Transformers Cloud

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FIGHT!

Transformers Cloud (トランスフォーマークラウド) is a small 2014 Japanese franchise made up of shared exclusives from e-HOBBY and TakaraTomy Mall, with Autobots being sold through TakaraTomy Mall and Decepticons through e-HOBBY. Its fiction tells the tale of the residents of a new universe distinct from any established pillar franchises (a rarity for Japanese fiction) known as "Cloud World" as they hop across the multiverse battling over the mysterious being known as "SARA."

Fiction

Prose

Written by Makoto Wakabayashi with art by Nagi Miyako and Hidetsugu Yoshioka, the fiction of Transformers Cloud was presented as illustrated prose stories, called Spacetime World: Guardians of Time (時空界 Guardians of Time Jikū-kai Guardians of Time) in an episodic format. The overall story is divided into four chapters, each of which was subdivided into six(ish) individually published episodes on the Transformers Cloud website.

	Spacetime World: Guardians of Time episodes:
Chapter 1: Prologue #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Chapter 2: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Chapter 3: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Chapter 4: #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6

Comics

Each Cloud toy came packaged with a six-page comic book, again by the team of Wakabayashi and Yoshioka, which generally adapt key scenes from the prose stories. Additionally, a 24-page "coda" issue illustrated by Naoto Tsushima was released as a bonus freebie with Cloud purchases from e-HOBBY at the tail end of the toyline.

	Transformers Cloud: Spacetime World: Guardians of Time issues:	»
TFC-A01 TFC-D01 TFC-A02 TFC-D02 TFC-A03 TFC-D03 TFC-A04 TFC-D04 Coda

Spin Off

Cloud received a final epilogue of sorts in the form of Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock, an e-HOBBY comic written and drawn by Wakabayashi under the Spin Off imprint that followed the recurring character Deadlock as the hot-blooded young Decepticon found himself adrift in the multiverse before falling under the tutelage of Primus Vanguard commander Black Go Prime, leading to his appearance in various Precursor World stories going forward.

Toys

While the toys in Cloud were released in staggered two-item waves, those waves were split between two different outlets: the Autobots were released through TakaraTomy Mall, while the Decepticons were sold through e-HOBBY. All toys in the line are redecos of Voyager Class molds from Generations and other lines.

Wave 1 (05-29-2014) TFC-A01 Optimus Prime TFC-D01 Megatron

Wave 2 (08-28-2014) TFC-A02 Brawn TFC-D02 Starscream

Wave 3 (11-27-2014) TFC-A03 Hot Rodimus TFC-D03 Shockwave

Wave 4 (03-21-2015) TFC-A04 Roadbuster TFC-D04 Hellwarp

File:Takaratomy-cloud-hot-rodimus.jpg Hot Rodimus

Post-series releases

Cloud saw one final release in the form of an e-HOBBY exclusive Legends toy for formerly fiction exclusive character Deadlock one year after the shuttering of the line.

Legends (03-??-2016) LG-EX Deadlock

File:E-Hobby-Transformers-Legends-Deadlock.jpg Deadlock

Repurposed toys

Like other micro-franchises of its ilk, Cloud conscripts figures from across the brand to fill out its cast. Each toy's franchise of origin is given in parenthesis.

Autobots

Air Raid (Fall of Cybertron) Blaster (Fall of Cybertron) Bulkhead (Prime First Edition)

Bumblebee (Generations) Grimlock (Fall of Cybertron) Impactor (Fall of Cybertron)

Ironhide (Henkei! Henkei!) Jazz (Fall of Cybertron) Perceptor (United)

Ratchet (Henkei! Henkei!) Sideswipe (Fall of Cybertron) Ultra Magnus (Prime Beast Hunters)

The Dinobot aka Grimlock

Decepticons

Blast Off (Fall of Cybertron) Blitzwing (Generations) Brawl (Fall of Cybertron)

Laserbeak's first body (Fall of Cybertron) Lockdown (Revenge of the Fallen) Onslaught (Fall of Cybertron)

Skywarp's first body (Fall of Cybertron) Soundwave's first body (Fall of Cybertron) Starscream's first body (Fall of Cybertron)

Swindle (Fall of Cybertron) Vortex (Fall of Cybertron) Thundercracker (Generations)

Thundercracker

Virtual redecoes

Cloud features a handful of real world toys in fiction exclusive color schemes, commonly referred to as "virtual redecoes."

• 
  Topspin
  
  The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.
• 
  Twin Twist
  
  The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.
• 
  Whirl
  
  The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.
• 
  Astrotrain
  
  The Classics mold in a combination of Astrotrain's Generation 1 toy and cartoon color schemes, and by extension a fusion of the Classics and Henkei! Henkei! decoes respectively.

Notes

• As Deadlock was technically released under the Legends banner, the toy was packed with a second comic in addition to Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock chronicling a more light-hearted crossover between Cloud and Hayato Sakamoto's Legends comic.
• SARA makes a brief cameo in Decepticon Dark Commander Grand Scourge, an otherwise unrelated comic penned by Wakabayashi.
• Before Cloud was finalized, other concepts proposed included Transformers: Bravemasters, Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass, and Transformers Part One.

References

• Transformers Cloud website (archived)
• Complete archive of Transformers Cloud prose