Transformers: Collision Course

This article is about the cancelled mini-series. For the Power of the Primes episode, see Collision Course{{#switch:{{#sub:Collision Course|-1}}

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The Graggle Simpson of IDW.

Transformers: Collision Course is an unpublished miniseries from IDW Publishing that would've brought together characters from across the Transformers multiverse.

Overview

Little is known about the plot of Collision Course: as the miniseries would've seen release in 2022, the final year of IDW's tenure on the Transformers license, it would presumably have acted as a capstone to seventeen years of IDW's Transformers storytelling, crossing over characters from IDW's various comic series.

Planned for four issues, the main story would have been written by John Barber. Issues #2-3 would have comprised of two stories each, set in specific continuities:<ref name=TFN2025>{{#if: |""—|}}{{#if: |[ Simon Furman|Simon Furman}}{{#if: TFNation 2025 |, TFNation 2025|}}{{#if: Speculation |, "Speculation"|}}{{#if: 2025 |, 2025{{#if: 08 |/{{#switch:{{#len:08}}|1=008|08}}{{#if: 09|/{{#switch:{{#len:09}}|1=009|09}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: |]|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:|7|11}}|web.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:|8|11}}|web.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:|7|10}}|archive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:|8|10}}|archive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>

• Simon Furman would have written a story about Regeneration One Starscream<ref name=TFN2025 />
• Tom Scioli would have developed ideas from Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, and has shared some tantalizing sketches for Optimus Prime entering an "Energon Universe"<ref>{{#if: The Energon Universe from The Unfinished #Transformers Crossover https://t.co/zOjOmZKFIN |"The Energon Universe from The Unfinished #Transformers Crossover https://t.co/zOjOmZKFIN"—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107 |Tom Scioli|Tom Scioli}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2022 |, 2022{{#if: 10 |/{{#switch:{{#len:10}}|1=010|10}}{{#if: 19|/{{#switch:{{#len:19}}|1=019|19}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761511688495107%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref> and Megatron following his banishment to Dream Valley<ref>{{#if: Megatron Design from the Unfinished Transformers Crossover https://t.co/TtjDRDWg1I |"Megatron Design from the Unfinished Transformers Crossover https://t.co/TtjDRDWg1I"—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496 |Tom Scioli|Tom Scioli}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2022 |, 2022{{#if: 10 |/{{#switch:{{#len:10}}|1=010|10}}{{#if: 19|/{{#switch:{{#len:19}}|1=019|19}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/tomscioli/status/1582761303755882496%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>
• James Roberts considered following up on the duplicate Lost Light from the final issue of his Lost Light series<ref>James Roberts at TFcon 2023</ref>
• Brian Ruckley has not shared details of his plans, but would presumably have followed up on the premature ending to his run on IDW's 2019 Transformers reboot

Writer Nick Roche was apparently involved in some capacity, but with his work on Last Bot Standing (which would ultimately stand alone as IDW's send-off to the franchise) he apparently wasn't going to have any scripting duties. These authors all took part in a video conference call where they brainstormed ideas for the series.<ref>{{#if: |""—|}}{{#if: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE |various writers|various writers}}{{#if: TFNation 2022 |, TFNation 2022|}}{{#if: Making the Ideas and Dreams Work |, "Making the Ideas and Dreams Work"|}}{{#if: 2022 |, 2022{{#if: 08 |/{{#switch:{{#len:08}}|1=008|08}}{{#if: 13|/{{#switch:{{#len:13}}|1=013|13}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2n-FbzFolE%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>

The only other glimpses we've received of this series take the form of various covers, produced in advance as is typical of comics production:

• Alex Milne depicted dozens of characters from the universes mentioned above, alongside various familiar faces from the original Transformers cartoon, Animated, the "Aligned" continuity, the Beast Wars cartoon, its anime spinoffs, and IDW's 2021 comic reboot, plus a few oddball miniseries like Transformers vs. The Terminator, Hearts of Steel, Transformers vs. G.I. Joe, and even Last Bot Standing
• Guido Guidi depicted characters explicitly identified as "Armada Megatron" and "Regeneration One Starscream,"<ref>Transformers: Best of the Rarities</ref>
• Andrew Wildman depicted Beast Wars Megatron battling "Generation 1" Grimlock<ref>Andrew Wildman panel at TFcon 2022</ref>
• Joana Lafuente depicted Regeneration One Starscream reaching for a Cybertronian flower<ref>{{#if: Here it is, my last cover for the Transformers while in IDW Publishing's hands. This was one the covers for the unpublished series "Transformers: Collision Course" and I promptly jumped at the opportunity to finally do a Starscream cover (Regen One version). [alt] Transformer's Starscream reaching for a cybertronian/necrobot blue flower while the Universe collapses behind him. |"Here it is, my last cover for the Transformers while in IDW Publishing's hands. This was one the covers for the unpublished series "Transformers: Collision Course" and I promptly jumped at the opportunity to finally do a Starscream cover (Regen One version). [alt] Transformer's Starscream reaching for a cybertronian/necrobot blue flower while the Universe collapses behind him."—|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744 |Joana Lafuente|Joana Lafuente}}{{#if: Twitter |, Twitter|}}{{#if: |, ""|}}{{#if: 2022 |, 2022{{#if: 12 |/{{#switch:{{#len:12}}|1=012|12}}{{#if: 05|/{{#switch:{{#len:05}}|1=005|05}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744 ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://twitter.com/JoanaLafuente/status/1599924114768031744%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>

Collision Course was cut very late in production, enough so that artists had already completed these covers. As late as January 2022, an article reporting on IDW's impending loss of the Transformers license noted that the company had two "event" miniseries set for release after the end of their ongoing Transformers comic<ref>{{#if: The monthly Transformers series will wrap up by mid-summer, while the Transformers: Beast Wars series will come to its conclusion this summer, too. That will lead to two new miniseries events. |"The monthly Transformers series will wrap up by mid-summer, while the Transformers: Beast Wars series will come to its conclusion this summer, too. That will lead to two new miniseries events."—|}}{{#if: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/ |Borys Kit|Borys Kit}}{{#if: The Hollywood Reporter |, The Hollywood Reporter|}}{{#if: IDW to Lose ‘G.I. Joe,’ ‘Transformers’ License at End of 2022 (Exclusive) |, "IDW to Lose ‘G.I. Joe,’ ‘Transformers’ License at End of 2022 (Exclusive)"|}}{{#if: 2022 |, 2022{{#if: 01 |/{{#switch:{{#len:01}}|1=001|01}}{{#if: 22|/{{#switch:{{#len:22}}|1=022|22}}|}}}}|}}{{#if: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/ ||}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/%7C7%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/%7C8%7C11}}%7Cweb.archive= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/%7C7%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#switch:{{#sub:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/idw-losing-g-i-joe-transformers-license-1235078466/%7C8%7C10}}%7Carchive.is= (archive link)|}}{{#if: | (dead link)}}</ref>—it's unclear whether this refers to Last Bot Standing, Transformers: Shattered Glass II, or possibly Collision Course, although Last Bot Standing is a largely self-contained story ostensibly divorced from any other part of the Transformers multiverse. That same month, a letters page in Beast Wars #12 teased the possibility of a "crossover event" when asked about a potential crossover between the cast of Beast Wars and IDW's 2019 Transformers reboot.<ref>"You never know... we may be seeing the Maximals and Predacons in a crossover event in the near future..."</ref>

The reasons behind Collision Course's cancellation remain unclear—with only months left on the Transformers license, it may have come down to time concerns, or simply a desire to have both Transformers and Beast Wars end on an organic note instead of contriving a crossover scenario. Alternately, it's possible that IDW chose to market Last Bot Standing, written with the intent of acting as the "final Transformers story", as a more subdued response to the end of IDW's Transformers mythos.

Notes

• When IDW first obtained the Transformers license in 2005, Simon Furman originally proposed a multiverse crossover story that would've brought together the casts of both Cybertron and Generation 1, although IDW turned down his pitch.<ref>Transformers, a New Direction, Simon Furman's Transformers proposal printed in The Best of Simon Furman</ref> It's only fitting that what would've been the last IDW book met the same fate...

References

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