#Starscream be having a serious discussion with Megatron

[bootleg-grandpa]

My headcanon is that their love(hate) language is sending or showing each other memes

[glyphwrites]

Sub!Megatron and his sassy Dom Optimus discuss a scene

Have a precurser to smut that popped into my head today. I might end up writing the actual scene at some point, but I'm just way too busy rn. If i ever do, it'll go up on ao3 as a whole fic.

Despite the effects of the war and its aftermath, Megatron hadn’t had too much of a problem with his sex life. Though he couldn’t say he’d had a stable partner throughout that time, he had plenty of friends and admirers to spend time with, and left those encounters feeling perfectly satisfied.

However…

Personally, Megatron was a switch, enjoying practically any position and dynamic. There were a lot of mechs willing to let him dominate them, take control out of their servos and give them a fun time. But when it came to his own desire to be submissive, he simply didn't have the same range of options. Most Decepticons weren't comfortable with domming their leader, and those that were generally weren't interested in doing anything gentle. Which - a little rough play could be fun, but it wasn't Megatron's preference. That left his friends, where unfortunately the problem persisted. Shockwave would much rather follow his commands, Starscream had always focussed too much on degrading him, Straxus he didn't trust an inch and most of his other generals were uninterested. Strika was the only one he'd repeatedly fooled around with in that manner (technically Lugnut as well, but he was very firmly submissive), but even then they'd both been able to agree that they didn’t quite click. 

So life continued as before, Megatron feeling fairly satisfied with his various encounters but never quite completely fulfilled.

Then he met Optimus Prime. And, well, a lot of things happened. He died, for one thing. But after everything else that happened, after their squabbles were over and their alliance was solidified, Megatron had found himself falling for the mech… and eventually, falling into his berth. It had certainly been a whirlwind romance, especially considering how long it’d been since he’d had a proper partner. Once flirtations and teasing had become something more serious, and after their first few tumbles, they’d inevitably begun to talk about what they wanted from their strange new relationship. Megatron had laid out his own preferences easily, before revealing how he identified as a switch with some hesitance. He’d so wanted things to work out, wary of turning Optimus away at the thought of him desiring submission.

Megatron still remembered the grin that had spread across Optimus’ face, like the sun coming up. “Hey, that’s perfect! So am I.” Not for an instant had Optimus judged him; in fact, he’d been quite excited discussing their very first proper scene together, and just as enthusiastic carrying it out.

It’d been the best submissive experience of Megatron’s life.

He could still remember lying in berth together afterward, Optimus running a cloth laden with polish across his heated plating. Right there and then, he’d vowed to repeat the experience as often as he possibly could.

And life had gone on.

---------------------------------------------------

Once again, it’d been a long day filled with meetings, forms and petty squabble between his officers. Megatron had headed straight for his quarters the instant the last meeting finished, eager to sit with a cube of warm energon and perhaps a datapad as he decompressed. Instead, when he arrived he found that Optimus had beat him back to their shared rooms, and was now doing something with a selection of boxes on the coffee table. He glanced up as the door closed, flashing a smile at Megatron as he entered. To Megatron’s optics, his partner looked distinctly dishevelled in the way that usually implied he’d been working with his servos again. Although Optimus’ job description now mostly covered tactical analysis,  organising military logistics and fighting on the battlefield, he still often seemed to find some kind of job or task that required building things or tinkering with the guts of a spacebridge. At this point it was so frequent as to be ubiquitous, and Megatron wasn’t even that surprised at the sight.

“How was your day? I thought you’d be kept a little longer, to be honest.” Optimus straightened from his work, hopping over the scattered boxes on his way over to the door.

Megatron couldn’t help but smile at the sight, his worries melting away for the time being as he bent down to answer Optimus with a kiss. “It was perfectly fine, though you’re quite right; I managed to weasel out of my last meeting a little earlier than usual.”

Optimus laughed, slinging his arms around Megatron’s neck and kissing him back. “Well, that’s good to hear!” They stayed in the doorway for a few minutes longer, holding each other close. Megatron delighted in pressing Optimus against him, feeling his spark thrumming through his plating. 

When at last they broke apart again, Megatron glanced back at the chaos in the centre of their living area and couldn’t help but ask about it. “Are you building us some new furniture?” Optimus generally preferred to mess with machines, but he wasn’t that discerning with his projects.

“Oh! Not quite…” Optimus pulled away a little, looking from Megatron to the boxes and then back away. He smirked, teasing and smug in equal parts as he placed his servos on Megatron’s chassis “Actually, I’ve got something special for you.” He grinned up at Megatron for a moment longer, before pausing and tacking on another few sentences in a hurry. “Only if you're up for it, of course! I know it’s been a long day.”

It had in fact been a long day. But something about Optimus filled him with energy, and now Megatron couldn’t imagine a better way to spend his evening. “That sounds exciting.” He replied, catching Optimus to kiss again. “I’d certainly be happy to find out.”

The answering grin practically lit up the room. Optimus skipped back over to the table while Megatron followed at a more sedate pace, although he felt just as eager. Digging into one of the boxes, Optimus retrieved what appeared to be… a coil of braided wire? It shone in the light, iridescence glimmering as he turned it. He offered it to Megatron, who lifted and examined it carefully.

Thanks to his past exploits, Megatron had a fairly good idea of what this was. “Planning to tie me up?” He tested the shining rope between his digits, and frowned. “It’s certainly pretty, but it doesn’t look very strong.” He turned it over for a moment longer, before catching sight of the way Optimus was gesturing to him and handing the coil back.

And then Optimus grinned impishly, taking the end of the braided wire and wrapping it around his other servo, pulling it tight between them. “That’s the point!” 

Something about that mischievous grin, that cocky tone of voice, that confident stance… it did things to Megatron. He swallowed lightly, unable to move as Optimus stepped closer, giving him an evaluating look as he wound the rope between his servos. “So, here’s the deal.” Optimus was right up in his face now, so close that their chassis were touching. “I’m going to tie you up and play with you.” His tone was utterly matter of fact now, but it still did plenty to excite Megatron. He liked the way Optimus managed to dominate him despite their differences in size and age, the confident way he ordered Megatron around. Optimus pressed one servo to his chassis, drawing a circle over his spark. “All you have to do is enjoy yourself… and not break it.” He smirked even wider. “Think you can manage it?”

That was one of the other things he liked about Optimus’ style, the way he challenged Megatron. Composing himself, he leaned down, matching Optimus’ smirk despite the way his spark burned with excitement. “I dare say I’m up to the task.”

[searchingforatrail]

I agree on wishing they hadn't brought the abusive dynamic to Earthspark because, while it's nuanced, this is a kids show. It's rated TV-Y7. "Abusers can change" is an incredibly complex and sensitive topic of discussion and I don't feel like this show has the capacity to handle that. Im not saying kids shows CANT address difficult subjects, but this particular one doesn't feel like it will be addressed well, and as a victim myself I'm almost scared to watch it play out.

Warning--criticism of the writing for ep. 21. If that's not your cup of tea, please skip. You are absolutely allowed to have loved that episode as many people did. I just think it could have been done differently, and that's my opinion. You don't have to read this or like this if you disagree with that.

Yes! And let me just say I think it's something that's definitely always needed to be brought up in a serious manner, especially where Starscream is able to seriously process what he's been through and have it addressed. But on a kids show, split over two seasons?

I think that's irresponsible. Because what is the message being communicated to seven year olds? Especially kids that liked Megatron but might be dealing with abuse in their own households.

And I second your belief that kids shows can portray it. There's been kids shows that have handled abuse, I mean even with bullying they've portrayed bullies as sympathetic characters who've got a shit ton going on at home, but they didn't really do that?

I just don't understand the point of spanning something so sensitive over two seasons. Maybe if Megatron wasn't the main character who's nuance and redemption has made him seem like a 'safe' person, than I could understand. But he is, and the rode that's been chosen with him is that he's a good person trying to do better. And while I don't think he attacked Starscream due to regression or out of malice (It was most likely his fear for Hashtag), it happened. He learned from it, and offered Starscream space and grace at the end, but there was such little attention given to it that many people gloss over it, at least for Megatron.

You're left with a bad taste in your mouth over a character who's supposed to be a good person because the writing didn't flesh it out, at all. And yes, he has slip ups. But again, think of the audience. Think of what little we're left with. They should have dedicated way more time to Starscream and Megatron's storyline.

And even then, what's the message for Starscream? It's okay to kick women if you've been abused because you're not in control of your actions? You don't have to apologize for it, that's just comic relief? You can hurt innocent humans and that's not your fault because bad things happened to you?

That pissed me off lol.

Had they allowed more time for dialogue, an actual apology from Megatron acknowledging what he did, but also insight into his own character and actions, I would have appreciated that. If it fleshed out the implications for Megatron going forward, I would have appreciated that. If it had some refelctions that let the audience know, "Oh he's still changing, and just because he did this doesn't mean he's bad" i would have liked that.

I think the same should have been done to Starscream. As opposed to all of the other Decepticons that escaped, they painted him as the most sympathetic, when in reality he's most likely one of the most dangerous. That's what freaked out Megatron. And I feel like that was a huge cop out, because it glosses over the redemption he actually needs to go through.

The message has always been bad people do bad things, but can be good in ES. I feel like that was a missed opportunity to expand on that for both Megatron and Starscream.

Also, you're totally valid in how you feel. I felt the same way. like i'm not upset with it, but I think it should have been done much better with more care and grace to both the characters and the audience.

[seraphim-seeker]

A DeathStar story:

She looked into the mirror….sighing….There was no changing it….was there? No matter what, they saw who she wasn’t. She did all she could to prove themself, yet all they saw was her predecessor, always thought they had an ulterior motive; all they wanted was to be seen differently, their predecessor name practically sounded like an insult every time someone called her that, it made her energon burn. She punches the mirror, shattering it, she didn’t feel any better but it just stung.

They walked the halls of the Nemesis, doing all tasks needed, then gets to training with ThunderCracker and SkyWarp, they greet her and it begins. She helps them nail certain attacks better, appropriate times to use abilities and how to properly do a non-fatal shot…just in case. Towards the end of training, one of the Combaticons: Vortex had walked up behind DeathStar to surprise attack them but before he could lay a single hand on them, she grabs him and immediately puts him in a submission hold “Do you yield?” They mutter threateningly, Vortex yields and she let’s him go “Please don’t do that again” is all she tells him before leaving the training room, she standing in the hall for a moment before heading to the mess hall a quick bite but before she could even reach it, Ravage appeared “I assume Lord Megatron requests my presence” Ravage nods, they sigh as they make their way to the meeting room where this discussion would supposedly be.

She was right. There sat Megatron and Soundwave standing beside him, she refrained from rolling her optics. Knowing where this would possibly go, she stepped forward “You wanted to see me, My Lord?” The gun metal mech’s optics narrowed “DeathStar, I must ask…. What is your goal exactly?” They saw it coming and just respond with “My goal is to serve the cause and see CyberTron. My lord” She glanced at Soundwave, knowing he was only there to see if she was lying. Megatron hmm’d, “Yes, Yes. I have seen that you are quite worthy considering how fast you moved up in rank…..But-“ they glowered at Megatron “But. Nothing. You Lord Megatron with all your years of Paranoia cannot accept. That I, DeathStar. Am nothing like or ever will be like my Predecessor. His name is used so much towards me it feels Derogatory. It feels like an insult. I am aware of the Hell he caused you, I am aware you may never Trust me. But one thing you will do. I’d respect me and all I’ve done up to this point instead of casting me aside all because of Commander StarScream” their tone was clipped, they were not going through this again, she’d done so much already, this was the only thing she wanted. Megatron looked her, he despite his still serious expression was not expecting to be cut off in such a way “Now” she smirked knowing he’d hate what she was about to do “Mighty Megatron, if that is all you had to ‘ask’ of me. I will be leaving now” and she took her leave. Not saying a single after.

[oblivious-prime]

It started out innocent.

Mostly.

After the war, when meetings between Autobots and Decepticons were tense but necessary, Optimus had quietly, very quietly, invented a system.

Whenever Megatron got that look — all smug, smugger-than-he-had-any-right-to-be — Optimus’ restraint thinned dangerously.

The solution? A secret code.

"Megatron, we need to debrief in private." Translation, 'I am about to lovingly drag you to the nearest berthframe before I short-circuit in front of everybody.''

And so far... It had worked flawlessly.

Every time Optimus said those words, Megatron would stiffen slightly, optics flickering wide—then immediately nod in that "I know exactly what you mean and I am absolutely not about to die of excitement, no sir" way.

Both of them would excuse themselves with utmost dignity...

...and ten kliks later, they'd be passionately tangled together behind a locked door somewhere.

Today was no different.

They were sitting in a joint peace council meeting, the chamber stiflingly hot, tension so thick it could have been used to patch hull breaches.

Megatron was lounging in his chair, sprawled, arrogant, looking far too pretty for Optimus’ nerves to endure.

Every smirk, every lazy stretch of his frame across the armrests... it was unbearable.

Optimus’ servo twitched against the datapad in his lap.

He cleared his intake quietly. Leaned over. And in a low, unbearably polite voice murmured, "Megatron, we need to debrief in private."

Megatron jolted like he’d been struck by lightning.

Starscream, halfway through a smug speech about Energon rations, barely glanced up.

"Of course," Megatron said stiffly, rising from his chair with textbook nonchalance.

Optimus followed, offering a tight nod to the others.

"Pardon us. Important discussion."

No one batted an optic. Business as usual.

The door slid shut behind them with a satisfying hiss.

Outside, in the empty hallway...

The second they were alone, Megatron whirled on him, optics bright.

"You unbelievable menace," he hissed, visibly fighting a grin. "You couldn’t wait until after the meeting?"

Optimus smiled sheepishly, venting slowly to calm himself.

"You were distracting," he said simply. "It felt... urgent."

Megatron opened his mouth—probably to say something scathing—and instead let out a tiny squeak when Optimus took his hand.

Not dragging. Not rough.

Just gently entwining their fingers, tugging Megatron along with soft, coaxing touches as they briskly, inconspicuously disappeared down the hall.

They passed a few low-ranked Vehicons and Autobots.

No one noticed anything strange. Just two leaders—walking quickly, whispering, looking very serious.

Totally normal.

Totally not two mechs about to find the nearest locked storage room and “debrief” so thoroughly the walls would need to be sanitized.

Megatron pressed his back to the closed door, vents already hitching.

Optimus stood in front of him, helm bowed shyly, huge hands resting hesitantly on Megatron’s hips.

"You’re sure this isn’t... disruptive?" Optimus murmured, cheeks heating with embarrassment. "We can stop if you—"

"If you stop now," Megatron rasped, gripping his arms tightly, "I will throw you onto the floor myself."

Optimus made a soft, pleased sound, venting warmly against Megatron’s neck cables.

"You’re very beautiful when you’re impatient," he mumbled sweetly.

Megatron’s vents hitched.

Then, with the gentlest possible touch for someone his size, Optimus scooped Megatron into his arms, cradling him like a treasure—like he weighed nothing—and carried him carefully to the makeshift berth stacked against the wall.

Megatron made a scandalized noise, half-heartedly pounding his fists against Optimus’ chest.

"Put me down properly, you ridiculous—"

"No," Optimus whispered against his audio, utterly earnest. "You’re precious."

Megatron’s whole frame shuddered, armor flushing a light purple at the edges.

And when Optimus laid him down and kissed him — slow, reverent, careful — Megatron forgot entirely about pouting.

He melted under every careful touch, every quiet, worshipful whisper against his plating. Leaning into the sugar sweet adoration with a joy he would not yet admit.

Back to the meeting a few hours later.

Optimus entered first, datapad in hand, helm dutifully bowed.

Megatron followed, looking absolutely glowing and a smirk tugging at his lips.

Starscream glanced up, suspicious.

"...You missed the entire second budget report," he sneered.

Megatron sniffed loftily. "We were discussing matters of critical importance."

Starscream narrowed his optics.

Meanwhile, Ratchet leaned toward Ironhide and muttered under his breath, "How much you wanna bet 'debriefing' means something completely inappropriate?"

Later, in their quarters.

Optimus shyly bumped their shoulders together, cheeks glowing with quiet pride.

"Did I do okay?" he mumbled bashfully.

Megatron grunted, pulling him down into a languid kiss.

"You’re perfect," he whispered.

And Optimus, relieved and delighted, immediately started plotting when he could "debrief" Megatron again.

Maybe tomorrow.

Or maybe right now.

--

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65052856/chapters/167277712

Codephrase Choices

[monocle-teacup]

Scenario where Starscream decides to live with the Maltos after the events of What Dwells Within. There’s no discussion about whether or not he’s allowed, he just appears and refuses to leave. Some potential shenanigans that follow:

-Him trying to take over as the Terrans teacher

-The barn getting a makeover

-The terrans taking turns saying “Megatron has fallen!”

-Bumblebee being on the receiving end of intense trolling

On the serious side of things, Megatron makes an appearance after Dot informs him of the situation. The Maltos then get to witness the spectacle of two giant alien robots having an argument/brawl that doubles as a therapy session. 

[warriorsparked]

📱 hehe

SEND 📱 TO FIND OUT ABOUT MY MUSE’S PHONE

What ringtone my muse has set for yours: Unfortunately Megatron is very boring and has a generic ringing tone on his phone for any contact lol. (I still think Asshole from Helloween would do well tho)

What contact photo my muse has set for yours:

What my muse thinks of the way yours texts: He texts too much and sends too many single words at once. It's annoying. Also, he spells wrong in his rants.

How quickly my muse responds to your texts: Depends entirely on what it is. Most of the time, he ignores them unless they're having a serious discussion. But if that's the case, Megatron is like ugh, just fucking CALL me, I'm sick of texting paragraphs to you! I'm too old for this shit.

How often our muses text: It's more common now then it was for a loooong time, but I wouldn't say it's exactly every day or even a couple of times a week. Maybe a couple of times a month.

How often our muses call: Not often. Megatron prefers face to face anyway.

Does my muse purposefully miss calls from yours: God yes, absolutely. The moment he sees it's Starscream he puts his phone face down and rolls his optics lol.

Last text sent from my muse to yours: "Remind me why I care about this... that's rhetorical, just in case you needed to be told."

[neveralarch]

You said older fics were open 👀 👀 so 1, 5, 9 for Passé please because I’m obsessed with it

(transformers fencing au, megatron & starscream, wheeljack/starscream)

Thank you for asking about passe!! I've been holding onto this until I had enough time to give it a good answer haha

(under the cut for brief references to abuse in sport)

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

The basic story behind fencing au is that I was refereeing at a fencing tournament and the person who'd been put as my roommate spent one evening telling me about everyone in fencing who had Wronged them. I'd already heard a lot of these stories from the other side, versions where this person had been causing the drama instead of receiving it. None of it was very serious and I don't know what the 'correct' version was but it just got me thinking about like... The stories we tell ourselves and the ways we justify things we've done wrong or that've been done to us.

At the same time, fencing (and Olympic sports in general) were going through a lot of discussions about how to confront abuse, and what to do with people who had been punished and returned to the sport, and I kinda just wanted to muddle through this in a fictional space with robots. This is pretty much what I do with all heavy topics nowadays.

(ughh tumblr deleted this next paragraph, WHY)

It was always my intention to finish the main story arc with a Megatron pov fic where you'd finally get that other side of the story that had been hinted at. Where you'd see that Megatron was likeable and trying to genuinely come back to this sport he loved ... But also have to confront that he really did poison it in ways that were maybe worse than you thought. It was super cathartic to write but I was a little worried about how it would be received. It's been so great over the years to see how it's resonated with people.

5: What part was hardest to write?

Fun fact, Passe was written pretty much entirely by voice memo. I drive 45 minutes each way to fencing so I used to write fic on the way back at night and then edit it as I typed it up later. This is actually great for just getting a first draft out of yourself but you also have to remember a Lot. Which is why I accidentally wrote the final bout twice. And then had to edit the versions together haha.

In general, it was really tricky to figure out how to write fencing action in a way that was accurate without being tedious or confusing to the non fencer. I also spent a LOT of time on that final confrontation with starscream, bc I wanted it to be satisfying without descending into stiff therapy roleplay. Lots of tricky parts!

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

Tbh since I had the whole thing planned out early, I never really considered alternate versions. EXCEPT that before I decided it would be distracting to shove in this much detail and a little jarring to the tone, the first team Megatron fenced was supposed to be Kup and his buddies Phork and Spuun.

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

New 2022 Transformers Cartoon

      So awhile back, there was news of a new Transformers series, along with another, “BotBots”, coming in 2022: https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Untitled_2022_Transformers_cartoon

The premise is that a new species of Transformer emerges and finds themselves adopted by a human family, attempting to find their place in the world and between the the warring Autobots and Decepticons. 

Im really curious of what the show will be about. I have some ideas and hopes.

* The main protagonist is a bot who isn’t sure of what side to choose and may even choose to take a neutral, peacemaker role and the other bot characters would take opposite sides, for conflict. Try to keep the earth safe from the war’s impact as well as try to mend things once and for all.

* A lot of techno, hip-hop, modern music/soundtrack. Maybe something like KATAOWB.

* The bots to have different, diverse looks to each other. Perhaps one will look like a minicon, the other a dinobot, etc.

* The bots to be mentally young, teens. Gives me some coming-of-age vibes.

* Will have a more detailed style of CGI, but nothing too complex. Easy but still interesting for the eyes. Perhaps a mix of TFP and Rescue Bots.

* The new species of transformers are bots who can take on the form of organic humans, a new function type, made using spark fragments of other bots or bots made in a lab with unique powers. Made the spark idea with Crossoverlover19.

* Will start off more slice of life, comedy and gradually become more serious and dark. The war’s still happening. A ROTTMNT kinda route.

* Crazy cool fights and action like ROTTMNT but in CGI.

* Will go into both sides and dissect the pros and cons in the Autobots and Decepticons. Pointing out netheir side are perfect.

* Portray the Decepticons in a less villainous way. Mainly seen as the antagonists at first but show there’s more to them than meets they eye, get it.

* Iconic bots such as Optimus, Megatron, Starscream, Bumblebee, etc to appear along with others such as Whirl and the DJD and new bot characters. I mean I think the main characters already count.

* Human characters will have a big impact in the series, like Sari in TFA.

* Will have a Starscream redemption arc as well as properly show and discuss Megatron’s mistreatment of him. It’s been a huge issue talked about in the fandom.

* A ton of old other tf story references.

What do u guys think? I’d really love to hear💖 Ngl I’m not the biggest expert on the TF franchise. I’m very excited to see what this new series will be.

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

god that ask about the human being in different tf universes has just been living rent free in my head. Imagine they were the Lost Light liaison and because of Brainstorm Shenanigans(TM) they end up in, say, TFP.

and it starts out small: they meet the TFP bots, and not yet aware of the differences between their universes, ask for help contacting their captains: Rodimus Prime and Megatron.

after the chaos that ensues, they realize their universes are v e r y different and, like the chaotic, basically-done-with-life-after-all-the-bullshit-we've-been-through little shit they are, they decide they need some amusement while they find a way to get back and mess with the bots+entertain the kids by telling them about some of their truly bizarre experiences in the Lost Light.

"Hey did you know the war started bc of a curly straw when me and my friends traveled back in time"

"yeah one of my friends once made a life-size hologram of earth based entirely on sitcoms"

"also there was the time our ship's tiny orange psychiatrist ended up being cybertronian god"

"ultra magnus was actually a matryoshka doll. he's cool though"

"starscream was president of cybertron for a while too. that was weird"

"ratchet is in love with this other guy on the ship and i've watched them pining after each other for 5 years and its driving me insane"

(they also discuss some serious topics/have emotional moments with the bots ex. telling arcee about their friendship with tailgate and how happy he is, getting really close to bee since he died in dark cybertron, sharing some of megs' poetry with OP as well as telling him some stuff about the functionist universe and who megatron is now, telling ratchet that he's not alone and take care of himself and let others help him because goddammit people care a lot about him, also the bots helping them deal with some of the more,,,, traumatizing experiences they went through on, while they're in a relatively far more normal environment than the lost light, etc.)

holy shit I'm sorry I totally went on a tangent but this idea just has so much potential ssjdksj

Everyone is gonna call them crazy.

[mac-in-chesse]

Optimus Prime hears about Megatron’s plans and sends his own bots to the studio in order to intervene and compete so they can keep the cosmetics out of the Decepticon’s servos. How are they allowed to be on Rupaul’s Drag Race? Why is Rupaul going along with this? How would they even convert makeup into energon? Next question thanks.

Came up with this with another person who doesn’t have tumblr and @wattyrusso as a soundboard <3. But the cast is: Jazz, Ironhide, Hot Rod, Big Daddy, Chromedome, Perceptor, Breakdown, Blowpipe, Cyclonus, Deadlock, Soundwave, and Starscream. Starscream, of course, still having the G1 error of him suddenly becoming Tc and Warp. Also for no reason I particular there is a ceasefire. Decepticon’s (Starscream) are probably like “oh you would think we’re here to commit world destruction, but we just enjoy…. Drag in our free time” n Jazz n the other bots are like “for sure.”

For some reason they’re all gonna still be making clothes n shit outta fabric n wtv else would be in the challenge because I cannot be asked. Common things often seen in Drag Race are there. Such as bots who cannot sew, aka Hot Rod, Blowpipe and Breakdown. Hot Rod cause it seems like smth he’d just not bother to know, and Breakdown seems like he’d be very wary of any earth technology. Blowpipe ngl was added to this just cause of his name, same with Big Daddy, rip to the Blowers.

Ironhide, Cyclonus and Perceptor are all older queens n have their little group. Ironhide isn’t rlly into drag at all but he’s a high ranking officer so he was assigned to this circus. He still does his best and stays in surprisingly long. Perceptor is the older queen who gets out far too early, and Cyclonus gets called out for doing the same look too much and not switching shit up.

Big Daddy, Deadlock, Jazz and Soundwave would do best in challenges. Deadlock I think would kinda just meander through most the competition. He’s rlly just here to try n steal the prize and had no idea Megatron was like serious about this. Jazz and Soundwave are the exact same of weirdly competitive and have zero chill. Soundwave doin it for the cause, and Jazz doin it cause no way a con gonna beat him. Big Daddy is purely because I thought it was funny so sorry to the Daddy-O enjoyers. All these bots make it to the final five.

Those that rlly work the runway with their end of the week outfits are Starscream, Hot Rod, Jazz and Soundwave. Starscream I couldn’t imagine a version of him not slaying a runway so he’s obviously fucking killing it out here. Hot Rod honestly I could see makin a nice outfit even without knowin how to sew, he’d probably be one of the queens that kinda pick up the skill sorta as the competition goes on. Jazz and Soundwave again I think are frontrunners in this competition I will not be putting this up for discussion (/j).

Bots that freak the fuck out durin group shit would be Blowpipe and Breakdown. Blowpipe cause he kinda seems like he’d be inexperienced as fuck, which Rupaul could make her common overused snarky jokes about. Breakdown I think would rlly live up to his name and completely doom his team. The cameras, lights and expectations just got the best of him and he probably goes home after the first group challenge.

Bots that would slay lip sync challenges are Chromedome (Headmasters Chromedome you’re forever an icon), Starscream, Jazz and Soundwave. Chromedome I think would actually try rlly fucking hard in the competition and would be our last top fiver. Starscream can’t not absolutely kill on a stage, but his ego would get ahead of him and he’d probably end up blowing up on one of the judges. Also think if Starscream ever didn’t win at the end of the week, he’d immediately try to sabotage either whoever one or just everyone there, and would get himself out. Jazz and Soundwave are the biggest threats next question.

I think Hot Rod would ngl lip sync for his life the most of everyone, and at some point the judges be like sorry kid ya gotta go, but it’d take a lot. Like I think he woulda gone against Perceptor, Blowpipe, and Cyclonus with Cyclonus winning that last one before he’s kicked out next episode.

Starscream for sure bitches about every other queen either in confessionals or just in the dressing area. He does not care. I think he’d be out sometime in the middle of the show or smth idk he definitely thought he had it in the bag. Most fans would absolutely hate his ass. Not me though <3

I kinda think it would end in Jazz and Soundwave having to lip sync against the other, n the ceasefire being called off because the two just cannot be civil about it. During the fighting Deadlock would probs try to sneak off to get the prize and Jazz would notice and call backup or wtv. No one wins, they do not get the prize, Chromedome is fan favorite and Optimus considers retirement. Thank you and goodnight

Also this is just my interpretation of characters I only kinda know from my hodgepodge collection of media I’ve consumed. Also also idk if Deadlock was actually ever in G1 but I do not care it’s funny as fuck. Source? This conversation between said co-conspirator and I

Transformers G1 au where they compete in Rupaul’s Drag Race because Megatron thinks he can convert the cosmetics into energon. Six Autobots, six Decepticons, may the best bot win

[convoy914]

Oh, and regarding that “I rewrite songs in my head to be about other things”, a less serious one I have is “Double Trouble but it’s Shatter and Dropkick from the Bumblebee Movie”. My brain takes me in weird places sometimes (don’t know who’d be their Meowth, tho the boss would be alternatively Soundwave or Starscream and Bumblebee’s role should be obvious). Also It Will All Be Mine but it’s Beast Wars Megatron, if we’re discussing this topic

[transformersaesthetics]

TRAINS

Tumblr, this is sincerely the nerdiest thing I’ve done and that’s a high damn bar. Hope you like trains.

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy trains. You think to yourself, gee, me, I like trains. I wish there were more Transformers that turned into trains. You say, there’s lots of trains out there. Why aren’t there more train Transformers? I have wondered this exact thing many times, dear reader. 

There are many factors that contribute to this dearth. First, there is only one prominent character with a train alt mode in the original G1 cartoon. Second, the aesthetic choices made by most elements of the Transformers franchise since G1 have made train alternate modes difficult or unlikely. Third, it is highly uncommon for Transformers to have altmodes more than a handful of years old, or that aren’t famous or widely used at the time of their release. Considered in inverse, these challenges constitute a set of criteria that determine whether or not a train is likely to have a Transformer. The most significant reason that there are very few train Transformers is not, fundamentally, that HasTak simply don’t make many trains because of these challenges. Rather, it is that almost all of the trains toys that can be created with these constraints have already been created. 

    Although Transformers has featured a diversity of franchises with unique art styles, characters and toy design, HasTak have continued to draw on some of the most successful elements of the original G1 cartoon in almost all of their subsequent media. Nearly every single Transformers cartoon features Optimus and Megatron characters, and oftentimes much of the supporting cast is also heavily inspired by G1. For example, Transformers: Prime contains a Cliffjumper, an Arcee, a Ratchet, a Smokescreen, a Wheeljack, a Starscream, a Soundwave, a Shockwave, and even a Breakdown, all of whom have G1 counterparts. (ItsWalky, Transformers) Even in franchises like Transformers: Armada, where the departure from G1 templates is more pronounced, they are still invoked as a source of character names and broad strokes concepts. Armada Cyclonus is different in many particulars from G1 Cyclonus; however, both are flying evil henchmen. (ChrisMcFeely, Mendou) With the contemporary omnipresence of Generations and other CHUG lines, the already large influence of G1 has grown even more pronounced. 

    What has this to do with trains, you might well ask? Of all the many characters in the G1 cartoon, only one, Astrotrain,  turns into a train. (ItsWalky, Astrotrain) Moreover, Astrotrain is not simply a train Transformer, but rather a triple changer; he turns into both a train and a space shuttle. (ItsWalky, Astrotrain) As noted in my Transformers: Universe essay, figures of characters with multiple alternate modes tend to be larger (although Astrotrain himself has a deluxe class figure), and often pose more design challenges. (ItsWalky, Astrotrain) This added difficulty in producing and selling toys likely has steered HasTak away from using the Astrotrain template. Indeed, although present in various comic series, convention media, and CHUG lines, a character did not use the Astrotrain template until 2020’s Transformers: Cyberverse. (MSipher) Since Astrotrain is the only template, and is demonstrably difficult to employ, the number of new train characters is severely restricted. 

    Of course, far from everything in Transformers is a G1 homage. Almost every franchise introduces completely new characters and designs based on the aesthetics of that franchise. However, for one reason or another, many of these aesthetics have a difficult time integrating trains. Beast Wars obviously didn’t introduce any characters that turned into trains, and Beast Wars or Machines product was on shelves for a good five years. Micheal Bay’s Transformers films, one of the dominant media pillars of the franchise since the release of the first film in 2007, focus heavily on the most sleek, modern sports cars or the most fearsome military vehicles, leaving little room for trains. 

From the perspective of cartoons, Armada, Animated and other franchises largely revolved around futuristic, blocky cybertronian vehicles, which precluded the use of classic steam locomotives or even more modern diesel engines. Of course, this does not prevent the design of a train Transformer with some imagined cybertronian train mode, or a more cartoony train. Indeed, this is a route that Energon opted to explore with Omega Supreme. (RolonBolon) However, a common criticism of cybertronian altmodes is that they are somewhat unfocused, and this is particularly true of the two extant cybertronian trains. Both Omega Supreme and Titans Return Astrotrain stretch the concept of train to its very limits, and the resulting designs can be somewhat challenging to parse.(RolonBolon; ItsWalky, Astrotrain) This is not to say that these designs are objectively bad, or that this potential difficulty would prohibit HasTak from pursuing this avenue altogether. Rather, this argument is to emphasize that HasTak’s primary consideration is to sell toys. If design constraints increase the likelihood that a child will find a toy unappealing, it decreases the likelihood HasTak will create a toy with those constraints. 

    Trains also confront several core difficulties, independent of the aesthetic idiosyncrasies of a franchise. Trains are much larger than most other common types of vehicle, in turn making the Transformers that turn into trains much larger than their compatriots (although lord knows this doesn’t stop them from making fighter jets). Traditionally, characters that are much, much larger than their peers have, for logistical reasons, limited screen time. It is difficult for that character to be involved in the intricacies of planning a battle when they don’t fit in the same room as their allies. This limited screen time in turn makes it more difficult to sell toys. 

    Similarly, trains require rails to move. This creates something of an awkward dilemma from a writing perspective. Either all of your action must take place within easy reach of train tracks, or you must abandon a quite noticeable level of realism in your storytelling. The G1 cartoon opted to abandon realism, which was a reasonable choice in an environment where Megatron and the other Decepticons could themselves fly with no visible means of propulsion. However, in a more serious and dramatic show like Transformers: Prime, such a lapse would likely feel out of place and silly. Perhaps even more than size, the difficulty posed by rails complicates the inclusion of any potential train based character in a new franchise. 

    In the real world, trains occupy a significantly different design space than cars. Cars are a consumer good, and there are significant financial incentives to continually introduce new generations of cars. In contrast, trains tend to be costly infrastructure investments, either by companies or governments. For trains, the incentive structure runs much more towards long lifetimes, and as a result few new generations. Moreover, not only are new trains somewhat scarce, but many of the most iconic train designs are very old indeed; steam locomotives have been around for almost two hundred years. 

    This is a significant limitation from the perspective of Transformers alternate modes. It is extremely uncommon for a Transformer that turns into a real world vehicle to turn into something more than a handful of years older than the toy. There are some exceptions, of course; Movieverse Starscream turns into an F-22 Raptor despite the age of the plane, partially because the Raptor continues to see widespread use, and partially because it is extremely iconic. However, it is almost unheard of for a Transformer to turn into a Model-T, for example, or even old airplanes like the p-51. This is a natural consequence of the overriding imperative to sell toys; children are more likely to desire a figure that reflects something in their environment to which they have a preexisting connection. Because of both the infrequent generations of train design and the huge body of classic trains, this simple fact presents an almost insurmountable obstacle to the creation of many train Transformers. 

    With all these challenges, one would not be unreasonable to ask if there are any train Transformers at all. Yet there are! For all the difficulties posed, seven Transformers in the modern era are based on trains, and even more in the later stages of G1. These figures have been created because they manage to slip through all of the barriers outlined above. An inversion of our above challenges allows for the formulation of an explicit set of criteria governing the creation of train Transformers. All of the extant train figures meet one or more of these criteria; more remarkably, almost every single train that meets these criteria has a corresponding Transformer. Phrased a different way, the most fundamental cause for the lack of train Transformers is not that, for one reason or another, train Transformers are not made. Rather, it is because almost all of the train Transformers that can exist, do. 

    The first criteria for the creation of a train Transformer is, simply put, that it should be of Astrotrain. Although much of the proceeding discussion concerning Astrotrain was focused on limitations, he is still a G1 character, and a popular one at that. Where cartoons have neglected him, media and toylines targeted at collectors have been much kinder. Astrotrain has received a number of figures over the years, and is far from forgotten. 

    Second, the figure should be in a toyline largely dedicated to licensed, real world alternate modes. This avoids all the design difficulties associated with cybertronian train modes. Moreover, real world alternate modes have something of an existing natural sample space. Where a cartoon has any number of imaginary cars it could exploit, licensed vehicle focused lines can only exploit a handful of real models from a handful of real manufacturers. 

    Third, the figure should be of a train that is either extremely iconic, or that has come out in the last five years or so. More explicitly, it should be a train that children can have attachment to. Although this criteria stems from age of train, it encapsulates more than that. It is crucial that Transformers has two separate audiences, because of the dual ownership of the property. Hasbro aims at American children, and Takara aims at Japanese children.  In the United States, trains are not widely used, and do not have the meaningful cultural impact of, say, cars. In Japan, however, where many Transformers are at least in part designed, trains are a much more normal part of daily life, and have a correspondingly larger cultural footprint. So, for a child to have attachment to a train, it should not only be new and iconic; it should be Japanese. 

    The first two of these criteria are for figures, and the third is for the trains used for alternate modes. Before discussing each modern figure and its relation to the first two criteria, the third criteria will be applied to gain some understanding of the scope of the crucial limiting reagent, the pool of plausible trains. When the third criteria is applied to this pool, it shrinks dramatically. Almost every train made before 1960 falls away, eliminating most steam locomotives at a blow. Similarly, all American trains are eliminated. Indeed, even most Japanese trains are eliminated. However, there is one group that remains; the Shinkansens. 

    The Shinkansen is Japan’s high speed rail system. The Shinkansen is iconic, especially in Japan. One of the very first high speed railways in the world, the incredible reliability of the trains, both in terms of punctuality and safety, has made it famous.(Shinkansen) The technology and trains have been exported to other countries the world over. (Shinkansen) These trains are Japanese, they are iconic, and, in part due to their widespread usage, have frequent generations. Because of all these factors, we would expect to find Shinkansens dramatically overrepresented among train Transformers, and indeed, this is exactly what we find. Of the twenty six different train molds, fully eleven are Shinkansens. More, of the eleven, eight are of the hundreds series of trains, the series containing the very first Shinkansen. This is remarkable, because there are only eight kinds of hundreds series trains; every single hundreds series train has a corresponding Transformer. (Shinkansen) Indeed, of the other three Shinkansens, two are based on or modifications of 100 series trains. Not only are the most viable series of trains dramatically overrepresented, they are represented with a stunning completeness. 

    Having reviewed in general what pool of trains is viable for Transformers production, we will now conduct a figure by figure survey of the 100 series trains and the existing modern train figures to examine how they relate to the first two criteria. 

0 series: Shouki 

    The Transformer representing the 0 series of trains is the Headmasters character Shouki. The leader of the Trainbot combiner team, Shouki was released (exclusively in Japan) in 1987. (M Sipher, Shouki)  Although the first 0 series trains began running in 1964, they continued running until 2008. (Shinkansen) Moreover, their status as the very first Shinkansen makes them unquestionably iconic. Although headmasters was not a line focused on realistic vehicle modes, Shouki and his team were originally developed for the pre-Transformers Diaclone line, which was. (M Sipher, Shoki). Shouki, not being Astrotrain, meets two of our three criteria. 

100 series: Leaf and Spark 

    The 100 series of trains is represented by two characters, Leaf and Spark. Both are members of the Liner Team combiner team, and can merge to form Sixliner. Interestingly, although they share an altmode, the two are unique molds. The 100 series began running in 1985, and Leaf and Spark were released in 1991, under the Return of Convoy line, again only in Japan.(Shinkansen; Deceptitran; Repowers)  Leaf and Spark are interesting, since though they themselves are real vehicles, Return of Convoy most decidedly is not focused on that. They meet one of our three criteria, namely the third. (Deceptitran; Repowers) 

200 series: Yukikaze 

    Another member of the Trainbots combiner team, Headmasters character Yukikaze represents the 200 series of trains. The 200 series began running in 1982, and, like Shouki, Yukikaze was released in 1987. (M Sipher, Yukikaze; Shinkansen) Again like Shouki, Yukikaze meets two of the three criteria. (Most characters are not, in fact, Astrotrain). 

300 series: Desire 

    Desire is a retool of Spark, and a member of the Train Team combiner team. Although the TFwiki identifies him as a “Hokkaido Bullet Train” , Desire has several features characteristic of the 300 series, primarily the headlights, the high seated windows, the skirt, and blue stripe. (Dr Spengler; 300 Series) Desire was released in 1992 in the Operation: Combination line, the same year the 300 series began to run. (Dr Spengler; Shinkansen) Operation: Combination was retools or redecos of existing G1 toys, many of which were real life vehicles. Desire meets two of the three criteria. 

400 series: Windy 

    Like Desire, Windy is a member of the Train Team, and was released in the Operation: Combination line in 1992. (Rosicrucian) Unlike Desire, and all the other members of her team, Windy is not a retool of a member of the Liner Team; rather, she is a new mold. (Rosicrucian) The TFwiki identifies her as a “Yamagata "Tsubasa" bullet train”. (Rosicrucian) The 400 series was “introduced in 1992 on Yamagata Shinkansen Tsubasa services” (Shinkansen). This, in combination with the visual features Windy shares with the 400 series, is a compelling positive identification. With her release coinciding with the release of the 400 series and featuring in the Operation: Combination, Windy meets two of the three criteria. 

500 series: Railspike 

    A member of Team Bullet Train, Railspike was one of the first modern train transformers. (M Sipher, Railspike)  He transforms into a 500 series Shinkansen, accurate down to the 500 printed on his side. Railspike combines with the other members of his team to form Rail Racer.(M Sipher, Railspike) The 500 series began running in 1997, and Railspike was released in 2001 as part of the Robots in Disguise line. (Shinkansen; M Sipher, Railspike) RID was not exclusively focused on real vehicles, as it contained many Beast Wars figures, among other things, but almost all of the autobots had real alt modes. (Siax) Railspike meets two of the three criteria. 

600 series: No one 

    The 600 series of Shinkansens doesn’t actually exist. (Shinkansen) It could be argued that Midnight Express, another modern train toy who turns into an e4 Shinkansen, is in spirit a 600 series, as the 200 series served many of the same lines.(M Sipher, Midnight; Shinkansen) However, this argument is tenuous at best, given the 400 series served entirely different routes. (Shinkansen) 

700 series: Rapid Run 

    The third member of Team Bullet Train, along with Railspike and Midnight Express, and one of the seven modern train toys, Rapid Run transforms into a 700 series Shinkansen, specifically, the Hikari Rail Star. (M Sipher, Rapid) The 700 series began running in 1999, and Rapid Run was released in 2001. As with Railspike, he meets two of the three criteria. 

800 series: Astrotrain 

    Although Astrotrain’s G1 toy turns into a JNR Class D51, in 2006 he received an update in the Classics line. (S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47) Instead of his original alt mode, Classics Astrotrain turns into the more modern 800 series Shinkansen. (S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47) The 800 series began running in 2004. (Shinkansen) Classics was a complex line with many facets; although many altmodes were made up out of whole cloth, many were also based on real vehicles at least loosely. (Nevermore) Astrotrain, being Astrotrain, meets all three criteria. 

Three modern train figures have not been discussed in the survey of hundreds series Shinkansens. Two of these are Astrotrain figures; Titans Return Astrotrain and Siege Astrotrain. Titans Return Astrotrain turns into a cybertronian armored train, and Siege Astrotrain turns into an approximation of his JNR Class D51 mode. (S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47) Both figures meet only one criteria, namely being Astrotrain. However, this is a powerful criteria indeed and in many ways can replace the third criteria of age and attachment, especially in the current collector driven market. Although children don’t have a connection to Astrotrain’s altmode, collectors certainly do. HasTak are therefore able to sell toys, the primary driver of the third criteria. 

The last remaining modern train figure is… unusual, by any metric. Released in the 2014 japanese exclusive toyline Transformers:GO, Optimus Exprime is a version of Optimus Prime that can turn into a train resembling a 700 series Shinkansen, a Dragon, and can combine with other figures from the line.(SanityorMadness) This figure meets zero of the criteria, on its face. Speaking personally for a moment, I honestly don’t know how this exists, or why. It appears that one day, Takara simply decided to… make a train Transformer. In many respects, this undermines the primary thesis of this essay. It is not part of a line oriented towards realistic vehicles, it is not Astrotrain, and it's not readily identifiable as a 700 series, but rather cartoonish and genericized. If Takara made such a thing once, what is to prevent them from doing it on other occasions? Perhaps, as argued with the Astrotrain figures, the sheer power of the name Optimus Prime is enough to overcome all the strangeness of the figure and make it attractive to children. After all, G1 Optimus Prime has turned into some truly silly things. This appears to be a reasonably compelling argument, enough to at least award the figure half a criteria. Although Optimus Exprime is exceptional, the fact that it is an Optimus Prime figure makes it work where a new character might, unfortunately, not. 

As mentioned previously, there are some 15 train toys that have not been discussed here, all from G1 or immediately subsequent japanese toylines. Almost every one of these is either part of the Trainbots, the Liner Team, or the Train Team, and almost all of them are Japanese trains. Although many of these are older trains, I suspect many of them, like the JNR Class D51, are iconic in their own way, although this is difficult to verify without much more in depth research. Moreover, despite the age of the trains, these figures were created in an era in which almost literally every figure was based on a real vehicle, regardless of the obscurity. Although this essay is somewhat more expansive, the general scope of the Transformers Aesthetics survey does not include G1; as a result, these figures have not been given as much attention here. 

Other than the hundreds series, there is one other primary series of Shinkansens that is not as well represented in Transformers, namely the E series. There are some compelling temporal reasons this series has been ignored. The E1 was released in 1994, in the thick of Beast Wars; Takara would have been unable to release a new train figure at the time. (Shinkansen) The E2, E3, and E4 were all released at the same time, in 1997. (Shinkansen) As mentioned previously, the E4 was released as Midnight Express; it makes sense that Takara could only release one of the trains from this generation, especially given that they had chosen to use two other train figures to make the 500 and 700 series at roughly the same time. Simple explanations are more difficult for the E5, E6, and E7, which were all released much more recently. (Shinkansen) The explanation may to some extent lie in the shape of the E series; unlike the hundreds series trains, the E series does not tend to be sleek and bullet shaped, but oddly duckbilled. (Shinkansen) Perhaps the explanation lies in the aesthetics of the then concurrent cartoons; it would have been quite difficult to work trains into either Transformers: Prime or Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015). 

This almost completely exhausts the pool of available trains as defined by the three criteria outlined above. Most of the other Shinkansen trains are either very niche, or some variation of the 700 series. (Shinkansen) Although it would take further research to verify, I suspect that subway cars and regular commuter trains are significantly less iconic in Japan, and therefore suffer greatly under the third criteria. 

So, although there are many, many kinds of trains, for one reason or another, most of them are very difficult to make as commercially successful Transformers. Those trains that have the potential to work have almost all already been created. Moreover, those trains, like the E1, that might have at one point been viable but were not made as toys due to an accident of timing are now supremely unlikely to see release; the E1 is almost 25 years old. (Shinkansen) Although Takara has demonstrated a willingness to make a random train in the past, it was tied to Optimus Prime, arguably the strongest single Transformers character. Moreover, Takara acting on their own is increasingly unlikely in the wake of the brand unification initiated during Power of the Primes. While a train figure could theoretically be made for an older train or a less iconic, non-Shinkansen train, the difficulty these toys might encounter at general retail will likely keep them from existing. Moreover, Siege Astrotrain is, in many ways, the definitive version of the character, being hyper accurate to his robot mode and both vehicle modes. (S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47) It is unlikely Astrotrain will receive another update for some time. This means that any new toy of, say, the E1, or a subway car, would require a new character. Given both the aesthetics of the recent Transformers: Cyberverse cartoon, and its recent end, it is unlikely that a new character with a train alternate mode could find a home there. 

What does this imply for the future release of train Transformers? Depending on the aesthetics of the next cartoon, we might see a release of an E8 when it begins service in 2024. (Shinkansen) However, given that the last cartoon that meaningfully involved real vehicles was RID 2001, it seems unlikely. It seems that the hundreds series is more popular than the E series; it is possible that if and when the 900 is released, we would see a figure of that in some way, shape or form. However, the gap between the releases of hundreds series trains appears to be 5 or so years, and the 800 came out in 2004, and on a more minor line at that. (Shinkansen) Moreover, JR seems to be favoring upgrades to the 700 series, with the N700 in 2007 and the S700 in 2019. (Shinkansen). A possible 900 series seems a long way off indeed. 

Given the limited potential of future trains being released, it seems the greatest chance of new train figures being realized as figures lies in HasTak choosing to revitalise some of the G1 designs. There seems to be something of a good chance of this; Takara revealed a banner with a silhouette resembling Raiden, the combined form of the Trainbots, that appeared to hint at a masterpiece release. (william-james88). 

Although Siege and Earthrise have been releasing updated micromaster figures, there has not even been a whisper of a rumor about the micromaster sixteam combiners being revitalized. Updated versions of the Liner team and Train Team seem quite unlikely, especially given the shift in emphasis of Kingdom to Beast Wars. Overall, it seems that the next release of a train in Transformers will come from Masterpiece Raiden. 

    Well, dear reader, there you have it. Why aren’t there more Transformers trains? It turns out they’re quite difficult to make successfully, and many of the trains that could be used in this way have already been taken. In many respects, it’s truly amazing how many train figures we’ve gotten over the past few years, and how complete in particular the hundreds series is. The past is expansive, the future is somewhat bright, although more limited than one might wish. What more can one ask for? 

Well, a really sick steam locomotive. Or one of the BNSF trains. How cool would that be? 

Choo choo. 

             Works Cited

ChrisMcFeely et al. “Cyclonus (G1)” TFwiki. 

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cyclonus_(G1) Accessed 9/20/2020

Deceptitran et al. “Leaf” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Leaf Accessed 9/20/2020

Dr Spengler et al. “Desire” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Desire Accessed 9/20/2020 

ItsWalky et al. “Astrotrain (G1)” TFwiki. 

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Astrotrain_(G1) Accessed 9/20/2020 

ItsWalky et al. “Transformers: Prime (Cartoon)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_Prime_(cartoon) Accessed 9/20/2020

Mendou et al. “Cyclonus (Armada)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Cyclonus_(Armada) Accessed 9/20/2020

Monzo et al.“Beast Wars:Transformers(toyline)”, TFwiki,

https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Beast_Wars:_Transformers_(toyline)   Accessed 4/25/2020 

M Sipher et al. “Astrotrain (disambiguation)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Astrotrain_(disambiguation) Accessed

M Sipher et al. “Midnight Express (RID)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Midnight_Express_(RID) Accessed 9/20/2020

M Sipher et al. “Railspike (RID)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Railspike_(RID) Accessed 9/20/2020

M Sipher et al. “Rapid Run (RID)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Rapid_Run_(RID) Accessed 9/20/2020 

9/20/2020

M Sipher et al. “Shouki” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Shouki Accessed 9/20/2020

M Sipher et al. “Yukikaze” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Yukikaze_(Headmasters) Accessed 9/20/2020

Nevermore et al. “Transformers: Classics” TFwiki.https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_Classics Accessed 5/11/2020 

Repowers et al. “Spark (ROC)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Spark_(ROC) Accessed 9/20/2020

Rolonbolon et al. “Omega Supreme (Energon)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Omega_Supreme_(Energon) Accessed 9/20/2020

Rosicrucian et al. “Windy (OC)” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Windy_(OC) Accessed 9/20/2020 

Saix et al. “Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 toyline)” TFwiki.https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Transformers:_Robots_in_Disguise_(2001_toyline) Accessed 6/13/2020

SanityorMadness et al. “Optimus Prime (WFC)/toys” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Optimus_Prime_(WFC)/toys#Go.21 Accessed 9/22/2020

S.H.I.E.L.D Agent 47 et al. “Astrotrain(G1)/toys” TFwiki. https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Astrotrain_(G1)/toys Accessed 9/20/2020

William-james88 “Possible Masterpiece Raiden Coming” Siebertron https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/possible-masterpiece-raiden-coming/44268/ Accessed 9/20/2020

“300 Series Shinkansen” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/300_Series_Shinkansen Accessed 9/20/2020

“Shinkansen” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinkansen#Types_of_lines Accessed 9/20/2020

[starscream7799]

Transformers 16 is coming up and the author said Megatron and Starscream are going to have a “serious conversation.” That serious conversation is going to be about why Prowl is the superior character. And why he’s holding up the weight of the police force while no one else does. He’s weighed down by the guilt over Rubble’s death while Starscream just tours colony planets with NautiCAN’T. No way Starscream is SIC in this continuity Soundwave is Megatron’s right hand man. Discuss.

You need to stop doing this, because at first I kinda thought you were joking or something, but now I’m bored. I’m not answering anymore of these kinda asks from you

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Back from being out of town SO: Cyberverse Season 2 episode 7, 8 and 9 watch!

SO MANY EPISODES CAME OUT WHILE I WAS OUT OF TOWN, THAT WAS SO CRUEL!!!!

Cyberverse 7!

MACCADAM!!!! OMG OMG HES FINALLY BACK

OH NO ITS THE MEGAOP BREAKUP SCENE 

oh nevermind, it’s just breakup scene #513214

I wonder what Megatron asked Optimus to do :O

Optimus: I just cant seem to make progress on these peace talks Maccadam: That sucks. Aren’t my drinks AWESOME? Optimus: yeah....

Aw Maccadam has such a cute smile. It’s really nice to see someone giving Optimus advice, usually he’s the designated dad of the group. Glad he has some support in this continuity!

OHOHO THEY’RE GONNA WORK TOGETHER TO BRING DOWN STARSCREAM

Man I frickin love it when Megatron and Optimus are forced to work together against a “greater evil”

Also: I love that Optimus is still so full of hope for that “one success” even though he’s failed so many times. Good characterization

I really love the animation style in Cyberverse. Also that Opening is STILL incredible, I can’t get enough of that (but oh Starscream, buddy, yellow is not your color)

Starscream, petting a Scraplet: Don’t you recognize her? This was the great Solus Prime! Slipstream: Can I PLEASE go home Starscream: Wait I’m not finished showing you my bug collection

“This is the noble Megatronus!” hrGHHH WHY DOES THAT MAKE MY HEART ACHE

The Seekers have only one brain cell and clearly Slipstream is the only one in possession of it

Soundwave: Together? That’s ridi— Megatron: *raises an arm to silence him* Me: HOW DARE YOU SHUSH MY BOY

The way Megatron says “let us discuss” while leaning forward makes me cautiously suspicious, but also I wonder if Megatron is as anxious to come to an agreement with Optimus as Optimus is with him, in his own way...

Shadow Striker’s surveillance got blocked by Prowl’s massive chest lmaooooo

Shadow Striker has such a good voice, I KNOW I MENTION THE VA’s IN EVERY LIVEBLOG BUT MAN!!! CYBERVERSE HAS SUCH GREAT VOICE ACTORS

It’s so tragic that Bumblebee and Rodimus are utterly indifferent to the peace talks because they happen so frequently and always fall through :( yet again, good way of showing without getting into too much detail. I admire the way cyberverse tells their stories

OMG SOUNDWAVE AND WINDBLADE ARE ABOUT TO GO AT IT

Grimlock: quit staring at me Shockwave: illogical Grimlock: I’LL SHOW YOU ILLOGICAL GUYS PLS lmao that cracks me up, they sound like CHILDREN

Lmao @ Megatron yelling at them all, “LEAVE ME ALONE IM TRYING TO TALK TO MY EX”

tfw you’re trying to make up with your ex but your disaster children have absolutely zero chill

OH GOOD SLIPSTREAM IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE MOST COMPETENT DECEPTICON

“Must we?” SOUNDWAVE C'MON MAN

HE HAS A GUN ON THE BOTTOM OF HIS FOOT IN SUCH A WEIRD SPOT LMAO

SHE SHOT HIM AND I CANT EVEN BE THAT MAD, SOUNDWAVE YOU’RE BEING A BUTT

“The biggest mistake I made was underestimating Starscream” story of Megatron’s life in every series

OMG….SHADOW STRIKER AND PROWL ARE HANGING OUT…THAT’S UNEXPECTEDLY ADORABLE

wHEELJACK AND SHOCKWAVE HANGING OUT WITH THE SHOCKLETS IM SHRIEKING WITH JOY THATS!! SO!!! CUTE!!!!

Shockwave’s little expression before it cuts back to Megatron and Optimus :’)

*whispers* and they were LAB partners!

Megatron: We should have talked like this ages ago, Prime Optimus: So much history between us… *meaningful shot of them sitting on either end of a very long table* Megatron: …and yet, so little trust Me, wheezing in agony

“Most roads on Cybertron are one way” FRICKIN

MEGATRON YOU DORK. I have no idea if he was being serious or being metaphorical but either way I laughed even while my heart ached

WINDBLADE ITS YOUR GIRLFRIEND SLIPSTREAM

Slipstream: Who’s the second most competent person I know. Slipstream: Well, it’s definitely not gonna be a Decepticon

SLIPSTREAM NO!!!!! WTF

Wheeljack: Well, it was fun while it lasted! Shockwave: No it wasn’t Snorts

MAN THIS IS KILLING ME, FATE REALLY NEVER CUTS MEGATRON AND OPTIMUS A BREAK HUH???

AGAIN, TFW YOU’RE TRYING TO MAKE UP WITH YOUR EX BUT YOUR KIDS HAVE ZERO CHILL

OK BUT THEY’RE NOT GONNA LEAVE SLIPSTREAM LIKE THAT ARE THEY???? Jeez louise. I mean I know she’s not dead dead, my guess is she’s going to manipulate the All Spark from within later on to screw up Starscream’s plans, there’s no way they’d write her out like this.

EPISODE 8

Kitty cat no!!!

“They’re not here anymore!” Thank you captain obvious lmao. I love him. I bet Cheetor would get along well with Teletraan

“I know you told me not to interrupt anymore but—” lmao

OH NO A DISTRESS CALL FROM MEGATRON??? A last desperate attempt to warn Prime against a great danger??? Suspicious yet sweet

“Sounds extra forboding!” Teletran you’re such a DORK

Ohhh I really do love the way they animate Windblade’s expressions

“Well, this isn’t creepy at all!” Lol me 2 Rodimus

UHHHH ARE THOSE THINGS IN THEIR CHESTS BUGS??? IS THIS GOING TO BE AN ALIEN VS PREDATOR THING oh no ok, it’s just their sparks, I WAS GONNA SAY

*Ominous thunking ends abruptly* Well that’s not ominous at all

I mean at least they’ve still got their sparks?

OH MAN they even got Shockwave and Shadow Striker, jeez

SOUNDWAVE NO!

Optimus: Starscream’s forces managed to overwhelm everyone, even Soundwave I love that he said “even Soundwave”, like, yes, good, that’s right Optimus, thank you for acknowledging that my boy is no pushover

YO HOT ROD HAS HIS FLAME POWERS THAT’S SO COOL

I love the way they animate Windblade’s sword, that looks awesome

OH NO THEY’RE GETTING OPTIMUS, JEEZ THAT LOOKS BAD

MEGATRON OH NO

Starscream’s dramatic frickin reveal killed me, I can’t believe he didn’t say “Megatron has fallen

AW The frat boys trio working together is so cute :’) I love them

“We got your back, Cheetz!” RODIMUS YOU ARE PRECIOUS

HECK YEAH RODIMUS, YOUR FIRE POWERS LOOK SO C

NO THEY”RE GETTING BUMBLEBEE AND HOT ROD OH NO NONO!!!!

RUN KITTY RUN!!!

ALPHA TRION....Good lord

“Alpha Trion says he’s very disappointed in you, Optimus” STARSCREAM PLZ, HE REALLY IS LIKE A CRAZY PET OWNER

Ohhh they’re talking about the Matrix

WINDBLADE NO!!!!! NOT MY GIRL

OH SNAP THEY’RE ACTUALLY GOING FOR IT??? NO ONE’S GOING TO JUMP IN TO SAVE OPTIMUS???

THAT’S SO GRUESOME WTF, THEY’RE ACTUALLY TEARING HIS CHEST OPEN TO TAKE IT OUT

“The Matrix looks really pretty” I say in a small voice, mortified beyond belief

CHEETOR IS SO CUTE....

“You do not understand who and what you are fighting” SICK LINE CHEETOR

THANK YOU FOR RIPPING THAT HIDEOUS YELLOW ARMOR OFF STARSCREAM

THE FRAT BOY FRIENDSHIP TRIO IS SO CUTE

Megatron: I will...permit you to leave now Optimus: You are welcome Ughhhh Megatron’s expression while they’re walking away is so good thIS KILLS ME...........

Cyberverse 9!

OH NO THUNDERCRACKER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, ARE YOU OK???

WHY IS SLIPSTREAM SUDDENLY THERE AGAIN, WHAT’S GOING ON (NOT THAT I’M NOT GLAD TO SEE YOU)

Wait I forgot there’s another purple Seeker, that’s probably not Slipstream RATS

What exactly is Cheetor doing, WAIT I think these are all old memories he’s seen, these are just flashbacks ALRIGHT WE’RE COOL I GOT IT NOW

GOSH I LOVE MEGAOP BATTLES NO MATTER HOW BRIEF THEY ARE

Cheetor: I hope they one day settle their differences so that we may one day take our place among them Somehow that makes him sound like an alien, which is ironic since they’re ALL aliens

Very nice group shot right there

aw, Cheetor is right at Rodimus’ hand level when he’s in his cheetah alt mode, I half expected Rodimus to pet him

"Won’t someone please pet me??”

Man, this makes me miss Ravage. I’d love to see him show up in Cyberverse too. We know Lazerbeak is here at least though!

Hot Rod: How can we find Starscream if he ghosted us? Bumblebee: “Ghosted us”? LMAO nice slang Hot Rod

Aww poor Cheetor, me too buddy

RATCHET RATCHET RATCHET!!!!

LMAO HE SCREAMED, I LOVE YOU RATCHET YOU’RE SO CUTE

Oh no Cheetor, don’t go help Wheeljack

LMAO Cheetor you’re just so sneaky like a kitty cat, no one can hear you coming

OH NO DEFINITELY DON”T HELP PROWL

“YOU”LL NEVER TAKE ME” PROWL PLEASE

AW BUMBLEBEE SCARED CHEETOR that’s sweet that he went to go make Cheetor feel better :’) Best buddies

WAIT WTF

FRICKIN CYBERVERSE, YOU SCARED ME FOR A SECOND, I HEARD THAT SOUND AND I WARPED BACK TO FRICKIN 2005, HOW COULD YOU SCARE ME LIKE THAT

This frickin series is made by a bunch of MEMERS

BEE SAVED THE KITTY CAT!!!!

UH OH jeez louise they got caught

“I was so hoping to never see you again!” I love you Bumblebee

SPARK MERGING??? STARSCREAM BUDDY....

“I have no fight with you. We are soon to be one” Not creepy at all Starscream

OH NO IS HE GOING TO PUT BEE’S SPARK INA SCRAPLET??? JEEZ THAT’S NEW

SMART THINKING CHEETOR

CHEETOR AND BEE ARE SUCH CUTE FRIENDS GOSH

wait Episode 10 is out too??? OK I CAN”T HELP MYSELF, IM GONNA PUT IT IN A NEW TEXT POST THOUGH

MAN I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! I LOVE CYBERVERSE

[tf-imagines]

Super specific time! TFP headcanons for any bots/cons of your choice when dealing with a human ward/charge who can pros: see the future, cons: is a dubious traitorous two-faced scheming SOB with their own goals. 😂 Like they’re v useful to each side because duh, oracle, but they also have a tendency of betraying both sides in favour of the other if they deem it necessary to get what they want.

For @p-r-imeday !! I kind of went for Understanding Bot/Con, Angry Bot/Con, and from the closest thing to a Neutral perspective we can get in TFP....aside from Predacon in retrospect.

Optimus Prime

Optimus has very mixed feelings regarding your gift. While yes, it is beneficial that you can see the future and be able to give them warning if something will turn out...less than favorable. However considering the fact that you will also help the Decepticons and betray the Autobots for your own goals, whatever they may be, is upsetting. He does his best to discuss this with you civilly, understanding if you are trying to maintain some balance. However if that is the case, perhaps it would be better for neither side to use your gift. He can at the very least tolerate this behavior, so long as it does not lead to serious damage to any of the Autobots. Should this happen, he would be very torn on how to handle the situation. You betrayed them, but you also help them. Whenever it suits you...a rather neutral party, with access to very important information that both sides want.

Ratchet

Ratchet isn’t as understanding as Optimus. After suffering through this war for so long, seeing it tear apart their whole planet and drag through the universe, he wants to end it as soon as possible. By whatever means necessary. When discovering that you have the ability to see the future, he honestly wants to exploit it. It could prevent further Autobot casualties, or casualties in general. While he does not want to believe that their fate is predetermined, your gifts are a blessing in his eyes. However once it comes to light that sometimes you help the Decepticons, and betray them, he’s hurt and realizes it can be as much of a curse in the hands of someone like you. He’d honestly blow up when he finds out. He’d tell you of all of the young Cybertronians torn to pieces over this war, who have known nothing else. The sparks he has seen fade because of this war. And here you are, able to help them end it without any further pain and suffering...and you are helping the Warlord who wishes to eradicate every last one of them and would likely do the same to humanity once they’re out of the way. He wouldn’t be able to trust you and would honestly be really hurt, shutting himself up and being snappier than usual to everyone for a long time. This is why he doesn’t get attached to people. Either they die, or they stab him in the back.

Megatron

Megatron is actually similar to Ratchet in his reaction, but in different ways. He also believes that using your gifts to benefit the Decepticon cause could lead to minimal energon-shed and hopefully a swift victory for him. However when he discovers your betrayal...the only thing preventing him from punishing him like he does Starscream is the fact that if he did, he would kill you due to your weak, human body. And in killing you, he would lose his greatest asset. He tries to confine you to the Nemesis as much as possible to avoid you getting information to the Autobots, but he can’t help a part of him being curious how this would play out should he leave you to your own devices. You would have to favor one side eventually.

Starscream

Starscream is the closest thing to a neutral we get through the series, so you befriending him of all Cybertronians was...interesting. He honestly only wanted the Decepticons to win if he would be able to take over for Megatron. He’s kind of scared to know the future, so he doesn’t ask often. He’ll let you do as you please, so long as it doesn’t put the two of you in danger. He’s mostly interested in seeing how this pans out, while trying to stay out of the crossfires as much as possible until it’s his time to strike.

Soundwave

Soundwave is intrigued by your gift, and does his best to learn about it as much as possible. How do you have this gift, and why? He does try to gather intelligence from you for Megatron, since that is where his loyalty lies. However he will protect you from his Lord’s wrath when it comes to light that you have been helping the Autobots too. He has it in his processor that you are doing this to maintain a balance, and even then, you’d make a wonderful Decepticon. You do make a wonderful Decepticon. Doing what you must to make your goals come to fruition. It’s an admirable trait, so long as it doesn’t get you hurt. He can be repaired easily and he has plenty of skill to cover his own aft anyways. No amount of future vision can keep you safe from a Cybertronian about to fall flat on your small, squishy human body.