Transformers Cloud
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Transformers Cloud (トランスフォーマークラウド) is a small 2014 Japanese franchise made up of shared exclusives from e-HOBBY and TakaraTomy Mall, with Autobots being sold through TakaraTomy Mall and Decepticons through e-HOBBY. Its fiction tells the tale of the residents of a new universe distinct from any established pillar franchises (a rarity for Japanese fiction) known as "Cloud World" as they hop across the multiverse battling over the mysterious being known as "SARA."
Fiction
Prose
Written by Makoto Wakabayashi with art by Nagi Miyako and Hidetsugu Yoshioka, the fiction of Transformers Cloud was presented as illustrated prose stories, called Spacetime World: Guardians of Time (時空界 Guardians of Time Jikū-kai Guardians of Time) in an episodic format. The overall story is divided into four chapters, each of which was subdivided into six(ish) individually published episodes on the Transformers Cloud website.
| Spacetime World: Guardians of Time episodes: | |||
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Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
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After a brief prologue to establish the setting, each chapter presented a six-part character study for the duo of characters in the upcoming wave of the toyline, including a prominent adventure somewhere in TakaraTomy's interpretation of the Transformers multiverse: Optimus Prime and Megatron landed in the setting of the original Generation 1 cartoon, Brawn and Starscream found themselves in the world of the Unicron Trilogy, Hot Rodimus and Shockwave battled in the Beast Wars, and Roadbuster and Hellwarp interrupted the events of Beast Wars II.
The overarching narrative sees the disgraced former Spacetime Policeman Megatron assemble an army of "Decepticons" from the cast-offs and exiles from Cloud World's Underground to storm its capital of Metropolis, breaching the holy of holies of Cloud's society of interdimensional patrolmen, known locally as the "Autobots," to "liberate" the energy being that propagates their nexus reality: SARA. After Megatron absorbs much of SARA's spacetime energy, her remains are forced to incarnate physically as a small humanoid girl, whose personality is wiped after she uses the last of her power to exile a rampaging Megatron to the edges of the multiverse. The subsequent plot follows the two factions' voyages through the multiverse as SARA works with the Autobots to regain her intellect and restore her vast power over space and time, culminating in a duel between Optimus and Megatron in the collapsing heart of Unicron for SARA's allegiance, and with it, the fate of the multiverse itself.
Comics
Each Cloud toy came packaged with a six-page comic book, again by the team of Wakabayashi and Yoshioka, which loosely adapted key scenes from the prose stories.
| Transformers Cloud: Spacetime World: Guardians of Time issues: | » | ||
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Finally as the toyline wound down, a 24-page "coda" issue written by Wakabayshi and illustrated by Naoto Tsushima was included as a bonus freebie with Cloud purchases from e-HOBBY. This coda saw the cast of Cloud set off on one last interdimensional adventure in the wake of Megatron's defeat, following Shockwave's machinations in a setting broadly riffing on the events of the The Battle of the Star Gate. This issue ended with various teases for a sort of "Cloud Season 2" that sadly never materialized. However...
Spin Off
Cloud received a final epilogue of sorts in the form of Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock, an e-HOBBY comic written and drawn by Wakabayashi under the Spin Off imprint that followed the long-time supporting character Deadlock as the hot-blooded young Decepticon found himself adrift in the multiverse before falling under the tutelage of Primus Vanguard commander Black Go Prime, leading to his appearance in various Precursor World stories going forward.
Toys
While the toys in Cloud were released in staggered two-item waves, those waves were split between two different outlets: the Autobots were released through TakaraTomy Mall, while the Decepticons were sold through e-HOBBY. All toys in the line are redecos of Voyager Class molds from Generations and other lines.
Wave 1 (05-29-2014)
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Wave 2 (08-28-2014)
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Wave 3 (11-27-2014)
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Wave 4 (03-21-2015)
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Post-series releases
Cloud saw one final release in the form of an e-HOBBY exclusive Legends toy for formerly fiction exclusive character Deadlock one year after the shuttering of the line.
Legends (03-??-2016)
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Repurposed toys
Like other micro-franchises of its ilk, Cloud conscripts figures from across the brand to fill out its cast. Each toy's franchise of origin is given in parenthesis.
Autobots
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Decepticons
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Virtual redecoes
Cloud features a handful of real world toys in fiction exclusive color schemes, commonly referred to as "virtual redecoes."
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Astrotrain
The Classics mold in a combination of Astrotrain's Generation 1 toy and cartoon color schemes, and by extension a fusion of the Classics and Henkei! Henkei! decoes respectively. -
Jhiaxus
The Thrilling 30 mold in an unrevealed color scheme. Post-Cloud fiction would assign the colors of Generation 2 Jhiaxus's original Marvel character design. -
Laserbeak's second body
The Prime Guru mold with a red optic in an otherwise unrevealed color scheme. -
Soundwave's second body
The Robots in Disguise Vehicon mold with a red visor in an otherwise unrevealed color scheme.
Notes
- As Deadlock was technically released under the Legends banner, the toy was packed with a second comic in addition to Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock chronicling a more light-hearted crossover between Cloud and Hayato Sakamoto's Legends comic.
- SARA makes a brief cameo in Decepticon Dark Commander Grand Scourge, an otherwise unrelated comic penned by Wakabayashi.
- Before Cloud was finalized, other concepts proposed included Transformers: Bravemasters, Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass, and Transformers Part One.
