The Transformers (franchise)
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Generation 1, originally known as The Transformers, is the original Transformers franchise which took the United States by storm in 1984.
The term "Generation 1" (G1) was originally a fan-coined back-formulation of Generation 2. Until the Transformers: Generation 2 line was released, Generation 1 was simply called The Transformers. Over the years, the use of the term G1 has become fairly universal and has frequently been used in official materials. It has appeared on Takara toy packaging, Hasbro's official Transformers website and reissue toy packaging, and is a series under the second Universe toyline.
The Generation 1 franchise as it ran in the 1980s/90s featured the following primary components:
- An American toyline
- A European toyline
- A cartoon series
- Several comic book series
- Innumerable story and coloring books
- Two story posters: Battle in the Desert Valley and The Power Struggle.
- Various promotional merchandise.
Generation 1 also included an avalanche of ancillary licensed merchandise, more so than any other Transformers franchise outside of Japan. This has resulted in a higher number of micro-continuities in G1 than in any other Transformers franchise. This licensing was revived in the early 2000s due to retro-appeal at retailers like Hot Topic. It has continued at varying levels of intensity since.
Japanese release
In Japan, rather than simply be identified as The Transformers throughout its lifespan, the franchise was rebranded with a new title and a shift in storytelling every year. This led to a collection of mini-franchises within the larger Generation 1 franchise, each featuring their own individual components. They are:
- 1985 - Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers
- 1986 - Transformers 2010
- 1987 - The Headmasters
- 1988 - Super-God Masterforce
- 1989 - Victory
- 1990 - Zone
- 1991 - Return of Convoy
- 1992 - Operation Combination
Continuations and addenda
When the Generation 1 franchise came to an end, the first few subsequent franchises (such as Generation 2 and Beast Wars) continued in the same continuity family. Thus, someone like Optimus Primal is listed as being "a character from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family." Click that last link for more information on other G1-inspired franchises.
Occasionally, new products will be released under the banner of the old Generation 1 franchise. These have included:
- TakaraTomy's Transformers Collection line of reissues.
- TakaraTomy's e-Hobby-exclusive reissues and redecos of Generation 1 toys, most into new characters.
- Hasbro's Commemorative Series releases of many of those same toys.
- New Generation 1 comic book series, first from Dreamwave and then from Devil's Due and IDW.
- New Titanium Series molds of old characters, often labeled with a "Generation 1" subtitle.
- TakaraTomy's Encore line of reissues, in the same spirit as Transformers Collection.
- Modern Transformer figures redecoed (or created entirely new) as Generation 1 characters for the Generation 1 Series in the 2008 Universe franchise.
