successful. The figure is armed with a tommy gun-shaped laser rifle that transforms into a turret-like configuration and mounts on the rear of his truck mode, and features a spinning "power punch" action that sees the whole upper half of his torso spin when a button on his back is pressed. Pressing the button "unlocks" the spinning mechanism; pull ''hard'' on the button, and you can lock the torso back into place.

:In the United States, Prime was only available in a special two-pack with a similarly unique ''Classics'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Megatron toy]], and the specially-produced "[[Optimus Prime vs Megatron: The Ultimate Battle|The Ultimate Battle]]" DVD (which is, inappropriately enough, entirely about the [[Unicron Trilogy]]). The two-pack (including the DVD) was also available as a [[Walmart]] [[exclusive]] "Bonus Value" version with two randomly selected members of the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Giant Planet Mini-Con Team]], in the combinations [[Overcast (Cybertron)|Overcast]]/[[Longarm (Cybertron)|Longarm]], Overcast/[[Deepdive (Cybertron)|Deepdive]] and Deepdive/Longarm. International markets, including European countries, saw the two-pack in a considerably smaller, differently-shaped box that was lacking the DVD case (the DVD was instead made available separately). In addition, Mexico, Singapore and some European countries such as the Netherlands and Hungary also received the two figures on individual cardbacks. For the United States market, the two-pack was [[rebranding|rebranded]] and re-released in [[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|2003 ''Universe'']]-branded packaging later in 2007, available from Dollar General, Big Lots and [[KB Toys]], and ''again'' in [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']]-branded packaging in 2011, this time available from Dollar General and Big Bad Toy Store.

:This figure was later ''also'' made available without redeco as part of the "Leader for the Ages" two-pack released under the [[#Transformers (2007)|live-action movie line]] (see below) and saw several redecos for [[#Universe (2008)|''Universe'']] ("Special Edition", below), ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' ("Sons of Cybertron", below) and [[#United|United]] (below).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsDVDOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Classics Deluxe Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|20thDVD}}
[[File:DVD 20thPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Discounted at a Walmart near you.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (20th Anniversary DVD Edition, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, Autobot Matrix of Leader, gun mode Megatron, Megatron's scope, stock and silencer, energon-axe, display stand

: Produced to coincide with the 20th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and its release on DVD by [[Sony]], this edition of Prime is a redeco of his ''[[#Masterpiece|20th Anniversary]]'' figure. It replaces the original's metallic paint with flatter colors and does away with any and all vacuum-metalized plastic, as well as altering several other small details across the body, like the color of the lights on his feet and chest.

:Prime comes with all the accessories of his previous release, although his ever-changing ion blaster is now somewhat confusingly cast in blue plastic. He features one major additional accessory: an electronic display base sculpted with the image of the Matrix and the Autobot insignia. Pressing the insignia's crest triggers a series of electronic soundbytes, mostly quotes from the movie recited not by original actor [[Peter Cullen]], but by Hasbro's in-house actor, [[Ron Hayden]]: "Autobots, transform and roll out!", "I want you to make a special run to Autobot City," "Megatron must be stopped!", "All we need is a little energon, and a lot of luck," and two samples of the classic [[Transformation#The noise|transformation sound effect]], one ascending, one descending.

:The display stand itself was later redecoed as a mail-in prize for TakaraTomy's ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' promotion, intended to be used with ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys|Rodimus Convoy]], and again when it was packaged with the "Last Production" run of the Masterpiece Optimus Prime toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/20thDVDOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on DVD Edition Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

{{anchor|PepsiPrime2007}}
[[File:PepsiOptimusPrime.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|Subservience to Corporate America is the duty of all servile beings.]]
*'''Pepsi Optimus Prime''' (Autobot, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, ion blaster, trailer

:Inspired by the [[#The Transformers|1985 promotional version]] of Optimus Prime that featured Pepsi stickers on his trailer, this outlandish incarnation of Prime is a slightly altered version of Takara's 2005 [[Pepsi Convoy]] figure (which represented a different character to Prime). The figure was only sold by [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] at various conventions, and given away as a promotional prize by Pepsi, via their [[Mountain Dew]] brand.

:A redeco of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime cab robot sporting an egregious number of Pepsi-themed paint masks and details, Pepsi Prime's differences from Pepsi Convoy are minimal: he features the shortened smokestacks previously seen on the [[#Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] release of the mold, the blue pattern on his decals are different (matching the American Pepsi can/bottle look at the time rather than the one used in Japan), and also has a different layout for the Pepsi logo on his right shoulder. Like Pepsi Convoy, he comes with an entirely new trailer unit, specially designed to carry either a single 500ml (16.9 oz) size [[soft drink]] bottle, three 350ml cans, or 12 bottle caps (bottle cap figurines being a common and popular collectible item in Japan). In a first for the Prime mold, the figure's fists store in holes on the underside of the trailer while he is in vehicle mode. His ion blaster (which also stores under the trailer) is the first Hasbro reissue to feature the original, thick-barrel sculpt, which was reinstated to the mold by the ''[[#Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' release of Prime a few years prior.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/PepsiPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Pepsi Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Sports Label''==
[[File:NikemusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Comfortable ''yet stylish'' jogging is the right of all fashionable beings.]]
*'''Convoy featuring Nike Free 7.0''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster
:Surely one of the strangest examples of licensed ''Transformers'' products, ''[[Transformers Sports Label|Sports Label]]'' Convoy transforms into a ''shoe''. Something of a [[shellformer]], this baffling incarnation of Prime is colored primarily white and red in his alt mode of a realistic-looking (if notably undersized) Nike Free 7.0 sneaker, complete with gratuitously long real fabric shoelaces. In [[robot mode]], he is made instantly recognizable by his incorporation of some additional blue and silver in predictable areas, and a traditionally Prime-styled head. Less traditionally, and somewhat perversely, Prime's feet are sculpted in the likeness of his own sneaker mode, making it seem like he's wearing himself!

:His gun splits into two halves and stores inside his [[kibble]] in shoe mode; in an undocumented feature, it has two handle pegs on opposite sides, so that it can be held either at its far end or halfway along its length. The gun halves can also be plugged together in two different ways.

:This figure was, in fact, the ''only'' mold in the ''Sports Label'' line. It was redecoed into the "Marine Free" version of Prime himself (see below), and given a new head to create ''Sports Label'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Sports Label|Megatron]]''

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Cybertron/SLConvoy/convoy.htm More information on Sport Label Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|marine}}
[[File:Sportslabel convoy marine version.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Prime's secret [[Magnus Prime|Magnus]] cosplay.]]
*'''Convoy featuring Nike Free 7.0 Marine Version'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster
:A redeco of the first ''Sports Label'' Convoy, this figure transforms into a white, navy, and grey sneaker. Promotional images for the figure depicted its robot mode as white and aqua-blue, but the finished product was visibly darker, produced in shades of off-white and dark teal. In either coloration, it sure as heck ''looks'' like it should be [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]], but for whatever reason... it ain't.
{{--}}

==''Encore''==
[[File:Encore convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller (grey), 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump

:A new series of reissues means a new release of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure, and Takara's ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' series proved no different. This edition of the figure featured no extra accessories, but it did include the original, thick-barrelled version of Prime's rifle, as reinstated to the mold by the ''[[#The Transformers Collection|Transformers Collection]]'' version of the toy a few years prior. Both his blue and red plastics are lighter than normal, though not to the extent of Hasbro's subsequent 25th Anniversary release.

:Notably, this edition addresses the small but persistent issue of the Autobot insignias on Prime's shoulders: Ever since 1984, applying the stickers evenly had been a challenge due to small bumps the figure's shoulders are textured with. Like the [[Pepsi Convoy]] figure released two years prior, ''Encore'' Convoy replaces the stickers with [[tampograph]]s.
{{--}}

==''Music Label''==
{{anchor|MusicLabelConvoy}}
*'''Convoy —playing iPod speaker—''' (2007)
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/iPod dock, 2 fists (left and right), ion blaster
[[File:MusicLabel-toy iPodConvoy.JPG|thumb|upright=1.66|You just paid 140 bucks for a new headsculpt, didn't you? I bet you don't even ''own'' an iPod...]]
: Hot on the heels of their licensing deals with Pepsi and Nike, TakaraTomy got themselves a slice of Apple™ pie and released Convoy —playing [[iPod]] speaker— as part of their small, musically-themed ''[[Transformers Music Label|Music Label]]'' line. This version of Prime is an all-white redeco of the original Generation 1 cab robot, which (much like the "Marine Version" of Prime from the ''[[#Sports Label|Sports Label]]'' line) makes it seem like he ought to be Ultra Magnus. The figure is actually even derived from the retool of the mold created for the original Ultra Magnus figure, as distinguished by the elongated hubcap pegs on the front wheels. Like Pepsi Prime before it, the figure's fists now store in peg holes on the under side of its trailer. The toy lacks any of the original Prime's stickers (even the silver stripe on his chest is now a [[paint operation]]) and includes the original thick-barrelled version of Prime's blaster. The toy features a brand new headsculpt based on the [[#20th Anniversary|20th Anniversary]] Prime figure, given additional poseability not previously seen on the figure by being mounted on a [[ball joint]].

:This, of course, is all secondary to the main draw of the figure: it pulls an all-white trailer, which transforms into a working iPod speaker dock by rotating a substantial wedge of its full length 90 degrees . The dock features three working buttons; power, volume up and volume down, as well as an Autobot sigil indicator light. Included is a wall-plugging (Japanese) A/C adaptor with a long lead that plugs into the reverse of the trailer. Although American importers shouldn't have too much trouble, those living in parts of the world using higher strength A/C current outlets should be warned NOT to simply plug the A/C adaptor in with only a socket adapter, as this will overload the device and fry it completely. Buying the appropriate kind of universal A/C adaptor with advice from an electronics specialty shop is recommended.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Cybertron/MLConvoy/convoy.htm More information on Music Label Convoy at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|MusicLabelOP}}
[[File:Musiclabelprimewithdock.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZit0FXr95c I'm gonna call you Peanut].]]
*'''Optimus Prime —speakers for iPod—''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/iPod dock, 2 fists (left and right), ion blaster
:Designated "Optimus Prime" rather than the traditional Japanese "Convoy", this figure is a redeco of the previous ''Music Label'' Convoy figure into the character's traditional red, blue and silver color scheme. Unlike previous re-issues of the mold, iPod Optimus Prime's sports a paint application similar to KissPlayers Convoy, having its ABS/PVC parts painted over with a thin layer of his iconic red, white (silver if you will) and blue motif paint applications (with the exception of his iPod docking trailer). This includes his trailer, though the effect is somewhat marred by the large, visible gap on one side. When reconfigured into dock mode, the interior surfaces surrounding the speakers are decorated with black-on-silver techno-patterns as well as three "Optimus Prime" logos. The recessed space also features a stylised, almost [[Frank Miller]]esque, high-contrast portrait of Prime's face, although this is largely covered when an iPod is inserted. The figure comes in identical packaging to the original ''Music Label'' Convoy, save for the addition of a sticker illustrating the different color of its contents.

{{-}}{{anchor|MusicLabelExile}}
[[File:ExileTransformersSpeakers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|The right of all sentient beings is... um... what am I promoting now? Wait, a Japanese pop band? Are you kidding me? I need a new agent.]]
*'''{{anchor|EXILE}}EXILE x TRANSFORMERS —speakers for iPod—''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Trailer/iPod dock, 2 fists (left and right), ion blaster

:Exclusive to [http://www.ldhshop.jp/ LDH Shop], this redeco of the ''Music Label'' Convoy toy is utterly ridiculous and was created as a promotion for the Japanese pop band {{w|Exile (Japanese band)|EXILE}}. While Convoy himself has EXILE written on his right forearm, his trailer sports the "Love Dream Happiness" tagline of LDH Inc.[http://www.ldh.co.jp/shopping/index.html], as well as the "EXILE Perfect Year 2008" logo of the "EXILE Perfect Year 2008 Ultimate Best Box" boxset, which was released some months after he was.
{{--}}

==''Transformers'' (2007)==
[[File:Movie LeaderfortheAges 2pack.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The more things change, the more they, uh, get bigger guns.]]
*'''Leader for the Ages''' (Wal*Mart exclusive two-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

: This Wal*Mart-[[exclusive]] two-pack pairs the deluxe-size ''[[#Classics|Classics]]'' Optimus Prime figure with [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] line's ''[[Fast Action Battlers]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys|Power Hook Optimus Prime]] toy. Both toys are identical to their original releases, and together represent the Optimus Primes of the oldest and newest generations (at the time) of ''Transformers'', respectively. The movie Prime is designated "2007 Optimus Prime", while the ''Classics'' figure is dubbed "1984 Optimus Prime" (referring not, of course, to the toy, which was produced in 2006, but to the character).
{{--}}

==''Diablock''==
*'''Diablock Convoy''' (2007)
**''ID number:'' '''01''' ('''Mecha Builder Vol.03''')[[File:DiablockPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66| We have the technology. We can ''rebuild him''. Except, uh.. for his [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Kre-O|face]].]]
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster

:Rounding out a bumper year of Japanese-[[exclusive]] Generation 1 Optimus Primes, the Takara-licensed Kawada brand ''Diablock'' Convoy is a fully transformable Lego-style block building figure similar in premise to the earlier American ''[[Built to Rule!]]'' sets. The ''Diablock'' figure, however, easily outstrips the ''Built to Rule!'' sets by both being an accurate representation of the toy on which it is based, and being able to transform between modes ''without'' having to be partially disassembled and put back together first.

:Forming a roughly 11-inch figure when fully assembled, ''Diablock'' Convoy is highly articulated, save for his head, which is only able to move up and down. Said head is also by far the most stylised aspect of the figure, with no real attempt to approximate Prime's face or mouthplate, instead featuring only a reversed block that gives the odd impression of a cycloptic eye. It is possibly intended to actually represent his forehead grill, as a yellow block inside his head construction remains barely-visible through a slit in his face, possibly intended to represent the classic toy's yellow eyes.

:The figure's [[transformation scheme]] is based on the original G1 figure, the only differences being that the fists are not removed but become the headlights, and instead of flipping backwards inside the chest, ''Diablock'' Convoy's noggin flips forwards with the aid of opening chest windows. A "laser rifle" in the shape of his ion cannon can be built from black bricks, and stickers bearing the Autobot [[Insignia|faction symbol]] can be placed on his shoulders, although this is not recommended as it is designed to permanently stick to multiple tiles which dislodge easily and may damage the sticker.

==''Henkei! Henkei!''==
[[File:Henkei convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' ([[March 13]], 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/Prime Gun, wind vane/ion blaster

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei! Transformers]]'' Convoy is a redeco of ''[[#Classics|Classics]]'' Voyager Class Optimus Prime. He features a significantly altered colour scheme, generally to make the toy more closely resemble his appearance in the Generation 1 cartoon and the original toyline. His truck mode features less silver paint striping, but compensates with a [[vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metalized]] grill/fender area. In [[robot mode]] all of his previously grey plastic is replaced with red plastic, with a majority of it being painted silver, chromed, or painted gunmetal gray. He features a different shade of red, blue, and clear blue plastic than the Classics version. Since ''Henkei!'' toys do not feature a heat-sensitive rubsign, ''Henkei'' Convoy has two Autobot sigils tampographed onto his shoulders.

{{-}}{{anchor|HenkeiClear}}
[[File:Henkei clear convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy Clear Version''' ([[June 19]], 2008)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/Prime Gun, wind vane/ion blaster

:This redeco of ''Henkei'' Convoy is cast almost entirely in translucent colored plastic. Also known by the nickname "Crystal Convoy" among fans, it was first released as an exclusive for the Japanese convention Tokyo Toy Fair 2008, limited to 1000 pieces at the event, but was later made available through [[e-HOBBY]]. It was sold in a monochrome-blue version of ''Henkei'' Convoy's regular packaging.

::*''[http://tfkenkon.com/collection/act491/index.php More information on Convoy Clear Version at TFkenkon.com]
{{-}}{{anchor|HenkeiGold}}
*'''Convoy''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/Prime Gun, wind vane/ion blaster

:[[vacuum metallizing|Chromed]] entirely in gold like many other [[Lucky Draw figure]]s before it, this version of Prime was available only through a ''[[TV Magazine]]'' mail-in promotion held in December 2008, and was limited to only five units, making it one of the rarest officially available Transformers toys in the world.

:Unfortunately, this toy has become the target of several [[knockoff]]s aimed at gullible collectors. Most of the fake ones can be told apart from the real deal by various details not matching up. The real one is cast in gold plastic, painted over in gold chrome and sports small red Autobot [[insignia|logos]] on both shoulders.

::*''[http://tformers.com/ig.php?mode=album&album=12878&dispsize=600&start=0 Gallery of (hopefully) a genuine Gold Convoy at TFormers.com]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GenteiBlack}}
*'''Convoy''' (<s>2008</s>)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/Prime Gun, wind vane/ion blaster

:A (technically) [[unreleased toy|unreleased]] [[black repaint|"black" redeco]] of ''Henkei'' Voyager-sized Convoy using the same plastic layout and paint mask but replacing red and blue with black, silver with gray, leaving the previously vacuum-metalized grill/fender area unpainted, changing the blue tint for the windows to red and changing all silver and yellow paint operations to blue. The red Autobot insignias would have remained unchanged.<ref name="blackgentei1">[http://tformers.com/ig.php?mode=album&album=9553&dispsize=800&start=0 Gallery of the unreleased ''Gentei! Gentei'' black Convoy at TFormers.com.]</ref>

:The figure would have come in a monochrome version of the standard ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Convoy's packaging, still named "Convoy" but now labeled as part of the ''Gentei! Gentei'' range of exclusives.<ref name="blackgentei2">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/universe-classics-20-29/transformers-henkei-wonderfest-exclusive-black-convoy-in-box-167615/ The unreleased ''Gentei! Gentei!'' black Convoy in packaging] at TFW2005.</ref> Reportedly, this figure was intended as a Wonderfest exclusive, but was canceled because, according too [[TakaraTomy]] designer [[Shogo Hasui]], it was too similar to ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Universe (2008)|Nemesis Prime]]. [[Knockoff]]s were later made available, so buyers beware!

:A minor redeco (replacing the Autobot insignias with Decepticon insignias, adding silver paint to the grill/fender area and changing the blue paint operations to teal) [[#UnitedBlack|was eventually released]] as a [[Tokyo Toy Show|Tokyo Toy Show 2012]] exclusive, now marketed as part of the ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' line.
{{canceledtoy}}

==''Universe'' (2008)==
===Generation 1 Series===
[[File:Universetoy 25th anniversary optimus prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2|And the block has returned!!!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2008)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, 2 fists (left & right), trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, 4 rockets, hose, nozzle, fuel pump, sound effects module, comic, DVD

:Sold at the rather exorbitant price of $75, this re-release of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime toy is actually one of the most visually different from the other "straight" reissues of the mold, despite Hasbro's assurance that this is the toy you had as a kid. Positively ''anemic'' in comparison with the original toy, this Prime's red parts are visibly paler than usual, while his blue parts are much lighter (although the version released at Canadian retail reportedly sports a deeper shade of red again). This shade of blue extends to both Roller (a lighter blue than his traditional dark shade, yet darker than the lightest the figure has been in its history) and the internal workings of his Combat Deck, which is itself a much flatter shade of light grey, compared to its normal dark, swirled metallic silver color. In addition, the toy features the now-customary shortened smokestacks, and the elongated missiles seen on the [[#Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]] release, while the Autobot insignias on his shoulders are no longer stickers, but rather tampographs, like on Takara's ''Encore'' release. While all reissues of the Prime mold since 2003 have used the original thick-barreled mold for his ion blaster, this version includes the slender sculpt instead.

:As a 25th anniversary set, Prime includes several new pack-in bonuses: a reprint of the [[The Transformers (issue)|first issue]] of the original [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|comic book]], a DVD containing all three parts of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|animated series]] pilot [[More than Meets the Eye (mini-series)|"More than Meets the Eye"]], and three desktop wallpapers, and a battery-powered Autobot symbol that plays transforming sound effects, part of the first version of the ''Transformers'' [[theme song]], and three voice clips performed by Peter Cullen: "I am Optimus Prime!", "Autobot, transform and roll out!" and "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost." There are some reports that the Autobot symbol could be worn out or damaged during the time of purchase.

:Outside the United States, this set was available in a thinner rectangular box. It contained all the original accessories from the American release, but not the DVD. An English-only version of this packaging format was available in Asia and Australia (initially only available at Myer stores, but later also at Toys"R"Us, Kmart and Target, eventually at drastically reduced prices), while a bilingual English/French packaging variant was available in Canada, still including—though not advertised on the packaging—the (English only) comic book.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/25thOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===Deluxe Class===
{{anchor|UniSpecEd}}
[[File:Uni2008-toy SEOptimusPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Deluxe Class: Special Edition, 2008)
**''ID Number:'' '''SE-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

:"Special Edition" Optimus Prime is a redeco of the ''Classics'' multi-pack toy, featuring some minor paint detail changes, bluer translucent plastic, darker and cooler gray plastic, and darker metallic flake red and blue plastic, with his (previously black-only) rifle body most notably now being cast in both blue ''and'' black plastic. He came in special "book box" style packaging with black-and-white boxart, and was only available at retail in Australian and Asian markets. North American customers could later buy him via [[Hasbro Toy Shop]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/HTSOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Special Edition Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

===''Titanium Series''===
[[File:Titanium-toy Target OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Yawn... Hey, wait! Am I [[Delta Magnus]] now?]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster, display stand

: A [[Target]]-exclusive [[redeco]] of War Within Optimus Prime in [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action film]]-inspired colors. The bio on the back of the packaging only fills up half of the allotted space, as if the [[Forest Lee|writer]] was tired of describing Optimus Primes.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TitOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Target-exclusive Titanium Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Alternity''==
[[File:AlternityConvoy VibrantRed.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|It's like G2 Go-bots all over again...but cooler!]]
*'''Convoy Ultimate Silver''' ([[February 26]], 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-01'''

:''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' Convoy transforms into a 1:32 scale Nissan GT-R, featuring die-cast metal parts, an opening hood, trunk and doors, as well as an interior, complete with his feet and thighs being sculpted to form the back seats. This complex figure stands at 6.5" tall, and is armed with a pair of blasters on each arm. In the hyper-dimensional world of the oft-confusing ''Alternity'' fiction, this figure specifically represents the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Story of Binaltech|Optimus Prime]] of [[universal stream]] [[Primax 903.0 Beta]].

:The mold suffers from a [[Design flaw|minor design oversight]], wherein the rear Nissan badge collides with his left leg strut when the left foot is hinged over and pegged into a clear plastic socket during transformation, with the results being that the connection is slightly crooked, isn't very secure, and sometimes pops off, and that the crooked pegging often causes the socket to crack.

:''Alternity'' Convoy was simultaneously available in both this silver coloration, and a deco based on his traditional appearance termed "Vibrant Red" (see below). The figure was later redecoed to create "[[Nemesis Prime (Universe)#Alternity 2|Convoy Super Black]]" (representing not Optimus Prime, but ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Nemesis Prime]]), ''Alternity'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Alternity|Ultra Magnus]], and ''Alternity'' [[Dai Atlas (Zone)#Alternity|Dai Atlas]]. It was retooled into ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' [[#GT|GT-R Prime]], [[Star Saber (Victory)/toys#GT|GT-R Saber]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]] and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#GT|GT-R Maximus]].

*'''Convoy Vibrant Red''' (February 26, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-01'''

:"Vibrant Red" ''Alternity'' Convoy is a redeco of the "Ultimate Silver" figure in the much more traditional red and blue Prime color scheme, representing the Optimus Prime of universal stream [[Primax 109.0 Beta]]. The figure was available simultaneously with the Ultimate Silver version, sharing the same packaging and pack-in materials, save for the color of the illustration on the front of the box, and a sticker that identified the figure within.
{{--}}

==''Transformers'' (2010)==
===Legends Class===
{{anchor|RTSLegends}}{{anchor|2010Legend}}
[[File:TF2010-toy Legends Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|YOU'LL NEVER GUESS HIS TRUE ALLEGIANCE!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Legends Class, 2011)

:[[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] Optimus Prime is based on his original Generation 1 appearance. He features a [[Kibble#"Faux-parts"|fake grill]] for his robot mode, and his large legs result in a fairly thick and compact truck bed. He is part of "[[Reveal the Shield]]", a subline that outfits all its toys with [[rubsign]]s, and in this case, it's located on the left side of the truck/his left elbow.

:This figure was redecoed and retooled into ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)#Generations|Motorbreath]] and [[Transformers (2014 toyline)|''Transformers'' (2014)]] [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Ultra Magnus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/RTSLegOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "Reveal the Shield" Legends Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|DollarLegends}}
[[File:TF-2012-Legends-Class-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Legends Class, 2012)
:*''Accessories:'' Sword (running change variant only)
:The [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|2010 ''Transformers'']] "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] Optimus Prime sculpt in the deco from the first ''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' EZ Collection wave (see below) was released as a "Dollar Store" exclusive (available at stores such as Dollar General and Big Lots) in generic 2010 ''Transformers'' packaging packaging alongside [[Starscream (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Starscream]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Bumblebee]] and [[Megatron (G1)/toys#DollarLegends|Megatron]]. The initial release saw the copyright year removed, while a later [[variant#running changes|running change variant]] featured the new tooling originally used for ''Generations'' Legends Class [[Motormaster (G1)#Generations|Motorbreath]], with not only the retooled hands and a hole on the back of his head/top of his [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]] compatible with [[C joint|3mm posts]], but also Motorbreath's sword accessory.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===Deluxe Class===
{{anchor|Sons of Cybertron}}
[[File:G1toy sons of cybertron optimus prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Sons of Cybertron''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Machine gun turret/rifle

:Released as part of [[TakaraTomy]]'s ''[[Welcome to Transformers 2010]]'' campaign, the "Sons of Cybertron" set includes a redeco of the 2006 ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' "Ultimate Battle" pack Deluxe class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Optimus Prime]], cast mostly in translucent plastic (his shoulders remain opaque [[Unpaintable plastic|Polyoxymethylene (POM)]]). He comes packaged with a similarly translucent redeco of ''Classics'' [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Classics (2006)|Rodimus]].

:The set is a counterpart to TakaraTomy's simultaneously-available ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]'' Sons of Cybertron set, which also features translucent versions of that line's Deluxe [[Optimus Prime (Animated)/toys|Optimus Prime]] and [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus]] figures. It was intended as an exclusive for the Japanese Chara Hobby 2010 festival, but was also initially offered as a raffle prize at the 2010 "Autobot Alliance" event in the Philippines.,<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/sons-of-cybertron-crystal-classics-optimus-prime-and-rodimus-set-images-169977/ TFW2005.com reports on the Philippines Autobot Alliance/Cybertron Con event. June 18, 2010]</ref> and was later available for purchase at [[Cybertron Con 2010]] in [[Shanghai]].

{{-}}{{anchor|RTSDeluxe}}
[[File:TF2010 Deluxe G2OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|[[Fandom|We]] see a red truck, and we want it [[Black repaint|painted]] [[Scourge (RID)|black]].]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Deluxe Class, 2011)
**''Accessories:'' [[Laser Rod (weapon)|Sword]]

: Part of the sixth wave of the [[Transformers (2010 toyline)#RTS|2010 ''Transformers'' toyline]], this Optimus Prime is an all-new Deluxe Class mold based on the original ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' Laser Optimus Prime toy ([[#LaserOptimusPrime|see above]]). Transforming into a racing truck, he has some influences from the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action movie Optimus Prime]], including the more defined flames on his hood, athletic [[robot mode]] proportions and a more aggressive-looking translucent orange sword that can be held with both hands for maximum extreme chopitude. Optimus Prime features extensive use of translucent plastic in his arms, head and upper torso for a [[light-piping]] effect. Optimus also has a (non-detachable) matrix gimmick in robot mode that is formed by a relief pattern on the inside of the cab's side windows and is visible through the windshield/chest in robot mode. Like the Legends toy, he's part of ''Reveal the Shield'' and features a [[rubsign]], this time on the roof. He is also ''very'' articulated and poseable, even featuring ankles and wrists that are both [[Ball joint|ball-joint]]ed ''and'' [[Swivel joint|hinged]].

: The original Hasbro [[Stock photography|stock photos]] depict him as having red [[paint operation]]s on his kneecaps and the sunken ridges around his blue abs that the final product lacks. The photos on the cardback show him with a red Autobot symbol on his truck door and blue plastic instead of grey for the piece just in front of his rear tires. The back photo also depicts his side windows as being the same translucent orange as the front ones, when they are, in reality, a garish solid orange.

: Multiple reports suggest that the toy suffers from a [[design flaw]], inferior plastic quality, or both: Due to his hands having peg-holes that are a bit too small to accommodate 5 mm posts, they have a tendency to show stress marks on the inside after pegging his sword handle (or most other pegs) inside. Stress marks also tend to appear near his tiny hinged wrists. Fortunately, there have been no reports of the hands actually ''breaking'' on either location thus far.

: This toy was redecoed into ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]/[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Optimus Prime (SG)#BotCon2012|Optimus Prime]] and ''Timelines'' [[Scourge (RID)#Timelines|Scourge]], and was retooled into ''Timelines/Shattered Glass'' [[Ultra Magnus (SG)#Timelines|Ultra Magnus]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/RTSOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "Reveal the Shield" Deluxe Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{2010DeluxeOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===''Masterpiece''===
{{anchor|mp10hasbro}}
[[File:Transformers2010toy-HasbroMP10OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Standing tall and proud with his smokestacks erect.]]
*'''Masterpiece Optimus Prime''' (2012/2014)
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#Transformers (2010)|Ion cannon]], [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#mp10hasbro|Matrix of Leadership]], [[Energon-axe#Tranformers (2010)|Energon axe]], [[Combat Deck (G1)#Transformers (2010)|trailer/Battle Station/Maintenance Dock]], [[Roller (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Autobot Roller]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Transformers (2010)|Spike Witwicky figurine]]
:The Hasbro [[Toys"R"Us]]-exclusive release of [[#MP10|MP-10 Convoy]] features brighter blue plastic and paint, brighter unpainted non-metallic red plastic, painted yellow lights above the front truck windshields, painted light blue eyes, and lacks silver paint for the trailer's interior. Roller is now blue.

:In the Philippines, this was only available as a Toys"R"Us "Limited Edition" figure in the Trinoma mall from August 23–26, with customers having to sign up to reserve their figure. It was limited to 48 units total, and was limited to one per customer.

:Hasbro Asia re-released this in 2014. It came with an exclusive addition—the [[Key to Vector Sigma#Masterpiece|Key to Vector Sigma]]. In 2017 it was [[#Masterpiece|basically reissued]] under ''Generations'' co-branding.

:Stock photos show his vehicle mode mistranformed.
{{MPOptimusMold}}
{{--}}

==''United''==
[[File:Unitedtoy cybertron mode prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|See?! War for Cybertron ''is'' G1!]]
*'''Optimus Prime Cybertron Mode''' ([[December 25]], 2010)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''UN-01'''
**''Accessories'': "Assault rifle"

: The first toy in TakaraTomy's ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' toyline is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|War for Cybertron]]'' Deluxe Class [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Generations|Optimus Prime]], transforming into a Cybertronic "armored truck". As has been TakaraTomy's won't of late, he now sports a metallic red paint job, with brighter pink paint applications and cooler grey parts, and features several additional paint details to those present on the Hasbro figure in the form of black chest windows and pink lines on his face mask. His rifle transforms as well, folding and plugging into the roof of the vehicle mode. The rifle can also peg into his forearms, and, in its compact configuration, can attach to his shoulders via peg holes on the backs of his front tires or stored behind his back in [[robot mode]].

: This mold was also used to make ''United'' [[Darkside Optimus Prime (United)#Toys|Darkside Optimus Prime]].

{{-}}{{anchor|UnitedEarth}}
[[File:Unitedtoy g1prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|No, my legs won't retract. Now buy me.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (December 25, 2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''UN-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle

:The second Optimus Prime toy in TakaraTomy's ''United'' toyline is another redeco of the ''Classics'' multi-pack Deluxe-sized toy (the first release in Japan), this time featuring an extensive metallic red paint job on the majority of the red plastic, and he features metallic sheen on the unpaintable red plastic and his blue plastic is now brighter. While the paint masks are identical to the Special Edition release, ''United'' Optimus Prime features additional paint operations on the hip, the stomach grille, the fold-up waist panels, the lower chest piece (at least in the front), and the forehead.

:Although the stock photo (pictured from the right) shows both of his biceps painted silver with his Autobot insignia tampographed on the left shoulder, the final product omits the paint operation (due to being molded with unpaintable plastic) and the insignia is placed on his left forearm, just like his ''Classics'' figure.

{{-}}{{anchor|UnitedG2}}
[[File:Unitedtoy laser prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Laser Optimus Prime''' ([[March 26]], 2011)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''UN-22'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Laser Rod (weapon)|Laser Rod]]" sword

:The third ''United'' Optimus Prime toy is a redeco and slight retool of the [[#Transformers (2010)|Deluxe Class figure]] from Hasbro's 2010 ''Transformers'' toyline, itself an homage to Prime's ''Generation 2'' [[#LaserOptimusPrime|"Laser" form]]. The toy features translucent blue plastic as opposed to Hasbro's orange, red paint is used on the biceps instead of blue paint, extra red paint applications on the knees like the original's sticker detail, and more broken-up red apps on the shoulders. Silver detailing was added to the cab mode on the grill, the bumper, and near the doors. The blue plastic in cab mode is now black plastic to make the figure more accurate to the ''Generation 2'' original. The gray plastic is changed from the Hasbro version to more closely match the [[#G2reissue|2006 reissue of Laser Optimus Prime]]. Black paint was applied to the cab mode to mimic the fade from red to black on the original Laser Optimus, but still includes a flame deco like the Hasbro version, only in a different design. It lacks the roof-mounted rubsign of the Hasbro version, instead including Autobot insignias on the cab doors. (Disappointingly, they are Generation 1 insignias, rather than ''Generation 2'' ones!) Additionally, a retool was made to the peg on the inside of his right shoulder, to make it shorter and wider than the Hasbro version, allowing it to move freely without hitting the torso, unlike the Hasbro release.
{{2010DeluxeOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|UnitedBlack}}
[[File:Unitedtoy-BlackOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Shouldn't be hard for him to fit in with the Decepticons... There's like, [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|two]] [[Darkside Optimus Prime (United)|other]] "evil Optimus Prime" guys in their ranks.]]
*'''Black Optimus Prime''' ([[June 16]], 2012)
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/blaster, wind vane/cannon

:Available [[exclusive]]ly at the [[Tokyo Toy Show]] 2012 (along with [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Shining|''Prime'' Shining Optimus Prime]]), Black Optimus Prime is a very minor redeco of the previously unreleased [[#GenteiBlack|''Gentei! Gentei!'']] black version of [[#Henkei! Henkei!|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Convoy]], itself a redeco of the [[#Classics (2006)|''Classics'' Voyager Class toy]]. As such, Black Optimus Prime is mostly cast in black plastic, with some gray parts, translucent red windows and teal paint operations.

:The only differences with the unreleased version, aside from the packaging, are that silver paint has been added to the previously unpainted grill/fender area, the blue paint operations have been changed to teal, and the red Autobot insignias have been replaced by purple Decepticon ones. Prime's [[bio]] apparently explains that he took on this new color scheme in order to infiltrate the Decepticon ranks, in response to recent attacks by some new Decepticon forces pretending to be Autobots.

::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1579.html Black Optimus Prime at Alfes's Toy Blog (part 1)]''
::*''[http://higekumatoytoy.blog60.fc2.com/blog-entry-1580.html Black Optimus Prime at Alfes's Toy Blog (part 2)]''
{{ClassicsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Chronicle''==
{{anchor|G1MoviePrime}}
[[File:TF-Chronicle-CH01-G1-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''G1 Optimus Prime & Movie Optimus Prime''' (multi-pack, 2011)
**''ID number:'' '''CH01'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster|Laser rifle]], trailer

:This reissue of the original Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure comes in a two-pack with the Deluxe-Class ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Chronicle|Optimus Prime figure]]. Prime himself is almost identical to the ''Encore'' release, save for his trailer hitch which was retooled to allow a peg to be inserted within it while still being able to be inserted into the trailer itself (making it compatible with his G1 trailer and the new trailer included). Like the Encore release, he features lighter colors and tampographed shoulder symbols (which vary slightly from the Encore release).

:His original trailer is not included with the set; instead, he comes with [[Armored Weapons Platform#Chronicle|a new deluxe-scaled trailer]], not available with any other figure, based on the one towed by Prime in ''Dark of the Moon''. The trailer is compatible with both figures, and sports [[5 mm post|5mm post]]-holes that will hold (among many other things) G1 Prime's laser rifle and the [[MechTech]] weapon Movie Prime is armed with.

:Oddly, for their official [[stock photography|promotional photography]], Takara took an existing photo of Optimus Prime's robot mode that was at least a decade old, having previously been used as a very early (and inaccurate) illustration for Hasbro's then upcoming ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' reissue of the figure.
{{--}}

===''EZ Collection''===
[[File:EZCollectionChronicleConvoyToy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (EZ Collection, 2011)
:A ''veeery'' slight [[repaint]] of the [[#2010legend|2010 Reveal the Shield]] Legends figure, the first ''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' Prime replaces that figure's rubsign with a tiny tampographed Autobot symbol on his left bicep. He was one of eight figures available in the first wave of "EZ Collection" blindpacked figures.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|ChronicleEZG2}}
[[File:Chronicletoy ez g2 prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' (EZ Collection, 2011)
:The '''Reveal the Shield''' Legends Prime mold was redecoed again for the inclusion in the second EZ Collection wave. This version of the figure replaces his blue on the head with black, and the blue paint on the legs is stripped off, revealing the black plastic underneath. and like the Megatron redeco in the same wave, features a ''Generation 2'' Autobot symbol instead of a Generation 1 insignia.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Kre-O''==
{{Note|This section only lists Generation 1-inspired Optimus Prime ''Kre-O'' toys.}}
{{anchor|Matrix}}
[[File:KreO-Toy OptimusMatrixKreon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|If you even ''thought'' about Transformers in 2011, you probably have two of me.]]
*'''Matrix Optimus Prime''' (2011)
**''Pieces'': '''10'''
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle

: Intended to be [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2011]], this redeco of the regular Optimus Prime Kreon has an open chest showing the [[Matrix of Leadership]] within. He comes with a G1 inspired gun and a black brick display stand.

: We say "intended", because in actuality, the thing appears to have been produced in such huge quantities that it's wound up being made available in ''loads'' of other places—it was handed out at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2011, offered as a free giveaway with any order that included Transformers toys on [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]), as a free gift on the cover of the ''[[Awesome Autobots Activity Book]]'', and came as a free gift attached to, of all things, issue #240 of the [[United Kingdom|UK]] children's comic, ''[[Doctor Who]] Adventures'' (but not the UK's [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|Transformers comic]], you'll note!).

:A supposed factory error even caused this version (minus display stand) to be included in the larger Optimus Prime kit (see below). This problem has (presumably) been fixed, but it was awesome while it lasted.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Kre-OMatrixOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Matrix Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|542pc}}
[[File:KreO-Toy Optimus542pc.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Nigh-infinite configuration possibilities, and somehow a WORSE base mode than pretty much every other Optimus's trailer-bases. Wow.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2011)
**''Set number'': '''30689'''
**''Pieces'': '''542'''
**''Kreons'': Optimus Prime, Bluestreak, Skywarp, two Stunt Drivers
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle, weapons sprue (sniper rifle, pistol, submachinegun, handcuffs, radio, ammo box), large tool sprue (shovel, hammer, electric drill, clamp), small tool sprue (socket wrench, screwdriver, wrench, hatchet), 2 traffic cones

: Naturally, Optimus Prime got the biggest of the sets in the first year of ''Kre-O''. The set can be built into a large long-nose tractor-trailer rig with a removable "sleeper" cab that hides a computer station, and a trailer that can carry the set's two motorcycles or open up to carry larger car builds. The robot mode build includes a huge Optimus, based largely on the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action movie Optimus]], though with a head based almost directly on the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Classics|''Classics'' Voyager Optimus]]. He is armed with a distressingly plain brick that fires pressure-launched missiles (aka his smokestacks). Most of the leftover parts in robot mode become a "headquarters" which is mostly just a random assemblage of mismatched-color panels and a pair of barricades. Both main builds leave numerous parts unused if you go expressly by the instructions, but hey, it's a building kit, surely you can find ''someplace'' to apply most of them.

: The set comes with a bevy of [[Kreon]]s, including Optimus Prime (this one based heavily on Generation 1 Optimus), [[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Bluestreak]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Kre-O|Skywarp]], and a pair of human [[Stunt Driver]]s. A packaging error resulted in some releases of this set to come with the promotional "Matrix chest" Optimus (see above) rather than the normal version pictured here.

:Speaking of errors, the instruction manuals (he has two) both have errors in their parts listings, showing numerous pieces in the wrong colors or not making it clear that some parts are, well, clear. Making things more confusing, not all of these miscolors are reflected in the step-by-step instructions, while a couple new ones are added there.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Kre-OOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|90pc}}
[[File:KreO OptimusPrime small.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|So come on down to South Park and meet some friends of mine.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2011)
**''Set number'': '''31143'''
**''Pieces'': '''90'''

: The smaller optimus Prime Kre-O kit is loosely based on the original Optimus Prime, transforming into a cabover truck. He comes with no Kreons.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2011/Autobot/Kre-OSmallOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "small" Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Custom}}
[[File:KreO-Toy OptimusCustomKreon.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.67]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Custom Kreon, 2013)
**''Set number'': '''A6085'''
**''Pieces'': '''41'''
**''Accessories'': Rack, large rifle, ray pistol, robot sword, wing-backpack, rocket-backpack

: Part of the first assortment of "Custom Kreons", this version of Optimus Prime comes with a buildable parts rack on which to hang/store his many many extra pieces. His [[tampograph]]s are much more heavily-detailed than the original Kreons, based on the [[#The Transformers|original Optimus Prime toy]]. His "normal" helmet (and small sword) are [[chrome]]d, plus he comes with an extra clear-plastic helmet, torso and legs. He also has a pair of extra arms (originally from the ''Kre-O Battleship'' aliens), plus a buildable large rifle, a buildable wing-pack, and a ray pistol (originally an [[Andorian]] blaster from ''Kre-O Star Trek'').

{{-}}{{anchor|OrionPax}}
[[File:KreO-Toy OrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Orion Pax''' (2014)
**''Pieces'': '''10'''
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle, transparent block, brick display stand

:Available only with the ''[[Transformers: Kre-O Character Encyclopedia]]'', Orion Pax is a Kreon version of Orion Pax from "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]". He uses the [[Ironhide (Kre-O)|Ironhide]] helmet and the original Optimus Prime Kreon's gun. The transparent block which he can hold has "KREO" written on it in [[Cybertronian language#Notes|Autobot text]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/Kre-OOrionPax/orionpax.htm More information on Orion Pax at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Elite}}
[[File:Kre-o-Elite-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Give [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Diablock|me]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Kre-O|your]] face?]]
*'''Elite Optimus Prime''' (2014)
**''Pieces'': '''43'''
**''Acessories'': Optimus rifle

:A polybag with buildable Optimus Prime with larger hands and legs on a Kreon sized torso, much like the Galvatron in the Factory Battle set. His helmet is completely unpainted.

:This figure was a freebie given away at Canadian Toys"R"Us stores during a build-a-figure event, and also available at the "Transformers Exhibition" event in Taipei, Taiwan from [[June 27]] to [[July 6]].

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2014}}
[[File:KreO-toy OptimusClass84.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Voted Most Likely to <s>[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Diablock|GIVE ME]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Kre-O|YOUR FACE]]</s> Succeed]]
*'''Kreon Class of 1984''' (Kreon figure set, 2014)
**''Set number'': '''B0090'''
**''Voted'': Most Likely To Succeed
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle

: This version of Optimus, part of the the [[Kreon Class of 1984]], lays heavy on the toy-based tampographs (though they are completely different from the other iterations), and like the others in the set, has a more animation-model-inspired face deco, what with having a nose and all.

:He was only available in a pack of 30 Kreons dubbed "Class of 1984". This set was made for sale at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2014. Remaining stock was to be sold at [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online after the convention, but as the set sold out at the show, that never happened.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/SDCCKre-OOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Class of 1984 Optimue Prime at TFU.info]

{{-}}{{anchor|KreOGashapon}}
*'''Total Commander Optimus Prime (Convoy)''' (Gacha capsule Kreon, 2014)
**''Accessories'': Ray pistol

:In late 2014, twelve Kreons were sold through [[TakaraTomy]]'s "TakaraTomy A.R.T.S" [[Gacha]] capsule-toy machines in Japan. Thankfully for the rest of the world, these Kreons are all basically identical to previously-released ones in the Hasbro lines. The Gacha release of Optimus Prime is basically the base [[#Custom|Custom Kreon Optimus]] using his clear-plastic helmet and carrying the small ray pistol, lacking his leg-wheels, smokestacks and backpack (and of course all those other parts and accessories).
{{--}}

===Battle Changers===
{{anchor|BattleChangers}}
[[File:Kre-o-battle-changers-optimus-prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(Individual version pictured)'']]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Battle Changers, 2015)
**''Set Number'': '''B0715'''
**''Pieces'':''89''
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle

:Part of the new Battle Changers line, Battle Changers Optimus Prime transforms from truck into a robot and back without removing any parts!

:Like the rest of the Battle Changers, he is available in selected Asian countries since December 2014.

{{-}}{{anchor|BattleChangersOptimusVSMegatron}}
[[File:Kre-O-Battle-Changers-2-pack-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''(2-pack version pictured)'']]
*'''Optimus Prime VS Megatron''' (Battle Changers 2-pack, 2015)
**''Set Number'': '''B1506'''
**''Pieces'': ''198''
**''Accessories'': Optimus rifle, trailer

:Available in a two pack set with [[Megatron (Kre-O)#Battle Changers|Battle Changer Megatron]], this Optimus is largely the same as as the single release, with some minor differences. He uses a new "double harness" piece on his torso instead of using two harnesses, leaving more space for his head to grip the neck-post. He also has different windshield decals, and his reds and blues are slightly darker. And, most obviously, he has an additional buildable trailer, though it doesn't really attach to the truck mode in any meaningful way.
{{--}}

===Mini-Con Combiners===
{{anchor|MiniConCombiner}}
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Mini-Con Combiners, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Bazooka, [[Phaser (weapon)|phaser]], Uzi, scoped pistol, [[Klingon]] blaster

:"Mini-Con Combiner"' Optimus comes with one standard Kreon and four ''Cityville''-syle mini-Kreons of the same character, each one a different incarnation from various franchises. With some extra parts, the mini-Kreons become limbs to make a larger combiner-bot.

: The main torso-bot is based on Generation 1 Optimus's original body. Two of his limbs are based on ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]]; one "normal" (Inferno helmet), one pre-[[Earth]]-body (Knock Out helmet). Another is based on [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action Optimus]] (Soundwave helmet), and the remaining one (Ironhide helmet)... actually looks to be based on the Optimus-like-but-not-Optimus [[Micromaster]] [[Overload (G1)|Overload]]! The heck?

:The Mini-Con Combiners apparently never saw release anywhere.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==''EZ Collection Gum''==
[[File:EZ-Collection-Gum-Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Convoy''' (EZ Collection, [[July 30]], [[2012]])
**''ID number'': '''1'''

: [[EZ Collection#Transformers: EZ Collection Gum|''EZ Collection Gum'']] Convoy is another redeco of ''Generations'' Legends Class [[Motormaster (G1)#Generations|Motorbreath]], featuring the retooled parts, but this time omitting the sword. He is decoed once again in his ''Generation 2'' colors (see above), with the black legs, but uses metallic red plastic, and is coated in metallic red, blue (replacing his head's black), and black paint. As per the toyline's name, he comes with a yellow candy-shelled piece of lemony-flavored gum.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Generations''==
{{anchor|UltimateGiftSet}}
[[File:Generationstoy-UltimateGiftSet-CombatHeroOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|He hasn't found this suit in 17 years!]]
*'''Ultimate Gift Set''' (2012)
:*''Accessories:'' Sword

:''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' "'''Combat Hero Optimus Prime'''" is a metallic-blue, gunmetal, and red redeco of ''United'' [[#UnitedG2|Laser Optimus Prime]], having the retooled tab, and being based on the canceled ''Generation 2'' [[#CombatHeroOptimusPrime|Combat Hero Optimus Prime figure]], sporting a red mouthplate inspired by the official catalog image for the unreleased toy (packaged samples had featured a traditionally colored gray mouthplate). He comes packed with a (vaguely) ''Generation 2''-styled Deluxe Class [[Jazz (G1)/toys#UltimateGiftSet|Autobot Jazz]], as well as unchanged releases of ''Generations'' Legends Class [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#UltimateGiftSet|Thundercracker]] and [[Motormaster (G1)#UltimateGiftSet|Motorbreath]].

:The Ultimate Gift Set was exclusive to online retailers in the United States, but was available at general retail in Asia.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/GenUGSOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Combat Hero Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{2010DeluxeOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===''Thrilling 30''===
====Legends Class====
{{anchor|GenerationsLegends}}
[[File:Generationstoy-T30-LegendsOptimusPrimeRoller.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Say hello to my little friend, and Roller.]]
*'''Optimus Prime & Autobot Roller''' (Legends Class, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #001'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster

:Part of the third wave of 2012-onwards ''Generations'' Legends Class toys, ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' Optimus Prime is a new mold that is roughly the same size as a ''[[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]]'' Commander Class toy. Both his truck and [[robot mode]] are based on his [[Don Figueroa]]-designed body from [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[The Transformers (IDW)|ongoing series]], and features [[5 mm post|5 mm-compatible]] hands and roof. He comes with an [[Ion blaster#Legends|Ion Blaster]] which has both 5mm and 3mm posts.

: He comes with "[[Roller (G1)#Generations|Autobot Roller]]", who can transform into a six-wheel armored SUV, a robot with [[C joint|3 mm-compatible]] hands, and a weapon with a 5 mm handle. He has a 5 mm hole in vehicle mode and a 3 mm hole in weapon mode for mounting the Ion Blaster.

: Not depicted in the instructions or stock photos, Roller can attach to Prime in vehicle mode via two tabs on the vehicle front which slot into two corresponding slots on Prime's feet. Another undocumented feature is that the butt of the Ion Blaster can be inserted between the barrels of Roller's weapon mode to form a longer weapon. Also not shown in the instructions but depicted on the stock photo on the card-back is that Prime's shoulderpads can be rotated up; the intended positioning for this is notched, although you can position them at other angles.

: The stock photo of Optimus' vehicle mode is slightly mistransformed: his head slightly sticks out from the truck roof, which prevents the front windows to clamp together. This mold was also used to make ''Thrilling 30'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Generations|Nemesis Prime]], and retooled into ''Combiner Wars'' [[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]] and [[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Thrilling 30'' Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{GenerationsLegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|TG24}}{{anchor|OPandBee}}
[[File:TTGenerationsTG24OptimusRoller.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Optimus Prime & Bumblebee''' (Multi-pack, [[September 28]], 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TG24'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster

: The Japanese release of ''Generations'' Legends Class Optimus Prime [[redeco]]es him in an extensive metallic red paint job, save for his unpaintable parts, which made him end up having two tones of red. He comes in a [[TakaraTomy]] four-pack with [[Roller (G1)#TG24|Roller]], as well as [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#TG24|Bumblebee]] and [[Blaze Master#TG24|Blazemaster]].
{{GenerationsLegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

====Deluxe Class====
{{anchor|T30Deluxe}}{{anchor|Deluxe}}
[[File:Generationstoy-T30OrionPax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And so my childhood flees forever more. Shall it return? Quoth the raven: "Nevermore."]]
*'''Orion Pax''' (Deluxe Class, 2013)
**''Series / Number'': '''02 / #002'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster, Energon Axe

:Part of the fifth wave of 2012-onwards ''Generations'' Deluxe Class toys, ''Thrilling 30'' Orion Pax is a new mold with a robot mode inspired by [[Guido Guidi]]'s design for the character, originally seen in ''[[Spotlight: Blurr]]''. Some liberties have been taken with the original concept to facilitate his truck mode, which is a new design not based on the Guidi art. He comes with his [[Ion blaster#Deluxe|Ion Blaster]] and an [[Energon-axe#Deluxe|Energon Axe]] with a transparent red-orange blade, both of which can peg onto 5 mm ports on his hands and vehicle rear sides. Although not depicted on the instructions, the Ion Blaster can also peg into the hole in the larger blade of the Energon Axe. Even though the light-piping eyes are neutered by light blue paint, the side grooves are still able to light up as the paint only focuses on the central optic.

:The American release is packed in with a copy of IDW's ''[[Omega's Conundrum|Spotlight: Orion Pax]]'', which sports a 'Hasbro Exclusive Cover' cropped from the [[Clayton Crain]] [[:File:Spotlight OrionPax cvrRI.jpg|retailer incentive cover]] for the issue. In Europe and Canada, the figure was released without the Spotlight.

:Since the hilt of the Energon axe is painted, inserting it onto any hand may cause it to scratch off.

:Most of the first-wave Orion Pax toys released in monolingual English [[packaging]] sport a bizarre [[quality control#Packaging images and labelling|error]]: The [[package art|character art]] on the side of the cardboard insert inside the blister bubble has the character art of Orion's [[wave]]-mate [[Megatron (G1)/toys#T30Deluxe|Megatron]] superimposed over Orion's own art. This error doesn't appear on the [[Multilingual packaging|European packaging]].

:The toy was later [[Redeco|recolored]] and [[retool]]ed to make ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Lio Convoy]], [[Optimus Prime (SG)#NovaPrime|Nova Prime]], and [[Galva Convoy#Toys|Galva Convoy]]. The mold was designed with a pre-tooled [[Kup (G1)/toys#Generations|Kup]] alternate head that remains unused.<ref>https://www.facebook.com/PetesRoboCon/posts/569672986709925</ref>

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/GenOrionPax/orionpax.htm More information on ''Thrilling 30'' Orion Pax at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|SDCC2013}}{{anchor|SDCCMetroplex}}
*'''Metroplex''' (Titan Class, 2013)
**'''01 OF 30'''

: An [[exclusive]] version of Titan Class [[Metroplex (G1)#SDCC2013|Metroplex]] was made available at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2013. He comes with 12 small, non-transforming figurines of Orion Pax, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Megatron]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Bumblebee]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Thundercracker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#SDCC2013|Trailcutter]], and [[Hoist (G1)/toys#Thrilling 30|Hoist]], all in both modes. The figurines are based on their ''Thrilling 30'' Deluxe Class toys, and similarly to [[Decoy]]s, the Autobot figurines are cast in red plastic, and the Decepticons in purple.

:The handle of Pax's Energon Axe is incredibly thin and unable to support the axe head, meaning the latter tends to droop down in the process.

{{-}}{{anchor|ACGHK2013}}{{anchor|HKACGCONMetroplex}}
[[File:Generationstoy-T30-Metroplex-OrionPax-HKACGCON.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|... And you ''still'' end up playing the thimble in [[Monopoly]].]]
*'''Metroplex''' (Titan Class, 2013)
**'''05 OF 30'''

: Another exclusive version of Titan Class [[Metroplex (G1)#HKACGCON|Metroplex]] was made available at [[Hong Kong ACG-CON]] 2013. This Metroplex also has the 12 figurines of Orion Pax, [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Megatron]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Bumblebee]], [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Thundercracker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Trailcutter]], and [[Hoist (G1)/toys#ACGHK2013|Hoist]], but casts the Autobot figurines in gold plastic, and the Decepticons in silver.

{{-}}{{anchor|TG25}}{{anchor|VSMegatronus}}
[[File:TF-Generation-JP-TG25-Orion-Pax.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Neither of them wants to own up to the fact the Great War started over an argument about getting granite counter-tops for their kitchen.]]
*'''Orion Pax VS Megatronus''' (Multi-pack, [[October 26]], 2013)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TG-25'''
**''Accessories'': Blaster, axe

: The Japanese release of ''Generations'' Orion Pax also received a metallic paint job as well as other changes, including a translucent blue windshield and brighter orange axe with a metallic gray handle. He was only available in a two-pack with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#TG25|Megatronus]].
{{--}}

====''Platinum Edition''====
{{anchor|YearOfTheHorseOP}}
[[File:PlatinumEditiontoy-Year of the horse Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Does not contain any Neil Young.]]
*'''Year of the Horse Optimus Prime''' (2014)
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#Platinum Edition|Ion blaster]], [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Platinum Edition|Matrix of Leadership]], [[Energon-axe#Platinum Edition|Energon axe]], [[Combat Deck (G1)#Platinum Edition|trailer/Battle Station]]

:Released to celebrate Chinese New Year, ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' "Year of the Horse" Optimus Prime is a redeco of MP-10 Convoy, featuring darker reds and gold-chromed parts, among other deco changes. He lacks Roller and the Spike Witwicky figurine.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/YotHOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Year of the Horse Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{MPOptimusMold}}
{{--}}

===''Combiner Wars''===
[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Beefcake is the right of all sentient beings.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2015)
**'''3 OF 5: [[Ultra Prime]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Two blasters (combine into large rifle)

: Part of the first wave of ''Generations: [[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Voyager Class toys, this is a bigger, bulkier incarnation of Optimus Prime with a striking resemblance to Ginrai. He comes with two blasters which he holds via 5 mm post. One of the guns is based on his trademark Ion Blaster, and both weapons store on the back of his vehicle mode as a makeshift engine block. His torso mode has several details that appear to be influenced by [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Energon|''Energon'' Optimus Prime]]'s super mode, including the head, chest, and thighs. In particular, the chest details are modeled after the [[Spark of Combination]]. He also features two pair of fake windows on his robot and gestalt chest halves. The combiner head can be used as a robot mode head if you're feeling silly.

:Optimus suffers from a design flaw that many other Voyager Class figures in the ''Combiner Wars'' line experience: the detents, or "click points", on the heavily-ratcheted outward motion of his hips (which also form the hips of his torso mode) are few in number and very far apart. As a result, Prime's legs have great difficulty assuming the natural "A-stance" formation that the angled design of his foot sculpt seems to have been meant to accommodate. Likewise, when forming the torso of Ultra Prime, the interactions of the knee-lock mechanism and the hip detents almost always force Ultra Prime's legs into either an awkwardly knock-kneed arrangement or an equally awkward, and often unstable, bow-legged posture (as seen in the image to the right) that prevents Ultra Prime from standing flat-footed. Unlike Motormaster, this version of Optimus was the only one to not receive the improved hip ratchets implemented in its future releases in some shape or form by Hasbro, though they would be used for the Battle Core redeco later in the line. However, there are third party ratchet replacements for the hips.

:Apart from this, Optimus Prime is also the weakest link of the gestalt combination, due to a number of design failures attributed to his torso mode. The square holes-and-tabs used to secure the arms together when in torso mode are too weak to remain locked in place (though a very small amount of copies can secure the arm well), and are prone to falling out of position should an attached arm be moved. The torso mode's skirt plate is also attached to the stomach rather than the pelvis, rendering the waist swivel nearly worthless due to the skirt obstructing articulation.

:Being a ''Combiner Wars'' Voyager, Prime is naturally capable of transforming into a torso mode to combine with any 4 Deluxe Class ''Combiner Wars''-style toys, though his packaging call-out has him form Ultra Prime by combining him with Deluxe Class [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]] and [[Alpha Bravo]] as the arms, and with [[Fireflight (G1)#Generations|Firefly]] and [[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Drag Strip]] as the legs. He can combine with [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]], [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]], and [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]] if one wishes to have an IDW-accurate Optimus Maximus.

:Optimus comes packaged with a collector's card featuring art from the initial release of the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/CWOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Combiner Wars'' Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{CWOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|CWBC}}{{anchor|BattleCoreOP}}
[[File:CWVoyagerBattleCoreOptimusPrime.jpg||upright=2.66|thumb|A white Optimus that ''isn't'' [[Ultra Magnus (disambiguation)|Ultra Magnus]]?! What is this madness?]]
*'''Battle Core Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2015)
**'''3 of 5: [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]'''
**''Accessories:'' Two blasters (combine into large rifle)

:"Battle Core Optimus Prime" is a white redeco and slight retool of the previous ''Combiner Wars'' Optimus figure. According to the Hasbro panel at [[BotCon 2015]], his new head is based on Star Convoy (see above). For some reason, his deco appears to be influenced by [[Nova Prime]].

:The figure features newly redesigned hip ratchets to make both robot and combiner mode stable, which were also installed in both TakaraTomy's [[Motormaster (G1)#Unite Warriors 2|Motormaster]], [[Grand Scourge#Toys|Grand Scourge]], and a revision wave of Hasbro's Motormaster. The pegs that Legends Class Rodimus (or Blackjack) attach to have also been slightly modified to provide a tighter fit, making the latter toy much less prone to falling out.

:Battle Core Optimus Prime can combine with any Deluxe Class toys with the ''Combiner Wars''-styled joint—but, of course, he is intended to be combined with [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]], [[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]], and [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]] to form [[Optimus Maximus (G1)#Generations|Optimus Maximus]]. He can also combine with ''Unite Warriors'' [[Streetwise (G1)#Unite Warriors 2|Streetwise]], [[Groove (G1)#Unite Warriors 2|Groove]], [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Unite Warriors|Prowl]], and ''Combiner Wars'' [[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Rook]] to form White Convoy Grand Prime, as seen in the [[God Neptune comic 3|''Generations Selects'' Special Comic promoting God Neptune]].

:Battle Core Optimus Prime comes packaged with a collector's card based on his packaging art. the prototype printed on the back of the box & the stock photos, and the CG model in the instructions had him possessing a single tampographed/stickered symbol on his left arm.

:He and the last three waves of ''Combiner Wars'' Deluxe and Voyager figures later showed up in the U.S. at TJ Maxx at reduced prices.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/CWBCOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Combiner Wars'' Battle Core Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{CWOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{anchor|TFSS}}{{anchor|DoublePretender}}
[[File:TFSS-5.0-Double-Pretender-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|The [[Trukk not munky|debate wars]] are over.]]
*'''Double Pretender Optimus Prime''' (TFSS 5.0, 2017)
**''Accessories'': Pretender Shell, Pretender Shell Gun, Blaster

:''Combiner Wars'' Double Pretender Optimus Prime is a [[redeco]]/[[retool]] of ''Generations'' Legends Class [[Swerve (G1)#Thrilling 30|Swerve]], with a new head and [[#LaserOptimusPrime|a ''Generation 2''-inspired]] deco for his pickup truck mode. He reuses the blasters from his [[#Thrilling 30|''Thrilling 30'' Legends Class and Deluxe Class Orion Pax figures]].

:He also comes with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]] (a redeco of ''Thrilling 30'' [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Generations|Flanker]]) and a Pretender shell redecoed from [[Oilmaster#Timelines|Oilmaster]]'s, decorated after the original unreleased grey-and-red gorilla shell.

:This figure was only available through [[Fun Publications]]' [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service|Subscription Service 5.0]] and shipped together with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Double Pretender Megatron]].
{{--}}

===''Cyber Series''===
[[File:Generations-Cyber-Battalion-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|No, not an upsized KO.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Cyber Battalion, 2015)
:Part of the new ''Generations Cyber Battalion'' series, Optimus Prime is a new mold which stands 7 inches tall, and transforms from a truck (which is based on the ''Generations Thrilling 30'' Legends Class Optimus Prime figure) into a robot in just 7 simple steps. The figure's transformation engineering had taken cues from the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2010Legend|''Reveal the Shield'' Legends Class Optimus Prime]] figure, while it still retains the same ol' articulation.

:As with other earlier Cyber Series figures, Optimus Prime had a rather strange release cycle. At first, he only retailed exclusively in Asia and Latin America, with the closest to a U.S. release being in limited quantities from online retailer BigBadToyStore.com. He did, however, end up being available in the Universal Studios Theme Park, and also later as a Walgreens exclusive.
{{-}}

{{anchor|CyberCommander}}
[[File:Generations-Cyber-Commander-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Trukk with Munky arms.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Cyber Commander, 2015)
:This new roughly 11-inch leader-sized mold of Optimus Prime transforms from a robot to trailer/truck combination and back, with the transformation taking cues from both the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2010Legend|''Reveal the Shield'' Legends Class]] and [[Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys#Legion Class|the ''Robots in Disguise'' Legion Class]] toys. Surprisingly, he does have a reasonable amount of articulation, including a balljointed head and hinged joints for his arms, shoulders and legs, plus lateral hinges for his feet. His head includes [[light-piping]] and, unlike other Cyber Series toys, his truck windows have ''actual'' transparent plastic rather than just being merely painted.

{{-}}{{anchor|CyberCommanderRedeco}}
[[File:Cyber-Commander-Optimus-Prime-redeco.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Trukk with Munky arms but slightly more G1.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Cyber Commander, 2017)
:A redeco of of the Cyber Commander toy above, this Prime features grey plastic replacing the original blue, some deco differences on the arms, body & legs. He also features a flame tampograph on the sides of his vehicle front. He comes in an altered packaging that replaces the first version's painted [[prototype]] [[stock photography|stock photos]] with CG renders depicting the new deco, and also features a new Hasbro product code number, thus making him officially a separate product rather than a drastic running change [[variant]].

:Interestingly, the side profile of the cab transitions from red to blue with a flame-like design, obviously nodding towards his movieverse counterpart.
{{--}}

===''Titans Return''===
[[File:Titans Return Optimus.jpg|thumb|upright=2|An Optimus Prime... ''retooled from an [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys|Ultra Magnus]]?'' '''WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?''']]
*'''Autobot Apex & Powermaster Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, 2016)
**''Accessories:'' Two blasters, two shoulder cannons, [[Hi-Q#Generations|Apex]] Titan Master

:A heavy retool of ''Combiner Wars'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]], this Optimus Prime is based on the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy from 1988. Despite this, Hi-Q (now renamed 'Autobot Apex', presumably for trademark reasons) doesn't form the engine on Prime's chest; instead, he transforms into a de-faceplated version of the original Powermaster Optimus Prime cab robot head, over which a helmet slides during transformation to complete the Powermaster Prime look. In all three of Optimus Prime's modes are various pegs and seats with which Titan Master figures can interact. Like other Leader Class figures, his base mode can connect to other ''Titan Returns'' figures with base modes.

:Most notably in terms of new tooling, the panels on the undersides of Powermaster Optimus Prime's forearms feature slots under the fists, which allow the guns to tab in and be held much more stably than with Ultra Magnus. And due to the amount of empty space in the cab area in vehicle mode, Powermaster Prime can fully transform without the need to remove his head.

:Powermaster Optimus Prime also comes with a collector's card based on his packaging art.

:In an undocumented feature, because he comes with the same rifles as ''Combiner Wars Ultra Magnus'', his weapons can be combined into a huge, multi-barreled rifle. His instructions show that one of the two Titan Master seat guns can peg onto the top of his chest plate in base mode, but are unclear on exactly ''how''. The tab on the chest plate plugs into the hole where the Titan Master's feet peg in. However, in doing so the Titan Master will no longer fit. Due to the extra panels that were added to the legs, Optimus has trouble standing flat on both feet. Fortunately, this doesn't have any serious effect on the toy's stability due to the size of the feet. His gray plastic comes tinged somewhat, perhaps as a result of a [[Photodegradation|yellowed]] specimen of the original Powermaster figure (such as the one on this very page) being used as a reference. He comes with two different Autobot symbols: The ones on the shoulders are a Movie variant, while the trailer features a ''Generation 1''-styled insignia.

:This mold was further retooled as ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' [[Ginrai (human)#Legends|Super Ginrai]], which was redecoed into Siege On Cybertron [[Magnus Prime#Generations|Magnus Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/TRPMOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Titans Return'' Powermaster Optimus Prime at TFU.info]
{{CWUltraMagnusMold}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|TRVoyager}}
[[File:TF-Generations-Titans-Return-Voyager-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|An Optimus Prime that turns into a ''jet''? AND HE'S A DECEPTICON? '''''THE MADNESS IS SPREADING!''''']]
*'''Diac & Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2016)
**''Accessories'': Sword, Double-barreled rifle, [[Diac#Generations|Diac]] Titan Master

:This Optimus Prime is a new Voyager-sized Triple Changer mold, which transforms from robot to tanker truck to plane (based on the [[Action Master]] [[Armored Convoy]] vehicle) and back. His robot mode is heavily based on ''Generation 2'' [[#LaserOptimusPrime|Laser Optimus Prime]], whilst the deco appears to draw from Star Convoy. His Titan Master partner [[Diac#Toys|Diac]] transforms into his head (but any Titan Master figure is compatible). Like all ''Titans Return'' Voyager class figures, he has built in mechanisms to "bulk up" his noggin. In his case these are spring-loaded pylons. His robot mode also features fake truck windows.

:This iteration of the mold and its redecos exhibit a minor design flaw: there are two tabs on the plane mode's wings that prevent the truck mode's trailer from fully closing at the rear. Ostensibly, this can be rectified by setting the wings slightly askew so they can properly flatten against each other. However, this leads to some holes on each wing not being lined up with some corresponding pegs on the trailer.

:This mold was redecoed into ''Legends'' [[Scourge (RID)#Voyager|Black Convoy]] and ''Street Fighter X Transformers'' [[Ryu#Toys|Ryu]], and retooled into [[Octane#Titans Return|Octone]]. Beginning with this wave, Hasbro changed the standard packaging design for ''Titans Return'' Voyagers from "Autobot" style to "Decepticon" style regardless of character faction.

:This mold would've been redecoed as "Action Master" Optimus Prime with a redecoed Infinitus Titan Master for the BotCon 2017 "Action on Hydrus Four" set that never came to be.

{{-}}{{anchor|TRCOV}}{{anchor|ChaosOnVelocitron}}
[[File:TF-Titans-Return-Chaos-on-Velocitron-Laser-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|An Optimus Prime with a picture of him burning down forests!? <big>'''''THIS IS MADLY OUTRAGEOU...'''''</big>[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LaserOptimusPrime|no wait.]]]]
*'''Chaos on Velocitron''' (Giftset, 2017)
**''Accessories'': [[Laser Rod (weapon)|Sword]], Double-barreled rifle, [[Refractor#Generations|Refractor]] Titan Master

:Released under the name "Laser Prime", this Optimus Prime is a redeco of the above Voyager Class figure, with its deco based on [[#Laser Optimus Prime|his ''Generation 2'' toy]]...and yes, the tanker's sticker is still him burning down forests. Unfortunately, the enormous stickers are usually poorly applied, resulting in peeling, trapped air bubbles, and misaligned placement.

:Refractor and Laser Prime were only available in a box set named "Chaos on Velocitron" that includes [[Dynamus#Generations|Dynamus]] and [[Quickswitch#Generations|Quickswitch]], [[Parsec#Generations|Parsec]] and [[Nautica (G1)#Generations|Autobot Nautica]], [[Fastlane#Generations|Fastclash]], and a [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#TRCOV|Rodimus Prime]] Titan Master head. The set was officially announced by Hasbro to be a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]], and was sold at stores in the United States, Canada, and Hasbro's Asian markets (such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong). Despite this, it later became available via [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in the United States (but not in Canada) as well, actually sold by Amazon directly (as compared to a third-party seller).
{{--}}

===''Platinum Edition''===
:''See also:'' [[#Platinum Edition 2]]
{{anchor|YOTG2015}}{{anchor|YearOfTheGoatOP}}
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-YOTG-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|''Don't bother asking for explanations'' ''She'll just tell you that she came'' ''In the year of the <s>cat</s> goat'']]
*'''Optimus Prime Year of the Goat Edition''' (2015)
**''Accessories:'' "Laser cannon", "saber weapon", missile launcher, 10 missiles, 5 discs, 2 rockets

:Released to celebrate the Year of the Goat, ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' "Year of the Goat" Optimus Prime is a redeco of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#LaserOptimusPrime|''Generation 2'' Laser Optimus Prime]], featuring the same discs lacking the G2 Autobot logo found on the ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Scourge (RID)#Toys|Scourge]] version of the mold, but otherwise keeping all the electronics from the original release. Like Year of the Goat Soundwave, Year of the Goat Optimus Prime features an awkward mix of orange, black, clear pink (in some parts including missiles, the discs, and even the pump!), some clear blue (the missile's tips), translucent plastic, and some hint of chrome silver (mostly his trailer parts, which happens to give the trailer somewhat of a resemblance to that of the aforementioned Scourge).
{{G2LaserOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|StandFall}}
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-OsS-OsF-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Meanwhile in an alternate universe, the arms are his weak points for Megatron.]]
*'''One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall''' (2-pack, 2016)
**''Accessories'': Smokestacks/Laser Gun, energy unit/ion blaster

:Part of Hasbro's ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' offerings for 2016 intended to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', this Optimus Prime is yet another redeco of the ''[[#Classics|Classics]]'' Voyager toy. Rather than the [[show-accuracy|show-accurate]] colors like the ''Age of Extinction'' 2-pack figure, the toy's deco is very similar to the ''Classics'' release, with some changes and omissions: his blue plastic is a dark metallic sheen, his knee's yellow detailing was removed, his small Autobot symbol tampograph was placed on his right shoulder, and his larger one is placed on his energy unit. His side door/arm kibble is left unpainted. According to [[Mark Weber]], this was meant to represent his abdominal area being torn in the movie's battle. (Yeah, we have no idea how it works, since the "battle damage" parts end up on his ''arms'' in robot mode.)

:Both his robot and vehicle mode [[stock photography|stock photos]] depict him slightly mistransformed.

:''Platinum Edition'' Optimus Prime was only available as part of a 2-pack with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Megatron]], named "One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall" after Optimus Prime's famous line in the movie. In the United States and Canada, this set was officially released as an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive. It was also available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely the Philippines and Singapore; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Australia, it was sold at Myer stores, whereas in the United Kingdom, it was both sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores and available via Tesco's website (but never found in stores). Surprisingly, it was (and still is) a common find in Brazilian online stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2016/Autobot/PlatinumOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Platinum Edition'' One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{ClassicsOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|YOTR2017}}{{anchor|YearOfTheRooster}}
[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-YotR-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Also known as "Hybrid Style Convoy Hasbro Edition", but more expensive.]]
*'''Optimus Prime Year of the Rooster Edition ''' (2017)
**''Accessories'': Trailer/Combat Deck, Roller, ion blaster, gas pump, energon-axe, Autobot Matrix of Leadership, rocket pack, 8 fists (4 left, 4 right), Autobot insignia stand

:In an ''unexpected'' turn of events, ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' Optimus Prime is an ''unchanged'' release of ''[[Hybrid Style]]'' [[#Hybrid_Style|Convoy]], making it the very first Hasbro release of the figure. He retains all of the original figure's accessories, and the die-cast construction.

:Ironically, despite being a redeco of a small yet complex adult collectible, the figure is marked as "for ages 8 and up". Hope you didn't lose the small parts here.

:The set was first released as an exclusive in Taipei Movie & Toy Convention 2016 in limited quantities; and later through [[Walmart]]'s Canadian website. In late March 2019, the figure finally saw distribution in the US as a BigBadToyStore exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Alt-Modes''===
[[File:Alt-Modes OptimusPrime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Alt-Modes, 2016)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Collection'': '''1, 2, 3'''

:''[[Alt-Modes]]'' Optimus Prime is a super deformed toy whose body transforms into a truck when the Autobot faction symbol on his head is flipped. He was [[Blindpacking|blind-boxed]] and available in all three cases of the first Collection.

:This mold was redecoed into ''Alt-Modes'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Alt-Modes|Nemesis Prime]] and retooled into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Alt-Modes|Ultra Magnus]].

{{-}}
*'''Silver Optimus Prime''' (Alt-Modes, 2017)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Collection'': '''1'''

: Released in the second Series of ''Alt-Modes'', "Silver Optimus Prime" is, somewhat obviously, a silver redeco of the previous toy.

{{picsneeded|toy}}
{{--}}

===Primitive Skateboarding Promotion===
[[File:TF-Generations-TR-Primitive-Skateboarding-Powermaster-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|A black Optimus that isn't [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|evil]]? And he has ''blue'' windows?! '''''THIS IS TOO MADDENING! GAHHHHHH!''''']]
*'''Optimus Prime & Shreddicus Maximus''' (Primitive Skateboarding exclusive Leader Class, 2017)
**''Accessories:'' Two blasters, two shoulder cannons, '[[Shreddicus Maximus]]' Titan Master, Skateboard, 3-piece ramp/railgun

:Released as part of a collaboration between Transformers and [https://primitiveskate.com/ Primitive Skateboarding], this figure is a black repaint of the ''Titans Return'' Powermaster Optimus Prime, with the deco somewhat resembling [[#NucleonQuest|Nucleon Quest Super Convoy]], but with some gold trims and Primitive Skateboarding markings partially designed by Primitive Skateboard founder [https://hypebeast.com/tags/paul-rodriguez Paul Rodriguez]. He also comes with a new hoverboard accessory (resembling the one [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] used in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''), which Shreddicus Maximus (or any other Titan/Prime Master) can attach to. This board is designed to attach to the included three-piece skating ramp & rail assembly, which can be folded up and rebuilt into a railgun (get it?) that other figures can wield.

: Optimus & Shreddicus were initially [[exclusive]] to [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2017, where they sold out. A small portion of the run had been held for future sales: [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] put the set up for sale for about five minutes on [[August 14]] before selling out. The remainder was available at [[HasCon 2017]]'s exclusives booth, but again they burned through the stock very quickly.
{{CWUltraMagnusMold}}
{{--}}

===''Masterpiece''===
{{anchor|HasbroMP10}}
:''See also:'' [[#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|20th Anniversary/Masterpiece]]
[[File:Hasbro-Generations-MP10.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2017)
**''ID Number: '''MP-10'''
**''Accessories:'' Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, Energon axe

:Another Hasbro release of the [[#MP10|MP-10 mold]], which is ''basically a reissue'' of the [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10hasbro|2010 ''Transformers'' line's Masterpiece Optimus Prime]], but with the Japanese release's ID number. Surprisingly he is NOT mistransformed on the initial official photography... until secondary stock photos had the vehicle mode ''slightly'' mistransformed. Unlike the original, Hasbro version, this version features silver paint on the interior of the trailer. This version also removes the red paint on the die cast hinge piece in his body and replaces it with blue paint. Sadly, this figure doesn't come with the Key to Vector Sigma. Due to compact packaging, the trailer is prone to scuffing.

:The figure debuted as a [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2017 exclusive in the U.S., then as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in the United States and Canada.
{{MPOptimusMold}}
{{--}}

===''Power of the Primes''===
[[File:TF-Generations-PotP-Leader-Class-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Signs of steroid abuse include aggression, acne and... smokestacks?]]
*'''Evolution Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, 2017)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''PP-09'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[May 25]], 2018'''
**''Accessories'': trailer/evolution armor, ion-blaster (formed by two blasters), [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix of Leadership]] frame, Matrix of Leadership core

:''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'' "Evolution Optimus Prime" transforms from a truck with a trailer into a robot and back. The individual truck transforms into his "Orion Pax" form based on his appearance in the Generation 1 episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]", and he is able to form the core of Optimus Prime's robot mode. His trailer forms Prime's entire body, sharing a noticeable amount of details with MP-10 mold, most notably almost identical head sculpt. He is the first non-''Masterpiece'' ''Generations'' G1 Optimus Prime figure to include removable [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix of Leadership]] accessory, which is stored in his chest in the 'Evolved' form. The center of his Matrix of Leadership can be replaced with any [[Prime Master#Toys|Prime Master]]. His [[ion blaster]] can be split into two weapons for Orion Pax to use, while also store on Optimus Prime's back via visible [[5 mm post]]s of Orion Pax's hands, though this is undocumented in the instructions. The Takara version of the mold lacks the production numbers located at his right shins. Depending on the individual copy, Optimus Prime is prone to having a number of quality control issues: ranging from two left/right arms and/or legs/feet on the evolution armor, to lacking stickers on the trailer pieces. On the other hand, the trailer can also be towed by any other figure with a compatible hitch.

:This mold was [[retool]]ed into ''Power of the Primes'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Power of the Primes|Nemesis Prime]] and later into ''Selects'' [[#Selects|Star Convoy]].
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron: Siege''===
[[File:War-For-Cybertron-Siege-Voyager-Optimus-Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"I traded my smokestacks for those kickin' roof lights!"]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2018)
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-S11'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''SG-06'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[February 23]], [[2019]]'''
**''Accessories:'' "W-50 Dual-Mech Energon Strikeshield," "W-M3 RF Ion Blaster" (combines to form "Sentrystrike Ultra-Blaster")
:Part of the first wave of ''[[War for Cybertron: Siege|Siege]]'' Voyager Class figures, Optimus Prime transforms from robot to [[For safety reasons|short-smokestacked]] Cybertronian armored truck and back. For an inexpensive mass-retail release, Optimus's robot mode is very accurate to his design from the original cartoon (albeit with added details) and also features excellent poseability on par with a ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' toy, resulting in a version of the character that gives collectors lots of bang for their buck. He includes two weapons compatible with the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]]—the "W-50 Dual-Mech Energon Strikeshield," which is an axe that transforms into a shield, and the "W-M3 RF [[Ion blaster|Ion Blaster]]." Both weapons can combine to form the "Sentrystrike Ultra-Blaster." An argument could be made that being able to flip around Optimus's underarm kibble to form underslung gatling guns is an undocumented gimmick. Optimus Prime also features "battle damage" paint applications on several parts of his body, as well as multiple hardpoints all over himself and his weapons to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the [[Battle Master]]s assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions.

:In vehicle mode, opening the figure's windows shows the [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Matrix of Leadership]] molded into the plastic behind the windows. Due to the transformation, the Matrix doesn't end up in the chest in robot mode. Despite being a Voyager-scale figure, the truck mode is considerably small, in scale with a Legends-sized figure. Whether through coincidence or design, it's possible to fit a ''Power of the Primes'' Matrix core (and by extension, a [[Prime Master]] or [[Titan Master]]) in his chest.

:There is a message written in [[Cybertronian language|Cybertronian letters]] on Optimus Prime's box art, which reads "LIGHT THE DARKEST HOUR."

:While Optimus greatly resembles the inner robot of ''Siege'' [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ultra Magnus]], he is actually a completely different mold and therefore not compatible with the [[Magnus Armor]]. This mold was later used to make [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron: Siege|Nemesis Prime]]. A large number of parts of this figure were reused for the ''Earthrise'' Optimus Prime figure released in 2020. Due to this, the trailer packaged with the ''Earthrise'' figure is fully compatible with the ''Siege'' figure's truck mode.

:Care should be taken not to pull the waist transformation hinge too far back or else the partially open clip housing the pin may break.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP7V5NVghvE]</ref> Depending on the individual quality control, the roof panel (notably the rear right side) may not shut properly in vehicle mode.

:While Hasbro and TakaraTomy's releases of the toy are almost identical, the battle damage paint apps on the latter's shoulders and legs are slightly altered in size.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Alfes2010/status/1099375629361795072 Alfes2010's comparison of both Siege Optimus Prime toys]</ref>
{{WFCSiegeOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{-}}

{{anchor|S40}}
[[File:WFC-Siege-WFC-S40-Leader-Class-Galaxy-Upgrade-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=3|thumb|"Rooflights? Pah! Check ''this'' out!"]]
*'''Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, [[2019]])
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-S40'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''SG-37'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[November 23]], 2019'''
**''Accessories:'' 5 "JF-50 Twinblast [[Super Mode|Galaxy Pack]]" armor pieces, 2 "W-30 Magnetic Inducer Launchers," "JF-15 Gravity Force Laser," 2 front wheels/armguards
:Part of the second wave ''Siege'' Leader Class figures, "Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime" is an extensive retool of the same line's [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Ultra Magnus]], taking heavy design cues from [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Optimus Prime]] (the Japanese series name being "''Galaxy Force''," which is referenced in the name). He transforms into a heavily armed fire truck like the ''Cybertron'' figure, but with a Cybertronian aesthetic. The two "W-30 Magnetic Inducer Launchers" are unpainted blasters from ''Siege'' Ultra Magnus, and as such, mirror the detailing placed just behind ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]]'s cab. Their hexagonal tips resembling ''Cybertron'' Optimus Prime's Super Mode leg cannons were likely a foresight for this retooling, but are molded in black rather than grey likely due to [[gang-molding]]. Optimus Prime also features "battle damage" paint applications on several parts of his body, as well as multiple hardpoints all over himself and his weapons to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the [[Battle Master]]s assortment, which can be used to simulate blaster fire or explosions.

:The core figure's robot mode is inspired by Prime's Generation 1 look, but with [[Kibble|vehicle mode details]] and coloration (including yellow eyes) based on the cab of his ''Cybertron'' counterpart. As with the original ''Cybertron'' figure, the barrel of the truck's left cannon can be detached and wielded by Prime as a rifle called the "JF-15 Gravity Force Laser." The sides of the bumper in truck mode can detach and form arm cannons based on his ''Cybertron'' counterpart's forearms. All five weapons are compatible with the [[C.O.M.B.A.T. System]]. Because of the nature of the mold, additional shoulderpads [[Kibble#"Faux-parts"|resembling halves of his truck cab]] were included to complete the Super Mode's resemblance to the template. The vehicle mode's cannons can be underslung and handheld similarly to the ''Cybertron'' figure thanks to the sliding pegs, but lack the original's gimmicks. Unlike Ultra Magnus, Galaxy Upgrade Optimus Prime also features flip-out support struts on the leg armor to compensate the back's weight. While they're hardly needed since the armor's bulk is heavy enough to support the weight, the pieces also prevent the leg armors from standing flat when left folded in.

:Unlike the above Voyager Class figure, this Prime is fully compatible with the [[Magnus Armor]], as is Ultra Magnus with Optimus's Super Mode gear.

:The box art of his vehicle modes is [[Stock photography#Problems with stock photos|mistransformed]], likely as a result of using CGI renders; the two shoulder pieces are shown being left on, which is genuinely impossible and in fact appear to be clipped through each other. They are instead stored inside the leg armor, which forms the back end of the trailer. Strangely, the clear blue plastic used for the cab has light bars molded in, but they are painted over in red. Presumably this is to make the inner robot appear more like G1 Optimus, but results in a less accurate vehicle mode compared to the ''Cybertron'' design. Additionally, there are existing stock photos of the figure without the wingpack and the smaller robot head flipped out.

{{-}}{{anchor|S65}}
[[File:TF-Generations-WFC-S-35th-Voyager-Classic-Animation-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|I'm the one you want.]]
*'''Classic Animation Optimus Prime''' (Voyager Class, 2019)
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-S65'''
**''Accessories:'' "W-50 Dual-Mech Energon Strikeshield," "W-M3 RF Ion Blaster" (combines to form "Sentrystrike Ultra-Blaster")

:Specially branded for the 35th anniversary of the ''Transformers'' brand, ''Siege'' "Classic Animation Optimus Prime" is a redeco of the Voyager Class figure above, featuring a cel-shaded paint pattern that evokes his appearance in the cartoon (though the physical result is more like that of [[Transformers: Devastation|''Devastation'']]). In addition, the grey plastics and paint operations are now replaced with white, and the tire rims' paint is omitted.

:Alongside fellow cel-shaded figure [[Megatron (G1)/toys#S66|Megatron]] and the other "35th Anniversary" Optimus was exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, and among the first figures that debuted a new, "worldwide" [[multilingual packaging]] design that merged the languages typically found on European packaging with those found on American packaging. In a bit of a snafu, though, all the English texts on his packaging are simply repeated four times, instead of being translated into French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, or omitted in case two or more translations would be identical to each other (or to the English version).
{{WFCSiegeOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===''Selects''===
[[File:TF-Generations-Selects-Star-Convoy.jpg|upright=3|thumb|"The Hate Plague is back?" (jams the Matrix on the gun)]]
*'''Star Convoy''' ([[September 28]], 2019)
**''Hasbro ID number:'' '''TT-GS01'''
**''Accessories'': trailer/evolution armor, ion-blaster (formed by two blasters), Silver Matrix

:''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Generations Selects]]'' Star Convoy is a retool of the [[#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Leader Class mold]], featuring new lower legs, head, upper shoulders, and waist parts for both the armor and inner robot, and a new torso for the latter. The Optimus Prime inner robot is remolded to resemble his Generation 1 toy, complete with toy-accurate yellow eyes. Most of the armor's grey parts (especially the evolution armor's arms) are now remolded in red plastic to be more accurate to Star Convoy's character model, though there are a few sacrifices leaving some of the red patches on the trailer.

:The Matrix of Leadership is now replaced with the "Silver Matrix" that is a singular piece of plastic dipped in chrome. As such, it does not accommodate Prime Masters/Matrices/Enigmas. The Matrix can be held by 5 mm fist holes and can combine with the guns to form a "Big Bang Cannon". Unlike the original versions of the mold, Star Convoy's stickers, intended to be applied to his trailer, come on a sheet instead of being factory-applied.

:The star-shaped piece that clips into Star Convoy's chest is new to this version of the mold. Because it pegs into a small hole between the tops of the doors to Star Convoy's chest compartment, it introduces an additional step to access the matrix chamber. The red connector which attaches the star to the figure is misassembled, and flipped from its proper orientation. Due to this, the star is prone to not attaching securely to the chest and can easily pop out without much effort. A fix<ref>[https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/generations-selects-star-convoy-super-megatron-snaptrap-figures.1172403/page-113#post-17312785]</ref> utilized by some to address the issue involves popping out the star and connector, then flipping the connector around, before reattaching both parts to the figure. Care should be taken when handling the star and transforming Star Convoy to ensure it does not bump against other parts of the figure or experience undue stress, as it is molded from clear plastic coated in gold chrome. The stem of the star is particularly fragile and has been known to break without much force being applied to it.

:Reminescent of the fact that the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Return of Convoy|''Return of Convoy'' Star Convoy]] figure could transform into a battle station, a "Z Base Mode" was created for the character for the ''Selects'' [[Super Megatron comic 2|Special Comic promoting Super Megatron]], and the toy (and any of the ''Power of the Primes'' Evolution Optimus Prime molds) is capable of being configured into this form.

:This toy was released exclusively through [[TakaraTomy Mall]] and, thanks to brand unification, [[Hasbro Pulse]] and other online retailers in the United States and Canada. It is the first ''Selects'' figure to be developed by TakaraTomy.
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron: Earthrise''===
[[File:TF-WFC-E-Leader-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=2|thumb|That's the news everyone's waiting for!]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, [[2020]])
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-E11'''
**''Japanese Name'': '''Optimus Prime with Trailer'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''ER-02'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[April 25]], [[2020]]'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#Generations|Ion Blaster]], shield/ramp, trailer/[[Combat Deck (G1)#Generations|Combat Deck]], artillery robot, [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Matrix of Leadership]]

:Released as part of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Earthrise]]'' Leader Class lineup, this Optimus Prime is a new cartoon-accurate, Voyager sized mold with the front of the head and legs, knee flaps, and various inner parts reused from his ''Siege'' toy. This also means that, like the ''Siege'' toy, the truck mode is unusually small for a Voyager figure.

:For the first time for a non-''Masterpiece'' ''Generations'' toy, Optimus Prime comes with a trailer (which is also compatible with the ''Siege'' toy) that converts into a combat deck/repair bay with an artillery robot, which can be detached and used as a jetpack via a 5mm peg on the bottom. Awesome. He is also the first Voyager-sized figure with an opening chest compartment containing a removable [[Matrix of Leadership]] accessory. In an undocumented feature, the Matrix is able to accommodate "Fire Blasts" from the Battle Masters assortment or attach to similarly sized posts such as the ones inside his trailer. His transformation scheme reuses some engineering and concepts from the ''Siege'' Voyager Class figures and ''[[Studio Series]]'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS38|38 Optimus Prime]], with a new torso transformation. Interestingly, his rear wheels are borrowed from ''Studio Series'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS32|32]] and [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SS44|44 Optimus Prime]]. Part of the trailer's ramp detaches to form a shield and can connect to other ramps in the [[A.I.R. Lock System]]. Like ''Siege'' Jetfire, Optimus Prime features a hinge joint in each of his knuckles but without the flip-out post hole mechanism, instead having it facilitated by the shape of his palm and thumb. Interestingly, the placement of his front wheels in robot mode evokes the [[Studio OX]] version of his character model (though significantly larger compared to the artwork). Optimus also has molded drilled-rotor brake discs, a surprising detail for a mainline ''Transformers'' figure.

:As the front grill/wheel piece is connected with a c-clip, removing it allows the waist to turn without being hindered. Whether by coincidence or not, the Energon Strikeshield from the ''Siege'' figure can attach onto the forearm (if the hands are tucked away) with the tabs on the axe's hinged handle, though it looks better on the left side. Also likely coincidental, the trailer's hitch post is at exactly the right height to let it rest inside the 5mm hole on [[Roller (G1)#Generations|''Thrilling 30'' Roller]] and can even be pulled along on flat surfaces with the tiny truck.

[[File:TF-WFC-ER-Prime-Comparison.jpg|left|300px|thumb|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Universe .282008.29|Dodged another shot!]]]]
:Confusingly, the figure had many color differences in different official promotional images. The original 3D renders depicted his colors completely show-accurate to the G1 cartoon (minus the blue codpiece, and with quite rare toy-accurate yellow eyes), the lack of striping on the forearms/side doors, and fully blue artillery robot for the trailer, while the pre-release prototype seen in New York Comic Con 2019 and the secondary stock photos had his hands and elbows molded in grey, with artillery robot being cast in grey and silver plastic similar to the rest of the trailer. According to [[John Warden]], this was due to the limitations of the mold. Even later, Takara's stock photos showed the figure with blue elbows and a blue and silver artillery robot. The retail release of the figure ultimately, for the most part, went with colors showcased in Hasbro's physical toy stock photos, but with previously yellow eyes now more cartoon-accurate blue, and with his hands, codpiece, and the back piece of his head painted in metallic blue.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIu3DkO1Sj0</ref> Early renders also displayed the figure's inner-shins as being molded in the same blue color as the rest of the legs, although the final figure presents them cast in gray and unpainted. The sample on the TakaraTomy stock photos also depict his trailer hitch as a single piece.

:Unfortunately, the change from toy accurate yellow eyes to cartoon-accurate blue clashes with the unpainted blue face, making it barely visible. The figure's head can be swapped with the head of the ''Siege'' figure (though the blue plastic is a slightly lighter shade) but it can cause some parts clash while transforming, as the back of the ''Earthrise'' head is a new, flatter part. This is also why the part is a painted red piece, so exercise some caution while tucking away/flipping out the head while transforming.

:Like all ''Earthrise'' toys, the inside of the back of Optimus's package includes an exclusive clip-and-save piece of a larger star map. Also in the box is a thin red piece of transparent plastic with which to read the star map. Optimus' piece of the map contains the labelled location of a planet called "[[Micro|MICRON]]".

:The non-converting long-barreled Ion Blaster, the Energon Axe, [[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|Sideswipe]]'s jetpack, and [[Roller (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Roller]] were sold separately as part of the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' [[Centurion droid#Toys|Deluxe Centurion Drone]] set, though due to a section of Optimus' back being marginally wider than the space available, some force may be required to fully attach the jetpack. The Energon Axe is also specifically molded to fit onto Optimus' right hand, with the 5mm peg sliding into the bottom side of his hand. Although it can fit on his left hand if slid through the top, this puts noticeable stress on the axe's peg due to the thumb sliding up against the housing.

:The Combat Deck, including its artillery robot and shield/ramp, was redecoed for the ''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Nemesis Prime Spoiler Pack]]. The Optimus Prime mold was also used to make [[Optimus Prime (SG)#Generations|''Shattered Glass'' Optimus Prime]].

:Optimus Prime first saw release in Bangkok before its actual release date in March.
{{WFCEarthriseOptimusPrimeMold}}

{{-}}{{anchor|AUOP}}
[[File:TF-Generations-Amazon-Prime-Day-Alt-Universe-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=2|thumb|Relive your traumatic childhood on Prime Day!]]
*'''Alternate Universe Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, 2020)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''ER EX-17'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[February 20]], [[2021]]'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Ion Blaster]], shield/ramp, trailer/[[Combat Deck (G1)#AltUniverseOP|Combat Deck]], artillery robot, [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Matrix of Leadership]]

:"Alternate Universe Optimus Prime" is a grayscaled redeco of the figure above with a new head that evokes the battle damage and his death in ''The Transformers: The Movie''. The Matrix of Leadership is the same as the mass retail Leader, though the Ion Blaster is painted completely silver and his rear calves are painted. Another change is the number of lugnuts on the wheels of the trailer. The normal retail version has 10 lug nuts per wheel, whilst this release has none. He is packaged in a ''[[Generations Selects (toyline)|Selects]]''-styled box that depicts Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] grieving during his death scene reflected on a window of his damaged truck mode.
:There are reported issues where the left chest piece is unable to tab in fully due to a deformed pin, leaving a small uneven gap visible in robot mode.

:This is the only ''Earthrise'' toy to lack an ID number and map piece and isn't part of the Galactic Odyssey Collection.

:Alternate Universe Optimus Prime was supposed to release as an exclusive for Amazon Prime Day 2020, though the day was pushed back several months, making the toy release much earlier. The figure first saw release in some Malaysian hobby shops ''before'' it was fully revealed on Hasbro's [[Fan First Friday]] stream. The figure was later released in Japan as a [[TakaraTomy Mall]] exclusive.
{{WFCEarthriseOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy''===
*'''Deluxe Centurion Drone''' (Weaponizer Pack, 2020)
:A minuscule figurine of Optimus Prime is included in the ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' Deluxe Centurion set, which is meant to complement the [[Unicron/toys#War for Cybertron Trilogy|Haslab Unicron]] figure.

{{anchor|2020Netflix}}
[[File:TF-Generations-WFC-Trilogy-Voyager-Battle-3-Pack-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Autobot Optimus Prime''' (Battle 3-Pack, 2020)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''WFC-11'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[February 20]], [[2021]]'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster, Matrix of Leadership, [[Enerax#Toys|Enerax]] and [[Sheeldron#Toys|Sheeldron]] [[Battle Master]]s
:This version of Optimus Prime is a trailer-less redeco of the ''Earthrise'' Leader Class mold. He comes with Battle Masters Enerax and Sheeldron, translucent orange redecoes of ''Siege'' [[Pteraxadon#Toys|Pteraxadon]] and ''Earthrise'' [[Soundbarrier#Toys|Soundbarrier]] respectively, without the effects parts. In terms of deco, Optimus' blue plastic/paint operations and the unpaintable gray joints are replaced with the same darker shade (which also coincidentally resembles the erroneous deco used for most of TakaraTomy's stock photos of the mold), the blue translucent plastic is now colorless, and the face is now thoroughly painted with the metallic blue paint on the eyes are swapped with light blue. The painted grill on the robot's chest is also omitted.

:The stock renders for both the robot and vehicle modes are inconsistent with the later stock photos: The forearms are still depicted as stripeless in robot mode, while the rear hip piece and the thighs are differently colored in the truck mode render.

:As with other ''[[War for Cybertron Trilogy (toyline)|War for Cybertron Trilogy]]'' figures, Optimus Prime was exclusive to Walmart in Canada and the United States.
{{WFCEarthriseOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron: Kingdom''===
[[File:TF-WFC-Kingdom-Core-Class-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|optimus prall (prime small)]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Core Class, [[2020]])
**''ID number'': '''WFC-K1'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''KD EX-03'''
**''Japanese release date'': '''[[May 20]], [[2021]]'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster

:Part of the first wave of the ''[[War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Kingdom]]'' Core Class toys, Optimus Prime is a smaller, roughly Legends-sized mold that according to his product copy and stock images is meant to be posed with larger toys of the same character, but we would be stupid not to note that he is also a good size to interact with Titan Class figures. His transformation shares engineering with the [[#Thrilling 30|''Thrilling 30'' Legends figure]], but with sculpted detailing directly based on the ''Earthrise'' mold, down to detailing like the ''vestigial knee flaps'' from the ''Siege'' mold. The included Ion Blaster features a 3 mm handle under a 5 mm post, dedicated to the C.O.M.B.A.T. System.

:Curiously, his instructions depict an Energon axe that was notably left out of the final release, and was not shown in stock photos. It is currently unknown if this axe will be included with a later release of the mold.

:In Japan, Optimus Prime was released as a [[TakaraTomy Mall]] exclusive.

{{-}}{{anchor|K11}}
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Leader Class, 2021)
**''ID number:'' '''WFC-K11'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Ion blaster#Generations|Ion Blaster]], shield/ramp, trailer/[[Combat Deck (G1)#Generations|Combat Deck]], artillery robot, [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#War for Cybertron: Earthrise|Matrix of Leadership]]
:''Earthrise'' Optimus Prime was re-released in the first wave of the ''Kingdom'' Leader Class toys.
{{comingsoontoy}}

==''Bot Shots''==
[[File:BotShotstoy-OptimusPrime.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Before time began, I was... a cube.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B003'''
***''Fist strength'': '''410'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''850'''
***''Sword strength'': '''370'''

: Part of the first wave of ''[[Bot Shots (toyline)|Bot Shots]]'' Series 1 single-packs, Optimus Prime is a teeny little long-nosed semi truck with "trailer", with a spring-loaded [[Autotransformation|automatic transformation]] to robot mode triggered when his front bumper is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. His truck mode and robot body are influenced by the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action Optimus Prime]], while his head is taken from the [[Optimus Prime (G1)|original]]. His blue paint is light and sparkly-metallic, his red paint is dull matte, and his optics are yellow.

:This toy was given away free to attendees of Hasbro's "[[Toy Fair 2012|Collector-Fan Media Day" 2012]], slightly altered by a "Toy Fair 2012" sticker applied to the cardback.

:This mold was also [[redeco]]ed to make [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]. He shares parts with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#BotShotSuperBot|Super Bot Megatron]] and [[Motormaster (G1)|Motorbreath]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Bot Shots'' Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotLauncher}}
[[File:BStoy-OptimusPrimeLauncher.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Optimus Prime Launcher''' (Launcher, 2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''BL001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''920'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''450'''
***''Sword strength'': '''280'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 1 launchers, this [[repaint]] of Optimus Prime comes with a large trailer that pops open to form a battle station with a spring-loaded launching platform. He appears to have the same plastic colors as the single release, and the same set of [[paint operation]]s, but his paint is done in different shades, having glossy dark blue paint and glossy bright red paint. The black part of his launcher is sculpted to look vaguely like the repair done that is part of Generation 1 Optimus Prime's repair bay.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSLOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Launcher Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotBattleForMatrix}}
[[File:BStoy-BattlefortheMatrix-LauncherOptimusPrime.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Battle for the Matrix''' (Multi-pack, 2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''UB001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''835'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''505'''
***''Sword strength'': '''275'''

: This minor [[redeco]] of the Optimus Prime Launcher features grey wheels, blue optics, and added red paint on its upper arms, while the launcher has grey plastic in place of black, smaller Autobot symbols on its sides, and gold paint on its interior instead of silver. The [[stock photography]] on the [[packaging]] depicts Optimus with a blue stripe on his built-in "trailer", which was omitted in the final product.

: The set also comes with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Megatron with his launcher]], [[Brawl (Movie)#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Decepticon Brawl]], [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Bumblebee]], and a cardboard token representing the [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Bot Shots|Matrix]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSBFTMOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "Battle for the Matrix" Launcher Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotSuperBot}}
[[File:BotShots_SuperBotOptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''Super Bot 004'''
***''Fist strength'': '''330'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''315'''
***''Sword strength'': '''995'''

: Part of the fourth wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 1 single-packs, Super Bot Optimus Prime is a redeco of his toy in translucent blue plastic. As a Super Bot, he was [[Shortpacking|packed one per case]], and has higher, more lopsided stats than normal Bot Shots. He has a really, ''really'' good Sword stat.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2012/Autobot/BSSBOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Super Bot Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotLauncherS2}}
[[File:BStoy-SpinShotOptimusPrimeLauncher.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Optimus Prime Launcher''' (Launcher, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''BL001'''
**''Accessories'': 4 [[Energon cube|Energon Cube]] targets
***''Fist strength'': '''820'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''405'''
***''Sword strength'': '''390'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 launchers, this new-mold Optimus Prime transforms into a very boxy ''Generation 1''-styled truck with trailer. As a Spin Shot, one manually winds up his upper body beforehand when transforming him into vehicle mode, where striking the front of the vehicle will cause him to burst open and spin while auto-transforming. He comes with a launcher used to propel him to great speeds, as well as four cube targets for him to knock over.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSLOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on Spin Shot Launcher Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotPolarAssaultTeam}}
[[File:BotShots PolarAssault Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Polar Assault Team''' (Multi-pack, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''T001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''370'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''945'''
***''Sword strength'': '''310'''

: Part of the first wave of ''Bot Shots'' Series 2 five-packs, this redeco of the original Optimus Prime toy is cast in translucent blue plastic, with his cab painted white. Despite possessing translucent plastic and more lopsided stats than a regular Bot Shot, he is apparently not labeled as a Super Bot. This version of Optimus comes with similarly-themed with new redecos of [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Bumblebee]], [[Mirage (G1)#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Mirage]], [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Ironhide]], and [[Jetfire (G1)#BotShotPolarAssaultTeam|Jetfire]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSPAOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "Polar Assault Team" Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|DragonTrack}}
[[File:BotShots Dragon Optimus Prime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Dragon Track''' (Playset, 2013)
**''Series'': '''2'''
**''Number'': '''UB001'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher
***''Fist strength'': '''565'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''325'''
***''Sword strength'': '''725'''

:Available only with the ''Bot Shots'' Dragon Track set, this version of Optimus Prime is a new mold, changing from a robot form resembling ''Generation 1'' Optimus Prime, into a truck with a rocket exhaust molded into the back of its trailer. As a Flip Shot, he, er, flips up when auto-transforming. He comes with a launcher that can be connected to the track, as well as [[Megatron (G1)/toys#DragonTrack|Flip Shot Megatron and his launcher]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/BSDTOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on "Dragon Track" Flip Shot Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''BeCool''==
[[File:BeCool-B03-Trailer.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Trailer (Optimus Prime)''' (2012)
**''ID number'': '''B03'''

:''[[Bot Shots (toyline)#BeCool|BeCool]]'' "Trailer" is practically identical to the ''Bot Shots'' "Battle for the Matrix" Optimus Prime toy with the blue eyes and red arms, the only difference being that the game stats stickers in his chest spinner have been replaced with pictures of his vehicle mode, two people holding hands and the letters "Zzz..."

:[[TakaraTomy]]'s [[stock photography]] of Trailer, including the pictures used on the box, uses the original ''Bot Shots'' Optimus toy with the yellow eyes as a base.

{{-}}{{anchor|GarbageTruck}}
[[File:BeCool-B12-Garbage-Truck.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Garbage Truck (Clean Optimus)''' (2013)
**''ID number'': '''B12'''

:"Garbage Truck" is a redeco of the same Optimus Prime toy in blue and white, a common coloration for Japanese garbage trucks, that ends up bearing a coincidental resemblance to the ''Bot Shots'' Polar Assault Team Optimus. His stickers now picture his truck mode being loaded with garbage, his truck mode driving around, and the word "cleaning" in both English and Japanese.

: The B12 ID number was previously used for [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Special Sports Car]], a limited toy which was only on shelves for three months before being replaced by Garbage Truck.

{{-}}{{anchor|TrailerBase}}
[[File:BS02-BeCool-Trailer-and-Trailer-Base.jpg|upright=1.33|thumb|I just passed a "jimmy" and a White, I've been passing everything in sight]]
*'''Trailer and Trailer Base (Optimus Prime)''' (2013)
**''ID number'': '''BS02'''

:This Trailer is identical to the original ''BeCool'' Trailer other than the stickers, and now comes with the trailer/launcher accessory from ''Bot Shots'' redecoed in blue with red stripes. While the vehicle mode sticker in his chest remains, the hand-holding and sleeping ones have been replaced by pictures of the launcher: one in base mode and one in trailer mode. He also comes with a sticker sheet for decorating the Trailer Base.
{{--}}

==''GT''==
{{anchor|GTR}}
[[File:GT-R-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|From Nissan to nii-san.]]
*'''GT-R Prime''' ([[May 25]], 2013)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''GT-01'''
**''Accessories:'' "Impact Wrench Gun", [[Misaki]] race queen figure

: ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]'' "GT-R Prime" is a heavy retool of ''Alternity'' [[#Alternity|Convoy]], transforming into a 1:32 replica of the Motul Autech GT-R race car used by the {{w|Nismo}} team in the {{w|Super GT}} racing championship series. He retains the flip-out blasters of the ''Alternity'' toy and can also wield his new Impact Wrench Gun accessory (also called the "Optimus Rifle" on the ''Transformers GT'' website), a weapon based on the impact wrenches used in car repairs. Like all ''GT'' toys, Prime also comes with a [[GT Sister]], poseable human figures themed after {{w|race queens}}, his partner being a lady named Misaki.

: GT-R Prime's packaging points out that he can be fitted into ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime's trailer to replicate the way actual race cars are transported.

: This mold was also used, with different heads and accessories, to make the other ''Transformers GT'' toys: [[Star Saber (Victory)#GT|GT-R Saber]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#GT|GT-R Megatron]], and [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#GT|GT-R Maximus]].
{{--}}

==''FJ Cruiser × Transformers''==
[[File:TF-FJ-Cruiser-Transformers-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=3|thumb]]
*'''FJ Optimus Prime''' (2013)
**''Accessories:'' spare tire/axe
:Part of a cross-promotion between {{w|Toyota}} and TakaraTomy, the deluxe-sized FJ Optimus Prime transforms into an {{w|Toyota FJ Cruiser|FJ Cruiser}}, with his axe weapon becoming the vehicle's spare tire. The vehicle mode's body panels come packaged on the sprue, and can then be clipped onto the core figure. The mass retail release of FJ Optimus includes yellow and white panels, while the red variant was available when purchasing an FJ Cruiser at Japanese Toyota dealerships. As is typical of TakaraTomy exclusives, these variants came in grayscale packaging.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2013/Autobot/FJOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on FJ Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Construct-Bots''==
[[File:Construct-Bots-Elite-Class-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Elite Class, 2013)
: Optimus Prime transforms into a truck-like vehicle. This version is a retool to the Ultimate Class two-pack listed below, as his head design is slightly different. Additionally this version features transparent plastic for his body armor amongst other plastic changes. He includes a blue version of one of the Ultimate Class version's gun.

: As with all Construct-Bots, Optimus Prime's rubber ball joints on the shoulder and feet can harden over time, which makes it difficult to pose smoothly.
{{-}}

[[File:Construct-Bots-Elite-Class-OPvsM-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Megatron''' (Ultimate Class, 2013)
: Optimus Prime transforms into a truck-like vehicle, packed alongside his eternal nemesis [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Construct-Bots|Megatron]]. This version has opaque colors and a more traditional Optimus color scheme. He includes a projectile weapon along with a variety of melee weapons, as well as a swathe of extra parts for additional configurations.

:Optimus' sword was later redecoed/reused for [[Silverbolt (G1)#Construct-Bots|Silverbolt]] and one of ''Timelines'' [[Oilmaster#Timelines|Oilmaster]]'s weapons.
{{--}}

==''Hero Mashers''==
[[File:HM-toy Optimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Modular building is the right of all sentient beings.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Battle Upgrade, 2014)
**''Pieces'': '''18'''
**''Accessories'': Missile-launching rifle, missile, energy axe, cannon, left & right rocket pods, "Ultra Magnus" right forearm & fist

: Part of the first wave of "Battle Upgrade" ''[[Hero Mashers]]'' toys, Optimus is a non-transforming action figure with ratchet-joints, about six inches tall. He has multiple peg-holes all over that can be used to mount any ''Hero Mashers'' accessory. As a first-wave figure, he has extra ankle articulation that is not present in later waves (a cut that was made to all ''Hero Mashers'' lines, not just the ''Transformers''-branded ones).

: He is designed with a removable head, forearms, thighs, and lower legs, all of which use the same clip-peg/hole joint. This means his pieces can be swapped around in any order, as well as swapped with any other ''Hero Mashers'' figure... which includes figures from [[Marvel Comics]], ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'', and ''[[Jurassic Park|Jurassic World]]'', meaning you can make some pretty freaky combinations.

: While he is the same size as a standard Hero Masher, his larger [[size class|price point]] is made up for with a lot more parts and gimmicks. Both of his hands are removable, which allows for accessories to be placed in his wrist sockets, notably his iconic "energy axe". His rifle is a spring-loaded missile launcher. He also comes with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Hero Mashers|Ultra Magnus]]'s right arm, which is a [[redeco]] of ''Hero Mashers'' [[Bulkhead (Prime)#Hero Mashers|Bulkhead]]'s, only molded to remove that toy's missile-launching gimmick.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2014/Autobot/HMOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Hero Mashers'' Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|ElectronicHeroMasher}}
[[File:HM-toy Optimus Electronic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Mom said it's ''my'' turn on the [[Xbox 360|Xbox]]."]]
*'''Electronic Optimus Prime''' (Electronic Action, 2014)
**''Pieces'': '''22'''
**''Accessories'': Missile launching cannon, missile, sword, shield, bladed shield, electronic left forearm, bladed left fist, torso armor, left & right winged "launchers", left & right armor boots

: Part of the first (and only) wave of larger electronic ''Hero Mashers Transformers'' toys, the base Optimus Prime figure in this set is ''almost'' identical to the above "Battle Upgrade" toy; this version has a closed right fist that can hold accessories rather than the Battle Upgrade version's finger-pointy one.

: However, this set comes with a completely different (and much larger) pile of accessories to turn Optimus (or any other ''Hero Mashers'' figure) into a hulking armored warrior. He comes with an extra left forearm with an electronic light, used to light up clear-plastic accessories when they're plugged into his wrist socket. Several of these accessories take inspiration from the [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|live-action Optimus]]'s gear, notably a very ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]''-esque shield.

: Oddly, the big stompy boots accessories are designed in a way that Optimus is really far back in them, leaving a huge gap between his shins and the boots' "knee" guards. Presumably this is to accommodate other ''Hero Mashers'' toys with much larger footprints.
{{--}}

==''EZ Collection'' (2013)==
{{anchor|EG07}}
[[File:TF-EZ-Collection-2014-EG01-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=0.99|thumb|I'm the one you actually want. Except that you're gonna import it.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (EZ Collection, [[April 27]], 2013)
**''ID number'': '''EG01'''

:This ''EZ Collection'' Optimus Prime is ''yet'' another release of the ''Reveal the Shield'' redeco with the Motorbreath retooling, but this time he features light blue paint applications in place of the original dark blue. Like the rest of his brethren on the same line, Optimus features a movie version of the Autobot insignia.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Cloud''==
[[File:Cloud Optimus Prime Toy.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Unfortunately, my energy unit can't talk anymore since 1993.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' ([[May 29]], 2014)
**''ID number:'' '''TFC-A01'''
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/Convoy Gun, energy unit/ion blaster

:''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' Optimus Prime is a [[redeco]] of the ''Classics'' Voyager Class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Classics|Optimus Prime]] mold, transforming into a modern cab-over style truck of made up model, dominated by a large "energy unit" on his roof (actually a wind vane). He features a similar Generation 1-inspired deco to the original toy, but aims for a "cleaner" cartoon-accurate appearance than his ''Henkei! Henkei!'' release by omitting many paint details such as stripes on the cab, while the energy unit is colored black with a silver Autobot insignia in [[homage]] to [[#Generation 2|Generation 2 Optimus Prime]]. In robot mode, Prime's energy unit transforms into a large blaster and his smokestacks transform into a smaller laser cannon. Additionally, both weapons can combine together to form a double-barrelled over-shoulder weapon. He was available exclusively at [[TakaraTomy Mall]].
{{ClassicsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Bearbrick''==
[[File:Bearbrick OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Honey is the right of all sentient beings.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' ([[July 17]], 2014)

: A special edition [[Bearbrick]] released in celebration of the ''Transformers'' 30th anniversary, Optimus Prime transforms from a Bearbrick painted up like himself to a bear-eared robot. He has no accessories, but holes in his [[robot mode]] hands can accommodate other toys' weapons.

: This mold, with a different head sculpt, was also used for the simultaneously released Bearbrick [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Megatron]], and also redecoed into [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]] and ''Age of Extinction'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Bearbrick|Optimus Prime]]. It was further retooled into Bearbrick [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Bearbrick|Starscream]].
{{--}}

==''Lost Age''==
[[File:AOE-toy Convoy AnniversaryClear.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy [Anniversary Clear Ver.]''' (EZ Collection, 2014)

:A [[redeco]] of the ''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)#Hasbro Reveal the Shield subline|Reveal the Shield]]'' Legends Class [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2010Legends|Optimus Prime]] toy with the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Motormaster (G1)#GDO|Motorbreath]] [[retool]]ing (for accessories he does not come with), Convoy is cast in red and black clear plastic. He has been retooled to include a magnet in his right foot, allowing him to interact with ''Lost Age'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Lost Age|Battle Command Optimus Prime]] and ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (toyline)|Age of Extinction]]'' [[Grimlock (AOE)#Stomp&Chomp|Stomp & Chomp Grimlock]].

: Convoy was available at a variety of 2014 events, including on [[May 3]] at a "Kids Walk" event at {{w|Fuji Speedway}}, in special packaging on [[May 16]] at the "Transformers Celebration 2014" midnight event at the Sunshine City [[Toys"R"Us]] store in {{w|Ikebukuro}}, on [[June 15]] at Tokyo Toy Show 2014, at the Aeon Mall in {{w|Kasukabe}} on [[July 19]], and at the "Transformers Expo" event in {{w|Yokohama}} on [[August 9]]; at the Expo's preview night, attendees could also acquire a sticker sheet designed to turn the toy into Nemesis Prime. Convoy was also available as one of three preorder bonuses for ''[[Transformers Cloud|Cloud]]'' [[Roadbuster (G1)#Cloud|Roadbuster]].

:This toy was [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as [[Yokohama Convoy|Nemesis Prime/Yokohama Convoy]].
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Age of Extinction''==
[[File:Evolution2PackClassicsOptimus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Chrome is the right of all sentient collectors.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Evolution 2-Pack, 2014)
**'''23 OF 30'''
**''Japanese release date'': [[October 3]], 2014
**''Accessories:'' Smokestacks/laser cannon, wind vane/ion blaster

:Only available at [[Toys"R"Us]], this Optimus Prime is a redeco of the ''Classics'' figure. He features a cartoon/toy accurate deco on his truck/robot parts, and [[Vacuum metalizing|vacuum-metallized]] upper legs & front grille to evoke his original Generation 1 toy. Like every ''Classics'' Optimus Prime mold, he still features all of his accessories. This Optimus was packaged along with the redecoed ''Age of Extinction'' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Age of Extinction|Optimus Prime]]. This Optimus also uses the Movie variant of the Autobot insignia.

: The two-pack was one of the three Evolution 2-packs available as a Toys"R"Us exclusive in Japan, with no changes on the figures with an exception of the packaging, which the front box features Japanese translated versions of the English text, and a sticker on the back confirming that this was a Japanese release.
{{ClassicsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Legend Commander Collection''==
[[File:Legend-Commander-Collection-LC-01-Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Convoy (Jodai)''' (2014)
**''ID number:'' '''LC-01'''
**''Accessories'': Ion Blaster, Energon Axe
:Part of the ''[[Legend Commander Collection]]'' sold at [[Transformers Expo]], "Convoy (Jodai)"—''jodai'' (初代) meaning "first generation"—is a redeco of ''Robotmasters'' G1 Convoy. While most of the paint masks are identical to the original mold, other changes include replacing the translucent parts into clear blue plastic, and the panel-lining on the grill is stripped off. Unlike the first toy, he does not include a pair of swappable 3mm fists, his missile launcher, or his Calamity Defenser weapon.

:Remaining stock was sold through [[TakaraTomy Mall]].
{{--}}

==Optimus Prime Pen==
[[File:OptimusPrimePen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Hand cramps are the right of all sentient writers and artists.]]
*'''Transformers Optimus Prime Pen''' (2014)
**''Accessories:'' Ion blaster

: Released in Japan by [[Sentinel (company)|Sentinel]] as part of the 30th anniversary, Optimus Prime Pen is a well-articulated robot that folds into the shape of a rather chunky, but functional ballpoint pen. The tip of the pen is formed from his ion blaster, with the barrel acting as a cap.

: This mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Black Convoy Pen|Black Convoy Pen]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Ultra Magnus Pen|Ultra Magnus Pen]].
{{--}}

==''Transformers'' (2014)==
[[File:Transformers-2014-Legion-Optimus-Prime-(black-insignia).jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Black insignia version pictured.]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Legion Class, 2014/2015/2017)
**<s>''Accessories'': Sword</s>

:Another release of the ''Reveal the Shield'' Legends Class sculpt, the deco for its initial release is ''almost'' identical to the ''Transformers'' release from 2012, having silver chest-windows instead of light-metallic-blue, plus a large "CE" mark and number on the backs of its legs, declaring the toy meets European product safety requirements. The tooling is identical to the 2012 release's running change variant, with the retooled hands and a hole on the back of his head/top compatible with [[Cyberverse (toyline)|Cyberverse]] [[C joint|3mm]] pegs.

:Bizarrely, the [[package art]] is lifted directly from the ''Generations'' Legends Class Optimus Prime/Autobot Roller two-pack's packaging, whereas the [[stock photography|stock photos]] depicted on the back of the packaging are taken from ''Reveal the Shield'' Optimus Prime's packaging and only slightly altered, advertising a "[[Reveal the Shield]]" [[rubsign]] [[gimmick]] the toy doesn't actually have. Meanwhile, Hasbro's official stock photos provided to online retailers (including an in-packaging photo) depict the toy with the sword that came with the running change variant of the sculpt's 2012 release, even though the actual toy doesn't include the sword.

:Legion Class Optimus Prime has been found at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores in the United States. A later [[variant]] repleaced the red Autobot insignia with a black version. This later version was also released at general retail in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Russia. In Singapore it was released together with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Starscream]] as part of the promotion for ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' in selected cinemas.
:This figure was made available again, without any changes, in 2015, this time in new packaging resembling the then-concurrent packaging design for the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' line, but replacing the name "Generations" with "Authentic Transformers". It was also given a new Hasbro product code number and UPC barcode, thereby technically making it a separate product. In 2017, it was re-released ''again'', this time in a minor variant of the 2014 version's packaging (including the original product code number and barcode) that now lacked the reference to the non-existing "Reveal the Shield" gimmick.

:Like [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Transformers (2014)|Starscream]], the Black Insignia variant of the toy ended up being dumped to some hobby shop dealers in Asia., and even returned to discount stores like Five Below and 99 Cents Only in the US in 2020.
{{2010LegendsOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Nanoblock Motion Choro-Q''==
[[File:NanoblockChoroQConvoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Not Minecraft.]]
*'''Convoy''' ([[December 11]], 2014)

:Produced as a collaboration between toylines ''[[Diablock|Nanoblock]]'' and ''[[Choro-Q]]'', this Optimus Prime is a building block toy providing pieces to build both Optimus Prime's super deformed robot mode and, separately, his truck mode (or something else, if you want). His truck mode is built on a generic ''Choro-Q'' chassis outfitted with an electric motor and can be remote-controlled using a smartphone app. While the chassis is physically generic, its firmware identifies it as belonging to the Convoy kit, and the smartphone app's controls adopt a blue and red theme to match, complete with Autobot logo on the steering wheel hub.
{{--}}

==''Q-Transformers''==
{{anchor|QT09}}
[[File:QTransformers Optimus Prime GT.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Ohhh! Boo hoo! Let me play a sad song for you on the world's smallest Optimus Prime!"]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' ([[January 24]], [[2015]])
**''ID number:'' '''QT-09'''

:''[[Q-Transformers]]'' Optimus Prime is a tiny [[super deformed]] toy based on the [[#Alternity|''Alternity'' Convoy]] design, transforming into a Nissan GT-R R35, though his legs retain the traditional blue truck bed motif. The English name on the packaging refers to him as just "Optimus". He comes with a code for unlocking "GTR Optimus Prime" as a playable character in the ''[[Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns (mobile game)|Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy Returns]]'' game. Standing at only slightly less than one inch and a half, this is actually the smallest transforming Optimus Prime ever made, which is a fairly impressive feat considering the surprising amount of detail in sculpting and paint apps.

:Optimus Prime was retooled into ''Q-Transformers'' [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Soundwave]].

{{-}}{{anchor|QT19}}
[[File:QTransformers Convoy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
*'''Convoy''' ([[April 25]], 2015 / [[January 30]], 2016)
**''ID numbers:'' '''QT-19''', '''QTF-04'''

:''Q-Transformers'' Convoy is based on his traditional design, transforming into a flat-nose truck with an integrated, non-removable trailer. He comes with a code for unlocking Generation 1 Optimus Prime, under the name "Convoy", in ''Mystery of Convoy Returns''. This toy was re-released with a new ID number as part of the second ''Q-Transformers'' series.

:Convoy was redecoed into ''Q-Transformers'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Q-Transformers|Black Convoy]] and retooled into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Q-Transformers|Ultra Magnus]].

{{-}}{{anchor|QTM}}
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2015)
**''ID number:'' '''QT-M'''

:QT-M Optimus Prime is a redeco of the GT-R Optimus Prime mold in the colors of the Transformers-sponsored [http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/tf30th/teammach/ Nissan GT-R] used by the Team Mach racing team (a vehicle previously used as the base for the non-toy character [[Mach Five Racing Prime]]). Like ''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|Transformers GT]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Safety Prime]], this toy was a collaboration with the [[w:Super GT|Super GT]] racing series and was given away free to young children who attended TakaraTomy-sponsored "Kids Walk" events held by Super GT in the fall season of 2015.

==Optimus Prime featuring Original PlayStation==
[[File:OptimusPrimeOriginalPlaystation.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|U R NOT E]]
*'''Optimus Prime featuring Original PlayStation''' (02/2015)
**''Accessories:'' Controller, memory card
: Released alongside a [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Mega Drive Megatron|Sega Mega Drive version of Megatron]] and outside of any other toyline, "Optimus Prime featuring Original PlayStation" transforms from robot to a scaled-down non-functional [[Sony]] [[PlayStation]] video game console. He features an opening disc compartment and comes with two accessories, a memory card and a controller that splits in two and attaches to his lower arms to act as blasters.
{{--}}

==''Timelines''==
[[File:BotCon-2015-General-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''General Optimus Prime''' (BotCon 2015 two-pack)
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, missile, missile pod, pistol, rifle, cannon/rifle stock, cannon/rifle scope

: Available in the ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' "Generation 2" 2-pack alongside [[Hound (G1)/toys#Timelines|Sgt. Hound]] at [[BotCon 2015]], General Optimus Prime is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Voyager Class [[Roadbuster (G1)#Generations|Roadbuster]] based on the cancelled ''Generation 2'' [[#G2General|General Optimus Prime toy]]. He transforms into an off-road vehicle and comes with numerous weapons, all of which peg via 5mm post onto his vehicle rear/legs, shoulders, upper & lower arms, and hands: a spring-loaded, missile-firing launcher, a pistol, a rifle, and two small cannons that respectively form the scope and stock of the rifle. All of his weapons can combine to form an unwieldy superweapon. The flaws from the original mold are likely to be retained from this release.

: This mold also served as the basis of the non-toy ''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]'' incarnations of [[Guiledart#Beast Wars: Uprising|Guiledart]] and [[Killer Punch#Beast Wars: Uprising|Killer Punch]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2015/Autobot/BCGeneralOptimusPrime/optimusprime.htm More information on ''Timelines'' General Optimus Prime at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==''Unite Warriors''==
[[File:TF-UW05-Convoy.jpg|upright=2.66|thumb]]
*'''Convoy Grand Prime''' (Multi-pack, [[February 27]], [[2016]])
**''Japanese ID number'': '''UW-05'''
**''Accessories'': Weapons, 4 Gun/Fist/Foots

:Takara's iteration of ''Combiner Wars'' Optimus Maximus is sold in a gift set including all five Autobots (minus the Rodimus mold). This version of Convoy has numerous changes in deco to better match his look in the Generation 1 cartoon. Like ''Unite Warriors'' [[Menasor (G1)#Unite Warriors|Menasor]], the set also features some minor improvements to the original sculpts, such as improved hip-ratchets for Convoy for increased stability. He also had the slightly modified pegs that Legends Class Rodimus (or Blackjack, Runabout, and Runamuck) can securely attach to, which was previously used for Battle Core Optimus Prime. The tampographed Autobot insignia on the roof/flip out head joint are now re-positioned to his side truck panels.

:Compared to the [[#Combiner Wars|''Combiner Wars'' release]] of the mold, Convoy features additional paint operations on the thighs, truck bumpers, the details on the inner legs, the gestalt chest halves (which are now painted over due to being molded in grey plastic), and the gestalt torso's lower section. The stomach's deco is also minimized, and the silver paint operations on the lower legs are now replaced with gunmetal while the mute metallic blue is now shiny metallic. When it comes to unpaintable plastic; his knee joints and feet are blue while the majority of the shoulder joints are now red. In addition, his gestalt skirt flap is now molded in the same grey color, and the the leg panels and thighs are now molded in black, with the latter being painted in silver with some yellow details. As the thighs are painted, care must be taken while transforming him in both modes, as they're somewhat prone to paint scraping. To minimize the damage, the two rear halves must be opened first to transform the legs.
{{CWOptimusPrimeMold}}
{{--}}

==''Xiaomi / Transformers''==
[[File:Optimus Prime Power Bank.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Transforms from robot to the Monolith from 2001 and back!]]
*'''Optimus Prime Power Bank''' (2017)
**''Accessories'' Shield/Power Bank Shell, wings, sword, USB cord

:Available as a [[HasCon 2017]] exclusive, this Optimus Prime transforms from robot into a ''working'' power bank that supports 6500 mAh of battery power, thanks to a team-up between [[Hasbro]] and Chinese consumer electronics company {{w|Xiaomi}}. As a throwback to the ''Generation 2''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> [[Laser Rod]] gimmick, the USB cord can also plug on his sword to light-up.
{{--}}

==''au x Transformers''==
[[File:INFOBAR-OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|right=1.66|Cell service is the right of all sentient beings.]]
*'''INFOBAR Optimus Prime (NISHIKIGOI)''' (2017)
**''Accessories'' display stand, swappable display cards
:Released in conjunction with Japanese cellphone maker au,<ref>[http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/product_release/pdf/p170201.pdf TakaraTomy au x Transformers Project press release]</ref> ''au x Transformers'' INFOBAR Optimus Prime celebrates 15 years since the 2002 au Design Project that resulted in the INFOBAR cellphone, as well as the 10th anniversary of the [[Live-action film series|live-action films]]. He transforms into a (non-functional) scaled-down replica of the 2002 au INFOBAR, and in lieu of cellphone functions, the figure can be paired via Bluetooth with a smartphone, such as an iPhone, to act as a notification alarm in either robot or INFOBAR mode. The screen is also non-functional, but pre-printed cards are included which can be slid into the screen to show an Autobot logo, Decepticon logo, a mockup of a cellphone home screen, or a technical "Transformers INFOBAR" design. The figure also includes a display stand.

:The project was crowd-funded through Japanese crowd-funding site Makuake.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/01/31/transformers-x-au-transforming-phones-launch-crowdfunding-campaign-332289 Transformers x au Transforming Phones Launch Crowdfunding Campaign at TFW2005.com]</ref> For 5,400 yen, contributors received an INFOBAR Optimus Prime, or for 16,200 yen, received INFOBAR Optimus Prime, INFOBAR Megatron and INFOBAR Bumblebee, the only way to obtain the last two items. The project received one million yen in the first 24 hours, ultimately topping out at over 32 million yen.

:This figure was redecoed into INFOBAR Optimus Prime (ANNIN) (below) and slightly retooled with new heads and redecoed into [[Megatron (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Megatron (BUILDING)]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Bumblebee (ICHIMATSU)]].

::*''[https://time-space.kddi.com/au-transformers/ More information on au x Transformers website (Japanese)]''
::*''[https://www.makuake.com/project/au-transformers/ More information on INFOBAR Optimus Prime at Makuake crowd-funding site (Japanese)]''
::*''[http://chohenken.com/2017/10/08/INFOBARtf_optimusprime-nishikigoi/ Pictorial review of INFOBAR Optimus Prime at Chohenken (Japanese)]''

{{-}}{{anchor|InfobarANNIN}}
[[File:INFOBAR-OptimusPrime-ANNIN.jpg|thumb|right=1.66|White knight vs [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Music Label|white noise]].]]
*'''INFOBAR Optimus Prime (ANNIN)''' (2017)
**''Accessories'' display stand, swappable display cards
:INFOBAR Optimus Prime (ANNIN) is a redeco of INFOBAR Optimus Prime (NISHIKIGOI), transforming into a recreation of the ANNIN edition of the INFOBAR cellphone. All-white in cellphone mode, he sports additional blue and red detailing in robot mode. Like the other figures in this line, he is not a working cellphone but can be paired via Bluetooth with a smartphone, such as an iPhone, to act as a notification alarm in either robot or INFOBAR mode. The screen is non-functional, but pre-printed cards are included which can be slid into the screen to show an Autobot logo, Decepticon logo, a mockup of a cellphone home screen, or a technical "Transformers INFOBAR" design. The figure also includes a display stand.

:This figure was also retooled into [[Megatron (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Megatron (BUILDING)]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#au x Transformers|INFOBAR Bumblebee (ICHIMATSU)]].

::*''[https://time-space.kddi.com/feature/news-sp/20170713/2041 More information on INFOBAR Optimus Prime (ANNIN) (Japanese)]''
{{--}}

==''Authentics''==
[[File:Authentics 5inch Optimus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|You know it's bad when they have to tell you it's authentic.]]
*'''Autobot Optimus Prime''' (5 inch, 2017)
:Released in the first wave of the [[Transformers Authentics|''Authentics'']] toyline, "Autobot Optimus Prime" is a new mold the size of a 2015 [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Mini-Con Battle Packs|''Robots in Disguise'' Battle Pack]] toy. He changes from an [[evergreen]]-inspired robot into a more G1-based truck in just four steps. His instructions are incorrect; for truck mode, his legs must be folded in before the arms, otherwise the locking tabs on the arms will get in the way. Due to his transformation, he ends up with no elbows and a fake chest. He also has problems standing up due to hollow legs.

:Although more of a lucky coincidence than an undocumented feature, Optimus's truck mode can store a sitting [[Titan Master]] (and by extension, a [[Prime Master]]).

{{-}}{{anchor|7 inch}}
[[File:Authentics 7inch Optimus.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|In case you wanted a bigger turd.]]
*'''Autobot Optimus Prime''' (7 inch, 2017)
:Standing at the height of a Voyager figure, "Autobot Optimus Prime" is nearly identical to his smaller counterpart. He retains the four-step transformation while gaining the (sideways) elbows that the little guy lacks. Like his wavemate [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Authentics|Grimlock]], Optimus comes with kibble detached in-package.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-Authentics-Titan-Changer-Optimus-Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (Titan Changer, 2019)
:This Optimus Prime is an all-new mold that scales with the rest of the Titan Hero/Guardian/Changer figures, utilizing a different transformation scheme compared to his previous ''Authentics'' figures. Due to the said transformation scheme, and unusual for an Optimus Prime toy; his shoulders end up sticking out from the cab's rear instead of the staying on the shoulders.
{{--}}

==''Street Fighter II × Transformers''==
[[File:Ryu SFIIxTF toy.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|The pipes are broken!]]
*'''Convoy [Ryu] vs Megatron [Vega]''' ([[May 26]], [[2018]])
**''Accessories'': Sword, double-barreled rifle, Headmaster

:Available as part of the exclusive ''[[Street Fighter II × Transformers]]'' toyline, "Convoy" is a redeco of ''Titans Return'' Voyager Class [[#TRVoyager|Optimus Prime]] in [[Ryu]]'s traditional colors, fleshtones and all. He transforms from robot to tanker truck to plane and back. Both vehicle modes have "cockpit" areas to seat any [[Titan Master]] (or compatible) figure. Like all ''Titans Return'' Voyager class figures, he has built in mechanisms to "bulk up" his noggin. In his case these are spring-loaded pylons. The smaller Headmaster's robot mode is also painted to resemble Ryu.

:Ryu was only available in a two-pack with with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#Street Fighter II × Transformers|Megatron]] <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Vega#Toys|Vega]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>. This set was available for pre-order on [[TakaraTomy Mall]] from [[November 22]] to [[November 27|27]], 2017, with orders fulfilled in late May 2018. A pre-order goal was set as well: if at least 3000 units were pre-ordered, the set would also come with clear display stands for both toys.
{{TRDiacMold}}
{{--}}

==''Golden Lagoon''==
[[File:TF 35th Golden Lagoon Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|No luck required... until you transform him.]]
*'''Golden Lagoon Convoy''' ([[July 29]], 2018)
**''Accessories'': Ion blaster, energon axe, Matrix of Leadership
:''[[Transformers Golden Lagoon|Golden Lagoon]]'' Convoy is a gold and gold chrome redeco of MP-10 in homage of the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original cartoon]] [[The Golden Lagoon (episode)|episode of the same name]]. He does not include the trailer, Roller or Spike, but retains his energon axe, ion blaster, and Matrix of Leadership. Part of TakaraTomy's 35th anniversary celebration, he was initially released at Summer Wonder Festival 2018, then later through [[Cybertron Satellite]] stores across Japan and [[TakaraTomy Mall]]. Along with the rest of the ''Golden Lagoon'' toys, he was later rereleased through [[Hasbro Pulse]] in 2021.
{{MPOptimusMold}}
{{--}}

==''G-Shock × Transformers''==
[[File:G-Shock X Transformers Master Optimus Prime.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Master Optimus Prime''' (2018)
**''Release Date'': [[December 8]], [[2018]]
**''Accessories'': 2 Star Drive Cannon, Chrono Matrix

:Released to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Transformers and G-Shock, Master Optimus Prime transforms into a "Pedestal Prime Mode" that can hold the included Chrono Matrix accessory or a G-Shock watch. In particular, it is able to hold G-Shock DW-5600 series and DW-6900 series watches. The included Star Drive Cannons can be held in the hands in robot mode, or attached to its Pedestal Prime Mode.
{{-}}

[[File:G-Shock X Transformers Master Optimus Prime with G-Shock.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Master Optimus Prime Resonant Mode [With G-Shock]''' (2018)
**''Release Date'': [[December 8]], [[2018]]
**''Accessories'': 2 Star Drive Cannon, Chrono Matrix

:Essentially the same release as above, but includes a compatible DW-6900TF-4 watch.
{{--}}

==''Vintage G1''==
[[File:VintageG1-OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Aren't you over [[Bumblebee (film)|trailers]] by now?]]
*'''Optimus Prime''' (2019)
**''Accessories'': 2 Laser Blasters, 2 fists (left & right)
:Sold at a ''Generations'' Leader-price point, ''[[Vintage G1]]'' Optimus Prime is a [[Walmart]]-exclusive reissue of the [[#The Transformers|Generation 1 toy]] without the trailer. It includes the two versions of his blaster rifle that had not been packaged together since the [[#NewYearConvoy|New Year Special release]], and his smokestacks are now restored to their long, untrimmed glory not seen in the U.S. since the [[#Generation 2|''Generation 2'' toy]]. The silver stripes on his chest and arms are now painted, replacing the factory-applied stickers. In addition, this release comes with a new sticker sheet that features more symmetrical designs.

:Like all ''Vintage G1'' figures, Optimus Prime was [[exclusive]] to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada and general release in Asia, notably Toys"R"Us.
{{--}}

==35th Anniversary==
[[File:TF-35th-Anniversary-OP-set-Convoy.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb]]
*'''Convoy & Optimus Prime Set''' (2-pack, 2019)
**''Release Date'': [[December]] [[2019]]
**''Accessories'': 2 Laser Blasters, 2 fists (left & right)

:Released as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive, Convoy is basically a TakaraTomy release of the ''Vintage G1'' toy above, complete with an additional laser blaster. It does not however come with the modified sticker sheet from the ''Vintage G1'' release.

:Convoy was only sold as a set with (but packaged separately from) [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#35th Anniversary|Optimus Prime]].
{{--}}

==''Collaborative''==
{{anchor|CollabGB}}
[[File:Collaborative-MP10G-Ghostbusters-OptimusPrime.jpg|thumb|400px|Where [[Starscream (G1)/toys#MP3G|he]] at?]]
*'''MP-10G Optimus Prime Ecto-35 Edition''' ([[July 19]], [[2019]])
**''Accessories'': trailer, [[Roller (G1)|Roller]], blaster, [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Proton pack]], hose, ghost trap module, [[Slimer]]
:''[[Transformers Collaborative|Collaborative]]'' Ghostbusters x Transformers ''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]'' MP-10G Optimus Prime Ecto-35 Edition (whew!) is a [[Ghostbusters]]-themed redeco of the MP-10 Convoy/Optimus Prime mold.

:Optimus Prime is now decoed in white, dark gray and red, with a Ghostbusters "no ghosts" logo on his right shoulder in addition to the Autobot logo on his left. The trailer is decoed similarly, with Ecto-1 style details adorning the sides, as well as green ghost splatter. Optimus's vehicle mode bumper includes an "ECTO-35" plate, which can be seen through his chest in robot mode, referencing the 35th Anniversary of both the ''Transformers'' and ''Ghostbusters'' franchises.

:He includes all his accessories, aside from [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and his axe, gaining a number of additional ones consistent with the theme. The trailer opens out into the "Ecto-Base," or can be stood upright as the "Ecto Maintenance Dock." A snap-on cover can be applied to Roller to turn him into a ghost trap, a painted opaque version of the [[Slimer]] figure included with Ectotron, and a "roof-rack accessory" using the same mold as [[Ectotron]]'s that pegs into the roof of the trailer. This final item converts into a proton pack for robot mode, pegging into the hole in his back, and a hose connects his ion blaster to the proton pack to serve as a particle thrower. In addition, the figure's packaging is shaped like a proton pack, complete with clips to enable the buyer to strap it to their back.

:Ectotron can ''sort of'' fit into Prime's trailer, but this requires the former's equipment rack to be removed from the roof, and clearance within the trailer prevents the trailer's rear tailgate from closing.

:Ecto-35 Edition Optimus Prime debuted as an exclusive at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] in 2019, with additional availability at Fan Expo Canada and the [[Hasbro Pulse]] online store.

::*''[https://reflector.tfw2005.com/transformers-toys/crossovers/ghostbusters-transformers/optimus-prime-mp-10g-ecto-35/ Collaborative MP-10G Optimus Prime Ecto-35 Edition at Reflector@TFW2005]''
{{MPOptimusMold}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Before he became Optimus Prime===
[[File:PrototypeTHB.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Not so Optimus Prime.]]

*The first prototype for Battle Convoy, the ''[[Diaclone]]'' originator of Optimus Prime, was vastly different from the final version, complete with an entirely different transformation and a car carrying trailer. The head lacked the faceplate.
*A later prototype/mock-up was much closer to the final product but still has some noticeable differences, such as a head with much larger antennae, longer smokestacks and a front grille section that includes the rectangular section that would sport the "Freightliner" logo on the real-life truck (on the final toy, the rectangular section is part of the hinged upper section that includes the windows). It would have also been possible to attach the [[ion blaster]] to either of his shoulders.<ref name="diaclonecatalogs">[https://web.archive.org/web/20151017201739/http://1501bc.com/pretf/pictures/tfdiac6b.jpg Diaclone catalog scans] at 1501bc.com.</ref>
*The toy that would ultimately end up as the original Optimus Prime toy was originally released in August [[1983]] as No.17 Battle Convoy from Takara's Diaclone Car Robo toyline in Japan. In [[1984]], [[Joustra]] released their own version (still with ''Diaclone'' sticker on the trailer) as part of their Diaclone line in Europe, either simply called ''Truck'' (according to the pack-in catalog) or ''Diaclone'' (in the pack-in comic). It's possible that [[GiG]] also released a version called ''Camion Convoy'' as part of their ''[[Trasformer]]'' line in Italy, but to this day no packaged sample has surfaced.
{{--}}

===The many releases of Optimus Prime===
[[File:SeveralG1Convoy.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Too much Prime on my hands.]]
Over the years, the [[#G1v1|original Optimus Prime]] has been repackaged and reissued multiple times:

*In the USA and Canada, limited edition promotional versions were available sporting Pepsi stickers; the Canadian version has large Pepsi stickers that cover the entire trailer, while the US version only has small Pepsi stickers that partially obscure the lines running across the trailer;
*In addition to the standard Japanese 01 Convoy release, Takara also released the toy as part of the [[#VSX|VSX Convoy vs. Megatron]] two-pack in [[1985]];
*Takara released a variant sporting clear blue windows and as part of the "[[#goodbye|Good Bye Convoy]]" set (packaged with [[Red Alert (G1)#Toys|Alert/Red Alert]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Toys|Ligier/Mirage]]) in [[1986]];
*Hasbro's subsidiary [[Milton Bradley]] (MB) released the toy in Europe in late 1985, following a slight delay due to licensing issues;<ref name="mbtfs">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/mb-transformers-part-5/ "The Jetfire vs Optimus Prime mixup"] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref> there are no less than ''three'' variants of MB-packaged Optimus Prime, one of them manufactured by Takara and sporting blue feet, the other two manufactured by [[Joustra]] as part of a deal with Hasbro/MB, one of them with blue and the other one with red feet;<ref name="3mb">[http://20thcenturytoycollector.com/the-three-mb-optimus-primes/ "The Three MB Optimus Primes"] at 20th Century Toy Collector</ref>
*After Hasbro's European division had changed the packaging from "MB" to "Hasbro", the toy continued to be available in 1986, including more of the Joustra-manufactured red and blue feeted versions, which were apparently also available in the UK in English-only packaging;<ref name="3mb"/>
*[[GiG]] released the toy as ''Commander'' as part of their ''Transformers'' line in Italy in 1985, including an all-plastic variant in 1986;
*[[IGA]] released their version in Mexico in 1985; unsold stock was later imported to a plethora of European countries, including the UK, with Optimus Prime having the yellow paint scraped off his eyes and then having them painted over in red;
*Hasbro reissued the "Original Autobot Leader" toy as part of their European ''[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]'' line of reissues in [[1991]];
*Hasbro released a [[#Generation_2|redecoed version with additional accessories]] as part of their [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'' line]] in [[1993]];
*Takara reissued the original toy in its original 1985 Japanese packaging in [[2000]], with an all-black recolor being available from assorted Japanese conventions and another variant with gold instead of silver parts, stickers, and paint as a [[Lucky Draw figure|lucky draw]] prize;
*Takara reissued the toy again as ''New Year Special'' version in January 2002, sporting clear blue windows (similar to Good Bye Convoy) and featuring additional accessories such as a Matrix necklace and a [[Show-accuracy|show accurate]] recolor of the Action Master Optimus Prime figure;
*Hasbro reissued the toy in the USA and the UK as part of their ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]'' line of reissues in [[2002]], sporting shortened down smokestacks [[for safety reasons]];
*Takara reissued the toy once again in [[2003]], as part of their ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' line of reissues, numbered 00 and featuring additional accessories such as an energon axe;
*Takara released a recolored version featuring a new trailer in December [[2005]], called ''[[Pepsi Convoy]]''.
*Hasbro released their own version of Pepsi Convoy, named "[[#PepsiPrime|Pepsi Optimus Prime]]", as a [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] exclusive in [[2007]], featuring the familiar [[For safety reasons|safety]]-shortened smokestacks of the Commemorative Series reissue.
*In August 2007 TakaraTomy yet again did a rerelease similar to the 2000 Convoy rerelease, this time as part of the "[[Transformers Encore]]" line. This version has a new rifle with a longer handle so Optimus can finally hold it straight.
*TakaraTomy released [http://seibertron.com/advertisement.php?id=8 "Convoy iPod Docking Bay with Speakers"] in September 2007. It is an iPod speaker/dock in the shape of a truck, featuring an all-white version of Convoy with a new head sculpt reminiscent of Masterpiece Convoy as the cab, and a trailer housing a pair of speakers and a docking point for an iPod.
*In March [[2008]], TakaraTomy released a G1-colored version of the iPod Convoy set.
*Hasbro released the ''25th Anniversary'' gift set edition detailed above in 2008, as part of the 2008 ''Universe'' line, once again with [[For safety reasons|shortened smokestacks]].
*TakaraTomy released another reissue based on the ''Encore'' version as part of their ''[[Transformers Chronicle|Chronicle]]'' line in 2011, lacking the original Generation 1 trailer. Instead, the ''Chronicle'' version was available in a two-pack with ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|Dark of the Moon]]'' Deluxe Class [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Chronicle|Optimus Prime]] and a new trailer that could be used by both Optimuses, thanks to a retooled trailer hitch on the Generation 1 Optimus Prime figure.
*In 2012, Hasbro reissued Optimus Prime again for their Asian markets, this time mixing the 25th Anniversary version of the toy itself with the older ''Commemorative Series'' packaging.<ref name="25thcomm">[http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/showthread.php?t=44388 "Bad news RE: new Commemorative Prime"] at Cybertron.ca.</ref>
*In 2019, Optimus was rereleased once again, this time without his trailer and with his original long smokestacks (something he hasn't had in America since Generation 2), in Hasbro's Vintage G1 line of reissues exclusive to Walmart stores in US and Canada.

===Powermaster Optimus Prime design history===

[[Powermaster]] Optimus Prime, being the grand toy rebirth of Optimus Prime post-movie, apparently received a lot of thought during the design process. Prime went through an inordinate number of design changes from concept to final with at least three very major revisions:

[[File:EarlyPMPrime1.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|Overcompensating.]]

*The earliest version, as shown in the first patent application for the toy, was to have the Prime cab be a triplechanger, turning from truck cab to jet or robot.<ref>[http://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=0&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19880604&CC=JP&NR=S63132686A&KC=A Patent #JP63-132686]</ref> The nosecone of the jet and robot legs were released by the Powermaster lock in the same fashion as the legs in the final version. Optimus would have had winged arms in non-super [[robot mode]]. The super robot mode's head was also integrated into the trailer's hitch... and lacked a faceplate.
[[File:EarlyPMPrime2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|Blockhead.]]
*The second known version <ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'', p22, p106</ref> ditched the triplechanging gimmick on the cab and simplified things a good bit. This Powermaster Prime has several distinct characteristics only seen in the second design, such as the wider "block head" and two faux smokestacks on top of either shoulder as opposed to one. Also, in a rather odd twist, this design features a black head and fists for both super and regular modes rather than the traditional blue. It also had yellow eyes in either mode a la the original Optimus Prime.
[[File:EarlyPMPrime3.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55|''Triple-Power-Headmaster Optimus Prime'' was just too damn long to put on the box.]]
*The third version <ref>''[[Transformers Generations (guidebook)|Transformers Generations]]'', p106</ref> would quite possibly have been the most gimmick loaded Transformer in the history of the line, simultaneously being a Powermaster, [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]], and [[Triple Changer]]. The Headmaster also would have been a Triple Changer, turning into a sort of armored four-wheeled rover (Roller II?) and robot as well as a rather silly looking Optimus Prime head with four vertically aligned wheels jutting off the sides. It seems that when the extra Headmaster gimmick was scrapped, the super mode head remained separate rather than being reintegrated into the trailer hitch such as on the earliest design. Notably, the body of this design is extremely close to the final design.
*A fourth version is shown in the 1987-88 Transformers product catalog that has several minor differences from both Powermaster Prime and [[Ginrai (human)|God Ginrai]], such as having God Ginrai's sliding fists but in red, a completely different trailer hitch assembly partially based on the third design, an offset Autobot symbol in base mode, extended feet also based on third design, far more detailed super mode outer leg panels, completely different front bumper, and the first instance of single faux shoulder smokestacks rather than two. It is still unknown as to why Powermaster Prime has completely different arms from God Ginrai or all earlier concept versions.

Powermaster Prime's animation model as used in the commercials and as a character guide for the Marvel comics is a composite of the second and third designs. The body of the model is actually a straight tracing of the concept lineart for the third version (including its different rifles and twin faux shoulder stacks), with a slightly simplified drawing of the second version's head drawn on top.
{{--}}

===Miscellaneous Primes===
[[File:Early Star Convoy Planning Stage.jpg‎|thumb|upright=1.1|I am the prototype of the toy of the future!]]
*''Return of Convoy'' catalogues reveal the planning process behind Star Convoy's evolution from gimmick-rich illustration to prototype before reaching final production.
[[File:PMHeroTrace.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1|Stealing purses across the ages.]]
*The pose used for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' [[#HeroOptimusPrime|Hero Optimus Prime]]'s [[package art]] is rather blatantly swiped from [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]] [[Powermaster]] [[#PMOP|Optimus Prime]]'s package art.
*On a similar note, ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' [[#Machine Wars|Optimus Prime]]'s package art is merely edited from ''Generation 2'' [[#LaserOptimusPrime|Laser Optimus Prime]]'s card art, keeping it mostly intact save for the removal of shoulder kibble and the addition of a non-windowed chestplate.
[[File:Optimus prime nokia 6820.JPG|left|thumb|125px|Wait...I'm sure this is from Finland. But why did [[Seymour Simmons|Simmons]] say...]]
*The Masterpiece Optimus Prime toy was featured in a print ad for [[Nokia]] {{w|Nokia 68xx series#Nokia 6820|6820}} phones in December 2004.<ref name="nokia">[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/20th-anniversary-optimus-prime-featured-in-nokia-a/4374/ "20th Anniversary Optimus Prime Featured in Nokia Ad"]</ref> He is posed bent over to look at the phone and scratching his head. Pleasantly, ''most'' of the pose pictured is perfectly possible with an un-[[Customizing|kitbash]]ed, un-Photoshopped version of the toy. (The real toy can't bend forward at the waist like that, alas.)
*''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' [[#Classics (2006)|Optimus Prime]] was initially intended to be Deluxe-sized. An alleged list of the tentative ''Classics'' line-up<ref name="classicslineup">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/possible-transformers-classic-line-up-4336/ Rumor] about the ''Classics'' lineup that turned out to be spot on aside from Voyager [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]] and Deluxe Optimus Prime.</ref> included a Deluxe-sized Optimus Prime without a trailer and a version ''with'' a trailer at the Voyager [[size class|price point]]; however, it appears the decision was eventually made to upscale Optimus to Voyager size instead.<ref name="sage">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/cybertron-crosswise-redeco-and-transformers-classics-info-4683/ "Cybertron Crosswise Redeco and Transformers Classics Info"] (via [[Joe Kyde]]'s proxy "SAGE2764")</ref> Don Figueroa's [[control drawing]]s for the Deluxe version were leaked before the ''Classics'' line was even released at retail.<ref name="primecontrol">Leaked ''Classics'' Deluxe Optimus Prime control drawings: [http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/transformers-classics-optimus-prime-design-sketch-4691/ Vehicle mode], [http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/transformers-classics-optimus-prime-robot-mode-design-sketches-4692/ robot mode]</ref> A gray model [[prototype]] was later shown as part of an interview with [[TakaraTomy]]'s staff in ''[[Transformers Generations 2009#Volume 1|Transformers Generations 2009 vol. 1]]''.<ref name="ttinterview">[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/general-articles-25/translated-version-of-the-takara-tomy-transformers-henkei--classics-staff-interview-167073/ Translated TakaraTomy Henkei/Classics staff interview]</ref> It's unclear whether the trailer ever made it past the early planning stage before the size of the figure was changed.
{{--}}

== Footnotes ==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Alternity Autobots]]
[[Category:Authentics]]
[[Category:Bot Shots Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Cloud Autobots]]
[[Category:Collaborative]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Autobots]]
[[Category:Contest prizes]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 toy Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Generations Selects]]
[[Category:GT characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Autobots]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:Music Label]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:Power of the Primes Autobots]]
[[Category:Powermasters]]
[[Category:Q-Transformers characters]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:SDCC exclusives]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Toys"R"Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Autobots]]

The Transformers (toyline)

2020-12-24T22:11:56Z

Whalermouse: /* 1986: "The Movie" */

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchise]]s for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America, eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOCclear}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. Mattel was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''Starriors'' reconfigurable robots (a ''Zoids'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than is competitors.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging too was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if that, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante with [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium under the furious eye of scary-loud and panicky parental watchdog groups)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

{{note|Most of these tactics were also applied to Hasbro's other huge success story in the 1980s, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]].'' Wide variety of price points, character writeups, "Flag Points" for unique mailaways, better cartoon... all there.}}

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure, a lingering effect from the petroleum price crises from the '70s made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|"Bumper"]]''<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]][[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Jet Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Communications'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Soundwave]] and Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G1v1|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Roller (G1)#Generation 1|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Generation 1|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Kronoform]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (yellow/red) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (red/yellow) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Devastator]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Generation 1|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Insecticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Scientist'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Communicator'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Air Guardian'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Electric Racing Set]] (W/ [[Natron]] & [[Freezon]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. The older cast of not-shipping-any-more-1984-toys was shuffled out, with many characters openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time (and still uncommon today, mostly only the [[live-action film series]] works this way). These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)/toys#Generation 1|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)#Toys|Superion]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Menasor, the Stunticon combiner]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car Hot Rod]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Planes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[City Commander]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] (w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]] (w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
[[File:G1 Reflector toy.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] ([[Spectro]], [[Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Pointblank.jpg|250px|thumb|Autobot Targetmaster Pointblank]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $200 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:Technobots-specialteams.jpg|200px|thumb|Computron, the Technobot combiner]][[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Headmaster Brainstorm (with Arcana)]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Duocon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]] (w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]] (w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]] (w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]] (w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]] (w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]] (w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]] (w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]] (w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]] (w/ [[Haywire#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]] (w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] (w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] (w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] (w/ [[Aimless (G1)#Toys|Aimless]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]] (w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]] (w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]] (w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]] (w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Base]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fortress Maximus]] (w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scorponok]] (w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}
===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group.

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''{{w|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.

<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]] (giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon Sparkstalker]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster Optimus Prime]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender Bomb-Burst]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]] (w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]] (w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]] (w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]] (w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]] (w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]] (w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]] (w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]] (w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]] (w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]] (w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powermaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]] (w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]] (w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]] (w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (Decepticon)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]] (w/ [[Rev#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]] (w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]] (w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pretenders Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|250px|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which wasn't the decrepit shell of a retailer it is now).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph; and all other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinguation between Autobot/Decepticon (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender Thunderwing]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Sports Car Patrol]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">The first three Micromaster Patrols shipped in their own assortment in late 1988, and were available in packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a fairly unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]] ([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]] ([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]] ([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]] ([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]] ([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]] ([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]] (w/ [[Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (Decepticon)#Toys|Flattop]] (w/ [[Platonix|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] (w/ [[Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]] (w/ [[Military transport]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Stations'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]] (w/ [[Airwave (facility)|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]] (w/ [[Greasepit (facility)|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]] (w/ [[Hot House (facility)|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]] (w/ [[Ironworks (facility)|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Bases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]] (w/ [[ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]] (w/ [[Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]] (w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]] (w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
:'''[[Kmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
<big>'''Retail releases'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]] ([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]] ([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]] ([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]] ([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]] ([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]] ([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (Decepticon)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]] ([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]] ([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit (G1)#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch (G1)#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot (G1)#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish (G1)#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]] ([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit (G1)#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]] ([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner Tanker Truck (with Pipeline & Gusher)]][[File:G1-toy Rollout&Glitch.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Rollout & Glitch]][[File:AMWheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Wheeljack with his Turbo Racer]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport]] (w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher]] (w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck]] (w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base]] w/ ([[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters]] (w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==Hasbro (and others) ''Transformers'' European line==
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}

The history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. There are certainly a number of notable early variants, such as the [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]], as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]], but their scarcity has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Action Master Elite Omega Supreme, a bot as hard to find as he is to focus on.]]

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough).

Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]].

[[File:G1Thunder clash toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Turbomaster Thunder Clash, the new Autobot leader of 1992.]]

In [[1992]], the line got much more cohesive, moving back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensors#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]). In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
{{--}}

==Takara ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' line==
[[File:Japanese tf logo.jpg|right|250px]]

{{Main|Generation 1 (Japanese toylines)}}

[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a year or two prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, but over time the two companies pursued some pretty different visions for the brand. Takara gave the accompanying advertising media different sub-[[franchise]] titles for each year, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines in Japan (which would eventually end up making its way Stateside), although the toyline itself would not gain over-arching secondary titles until 1991, instead only featuring gimmick-specific brandings for relevant toys, some of which just happened to mirror the accompanying media's title. They would also create a variety of all-new toys unique to their version of ''Transformers'' (although some of them also saw release in Europe), most of them highly sought-after by collectors. By the end of the series, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead for the bulk of the line, with new molds being relegated to a small handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.

==Mexican & South American ''Transformers''==
If you want strange variants of Generation 1 toys, then the short-lived toylines south of the border are the mother lode. But many of these items are not cheap on the secondary market due to their scarcity.

;Mexico
[[File:Prowl-Mexico.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mexican Prowl, with extra black bits.]]
::''Main article: [[IGA]]''

:''Transformers'' was released by [[IGA]] in Mexico in 1985. For the most part, the toys are similar to their Hasbro counterparts, though with plenty of minor coloring and materials differences... which apparently includes ''lead paint''. Oops.

:The line did not do well, and 1986's releases were little more than [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and a handful of first-year [[Mini Vehicle]]s recolored roughly like their [[#1986|third-year retool]]s. The line was fully canceled shortly after.

: A number of these toys ended up in European markets years after the line was over, which is when that whole "lead paint" thing was discovered. Oops.

{{-}}
;Brazil
[[File:Camaro-Purple.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Malignus Camaro. Gorgeous. And expensive.]]
::''Main article: [[Estrela]]''

:Easily the most well-known of the Southern-Hemisphere ''Transformers'' releases, [[Estrela]]'s batch of six Mini-Vehicle molds were the bulk of the toys released by the company, put out in a variety of colors. Notably, the mysterious "[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]" mold was part of this assortment, under the name "[[Sedan (Robocar)|Sedan]]", complete with packaging art and a [[bio]], leading fans to wonder if this bio came from scrapped plans for the toy in the original [[Hasbro]] line.

:The line was filled out with redecoed [[Jumpstarter]]s called "Salt-Man" ("''salto''" meaning "jump" in Spanish and Portuguese), and non-Takara molds like the [[Eletrix]] and [[Bat-Robô]].

:Most coveted among the Estrela toys is the second round of Mini Vehicles, the "[[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]] vs [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]]" series, which split the toys into brand-new good & evil (respectively) factions. These twelve toys —particularly the more radically-changed Malignus— are very expensive on the secondary market, easily earning triple-digit sums for even loose samples. Still-carded toys are exceptionally rare.

{{-}}
;Argentina
[[File:SaltManX-wg.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Salt-Man X]]
::''Main article: [[Antex]]''

: A bit of an odd case, it appears that Argentinean company [[Antex]] got its ''Transformers'' license from Estrela, rather than Hasbro, which is kind of dubious on the "did Estrela actually have the authority to do that" mark. Antex would then release its own batch of Mini Vehicle redecoes.

: In the early 2010s, a large number of on-card/boxed Antex toys hit the secondary market, apparently due to an old warehouse find. Many of these items were sold cheaper than ''domestic'' packaged original toys in the US... but still make a neat curiosity for a collector.

: One more odd Argentinean release is the [[Radio AM Robot]], an original mold by [[Comando Toys]]. Your guess is as good as ours.

{{-}}
;Peru

::''Main article: [[Lynsa]]''

: There is a bit of confusion as to the short-lived Peruvian ''Transformers'' line as it appears that two different companies obtained the license and took two different approaches to it, though both mainly stuck to -once again- the Mini Vehicle range.

:BASA (which would later change its name to HUDE, which doesn't help in the confusion department) simply imported Hasbro product and applied a company sticker to the packaging.

:[[Lynsa]], however, made their own cheaper-to-produce versions of the original [[Mini Vehicle]] range, often with less-to-no paint applications, decals or chrome, as well as multiple different color variants for each mold. There are supposedly upwards of ''three dozen'' different mold/color combinations altogether, many of them unique to the Peruvian line, but the ravages of time have made samples stunningly rare and reliable information scarce.

{{-}}
;Venezuela

::''Main article: [[Rubiplas]]''

: The tiny [[Rubiplas]] line is very similar to the Peruvian Lynsa line in construction, being low-cost, minimal-deco versions of the incomplete Mini Vehicles range. Most are similar in color to their Hasbro releases, save their very weirdly-colored [[Huffer (G1)#Rubiplas|Huffer]].

{{-}}

==Chinese ''The Transformers'' toyline==
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, [[Hasbro International]] started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)|Victory]]'' toys.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.

{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

<big>'''Takara'''</big>
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
{{-}}

<big>'''Hasbro'''</big>
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz. (''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]].

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a Toys"R"Us staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn… although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.
{{-}}

===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MachineWars Hoist toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RobotMastersStarscream toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind.

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
{{-}}

*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|left|thumb|250px|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line is still going today, and has expanded its scope, recently adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
{{-}}

*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. The results often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys. The line turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, with multiple [[subline imprint]]s.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.

:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally the majority of the product is Generation-1-based. The reason we bring this up last was that this is not a retail series, being sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations#Generations in Japan|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015) / '''''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)#Power of the Primes (TakaraTomy)|Power of the Primes]]''''' (2018) / '''''[[War for Cybertron: Siege#Siege (TakaraTomy)|Siege]]''''' (2019)
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco. One of the latest series, ''Legends'' was mostly Takara's version of Hasbro's ''Generations'' line, until both companies decided to release the Hasbro versions of each toy starting with ''Power of the Primes'' in late 2017.

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (Adventure)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:2018's ''Power of the Primes'' and 2019's ''Siege'' toys are identical to the ones released by Hasbro (except for one [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|minor detail on one figure]]), mostly differing between time of release or lack thereof of certain figures.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (toyline), The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]

The Transformers (toyline)

2020-12-24T22:10:25Z

Whalermouse: /* 1986: "The Movie" */

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchise]]s for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America, eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOCclear}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. Mattel was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''Starriors'' reconfigurable robots (a ''Zoids'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than is competitors.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging too was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if that, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante with [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium under the furious eye of scary-loud and panicky parental watchdog groups)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

{{note|Most of these tactics were also applied to Hasbro's other huge success story in the 1980s, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]].'' Wide variety of price points, character writeups, "Flag Points" for unique mailaways, better cartoon... all there.}}

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure, a lingering effect from the petroleum price crises from the '70s made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|"Bumper"]]''<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]][[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Jet Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Communications'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Soundwave]] and Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G1v1|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Roller (G1)#Generation 1|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Generation 1|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Kronoform]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (yellow/red) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (red/yellow) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Devastator]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Generation 1|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Insecticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Scientist'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Communicator'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Air Guardian'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Electric Racing Set]] (W/ [[Natron]] & [[Freezon]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. The older cast of not-shipping-any-more-1984-toys was shuffled out, with many characters openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time (and still uncommon today, mostly only the [[live-action film series]] works this way). These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)/toys#Generation 1|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Superion]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Menasor, the Stunticon combiner]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car Hot Rod]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Planes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[City Commander]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] (w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]] (w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
[[File:G1 Reflector toy.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] ([[Spectro]], [[Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Pointblank.jpg|250px|thumb|Autobot Targetmaster Pointblank]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $200 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:Technobots-specialteams.jpg|200px|thumb|Computron, the Technobot combiner]][[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Headmaster Brainstorm (with Arcana)]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Duocon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]] (w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]] (w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]] (w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]] (w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]] (w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]] (w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]] (w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]] (w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]] (w/ [[Haywire#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]] (w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] (w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] (w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] (w/ [[Aimless (G1)#Toys|Aimless]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]] (w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]] (w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]] (w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]] (w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Base]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fortress Maximus]] (w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scorponok]] (w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}
===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group.

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''{{w|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.

<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]] (giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon Sparkstalker]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster Optimus Prime]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender Bomb-Burst]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]] (w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]] (w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]] (w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]] (w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]] (w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]] (w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]] (w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]] (w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]] (w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]] (w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powermaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]] (w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]] (w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]] (w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (Decepticon)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]] (w/ [[Rev#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]] (w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]] (w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pretenders Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|250px|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which wasn't the decrepit shell of a retailer it is now).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph; and all other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinguation between Autobot/Decepticon (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender Thunderwing]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Sports Car Patrol]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">The first three Micromaster Patrols shipped in their own assortment in late 1988, and were available in packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a fairly unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]] ([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]] ([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]] ([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]] ([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]] ([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]] ([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]] (w/ [[Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (Decepticon)#Toys|Flattop]] (w/ [[Platonix|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] (w/ [[Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]] (w/ [[Military transport]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Stations'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]] (w/ [[Airwave (facility)|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]] (w/ [[Greasepit (facility)|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]] (w/ [[Hot House (facility)|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]] (w/ [[Ironworks (facility)|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Bases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]] (w/ [[ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]] (w/ [[Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]] (w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]] (w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
:'''[[Kmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
<big>'''Retail releases'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]] ([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]] ([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]] ([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]] ([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]] ([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]] ([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (Decepticon)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]] ([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]] ([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit (G1)#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch (G1)#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot (G1)#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish (G1)#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]] ([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit (G1)#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]] ([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner Tanker Truck (with Pipeline & Gusher)]][[File:G1-toy Rollout&Glitch.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Rollout & Glitch]][[File:AMWheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Wheeljack with his Turbo Racer]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport]] (w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher]] (w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck]] (w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base]] w/ ([[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters]] (w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==Hasbro (and others) ''Transformers'' European line==
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}

The history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. There are certainly a number of notable early variants, such as the [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]], as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]], but their scarcity has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Action Master Elite Omega Supreme, a bot as hard to find as he is to focus on.]]

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough).

Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]].

[[File:G1Thunder clash toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Turbomaster Thunder Clash, the new Autobot leader of 1992.]]

In [[1992]], the line got much more cohesive, moving back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensors#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]). In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
{{--}}

==Takara ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' line==
[[File:Japanese tf logo.jpg|right|250px]]

{{Main|Generation 1 (Japanese toylines)}}

[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a year or two prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, but over time the two companies pursued some pretty different visions for the brand. Takara gave the accompanying advertising media different sub-[[franchise]] titles for each year, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines in Japan (which would eventually end up making its way Stateside), although the toyline itself would not gain over-arching secondary titles until 1991, instead only featuring gimmick-specific brandings for relevant toys, some of which just happened to mirror the accompanying media's title. They would also create a variety of all-new toys unique to their version of ''Transformers'' (although some of them also saw release in Europe), most of them highly sought-after by collectors. By the end of the series, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead for the bulk of the line, with new molds being relegated to a small handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.

==Mexican & South American ''Transformers''==
If you want strange variants of Generation 1 toys, then the short-lived toylines south of the border are the mother lode. But many of these items are not cheap on the secondary market due to their scarcity.

;Mexico
[[File:Prowl-Mexico.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mexican Prowl, with extra black bits.]]
::''Main article: [[IGA]]''

:''Transformers'' was released by [[IGA]] in Mexico in 1985. For the most part, the toys are similar to their Hasbro counterparts, though with plenty of minor coloring and materials differences... which apparently includes ''lead paint''. Oops.

:The line did not do well, and 1986's releases were little more than [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and a handful of first-year [[Mini Vehicle]]s recolored roughly like their [[#1986|third-year retool]]s. The line was fully canceled shortly after.

: A number of these toys ended up in European markets years after the line was over, which is when that whole "lead paint" thing was discovered. Oops.

{{-}}
;Brazil
[[File:Camaro-Purple.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Malignus Camaro. Gorgeous. And expensive.]]
::''Main article: [[Estrela]]''

:Easily the most well-known of the Southern-Hemisphere ''Transformers'' releases, [[Estrela]]'s batch of six Mini-Vehicle molds were the bulk of the toys released by the company, put out in a variety of colors. Notably, the mysterious "[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]" mold was part of this assortment, under the name "[[Sedan (Robocar)|Sedan]]", complete with packaging art and a [[bio]], leading fans to wonder if this bio came from scrapped plans for the toy in the original [[Hasbro]] line.

:The line was filled out with redecoed [[Jumpstarter]]s called "Salt-Man" ("''salto''" meaning "jump" in Spanish and Portuguese), and non-Takara molds like the [[Eletrix]] and [[Bat-Robô]].

:Most coveted among the Estrela toys is the second round of Mini Vehicles, the "[[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]] vs [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]]" series, which split the toys into brand-new good & evil (respectively) factions. These twelve toys —particularly the more radically-changed Malignus— are very expensive on the secondary market, easily earning triple-digit sums for even loose samples. Still-carded toys are exceptionally rare.

{{-}}
;Argentina
[[File:SaltManX-wg.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Salt-Man X]]
::''Main article: [[Antex]]''

: A bit of an odd case, it appears that Argentinean company [[Antex]] got its ''Transformers'' license from Estrela, rather than Hasbro, which is kind of dubious on the "did Estrela actually have the authority to do that" mark. Antex would then release its own batch of Mini Vehicle redecoes.

: In the early 2010s, a large number of on-card/boxed Antex toys hit the secondary market, apparently due to an old warehouse find. Many of these items were sold cheaper than ''domestic'' packaged original toys in the US... but still make a neat curiosity for a collector.

: One more odd Argentinean release is the [[Radio AM Robot]], an original mold by [[Comando Toys]]. Your guess is as good as ours.

{{-}}
;Peru

::''Main article: [[Lynsa]]''

: There is a bit of confusion as to the short-lived Peruvian ''Transformers'' line as it appears that two different companies obtained the license and took two different approaches to it, though both mainly stuck to -once again- the Mini Vehicle range.

:BASA (which would later change its name to HUDE, which doesn't help in the confusion department) simply imported Hasbro product and applied a company sticker to the packaging.

:[[Lynsa]], however, made their own cheaper-to-produce versions of the original [[Mini Vehicle]] range, often with less-to-no paint applications, decals or chrome, as well as multiple different color variants for each mold. There are supposedly upwards of ''three dozen'' different mold/color combinations altogether, many of them unique to the Peruvian line, but the ravages of time have made samples stunningly rare and reliable information scarce.

{{-}}
;Venezuela

::''Main article: [[Rubiplas]]''

: The tiny [[Rubiplas]] line is very similar to the Peruvian Lynsa line in construction, being low-cost, minimal-deco versions of the incomplete Mini Vehicles range. Most are similar in color to their Hasbro releases, save their very weirdly-colored [[Huffer (G1)#Rubiplas|Huffer]].

{{-}}

==Chinese ''The Transformers'' toyline==
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, [[Hasbro International]] started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)|Victory]]'' toys.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.

{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

<big>'''Takara'''</big>
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
{{-}}

<big>'''Hasbro'''</big>
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz. (''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]].

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a Toys"R"Us staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn… although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.
{{-}}

===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MachineWars Hoist toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RobotMastersStarscream toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind.

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
{{-}}

*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|left|thumb|250px|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line is still going today, and has expanded its scope, recently adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
{{-}}

*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. The results often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys. The line turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, with multiple [[subline imprint]]s.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.

:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally the majority of the product is Generation-1-based. The reason we bring this up last was that this is not a retail series, being sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations#Generations in Japan|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015) / '''''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)#Power of the Primes (TakaraTomy)|Power of the Primes]]''''' (2018) / '''''[[War for Cybertron: Siege#Siege (TakaraTomy)|Siege]]''''' (2019)
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco. One of the latest series, ''Legends'' was mostly Takara's version of Hasbro's ''Generations'' line, until both companies decided to release the Hasbro versions of each toy starting with ''Power of the Primes'' in late 2017.

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (Adventure)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:2018's ''Power of the Primes'' and 2019's ''Siege'' toys are identical to the ones released by Hasbro (except for one [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|minor detail on one figure]]), mostly differing between time of release or lack thereof of certain figures.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (toyline), The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]

The Transformers (toyline)

2020-12-24T22:03:24Z

Whalermouse: /* 1986: "The Movie" */

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchise]]s for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America, eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOCclear}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. Mattel was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''Starriors'' reconfigurable robots (a ''Zoids'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than is competitors.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging too was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if that, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante with [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium under the furious eye of scary-loud and panicky parental watchdog groups)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

{{note|Most of these tactics were also applied to Hasbro's other huge success story in the 1980s, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]].'' Wide variety of price points, character writeups, "Flag Points" for unique mailaways, better cartoon... all there.}}

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure, a lingering effect from the petroleum price crises from the '70s made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|"Bumper"]]''<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]][[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Jet Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Communications'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Soundwave]] and Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G1v1|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Roller (G1)#Generation 1|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Generation 1|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Kronoform]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (yellow/red) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (red/yellow) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger#The_Transformers|Windcharger]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Devastator]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Generation 1|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Insecticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Scientist'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Communicator'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Air Guardian'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Electric Racing Set]] (W/ [[Natron]] & [[Freezon]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. The older cast of not-shipping-any-more-1984-toys was shuffled out, with many characters openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time (and still uncommon today, mostly only the [[live-action film series]] works this way). These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)/toys#Generation 1|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)#Generation 1|Superion]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Menasor, the Stunticon combiner]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car Hot Rod]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Planes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[City Commander]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] (w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]] (w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
[[File:G1 Reflector toy.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] ([[Spectro]], [[Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Pointblank.jpg|250px|thumb|Autobot Targetmaster Pointblank]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $200 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:Technobots-specialteams.jpg|200px|thumb|Computron, the Technobot combiner]][[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Headmaster Brainstorm (with Arcana)]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Duocon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]] (w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]] (w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]] (w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]] (w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]] (w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]] (w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]] (w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]] (w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]] (w/ [[Haywire#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]] (w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] (w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] (w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] (w/ [[Aimless (G1)#Toys|Aimless]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]] (w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]] (w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]] (w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]] (w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Base]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fortress Maximus]] (w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scorponok]] (w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}
===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group.

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''{{w|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.

<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]] (giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon Sparkstalker]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster Optimus Prime]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender Bomb-Burst]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]] (w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]] (w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]] (w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]] (w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]] (w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]] (w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]] (w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]] (w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]] (w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]] (w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powermaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]] (w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]] (w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]] (w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (Decepticon)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]] (w/ [[Rev#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]] (w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]] (w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pretenders Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|250px|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which wasn't the decrepit shell of a retailer it is now).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph; and all other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinguation between Autobot/Decepticon (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender Thunderwing]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Sports Car Patrol]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">The first three Micromaster Patrols shipped in their own assortment in late 1988, and were available in packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a fairly unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]] ([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]] ([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]] ([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]] ([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]] ([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]] ([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]] (w/ [[Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (Decepticon)#Toys|Flattop]] (w/ [[Platonix|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] (w/ [[Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]] (w/ [[Military transport]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Stations'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]] (w/ [[Airwave (facility)|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]] (w/ [[Greasepit (facility)|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]] (w/ [[Hot House (facility)|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]] (w/ [[Ironworks (facility)|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Bases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]] (w/ [[ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]] (w/ [[Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]] (w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]] (w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
:'''[[Kmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
<big>'''Retail releases'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]] ([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]] ([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]] ([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]] ([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]] ([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]] ([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (Decepticon)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]] ([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]] ([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit (G1)#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch (G1)#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot (G1)#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish (G1)#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]] ([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit (G1)#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]] ([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner Tanker Truck (with Pipeline & Gusher)]][[File:G1-toy Rollout&Glitch.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Rollout & Glitch]][[File:AMWheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Wheeljack with his Turbo Racer]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport]] (w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher]] (w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck]] (w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base]] w/ ([[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters]] (w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==Hasbro (and others) ''Transformers'' European line==
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}

The history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. There are certainly a number of notable early variants, such as the [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]], as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]], but their scarcity has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Action Master Elite Omega Supreme, a bot as hard to find as he is to focus on.]]

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough).

Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]].

[[File:G1Thunder clash toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Turbomaster Thunder Clash, the new Autobot leader of 1992.]]

In [[1992]], the line got much more cohesive, moving back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensors#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]). In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
{{--}}

==Takara ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' line==
[[File:Japanese tf logo.jpg|right|250px]]

{{Main|Generation 1 (Japanese toylines)}}

[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a year or two prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, but over time the two companies pursued some pretty different visions for the brand. Takara gave the accompanying advertising media different sub-[[franchise]] titles for each year, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines in Japan (which would eventually end up making its way Stateside), although the toyline itself would not gain over-arching secondary titles until 1991, instead only featuring gimmick-specific brandings for relevant toys, some of which just happened to mirror the accompanying media's title. They would also create a variety of all-new toys unique to their version of ''Transformers'' (although some of them also saw release in Europe), most of them highly sought-after by collectors. By the end of the series, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead for the bulk of the line, with new molds being relegated to a small handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.

==Mexican & South American ''Transformers''==
If you want strange variants of Generation 1 toys, then the short-lived toylines south of the border are the mother lode. But many of these items are not cheap on the secondary market due to their scarcity.

;Mexico
[[File:Prowl-Mexico.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mexican Prowl, with extra black bits.]]
::''Main article: [[IGA]]''

:''Transformers'' was released by [[IGA]] in Mexico in 1985. For the most part, the toys are similar to their Hasbro counterparts, though with plenty of minor coloring and materials differences... which apparently includes ''lead paint''. Oops.

:The line did not do well, and 1986's releases were little more than [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and a handful of first-year [[Mini Vehicle]]s recolored roughly like their [[#1986|third-year retool]]s. The line was fully canceled shortly after.

: A number of these toys ended up in European markets years after the line was over, which is when that whole "lead paint" thing was discovered. Oops.

{{-}}
;Brazil
[[File:Camaro-Purple.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Malignus Camaro. Gorgeous. And expensive.]]
::''Main article: [[Estrela]]''

:Easily the most well-known of the Southern-Hemisphere ''Transformers'' releases, [[Estrela]]'s batch of six Mini-Vehicle molds were the bulk of the toys released by the company, put out in a variety of colors. Notably, the mysterious "[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]" mold was part of this assortment, under the name "[[Sedan (Robocar)|Sedan]]", complete with packaging art and a [[bio]], leading fans to wonder if this bio came from scrapped plans for the toy in the original [[Hasbro]] line.

:The line was filled out with redecoed [[Jumpstarter]]s called "Salt-Man" ("''salto''" meaning "jump" in Spanish and Portuguese), and non-Takara molds like the [[Eletrix]] and [[Bat-Robô]].

:Most coveted among the Estrela toys is the second round of Mini Vehicles, the "[[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]] vs [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]]" series, which split the toys into brand-new good & evil (respectively) factions. These twelve toys —particularly the more radically-changed Malignus— are very expensive on the secondary market, easily earning triple-digit sums for even loose samples. Still-carded toys are exceptionally rare.

{{-}}
;Argentina
[[File:SaltManX-wg.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Salt-Man X]]
::''Main article: [[Antex]]''

: A bit of an odd case, it appears that Argentinean company [[Antex]] got its ''Transformers'' license from Estrela, rather than Hasbro, which is kind of dubious on the "did Estrela actually have the authority to do that" mark. Antex would then release its own batch of Mini Vehicle redecoes.

: In the early 2010s, a large number of on-card/boxed Antex toys hit the secondary market, apparently due to an old warehouse find. Many of these items were sold cheaper than ''domestic'' packaged original toys in the US... but still make a neat curiosity for a collector.

: One more odd Argentinean release is the [[Radio AM Robot]], an original mold by [[Comando Toys]]. Your guess is as good as ours.

{{-}}
;Peru

::''Main article: [[Lynsa]]''

: There is a bit of confusion as to the short-lived Peruvian ''Transformers'' line as it appears that two different companies obtained the license and took two different approaches to it, though both mainly stuck to -once again- the Mini Vehicle range.

:BASA (which would later change its name to HUDE, which doesn't help in the confusion department) simply imported Hasbro product and applied a company sticker to the packaging.

:[[Lynsa]], however, made their own cheaper-to-produce versions of the original [[Mini Vehicle]] range, often with less-to-no paint applications, decals or chrome, as well as multiple different color variants for each mold. There are supposedly upwards of ''three dozen'' different mold/color combinations altogether, many of them unique to the Peruvian line, but the ravages of time have made samples stunningly rare and reliable information scarce.

{{-}}
;Venezuela

::''Main article: [[Rubiplas]]''

: The tiny [[Rubiplas]] line is very similar to the Peruvian Lynsa line in construction, being low-cost, minimal-deco versions of the incomplete Mini Vehicles range. Most are similar in color to their Hasbro releases, save their very weirdly-colored [[Huffer (G1)#Rubiplas|Huffer]].

{{-}}

==Chinese ''The Transformers'' toyline==
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, [[Hasbro International]] started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)|Victory]]'' toys.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.

{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

<big>'''Takara'''</big>
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
{{-}}

<big>'''Hasbro'''</big>
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz. (''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]].

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a Toys"R"Us staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn… although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.
{{-}}

===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MachineWars Hoist toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RobotMastersStarscream toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind.

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
{{-}}

*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|left|thumb|250px|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line is still going today, and has expanded its scope, recently adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
{{-}}

*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. The results often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys. The line turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, with multiple [[subline imprint]]s.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.

:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally the majority of the product is Generation-1-based. The reason we bring this up last was that this is not a retail series, being sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations#Generations in Japan|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015) / '''''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)#Power of the Primes (TakaraTomy)|Power of the Primes]]''''' (2018) / '''''[[War for Cybertron: Siege#Siege (TakaraTomy)|Siege]]''''' (2019)
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco. One of the latest series, ''Legends'' was mostly Takara's version of Hasbro's ''Generations'' line, until both companies decided to release the Hasbro versions of each toy starting with ''Power of the Primes'' in late 2017.

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (Adventure)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:2018's ''Power of the Primes'' and 2019's ''Siege'' toys are identical to the ones released by Hasbro (except for one [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|minor detail on one figure]]), mostly differing between time of release or lack thereof of certain figures.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (toyline), The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]

Gold Plastic Syndrome

2020-12-23T02:41:09Z

Whalermouse: /* Generation 1 */

{{featured}}
[[File:Electrogoldplasticsyndrome.jpg|right|upright=2.5|thumb|Ouch.]]
'''Gold Plastic Syndrome''' (commonly shorthanded to '''GPS''') is fandom terminology used to describe the phenomenon of a toy's [[plastic]] decomposing and becoming brittle to the point of shattering or crumbling under minimal-stress conditions. In the most extreme cases, toys have been reported to spontaneously crumble to small bits without any applied force at all, even if they're fresh out of their [[Mint in sealed box|unopened package]].

This breakage is different from the relatively more common stress-fracture type of plastic breakage that can occur in some [[Toy|Transformers toys]]; while normal stress fractures are universally heralded by stress marks on the toy, GPS breakage doesn't have that sign; it simply crumbles to pieces. The condition takes its name from the gold plastics of late Generation 1 through to ''Beast Wars'' that have proved the most prone to this sort of breakage. Despite the name, Gold Plastic Syndrome has been known to affect other types of plastic—most of them noted for a pretty metallic swirl in the plastic; the reason it has the GPS moniker is because gold plastic was the first one observed to have this horrific phenomenon.

Thankfully, Gold Plastic Syndrome is generally unheard of in modern ''Transformers'' figures, with the last reported case being in [[2009]].

==Etymology==
The term was coined in an [[alt.toys.transformers]] post made by user Sky Shadow in September 2002.<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b3d532961b2c2dc</ref> A post by [[Dave Edwards|Dave "Zobovor" Edwards]], meanwhile, made in June of the previous year,<ref>http://groups.google.co.uk/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/6ed7e0f3586f37e4</ref> is the earliest identifiable acknowledgment of the widespread nature of the phenomenon within the Transformers fan community.

Completing the journey from fan term to official term, "Gold Plastic Syndrome" was used by Hasbro designer [[John Warden]] at the ''Transformers Generations'' panel at Comic-Con International 2015 to describe exactly what would not happen to ''Combiner Wars'' G2-style [[Slingshot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Quickslinger]].

==Notability==
GPS is widespread among toys made in the tail-end of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]], typically the second year of [[Pretender]]s and even some European-market exclusives, ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' series, but examples have surfaced from lines as recent as [[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|''Universe'' (2003)]], the ''[[Star Wars Transformers (2005)|Star Wars Transformers]]'' and the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 movie]]. Transformers toys are not the only ones to suffer from this; there have been reports of ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' and ''[[Visionaries]]'' toys' gold plastics also crumbling seemingly of their own accord; even some ''Super Sentai'' and ''Power Rangers'' toys have been known to suffer. Probably the strangest is accounts of retro game collectors finding ''Majora's Mask'' cartridges shatter under minimal stress. Other retro robot toy collectors have referred to it as "Popy disease", after the metallic blue plastic favored by the company Popy that led to the demise of many a Dairugger / Vehicle Team Voltron.

The toys most likely to suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome are those with gold or bronze plastic with a metallic swirl to it. There are other known cases with different colors of plastic—though usually there is a tell-tale swirl in the plastic.

===Cause===
[[File:SkyquakeGPSback.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Gleargh]]
Because this is not exactly an area of scientific notability there aren't any full studies into Gold Plastic Syndrome that we know about. Basically, it is thought that certain plastics weren't mixed as well as others, possibly because of the metallic pigment or colouring, so they break down more quickly.

It's not much of a theory, really; think more a hypothesis. Here's a more detailed attempt:

{{bigquote|The problem likely arises, as with many composites, when the bonding between the polymer and the dye/particles breaks down. This could occur do to a natural chemical/phase change of the plastic, due to oxidation, for example, or by another mechanism, say the forces incurred by the toy being played with, or more likely, due to some combination thereof. In any case, when the bonds between the particles and the polymers break down, you would get small voids in the plastic structure. If this occurs frequently enough, the structure would become effectively porous (that is, it would be filled with lots of tiny voids/cracks where the polymers and particles have come apart). With even a slight amount of force, some of these cracks/voids could expand, even slightly, to the point where they intersect another void and join, making an even bigger crack. Once a critical crack length is reached, the sample fractures.

So effectively, the plastic becomes more brittle, and this would also explain it "crumbling" as well as cracking.}}
:-Aernaroth suggests a cause for GPS [http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=57191&view=findpost&p=1174876 on the Allspark]

So what it amounts to is: "The plastic crumbles a'cause it ain't very good."

Hasbro have attributed it to "the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic", and have apparently reduced the amount in similar plastics of more recent vintage to prevent further occurrences.<ref name="hasbrogps">[http://www.transformerland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3481 Hasbro Transformersland.com Q&A, August 2009:] "When we used gold metallic plastic in the past we discovered, along with many of you, that it becomes brittle over time. As we became aware of this situation, we took the necessary steps to reduce the amount of gold fleck included in the plastic to eliminate this issue. Ultimately, this should no longer be an issue due to these corrective steps that we have taken."</ref> Later Hasbro said that they believe they've "alleviated the issues associated with the 'gold' plastic issue" through "trial and error." <ref>http://www.toyark.com/news/transformers-toy-news-2/hasbro-transformers-june-2010-qna-2867/</ref>

All in all, the actual causes of Gold Plastic Syndrome aren't a very big deal to Transformers fans—it's really pretty academic. Of more concern is the ''RESULTS'' (i.e., poor Electro crumbling to bits like an Oreo left in milk too long), and what to look out for. There's no certain cure here, no fix. If a toy has GPS, it '''will''' die... maybe. See below for a potential solution, at least a temporary one, to GPS.

Seibertron.com has reported that Ace Hardware's "Lub-E" product may prevent GPS breakage, having applied it to an Electro pre-photo-shoot. How true this is still needs some pretty extensive testing, as it may very well be a coincidence that ''that'' specific Electro did not break. Because [[#GPS misconceptions|as noted below]], which toys snap and when (and where) is not exactly consistent...

===The Symptoms===
[[File:GPSSkyquakescopeclose.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|right|Nooo!]]

Gold Plastic Syndrome usually has a few clear signs. Knowing how to tell the difference between Gold Plastic Syndrome and normal plastic breakage is very important for a Transformers fan who is collecting vintage toys. It's the difference between giving up on that toy completely (since if it has GPS, it's really ''really'' likely most other samples of the toy will as well) and buying a new copy.
*GPS usually takes place in metallic-coloured plastics, most notably gold plastic and bronze plastic.
*GPS breaks are NOT accompanied by stress fractures. There is usually NOT any visible wear before the breakage. This is really important. Plastic breaks. This is a reality of toy collecting, plastic gets old and it breaks. Gold plastic syndrome is breakage without warning.
*GPS breaks often leave a powdery residue and shards of plastic (though not always), the result of the plastic actually physically crumbling. Take a look at the picture of Skyquake's scope—okay, the bits of his scope—to the right. You can actually see some of the left-over shards of plastic. Keep in mind this picture was taken years after the break actually occurred—these are new shards of plastic which came off these pieces of scope during the process of moving the parts around for photography. Plastic should '''not''' be that brittle or delicate.
*GPS breakages don't need to involve any excess stress or force on a toy—simply handling a toy can cause the breakage. Looking at it funny sometimes does it. Spitting on it, maybe. Opening its box. ''Anything.'' If your toy breaks despite careful handling it's more likely to be GPS.
*GPS breaks often have rough, uneven edges with no stress lines around them. This is important—usually when plastic snaps it snaps cleanly (as is common with clear plastic), or it bends first (leaving a torn-off piece, or clear stresses around the break). If a break is uneven, with different colours and textures in it, yet there are no stress fractures around the wound, and especially if it leaves a powdery residue as well, it's almost certainly a GPS break. Take a look at the photo of Skyquake above for a good example of the ragged break. Okay... not good. What's the other word that's LIKE "good", but not actually good? Oh yeah. Horrifying. A HORRIFYING example.
*GPS plastics will sometimes feel brittle to the touch, sometimes making cracking noises as they're handled.

A really easy test to tell if you have GPS breakage is this—if a piece breaks off, try snapping it again. If it's normal plastic breakage, the broken piece should bend or bow instead of just snapping like dry wood; there should be some give in the plastic, even if it's a brittle, clear plastic—so you should be able to glue it back into place, or at least get a replacement part. On the other hand, if the broken piece snaps like your grandmother's ankles in a rugby match, then you've almost definitely got Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==GPS misconceptions==
'''ALL GOLD PLASTIC WILL DIE!'''
:Not true. It's only a specific composite of gold plastic only used during a specific era that will die, most prominently used from 1988 (second year Pretenders are notorious for it) and through to about the end of ''Beast Wars'' in 2000, although there are still a few rare cases of post-millennium figures with this issue up until 2007. As far as we know modern toys do not suffer from GPS due to a reduction in the amount of metallic flakes in similar, but more recent toys.<ref name="hasbrogps" /> Toys with flexible nylon-based gold plastics, such as [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Superbase Optimus Prime's]] elbows, are not susceptible to GPS supposedly because of the plastic's composition. Even on toys well known for GPS, some of their gold plastic is less prone to break. Gold plastic which is nice and thick is much less likely to snap than gold plastic which is thin. Gold plastic which is under constant stress—like that at a joint—is also more likely to break. That said, some really nice solid parts can shatter like eggshells if it's real GPS we're talkin' about.

:Furthermore, there are various examples of figures built between 1988 to 2007 molded in similar-looking gold or bronze swirly plastic that do not suffer from this issue, like [[Blaze Master]], [[Archadis]], [[San D-Go]] and perhaps most ironically, [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Goldbug]]. Gold chrome, like that seen in [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|G2 Bumblebee]] and [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Transmetal Cheetor]], is also completely immune from GPS since it's merely painted rather than actually being gold plastic.

'''MY TOY BROKE, IT MUST BE GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME!!!'''
:There are plenty of ways for plastic to break that aren't related to Gold Plastic Syndrome. Repeated stress on a plastic, dropping a toy, a toy with metal parts that damage the plastic parts, thin plastic, or simply the use of translucent plastic, which is more brittle. Just because a toy breaks doesn't mean it's Gold Plastic Syndrome. Look for the symptoms (listed above) and ask around before assuming that every single copy of this toy is destined to die a painful and horrible death.

'''ONLY GOLD PLASTIC GETS GOLD PLASTIC SYNDROME!'''
:Not ''quite'' true. Observations suggest that it should probably be called "Metallic Plastic Syndrome". It's those metallic plastics, most commonly the gold and bronze plastics used for almost ten years by Hasbro and Takara, from around 1989 to 1998. However, it's possible that any colour of plastic could be susceptible, given enough time. So keep a close eye on your Fire Convoy, kids; that pretty metallic swirl in his plastic isn't promising... maybe.

'''MY TOY IS DOOMED!'''
:Okay... not ''exactly'' a misconception. Your toy is ''probably'' doomed... but there is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

:You see, the thickness of the plastic seems to affect GPS. Also, the amount of stress on it affects it. While some toys are known for breaking just by having their packages opened—guys like Randy, Roadblock and ''Generation 2'' Slingshot—others, like Skyquake and Pyro, can remain intact if they are handled with extreme care (and never ever transformed, of course) because the parts that are made of GPS plastics are large and thick and otherwise robust. GPS is an inconsistent process—eventually your toy '''will''' crumble, but there's no telling how long it will take. With delicate handling (read: almost none) you can maintain a GPS-afflicted toy in your collection for quite some time.

:Also remember that the evidence for Gold Plastic Syndrome is ''completely'' observational. There seems to be some evidence that different plastic batches were less affected, that some releases of the toys were less affected. You might luck out and get an Electro that never crumbles to dust, or you might be really unlucky and get multiple Electros, all of which break horribly. This page is a caution more than anything else. Know what you're getting into when you buy a toy known to be afflicted by GPS.

==Toys commonly associated with Gold Plastic Syndrome==
====Generation 1====
* '''[[Scorponok (G1)/toys#BlackZarak|BlackZarak]]''' is easily one of the most depressing cases due to his rarity and hefty aftermarket pricing. His golden feet and shield have to be under stress to function as intended, leading to cases of shattered toys fresh out of the box. Oh, and his pack-in partner [[Black Roritchi#Toys|Black Roritchi]] is almost ''entirely'' made of gold plastic. Good luck....

* [[Pretender Monster]]s '''[[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]''' and '''[[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]''' both suffer. Bristleback on his own isn't in ''too'' much danger, as he has a fairly minimal amount of moving parts. However, when combining with the other Monster Pretenders, sliding the Monstructor fist in place will usually be enough to create a large crack through his legs, sometimes even splitting them entirely. Watch out for his fist-holes as well, as the plastic is very thin around that area. Slog is notable because his gimmick requires another toy ([[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]) to be inserted up inside his gold sections. His thin gold sides will crumble like a good fruit cake (just not as moist or delicious) if Birdbrain jostles around too much.

* Ultra Pretenders '''[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]''' and '''[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]''' are particularly notorious. Roadblock's innermost robot has three peg holes, two in the fists and one on his back, that are particularly susceptible to cracking and shattering, leaving many a Roadblock hand-less... or arm-less, as sometimes the posts attaching his arms to his torso will crumble around the pin keeping them in place. Meanwhile, the entire bottom of Skyhammer's large vehicle shell is made of gold plastic and it is '''''very''''' prone to breakage. Not to mention how much gold plastic is on his inner shell and his [[robot mode]].

* '''[[Killbison#Toys|Killbison]]''' is one of the comparatively few Takara-market-only toys of the era to have this problem. His arms and back (including the head) are metallic-gold plastic. Most of this plastic is fairly thick, giving it a fair amount of resilience, but his fists and the joint for [[Liokaiser#Toys|Liokaiser]]'s fold-out foot are thinner and run a higher risk of breakage.
[[File:GPSSkyquakescope.jpg|thumb|Well, ''crap''.]]

*'''[[Skyquake (G1)#Toys|Skyquake]]''' is another toy notable for having a gimmick which makes the whole thing worse. Skyquake actually has two colours of metallic plastic on him: One is a dark bronze, the other a light bronze. It is the light bronze plastic that is most likely to break. Unfortunately, the light bronze plastic also forms Skyquake's scope. You're supposed to put a Predator jet's scope slide into that part of him. But the union is not pleasant for the one on the receiving end. Take a look at the picture to the right. These are the parts left of Skyquake's scope after another Predator tried to unite with him. Actually... that's not even all the parts, that's just all that could be found. This is a gimmick which should '''''never''''' be attempted by modern collectors. Never, ever, ever, ever. Simple transformation is also risky: the scope often won't withstand being swung around and latched into position (the plastic around the swivel-pins is particularly thin) or having his stabilizer fins leveraged inside it. The moving plate over the [[light-piping|light piping]] on the back of his head is that brittle light bronze too, but it it at least loose and thick enough to be low-risk.

*'''[[Thunder Clash#Toys|Thunder Clash]]''', Skyquake's Autobot counterpart, has mildly less obnoxious GPS issues than Skyquake's, due to more judicious use of metallic plastics, but the toy's ankles are definite risks, as is the handgun peg if not handled with care.

*'''[[Pyro (G1)#Toys|Pyro]]''' is a less extreme case, but but the sheer amount of gold plastic on his is cause for concern in many areas. Although these parts are ''mostly'' thick enough that he can safely be moved in either mode, there is a risk of him cracking in half at the waist during transformation. The elbow ratchets are also risky due the the constant spring stress. And of course, his rifle handle is prone to shearing off.
{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[File:Electrobrokenknee.jpg|thumb|Oh, God, my knee! MY KNEEEEEEE!!]]
* There's a ''reason'' that '''[[Electro#Toys|Electro]]''' sits up at the top of this page. Poor guy just can't catch a break, it seems. Wait... actually, no. That's the ''entire problem''. The poor guy totally ''can'' catch a break. All the time. Because he is ''designed to die''. Basically ''anything'' on Electro's body is susceptible to shattering thanks to having many many thin joints made out of metallic gold plastic.

* '''[[Slingshot (G1)#Generation 2|Slingshot]]''' is ''infamous'' for coming apart straight out of the package.<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/2b8b3dec846e5479?hl=en</ref> Worse, he's another toy whose gimmick will destroy him, like Skyquake. Slingshot's head is a post which is designed to plug into [[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Silverbolt]] (or any other "Scramble City" style torso-bot) so that Slingshot can form an arm or a leg. If you're unlucky, you're going to end up with his head trapped inside a connector joint.

* The last thing you'd want from a rare unreleased figure, one that can easily cost past four digits on the incredibly scarce occasions where it might appear for sale, is for it to crumble into dust right before your eyes. Sadly enough, this might be a reality for the unreleased ''Generation 2'' '''[[First Aid (G1)#Generation 2|First Aid]]''', as his chest/combiner port and upper legs are entirely made out of the dreadful swirly gold plastic. Considering the historical value of this toy, as fewer than a dozen are estimated to exist, it is advised to never attempt combining it into Defensor, or (preferably) to never transform it in the first place.

{{-}}
====Beast Wars====
[[File:Goldplasticgrimlock.jpg|thumb|A mighty Dinobot warrior... bested by his own crumbling joints.]]
[[File:Brownplasticsyndrome.jpg|thumb|The one part of Megatron's Movie Jazz cosplay he ''didn't'' want to recreate.]]

*'''[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars|Grimlock]]''' uses metallic gold plastic ball joints for his hips, which is not really a good thing. Common breakages include the insides of his legs (where his chest pegs into them in [[beast mode]]) and his mutant mask (which is very thin).

* The [[Magnaboss (BW)#Beast Wars|Magnaboss]] component '''[[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#Beast Wars|Silverbolt]]''', despite having a ''dangerously'' large amount of metallic bronze plastic, is... actually fairly stable. The main breakage point is where his tail connects to his body. As well, [[Skywarp (BWII)#Beast Wars II|Skywarp]], his Japanese counterpart, is just as likely to suffer from this. That said, just... be careful, okay? Be careful.

* The Hasbro version of '''[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaTransmetal|Transmetal Megatron]]''' has a tendency to snap at the waist, the shoulders, the... well, anything that's made of that dark demi-metallic brown plastic. This is technically Brown Plastic Syndrome, but regardless of what you call it this toy may end in sadness. This breakage may be due to GPS, a [[design flaw]], or a combination of both; the Takara version's immunity to this issue (because its brown parts are black plastic instead) seems to suggest that GPS may have a role.

*'''[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimal Optimus]]''' uses sparkly dark brown plastic for his wheels and turrets, which can suffer from GPS. The block that holds the batteries is the most likely to break, as the "soft" ratchet joint requires the affected plastic to bend.

* The [[Fuzor]] '''[[Torca (BW)#Toys|Torca]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s legs, hip armor panels, tail hinge and sides are all prone to Gold Plastic Syndrome.

* The [[Mutant (BW)|Mutant]] '''[[Soundwave (BW)#Toys|Soundwave]]''' has his ''entire fraggin' body'' is composed of gold plastic, so it's a crapshoot. The softer plastics are far less likely to crumble, but the places on his body where the sides hinge open as part of his transformation have a high risk of snapping.

* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1998 (Beast Wars II)|Beast Wars II]]'' '''[[Galvatron (BWII)#Toys|Galvatron]]''' only has a few parts made of metallic gold plastic. Despite their relative thinness, the drill-halves are fairly resilient, but his golden dragon feet have a bit of a risk of breakage, given the amount of weight put upon them.

* ''Beast Wars II'' '''[[Bigmos#Toys|Bigmos]]''' has GPS problems that are bizarrely ''not'' his many many many metallic gold plastic parts; his ''turquoise''-colored plastic parts are the brittle ones, to the point of snapping right out of the package. Notable breakage points include the mosquito leg connectors snapping right off, tight hip/thigh swivels resulting in crumbling, and occasionally the robot feet can break due to being really thin pieces. Basically, be very gentle with anything molded in turquoise, be very gentle and take extra caution when twisting tight joints.

* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars (Japanese toyline)#1999 (Beast Wars Neo)|Beast Wars Neo]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s '''[[Randy (BWN)#Toys|Randy]]''' is one of the ''legendary'' Gold Plastic Syndrome toys. Imagine, if you will, a toy with an entirely spring-loaded transformation... ''made entirely out of metallic gold plastic''. Ouch, right? The stress of staying in beast mode in package, the mode with the very compressed springs, is often enough to break the joints holding his beast-mode sides on before you even open the package. If you're lucky enough to have one still intact, keeping him in robot mode is the best way to ''keep'' him intact. For a while longer, at least.

* ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' '''[[Dinobot (BW)/toys#Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|Dinobot]]''' has ''two'' kinds of metallic swirled plastic, both of which seem to have hit their expiration dates around 2013. In other words, basically any part on him is highly fragile, although he's most likely to break at the neck, hips, and helmet. At this point, keeping the toy MISB is the best way to display him.

{{-}}

====Beast Machines====
* '''[[Snarl (BM)#Toys|Snarl]]''' is an ''atrocious'' example of a victim to Gold Plastic Syndrome; it seems that the longer the figures are left in sealed packages, the more brittle they are upon opening said packages. All manner of extremities will simply snap off of Snarl's body, most easily among these being the ankles.

* '''[[Striker#Toys|Striker]]''' has an entirely gold plastic dinosaur shell which relies on ball joints to move and shift. He also has gold plastic pegs that tab into gold plastic slots. Transforming Striker could prove to be a suicide mission... for him.

{{-}}
====Robots in Disguise (2001)====
*'''[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robots in Disguise (2001)|Air Attack Optimus Primal]]''', the biggest toy in the line, has large expanses made of sparkly brown plastic, which, like with Optimal Optimus (see above), can be prone to shattering. This condition most often results in the feet breaking.

{{-}}
====Universe (2003)====
*'''[[Megabolt#Toys|Megabolt]]''' has limbs cast primarily in gold plastic, which is ''not'' a good thing. Fracture points include his forearms, the holes that lock his arms in place in crawling head mode, lower legs near the knees, and his head. On top of this he has other design flaws that can lead to non-gold-plastic parts snapping off, so, good luck!

* Many combiner [[kibble]] parts to '''[[Micromaster]] [[Superion (Universe)#Toys|Superion]]''' suffer from GPS, particularly the peg that connects [[Ro-Tor (Universe)|Ro-Tor]] to Superion's torso piece.<ref name="tfwsuper">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/300674-warning-universe-micromaster-superion-suffers-gold-plastic-syndrome.html TFW2005 thread about Micromaster Superion suffering from Gold Plastic Syndrome, with multiple reports]</ref>

{{-}}
====Unicron Trilogy====
* ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' '''[[Scorponok (Energon)#Energon|Scorponok]]''' has pale gold plastic used in several parts which seem to be prone, notably the (largely painted) front panels of the shoulders. The weight of the arms alone when in robot mode can be enough to cause the panels to break and tear in half.

* ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' '''[[Repugnus (Cybertron)#Cybertron|Repugnus]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s robot mode "hands"/''Spinosaurus'' head are made of black-painted gold plastic. Insertion of his flail weapon into his hands can cause his thin jaw parts to break into pieces. His thigh covers are made of the same plastic, but due to their static position and lack of moving parts are very, very unlikely to break. There were several unaltered re-releases of the original figure up until 2010, making it not the last figure with GPS to be manufactured (see below) but technically the last one to be commercialized.

{{-}}
====Star Wars: Transformers====
*'''[[General Grievous]]'''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> pelvis, arms and legs are all made out of gold plastic with many thin parts in the jointing, leaving them especially prone to breakage.

* '''[[Millennium Falcon]]/[[Han Solo]] & [[Chewbacca]]''' has problems with the metallic-brown plastic, especially the Chewbacca half, where his legs can lock up and ultimately snap off. His upper arms are also said to fall victim as well.<ref>http://www.seibertron.com/toys/gallery.php?id=2481&size=0&start=101</ref>

{{-}}
====Movie toys====
* '''[[Starscream (Movie)/toys#Deluxe Class toys|Protoform Starscream]]''' has plastic hinges that connect the two small wings to his body which are especially brittle, because the plastic housing the joints is thin and gives way over time to a crumbly mess. The thumbs are also prone to breakage.

* The massive '''[[Stratosphere#Toys|Stratosphere]]''' suffers from GPS in his legs and shoulders; the former is particularly troublesome given the thinness of his legs and the amount of weight they support via numerous joints.

{{-}}
====Other notable instances====
* The "[[Vacuum metallizing|chrome]]" version of ''[[Diaclone]]'' '''Powered Convoy''', the [[pre-Transformer]] version of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Notes|Ultra Magnus]], has this problem with its swirly ''blue'' plastic. Given the age and relative rarity of this toy, this is particularly troublesome for hardcore collectors.

* While not a Transformer, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s '''[[Serpentor]]''' is also known to suffer from this problem, especially through his hips, given the groin-breakage-prone leg construction of the standard '80's ''G.I. Joe'' figure.

*''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' '''[[Motormaster (G1)#Unite Warriors|Motormaster]]''' is prone to breakage on the waist due to his swirly gunmetal plastic.

==Toys often mistaken for having GPS==
A number of toys have gold parts that easily break not due to the plastic used, but due to structural problems with the part designs themselves.

* The '''[[Predator (subgroup)#Toys|Predators]]''' do use a bronze-looking plastic for their signature missile launchers, whose pegs are infamous for breaking very easily. Also, their flagship toy Skyquake is a very infamous GPS sufferer, which furthers the association. However, this is not a result of GPS, but rather [[Design flaw|poor design]]; the Predator launchers have ''very'' powerful springs and the pegs are quite thin, which means attempting to reload a missile while the launcher is being held tends to result in the peg giving way before the spring does.

* The [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|2007 ''Transformers'' movie]] [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] '''[[Scorponok (Movie)#Legends Class toys|Scorponok's]]''' tail stinger, originally soft and bendy, tends to harden after a while and then becomes prone to breaking. While the stinger ''is'' made of a golden plastic, the cause for this problem appears to be the use of an inferior plasticizer rather than traditional Gold Plastic Syndrome.

==Fiction==
===''Animated'' cartoon===
At some point during the great war, a vaccine for Gold Plastic Syndrome was developed by [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]]. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}} [[Swindle, Swindle and Swindle]] claimed to be the only licensee of the cure in the [[Nexus]] Cluster. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Swindle's Spiel, 2015/10/03}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 185.0 Beta]], the [[S.T.A.R.S.]] weaponized Gold Plastic Syndrome and invented the [[Photodegradation|Photo Degradation Protocol]] in a failed attempt to fight off [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron's]] mindless hordes of [[Decepto-Pack]]-enhanced human slaves. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/04}}

===''Timelines''===
[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] contracted GPS during the war against the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]. The disease prevented him from properly combining into [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. {{storylink|Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Customization class G2 Ratchet bio}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcjAUN5Ssj8 Demonstration of Gold Plastic Syndrome in effect at YouTube]

[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category:Diseases]]
[[Category:Toys]]

O-Part

2020-12-15T04:25:38Z

Whalermouse: /* Notes */

:''O-Parts are frim-frams with flibberty-jibberts from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|2001 ''Robots in Disguise'']] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Oparts.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|Free prize in every box!]]
The seven '''O-Parts''' are [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertronian]] artifacts designed as part of a complex system for reactivating the [[Autobot]] battle station, [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Fortress Maximus]].

==Fiction==
===2001 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon===
The O-Parts were sent to [[Earth]] at the same time as Fortress Maximus; [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] would remark that he had not seen their like since the [[Golden Age]] of Cybertron. While the dormant fortress was buried beneath the surface of the Earth, the keys to his reactivation were scattered all across the Earth. The seven O-Parts and the other items necessary for the process were sealed away — although it was never explained who did this, they would eventually be found within atypical ancient monuments such as statues and pyramids, suggesting that the ancient civilizations of Earth may have had a hand in hiding them.

In the course of his work, archaeologist [[Kenneth Onishi|Doctor Kenneth Onishi]] happened upon the trail that led to Fortress Maximus, and mapped the locations of the O-Parts. When [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] leader [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] came to Earth seeking to acquire Fortress Maximus’s power for his own, he kidnapped Onishi, and used the [[psycho-probe]] to wrench from his mind the secrets of the O-Parts.

Information from Onishi’s mind led the Predacons to the [[Cave of the Dragon]] in [[China]], where a movie was being filmed at the time. The special effects employed had convinced the Predacons that some form of super robot was active in the area — a belief that the Autobots used to send them into retreat by posing as that same robot. After the battle, as the Autobots surveyed the statues that lined the cave, a slight seismic disturbance jarred one of the figures loose, and the jewel imbedded in its forehead was dislodged. Picking up the "gem," Optimus Prime recognised it as one of the O-Parts. {{storylink|The Ultimate Robot Warrior}}

Some time later, when [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sky-Byte]] attempted to ransom a tower of human hostages to the Autobots in exchange for the O-Parts, Optimus Prime indicated that they had more than one in their possession. He attempted to deliver the O-Parts to Sky-Byte to trade for the hostages, but despite facing opposition from the Decepticons, the tower was saved and O-Parts remained in the Autobots' possession. {{storylink|Sky-Byte Saves the Day}}

Later still, Megatron sent Sky-Byte on a mission to locate the remaining O-Parts by digging for them in the ground, but which unbeknownst to the gullible shark was instead a ruse set up by the Decepticons to lure the Autobots into a trap. Unfortunately for the Decepticons, their plan was intercepted by the newest and most powerful Autobot arrival, [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]], who thwarted their plans and sent them into retreat with some backup from Optimus. Sky-Byte, however, remained so focused on his "mission" to find the O-Parts that he hadn't noticed the fight going on above ground. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus}} Eventually, Sky-Byte's efforts proved unsuccessful, having only uncovered random bits of junk instead of any O-Parts, and so gave up his task to call it a day. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!}}

After the dormant form of Fortress Maximus was eventually discovered beneath [[Metro City]], {{storylink|Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus}} Sky-Byte’s attempts to learn more caused Doctor Onishi to be set free. {{storylink|Koji Gets His Wish}} Reunited with his son, [[Koji Onishi|Koji]], who had become an ally of the Autobots, Onishi was able to resolve the O-Parts situation very quickly, giving the Autobots [[O-Part detector|scanners]] that would allow them to track down the remaining five. The Autobots made a game out of it, with the [[Autobot Brothers]] competing against the [[Build Team (RID)|Build Team]] to see who could acquire the most, but the Predacons and Decepticons soon got involved as well, with Scourge using his special ability to personally detect the O-Parts, and Sky-Byte using dummy parts to fool everyone. Eventually, the Build Team came out on top, at which point Megatron himself attacked, only for Sky-Byte’s fake parts to become mixed up with the real ones, causing enough confusion that [[Omega Prime]] was able to see the villains off. At last, all seven O-Parts were in the Autobots’ possession. {{storylink|A Friendly Contest}}

[[File:Peril from the Past Keysphere.jpg|right|upright=1.4|thumb|They are the world.]]
When brought together, the O-Parts generated a holographic globe of Earth, with each of the continents represented by one of the parts. [[T-AI]] merged with the globe to scan its data, and discovered that it led the way to the [[Orb of Sigma]], the next link in the chain to awaken Fortress Maximus. Unfortunately, T-AI became trapped within the globe, and the Autobots headed to the [[Sahara|Sahara Desert]] and unearthed the Orb of Sigma from the subterranean pyramid it lay within, in hopes that bringing the two spheres together would free T-AI. In fact, the O-Parts merged with the Orb of Sigma, putting T-AI’s continued existence in danger, particularly since the Predacons and Decepticons then arrived to steal the orb. Megatron almost got his hands on it before [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]] snatched it away, leaving Megatron to be trapped in the collapsed remains of the pyramid. The orb was reconnected with the Autobot base computer, liberating T-AI, while the energies that had been released within the pyramid by its formation transformed Megatron into Galvatron. {{storylink|Peril from the Past}}

The unified Orb of Sigma was itself another map, pinpointing the location of [[Cerebros (RID)|Cerebros]], the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster component]] of Fortress Maximus and the key to reawakening the sleeping giant. The Autobots freed Cerebros from his resting place within a statue inside some ancient ruins, and Fortress Maximus was reactivated. The O-Parts… uh, got tossed into a closet, or something, because they never appeared again. {{storylink|Maximus Emerges}}

==Notes==
*The O-Parts derive their name from the real-world cryptozoologist term, {{w|OOPArt}}, an acronym for "Out Of Place Artifact," used to describe just that–archaeological artifacts found in unusual locations, which sums up ''RiD''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s O-Parts to a tee. [[Bud Hansen]] would later use the term in this original context during the ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode "[[Ice]]".
*The story of the O-Parts was thoroughly skewed by ''RiD''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s disrupted airing schedule in the US. Although the first O-Part appeared in "[[The Ultimate Robot Warrior]]", it was not referred to by name. Later, the O-Parts would not be brought up again until their name was revealed, and in which they played a key role, in "[[Sky-Byte Saves the Day]]"... which was not shown in the U.S. (due to post-9/11 sensitivity, what with that episode focusing on a tower threatening to collapse), leaving quite the hole. With the absence of this episode, U.S. viewers were suddenly dropped into the O-Parts story beginning with "[[Ultra Magnus (episode)|Ultra Magnus]]", and with little build-up and no real explanation. In what would appear to have been some attempt at explaining that the object from "The Ultimate Robot Warrior" was an O-Part, the scene from that episode featured in the clip show "[[Hope for the Future]]" was re-dubbed with completely different dialogue to have the object identified as an O-Part on the spot. However, this clip show aired not only much later than it chronologically falls but also one day before the first airing of "[[Fortress Maximus (episode)|Fortress Maximus]]", a mere three episodes before the ''end'' of the O-Parts story.
*A number of characters are familiar with them, either personally or by reputation (Optimus can recognise them on sight). The Predacon Trio and Sky-Byte, however, have never even heard of them, let alone know their mission on Earth is related to them. This could both indicate the Preds were 'born' ''after'' the Golden Age and that Megatron has not bothered to tell his men basic knowledge. This is probably a result of the dub; in-universe, we can assume Megatron just doesn't trust them (would ''you''?).
* When the first O-Part was found in the original Japanese ''Car Robots'' version, Optimus (well, Fire Convoy) was, more than anything, surprised that an O-Part could exist "during this time", in the year [[2000]]. This suggests that Optimus/Fire Convoy was more familiar with the O-Parts' having existed in another time period, one that would make their existence in the year 2000 a rather unlikely occurrence. This scene was most likely a reference to how the first ''Car Robots'' catalog referred to its main heroes and villains as having come from the future; a notion which the show itself barely touched upon outside of this one scene (and which the English ''Robots in Disguise'' dub was easily able to ignore), but which would later be prominent in a massive post-series retcon in [[2006]]/[[2007]] that would see ''Car Robots'' included as part of the gigantic [[Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity]].
* The ''Car Robots'' version of "Peril from the Past" also revealed that the O-Parts (at least in ''Car Robots'') were created by [[Vector Sigma]]. While this was omitted from the English version, this bit of info was most likely the source of the dub's naming the [[Orb of Sigma]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''O-Parts''' (オーパーツ ''Ōpātsu'')

[[Category:MacGuffins]]
[[Category:Robots in Disguise (2001) technology]]
[[Category:Transformer culture]]

Theft of the Golden Disk

2020-12-13T00:48:21Z

Whalermouse: /* Synopsis */

{{featured}}

{{episode
|otherseries=''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Transformers Timelines]]''
|otherseries2=''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''
|title="Theft of the Golden Disk"
|prev=The Razor's Edge
|next=Dawn of Future's Past
|image=Cryotektheft.jpg
|caption=C'mon, youse mugs.
|production company=[[Octavirate Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[July 1]], [[2007]]
|writer=[[Trent Troop]]}}

'''A gang of Predacons plot a heist that will ultimately impact time itself...'''

==Synopsis==
Predacon mob boss [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]] shows his student, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] a hologram of an artifact he plans to steal: the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], an alien object with the power to help take control of Cybertron. Many Maximals and Predacons have attempted to steal this before, every attempt being a failiure, but Cryotek believes Megatron, his favorite student, has the capabilities, though his apprentice expresses annoyance with the crime boss' self-aggrandizing. Agents of Cryotek have found a [[Darksyde (BW)|ship]] for Megatron, and have found the [[Cybertropolis Maximal Data Archive|data archive]] where the Maximals house all data they have on the Golden Disk, including where it is currently located. Cryotek gives him strict orders that only he is allowed to decode the [[Data-Con|data-con]]. As Megatron leaves with his crew and several of Cryotek's henchmen, Cryotek bids his student farewell, laughing malevolently...

At [[Maximal Power Station B4-Y]], "[[Scorponok (BW)|Clamps]]" and [[Backslash]] arrive in their vehicle modes. At the Cybertropolis Maximal Data Archive, [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] cuts through the security doors, and Megatron's [[Dinobot (BW)|lieutenant]] pulls out the thickly armored opening. Dirge detects several security beams, and Megatron gives orders to the two at the power station to begin setting up time bombs. "Clamps" is setting up one when a security guard happens upon him. As he begins to question the Predacon, Backslash cuts through his chest with his [[energon]] blades, telling "Clamps" to watch his back. Meanwhile, at [[Predacon Transwarp Research Center D-F]], [[Buzzbomb]] and one of Megatron's [[Waspinator (BW)|men]], a green flying bot, blast their way in, killing everyone there. Another of Megatron's [[Terrorsaur (BW)|men]], a red flying bot, enters, observing the ship they have obtained. Meanwhile, Megatron is annoyed at the lack of progress at the power station end. Backslash is programming one of the timers, when another security guard aims his weapon at his head, ordering him to turn around. As Backslash futilely protests, Scorponok laughs at the reversal of fortunes, and activates the bomb, knocking out the power, with Backslash caught in the blast. Megatron and his lieutenant enter the archive, hurrying before emergency power kicks in.

Inside, a security guard, distracted by the statues and artifacts, backs up into the lieutenant, who knocks the Maximal against the wall, incapacitating him. Entering the vault, Megatron's lieutenant sets up a time-bomb, while Megatron takes the data-con out, inserting it into a disk, while a transmitter attaches itself to Megatron's arm. Megatron, against Cryotek's orders, sends his [[Tarantulas (BW)|science officer]] the data-con on a private channel, and the scientist laughs maniacally as he beings to decode the data.

Emergency power kicks in, and the city lights itself up again. At the Transwarp Research Center, the red Predacon stands over Buzzbomb's smoking corpse, having blast him with one of the deceased Predacon researcher's weapons while the power was out. As Megatron and his lieutenant exit the Archives, they come under fire from the [[Maximal Command Security Force]]. Megatron destroys their helicopter unit, while his lieutenant runs into a ravine, throwing the disk the data-con is contained in to Dirge, who quickly flies away from the scene. Grabbing onto a statue, the Predacon breaks off the arm, and uses the momentum to propel him to a gap in two buildings, using his shovel arm to skid down to the bottom, where several MCSF cops gather around him. [[Switchblade (BW)|Two]] of [[Stopgap|them]] are knocked out by the Predacon's eye lasers, while an attempt by the third to blast him in the back fails, and the Predacon throws him aside. Another cop, [[9K]], activates his energon axe, and the Predacon activates his energy sword in response. The two rush at each other, prepared to fight...

Back at Cryotek's headquarters, Dirge rushes in with the data-con. When Dirge questions him about the Maximals and Megatron, Cryotek reveals that he tipped the Maximals off; with the archive destroyed, any evidence to implicate him went with it, and with Megatron leading the Maximals away, Cryotek could steal the disk without anyone noticing. Dirge is shocked, but Cryotek, while fond of Megatron as if he were his son, states that he can get another; there's only one Golden Disk. In any case, Cryotek claims, Megatron was bound to betray him. Cryotek is proven right when he opens the disk and finds it only contains the transmitter, as Megatron has switched it around. As the Maximals enter and detain him, Cryotek screams his pupil's name, and later demands his lawyer...

...while elsewhere, Megatron, his lieutenant, and "Clamps" enter the chamber of the Golden Disk. Megatron holds the artifact in his hands, and laughs, uttering a satisfied "yes"....

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
* Unnamed Maximal security guard 1 (12)
* Unnamed Maximal security guard 2 (13)
* Unnamed Maximal security guard 3 (14)
* [[Shatterpoint]] (15)
* Unnamed Maximal helicopter (16)
* [[Stopgap]] (17)
* [[Switchblade (BW)|Switchblade]] (18)
* [[High Beam]] (19)
* [[9K]] (20)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
* [[Cryotek (Universe)|Cryotek]] (1)
* [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] (3)
* [[Backslash]] (4)
* [[Buzzbomb]] (5)
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (6)
* "[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]" (7)
* "[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]" (8)
* "[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok/Clamps]]" (9)
* "[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]" (10)
* "[[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]" (11)

|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Diagnostic Drone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"I wish to speak to my lawyer."
:— '''Cryotek''', right after the closing credits

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* This animation is an immediate prequel to the events of BotCon 2006's comic story "[[Dawn of Future's Past]]", ending perhaps only seconds before the comic begins.

===Transformers references===
[[File:TotGD statue collection.jpg|upright=1.67|right|thumb]]
* Most of the sound effects in this animation are pulled from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|original ''The Transformers'' cartoon]], notably the metal footfalls, laserblasts, and classic [[transformation]] sound. Also, the music that plays over the ending credits is a remix of the [[theme song|ending theme]] music from the original cartoon. Tarantulas's distinctive laugh, meanwhile, is pulled from ''Beast Wars''.
* Cryotek is a virtual redeco of ''Energon'' [[Shockblast]] with a new head and deco inspired by his ''Robots in Disguise'' toy. Backslash is a virtual redeco of ''Energon'' [[Skyblast (Energon)|Skyblast]] in ''Armada'' [[Terrorsaur (Armada)|Terrorsaur]] colors. Buzzbomb is a virtual redeco of ''Cybertron'' [[Buzzsaw (Cybertron)|Buzzsaw]] in the colors of the [[Fox Kids]] Waspinator toy.
** Dirge, a character originally featured in ''Beast Wars II'', is one of Cryotek's henchmen.
* Scorponok is a virtual redeco of ''Cybertron'' [[Shortround (Cybertron)|Shortround]], Terrorsaur of ''Energon'' Skyblast, and Tarantulas of ''Cybertron'' [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], albeit with a new head.
* The first Maximal security guard is mostly generic, with the hood of ''Cybertron'' [[Clocker (Cybertron)|Clocker]]'s vehicle mode on his shoulder. The second has ''Energon'' Shockblast's cannon mounted on his shoulder, and uses his head. The third, along with several MCSF members, uses ''Cybertron'' Ransack's body. The helicopter unit is a virtual redeco of ''Armada'' [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]]. These are among the ''many'' generic Maximals featured.
* A [[Diagnostic Drone]] hovers behind Cryotek in a few shots.
* Behind Cryotek is a screen that displays the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] symbol. Also shown is a [[Cycle Drone]] from two angles.
* A statue of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is seen near the power station.
* The artifacts in the archive include:
** Statues of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], a [[Mini-spy]], [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]], [[Antagony (BW)|Antagony]], and [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]].
** A replica of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]
** A [[Mini-Con storage panel]] from the [[Transformers (PS2)|''Armada'' PS2]] game.
** A [[Cyber Planet Key]]
** [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s [[fusion cannon]].
** [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] in cassette mode.
** A bust of Optimus Prime.
* The exterior statue Dinobot uses to regain control of his fall is a heavily stylized rendition of [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]]'s [[Pretender]] shell.
* One of the researchers resembles a ''Beast Wars'' Terrorsaur without beast kibble coloured like [[Lazorbeak]] or [[Hydra (BWN)|Hydra]], while another resembles a ''Beast Wars'' Dinobot without beast kibble.
* The bombs Scorponok and Dinobot plant use Autobot [[energon star]] models from ''Energon''.

===Real-world references===
* The script is heavily influenced by ''{{w|The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)|The Maltese Falcon}}'', down to Cryotek and Dirge's performances, which were patterned after ''Falcon'' actors {{w|Sidney Greenstreet}} and {{w|Peter Lorre}} (respectively).
* Buzzbomb is named after a robot from ''{{w|COPS (animated TV series)|COPS}}''.

===Animation and technical errors===
* When Megatron was under fire by the MaxCops after leaving the archives, when he fired back at them, his shots that hit them impacted with a "digital deletion effect" rather than an explosion-like one.
* Cryotek has an unpainted Decepticon insignia on his left shoulder. This error isn't terribly surprising given the fact that Cryotek's body was created from a [[Shockblast]] model.
* Backslash's hand clips through the bomb he programs.
* Part of the interior of the model of Tarantulas clips through his chest while he decodes the data-con.

===Continuity errors===
* Scorponok, Terrorsaur, and Tarantulas have different bodies than they do in the comic following these events (see below). This is due to the production schedules of the animation and comic resulting in there not being enough time to make completely new models and render new scenes based on the final comic designs; the "non-toy" show-Predacon trio's animation bodies are based on toy-models that had been made well in advance of the actual production.

===Trivia===
*"Theft of the Golden Disk" was originally shown at Sunday, July 1, 2007, at the [[BotCon 2007]] "Collectors' Club" panel. It premiered online on [[January 8]], [[2008]].
* The YouTube version contains an extra scene not in the BotCon reel; a shot of the ''Darksyde'' in the hangar Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Buzzbomb took over. The ship never actually appeared in the original version. Oops.
* The trailer for this episode short includes a brief glimpse at a scene in which the Darksyde begins to take off. This was not seen in the episode itself (or at least, not in the YouTube version).
* It is awesome.

==External links==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By_w8THE6fE Official Trailer on YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIJVSjIuNYg Part 1 on YouTube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDRYFCO7fpo Part 2 on YouTube]

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:Timelines media]]

Cyber-slash tail weapon

2020-12-09T21:44:30Z

Whalermouse: Changed "rotate blade" to "rotating blade"

{{disambig2|the spinning weapon from [[Beast Era]]|the spinning weapon from the [[Live-action film series|live-action film]] continuity|Rotor blaster}}

[[Image:Rotateblade.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn. Tell us the lesson that we should learn.]]

A '''Cyber-slash tail weapon'''<ref>
[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|''Beast Wars'']] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s original packaging bio</ref> is a rotating blade used by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]/[[Maximal]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]. When Dinobot transforms to robot mode, his velociraptor tail converts into a two-pronged blade that spins and spins. When deployed, it can batter enemies, deflect enemy fire, trim down wild bean vines, or, when its wielder is up in the air, provide a more gentle, controlled descent.

It has several other names:
* '''Veloci-Rotor blade'''<ref>Beast Wars television commercials</ref>
* '''Rotary Blade'''<ref>[[Beast Wars Universe]]</ref>
* "slasher weapon"<ref>''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' instructions</ref>
* "spinning blade weapon"<ref>''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' packaging call-out</ref>
*'''Cyber Shield''' (サイバー・シールド ''Saibā Shīrudo'')

Several other Beast Era transformers have similar or identical weapons:
* [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s rotating blade is called a '''Spinning Slasher Sword'''.
* [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]]'s rotating blade is a '''Raptor Shield''' (ラプターシールド ''Raputā Shīrudo'').
* [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]]'s rotating blade is the '''Revolution Shield'''.
* [[Dinotron (BM)|Dinotron]]'s version of this weapon is called merely a "spinning blade".

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:ForgedToFight-rotateblade.jpg|In ''[[Transformers: Forged to Fight]]'', Dinobot uses his rotating blade to block attacks.
File:BWtoy-Grimlock.jpg|Grimlock's Spinning Slasher Sword
File:BWII-toy Thrustor.jpg|Thrustor's Raptor Shield
File:BWNtoy-Hardhead.jpg|Hardhead's Revolution Shield
File:BM-toy Dinotron.jpg|Dinotron's "spinning blade"
</gallery>

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars weapons]]
[[Category:Blades]]

Transformers: Armada (toyline)

2020-12-02T23:00:30Z

Whalermouse: /* Giga-Con Class */

{{merge|The Unicron Battles|2=Same reason ''Transformers'' 2010 is merged with ''Reveal the Shield''}}
{{nav-armada}}

[[File:Hotshotarmadatoy.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Hot Shot with Jolt]]

'''''Transformers: Armada''''' marked a fresh start for the [[Transformers brand]], a reinvention that introduced a whole new universe and backstory for the robots in disguise. The [[franchise]] also introduced a new faction, the [[Mini-Con]]s, the line's most distinctive element, as ''every'' larger toy included one or more Mini-Con partners.

The line was a hit with kids; the simpler, cleaner transformations made the toys more accessible than prior lines, plus the wealth of action [[gimmick]]s gave every toy more to ''do''. The numerous Mini-Cons in particular proved popular with fans and children alike, and have continued on into many subsequent toylines. It did so well out of the gate that the line had to be expanded beyond its initial offerings pretty quickly, and began the next four-ish years of direct sequels, an era that would come to be known as the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]".

{{TOCclear}}

==Overview==
The toyline marked a sharp change of design direction from the intricate, sometimes frustrating complexity found in the prior ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'', and [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'']] lines (that last one being a particular point of contention with parents). The early offerings in particular were blocky, easy to transform, sturdy and colorful. [[Articulation]] tended to be reduced, sacrificed to keep price down in light of the need to add a Mini-Con partner and multiple intricate [[gimmick]]s to every mold. [[Ball joint]]s largely disappeared from the non-Mini-Con toys in favor of permanently-joined swivels. The aesthetics of larger robots hearkened back more to the blocky concepts of [[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]], while the Mini-Cons tended to be more experimental, with odd facial designs and non-standard limbs.

Each larger toy featured a "central" gimmick which could only be activated by attaching —called "[[Powerlinx]]ing"— a Mini-Con to the appropriate hard point. Though most transformation schemes were simple, many of the Mini-Con activated gimmicks were quite complex and innovative, such as [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|Hot Shot]]'s "axelzooka", [[Scavenger (Armada)#Toys|Scavenger]]'s stompy-stompy action, and [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron]]'s turret-mounted twin-missile launcher. Electronic lights and sounds also became standard on nearly all toys larger than Deluxe/Super-Con.

[[File:Unicrontoyarmada.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|Unicron, the line's largest toy.]]

As with ''Robots in Disguise'', the back end of the series featured same-character [[redeco]]es of toys in "powered up" modes, and this practice of heavy mold-re-use would continue on into the future to combat the ever-rising costs of production. The line was further bulked up by redecoes/[[retool]]s of several ''Beast Wars'' [[Transmetal]] toys, reworked to be Mini-Con compatible (despite a lack of any kind of action gimmicks), as early sales and subsequent retailer demand exceeded expectations, and they had to get ''something'' out relatively quick.

Toward the end, the line veered in an unexpected direction, with the introduction of the massive [[Unicron/toys#Armada|Unicron]], a ''huge'' toy based on the character from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', and arguably the greatest wish-fulfillment yet offered to fans from Hasbro. To promote this massive toy, the ongoing storylines of both cartoon and comic changed direction to feature the character as their central plot element, and the toyline itself gained a [[subline imprint]] promoting him in "[[The Unicron Battles]]".

''Armada'' saw a bit of a price jump (production costs again), as the $20 "Max-Con" size replaced the $15 Mega class of past lines, while the $25 "Giga-Cons" replaced the $20 Ultras. This was offset by the fact that ''Armada'' toys overall tended to be somewhat more bulky and massive than their predecessors.
{{-}}

==Hasbro ''Armada'' toyline==
===Mini-Con 3-packs===
Mini-Cons were sold in carded three-packs at the Basic/Scout price point, each team defined by a particular gimmick or theme. Though only slightly larger than their closest precedent, the [[Micromaster]]s, they generally featured greatly improved articulation, complexity, and originality of design.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] ([[Jetstorm (Armada)#Toys|Jetstorm]], [[Runway (Armada)#Toys|Runway]], [[Sonar (Armada)#Toys|Sonar]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Land Military Mini-Con Team]] ([[Bonecrusher (Armada)#Toys|Bonecrusher]], [[Knock Out (Armada)#Toys|Knock Out]], [[Wreckage (Armada)#Toys|Wreckage]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Action Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Action Mini-Con Team]] ([[Grindor (Armada)#Toys|Grindor]], [[High Wire (Armada)#Toys|High Wire]], [[Sureshock (Armada)#Toys|Sureshock]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction Mini-Con Team]] ([[Buzzsaw (Armada)#Toys|Buzzsaw]], [[Drill Bit (Armada)#Toys|Drill Bit]], [[Dualor (Armada)#Toys|Dualor]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team#Toys|Race Mini-Con Team]] ([[Dirt Boss (Armada)#Toys|Dirt Boss]], [[Downshift (Armada)#Toys|Downshift]], [[Mirage (Armada)|Mirage]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Adventure Mini-Con Team#Toys|Adventure Mini-Con Team]] ([[Dune Runner (Armada)#Toys|Dune Runner]], [[Iceberg#Toys|Iceberg]], [[Ransack (Armada)#Toys|Ransack]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Space Mini-Con Team#Toys|Space Mini-Con Team]] ([[Astroscope#Toys|Astroscope]], [[Payload (Armada)#Toys|Payload]], [[Sky Blast (Armada)#Toys|Sky Blast]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Speed Mini-Con Team]] ([[Backtrack (Armada)#Toys|Backtrack]], [[Oval#Toys|Oval]], [[Spiral#Toys|Spiral]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Assault Mini-Con Team]] ([[Jetstorm (Armada)#AirAssault|Jetstorm]], [[Runway (Armada)#AirAssault|Runway]], [[Sonar (Armada)#AirAssault|Sonar]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Night Attack Mini-Con Team#Toys|Night Attack Mini-Con Team]] ([[Broadside (Armada)#Toys|Broadside]], [[Fetch#Toys|Fetch]], [[Scattor (Armada)#Toys|Scattor]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Sea Mini-Con Team#Toys|Sea Mini-Con Team]] ([[Oceanglide#Toys|Oceanglide]], [[Stormcloud (Armada)#Toys|Stormcloud]], [[Waterlog (Armada)#Toys|Waterlog]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Armada-toy Destruction-Mini-Con-Team.JPG|thumb|200px|The Destruction Mini-Con Team]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Air Military Mini-Con Team]] ([[Gunbarrel (Armada)#Toys|Gunbarrel]], [[Terradive (Armada)#Toys|Terradive]], [[Thunderwing (Armada)#Toys|Thunderwing]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Emergency Mini-Con Team#Toys|Emergency Mini-Con Team]] ([[Firebot (Armada)#Toys|Firebot]], [[Makeshift (Armada)#Toys|Makeshift]], [[Prowl (Armada)#Toys|Prowl]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team#RoadAssault|Road Assault Mini-Con Team]] ([[Dirt Boss (Armada)#RoadAssault|Dirt Boss]], [[Downshift (Armada)#RoadAssault|Downshift]], [[Mirage (Armada)#RoadAssault|Mirage]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#RoadWrecker|Road Wrecker Mini-Con Team]] ([[Buzzsaw (Armada)#RoadWrecker|Buzzsaw]], [[Drill Bit (Armada)#RoadWrecker|Drill Bit]], [[Dualor (Armada)#RoadWrecker|Dualor]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Emergency Mini-Con Team#USredeco|Emergency Mini-Con Team]] (redeco) ([[Firebot (Armada)#HasbroRedeco|Firebot]], [[Makeshift (Armada)#HasbroRedeco|Makeshift]], [[Prowl (Armada)#HasbroRedeco|Prowl]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Sea Mini-Con Team#USredeco|Sea Mini-Con Team]] (redeco) ([[Oceanglide#HasbroRedeco|Oceanglide]], [[Stormcloud (Armada)#HasbroRedeco|Stormcloud]], [[Waterlog (Armada)#HasbroRedeco|Waterlog]])}}
|}
{{-}}

===Super-Con Class===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|Hot Shot]] with [[Jolt (Armada)#Toys|Jolt]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Cyclonus]] with [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Toys|Crumplezone]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Toys|Demolishor]] with [[Blackout (Armada)#Toys|Blackout]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Toys|Smokescreen]] with [[Liftor#Toys|Liftor]]}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Toys|Sideways]] with [[Rook (Armada)#Toys|Rook]] and [[Crosswise (Armada)#Toys|Crosswise]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Blurr]] with [[Incinerator (Armada)#Toys|Incinerator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Super-Con|Optimus Prime]] with [[Over-Run (Armada)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
{{Bp-a1|[[Side Swipe (Armada)#Toys|Side Swipe]] with [[Nightbeat (Armada)#Toys|Nightbeat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#Toys|Thrust]] with [[Inferno (Armada)#Toys|Inferno]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Armada Smokescreen toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Super-Con Smokescreen with Liftor]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Rhinox (Armada)#Toys|Rhinox]] with [[Armorhide (Armada)#Toys|Armorhide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Terrorsaur (Armada)#Toys|Terrorsaur]] with [[Ironhide (Armada)#Toys|Ironhide]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Airazor (Armada)#Toys|Airazor]] with [[Nightscream (Armada)#Toys|Nightscream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Hoist|Hoist]] with [[Refute (Armada)#Toys|Refute]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wheeljack (Armada)#Toys|Wheeljack]] with [[Wind Sheer (Armada)#Toys|Wind Sheer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]] with [[Cliffjumper (Armada)#Toys|Cliffjumper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]] with [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Powerlinx|Crumplezone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#ArDxPx|Powerlinx Hot Shot]] with [[Jolt (Armada)#Powerlinx|Jolt]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Powerlinx Thrust]] with [[Inferno (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Inferno]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Demolishor]] with [[Blackout (Armada)#Powerlinx|Blackout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (Armada)#Toys|Nemesis Prime]] with [[Run-Over (Armada)#Toys|Run-Over]]}}
|}

===Max-Con Class===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Toys|Red Alert]] with [[Longarm (Armada)#Toys|Longarm]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Armada|Starscream]] with [[Swindle (Armada)#Toys|Swindle]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Scavenger (Armada)#Toys|Scavenger]] with [[Rollbar (Armada)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (Armada)#Toys|Thundercracker]] with [[Zapmaster (Armada)#Toys|Zapmaster]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (Armada)#Toys|Overload]] with [[Rollout (Armada)#Toys|Rollout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Toys|Skywarp]] with [[Thunderclash (Armada)#Toys|Thunderclash]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:ArmadaScavenger toy.jpg|thumb|200px|Max-Con Scavenger]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Predacon (Armada)#Toys|Predacon]] with [[Skid-Z (Armada)#Toys|Skid-Z]] and [[Side Burn (Armada)#Toys|Side Burn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Red Alert]] with [[Longarm (Armada)#Powerlinx|Longarm]]}}
|}

===Giga-Con Class===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron]] with [[Leader-1 (Armada)#Toys|Leader-1]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)/toys#Armada|Jetfire]] with [[Comettor (Armada)#Toys|Comettor]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#ArmadaGalvatron|Galvatron]] with [[Clench (Armada)#Toys|Clench]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Toys|Tidal Wave]] with [[Ramjet (Armada)#Toys|Ramjet]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Armada Tidal Wave toy.jpg|thumb|200px|Giga-Con Tidal Wave]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Jetfire]] with [[Comettor (Armada)#Powerlinx|Comettor]]}}
|}

===Super Base===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Armada|Optimus Prime]] with [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Toys|Sparkplug]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Optimus Prime]] with [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Corona|Corona Sparkplug]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Superbase ArmadaPrime.jpg|thumb|200px|Super Base Optimus Prime]]
|}

{{-}}

===Supreme===
*[[Unicron/toys#Armada|Unicron]] with [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Dead End]]

{{-}}
===Role Play===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Role Play Triple Changer'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Laserbeak (Armada)#Toys|Laserbeak]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Role Play'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Star Saber (Armada)#RoleplayDark|Dark Saber]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Star Saber (Armada)#Armada 2|Star Saber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
[[File:Armada-optimus-prime-gold-kmart.jpg|thumb|200px|K-Mart exclusive Optimus Prime]]
:'''K-Mart'''
:* "Battle for the Matrix" ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#MatrixMultipack|"Powerlinx Optimus Prime"]], [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Toys|"Corona Sparkplug"]], [[Jetfire (Armada)#Toys|"Powerlinx Jetfire"]], [[Comettor (Armada)#Toys|Comettor]], [[Adventure Mini-Con Team#Toys|Adventure Mini-Con Team]], [[Longarm (Armada)#Toys|Longarm]])

{{note|Despite the various toys in this set being labeled "Powerlinx", they're not actually the Powerlinx versions. Just so you're not shocked when you click the links.}}
{{-}}

==Takara ''Legends of the Microns'' toyline==
[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s take on ''Armada'', hitting stores a bit later than the Hasbro version, has some small but significant differences, largely in the decos. With a closer tie to the [[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|animation]], the toys had their colors tweaked to make them closer to their animation counterparts. This ranges from the small and subtle to completely different color schemes.

Takara also went ''nuts'' with the Mini-Cons. All but one of the three-pack teams got "[[X-Dimension]]" redecoes at normal retail, and some of the earlier molds got multiple redecoes as limited-edition store-[[exclusive]] promotional giveaways.

===Regular retail===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[December 26|12-26]]-[[2002]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Armada|Convoy Super Mode]] (w/ [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Toys|Prime]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Super-Con|STD Convoy]] (w/ [[Over-Run (Armada)#Toys|Surge]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Laserbeak (Armada)#Toys|Cyberhawk]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Toys|Grap]] (w/ [[Liftor#Toys|Lift]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Toys|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Jolt (Armada)#Toys|Jolt]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Toys|Ironhide]] (w/ [[Blackout (Armada)#Toys|Search]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron]] (w/ [[Leader-1 (Armada)#Toys|Barrel]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Toys|Ratchet]] (w/ [[Longarm (Armada)#Toys|Hook]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Sandstorm]] (w/ [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Toys|Cannon]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Armada|Starscream]] (w/ [[Swindle (Armada)#Toys|Grid]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Defense Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#XDimension|Air Defense Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#XDimension|Destruction Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Land Military Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team#XDimension|Land Military Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team#Toys|Race Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team#XDimension|Race Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Action Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Action Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Speed Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Toys|Grap]] & [[Race Mini-Con Team#Toys|Race Micron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|Hot Rod]] & [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Defense Micron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Toys|Ironhide]] & [[Land Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Land Military Micron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Sandstorm]] & [[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[April 24|04-24]]-[[2003]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Scavenger (Armada)#Toys|Devastor]] (w/ [[Rollbar (Armada)#Toys|Dirt]])}}
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (Armada)#Toys|Double Face]] (w/ [[Rook (Armada)#Toys|Bright]] & [[Crosswise (Armada)#Toys|Shadow]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:MicronLegend Rampage toy.jpg|thumb|200px|Rampage with Hawk]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' (05-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Silverbolt]] (w/ [[Incinerator (Armada)#Toys|Turbo]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Silverbolt]] & [[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Speed Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' (06-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Toys|Jetfire]] (w/ [[Comettor (Armada)#Toys|Sonar]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#Toys|Thrust]] (w/ [[Inferno (Armada)#Toys|Thunder]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Air Military Micron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#Toys|Thrust]] & [[Air Military Mini-Con Team|Air Military Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[July 17|07-17]]-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Toys|Shockwave]] (w/ [[Ramjet (Armada)#Toys|Sonic]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Air Military Mini-Con Team#XDimension|Air Military Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Space Mini-Con Team#Toys|Space Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[August 14|08-14]]-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wheeljack (Armada)#Toys|Rampage]] (w/ [[Wind Sheer (Armada)#Toys|Hawk]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Side Swipe (Armada)#Toys|Stepper]] (w/ [[Nightbeat (Armada)#Toys|Cha]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Aerial Extermination Mini-Con Team#Toys|Air Assault Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Sea Mini-Con Team#Toys|Sea Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Space Mini-Con Team#XDimensions|Space Micron X-Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wheeljack (Armada)#Toys|Rampage]] & [[Aerial Extermination Mini-Con Team#Toys|Air Assault Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Micron Shockwave toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Shockwave with Sonic]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[August 28|08-28]]-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Hoist|Grap Super Mode]] (w/ [[Liftor#SparkLift|Spark Lift]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Adventure Mini-Con Team#Toys|Adventure Micron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (Armada)#Hoist|Grap Super Mode]] & [[Adventure Mini-Con Team#Toys|Adventure Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' (09-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Powerlinx|Hot Rod Super Mode]] (w/ [[Jolt (Armada)#Powerlinx|Spark Jolt]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#ArmadaGalvatron|Megatron Super Mode]] (w/ [[Leader-1 (Armada)#Spark|Spark Barrel]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (Armada)#Powerlinx|Ratchet Super Mode]] (w/ [[Longarm (Armada)#Powerlinx|Spark Hook]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#JapaneseSuper|Starscream Super Mode]] (w/ [[Swindle (Armada)#Zapmaster|Spark Grid]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Adventure Mini-Con Team#XDimensions|Adventure Micron X-Dimensions]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Emergency Mini-Con Team#Toys|Emergency Micron]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Sea Mini-Con Team#Toys|Sea Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' (09-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Powerlinx|Ironhide Super Mode]] (w/ [[Blackout (Armada)#Powerlinx|Spark Search]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' (09-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (Armada)#Toys|Ultra Magnus]] (w/ [[Rollout (Armada)#Toys|Magnus]])}}
* [[Unicron/toys#Armada|Unicron]] (w/ [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Bug]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 11''' (10-??-2003)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Emergency Mini-Con Team#XDimensions|Emergency Micron X‑Dimensions]]}}
|}

{{-}}

===Store/event exclusives===
Aside from the deluge of limited-edition Micron giveaways, Takara released a lot of the Hasbro line's non-cartoon-based toys as "[[USA Edition]]s" through numerous outlets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Ito Yokado'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Undergrove|Destruction Micron Undergrove Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Race Mini-Con Team#RoadAssault|Race Micron Road Assault Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Overdrive|Street Speed Micron Overdrive Edition]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Jusco'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team#SpaceGalaxy|Destruction Micron Space Galaxy Edition]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rhinox (Armada)#Toys|Rhinox]] with [[Armorhide (Armada)#Toys|Armorhide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Terrorsaur (Armada)#Toys|Terrorsaur]] with [[Ironhide (Armada)#Toys|Ironhide]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''LaOX'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Cyclonus]] with [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Powerlinx|Crumplezone]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Powerlinx Thrust]] with [[Inferno (Armada)#PowerlinxBrown|Inferno]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Hello Mac'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team#Ultimate|Land Military Micron Ultimate Edition]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PL Red Thrust toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powerlinx Thrust with Inferno]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[TF Station]] affiliates'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Micron Booster]] Ver.0 ([[Drop-Test|Rod]], [[Atlas (MD)|Atlas]], [[Jetstorm (Armada)|Mach]], [[Runway (Armada)|Jetter]], [[Sonar (Armada)|Shuttler]], [[Dirt Boss (Armada)|Drift]], [[Downshift (Armada)|Spin]], [[Mirage (Armada)|Indy]])}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Destruction Mini-Con Team|Destruction White Micron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team#Ultimate|Land Military Micron Ultimate Edition]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Land Military Mini-Con Team|Land Military Micron Night Attack Edition]]}}
{{Bp-a1|Magna Convoy DX Set ([[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#MagnaConvoyDX|Convoy Super Mode Final Battle Color Version]], [[Overload (Armada)#MagnaConvoy|Ultra Magnus Special Clear Version]], [[Street Action Mini-Con Team#XDimension|Street Action Micron X-Dimensions]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Airazor (Armada)#Toys|Airazor]] with [[Nightscream (Armada)#Toys|Nightscream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cheetor (Armada)#Toys|Cheetor]] with [[Cliffjumper (Armada)#Toys|Cliffjumper]] (website only)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (Armada)#Powerlinx|Powerlinx Jetfire]] with [[Comettor (Armada)#Powerlinx|Comettor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Predacon (Armada)#Toys|Predacon]] with [[Skid-Z (Armada)#Toys|Skid-Z]] and [[Side Burn (Armada)#Toys|Side Burn]] (website only)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Toys|Skywarp]] with [[Thunderclash (Armada)#Toys|Thunderclash]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Toy's Dream Project/Toy Card'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (Armada)#PowerlinxRed|Powerlinx Thrust]] with [[Inferno (Armada)#PowerlinxRed|Inferno]] (red version)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''World Hobby Fair'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-mc|[[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Overdrive|Street Speed Micron Overdrive Edition]]}}
|}

{{-}}

===Media exclusives===
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Theme CD pack-ins'''
* [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#CDblue|Air Defense Micron]] (blue)
* [[Street Action Mini-Con Team|Street Action Micron]] (anime color)
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Legends of the Microns]]'' DVD pack-ins'''
* [[Super Stunt Team]] ([[Flat-Out (MD)#Toys|Flat-Out]], [[Redline#Toys|Redline]], [[Servo (MD)#Toys|Servo]])
*[[Top Gear#Toys|Top Gear]]
*[[Midship#Toys|Midship]]
*[[Tailslide#Toys|Tailslide]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
*[[Falcia#Toys|Falcia]]
*[[Combusta#Toys|Combusta]]
*[[Twirl (MD)#Toys|Twirl]]
*[[Freeboot#Toys|Freeboot]]
*[[Bilge (MD)#Toys|Bilge]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
*[[Sunburn#Toys|Sunburn]]
*[[Kingbolt (MD)#Toys|Kingbolt]]
*[[Impulsor#Toys|Impulsor]]
*[[Quench#Toys|Quench]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Arm-toy TopGear.jpg|thumb|200px|DVD pack-in Top Gear]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003]]'''''
* [[Impulsor|"Special Color" Impulsor]]
* [[Kingbolt (MD)|"Special Color" Kingbolt]]
* [[Quench|"Special Color" Quench]]
* [[Unicron of Light#Toys|''Hikari no'' Unicron]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''Tele-V Magazine'''''
* [[Overload (Armada)#Blue|''Tokubetsu'' Ultra Magnus]] with [[Rollout (Armada)#Special|Magnus]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''TV Boy'' magazine'''
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#GoldArmada|''Kinpika'' Convoy]] with [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Kinpika|Prime]]
* [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Green|Prime Super Mode]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[TV Magazine]]'''''
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Crystal|Crystal Convoy]] with [[Over-Run (Armada)#Crystal|Spark Surge]]
* [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#BlackMegatron|Black Megatron]] with [[Leader-1 (Armada)#Black|Barrel]]
* [[Nemesis Prime (Armada)#TVMagazine|Scourge]] with [[Run-Over (Armada)#TVMagazine|Sweep]]
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[Image:Armadatoy_unicron_of_light.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Hikari no'' Unicron]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''???'''
* [[Jetfire (Armada)#Gold|''Kinpika'' Jetfire]] with [[Comettor (Armada)#Gold|Sonar]]
|}

{{-}}

==Sonokong ''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron'' toyline==
From 2003 to 2005, Takara licensee [[Sonokong]] released a smaller selection of ''Legends of the Microns'' toys in Korea, under the name '''''Eunha Yeongung: Cybertron''''' (은하영웅 사이버트론, "Galactic Heroes: Cybertrons").

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Cybertron'''
* [[Laserbeak (Armada)#Toys|Cyberhawk]]
* [[Scavenger (Armada)#Toys|Hyena]] (w/ [[Rollbar (Armada)#Toys|Dirt]])
* [[Jetfire (Armada)#Toys|Jetfire]] (w/ [[Comettor (Armada)#Toys|Sonar]])
* [[Optimus Prime (Armada)/toys#Armada|Super Optimus]] (w/ [[Sparkplug (Armada)#Toys|Prime]])
* [[Red Alert (Armada)#Toys|Patrol]] (w/ [[Longarm (Armada)#Toys|Hook]])
* [[Overload (Armada)#Toys|Ultra Magnus]] (w/ [[Rollout (Armada)#Toys|Magnus]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Destron'''
* [[Demolishor (Armada)#Toys|Hide]] (w/ [[Blackout (Armada)#Toys|Search]])
* [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Armada|Megatron]] (w/ [[Leader-1 (Armada)#Toys|Barrel]])
* [[Starscream (Armada)#Toys|Scream]] (w/ [[Swindle (Armada)#Toys|Grid]])
* [[Tidal Wave (Armada)#Toys|Shock]] (w/ [[Ramjet (Armada)#Toys|Sonic]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other'''
* [[Sideways (Armada)#Toys|Double Face]] (w/ [[Rook (Armada)#Toys|Bright]] & [[Crosswise (Armada)#Toys|Shadow]])
* [[Unicron/toys#Armada|Unicron]] (w/ [[Dead End (Armada)#Toys|Bug]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Multi-packs'''
* [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Armada|Red Gun]] & [[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)#Toys|Air Defense]] (w/ [[Jolt (Armada)#Toys|Jolt]])
* [[Smokescreen (Armada)#Toys|Smoky]] & [[Race Mini-Con Team#Toys|Race]] (w/ [[Liftor#Toys|Lift]])
* [[Cyclonus (Armada)#Toys|Sandstorm]] & [[Destruction Mini-Con Team#Toys|Destruction]] (w/ [[Crumplezone (Armada)#Toys|Cannon]])
* [[Blurr (Armada)#Toys|Sunbolt]] & [[Street Speed Mini-Con Team#Toys|Street Speed]] (w/ [[Incinerator (Armada)#Toys|Turbo]])
* [[Thrust (Armada)#Toys|Sniper]] & [[Air Military Mini-Con Team#Toys|Air Military]] (w/ [[Inferno (Armada)#Toys|Thunder]])
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

==Cancelled toys==
[[File:SST-UniBat.jpg|thumb]]
*A redeco of the Street Speed Team seen at [[OTFCC 2003]] - one-off "color shifts" of the Japanese Street Speed Micron Overdrive Edition - was intended for mass release, but never saw the light of day.
*Redecos of the Adventure and Space Teams surfaced from China, but were likewise not released.
*At OTFCC 2003, it was announced that the more show-accurate Japanese version of Wheeljack and Wind Sheer would be released in the North American line as a running change. That never happened.
*Likewise, the red version of Powerlinx Thrust was supposed to hit North American shores as a running change, but never did... although it DID see release in Japan, Europe, and Israel(!).

{{-}}
==Post-''Armada'' releases==
Though it does not quite (yet) have the nostalgia-pull of older series, ''Armada'' has nonetheless had a number of toys released based on its characters, and even several all-new characters put into its universe since the [[Unicron Trilogy]] closed up shop. (Obviously, we're not counting toys from the direct-sequel series here.)

;Hasbro
{|style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' (2008)]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe (2008)|Hot Shot]] (w/ [[Jolt (Armada)#Universe (2008)|Jolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (Armada)#Universe (2008)|Overload]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Unicron/toys#Universe (2008)|Unicron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blight (Universe)#SingleCard|Blight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bodyblock (Universe)#SingleCard|Bodyblock]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Boltflash#SingleCard|Boltflash]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brimstone (Universe)#Single|Brimstone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Makeshift (Universe)#SingleCard|Makeshift]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Suppressor (Universe)#SingleCard|Suppressor]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Mini-Con 10-Pack ([[Crosshairs (Universe)|Crosshairs]], [[Longview (Universe)|Longview]], [[Overcharge (Universe)|Overcharge]], [[Ransack (Universe 2008)|Ransack]], [[Scavenger (Universe 2008)|Scavenger]], [[Sky Shadow (Universe)|Sky Shadow]], [[Snow Cat (Universe)|Snow Cat]], [[Stockade (Universe 2008)|Stockade]], [[Treadshot (Universe 2008)|Treadshot]], [[Windrazor (Universe)|Windrazor]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Mini-Con 12-Pack ([[Backstop (Universe)|Backstop]], [[Blight (Universe)|Blight]], [[Bodyblock (Universe)|Bodyblock]], [[Boltflash]], [[Brimstone (Universe)|Brimstone]], [[Cloudraker (Universe)|Cloudraker]], [[Flatfoot (Universe)|Flatfoot]], [[Heavytread (Universe)|Heavytread]], [[Knockdown (Universe)|Knockdown]], [[Makeshift (Universe)|Makeshift]], [[Skyhammer (Universe)|Skyhammer]], [[Suppressor (Universe)|Suppressor]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Kre-O]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Demolishor (Armada)#Kre-O|Demolishor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Iceberg#Kre-O|Iceberg]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:UniverseHotShotJolt.jpg|thumb|200px|''Universe'' Hot Shot with Jolt]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Generations|Armada Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-mc|[[Mini-Con Assault Team]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Armada Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|Siege on Cybertron ([[Tidal Wave (G1)#Generations|Tidal Wave]])}}
|}

{{-}}
;Hasbro via [[Fun Publications]]

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Transformers Collectors' Club]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (Armada)#Timelines|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spacewarp]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}
;TakaraTomy
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)#Toys|Robotmasters]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Sideways (RM)#Toys|Double Face]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (Armada)/toys#Legends|Armada Starscream Super Mode]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'''''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Grand Galvatron#Unite Warriors 2|Grand Galvatron]] ([[Thrust (Armada)#Unite Warriors 2|Curse Armada Thrust]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}

{{-}}

==Notes==
* According to [[Aaron Archer]] during his stint as ORSON, the Armada Autobots and Decepticons had intentionally different design aesthetics. The Autobots were designed to be symmetrical with clean lines and detailing, while the Decepticons had asymmetrical sculpts and details to invoke a more foreboding and battle-worn feel. A good example of this would be [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys|Hot Shot]] versus [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]].
* The official Hasbro press releases for ''Armada'' used the pricepoint titles from the ''Beast Wars'' era - Deluxe, Mega and Ultra - instead of Super-Con, Max-Con and Giga-Con, the designations specifically created for the toyline. Confusingly, one press release<ref>http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/b11879ad57a742ca?hl=en</ref> even referred to the "Mega Figure Assortment" as consisting of "MAXCON figures"...
* For the Japanese version of the line, Takara took the unusual step of picking and choosing [[box art]] from the Hasbro line, with just about all of [[Don Figueroa]] and [[Guido Guidi]]'s art being carried over, while the rest was replaced with new work. No explanation has ever been given, although it is worth noting that most of the replaced art originally depicted the character incorrectly (Megatron's treads being mounted on his back instead of his shoulders) or just very inaccurately (Jetfire's everything).

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Armada (toyline)}}
[[Category:Armada| Armada (toyline)]]
[[Category:Unicron Trilogy toylines]]

Atechnogenesis

2020-11-29T22:57:35Z

Whalermouse:

[[File:Pulleys.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|Scientists think they know everything.]]

'''Atechnogenesis'''<ref>Term first appeared in Dreamwave's 2004 Generation 1 ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye]]'' guidebook, p483</ref> is the secular scientific explanation that life on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] sprang up through the naturally-occurring interaction of gears, levers, and pulleys.<ref>This phrase dates from 1984's Marvel ''Transformers'' US #1, the first Transformers story ever published.</ref>

The strict scientific rationalism of atechnogenesis rejects traditional religious claims that [[Primus]] is the source of all life on Cybertron, and much of the ancient doctrine surrounding the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]].

==Notes==
*The [[Quintesson]]s are an example of a species that came about through the evolution of mechanical life.<ref>"Mechanical life has long since evolved in segments of the cosmos--existing alongside organic life." "This [a Quintesson ship] is a spacecraft of one such mechanical race--" {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}</ref>
*Japan actually developed a much more detailed atechnogenesis origin for Cybertronic life in "[[A Birth of Planet Saybertron]]", one of ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s pre-movie magazine supplements. It's probably the most serious rendering of the concept ever.
*In the [[2005 IDW continuity]], believers in atechnogenesis are referred to as "Evolutionary Engineerists".
*Atechnogenesis is likely named after {{w|abiogenesis}}, the process by which life evolved from non-living matter.
==See also==
* [[Transformer]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [https://www.shortpacked.com/comic/atheist/ Atechnogenesis defined and mocked (not official)]

[[Category:Generation 1 history]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:IDW (2005)]]

Power of the Primes (toyline)

2020-11-26T21:07:41Z

Whalermouse: /* Deluxe Class */

{{nav-PowerOfThePrimes}}
[[File:Generations2019-cover.jpg|thumb|300px]]
'''''Power of the Primes''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, and the third and final portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

First revealed in mid-[[2017]] at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] and subsequently debuting at the end of the year, ''Power of the Primes'', in keeping with the previous two toylines, features a line-wide [[gimmick]]: "[[Prime Master]]s", small [[Titan Master]]-type figures that represent the sparks of the [[Thirteen|Primes]]. Unlike Titan Masters, Prime Masters are available only in their own pricepoint, where they are packaged with [[Pretender]]-style [[Prime Master|decoy armor]], but can interact in some way with all larger assortments.

Legends Class figures retain the ability to seat a small figure in alt-mode, whilst the Deluxe and Voyager Class pricepoints see the return of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]''-style [[Combiner]]s. The combination joints remain unchanged, whilst the hand/foot system is tweaked: all Deluxes now include a hand, and all Voyagers a pair of feet. These accessories (dubbed Prime Armor) also facilitate the Prime Master integration for those size classes: Deluxes can use their hand as chest armor, into which a Prime Master spark mode can slot, and Voyagers can use their feet as forearm bucklers, which similarly fit a Prime Master. All Voyager Class figures also include an [[Enigma of Combination]], shaped like a Prime Master spark mode, that can fit onto their combined mode chest. With the exception of Inferno, none of the voyagers can grant their respective combined modes a sizable weapon.

Finally, Leader Class figures feature an "Evolution" gimmick, wherein each toy includes a Deluxe-sized character who can "evolve" into a Prime by combining with additional armor. Each Leader includes a uniquely-colored [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix of Leadership]], the central crystal of which can be removed and replaced with a Prime Master.

Similarly to ''Combiner Wars'' (except for US-released Deluxe Class figures) and ''Titans Return'', all figures from Legends Class upwards continued to include character cards, except this time there were twelve different [[variant]]s of every character's card, each containing a [[Prime Master/Combinations|combination]] with one of the twelve Prime Masters.

Before the line's release, a [[Fan polls|fan vote]] took place to determine a character who would become a new Prime in both the toyline and accompanying stories, with [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] claiming victory, and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|a place]] in the Leader Class assortment.<ref>[http://www.facebook.com/transformers/photos/pb.146805978722938.-2207520000.1487463781./1362620857141438/?type=3&theater]</ref>

{{bigquote|Choose your Prime!|Official tagline for the ''Power of the Primes'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Prime Masters====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Liege Maximo#Generations|Liege Maximo]] (w/ [[Skullgrin#Power of the Primes|Skullgrin]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Micronus Prime#Generations|Micronus]] (w/ [[Cloudburst#Generations|Autobot Cloudburst]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Prime#Generations|Vector Prime]] (w/ [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)#Power of the Primes|Metalhawk]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Alchemist Prime#Generations|Alchemist Prime]] (w/ [[Submarauder (G1)#Generations|Submarauder]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Trion (G1)#Power of the Primes|Alpha Trion]] (w/ [[Landmine (G1)#Generations|Landmine]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#Generations|Megatronus]] (w/ [[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Generations|Bomb-Burst]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quintus Prime#Generations|Quintus Prime]] (w/ [[Bludgeon (G1)#Power of the Primes|Decepticon Bludgeon]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Solus Prime#Generations|Solus Prime]] (w/ [[Octopunch (G1)#Generations|Octopunch]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-Micronus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime Master Micronus plus Cloudburst decoy armor]]
|}

====Legends Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Generations|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slash (Generations)#Generations|Dinobot Slash]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Power of the Primes|Skrapnel]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battleslash#Generations|Battleslash]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadtrap (Generations)#Generations|Roadtrap]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Power of the Primes|Autobot Tailgate]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Generations|Autobot Outback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Generations|Cindersaur]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:POTPSlash.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Legends Class Slash Kirk and Spock who? Picard is where it's at.]]
|}

====Deluxe Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Slug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Generations|Dreadwind]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Generations|Blackwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Moonracer (G1)#Generations|Autobot Moonracer]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Rippersnapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Generations|Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Cutthroat]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Firestar (G1)#Generations|Autobot Novastar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-Moonracer.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Moonracer This line will never live down the pregnancy jokes, will it?]]
|}

====Voyager Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Elita One (G1)#Generations|Elita-1]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Hun-Gurrr]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|Inferno]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:POTP-Voyager-Elita-1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Elita-1 1m t00 b4d4ss f0r st4nd4rd gr4mm4r.]]
|}

====Leader Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Rodimus Prime]] (w/ Autobot Hot Rod)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Optimus Prime]] (w/ Orion Pax)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#RodimusUnicronus|Evolution Rodimus Unicronus]] (w/ Nemesis Hot Rod)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Optimal Optimus]] (w/ Optimus Primal)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-RodimusPrimeEvolved.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Leader Class Rodimus Prime]]
|
|}

====Titan Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2018'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Predaking (G1)#Generations|Predaking]] ([[Razorclaw (G1)#Generations|Razorclaw]], [[Tantrum (G1)#Generations|Torox]], [[Divebomb (G1)#Generations|Divebomb]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Generations|Predacon Headstrong]], and [[Rampage (G1)#Generations|Predacon Rampage]], with [[Onyx Prime#Generations|Onyx Prime]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|
[[File:POTP-Titan-Predaking-set.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Titan Class Predaking]]
|}

===Exclusives===

====Summer convention exclusives====
:Debuting at [[San Diego Comic-Con]], this release was also made available online via [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]. In Hasbro's Asian markets, this set was available at general retail.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throne of the Primes]] (2018)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#SDCC2018|Optimal Optimus]] (with Optimus Primal)}}
*[[Amalgamous Prime#Generations|Amalgamous Prime]]
*[[Nexus Prime#Generations|Nexus Prime]]
*[[Prima#Generations|Prima Prime]]
*[[Thirteenth Prime#Generations|The Thirteenth]]
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-PotP-SDCC-2018-Throne-of-the-Primes-Optimus-Primal.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Throne of the Primes exclusive Leader Class Optimal Optimus]]
|}

====Store exclusives====
Nemesis Prime was an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive in the United States. Meanwhile, Wreck-Gar was exclusive to Walgreens in the U.S. but found at EB Games in Canada and general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Power of the Primes|Evolution Nemesis Prime]] (w/ Nemesis Pax and [[Giza (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Giza]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Walgreens'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Power of the Primes|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|[[File:POTP-Leader-Evolved-Nemesis-Prime.jpg|thumb|300px|Leader Class Nemesis Prime]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a transluscent [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy. Punch-Counterpunch was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America. This set was also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
[[File:TF-Generations-Deluxe-Class-Special-Edition-Punch.jpg|285px|thumb|Special Edition Deluxe Class Punch-Counterpunch]]
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Punch (G1)#Power of the Primes|Punch-Counterpunch]] with [[Prima#SpecialEdition|Prima Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|}

====''Selects''====
In early 2019, Hasbro further extended the tradition of exclusive figures in box packages (albeit plain boxes this time) by releasing ''[[Transformers: Generations#Selects|Generations Selects]]'' figures of fan-beloved decoes that could not make it to mainline retail. Exclusive to online retailers in the U.S. market,<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/2018/11/preorders-up-for-transformers-generations-selects-ricochet-and-swoop/ Preorders up for Transformers Generations Selects Ricochet and Swoop!]</ref> Ricochet and Red Swoop had previously been hinted at by [[Elita One (G1)#Generations|Elita-1]]'s packaging artwork and [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|regular Swoop]]'s preliminary CG stock render.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''2019'''
<ul class="iconlist">
[[File:Selects-Deluxe-Ricochet.jpg|250px|thumb|''Selects'' Deluxe Class Ricochet]]
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Selects|Dinobot Red Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ricochet (Headmasters)#Generations|Ricochet]]}}
</ul>
|
|}

==''Power of the Primes'' (TakaraTomy)==
Unlike its predecessors in the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', ''Power of the Primes'' was not rolled into ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' or ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Adventure Series|Adventure]]'' in Japan. Instead, Takara's ''Power of the Primes'' (パワーオブザプライム ''Pawā obu za Puraimu'') line forgoes the usual cartoon-accurate redecos or retools that typified Takara's take on other portions of ''Generations'' and features toys that are identical to their Hasbro versions down to the last factory-applied [[sticker]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[May 25]], [[2018]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Micronus Prime#Generations|PP-01 Micronus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Liege Maximo#Generations|PP-02 Liege Maximo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Prime#Generations|PP-03 Vector Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slash (Generations)#Generations|PP-04 Dinobot Slash]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-05 Windcharger]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Generations|PP-06 Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-07 Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-08 Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-09 Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[June 30|Jun 30]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Alchemist Prime#Generations|PP-10 Alchemist Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-11 Dinobot Slug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-12 Dinobot Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-13 Dinobot Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-14 Dinobot Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-15 Grimlock]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[July 28|Jul 28]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Moonracer (G1)#Generations|PP-16 Moonracer]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Generations|PP-17 Dreadwind]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Generations|PP-18 Blackwing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-19 Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[August 25|Aug 25]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Quintus Prime#Generations|PP-20 Quintus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|PP-21 Terrorcon Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Generations|PP-22 Terrorcon Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Generations|PP-23 Terrorcon Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Generations|PP-24 Terrorcon Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|PP-25 Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Elita One (G1)#Generations|PP-26 Elita-1]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-27 Optimal Optimus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:TF-PotP-Abominus.jpg|200px|thumb|Takara stock photos of Abominus]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[September 29|Sep 29]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Solus Prime#Generations|PP-28 Solus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battleslash#Generations|PP-29 Decepticon Battleslash]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadtrap (Generations)#Generations|PP-30 Roadtrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Predaking (G1)#Generations|PP-31 Predaking]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[October 27|Oct 27]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Trion (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-32 Alpha Trion]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-33 Skrapnel]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-34 Autobot Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Firestar (G1)#Generations|PP-35 Autobot Novastar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|PP-36 Autobot Inferno]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[November 24|Nov 24]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#Generations|PP-37 Megatronus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Generations|PP-38 Autobot Outback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Generations|PP-39 Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#RodimusUnicronus|PP-40 Rodimus Unicronus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' ([[December 29|Dec 29]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-41 Wreck-Gar]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-42 Nemesis Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|}

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' ([[January 26|Jan 26]], [[2019]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Throne of the Primes#Generations|PP-43 Throne of the Primes]] (with [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#SDCC2018|Optimal Optimus]], Optimus Primal, [[Amalgamous Prime#Generations|Amalgamous Prime]], [[Nexus Prime#Generations|Nexus Prime]], [[Prima#Generations|Prima Prime]], [[Thirteenth Prime#Generations|The Thirteenth]])}}

</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' ([[February 23|Feb 23]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Punch (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-44 Punch/Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|}

==Notes==
[[File:TRU Canada Flyer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|What, were you expecting accurate naming?]]
*Just like ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' had the early working name of "''Titan Wars''", it appears ''Power of the Primes'' was initially going to be called "'''''Prime Wars'''''" before that name was promoted to the overall title of the [[Prime Wars Trilogy|entire trilogy]]. Inevitably, several online retailers and distributors still list the figures under that name.<ref name="bersinger">"[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24990 Prime Wars Legends]", "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24987 Prime Wars Deluxe]", "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24988 Prime Wars Voyager]" and "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24989 Prime Wars Leader]" listed at Swiss distributor Max Bersinger.</ref><ref name="target">[http://www.totallytarget.com/2017/12/01/sneak-peek-target-weekly-ad-coupons-123-129/ Target Weekly Ad & Coupon Matchups 12/3 – 12/9], including "Transformers Generations Prime Wars Deluxe Figure"</ref><ref name="walmart">Early Walmart placeholder listings using the name "Prime Wars": Deluxe Class [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Dinobot-Snarl/428117097 Snarl], [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Dinobot-Sludge/499773723 Sludge], and [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Rippersnapper/695985075 Rippersnapper].</ref><ref name="brandora">Brandora.de listings for "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432693 Prime Wars Power Masters]", "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432619 "Prime Wars Legends]", and "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432620 Prime Wars Deluxe]".</ref><ref name="amazon">Amazon listing for "[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072QQVXQ4 Transformers Prime Wars Voyager Action Figure]".</ref>
*Along the same lines, the working name for the Prime Masters was "[[Powermaster (disambiguation)|Power Masters]]", which again still appears in online listings.<ref name="brandora"/><ref name="southern">[https://www.southernhobby.com/transformers-generations-power-of-the-primes-master-assortment/p8118/ Southern Hobby listing] for "Transformers Generations: Power Of The Primes – Power Master Assortment".</ref>
*In July 2017, photos of a computer screen taken during an internal Hasbro presentation were leaked to the public that revealed, among other things, the entirety of the general retail ''Power of the Primes'' line-up (not counting [[exclusive]]s), featuring plenty of concept art and [[character model]]s as placeholder images. During New York [[Toy Fair]] 2018, Hasbro confirmed that there were indeed no further general retail waves planned, although the figures from the final waves of the Legends and Voyager Class assortments wouldn't be revealed until the Australian Toy Fair that took place two weeks later.
*''Power of the Primes'' toys made their global retail debut at [[Target]] stores in the United States on [[November 11]], 2017, roughly a full month before they were expected to be sighted anywhere worldwide. Given that ''Transformers'' toys, going for several years, had been consistently sighted first in Hasbro's Asian markets, this came as a ''big surprise'' for the [[fandom]]. This remained the case for several of the later waves.
*Even though wave 2 of the Legends Class saw an early release in Singapore just a few days before New Year's Eve of 2017, followed by a release at retail in the United Kingdom a few weeks later, Hasbro didn't so much as officially acknowledge the existence of these figures until New York [[Toy Fair]] in February 2018, by which point they had already been spotted at brick and mortar retail in the United States. Elita-1 from wave 2 of the Voyager Class was also officially "revealed" by Hasbro at the same Toy Fair, even though her wave had already been found at US retail at the same time as the wave 2 Legends. (Elita's wave-mate Hun-Gurrr had previously been officially revealed at New York Comic-Con in October 2017 along with the wave 3 Deluxe Class figures.)
*Unlike the previous two lines, the ''Power of the Primes'' toyline was significantly cut down, only releasing 3 waves as opposed to 6.
{{--}}
*Notable differences between the Hasbro releases versus the TakaraTomy versions is that the latter figures don't have their product code numbers embossed, and have stickers in Japanese language covering parts of the packaging.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Power of the Primes| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

The Transformers (toyline)

2020-11-26T21:03:03Z

Whalermouse: /* 1985 */

{{disambig3.5|the original 1980s toyline|the 2010-2011 toyline simply known as ''Transformers''|Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers}}
{{Nav-G1}}
[[File:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|thumb|250px|Fortress Maximus, the biggest toy made in the original toyline.]]
'''''The Transformers''''' (also now known as "'''Generation 1'''" or "'''G1'''" for short, though the line was never branded as such) started as a joint venture between [[Hasbro]] of America and [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] of [[Japan]]. After an idea to rebrand and sell Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change|Microchange]]'' [[Toy|robot toys]] as a whole new line with a new concept behind it (developed by Hasbro's partners at [[Marvel Comics]]), Hasbro ultimately created what would be one of the longest-running and most popular [[franchise]]s for both companies. Starting in [[1984]], the line ran for seven years in America, eight in Europe and Japan (though Takara would break the line up into multiple sub-franchises).

{{TOCclear}}

==Overview==
Having run for seven years, the line changed dramatically over its lifetime, going from pre-made items to all-new designs and greater focus on [[gimmick]]s beyond simply transforming. Thus, the more descriptive bits will be tackled year-by-year... but there's still plenty to talk about in the big picture.

===Then Vs. Now===
[[File:Seekers ad.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Page from the 1984 JC Penney annual catalog. A book hundreds of pages thick, which could devote an entire page or two to a single toy line. 80s kids ''craved'' these books. And yes, JC Penney used to carry toys.]]

The original ''Transformers'' came out in a ''very'' different toy environment than what exists today, and at a time when the market was venturing out from the slow-paced 1970s into undiscovered country.

First of all, the market itself was simply broader. There were a ''lot'' more retailers out there, both national and regional, muscling for market share, and virtually all had a sizable toy department. Sears and [[Kmart]] were the biggest retailers in the United States; [[Walmart]] and [[Target]] were just regional players poised to go nationwide. There were multiple large-scale toys-only chains, not just [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]] (now RIP in the US). Even grocery stores and drug stores devoted a significant amount of space to toys year-round, and not just the cheap stuff! The idea that you could buy ''anything'' via computer, much less toys, was a novelty at best. No, you had to get out there and shop - or use a big printed mail-order catalog like the old Sears "Wish Book".

On top of that, there were far more toy companies scrabbling for shelf space. Mattel was still an action-figure heavyweight thanks to ''Masters of the Universe'', which led the boom of cartoon-advertised toy lines (more on that in a bit) throwing out weird concepts in the hope of creating the next big thing. ''Transformers'' wasn't even the first shape-changing robot toy to US shelves, having been beat to the punch by then-competitor [[Tonka]], who brought over [[Bandai]]'s ''Machine Robo'' toys as ''[[GoBots]]'' six months prior, plus Takara's own prior attempts to market their toys in the US as ''[[Diakron]]'' and ''[[Kronoform]]''. Also, in more global terms, Hasbro's ''Transformers'' was originally just one of several international outlets for Takara's ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' figures, initially coexisting with [[Joustra]]'s own version of ''Diaclone'' in Central Europe, [[GiG]]'s ''[[Trasformer]]'' {{sic}} line in Italy, and Takara themselves were releasing ''Diaclone'' in Finland. And then there were all the major sorta-likes, such as [[Kenner]]'s ''[[M.A.S.K.]]'' with its transforming vehicles, [[TakaraTomy|Tomy]]'s ''Starriors'' reconfigurable robots (a ''Zoids'' offshoot), and approximately eleventy-billion also-rans and cheap knockoffs from a host of now-defunct companies. (And yes, most of the previously-mentioned companies now fall under the Hasbro/TakaraTomy umbrella.)

While most modern toys have a shelf-life of ''maybe'' six months, in the 80s a single toy could ship steadily for two years, more if the line was particularly successful. The original [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]] toys shipped for three, and some of the [[Mini-Cassette]]s for ''four''. (Though the king of long-run shipping is surely [[Kenner]]'s original ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' line: the single [[Darth Vader]] figure shipped for ''seven years''.)

Not only did the toys ship longer, but the look of ''Transformers''<nowiki>'</nowiki> packaging did not change significantly for five years, only changing the logo and overall design in [[#1989: Pretenders and Micromasters|1989]] as part of a revitalization attempt. Today, even when a single line lasts more than a year, the packaging changes considerably at least every year.

Though even with all that, seven years ''was'' a long time for a toy franchise to run. Most of the bigger lines only managed about three years, and that third was typically a final flailing-for-its-life year as kids had moved on. That ''Transformers'' made as big a splash as it did and lasted so long ''before'' the revivals and reboots is remarkable. How'd it do that? Well...

===Refining the Formula===

To be honest, ''Transformers'' didn't do much that was really "new" outside of its central transformation [[gimmick]], and that was one it shared with multiple competitors. However, what put ''Transformers'' above the others, both its domestic rivals and the other international licensees, was simply doing a great many things ''better'' than is competitors.

Many early articles on the "transforming robot toyline wars" opined that ''GoBots'' would win due to its reliance on a large number of small, inexpensive items easy for kids to pick up. (After all, that formula worked wonders for ''Star Wars''.) And while ''Transformers'' did have a number of small, inexpensive "entry point" items, its larger figures would turn out to be a ''huge'' draw, a kind of playground status symbol. The boxed figures featured multiple accessories and add-on [[sticker]]s for an extra level of interaction with the toy, giving them an extra air of quality. Sure you could get a GoBot or a [[Mini Vehicle]] just about any time, but the larger ''Transformers'' were something big and special for birthdays or saved-up allowances.

[[File:Trailbreaker Bio&TechSpec.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Lotta reading going on in the toy aisles in the 80s.]]

The packaging too was a step beyond what other lines were doing. Every packaging back had a hefty [[bio]] of the character, penned by Marvel author [[Bob Budiansky]]. Most lines gave their toys only a cursory sentence or two about the toy's imaginary powers (if that, ''GoBots'' didn't), but the ''Transformers'' bios truly "humanized" the alien robots, giving each one a distinct personality complete with motto, on top of a much more full description of the imaginary powers that character possessed. Attached was the "[[Tech Spec]]s", numeric rankings of the character's stats. This information was (mostly) obscured and (sort of) unreadable without a red plastic "Tech Spec decoder" inside the boxed toys early on (though the red lens of a pair of 3D glasses would work too, and who didn't have at ''least'' one of those lying around in the 80s?), but eventually would move to easily-readable bars.

[[File:PackIn Reinforcements Inside.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Kids had a lot of these. The flyers, we mean, not the toys themselves.]]

While [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-away offers]] were an ''extremely'' common practice at the time, Hasbro smartly spruced this process up. Most every toy (and cereal) mail-away offer asked you to clip out the UPC bar-codes as "proof of purchase" when sending away, but ''Transformers'' instead asked for the "[[Robot Point]]s" clipped from the packaging back. Bigger toys had more Points, again adding to the idea that the larger toys were a step above the smaller ones. (The Points were, of course, actually worthless, since you also sent in a check for roughly what the toys would normally cost anyway.) While many other lines' mail-aways tended to be just toys that weren't out in stores yet, ''Transformers'' from the outset offered toys that they would ''never'' sell at normal retail, like the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s. Talk about playground bragging rights!

While not ''directly'' part of the toyline, the way ''Transformers'' was advertised has ''got'' to be mentioned when talking about its success. [[Ronald Reagan|President Reagan]]'s recent deregulation policies allowed for the line between "advertisement" and "entertainment" on television to blur heavily, and toy companies were still exploring how to properly exploit this new "advertainment" method of pushing plastic to preteens. ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' was the first of these toyline-based cartoons, and it rocketed that toyline to success. And let's be honest here: that show was ''garbage'', but kids ate it up. Hasbro upped the ante with [[The Transformers (cartoon)|''The Transformers'' cartoon]], giving it a more serious story and higher-quality animation (both low hurdles compared to ''He-Man'' but let's not rag on that ''too'' much, they ''were'' testing the early limits of the medium under the furious eye of scary-loud and panicky parental watchdog groups)... and thanks to the fact that the characters were robots, more violence. You can't shoot a human with a laser-blaster, but a robot who could be rebuilt? Oh yeah! This was ultimately also the reason why the aforementioned Italian Takara licensee GiG acquired an additional license from Hasbro to release ''Transformers'' toys proper: It gave them access to the the best form of advertisement for the toys they could possibly get, a dubbed version of the ''Transformers'' cartoon!

The basic upshot... Hasbro simply marketed the line better in virtually every regard, and sold kids on the idea that these weren't ''just'' robot toys, they were characters... that these plastic doodads were, well, more than meets the eye.

{{note|Most of these tactics were also applied to Hasbro's other huge success story in the 1980s, ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]].'' Wide variety of price points, character writeups, "Flag Points" for unique mailaways, better cartoon... all there.}}

==Hasbro ''The Transformers'' US toyline==
===1984===
[[File:G1 1984 backofboxbattle.jpg|right|250px|thumb]]

The first year of ''Transformers'' changed very little from the original Japanese ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Microman]]'' releases. The bulk of the changes were to the [[sticker]]s (mainly adding new [[insignia|faction symbols]], but also removing "Diaclone" texts and potentially-legally-contentious brandings) and some light [[retool]]ing, including the removal/weakening of springs inside the [[missile]] launchers [[for safety reasons]]. Most of the toys' base color schemes came from the original lines, with a few exceptions: [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]], [[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation|Skywarp]], and [[Buzzsaw (G1)#Toys|Buzzsaw]] were new decos created whole-cloth by Hasbro.

One particularly helpful bit of marketing for this year is the clean division of good-guy/bad-guy [[alternate mode]]s. The Heroic Autobots were the cars and trucks, and the Evil Decepticons were... everything else.

[[File:G1 OptimusPrime toy.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Autobot Commander Optimus Prime]]
In contrast to the nigh-solid plastic toys of today, [[die-cast]] metal played a large role in these toys' construction. This was actually a ''cost-saving'' measure, a lingering effect from the petroleum price crises from the '70s made it a bit cheaper overall to make sizable chunks of toys out of metal instead of plastic! The larger cars (and some of the [[Mini Vehicle|Mini Cars]]) also featured rubber tires, and most every toy had ''some'' piece on them that was [[Vacuum metallizing|chromed]].

Unfortunately, these materials issues mean that these toys rarely age well, especially given the rigors of playground life. Paint chips off metal, rubber dries out and splits, chrome fades and rubs off, and the combination of metal-and-plastic on hinged parts leads to easier breakage. Many of these toys have outright ''notorious'' damage issues, and loose undamaged toys are a bit hard to come by.

[[Articulation]] was also a tertiary-at-best concern in the overall design scheme. It was rare for a toy to have moving parts that weren't directly tied to its [[transformation]] sequence beyond a simple rotating shoulder/elbow joint. These toys being "[[brick (term)|brick]]s", mixed with the aforementioned degradation/breakage issues, have largely relegated them to being display pieces for older collectors.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (available in yellow and red)}}
{{Bp-a1|''[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|"Bumper"]]''<ref group="A" name="bumper">This figure, originating from Takara's ''Micro Change'' line just like the rest of the Mini-Cars, was sold on Cliffjumper cards. After being referred to by nicknames such as "Bumblejumper" and "Bumper" among fan circles for over a decade, [[Dreamwave Productions]] finally established him as an actual character with the official name "Bumper" in 2004.</ref>}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (available in red and yellow)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Toys|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]] / [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Laserbeak]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rumble (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Rumble]] / [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ravage]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Prowl]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratchet]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sideswipe (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sideswipe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Sunstreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Trailbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Wheeljack]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1-toy Sunstreaker.jpg|200px|thumb|Autobot Car Sunstreaker]][[File:G1Starscream toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Decepticon Jet Starscream]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Decepticon Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Skywarp]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Starscream]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Communications'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Soundwave]] And Condor Cassette: [[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Buzzsaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#G1v1|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Roller (G1)#Generation 1|Roller]] & [[Combat Deck (G1)#Generation 1|Combat Deck]])}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Kronoform]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Autoceptor#Toys|Autoceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Deceptor#Toys|Deceptor]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kaltor#Toys|Kaltor]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

*"[[Reinforcements from Cybertron!]]"
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powerdasher]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Zetar (G1)#Toys|Drill Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Aragon#Toys|F-1 Type]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cromar#Toys|Jet Type]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Camshaft (G1)#Toys|Camshaft]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Downshift (G1)#Toys|Downshift]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overdrive#Toys|Overdrive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Time Warrior (G1)#Toys|Time Warrior]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Camshaft-G1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Omnibot Camshaft]]
|}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="A" />

{{-}}

===1985===
[[File:1985catalogue-diorama.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The 80s! When toy companies actively encouraged you to play with fire!]]

1984 was a roaring, out-of-the-gate success for ''Transformers'', so 1985's offerings upped the ante, both in numbers and in variety of form.

''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were mined for as many viable toys as possible. The remaining unused "Car Robot" models were brought over, as were several [[redeco]]/[[retool]]s of first-year Cars. The [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, six small-scale construction vehicles that could combine into the mighty super-robot [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], were a huge hit. Robotic beasts made a splash with the [[Dinobot (G1)#Toys|Dinobots]] and [[Insecticon (G1)#Toys|Insecticons]]. The two predecessor lines also had some in-development concepts that were pushed into ''Transformers'', and while some would not be ready until next year, Hasbro/Takara were able to get out a set of new Mini Vehicles, and new versions of the large jet mold with all-new wings and weapons.

But all this wasn't enough to meet expected demand, so Hasbro looked elsewhere for future Transformers. They struck a deal with [[Bandai]] for molds from a variety of Japanese toylines. As Bandai was (and is) a direct competitor to Takara, none of these toys were put into the cartoon, which was being ported to Japan. (There was a [[Jetfire (G1)#Why "Skyfire"?|whole big thing with Jetfire/Skyfire in the cartoon]], follow the link for more on that.) Other toys were also licensed from other companies, but didn't have the major-rival-baggage of Bandai's toys, so they could at least be in the show, if not in [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Takara's version of the toyline]].

All in all, 1985's output was roughly ''double'' that of 1984's. And with a new slew of imitators popping up, Hasbro pushed a new little bit of status-symbol into the line, giving every toy released in '85 —including the re-released '84 toys— a heat-sensitive [[rubsign]]. This brand was the mark of a "true" Transformer, and they even spent the money to make a [[commercial]] ''just to say so''. The rubsigns were also key to another bit of promotion, the mystery-allegiance [[Mini-spy|Mini-Spies]] that came with the Mini Vehicles this year as bonuses.

This year also marks the debut of ''Transformers'' internationally, being released in [[The Transformers (European toyline)|multiple European countries]], [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)|Japan]], [[IGA|Mexico]], [[Estrela|Brazil]], and [[Antex|Argentina]]... all with various changes from the US line, some minor, some... well, "major" might be an understatement for some.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Cars]] w/ [[Mini-spy|Motorized Transformer]]<ref group="B" name="mini-spies">There were four types of "Motorized Transformers" (called "Mini-spies" in the television commercial for the figures and "Koma cars" on Hasbro's shipping cases): "4WD Type" (or "Jeep Type"), "Buggy Type", "FX-1 Type" and "Porsche Type". Each was available alternatively in white, yellow or blue, with the color supposedly depending on which figure they were packaged with.</ref>'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brawn (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Brawn]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Bumblebee]] (yellow/red) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cliffjumper (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cliffjumper]] (red/yellow) w/ white Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Gears (G1)#Toys|Gears]] w/ yellow Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Toys|Huffer]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Toys|Windcharger]] w/ blue Motorized Transformer}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Toys|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cosmos (G1)#Toys|Cosmos]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Seaspray (G1)#Toys|Seaspray]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Scrapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Devastator]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:G1 barrage toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Deluxe Insecticon Barrage]][[File:Blitzwingg1toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Triple Changer Blitzwing]][[File:G1 Blaster toy.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Blaster]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Jumpstarter]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Topspin (G1)#Toys|Topspin]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Twin Twist#Toys|Twin Twist]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Toys|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Kickback (G1)#Toys|Kickback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Toys|Shrapnel]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''<ref group="B" name="1985cars">The 1985 "Autobot Cars" price point was given a somewhat odd treatment with two separate assortments, each of which contained re-releases of six of the 1984 figures (packaged one per case in a case of 12) and three of the new 1985 figures (each packaged two per case). The only exception to this was Skids, who was actually released at least as early as December 1984, in 1984 packaging along with the other '84 Autobot Cars, in which he took the place of an extra Mirage that had previously been used to bring the number of figures contained in those cases up to twelve. Due to this, he was packed in the 1985 assortments like the '84 toys, at only one Skids per case.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grapple (G1)#Toys|Grapple]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hoist (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hoist]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Inferno]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Red Alert (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Red Alert]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Skids (G1)#Generation 1|Skids]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tracks (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Tracks]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Astrotrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blitzwing (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blitzwing]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slag]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Toys|Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Toys|Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swoop]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Deluxe Insecticons'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Barrage (Insecticon)#Toys|Barrage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Toys|Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ransack (G1)#Toys|Ransack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Venom (G1)#Toys|Venom]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Deluxe Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Roadbuster (G1)#Toys|Roadbuster]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Whirl (G1)#Toys|Whirl]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Planes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Dirge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Dirge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ramjet (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ramjet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thrust (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Thrust]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Scientist'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Perceptor (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Perceptor]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Communicator'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Military Operations Commander'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Air Guardian'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jetfire (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jetfire]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot Motorized Defense Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Omega Supreme (G1)/toys#The_Transformers|Omega Supreme]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Tyco]] Licensed Playsets'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Electric Racing Set]] (W/ [[Natron]] & [[Freezon]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Electric Train and Battle Set]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Others'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Tech Specometer Eleven]]}}
|
|}

{{-}}
[[File:G1-toy OptimusPepsi.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Pepsi mail-away Optimus Prime]]
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|Cookie Crisp [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|[[Pepsi]] [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PepsiPrime|Optimus Prime]]}}
:* "[[Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!]]"
:* "[[Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?]]"
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="B" />

{{-}}

===1986: "The Movie"===
[[File:Scramble city packaging mural.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's a ''lot'' of explosions with no evidence of anything actually being exploded.]]

1986 presented a major change in the franchise on several levels. The first being that ''Diaclone'' and ''Microchange'' were pretty much depleted of viable toys, so it was time for all-new toolings to get made.

The past lines still had a role to play in this, though. The Mini Vehicles were refreshed by taking the 1984 assortment and extensively [[retool]]ing them into all-new characters. Takara had been designing a different sort of [[combiner|combining robot team]] for ''Diaclone'', where the limb-bots were wholly interchangeable. These plans would come to life in ''Transformers'' as the "[[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]" style combiners (though that branding was only used in Takara's line; Hasbro called them the "[[Special Teams]]" in Europe, and... nothing special in the US). The combiners were actually advertised in the 1985 season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the cartoon]] (one team, the Aerialbots, were released in time for Christmas in 1985) in a bit of bleed-over as Hasbro prepared for the ''really'' big change... ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

[[File:G1Metroplex toy.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Metroplex]]
This media event ''really'' shook things (and kids) up. The older cast of not-shipping-any-more-1984-toys was shuffled out, with many characters openly and brutally ''killed'' in the film, to make way for all-new toy-characters who would take the forefront, including new faction leaders. These bots were developed for animation first then had toys developed based around those designs, a ''very'' rare move at the time (and still uncommon today, mostly only the [[live-action film series]] works this way). These new designs were very Cybertronian/futuristic in design, as the Movie was set in the far-flung future of ''[[2005]] ooooooohhhhh''. This more sci-fi look would stick with the line for a little while.

Another subtle but important change was that the two factions began to share [[subgroup]]s, with the Autobots gaining their own [[Mini-Cassette]]s and [[Triple Changer]]s, plus both sides had "Scramble City" style combiners. These groups shipped in mixed-allegiance assortments, which would become more and more common going forward.

This was also the year [[die-cast|die-cast metal]] started being phased out of the toys' construction. With petroleum prices lowering, plastics became the less-expensive alternative. Many of this year's toys shipped initially with painted die-cast bits, but were later replaced with plastic-parts [[variant]]s.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Mini Vehicle|Mini-Vehicles]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hubcap (G1)#Toys|Hubcap]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Toys|Outback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Toys|Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swerve (G1)#Toys|Swerve]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Toys|Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ramhorn (G1)#Toys|Ramhorn]] / [[Eject (G1)#Toys|Eject]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ratbat (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ratbat]] / [[Frenzy (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Frenzy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]] / [[Steeljaw (G1)#Toys|Steeljaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fireflight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)/toys#Generation 1|Skydive]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Slingshot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Superion (G1)#Generation 1|Superion]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Toys|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Toys|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Toys|Drag Strip]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Toys|Motormaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Toys|Wildrider]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Menasor (G1)#Toys|Menasor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1menasor toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Menasor, the Stunticon combiner]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Toys|Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Toys|First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Toys|Groove]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Toys|Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Toys|Streetwise]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Defensor (G1)#Toys|Defensor]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)#Toys|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Battlecharger]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Runabout (G1)#Toys|Runabout]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Runamuck (G1)#Toys|Runamuck]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triple Changer]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Broadside (G1)#Toys|Broadside]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octane#Toys|Octane]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sandstorm (G1)#Toys|Sandstorm]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Springer (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Springer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Autobot Cars]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Blurr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Hot Rod]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Kup]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Heroes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#G1RodimusPrime|Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Toys|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Divebomb (G1)#Toys|Divebomb]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Headstrong (G1)#Toys|Headstrong]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rampage (G1)#Toys|Rampage]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Razorclaw (G1)#Toys|Razorclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tantrum (G1)#Toys|Tantrum]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sharkticon (species)|Sharkticons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Gnaw (G1)#Toys|Gnaw]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:G1toy hot rod.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Autobot Car Hot Rod]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon Planes'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Cyclonus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scourge]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[City Commander]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Galvatron (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Galvatron]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ultra Magnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Motorized Autobot Space Shuttle'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Titan (group)|Cities]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] (w/ [[Six-Gun#Toys|Six-Gun]], [[Slammer#Toys|Slammer]], and [[Scamper#Toys|Scamper]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Trypticon (G1)#Toys|Trypticon]] (w/ [[Brunt (G1)#Toys|Brunt]] & [[Full-Tilt (G1)#Toys|Full-Tilt]])}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
[[File:G1 Reflector toy.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Reflector]]

:*"[[The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:]]"
<ul class="itemlist">
::{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]] ([[Spectro]], [[Spyglass]], [[Viewfinder]])}}
</ul>
:*"[[You Have Been Chosen.]]"
:*"[[Decipher the Decepticon]]" contest
:*"[[Prizes in Disguise]]" contest

{{-}}

===1987: Headmasters and Targetmasters===
[[File:G1-toy Pointblank.jpg|250px|thumb|Autobot Targetmaster Pointblank]]
This year was almost completely dominated by "sci-fi" vehicle modes, following up on ''The Movie'' styling. On top of that, extra [[gimmick]]s beyond transformation began to play into the subgroups, with the [[Throttlebot]]s' [[pull-back motor]]s and the [[Sparking gimmick|spark-firing]] [[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s.

More importantly, this was the first year Hasbro would push a primary over-arching [[gimmick]] as a large percentage of the line: the [[Nebulan]] "Master" partners. Where previous years tended to be a bit scattered with its transformation types, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s and [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s presented a more unified theme across both factions and multiple price-points. This culminated in the mighty [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], a towering two-foot-tall Headmaster city-bot, with a hefty $100 price-tag (in 1987 dollars, which is about the same as a $200 Transformer today). For sheer size and mass, Fortress Maximus remained the largest Transformer produced for over 25 years... and something of a "bragging rights" move on Hasbro's part, showing that they ''could'' demand that kind of shelf space from retailers. (They did the same thing with ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]'' and the massive [[USS Flagg]] playset.)

However, this high point also marked the start of the franchise's waning. The [[The Transformers (cartoon)|cartoon]] was ended with a truncated [[The Rebirth|three-part special]], with reruns continuing on in syndication. Mail-away offers were also slowing down, with no new product available from this year on, only older items no longer in stores. Smaller figures were packaged with small soft-rubber [[Decoy]]s of older characters as an extra incentive, but they weren't a [[Mini-spy|fully transformable mini-Transformer]].

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throttlebot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Chase (G1)#Toys|Chase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Freeway (G1)#Toys|Freeway]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Goldbug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollbar (G1)#Toys|Rollbar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Searchlight (G1)#Toys|Searchlight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Wideload (G1)#Toys|Wideload]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Toys|Afterburner]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Toys|Lightspeed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Toys|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Toys|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Toys|Strafe]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Computron (G1)#Toys|Computron]] (giftset)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Toys|Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Toys|Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Toys|Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Toys|Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Toys|Sinnertwin]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugfest (G1)#Toys|Slugfest]] / [[Overkill (G1)#Toys|Overkill]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:Technobots-specialteams.jpg|200px|thumb|Computron, the Technobot combiner]][[File:G1-toy Brainstorm.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Headmaster Brainstorm (with Arcana)]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Duocon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battletrap (G1)#Toys|Battletrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flywheels#Toys|Flywheels]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Clone (subgroup)|Clones]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fastlane#Toys|Fastlane]] / [[Cloudraker (G1)#Toys|Cloudraker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Pounce#Toys|Pounce]] / [[Wingspan#Toys|Wingspan]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[:Category:Spies|Double Spy]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Punch (G1)#Toys|Punch-Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Monsterbot (G1)|Monsterbot]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Doublecross#Toys|Doublecross]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grotusque#Toys|Grotusque]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Repugnus (G1)#Toys|Repugnus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Brainstorm (G1)#Toys|Brainstorm]] (w/ [[Arcana#Toys|Arcana]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromedome (G1)#Toys|Chromedome]] (w/ [[Stylor#Toys|Stylor]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hardhead (G1)#Toys|Hardhead]] (w/ [[Duros#Toys|Duros]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Highbrow (G1)#Toys|Highbrow]] (w/ [[Gort#Toys|Gort]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mindwipe (G1)#Toys|Mindwipe]] (w/ [[Vorath#Toys|Vorath]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullcruncher (G1)#Toys|Skullcruncher]] (w/ [[Grax#Toys|Grax]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Weirdwolf (G1)#Toys|Weirdwolf]] (w/ [[Monzo#Toys|Monzo]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Horrorcon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Apeface#Toys|Apeface]] (w/ [[Spasma#Toys|Spasma]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snapdragon (G1)#Toys|Snapdragon]] (w/ [[Krunk#Toys|Krunk]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blurr (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Blurr]] (w/ [[Haywire#Toys|Haywire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Crosshairs (G1)#Toys|Crosshairs]] (w/ [[Pinpointer (G1)#Toys|Pinpointer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Cyclonus]] (w/ [[Nightstick (G1)#Toys|Nightstick]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Hot Rod]] (w/ [[Firebolt (G1)#Toys|Firebolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kup (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Kup]] (w/ [[Recoil (G1)#Toys|Recoil]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Misfire (G1)#Toys|Misfire]] (w/ [[Aimless (G1)#Toys|Aimless]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Pointblank#Toys|Pointblank]] (w/ [[Peacemaker#Toys|Peacemaker]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scourge (G1)/toys#Targetmaster|Scourge]] (w/ [[Fracas#Toys|Fracas]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slugslinger (G1)#Toys|Slugslinger]] (w/ [[Caliburst (G1)#Toys|Caliburst]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sureshot (G1)#Toys|Sureshot]] (w/ [[Spoilsport#Toys|Spoilsport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Triggerhappy (G1)#Toys|Triggerhappy]] (w/ [[Blowpipe (G1)#Toys|Blowpipe]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Decepticon [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sixshot (G1)#Toys|Sixshot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Headmaster [[Titan (group)|Base]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Fortress Maximus (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Fortress Maximus]] (w/ [[Cerebros (G1)#Toys|Cerebros]], [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Toys|Spike]], [[Cog (G1)#Toys|Cog]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scorponok (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Scorponok]] (w/ [[Zarak (G1)#Toys|Zarak]] & [[Fasttrack (G1)#Toys|Fasttrack]])}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>
:* "[[Start Your Own Decoy Collection]]" ([[Decoy]]s packed in with carded figures)
:* "[[Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.]]"

{{-}}
===1988: Powermasters and Pretenders===
[[File:Skullgrin-packageart.jpg|250px|thumb|Decepticon Pretender Skullgrin]]
After four years and slowly-declining sales, the push to make ''Transformers'' live up to its new tagline ("More... Much More Than Meets the Eye!") was in full effect. Even toys in old subgroups gained new gimmicks: the new [[Mini-Cassette]]s were combiners, the [[Seacon (G1)|Seacon]] combiner team's limb-bots each had a cannon mode the super-robot could use as a handgun, and the [[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmasters]] each had ''two'' [[Nebulan]]s who could also combine into a super-gun.

The big noise this year was the [[Pretender]]s, Transformers that wear outer shells in the guise of armored warriors, monsters, and more, effectively giving you two warriors in one purchase. However, the line didn't exactly excite kids, as most of the inner robots' vehicle modes could be generously described as "vague at best" due to the necessity of fitting inside their shells. And while the shells' minimal articulation (having only stiff shoulder swivels) would be fine for much younger children, the inner robots and number of small parts definitely put them outside of that age group.

The other big move was the return of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] as one of the [[Powermaster]]s, robots whose Nebulan partners unlocked the vehicle-to-robot conversion as engine-shaped "keys". Though the previous year saw [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Goldbug|Bumblebee return as "Goldbug"]], this large-scale toy of a returning character heralded a shift in Hasbro's strategy, which would get even stronger next year.

However, the decline that begun the year prior was made worse by a sudden splash in the action figure world: the arrival of the ''{{w|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles}}''. Kids flocked to this strange new line and its weird new cartoon, leaving ''Transformers''... sorry, there's no helping this... shell-shocked.

Sorry.

<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mini-Cassette|Cassettes]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grand Slam (G1)#Toys|Grand Slam]] / [[Raindance#Toys|Raindance]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squawktalk (G1)#Toys|Squawktalk]] / [[Beastbox (G1)#Toys|Beastbox]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Sparkabot]]s / [[Firecon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Toys|Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fizzle#Toys|Fizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flamefeather (G1)#Toys|Flamefeather]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Guzzle (G1)#Toys|Guzzle]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sizzle (G1)#Toys|Sizzle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sparkstalker#Toys|Sparkstalker]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Triggerbot]]s / [[Triggercon]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Backstreet (G1)#Toys|Backstreet]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Crankcase (G1)#Toys|Crankcase]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Dogfight (G1)#Toys|Dogfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Override (G1)#Toys|Override]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Toys|Ruckus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Toys|Windsweeper]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Seacon (G1)|Seacons]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nautilator#Toys|Nautilator]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Overbite (G1)#Toys|Overbite]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Seawing (G1)#Toys|Seawing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skalor#Toys|Skalor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snaptrap (G1)#Toys|Snaptrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Tentakil (G1)#Toys|Tentakil]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Piranacon (G1)#Toys|Piranacon]] (giftset)}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy Sparkstalker.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Firecon Sparkstalker]][[File:PowermasterOptimusPrime toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Powermaster Optimus Prime]][[File:G1Bomb-Burst toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Pretender Bomb-Burst]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Targetmaster (technology)|Targetmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Landfill (G1)#Toys|Landfill]] (w/ [[Flintlock#Toys|Flintlock]] & [[Silencer (G1)#Toys|Silencer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Toys|Needlenose]] (w/ [[Sunbeam (G1)#Toys|Sunbeam]] & [[Zigzag#Toys|Zigzag]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quake (G1)#Toys|Quake]] (w/ [[Tiptop#Toys|Tiptop]] & [[Heater#Toys|Heater]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickmix (G1)#Toys|Quickmix]] (w/ [[Boomer#Toys|Boomer]] & [[Ricochet (G1)#Toys|Ricochet]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scoop (G1)#Toys|Scoop]] (w/ [[Holepunch (G1)#Toys|Holepunch]] & [[Tracer (Targetmaster)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Toys|Spinister]] (w/ [[Hairsplitter#Toys|Hairsplitter]] & [[Singe#Toys|Singe]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Fangry (G1)#Toys|Fangry]] (w/ [[Brisko#Toys|Brisko]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Horri-Bull#Toys|Horri-Bull]] (w/ [[Kreb#Toys|Kreb]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hosehead (G1)#Toys|Hosehead]] (w/ [[Lug (G1)#Toys|Lug]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nightbeat (G1)#Toys|Nightbeat]] (w/ [[Muzzle#Toys|Muzzle]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Siren (G1)#Toys|Siren]] (w/ [[Quig#Toys|Quig]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Squeezeplay (G1)#Toys|Squeezeplay]] (w/ [[Lokos#Toys|Lokos]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Powermaster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Toys|Darkwing]] (w/ [[Throttle (G1)#Toys|Throttle]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Toys|Dreadwind]] (w/ [[Hi-Test (G1)#Toys|Hi-Test]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Doubledealer#Toys|Doubledealer]] (w/ [[Knok#Toys|Knok]] & [[Skar (Decepticon)#Toys|Skar]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Getaway#Toys|Getaway]] (w/ [[Rev#Toys|Rev]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Joyride (G1)#Toys|Joyride]] (w/ [[Hotwire (G1)#Toys|Hotwire]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slapdash (G1)#Toys|Slapdash]] (w/ [[Lube#Toys|Lube]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Powermaster Autobot Leader'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#PMOP|Optimus Prime]] (w/ [[Hi-Q#Toys|Hi-Q]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Toys|Bomb-Burst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Cloudburst#Toys|Cloudburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Landmine (G1)#Toys|Landmine]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skullgrin#Toys|Skullgrin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Submarauder (G1)#Toys|Submarauder]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Waverider#Toys|Waverider]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Pretenders Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bugly (G1)#Toys|Bugly]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Finback#Toys|Finback]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundbreaker#Toys|Groundbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Iguanus (G1)#Toys|Iguanus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky High (Pretender)#Toys|Sky High]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Splashdown#Toys|Splashdown]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Beast]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Carnivac (G1)#Toys|Carnivac]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Catilla (G1)#Toys|Catilla]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chainclaw (G1)#Toys|Chainclaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Snarler#Toys|Snarler]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Vehicle]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Gunrunner (G1)#Toys|Gunrunner]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadgrabber#Toys|Roadgrabber]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Autobot [[Six Changer]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Quickswitch#Toys|Quickswitch]]}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Mail-aways and promos'''</big>

:*"[[The Autobots Are Under Attack!]]"

<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}
===1989: Pretenders and Micromasters===
[[File:G1-toy ConstructionStation.jpg|250px|thumb|Construction Station]]
Facing stiff competition, Hasbro attempted to unify and re-brand ''Transformers'' with a new focus and a new look.

First, they eliminated the miscellaneous subgroups of the past, rolling ''everything'' under two over-arching gimmicks: expansions of the [[Pretender]] concept, and the new 1-inch-tall [[Micromaster]]s, the latter being a response to the steadily-growing popularity of then-competitor [[Galoob]]'s ''Micro Machines'' micro-play vehicle line. Kids would buy packs of four Micromasters together, or would get a single Micromaster with a transforming vehicle or playset, with the larger vehicles themselves transforming into base-mode playsets that could interconnect with included ramps (again a response to ''Micro Machines''<nowiki>'</nowiki> heavy use of playsets).

The nostalgia-grab got larger, with new toys based on some of the most popular characters from the early years, now back as "[[Classic Pretender]]s". This year even saw the first store-[[exclusive]] Transformers, as those same four bots were sold without their Pretender shells as "[[Legends (G1)|Legends]]", available only at [[Kmart]] (which wasn't the decrepit shell of a retailer it is now).

On top of this, the packaging changed ''dramatically'', with a new look and logo design, although this change was gradual. The first three Micromaster patrols released in late 1988 (the Air Strike Patrol, the Off Road Patrol and the Race Car Patrol) still came on old-style cards and featured a unique "Micro Transformers" logo; the Legends kept the overall packaging design but changed the "Transformers" logo to the all-new overall brand logo introduced this year, and changed the on-package [[Tech Spec]]s to an easier-to-read bar graph; and all other releases, including the remaining Micromaster Patrols, completely ditched the color-coded distinguation between Autobot/Decepticon (other than the aforementioned new "Transformers" logo itself), instead opting for a gimmick-specific color-coding with gold-carded and -boxed Pretenders, and silver-carded and-boxed Micromasters. Hasbro hoped that this would prove stronger from a marketing standpoint than the Autobot/Decepticon distinction from previous years, plus look new and fresh, rather than just another iteration of a now-six-year-old toyline.

You can kind of guess how well that worked.

{{-}}
<big>'''General retail'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender Monster]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Birdbrain#Toys|Birdbrain]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Bristleback#Toys|Bristleback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Icepick (G1)#Toys|Icepick]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scowl (G1)#Toys|Scowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Slog (G1)#Toys|Slog]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildfly#Toys|Wildfly]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Toys|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Doubleheader#Toys|Doubleheader]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Longtooth#Toys|Longtooth]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Octopunch (G1)#Toys|Octopunch]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pincher (G1)#Toys|Pincher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Stranglehold#Toys|Stranglehold]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Classic Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#Pretender|Bumblebee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Pretender|Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Pretender|Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Pretender|Starscream]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Mega Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Crossblades (G1)#Toys|Crossblades]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thunderwing (G1)#Toys|Thunderwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vroom (G1)#Toys|Vroom]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:G1Thunderwing toy.jpg|200px|thumb|Mega Pretender Thunderwing]][[File:Micromaster-sportscarpatrol-toys.jpg|200px|thumb|Sports Car Patrol]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Ultra Pretender]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadblock (G1)#Toys|Roadblock]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyhammer (G1)#Toys|Skyhammer]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''<ref group="C" name="microtrans">The first three Micromaster Patrols shipped in their own assortment in late 1988, and were available in packaging that looked drastically different from the "proper" 1989 Micromaster output. Instead of the redesigned silver packaging with the all-new "Transformers" logo, they came on cards that pretty much still resembled the packaging style that had been used up to that point, and sported a fairly unique "Micro Transformers" logo.</ref>
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Air Strike Patrol#Toys|Air Strike Patrol]] ([[Nightflight (G1)#Toys|Nightflight]], [[Storm Cloud (G1)#Toys|Storm Cloud]], [[Tailwind (G1)#Toys|Tailwind]], [[Whisper (G1)#Toys|Whisper]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Battle Patrol#Toys|Battle Patrol]] ([[Big Shot#Toys|Big Shot]], [[Flak (G1)#Toys|Flak]], [[Sidetrack (G1)#Toys|Sidetrack]], [[Sunrunner (G1)#Toys|Sunrunner]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Off Road Patrol#Toys|Off Road Patrol]] ([[Highjump (G1)#Toys|Highjump]], [[Mudslinger (G1)#Toys|Mudslinger]], [[Powertrain#Toys|Powertrain]], [[Tote#Toys|Tote]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
{{Bp-a1|[[Race Car Patrol#Toys|Race Car Patrol]] ([[Free Wheeler#Toys|Free Wheeler]], [[Roadhandler (G1)#Toys|Roadhandler]], [[Swindler#Toys|Swindler]], [[Tailspin#Toys|Tailspin]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rescue Patrol (G1)#Toys|Rescue Patrol]] ([[Fixit (G1)#Toys|Fixit]], [[Red Hot#Toys|Red Hot]], [[Seawatch#Toys|Seawatch]], [[Stakeout (G1)#Toys|Stakeout]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sports Car Patrol#Toys|Sports Car Patrol]] ([[Blackjack (G1)#Toys|Blackjack]], [[Detour (G1)#Toys|Detour]], [[Hyperdrive (Micromaster)#Toys|Hyperdrive]], [[Road Hugger (G1)#Toys|Road Hugger]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Erector (G1)#Toys|Erector]] (w/ [[Crane]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flattop (Decepticon)#Toys|Flattop]] (w/ [[Platonix|Aircraft carrier]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Overload (G1)#Toys|Overload]] (w/ [[Car carrier trailer]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roughstuff#Toys|Roughstuff]] (w/ [[Military transport]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Stations'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Airwave (Micromaster)#Toys|Airwave]] (w/ [[Airwave (facility)|Airport]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Greasepit (Micromaster)#Toys|Greasepit]] (w/ [[Greasepit (facility)|Gas station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot House (Micromaster)#Toys|Hot House]] (w/ [[Hot House (facility)|Fire station]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironworks (Micromaster)#Toys|Ironworks]] (w/ [[Ironworks (facility)|Construction station]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Bases'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groundshaker (G1)#Toys|Groundshaker]] (w/ [[ATV]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skyhopper#Toys|Skyhopper]] (w/ [[Helicopter]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Jet Command Center'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skystalker (G1)#Toys|Skystalker]] (w/ [[Thunder Arrow#Toys|Interstellar shuttle]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Rocket Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Countdown (G1)#Toys|Countdown]] (w/ [[Rocket Base#Toys|Rocket base]])}}
|}
{{-}}
<big>'''Exclusives'''</big>
:'''[[Kmart]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
:{{Bp-a1|[[Legends (G1)|Legends]] [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Bumblebee]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Grimlock]]}}
:{{Bp-a1|Legends [[Jazz (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Jazz]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|Legends [[Starscream (G1)/toys#G1Legend|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
{{--}}
<big>'''Notes'''</big>
<references group="C" />

{{-}}

===1990: Micromasters and Action Masters===
[[File:G1-toy Jazz AM.jpg|upright=1|thumb|Action Master Jazz, reintroducing a character from the line's early years.]]

By this time, ''Transformers'' was in serious trouble. ''Ninja Turtles'' was still dominating the toy aisle and TV ratings, and was even putting out a live-action movie that year. (Bet Hasbro wished they had a cartoon on the air ''then'', huh?) Home video games were getting even hotter and luring more kids away from toys altogether, especially with the release of the hugely-anticipated Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

Hasbro tried to rally with something that was very rare for its time: a large-scale appeal to nostalgia. While Micromasters continued on, the rest of the series was taken up by [[Action Master]]s, non-transforming ''[[G.I. Joe (franchise)|G.I. Joe]]''-scale action figures of ''Transformers'' characters, with a half-and-half mix of "classic" characters and all-new bots. As with the Micromasters, the focus was mainly on the low-price items, with the carded individual Action Masters getting the largest amount of product. Larger offerings included vehicles that transformed into battle stations or "attack modes" for the Action Masters to pilot.

Unfortunately, it simply wasn't enough, and ''Transformers'' was canceled in the US. While the [[The Transformers (European toyline)|European version of the line]] would continue on with both new product and a glut of "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" re-releases, it would be two years before ''Transformers'' would come back to US toy shelves, as ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''.

{{-}}
<big>'''Retail releases'''</big>
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster]] Patrols'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Patrol#Toys|Air Patrol]] ([[Blaze Master#Toys|Blaze Master]], [[Eagle Eye (G1)#Toys|Eagle Eye]], [[Sky High (Micromaster)#Toys|Sky High]], [[Tread Bolt#Toys|Tread Bolt]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Construction Patrol#Toys|Construction Patrol]] ([[Crumble#Toys|Crumble]], [[Groundpounder (G1)#Toys|Groundpounder]], [[Neutro#Toys|Neutro]], [[Takedown#Toys|Takedown]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod Patrol#Toys|Hot Rod Patrol]] ([[Big Daddy (G1)#Toys|Big Daddy]], [[Greaser#Toys|Greaser]], [[Hubs#Toys|Hubs]], [[Trip-Up#Toys|Trip-Up]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Military Patrol#Toys|Military Patrol]] ([[Bombshock (G1)#Toys|Bombshock]], [[Dropshot (G1)#Toys|Dropshot]], [[Growl (G1)#Toys|Growl]], [[Tracer (G1 Decepticon)#Toys|Tracer]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Monster Trucks Patrol#Toys|Monster Trucks Patrol]] ([[Big Hauler#Toys|Big Hauler]], [[Heavy Tread#Toys|Heavy Tread]], [[Hydraulic#Toys|Hydraulic]], [[Slow Poke#Toys|Slow Poke]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Race Track Patrol#Toys|Race Track Patrol]] ([[Barricade (G1)#Toys|Barricade]], [[Ground Hog#Toys|Ground Hog]], [[Motorhead (Decepticon)#Toys|Motorhead]], [[Roller Force#Toys|Roller Force]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner]] Squads'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Astro Squad#Toys|Astro Squad]] ([[Phaser (G1)#Toys|Phaser]], [[Blast Master#Toys|Blast Master]], [[Moonrock#Toys|Moonrock]], [[Missile Master#Toys|Missile Master]], [[Barrage (Micromaster)#Toys|Barrage]] & [[Heave#Toys|Heave]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battle Squad#Toys|Battle Squad]] ([[Meltdown (G1)#Toys|Meltdown]], [[Half-Track (G1)#Toys|Half-Track]], [[Direct-Hit (G1)#Toys|Direct-Hit]], [[Power Punch (G1)#Toys|Power Punch]], [[Fireshot (G1)#Toys|Fireshot]] & [[Vanquish (G1)#Toys|Vanquish]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"| 
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Constructor Squad#Toys|Constructor Squad]] ([[Stonecruncher (G1)#Toys|Stonecruncher]], [[Excavator (G1)#Toys|Excavator]], [[Sledge (G1)#Toys|Sledge]], [[Hammer (G1)#Toys|Hammer]], [[Grit (G1)#Toys|Grit]] & [[Knockout (G1)#Toys|Knockout]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Metro Squad#Toys|Metro Squad]] ([[Wheel Blaze#Toys|Wheel Blaze]], [[Roadburner#Toys|Roadburner]], [[Oiler#Toys|Oiler]], [[Slide#Toys|Slide]], [[Power Run#Toys|Power Run]] & [[Strikedown#Toys|Strikedown]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|[[File:G1-toy TankerTruck.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Micromaster Combiner Tanker Truck (with Pipeline & Gusher)]][[File:G1-toy Rollout&Glitch.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Rollout & Glitch]][[File:AMWheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Action Master Wheeljack with his Turbo Racer]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Micromaster Combiner Transport]]s'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Cannon Transport]] (w/ [[Terror-Tread#Toys|Terror-Tread]] & [[Cement-Head#Toys|Cement-Head]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Missile Launcher]] (w/ [[Retro#Toys|Retro]] & [[Surge (G1)#Toys|Surge]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tanker Truck]] (w/ [[Pipeline#Toys|Pipeline]] & [[Gusher#Toys|Gusher]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Anti-Aircraft Base'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Anti-Aircraft Base]] w/ ([[Blackout (G1)#Toys|Blackout]] & [[Spaceshot#Toys|Spaceshot]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Micromaster Combiner Battlefield Headquarters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Battlefield Headquarters]] (w/ [[Full-Barrel#Toys|Full-Barrel]] & [[Overflow#Toys|Overflow]])}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures I'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Grimlock]] with [[Anti-tank cannon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Jazz]] with [[Turbo Board]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rad (G1)#Toys|Rad]] with [[Lionizer (G1)#Toys|Lionizer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rollout (G1)#Toys|Rollout]] with [[Glitch (G1)#Toys|Glitch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Soundwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Soundwave]] with [[Wingthing (G1)#Toys|Wingthing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Treadshot (G1)#Toys|Treadshot]] with [[Catgut#Toys|Catgut]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures II'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Bumblebee]] with [[Heli-pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Blaster (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Blaster]] with [[Flight Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Devastator]] with [[Scorpulator#Toys|Scorpulator]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jackpot (G1)#Toys|Jackpot]] with [[Sights (G1)#Toys|Sights]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Krok (G1)#Toys|Krok]] with [[Gatoraider#Toys|Gatoraider]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mainframe (G1)#Toys|Mainframe]] with [[Push-Button#Toys|Push-Button]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Action Master]] Figures III'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Banzai-Tron (G1)#Toys|Banzai-Tron]] with [[Razor-Sharp#Toys|Razor-Sharp]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Inferno]] with [[Hydro-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Kick-Off (G1)#Toys|Kick-Off]] with [[Turbo-Pack]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Shockwave]] with [[Fistfight (G1)#Toys|Fistfight]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyfall (G1)#Toys|Skyfall]] with [[Top-Heavy#Toys|Top-Heavy]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#AM|Snarl]] with [[Tyrannitron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Action Blasters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Copter]] with [[Over-Run (G1)#Toys|Over-Run]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Off-Road Cycle]] with [[Axer (G1)#Toys|Axer]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Cycle (G1)|Turbo Cycle]] with [[Prowl (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Turbo Jet]] with [[Starscream (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Starscream]]}}
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Attack Cruiser]] with [[Sprocket (G1)#Toys|Sprocket]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Turbo Racer]] with [[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Wheeljack]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Decepticon Attack Vehicles'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Stratotronic Jet]] with [[Gutcruncher (G1)#Toys|Gutcruncher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Neutro-Fusion Tank]] with [[Megatron (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|Megatron]]}}
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Action Master Autobot Armored Convoy'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Armored Convoy]] with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#AM|Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|}

==Hasbro (and others) ''Transformers'' European line==
{{Main|The Transformers (European toyline)}}

The history of the European-market releases of ''The Transformers'' is simultaneously complicated and kind of boring, as while various countries got different amounts of product, sometimes released by Hasbro subsidiaries or non-Hasbro partner companies (like [[Milton Bradley]] and [[GiG]]), the actual ''toys'' were largely identical to the US releases for the overwhelming majority of the line. There are certainly a number of notable early variants, such as the [[Tracks (G1)#Toys|red Tracks]], as well as the occasional release of toys otherwise exclusive to Japan, such as GiG's [[Bruticus (G1)#Generation 1|Bruticus]] and [[Abominus (G1)#Generation 1|Abominus]] [[giftset]]s or the legendary [[Galaxy Shuttle#Generation 1|Galaxy Shuttle]], but their scarcity has relegated them to "only for the completist with ample funds" category.

[[File:G1-toy OmegaSpreem.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Action Master Elite Omega Supreme, a bot as hard to find as he is to focus on.]]

Things wouldn't really get significantly different until the 1990s. While the American toyline was shutting down, ''Transformers'' in Europe kept on chugging along.

[[1991]] was an odd hodge-podge of a line, starting with a short burst of exclusive [[Action Master]]s (including some that [[Action Master Elite|actually did transform!]]), then introducing several [[redeco]]ed previously-[[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive molds, mainly from the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1989 (Victory)|1989 ("''Victory''") line-up]]. Several of the toys released this year weren't given individual names, including the re-released [[Constructicon (G1)#|Constructicons]] (who had also lost the parts needed to combine into [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], oddly enough).

Speaking of re-released old toys, 1990 saw the [[Classics (Europe)|''Classics'' subline]] debut, the return of numerous toys from the 1984 through 1987 lines. Several of these releases had minor changes from the originals, mainly the removal of [[rubsign]] indents. The line would continue through [[1991]], and a few extra pieces would see release only in [[Australia]].

[[File:G1Thunder clash toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Turbomaster Thunder Clash, the new Autobot leader of 1992.]]

In [[1992]], the line got much more cohesive, moving back to much more "traditional" Transformers, changing from pseudo-realistic vehicles to robots, with [[gimmick]]s that were by and large not super-obtrusive. The Autobots and Decepticons got some physical distinction in their designs in [[1992]]: the Autobots got hot-pink transparent plastic parts, primarily their [[Sensors#Optical sensors|optics]] and windows, while the Decepticons got a bright toxic clear-green transparent parts as well as less-human, more angular faces. Yes, hot pink and toxic green: the 90s was ''also'' the time that the color schemes for new toys overall got brighter and more reliant on pastels (and in some cases, [[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#ActionMaster|straight-up gloriously awful]]). In [[1993]], Hasbro changed the traditional [[insignia|faction symbols]] to the types used in the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' series, as the US line was changing over that year. The European line would follow suit in [[1993]], ending the original "Generation 1" series in European markets ''without'' the line being canceled, the only major market to ''not'' have a gap between Generations 1 and 2. Neat!
{{--}}

==Takara ''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' line==
[[File:Japanese tf logo.jpg|right|250px]]

{{Main|Generation 1 (Japanese toylines)}}

[[TakaraTomy|Takara]] took [[Hasbro]]'s lead and brought the new universe of living robots to Japan in [[1985]], where it was a massive success. Despite many/most of the toys having been available just a year or two prior, the new story and cartoon propelled ''Transformers'' sales far beyond those of the lines that the toys originally came from. ''[[Diaclone]]'' and ''[[Micro Change]]'' were quickly discarded in favor of the new hotness as kids ate up this new take on the giant robot genre, one that was a fresh change from the sheer amount of competing "piloted mecha" robot toylines/cartoons in existence.

The line started very parallel with Hasbro's offerings, but over time the two companies pursued some pretty different visions for the brand. Takara gave the accompanying advertising media different sub-[[franchise]] titles for each year, a long-running tradition in kids' media/toylines in Japan (which would eventually end up making its way Stateside), although the toyline itself would not gain over-arching secondary titles until 1991, instead only featuring gimmick-specific brandings for relevant toys, some of which just happened to mirror the accompanying media's title. They would also create a variety of all-new toys unique to their version of ''Transformers'' (although some of them also saw release in Europe), most of them highly sought-after by collectors. By the end of the series, Takara would go back to following Hasbro's lead for the bulk of the line, with new molds being relegated to a small handful of large pieces. ''Transformers'' finally ended in 1992, as Takara's concurrently-running (and TV-cartoon-backed) non-''Transformers'' "''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]''" giant robot lines gained more popularity.

''Transformers'' would not be back on Japanese toy shelves until [[1995]], when the short-lived ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)#Takara G-2 line|G-2]]'' toyline would hit.

==Mexican & South American ''Transformers''==
If you want strange variants of Generation 1 toys, then the short-lived toylines south of the border are the mother lode. But many of these items are not cheap on the secondary market due to their scarcity.

;Mexico
[[File:Prowl-Mexico.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Mexican Prowl, with extra black bits.]]
::''Main article: [[IGA]]''

:''Transformers'' was released by [[IGA]] in Mexico in 1985. For the most part, the toys are similar to their Hasbro counterparts, though with plenty of minor coloring and materials differences... which apparently includes ''lead paint''. Oops.

:The line did not do well, and 1986's releases were little more than [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and a handful of first-year [[Mini Vehicle]]s recolored roughly like their [[#1986|third-year retool]]s. The line was fully canceled shortly after.

: A number of these toys ended up in European markets years after the line was over, which is when that whole "lead paint" thing was discovered. Oops.

{{-}}
;Brazil
[[File:Camaro-Purple.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Malignus Camaro. Gorgeous. And expensive.]]
::''Main article: [[Estrela]]''

:Easily the most well-known of the Southern-Hemisphere ''Transformers'' releases, [[Estrela]]'s batch of six Mini-Vehicle molds were the bulk of the toys released by the company, put out in a variety of colors. Notably, the mysterious "[[Bumper (G1)#Toys|Bumper]]" mold was part of this assortment, under the name "[[Sedan (Robocar)|Sedan]]", complete with packaging art and a [[bio]], leading fans to wonder if this bio came from scrapped plans for the toy in the original [[Hasbro]] line.

:The line was filled out with redecoed [[Jumpstarter]]s called "Salt-Man" ("''salto''" meaning "jump" in Spanish and Portuguese), and non-Takara molds like the [[Eletrix]] and [[Bat-Robô]].

:Most coveted among the Estrela toys is the second round of Mini Vehicles, the "[[Optimus (faction)|Optimus]] vs [[Malignus (G1)|Malignus]]" series, which split the toys into brand-new good & evil (respectively) factions. These twelve toys —particularly the more radically-changed Malignus— are very expensive on the secondary market, easily earning triple-digit sums for even loose samples. Still-carded toys are exceptionally rare.

{{-}}
;Argentina
[[File:SaltManX-wg.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Salt-Man X]]
::''Main article: [[Antex]]''

: A bit of an odd case, it appears that Argentinean company [[Antex]] got its ''Transformers'' license from Estrela, rather than Hasbro, which is kind of dubious on the "did Estrela actually have the authority to do that" mark. Antex would then release its own batch of Mini Vehicle redecoes.

: In the early 2010s, a large number of on-card/boxed Antex toys hit the secondary market, apparently due to an old warehouse find. Many of these items were sold cheaper than ''domestic'' packaged original toys in the US... but still make a neat curiosity for a collector.

: One more odd Argentinean release is the [[Radio AM Robot]], an original mold by [[Comando Toys]]. Your guess is as good as ours.

{{-}}
;Peru

::''Main article: [[Lynsa]]''

: There is a bit of confusion as to the short-lived Peruvian ''Transformers'' line as it appears that two different companies obtained the license and took two different approaches to it, though both mainly stuck to -once again- the Mini Vehicle range.

:BASA (which would later change its name to HUDE, which doesn't help in the confusion department) simply imported Hasbro product and applied a company sticker to the packaging.

:[[Lynsa]], however, made their own cheaper-to-produce versions of the original [[Mini Vehicle]] range, often with less-to-no paint applications, decals or chrome, as well as multiple different color variants for each mold. There are supposedly upwards of ''three dozen'' different mold/color combinations altogether, many of them unique to the Peruvian line, but the ravages of time have made samples stunningly rare and reliable information scarce.

{{-}}
;Venezuela

::''Main article: [[Rubiplas]]''

: The tiny [[Rubiplas]] line is very similar to the Peruvian Lynsa line in construction, being low-cost, minimal-deco versions of the incomplete Mini Vehicles range. Most are similar in color to their Hasbro releases, save their very weirdly-colored [[Huffer (G1)#Rubiplas|Huffer]].

{{-}}

==Chinese ''The Transformers'' toyline==
:'' Main article: [[The Transformers (Chinese toyline)]]''

Several factors kept ''The Transformers'' out of mainland China for years, including government-based resistance to the line's [[The Transformers (cartoon)|primary "advertainment" vehicle]]. But in August 1989, [[Hasbro International]] started cranking out classic ''Transformers'' at Chinese factories, which were shipped throughout China, as well as Taiwan and South Korea (with additional stickers applied to the packaging for those markets). The line ran through [[1995]] (!), ending with several previously-Japanese-exclusive ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (toyline)|Victory]]'' toys.

For the most part, the toys are identical to their previous releases, only with slight changes to the manufacturing stamps, and the occasional minor deco alteration (primarily painted details on the [[Mini-Cassette]]s, and some [[rubsign]] changes). They came in the same packaging as their American (or European) counterparts, only with small stickers in the corner giving the characters' Chinese names. Japanese-original toys were altered slightly more, changing the ''Transformers'' logo to a Chinese-language version. The copyright and manufacturing information on the back of the packaging was also shortened to remove the no-longer-true statements "Made in Japan", "Made in Taiwan", etc., and omit references to [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]. The manufacturing information was instead applied as a sticker in Chinese on the back of the box. By [[1994]], when the [[Power Master]]-era toys were released, "Made in China" was added to the box.

Despite running for nigh six years, the Chinese Generation 1 line released only about 100 toys all told.

This late entry into China actually goes a long way towards explaining the country's current ''Transformers'' mania, and its ever-increasing amount of toys made specifically for that market. Those who grew up with the line as kids were hitting adulthood just as the Chinese middle class was booming, which meant disposable income. And with the ''huge'' success of the [[Movie (franchise)|live-action movie]] spurring things on further right in the middle of that economic boon, China has since become a major part of the franchise's current global success.

{{note|It's quite likely that the Chinese line is also the source of the [[Classics (Europe)|European "Classics" reissues]] that were released in 1990. The toys share the same altered copyright and Chinese manufacturing stamps... plus some Classics toys have surfaced with Chinese name stickers on them.}}

:* ''[http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15 Chinese G1 Reissue ID Guide]''
:* ''[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/1743/37/ The Little Sticker in the Corner: The Truth about Early-1990's Chinese G1 Transformers Toys]''
:* ''[http://www.danwei.org/tv/fighting_transformer_fever.php Fighting "Transformer Fever"]''

==Post-''Transformers'' releases==
[[File:Classics Dirge Toy.jpg|thumb|200px|BotCon 2007 Dirge RIP [[BotCon]] (1994-2016). We'll always love you.]]
Hahahahahahahhahahah haaaaaa hahahahahhahahaha hahaahahaaaaaaaahahahaaaaa. Hoo. Hooooh boy.

Okay, but seriously.

Despite having set the stage for everything that would follow, and in sharp contrast to the nostalgia-sodden market of today, "Generation 1" actually took some time to get back into being a sizable portion of the "modern" toyline following the original's end. The ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' revival failed to revive, and its ''vastly'' more successful replacement ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' was such a radical shift from everything before that going back to the '80s trappings was seen as risky. Thus the original series was mostly relegated to scattered [[homage]]s for the better part of a decade.

By the turn of the century (ugh), the older-nostalgic market was picking up strength. More children of the '80s were out of school and getting jobs and disposable income (yes, that kind of thing used to actually happen) and were looking to reclaim bits of their childhoods. And the market responded... timidly at first, as the markets do, but over time, more and more of the classic series was brought back in one form or another.

===Reissue lines===
: ''Main article: [[Reissue]]''
Before the re-creation boom, there was the re-release boom. Many vintage toy molds were pulled out, refurbished and put back into service to let fans fill holes in their classic collections.

<big>'''Takara'''</big>
[[File:TF Collection 3 Skids.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Transformers Collection'' Skids]]
Takara was the first to get the reissue ball rolling, and generally took the lead in re-releasing classic "Generation 1" molds over the course of several years. Re-issues began sporadically at first in [[2000]], mainly major characters (particularly [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/toys#2001reissue|Megatron]], [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#2000rerelease|Rodimus]] and [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Reissue|Starscream]]) in recreations of the original packaging, with a few special editions. But it didn't take long for this to expand into larger, more organized lines:

*'''''[[The Transformers Collection]]''''' (2002)
:This series is also known as the "bookbox" series, as each toy came in a large box with a multi-page, full-color booklet attached to the inner front cover of the box, full of bio information, toy trivia, cartoon summaries and more. In some respects this series was a bit of an "ultimate G1" line, as a great many toys were modified from their original releases. Tooling issues were fixed for extra durability, [[sticker]]s were altered or even replaced with more durable factory-applied [[tampograph]]s, accessories were added that had either not been released in Japan (like [[Targetmaster (technology)#Toys|Targetmaster]] partners) or wholly-new items altogether.

This series would be further filled out with all-new characters set in the classic universe, with [[redeco]]s of the mold reissues in new color schemes (often -but not always- replicating ''[[Diaclone]]'' variants the original ''Transformers'' line passed on) through outlets like [[e-HOBBY]].

*'''''[[Transformers Encore]]''''' (2007)
:Riding the surge of popularity that had been building (and exploding with the live-action film), ''Encore'' brought more "enhanced" classic toys out, though this time in more classic-style packaging. The line also put a much heavier focus on the larger pieces in the original line, including the likes of [[Metroplex (G1)#Toys|Metroplex]] and even [[Fortress Maximus (G1)#Toys|Fortress Maximus]], as well as toys the original Japanese line had skipped, like [[Sky Lynx (G1)#Toys|Sky Lynx]].
{{-}}

<big>'''Hasbro'''</big>
[[File:CommemorativeSeriesIIIStock.jpg|thumb|300px|''Commemorative Series'' Thundercracker, "Silverstreak" and Jazz. (''No, the real Silverstreak did not have the black hood/top.'')]]
Hasbro generally seemed less keen on remaking the past, focusing their efforts on new lines, but saw the value in trying to get the reissues into fans' hands... even if there had to be compromises [[for safety reasons]].

*'''''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Generation One Commemorative Series]]''''' (2002)
:Sold [[exclusive]]ly through [[Toys"R"Us|ToysЯUs]] (though overstock would later filter into closeout outlets), the ''Commemorative Series'' mostly picked up what Takara was already putting out and swung them onto US and European shelves. This series proved less popular with fans, thanks to the changes that had to be done to make the functional spring-launched missiles pass safety standards, plus a rather high price tag (a ToysЯUs staple for its exclusives) that generally left net-savvy fans deciding to just import Takara's offerings for just a little bit more.

*'''''[[Vintage G1]]''''' (2018)
:A series of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]]s from [[Hasbro]] which began in 2018. Packaged in Generation 1-styled boxes complete with fonts, classic [[package art|box art]] and [[Tech Spec]], the figures invoke the look and feel of the original toyline, from the era of the franchise's nascent emergence as a cultural phenomenon. All the figures thus far have been exclusive to [[Walmart]] in the United States and Canada, but have also been released at general retail in Asia, and the first wave of the "Legion Class" assortment has been available in Australia, exclusive to clothing chain CottonOn. (Singapore got most toys at general retail, except for the "Legion Class" figures, which were available from the Singaporean branch of CottonOn… although the Bumblebee reissue was ''also'' offered as a "Combo" freebie at Golden Village movie theaters.) The toys themselves hew closely to the original releases, mostly using ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' variants, incorporating subtle differences [[for safety reasons|for safety]] or other reasons. Like their original releases, many include [[sticker|sticker-sheets]] for the customer to apply, enhancing the <s>[[Metroplex (G1)#Generations|maddening, hair-pulling]]</s> warm nostalgic experience.
{{-}}

===New "Generation 1"-based lines===
If you think we're gonna list every individual new toy based on a Generation 1 character here, you're insane. And not the fun kind. Instead, enjoy this series of links to the ''numerous'' toylines that call back to the originals. Many of these lines are ''technically'' multi-franchise ensembles, but the majority of their output is of updated Generation 1 bots.

*'''''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]''''' (1997)
[[File:MachineWars Hoist toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Machine Wars'' Hoist]]
:A strange, slapdash and ''very'' short line released in the middle of ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'', ''Machine Wars'' was sold [[exclusive]]ly at [[KB Toys]] stores. It's a mix of small toys originally developed for ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and some larger [[retool]]ed [[the Transformers (European toyline)|European-market]] items from a few years prior, all mostly as old characters, and mostly in color schemes that don't match the characters they're supposed to be. On the other hand, this was the first chance many American fans had to acquire some of those larger foreign molds, and at KB's (in)famous pre-discounted prices to boot.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Robotmasters (franchise)|Robotmasters]]''''' (2004)
[[File:RobotMastersStarscream toy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Robotmasters'' Starscream]]
:A short line in Japan during the middle of the "[[Unicron Trilogy]]" series, ''Robotmasters'' is set in the nebulous time between the second season of [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]] and ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''... but with the intrusion of time-traveling characters from ''Beast Wars'' (and more). Sticking mainly to smaller items, the series is mostly recycled "Basic" figures and sub-Deluxe items, most as new characters. Many came with extra weapons too, most of which were recycled from a canceled ''[[Microman]]'' series.

:However, there were a series of all-new molds, based on the leader characters of the past. The brand-new [[Starscream (G1)/toys#Robotmasters|Starscream]] was easily the most popular, being a classic-designed toy with some actual posability, with a new smaller [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Robotmasters|Optimus Primal]] being close behind.

:Though the new molds were highly sought after at the time, they'd become very obsolete in fairly short order...
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Alternators|Alternators]]''''' (2003) / '''''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]''''' (2009) / '''''[[Transformers GT: Mission GT-R (franchise)|GT: Mission GT-R]]''''' (2013)
[[File:Binaltech Smokescreen Toy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Two of the numerous Japanese variants of ''Alternators'' Smokescreen.]]
:The first focused Generation 1 "revival" series, ''Alternators'' was aimed ''squarely'' at the older collector. Every toy in the line (save one odd addition) is a Generation 1 character reimagined as a 1:24-scale recreation of a real, fully-licensed vehicle, complete with opening doors, an actual open driver/passenger compartment complete with dashboard, opening hoods/trunks and more. This led to many of these toys being ''very'' complicated to transform. The Japanese ''Binaltech'' line took the collector-aim even further by using copious amounts of painted [[die-cast]] metal for the vehicle shells. A line of ''very'' slow and staggered releases, it would continue on for several years in the US. Japan would keep the line alive even longer (and with a ''lot'' of variants), up through 2008, including a few small sub-lines like ''Binaltech Asterisk'' (which included [[human]] mini-figures to drive the vehicle modes) and the controversial ''[[Transformers: Kiss Players (toyline)|Kiss Players]]''.

:Despite ''heavy'' interest early on from the older fandom, ''Alternators'' has basically been left behind in favor of the later "normal" Generation 1 remakes that would follow a few years later.

:TakaraTomy would take another crack at the style later with ''Alternity'', which is generally the same thing, only at 1:32 scale, putting the toys at roughly "Deluxe" size. Several years later it would dust off the ''Alternity'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Alternity|Convoy]] mold for ''GT: Mission GT-R'', a racing-themed mini-series which added "[[GT Sister]]" ''[[Microman]]'' figures to each toy.
{{-}}

*'''''[[The Transformers: Masterpiece|Masterpiece]]''''' (2003)
[[File:MP-10 toy photo.jpg|left|thumb|250px|MP-10 Convoy, the second ''Masterpiece'' Optimus Prime mold.]]
:A line that started as a one-shot, anniversary-celebratory deal, that slowly over time grew to become basically the "ultimate" collector's Generation 1 toyline. Takara has taken the lead here, putting out much of the product at general retail, where Hasbro picks and chooses molds to bring out as store [[exclusive]]s from time to time.

:Starting with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#20th Anniversary/Masterpiece|Optimus Prime]] (of course), the line features larger-scale, very complex, highly-detailed, and (generally) [[show-accuracy|animation-accurate]] renditions of classic characters. Originally a slow-release line, in 2011 it moved to a smaller scale (with a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#mp10|redone Optimus]], of course), focused on filling out much of the 1984/1985 cast, and started putting out toys at a fairly regular clip, several a year. The line is still going today, and has expanded its scope, recently adding ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' characters to the roster.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Bumblebeeclassicstoy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Classics'' Bumblebee]]
:Originally intended to just be a short gap-filler line between ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' and the upcoming [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action film toyline]], ''Classics'' more or less set the gold standard for today's Generation 1-based toy: modern-tech recreations of classic characters in updated forms highly evocative of their original incarnations, in the "focused-around-deluxe-scale" play size.

:Hasbro originally had no plans to put out more than the original line in this format (leading to some kerfuffle when several "missing" classic characters ended up as [[BotCon 2007]] exclusives). But a combination of solid sales, heavy demand, and —most importantly— a gargantuan influx of income thanks to that whole [[Michael Bay]] movie deal meant that ''Classics''-style toys could continue on in successive lines (see below).
{{-}}

*'''''[[Titanium Series]]''''' (2006)
[[File:Jetfiretitaniumwarwithin.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Titanium Series'' Jetfire]]
:Originally a subline of Hasbro's ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' product line, ''Titanium Series'' put the focus on [[die-cast]] metal, split between 2-inch-tall non-transforming mini-figurines, and the transforming 6-inch "Cybertron Heroes". The latter were... let's politely say "not very well-received".

:These toys were developed completely in-house at Hasbro, with no Takara engineering, by a team who had never worked on ''Transformers'' to boot. The results often resulted in ill-proportioned messes with odd joint tolerances and questionable articulation that couldn't really handle the weight distribution. The toys based on designs from the popular "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics from then-licensee [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] generally fared better, and would garner some demand, particularly [[The Fallen/toys#Titanium Series|The Fallen]]. It's a real grab-bag of a line, both in character and quality.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers (2010 toyline)|Transformers]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]''''' (2005)
[[File:Sunstreakeruniverse2008toy.jpg|thumb|250px|''Universe'' Sunstreaker]]
:After the [[Transformers (2007 toyline)|live-action movie]] made Hasbro and Takara approximately eleven bazillion dollars, they had the funds to put out more traditionally "risky" product like older-nostalgic-aimed toys. From this point on, they would devote a major portion of each year's product to making modern toys of Generation 1 characters.

:Hasbro's 2008 ''Universe'' line was the start, with everything from small [[Legends Class (2005)|Legends Class]] items to huge electronic Ultra Class toys. The line turned into ''Generations'', but the overall focus was more or less the same. ''Generations'' is still running as of this writing, with multiple [[subline imprint]]s.

:2010's ''Transformers'' line was actually a movie-based "general" line. But the back end of the line had several toys in multiple price-points based directly on Generation 1 characters that seemed like they were right out of ''Generations'', confusing fans a bit.

:The ''Timelines'' series is also a multi-franchise ensemble line, but naturally the majority of the product is Generation-1-based. The reason we bring this up last was that this is not a retail series, being sold by Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] via [[BotCon]]s and the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]. This series features a lot of toys based on more obscure characters and decos.
{{-}}

*'''''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]''''' (2008) / '''''[[Transformers United|United]]''''' (2010) / '''''[[Transformers Chronicle (toyline)|Chronicle]]''''' (2011) / '''''[[Transformers: Generations#Generations in Japan|Generations]]''''' (2012) / '''''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]''''' (2014) / '''''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]''''' (2015) / '''''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)#Power of the Primes (TakaraTomy)|Power of the Primes]]''''' (2018) / '''''[[War for Cybertron: Siege#Siege (TakaraTomy)|Siege]]''''' (2019)
[[File:Henkeitoy megatron.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Henkei! Henkei!'' Megatron, a redeco of ''Classics'' Megatron.]]
:Takara's string of Generation-1-based modern toys is a little more fragmented, changing names with regularity. Largely following Hasbro's lead, these toys are typically more extensively painted (owing to Japan's retailers not having the vise-like grip on item prices that major American retailers have), with a much heavier focus on [[show-accuracy|replicating animation decos]], even when the molds are not terribly suited for animation-based deco. One of the latest series, ''Legends'' was mostly Takara's version of Hasbro's ''Generations'' line, until both companies decided to release the Hasbro versions of each toy starting with ''Power of the Primes'' in late 2017.

:Complicating things a bit more is ''Adventure'', Takara's version of the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' line]]. That line was initially filled out with a large number of ''Generations'' molds, colored and named blatantly as Generation 1 characters... but as part of the "[[Aligned continuity family|Aligned]]" universe. While we list these characters as the alternate-universe takes they're presented as, they are definitely worth mentioning here for fans who don't care about dividing by universe and just want a modern [[Override (Adventure)|Override]] that blends in perfectly with their modern Generation 1 collection.

:2018's ''Power of the Primes'' and 2019's ''Siege'' toys are identical to the ones released by Hasbro (except for one [[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|minor detail on one figure]]), mostly differing between time of release or lack thereof of certain figures.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* The term "Generation 1" is a piece of ascended [[fandom|fan-terminology]]. When ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' hit, the early online fandom quickly took to calling its predecessor "Generation 1". It became such a ubiquitous term it made its way into official terminology pretty quickly.
* ''The Transformers'' isn't the first time ''[[Diaclone]]'' molds were sold in the US. In [[1983]], Takara released "''[[Diakron]]''" in the US, straight-importing six ''Diaclone'' molds in new packaging. It didn't do too well. These releases ''are'' interesting curiosities for the serious collector, though.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transformers (toyline), The}}
[[Category:Generation 1 toylines| Transformers (toyline)]]

Power of the Primes (toyline)

2020-11-26T21:00:41Z

Whalermouse: /* Legends Class */

{{nav-PowerOfThePrimes}}
[[File:Generations2019-cover.jpg|thumb|300px]]
'''''Power of the Primes''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, and the third and final portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

First revealed in mid-[[2017]] at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] and subsequently debuting at the end of the year, ''Power of the Primes'', in keeping with the previous two toylines, features a line-wide [[gimmick]]: "[[Prime Master]]s", small [[Titan Master]]-type figures that represent the sparks of the [[Thirteen|Primes]]. Unlike Titan Masters, Prime Masters are available only in their own pricepoint, where they are packaged with [[Pretender]]-style [[Prime Master|decoy armor]], but can interact in some way with all larger assortments.

Legends Class figures retain the ability to seat a small figure in alt-mode, whilst the Deluxe and Voyager Class pricepoints see the return of ''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]''-style [[Combiner]]s. The combination joints remain unchanged, whilst the hand/foot system is tweaked: all Deluxes now include a hand, and all Voyagers a pair of feet. These accessories (dubbed Prime Armor) also facilitate the Prime Master integration for those size classes: Deluxes can use their hand as chest armor, into which a Prime Master spark mode can slot, and Voyagers can use their feet as forearm bucklers, which similarly fit a Prime Master. All Voyager Class figures also include an [[Enigma of Combination]], shaped like a Prime Master spark mode, that can fit onto their combined mode chest. With the exception of Inferno, none of the voyagers can grant their respective combined modes a sizable weapon.

Finally, Leader Class figures feature an "Evolution" gimmick, wherein each toy includes a Deluxe-sized character who can "evolve" into a Prime by combining with additional armor. Each Leader includes a uniquely-colored [[Matrix of Leadership/toys#Power of the Primes|Matrix of Leadership]], the central crystal of which can be removed and replaced with a Prime Master.

Similarly to ''Combiner Wars'' (except for US-released Deluxe Class figures) and ''Titans Return'', all figures from Legends Class upwards continued to include character cards, except this time there were twelve different [[variant]]s of every character's card, each containing a [[Prime Master/Combinations|combination]] with one of the twelve Prime Masters.

Before the line's release, a [[Fan polls|fan vote]] took place to determine a character who would become a new Prime in both the toyline and accompanying stories, with [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] claiming victory, and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|a place]] in the Leader Class assortment.<ref>[http://www.facebook.com/transformers/photos/pb.146805978722938.-2207520000.1487463781./1362620857141438/?type=3&theater]</ref>

{{bigquote|Choose your Prime!|Official tagline for the ''Power of the Primes'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Prime Masters====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Liege Maximo#Generations|Liege Maximo]] (w/ [[Skullgrin#Power of the Primes|Skullgrin]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Micronus Prime#Generations|Micronus]] (w/ [[Cloudburst#Generations|Autobot Cloudburst]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Prime#Generations|Vector Prime]] (w/ [[Metalhawk (Masterforce)#Power of the Primes|Metalhawk]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Alchemist Prime#Generations|Alchemist Prime]] (w/ [[Submarauder (G1)#Generations|Submarauder]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Trion (G1)#Power of the Primes|Alpha Trion]] (w/ [[Landmine (G1)#Generations|Landmine]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#Generations|Megatronus]] (w/ [[Bomb-Burst (G1)#Generations|Bomb-Burst]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Quintus Prime#Generations|Quintus Prime]] (w/ [[Bludgeon (G1)#Power of the Primes|Decepticon Bludgeon]] decoy armor)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Solus Prime#Generations|Solus Prime]] (w/ [[Octopunch (G1)#Generations|Octopunch]] decoy armor)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-Micronus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime Master Micronus plus Cloudburst decoy armor]]
|}

====Legends Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Generations|Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slash (Generations)#Generations|Dinobot Slash]]}}
{{bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Power of the Primes|Skrapnel]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Battleslash#Generations|Battleslash]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadtrap (Generations)#Generations|Roadtrap]]}}
{{bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Power of the Primes|Autobot Tailgate]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Generations|Autobot Outback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Generations|Cindersaur]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:POTPSlash.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Legends Class Slash Kirk and Spock who? Picard is where it's at.]]
|}

====Deluxe Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Slug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Generations|Dreadwind]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Generations|Blackwing]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Moonracer (G1)#Generations|Autobot Moonracer]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Rippersnapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Generations|Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Cutthroat]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Firestar (G1)#Generations|Autobot Novastar]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-Moonracer.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Moonracer This line will never live down the pregnancy jokes, will it?]]
|}

====Voyager Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Dinobot Grimlock]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Elita One (G1)#Generations|Elita-1]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|Terrorcon Hun-Gurrr]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|Inferno]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:POTP-Voyager-Elita-1.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Elita-1 1m t00 b4d4ss f0r st4nd4rd gr4mm4r.]]
|}

====Leader Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Rodimus Prime]] (w/ Autobot Hot Rod)}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Optimus Prime]] (w/ Orion Pax)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#RodimusUnicronus|Evolution Rodimus Unicronus]] (w/ Nemesis Hot Rod)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|Evolution Optimal Optimus]] (w/ Optimus Primal)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:PowerOfThePrimestoy-RodimusPrimeEvolved.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Leader Class Rodimus Prime]]
|
|}

====Titan Class====

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2018'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Predaking (G1)#Generations|Predaking]] ([[Razorclaw (G1)#Generations|Razorclaw]], [[Tantrum (G1)#Generations|Torox]], [[Divebomb (G1)#Generations|Divebomb]], [[Headstrong (G1)#Generations|Predacon Headstrong]], and [[Rampage (G1)#Generations|Predacon Rampage]], with [[Onyx Prime#Generations|Onyx Prime]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=4|
[[File:POTP-Titan-Predaking-set.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Titan Class Predaking]]
|}

===Exclusives===

====Summer convention exclusives====
:Debuting at [[San Diego Comic-Con]], this release was also made available online via [[Hasbro Toy Shop]]. In Hasbro's Asian markets, this set was available at general retail.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Throne of the Primes]] (2018)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#SDCC2018|Optimal Optimus]] (with Optimus Primal)}}
*[[Amalgamous Prime#Generations|Amalgamous Prime]]
*[[Nexus Prime#Generations|Nexus Prime]]
*[[Prima#Generations|Prima Prime]]
*[[Thirteenth Prime#Generations|The Thirteenth]]
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-PotP-SDCC-2018-Throne-of-the-Primes-Optimus-Primal.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Throne of the Primes exclusive Leader Class Optimal Optimus]]
|}

====Store exclusives====
Nemesis Prime was an [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] exclusive in the United States. Meanwhile, Wreck-Gar was exclusive to Walgreens in the U.S. but found at EB Games in Canada and general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Power of the Primes|Evolution Nemesis Prime]] (w/ Nemesis Pax and [[Giza (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Giza]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Walgreens'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Power of the Primes|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
<ul class="iconlist">
</ul>
|[[File:POTP-Leader-Evolved-Nemesis-Prime.jpg|thumb|300px|Leader Class Nemesis Prime]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a transluscent [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy. Punch-Counterpunch was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America. This set was also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
[[File:TF-Generations-Deluxe-Class-Special-Edition-Punch.jpg|285px|thumb|Special Edition Deluxe Class Punch-Counterpunch]]
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Punch (G1)#Power of the Primes|Punch-Counterpunch]] with [[Prima#SpecialEdition|Prima Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|}

====''Selects''====
In early 2019, Hasbro further extended the tradition of exclusive figures in box packages (albeit plain boxes this time) by releasing ''[[Transformers: Generations#Selects|Generations Selects]]'' figures of fan-beloved decoes that could not make it to mainline retail. Exclusive to online retailers in the U.S. market,<ref>[https://www.allspark.com/2018/11/preorders-up-for-transformers-generations-selects-ricochet-and-swoop/ Preorders up for Transformers Generations Selects Ricochet and Swoop!]</ref> Ricochet and Red Swoop had previously been hinted at by [[Elita One (G1)#Generations|Elita-1]]'s packaging artwork and [[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|regular Swoop]]'s preliminary CG stock render.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''2019'''
<ul class="iconlist">
[[File:Selects-Deluxe-Ricochet.jpg|250px|thumb|''Selects'' Deluxe Class Ricochet]]
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Selects|Dinobot Red Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ricochet (Headmasters)#Generations|Ricochet]]}}
</ul>
|
|}

==''Power of the Primes'' (TakaraTomy)==
Unlike its predecessors in the ''Prime Wars Trilogy'', ''Power of the Primes'' was not rolled into ''[[Transformers Legends (franchise)|Legends]]'' or ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)#Adventure Series|Adventure]]'' in Japan. Instead, Takara's ''Power of the Primes'' (パワーオブザプライム ''Pawā obu za Puraimu'') line forgoes the usual cartoon-accurate redecos or retools that typified Takara's take on other portions of ''Generations'' and features toys that are identical to their Hasbro versions down to the last factory-applied [[sticker]].

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1''' ([[May 25]], [[2018]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Micronus Prime#Generations|PP-01 Micronus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Liege Maximo#Generations|PP-02 Liege Maximo]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Vector Prime#Generations|PP-03 Vector Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slash (Generations)#Generations|PP-04 Dinobot Slash]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-05 Windcharger]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Beachcomber (G1)#Generations|PP-06 Beachcomber]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jazz (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-07 Autobot Jazz]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-08 Rodimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-09 Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2''' ([[June 30|Jun 30]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Alchemist Prime#Generations|PP-10 Alchemist Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slag (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-11 Dinobot Slug]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Swoop (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-12 Dinobot Swoop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Snarl (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-13 Dinobot Snarl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sludge (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-14 Dinobot Sludge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-15 Grimlock]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3''' ([[July 28|Jul 28]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Moonracer (G1)#Generations|PP-16 Moonracer]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dreadwind (G1)#Generations|PP-17 Dreadwind]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Darkwing (G1)#Generations|PP-18 Blackwing]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-19 Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4''' ([[August 25|Aug 25]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Quintus Prime#Generations|PP-20 Quintus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Rippersnapper (G1)#Generations|PP-21 Terrorcon Rippersnapper]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cutthroat (G1)#Generations|PP-22 Terrorcon Cutthroat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Blot (G1)#Generations|PP-23 Terrorcon Blot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Sinnertwin (G1)#Generations|PP-24 Terrorcon Sinnertwin]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hun-Gurrr (G1)#Generations|PP-25 Hun-Gurrr]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Elita One (G1)#Generations|PP-26 Elita-1]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Power of the Primes|PP-27 Optimal Optimus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=3|[[File:TF-PotP-Abominus.jpg|200px|thumb|Takara stock photos of Abominus]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5''' ([[September 29|Sep 29]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Solus Prime#Generations|PP-28 Solus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Battleslash#Generations|PP-29 Decepticon Battleslash]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Roadtrap (Generations)#Generations|PP-30 Roadtrap]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Predaking (G1)#Generations|PP-31 Predaking]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6''' ([[October 27|Oct 27]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Trion (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-32 Alpha Trion]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shrapnel (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-33 Skrapnel]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Tailgate (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-34 Autobot Tailgate]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Firestar (G1)#Generations|PP-35 Autobot Novastar]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Inferno (G1)/toys#Generations|PP-36 Autobot Inferno]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 7''' ([[November 24|Nov 24]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[The Fallen/toys#Generations|PP-37 Megatronus]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Outback (G1)#Generations|PP-38 Autobot Outback]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cindersaur (G1)#Generations|PP-39 Cindersaur]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#RodimusUnicronus|PP-40 Rodimus Unicronus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 8''' ([[December 29|Dec 29]], 2018)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-41 Wreck-Gar]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Nemesis Prime (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-42 Nemesis Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|}

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 9''' ([[January 26|Jan 26]], [[2019]])
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Throne of the Primes#Generations|PP-43 Throne of the Primes]] (with [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#SDCC2018|Optimal Optimus]], Optimus Primal, [[Amalgamous Prime#Generations|Amalgamous Prime]], [[Nexus Prime#Generations|Nexus Prime]], [[Prima#Generations|Prima Prime]], [[Thirteenth Prime#Generations|The Thirteenth]])}}

</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 10''' ([[February 23|Feb 23]], 2019)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1d1|[[Punch (G1)#Power of the Primes|PP-44 Punch/Counterpunch]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|
|}

==Notes==
[[File:TRU Canada Flyer.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|right|What, were you expecting accurate naming?]]
*Just like ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' had the early working name of "''Titan Wars''", it appears ''Power of the Primes'' was initially going to be called "'''''Prime Wars'''''" before that name was promoted to the overall title of the [[Prime Wars Trilogy|entire trilogy]]. Inevitably, several online retailers and distributors still list the figures under that name.<ref name="bersinger">"[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24990 Prime Wars Legends]", "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24987 Prime Wars Deluxe]", "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24988 Prime Wars Voyager]" and "[http://shop.swisstoy.ch/product_info.php?products_id=24989 Prime Wars Leader]" listed at Swiss distributor Max Bersinger.</ref><ref name="target">[http://www.totallytarget.com/2017/12/01/sneak-peek-target-weekly-ad-coupons-123-129/ Target Weekly Ad & Coupon Matchups 12/3 – 12/9], including "Transformers Generations Prime Wars Deluxe Figure"</ref><ref name="walmart">Early Walmart placeholder listings using the name "Prime Wars": Deluxe Class [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Dinobot-Snarl/428117097 Snarl], [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Dinobot-Sludge/499773723 Sludge], and [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Transformers-Tra-Gen-Prime-Wars-Deluxe-Rippersnapper/695985075 Rippersnapper].</ref><ref name="brandora">Brandora.de listings for "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432693 Prime Wars Power Masters]", "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432619 "Prime Wars Legends]", and "[http://brandora.de/ProductPage.aspx?IzmLang=7&Pro=432620 Prime Wars Deluxe]".</ref><ref name="amazon">Amazon listing for "[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072QQVXQ4 Transformers Prime Wars Voyager Action Figure]".</ref>
*Along the same lines, the working name for the Prime Masters was "[[Powermaster (disambiguation)|Power Masters]]", which again still appears in online listings.<ref name="brandora"/><ref name="southern">[https://www.southernhobby.com/transformers-generations-power-of-the-primes-master-assortment/p8118/ Southern Hobby listing] for "Transformers Generations: Power Of The Primes – Power Master Assortment".</ref>
*In July 2017, photos of a computer screen taken during an internal Hasbro presentation were leaked to the public that revealed, among other things, the entirety of the general retail ''Power of the Primes'' line-up (not counting [[exclusive]]s), featuring plenty of concept art and [[character model]]s as placeholder images. During New York [[Toy Fair]] 2018, Hasbro confirmed that there were indeed no further general retail waves planned, although the figures from the final waves of the Legends and Voyager Class assortments wouldn't be revealed until the Australian Toy Fair that took place two weeks later.
*''Power of the Primes'' toys made their global retail debut at [[Target]] stores in the United States on [[November 11]], 2017, roughly a full month before they were expected to be sighted anywhere worldwide. Given that ''Transformers'' toys, going for several years, had been consistently sighted first in Hasbro's Asian markets, this came as a ''big surprise'' for the [[fandom]]. This remained the case for several of the later waves.
*Even though wave 2 of the Legends Class saw an early release in Singapore just a few days before New Year's Eve of 2017, followed by a release at retail in the United Kingdom a few weeks later, Hasbro didn't so much as officially acknowledge the existence of these figures until New York [[Toy Fair]] in February 2018, by which point they had already been spotted at brick and mortar retail in the United States. Elita-1 from wave 2 of the Voyager Class was also officially "revealed" by Hasbro at the same Toy Fair, even though her wave had already been found at US retail at the same time as the wave 2 Legends. (Elita's wave-mate Hun-Gurrr had previously been officially revealed at New York Comic-Con in October 2017 along with the wave 3 Deluxe Class figures.)
*Unlike the previous two lines, the ''Power of the Primes'' toyline was significantly cut down, only releasing 3 waves as opposed to 6.
{{--}}
*Notable differences between the Hasbro releases versus the TakaraTomy versions is that the latter figures don't have their product code numbers embossed, and have stickers in Japanese language covering parts of the packaging.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Power of the Primes| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Flameout

2020-11-25T23:27:42Z

Whalermouse:

{{faction|autobot}}
:''Flameout is an [[Autobot]] [[Titan Master]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:TCG-Flameout-art.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|]]

'''Flameout''' is the [[Titan Master]] partner to [[Twin Twist]]. He can provide his host with the ability to target other bots' [[transformation cog]]s and trigger a mode-switching meltdown.<ref>''Titans Return'' Flameout/Twin Twist packaging bio</ref>

{{TOCclear}}

==Toys==
===''Generations''===
[[File:TitansReturntoy-Flameout.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mortal enemy of the [[Human Torch]].]]
*'''Flameout & Twin Twist''' (Deluxe Class, [[2017]])

:Flameout is packaged with [[Twin Twist#Generations|Twin Twist]], part of the fifth wave of ''[[Titans Return (toyline)|Titans Return]]'' Deluxe figures. He is a retool of [[Freezeout (Generations)|Freezeout]] and transforms from a robot into Twin Twists's head, and can fit into the neck socket of any other ''Titans Return'' Deluxe-or-larger figure.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:W5Flameout.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Flameout''' (2020)
**'''Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack'''
**''Rarity: '''''UT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T21/T46'''
**''Stars: ''3

:Flameout is one of forty-six double sided character cards included in Wave 5 of the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]], Titan Masters Attack. As a [[Titan Master]], Flameout begins play in head mode on a character with a body mode. When that character is KO'd, Flameout is deployed in bot mode. In order to represent Flameout's size as a Titan Master, the card is the size of a battle card, about half the size of a normal character card.

:The card's art is based on the Flameout Titan Master included with the ''Titans Return'' Twin Twist toy. The head mode artwork is reused from said toy's packaging artwork.

:This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*Flameout's partner, Twin Twist, is the [[twin]] of [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]], whose Titan Master partner is called [[Freezeout_(Generations)|Freezeout]]. In addition, the two grant their partners opposite powers-Flameout forces enemies to transform, while Freezeout prevents them from transforming. Any connection between the two is unknown.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Titan Masters]]
[[Category:Titans Return Autobots]]
[[Category:Toy-only characters]]

Combiner Wars (toyline)

2020-11-19T04:15:14Z

Whalermouse: /* Titan Class */

{{nav-CombinerWars}}

[[File:CombinerWarsAppCollage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|The possibilities are almost endless! Sadly, the selection of unique figures is not.]]

'''''Combiner Wars''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, constituting the first portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

Debuting at the very end of 2014, it saw Deluxe, Voyager, and some Legends Class figures able to form [[Combiner]] robots, primarily of the Scramble City variety that allows the Deluxe figures to be either an arm or a leg, and allowing mix-and-match combinations. The format for Legends Class was changed once again, dropping the small partner figures of the ''Thrilling 30'' line.

The tradition of including IDW comic books with U.S.<ref name="defus">Australia, New Zealand, and Hasbro's Asian markets typically get toys in whatever format is also used for the United States. The markets that traditionally get multilingual packaging are Canada, Latin America, and Europe. See the image under "notes" for a comparison.</ref> Deluxes (started by the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' segment) continued, whilst Legends, Voyagers, and non-U.S. Deluxes gained collector cards featuring art taken either from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, or simply the toy's [[package art]] (which doubles as the comic book cover for the U.S.<ref name="defus"/> version). However, due to production schedule problems,<ref>[http://bwtf.com/events/toyfair2015/interview-part1 Interview with Jerry Jivoin at BWTF.com]</ref> Deluxe wave 1's initial U.S.<ref name="defus"/> release featured the collector cards. Along with the concurrently released ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, ''Combiner Wars'' also heralded the return of [[multilingual packaging]] to the United States<ref name="defus"/> market, now in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole exception to this was the Deluxe figures packaged with comic books, which retained English-only packaging.

Meanwhile, ''Combiner Wars'' marked the end of the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusivity for ''Generations'' figures that had been in effect in several European markets since the launch of the original line in 2010 (which had usually resulted in only one wave per assortment ever being released in Europe). Not only did availability and distribution improve tremendously across the board—the ''Combiner Wars'' figures were even released in European markets where ''Generations'' figures had previously never been available at all! At the same time, European packaging reduced the number of languages from thirteen to a mere four (English, French, German, and Spanish), resulting in a less cluttered packaging design.

After the general retail assortments had run their course, the line was extended for several months via [[giftset]]s of complete teams featuring redecos and retools, referred to as "Collection Packs" in official promotional materials. Those sets were typically "shared exclusives" between online retailers and the online storefronts of "big box" retailers, though they were also available at brick and mortar retail in several non-U.S. markets.

The Japanese version of this line, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'', was considerably smaller, being almost entirely boxed sets released on a very staggered schedule.

{{bigquote|Courage is stronger when combined|Official tagline for the ''Combiner Wars'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Legends Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generations|Autobot Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Thundercracker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Generations|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blackjack (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Groove]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Viper#Generations|Decepticon Viper]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generations|Rodimus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CW-toy Viper.jpg|thumb|250px|Legends Class Viper.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Buzzsaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Generations|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Bravo#Toys|Alpha Bravo]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generations|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generations|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Offroad (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Generations|Protectobot First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Protectobot Rook]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Streetwise]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generationstoy-Firefly.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Firefly.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generations|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Trailbreaker]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{note|For the US market, each figure from wave 2 on came with a reprint of an [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic that supposedly featured the character, but that whole "featured the character" thing didn't always pan out. A comic-book-pack-in variant of Decepticon Dragstrip was later released in a revision of wave 2. Some time later, the full set wave 1 comics (which '''were''' originally solicited for normal retail) were released in a bundle at a Taiwanese comic convention, separate from the figures.}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Generations|Silverbolt]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Protectobot Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Cyclonus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#CWBC|Battle Core Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Optimus Prime.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)#Combiner Wars|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Generations|Scattershot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Generations|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]] (with [[Minimus Ambus#Generations|Minimus Ambus]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generations Leader TC.jpg|thumb|250px|Leader Class Thundercracker.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Titan Class====
[[File:CombinerWars TitanDevastator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Titan Class Devastator]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generations|Devastator]], giftset of 6 Voyager-sized figures, includes:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Hook]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)/toys#Generations|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
===="May Mayhem" Deluxes====
These were officially exclusive to online retailers and comic book stores for the United States market (although a few specimens ended up at retail stores), but were available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets. Not counting store-initiated imports, they were never officially available in Canada, Australia or Europe. Regardless of the markets they were released in, Brake-Neck and Quickslinger were only available in English-only packaging including comic books, whereas Groove was only available in multilingual packaging including a character card instead of a comic book.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2015'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Generations|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2016'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#CWDeluxe|Protectobot Groove]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Combiner-Wars-Protectobot-Groove.jpg|thumb|250px|Protectobot Groove]]
|}
{{-}}

====Convention multi-packs====
While these toys premiered at conventions (most prominently [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015), they also ended up available through other venues, like the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online store, and even at retail in international markets such as Asia and Australia. See individual entries for more information.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Devastator (G1)#Generations|Devastator]] 2015 Special Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Combiner Hunters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windblade (G1)#Combiner Wars|Windblade]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Transformers-SDCC-Combiner-Hunters-Chromia.jpg|thumb|250px|''Combiner Hunters'' Chromia]]
|}
{{-}}

===="Online exclusive" Collection Packs====
Most of these box sets were "shared exclusives" sold by numerous online retailers. Liokaiser, however, was a ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' set ''officially'' exclusive to Entertainment Earth in the United States… but he was also available from other venues in other markets, and even in the United States, online retailers that got their stock from overseas carried him regardless.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Superion (G1)#CWG2|Superion]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a2|[[Air Raid (G1)#CWG2|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Fireflight (G1)#CWG2|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Powerglide (G1)#CWG2|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Slingshot (G1)#CWG2|Quickslinger]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Silverbolt (G1)#CWG2|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#CWG2|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blackjack (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Wildrider (G1)#CWG2|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Dead End (G1)#CWG2|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Drag Strip (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Motormaster (G1)#CWG2|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Victorion#Generations|Victorion]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Dust Up#Toys|Dust Up]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jumpstream#Toys|Jumpstream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pyra Magna#Toys|Pyra Magna]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rust Dust#Toys|Rust Dust]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyburst (G1)#Toys|Skyburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Stormclash#Toys|Stormclash]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Bruticus (G1)#CWG2|Bruticus]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blast Off (G1)#CWG2|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Brawl (G1)#CWG2|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Onslaught (G1)#CWG2|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CWG2|Shockwave]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Swindle (G1)#CWG2|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Vortex (G1)#CWG2|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Combiner-Wars-Liokaiser.jpg|thumb|250px|Collection Pack Liokaiser]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Computron (G1)#Generations|Computron]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Generations|Afterbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Boltax (G1)#Generations|Cybaxx]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Generations|Lightsteed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Generations|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#CWComputron|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scrounge (G1)#Generations|Scrounge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Generations|Strafe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Liokaiser#Generations|Liokaiser]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillhorn (Victory)#Generations|Drillhorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hellbat (Victory)#Generations|Fellbat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Guyhawk#Generations|Guyhawk]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ion Scythe#Toys|Ion Scythe]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killbison#Generations|Ironbison]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Fun Publications====
While the figures and sets listed above were all Hasbro-initiated releases, Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] also branded their [[BotCon 2016]] exclusives and the ''[[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]]'' 4.0 and 5.0 figures as part of the ''Combiner Wars'' line (including figures that weren't part of the "combiner" concept), as opposed to the usual ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' branding for previous FunPub exclusives.

;BotCon 2016
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacus]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Cicadacon#Generations|General Cicadacon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ram Horn#Generations|General Ramhorn]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Sea Clamp#Generations|General Sea Clamp]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Tarantulas (BW)#Generations|Predacon Tarantulas]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Souvenir figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Airazor (BW)#Generations|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Combiner Wars|Reflector]] 3-pack}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Generations|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Under-3#Generations|Unit-3]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Customizing Class exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Medix (G1)#Toys|Medix]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]])}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'')}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (SG)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'')}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Terrorsaur (BW)#Generations|Terrorsaur]] (Attendee freebie)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flash Sentry#Toys|Flash Sentry]] (Golden Ticket exclusive)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BotCon2016toy-Ravage.jpg|thumb|250px|BotCon 2016 Ravage]]
|}
{{-}}
;Transformers Figure Subscription Service
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 4.0 (2016)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Generations|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#Combiner Wars|Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Generations|Needlenose]] (with [[Sunbeam (G1)#Generations|Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag#Generations|Zputty]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Generations|Grabuge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Combiner Wars|Spinister]] (with [[Hairsplitter#Generations|Shrute]] and [[Singe#Generations|Singe]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Generations|Windsweeper]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 5.0 (2017)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Fractyl#Generations|Fractyl]] (with [[Scorponok (BW)#Generations|Scorponok]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lifeline (G1)#Generations|Lifeline]] (with [[Quickslinger (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TFSS|Optimus Prime]] (with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Megatron]] (with [[Spacewarp#Generations|Spacewarp]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Punch (G1)#Generations|Counterpunch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Toxitron (G1)#Generations|Toxitron]]}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (SG)#Generations|Shattered Glass Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Impactor.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Impactor]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, during the course of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'', Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy, and for ''Combiner Wars'' Hasbro used the ''Unite Warriors'' Blast Off mold. Special Edition Blast Off was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America but available at general retail in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#PWTSE|Decepticon Blast Off]] (w/ [[The Fallen/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatronus]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Combiner-Wars-Special-Edition-Deluxe-Blast-Off.jpg|thumb|300px|Special Edition Deluxe Class Blast Off]]
|}

==Notes==
[[File:CombinerWarsPosterAds.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Advertising is stronger when using social media]]
*Early in the toy line's life cycle, Hasbro advertised the figures with two "movie" style posters published on Facebook, alternatively depicting Superion and the Aerialbots, or Menasor and the Stunticons.<ref name="fbads">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/05/24/transformers-combiner-wars-superion-and-menasor-posters-182820 Combiner Wars "movie poster" adverts] at TFW2005</ref> The same artwork was later used for the posters included with the "Generation 2" Superion and Menasor Collection Packs. While awesome in their own right, none of those posters were ever featured at public transport stations, so there was still [[Titans Return (toyline)#Notes|room for improvement]]!
[[File:CW HufferBlackjack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Clues hidden in a stock photo. What's next? Alternate heads depicted in instructions?]]
*The existence of Legends Class Huffer and the name of Blackjack were first revealed by a [[stock photography|stock photo]] of Menasor released during [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]]. What appeared to be a plain white background was, with color correction, revealed as a {{w|Mac OS}} screenshot displaying filenames for those two characters. Blackjack could easily be identified as the then unnamed black-and-purple car revealed at SDCC, whilst Huffer's toy was later announced at [[New York Comic Con]].
*In addition, Legends Class Rodimus and Skywarp were accidentally revealed prematurely in January 2015 via official product listings, including stock photos, on the public Hasbro website. This was almost a month before even the wave 3 products of all the main assortments (including Legends Class Groove, Warpath and Viper) would be officially revealed at [[Toy Fair]]. Hasbro quietly pulled the listings for Rodimus and Skywarp from their website and then pretended to "officially" reveal them at [[BotCon 2015]], a whole five months later… by which time they had already been released at retail in Singapore. Whoops.
*The Hasbro product code numbers for the first three waves of Legends Class figures suggest that a different release order was originally planned: Wave 1 would have included Huffer instead of Windcharger, who would have been the sole new figure in the subsequent wave (or, more likely, simply a revision wave), and Blackjack would have been released in the next wave alongside Warpath, Groove and Viper.
*The limb robots substituted out of ''Combiner Wars'' Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, namely [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], also happen to be the same members whose ''[[Kre-O]]'' incarnations were sold separately from their teams. Coincidence? Probably.
[[File:CW Swindle pk US CALA EU.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Like most Deluxe Class figures, Swindle was available with a comic book in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia (left), and with a character card in Canada and Latin America (center) as well as Europe (right).]]
*No wave 2 products of any [[size class]]es of ''Combiner Wars'' were ever officially released in any European markets, with the sole exception of Legends Class Blackjack, who was eventually released as part of a revision of wave 4. Even Motormaster, who was re-released as part of wave 4 of the Voyager Class assortment alongside Battle Core Optimus Prime, was omitted from the European wave 4 case assortment in favor of Silverbolt and Hot Spot. Hooooowever…
* In several instances, Deluxe Class figures appeared in certain markets in packaging not intended for those markets, oftentimes as [[parallel import|imported overstock]]. Those instances include:
**In the United States and other markets that got most Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, the wave 1 Deluxes were initially only released in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging including character cards. This was due to production scheduling problems, and even though Hasbro originally intended to re-release all four figures with comic books (packaged samples exist), ultimately only the comic book version of Dragstrip was released as part of a revision case of wave 2 that saw limited distribution. On top of that, clearance stores such as T.J.Maxx eventually stocked the multilingual Canadian/Latin American character card versions of the wave 4, 5 and 6 figures in late 2016.
**Canadian retailers such as Walmart and Toys"R"Us stocked the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books even ''before'' the "proper" multilingual packaging versions with character cards instead of comic books became available.
**In the United Kingdom and Slovakia, the wave 2 Deluxes (specifically the revision case including Dragstrip) appeared during "silly season" in late 2016 at chains such as Guess How Much! (United Kingdom) and Dráčik (Slovakia) as gray imports in English-only packaging including comic books, making this the first time these figures (minus Dragstrip) were available at European retail, ''long'' after the fact.
**In early 2017, gray imports of the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books also appeared at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, where they warmed shelves alongside their counterparts in regular European packaging sans comic books. According to the multiple (!) import stickers, these truly went around the world, via China and then the United Kingdom, before ending up in continental Europe!
*Overall, this means Canadian/Latin American packaging is the only packaging version all general retail Deluxes were officially available in.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiner Wars| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Combiner Wars (toyline)

2020-11-13T19:53:31Z

Whalermouse: /* Deluxe Class */

{{nav-CombinerWars}}

[[File:CombinerWarsAppCollage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|The possibilities are almost endless! Sadly, the selection of unique figures is not.]]

'''''Combiner Wars''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, constituting the first portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

Debuting at the very end of 2014, it saw Deluxe, Voyager, and some Legends Class figures able to form [[Combiner]] robots, primarily of the Scramble City variety that allows the Deluxe figures to be either an arm or a leg, and allowing mix-and-match combinations. The format for Legends Class was changed once again, dropping the small partner figures of the ''Thrilling 30'' line.

The tradition of including IDW comic books with U.S.<ref name="defus">Australia, New Zealand, and Hasbro's Asian markets typically get toys in whatever format is also used for the United States. The markets that traditionally get multilingual packaging are Canada, Latin America, and Europe. See the image under "notes" for a comparison.</ref> Deluxes (started by the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' segment) continued, whilst Legends, Voyagers, and non-U.S. Deluxes gained collector cards featuring art taken either from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, or simply the toy's [[package art]] (which doubles as the comic book cover for the U.S.<ref name="defus"/> version). However, due to production schedule problems,<ref>[http://bwtf.com/events/toyfair2015/interview-part1 Interview with Jerry Jivoin at BWTF.com]</ref> Deluxe wave 1's initial U.S.<ref name="defus"/> release featured the collector cards. Along with the concurrently released ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, ''Combiner Wars'' also heralded the return of [[multilingual packaging]] to the United States<ref name="defus"/> market, now in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole exception to this was the Deluxe figures packaged with comic books, which retained English-only packaging.

Meanwhile, ''Combiner Wars'' marked the end of the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusivity for ''Generations'' figures that had been in effect in several European markets since the launch of the original line in 2010 (which had usually resulted in only one wave per assortment ever being released in Europe). Not only did availability and distribution improve tremendously across the board—the ''Combiner Wars'' figures were even released in European markets where ''Generations'' figures had previously never been available at all! At the same time, European packaging reduced the number of languages from thirteen to a mere four (English, French, German, and Spanish), resulting in a less cluttered packaging design.

After the general retail assortments had run their course, the line was extended for several months via [[giftset]]s of complete teams featuring redecos and retools, referred to as "Collection Packs" in official promotional materials. Those sets were typically "shared exclusives" between online retailers and the online storefronts of "big box" retailers, though they were also available at brick and mortar retail in several non-U.S. markets.

The Japanese version of this line, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'', was considerably smaller, being almost entirely boxed sets released on a very staggered schedule.

{{bigquote|Courage is stronger when combined|Official tagline for the ''Combiner Wars'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Legends Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generations|Autobot Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Thundercracker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Generations|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blackjack (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Groove]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Viper#Generations|Decepticon Viper]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generations|Rodimus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CW-toy Viper.jpg|thumb|250px|Legends Class Viper.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Buzzsaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Generations|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Bravo#Toys|Alpha Bravo]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generations|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generations|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Offroad (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Generations|Protectobot First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Protectobot Rook]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Streetwise]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generationstoy-Firefly.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Firefly.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generations|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Trailbreaker]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{note|For the US market, each figure from wave 2 on came with a reprint of an [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic that supposedly featured the character, but that whole "featured the character" thing didn't always pan out. A comic-book-pack-in variant of Decepticon Dragstrip was later released in a revision of wave 2. Some time later, the full set wave 1 comics (which '''were''' originally solicited for normal retail) were released in a bundle at a Taiwanese comic convention, separate from the figures.}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Generations|Silverbolt]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Protectobot Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Cyclonus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#CWBC|Battle Core Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Optimus Prime.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)#Combiner Wars|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Generations|Scattershot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Generations|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]] (with [[Minimus Ambus#Generations|Minimus Ambus]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generations Leader TC.jpg|thumb|250px|Leader Class Thundercracker.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Titan Class====
[[File:CombinerWars TitanDevastator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Titan Class Devastator]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generations|Devastator]], giftset of 6 Voyager-sized figures, includes:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Hook]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
===="May Mayhem" Deluxes====
These were officially exclusive to online retailers and comic book stores for the United States market (although a few specimens ended up at retail stores), but were available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets. Not counting store-initiated imports, they were never officially available in Canada, Australia or Europe. Regardless of the markets they were released in, Brake-Neck and Quickslinger were only available in English-only packaging including comic books, whereas Groove was only available in multilingual packaging including a character card instead of a comic book.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2015'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Generations|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2016'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#CWDeluxe|Protectobot Groove]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:TF-Combiner-Wars-Protectobot-Groove.jpg|thumb|250px|Protectobot Groove]]
|}
{{-}}

====Convention multi-packs====
While these toys premiered at conventions (most prominently [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015), they also ended up available through other venues, like the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online store, and even at retail in international markets such as Asia and Australia. See individual entries for more information.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Devastator (G1)#Generations|Devastator]] 2015 Special Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Combiner Hunters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windblade (G1)#Combiner Wars|Windblade]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|[[File:Transformers-SDCC-Combiner-Hunters-Chromia.jpg|thumb|250px|''Combiner Hunters'' Chromia]]
|}
{{-}}

===="Online exclusive" Collection Packs====
Most of these box sets were "shared exclusives" sold by numerous online retailers. Liokaiser, however, was a ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' set ''officially'' exclusive to Entertainment Earth in the United States… but he was also available from other venues in other markets, and even in the United States, online retailers that got their stock from overseas carried him regardless.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Superion (G1)#CWG2|Superion]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a2|[[Air Raid (G1)#CWG2|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Fireflight (G1)#CWG2|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Powerglide (G1)#CWG2|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Slingshot (G1)#CWG2|Quickslinger]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Silverbolt (G1)#CWG2|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#CWG2|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blackjack (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Wildrider (G1)#CWG2|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Dead End (G1)#CWG2|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Drag Strip (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Motormaster (G1)#CWG2|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Victorion#Generations|Victorion]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Dust Up#Toys|Dust Up]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jumpstream#Toys|Jumpstream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pyra Magna#Toys|Pyra Magna]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rust Dust#Toys|Rust Dust]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyburst (G1)#Toys|Skyburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Stormclash#Toys|Stormclash]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Bruticus (G1)#CWG2|Bruticus]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blast Off (G1)#CWG2|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Brawl (G1)#CWG2|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Onslaught (G1)#CWG2|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CWG2|Shockwave]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Swindle (G1)#CWG2|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Vortex (G1)#CWG2|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Combiner-Wars-Liokaiser.jpg|thumb|250px|Collection Pack Liokaiser]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Computron (G1)#Generations|Computron]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Generations|Afterbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Boltax (G1)#Generations|Cybaxx]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Generations|Lightsteed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Generations|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#CWComputron|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scrounge (G1)#Generations|Scrounge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Generations|Strafe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Liokaiser#Generations|Liokaiser]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillhorn (Victory)#Generations|Drillhorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hellbat (Victory)#Generations|Fellbat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Guyhawk#Generations|Guyhawk]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ion Scythe#Toys|Ion Scythe]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killbison#Generations|Ironbison]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Fun Publications====
While the figures and sets listed above were all Hasbro-initiated releases, Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] also branded their [[BotCon 2016]] exclusives and the ''[[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]]'' 4.0 and 5.0 figures as part of the ''Combiner Wars'' line (including figures that weren't part of the "combiner" concept), as opposed to the usual ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' branding for previous FunPub exclusives.

;BotCon 2016
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacus]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Cicadacon#Generations|General Cicadacon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ram Horn#Generations|General Ramhorn]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Sea Clamp#Generations|General Sea Clamp]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Tarantulas (BW)#Generations|Predacon Tarantulas]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Souvenir figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Airazor (BW)#Generations|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Combiner Wars|Reflector]] 3-pack}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Generations|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Under-3#Generations|Unit-3]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Customizing Class exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Medix (G1)#Toys|Medix]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]])}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'')}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (SG)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'')}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Terrorsaur (BW)#Generations|Terrorsaur]] (Attendee freebie)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flash Sentry#Toys|Flash Sentry]] (Golden Ticket exclusive)}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:BotCon2016toy-Ravage.jpg|thumb|250px|BotCon 2016 Ravage]]
|}
{{-}}
;Transformers Figure Subscription Service
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 4.0 (2016)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Generations|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#Combiner Wars|Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Generations|Needlenose]] (with [[Sunbeam (G1)#Generations|Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag#Generations|Zputty]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Generations|Grabuge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Combiner Wars|Spinister]] (with [[Hairsplitter#Generations|Shrute]] and [[Singe#Generations|Singe]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Generations|Windsweeper]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 5.0 (2017)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Fractyl#Generations|Fractyl]] (with [[Scorponok (BW)#Generations|Scorponok]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lifeline (G1)#Generations|Lifeline]] (with [[Quickslinger (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TFSS|Optimus Prime]] (with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Megatron]] (with [[Spacewarp#Generations|Spacewarp]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Punch (G1)#Generations|Counterpunch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Toxitron (G1)#Generations|Toxitron]]}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (SG)#Generations|Shattered Glass Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Impactor.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Impactor]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, during the course of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'', Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy, and for ''Combiner Wars'' Hasbro used the ''Unite Warriors'' Blast Off mold. Special Edition Blast Off was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America but available at general retail in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#PWTSE|Decepticon Blast Off]] (w/ [[The Fallen/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatronus]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Combiner-Wars-Special-Edition-Deluxe-Blast-Off.jpg|thumb|300px|Special Edition Deluxe Class Blast Off]]
|}

==Notes==
[[File:CombinerWarsPosterAds.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Advertising is stronger when using social media]]
*Early in the toy line's life cycle, Hasbro advertised the figures with two "movie" style posters published on Facebook, alternatively depicting Superion and the Aerialbots, or Menasor and the Stunticons.<ref name="fbads">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/05/24/transformers-combiner-wars-superion-and-menasor-posters-182820 Combiner Wars "movie poster" adverts] at TFW2005</ref> The same artwork was later used for the posters included with the "Generation 2" Superion and Menasor Collection Packs. While awesome in their own right, none of those posters were ever featured at public transport stations, so there was still [[Titans Return (toyline)#Notes|room for improvement]]!
[[File:CW HufferBlackjack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Clues hidden in a stock photo. What's next? Alternate heads depicted in instructions?]]
*The existence of Legends Class Huffer and the name of Blackjack were first revealed by a [[stock photography|stock photo]] of Menasor released during [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]]. What appeared to be a plain white background was, with color correction, revealed as a {{w|Mac OS}} screenshot displaying filenames for those two characters. Blackjack could easily be identified as the then unnamed black-and-purple car revealed at SDCC, whilst Huffer's toy was later announced at [[New York Comic Con]].
*In addition, Legends Class Rodimus and Skywarp were accidentally revealed prematurely in January 2015 via official product listings, including stock photos, on the public Hasbro website. This was almost a month before even the wave 3 products of all the main assortments (including Legends Class Groove, Warpath and Viper) would be officially revealed at [[Toy Fair]]. Hasbro quietly pulled the listings for Rodimus and Skywarp from their website and then pretended to "officially" reveal them at [[BotCon 2015]], a whole five months later… by which time they had already been released at retail in Singapore. Whoops.
*The Hasbro product code numbers for the first three waves of Legends Class figures suggest that a different release order was originally planned: Wave 1 would have included Huffer instead of Windcharger, who would have been the sole new figure in the subsequent wave (or, more likely, simply a revision wave), and Blackjack would have been released in the next wave alongside Warpath, Groove and Viper.
*The limb robots substituted out of ''Combiner Wars'' Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, namely [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], also happen to be the same members whose ''[[Kre-O]]'' incarnations were sold separately from their teams. Coincidence? Probably.
[[File:CW Swindle pk US CALA EU.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Like most Deluxe Class figures, Swindle was available with a comic book in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia (left), and with a character card in Canada and Latin America (center) as well as Europe (right).]]
*No wave 2 products of any [[size class]]es of ''Combiner Wars'' were ever officially released in any European markets, with the sole exception of Legends Class Blackjack, who was eventually released as part of a revision of wave 4. Even Motormaster, who was re-released as part of wave 4 of the Voyager Class assortment alongside Battle Core Optimus Prime, was omitted from the European wave 4 case assortment in favor of Silverbolt and Hot Spot. Hooooowever…
* In several instances, Deluxe Class figures appeared in certain markets in packaging not intended for those markets, oftentimes as [[parallel import|imported overstock]]. Those instances include:
**In the United States and other markets that got most Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, the wave 1 Deluxes were initially only released in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging including character cards. This was due to production scheduling problems, and even though Hasbro originally intended to re-release all four figures with comic books (packaged samples exist), ultimately only the comic book version of Dragstrip was released as part of a revision case of wave 2 that saw limited distribution. On top of that, clearance stores such as T.J.Maxx eventually stocked the multilingual Canadian/Latin American character card versions of the wave 4, 5 and 6 figures in late 2016.
**Canadian retailers such as Walmart and Toys"R"Us stocked the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books even ''before'' the "proper" multilingual packaging versions with character cards instead of comic books became available.
**In the United Kingdom and Slovakia, the wave 2 Deluxes (specifically the revision case including Dragstrip) appeared during "silly season" in late 2016 at chains such as Guess How Much! (United Kingdom) and Dráčik (Slovakia) as gray imports in English-only packaging including comic books, making this the first time these figures (minus Dragstrip) were available at European retail, ''long'' after the fact.
**In early 2017, gray imports of the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books also appeared at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, where they warmed shelves alongside their counterparts in regular European packaging sans comic books. According to the multiple (!) import stickers, these truly went around the world, via China and then the United Kingdom, before ending up in continental Europe!
*Overall, this means Canadian/Latin American packaging is the only packaging version all general retail Deluxes were officially available in.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiner Wars| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Combiner Wars (toyline)

2020-11-10T18:27:31Z

Whalermouse: /* Deluxe Class */

{{nav-CombinerWars}}

[[File:CombinerWarsAppCollage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|The possibilities are almost endless! Sadly, the selection of unique figures is not.]]

'''''Combiner Wars''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, constituting the first portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

Debuting at the very end of 2014, it saw Deluxe, Voyager, and some Legends Class figures able to form [[Combiner]] robots, primarily of the Scramble City variety that allows the Deluxe figures to be either an arm or a leg, and allowing mix-and-match combinations. The format for Legends Class was changed once again, dropping the small partner figures of the ''Thrilling 30'' line.

The tradition of including IDW comic books with U.S.<ref name="defus">Australia, New Zealand, and Hasbro's Asian markets typically get toys in whatever format is also used for the United States. The markets that traditionally get multilingual packaging are Canada, Latin America, and Europe. See the image under "notes" for a comparison.</ref> Deluxes (started by the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' segment) continued, whilst Legends, Voyagers, and non-U.S. Deluxes gained collector cards featuring art taken either from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, or simply the toy's [[package art]] (which doubles as the comic book cover for the U.S.<ref name="defus"/> version). However, due to production schedule problems,<ref>[http://bwtf.com/events/toyfair2015/interview-part1 Interview with Jerry Jivoin at BWTF.com]</ref> Deluxe wave 1's initial U.S.<ref name="defus"/> release featured the collector cards. Along with the concurrently released ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, ''Combiner Wars'' also heralded the return of [[multilingual packaging]] to the United States<ref name="defus"/> market, now in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole exception to this was the Deluxe figures packaged with comic books, which retained English-only packaging.

Meanwhile, ''Combiner Wars'' marked the end of the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusivity for ''Generations'' figures that had been in effect in several European markets since the launch of the original line in 2010 (which had usually resulted in only one wave per assortment ever being released in Europe). Not only did availability and distribution improve tremendously across the board—the ''Combiner Wars'' figures were even released in European markets where ''Generations'' figures had previously never been available at all! At the same time, European packaging reduced the number of languages from thirteen to a mere four (English, French, German, and Spanish), resulting in a less cluttered packaging design.

After the general retail assortments had run their course, the line was extended for several months via [[giftset]]s of complete teams featuring redecos and retools, referred to as "Collection Packs" in official promotional materials. Those sets were typically "shared exclusives" between online retailers and the online storefronts of "big box" retailers, though they were also available at brick and mortar retail in several non-U.S. markets.

The Japanese version of this line, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'', was considerably smaller, being almost entirely boxed sets released on a very staggered schedule.

{{bigquote|Courage is stronger when combined|Official tagline for the ''Combiner Wars'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Legends Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generations|Autobot Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Thundercracker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Generations|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blackjack (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Groove]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Viper#Generations|Decepticon Viper]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generations|Rodimus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CW-toy Viper.jpg|thumb|250px|Legends Class Viper.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Buzzsaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Generations|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Bravo#Toys|Alpha Bravo]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generations|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)/toys#Generations|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Offroad (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Generations|Protectobot First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Protectobot Rook]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Streetwise]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generationstoy-Firefly.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Firefly.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)#Combiner Wars|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)#Combiner Wars|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generations|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Trailbreaker]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{note|For the US market, each figure from wave 2 on came with a reprint of an [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic that supposedly featured the character, but that whole "featured the character" thing didn't always pan out. A comic-book-pack-in variant of Decepticon Dragstrip was later released in a revision of wave 2. Some time later, the full set wave 1 comics (which '''were''' originally solicited for normal retail) were released in a bundle at a Taiwanese comic convention, separate from the figures.}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Generations|Silverbolt]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Protectobot Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Cyclonus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#CWBC|Battle Core Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Optimus Prime.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)#Combiner Wars|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Generations|Scattershot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Generations|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]] (with [[Minimus Ambus#Generations|Minimus Ambus]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generations Leader TC.jpg|thumb|250px|Leader Class Thundercracker.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Titan Class====
[[File:CombinerWars TitanDevastator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Titan Class Devastator]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generations|Devastator]], giftset of 6 Voyager-sized figures, includes:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Hook]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
===="May Mayhem" Deluxes====
These were officially exclusive to online retailers and comic book stores for the United States market (although a few specimens ended up at retail stores), but were available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets. Not counting store-initiated imports, they were never officially available in Canada, Australia or Europe. Regardless of the markets they were released in, Brake-Neck and Quickslinger were only available in English-only packaging including comic books, whereas Groove was only available in multilingual packaging including a character card instead of a comic book.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2015'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Generations|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2016'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#CWDeluxe|Protectobot Groove]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Convention multi-packs====
While these toys premiered at conventions (most prominently [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015), they also ended up available through other venues, like the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online store, and even at retail in international markets such as Asia and Australia. See individual entries for more information.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Devastator (G1)#Generations|Devastator]] 2015 Special Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Combiner Hunters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windblade (G1)#Combiner Wars|Windblade]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===="Online exclusive" Collection Packs====
Most of these box sets were "shared exclusives" sold by numerous online retailers. Liokaiser, however, was a ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' set ''officially'' exclusive to Entertainment Earth in the United States… but he was also available from other venues in other markets, and even in the United States, online retailers that got their stock from overseas carried him regardless.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Superion (G1)#CWG2|Superion]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a2|[[Air Raid (G1)#CWG2|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Fireflight (G1)#CWG2|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Powerglide (G1)#CWG2|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Slingshot (G1)#CWG2|Quickslinger]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Silverbolt (G1)#CWG2|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#CWG2|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blackjack (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Wildrider (G1)#CWG2|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Dead End (G1)#CWG2|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Drag Strip (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Motormaster (G1)#CWG2|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Victorion#Generations|Victorion]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Dust Up#Toys|Dust Up]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jumpstream#Toys|Jumpstream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pyra Magna#Toys|Pyra Magna]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rust Dust#Toys|Rust Dust]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyburst (G1)#Toys|Skyburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Stormclash#Toys|Stormclash]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Bruticus (G1)#CWG2|Bruticus]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blast Off (G1)#CWG2|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Brawl (G1)#CWG2|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Onslaught (G1)#CWG2|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CWG2|Shockwave]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Swindle (G1)#CWG2|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Vortex (G1)#CWG2|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Combiner-Wars-Liokaiser.jpg|thumb|250px|Collection Pack Liokaiser]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Computron (G1)#Generations|Computron]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Generations|Afterbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Boltax (G1)#Generations|Cybaxx]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Generations|Lightsteed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Generations|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#CWComputron|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scrounge (G1)#Generations|Scrounge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Generations|Strafe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Liokaiser#Generations|Liokaiser]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillhorn (Victory)#Generations|Drillhorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hellbat (Victory)#Generations|Fellbat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Guyhawk#Generations|Guyhawk]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ion Scythe#Toys|Ion Scythe]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killbison#Generations|Ironbison]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Fun Publications====
While the figures and sets listed above were all Hasbro-initiated releases, Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] also branded their [[BotCon 2016]] exclusives and the ''[[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]]'' 4.0 and 5.0 figures as part of the ''Combiner Wars'' line (including figures that weren't part of the "combiner" concept), as opposed to the usual ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' branding for previous FunPub exclusives.

;BotCon 2016
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacus]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Cicadacon#Generations|General Cicadacon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ram Horn#Generations|General Ramhorn]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Sea Clamp#Generations|General Sea Clamp]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Tarantulas (BW)#Generations|Predacon Tarantulas]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Souvenir figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Airazor (BW)#Generations|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Combiner Wars|Reflector]] 3-pack}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Generations|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Under-3#Generations|Unit-3]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Customizing Class exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Medix (G1)#Toys|Medix]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]])}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'')}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (SG)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'')}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Terrorsaur (BW)#Generations|Terrorsaur]] (Attendee freebie)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flash Sentry#Toys|Flash Sentry]] (Golden Ticket exclusive)}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
;Transformers Figure Subscription Service
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 4.0 (2016)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Generations|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#Combiner Wars|Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Generations|Needlenose]] (with [[Sunbeam (G1)#Generations|Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag#Generations|Zputty]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Generations|Grabuge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Combiner Wars|Spinister]] (with [[Hairsplitter#Generations|Shrute]] and [[Singe#Generations|Singe]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Generations|Windsweeper]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 5.0 (2017)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Fractyl#Generations|Fractyl]] (with [[Scorponok (BW)#Generations|Scorponok]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lifeline (G1)#Generations|Lifeline]] (with [[Quickslinger (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TFSS|Optimus Prime]] (with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Megatron]] (with [[Spacewarp#Generations|Spacewarp]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Punch (G1)#Generations|Counterpunch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Toxitron (G1)#Generations|Toxitron]]}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (SG)#Generations|Shattered Glass Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Impactor.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Impactor]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, during the course of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'', Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy, and for ''Combiner Wars'' Hasbro used the ''Unite Warriors'' Blast Off mold. Special Edition Blast Off was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America but available at general retail in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#PWTSE|Decepticon Blast Off]] (w/ [[The Fallen/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatronus]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Combiner-Wars-Special-Edition-Deluxe-Blast-Off.jpg|thumb|300px|Special Edition Deluxe Class Blast Off]]
|}

==Notes==
[[File:CombinerWarsPosterAds.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Advertising is stronger when using social media]]
*Early in the toy line's life cycle, Hasbro advertised the figures with two "movie" style posters published on Facebook, alternatively depicting Superion and the Aerialbots, or Menasor and the Stunticons.<ref name="fbads">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/05/24/transformers-combiner-wars-superion-and-menasor-posters-182820 Combiner Wars "movie poster" adverts] at TFW2005</ref> The same artwork was later used for the posters included with the "Generation 2" Superion and Menasor Collection Packs. While awesome in their own right, none of those posters were ever featured at public transport stations, so there was still [[Titans Return (toyline)#Notes|room for improvement]]!
[[File:CW HufferBlackjack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Clues hidden in a stock photo. What's next? Alternate heads depicted in instructions?]]
*The existence of Legends Class Huffer and the name of Blackjack were first revealed by a [[stock photography|stock photo]] of Menasor released during [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]]. What appeared to be a plain white background was, with color correction, revealed as a {{w|Mac OS}} screenshot displaying filenames for those two characters. Blackjack could easily be identified as the then unnamed black-and-purple car revealed at SDCC, whilst Huffer's toy was later announced at [[New York Comic Con]].
*In addition, Legends Class Rodimus and Skywarp were accidentally revealed prematurely in January 2015 via official product listings, including stock photos, on the public Hasbro website. This was almost a month before even the wave 3 products of all the main assortments (including Legends Class Groove, Warpath and Viper) would be officially revealed at [[Toy Fair]]. Hasbro quietly pulled the listings for Rodimus and Skywarp from their website and then pretended to "officially" reveal them at [[BotCon 2015]], a whole five months later… by which time they had already been released at retail in Singapore. Whoops.
*The Hasbro product code numbers for the first three waves of Legends Class figures suggest that a different release order was originally planned: Wave 1 would have included Huffer instead of Windcharger, who would have been the sole new figure in the subsequent wave (or, more likely, simply a revision wave), and Blackjack would have been released in the next wave alongside Warpath, Groove and Viper.
*The limb robots substituted out of ''Combiner Wars'' Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, namely [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], also happen to be the same members whose ''[[Kre-O]]'' incarnations were sold separately from their teams. Coincidence? Probably.
[[File:CW Swindle pk US CALA EU.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Like most Deluxe Class figures, Swindle was available with a comic book in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia (left), and with a character card in Canada and Latin America (center) as well as Europe (right).]]
*No wave 2 products of any [[size class]]es of ''Combiner Wars'' were ever officially released in any European markets, with the sole exception of Legends Class Blackjack, who was eventually released as part of a revision of wave 4. Even Motormaster, who was re-released as part of wave 4 of the Voyager Class assortment alongside Battle Core Optimus Prime, was omitted from the European wave 4 case assortment in favor of Silverbolt and Hot Spot. Hooooowever…
* In several instances, Deluxe Class figures appeared in certain markets in packaging not intended for those markets, oftentimes as [[parallel import|imported overstock]]. Those instances include:
**In the United States and other markets that got most Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, the wave 1 Deluxes were initially only released in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging including character cards. This was due to production scheduling problems, and even though Hasbro originally intended to re-release all four figures with comic books (packaged samples exist), ultimately only the comic book version of Dragstrip was released as part of a revision case of wave 2 that saw limited distribution. On top of that, clearance stores such as T.J.Maxx eventually stocked the multilingual Canadian/Latin American character card versions of the wave 4, 5 and 6 figures in late 2016.
**Canadian retailers such as Walmart and Toys"R"Us stocked the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books even ''before'' the "proper" multilingual packaging versions with character cards instead of comic books became available.
**In the United Kingdom and Slovakia, the wave 2 Deluxes (specifically the revision case including Dragstrip) appeared during "silly season" in late 2016 at chains such as Guess How Much! (United Kingdom) and Dráčik (Slovakia) as gray imports in English-only packaging including comic books, making this the first time these figures (minus Dragstrip) were available at European retail, ''long'' after the fact.
**In early 2017, gray imports of the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books also appeared at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, where they warmed shelves alongside their counterparts in regular European packaging sans comic books. According to the multiple (!) import stickers, these truly went around the world, via China and then the United Kingdom, before ending up in continental Europe!
*Overall, this means Canadian/Latin American packaging is the only packaging version all general retail Deluxes were officially available in.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiner Wars| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Combiner Wars (toyline)

2020-11-10T18:26:13Z

Whalermouse: /* Deluxe Class */

{{nav-CombinerWars}}

[[File:CombinerWarsAppCollage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|The possibilities are almost endless! Sadly, the selection of unique figures is not.]]

'''''Combiner Wars''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, constituting the first portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

Debuting at the very end of 2014, it saw Deluxe, Voyager, and some Legends Class figures able to form [[Combiner]] robots, primarily of the Scramble City variety that allows the Deluxe figures to be either an arm or a leg, and allowing mix-and-match combinations. The format for Legends Class was changed once again, dropping the small partner figures of the ''Thrilling 30'' line.

The tradition of including IDW comic books with U.S.<ref name="defus">Australia, New Zealand, and Hasbro's Asian markets typically get toys in whatever format is also used for the United States. The markets that traditionally get multilingual packaging are Canada, Latin America, and Europe. See the image under "notes" for a comparison.</ref> Deluxes (started by the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' segment) continued, whilst Legends, Voyagers, and non-U.S. Deluxes gained collector cards featuring art taken either from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, or simply the toy's [[package art]] (which doubles as the comic book cover for the U.S.<ref name="defus"/> version). However, due to production schedule problems,<ref>[http://bwtf.com/events/toyfair2015/interview-part1 Interview with Jerry Jivoin at BWTF.com]</ref> Deluxe wave 1's initial U.S.<ref name="defus"/> release featured the collector cards. Along with the concurrently released ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, ''Combiner Wars'' also heralded the return of [[multilingual packaging]] to the United States<ref name="defus"/> market, now in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole exception to this was the Deluxe figures packaged with comic books, which retained English-only packaging.

Meanwhile, ''Combiner Wars'' marked the end of the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusivity for ''Generations'' figures that had been in effect in several European markets since the launch of the original line in 2010 (which had usually resulted in only one wave per assortment ever being released in Europe). Not only did availability and distribution improve tremendously across the board—the ''Combiner Wars'' figures were even released in European markets where ''Generations'' figures had previously never been available at all! At the same time, European packaging reduced the number of languages from thirteen to a mere four (English, French, German, and Spanish), resulting in a less cluttered packaging design.

After the general retail assortments had run their course, the line was extended for several months via [[giftset]]s of complete teams featuring redecos and retools, referred to as "Collection Packs" in official promotional materials. Those sets were typically "shared exclusives" between online retailers and the online storefronts of "big box" retailers, though they were also available at brick and mortar retail in several non-U.S. markets.

The Japanese version of this line, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'', was considerably smaller, being almost entirely boxed sets released on a very staggered schedule.

{{bigquote|Courage is stronger when combined|Official tagline for the ''Combiner Wars'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Legends Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generations|Autobot Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Thundercracker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Generations|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blackjack (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Groove]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Viper#Generations|Decepticon Viper]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generations|Rodimus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CW-toy Viper.jpg|thumb|250px|Legends Class Viper.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Buzzsaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Generations|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Bravo#Toys|Alpha Bravo]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)/toys#Generations|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)#Generations|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Offroad (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Generations|Protectobot First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Protectobot Rook]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Streetwise]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generationstoy-Firefly.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Firefly.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)#Combiner Wars|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)#Combiner Wars|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generations|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Trailbreaker]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{note|For the US market, each figure from wave 2 on came with a reprint of an [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic that supposedly featured the character, but that whole "featured the character" thing didn't always pan out. A comic-book-pack-in variant of Decepticon Dragstrip was later released in a revision of wave 2. Some time later, the full set wave 1 comics (which '''were''' originally solicited for normal retail) were released in a bundle at a Taiwanese comic convention, separate from the figures.}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Generations|Silverbolt]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Protectobot Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Cyclonus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#CWBC|Battle Core Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Optimus Prime.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)#Combiner Wars|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Generations|Scattershot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Generations|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]] (with [[Minimus Ambus#Generations|Minimus Ambus]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generations Leader TC.jpg|thumb|250px|Leader Class Thundercracker.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Titan Class====
[[File:CombinerWars TitanDevastator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Titan Class Devastator]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generations|Devastator]], giftset of 6 Voyager-sized figures, includes:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Hook]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
===="May Mayhem" Deluxes====
These were officially exclusive to online retailers and comic book stores for the United States market (although a few specimens ended up at retail stores), but were available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets. Not counting store-initiated imports, they were never officially available in Canada, Australia or Europe. Regardless of the markets they were released in, Brake-Neck and Quickslinger were only available in English-only packaging including comic books, whereas Groove was only available in multilingual packaging including a character card instead of a comic book.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2015'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Generations|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2016'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#CWDeluxe|Protectobot Groove]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Convention multi-packs====
While these toys premiered at conventions (most prominently [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015), they also ended up available through other venues, like the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online store, and even at retail in international markets such as Asia and Australia. See individual entries for more information.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Devastator (G1)#Generations|Devastator]] 2015 Special Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Combiner Hunters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windblade (G1)#Combiner Wars|Windblade]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===="Online exclusive" Collection Packs====
Most of these box sets were "shared exclusives" sold by numerous online retailers. Liokaiser, however, was a ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' set ''officially'' exclusive to Entertainment Earth in the United States… but he was also available from other venues in other markets, and even in the United States, online retailers that got their stock from overseas carried him regardless.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Superion (G1)#CWG2|Superion]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a2|[[Air Raid (G1)#CWG2|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Fireflight (G1)#CWG2|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Powerglide (G1)#CWG2|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Slingshot (G1)#CWG2|Quickslinger]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Silverbolt (G1)#CWG2|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#CWG2|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blackjack (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Wildrider (G1)#CWG2|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Dead End (G1)#CWG2|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Drag Strip (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Motormaster (G1)#CWG2|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Victorion#Generations|Victorion]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Dust Up#Toys|Dust Up]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jumpstream#Toys|Jumpstream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pyra Magna#Toys|Pyra Magna]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rust Dust#Toys|Rust Dust]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyburst (G1)#Toys|Skyburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Stormclash#Toys|Stormclash]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Bruticus (G1)#CWG2|Bruticus]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blast Off (G1)#CWG2|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Brawl (G1)#CWG2|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Onslaught (G1)#CWG2|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CWG2|Shockwave]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Swindle (G1)#CWG2|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Vortex (G1)#CWG2|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Combiner-Wars-Liokaiser.jpg|thumb|250px|Collection Pack Liokaiser]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Computron (G1)#Generations|Computron]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Generations|Afterbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Boltax (G1)#Generations|Cybaxx]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Generations|Lightsteed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Generations|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#CWComputron|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scrounge (G1)#Generations|Scrounge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Generations|Strafe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Liokaiser#Generations|Liokaiser]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillhorn (Victory)#Generations|Drillhorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hellbat (Victory)#Generations|Fellbat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Guyhawk#Generations|Guyhawk]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ion Scythe#Toys|Ion Scythe]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killbison#Generations|Ironbison]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Fun Publications====
While the figures and sets listed above were all Hasbro-initiated releases, Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] also branded their [[BotCon 2016]] exclusives and the ''[[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]]'' 4.0 and 5.0 figures as part of the ''Combiner Wars'' line (including figures that weren't part of the "combiner" concept), as opposed to the usual ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' branding for previous FunPub exclusives.

;BotCon 2016
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacus]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Cicadacon#Generations|General Cicadacon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ram Horn#Generations|General Ramhorn]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Sea Clamp#Generations|General Sea Clamp]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Tarantulas (BW)#Generations|Predacon Tarantulas]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Souvenir figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Airazor (BW)#Generations|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Combiner Wars|Reflector]] 3-pack}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Generations|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Under-3#Generations|Unit-3]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Customizing Class exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Medix (G1)#Toys|Medix]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]])}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'')}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (SG)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'')}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Terrorsaur (BW)#Generations|Terrorsaur]] (Attendee freebie)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flash Sentry#Toys|Flash Sentry]] (Golden Ticket exclusive)}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
;Transformers Figure Subscription Service
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 4.0 (2016)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Generations|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#Combiner Wars|Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Generations|Needlenose]] (with [[Sunbeam (G1)#Generations|Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag#Generations|Zputty]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Generations|Grabuge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Combiner Wars|Spinister]] (with [[Hairsplitter#Generations|Shrute]] and [[Singe#Generations|Singe]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Generations|Windsweeper]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 5.0 (2017)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Fractyl#Generations|Fractyl]] (with [[Scorponok (BW)#Generations|Scorponok]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lifeline (G1)#Generations|Lifeline]] (with [[Quickslinger (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TFSS|Optimus Prime]] (with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Megatron]] (with [[Spacewarp#Generations|Spacewarp]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Punch (G1)#Generations|Counterpunch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Toxitron (G1)#Generations|Toxitron]]}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (SG)#Generations|Shattered Glass Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Impactor.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Impactor]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, during the course of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'', Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy, and for ''Combiner Wars'' Hasbro used the ''Unite Warriors'' Blast Off mold. Special Edition Blast Off was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America but available at general retail in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#PWTSE|Decepticon Blast Off]] (w/ [[The Fallen/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatronus]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Combiner-Wars-Special-Edition-Deluxe-Blast-Off.jpg|thumb|300px|Special Edition Deluxe Class Blast Off]]
|}

==Notes==
[[File:CombinerWarsPosterAds.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Advertising is stronger when using social media]]
*Early in the toy line's life cycle, Hasbro advertised the figures with two "movie" style posters published on Facebook, alternatively depicting Superion and the Aerialbots, or Menasor and the Stunticons.<ref name="fbads">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/05/24/transformers-combiner-wars-superion-and-menasor-posters-182820 Combiner Wars "movie poster" adverts] at TFW2005</ref> The same artwork was later used for the posters included with the "Generation 2" Superion and Menasor Collection Packs. While awesome in their own right, none of those posters were ever featured at public transport stations, so there was still [[Titans Return (toyline)#Notes|room for improvement]]!
[[File:CW HufferBlackjack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Clues hidden in a stock photo. What's next? Alternate heads depicted in instructions?]]
*The existence of Legends Class Huffer and the name of Blackjack were first revealed by a [[stock photography|stock photo]] of Menasor released during [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]]. What appeared to be a plain white background was, with color correction, revealed as a {{w|Mac OS}} screenshot displaying filenames for those two characters. Blackjack could easily be identified as the then unnamed black-and-purple car revealed at SDCC, whilst Huffer's toy was later announced at [[New York Comic Con]].
*In addition, Legends Class Rodimus and Skywarp were accidentally revealed prematurely in January 2015 via official product listings, including stock photos, on the public Hasbro website. This was almost a month before even the wave 3 products of all the main assortments (including Legends Class Groove, Warpath and Viper) would be officially revealed at [[Toy Fair]]. Hasbro quietly pulled the listings for Rodimus and Skywarp from their website and then pretended to "officially" reveal them at [[BotCon 2015]], a whole five months later… by which time they had already been released at retail in Singapore. Whoops.
*The Hasbro product code numbers for the first three waves of Legends Class figures suggest that a different release order was originally planned: Wave 1 would have included Huffer instead of Windcharger, who would have been the sole new figure in the subsequent wave (or, more likely, simply a revision wave), and Blackjack would have been released in the next wave alongside Warpath, Groove and Viper.
*The limb robots substituted out of ''Combiner Wars'' Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, namely [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], also happen to be the same members whose ''[[Kre-O]]'' incarnations were sold separately from their teams. Coincidence? Probably.
[[File:CW Swindle pk US CALA EU.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Like most Deluxe Class figures, Swindle was available with a comic book in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia (left), and with a character card in Canada and Latin America (center) as well as Europe (right).]]
*No wave 2 products of any [[size class]]es of ''Combiner Wars'' were ever officially released in any European markets, with the sole exception of Legends Class Blackjack, who was eventually released as part of a revision of wave 4. Even Motormaster, who was re-released as part of wave 4 of the Voyager Class assortment alongside Battle Core Optimus Prime, was omitted from the European wave 4 case assortment in favor of Silverbolt and Hot Spot. Hooooowever…
* In several instances, Deluxe Class figures appeared in certain markets in packaging not intended for those markets, oftentimes as [[parallel import|imported overstock]]. Those instances include:
**In the United States and other markets that got most Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, the wave 1 Deluxes were initially only released in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging including character cards. This was due to production scheduling problems, and even though Hasbro originally intended to re-release all four figures with comic books (packaged samples exist), ultimately only the comic book version of Dragstrip was released as part of a revision case of wave 2 that saw limited distribution. On top of that, clearance stores such as T.J.Maxx eventually stocked the multilingual Canadian/Latin American character card versions of the wave 4, 5 and 6 figures in late 2016.
**Canadian retailers such as Walmart and Toys"R"Us stocked the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books even ''before'' the "proper" multilingual packaging versions with character cards instead of comic books became available.
**In the United Kingdom and Slovakia, the wave 2 Deluxes (specifically the revision case including Dragstrip) appeared during "silly season" in late 2016 at chains such as Guess How Much! (United Kingdom) and Dráčik (Slovakia) as gray imports in English-only packaging including comic books, making this the first time these figures (minus Dragstrip) were available at European retail, ''long'' after the fact.
**In early 2017, gray imports of the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books also appeared at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, where they warmed shelves alongside their counterparts in regular European packaging sans comic books. According to the multiple (!) import stickers, these truly went around the world, via China and then the United Kingdom, before ending up in continental Europe!
*Overall, this means Canadian/Latin American packaging is the only packaging version all general retail Deluxes were officially available in.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiner Wars| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Combiner Wars (toyline)

2020-11-10T18:07:31Z

Whalermouse: /* Legends Class */

{{nav-CombinerWars}}

[[File:CombinerWarsAppCollage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|The possibilities are almost endless! Sadly, the selection of unique figures is not.]]

'''''Combiner Wars''''' is a [[subline imprint]] of the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' toyline, constituting the first portion of the ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]''.

Debuting at the very end of 2014, it saw Deluxe, Voyager, and some Legends Class figures able to form [[Combiner]] robots, primarily of the Scramble City variety that allows the Deluxe figures to be either an arm or a leg, and allowing mix-and-match combinations. The format for Legends Class was changed once again, dropping the small partner figures of the ''Thrilling 30'' line.

The tradition of including IDW comic books with U.S.<ref name="defus">Australia, New Zealand, and Hasbro's Asian markets typically get toys in whatever format is also used for the United States. The markets that traditionally get multilingual packaging are Canada, Latin America, and Europe. See the image under "notes" for a comparison.</ref> Deluxes (started by the ''[[Thrilling 30]]'' segment) continued, whilst Legends, Voyagers, and non-U.S. Deluxes gained collector cards featuring art taken either from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game, or simply the toy's [[package art]] (which doubles as the comic book cover for the U.S.<ref name="defus"/> version). However, due to production schedule problems,<ref>[http://bwtf.com/events/toyfair2015/interview-part1 Interview with Jerry Jivoin at BWTF.com]</ref> Deluxe wave 1's initial U.S.<ref name="defus"/> release featured the collector cards. Along with the concurrently released ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015 toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' line, ''Combiner Wars'' also heralded the return of [[multilingual packaging]] to the United States<ref name="defus"/> market, now in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The sole exception to this was the Deluxe figures packaged with comic books, which retained English-only packaging.

Meanwhile, ''Combiner Wars'' marked the end of the [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusivity for ''Generations'' figures that had been in effect in several European markets since the launch of the original line in 2010 (which had usually resulted in only one wave per assortment ever being released in Europe). Not only did availability and distribution improve tremendously across the board—the ''Combiner Wars'' figures were even released in European markets where ''Generations'' figures had previously never been available at all! At the same time, European packaging reduced the number of languages from thirteen to a mere four (English, French, German, and Spanish), resulting in a less cluttered packaging design.

After the general retail assortments had run their course, the line was extended for several months via [[giftset]]s of complete teams featuring redecos and retools, referred to as "Collection Packs" in official promotional materials. Those sets were typically "shared exclusives" between online retailers and the online storefronts of "big box" retailers, though they were also available at brick and mortar retail in several non-U.S. markets.

The Japanese version of this line, ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'', was considerably smaller, being almost entirely boxed sets released on a very staggered schedule.

{{bigquote|Courage is stronger when combined|Official tagline for the ''Combiner Wars'' line}}

==Toys==
===General retail===
====Legends Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bombshell (G1)#Generations|Bombshell]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Powerglide (G1)/toys#Generations|Autobot Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Thundercracker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windcharger (G1)/toys#Generations|Windcharger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blackjack (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Huffer (G1)#Generations|Huffer]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Groove]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Viper#Generations|Decepticon Viper]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Warpath (G1)/toys#CWLegends|Warpath]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Generations|Rodimus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CW-toy Viper.jpg|thumb|250px|Legends Class Viper.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Buzzsaw (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Buzzsaw]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Chop Shop (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Chop Shop]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pipes (G1)#Generations|Autobot Pipes]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Shockwave]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wreck-Gar (G1)#Generations|Wreck-Gar]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Deluxe Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Alpha Bravo#Toys|Alpha Bravo]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drag Strip (G1)#Generations|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Fireflight (G1)#Generations|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#Generations|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Air Raid (G1)#Generations|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Breakdown (G1)#Generations|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Dead End (G1)#Combiner Wars|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Offroad (Generations)#Toys|Decepticon Offroad]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Blades (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Blades]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[First Aid (G1)#Generations|Protectobot First Aid]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rook (Generations)#Generations|Protectobot Rook]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Streetwise (G1)#Generations|Protectobot Streetwise]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ironhide]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Mirage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Mirage]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Prowl (G1)/toys#Generations|Prowl]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Sunstreaker (G1)/toys#Generations|Sunstreaker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generationstoy-Firefly.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Firefly.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Brawl (G1)#Combiner Wars|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Swindle (G1)#Combiner Wars|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Vortex (G1)#Combiner Wars|Decepticon Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Wheeljack (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Wheeljack]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Hound (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Hound]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Smokescreen (G1)/toys#Generations|Smokescreen]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Trailbreaker (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Trailbreaker]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{note|For the US market, each figure from wave 2 on came with a reprint of an [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic that supposedly featured the character, but that whole "featured the character" thing didn't always pan out. A comic-book-pack-in variant of Decepticon Dragstrip was later released in a revision of wave 2. Some time later, the full set wave 1 comics (which '''were''' originally solicited for normal retail) were released in a bundle at a Taiwanese comic convention, separate from the figures.}}

====Voyager Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Optimus Prime]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Silverbolt (G1)#Generations|Silverbolt]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Motormaster (G1)#Combiner Wars|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Hot Spot (G1)#Combiner Wars|Protectobot Hot Spot]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Cyclonus (G1)/toys#Generations|Cyclonus]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#CWBC|Battle Core Optimus Prime]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=5|[[File:GenerationsVoyOP.jpg|thumb|250px|Voyager Class Optimus Prime.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Onslaught (G1)#Combiner Wars|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#Generations|Scattershot]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 6'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Sky Lynx (G1)#Generations|Sky Lynx]]}}
</ul>
|}

{{-}}

====Leader Class====
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 1'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 2'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Thundercracker (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Thundercracker]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 3'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys#Generations|Ultra Magnus]] (with [[Minimus Ambus#Generations|Minimus Ambus]])}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 4'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Starscream (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Generations Leader TC.jpg|thumb|250px|Leader Class Thundercracker.]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Wave 5'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Skywarp (G1)/toys#CWLeader|Skywarp]]}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}

====Titan Class====
[[File:CombinerWars TitanDevastator.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Titan Class Devastator]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Devastator (G1)/toys#Generations|Devastator]], giftset of 6 Voyager-sized figures, includes:}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Hook]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
:{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#Generations|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
</ul>
{{-}}

===Exclusives===
===="May Mayhem" Deluxes====
These were officially exclusive to online retailers and comic book stores for the United States market (although a few specimens ended up at retail stores), but were available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets. Not counting store-initiated imports, they were never officially available in Canada, Australia or Europe. Regardless of the markets they were released in, Brake-Neck and Quickslinger were only available in English-only packaging including comic books, whereas Groove was only available in multilingual packaging including a character card instead of a comic book.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2015'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Wildrider (G1)#Generations|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Slingshot (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''2016'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Groove (G1)#CWDeluxe|Protectobot Groove]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

====Convention multi-packs====
While these toys premiered at conventions (most prominently [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2015), they also ended up available through other venues, like the [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] online store, and even at retail in international markets such as Asia and Australia. See individual entries for more information.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Devastator (G1)#Generations|Devastator]] 2015 Special Edition'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bonecrusher (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Bonecrusher]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hook (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Hook]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Long Haul (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Long Haul]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Mixmaster (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Mixmaster]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scavenger (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scavenger]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Scrapper (G1)#SDCC2015|Constructicon Scrapper]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Combiner Hunters'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Arcee (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Arcee]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Chromia (G1)#Combiner Wars|Chromia]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Windblade (G1)#Combiner Wars|Windblade]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|width="20%" valign="top"|
|}
{{-}}

===="Online exclusive" Collection Packs====
Most of these box sets were "shared exclusives" sold by numerous online retailers. Liokaiser, however, was a ''[[Transformers: Platinum Edition|Platinum Edition]]'' set ''officially'' exclusive to Entertainment Earth in the United States… but he was also available from other venues in other markets, and even in the United States, online retailers that got their stock from overseas carried him regardless.

{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Superion (G1)#CWG2|Superion]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a2|[[Air Raid (G1)#CWG2|Air Raid]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Fireflight (G1)#CWG2|Firefly]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Powerglide (G1)#CWG2|Powerglide]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Slingshot (G1)#CWG2|Quickslinger]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Silverbolt (G1)#CWG2|Silverbolt]]}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)#CWG2|Skydive]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Menasor (G1)#CWG2|Menasor]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blackjack (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Blackjack]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Wildrider (G1)#CWG2|Brake-Neck]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Breakdown (G1)#CWG2|Breakdown]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Dead End (G1)#CWG2|Dead End]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Drag Strip (G1)#CWG2|Decepticon Dragstrip]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Motormaster (G1)#CWG2|Motormaster]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Victorion#Generations|Victorion]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Dust Up#Toys|Dust Up]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Jumpstream#Toys|Jumpstream]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Pyra Magna#Toys|Pyra Magna]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Rust Dust#Toys|Rust Dust]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Skyburst (G1)#Toys|Skyburst]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Stormclash#Toys|Stormclash]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Bruticus (G1)#CWG2|Bruticus]]''' (G2 deco)
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d2|[[Blast Off (G1)#CWG2|Blast Off]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Brawl (G1)#CWG2|Brawl]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Onslaught (G1)#CWG2|Onslaught]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Shockwave (G1)/toys#CWG2|Shockwave]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Swindle (G1)#CWG2|Swindle]]}}
{{Bp-d2|[[Vortex (G1)#CWG2|Vortex]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:TF-Platinum-Edition-Combiner-Wars-Liokaiser.jpg|thumb|250px|Collection Pack Liokaiser]]
|-
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Computron (G1)#Generations|Computron]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Afterburner (G1)#Generations|Afterbreaker]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Boltax (G1)#Generations|Cybaxx]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)#Generations|Lightsteed]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Nosecone (G1)#Generations|Nosecone]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scattershot (G1)#CWComputron|Scattershot]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Scrounge (G1)#Generations|Scrounge]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Strafe (G1)#Generations|Strafe]]}}
</ul>
|
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Liokaiser#Generations|Liokaiser]]
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Deathsaurus (Victory)#Generations|Dezarus]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Drillhorn (Victory)#Generations|Drillhorn]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Hellbat (Victory)#Generations|Fellbat]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Guyhawk#Generations|Guyhawk]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ion Scythe#Toys|Ion Scythe]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Killbison#Generations|Ironbison]]}}
</ul>
|}

====Fun Publications====
While the figures and sets listed above were all Hasbro-initiated releases, Hasbro licensee [[Fun Publications]] also branded their [[BotCon 2016]] exclusives and the ''[[Transformers Figure Subscription Service]]'' 4.0 and 5.0 figures as part of the ''Combiner Wars'' line (including figures that weren't part of the "combiner" concept), as opposed to the usual ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' branding for previous FunPub exclusives.

;BotCon 2016
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''[[Predacus]]'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Cicadacon#Generations|General Cicadacon]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ram Horn#Generations|General Ramhorn]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Ravage (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Ravage]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Sea Clamp#Generations|General Sea Clamp]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Tarantulas (BW)#Generations|Predacon Tarantulas]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Souvenir figures'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-m1|[[Airazor (BW)#Generations|Airazor]]}}
{{Bp-p1|[[Megatron (BW)/toys#Generations|Megatron]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Reflector (G1)#Combiner Wars|Reflector]] 3-pack}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Tigatron#Generations|Tigatron]]}}
{{Bp-m1|[[Under-3#Generations|Unit-3]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Customizing Class exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-a1|[[Medix (G1)#Toys|Medix]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel Comics]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] ([[The Transformers (cartoon)|Sunbow cartoon]])}}
{{Bp-a2|[[Ratchet (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'')}}
{{Bp-sa|[[Ratchet (SG)#Toys|Autobot Ratchet]] (''[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'')}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Other exclusives'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Terrorsaur (BW)#Generations|Terrorsaur]] (Attendee freebie)}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Flash Sentry#Toys|Flash Sentry]] (Golden Ticket exclusive)}}
</ul>
|}
{{-}}
;Transformers Figure Subscription Service
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 4.0 (2016)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Bludgeon (G1)#Generations|Bludgeon]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Bluestreak (G1)/toys#Combiner Wars|Bluestreak]]}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Impactor (G1)#Combiner Wars|Impactor]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Needlenose (G1)#Generations|Needlenose]] (with [[Sunbeam (G1)#Generations|Sunbeam]] and [[Zigzag#Generations|Zputty]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Ruckus (G1)#Generations|Grabuge]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Spinister (G1)#Combiner Wars|Spinister]] (with [[Hairsplitter#Generations|Shrute]] and [[Singe#Generations|Singe]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Windsweeper#Generations|Windsweeper]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top"|'''Series 5.0 (2017)'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-p1|[[Fractyl#Generations|Fractyl]] (with [[Scorponok (BW)#Generations|Scorponok]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Lifeline (G1)#Generations|Lifeline]] (with [[Quickslinger (G1)#Generations|Quickslinger]])}}
{{Bp-a1|[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#TFSS|Optimus Prime]] (with [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Megatron (G1)/toys#TFSS|Megatron]] (with [[Spacewarp#Generations|Spacewarp]])}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Punch (G1)#Generations|Counterpunch]]}}
{{Bp-d1|[[Toxitron (G1)#Generations|Toxitron]]}}
{{Bp-sd|[[Starscream (SG)#Generations|Shattered Glass Starscream]]}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Impactor.jpg|thumb|250px|Deluxe Class Impactor]]
|}

===="Special Edition" Deluxe====
In 2018, during the course of ''[[Power of the Primes (toyline)|Power of the Primes]]'', Hasbro released three exclusive Deluxe Class figures in premium-style boxes, each with a [[Prime Master]], to commemorate the ''Prime Wars Trilogy''. Each figure represents one part of the trilogy, and for ''Combiner Wars'' Hasbro used the ''Unite Warriors'' Blast Off mold. Special Edition Blast Off was exclusive to [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]] in North America but available at general retail in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
{| style="margin-left:1em;" width="100%"
|width="100%" valign="top"|'''Amazon'''
<ul class="iconlist">
{{Bp-d1|[[Blast Off (G1)#PWTSE|Decepticon Blast Off]] (w/ [[The Fallen/toys#Combiner Wars|Megatronus]])}}
</ul>
|width="20%" valign="top" rowspan=2|[[File:Combiner-Wars-Special-Edition-Deluxe-Blast-Off.jpg|thumb|300px|Special Edition Deluxe Class Blast Off]]
|}

==Notes==
[[File:CombinerWarsPosterAds.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.0|Advertising is stronger when using social media]]
*Early in the toy line's life cycle, Hasbro advertised the figures with two "movie" style posters published on Facebook, alternatively depicting Superion and the Aerialbots, or Menasor and the Stunticons.<ref name="fbads">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2015/05/24/transformers-combiner-wars-superion-and-menasor-posters-182820 Combiner Wars "movie poster" adverts] at TFW2005</ref> The same artwork was later used for the posters included with the "Generation 2" Superion and Menasor Collection Packs. While awesome in their own right, none of those posters were ever featured at public transport stations, so there was still [[Titans Return (toyline)#Notes|room for improvement]]!
[[File:CW HufferBlackjack.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Clues hidden in a stock photo. What's next? Alternate heads depicted in instructions?]]
*The existence of Legends Class Huffer and the name of Blackjack were first revealed by a [[stock photography|stock photo]] of Menasor released during [[San Diego Comic-Con]] [[2014]]. What appeared to be a plain white background was, with color correction, revealed as a {{w|Mac OS}} screenshot displaying filenames for those two characters. Blackjack could easily be identified as the then unnamed black-and-purple car revealed at SDCC, whilst Huffer's toy was later announced at [[New York Comic Con]].
*In addition, Legends Class Rodimus and Skywarp were accidentally revealed prematurely in January 2015 via official product listings, including stock photos, on the public Hasbro website. This was almost a month before even the wave 3 products of all the main assortments (including Legends Class Groove, Warpath and Viper) would be officially revealed at [[Toy Fair]]. Hasbro quietly pulled the listings for Rodimus and Skywarp from their website and then pretended to "officially" reveal them at [[BotCon 2015]], a whole five months later… by which time they had already been released at retail in Singapore. Whoops.
*The Hasbro product code numbers for the first three waves of Legends Class figures suggest that a different release order was originally planned: Wave 1 would have included Huffer instead of Windcharger, who would have been the sole new figure in the subsequent wave (or, more likely, simply a revision wave), and Blackjack would have been released in the next wave alongside Warpath, Groove and Viper.
*The limb robots substituted out of ''Combiner Wars'' Superion, Menasor, and Defensor, namely [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]], [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]], and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]], also happen to be the same members whose ''[[Kre-O]]'' incarnations were sold separately from their teams. Coincidence? Probably.
[[File:CW Swindle pk US CALA EU.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.67|Like most Deluxe Class figures, Swindle was available with a comic book in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Asia (left), and with a character card in Canada and Latin America (center) as well as Europe (right).]]
*No wave 2 products of any [[size class]]es of ''Combiner Wars'' were ever officially released in any European markets, with the sole exception of Legends Class Blackjack, who was eventually released as part of a revision of wave 4. Even Motormaster, who was re-released as part of wave 4 of the Voyager Class assortment alongside Battle Core Optimus Prime, was omitted from the European wave 4 case assortment in favor of Silverbolt and Hot Spot. Hooooowever…
* In several instances, Deluxe Class figures appeared in certain markets in packaging not intended for those markets, oftentimes as [[parallel import|imported overstock]]. Those instances include:
**In the United States and other markets that got most Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books, the wave 1 Deluxes were initially only released in multilingual Canadian/Latin American packaging including character cards. This was due to production scheduling problems, and even though Hasbro originally intended to re-release all four figures with comic books (packaged samples exist), ultimately only the comic book version of Dragstrip was released as part of a revision case of wave 2 that saw limited distribution. On top of that, clearance stores such as T.J.Maxx eventually stocked the multilingual Canadian/Latin American character card versions of the wave 4, 5 and 6 figures in late 2016.
**Canadian retailers such as Walmart and Toys"R"Us stocked the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books even ''before'' the "proper" multilingual packaging versions with character cards instead of comic books became available.
**In the United Kingdom and Slovakia, the wave 2 Deluxes (specifically the revision case including Dragstrip) appeared during "silly season" in late 2016 at chains such as Guess How Much! (United Kingdom) and Dráčik (Slovakia) as gray imports in English-only packaging including comic books, making this the first time these figures (minus Dragstrip) were available at European retail, ''long'' after the fact.
**In early 2017, gray imports of the wave 4 Deluxes in English-only packaging including comic books also appeared at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, where they warmed shelves alongside their counterparts in regular European packaging sans comic books. According to the multiple (!) import stickers, these truly went around the world, via China and then the United Kingdom, before ending up in continental Europe!
*Overall, this means Canadian/Latin American packaging is the only packaging version all general retail Deluxes were officially available in.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Combiner Wars| ]]
[[Category:Subline imprint]]
[[Category:Toylines]]

Steeljaw (G1)

2020-11-07T05:12:13Z

Whalermouse:

{{disambig3|Steeljaw}}
{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|autobird}}
:''Steeljaw is an [[Autobot]] [[Autobot Mini-Cassette|Mini-Cassette]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:Steeljawboxart.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Ravage may get more screentime, but Steeljaw always beats Ravage to the catnip.]]
Where [[Ravage (G1)|the Decepticon cassette with a cat-mode]] is a master of moving about undetected, it is fitting that his Autobot counterpart is one of the best at tracking down robots who don't want to be found. '''Steeljaw''' (aka '''Cubbie''') is a tenacious tracker of unmatched skill, whose [[Sensors|olfactory sensors]] can track even the faintest scent for a range of 800 miles. All business when on the job, he can come off as cold, even rude to others, but that's just his professionalism and determination getting the better of him. Off the clock, he loves to investigate odors of all shapes and sizes, and Earth has many new and unusual smells for him to enjoy - the perfume of young women being one of his favorites. Steeljaw has a nearly unbreakable bite, from which he takes his name, and is armed with two solar-powered pellet guns. He can electromagnetize himself to stick to surfaces in cassette mode. His only real weakness is a tendency to [[rust]].

{{bigquote|My man Steeljaw can sniff out any trail — if it's hot or if it's not.|[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]|"[[Madman's Paradise]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|N/A (English, see [[#Notes|Notes]]), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese)}}

In 2005, during Megatron's attack on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] ejected several of his cassette warriors to prevent Blaster from sending a radio transmission to [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] on [[Moonbase One]]. To fend off Soundwave's cassettes, Blaster ejected his own force, including Steeljaw. Blaster's cassettes and Soundwave's cassettes appeared to be evenly matched, and Steeljaw had no small bit of fun gnawing on [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}
{{note|Steeljaw’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "[[Transformers: The Animated Movie]]."}}

[[File:SteeljawRamhornCallPrimitives.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Guess which band he has recorded on himself.]]
In the year 2006, Steeljaw was summoned by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] to help track down [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]], after he vanished from a dignitary's party on Cybertron. Steeljaw tracked the boy and [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] to an old abandoned corridor and a hidden chamber, where the [[Quintesson]]s had once exiled their unwanteds into other dimensions. Along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]], Blaster and the other cassettes, Steeljaw followed the trail into [[Menonia]]. He ultimately found Daniel trying to free a great sorcerer known as the [[Golden One]] from a tomb. With [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]]'s help, they broke open the mouth of the cave, and the Golden One helped the Autobots defeat the Quintesson exile who had enslaved the locals. {{storylink|Madman's Paradise}}

Steeljaw also helped recover a lost Quintesson journal, {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}, briefly fought alongside Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus in Europe {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}, and was chosen as a "Primitive" by [[Oracle (G1)|Primacron's Assistant]] to face the threat of [[Tornedron]]. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====Scramble City: Mobilization=====
Megatron sent [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to find the secret location of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s construction site. Blaster ejected his own cassette troops, Steeljaw among them, to counter the Decepticon threat. His cassette army failed, allowing Ratbat to slip through and discover the location of Metroplex. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
{{note|In this series, Steeljaw had the power to talk in normal Japanese.}}

[[File:GreatCassetteOperation sad Steeljaw.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|Sleeping on a hard surface always makes Steeljaw's neck feel stiff. That and that fact that 85% of his upper back is a damned metal box.]]
Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes journeyed to the Arctic with Blaster to help [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] in the search for the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. They confronted the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacon]]s and Steeljaw battled the tiger, [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]. Tragedy struck when Blaster was killed in battle with his arch-foe, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]]. Steeljaw tried to recover whatever remnants of his friend that he could. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Steeljaw and the Cassettes mourned the loss of their friend so greatly that they couldn't even go on missions. Eventually, Rodimus Prime had Blaster rebuilt using [[Master (planet)|Master]] technology as [[Twincast]]. Reunited, Steeljaw and Twincast infiltrated [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and the planet [[Chaar]] to stop Galvatron's [[Madmachine]] from being used against the Autobots. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} Later, in a form of stealth mission usually reserved for ''Decepticon'' Cassettes, Ramhorn and Steeljaw somehow managed to reach Chaar on their own and spy on [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], learning all about his plans for [[plasma energy]]. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

After the Decepticons abandoned the solar system to seek out more energy, Twincast, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes joined Fortress' crew in hunting them down. On [[Paradise]], Steeljaw was dispatched on a scouting mission, and learned [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] had been kidnapped by the Decepticons. He alerted Twincast to what he had discovered. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}}

[[File:GreatCassetteOperation cassette walkoff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

Back on Earth, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes ejected to help Twincast gather information on the recent upsurge of Decepticon activity. Steeljaw and Twincast went to investigate a non-responsive outpost in Alaska, only to discover Scorponok had eliminated all the Autobots stationed there. They were spotted by [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], and Twincast commanded Steeljaw to flee back to Autobot City with their report. Steeljaw remained behind, hidden by a rocky outcrop, long enough to see his commander shot down by the Ninja Commander, and vowed to return with help. True to his silent vow, Steeljaw, eventually came back with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] and Metroplex. Now ''that's'' a cavalry. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} When the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, Steeljaw and his fellow Mini-Cassettes did some investigating to make sure they were gone. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

In the final battle at the North Pole, Steeljaw and the Mini-Cassettes were unleashed on [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] to save the Headmasters. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
{{-}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}}}

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[File:TGGSteeljaw.jpg|thumb|Both a noble protector and apparently rather creepy.]]
As [[Teletraan 15]] recovered from her injuries at the hands (and mouth) of [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]], [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] gave her a cassette tape to cheer her up, saying, "A princess like you deserves happier music." When she listened to it, she discovered that it was in fact entirely full of depressing songs. {{storylink|Blaster Volume}}

It was also apparently Steeljaw, who became her companion in her next adventure, when she visited the ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)|Generation 2]]'' timeframe and encountered the [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] of that era. Steeljaw commented that the Autobot smelled "like a warrior I know" and asked if he was the same person in a new body. {{storylink|Steeljaw Volume}} {{storylink|Battle Convoy Volume}}

Steeljaw accompanied and protected Teletraan 15 on her journey as she filled his recording space with data on the Transformers whom she had been sent to study. {{storylink|Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go! Volume 14}} The observing [[Teletraan 10]], on the other hand, was more than perturbed by Steeljaw's fondness for the smell of young women, and threatened to reveal publicly his tendency to rust. When the pair returned to the artificial satellite [[Nana]], Teletraan 15 was suddenly possessed by the disembodied spirit of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]... and Steeljaw was not seen in her company again. {{storylink|Starscream? Volume}}
{{-}}
=====''Legends'' comic=====
In the year 2021, Steeljaw and the other cassettes were inside Twincast when a battle caused many Autobots to be infected with "[[blackball]]s", thus saving them from the same fate. They left Twincast's body before it was destroyed by blackballs, and aided in converting him and others into [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Headmasters Chapter Prologue}} Steeljaw then accompanied the group to the [[Legends World]] in search of new bodies for everyone who'd been reduced to heads. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 21|Bonus Edition Vol. 21}} He and the other cassettes were released from Twincast's service when he returned to being Blaster and set out to be a professional musician. {{storylink|Legends Comic: Bonus Edition Vol. 27|Bonus Edition Vol. 27}}

====Ask Vector Prime====
In an amalgamated universe created by the machinations of [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] and [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]], Steeljaw was one of the many cassettes deployed by Blaster against [[gbwiki:Re-Volt|Re-Volt]], [[gbwiki:Chaos|Chaos]], and [[gbwiki:Traitor|Traitor]] when the [[Renegade]]s tried to breach Autobot City. {{storylink|Echoes and Fragments}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[File:Arcee rewind steeljaw.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hold the Quintessons' what?]]
====Marvel UK future timelines====
In an alternate timeline of the year 2008, Steeljaw was stationed at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]] when it was sacked by [[Quintesson]]s. He survived, hidden within [[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]]'s tape compartment, and was activated by [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] to help them fight off the invaders. {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
Steeljaw was part of a team sent by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to stop a [[Cobra]]-rebuilt [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. Steeljaw was killed rather abruptly, being the first victim of Megatron's new [[rail gun]]. {{storylink|Final Transformations}}

====''Classics''====
[[File:Recordicons13-Steeljaw.jpg|thumb|150px]]
Steeljaw looked forward to meeting negative-polarity [[Ravage (SG)|Ravage]], but was taken aback when Ravage socked him and announced they would be enemies forever. {{storylink|Recordicons issue 13|Recordicons #13}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{Unreleased WW comic}}
After the Decepticons had taken over Cybertron, Steeljaw accompanied Blaster as he used an ancient map of Cybertron's depths to infiltrate Megatron's slave camp, only for them to be discovered by Megatron himself. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.4}}

Steeljaw was with Blaster when Optimus rallied the splintered Autobot forces into an organized resistance movement against [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s totalitarian rule of Cybertron. He participated in the final conflict against the Decepticons and the [[Guardian robot]]s, bringing the planet back under Autobot control. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Steeljaw squared off against Ravage as the carnage of a savage Autobot-Decepticon battle raged around them. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
:*''First Appearance:'' [[Before & After|Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #12]]

[[File:Before&After Overkill vs Autobots.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]

In the era of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]], Steeljaw was seen among the crowd of protesters rallying against the [[Outback (G1)|Autobot cop]] who reportedly killed an unarmed [[Hefter|Decepticon agitator]]. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 1: To Walk Among the Chosen|To Walk Among the Chosen}}

Steeljaw joined the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'' on their search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. He and [[Chromedome (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Chromedome]] battled [[Overkill (G1)|Overkill]] on [[Sensensica]] where a group of Decepticons were practicing [[pink alchemy]] on the inhabitants. {{storylink|Before & After}}

{{-}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
Realities where [[Stinger (G1)|Stinger]], [[Bolts]], Cubbie, and [[Stripes]] were among Blaster's cassettes often included Anibots as well. [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] thought it cruel to keep them in a [[roboto-zoo]] but [[Vector Prime]] saw little alternative. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/24}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Blaster deployed Steeljaw in the final battle with the Decepticons and [[Cobra]], during which he was ridden into battle by an unidentified [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|''[[Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Transformers #21]]''}}

Alongside [[Tap-Out (Universe)|Tap-Out]], Steeljaw volunteered to provide security for Blaster's communications hub. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: Tremors|Tremors}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Legends''===
Steeljaw was among Blaster's team which infiltrated a human base in an attempt to prevent the Decepticons raiding the technology there. Unfortunately they discovered that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his tapes had beaten them to it. {{storylink|Espionage}}
===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{note|Steeljaw appears as a wearable accessory in the game.}}
{{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}
{{charstubgame|Who is he an accessory for? Does he do anything, game-play wise? How about adding to the note how much it costs?}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
Steeljaw - alongside Ramhorn, Eject, and Rewind - are minions released by Blaster as the larger bot's special ability.

==Toys==
===The Transformers===
*'''Rewind / Steeljaw''' (Cassette 2-pack, 1986/1987)
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

: Steeljaw transforms from a microcassette into a robotic lion. His cassette mold can fit in the tape compartments of [[Blaster (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Blaster]] and [[Soundwave (G1)/toys#The Transformers|Soundwave]] (and the many other iterations thereof). For the [[Hasbro]] line, he was only available in a two-pack with [[Rewind (G1)#Toys|Rewind]].

: There is a notable [[Variant|variation]] concerning Steeljaw's add-on weapons; initial releases have gold-colored chrome, while later (and more common) versions have silver-chromed weapons. Unlike the humanoid Autobot cassettes, Steeljaw did ''not'' get tape-detailing changes later in the line's run.

: It is commonly assumed that the sticker design for his details in cassette mode was originally intended to go on the other side; not only would the "sunburst" line up perfectly with the seams that way, it would also give the impression of a lion's "mane" in robot mode. The most likely reason for the reversal is the fact that it matches the orientation of [[Ravage (G1)/toys#Generation 1|Ravage]]'s sticker details.

: This mold was later used to make [[Nightstalker (G1)#Toys|Nightstalker]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Steeljaw/steeljaw.htm More information on Steeljaw at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|G1Japan}}
*'''Steeljaw''' (Cassettebot, 1986/1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-65''', '''C-120'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns", cassette case (1987 only)

: In Japan, Steeljaw — like most of the "Cassettebots" and "Cassettetrons" — was only (originally) available on his own single card, first released in the Japanese line's second year. He was released again in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (toyline)#1987 (The Headmasters)|Headmasters]]''-themed third year, this time packaged in a small box with a new ID number, plus a small clear-plastic cassette case he could be stored in.

: Both releases of Steeljaw only came with gold-chrome weapons.

{{-}}{{anchor|TwincastG1}}
*'''Twincast''' (Autobot, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-116'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

: Steeljaw was later packed in with [[Blaster (G1)/toys#TwincastG1|Twincast]], the "reborn" version of Blaster. Also, this version is made of two slightly different colored yellow plastics. His body is the same color as other releases, while his legs, feet, head, and tail are a shade lighter.

{{-}}

===The Transformers Collection===
*'''Broadcast''' (Autobot, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''TFC-21'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns", cassette case

: Although he had originally been packed in with Twincast in Japan, for ''[[The Transformers Collection]]'' series, Steeljaw came with plain old Blaster instead; his place in the ''[[Collector's Edition]]'' Twincast re-release taken by [[Flip Sides (G1)#Collector's Edition|Flip Sides]]. He also came with a clear-plastic cassette case to be "stored" in, which was originally available only with the first three individual Cassettetrons: [[Frenzy (G1)/toys|Frenzy]], [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys|Laserbeak]], and [[Ravage (G1)/toys|Ravage]]. This version of Steeljaw featured gold weapons, one yellow plastic color, and stickers for his tape details.

{{-}}

===Encore===
*'''Great Cassette Operation 2''' (2009)
**''Encore number'': '''17'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns", cassette case

: As part of the ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' Generation 1 [[Generation 1 reissues|reissue]] line, Steeljaw was released with [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], and [[Slugfest (G1)|Slugfest]]. His add-on weapons are gold-colored. As with the version released with the Twincast reissue, the feet, legs, and tail are a much lighter color of yellow plastic than the rest of the body. The metal on his legs are a bright silver and his stickers are now tampographs, yet the cassette details are still on the wrong side.

:In 2014, this set, as well as the other two cassette four-packs, were re-released as lucky draw prizes for the ''Transformers Celebration 2014'' event held at Ikebukuro Sunshine City store's [[Toys"R"Us]], though this was very likely just leftover stock.
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[File:G1toy-Steeljaw.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|And the sunburst mane is ''still'' on the wrong end.]]
*'''Autobot Blaster''' (2010)
**''Series:'' '''G1 Series'''
**''Accessories'': Left and right "Solar-Powered Pellet Guns"

:Steeljaw was available in this [[Hasbro Toy Shop]] [[exclusive]] reissue of Blaster (originally available at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2010) alongside [[Ramhorn (G1)#Universe (2008)|Ramhorn]] and [[Eject (G1)#Universe (2008)|Eject]]. Released as part of the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|''Universe'' toyline]], the packaging also has a special foil-detailed outer slip case. This release has the gold-colored weapons and consistent yellow color throughout his body, similar to the ''Transformers Collection'' release, but tampographed tape details, like the ''Encore'' release, only darker in color. The cassette details are still on the wrong side, alas.

:This set was also made available at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong Fair 2010.
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[File:Generations-Platinum-Edition-Autobot-Intel-Ops-Blaster.jpg|thumb|400px]]
*'''Autobot Intel Ops''' (2015)
**''Accessories'': Concussion rifle, missile launcher, 3 missiles, 6 slides, slide holder

:Hasbro again released [[Blaster (G1)/toys#Platinum Edition|Blaster]] in 2015 as part of the [[Transformers: Platinum Edition|''Platinum Edition'']] toyline. He was co-packed with [[Perceptor (G1)#IntelOps|Perceptor]], [[Eject (G1)#Generations|Eject]], [[Ramhorn (G1)#Generations|Ramhorn]], and Steeljaw in a box with an opening front cover. Blaster and the cassettes appear to be identical to the previous ''Universe'' release.

:In the United States, this set was officially a [[Target]] exclusive, though it was initially only ever found at a single Target store, otherwise only available via the company's website. It was later revealed that multiple Target stores had kept it in their stockroom and eventually put it out on instant clearance many months later. However, it was also stocked by US-based online retailers [[BigBadToyStore]] and TFSource, who supposedly obtained it as an import from Asia. It was available in several of Hasbro's Asian markets (namely Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore; it's currently unknown whether it was exclusive to any particular stores there or not). In Australia, it was sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores.

:In the United Kingdom, it was both sold at [[Toys"R"Us]] stores and officially available via the UK division of [[Amazon (website)|Amazon]], making this the first official UK release of all the toys contained within! In Spain, it was officially available via the Spanish division of Amazon. In Germany, it was originally available via Bankroft as part of a special "Fan Edition" arrangement through Hasbro Germany, with the help of several German [[fandom|fan]] sites. Due to low sales, the unsold stock was later sold to online retailer Actionfiguren24.
{{-}}
===Transformers Trading Card Game===
[[File:Steeljaw35A.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Steeljaw, Tracker''' (2019)
**'''Blaster vs. Soundwave: 35th Anniversary Edition'''
**''Rarity: '''''RT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T04/T08'''
**''Stars: ''5
:Steeljaw, Tracker was released in the [[Transformers Trading Card Game]] Blaster vs. Soundwave box set. The box also includes the character cards [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], Communications, [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], Communications, [[Eject (G1)|Eject]], Electronic Surveillance, [[Ramhorn (G1)|Ramhorn]], Warrior, [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], Spy, [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]], Warrior, and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], Saboteur, along with two ready to play 40 card battle decks themed around both Blaster and Soundwave.

:In order to represent Steeljaw's size as a [[Mini-Cassette]], the card is the same size as a battle card, about half the size of a standard character card.

:The first release of this set was a 35th Anniversary Edition was initially released at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] 2019 alongside the TCG's [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]] Convention Pack, and later available online on [[Hasbro Pulse]]. The 35th Anniversary Edition features throwback artwork, with the original G1 Steeljaw packaging art on the Bot Mode side, and original artwork matching the G1 packaging art aesthetic for Alt Mode. This original Alt Mode artwork was drawn by [[Marcelo Matere]] and colored by [[Brian Valeza]].
{{-}}
[[File:BvSSteeljaw.jpg|thumb]]
*'''Steeljaw, Tracker''' (2019)
**'''Blaster vs. Soundwave'''
**''Rarity: '''''RT'''
**''Card Number: '''''T04/T08'''
**''Stars: ''5

:This version of Steeljaw, Tracker was released as part of the general retail version of the Transformers Trading Card Game Blaster vs. Soundwave box set.

:Gameplay-wise the card is identical to the 35th Anniversary Edition of the set, and features different artwork reused from the ''[[Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Transformers Legends]]'' mobile game.
{{-}}

==Notes==
*For the original draft of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' and several revisions, Steeljaw was going to be called "'''Cubbie'''".<ref>[http://boltax.blogspot.com/2010/12/heritaage-auctions-transformers-movie.html TFTM script draft at Disciples of Boltax]</ref><ref>[http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/transformers.html Early script for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' at dailyscript.com]</ref> Between the original draft and actual product, Cubbie/Steeljaw is the only [[Autobot Mini-Cassette]] whose concept did not change.
*Where Ravage and Laserbeak had dedicated vocal performers in the Generation 1 animated series, the noises Steeljaw makes are mostly library sound effects of growling, hissing cats, and metallic "wronk wonk" sounds, with the occasional human-made sniff or snort that was probably delivered by whatever actor was handy.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Steeljaw''' (スチールジョー ''Suchīrujō'')
*''French:'' '''Machoire''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Fender'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Gāng È''' (Taiwan, 鋼顎, "Steel Jaw"), '''Gāngqián''' (China, 钢钳, "Steel Clamp")
*''Russian:'' '''Stal'noj''' (Стальной, "Made of Steel")
*''Spanish:'' '''Carter''' (America ''The Headmasters'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Cats]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Mini-Cassettes]]
[[Category:Platinum Edition]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Trackers]]

Spacewarp

2020-11-07T05:08:11Z

Whalermouse: /* Universe (2003) */

{{faction|decepticon|minicon}}
:''Spacewarp is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Unicron Trilogy]] [[continuity family]] (via the [[Transformers: Universe (2003 franchise)|2003 Universe toyline]]).''

[[File:Ask Vector Prime Spacewarp's Log.jpg|thumb|250px|She assures us. The faceplate. Comes. Off.]]

It's not that '''Spacewarp''' ''tries'' to be arrogant... it's just that she's really quite good at what she does, and she won't let you forget it. A gifted flier with a space-capable [[alternate mode]], Spacewarp's travelled the length and breadth of the [[galaxy]] and consequently fancies herself something of a swashbuckling adventurer. There's nowhere in space that she won't go, and no planet or culture too weird for her to explore. Spacewarp's inseparable [[Mini-Con]] companion [[Foldspace]] keeps her company during her long voyages. More recently, she's teamed up with the [[Interstellar Marauders Mini-Con Team|Interstellar Marauder]]s; when they're not combining into the [[Transwarp Blaster]], her "crew" keeps her company on her lonely voyages through uncharted territory.

Although Spacewarp ''tries'' to stay out of trouble when she can, circumstances have a way of quickly getting out of hand and invariably roping her into yet another madcap adventure. Even though she's nominally a [[Decepticon]], Spacewarp has often found herself performing good deeds on her many voyages. She's admitted a grudging respect for the [[Autobot]]s, once you can get past their holier-than-thou attitude and their tendency to judge Decepticons on sight.

With a [[cy-gar]] in her mouth and the power of the Transwarp Blaster on her side, there's nothing in the universe that she fears.

==Fiction==
===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Aurex 006.0 Kappa]], Spacewarp rescued Foldspace from the clutches of [[Maxa Quintesson|Maxa Q]], thus earning his loyalty. She got her hands on the [[Maelstrom Exchequer]] on planet [[Sargasso]], then used it as the buy-in for a high-stakes game of [[Cybertronian games|Triad]] being held on [[Monacus]]. Despite playing against such powerhouses as [[Initial T]], [[Lord Imperious Delirious|Lord Delirious]], [[Drelnar Feh'd|Senator Feh'd]] of the [[Mirtonian constellation|Dominion of Mirtonia]], the Blood Tyrant [[Gastrathrameferous III]] of [[Shi-La]], Mobedyar [[Daggerthrust the Lesser]] of [[Vestum Minor]], and [[Sideways (Armada)|Sideways]], she managed to bluff her way to victory, earning the [[Transwarp Blaster]] as her prize.

With the help of Foldspace, she was able to break the [[Interstellar Marauders Mini-Con Team]] out of their [[stasis lock]] with [[proton energy]], enabling them to once again exist as individuals. [[Boom Tube]], [[Starburst]], and [[Jump Drive]] pledged their loyalty to her in gratitude.

This crew went on to menace [[Vector Prime]] while he was attempting to aid [[Primus]] in warding off the [[dark matter]] spewing forth from the [[Unicron Singularity]]. Despite having no innate ability to travel through time or dimensions, she was able to lock on to Vector Prime and follow him when he attempted such maneuvers. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/17}}

===Spacewarp's Log===
{{note|Owing to the non-linear nature of the column, the exact chronology of Spacewarp's adventures isn't clear. We've opted to mostly order them by the date that they were published.}}

In her youth, Spacewarp was a far more innocent bot, naïve to the ways of the universe. She originally worked for [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] as a long-distance scout, although thousands of years of being alone had already caused her to start questioning Decepticon extremism. On one mission, she was tasked with tracking a group of Mini-Con deserters. The trail led her to [[Tasumo|Tasmos]], where she encountered a holographic fleet of ships and [[Medulus]]—an organic [[alien]] who had abandoned his physical body along with the other Tasmians. The Tasmians provided her with some upgrades, although she declined to talk about just ''how'' they'd upgraded her body. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/30}}

Spacewarp was stranded for several million years on the war-torn planet of [[Purgatory (planet)|Purgatory]], where she turned the perpetual war in favour of the [[Gadreel]]. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/27}}

Spacewarp had many adventures between the end of the Powerlinx Battles and the beginning of the Unicron Singularity crisis. On one of her more notable adventures, she encountered [[Dinosaur Ace]] and [[Gorilla Ambrosius]], defenders of the planet [[S'elar]]. The three teamed up to take down the nefarious [[Prince Diabolicus]], who had cursed the sector with a [[Chrono-Hex]]. Spacewarp would cross paths with Dinosaur Ace later on. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/31}}

Another time, she encountered [[Thunderblast (Decepticon)|Thunderblast]], [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], and [[Crumplezone (Cybertron)|Crumplezone]] in the [[Spensifax System]]. The two fem-bots stole the schematics for a [[Reciprocating Inverted Subspace Knife|RISK]], and wound up on the run from the two dimwitted [[Velocitron]]ians. Spacewarp eventually got away with the plans, and Thunderblast patched things up with her friends. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/28}}

On [[Dykayra]], Spacewarp stumbled across a Cybertronian cult who worshipped the "[[Last Autobot|Ultimate Warrior]]". One thing led to another, and before long she found herself tied up as part of a ritual sacrifice to their living god. Spacewarp managed to bluff her way out of this sticky situation by demanding to face the Ultimate Warrior in combat. After turning the Ultimate Warrior's flock against him, Spacewarp fled the scene but bumped into [[Fracture (Cybertron)|Fracture]]'s ship before she could escape. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/28}}

After a misadventure on [[Tetra Gar]], Spacewarp bummed around on [[Serton]] for a while. The native robots begged her to investigate rumors of sea monsters kidnapping the locals. Spacewarp discovered the ruined city of [[Sertlantia]], which had been repurposed into a base by a group of rogue [[Insecticon (Energon)|Insecticon]]s. Their leader, [[Chromhorn]], was attempting to salvage the [[Temporal Analysis & Replication Dampening Interference Subjugator]] using kdinapped slaves. Spacewarp tricked him into merging with the machine, ending the menace. She got a useful Sertlantian time window out of the adventure. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/29}}

On another adventure, Spacewarp was tracking down [[Pya'dorus the Pitiless]], a search which took her to [[Tharkoros II]]. She discovered that Pya'dorus had made a deal with the native [[Clonemaster]]s to create thousands of duplicates of himself. Realizing that she needed to find the original, she headed to the Clonemaster's sanctum. There, she discovered that Pya'dorus had created a [[Spacewarp clone|remote-controlled clone]] of Spacewarp, forcing the Decepticon to battle against her doppelgänger. Spacewarp triumphed after tricking her doppelganger into smashing the cloning apparatus. The thousands of Pya'dorus clones developed sentience and immediately began trying to off one another and the Clonemasters. Spacewarp was unmoved by the Clonemaster's protests that she'd ruined their civilization. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/31}}

While in the [[Moldavite]] system, Spacewarp worked as a mercenary. While patrolling the planet [[Pellucidus]], she discovered a secret civilization of subterranean Moldavites inhabiting the lost world of Inner Pellucidus. She was taken hostage by [[Teximite Morbidius]] and his warband of rowdy bugboys. Before they could hang her, she was resuced by a group of Valkyries and brought back to their queen, the Autobot [[Chromia (Cybertron)|Chromia]] {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/11/07}} Spacewarp dueled the Autobot, but wound up rescuing her. The two opted to join forces in their fight against the bugboys, deposing Teximite and brokering peace between the male and female Moldavites. Using some [[gurunium]], the two Cybertronians escaped the inner world and returned to the surface. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/11/14}}

On another adventure, [[Hourglass]] sent her to 31st century [[Earth]]. There, she encountered [[King Arthur]] and the [[Spectral Knight]]s, who were waging war against the [[Inhumanoid]]s and [[Darkling Lord]]s. Although they believed her to be an enemy at first, Spacewarp and the Spectral Knights formed alliance. Using her alternate mode, she ferried [[Ramak]] and [[Galadria]] up to the moon, where they rescued the twin infants of the Lunarian Queen [[Mahina]] from the Darkling Lord [[Braxe]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/12/05}}

While on the planet [[Regalis III]], what should have been a simple trip to buy some black market [[power converter]]s turned into a battle to save the galaxy, pitting Spacewarp against a crazed cult intent on opening a portal to another dimension. Spacewarp saved the day, but she had to pay full price for the converters. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/12/12}}

On the steampunk world of [[Varus VI]], Spacewarp found herself on the wrong end of a local mob boss. It looked like the end for her, but she was saved by [[Odysseus]], a [[human]] hero who had attained immortality through a series of improbable adventures. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/17}}

Spacewarp was searching for the enigmatic [[Bombshell (Cybertron)|Bombshell]] when she flew too close to a [[black hole]]. Foldspace's quick thinking saved them both from being crushed, but unbeknownst to either they had emerged in a [[Xobitor|different universe]] in the 22nd century. When they returned to where Cybertron ''should'' have been, they discovered a rocky planet in its place. Before she could process this, Spacewarp was attacked and nearly shot down by a nearby [[Ejoornian]] ship, only to be saved by a group of primitive-looking mechanoids. They introduced themselves as the [[Terrakor]]s, and as thanks Spacewarp carried them and their human companions back down to the planet, which they called [[Skalorr]]. They filled the Decepticon in on their history, and Spacewarp noted that as a Decepticon, she felt a kinship with the villainous cyborgs. Before she could find a way back to her home reality, however, she was double-crossed by the Terrakor leader Nemesis! The Terrakors' human allies pinned down Foldspace while she herself was surrounded by the Terrakors.

Although Foldspace managed to escape and fly away, the Terrakors dragged Spacewarp to an abandoned laboratory, intending to dissect her and use her as spare parts. Before Tyrannix and Gaxon could begin the procedure, the heroic [[Protecton]]s, whom Foldspace had convinced to help, intervened, easily defeating the Terrakors. Spacewarp, Foldspace, and the Protectons retreated back to the ruined city of Zanadon. Once again, Spacewarp tried to leave—but this time, the [[Compu-Core]], the source of all [[Robotix]], had malfunctioned. Unable to live with the guilt of letting two sentient races die on her watch, Spacewarp pledged to help repair the Compu-Core with parts from a nearby computer lab. Spacewarp and Bront guarded the lab while Nara and the humans investigated. They discovered, however, that the Terrakors had reached the lab first, and had turned its machinery against the Protectons! {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/23}}

Spacewarp helped repulse the Terrakors from the lab, but damaged her engines in the process. And without the right tools to replace the circuit sphere, the Protectons would need to search elsewhere. The team set up camp for the night, only to be attacked by over a dozen ape-like mutants, who took Sphero and Bront hostage. Spacewarp and Tauron managed to sneak in and spring the duo from the clutches of the monsters. On returning to Zanador, the group discovered that Argus—leader of the Protectons—and the skeleton crew they'd left behind had been ambushed by the full force of the Terrakors. Luckily, Spacewarp's engines had repaired themselves overnight, and her airborne alternate mode helped turn the tide. After the Compu-Core was repaired, Spacewarp finally managed to leave Skalorr behind, but not without wishing Argus and his forces well in their continuing battles against the Terrakors. She managed to return to her native dimension after a wild adventure involving all sorts of bizarre characters (but she assured us it'd be nothing we find interesting). {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/24}}

Once she ended up in Axiom Nexus, she took a job as a fill-in host for [[Axiom Nexus News|ANN]]'s [[Ask Vector Prime]] column until such time as she could bamboozle her way off-world. Among her exploits include getting [[Armored Corps]] drunk so she could rob him. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/27}} On another adventure, she helped her friend [[Treadbolt]] bamboozle local crime boss [[B'hgdad]], stealing a mythical [[Bird]] statue for herself. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/29}} She, Treadbolt, and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] were known to hit the town together. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Spacewarp's Log (1), 2015/10/31}}

After the [[Shroud]] wrecked dimensional travel, Axiom Nexus expedited visas for space-capable travellers like Spacewarp and she took the chance to fly off. Soon after being voted the second-best guest host of Ask Vector Prime, she agreed to report on her exploits exploring the galaxy to ANN. This was to be of great value to Axiom Nexus's stellar cartographers (and for ratings). {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/11/03}}

Spacewarp's Log earned her loadsamoney and a safe harbour in Axiom Nexus! A series of adventures and recaps of multiverse-hopping adventures ensued, including saving Vector Prime, [[Scorpia (TransTech)|Scorpia]], and [[Galaxy Shuttle]] one time. {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2015/11/22}} In the end, rescuing Galaxy Shuttle a second time led her to an ancient, dying crystalline alien called [[Physis]], who wished to be euthanized before [[Parthinian Raider]]s could exploit it. In return for this service, she was given a brief portal in which she could return home to her own universe. Spacewarp and her Minicons debated over whether to abandon all their friends in this universe or never see their home again... {{storylink|Transformers: Spacewarp's Log|Spacewarp's Log (2), 2016/01/31}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:OMAM-6-Spacewarp firing.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb]]

The [[Mini-Con]] Spacewarp, a "displaced explorer", partnered with [[Megatron (G1)#Of Masters and Mayhem|Megatron]] as part of a Double [[Pretender]]. He valued her ability to create [[space bridge]]s and become the powerful Transwarp Blaster. {{storylink|Megatron (G1)/toys#Timelines|Double Pretender Megatron bio}}

In the final showdown on [[Earth]] against [[Thunder Mayhem]] and [[Ramjet (Universe)|Ramjet]], Megatron wielded Spacewarp in weapon mode. {{storylink|Finale}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Universe'' (2003)===
[[File:Spacewarp-r.jpg|right|thumb|She's built like a steakhouse but she handles like a bistro.]]
*'''Spacewarp'''

:Spacewarp was an unproduced ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' store exclusive, a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' Giga-Con [[Jetfire (Armada)/toys#Armada|Jetfire]] slated to come with a redeco of the [[Space Mini-Con Team#Toys|Space Mini-Con Team]] as well. Even though she was initially intended as a [[Toys"R"Us]] exclusive, no retail chain ultimately ended up wanting to carry her, so Spacewarp was shelved. She was among several proposed exclusives that were ultimately put into retail limbo during the waning of the ''Universe'' line.

:This concept was ultimately released, albeit modified, as one of the first exclusives available for purchase to [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] members as [[Astrotrain (Cybertron)#Toys|Astrotrain]], though with a [[redeco]] of the [[Giant Planet Mini-Con Team#Toys|Giant Planet Team]] instead of the Space Team.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

===''Generations''===
[[File:CombinerWarstoy-Spacewarp.jpg|300px|thumb|right|This is probably the only toy you'll ever get of me. I hope you like it!]]
*'''Double Pretender Megatron''' (TFSS 5.0, 2017)

:''[[Combiner Wars (toyline)|Combiner Wars]]'' Spacewarp was released as a part of the Double [[Pretender]] [[Megatron (G1)/toys#DoublePretender|Megatron]] toy as part of the [[Transformers Figure Subscription Service#Series 5.0 (2016)|Figure Subscription Service 5.0]], as a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)#T30|Thrilling 30]]'' [[Blast Master#Generations|Payload]], sans the larger Legends Class partner [[Cosmos (G1)#Generations|Cosmos]]. The figure also comes with a joint piece for Spacewarp to fit in the shell with Megatron.

:Megatron and Spacewarp were released alongside [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#DoublePretender|Double Pretender Optimus Prime]] and [[Hi-Q#Combiner Wars|Hi-Q]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Spacewarp's ascension from canceled mid-2000s retail toy to canonized mid-2010s character and Club toy is an impressive feat, though she is still exceeded in sheer obscurity by [[Enemy (G1)|other]] [[Solarbot|characters]].

[[Category:Armada Decepticons]]
[[Category:Combiner Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Cybertron Decepticons]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Energon Decepticons]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Robotix]]
[[Category:TransTech Decepticons]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Wolverine (Marvel)

2020-11-06T00:58:39Z

Whalermouse:

{{factions|{{factions/icons|custom=Red_maple_leaf.png|cSize=27x30px|cLink=Canada}}|}}
{{disambig2|the mutant superhero|the vehicle used by the G.I. Joe team|Wolverine (G.I. Joe)}}
:''Wolverine is a [[human]] (well, mutant) from the [[The Transformers (franchise)|Generation 1]] and [[live-action film series]] [[Continuity family|continuity families]].''
[[File:Wolverinemanmachine.jpg|upright=1.67|thumb|He's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is make gratuitous guest appearances.]]
'''Wolverine''', aka '''Logan''', is a diminutive military veteran cowboy from [[Canada]] who's famous for acting as a superhero. He is not [[Peter Cullen]].

His fleshy, hairy human exterior seems to hide some sort of [[Adamantium|metallic infrastructure]], which is [[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|not]] [[Pretender|unheard]] [[Zarak (G1)|of]] [[Sari Sumdac (Animated)|by]] [[Transformer]]s. A [[Mutant (human)|mutant]] (no, not [[Mutant (BW)|that kind of Mutant]]... or [[Mutant (G1)|that kind of mutant either]]), he has hyperadvanced healing abilities and incredibly acute senses.

He claims that he's the best at what he does, which apparently isn't very nice.

He's also a completely unlikable asshole. Naturally, this means he is nigh-indestructible and completely unstoppable and just rules over everything... [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] is probably [[Grimlock (G1)|having flashbacks]].

==Fiction==
===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Wolverine was among the many super-heroes who threw a surprise party for Optimus, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.

Later, Wolverine was seen waiting in line in anticipation for the [[Transformers (film)|live-action Transformers film]]. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
[[File:Wolverine and Luke Cage Man and Machine 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7]]
Wolverine was one of the [[Avengers]] sent to investigate the conflict between [[Latveria]] and [[Symkaria]] caused by the Decepticons. After entering a dome structure, the Avengers were attacked by the building's defenses and [[Spider-Man]] got kidnapped, which upset Wolverine. When the [[Autobot]]s arrived, Wolverine was confused by a [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|talkin' truck]]. The only recourse was to attack the talkin' truck. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} He was run over by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], but that only angered him further. He was about to redouble his assault until stunned by [[Doctor Doom]] and eventually calmed down when he was given a synapse regulator. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}} When the Decepticons attacked, Wolverine attacked [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], tearing into his windshield. While [[Luke Cage]] entered the dome structure to attempt to free Spider-Man, Wolverine stayed behind to hold the fort. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} Wolverine accompanied Jazz and [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] into the structure via an [[Orbital jump|orbital bounce]], which made him feel as if his guts were on fire. He scented out [[Spider-Man]] and went into a rage when he saw [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] absorbing Spidey's powers, but was stopped by the web-slinger, who had volunteered to help recharge the Autobots. Wolverine then took his place, charging up both Prowl and [[Ratchet (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ratchet]]. After they left, Wolverine remained behind and destroyed the [[Psycho-Prism]]. He then fled as the feedback began to destroy the Decepticon array. He then commented that the Avengers' ship [[Ramjet (G1)|smelled funny]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}
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===''Transformers'' film===
When [[Robert Epps]] thought triple claw marks left in a thick steel wall were the result of an attack by [[Freddy Krueger]], [[Glen Whitmann]] pointed out that Freddy Krueger's got four claws. "That's ''Wolverine''!" With a voice lacking any hint of humor, [[Seymour Simmons|Agent Simmons]] replied that his comment was very funny. {{storylink|Transformers (film)|Transformers}}

===''Crossovers''===
Someone built Wolverine a large transforming [[Mech|battle suit]] which was both faster and more resistant to damage than any other mechs on the market. It mimics Wolverine's abilities by having advanced self-repair systems and sharp claws that can cut through metal.<ref>Packaging bio for ''Crossovers'' Wolverine.</ref> When Wolverine was part of the [[X-Force]], whatever that is, he got a new battle suit which was black and extra stealthy. It allowed Wolverine to complete even the most dangerous of missions without ever being noticed.<ref>Packaging bio for ''Crossovers'' black Wolverine.</ref>

==Toys==
===Crossovers===
[[File:MarvelCrossoversWolverine.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|The most famous Canadian in the world.]]
* '''Wolverine''' (Crossovers, 2008)
:Wolverine transforms from a blue and yellow "rally truck" (with spare tires!) into a robot with two pairs of <s>forks</s> very [[For safety reasons|blunt claws]]. The claws are spring loaded and activated by tiny buttons on his arms.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Marvel/Wolverine/wolverine.htm More information on Wolverine at TFU.info]''

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[[File:Crossovers-toy BrownWolverine.JPG|upright=1.4|thumb|You better stop worrying about my colors... and start worrying about ''these!'' ''*snikt*'']]
* '''Wolverine''' (Crossovers, 2009)
:A [[redeco]] of the previous toy, with brown replacing the blue and some ever-so-slight changes to the paint layout, in reference to his former costume.

{{-}}

[[File:Crossovers-toy BlackWolverine.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Scott Summers wants you to believe this toy doesn't exist.]]
* '''Wolverine''' (Crossovers, 2009)
:Redecoed once more, this Wolverine is done up in black, silver and red, in reference to his [[Wikia:Marveldatabase:X-Force (Strike Team) (Earth-616)|X-Force]] costume.

{{-}}

==Notes==
* Wolverine was featured on the cover of [[Heavy Traffic!|''Transformers'' #22]], celebrating Marvel Comics' 25th anniversary.
* Several ''Transformers'' voice actors have also portrayed Wolverine in various series and games, including [[Mark Hamill]], [[Scott McNeil]], [[David Kaye]], [[Marc Thompson]], [[Brian Drummond]], [[Kevin Michael Richardson]], [[Keith Szarabajka]], [[Dave Boat]] and most frequently, [[Steve Blum]].
* Japanese wise Wolverine has been voiced by [[Masashi Ebara]], [[Nobuyuki Hiyama]], [[Takeshi Maruyama]], [[Kiyoyuki Yanada]] and [[Kenji Nomura]]

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wolverine''' (ウルヴァリン ''Uruvarin'')

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[[wikia:Marvel:James Howlett (Earth-616)|Wolverine]] at Marvel Database
*{{w|Wolverine (comics)|Wolverine}} at Wikipedia

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