The Transformers (TV series)
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| The Transformers | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Animated television series |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Starring | See Cast |
| Country of origin |  United States Japan |
| Original channel | Syndicated |
| Original run | September 17, 1984–November 11, 1987 |
| No. of episodes | 98 |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
- This page is about the original Transformers animated series. For information on other Transformers animated series, see Transformers series.
The Transformers was an American animated television series depicting a war between giant robots who could transform into vehicles, animals, and other objects, created as a marketing vehicle for the toyline of the same name.
In Japan, the series was called Fight! Super Robot Life Form Transformers (戦え!超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー) for Seasons 1 and 2, and Transformers 2010 (トランスフォーマー2010/Pronounced two-oh-one-oh) for Season 3. In response to the 1993 comic book relaunch of the series being called Transformers: Generation 2, this series and its comic book parallel are commonly referred to as Transformers: Generation 1.
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[edit] Production background
The Transformers toyline and cartoon series owed their existence to the Japanese toyline, Microman (an Eastern descendant of the 12" G.I. Joe action figure series). In 1980, the Microman spin off, Diaclone, was released, featuring inch-tall humanoid figures able to sit in the drivers' seats of scale model vehicles, which could transform into humanoid robot bodies the drivers piloted. Later still, in 1983, a Microman sub-line, MicroChange was introduced, featuring "actual size" items that transformed into robots, such as microcassettes, guns and toy cars. Diaclone and MicroChange toys were subsequently discovered on show at the 1983 Tokyo Toy Fair by Hasbro toy company product developer Henry Orenstein, who presented the concept to Hasbro's head of R&D, George Dunsay. Enthusiastic about the product, it was decided to release toys from both Diaclone and MicroChange as one toyline for their markets, which Orenstein dubbed "The Transformers."
Hasbro had previously worked with Marvel Comics to develop G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero for a three-pronged marketing scheme - the toyline, a tie-in comic book by Marvel, and an animated mini-series co-produced by Marvel's media arm, Marvel Productions, and the Griffin-Bacal Advertising Agency's Sunbow Productions animation studio. Given the success of that strategy, the process was repeated when Hasbro marketing vice president Bob Prupis approached Marvel to develop Transformers in 1984.
Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief at the time, Jim Shooter, produced a rough story concept for the series, creating the idea of the two warring factions of alien robots – the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. To flesh out his concept, Shooter called upon veteran editor Dennis O'Neil to create character names and profiles for the cast, but O’Neill’s work – for whatever reason – did not meet with Hasbro’s expectations, and they requested heavy revisions. O’Neill declined to make said revisions, and the project was turned down by several writers and editors approached by Shooter until editor Bob Budiansky accepted the task. Hastily performing the revisions over a weekend, Budiansky’s new names and profiles were a hit with Hasbro, and production began on a bi-monthly four-issue comic book miniseries, and three-part television pilot.
Japanese designer Syouhei Kohara was responsible for creating the earliest character models for the Transformers cast, greatly humanising the toy designs to create more approachable robot characters for the comic and cartoon. His designs were subsequently simplified by Floro Dery, who went on to become the lead designer for the series, creating many more concepts and designs in the future.
[edit] History
The three-part mini-series was animated by Japan's famous Toei Animation studio, although precisely when it aired in the United States is unknown. Although most airdates place it in September of 1984, this when it aired as part of the ongoing series, and it presumably must have aired at some prior time in the spring or summer of that year in order to establish itself as a ratings success, thereby ensuring the continued existence of the series. Whatever the case, the pilot introduced Optimus Prime's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons, transplanting them from their metallic homeworld of Cybertron to present-day Earth, where they warred for the resources that would take them back home. The conclusion of the series has the Decepticon defeated and the Autobots poised to return to Cybertron, but this was blurred somewhat when the series was picked up for continuation, and the Autobots remained on the planet to protect it from renewed Decepticon threats.
Thirteen further episodes were commissioned for the first season of the series, and the piloted was re-aired, now with the title "More Than Meets the Eye." Running from September to December of 1984, the series established important new concepts that would persist through the rest of its run, such as the Decepticon space bridge, and featured the debuts of several new characters that would available in the toyline the following year - the Dinobots, Jetfire , the Insecticons and the Constructicons.
With the series having proved a great success, the second season was created with the intent of getting the series into syndication, and hence consisted of a mammoth 49 episodes, bringing the total produced up to the required number of 65. Whereas the first season had functioned episodically, but also had a general continuity to its episodes, requiring that they be viewed in a certain order, season two and its syndication goals saw this method of storytelling dropped in favor of single-episode tales mostly without lasting repercussions, which could hence be generally watched in any order that networks chose to air them in. These episodes often served to spotlight single characters and flesh them out more, and season two certainly needed that, given that it introduced a slew of new troops - although this would prove to be one of the most infamous acts the cartoon perpetrated, as it offered absolutely no explanation for where any of these new characters came from!
While most of the new characters introduced in the 1985 toyline were further Diaclone and Microman toys, some of them modified in unique ways, Hasbro also drew on other resources to bulk up the line, acquiring toys from ToyCo (Shockwave), ToyBox (Omega Supreme) and Takatoku Toys (Jetfire, Roadbuster, Whirl and the Deluxe Insecticons). The latter company's absorption by Bandai - the main competitor to Takara, the Japanese toy company that had created Diaclone and Microman, and were releasing Transformers in Japan - caused some legal problems, however, and none of their toys featured in the cartoon, save for Jetfire, reimagined under the name "Skyfire."
The tail end of the second season introduced four combining teams of Autobots and Decepticons - the Aerialbots, Stunticons, Protectobots and Combaticons, each team capable of merging their bodies and minds into one giant super-robot. Although debuting in this season, the toys - based on an unmade Diaclone line that was aborted in Japan favor of importing the Transformers toyline itself - would not be available until 1986.
And 1986 would prove to be a big year for Transformers, with the summer release of The Transformers: The Movie. Although a critical and box-office flop, the movie proved to be the centrepoint of the animated series universe, jumping the action forward twenty years to the then-future of 2005 and introducing a new cast of characters that were the first to be originally created for the Transformers line, and not derived from other toylines. Free of the restrictions of television, the movie featured many character deaths, as the old guard were wiped out to make room for the next generation of toys.
The future setting of the movie continued on into the third season of the series, which debuted in September of 1986 and ran to November of that year, picking up right where the movie's events had left off. With the addition of Flint Dille as story editor, the series took on a strong sci-fi orientation, with grimmer storylines and stronger inter-episode continuity that revisited concepts more regularly than past seasons. The visual look of the series took a hit, however, when fifty percent of the seasons episode were produced by Korean animation studio AKOM, who delivered lacklustre visuals and abundant animation errors. The grim direction, different animation and new cast of characters ultimately failed to sit well with the viewing audience, who desired to see Optimus Prime return to life after his big-screen demise. The production team ultimately gave in to these demans, and Prime was brought back in a two-part denouement that aired in Feburary of 1987.
Finally, Hasbro attention from the series drifted, and it was not allocated the funds that would allow it to continue. The series was brought to a close in November of 1987 with the airing of the fourth season, which consisted solely of a three-part story entitled "The Rebirth." Penned by regular series writer Dave Wise, who had previously scripted several mythology-building episodes, "The Rebirth" introduced the Headmasters and Targetmasters, and restored a new age of peace and prosperity to Cybertron. But the Decepticons stole the final scene of the episode, just to let viewers know that their evil was not yet crushed, and that the battles would go on.
Transformers did not quite disappear from the airwaves, however, as a fifth season aired in 1988, serving as "best of" collection of the series. It re-aired 15 episodes from the original series, along with Transformers: The Movie edited into a further five episodes. To help promote the then-new Powermaster Optimus Prime figure, the first new Prime figure since 1984, Sunbow produced new material featuring a stop-motion version of Powermaster Prime interacting with a boy named Tommy Kennedy. Each episode would be told as a story to Tommy by Optimus Prime, and together they would essentially introduce and close each episode.
[edit] Plot
- For the purposes of plot, The Transformers: The Movie (1986) is considered part of the series. This plotline reflects only the events depicted in this cartoon series, and in the accompanying movie.
Four million years ago, on a distant planet called Cybertron, life existed in the form of sentient robots which could think and feel, called Transformers. The race of Transformers was divided into two main clans. Autobots (known as Cybertrons in the Japanese cartoon), led by Optimus Prime, wished for peaceful co-existence between everyone. Decepticons (known as Destrons in the Japanese version), under the command of Megatron, sought conflict and military conquest. Both sides were embroilled in an ages old war for supremacy.
With both sides running low on energy, the Autobots, aboard the Ark, sought out a new source, but the Decepticons, aboard the Nemesis, ambushed them in hopes of gaining a decisive advantage. The ensuing space battle resulted in both the ships crash landing on a pre-historic Earth, the Ark crashing into the side of a dormant volcano, and the Nemesis crashing in a remote region of South America. (The fate of the Nemesis is subject to retcon. For the full story, see the Nemesis article.)
Four million years passed while the Autobots and Decepticons lay dormant aboard the Ark. In the Earth year 1984, the volcano housing the Ark erupted, reawakening the ship's computer, Teletraan I, which then modifed the Transformers so as to give them alternate modes that could blend in on Earth.
The Autobots and Decepticons, now on Earth, continued their war more ferociously than ever. The Decepticons wished to drain Earth of all its resources, converting it into energon for their use, while the Autobots were committed to stopping them, and to protecting the human race. This era would later be referred to by Transformers as the "Great War." The war was almost ended as soon as it began, as the Decepticons gained an early lead, and were even able to build a space cruiser to leave Earth, however Autobot intervention prevented them from escaping orbit.
New allies were gained on both sides. Humans Sparkplug Witwicky, and his son Spike Witwicky, allied with the Autobots, while the human Doctor Arkeville sided with the Decepticons. Jetfire and the Insecticons were discovered already living on Earth. Both sides even built new allies to join their cause, the Autobots building the Dinobots and the Aerialbots, and the Decepticons building the Stunticons and the Combaticons. They were later joined by some allies who had been elsewhere in the universe including Omega Supreme and the Constructicons.
Despite wild gimmicks on both sides, including attempts to build better weapons, to undermine history through time travel, and even a temporarily successful attempt to warp Cybertron into Earth's orbit, neither side gained an overwhelming advantage. In the long run however, the Decepticons took the lead in the Great War, creating a Space Bridge that allowed them to warp individual Transformers to and from Cybertron at any time. This allowed them to claim rule of Cybertron, which gave them the winning edge for many years.
All of this changed in 2005, over 20 years after the start of the Great War. The Decepticons launched a surprise attack on Autobot City, on Earth. Countless Transformers lost their lives in the battle for Autobot City, but the Decepticons were repelled thanks to Optimus Prime's victory over Megatron, a victory that came at the cost of his own life.
Megatron and the other wounded Decepticons were abandoned by the stronger members of the team, in part due to Starscream's desire to usurp Megatron as leader. The God-like Unicron found them drifting in space. He rebuilt Megatron as Galvatron, and sent him on a quest to destroy the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. The Autobots' new leader, Rodimus Prime, was able to stop the Decepticons however. In his first battle as leader, he destroyed Unicron, reclaimed Cybertron for the Autobots, and expelled Galvatron into deep space.
The Decepticons, without focus and dangerously low on energon, retreated to the burnt out world Charr. It was there they waited, until Cyclonus discovered Galvatron was simply expelled and not killed. Upon rescuing Galvatron, the Decepticons renewed their efforts to vanquish the Autobots and to claim complete control of Cybertron.
Both the Autobots and Decepticons soon learned they had a common enemy. A secretive race known as the Quintessons plotted the destruction of both Autobots and Decepticons. Rodimus Prime learned that these "new" Quintessons were no strangers to the Transformers at all. Rather, the Quintessons were the original creators of the early Transformers. Cybertron was a Quintesson factory before it was ever the Transformers' "home." The Quintessons went so far as to destroy their own home world in an attempt to vanquish the Transformers. In the end, the Quintessons, who relied on thorough probability analyses, were outdone by a now adult Spike Witwicky whose actions, unlike those of the robotic Transformers, the Quintessons were not able to predict.
The Great War continued, this time with the Autobots controlling Cybertron, and enjoying the advantage. The war was no longer waged primarily on Earth. Now, the whole universe was their battlefield.
In 2006, a disease called the Hate Plague was released upon the universe. This disease, which infected human and Transformer alike, threatened to destroy everything. With their leader Rodimus Prime infected, the remaining Autobot Sky Lynx and a Quintesson finished rebuilding Optimus Prime, who was able to reclaim the Autobot Matrix of Leadership from Rodimus Prime and use it to eradicate the Hate Plague, draining the Matrix of all the power it had possessed.
Optimus Prime retains leadership of the Autobots. While the Decepticons continue to pose a threat to peace, Optimus Prime vows to resist Decepticon rule forever.
The comics produced by Marvel between 1984 and 1991 tell a substantially different version of the story. Both versions were equally authorized by Hasbro.
- For information on other Transformers continuities, see Transformers universes.
[edit] Episode list
- For a list of episodes, see List of Transformers episodes
[edit] Cast and characters
- For a list of characters, see The Transformers (animated series) characters.
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[edit] Supplemental sequences
[edit] Opening sequence
The opening sequences for each of the first three seasons were entirely unique, with no episode footage being reused, and each of the three had their own version of the famous Transformers theme tune. Additionally, the third season story Five Faces of Darkness had its own specialized opening sequence for all five parts, depicting events that occurred in the miniseries. The fourth season of the show, however, did not feature any new animation in its opening sequence, instead combining together footage from the third season opening and various clips of animation from 1987 toy commercials, alongside the third season opening theme.
[edit] Ending credits
Like the opening sequences, the ending credits sequences changed every season. However, these sequences were clip reels of scenes from episodes of that season.
[edit] Transition sequences
A brief sequence was used frequently to transition between scenes. The symbol for either the Autobots or Decepticons would be seen being replaced with the other symbol (or in some cases, the same symbol again). Which symbol was shown initially depended on which Transformers faction was being chiefly depicted just before the transition, and likewise, the latter symbol was for the Transformers faction that was to be depicted immediately after the transition.
This transition technique, reminiscient of the one used in the original Batman T.V. show, became a hallmark of the series. It was used throughout the entire four year run.
[edit] Mini-documentaries
Several mini-documentaries aired at the end of certain Season 3 episodes. Mini-documentaries were made on each of the following subjects:
- A detailed history of the Autobots
- A detailed history of the Decepticons
- A detailed profile of Ultra Magnus
- The story of a Decepticon subclan, the Predacons
- The history of the Quintessons
- The history of cassette Transformers
- The stories of the Transformer cities: Metroplex and Trypticon.
[edit] PSAs
Five proposed PSAs were created for the second season of the series, but never actually aired on television (they appear as bonus features in Rhino's Transformers season 3 DVD set, Metrodome's season 1 DVD set and the Transformers video game from Atari). These PSAs were based on the PSAs produced by the G.I. Joe television series (which was also produced by Sunbow Productions and also based on toys made by Hasbro). They even reused the catchphrase "...and knowing is half the battle," which was popularized by the G.I. Joe PSAs. These PSAs included:
- Bumblebee advising children not to run away from home
- Tracks catching kids in the act of stealing cars
- Red Alert reminding us to wear reflective gear when riding our bicycles at night
- Seaspray showing us why it's important to wear life jackets when boating
- Powerglide standing up against gender discrimination
[edit] DVD
Seasons 1-4 were released on DVD in the U.S. between April 23, 2002 and March 9, 2004. The Season 1 DVD was a best seller for Rhino Home Video (a subsidiary of Time Warner) and it led to the release of more season DVDs until the last season box set was released in 2004. In 2005, Rhino lost the rights distribute more Transformers DVD's. Since then, the U.S. Release of the Transformers Season Box Sets have been hard to find. The license is now in the possession of Sony BMG.
Metrodome Distribution released Seasons 1-4 in the UK (Region 2) between November 17, 2003 and October 11, 2004. The seasons were released in 4 box sets: Season 1, Season 2 Part 1, Season 2 Part 2 and Seasons 3 & 4.
Madman Entertainment have released the four seasons in 6 box sets in Australia (Region 4): Series 1, Series 2.1, Series 2.2, Series 3.1, Series 3.2 and Series 4. Series was the only set that contained any extra material.
A collector's tin box set was released in Asia by Guangdon Qianhe Audio & Video Communication Co. under license by Pexlan Internation (Picture) Limited. The set includes the entire Generation 1 Series, The Transformers: The Movie, a set of full color postcards, a rubber keychain, and a full color book (graphic novel style) which serves as an episode guide. Even though the book is almost entirely in Mandarin, the chapter Menus contain English translations for each episode. The set is coded as Region 1, but is almost impossible to find in stores in North America, many can be found on online auction sites. Sony BMG has announced that they will re-release the 1st season of the series in 2007, and the other seasons will presumably follow. However these will most likely be just a re-release of Rhino's DVD's. The basis for this being that Sony's version of Transformers: The Movie when sold at Costco's came with an exclusive Bonus Disc that had the original 1984 pilot (episodes 1-3) with the added sound effects in them. This Disc was used as a preview for the Transformers Season 1 boxed set coming out in 2007 from Sony.
[edit] DVD criticism
Rhino's DVD boxsets have been criticized by owners. Various reasons include that the episodes as seen on the Rhino DVDs are based on incomplete 35 mm film masters, as opposed to the original 1" broadcast master videotapes aired on television. Although the film masters are very detailed and colorful, many of the episodes contain alternate or incomplete/missing animation that was originally corrected/completed for the broadcast versions. As a result, the DVD versions of the episodes are less "finished" than the versions that aired on television. Rhino attempted to fix some of the "new" errors, with lackluster results. Most of the errors are in the Season 1 box set with "Heavy Metal War" being the worst episode in terms of incomplete animation and bad attempts by Rhino to fix the errors. In addition, the telecine transfer of the film masters turned out to be sub-par, and did not provide any proper 3:2 pulldown system for transferring the 24 frames-per-second film to 60 fields-per-second video. As a result, aliasing (jaggies) appear frequently in most, if not all, of the episodes.
Further, the Rhino versions of the episodes have a plethora of newly-added sound effects from a stock sound effects library (which many fans have said are annoying and/or distracting), sound effects that did not appear in the episodes as originally produced and broadcast. These sound effects were intended to only appear on the episodes' 5.1 soundtrack, but for select episodes in the Season 1 and Season 2 Part 1 sets, the stereo soundtrack also exhibited the added sounds. For the Season 2 Part 2 set, every single episode's 2.0 stereo soundtrack had the added sounds from the 5.1 track. It wasn't until the Transformers Season 3, Part 1 boxset that Rhino bowed to the fanbase and added an "original broadcast audio" option. These new sound effects were also applied to several European releases of the Transformers series, as well as to The Transformers: The Movie: Reconstructed DVD (although it should be noted that Rhino's own version of TF:TM does not have the added sound effects). Only serving to enhance the discontent, the sound studio responsible for this, Magno Sound, have untruthfully claimed that the sounds were always there.[1]
Other complaints aimed at the Rhino sets include incorrect main and end titles for some episodes, (most notably the "Five Faces of Darkness" 5-part series), and bonus features that have little or nothing to do with the original series (such as footage of Transformers fan conventions).
[edit] Generation One comics
The cartoon was produced in tandem with a comic book series, also referred to now as "Generation One" (or more simply "G1"). Hasbro has given both the cartoon and the comic equal footing in canon, even though some details are contradictory.
The name "The Ark," referring to the Autobots' ship, is in fact only used in the comic book. In the cartoon, the ship remained nameless throughout (simply "Autobot Headquarters").
[edit] Controversy
[edit] Optimus Prime
The character Optimus Prime was killed off during The Transformers: The Movie, sparking outrage from parents who felt the character's death adversely affected their children. As a result of the outcry, the writers brought Optimus Prime back to life for one episode, "Dark Awakening", and brought him back for good in the episode "The Return of Optimus Prime". It is worth noting that in Japan, despite the same revival occurring , Optimus was killed yet again in the 1987 Japanese-exclusive Transformers: The Headmasters series , and was not brought back until 4 years later in the magazine-exclusive "Transformers Battlestars: Return of Convoy" story, in which he was reborn as Star Convoy.
[edit] Carbombya
In the episode Five Faces of Darkness (Part 1), the character Abdul Fakkadi was introduced as the "Supreme Military Dictator, King of Kings, and President For Life of the Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya." This was an obvious play on tensions between the United States and Libya. Fakkadi's name is a near anagram of Libyan President Muammar al-Qaddafi's name. Reportedly, voice actor Casey Kasem, who voiced the character Cliffjumper and the Autobots' computer Teletraan I and who is of Lebanese descent, objected to the parody, and quit the show when it was not removed from the episode. Cliffjumper, despite having survived the movie, was phased out as of that episode, and Teletraan I was destroyed with the Ark in the episode Five Faces of Darkness (Part 5).
[edit] Mistakes
The original Transformers cartoon contains many continuity errors and contradictions. For example, in the Autobot Skyfire's debut episode, Skyfire explains how he wound up frozen on Earth. The sequence, which supposedly takes place before Autobots and Decepticons were at war, shows Starscream and Skyfire flying over Earth on a recon mission. However, Starscream was in the shape of a jet plane and Skyfire in his space shuttle form. This contradicts the first episode, which shows the Transformers as alien vehicles when on Cybertron. They do not resemble Earth vehicles until the repair droid scans some.
This is but one of many errors in continuity.
[edit] Show History
[edit] Circa 12,000,000 B.C.
The alien race known as the Quintessons used the planet of Cybertron as a factory to produce cybernetic lifeforms. Their early experiments in fusing organic and technological components into single beings results in the creation of the “Trans-Organics,” which prove too primitive and unstable. Subsequently, the Quintessons turn to pure robotics for their creations, producing lines of consumer goods and military hardware robots—which will eventually become the lineal ancestors of the Autobots and Decepticons, respectively. (GTV)
[edit] Circa 11,000,000 B.C.
The First Cybertronian War
After a million years of slavery, the Quintessons' creations, having developed true sentience, come to understand the concepts of oppression and freedom. Led by the robot A3, the consumer goods robots lead a rebellion against the the Quintessons, sparking the the First Cybertronian War. Despite fierce opposition from the Quintesson-created Dark Guardian robots, A3 is able to use the device he created, the Coda-Remote to shut down the Dark Guardians. Having lost the war, the Quintessons flee Cybertron, scattering through the galaxy. (GTV)
The Second Cybertronian War
Following a brief peace after the First Cybertronian War, the military hardware robots, now calling themselves the Decepticons, begin a war with the more peaceful consumer goods robots, now known as the Autobots. Unsuited to combat, the Autobots cannot hope to match the Decepticons' raw strength. Using stealth as their tactic, they reconstruct themselves to have the ability of transformation - reconfiguring their bodies into new, disguised shapes. With this added skill, the Autobots achieve victory in the Second Cybertronian War. An era of tranquility descends on Cybertron, policed by the newly reprogrammed Dark Guardians, now called "Guardian Robots". (GTV)
[edit] Circa 9,000,000 B.C.
The Build-Up to the Third Cybertronian War
Although defeated and living in peace with the Autobots, the Decepticons' ideals of conquest have not been crushed, but merely put on hold. During this time they too develop the ability of transformation. Coupling it with the also newly developed ability of robot flight, the malevolent Decepticon leader Megatron is created.
Within moments of coming into existence, Megatron destroys the current Autobot leader in a strike on one of Iacon's outer cities. He then uses the reprogramming device known as the Robo-Smasher to brainwash the Autobots into his service alongside his like-minded minions.
As word spreads of Megatron's actions, the old Autobot leader, A3 - now called Alpha Trion - dilligently works on a new process to reconstruct Autobots into battle-hardy configurations so that they may stand a chance in the war he knows is now inevitable. (GTV)
The Third Cybertronian War
Needing energy supplies, Megatron dupes a naive young Cybertronian dock worker, Orion Pax, into allowing him access to a major energy warehouse. Following a skirmish over the warehouse, Megatron fatally wounds Orion Pax. Little does Megatron realize, however, that Alpha Trion will utilize Orion Pax as the test subject for his new, tactical reconstruction process, thus turning him into Optimus Prime, the Autobot who will eventually lead the Autobots in the Third Cybertronian War.
With Optimus Prime installed as the Autobots' leader, full scale war breaks out, lasting for the next five million years. (GTV)
[edit] Circa 4,000,000 B.C.
The Discovery of Earth (1st Season Begins)
After five million years of war, during which many Autobots fled the planet, the Decepticons have nearly taken control of the entire planet. However, the war depleted Cybertron's energy resources to a dangerous low, necessitating a space mission to locate a new planet with new sources of energy that the Transformers could harness.
Optimus Prime leads his best and brightest on Autobot constructed starship, the Ark, pursued by Megatron's forces. Megatron succeeds in boarding the Ark but both it and the Decepticons' (now unmanned) starship, the Nemesis, sustain heavy damage, leading them to crash into Earth, where they will remain in stasis for the next four million years.
[edit] Circa 4,000,000 B.C. to 1984
Shockwave, who Megatron has left in charge as guardian of the planet, maintains the Decepticon hold on Cybertron.
[edit] 1984
Following of the eruption of the previously dormant volcano into which the Ark had crashed, the Decepticons are revived by Teletraan 1 and leave the Ark to conquer Earth. However, due to a mistake from Starscream, the Autobots are also revived and thus begins a struggle for the planet's energy resources. This conflict would come to be known among Transformers as the Great War. From Cybertron, Shockwave reestablishes contact with Megatron. Together, they design the space bridge, an intergalactic transport system originally designed to transport energon cubes from Earth to Cybertron.
The Autobots befriend their first humans: Sparkplug (an oil-rig worker), his son Spike, and Spike's disabled friend Chip. The humans prove to be a valuable asset to the Autobot cause, assisting them in missions, and providing the Autobots with a "human edge" to aid in outsmarting the Decepticons' plans.
During the conflict, the factions enforce their ranks with new teams: the Dinobots are built by the Autobots, and the Constructicons are built by the Decepticons. Meanwhile, Skyfire & the Insecticons are discovered on Earth during the early conflicts.
[edit] 1985
As the Great War continues, more Autobot and Decepticon reinforcements appear, presumably transported from Cybertron to Earth using the space bridge.
Spike meets Carly, and begins a casual relationship with her as they participate in various adventures with the Autobots.
Convinced that conquering the Autobots requires ruling the roads, Megatron constructs lifeless robots that transform into motor vehicles, and voyages to Cybertron to have Vector Sigma provide them with personalities. These robots form the Stunticons. In response, Optimus Prime creates jets and also provides personalities for them via Vector Sigma.
A short time later, Starscream, banished from the Decepticon forces, builds a team of his own, using the remains of vehicles from World War II, and personalities from imprisoned Decepticons on Cybertron to create the Combaticons. Although initially under Starscream's leadership, the team mutinies and officially joins the Decepticon ranks under Megatron's leadership.
Finally, the Protectobots appear. Although no origin story is told, it can be assumed that they came from Cybertron through the space bridge as many of the earlier reinforcements.
[edit] 1986 to 2005 (The Lost Years)
For nearly 20 years, the Great War rages on. Details are scarce, although it is known that at some point the Decepticons were successful in conquering Cybertron, banishing all Autobots to two orbiting moons. Also, the Autobots construct a new base of operations on Earth, christening it 'Autobot City'. During this period, more Autobot reinforcements arrive on Earth, such as Optimus Prime's second-in-command, Ultra Magnus. Spike marries Carly, and they have a son, Daniel.
[edit] 2005
The events of The Transformers: The Movie take place. Subsequently (in the Five Faces of Darkness mini-series) the Decepticons, without a leader, are banished off Cybertron by the Autobots. They retreat to a burned-out planet called Chaar. Using the memory banks within Unicron's decapitated head, they locate Galvatron's location, and begin a new conflict with the Autobots, primarily for the repossession of Cybertron.
The Transformers finally rediscover that the Quintessons are responsible for their creation. The Quintessons are set on the destruction (or at least deactivation) of all Tranformers, due to the fact that the Quintessons were banished from their homeworld, Cybertron, many millions of years ago.
[edit] 2006
The war rages on, with the Quintessons adding a third factor to the conflict between the Autobots, based on Cybertron and Earth, and the Decepticons, now operating out of Chaar.
The dead body of Optimus Prime is manipulated by the Quintessons to betray the Autobots. Although their plan fails, their skills are called upon again when a "Hate virus" threatens to infect the entire universe. A sole Quintesson successfully brings Optimus Prime fully back to life, and with the help of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, Optimus saves the universe from the virus. The Autobot and Decepticon factions call a temporary truce.
[edit] 2007
After a few months of presumed peace, the Decepticons attack Autobot City with the intention of stealing the key to Cybertron's Plasma Energy Chamber. The mission succeeds, and the Decepticons invade Cybertron to open the chamber. Their attempts backfire, and a stray energy bolt causes an Autobot shuttle to catapult light-years into space, eventually crash-landing on the planet Nebulan. The Autobots befriend the locals, who tell them of an evil clan called The Hive, who have built machines that enslave their people and wreck havoc on the planet. The Decepticons arrive, and in a battle, Daniel is seriously injured, leaving him paralyzed. The good Nebulans assist Spike & the Autobots in creating "Headmaster" technology, which involves humans and Nebulans transforming into the heads of the Autobots. Daniel becomes the head of Arcee. Meanwhile, the Decepticons meet up with the Hive, and make a deal to become Headmasters and Targetmasters, the latter involving Hive members transforming into weapons. The Autobots soon devolop Targetmaster technology themselves.
Soon, the Autobots and Decepticons return to Cybertron, only to find out that Galvatron plans to destroy Earth using the power of the Plasma Energy Chamber to overload the Earth's sun. As the Decepticons attempt to escape, a surge from the Plasma Energy Chamber causes their ship to be catapulted into deep space. The Autobots foil Galvatron's plan by redirecting the plasma energy directly into Vector Sigma. In the end, Vector Sigma distributes the energy all over Cybertron, re-energizing it and bringing it into a new golden age. The Autobots rejoice, celebrating a new era of peace.
[edit] See also
- Transformers: The Movie (1986)
- Transformers: The Headmasters (1987 - 1988)
- Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (1988 - 1989)
- Transformers: Victory (1989)
- Transformers: Generation Two (1992 - 1996)
- Beast Wars: Transformers (1996 - 1999)
- Beast Wars Neo: Super Lifeform Transformers (1999)
- Beast Machines: Transformers (1999 - 2001)
- Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2000)
- Transformers: Armada (2002 - 2003)
- Transformers: Energon (2004 - 2005)
- Transformers: Cybertron (2005 - 2006)
- Transformers (2007 film) (2007-07-04)
[edit] Lists
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Transformers cartoon trivia from IMDB
- Transformers @ The Moon - Largest Transformers toy gallery on the web and a huge Transformers resource, founded in 1999
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