Transformer romance: Difference between revisions

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*[[Proxima]] - [[Acceleron]] {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}}
*[[Proxima]] - [[Acceleron]] {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}}
*[[Sparkstalker]] has gone on at least one date with [[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]]
*[[Sparkstalker]] has gone on at least one date with [[Lightbright (G1)|Lightbright]]
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] - [[Horri-Bull]]
*[[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] - [[Horri-Bull]] {{storylink|The Transgressors}}
*[[Greenlight]] - [[Lancer]] {{storylink|The Will of the Few}}


====Beast Era====
====Beast Era====

Revision as of 07:32, 28 September 2015

"I'll spend the rest of my existence trying to save his afterburner, then he finally returns the favor by plugging into me while I am unconscious. Ours is a healthy relationship."

Some will vehemently refuse to admit it exists. Others really don't care about the brand beyond it. Regardless of opinions, Transformers engaging in or pursuing interaction of a romantic nature is a well-established element in pretty much every continuity. For the most part, Transformers are observed searching for romantic partners amongst their own kind, but attraction to organic lifeforms and even non-living objects has been documented as well.

Some wonder why a species that likely does not reproduce sexually would participate in behavior that in other creatures exists as a means to promote sex and thereby new life. While a definitive answer to this has yet to be given, the question as to why Transformers become romantically involved with one another can be approached from a different angle. Transformers are a highly social species. This is shown through their very human-like society, interpersonal interactions, familial relationships, and even the fairly common practice of merging bodies and minds. If these are not frowned upon, then why should social connections of the romantic kind be regarded much differently, if at all? Perhaps there is no reason for them to engage in romance, but then there is equally no reason for them not to.

Though rather obscure, there is even an official term for two Transformers in a relationship: "sparkmates". Existing as a fan term mostly, it has been used in two official sources, the end-of-game bio for Airazor, in reference to her and Tigatron, in the Nintendo 64 version of the "Beast Wars Transmetals" video game<ref>Beast Wars Transmetals end-of-game bios - transcription</ref> and again in Venus. In addition, Downshift's Cyber Key Code info appears to refer to Transformer marriage in stating that he and his lifebond partner "joined together under the Covenant of Primus".

Most recently the IDW Generation 1 continuity ongoing series, More Than Meets The Eye, refers to a Transformer in a committed, intimate partnership as a "Conjunx Endura",

Orientation

It will forever be a shame he wasn't in Cybertron.

The most common observation of Cybertronian romance is between a male and a female Transformer. Considering the general scarcity of female Transformers, and perhaps the absence of sexual reproduction, this is a rather interesting if odd situation. Second to that are the number of noted relations between a Transformer and an organic, equally so almost solely between a (nominally) male and female. These become more frequent as the gender balance becomes less even, even if that is a direct result of Transformers allegedly being genderless. Third in line come "couples" that consist of a Transformer fawning over a not-living object, often regarding it as of the opposite gender.

Until recently, same-gender interests were comparatively rare. The Japanese version of Beast Wars had Airazor as a male, making his relation with Tigatron the first known instance of a homosexual Transformer couple.<ref name="Airazorboy">The reason the Japanese Beast Wars dub had Airazor male was because Takara hoped to increase toy sales that way. Therefore, the relationship with Tigatron was initially played off somewhat differently to avoid complaints of homosexuality. Tigatron was presented as a samurai retainer with protective feelings towards his young ward, their closeness addressed in a "brotherly" sort of way. Despite that, there was still enough innuendo left over for the gender-bending to become noticeable. The end of the matter came with the sequence in "Other Visits (Part 1)" when Airazor and Tigatron stare into each other's eyes while holding hands and slowly leaning in for a kiss. Since little could be done with that scene, the dub team had Airazor fully "come out" and begin to express his affection for Tigatron just before the two of them were abducted by the Vok. Japanese magazine editors, responding to letters from confused young fans, gently explained that "some people are just like that".</ref> At a distance follow Energon Mirage, who had the (unrequited) hots for Galvatron, and Generation 1 Sunstreaker, who may have been gay in the Dreamwave Generation One continuity.<ref>Matt Moylan reveals a little secret about Sunstreaker at tfw2005.com</ref> (Dick Gautier jokingly "confirmed" that Rodimus Prime is gay at BotCon 2002, in response to panel-mate Michael McConnohie being asked if Tracks was. This is obviously not canon.) The current IDW Ongoing Comic More Than Meets The Eye introduced several current and past romantic relationships that centred around mnemosurgeon Chromedome, as well as floating the potential for other "canon couples" in the title.

Transformer/organic relations are not any richer in this regard. Paddles had a clear fondness of the humans Randall and Ed, and Magnificus and Ga'mede might have something going between them, but that's about it. A note could be made on the fair chance that Tigatron's beast mode represents a female tiger and was scanned from his partner Snowstalker, yet that is speculation at best.

Bender from Futurama finds a friend at the Ark 1 Memorial Statue...

The real-world explanation for the overall scarcity of anything specific between two of the same gender is that Transformers above all exists to sell toys to children and so has to play in on the wishes and expectations of the assumed general audience. Even if attitude is improving, heterosexuality is still the default assumption and least controversial option in all-ages fiction. Outside of an accident in translation<ref name="Airazorboy" /> and a few sneaked-in jokes for older viewers, the default is still for writers to haul up Arcee or insert a new female (Transformer) to fill the romance niche than play up that sort of interaction in same gender context.

However, the IDW comics have a traditionally older audience. This led to the glass ceiling being shattered when More than Meets the Eye depicted Chromedome and Rewind in a millennia-long relationship, in which they were named as each other's "significant other"... and this relationship was not the first either have had, and Chromedome may or may not have been dating Prowl before that.<ref>"The Underbase Podcast Deconstructs Shadowplay", 17:17 - 14:58</ref> The relationship is perhaps not out-and-out romance as humans would think or feel it, but author James Roberts has commented that this is because he imagines Transformers don't have relationships in exactly the same way humans do; he leaves no doubt that "Chromedome and Rewind each regard the other as the most important person in their life."<ref>James Roberts on Chromedome and Rewind on the IDW forums</ref> That Rewind out-and-out says "I love you" in a message to Chromedome only hammers it home. Hasbro has been totally cool with IDW doing this.<ref>Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts - 01:40:47 to 01:41:24</ref> This measure was later followed up by the introduction of the first same-gender female couple in Transformers history, as well as the first example of attraction between members of different genders in IDW The Sensuous Frame


(And yes, there is the fact that IDW has previously established that Transformers are genderless in their continuity, but let's not kid ourselves about what we're seeing here.)

Sex

"Oh, Convoy! Your shift lever is dirty," Marissa exclaims. "It must be from when I spilled soft serve ice cream on you before. I will wipe it clean for you now."
(NOTE: We didn't make that up. That actually, canonically happened.)

The hints are few and far between, but Transformers is not devoid of the possibility Transformers might engage in sexual activities (for recreational purposes). Kissing is a regularly observed sign of affection and in The Headmasters episode "Return of the Immortal Emperor", Chromedome was rather thrilled he got to see Arcee transform. Nevertheless, Beast Wars was the first to pick up the subject in a more direct manner: in the episode "The Agenda (Part 1)", Rattrap offers to take Silverbolt to what sounds like a Cybertronian version of a strip club, and later slyly makes a double entendre regarding Silverbolt's suspected kinky activities with Blackarachnia.

Rape euphemisms are commonly inserted in the Japanese dubs of Western Transformers programs for, uh, "humor". The Japanese dub of "Maximal, No More" has Rattrap, thinking himself about to be stabbed by Dinobot, ask his attacker to penetrate him "gently, because I've heard the first time can hurt." The Japanese dub of "Predatory", reworked from a slasher movie homage to a parody of Pepe Le Pew cartoons, has Airachnid spewing a lengthy string of sexual declarations (some thinly veiled, some not-so-much) as she amorously pursues Jack (including singing a Japanese folk song about a woman raping a man).

References and innuendoes have become increasingly more common in recent years. Scarlett and Bumblebee had a suggestive conversation about "riding" him in "Wolves", and in "The Art of War issue 3", Arcee promised Bumblebee to "rotate his tires" if he could beat her, to which he responded with a most enthusiastic "Wooo-Hooo!". In the Dreamwave issue "Infestation", one remark from Sunstreaker might suggest the existence of Transformer S.T.D.'s. In the ever-questionable Kiss Players double-entendres ran rife, with one of the most disturbing involving Optimus Prime deriving pleasure from Marissa Faireborn polishing his stick shift and rubbing the rim of his gas tank, which are pretty clear metaphors for... well... y'know.

And that's about as far as we're going to broach the subject. If you really want to know more on the matter of Transformer sex, an exciting world of fan fiction awaits you. Take note that doing so will be at your own risk, and TFWiki accepts no liability for any psychological trauma incurred.

See also: Sexual Reproduction{{#if: 
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Transformer - Transformer

{{#if:Grimlock, making sure no one else tries a move on his love interest"Black Friday"|
“ But me Grimlock still taller than you. That why Spider-Lady like me Grimlock best. ”
{{#if:Grimlock, making sure no one else tries a move on his love interest|

—Grimlock, making sure no one else tries a move on his love interest{{#if:"Black Friday"|, "Black Friday"}}

}}

}}


Most commonly, Transformers stick to their own kind when becoming romantically entangled. This is to be expected, as those of their own kind share the cultural and bio-technological mindset that makes their personalities more likely to be compatible. Despite the low number of female Transformers, most relations seen thus far are between a female and a male. What this means for Transformer culture - Are relations something rare? Is there programming or something that only connects a male to a female and vice versa? And if so, why does it exist? - goes unexplained.

In one universe, a Transformer can designate another Transformer his Conjunx Endura, or significant other.

Cases

Generation 1

"I didn't know giant robots had testosterone."

Beast Era

File:ScyllaMolest1.jpg
Bad touch is good humor if done by a girl.

Unicron Trilogy

Live-action movies

  • Jetfire claims to have a mother and a father. Primus knows what that means, but we might as well try to be complete about this list. Revenge of the Fallen
  • In her spare time, Arcee runs a lonely-hearts ad column called Arcee's soulmates. Many 'bots write letters in for it mostly expecting replies from other 'bots. Star Screams
  • In the letters page of the comic of the films, Barricade flirts right back with a cop-cycle OC called Hotwire.

Transformers Animated

In case you needed visual recognition that he has the hots for her.

TransTech

Shattered Glass

Prime

Transformer - organic

{{#if:Alana speaks words every Autobot Commander dreads"Sea Change"|
“ We don't have to be the same outside to share the same feeling inside. ”
{{#if:Alana speaks words every Autobot Commander dreads|

—Alana speaks words every Autobot Commander dreads{{#if:"Sea Change"|, "Sea Change"}}

}}

}}


Perhaps because reproduction does not seem to be a motivation for them to become romantically involved or perhaps because finding a proper partner among their own kind is not always an easy task, more than one Transformer at one point in their life made nice with an organic lifeform. However, virtually nothing is known about how the long-term cases worked out, what with physical differences such as size, lifespan and aging, and cultural differences - up front the constant influence of the war.

As to why organic lifeforms sometimes get head-over-heels for beings that can't fulfill the very reason they seek out partners, is another matter. In the case of humans, several authoritative works have been written on relevant aspects of their biology. Readers are advised to seek them out for further reference.

Cases

Generation 1

PGA PDA

Beast Era

Unicron Trilogy

Live-action film series

See it like this: rather a leghugger than a facehugger.

Prime

Transformer - non-living object

{{#if:Luisa, quite likely one of the very few humans who does not find this an awkward subject"Fire on the Mountain"|
“ And when we get back home, I want Bumblebee to meet my brother's convertible. We call her Juanita, and I think the two of them will get along just fine. ”
{{#if:Luisa, quite likely one of the very few humans who does not find this an awkward subject|

—Luisa, quite likely one of the very few humans who does not find this an awkward subject{{#if:"Fire on the Mountain"|, "Fire on the Mountain"}}

}}

}}

While the ability to at least exchange thoughts can explain the interest some Transformers have for beings not belonging to their own kind, that pretty much doesn't go for the interest some of them have for non-living objects. Unless the fact they often treat them as if alive has something to do with it. This is possibly not as odd as it seems: Transformers are, after all, part object themselves, some even having been upgraded from a mere piece of machinery. In that sense, it is perhaps harder to understand why it doesn't happen more often. Fancy that sleek piece of car? Oh, so it's one of those not talking back? Nothing that can't be helped! Or alternatively, it comes very close to the real thing and one can be certain not to be rejected by it.

Cases

Generation 1

Robots in Disguise

'Burn tricycle
  • Side Burn has a thing for pretty red sportcars.

Unicron Trilogy

Live-action movies

Transformers Animated

References

<references />
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