Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)
Robots in Disguise is a Transformers franchise that launched in the year 2001. It was an American port of 2000's Japanese Transformers series Car Robots. Many of the characters were changed into new incarnations of characters from Generation 1, and it remains notable for its numerous vague reference to characters and events from other series, making it difficult to place in relation to other continuities. Despite fan rumors to the contrary, Car Robots was never called and was never going to be called "Transformers 2000".
The Robots in Disguise franchise featured the following primary components:
- A toyline
- A cartoon series
- A single American comic book story by Dreamwave (produced after the series ended production) set in the same continuity as the cartoon series.
Robots in Disguise was intended as a low-cost, minimal-work "filler" line after Hasbro scrapped Transtech, the series slated to follow Beast Machines. Hasbro used the time this bought to co-develop Armada with their Japanese partner, Takara. It aired on Fox Kids (the last Transformers series to air on a broadcast network) and saw surprising commercial success, laying the groundwork for the success of the subsequent series, Armada. The series dub was inadvertently bought by Disney in 2002.
The series has had several DVD releases, all of them in the UK only. The DVDs are Region 2 and in PAL format, to serve you better and protect us all from robot pirates.
Continuity headaches
- The Robots in Disguise cartoon rewrote the Japanese Transformers series Car Robots, transforming the all-new Japanese cast into familiar American characters, notably Optimus Prime and Prowl.
- Takara considers Robots in Disguise to be the 'same' series as Car Robots.[August, 2009] Thus, the American release of Sideways for the Robots in Disguise toyline means that Micron Legend Doubleface (Sideways's Japanese name) first appeared in Car Robots.
- The Robots in Disguise cartoon included numerous references that seemed to make it follow season 2 of the original cartoon, but which precluded it being in the same continuity as the movie and season 3. Though unprecedented at the time, as of this writing there are now 3 or 4 more 'branch off before the movie' continuities. [citation needed]
- Takara placed Car Robots in the year 2000 of its Transformers Generation 1 timeline, and the Generation 1-based Kiss Players storyline makes several references to its story events taking place in then-recent history (even suggesting that, thanks to time travel, Fortress Maximus (G1) and Fortress Maximus (RID) are the same character). Yes, we're aware that's crazy.
- Air Attack Optimus Primal is a cartoon-accurate version of Beast Machines Optimus Primal, originally produced for Beast Machines, but released as an exclusive in Robots in Disguise packaging. His on-package bio states he is from the future and served as a spirit guide for Optimus Prime (RID). This implies that the Beast Era (or at least Beast Machines) is somehow in the future of the Robots in Disguise continuity.
- Several of the toys released in the second and third year had no featured role in Robots in Disguise continuity fiction. Instead, these characters were effectively treated as belonging to the Universe (2003 franchise) as they were seamlessly included in fiction from that continuity.
Trivia
- Car Robots is also the original name of the Autobot Cars (including Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus) in the Diaclone toyline.
- This universe is to date the only one without a universal stream prefix.
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