The Energon Pub

So I see things in Transformers like the term 'Seekers' and how they became part of the canon through the actions of the fandom. So I'm starting to wonder about other unofficial aspects of the fandom and wondering should we try and get them recognised.

In particular, I'm thinking names. We've seen how Dreamwave or E-Hobby got that yellow background seeker named Sunstorm and then there's the female seeker, Slipstream who if I remember correctly also owes her name to unofficial/fan sources.

I'm just wondering with regards to repaints of certain characters which retain the original name but have a significantly different colour scheme to the point that they could be a different character could we start renaming them ourselves and if they're popular enough would the powers that be eventually follow suit?

It's just that I love when repaints give us a new character like Acid Storm and feel it's a shame that the likes of the G2 seekers which vary significantly from their G1 counterparts are supposed to be the same characters.

I suppose it's the constant linking between Slipstream and G2 Ramjet because of their similar colour schemes. As a G1 fan and a seeker nut, I find myself wishing that G2 Ramjet got renamed as Slipstream from now on. Thereby giving us a new G1 seeker character and retro-fitting a cool Animated character into the G1/G2 universe.

Other suggestions could be -

The black E-hobby version of G1 Ironhide as Motormouth after the G2 Gobot who shared the mold with Gobot Ironhide.

G2 Gold Bumblebee as Highbeam, again after the G2 Gobot who shared a mold with Gobot BB.

Machine Wars Mirage as Double Clutch since RM Mirage already closely resembles the G1 animation model.

G2 Sideswipe as Firecracker, yet again following the G2 Gobot trend.

It's really to give these repaints another chance and to give the Gobot characters cooler toys and a higher profile in the fandom.

I just hate to see repaints as the same character, it just seems wasteful and unimaginative.

So what do you guys think? Is there any merit in this idea?

I mean, a lot of fans already refer to ROTF Fearswoop as Hooligan or Classics Tankor as Octane.

Just thought I'd throw it out there. Anyone have any suggestions themselves for things they'd like introduced into the fanon?

It seems like the Hasbro way of doing things is repainting character or creating new molds then giving them other characters names.

Like the Energon Cliffjumper mold/paint. He looks so much like Wheeljack it's crazy. Why couldn't he have just been Energon Wheeljack?

Personally, I can't stand straight-repaints of any figures. If they are going to make a new character out of an existing mold, they should make some little changes to make them a different character. For example, the Universe Sideswipe/Sunstreaker mold. Same car, but with a different head, and the chest transforms differently.

If you are just going to change the color, it really isn't a different character, its just a different color.

A quick point about Slipstream, her name is the official designation given by the people who worked on the show, and wasn't influenced by fandom.

And Classics Tankor IS Octane, hit with the sad fact they couldn't reuse his proper name.

ponycorn wrote:Like the Energon Cliffjumper mold/paint. He looks so much like Wheeljack it's crazy. Why couldn't he have just been Energon Wheeljack?

Do you mean Downshift? yhea I know its complicated.

Editor wrote:Do you mean Downshift? yhea I know its complicated.

***after reading wiki

It's worse than I thought!

Well if the colour change is sginificantly different, I think it should pass as another character.

What about the Seekers, Prowl/Bluestreak, Prime/Magnus to mention but a few? Some of the most popular characters have been repaints.

It's just that personally, I don't like when a repaint is meant to be the same character.

When you look at the similarity between Slipstream and G2 Ramjet, it's a shame we can't retro name it. I mean a lot of us would like to see Animated characters such as Slipstream, Lugnutz and Bulkhead retrofitted into G1.

It's wishful thinking I know but when you see how things like the term 'seeker' made it's way into canon from the fandom, it's a shame other things can't.

actually seeker was used in the first toy ads for the jets

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Seeker

You know I had heard that before but I forgot. Your ad refreshed my memory.