#similar story with tfp/rid15 Bumblebee

[transingthoseformers]

I am valiantly resisting (and failing in said resisting) the urge to make a bunch of unique Primes

Both ones based on prime-ified canonical characters (such as Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Ratchet, hell even Megatron) but also oc ones because I'm a disaster like that.

[blueikeproductions]

More CyberWorld/EarthSpark stuff that stuck out to me.

Another page in the planning document cropped up, & it gives a general overview of what Hasbro had in mind at the time.

Two new shows are planned to come out, but this page confusingly doesn’t mention CyberWorld, just an “animated kids series” & an “animated pre-K series”.

The other pages still reference CyberWorld, so mostly going by what we’ve seen, CyberWorld is meant to be the kids series, but it’s a big question mark on the pre-k show. Rescue Bots ran its course, I got the feeling lil’ kids weren’t interested in RBA since it didn’t last as long, stories were both too preschool but also trying to tack on IDW centric ideas by forcing Laserbeak to be forgiven and becoming an Autobot, for reasons. Stuff that’s not interesting to lil’ kids or their parents.

When RBA ended, a new toyline took over but I don’t think it sold super well, nor did it have any fiction.

As well as only including Optimus Primal & BW Megatron Gator…? It was a random line, and clearly just filler to eke out RB style toys longer. I don’t see the new Pre-K show being this, but CHT did sell Decepticons as enemy characters unlike RB/A, so the Pre-K show might be based on the Great War this time? Or at the very least, stuff like the Decepticons robbing banks and power plants, lol. Or some gag about Soundwave illegally downloading music, only to be put in his place, but with a contradictory gag about the human kids and Bumblebee doing the same from time to time.

It’s pry too late to ape it now, but a modern pre-K show I could see being Spidey & His Amazing Friends tonally with toys similar to Paw Patrol’s. Like say you have the standard Optimus toy partnered with Spike (Skybound or G1 doesn’t matter), and the trailer transforms into a big jet for Optimus and Spike to ride in. Something like that.

As for CyberWorld.

The current assumption based on the toys, is it might be a return to vehicles vs animals that both RiDs, Beast Machines, Beast Wars II and ROTB (kinda) did.

The Decepticons seemingly being animal themed supports this (plus if Meg Bull IS Megatron, Megs trying to push off road Optimus off a cliff in bull mode is hilarious), though Galvatron is the odd one. The only one with a beast form is the BWII version…

Hasbro might be more open to Beast Wars again but they’re still a bit dodgy about the Japanese cast despite Lio Convoy and Magmatron. I could sooner see a G1 Galvatron than BWII Galvatron, but the fun approach would be an Armada Galvatron inspired design that borrows from G1, Energon & BWII.

Toy speculation suggests the line might be a repaint line like the old TF Universe series made up of Cyberverse, RiD15 and EarthSpark molds.

A possibility. Cited speculative examples of Sky-Byte being his Cyberverse toy, Chomp & Stomp Grimlock being another go at the AoE toy of the same name, & Mirage being RiD15 Blurr make sense, but I dunno. Scorponok and Galvatron stick out, as I would think they’d have to be new molds, though an argument can be made for a G1 colored version of RiD15 Scorponok… Similarly, they might repaint TFP Predaking into Galvatron if he’s a repaint and they wanted to homage BWII, but I’m leaning towards new molds for now.

CyberWorld ISN’T a cartoon, but a toy only subline or size class meant to replace the abandoned Core/Legion class.

Inconclusive. The tiny toys don’t seem to sell well as it is, Legacy just stopped being restocked my way so no BM Cheetor or Energon Megatron for me. Also guys like Iguanus shelfwarmed HARD. Rungs were still clogging Ollies until recently. CyberWorld is also shown to be the successor to ES in most of the documents that we can tell.

The CyberWorld cartoon will have a half of a half shoe string budget like Cyberverse and possibly be similar to it.

Inconclusive but not out of the realm of possibility either. Hasbro has been having its own problems lately, while Paramount is practically on fire right now. A lot of people mostly just seem to be clinging to how similar World & Verse sound, with the logo also looking slightly similar but still different enough. A lot more people also seem resistant to the idea of more Cyberverse either way. CV didn’t perform well either, the toys clogged store shelves from start to finish, heck the first wave went on clearance immediately after Christmas, and the series JUST came out, the messy, lackadaisical approach to the show’s (lack of) story, the bad voice acting, etc. It’s not a fondly remembered show as much as some make it out to be. And even then, you’d sort of expect, if it was directly related, Hasbro would shove Bumblebee front & center, despite the CV cartoon wanting little to do with Bee as it went on. Like let’s be real, if it was a CV sequel, Bee, Windy & Shadow should be here right out the gate. They’re not. At all. Windy is practically benched in favor of Elita now.

Mirage is the focus (seemingly) instead, presumably due to the ROTB version’s popularity. He’s certainly more fun than the rich snob that may or may not be a traitor the G1 version tends to be. Not that you can’t make the G1 version interesting but boy has Hasbro not really had any interest in doing so beyond his invisibility gimmick.

So really until told otherwise we know very little. All we know for sure is EarthSpark is being slowly phased out in favor of CyberWorld & a potential Pre-K show. The Slag Podcast host has given a knowing wink, and has a show planned that will presumably lay these Snaketicons out straight, as people have been calling him a lying liar again for sticking to what he knows. Similarly some have pointed out Nick Roche may have also been lying, giving false hope EarthSpark is continuing on when it’s pretty clear it isn’t. S2 is it people, one way or the other, and the new CyberWorld order is coming whatever it ends up being.

[artobotsrollout]

Aside from Drift, are there any other characters or concepts from other continuities that you're considering adding to the harbinger au?

Oh absolutely!! I'm so glad you asked!!! There's so many rad characters and concepts from different continuities that are way too good to NOT take some inspiration from and proceed to dump my own bucket of interpretations and ideas onto them. They won't be straight rips bc I have my own unique plans with them but they will take varying levels of inspiration from the listed sources!

Characters and Concepts from Other Continuities that are Being Considered for the Harbingers AU

More may still be added but for now have what I have on the table atm.

Concepts

-Some of the beautiful planets in Cyberverse

-As in Cyberverse, Lazerbeak is more like a sort of pet/familiar to Soundwave. If I add Ravage it would be as a pet/familiar to Soundwave as well and not an actual dude.

-I might maybe include an idea from Prime Wars about the existence of a sort of anti-Matrix/ Unicron having his own version of the Matrix.

-A similar game to "Cube" from Cyberverse existed on Cybertron. Not Cube exactly, I'm still figuring out a new name, but same idea. Basically Rocket League.

-I'm yoinking a lot from Cyberverse apparently but sncnke a Cthulu esq titan does exist... Idk if he'll actually make an appearance or not but he sure does exist.

-Outliers from well... most continuities have them? but I think IDW was the one who actually named the bots with unique abilities as outliers. Idk I just got to the part in MTMTE where we meet some outliers soooo...Makeshift in this case would be an example of one. Anyways, they exist and are called outliers. Starscream has a few on his team.

-I'm very tempted to yoink this from IDW. Ratchet having an almost illegal clinic for cybertronians who were considered lower caste and couldn't afford treatment or weren't considered "worth treatment." I'm still debating on this cause I do very much like @optimistpax 's idea that TfP Ratchet was a chemist before the war and this might contradict that. I might just have that early on in the war Ratchet became a medic and he made his services available for anyone to come for medical care for free/at very low cost.

I will probably rewatch a show or two so more concepts may be considered!

Characters

The subcategories are based on how solidified my plan of including them is.

These aren't all the characters I'm considering btw. Ironhide would be in the "debating" category except I wouldn't pull from anything specific. I'd be taking the concept of Ironhide in Transformers and then running with it. And characters who are in Exodus, RiD15, etc already that I'm not replacing, like I am with Drift, won't be here.

Pretty Sure

-Deadlock/Drift [IDW]

-Lockdown[TFA]

-Tarn + DJD [IDW]

-Flatline[TF Universe/ROTF comic]

With Knockout leaving the Decepticons will need a new medic. I'm not making Shockwave the stand-in medic like Exodus did bc I don't want to. 😂 Also I learned about Flatline and I love him very much. I'm not actually taking all that much from the source material besides design ideas for him. The rest I'm gonna figure out.

THIS DUDE TURNS INTO A HEARSE I LOVE HIM.

He's got FOUR ARMS LOOK AT HIM GO

optimistpax thank you sm for showing me the good good boi.

-Jazz [TFA]

Idk if this counts cause all I'm really yoinking from TFA is heavy inspiration for Jazz's design. The rest I'm basically taking the rough overarching idea of Jazz as a character in all of transformers and then changing a bunch and shoving in my own ideas. 😂. He was in Exodus and they seriously wronged Jazz. 😔

I refuse Exodus Jazz and insert my own.

Debating

-Shadow Striker [Cyberverse/IDW 2]

-Shatter [Bumblebee]

-Dropkick [Bumblebee]

-Flamewar [IDW 2]

I've JUST met Flamewar in IDW 2 and I already love her but I want to read a bit more before I decide anything. Her story for Harbingers would be different but still.

-Road Rage [IDW 2]

I haven't met Road Rage in IDW 2 yet so the rating will likely change as I continue reading.

-Octane [G1]

-Skids [IDW]

-Misfire [IDW]

I'm still reading MTMTE so the likelyhood for comic based characters will change as I go.

Unlikely but Not Completely Off the Table

-Hot Rod [IDW/Cyberverse]

-Blurr [TFA/IDW]

-Rung [IDW]

-Swindle [TfA]

-Wildwheel [Cyberverse]

I just find his whole deal supremely funny snxnejs. Dude is salty no one looked for him even though all of the cybertronians were still in stasis so they actually couldn't. 😂

-Chromia [IDW/Cyberverse]

-Blitzwing [Bumblebee movie/G1]

Tbh he'd be higher on the list bc I love his design in the Bumblebee movie if I wasn't so worried about disappointing people who would expect TfA Blitzwing. He wouldn't be anything like his TfA counterpart so it's much better for everyone if I just use another character. I don't want to falsely get anyone's hopes up yknow?

Side note there may be some coming in from weirdly specific sources like 3H comics etc to round out some of the teams and sub teams.

Teams to be Rounded Out:

-Starscream's crew

-The Wreckers

-Autobot Spec Ops

-General Autobot Warriors

-General Decepticon Warriors

If anyone's interested I can make a post going in detail about the team[s] people are curious about and what characters I'm considering for them but otherwise this current post is already longer than I intended it to be snejid.