Mars (planet)
| This article is about the planet. For the Armada episode, see Mars (Armada episode). |
Mars is the fourth of the nine twelve eight...
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun located within Earth's solar system.
Generation 1
Animated continuity
Generation 1 animated series
The Earth Defense Command has a base operating on Mars.
Headmasters
Having harnessed the plasma energy released when the Transformers' homeworld of Cybertron was destroyed, Destron Headmaster leader Scorponok had the Terrorcons subterraneously plant bombs across the planet Mars at strategic points, such weapons being charged with Cybertronic plasma. Scorponok's intention was to generate and collect a greater magnitude of energy through the red planet's destruction.
Destron activities here, though, were stumbled across by Spike, Daniel, Wheelie and the Trainbots, who at the time were on Mars conducting a geological survey. The Autobot Headmasters were called in to supply aide in addressing this threat, however Fortress Maximus was rendered inanimate by a plasma energy blast; Scorponok took the opportunity to activate his newly constructed Transtector and travel to Mars where he pummeled Maximus before ordering the planet's destruction. Two clusters of bombs placed at the Martian planetary poles were detonated simultaneously by Soundblaster, beginning a chain reaction that started to tear Mars apart. Scorponok and his Destron force evacuated while the Autobots were consumed by the inferno, although Fortress Maximus was able to absorb some of the energy released in the early stages of the conflagration and made his escape as Mars exploded.
Incredibly the destruction of Mars had a minimal impact on the various planetary orbits throughout the Sol system, and it is unknown what became of Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, but its absence did disrupt the gravimetric balance of space bridge travel, effectively destabilizing this.
The Malay-English dub of the Headmasters cartoon includes an added 'throwaway' line at the series' end [which is not present on the original Japanese version] in which it's stated that one of the Autobots' goals is to rebuild Mars, which exploded into countless fragments of rock, ore, ice, etc. and has undoubtedly been thus absorbed into the Main Asteroid Belt which was previously situated between planets Mars and Jupiter. Exactly how this objective was to be accomplished was never explained, nor was a timetable of completion given; even with the harvesting of Martian ore as presented in the follow-up series to Headmasters (see below article), there is no irrefutable evidence in "G1 continuity" that Mars as a planet was ever re-established.
Victory
Ore acquired from Mars, coupled with ores from Earth and other planets, was used in the creation of Schaeffer Energy. Jean Minakaze happened to be visiting the Schaeffer Energy plant in America as a cargo ship carrying a payload of Martian ore returned from its space mission.
[Note: When the origins of Schaeffer Energy are related, it is seemingly implied that Mars still exists, although given that this planet has been destroyed through events presented in the previous tele-series (see above article), it's probable that the ore collected from "Mars" is actually derived from the now-existing 'Martian layer' of the Main Asteroid Belt which would have come about from debris released upon the planet exploding into countless stony fragments.]
Unicron Trilogy
Animated continuity
Armada
Jetfire and Starscream once travelled to Mars in seach of the Mini-Con panel containing Firebot. Upon hearing this, the kids asked the two Transformers to buy them something from the souvenir shop. Sadly, as Mars was uninhabited by either human or alien lifeforms, there were no shops to be found. Starscream did however find a mysterious glowing green rock and gave it to the children. They were so happy.
Joke's on them - its probably radioactive.
Energon
Ten years after the defeat of Unicron, the Cybertronian Alliance and the Earth Federation installed a facility on the surface of Mars to mine the potent naturally-occuring ore Energon. Unfortunately, this facility was decimated by the initial Terrorcon attack, leading Carlos to aptly remark "Holy frijoles".
Also Tidal Wave was stationed on Mars, by the autobots during the Cybertronian Alliance, to guard the Mini-Cons who were sent there.
A little while later, the survivors of the first attack, Autobot, Decepticon and Mini-Con, made a valiant last stand against a second Terrorcon attack, this time being personally led by Scorponok.
Cybertron
Thunderblast, Ransack, Crumplezone and Thundercracker left Earth on a rickety rocket, attempting to forge the New Decepticon Army. Their rocket made it as far as Mars before crashing and stranding them on the planet.
Movie
During the 2007 TF live-action film, there is a scene on the Martian surface in which an indistinct Decepticon destroys the Beagle 2 Rover. This scene was also incorporated into early teaser trailers for the movie.
