Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)
Beast Wars is a Transformers franchise that began in 1996, following the end of the Generation 2 toyline. It was directly followed by the Beast Machines franchise. Beast Wars follows two factions of Transformers, the Maximals and the Predacons, who are accidentally transported from the future to Earth's distant past.
Beast Wars is also frequently used as a catchall term for the Beast Era in which Beast Wars and other series occur.
Franchise elements
The Beast Wars franchise features the following primary components:
- A toyline — (1996-2000)
- A cartoon series — (1996-1998) called Beasties in many overseas markets.[1]
- A manga series to go with seasons 2/3 - Japan only, 'natch.
- A video game for PC and PS based on Beast Wars.
- A video game for PS and N64 based on Beast Wars.
Expanded universe
There are several 'expanded' Beast Wars storylines featuring events taking place 'just offscreen' of the cartoon series. Though the events of cartoon series are understood to occur just as had been portrayed, the context may be different, taking place in different time periods, etc. These contradictory stories all co-exist within the vast Transformers Multiverse.
- From 1997-2004, 3H featured a series of comics, toy-exclusives and text stories set in the same continuity as the Beast Wars and Beast Machines cartoon series, continuing into the Transformers: Universe series.
- In 2006, IDW Publishing published The Gathering, a 4-issue comic book occurring parallel to the final season of the Beast Wars cartoon. The was followed by The Ascending in October 2007 along with a source book of character profiles for the IDW series, including other incarnations of the Beast Era, including toys and Japanese series.
Other expanded storylines are less congruent with the original cartoon, and are perhaps better considered 'alternate' versions rather than expanded stories.
- Dreamwave Productions planned a Beast Wars comic book series, but the company declared bankruptcy in 2004 with only one 'sneak-peak' story published.[2] A framing sequence to Dreamwave's G1 profile series featuring BW Megatron establishes that Dreamwave's version of the Beast Wars has some significant divergences from the original cartoon.
- Fun Publications Timelines imprint (2005 — ) has published several Beast Wars comics and text stories.
"Other" Beast Wars
- The initial toys and the mini-comic packed with the basic Optimus Primal VS Megatron two-pack toy strongly implied that Beast Wars was a continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict on present day Earth, with Primal and Megatron simply new forms of the Optimus Prime and original Megatron. This setting was abandoned when the 1996 cartoon established its futuristic setting. This remains an intriguing micro-continuity.
- A version of the Beast Wars occurred in the past of the Unicron Trilogy continuity family. One text story ("Fire in the Dark") in the 2004 Transformers Legends anthology is set in this version of Beast Wars.
- For further information, see: Beast Wars (Armada)
- The 2007 live-action movie franchise has a version of the Beast Wars in its past.[3][4]
A Dramatic Change / Ruined FOREVER
The major change in direction for Transformers followed organizational changes within Hasbro. Hasbro had recently[citation needed] bought out their rival toy manufacturer, Kenner, and in 1995, they transferred their boys' toy lines from the Hasbro headquarters in Rhode Island to Kenner's Cincinnati, Ohio offices. Kenner was asked to revitalize the brand with new ideas, and that is exactly what they did.
Beast Wars was the first complete reinvention of the Transformers brand, discarding the previous setting/characters/factions to create a new story, set several hundred years in the future. Transformers in the Beast Era are much smaller (often human-sized) and transform into 'fleshy' non-robotic animals. Initially met with outrage by fans (for a variety of reasons) Beast Wars would eventually become highly regarded, largely due to the exceptional quality of the cartoon series. It is now not unusual for even longtime Generation 1 fans to consider Beast Wars to be their favorite Transformers franchise.
Footnotes
- ↑ At the time many markets in the European Union banned shows with excessively violent titles. (Has this changed, the Wikipedia article for TMNT indicates Ninja is no longer banned, but nunchucks still are...?)
- ↑ The planned Dreamwave Beast Wars comic is believed to be very similar to the later IDW series, which would be produced by the same writer and artist.
- ↑ Sector Seven had the shattered golden disk (and possibly the Covenant of Primus) in its archives 1898, some 80 years before the disk's creation.
- ↑ The Sector Seven Alternate Reality Game indicates Sector Seven is at least partially aware of the events of the Beast Wars as early as 1983, as they are mentioned in the Takara Agreement.
