Beast Era: Difference between revisions

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'''Beast Era''' is loosely-defined fan terminology.  It roughly means "the years of ''[[Beast Wars]]'' and ''[[Beast Machines]]''", and is most often used to describe the two franchises as a single entity, much as the term [[Unicron Trilogy]] encompasses ''[[Armada]]'', ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'', and ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''.  The Beast Era also includes the Japanese-exclusive series ''[[Beast Wars II]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars Neo]]''. The era is a subset of ''[[Generation 1]]''.
The '''Beast Era''' is an umbrella term used by fans to refer to the future time period in which ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' and its related franchises are set.  The term can also be applied to toy design, "Beast Era toys" referring to the common design aesthetic of the 1996-2000 toylines: [[Ball joint|Ball joints]], [[Shellformer|Shellformers]], [[Chewed caramels|Chewed caramels]], etc.


The term is also sometimes used to refer to the in-fiction time period during which the Beast cartoons take place.  That is, a time roughly 300 years after the end of the great wars — the "home" time of the BW characters, and the time to which they returned at the end of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
==Setting==
Several centuries after the end of [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]], the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] have been replaced by [[Maximal|Maximals]] and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], two mutually antagonistic empires co-existing under an uneasy truce called the [[Pax Cybertronia|Pax Cybertronia]], jockeying for advantage before the resumption of all-out hostilities.


For both senses of the term, ''[[Universe]]'' is sometimes included as well, as it consists largely of BW and BM toys and characters in a fictional setting that overlaps with and extends the BW/BM fiction.
Unlike the battleground of [[Beast Wars (franchise)|''Beast Wars'']], whose time frame can vary by up to 3 million years, the Beast Era has been [[Apelinq's War Journals|consistently]] [[Departure|established]]
[[Generation 1 cartoon timeline (Japan)|to be]] ~300 years in the future.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> The [[3H|3H]] ''[[Apelinq's War Journals|Expanded Universe]]'' specifies the [[Beast Machines (cartoon)|''Beast Machines'']] series as taking place in "316 AU," or the year 2321 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Anno_Domini">Anno Domini</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> This date may not apply for all [[Continuities|continuities]], where the relative placement and even order of the franchises can vary. ''*sigh*''


[[IDW Publishing]]'s four-issue mini series, ''[[The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]]'' and its sequel, ''[[The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'' can also be included in continuity as its premise is based on an unresolved plot point from the American ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.


Also included in this [[continuity]] is [[BotCon 2007]]'s 15-minute ''Beast Wars'' prequel episode, "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]", which shows how [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his team of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] criminals stole the [[Golden Disk]].
<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote">
<tr>
<td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “
</td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Our setting is the planet ''Cybertron''—some three hundred years after the destruction of the chaos-bringer, ''Unicron''.
</td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ”
</td></tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—[[Departure|Wreckers #1, introduction]], 2001</cite>


The Beast Era would have continued in the canceled project called [[Transtech]].
</td></tr></table>
==Umbrella franchise==
The Beast Era includes:


[[Category: Beast Era| ]]
 
[[Category: Fandom]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>
* [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] — 1996
* [[Beast Wars II (franchise)|Beast Wars II]]  — 1998
* [[Beast Wars Neo (franchise)|Beast Wars Neo]] — 1999
* [[Beast Machines (franchise)|Beast Machines]] — 2000
* [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]  — 2003
 
The canceled 2001 ''[[Transtech|Transtech]]'' franchise would have been part of the Beast Era, following the events of ''Beast Machines''.
 
The 2001 [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] series (featuring vehicular [[Autobot|Autobots]] vs. bestial [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]) set on modern-day [[Earth|Earth]] is ''not'' considered a Beast Era series, though it may have been conceived as a logical inversion of ''Beast Wars II''.
 
The Beast Era ''could'' be considered a [[Continuity family|continuity family]], since each franchise features many continuities (not all of which fit together), but it is generally treated as a subset of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] continuity family.
 
 
==Other information==
[[IDW Publishing|IDW Publishing]]'s four-issue mini series, ''[[The Gathering|Beast Wars: The Gathering]]'', and its sequel, ''[[The Ascending|Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'', can also be included in continuity, as their premise is based on an unresolved plot point from the American ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
 
Also included in this [[Continuity|continuity]] is [[BotCon 2007|BotCon 2007]]'s 15-minute ''Beast Wars'' prequel episode, "[[Theft of the Golden Disk|Theft of the Golden Disk]]", which shows how [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and his team of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] criminals stole the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]].
 
 
==References==
&lt;ol class="references"&gt;&lt;li id="cite_note-0"&gt;&lt;a href="#cite_ref-0" title=""&gt;↑&lt;/a&gt; "[[Dark Designs|Dark Designs]]" had [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] identify the [[Great War|Great War]] as occurring "three centuries ago."
&lt;li id="cite_note-1"&gt;&lt;a href="#cite_ref-1" title=""&gt;↑&lt;/a&gt; This assumes "AU" to mean "After Unicron", in reference to his [[The Transformers: The Movie|2005 defeat]].&lt;/ol&gt;
 
[[Category:Beast Era]]
[[Category:Fandom]]

Revision as of 05:37, 19 March 2009

The Beast Era is an umbrella term used by fans to refer to the future time period in which Beast Wars and its related franchises are set. The term can also be applied to toy design, "Beast Era toys" referring to the common design aesthetic of the 1996-2000 toylines: Ball joints, Shellformers, Chewed caramels, etc.

Setting

Several centuries after the end of Generation 1, the Autobots and Decepticons have been replaced by Maximals and Predacons, two mutually antagonistic empires co-existing under an uneasy truce called the Pax Cybertronia, jockeying for advantage before the resumption of all-out hostilities.

Unlike the battleground of Beast Wars, whose time frame can vary by up to 3 million years, the Beast Era has been consistently established to be ~300 years in the future.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-0" title="">[1]</a></sup> The 3H Expanded Universe specifies the Beast Machines series as taking place in "316 AU," or the year 2321 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anno_Domini" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Anno_Domini">Anno Domini</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1" title="">[2]</a></sup> This date may not apply for all continuities, where the relative placement and even order of the franchises can vary. *sigh*


<table align="center" style="border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tr> <td width="20" valign="top" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:left;padding:9px 10px 0 10px;"> “ </td><td valign="top" style="padding:4px 10px 5px 10px;font-family: 'lucida console', arial, sans-serif;"> Our setting is the planet Cybertron—some three hundred years after the destruction of the chaos-bringer, Unicron. </td><td width="20" valign="bottom" style="color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;text-align:right;padding:10px 10px 0px 10px;"> ” </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="3" style="padding-top: 0"> <p style="font-size:smaller;line-height:1em;text-align: right"><cite style="font-style:normal;">—Wreckers #1, introduction, 2001</cite>

</td></tr></table>

Umbrella franchise

The Beast Era includes:


The canceled 2001 Transtech franchise would have been part of the Beast Era, following the events of Beast Machines.

The 2001 Robots in Disguise series (featuring vehicular Autobots vs. bestial Predacons) set on modern-day Earth is not considered a Beast Era series, though it may have been conceived as a logical inversion of Beast Wars II.

The Beast Era could be considered a continuity family, since each franchise features many continuities (not all of which fit together), but it is generally treated as a subset of the Generation 1 continuity family.


Other information

IDW Publishing's four-issue mini series, Beast Wars: The Gathering, and its sequel, Beast Wars: The Ascending, can also be included in continuity, as their premise is based on an unresolved plot point from the American Beast Wars cartoon.

Also included in this continuity is BotCon 2007's 15-minute Beast Wars prequel episode, "Theft of the Golden Disk", which shows how Megatron and his team of Predacon criminals stole the Golden Disk.


References

<ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0"><a href="#cite_ref-0" title="">↑</a> "Dark Designs" had Blackarachnia identify the Great War as occurring "three centuries ago." <li id="cite_note-1"><a href="#cite_ref-1" title="">↑</a> This assumes "AU" to mean "After Unicron", in reference to his 2005 defeat.</ol>