Talk:Automated defence ring

Earthforce isn't 'of uncertain continuity.' They're fairly exp0licit about the continuity break in the letters page. After Time Wars, the timeline readjusted itself as is Galvatron has never been (Thus the undestroyed Nemesis in us #72) and thus the US timeline. Unicron arrives in 1991. That much is said explicitly.

The Earthforce seems to take place in the 'original' timeline- with Unicron still arriving in 2006.

Perchange to Dream Galvatron was confirmed to be the same one from Rhythms of Darkness in a couple places int eh last few years. In the Earthforce timeline, he headed for Earth. In the 'US' timeline, he headed to Cybertron- which (when he was incommunicado too long) was the {{Tooltip|direct cause|It was 'Kei,' fate!}} of Unicron altering his course to arrive 15 years early.

Do we need a Marvel timeline, or at least something about the wierdness after Time Wars?-Derik 07:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

I don't believe that the Earthforce stories take place in the original Pre-Time-Wars timeline - that's needelessly fiddly and pointless. Even as the stories are beginning, Unicron's approach to Cybertron, caused by the Primal Scream, is taking place and the Autobots are preparing against it.

The question is whether or not the Earthforce timeline is the progression of the core UK timeline, or a further tangent timeline that branches off from it. Up to this point, one has the US storyline and the UK storyline, but is the "Earthforce" story simply part of the UK timeline - it's events supplanting the US Unicron story, in the way that Bumblebee's re-creation by Wreck-Gar supplants the G.I. Joe crossover - merely another, albeit more severe, difference from the US timeline, or is it itself a FURTHER divergence from the UK timeline, taking place in a THIRD universe, while the original UK universe carries on to end in the same manner as the US timeline? So, yeah. Uncertain would be a good way of putitng it. - Chris McFeely 17:51, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

The letters page said that the timeline patched itself around Galvatron after Time Wars. Subsequently, we had a timeline where Galvatron never destroyed the Nemesis, and Bumblebee was rebuilt into Goldbug under different circumstances. So on one side, we have the US timeline, which appears to be the 'result' of changes in time after Time Wars. Unicron arrives in 1991.

On another, we have Rodimus Prime's timeline. He returned to the future to find that time have been rewritten. Megatron, not Straxus-Megatron was turned into Galvatron in 2005/6, and instead of spending his time puttering about back in time as Straxus-Galvie had, this one had conquored Cybertron. Unicron arrives in 2005/6.

And then There's Earthforce. The Matrix Quest happened (with similarly ambivilant results, the MAtrix and Thunderwing both lost,) and Grimlock went on his quest for nucleon. ...but this time, because Unicon DIDN'T shortcut to Cybertron, instead of arriving in the middle of Unicrons' attack, Grimlock simply returns and rejoisn the Autobot forces. Life goes on, the Decepticon Civil War still happens, but it falls out differently. (based on several indications) and instead results in a 3 or 4-way split, with everyone pursuing seperate agendas.

This places the split between US#69 (the mosiac tale ending in Megatron-ratchet's retrieval from null-space) and US#72. (Or the branch may have occoured before then, but events did nto signifigantly diverge until then.)

In US#69, the Galvatron arrives int he present, is interrogated by Unicron. In the US timeline, he heads for Cybertron (eventually prompting a concerned Unicron to change course and arrive early.) In the Earthforce timeline, Galvatron heads for Earth (and thus Perchance to Dream.)

Do you disagree? It's just... the chain (or web) of events seems really clear to me. -Derik 19:45, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

It does seem very orderly and logical when you put it like that, but it's just that parts of it feel like conjecture to me - not an unexpected thing when it comes to discussing the brain-ache that is the shifting timelines of the UK comic. There's never any indication that Unicron is doing anything except going straight to Cybertron - he's constantly talking about how soon he will arrive and how he'd teleport right there if he could - so to say that Galvatron's incommunicado period prompts him to go there right away is conjecture. And there's the claim that the patched timelines - both pre and post - after the Time Wars is as if Galvatron never existed (hence the Nemesis), but Wheeljack recognises Galvatron in "Perchance to Dream," so his time-travelling antics must remain part of that timeline. See whumsayn? It's not that I actually disagree - I mean, of the two options I mentioned above, I go with the "alternate universe from the post-Time-Wars UK timeline" origin for the Earthforce story, so we at least both agree that's it's not part of either the core UK or US timelines - I just don't think it's the pre-Time-Wars timeline. The "uncertain" comment certainly works. :) - Chris McFeely 20:07, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

With the soul calm befitting a race whose ancient skoline be traced back beyond the swarm, inhabitants of the planet GJhi-- --accepted the end of their world! It did not come. They did not question why the chaos-brainer, that dark god Unicron, chose to spare them. It was simply Ke-- fate! In fact... it was greed!
UNICRON: Close now. So close I can taste it. Cybertron- Primus's adopted form! The greatest feast of all! But Galvatron... has gone. Beyond my sight, beyond my reach! Too long now. Some treachery... but what? What has he found, what does he plan? I must now!

This from US#73, 'Out of Time.' Galvatron has vanished from Unicron's gaze (harassing Xaaron and Primus) and Unicron grows concerned, so he bypasses Jhi, and charts a direct course for Cybertron.

You could argue about how direct the cause is (Was Unicron more overcome by greed, or more cocnerned by Galvatron's absence?) But in Earthfroce continuity, Unicron eats Ghi and continues his roundabout course to Cybertron, arriving in 2005/6. In US continuity, he becomes greedy/concerned and bypasses it to arrive in 1991. Maybe it wasnt' Galvatron, Unicron was watching Hook Line & Sinker on Cybertron when he made his greedy decision- maybe it just looked too deliscious to pass up! But he wouldn't have been watchign them on Cybertron if Galvatron had headed for Earth instead. Regardless the exact cause, this scene does appear to be part of the big change.

Eeehhn. It's very conjectural, again. I think it's much more likely that Unicron was headed straight to Cybertron anyway, and was already going to bypass Jhi. The dialogue is very clearly saying that he is eager to get to Cybertron as fast as possible to FEED, and to heck with any other planets. To find out what Galvatron is doing, he just sends Hook, Line and Sinker to take care of that problem, right away. He says, "What does he plan, I must know, H, L, S, go find out for me." I don't read Galvatron's absence as being in any way a factor that prompts Unicron to go to Cybertron any faster.

I admit, though, I had never really thought of the possibility that the Earthforce stories occurred in a universe in which Unicron did not arrive until 2005/6, which is, of course, because Prime is preparing for his coming right away in what is clearly intended to be a tie-in to the US stories, before the whole thing got all divergery. But it does make a disturbing amount of sense... like, that'd be why the other Autobots didn't get revived by Nucleon, since the Dinobots were never alone on the Ark to do it... wouldn't say that that was how it was INTENDED, though, but still, sense... - Chris McFeely 21:08, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Two Galvatrons, which Furman (much later) confirmed are the same one. Everyone gets nucleon, lots of old folks get revived... and the Decepticon Civil War plays out differently. (Aspects of evil chapter 1, it's a 3-way conflict bwtween Scorponok, Megatron and Shockwave.)

How about Prime's rib? That's POWERMASTER Prime in 1995. Hell, screw reasoned analysis of the source material...

Time wars created an Alternate (US) continuity.

...and I might be wrong about Galvatron, since the letters page from 279 says P2D Galvy is from Rodimu's Prime's revised future (in aspects fo evil.) Which< i guess, woudl mean that in Earthforce continuity, Unicron pulled Galvy from a completely different possible future. -Derik 23:14, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Also, Wheeljack recognizing Galvatron in P2D isn't a problem-- I was saying Galvatron had been erased in the US timeline, nto the Earthforce one. (And, indeed, Prime will nto recognize him when the Unicron cultists attack.) -Derik 20:33, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

I would say yes, because this is beginning to confuse me, as I never read the comics, even if I am old enough to have done so. - Ithekro