Like all origins, the Transformers
have their fateful origins which predate the season one lineup. So to
understand season one and the preceding seasons, let’s briefly examine
what came before the known Transformer universe.
In the beginning a Japan toy company named Takara began experimenting
with changeable toys and figures. Back in 1974 Takara introduces the
Microman line, consisting of small action figures with interchangable
parts. Microman were smaller versions on the Henshin Robo figure, which
ironically was a Japanese spinoff of Hasbro's own GI Joe toyline.
A year passes with moderate success with the Microman line. It’s
important to note at this stage, the Microman are not at all
Transformers. They just have parts that are changeable.
Then in 1976, the Microman toys are released in the United States as
Micronauts by the company called Mego Ltd. which is now no longer in
existence.
Skip ahead to 1979, Mattel now imports Popy’s Shogun Warriors to the U.S.
An issue of Marvel Comic’s Shogun Warriors has a character named Megatron
in it which was where Hasbro later got the name for the main Decepticon
leader years later.
Now in 1980, Takara introduced the Diaclone line which gave birth to many
of the Autobot vehicles, the Decepticon jets, the Dinobots, Insecticons,
Jumpstarters, and the Triplechangers. Takara(without Hasbro) did sell
some of the Diaclone’s inside the U.S. under the banner of Diaclone,
Diakrone, and Kronoform lines. Again this is before Transformers existed.
1981 rolls around. Now Takara recreated the Microman toyline into New
Microman.
1983 hits and Takara creates the New Microman spinoff called Micro Change
which has the Autobot mini vehicles in it with various assorted colors.
The Autobot mini vehicles were originally modeled after small toys called
Penny Racers. From the Micro Change toyline also came Megatron, Soundwave,
Blaster, the Decepticon cassettes, and Reflector. What’s interesting to
note is that Huffer (on his cab door), Gears(on his hood), and Brawn(on
his hood), all have a “M” stamped on their toys. This “M” stands for
Microman. What’s really funny is that Bumblebee had an “M” stamped on his
hubcap in the Ultimate Doom when Spike helped changed his tire. This is
something the animators threw in as an inside joke.
Takara now teams up with the American toy company called Hasbro who
actively petitioned for the rights to bring over the Diaclones in new
packaging and a totally new fresh design. Hasbro wanted a marketable
story to go along with the Diaclones so Hasbro enlisted Marvel comics to
help create and mold a new story. The name Transformers was assigned to
the new toyline instead of Diaclone. Also added was the Autobots(since
they all transformed into automobiles) and the Decepticons since they
were deceptive. The Autobots over in Japan were called Cybertrons and the
Decepticons were called Destrons. Cybertron was called Seibertron. The
Autobots names in Japan was given to their homeworld now Cybertron.
Originally there was going to be two planets( one with the Autobots
ruling and the other named Destron(the Decepticon’s names in Japan) with
the Decepticons on it. This idea was tossed since G.I.Joe had a character
named Destro whose name was very similar to Destron.
The original story of the Diaclones were also ignored which was the
Diaclones were the good guys defending the Earth from the evil Warader
Empire who were trying to take over. Controlling the mighty Diaclones
were Diaclone drivers who could fit inside and operate them like machines
since the Diaclones had no sentient life. The Diaclone drivers bare a
good likeness to the Powermaster Nebulon drivers from Transformers. This
is why many of the Autobots(Prime, Trailbreaker, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker,
the Dinobots, the Insecticons, the Decepticon jets, Hound, Skids, Hoist,
etc)had special small compartments to fit these figures. Some of the
original Transformers came from this line like the Omnibots,
Triplechangers, Jumpstarters, Prime and Ultra Magnus, the Constructicons
and the Autobot cars. The evil Warader empire had the Insecticons leading
them.
Two warring factions of the Autobots and the Decepticons fighting for
turf on their homeworld of Cybertron became the story. Hasbro introduced
the Transformers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe but not in Italy where a
company called Gig sold the Transformers there and in Sweden where
Playmix sold them. And in Brazil a company called Estrela sold them there
in 1985. Hasbro commissioned a sitcom writer named George Arthur
Bloom(who later wrote episodes of My little Pony and Jem) to write a
three parter called More Than Meets the Eye which is the Transformers
catch phrase. More Than Meets the Eye first aired on Sept 17, 1984
introducing kids to a new generation of characters and toys across
America. The overwhelming response from kids made Transformers a ongoing
series but also helped the toys fly off the shelves at record speed. I
remember standing in Children’s Palace when the Constructicons first came
out and it looked like a scene from Calcutta. Mobs of people were
actually physically fighting over them which was quite common at many
other stores. Transformers even managed to outsell G.I.Joe in 1986 which
was no small feat. Ironically Hasbro wanted Transformers just as a backup
to the G.I.joe toyline. The Transformer cartoon was also released in
Japan as “Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers!” with many name
changes such as Destrons, Cybertrons, Siebertron, Convoy, etc. The
cartoon over there was the same as here more or less until the end of
1985. The first major split in continuity was one short episode released
exclusively to video in Japan called Scramble City. This was intended as
the last episode before season 3( since Transformers the movie was never
released in Japan) to explain where the new characters came from. The
Autobots here are creating Metroplex is the basic plot. Scramble City 2
was written, even some storyboards penciled but never finished.
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