2005 IDW timeline

A timeline for the events of IDW Publishing's mainline Generation 1 Transformers series.

See also: IDW continuity.

Timeline

1,000,000+ years ago

~ 6.7 million B.C. — The first Ark is launched and subsequently lost. Notable crew include Galvatron, Spotlight: Galvatron Nova Prime and Jhiaxus. Spotlight: Optimus Prime

? B.C. — After Nova Prime and his strategist Jhiaxus disappear, Omega Supreme locks away Jhiaxus' experiment, Monstructor, in an inter-dimensional prison. Spotlight: Optimus Prime

? B.C. — The Autobots evolve into a corrupt galactic police force and spark a riot when shutting down an energon-mining operation. One of the miners, Megatron, escapes in a shuttle and joins the illegal gladiatorial games in the city of Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 1 Megatron takes over the games and is approached by Soundwave, an emissary of Senator Ratbat to cause terror throughout Cybertron. Megatron Origin issue 2 Megatron unites his gladiators under a common banner — the Decepticons, but they are captured by Sentinel Prime's forces.Megatron Origin issue 3 Starscream and Soundwave massacre the Senate, and release the Decepticons from prison. Megatron badly beats/kills Sentinel Prime, and the Decepticons occupy Kaon. The Autobots withdraw to Iacon.Megatron Origin issue 4

100,000+ years ago

~650,000 B.C. — Shockwave begins planning Regenesis, and begins distilling energon into a catalyst which he then launches at various planets, including prehistoric Earth. Spotlight: Shockwave

1,000+ years ago

? B.C. — Shockwave openly leaves the Decepticons to begin stabilizing his Regenesis planets. However, he is followed by the Dynobots, out for revenge; and on Earth — the first of the planets — they engage him in combat. While he defeats them, he is deactivated by a failsafe set by Grimlock, as the Dynobots' ship triggers a volcanic eruption which buries all six in what would later become Eureka, Nevada. Spotlight: Shockwave

? B.C. — Megatron, on discovering Shockwave's absence, assigns Bludgeon to investigate his projects Spotlight: Shockwave — and Soundwave to watch over Bludgeon. Spotlight: Soundwave

100+ years ago

~1550 A.D. — Thunderwing renders Cybertron largely uninhabitable. Stormbringer

• In the final years of Cybertron's inhabitation, Soundwave uses Bombshell to take control of Beachcomber. Beachcomber attempts to assassinate Blaster, leaving him adrift in space. The Decepticons began a massive offensive against the demoralised Autobots. Spotlight: Blaster

1900–2000

Unknown

• Sixshot is challenged by the Reapers, but refuses to join them. Spotlight: Sixshot

• Hot Rod leads a team to secure the Magnificence. Doubledealer, posing as an Autobot, sabotages the raid. Hot Rod hides the Magnificence.
• Hot Rod infiltrates the Decepticon penal colony Styx to rescue "Dealer", who befriends him. Spotlight: Hot Rod

1984 — Soundwave investigates Bludgeon's activities on Earth and is deactivated when Bludgeon, after some of Shockwave's Regenesis ore — called "Ultra-Energon" by him — triggers the eruption of Mount St. Helens (4 years later than in the real world.) Spotlight: Soundwave

1985 — Soundwave, Ravage and Laserbeak are excavated by Skywatch. Interest is taken in the cassettes, found in "robot mode", but Soundwave is apparently discarded. Spotlight: Soundwave

~1988 — Ultra Magnus tracks the Decepticon criminal Scorponok to Nebulos, but despite damages, he escapes. Spotlight: Ultra Magnus

Current era

2002

• Current era of Transformer activity on Earth begins.

2006 onward

• Shockwave's hand is discovered in an excavation in Nevada. Spotlight: Shockwave
• Galvatron lures Nightbeat to the planet Gorlam Prime and implants a device in his brain. Spotlight: Nightbeat
• Blaster is found drifting in space and returned to the Autobot fold. Beachcomber is freed from Decepticon control.

Infiltration

• Starscream's Infiltration unit on Earth discovers Shockwave's Regenesis ore, dubbing it "Ore-13". Infiltration
• Thunderwing is reactivated on Cybertron by Bludgeon using the "Ultra-Energon", and decimates Nebulos before returning to Cybertron and running out of fuel in front of Optimus Prime. Stormbringer
• Megatron arrives on Earth and blows a hole through Starscream for disloyalty. Infiltration issue 6
• After the Thunderwing debacle, Optimus Prime travels to Earth, following Shockwave's and Bludgeon's records. Stormbringer issue 4
• Soundwave, trapped in alternate mode since 1984, is purchased from a pawn shop. Spotlight: Soundwave
• Springer orders a costly mission to rescue the stranded and demented Kup. Spotlight: Kup

Escalation

• The Machination captures Sunstreaker, along with Hunter O'Nion. Hunter undergoes strange experimental surgery. Scorponok anticipates getting a new body.
• The Decepticons escalate tension between Brasnya and Russia. The Autobots intervene. The Ark-32 arrives with reinforcements. During the battle, Prime is nearly killed, and encounters the form of Nova Prime within infraspace.
• Ramjet initiates an ambitious plan to take control of the Decepticons.
• Ironhide, Ratchet, Jimmy and Verity investigate Sunstreaker's disappearance. Ironhide is severely damaged in the process and left behind.
• Excavation of Shockwave and the Dinobots continues, now under Skywatch supervision. Skywatch activates Ravage and Laserbeak.
• Megatron summons Sixshot to Earth. The Reapers follow.
• Megatron kills Ramjet before his plan can be carried out. Spotlight: Ramjet
• Galvatron travels to Cybertron and defeats Hound's unit to retrieve Thunderwing's body, which he takes to Gorlam Prime. Spotlight: Galvatron
• Optimus Prime meets with Omega Supreme to learn about Nova Prime. Monstructor attacks but is defeated and taken into Autobot custody. Spotlight: Optimus Prime

Devastation

• In the Dead Universe, Nova Prime orders Galvatron to Earth.
• Skywatch deploys Ravage and Laserbeak. Soundwave overrides Skywatch's control signal.
• Sixshot destroys Ark-19 and battles its Autobot passengers. The Autobots escape via orbital bounce to Ark-32, but Jimmy and Verity are killed in the process. Ratchet revives them after several minutes.
• The Decepticons revive Starscream.
• Wheeljack and Hot Rod travel to rescue Ironhide. En route they battle a group of Sunstreaker Headmasters. Hardhead arrives and takes Ironhide and Wheeljack back to Ark-32. Hot Rod remains on Earth to track down Sunstreaker.
• The Reapers arrive on Earth and attack the Decepticon siege bunker. Sixshot sides with them before being shut down by Starscream. The other Decepticons battle and defeat the Reapers, with help from Galvatron.
• The reformatted Hunter finds Sunstreaker, then combines with a Sunstreaker clone body and escapes the Machination's headquarters. Scorponok is reactivated.
• On Garrus-9, Banzai-tron's forces attack and liberate the Monstructor team. Fortress Maximus releases Arcee to get them back. The Ark-32 leaves Earth orbit, bound for Garrus-9, leaving Hot Rod and Sunstreaker alone on Earth.

Footnotes

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.