Transformers (toyline)

Various Transformers toys

Transformers is the name of a line of toys produced by Hasbro from 1984 onwards, and also of a number of spin-offs based on the toys including a Marvel Comics series, an animated television series that began airing on 1984 (Transformers series) and a feature-length movie, Transformers: The Movie. The original series was followed by a number of spin-offs with varying levels of popularity.

A Transformer is an intelligent robot (usually a large humanoid, though there are many exceptions) that is able to "transform", reconfiguring itself into a common and innocuous form, such as a car, airplane or animal. The taglines "More Than Meets the Eye" and "Robots in Disguise" reflect this ability.

Transformers originally featured two main factions warring for control of their home planet, Cybertron. The heroic Autobots were led by Optimus Prime, and their opponents the Decepticons were led by Megatron.

The Transformers as a toyline was developed by Hasbro after they met up with Takara representatives at the 1983 New York Toyfair and decided to combine and re-brand Takara's Diaclone and Micro Change toylines into the Transformers for release in the United States.

The basic backstory of the toyline and subsequent comicbooks and cartoons was developed by the Marvel Comics writers Jim Shooter and Dennis O'Neil (O'Neil actually giving Optimus Prime his name). Most of the subsequent character names and profiles throughout the original run were done by the primary Transformers US comicbook writer, Bob Budiansky.

Floro Dery was primarily responsible for the look and feel of the Transformers cartoon series and was the visual creator of Transformers: The Movie. He refined some of the initial animated character models done in Japan by Syouhei Kohara and subsequently interpreted the toy box art, creating the models that would become the visual guidelines both for the comicbooks and the animated cartoon.

Each Transformer comes with tech specs which detail the Transformers characteristics, and older Transformers come with Robot Points which could be redeemed for special Transformers which were not sold in stores.

Transformers TV series

US

Transformers (1984 – 1987) (98 episodes)
Beast Wars: Transformers (1996 – 1999) (52 episodes)
Beast Machines: Transformers (1999) (26 episodes)
Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001) (39 episodes)
Transformers: Armada (2002) (52 episodes)
Transformers: Energon (2004) (52 episodes)
Transformers: Cybertron (2005)

Japan

Takake! Cho Robot Seimeitai Transformer (1985)
Takake! Cho Robot Seimeitai Transformer 2010 (1986)
Transformers: The Headmasters (1987)
Transformers: Chōjin Master Force (1988)
Transformers: Victory (1989)
Transformers: Zone (1990)
Transformers: Battlestars: The Return Of Convoy (1991)
Transformers: Operation Combination (1992)
Beast Wars: Cho Seimeitai Transformer (1997)
Beast Wars Second: Chō seimeitai Transformer (1998)
Chô seimeitai Transformer: Beast Wars Neo (1999)
Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (1999)
Transformers: Car Robots (2000) (39 episodes)
- (English language version: Transformers: Robots in Disguise)
Transformers: Micron Legend (2003)
- (English language version: Transformers: Armada)
Transformers: SuperLink (2004)
- (English language version: Transformers: Energon)
Transformers: Galaxy Force (2004)
- (English language version: Transformers: Cybertron)

See Transformers Series for more detailed information on the series, including the comic book adventures.

The Autobots

The Autobots are the protagonists and are led by Optimus Prime. Their ship crashed on the planet Earth and now they must stay here until they can repair the ship. They must also defend Earth from the Decepticons.

The Decepticons

The Decepticons are led by the cunning and mighty Megatron, who is obsessed to a fault with power and domination. They too crashed on Earth after boarding the Autobots's ship, and now wish to plunder Earth's energy reserves to aid the war on Cybertron.

Others

Arblus and Kranix, from Lithone
The Quintessons
The Sharkticons
Unicron
Wreck-Gar (Junkion ally)

These feature in Transformers: The Movie but are neither Autobots or Decepticons. The Quintessons are not even Transformers, though they are credited with creating the Transformers long ago.

History

Ravaged from the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons, Cybertron was almost completely drained of its energy resources. Neither side had enough energy reserves to continue the battle, which led to a stalemate. The Autobots, with their leader Optimus Prime, leave their home planet to seek new sources of energy. The Decepticons pursue them and board the Autobot starship (called the Ark in the comic). During the ensuing fight they crash-land into a volcano on prehistoric Earth. Awakened in 1984 when the volcano erupts, the Decepticons are repaired by the ship's computer and flee, leaving the still-deactivated Autobots behind. Megatron soon discovers that Earth has nearly limitless energy resources. Hoping to tip the war's balance in favor of the Decepticons, Megatron plans to transfer Earth's energy to Cybertron even if it means ruining the Earth in the process.

Unfortunately, the Decepticons made a fatal mistake by leaving the Autobots behind. Just after the Decepticons were awakened, the Autobots were still deactivated and among them on the Ark. In a twist of fate, the Decepticons failed to terminate them when they had the chance. Upon fleeing, the Decepticons blasted the rocks around the ship to seal the entrance. The jolt moves an Autobot into the Ark's repair beam. The remaining Autobots are subsequently revived and rise up to become the protectors of life on Earth and the Decepticons' nemeses.

External links

Internet Movie Database profiles of
Stanley Lui’s Transformers On-Line Encyclopedia
Electric Escape – Rob’s Transformers Page
Ben’s World of Transformers – Features episode summaries and toy reviews.
TFU.Info – Growing archive of nearly every TransFormers toy from the beginning.

Categories: Anime | Transformers | Hasbro products