Transformers series

This is a partner page to Transformers Universes, listing the various comic and television series and specials that the Transformer toyline has spawned since its creation in 1984.

The successive Transformers series focus on two factions of robots fighting out a civil war which spilled over to the planet Earth. On Earth, the robots could transform into local types of vehicles, such as cars, trucks and airplanes. The protagonists of the series were based on Transformer toys.

An important note regarding the Japanese way of doing television: Many successful Japanese series last only one season, unlike in the United States. Typically, with shows such as Transformers, a successful series will end after one season and a new series based upon a slightly modified universe will begin in the next season. This is why shows such as Headmasters, and Car Robots last one season each.

Cartoons

"The Transformers" (G1) 1984-87, America

AKA Fight! Super Robot Life (Seasons 1-2) and Transformers: 2010 (Season 3) in Japan Note: The Transformers Movie was not shown in Japan until 1990. To bridge the gap between Seasons 2 and 3, a special was written an animated called Scramble City. Season 4 (a single three part story entitled The Rebirth) was also not shown and does not form part of the later Japanese continuity.

This series began with a three-episode story, later titled either More than Meets the Eye or Arrival from Cybertron. In this incarnation the planet Cybertron is running low on energy. The Heroic Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, set out in space to search for more energy but are attacked by the Evil Decepticons led by Megatron. Both races crash on Earth and lie in suspended animation for the next four million years. Awakened by a volcanic eruption, the computer on board, Teletran One, begins repairing Decepticons and Autobots. The Decepticons set out to plunder Earth's energy resources in order to revitalise Cybertron. The Autobots seek to prevent this and so the battle is renewed on Earth, Cybertron and across space.

Leaders come and go as the years pass. In the final episodes of the series Cybertron is revitalised using energy from the Earth's sun. The Autobots and Decepticons have discovered the world of Nebulos and united with rival groups of Nebulans to become Headmasters and Targetmasters.

This is part of Generation 1 (later named as such after the 1990s relaunch as Generation 2), and formed the basis for all Transformers series to come.

The comics produced by Marvel between 1984 and 1991, and again from 1993 to 1994, tell a substantially different version of the story. Both versions were equally authorised by Hasbro.

Transformers: Headmasters, 1987, Japan

Was aired on Television in Hawaii poorly dubbed in the early 90's, Otherwise limited exposure in the west.

In this incarnation (which completely ignored the events of the American 3-part story arc "Rebirth"), the transformers, lead by Optimus Prime, then Rodimus Prime, and then finally Fortress (Maximus) are joined by a team of Headmasters, small Transformers long ago stranded on a hostile planet. There they were forced to create bodies to endure this environment.

This series is more momentus than most:

• Cybertron in the Japanese continuity is destroyed
• Optimus Prime dies again
• The Matrix is recovered, then makes its last appearance when Rodimus leaves for parts unknown
• Scorponok (MegaZarak) becomes a major player in the Decepticon power struggle
• Ultra Magnus is murdered by Sixshot
• Blaster and Soundwave kill each other in a duel to the death and are rebuilt into new bodies.

Super God Masterforce, 1988, Japan

The characters used in Masterforce were marketed in America using the term Pretenders; The story of the pretenders was significantly changed for western audiences.

The G1 Transformers

Super God (Chojin) Masterforce, hereafter just Masterforce, continues on some time after the events of "Headmasters." The Autobots and Decepticons have left Earth after the events of that series, but a group of Autobot Pretenders (who have been hiding amongst Earth's population since men lived in caves thanks to the powers of their Pretender shells) guard the planet in secret. They are led by Metalhawk (aka Hawk in his human disguise). Pretenders take the form of any organic animal life. Cybertron (Autobot) pretenders take human forms; The Destron (Decepticon) pretenders take the form of beasts and demons.

Pretenders use bracelets (Masterbraces) to call their pretender suits (Shouting "Suit On") which then, after shouting "Pretender" discorporate and form their giant robot bodies. Headmasters is referenced here, and a few including Chromedome make cameo appearances. However, the true headmaster stars are what make the series so unusual and such a stand-out among Transformer series - they are not Transformers, but human children. They pilot lifeless Transformer bodies called "Transtectors" by donning suits that allow them to transform into the Transtectors' heads and connect to them, and as such, they are named the Headmaster Jrs. A particularly popular character from this team is schoolgirl Minerva, whose toy was released in the US in blue and yellow colours as Nightbeat.

Later, the concept of Powermasters (known as "Godmasters" in Japan) is introduced, the primary Godmaster being Ginrai, a truck driver who powers a Transtector bearing a resemblance to Optimus Prime (the toy of which was released in the US as Powermaster Optimus Prime).

The primary antagonists in this series are the evil energy entity, Devil Z and his subordinates, Giga and Mega, and their group of Godmasters, Pretenders and Headmaster jr's.

Ginrai becomes the ultimate powermaster, forming with his cab and trailer to form God Ginrai; Later, he combines with Godbomber to form Super God Ginrai.

At the conclusion of the series, after claiming victory, the Transtectors gain sentience and leave the Earth with the Transformers.

Transformers: Victory, 1989, Japan

There was little or no carryover of this story to America

In the Earth Year 2025, The transformers return to Earth to join with the humans in defense of the galaxy. Led by Star Saber, the autobots and earth defense force fight decepticon leader Deszaras (Deathsaurus) for control of the galaxys resources.

This storyline included the Brestforce (Breastforce) and Brainmasters.

Transformers: Zone, 1990, Japan

There was little or no carryover of this story to America; However the ActionMaster toys did make their way to western stores Using the Mysterious Zone Energy, nine great Destron generals (The major gestalts, including Devastator and Predaking) are revived under the command of a Destron (Decepticon) leader named Violenjiger. Dai Atlas leads the Cybertrons (The Japanese term for Autobots) in a quest to stop the Destrons.

Battlestars: Return of Convoy, 1991, Japan

This was more or less completely ignored in America; Except for the introduction of Micromasters Optimus Prime is revived using Zone Energy and reformed into Star Convoy. This story takes place mainly in Manga.

Operation Combination, 1992, Japan

This story was the basis for the Micromaster Combiner series of toys.

Transformers, Generation 2

A re-release of Generation 1 toys with some new gimmicks and molds

• Megatron is now a tank, due to some Toy marketing laws. This trend will stay.
• A television show of the same name was aired that took the existing Generation One cartoons and re-cut them with different (computer generated) animation between the acts, where the old decepticon/transformer logo flip would have occurred.
• A new originated comic series was produced by Marvel; see under the Comics section.

Beast Wars: Transformers, 1996-1999, America/Canada/Japan

Initially released in the western world, this series revived the Transformers Franchise in Japan as well The last two seasons of Beast Wars were shown in Japan as Beast Wars: Metals Maximals, the descendants of the Autobots, fight the Predacons, the decendants of the Decepticons, on Prehistoric Earth, and influence transformers by interacting with the Ark from MTME. 3D Animated. See Beast Wars entry.

Beast Wars: Second

Lio Convoy and Big Convoy

Released in Japan during the airing of the second season of Beast Wars in the US The Maximals, led by Big Convoy, and Predacons led by Magmatron square off on a planet called Gaia. The most momentus transformers series in quite a while to reach Japan;

• A new energy source is discovered: Amogolois energy
• Spawned a Theatrical Movie
  • Brought Manjin Zarak back in carrier form
  • United Convoy (Optimus Primal) and Lio Convoy.

Beast Wars: Neo

• Cybertron is now ruled by a Council of Convoys - Robots who all look like Optimus Prime.
• The newest of these is Big Convoy, chief protagonist of this series.
• The focus of this series is finding sources of Amogolois energy, the same energy that featured prominently in Beast Wars the Second, however a discovery is made about the Amogolois energy; it is actually the power source for Unicron.

Beast Machines

• The end of the Generation One storyline;
• Megatron and Optimus Primal are more of a "force of nature", both are required to fulfill cybertrons destiny
• Megatron reforms himself a few times, moving farther away from beast modes; near the end, he inhabits Optimal Optimus' body.
• This series saw cybertron become a merge of Organic and Technological life.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Released first in Japan as Car Robots

• Optimus Prime is a Fire engine and Megatron a dragon in this stylized story of Transformers existing on earth.
• Fortress Maximus and Ultra Magnus make their first "modern" appearances in this story
• Does not interlace with any other continuity. Sort of an Interreignum story between G1/G2 and the Modern Continuity.
• Returns transformers to its mechanical roots, so to speak; there are beast mode antagonists (The Predacons, including Gas Skunk and Skybite), but midway through the series the Decepticons return.
• Includes gestalt teams, including Rail Racer and the Decepticon Ruination.

Transformers: Armada

Released in Japan as Transformers: Micron Legend

Mini-Cons, small transformers with special powers, add a Pokemon-esque bent to this series. The Armada universe created a new Canon for the Transformers universe, that followed into the series Energon. This series takes some major elements of G1 and remolds it into a new image; such as the appearance and purpose of Unicron, the purpose and look of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, and a new level of teamwork between the Autobots in Decepticons during the Unicron Battles

Transformers: Energon

Released in Japan as Transformers: Superlink

Set roughly 10 years after the events of Armada, Energon focuses on the concept of Combination - creating gestalts of more than one transformer to increase power. This series introduces some fimiliar faces from the generation one universe, such as Shockblast (Shockwave), Scorponok, Rodimus, and Battle Ravage (Ravage), although the personalities have changed.

Peace has existed between the Decepticons and Autobots since the death of Galvatron on Unicron; However a creature named Alpha-Q (See Quintesson) has designs to reactive Unicron. In the process Megatron and Starscream return.

Comics

Transformers Generation One, Marvel, US

Transformers Generation One, Marvel, UK

• The UK Comic had over 160 stories not included in the US comic.
• Included characters such as Straxus and Emirate Xaaron

Transformers Generation Two, Marvel, US

12 issue series.

Expanded original G1 mythos from the small War on Earth and Cybertron to enclose the whole of the Galaxy that was fast being altered into a likeness of Cybertron itself by the Cybertronian Empire, a race of Decepticon descended Transformers.

The series ended with an epic battle between the 'Generation 1' Transformers, the Cybertronians and an entity known only as the Swarm.

The final page reveals the Empires true scale as its leader dismisses the final battle as insignificant to his Empire as a whole. He also remarks that Megatron, the Decepticon leader, is more like an offspring than an ancestor to him implying the Empire precedes even known Transformer history.

Transformers G1 Volume One: , Dreamwave, US (2002)

• Takes place after the Autobots attempt to leave earth for a second time in a space ship called The Ark II
• Spike Witwicky has been given a piece of the Matrix by Optimus Prime.
• This story does not appear to be a linear progression from any previous transformers mythos.

Transformers G1 Volume Two: War and Peace, Dreamwave, US (2003)

• Chronicles the return to Cybertron of the Ark transformers
• Shockwave has succeeded in his quest to rule cybertron
• Ultra Magnus is seen without armor in this series for a brief time.

Transformers G1 Volume Three: Ongoing, Dreamwave, 2004, US

• A new ongoing series from Dreamwave.

Transformers: The War Within

• Chronicles the first days of Optimus Prime following his ascention to Prime
• This series set a new precedent and began to rewrite parts of Cybertronian history to streamline it.
• The transformers cybertronian modes have changed.

The War Within: The Dark Ages

• Optimus Prime and Megatron disappear through an experimental space bridge.
• We are introduced to The Fallen, a character from the prehistory of Cybertron who seems to have it out for Primus.

The War Within: Age of Wrath

• A new miniseries due Fall 2004.

External links

• Transformers (http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/M/Marvel_Productions__Ltd_/Transformers/index.html) at the Big Cartoon DataBase