The Energon Pub

News Credits: 33 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 2:49 pm

Recently, IDW have "closed" the G1 "book" with its ReGenerationOne series, with Furman finally penning an ending to the iconic 80s series.

This isn't the first time a Transformers series has reached a definite ending with BeastMachines, RID, Unicron Saga, Animated, Prime...

I'm not sure how many of you feel about this - but with the passing of ReGenerationOne that maybe its time for Hasbro to turn the page and come up with new heroes and villains for us to fall in love with?

Its a reason I myself haven't been so keen on the uptake of new Transformers lately. I feel like I'm retreading old ground and would love a fresh-start series to pump new life into the brand for me. I remember when I was a kid and Thunderclash and Skyquake had come out - I didn't even question "why" they were the current Autobot\Decepticon leaders. They simply were and it wasn't the same story as the cartoon shows I'd grown up with.

Anyone else here finding the original cast as stale as me and wanting something new, especially with a new toyline to back it all up?

News Credits: 1 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 3:12 pm

I'm all for something different. However it would almost certainly represent a financial risk for Hasbro, which is why I can't see it ever happening.

News Credits: 226 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 3:54 pm

MightyMagnus78 wrote:I'm all for something different. However it would almost certainly represent a financial risk for Hasbro, which is why I can't see it ever happening.

I think they'd be surprised how much of a risk it may not be.

New series has Bumblebee taking the lead instead of Optimus Prime, why not do a series with a whole new cast and have the more well known figures in the background with mentions of and the occasional appearance (like Rescue Bots)

But they won't ... because they truly believe kids are that small minded they have to have the same stuff again and again.

News Credits: 293 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 5:36 pm

the prime/megatron model is tested and true. s'why they keep going back to the well.

they have come close to a brand new model with BW and BM. granted there was a primAL and megatron, but every other character was new and original. and look how highly theyre regarded (BW anyways). and those shows being such a departure from its origins just shows people are willing to change (aside from BM...).

but following those shows wasnt there an outcry for cars and planes, primes and megatrons? cant really blame them for doubling back.

News Credits: 1 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 5:46 pm

Actually I'd like Hasbro to do something semi-radical and introduce established Gobots characters into the TF franchise.

Not to much of stretch to have Leader One as an Autobot commander surely?

Hasbro now owns the fictional side of the property (character names/bios/storyline) although not the original toy designs. So a new series with new designs but original names maybe?

Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:52 pm

MightyMagnus78 wrote:Actually I'd like Hasbro to do something semi-radical and introduce established Gobots characters into the TF franchise.

Not to much of stretch to have Leader One as an Autobot commander surely?

Hasbro now owns the fictional side of the property (character names/bios/storyline) although not the original toy designs. So a new series with new designs but original names maybe?

I'd be into a Reboot of the GoBots.

Tue Apr 01, 2014 9:16 pm

I feel the same way Amelie.
A new direction and new characters is sorely needed. Just simply introducing new characters isn't good enough. A new fiction altogether with bran new antagonists is the direction the franchise should be going.
I'm dead tired of the status quo to be honest.

News Credits: 462 · Tue Apr 01, 2014 9:54 pm

It really does seem like the old "Optimus vs. Megatron" mold is being phased out for a while.

Mainstream cartoon (Prime): Optimus sacrificed himself and Bumblebee will be a leader next time, while Megatron renounced his evil ways and disbanded the Decepticons.

Mainstream movies (Bay films): Optimus is on the run and went into hiding, while Megatron is dead.

Mainstream comics (IDW): Optimus resigned from command years ago and has been Orion Pax in recent years, while Megatron is going to become an Autobot and captain one of their starships.

The times are a'changin', methinks.

News Credits: 4 · Wed Apr 02, 2014 5:19 pm

yep, in IDW we've had a good year or two of other characters getting the spotlight. Hardly any of them all that new to be fair, but many of them put in new roles. In western fiction I think James Roberts has given Chromedome more personality than the last 25 years of the character's existence to name just one. There have been a few new characters created along the way as well, and similar to the Generations line, supporting cast members from other series have been incorporated into the primarily G1 story (Rattrap, Sky-Byte) without any problems.

I'm definitely okay with something new coming along, but don't see a complete turn away from Prime/Megs/BB/Screamer any time soon.

Thu Apr 03, 2014 11:03 am

They could just start a new one with the old one side by side.

News Credits: 2 · Thu Apr 03, 2014 3:46 pm

skynet1O1 wrote:They could just start a new one with the old one side by side.

Or they could even do what comics have been doing for years and simply create a separate 'universe' in which the original characters simply do not exist. That would allow them to also do the occasional crossovers between the new fiction and any of the old fictions via transdimensional travel etc. (like Crisis on Two Earths or what Botcon's been doing with the Nexus thing).

News Credits: 104 · Thu Apr 03, 2014 4:38 pm

RSDADDIMUS wrote:
MightyMagnus78 wrote:Actually I'd like Hasbro to do something semi-radical and introduce established Gobots characters into the TF franchise.

Not to much of stretch to have Leader One as an Autobot commander surely?

Hasbro now owns the fictional side of the property (character names/bios/storyline) although not the original toy designs. So a new series with new designs but original names maybe?

I'd be into a Reboot of the GoBots.

I think I could be down with this too.. There were only a couple go bots I had interest in buying since most were to be honest butt ugly.

Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:45 am

To my mind, you can't completely phase out Optimus and Megatron. Even when de-emphasized, the fandom expects them to be there in some capacity. I can get behind emphasizing new characters and giving spotlight to the B-listers. We still expect Optimus and Megatron to be involved, and because the fandom has that expectation, Hasbro will never remove them completely.

Let them take a backseat while, say, Pyro leads a team of Wreckers to fight against, say, new Decepticon leader Onslaught. Let them be the driving forces of the show, and bring in Optimus and Megatron when it's thematically interesting to do so, and then shoo them out before the fandom likes their new interpretations more than the intended main cast.