Maximal Upgrade - Revision history

Sabrblade: /* Contentious continuity */

2026-04-29T04:31:51Z

Contentious continuity

Sabrblade at 03:31, 29 April 2026

2026-04-29T03:31:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:31, 29 April 2026
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	:''The Maximal Upgrade is a technological advancement from the [[Generation 1 continuity family\|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''		:''The Maximal Upgrade is a technological advancement from the [[Generation 1 continuity family\|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

	The ~~'''Maximal Upgrade Program''', or more commonly just the~~ '''Maximal Upgrade''', is a conversion process that enables [[Autobot]]s to be physically altered from their large-sized body forms into the smaller form of a [[Maximal]] body. It involves a complete bio-tech overhaul that not only downsizes an Autobot's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency, but also unlocks and ~~magnifes~~ one's latent abilities. This process first came about near the end of the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]], right before the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s were succeeded by their respective descendants, the Maximals and [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]], as the new dominant factions of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]].		The '''Maximal Upgrade''' is a conversion process that enables [[Autobot]]s to be physically altered from their large-sized body forms into the smaller form of a [[Maximal]] body, via the '''Maximal Upgrade Program'''. It involves a complete bio-tech overhaul that not only downsizes an Autobot's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency, but also unlocks and magnifies one's latent abilities. This process first came about near the end of the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]], right before the Autobots and [[Decepticon]]s were succeeded by their respective descendants, the Maximals and [[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]], as the new dominant factions of [[Cybertron (planet)\|Cybertron]].

	While it is referred to as the ''Maximal'' Upgrade, Decepticons have likewise been known to undergo a downsizing process to become Predacons.		While it is referred to as the "Maximal" Upgrade, Decepticons have likewise been known to undergo a downsizing process to become Predacons.

	==Fiction==		==Fiction==

Sabrblade: /* History */

2026-03-12T20:04:35Z

History

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:04, 12 March 2026
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	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] toy named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.		*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.
	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
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	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.
	*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".		*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".
	*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.		*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====

Sabrblade: /* Creator commentary */

2026-03-12T02:44:50Z

Creator commentary

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	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====
	*Throughout the original broadcast run of ''Beast Wars'', story editor [[Larry DiTillio]] would engage frequently with the online [[fandom]] via the Usenet newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]], in which he made multiple statements that stood in ''direct opposition'' to the later idea of the Autobots and Decepticons having downsized into Maximals and Decepticons. Namely, DiTillio stated that, in the era of the Maximals and Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons ''still existed'' as they always had~~, and that Maximals and Predacons were biologically distinct from their predecessors in their usage of [[Protoform]] technology~~.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It is a future Cybertron, changed from the original, as the course of history changes all societies. AutoBots and Decepticons still exist, but the dominant groups are the Maximals and the Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/4oCBQMsRfmM/m/DWQg6duiAS0J\|name=Larry DiTillio\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Hello from beast Wars:\|year=1996\|month=04\|day=24}}</ref><ref name="Stat. Pods">{{citesocial\|quote=Only Maximals and Predacons use the protoform technology. They are the first generation of this new technology. AutoBots and Decepticons carry on largely as they once did, with a few changes.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/sThS17Ssumk/m/HLSPzOts7rkJ\|name=Neale Davidson (quoting a lost post from DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Stat. Pods\|year=1997\|month=06\|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial\|quote=Our Megatron is not [the] ruler of the Predacons, though he means to be, that much is certain. He is leading a small band of renegades against ALL of Cybertron, Autobots, Decepticons, Maximals and Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/SkO6xOXsTks/m/kNRohFUXdYkJ\|name=Grrrlgoyle (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Info about BW Megatron [NO SPOILERS<nowiki>]</nowiki>\|year=1997\|month=12\|day=08}}</ref> DiTillio also explained that the "ancestor/descendant" relationship between the old and new faction pairs was less a literal connection and more of a metaphorical one,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''STEVEN ACEVEDO:''' I now know that The Maximals and The Predacons are the descendents of The Autobots and Decepticons. But you did say that there are still ancestors or descendents around didn't you? So where are the others?<br>'''Larry DiTillio:'''The others are either a) BACK on Cybertron b) On various missions throughou the Galaxies and Time Zones c) DEACTIVATED or DESTROYED (through various hostilities or simply because their time was up)…<br>Perhaps the words "descendants and ancestors" are confusing people... Let's face it, the TF's don't have a family system as we do... So the Maximals an Predacons are spiritual descendants of Cybertron TF's, as opposed to genetic descendants.		*Throughout the original broadcast run of ''Beast Wars'', story editor [[Larry DiTillio]] would engage frequently with the online [[fandom]] via the Usenet newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]], in which he made multiple statements that stood in ''direct opposition'' to the later idea of the Autobots and Decepticons having downsized into Maximals and Decepticons. Namely, DiTillio stated that, in the era of the Maximals and Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons ''still existed'' as they always had.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It is a future Cybertron, changed from the original, as the course of history changes all societies. AutoBots and Decepticons still exist, but the dominant groups are the Maximals and the Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/4oCBQMsRfmM/m/DWQg6duiAS0J\|name=Larry DiTillio\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Hello from beast Wars:\|year=1996\|month=04\|day=24}}</ref><ref name="Stat. Pods">{{citesocial\|quote=Only Maximals and Predacons use the protoform technology. They are the first generation of this new technology. AutoBots and Decepticons carry on largely as they once did, with a few changes.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/sThS17Ssumk/m/HLSPzOts7rkJ\|name=Neale Davidson (quoting a lost post from DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Stat. Pods\|year=1997\|month=06\|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial\|quote=Our Megatron is not [the] ruler of the Predacons, though he means to be, that much is certain. He is leading a small band of renegades against ALL of Cybertron, Autobots, Decepticons, Maximals and Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/SkO6xOXsTks/m/kNRohFUXdYkJ\|name=Grrrlgoyle (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Info about BW Megatron [NO SPOILERS<nowiki>]</nowiki>\|year=1997\|month=12\|day=08}}</ref> DiTillio also explained that the "ancestor/descendant" relationship between the old and new faction pairs was less a literal connection and more of a metaphorical one,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''STEVEN ACEVEDO:''' I now know that The Maximals and The Predacons are the descendents of The Autobots and Decepticons. But you did say that there are still ancestors or descendents around didn't you? So where are the others?<br>'''Larry DiTillio:'''The others are either a) BACK on Cybertron b) On various missions throughou the Galaxies and Time Zones c) DEACTIVATED or DESTROYED (through various hostilities or simply because their time was up)…<br>Perhaps the words "descendants and ancestors" are confusing people... Let's face it, the TF's don't have a family system as we do... So the Maximals an Predacons are spiritual descendants of Cybertron TF's, as opposed to genetic descendants.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/Tbk9A-giwV8/m/Lw6kDnxsOWoJ\|name=STEVEN ACEVEDO (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=LARRYBW\|year=1997\|month=02\|day=07}}</ref> with the Maximals and Predacons being an entirely different kind of Cybertronian from the Autobots and Decepticons, biologically distinct from their predecessors in their usage of [[Protoform]] technology.<ref name="Stat. Pods"/>
	\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/Tbk9A-giwV8/m/Lw6kDnxsOWoJ\|name=STEVEN ACEVEDO (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=LARRYBW\|year=1997\|month=02\|day=07}}</ref> with the ~~[[Protoform]]-based~~ Maximals and Predacons being an ~~entirelly~~ different kind of Cybertronian from the Autobots and Decepticons.<ref name="Stat. Pods"/>
	**According to additional commentary DiTillio provided in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', he had even intended for the first Maximals and Predacons to have extraterrestrial origins completely separate from the Autobots and Decepticons altogether, with the very first protoforms created by none other than the [[Vok]].<ref>'''●プロトフォーム''' Protoform:<7~>マクシマルやプレダコンの誕生には、ヴォックの意図が大きく反映している。彼らはTFを、機械生命種族としての理想的な姿に近づける手段として、プロトフォームを生み出した</ref> However, this information was never formally published in the English-speaking world, and has largely been ignored by all official ''Transformers'' media.		**According to additional commentary DiTillio provided in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', he had even intended for the first Maximals and Predacons to have extraterrestrial origins completely separate from the Autobots and Decepticons altogether, with the very first protoforms created by none other than the [[Vok]].<ref>'''●プロトフォーム''' Protoform:<7~>マクシマルやプレダコンの誕生には、ヴォックの意図が大きく反映している。彼らはTFを、機械生命種族としての理想的な姿に近づける手段として、プロトフォームを生み出した</ref> However, this information was never formally published in the English-speaking world, and has largely been ignored by all official ''Transformers'' media.
	*Subtle hints to the continued existence of Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron were eventually alluded to in the second season of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, but which have either been misinterpreted or overlooked by the greater fandom at large:		*Subtle hints to the continued existence of Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron were eventually alluded to in the second season of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, but which have either been misinterpreted or overlooked by the greater fandom at large:

Sabrblade at 02:27, 12 March 2026

2026-03-12T02:27:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:27, 12 March 2026
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	In the 32nd Century of a dark alternate timeline, {{storylink\|Terminus (issue)\|Terminus}} the Maximal known only as "the Veteran" was rumored to have once been [[Swoop (G1)\|an Autobot]] who had changed his name and appearance many times over the years, downscaling to a more energy efficient size in the process. {{storylink\|Schism (story)\|Schism}}		In the 32nd Century of a dark alternate timeline, {{storylink\|Terminus (issue)\|Terminus}} the Maximal known only as "the Veteran" was rumored to have once been [[Swoop (G1)\|an Autobot]] who had changed his name and appearance many times over the years, downscaling to a more energy efficient size in the process. {{storylink\|Schism (story)\|Schism}}

	~~===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===~~
	The innovation of [[Pretender]] technology showed promise for several future developments. Pretender shells possessed the abilities to imitate the biology of organic lifeforms, shrink down to the size of Earth [[human]]s, and (in some cases) even transform and combine with their inner host Transformer. Some shells even possessed a special regenerative nano-technology. All of these qualities led Cybertronian scientists to suspect it would be possible to create a more energy-efficient kind of Cybertronian, capable of transforming into biological altmodes that would be externally indistinguishable from organic lifeforms, which could prove useful for exploratory missions on other planets. Of course, it would take several [[Units of time\|vorns]] for such developments (and more) to come about. {{storylink\|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'' #8}}

	===Fun Publications comics===		===Fun Publications comics===
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	==Notes==		==Notes==
			*Issue #8 of [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|More than Meets the Eye]]'' series of profile books strongly implies that [[Pretender]] technology plays a key role in the coming of the Maximals and Predacons in the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity]]. However, it is left ambiguous if this involves Autobots and Decepticons downsizing to become Maximals and Predacons, or simply in the creation of Maximals and Predacons as their own new race of smaller Cybertronians separate from their predecessors, as the main point of linking Pretender technology to the Maximals and Predacons lies in how the Pretenders were the first Transformers to use fully organic [[beast mode]]s like those that the Maximals and Predacons would later make common use of.
			*In the six-part comic mini-series ''[[Beast Wars Shattered Glass]]'', published by Fun Publications in [[2013]], a small number of Autobots use a combination of [[Powermaster]] and Pretender technology to adopt fully organic beast modes. Likewise, a small band of Decepticons reformat themselves into new mechanical beast and vehicle forms. Both sides eventually come to call themselves "Maximals" and "Predacons", respectively. However, despite the obvious ''Beast Wars'' homage, neither side seems to undergo any kind of downsizing, retaining their original Autobot and Decepticon sizes.

	===Contentious continuity===		===Contentious continuity===
	If you're wondering why this article is separate from that of the [[Great Upgrade]], then you've likely been under the longstanding impression that the Great Upgrade involved a mass downsizing of Cybertron's population that saw the Autobots and Decepticons physically evolve into the Maximals and Predacons. This, however, was never actually shown or stated to be a thing in either the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'' or ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons. While the "great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" was first mentioned in the ''Beast Machines'' episode "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", the specific details of which were never elaborated on beyond the fact that [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]] had been replaced by [[Cybertropolis]] during this "great upgrade". The only other times that the term "Great Upgrade" has been mentioned in any ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]''-related fiction (or even any ''[[Transformers brand\|Transformers]]'' fiction at all) were in just two entries of the glossary section for the [[2008]] trade paperback release of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', in which the "Great Upgrade referred only to ''geographical'' changes made to Cybertron's surface, rather than ''biological'' changes made to its people.<ref>"Over the ages, the Cybertronians have constructed more and more layers of planetary strata. Most recently, the "Great Upgrade" saw the planet converted to suit the downsized Maximal and Predacon population."(''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Cybertron (1) entry</ref><ref>"In general, it is accepted that this conflict ended after the Decepticons surrendered to the Autobots and before Cybertron underwent its "Great Upgrade" to prepare for the age of the Maximals and Predacons." (''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Great War (1) entry</ref>		If you're wondering why this article is separate from that of the [[Great Upgrade]], then you've likely been under the longstanding impression that the Great Upgrade involved a mass downsizing of Cybertron's population that saw the Autobots and Decepticons physically evolve into the Maximals and Predacons. This, however, was never actually shown or stated to be a thing in either the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'' or ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons. While the "great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" was first mentioned in the ''Beast Machines'' episode "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", the specific details of which were never elaborated on beyond the fact that [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]] had been replaced by [[Cybertropolis]] during this "great upgrade". The only other times that the term "Great Upgrade" has been mentioned in any ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]''-related fiction (or even any ''[[Transformers brand\|Transformers]]'' fiction at all) were in just two entries of the glossary section for the [[2008]] trade paperback release of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', in which the "Great Upgrade referred only to ''geographical'' changes made to Cybertron's surface, rather than ''biological'' changes made to its people.<ref>"Over the ages, the Cybertronians have constructed more and more layers of planetary strata. Most recently, the "Great Upgrade" saw the planet converted to suit the downsized Maximal and Predacon population."(''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Cybertron (1) entry</ref><ref>"In general, it is accepted that this conflict ended after the Decepticons surrendered to the Autobots and before Cybertron underwent its "Great Upgrade" to prepare for the age of the Maximals and Predacons." (''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Great War (1) entry</ref>
Line 51:		Line 51:
	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.		*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.
	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
	*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.		*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.
	*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.
			*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".
			*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====

Sabrblade: /* History */

2026-03-09T23:03:15Z

History

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:03, 9 March 2026
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	*When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first began in [[1996]], fans were quick to notice that the villains of the line were called "[[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]]", sharing the same name as the [[Predacon (G1)\|animal-based Decepticon subgroup]] of the [[The Transformers (franchise)\|original ''Transformers'' franchise]] of the 1980s. When the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon episode "[[Possession]]" came along and first declared the Autobots and Decepticons of old to be the ancient ancestors of the Maximals and Predacons, many fans began to wonder if there might be in an in-universe connection between the two groups of Predacons, like if the Generation 1 Predacons may have been the original founders of the ''Beast Wars'' faction (a notion that some [[Alignment\|later-made]] [[The Gathering issue 2\|tie-in]] [[Dawn of Future's Past\|media]] [[The Transformers Menagerie issue 5\|for]] ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]'' would strongly imply, but only because of these fan theories).		*When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first began in [[1996]], fans were quick to notice that the villains of the line were called "[[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]]", sharing the same name as the [[Predacon (G1)\|animal-based Decepticon subgroup]] of the [[The Transformers (franchise)\|original ''Transformers'' franchise]] of the 1980s. When the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon episode "[[Possession]]" came along and first declared the Autobots and Decepticons of old to be the ancient ancestors of the Maximals and Predacons, many fans began to wonder if there might be in an in-universe connection between the two groups of Predacons, like if the Generation 1 Predacons may have been the original founders of the ''Beast Wars'' faction (a notion that some [[Alignment\|later-made]] [[The Gathering issue 2\|tie-in]] [[Dawn of Future's Past\|media]] [[The Transformers Menagerie issue 5\|for]] ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]'' would strongly imply, but only because of these fan theories).
	*The [[1997]] ''Beast Wars'' Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars\|Grimlock]] toy was given a bio that revealed he was the very same Autobot [[Grimlock (G1)\|Grimlock]] of old, but never actually explained how he went from being an Autobot to a Maximal. The early ''Beast Wars'' toyline originally treated the Maximals and Predacons merely as Autobots and Decepticons upgraded with "[[Bio-Genetic Engineering]]", complete with [[Optimus Primal (BW)\|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)\|Megatron]] simply being [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)\|G1 Megatron]] in new forms. But that was before the cartoon came along and completely changed things up to instead make the Maximals and Predacons the diminutive descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. Grimlock's bio was most likely written with the toyline's original concept in mind, but the notion of an Autobot becoming a Maximal was nonetheless stuck in the minds of many a fan.		*The [[1997]] ''Beast Wars'' Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars\|Grimlock]] toy was given a bio that revealed he was the very same Autobot [[Grimlock (G1)\|Grimlock]] of old, but never actually explained how he went from being an Autobot to a Maximal. The early ''Beast Wars'' toyline originally treated the Maximals and Predacons merely as Autobots and Decepticons upgraded with "[[Bio-Genetic Engineering]]", complete with [[Optimus Primal (BW)\|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)\|Megatron]] simply being [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)\|G1 Megatron]] in new forms. But that was before the cartoon came along and completely changed things up to instead make the Maximals and Predacons the diminutive descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. Grimlock's bio was most likely written with the toyline's original concept in mind, but the notion of an Autobot becoming a Maximal was nonetheless stuck in the minds of many a fan.
	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that ~~really laid~~ the ~~groudwork~~ for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ~~show~~'~~s universe~~.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even

Sabrblade: /* Notes */

2026-03-09T16:25:52Z

Notes

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:25, 9 March 2026
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	*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".		*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====
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	**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.		**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.
	**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.		**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.
	Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=		Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the [[Great Upgrade\|great upgrade]] from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=
	A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}		A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}
	</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).		</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).

Sabrblade at 16:25, 9 March 2026

2026-03-09T16:25:07Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:25, 9 March 2026
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	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
	*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.		*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.
	*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''.		*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====
	*Throughout the original broadcast run of ''Beast Wars'', story editor [[Larry DiTillio]] would engage frequently with the online [[fandom]] via the Usenet newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]], in which he made multiple statements that stood in ''direct opposition'' to the later idea of the Autobots and Decepticons having downsized into Maximals and Decepticons. Namely, DiTillio stated that, in the era of the Maximals and Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons ''still existed'' as they always had, and that Maximals and Predacons were biologically distinct from their predecessors in their usage of [[Protoform]] technology.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It is a future Cybertron, changed from the original, as the course of history changes all societies. AutoBots and Decepticons still exist, but the dominant groups are the Maximals and the Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/4oCBQMsRfmM/m/DWQg6duiAS0J\|name=Larry DiTillio\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Hello from beast Wars:\|year=1996\|month=04\|day=24}}</ref><ref name="Stat. Pods">{{citesocial\|quote=Only Maximals and Predacons use the protoform technology. They are the first generation of this new technology. AutoBots and Decepticons carry on largely as they once did, with a few changes.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/sThS17Ssumk/m/HLSPzOts7rkJ\|name=Neale Davidson (quoting a lost post from DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Stat. Pods\|year=1997\|month=06\|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial\|quote=Our Megatron is not [the] ruler of the Predacons, though he means to be, that much is certain. He is leading a small band of renegades against ALL of Cybertron, Autobots, Decepticons, Maximals and Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/SkO6xOXsTks/m/kNRohFUXdYkJ\|name=Grrrlgoyle (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Info about BW Megatron [NO SPOILERS]\|year=1997\|month=12\|day=08}}</ref> DiTillio also explained that the "ancestor/descendant" relationship between the old and new faction pairs was less a literal connection and more of a metaphorical one,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''STEVEN ACEVEDO:''' I now know that The Maximals and The Predacons are the descendents of The Autobots and Decepticons. But you did say that there are still ancestors or descendents around didn't you? So where are the others?<br>'''Larry DiTillio:'''The others are either a) BACK on Cybertron b) On various missions throughou the Galaxies and Time Zones c) DEACTIVATED or DESTROYED (through various hostilities or simply because their time was up)…<br>Perhaps the words "descendants and ancestors" are confusing people... Let's face it, the TF's don't have a family system as we do... So the Maximals an Predacons are spiritual descendants of Cybertron TF's, as opposed to genetic descendants.		*Throughout the original broadcast run of ''Beast Wars'', story editor [[Larry DiTillio]] would engage frequently with the online [[fandom]] via the Usenet newsgroup [[alt.toys.transformers]], in which he made multiple statements that stood in ''direct opposition'' to the later idea of the Autobots and Decepticons having downsized into Maximals and Decepticons. Namely, DiTillio stated that, in the era of the Maximals and Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons ''still existed'' as they always had, and that Maximals and Predacons were biologically distinct from their predecessors in their usage of [[Protoform]] technology.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It is a future Cybertron, changed from the original, as the course of history changes all societies. AutoBots and Decepticons still exist, but the dominant groups are the Maximals and the Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/4oCBQMsRfmM/m/DWQg6duiAS0J\|name=Larry DiTillio\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Hello from beast Wars:\|year=1996\|month=04\|day=24}}</ref><ref name="Stat. Pods">{{citesocial\|quote=Only Maximals and Predacons use the protoform technology. They are the first generation of this new technology. AutoBots and Decepticons carry on largely as they once did, with a few changes.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/sThS17Ssumk/m/HLSPzOts7rkJ\|name=Neale Davidson (quoting a lost post from DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Stat. Pods\|year=1997\|month=06\|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial\|quote=Our Megatron is not [the] ruler of the Predacons, though he means to be, that much is certain. He is leading a small band of renegades against ALL of Cybertron, Autobots, Decepticons, Maximals and Predacons.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/SkO6xOXsTks/m/kNRohFUXdYkJ\|name=Grrrlgoyle (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Info about BW Megatron [NO SPOILERS<nowiki>]</nowiki>\|year=1997\|month=12\|day=08}}</ref> DiTillio also explained that the "ancestor/descendant" relationship between the old and new faction pairs was less a literal connection and more of a metaphorical one,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''STEVEN ACEVEDO:''' I now know that The Maximals and The Predacons are the descendents of The Autobots and Decepticons. But you did say that there are still ancestors or descendents around didn't you? So where are the others?<br>'''Larry DiTillio:'''The others are either a) BACK on Cybertron b) On various missions throughou the Galaxies and Time Zones c) DEACTIVATED or DESTROYED (through various hostilities or simply because their time was up)…<br>Perhaps the words "descendants and ancestors" are confusing people... Let's face it, the TF's don't have a family system as we do... So the Maximals an Predacons are spiritual descendants of Cybertron TF's, as opposed to genetic descendants.
	\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/Tbk9A-giwV8/m/Lw6kDnxsOWoJ\|name=STEVEN ACEVEDO (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=LARRYBW\|year=1997\|month=02\|day=07}}</ref> with the [[Protoform]]-based Maximals and Predacons being an entirelly different kind of Cybertronian from the Autobots and Decepticons.<ref name="Stat. Pods"/>		\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/Tbk9A-giwV8/m/Lw6kDnxsOWoJ\|name=STEVEN ACEVEDO (sharing a message from Larry DiTillio)\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=LARRYBW\|year=1997\|month=02\|day=07}}</ref> with the [[Protoform]]-based Maximals and Predacons being an entirelly different kind of Cybertronian from the Autobots and Decepticons.<ref name="Stat. Pods"/>
	**According to additional commentary DiTillio provided in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', he had even intended for the first Maximals and Predacons to have extraterrestrial origins completely separate from the Autobots and Decepticons altogether, with the very first protoforms created by none other than the [[Vok]].<ref>'''●プロトフォーム''' Protoform:<7~>マクシマルやプレダコンの誕生には、ヴォックの意図が大きく反映している。彼らはTFを、機械生命種族としての理想的な姿に近づける手段として、プロトフォームを生み出した</ref> However, this information was never formally published in the English-speaking world, and has largely been ignored by all official ''Transformers'' media.		**According to additional commentary DiTillio provided in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', he had even intended for the first Maximals and Predacons to have extraterrestrial origins completely separate from the Autobots and Decepticons altogether, with the very first protoforms created by none other than the [[Vok]].<ref>'''●プロトフォーム''' Protoform:<7~>マクシマルやプレダコンの誕生には、ヴォックの意図が大きく反映している。彼らはTFを、機械生命種族としての理想的な姿に近づける手段として、プロトフォームを生み出した</ref> However, this information was never formally published in the English-speaking world, and has largely been ignored by all official ''Transformers'' media.
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	===Foreign names===		===Foreign names===
	*''Japanese:'' '''Maximal Upgrade''' (マクシマル・アップグレード ''Makushimaru Appugurēdo'')<ref>''[[World of the Transformers]]</ref>		*''Japanese:'' '''Maximal Upgrade''' (マクシマル・アップグレード ''Makushimaru Appugurēdo'')<ref>[[World of the Transformers]]</ref>

	==References==		==References==

Sabrblade: /* Creator commentary */

2026-03-09T16:16:51Z

Creator commentary

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:16, 9 March 2026
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	**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.		**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.
	**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.		**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.
	Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to ~~give~~ ''~~support~~'' ~~to the downsizing theory: "During the second season we imply that~~ the Autobots evolved into ~~the~~ Maximals."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made ~~two months~~ before the ~~premiere of "Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search"~~ (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until ~~eight~~ months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing ~~that episode's~~ mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal." However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much ~~backlash, particularly~~ from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=		Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=
	A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}		A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}
	</ref> So the idea ~~was~~ readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).		</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).
	*As for the procedure that [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] was said to have undergone in order to become a Predacon, Optimus Primal stated the following: "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired. But '''rumor''' has it that '''one''' was reprogrammed and rebuilt, as a Predacon!" Ravage was the ''only one'' known to have undergone this procedure, and even then it was only known of as a ''rumor''. This strongly suggests that it had been conducted in secret as an unsanctioned, off the official record, possibly even shady procedure, ''not'' a common practice on Cybertron. Ravage had even intended to remove all witnesses to his presence in the [[Beast Wars (event)\|Beast Wars]] in the very [[The Agenda (Part 2)\|next episode]], further indicating that his mere existence was something he didn't want the greater Maximal populace/authorities to be aware of. And when once asked directly if any other Decepticons had undergone the same Decepticon-to-Predacon upgrade as Ravage, story editor (and writer of "The Agenda") [[Bob Forward]] gave the straightforward answer of "Probably not."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''In "The Agenda" Primal says something to the effect of ONE Decepticon being rebuilt into a Predacon body. Is that supposed to mean that no more Decepticons made the upgrade?'''<br>Probably not. Ravage was useful for a lot of reasons; he was a spy, and animal-shaped -- he was the easiest to incorporate into the series. "The Agenda" was going to be expensive anyway; by using Ravage we could use pre-built segments of Cheetor and Tigatron and save production costs.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303055840/http://www.coldhardslag.com/interviews/forward.html\|name=Cold Hard Interview - Bob Forward (5/25/2000)\|site=Cold Hard Slag\|title=\|year=2000\|month=05\|day=25\|}} (archived)</ref> This was further reiterated in the glossary of ''Beast Wars Universe'', mentioning Ravage as the sole Decepticon who was turned into a Predacon.<ref>グレートウォーの終結後、敗者であるディセプティコンズの中の、ごく僅かな者達が大赦を受け入れた。その大半はリタイアしたが、ただ独りラヴィッジは、再改造、再プログラムを施す事によってプレダコンとなった。</ref> And when one thinks about it, Ravage wouldn't have downsized because he never would have needed to: He was always small!		*As for the procedure that [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] was said to have undergone in order to become a Predacon, Optimus Primal stated the following: "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired. But '''rumor''' has it that '''one''' was reprogrammed and rebuilt, as a Predacon!" Ravage was the ''only one'' known to have undergone this procedure, and even then it was only known of as a ''rumor''. This strongly suggests that it had been conducted in secret as an unsanctioned, off the official record, possibly even shady procedure, ''not'' a common practice on Cybertron. Ravage had even intended to remove all witnesses to his presence in the [[Beast Wars (event)\|Beast Wars]] in the very [[The Agenda (Part 2)\|next episode]], further indicating that his mere existence was something he didn't want the greater Maximal populace/authorities to be aware of. And when once asked directly if any other Decepticons had undergone the same Decepticon-to-Predacon upgrade as Ravage, story editor (and writer of "The Agenda") [[Bob Forward]] gave the straightforward answer of "Probably not."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''In "The Agenda" Primal says something to the effect of ONE Decepticon being rebuilt into a Predacon body. Is that supposed to mean that no more Decepticons made the upgrade?'''<br>Probably not. Ravage was useful for a lot of reasons; he was a spy, and animal-shaped -- he was the easiest to incorporate into the series. "The Agenda" was going to be expensive anyway; by using Ravage we could use pre-built segments of Cheetor and Tigatron and save production costs.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303055840/http://www.coldhardslag.com/interviews/forward.html\|name=Cold Hard Interview - Bob Forward (5/25/2000)\|site=Cold Hard Slag\|title=\|year=2000\|month=05\|day=25\|}} (archived)</ref> This was further reiterated in the glossary of ''Beast Wars Universe'', mentioning Ravage as the sole Decepticon who was turned into a Predacon.<ref>グレートウォーの終結後、敗者であるディセプティコンズの中の、ごく僅かな者達が大赦を受け入れた。その大半はリタイアしたが、ただ独りラヴィッジは、再改造、再プログラムを施す事によってプレダコンとなった。</ref> And when one thinks about it, Ravage wouldn't have downsized because he never would have needed to: He was always small!

Sabrblade: /* History */

2026-03-09T16:05:03Z

History

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:05, 9 March 2026
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	*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.		*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.
	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
	*~~Over~~ the ~~next several years, various ''Beast Wars'' and ''Beast Machines'' tie-in media would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons downsizing to become Maximals and Predacons.~~ [[BotCon 2001]]'s "[[Departure]]" ~~was the most explicit~~, stating that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons, ~~with~~ the "Maximal Upgrade Program" ~~introduced~~ as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved. ~~Additional~~ media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]]~~—most notably~~ "[[~~The Razor's Edge~~]]", [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|~~magazine~~]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|~~bios~~]] ~~for~~ [[~~Maximal Command Security Force~~\|The ~~Max-Cops~~]], and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' ~~profiles—would likewise use such terms as "downsizing"~~ and "Maximal ~~Upgrade"~~ in ~~this context~~.		*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.
			*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''.

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.

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	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] toy named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.		*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.
	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
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	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.
	*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".		*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".
	*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.		*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:27, 12 March 2026
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	In the 32nd Century of a dark alternate timeline, {{storylink\|Terminus (issue)\|Terminus}} the Maximal known only as "the Veteran" was rumored to have once been [[Swoop (G1)\|an Autobot]] who had changed his name and appearance many times over the years, downscaling to a more energy efficient size in the process. {{storylink\|Schism (story)\|Schism}}		In the 32nd Century of a dark alternate timeline, {{storylink\|Terminus (issue)\|Terminus}} the Maximal known only as "the Veteran" was rumored to have once been [[Swoop (G1)\|an Autobot]] who had changed his name and appearance many times over the years, downscaling to a more energy efficient size in the process. {{storylink\|Schism (story)\|Schism}}

	~~===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===~~
	The innovation of [[Pretender]] technology showed promise for several future developments. Pretender shells possessed the abilities to imitate the biology of organic lifeforms, shrink down to the size of Earth [[human]]s, and (in some cases) even transform and combine with their inner host Transformer. Some shells even possessed a special regenerative nano-technology. All of these qualities led Cybertronian scientists to suspect it would be possible to create a more energy-efficient kind of Cybertronian, capable of transforming into biological altmodes that would be externally indistinguishable from organic lifeforms, which could prove useful for exploratory missions on other planets. Of course, it would take several [[Units of time\|vorns]] for such developments (and more) to come about. {{storylink\|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|''More than Meets the Eye'' #8}}

	===Fun Publications comics===		===Fun Publications comics===
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	==Notes==		==Notes==
			*Issue #8 of [[Dreamwave Productions]]' ''[[transformers: More than Meets the Eye\|More than Meets the Eye]]'' series of profile books strongly implies that [[Pretender]] technology plays a key role in the coming of the Maximals and Predacons in the [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity\|Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity]]. However, it is left ambiguous if this involves Autobots and Decepticons downsizing to become Maximals and Predacons, or simply in the creation of Maximals and Predacons as their own new race of smaller Cybertronians separate from their predecessors, as the main point of linking Pretender technology to the Maximals and Predacons lies in how the Pretenders were the first Transformers to use fully organic [[beast mode]]s like those that the Maximals and Predacons would later make common use of.
			*In the six-part comic mini-series ''[[Beast Wars Shattered Glass]]'', published by Fun Publications in [[2013]], a small number of Autobots use a combination of [[Powermaster]] and Pretender technology to adopt fully organic beast modes. Likewise, a small band of Decepticons reformat themselves into new mechanical beast and vehicle forms. Both sides eventually come to call themselves "Maximals" and "Predacons", respectively. However, despite the obvious ''Beast Wars'' homage, neither side seems to undergo any kind of downsizing, retaining their original Autobot and Decepticon sizes.

	===Contentious continuity===		===Contentious continuity===
	If you're wondering why this article is separate from that of the [[Great Upgrade]], then you've likely been under the longstanding impression that the Great Upgrade involved a mass downsizing of Cybertron's population that saw the Autobots and Decepticons physically evolve into the Maximals and Predacons. This, however, was never actually shown or stated to be a thing in either the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'' or ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons. While the "great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" was first mentioned in the ''Beast Machines'' episode "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", the specific details of which were never elaborated on beyond the fact that [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]] had been replaced by [[Cybertropolis]] during this "great upgrade". The only other times that the term "Great Upgrade" has been mentioned in any ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]''-related fiction (or even any ''[[Transformers brand\|Transformers]]'' fiction at all) were in just two entries of the glossary section for the [[2008]] trade paperback release of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', in which the "Great Upgrade referred only to ''geographical'' changes made to Cybertron's surface, rather than ''biological'' changes made to its people.<ref>"Over the ages, the Cybertronians have constructed more and more layers of planetary strata. Most recently, the "Great Upgrade" saw the planet converted to suit the downsized Maximal and Predacon population."(''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Cybertron (1) entry</ref><ref>"In general, it is accepted that this conflict ended after the Decepticons surrendered to the Autobots and before Cybertron underwent its "Great Upgrade" to prepare for the age of the Maximals and Predacons." (''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Great War (1) entry</ref>		If you're wondering why this article is separate from that of the [[Great Upgrade]], then you've likely been under the longstanding impression that the Great Upgrade involved a mass downsizing of Cybertron's population that saw the Autobots and Decepticons physically evolve into the Maximals and Predacons. This, however, was never actually shown or stated to be a thing in either the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Wars]]'' or ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)\|Beast Machines]]'' cartoons. While the "great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" was first mentioned in the ''Beast Machines'' episode "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", the specific details of which were never elaborated on beyond the fact that [[Iacon (polity)\|Iacon]] had been replaced by [[Cybertropolis]] during this "great upgrade". The only other times that the term "Great Upgrade" has been mentioned in any ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]''-related fiction (or even any ''[[Transformers brand\|Transformers]]'' fiction at all) were in just two entries of the glossary section for the [[2008]] trade paperback release of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', in which the "Great Upgrade referred only to ''geographical'' changes made to Cybertron's surface, rather than ''biological'' changes made to its people.<ref>"Over the ages, the Cybertronians have constructed more and more layers of planetary strata. Most recently, the "Great Upgrade" saw the planet converted to suit the downsized Maximal and Predacon population."(''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Cybertron (1) entry</ref><ref>"In general, it is accepted that this conflict ended after the Decepticons surrendered to the Autobots and before Cybertron underwent its "Great Upgrade" to prepare for the age of the Maximals and Predacons." (''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'', "Beast Wars Glossary", Great War (1) entry</ref>
Line 51:		Line 51:
	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	have to ask--apparently, he's still browsing the newsgroup. :-)<br>According to him, the only direct contributions Fumihiko's had to any of the specs Ichikawa-san's done is to request that Barbearian/Grizzly-1 be a berserker and that Double Punch be the same character as the Action Master.\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/TGhGjjwrHUE/m/rTRT-k5VXw8J\|name=[[Doug Dlin]]\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=Fumihiko Akiyama's 'Botcon Legends' book rules all\|year=2003\|month=08\|day=01}}</ref> creating another instance in the toyline of a ''Beast Wars'' character who is the same person as a G1 character.<ref>Although, curiously, nothing is mentioned of this in the Japanese guidebook ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'', which was written by the same men who had written ''Beast Wars'' Double Punch's toy bio ([[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] and [[Fumihiko Akiyama]]), and which made note about which ''Beast Wars'' toys were implicated by their bios to either be or have strong ties to their G1 namesakes.</ref>
	*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.		*Similarly, the [[1999]] [[Transmetal 2\|Transmetals 2]] [[Prowl (TM2)\|Prowl]] toy had a bio that contained many direct references to the bio of the original Autobot [[Prowl (G1)/toys#The Transformers\|Prowl]] toy from [[1984]], suggesting that they too might be the same character. However, the bio for Transmetals 2 Prowl also said that he merely "Believes himself to have been a great military strategist in a former life," rather than explicitly asserting that he 'is' the same Prowl, which left room for doubt and ambiguity.
	*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.		*The [[Simon Furman]]-penned [[BotCon 1999]] prose story "[[Schism (story)\|Schism]]" seemed to all but confirm the downsizing theory by strongly implying that the Maximal known simply as "The Veteran" had once been an [[Swoop (G1)\|Autobot]] from the [[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] who had since "changed his appearance, name and basic body structure so many times, in the process downscaling to a more energy-efficient size." Furman's two [[The Last Days of Optimus Prime\|apocryphal]] [[Alignment\|stories]] from [[unofficial conventions\|Transforce 2000–2002]] later reiterated this downsizing concept but went a big step further by applying it to the Cybertronian race as a whole.
	*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.		*It was the [[BotCon 2001]] comic story "[[Departure]]" that really set things in stone, stating explicitly that most of Cybertron's population had been "reborn" as Maximals and Predacons by the age of the Pax Cybertronia, some three hundred years after Unicron's destruction in [[2005]]. This story also introduced the "Maximal Upgrade Program" as the means through which this mass rebirth was achieved, describing it as a "complete state-of-the-art, bio-tech overhaul" that downsizes one's exostructure for enhanced fuel efficiency and magnifies one's latent abilities. The Autobots [[Hot Rod (G1)\|Hot Rod]], [[Arcee (G1)\|Arcee]], and [[Springer (G1)\|Springer]] are confirmed to have undergone this "Maximal Upgrade" in the story, with the former two explicitly depicted in states of before and after the upgrade on-panel.
	*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.
			*By [[2006]]/[[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were the [[BotCon 2006]] toy bio for [[Laserbeak (G1)/toys#Timelines\|Laserbeak]] (which described both [[Laserbeak (G1)\|himself]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)\|Buzzsaw]] as undergoing the same Decepticon-to-Predacon as Ravage), select bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-[[Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".
			*IDW's [[BotCon 2016]] comic "[[Dawn of the Predacus]]" took things to an extreme by not only showing the first Maximals and Predacons being created from Autobots and Decepticons who were struck by a [[transmatter bomb\|bioweapon]] that devolved them into [[protoform]]s, but also showing many others simply switching from their old Autobot/Decepticon [[insignia]]s to new Maximal/Predacon ones in the immediate aftermath of the Great War. More absurdly, the comic depicted nearly the entire main cast of Maximals and Predacons from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon's first season as having originally been Autobots and Decepticons themselves (who were all alive at the very end of the Great War, serving right alongside those who were described by the cartoon as their "ancient ancestors", even), implying that each of them would later downsize to match their smaller heights seen in the cartoon.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====

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	*When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first began in [[1996]], fans were quick to notice that the villains of the line were called "[[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]]", sharing the same name as the [[Predacon (G1)\|animal-based Decepticon subgroup]] of the [[The Transformers (franchise)\|original ''Transformers'' franchise]] of the 1980s. When the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon episode "[[Possession]]" came along and first declared the Autobots and Decepticons of old to be the ancient ancestors of the Maximals and Predacons, many fans began to wonder if there might be in an in-universe connection between the two groups of Predacons, like if the Generation 1 Predacons may have been the original founders of the ''Beast Wars'' faction (a notion that some [[Alignment\|later-made]] [[The Gathering issue 2\|tie-in]] [[Dawn of Future's Past\|media]] [[The Transformers Menagerie issue 5\|for]] ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]'' would strongly imply, but only because of these fan theories).		*When the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (toyline)\|Beast Wars]]'' toyline first began in [[1996]], fans were quick to notice that the villains of the line were called "[[Predacon (BW)\|Predacons]]", sharing the same name as the [[Predacon (G1)\|animal-based Decepticon subgroup]] of the [[The Transformers (franchise)\|original ''Transformers'' franchise]] of the 1980s. When the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon episode "[[Possession]]" came along and first declared the Autobots and Decepticons of old to be the ancient ancestors of the Maximals and Predacons, many fans began to wonder if there might be in an in-universe connection between the two groups of Predacons, like if the Generation 1 Predacons may have been the original founders of the ''Beast Wars'' faction (a notion that some [[Alignment\|later-made]] [[The Gathering issue 2\|tie-in]] [[Dawn of Future's Past\|media]] [[The Transformers Menagerie issue 5\|for]] ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)\|Beast Wars]]'' would strongly imply, but only because of these fan theories).
	*The [[1997]] ''Beast Wars'' Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars\|Grimlock]] toy was given a bio that revealed he was the very same Autobot [[Grimlock (G1)\|Grimlock]] of old, but never actually explained how he went from being an Autobot to a Maximal. The early ''Beast Wars'' toyline originally treated the Maximals and Predacons merely as Autobots and Decepticons upgraded with "[[Bio-Genetic Engineering]]", complete with [[Optimus Primal (BW)\|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)\|Megatron]] simply being [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)\|G1 Megatron]] in new forms. But that was before the cartoon came along and completely changed things up to instead make the Maximals and Predacons the diminutive descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. Grimlock's bio was most likely written with the toyline's original concept in mind, but the notion of an Autobot becoming a Maximal was nonetheless stuck in the minds of many a fan.		*The [[1997]] ''Beast Wars'' Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)/toys#Beast Wars\|Grimlock]] toy was given a bio that revealed he was the very same Autobot [[Grimlock (G1)\|Grimlock]] of old, but never actually explained how he went from being an Autobot to a Maximal. The early ''Beast Wars'' toyline originally treated the Maximals and Predacons merely as Autobots and Decepticons upgraded with "[[Bio-Genetic Engineering]]", complete with [[Optimus Primal (BW)\|Optimus Primal]] and [[Megatron (BW)\|Megatron]] simply being [[Optimus Prime (G1)\|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)\|G1 Megatron]] in new forms. But that was before the cartoon came along and completely changed things up to instead make the Maximals and Predacons the diminutive descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons. Grimlock's bio was most likely written with the toyline's original concept in mind, but the notion of an Autobot becoming a Maximal was nonetheless stuck in the minds of many a fan.
	*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that ~~really laid~~ the ~~groudwork~~ for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ~~show~~'~~s universe~~.		*It was the [[1998]] ''Beast Wars'' episode "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]" that set the stage for things to come: This episode revealed that the Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] had been "reprogrammed and rebuilt as a Predacon." This was the first, last, and only instance of such a reconstruction process being confirmed to exist within the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, yet it served as the main catalyst for what all was yet to come.
	*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.		*Two episodes later, "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]" showed the first real size comparison between the ''Beast Wars'' cast and their Generation 1 ancestors, confirming that Maximals and Predacons were practically human-sized compared to their giant-sized predecessors (something that would ''rarely'', if ''ever'' at all, be replicated in most other depictions of Maximals and Predacons in later non-''Beast Wars'' media). In this episode, upon first entering the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'', [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Megatron]] referred to the Autobots and Decepticons as "archaic energon [[macromaster\|guzzlers]]", as if to suggest that the 'Bots and 'Cons of old were far less energy-efficient than the Maximals and Predacons. This, in turn, drew comparisons by fans to how the [[Micromaster]]s of late-G1 had been presented in [[Marvel Comics\|Marvel]]'s [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)\|''Transformers'' comics]] as once-large Transformers who had physically downsized to smaller-scaled bodies for better fuel efficiency. These comparisons then led to ''further'' fan speculation about whether the Micromasters might have been the missing link between the larger Autobots and Decepticons and the more miniscule Maximals and Predacons.
	*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even		*At [[BotCon Japan 1998]], one of the [[exclusive]] toys released at that convention was a [[redeco]] of the ''Beast Wars'' [[Scorponok (BW)#Toys\|Scorponok]] named "[[Double Punch (G1)#Beast Wars\|Double Punch]]". This toy not only shared the same name with the [[Action Master Elite]] of the [[Double Punch (G1)\|same name]], but its [[bio\|toy bio]] contained several references to that of aforementioned original Double Punch, strongly implying the two versions of Double Punch to be the same character. A statement later given in [[2003]] would confirm that indeed to have been the case,<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=And I've just confirmed that from Ichikawa-san himself. I didn't even

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:25, 9 March 2026
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	*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".		*By [[2007]], various ''Beast Wars'' tie-in media from [[Fun Publications]] and [[IDW Publishing]] would cite many more unambiguous cases of Autobots and Decepticons becoming Maximals and Predacons, using such terms as "downsizing" and "Maximal Upgrade" in this context. The most notable examples were some bios for the [[Maximal Command Security Force\|Max-Cops]] published in the [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13\|13th]] and [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 14\|14th]] issues of the [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] [[Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club (magazine)\|magazine]], the Collector's Club prose story "[[The Razor's Edge]]", and select character profiles printed in IDW's ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook\|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''. The latter in particular established that the G1 Autobots [[Prowl (G1)\|Prowl]], [[Silverbolt (G1)\|Silverbolt]], and [[Ironhide (G1)\|Ironhide]] had become the three Maximals who form the combiner [[Magnaboss (BW)\|Magnaboss]], and were also the [[Maximal Elder]]s, canonizing ''another'' longstanding [[Maximal_Elder#Fan theories and perceptions\|fan theory]]. The Autobot Grimlock was also confirmed to have downsized, tying back into his 1997 ''Beast Wars'' Maximal toy bio while presenting him in a setting based on that of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon, and tying in with his concurrent appearances in IDW's two ''Beast Wars'' comic mini-series ''[[Transformers, Beast Wars: The Gathering\|The Gathering]]'' and ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending\|The Ascending]]''. Even over in [[Japan]] did the idea creep its way in, with the [[TakaraTomy]] website [[World of the Transformers]] mentioning the "Maximal Upgrade" as a post-Great War (G1)\|Great War]] policy that helped bring about the birth of the "Beast Warriors".

	Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "Great Upgrade" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.		Once the ''Beast Machines'' cartoon became more widely available via [[home video\|DVD]] releases, fans who had gotten used to the idea of the Maximal Upgrade from all of these non-cartoon sources simply conflated that concept with the "[[Great Upgrade]]" mentioned in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", took that conflation as gospel, spread the word, and never looked back.

	====Creator commentary====		====Creator commentary====
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	**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.		**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.
	**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.		**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.
	Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=		Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the [[Great Upgrade\|great upgrade]] from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=
	A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}		A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}
	</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).		</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).

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	**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.		**In "[[Other Visits (Part 2)]]", Megatron was prepared to take the [[Metal Hunter]] back to Cybertron in the future in a bid to conquer the planet and destroy the Maximals... "And the Autobots too!" The most common interpretation of this line is that it was merely foreshadowing Megatron's time-altering plans for the dormant Autobots aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)\|Ark]]'' on prehistoric Earth, rather than any existing Autobot population back on Cybertron in the future. But, Megatron was intent on leaving prehistoric Earth immediately, without ever even touching the ''Ark''. And his plans to change history were later said, in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]", to be a last resort that he was loathe to go through with until he had exhausted all other options and had nothing left to lose.
	**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.		**In "[[The Agenda (Part 1)]]", [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity\|Optimus Primal]] explained, "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired." Notice he said "have" rather than "had", which refers to a present-tense subject rather than a past-tense one, which only makes sense if there were still Decepticons living in retirement on Cybertron back in the future.
	Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to ~~give~~ ''~~support~~'' ~~to the downsizing theory: "During the second season we imply that~~ the Autobots evolved into ~~the~~ Maximals."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made ~~two months~~ before the ~~premiere of "Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search"~~ (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until ~~eight~~ months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing ~~that episode's~~ mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal." However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much ~~backlash, particularly~~ from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=		Later, ''Beast Machines'' story editor [[Bob Skir]] gave similar statements regarding the Autobots and Decepticons still existing on Cybertron with the Maximals and Predacons when Megatron stole everyone's sparks prior to the [[The Reformatting\|first episode]] of that series.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''The Maximals are very concerned about their fallen brethren (And rightly so)... will similar concern (or mentions) be given to the rest of the cybertronian populace? The Predacons, and the few remaining Autobot and Decepticon carryovers?'''<br>We're trying to refer to Cybertronians as "Transformers", which includes all* factions. We are avoiding terms like "Predacons" because the conflict between Maximals and Predacons doesn't factor into our current storylines, and we don't want to cause any confusion. But rest assured, Cybertron was populated by all four of the "species" you mentioned.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Sat_06_Nov_1999.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=1999\|month=11\|day=06}}</ref> He also gave a statement that echoed Larry DiTillio's own statement about the ancestral ties between the two generations of Transformers being less than literal.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''While speaking to the fake Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal calls him his "ancestor". Does this mean that transformers procreate and if so, how?'''<br>The "ancestor" line was more metaphorical than literal. The way my current HP is the "decendent" of my old ALR, which was the decendent of the IBM I originally owned...\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Fri_14_Apr_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=04\|day=14}}</ref> However, in all fairness, Skir had also given a statement on [[January 19]], 2000 that seemed to lean ''into'' the notion of Autobots having evolved into Maximals.<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''Is there any chance we'll ever find out who the Council of Elders are? Could they possibly be Autobots?'''<br>During the second season we imply that the Autobots evolved into the Maximals, so I'd assume that the Council members would be Maximals.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828023325/http://bobskir.com/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Wed_19_Jan_2000.html\|name=Bob Skir (answering the question of an unidentified fan)\|site=BobSkir.com\|title=Transformers: Beast Machines Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)\|year=2000\|month=01\|day=19}}</ref> This statement was made a month before the second season first premiered (in [[Canada]]; it wouldn't premiere in the [[United States of America\|U.S.]] until seven months later), so it seemed to be foreshadowing the mentioning of "the great upgrade from Autobot to Maximal" in "[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]", which itself wouldn't air until two months (in Canada, eight months in the U.S.) after this statement was given. However, the aforementioned statement from Skir about the ancestral relationship between the Autobots and Maximals being "more metaphorical than literal" was given ''after'' this statement ''and'' after the Canadian premiere of the aforementioned episode, implying that Skir may have walked back on his conflicting statement about Autobots evolving into Maximals (Not to mention the fact that, when fans first read that evolution statement at the time, it was initially met with much backlash—particularly from then-future [[Dreamwave Productions\|Dreamwave]] writer [[Adam Patyk]], who fervently rejected the Autobot-to-Maximal evolution notion entirely<ref>{{citesocial\|quote=It was pretty clear that in BW that Megatron referred to the 'Bot/Cons/Maximals/Predacons as separate groups all still on Cybertron...but Skir tosses that out and says the Autobots are gone, having evolved into Maximals. Thanks a lot, buddy. It's little bits like that that just agitate me...\|link=https://groups.google.com/g/alt.toys.transformers/c/-dfyqykgvsE/m/i6hf5jA5C6QJ\|name=
	A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}		A.Patyk\|site=alt.toys.transformers\|title=BM FAQ = Bob Skir FAQ\|year=2000\|month=02\|day=09}}
	</ref> So the idea ~~was~~ readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).		</ref>—so the idea wasn't readily accepted on a wide scale just yet).
	*As for the procedure that [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] was said to have undergone in order to become a Predacon, Optimus Primal stated the following: "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired. But '''rumor''' has it that '''one''' was reprogrammed and rebuilt, as a Predacon!" Ravage was the ''only one'' known to have undergone this procedure, and even then it was only known of as a ''rumor''. This strongly suggests that it had been conducted in secret as an unsanctioned, off the official record, possibly even shady procedure, ''not'' a common practice on Cybertron. Ravage had even intended to remove all witnesses to his presence in the [[Beast Wars (event)\|Beast Wars]] in the very [[The Agenda (Part 2)\|next episode]], further indicating that his mere existence was something he didn't want the greater Maximal populace/authorities to be aware of. And when once asked directly if any other Decepticons had undergone the same Decepticon-to-Predacon upgrade as Ravage, story editor (and writer of "The Agenda") [[Bob Forward]] gave the straightforward answer of "Probably not."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''In "The Agenda" Primal says something to the effect of ONE Decepticon being rebuilt into a Predacon body. Is that supposed to mean that no more Decepticons made the upgrade?'''<br>Probably not. Ravage was useful for a lot of reasons; he was a spy, and animal-shaped -- he was the easiest to incorporate into the series. "The Agenda" was going to be expensive anyway; by using Ravage we could use pre-built segments of Cheetor and Tigatron and save production costs.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303055840/http://www.coldhardslag.com/interviews/forward.html\|name=Cold Hard Interview - Bob Forward (5/25/2000)\|site=Cold Hard Slag\|title=\|year=2000\|month=05\|day=25\|}} (archived)</ref> This was further reiterated in the glossary of ''Beast Wars Universe'', mentioning Ravage as the sole Decepticon who was turned into a Predacon.<ref>グレートウォーの終結後、敗者であるディセプティコンズの中の、ごく僅かな者達が大赦を受け入れた。その大半はリタイアしたが、ただ独りラヴィッジは、再改造、再プログラムを施す事によってプレダコンとなった。</ref> And when one thinks about it, Ravage wouldn't have downsized because he never would have needed to: He was always small!		*As for the procedure that [[Ravage (G1)\|Ravage]] was said to have undergone in order to become a Predacon, Optimus Primal stated the following: "After the Great War, a few Decepticons were granted amnesty. Most have retired. But '''rumor''' has it that '''one''' was reprogrammed and rebuilt, as a Predacon!" Ravage was the ''only one'' known to have undergone this procedure, and even then it was only known of as a ''rumor''. This strongly suggests that it had been conducted in secret as an unsanctioned, off the official record, possibly even shady procedure, ''not'' a common practice on Cybertron. Ravage had even intended to remove all witnesses to his presence in the [[Beast Wars (event)\|Beast Wars]] in the very [[The Agenda (Part 2)\|next episode]], further indicating that his mere existence was something he didn't want the greater Maximal populace/authorities to be aware of. And when once asked directly if any other Decepticons had undergone the same Decepticon-to-Predacon upgrade as Ravage, story editor (and writer of "The Agenda") [[Bob Forward]] gave the straightforward answer of "Probably not."<ref>{{citesocial\|quote='''In "The Agenda" Primal says something to the effect of ONE Decepticon being rebuilt into a Predacon body. Is that supposed to mean that no more Decepticons made the upgrade?'''<br>Probably not. Ravage was useful for a lot of reasons; he was a spy, and animal-shaped -- he was the easiest to incorporate into the series. "The Agenda" was going to be expensive anyway; by using Ravage we could use pre-built segments of Cheetor and Tigatron and save production costs.\|link=https://web.archive.org/web/20010303055840/http://www.coldhardslag.com/interviews/forward.html\|name=Cold Hard Interview - Bob Forward (5/25/2000)\|site=Cold Hard Slag\|title=\|year=2000\|month=05\|day=25\|}} (archived)</ref> This was further reiterated in the glossary of ''Beast Wars Universe'', mentioning Ravage as the sole Decepticon who was turned into a Predacon.<ref>グレートウォーの終結後、敗者であるディセプティコンズの中の、ごく僅かな者達が大赦を受け入れた。その大半はリタイアしたが、ただ独りラヴィッジは、再改造、再プログラムを施す事によってプレダコンとなった。</ref> And when one thinks about it, Ravage wouldn't have downsized because he never would have needed to: He was always small!