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 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
• Galvatron lures Nightbeat to the planet Gorlam Prime and implants a device in his brain. Spotlight: Nightbeat

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

Escalation

• The Autobots decide to return the humans back to their normal lives—Sunstreaker and Ironhide have the honors. During the trip, the Machination violently ambush and capture Sunstreaker, along with Hunter O'Nion. Escalation issue 1
• Verity and Jimmy are returned to the Ark-19 and Sunstreaker's supposed remains are recovered, though not without heavy resistance. The remains were actually faked, alerting the Autobots to their exposure. Escalation issue 2
• 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. Escalation issue 3
• Prime orders additional reinforcements to Earth: Hot Rod, Hardhead and Nightbeat. Escalation issue 3
• Optimus Prime orders an Autobot contingent to Brasnya to deal with Megatron while Ironhide and Ratchet plan to disobey Prime's orders and investigate Sunstreaker's disappearance based on a lead from Jimmy. Escalation issue 3
• Hunter undergoes strange experimental surgery. Escalation issue 4
• Jimmy's lead takes him, Verity, Ironhide and Ratchet to an auto-parts store with unusually sophisticated scanners that could detect their holo-matter drivers. Verity and Jimmy can sneak in but they set off a booby trap. Escalation issue 4
• The Decepticons skirmish with the Autobots while Megatron gives the order for Georgi Koska to self terminate. The other Autobots scramble to preserve him for study and are helped by the arrival of Hardhead and Hot Rod help even the odds. Escalation issue 4
• An unidentified Transformer appearing to be severely damaged speaks with Dante of the Machination about replacing its body. Escalation issue 5
• Excavation of Shockwave continues, now under Skywatch supervision, Shockwave's and Grimlock's torsos exposed. Escalation issue 5
• 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. Escalation issue 5 While in infraspace, he encounters the presence of Nova Prime. Prime recovers and blasts Megatron at point blank range, depleting his Ore-13. Escalation issue 6
• 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
• During the Brasnya operation, Ramjet initiates an ambitious plan to take control. Megatron kills him before it 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, 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
• Ratchet, Verity and Jimmy, who left the Ark-19 in an escape pod, are located and chased by Sixshot and barely escape destruction. Ratchet drops off the humans and prepares to face Sixshot alone when the other Autobots intervene. Devastation issue 3
• The Reapers decide to destroy Earth. Devastation issue 3
• From the Dead Universe, Nova Prime, now calling himself Nemesis Prime, orders Galvatron to Earth to prepare for their second coming. Devastation issue 3

Footnotes

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