The Energon Pub

[JJohnson]

Just wondering, with all the TF toys that never made it into the cartoon, has anyone ever thought of how to expand the cartoon continuity with the entire toyline? And how'd you manage it? More specifically, going from the 2nd season of the cartoon until the movie, how and whom would you add along the way to bring the toys into the cartoon? And after the 3rd season, would you include Rebirth? And if so, how would you bring in the Headmasters, and various other new sub-groups?


James

[JJohnson]

Here's my idea for a virtual season 4, based on the 1987 line, the headmasters:
Premise: the Autobots follow a Cybertronian signal to the planet Nebulos, populated by a technologically advanced human population. Meanwhile, a psychotic Galvatron is berating his troops when an armada of Cyclonus' and Sweeps descend on the rock-planet Charr. Another Galvatron, with the movie voice, jumps out of Cyclonus, and confronts the other Galvatron, and destroys the clone. He rallys the other Decepticons with the expanded resources he had been collecting with Cyclonus and his Armada, Scourge and the Sweeps, and several techno-planets he had converted. New warriors have joined Galvatron, and will follow him to Nebulos to discover the signal's origin.

Autobots: Optimus Prime, Cloudraker/Fastlane, Highbrow, Chromedome, Hardhead, Brainstorm, Pointblank, Sureshot, Crosshairs, Punch, Doublecross, Grotusque, Repugnus, Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Arcee, Technobots, Throttlebots
Decepticons: Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge, Pounce/Wingspan, Battletrap, Flywheels, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Weirdwolf, Apeface, Snapdragon, Misfire, Slugslinger, Triggerhappy, Overkill, Slugfest, Soundwave, Terrorcons

Other characters from the earlier series would be given cameo appearances (Ultra Magnus, Jazz, Combaticons, etc.)

There would be 26 episodes overall, giving enough time to expound upon Nebulos, and also introducing some new characters along the way:
Autobots: Fort Max,
Decepticons: Scorponok, Sixshot, Battletrap, Flywheels

[JJohnson]

As a followup, the Virtual Season 5 is a continuation of the 4th, introducing the following characters:

Autobots: Grandslam, Raindance, Hosehead, Minerva, Siren, Nightbeat, Getaway, Joyride, Slapdash, Pretenders (Cloudburst, Groundbreaker, Landmine, Sky High, Splashdown, Waverider, Catilla, Chainclaw, Gunrunner), Quickswitch, Sparkabots, Landfill, Quickmix, Scoop, Triggerbots, Off-Road Patrol, Race Car Patrol (Blaster also comes to Nebulos)
Decepticons: Beastbox, Squawktalk, Firecons, Fangry, Horri-Bull, Squeezeplay, Doubledealer, Darkwing, Dreadwind, Pretenders (Bomb-Burst, Bugly, Finback, Iguanus, Skullgrin, Submaurader, Carnivac, Snarler, Roadgrabber), Seacons, Needlenose, Quake, Spinister, Triggercons, Air-Strike Patrol

The premise here is that after having found a new source of energy, the Autobots decide to stay on Nebulos to prevent Galvatron from harvesting this new energy. Prime brings several new Autobots to Nebulos, as Galvatron also brings in new troops. Galvatron has constructed a base, from which he can create his newest troops, the Pretenders. The Autobots counter with human-based pretenders, who can hide amongst the Nebulans until they need to battle. Over the course of the series, the Autobots discover powermaster technology, and Prime is severely damaged in his attempt to protect it from Galvatron. This makes it necessary for Hi-Q to use the process on himself to save Prime, creating Powermaster Prime, and also secretly beginning construction of Godbomber. By the end of the series, the Decepticons are driven from Nebulos, fuel-starved and without a base of operations.

The Micromasters are a last-ditch effort on both sides' part to create more fuel efficient Transformers (foreshadowing Beast Wars downsizing).