A live-action film series started in 2007, again distinct from previous incarnations, while the Transformers: Animated series merged concepts from the G1 continuity, the 2007 live-action film and the "Unicron Trilogy". The first was the Robots in Disguise series, followed by three shows (Armada, Energon, and Cybertron) that constitute a single universe called the "Unicron Trilogy". [6], The official international Transformers convention is BotCon, but other fan events include Auto Assembly and TransForce in the UK and past Transformers only events have included BotCon Japan, BotCon Europe and "OTFCC". Warring city-states, battling factions, expansion into the cosmos - it's a lot, and few corners of the "Transformers" franchise get into ancient history more than in passing. [14] The TV series would also differ wildly from the origins Budiansky had created for the Dinobots,[15][16] the Decepticon turned Autobot Jetfire[17] (known as Skyfire on TV[18]), the Constructicons (who combine to form Devastator),[19][20] and Omega Supreme. Young Megatron often counts Optimus as a friend, and the two initially share ideals of Cybertronian freedom and self-determination. But weave in and out of the different universes that make up the Transformers' incredibly complex multiversal tapestry, and you'll soon realize that most sagas are variations of the Generation 1 narratives:the original stories first told in the Transformers' eponymous 1984 cartoon and Marvel comic book series. Did you ever wonder why there was such an explosion of cartoons shows and toy based products in the 1980s? They would combine both of these things together to create the Transformers.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'everything80spodcast_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',104,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Many of the Autobot version of the Transformers came straight from the car-robot line and a lot of future Transformers would already exist in the Takara toy line including the Dinobots, Insecticons, Decepticon planes, and the Constructicons. In addition, IDW Publishing has published several comic books, including graphic novels, while Titan Magazines published Transformers Comic UK, a 20 issues series from 2007 to 2014. [19][21] The Marvel comic establishes early on that Prime wields the Creation Matrix, which gives life to machines. A lot of Transformers toys would come out over the years and decades, but we will look mainly at the ones that came out in the mid-80s that would tie into the cartoon and the original movie. Subsequently, the universe depicted in the animated series Challenge of the GoBots and follow-up film GoBots: Battle of the Rock . Transformers were a toy line and cartoon series from 1984 produced by Hasbro and became one of the best-selling toys of all time. They also introduced the Decepticon triple changers Astrotrain and Blitzwing which I was opposed with, and one of the most epic and expensive toys- Omega Supreme. Other times, like in Marvel's original series and the IDW continuation, "Transformers: Regeneration One,"the humans gain superpowers to aid (or hurt) the giant bots. Covering it all would take a book (or three), but we put together a unified timeline with a few deviations to explore the really unique diverging realities to help you navigate the increasingly complex "Transformers" multiverse. So, in my opinion, the whole progression of the movies went from disappointment to unwatchable. These three shady bots technically answer to the Maximals but still plot to regain power, even as they brand this era's Megatron a criminal for taking similar actions in the past. Hasbro Transformers Masterpiece Movie Series Mpm-9 Jazz, Multicolor The Transformers began with the 1980s Japanese toy lines Micro Change and Diaclone. Energon, set ten years later, followed the Autobots and the Omnicons in their fight to stop the Decepticons and the Terrorcons from resurrecting Unicron with energon. Autobots, Assemble! Transformers Toys Studio Series 49 Deluxe Class Movie 1 Bumblebee And in Netflix's 2020 "War for Cybertron Trilogy," we learn that before Megatron fought Optimus and Ultra Magnus, he fought side by side with them under Alpha Trion to overthrow their Quintesson masters. Transformers may live for millions of years, but few still surviving were among the first born on Cybertron. These three lines, launched in 2002 and dubbed the "Unicron Trilogy" by Transformers designer Aaron Archer,[74] are co-productions between Takara and (lesser extent) Hasbro, simultaneously released in both countries, each lasting 52 episodes. Lauren Vlez as Noah's mother. (Note: This appears to contradict background presented in the first two seasons of the series.) One of the first things Ronald Regan did after becoming president was lifting all these restrictions saying anything regarding the placement of promotional content within childrens programming was fair game. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The story introduces a number of fascinating concepts, like making Transformers more like cyborgs as they embrace their organic sides and become "technorganic" creatures who do more morphing than transforming. [111] Each series is made up of six episodes, each a half hour long. In honor of the almost 40-year legacy of Transformers entertainment, the fandoms come together from across the Transformers multiverse, all in one toy line. The two series and all the characters would make up the first generation of the Transformers for the cartoon series. Instead, 2001's "Transformers: Robots in Disguise" cartoon tells the story of Optimus Prime leading his Autobots to protect Earth when Megatron and his Predacons (not Decepticons)target it. Conception [ edit] The Transformers toy line was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toy lines Diaclone and Micro Change. Then came Netflix's "War for Cybertron Trilogy." Joe crossover[32] and the limited series The Transformers: Headmasters, which further expanded the scope to the planet Nebulon. Though fans didn't know it at the time, the brief, bizarrely creepy scenes with the tentacled Quintessons in 1986's "The Transformers: The Movie" were but a herald to things to come. The Real Reason Optimus Prime Was Killed Off In The Original - Looper Though the year-long arc wrapped itself up with an alliance between Optimus Prime and Megatron, the final panel introduced the Liege Maximo, ancestor of the Decepticons. It also features the return of Starscream. In 2008's "Transformers: Animated," the Autobots win the Great War by shooting the AllSpark into space and keeping its power out of Megatron's hands. [67], IDW Publishing introduced The Transformers: Evolutions in 2006, a collection of mini-series that re-imagine and reinterpret the G1 characters in various ways. [47] This minor cliffhanger was not resolved until 2001 and 2002's Transforce convention when writer Simon Furman concluded his story in the exclusive novella Alignment.[48]. -If you want to check out some amazing Transformers toys on Amazon there is the 20th anniversary Optimus Prime 12-inch figure from Hasbro. [119] The third series was the final one, as Hasbro has no plans for a fourth series.[120]. New Images of Upcoming Transformers Toys for Younger Fans with Cheetor To date, only one miniseries has been published, Hearts of Steel, placing the characters in an Industrial Revolution-era setting. Initially a line of transforming mecha toys rebranded from Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toy lines,[1] it spawned the Transformers media franchise. The franchise encompasses toys, animation, comic books, video games and films. The Transformers toy-line is typically divided into two main factions: the heroic Autobots and their opponents, the evil Decepticons. Their first go was Transformers United, which sold versions of the toys sold under the original 2010 incarnation of Generations, along with Reveal the Shield molds. This led to a Golden Age that was spoiled when Megatron discovered that the Quintessons still secretly controlled Cybertron's ruling council (he gives this reason for starting the Great War). Transformers - Wikipedia And he kills Starscream. (After being mentioned throughout, he only made a single appearance on the last page of the last issue.) By the time of IDW's 2007 "Megatron Origin" comic book mini-series, he starts out as a pacifist who chafes under the corrupt Cybertronian Senate. Besides the death and violence, it even had some cursing and would lead to the death of Optimus Prime. No matter the reason, Optimus and Megatron leave Cybertron, and the war and planet are never the same. Theyve been instrumental in most kids childhoods but did one stand above the rest?if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'everything80spodcast_com-box-3','ezslot_2',102,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-everything80spodcast_com-box-3-0'); Transformers were a toy line and cartoon series from 1984 produced by Hasbro and became one of the best selling toys of all time. Theres a lot more that followed so here are some of the other Transformers series: Transformers felt like one of those untouchable franchises that just would never be able to crossover into a real movie. So far four novels have been published: Transformers: Exodus,[87][88] Transformers: Exiles,[89][90] Transformers: Retribution,[91][92] and Transformers: The Covenant of Primus. G.I Joe was a VERY close second but something just captured the imagination in a different way with Transformers. The History of Transformers: From Toy to Legacy I remember this so well as these were such technical toys that were really a challenge to put together. This was followed by two further installments, Titans Return and Power of the Primes. [112], A trailer of for the first installment Siege was released on July 8, 2020, with the show following on July 30, 2020,[111][113] The first series focused on the civil war on Cybertron and the conflict between the two leaders of the opposing factions, Optimus Prime and Megatron, along with the introduction of a third, mercenary, faction. In the 1980s, the mega-popular Transformers toy line by Hasbro spawned an animated series, an animated movie, and a run in Marvel comics. Eric Calderon was executive producer of the trilogy. Factory released the entire G1 series in a 16-DVD box set called the Matrix of Leadership Edition. The series also saw the introduction of a fourth faction, the Quintessons. He's just the second-in-command. Whether our planet hosts Energon, the Allspark, powerful artifacts, or just good, old-fashioned human interference, one thing is always agreed upon: Earth, and its modern era, is a critical turning point of the Great War. It definitely was part of mine, and probably yours, that the first thing you would do when you got home from school was watch Transformers. [37] The UK also had a crossover in Action Force, the UK counterpart to G.I. [109][110] The voice cast of the show used new actors for recognizable characters such as Jake Foushou as Optimus Prime and Jason Marnocha as Megatron. [78] Originally scheduled for late after 2007 under the title of Transformers: Heroes,[79] Transformers Animated is set in 2050 Detroit (after crash landing 50 years earlier),[78] when robots and humans live side by side. Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots. Both of these releases took place over 1984 and 1985 but were considered as one giant release. So lets look back on what, in my opinion, is the greatest toy and franchise of all time. The Transformers is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro 's Transformers toy line. Revenge of the Fallen I actually thought was better but they get progressively worse from there. There would be a lot of Transformers toys that would come out over the years and decades but were going to look mainly at the ones that came out in the mid-80s that would tie into the cartoon and the original movie. Most of today's Transformers weren't around for their origins any more than today's humans were around for ours. Giving the toys a backstory and character profiles created more of an identity that kids could connect with. Since then, across timelines and multiverses, Unicron's return has become all but inevitable. Toys may come later, or before, but that is the intended date for the wave 1 . These days, in other words, the franchise is more massive and all-consuming than Unicron himself. In 2018, Transformers: Cyberverse debuted, once again, distinct from the previous incarnations. So the story of this first three-part series is the basic back story I shared earlier. To me, its the kind of toy a kid doesnt even know he wants. Some more modern tellings, like IDW's 2005 "Transformers" comic book series, have Optimus, Megatron, and their troops intentionally infiltrating modern Earth, having never lain dormant at all. "The Last Stand", Bob Budiansky(w),Don Perlin(p). Outside of "Beast Machines," though, this future, was only ever briefly explored in a couple of short-lived comic books for The Official Transformers Collectors Club: 2001's "The Wreckers" and 2003's "Transformers: Universe." Its also why you saw so many things like cereal and fast food commercials that could easily be mistaken for cartoons. However, the Transformers Fan Club published a few stories set in the Cybertron era.[75]. Although initially a separate and competing franchise started in 1983, Tonka's GoBots became the intellectual property of Hasbro after their buyout of Tonka in 1991. Transformers (toy line) - Wikipedia Aaarnhide19 and Kuhlio come out to play as they discuss the scant news since last episode, some of . Transformers: Animated is a cartoon that was aired in early 2008 on Cartoon Network in the United States. Thanks, bastards. It was animated by Toei Animation in Japan and then later on by AKOM in South Korea. nearly four decades later, the Transformers, official "Ask Vector Prime" Facebook page, Megatron is an especially complex villain, beloved corner of the "Transformers" universe, "Transformers," kicking off an uneven series, 2022's "Transformers:Rise of the Beasts". [3], Generation One is a retroactive term for the Transformers characters that appeared between 1984 and 1993. They've been instrumental in most kids childhoods but did one stand above the rest? And thats what the Transformers cartoon series was, a hour commercial. Transformers (2007) - IMDb Chris Hemsworth Leads Star-Studded Animated Prequel Transformers: One By the time the Autobot and Decepticon war finally explodes into the public consciousness in the 21st century, Earth is old hat to the Transformers. Dreamwave's version reimagines the familiar G1 and G.I. In those early days, kids became obsessed with Megatron, the Decepticon leader, who became a Walther P-38 pistol (gun + robot = immediate boy-toy success), but he wasn't produced again after that initial run because of laws governing toy guns. In "War for Cybertron: Kingdom," Optimus Prime and Megatron lead their factions to Earth in search of the AllSpark. This is where the branding became much more detailed and subgroups started to be introduced. In the original cartoon and Marvel comics that set the stage for most Generation 1 realities, the Autobots and Decepticons awaken on Earth in the '80s after lying dormant for millions of years. Unicron even makes a (sort-of) appearance in the live-action movies, where "Transformers: The Last Knight" reveals that the Earth is Unicron. [70] IDW editor-in-chief, Chris Ryall hinted at elements of it being carried over into the main continuities,[71] and that a sequel is possible. FJ DeSanto was executive producer of the third installment. The first larger Transformers convention in the Nordic countries is called "The NTFA Mini-Con", with official support from Hasbro Nordic, and was held by members of the NTFA - The Nordic TransFans Association, for the first time on November 34, 2007. Subsequently, the universe depicted in the animated series Challenge of the GoBots and follow-up film GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords was retroactively established as an alternate universe within the Transformers multiverse. Eventually, with IDW Publishing losing sales, the series was given a soft reboot. [4] [63] This left the Generation One story hanging and the third volume of The War Within half finished. The basic premise is that the Decepticons have conquered Cybertron while the Autobots hold up on nearby moons. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well. In the world of the "Armada" cartoon, there aren't just Autobots and Decepticons - there's also a third faction: Mini-Cons. Back in the franchise's earliest days, the war so decimates the planet that Optimus has to lead a contingent of Autobots off in search of more energy. The Entire Transformers Timeline Explained. The series featured returning Titan characters such as Metroplex, Fortress Maximus and Trypticon and the resultant destruction such enormous characters create. If it weren't so wildly outside of the main continuities, this next-century future could have been a bridge between the robotic Transformers of the past and present, and the technorganic bots of the future. They also would refer to any vehicle by its full name which G.I Joe would also focus heavily on. By the 90s Transformers were selling really poorly in the U.S but doing well in Canada, the U.K, and Japan. Some of these were the epic Dinobots, Skyfire, the Insecticons, and the Constructicons who were able to combine to form Devastator and that was just awesome. Paramount has released the new trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback. The writers attempted to change certain plot elements from the Japanese version to remedy this, although this largely added up to nothing more than references to Unicron, Primus, Primes and Minicons. While much of Transformers' past is relegated to the hazy confusion of myth, the future remains a diverging branch of possibilities. Writer Simon Furman proceeded to expand the continuity with movie spin-offs involving the time travelling Galvatron. [76] It is the forty-fifth highest-grossing film and the fifth highest-grossing film of 2007, grossing approximately $709 million worldwide. [43] They also released the same content as individual seasons.[44]. Like a human soul, the spark is what makes each Transformer a living being. That came about in the comic books, where "Transformers" scribe Simon Furman explained that Unicron is a dark god locked in an eternal battle with the light god, Primus. [49] After writing this first episode, Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio learned of the G1 Transformers, and began to use elements of it as a historical backstory to their scripts,[50] establishing Beast Wars as a part of the Generation 1 universe through numerous callbacks to both the cartoon and Marvel comic. This wasnt an anomaly but up until that point, there had been HUGE restrictions on anything that revolved around advertising to children. Or not but we can finish this up together. That's why most Transformer tales begin in the modern era when the Cybertronians bring their war to Earth, thereby making it our problem. The old Takara toy company would actually take over the production but pretty much just used the old molds from 1984 and 1985 with new color schemes and finishes. Fun fact: Hasbro put out 250 G.I Joe vehicles. "Crossing Over", two six-issue limited series, then a ten-issue ongoing series, Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 TV series), "Hasbro Publishes Transformers Timeline to Movie", "He created Macross and designed Transformers toys: Japanese anime legend Shoji Kawamori", "Shoji Kawamori, The Creator Hollywood Copies But Never Credits", "Sound waves Vs the Transformers cartoon", "Transformers: Matrix of Leadership Arrives October 20th", "Transformers: The Complete First Season (25th Anniversary Edition)", "Interview IDWs Ryall & Furman Talk Beast Wars Comic", "Transformers: Beast Wars Returns on DVD", "Immediate Press Release Dreamwave will be ceasing operations! The Marvel comic was originally part of the main Marvel Universe, with appearances from Spider-Man and Nick Fury, plus some cameos,[9] as well as a visit to the Savage Land.[10]. This caused continuity problems when Hasbro sold Cybertron as a follow-up to Armada/Energon. The Decepticons travel to earth and attack Autobot City killing even more. Many other versions of the Quintessons aren't creators, though, but conquerors. They then continue their war on our planet, dragging humans into their endless conflagration. Evil is a relative term, and Megatron is an especially complex villain: From his perspective, the Great War is nearly always begun as a rebellion against an unfair system. Ultimately, the Transformers revolt and explore the cosmos before coming to Earth about 19,000 years before modern times. Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals that can transform into a gorilla. Cartoon, Comics, or toys, which was created first? - Transformerland He created a more humanistic appearance and they were even further simplified by Floro Dery who would become lead designer of the series. THE WHOLE TRANSFORMERS SIEGE EXPERIENCE: Netflix Show to Toys! Dont take my word for it, just read every review and Rotton Tomatoes score EVER about them. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Just as the TV series was wrapping up, Marvel continued to expand its continuity. -, Pound Puppies: Cabbage Patch Kids In Dog Form? Is transformers 4 coming? At #19, it became Transformers Energon. Megatron, in other words, doesn't start the Great War this time. The storyline of Transformers: Universe, mainly set following Beast Machines, sees characters from many assorted alternate continuities, including existing and new ones, encountering each other. The makers of the movie had no idea the impact they would have on a generation of kids as they were just trying to get some new toys out for Christmas. Transformers: Legacy brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse. It is a stand-alone universe with no ties to any other Transformers fiction, though some of the characters from Robots in Disguise did eventually make appearances in Transformers: Universe, including Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, Side Burn and Prowl. Transformers (film series) - Wikipedia Genre: Dramedy. The naming of the Transformer ship, the "Ark" (and reference to 1984, the year the Transformers on board were revived) and the character, Ravage being shown as intelligent, and Cybertron having an organic core were elements taken from the comics. Hasbro eventually adopted the term "Generation 1" to refer to any toy produced in that era. It was a line of toys that included transforming vehicles and robots that were piloted by minature figures that came from the microman toy line. [41] The U.S. comic would last for 80 issues until 1991,[42] and the UK comic lasted 332 issues and several annuals, until it was replaced as Dreamwave Productions, later in the 20th-Century. Unicron, a transformer who devours planets, fears its power and recreates a heavily damaged Megatron as Galvatron, as well as Bombshell or Skywarp becoming Cyclonus, Thundercracker becoming Scourge and two other Insecticons becoming Scourge's huntsmen, the Sweeps. In 2009, Shout! But Transformers would not disappear from TV as a Fifth season was released which was just re-runs of 15 episodes from the original series along with the movie which was edited into 4 episodes. The second NTFA convention with official support from Hasbro Nordic, now renamed "NordCon" (to avoid copyright problems with the name "Mini-Con") was held in Aalborg, Denmark from 19 June to 20 June 2010. The second series of the Transformers reissued all the toys from the first set plus twenty-six new toys. It introduced the Matrix as the "Autobot Matrix of Leadership", as a fatally wounded Prime gives it to Ultra Magnus; however, as Prime dies he drops the matrix, which is then caught by Hot Rod who subsequently becomes Rodimus Prime later on in the film. Creator Henry Orenstein Stars Frank Welker Peter Cullen Corey Burton See production, box office & company info Watch on Tubi S1-4 Go to tubitv.com More watch options Add to Watchlist Added by 16.5K users This is it. GoBots is a line of transforming robot toys produced by Tonka from 1983 to 1987, similar to Hasbro's Transformers. While it's not necessarily always the case, in most realities, according to the official "Ask Vector Prime" Facebook page which was originally created by Hasbro as a feature on their website Primus himself is the "divine spark" that ignited Transformer life, millions and millions of years ago. And across all of time and space, there's always been one Transformer determined to decide his own fate at any cost: Megatron. When Did Transformers Siege Toys Come Out? Product Description. "[5], Ralston produced breakfast cereals based on 1980s cartoons, including Transformers Chocolate Flavored Cereal, similar to Cocoa Puffs. Early Megatron was pretty simple, but over the years, he's moved from bloodthirsty villain to freedom fighter-turned-despot. Joe characters in a World War II setting, and a second limited series was released set in the present day, though Dreamwave's bankruptcy meant it was cancelled after a single issue. The massive Planet Eater first threatens the Transformers in the far-flung "future" of 2006 for "The Transformers: The Movie." Early Cybertronian history is murky and chaotic in even the best-documented of realities. Many spin-offs are based on the toys including a comic book series, an animated television series, and the feature-length animated The Transformers: The Movie. [97] Guest voices included Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman. According to this article from TFW2005, retailers around the world have been given April 2022 as their supply date. Companies now had free reign to promote to their hearts desire. [81], The toy lines derived from this continuity are Transformers: Generations, Transformers: Rescue Bots, and Transformers Go!. This article is about the franchise. The show never gets into these Transformers' history much, but there are some interesting quirks. The Transformers (toyline) - Transformers Wiki The first official season put out 13 episodes that had already been commissioned and produced before that mini-series even aired. The franchise began in 1984 with the Transformers toy line, comprising transforming mecha toys from Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines rebranded for Western markets. [105] After the shutdown, a number of former Machinima creations returned to the web via Rooster Teeth. Patterns emerge, commonalities appear, and from the many we can pull one. Hasbro had the great foresight to know it wasnt always an ideal move to just release a new toy line out of the blue. Humans are fickle creatures who tend not to care about things that don't involve us. This item: Transformers Toys Studio Series 49 Deluxe Class Movie 1 Bumblebee Action Figure - Kids Ages 8 & Up, 4.5" (Amazon Exclusive) $28.26 QCKJ Car Robot Toys,Deformation Toy Cars,Action Figure with Two Extra Interchangeable Head $29.99 This way the broadcasters could air them in any order and not create confusion among a storyline. [64], Throughout the years, the G1 characters have also starred in crossovers with fellow Hasbro property G.I. [52] In 2004, this real life universe also inspired three novels[62] and a Dorling Kindersley guide, which focused on Dreamwave as the "true" continuity when discussing in-universe elements of the characters. Starscream disposes of the wounded Megatron in space while the planet-sized Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles in his last role) rolls through the galaxy. 28. The story then continues with two more series: "Transformers: Energon," which jumps into the near "future" of 2010 when Unicron arises once more, and "Transformers: Cybertron," which sees the Cybertronians fleeing to Earth after the black hole left by Unicron's destruction threatens their home planet. This story revealed that the Transformers originally breed asexually, though it is stopped by Primus as it produced the evil Swarm. -And last but not least on Amazon heres an awesome 6.5-inch Grimlock figure. After he was defeated, he headed over to Marvel comics, threatening their universe beginning in 1990. The Dreamwave stories followed the concept of the Autobots defeating the Decepticons on Earth, but their 1997 return journey to Cybertron on the Ark II[56] is destroyed by Shockwave, now ruler of the planet. The extended Japanese run consisted of The Headmasters, Super-God Masterforce, Victory and Zone, then in illustrated magazine form as Battlestars: Return of Convoy and Operation: Combination. [12] Shockwave is loyal to Megatron in the TV series, keeping Cybertron in a stalemate during his absence,[13] but in the comic book he attempts to take command of the Decepticons.