Transformers: Difference between revisions
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The ''Transformers'' franchise has known the following incarnations in [[Western Animation|television]], [[Anime]], [[Film]], and comics:
Note: Descriptions here are to be kept brief; for detailed information, see the individual series pages.
=== Generation 1 continuity family ===
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* [[Transformers Generation 1]] premiered in 1984. It involved Autobots and Decepticons crashing on prehistoric Earth and remaining in stasis until they were revived by an erupting volcano in 1984. To blend in with their surroundings, they took on the forms of common Earth vehicles and other machines. It consisted of:
** [[The Transformers (animation)|A cartoon]], running from 1984 to 1987
** [[The Transformers (
** [[Transformers Generation One Dreamwave|Transformers: Generation One]], a [[Revival]] published by Dreamwave between 2002 and 2004
** A comic published by IDW, published since 2006. Notable stories include:
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* [[Transformers Super God Masterforce]], another anime, continuing on from ''Headmasters''.
* [[Transformers Victory]], a third anime, continuing from ''Masterforce''.
* [[Transformers Zone]], which was basically a series of illustrated text stories and an anime episode. Followed by ''Return of Convoy'' and ''Operation Combination''.
* [[Transformers Generation 2]]: The cartoon series ''Generation 2'' was simply selected ''G1'' episodes with some [[CGI]] added. The associated comic ran for 12 issues, while the manga lasted far longer.
=== Beast Era ===
The Beast Era is a break from the usual presentation, featuring Transformers with animal altmodes instead of vehicles, and Maximals and Predacons replacing Autobots and Decepticons. It is in continuity with the Generation 1 family, but the toys and fiction are distinct enough to be considered on their own.
* ''[[Beast Wars]]'' (1996) was animated in CGI and produced by [[Mainframe Entertainment]], famous for the first CGI television show, ''[[
* [[Beast Machines]] (2000), the direct sequel series to ''Beast Wars'', was animated by the same company, and saw a return to Cybertron, but was received poorly by most. It had a massive change of the writing staff, and it shows; the characterization of established characters, "[[Contemplate Our Navels|spiritual]]" aspects and themes of nature vs. technology didn't play well with the previous series. It's part of the [[Fanon Discontinuity]] of many fans, and one of the voice actors that worked on the series referred to it on one occasion as "the bad thing that happened". Still, the series had its good points -- the aforementioned spiritual themes were deeper and more genuinely philosophical than anything the franchise had seen before -- and the general hatred has died down with time.
* [[Beast Wars II]], a traditionally animated show set far into the future of ''Beast Machines'' but broadcast in Japan between the first and second series of ''[[Beast Wars]]'' to fill the gap while the second series was being dubbed. It is powered by slapstick.
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* ''Armada'' also had a [[Transformers (2004 video game)|video game based off of it]], which surprisingly actually turned out to be pretty darn good, in a rare aversion of [[The Problem with Licensed Games]].
* In addition, a pre-school based Transformers series, [[Transformers Go Bots|Transformers: Go-Bots]] was released during this part of the franchise. It's usually considered as its own cannon from the rest of the franchise.
* [[
=== Live-Action continuity family ===
A [[Live Action Adaptation|live-action film]] franchise, originally consisting of
* ''[[Transformers (film)|Transformers]]'' (2007) introduces the new continuity, featuring an origin of the Transformers in a mystical artifact known as the All Spark. The hype of the movie was enormous, with many fans upset over the stylistic changes (dubbed [[Fan Nickname|"Bayformers"]]). Critically, those praising the movie liked it for being a sit back and enjoy "[[Rule of Cool]]" feature. Those criticizing it were mostly for the same reasons, though some of the hate was more of Michael Bay then the movie itself. The plot was patterned like a mix between a disaster film and an [[Alien Invasion]]. It made a lot of money, bringing in the current fans and even the nostalgic crowd; a sequel was guaranteed days before it opened. Part of the film's success comes from a general respect to the franchise, the impressive CGI for the title robots and the casting of the original voice actor for Optimus Prime, [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|Peter Cullen.]]
* The sequel, ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' (2009) continues directly from the first movie, delving deeper into the Transformer mythology. Because of the first film's success, many new robots were introduced and it has broken records both financially and with computer graphics (a rumor has spread around that in rendering Devastator it melted one of ILM's computers). Critical response was overwhelmingly negative but the general public seemed to love it.
* The third film, ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon]]'' (2011) follows a new story dealing with further Transformer involvement in human history, with a story that arcs back to a [[Secret History]] involving the first moon landing in 1969. The primary new villain is stated to be Shockwave, but this seems to have been a red herring and he's really just [[The Brute]], albeit a formidabble one. The ''real'' new villain is actually {{spoiler|[[Big Good|Sentinel Prime]]}}, joint with Megatron in a [[Big Bad Duumvirate]].
* The fourth film, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction]]'' (2014), again had the Transformers appearing much early in Earth's history, this time showing the species that created the Transformers [[Phlebotinum Killed the Dinosaurs|causing the extinction of the dinosaurs]]. The human cast of the first movie was ditched, now centering around an inventor who discovers Optimus Prime as the Autobot leader hides from a Cybertronian assassin.
* The fifth film, ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight]]'' (2017), reveals the Transformers were involved with the [[King Arthur]] myth, and Quintessa, part of the race that created the Transformers, intends on using Merlin's staff to drain Earth's energy and rebuild Cybertron.
* IDW has done prequel, adaptation, and sequel comics for the movies. [[Titan Magazines]] also does a series based on the movie, with issues that fit around IDW's, much as Marvel UK did for Marvel US.
The movies were then followed with what was initially a prequel only to instead served as a [[Broad Strokes]] soft reboot for a [[Truer to the Text]] continuity.
*''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' (2018), set in 1987, showed Bumblebee being sent by Optimus Prime to set up a base of operations on Earth, only for him to be intercepted and injured by Decepticons after arriving. Disguising himself as a Volkswagen Beetle, Bumblebee ends up purchased by a teenage girl who will help him in his mission.
*''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts]]'' (2023), set in 1994, incorporated elements from ''[[Beast Wars]]''. A former soldier and an artifact researcher try to help the Autobots and Maximals in preventing the Terrorcons from acquiring an artifact that can open space portals and bring in the [[Planet Eater]] Unicron to Earth.
=== Transformers Animated ===
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* ''[[Transformers Timelines]]'' is the label which many of Fun Publications' Transformers stories are put under.
* [[Transformers Classics]] is a splinter timeline to the original Transformers Marvel comic in which the events of Generation 2 and some other stories did not occur.
* [[Transformers:
* [[Transformers: Shattered Glass]] takes place in a [[Mirror Universe]] where the Autobots are evil and the Decepticons are good; Optimus is a megalomaniac, Starscream is a loyal officer, Ravage is the embodiment of [[LOLcats]], etc.
* [[Transformers: Wings of Honor]] is like ''Classics'' in that it creates a separate timeline out of an existing one. In this case, it does so via prequel and sequel stories to the original Generation 1 cartoon, and contains some differences.
=== Aligned Universe ===
* The [[Transformers Aligned Universe]] is meant to establish a definitive multi-medium continuity for Transformers by [[Adaptation Distillation|cherry-picking the best aspects of past iterations of the franchise]], the continuity line was launched in 2010 with the video game ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' and the corresponding ''Exodus'' book. The intention behind this set-up is to create a longer-lasting [[Alternate Continuity]] than the frequent [[Continuity Reboot|reboots]] every few years in the 2000's.
* [[Transformers: War for Cybertron]] is a video game that dives into the basic history of the Autobot/Decepticon war and meant to be a stepping stone showing how that war finds its way to Earth. It takes major mythology points from various sources and re-presents them to the audience, setting up the greater franchise (such as why Starscream is [[The Starscream]] and how come [[Bond Villain Stupidity|Megatron doesn't just shoot him]]). It was built from the [[Epic Games|Unreal engine]] and was released on PC, [[Xbox 360]], <s>[[Wii]]</s>, [[DS]], and [[
** [[Transformers Exodus]] is partly a [[Novelisation]] of ''War for Cybertron'' and partly a [[All There in the Manual|manual]] further explaining the backstory. Although it contradicts both the game and itself on a number of occasions, which leads to the majority of [[Continuity Snarl|Continuity Snarls]] within this new franchise (Starscream was stated to be a dedicated scientist only for it to later state that he wasn't ever a scientist).
** [[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron]] is the sequel to War for Cybertron, including [[Loads and Loads of Characters|a heapload]] of new characters, as well as a [[Darker and Edgier]] plot.
* [[Transformers Prime]] is a new cartoon, [[All CGI Cartoon|animated in CGI]], that premiered November 2010 on Hasbro's new Hub network. The designs are strongly influenced by the complex [[Transformers Film Series]] look while retaining the more stylised approach of ''[[Transformers Animated]]''. The overall series appears to aim for much of the same tone as the films, complete with the movie writers taking on roles as Executive Producers. [[Peter Cullen]] and [[Frank Welker]] have been cast as Optimus Prime and Megatron, making it the first Transformers series in which the two have reprised their roles together.
** [[Transformers Universe]] is a video game largely based on this series.
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For more information, you might want to consult [http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Main_Page the ''Transformers'' wiki]. Its informality is similar to that of TV Tropes.
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{{tropenamer}}
* [[Autobots Rock Out]]
* [[Hate Plague]]: It first appeared in the Generation 1 cartoon, and reappeared in a more virulent form in ''Beast Machines''.
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* [[The Starscream]]
{{Franchisetropes}}
* [[The Ageless]]: Almost always applies to the Transformers.
** Though occasionally averted by characters whose schtick is that they're old fogies. Not only do they have the personality to match, but for some reason they're the only Transformers to physically age.
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* [[The Collector of the Strange]]: Autobot Pipes collects interesting human knick-knacks.
** Also, in ''Cybertron'', Shortround collects...Transformers toys. The "grails" of his collection? Generation 2 Defensor and Menasor. {{spoiler|Two toys whose real-world counterparts were never produced (or at least never mass-produced) in full.}}
* [[
** The symbols themselves also qualify, seeming to indicate good/evil alignment; the Autobots' insignia is traditionally red and the Decepticons' traditionally purple; in the mirror universe called "Shattered Glass", populated by evil Autobots and heroic Decepticons, the Autobot insignia is purple and the Decepticon insignia is red.
* [[Combining Mecha]]: The combiners, such as the Constructicons, Aerialbots, Stunticons, Destruction Team, etc.
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* [[I Know Kung Faux]]: Occurs fairly often throughout the various ''Transformers'' lines, most notably with Metallikato, Crystalocution, and Circuit-su.
* [[Insistent Terminology]]: Despite being ''Transform''ers, the instructions never tell you how to "transform" them; instead they tell you how to "convert" them to robots, vehicles, beasts, etc. [[Writing Around Trademarks|This is because if they used the term "transform" so informally, the franchise name would be considered descriptive and would be impossible to defend legally as a trademark.]] This has not, however, stopped them from making Optimus's [[Catch Phrase]], "Transform, and roll out!"
* [[Interpretative Character]]: Several names have been used throughout all the various continuities. While there are often consistencies between these incarnations of these names, there is usually enough leeway to take them in all sorts of directions. [[
* [[Intro Dump]]
* [[Just a Machine]]
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:The Nineties]]▼
[[Category:The Renaissance Age of Animation]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Western Animation]]
[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Science Fiction Anime and Manga]]
[[Category:Trope Overdosed]]
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[[Category:Western Animation]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:
[[Category:
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