Transformers Universes
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Since the initial conception of the Transformers in the late 1970s and early '80s, various stories have been written or imagined set in a universe where they exist. These universes existed in a very fragmented way - the U.S. cartoon universe is very separate from the U.S. Comics universe, which is in turn expanded on in the UK Comics universe. Then there is the Japanese cartoon, which goes further than the US Cartoon, and then Beast Wars and Beast Machines came along and started adding to all of them.
The Primary universes are:
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Generation One
The term "Generation 1" originated as an unofficial fan term, retroactively coined after the released of the "Generation 2" toyline. In the 2000s, however, the term "Generation 1" entered into official use with Hasbro's "commemorative series" rerelease toys and Dreamwave's comic books.
- The Transformers (original 1980's series, 4 seasons - later repackaged as "Transformers: Generation 2" animated series)
- Transformers The Movie (takes place between seasons 2 and 3)
Japanese Generation One
- Fight! Super Robot Life Transformers! (seasons 1 & 2 of American Transformers series)
- Scramble City (Japanese-exclusive OVA to bridge seasons 2 & 3)
- Transformers The Movie
- Transformers 2010 (season 3 of American Transformers series)
- Headmasters
- Super God Masterforce
- Transformers: Victory
- Transformers: Zone (one-episode OVA, story later completed in manga form)
- Battlestars: Return of Convoy (not a cartoon - supporting fiction came in the form of one chapter of manga, and colour spreads in TV Magazine)
- Operation Combination (TV Magazine spreads)
Headmasters is the branching-off point of Japanese continuity from America, as it supplants the American series' fourth season, and proceeds to lead into the wildly different Masterforce (creating a new story for Powermasters and Pretenders different from America's), and Victory (almost wholly uniquely Japanese). The final animated cartoon, Zone, was intended to be a direct-to-video series, but was cancelled after one episode, and had the remainder of it's story played out in manga format.
Subsequently, the Japanese resurrected Optimus Prime yet again as Star Convoy (Convoy being Prime's Japanese name) in the Batlestars toyline and fiction, which comprised only one chapter of manga, and then had the rest of it's tale told via colour spreads consisting of pin-up images and textual descriptions in the Japanese publication, TV Magazine. The story of Operation Combination was also told through these spreads.
Marvel Comics Continuity
- Generation 1 (80 issues, 4-issue "Headmasters" miniseries, 4-issue G.I. Joe crossover miniseries)
- Generation 2 (12 issues, preceded by four-issue long crossover in the pages of G.I. Joe)
In the United Kingdom, the American comic series was reprinted in a fortnightly magazine which soon began to run the risk of getting ahead of the US and running out of material to reprint. So to fill in the blanks, original material began to be produced for the UK comic, which began to come into its own after the inclusion of time-travel and elements taken from the future era introduced in Transformers: The Movie. Some parts of the U.S. comics were re-written for UK audiences, and the G.I. Joe crossover is not part of its continuity. The UK comic ran to 332 issues before ending. A few years later, there was a short-lived attempt to reprint the G2 comics, which began with two issues of original UK material to replace the G.I. Joe story that preceded it, and then three mores issues of US reprints before it was cancelled.
The position of the Generation 2 series in continuity has never been explicitly clear. The comic was launched with a crossover from Marvel's G.I. Joe series (which had previously been seen to share continuity with the U.S. G1 comics), and Joe characters continue to make appearances as late as issue 6. However, later events, including the orbital bombardment of earth by Bludgeon (issue 4), Megatron's assault on Washington D.C. (issue 6) and the destruction of San Francisco by Jhiaxus (issue 11), are never mentioned in G.I. Joe continuity.
Beast Continuity
- Beast Wars (3 seasons)
- Beast Machines (2 seasons)
The 90's CGI animated series, Beast Wars and it's sequel, Beast Machines, exist in the same universe as "a" Generation One. It is important to note that they do not directly follow on from either the cartoon or the Marvel comic versions of G1, but rather, have officially been stated to come from a universe that contains aspects of both - essentially, enabling the writers of the series to treat G1 as a kind of mythological history for Beast Wars, from which they could pick and choose the aspects they best liked.
However, beyond the use of the comics-only term "Ark" and a few sparing mentions to the comic-only deity, Primus, mentions to G1 lore in both Beast Wars and Beast Machines are entirely confined to the cartoon, with the Ark and the Nemesis appearing as they did in that series, references to the speech impediment of the Insecticon, Shrapnel, and appearances by Starscream's Ghost (possessing Waspinator), Ravage (who survived G1, was given a normal 'robot' mode and could now speak), Vector Sigma, the Plasma Energy Chamber and the Hate Plague.
Japanese Beast Continuity
- Beast Wars (Beast Wars season 1)
- Beast Wars II (Japanese-exclusive cel-animated series)
- Beast Wars Neo (as above)
- Bears Wars Metals (Beast Wars seasons 2 & 3)
- Beast Wars Returns (Beast Machines)
After the first season of Beast Wars (comprising 26 episodes) aired in Japan, the Japanese were faced with a problem - the second American season was only 13 episodes long, not enough to warrant airing on Japanese TV. So, while they waiting for the third American season to be completed (thereby making 26 episodes in total when added to season 2), they produced two exclusive cel-animated series of their own, Beast Wars II (also called Beast Wars Second) and Beast Wars Neo, which centre around the quest for the mysterious Angolmois Energy. In Second, LioConvoy leads his Cybertrons against Galvatron's Destrons in the quest for the energy, which at the end of the series is sealed in capsules and scattered across the galaxy. Neo sees the new Cybertron commander, Big Convoy, battle Magmatron to recover the capsules, but they soon find themselves opposed by a new, third faction - the Blendtrons. Eventually, it is revealed that they are servants of Unicron, and that the Angolmois Energy is his lifeforce, which they are collecting in order to recreate him.
After these two shows aired, the final two seasons of the American Beast Wars show were aired as Beast Wars Metals. The sequel series, Beast Machines, which aired in the US in 1999-2000, would not reach Japan until 2004, when it was released as Beast Wars Returns.
The Robots in Disguise/Car Robots Universe
A stand-alone universe with no current ties or repercussions to any other storyline, comprising one 39-episode animated series. In this version, Optimus Prime (Fire Convoy) was a fire engine and Megatron (Gigatron) a six-changer. See the series' own page for details.
Dreamwave Generation One Continuity
Having obtained the Transformers license in 2002, comics company Dreamwave have created a new Generation One continuity which draws on aspects of various past continuities. It comprises:
- "Transformers: Generation One" Vol. 1 (six issues), Vol. 2 (six issues) and Vol. 3 (ongoing)
- "Transformers: The War Within" (six issues) and two further six-issue miniseries, The Dark Ages and The Age of Wrath telling tales from Cybertron's past.
- "Micromasters" (four issues)
A profile series, "Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye," has also been release for this universe, and the Dorling Kindersly book, "Transformers: The Ultimate Guide" treats it as the main G1 timeline. Three novels have been released set in this timeline, and a Beast Wars comic was planned that would make the events of the cartoon series part of Dreamwave's universe, but unfortunately, the company went bankrupt and closed before this series could be released, leaving the plot threads of the G1 ongoing dangling, and The Age of Wrath only half-completed.
Modern Cartoon Universe
- Transformers: Armada (Transformers: Micron Legend)
- Transformers: Energon (Transformers: Superlink)
- Transformers: Cybertron (Transformers: Galaxy Force)
The three lines which comprise this new universe are co-productions between Hasbro and Takara, simultaneously released in both countries.
Continuity issues have arisen over the connection between Armada/Energon and Cybertron - although all previous information and character bios on the toy packaging point towards the storyline being a continuation of the Armada/Energon universe, thus far, the Japanese release of the cartoon has not indicated this, telling it's own story which does not agree with the toyline information. It remains to be seen how the Cybertron dub will handle this.
Modern Comic Universe
Just as Marvel produced a companion comic to Generation One, Dreamwave produced companion comics to the new cartoon series.
- Transformers: Armada (18 issues)
- Transformers: Energon (12 issues)
Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt and closed before the storyline could be completed.fr:Transformers (monde imaginaire)