Homage

In fan terminology, an homage is a toy that is intentionally designed to resemble an earlier (usually Generation 1) toy or character, without being the exact same character. Noted examples of homages include Energon Downshift (based on G1 Wheeljack) and Energon Shockblast (based on G1 Shockwave).

Sometimes, homages are given different names from their predecessors if the actual rights to the name are lost via trademark murkiness, or if the name has already been applied to a non-homage toy within the same series. Prominent examples include the aforementioned Shockwave/Shockblast/Laserwave character as well as Jetfire/Skyfire/Skyblast, Hot Shot/Hot Rod/Rodimus and Bluestreak/Silverstreak.

Conversely, in order to protect trademarked names, Hasbro and Takara continue to use the same names over and over again, often on very different toys or very different characters within the official fiction. While Optimus Prime tends to be universally a red truck (or at least red!), Megatron/Galvatron toys are much more varied. Despite this, the two leaders are usually considered homages in some way to the Generation 1 leaders. Better examples of protection of trademarked names are Ironhide, Prowl and Blurr, where both the toy and characterisation often have little in common with previous continuities.

Often within in the same toyline a trademarked name will be used several times on different toy sizes. This results in Optimus Prime and Megatron names being applied to Legends sized toys. While great for smaller kids, one has to wonder how an itsy bitsy Prime or Megatron could really fare in war.

Somewhere in between these two extremes are characters who tend to used continuously for trademarking of their names and yet seem to have changed little from their Generation 1 personas. Good examples of this are Grimlock, Arcee, Ratchet, and Starscream.

The Energon toyline started being released to coincide with Transformers 20th Anniversary. Thus, many of the releases were modern remakes of G1 characters. Some of these homages spilled into Cybertron such as Soundwave (Cybertron). The Transfomers Classics line then carried on the tradition before the Movie toys being released in 2007. The Classics line has been reborn as Transformers Universe, commonly referred to "Transformers Unviverse Classics 2.0" to distinguish it from an earlier Universe toyline. The same toys are being released in Japan as Henkei! Henkei! Transformers.

Transformers Animated continues the homage theme with a subtly different slant. While there are obvious G1 homages within the line, there are also homages to the 2007 Live action movie and Beast Wars.

The Alternators and Binaltech lines were arguably the first toyline to start the homages. The characters used did resemble their G1 namesakes in robot form if not in alternate form.

Amusingly, Takara has given homages a new twist with "Ratchet Emergency Green", a redeco of the original Diaclone-based Ratchet toy in the color scheme of the live-action movie Ratchet, and "Ironhide Protect Black", a dual homage to the color scheme of both the toy's Diaclone incarnation and the character's live-action movie incarnation.

The following list is meant to include all more moden toys that 'visually' represent the Generation 1 characters. Re-uses of names without any visual relevance may be better placed on the trademark page.

Generation 1 Autobot Toyline homages

Wheeljack

Downshift (Energon). Presumably there were trademark issues over the name Wheeljack.

Omega Supreme

Omega Supreme (Energon)

Aerialbots

Silverbolt

Protectobots

Hotspot

First Aid

Blades

Metroplex

Metroplex (Cybertron)

Technobots

Scattershot

Nightbeat

File:Nightbeattimelinesyoutube.jpg

Shattered Glass Nightbeat from Botcon 2008

Generation 1 Decepticon Toyline homages

Contructicons

Devastator

Combaticonss

Onslaught

Predacons

Razorclaw

Rampage

Divebomb

Terrorcons

Hun-Grrr

Seacons

Overbite/Jawbreaker

Generation 1 Fiction homages

Unicron

Armada Unicron. There was a black repaint in the Energon continuity.

Primus

Cybertron Primus (Cybertron). This toys is based on Don Figueroa's drawing of Primus in the DK Books Transformers Ultimate Guide.

Orion Pax and Dion

Links

Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.