2005 IDW timeline

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

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, part 1 Megatron takes over the games and is approached by Soundwave, an emissary of Senator Ratbat to cause terror throughout Cybertron. Megatron Origin, part 2 Megatron unites his gladiators under a common banner — the Decepticons, but they are captured by Sentinel Prime's forces.Megatron Origin, part 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, part 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 uninhabitable. Stormbringer

1900–2000

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

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 follows to Earth, following Shockwave's and Bludgeon's records. Stormbringer, part 4
• Soundwave, trapped in alternate mode since 1984, is purchased from a pawn shop. Spotlight: Soundwave

Escalation

• Excavation of Shockwave continues, now under Skywatch supervision, Shockwave's and Grimlock's torsos exposed.
• The Machination ambush and capture Sunstreaker and Hunter O'Nion.
• With Megatron now in control of the Earthen Decepticon team, he powers up on Ore-13 and reformats his alternate mode into a pistol. He starts tension between Brasnya and Russia using facsimile Georgi Koska.
• Prime orders additional reinforcements to Earth: Hot Rod, Hardhead and Nightbeat.
• The Autobot forces are able to avert the conflict, but a super-powered Megatron nearly kills Optimus Prime, who downloads his mind into his trailer to fake death. While in infraspace, he encounters the presence of Nova Prime. Prime recovers and blasts Megatron at point blank range, depleting his Ore-13.

While searching for Sunstreaker and Hunter, Jimmy and Verity set off a trap and Ironhide is blown up while rescuing them.

• Ravage and Laserbeak reactivated under Skywatch control. Escalation (issue 6)
• Megatron summons Sixshot to Earth to hasten its destruction. The Reapers follow. Escalation (issue 6)
• Galvatron lures Nightbeat to a the planet Gorlam Prime and implants a device in his brain. Spotlight: Nightbeat He later 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, whom he saw in infraspace when he was almost killed by Megatron. During the meeting, Omega is attacked by Monstructor, who has escaped from the prison that Omega placed him in long ago. Monstructor nearly kills Omega but is stopped by Optimus Prime, who turns him over to Jetfire to help cure his insanity. Spotlight: Optimus Prime

Devastation

• Skywatch orders Ravage to find the other Transformers. Devastation (issue 1)
• Sixshot arrives and is ordered to attack the Autobots. While the Autobots are relocating the Ark-19, Sixshot shoots it out of the sky. Devastation (issue 1)
• The Autobots are able to avert disaster by crashing the Ark-19 into the ocean and self-destructing. Devastation (issue 2)
• Wheeljack and Hot Rod, who are on the way to rescue Ironhide, are attacked by a group of Sunstreaker Headmasters. Devastation (issue 2)
• Hunter, also reformatted into a Headmaster, awakens at the Machination's headquarters and finds Sunstreaker's detached head. Devastation (issue 2)

Footnotes

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