by Tramp » Sun Aug 12, 2007 8:17 pm
In the US Marvel run, neither Arcee, nor any other female Transformer made an appearance because Simon Furman never liked the idea of female transformers. He couldn't see robots as needing genders. He still can't which is why you don't see femmes in the new IDW TF series. However, in most TF continuities, there are females, however few, among Cybertronians. Transfomrers have both males and females. There's Elita-1, Chromia, Firestar, Moonracer, Beta, and Arcee from G1. There's Black Acrachnia, Airazor, Botanica, and Strika from Beast Wars and Beast Machines, There's the minicons Sureshock, Spiral, Cliffjumper, and Ironhide from Armada (comics) along with another Airazor (possibly BW Airazor brought into the Armada universe by Unicron). In Energon we had a new Arcee, and in Cybertron we had Override and Thunderblast. Femmes do exist, and that is not counting all of the Japanese femmes like Minerva. TFs have genders. Also, they form romantic pairs and engage in courtship. They even engage in marriage. Prime had Elita-1, Ironhide had Chromia, Inferno had Firestar, Powerglide had Moonracer, Hot Rod and Springer were both after Arcee, BW Silverbolt had Black Arachnia, even though they were on opposite sides at the time. Override and Hotshot were constantly flirting during their races, so there was som definite sexual tension there, and Thunderblast had the hots for Megatron. In the manga version of Victory, the current decepticon leader, Deathsaurus had a wife named Esmeryl, Leozak had a sister named Lyzak, and the Dino Force had children. G1 Wheelie was also a child.
What does all this mean? It means that they must be capable of some form of sexual reproduction. As stated in More than Meets the Eye #8, Cybertronians have other "untapped" methods of creating new life besides imbuing a protoform with a spark. Exactly what is missing to utilize these options has been left to speculation, but considering that femmes are said to be extremely rare for some reason, My theory is that the "missing" component is females. If there aren't enough females to allow for natural reproduction, some artifical method would be needed, hence the use of protoforms, just like we might use cloning if we lost most of our women. There are seven criteria that determines what is or is not life. They are: homeostasis, organization, metabolism, adaptation, growth, response to stimuli, and reproduction though some autopoietic means (either sexual or asexual) unless something meets all seven criteria, it is not life.
Also, TransFormers have a genetic structure, just like any other life form. Add that with everything else, and there is but one conclusion. Cybertronians can reproduce through some form of sexual means. As life forms they ahve to be able to reproduce. They have genders. They have males and females. they engage in courtchip and form lasting romantic pair bonds (marriage) there is evidence of children. Genders are only found in sexual life forms. Genders, ourtship and marriage serve but one purpose in life to facilitate reproduction. They serve no other practical function necessary to the continuation of life. Asexual life does not marry. it does not have genders. It does not form romantic pair bonds. Only sexual beings do. Transformers do all these things. They are life forms, which means they must be capable of reproduction; of procreation. They must be able to beget offspring. and, given that they have gender, engage in courtship and form romantic pair bonds, that procreation has to take the form of sexual reproduction.
How would that work though? Let's see. According to MtMtE#8, Cybertronians have a genetic make-up. They also have what they call regenerative circuitry—nanites-which regenerate damaged systems, though that does not mean regrowing entire limbs. Given that such a system woudl require raw materials to use in the regeneration process, Energon cannot be all that Cybertronians consume, and canon evidecne shows that several Transformers do eat solid foods, including metal (or, in some cases, their foes) Utilizing that same type of system, can be applied to reproduction. The male and female would have internal reproductive systems which produce nanites which contain half their genetic code. By some form of intefacing (get your minds out of the gutter, it doesn't have to look like that), the male can tansfer these nanites to the female, one of which can then merge with a single nanite which contains half her genetic code, thus creating new Cybertronian life which could conceivably develop internally or externally in an "egg pod" of some form. Either way, the female would need to eat enough raw materials necessary to allow the offspring to develop which would either go directly to the offspring (if internal development occured) or into a "yoke" (if an egg pod). Personally I favor internal development.
A prime example of this is found in the movie Batteries Not Included starring Jessica Tandy. People in an old apartment building befriend a pair of tiny robotic aliens which look like little flying saucers; a mated male and female. During the movie, the female becomes pregnant and during her pregnancy, consumes a lot of raw metals, old bits of broken tech, and other stuff before eventually giving birth to three cute little baby flying saucer aliens.
Why couldn't the same apply to TransFormers?
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