Dinosaur (dinosaur)
| The name or term "Dinosaur" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Dinosaur (disambiguation). |
Dinosaurs are prehistoric reptiles that dominated the Earth during their existence. Scientific consensus holds that they became extinct 65 million years ago. In the various Transformers continuities, this belief is often reassessed.
Dinosaurs' most prominent influence in Transformers culture is serving as the altmodes for some of the most dangerous (and occasionally ludicrous) Transformers of all time.
Fiction
Marvel Storybook continuity
When the Autobots' spacecraft crashed into the Earth four million years ago, the mighty dinosaurs fled in terror. This not very scientifically accurate as the dinosaurs became extinct 67 million years ago and thus would not have been around during that time period. Battle for Cybertron
Marvel Generation 1 comics
Dinosaurs survived in a part of the Antarctic known as the Savage Land.
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Generation 1 cartoon
Dinosaurs were understood to have been sluggish and stupid. They dragged their tails on the ground, and Tyrannosaurus rex walked fully upright. S.O.S. Dinobots
Dinosaurs survived the mass extinction of 65 million years ago and lived on into the present on the time-displaced, and energy-rich, Dinobot Island.
The most prominent saurians were the Dinobots, five rebellious (yet extremely powerful) Autobots, who proved time and again a match for an army of Decepticons. Though the Transformer Swoop does not posses a true dinosaur alternate mode he is still a member of the Dinobots. Other Transformers with a dinosaur-like mode are Trypticon, Sky Lynx, and the cassette warriors, Slugfest and Overkill.
Transformers who have Dinosaur altmodes have something known as "dinosaur electrons" within their systems. Transformation causes these electrons to release dinosaur transform static. Thief in the Night
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Victory cartoon
The Dinoforce consisted of six Decepticons with sentient Pretender shells and the ability to combine into Dinoking. Five of them possessed true dinosaur altmodes while Yokuryū transformed into a pterosaur.
Beast Wars II cartoon
Gigastorm, Galvatron's younger brother, took the form of a theropod dinosaur. He then made several Predacons into Cyborg Beasts including Thrust, rechristened Thrustor, a cyborg raptor.
Beast Wars Neo cartoon
The Predacon lineup consisted of a number of dinosaurs and similar prehistoric reptiles, including Magmatron's components, Guiledart, Hardhead and Saberback.
Beast Wars cartoon
After crash-landing on a primitive world that was later revealed to be Earth, the Predacon renegades Megatron and Dinobot assumed the forms of extinct dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus and a very large Velociraptor respectively as their beast modes to survive on this energon-soaked planet. Evidently, the simulated organic coverings in beast mode protected them from energon overload. Beast Wars (Part 1)
After Dinobot's betrayal, Megatron cloned him. This clone was completely biological. Double Dinobot
When the alien Vok Planet Buster superweapon that threatened Earth was destroyed, the resulting quantum surge hit the planet, altering Megatron's structure, giving him a new, more powerful Transmetal body that allowed him to transform into entirely mechanical tyrannosaurus with flight capabilities. Aftermath Later, Megatron used the alien Transmetal driver to create a drone army of Velociraptors with Cybertronian enhancements. Cutting Edge Refining his experiments, Megatron subsequently created Dinobot II, a Transmetal 2 clone of Dinobot, after the first Transmetal clone failed. Feral Scream Part 1
Armada cartoon continuity
Energon cartoon and comic
The Terrorcon Cruellock is a theropod Dinosaur, but with a distinct Japanese giant monster influence.
Cybertron cartoon
One of Scourge's underlings, Undermine transforms into a Spinosaurus.
IDW Generation 1 comics
Six hundred thousand meta-cycles ago, Shockwave foresaw Cybertron's eventual exhaustion of natural resources. To ensure their survival, he seeded many worlds with Ultra-Energon and waited. He arrived on the world later to be known as Earth to regulate the growth of the valuable resource. Unfortunately, the Autobot Dynobots, lusting for revenge after Shockwave had defeated them in a skirmish, followed him to this world. To endure the intense energon radiation on this world, the Dynobots assumed the form of the long-extinct dinosaur species. Spotlight: Shockwave
Hearts of Steel
Both the Autobots and Decepticons assumed the forms of these doomed reptiles upon arriving on Earth, which was in the grip of one of its ice ages. Hearts of Steel issue 1
Animated continuity
Animated cartoon
Dinosaurs were now understood to have been quick and agile, with T.rex holding its body parallel to the ground. Grimlock and Snarl are dinosaurs (a T.rex and a Triceratops), while Swoop is a Pteranodon. They form the Dinobots, based on animatronic robots that had entertained the public. Blast from the Past
Zaur lives on Cybertron and is frightened of organics. Where he got his dinosaur altmode remains a mystery. This Is Why I Hate Machines
Time-Quake
While conducting time experiments, Professor Simion Hawkins time-displaced a number of dinosaurs, including a T.Rex which Bulkhead fought. When the Autobots tracked the professor down, he held them off by transporting more dinosaurs forward in time, leading them to fight a Triceratops. Time-Quake
Movie continuity
After being awoken by an All Spark fragment, Jetfire, confused and disoriented, had trouble remembering what his mission profile was. In his confusion, he briefly believed that the Seekers were there to destroy the dinosaurs, but Mikaela Banes informed that they were long since dead. Revenge of the Fallen (novel)
