Marvel Comics continuity
The Marvel Comics continuity is the series of stories set in or extrapolated from the Transformers comic books published by Marvel Comics. The basis of the story as published in the US consists of:
- The 80 issues of the original Marvel Comics series
- The 4-issue G.I. Joe and the Transformers miniseries.
- The 4-issue Headmasters miniseries.
Though these 88 issues are not without the occasional internal retcon or alternate future, they form a single long and mostly cohesive story.
The Marvel Comics continuity is not a single timeline, however. Several different media have added to or continued the story in differing and often contradictory ways:
- Marvel UK concurrently reprinted the Marvel US stories, and also created new "filler" issues to fit in between events of the original US material. By the series' demise, 332 issues had been published. Some contradictions exist between the UK and US material, and the US crossover with G.I. Joe, though reprinted much later, was ignored in favor of a different set of stories. Once Simon Furman was on both comics, however, several concepts turned up in the UK comic—Darkwing and Dreadwind retrieving Starscream's body, the Demons, Xaaron (before being introduced into Marvel US) and one US issue showed Mecannibals on Cybertron, a set-up for a UK-only strip! Unique to the UK material is an ever-evolving future, due to the actions of rampant time traveling characters; that future was eventually negated by events in the present, forming an alternate branch timeline. The later Marvel UK material is also home to a second major timeline divergence, namely the Earthforce stories.
- "Deathbringer" and "Race with the Devil", stories from Marvel UK, are specifically referenced within the US issues. Which must've confused the hell out of American readers. On top of that, UK story "Out to Lunch!" was specifically set up in a US issue.
- Marvel US's Generation 2 comic book series, published in the early 1990s, directly continued the story of the original Marvel US series. Again, differing material in the UK was published, but these two series are mostly irreconcilable, if very similar.
- Beast Wars is seen by many fans to take place in the far future of the Marvel Comics continuity. Beast Wars was the first non-Marvel Comics material to reference the creator-god Primus, and although Beast Wars and its sequel Beast Machines mention mostly Generation 1 cartoon continuity events, it has been stated by the writers that the Generation 1 that occurs in the Beast Wars's past is an unknown mishmash of previous material. (Suffice to say that most Generation 1 continuities seem to move towards Beast Wars.) For the purposes of this wiki, Beast Wars is always separated under its own continuity header.
- The Classics fiction created by Fun Publications takes place in the Marvel Comics continuity, but it ignores both the Marvel UK material and the Generation 2 comic books, creating yet another divergent splinter timeline.
- In 2012, IDW Publishing will begin producing Simon Furman's Regeneration One, which will continue the Marvel Comics continuity after issue 80 (with issue 80.5 premiering on Free Comic Book Day) and will run through issue 100. It will render Generation 2 moot,[1] as well as ignore the Marvel UK storylines.[2]
Below is the desired hierarchy layout for use in the Fiction sections on character pages.
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
The very first Transformers fiction, this series begins with the original 28 Transformers characters crash-landing on Earth 4 million years ago, to be awoken in the present day by a volcanic eruption. Their war continues on Earth, centering at first on the search for fuel resources. Eventually the conflict spreads to space, the Moon, Cybertron, and various alien worlds; dozens of characters join the fight on both sides. The coming of Unicron to Cybertron marks a climax of the series, which ends soon afterwards, with the Decepticons retreating into exile.
Futures timelines
The main storyline takes place at the same time as the real life publication date of the comic. Several other stories were set 20 years in the future. It is implied in these future stories that something similar to the events of The Transformers: The Movie happened in the year 2006. By all appearances, these future timelines were ultimately obliterated as a result of time travel.
As originally written, the US version of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" is the only US story set in the future ("Rhythms of Darkness!" deals with an alternate future). However, as events unfolded in the main series, it became clear that this issue didn't quite fit into future continuity.
- (Note: The Earthforce stories are part of a divergent timeline branching from the middle of the Marvel US/UK material.)
"Another Time & Place" UK text story
Generation 2 (US)
This series attempted to revive the moribund Transformers franchise, 2 years after the toys had left shelves in America. It directly continues the G1 series with Bludgeon's Decepticons returning and numerous references to the old series. It introduces a new faction, the "second generation" Cybertronians, who form a threat to both the Autobots and Decepticons, as well as the Swarm, a formless mass that threatens to consume all Transformers.
Classics
Classics picks up 15 years after the end of the original series (the same number of years have passed in "real time" as in the stories), as a new war with Megatron seems to be on the verge of beginning after over a decade of peace and rebuilding. Decepticon forces are scattered, characters who died in the omitted Generation 2 stories (like Nightbeat) get a new lease on life, and Mini-Cons maintain a newly-restored Cybertron.
Regeneration One
Regeneration One picks up 21 years after the end of the original series (the same number of years have passed in "real time" as in the stories). Issues will continue the numbering scheme from the last The Transformers issue.[1]
