The Energon Pub

Here's something I've always found puzzling...

...how can Sunstreaker and Sideswipe be brothers when they share none of the same attributes and have different transforms, whilst Red Alert (who is a virtual carbon copy of Sideswipe) isn't 'related' despite the obvious genetic similarities.

Also using the same logic, why aren't Ratchet and Ironhide, Trailbreaker and Hoist, or even Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker considered brothers, when to all intents purposes they are the same robots!

Just a thought, but has anyone got any ideas?

Interesting question! The first thing that came to mind was that perhaps it's more to do with their energy signatures/ sparks. Like a human embryo that divides to become twins, perhaps with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, their sparks were initially one, but before, or upon emerging from the Well of Allsparks, that spark divided and they arose as two protoforms, and thus brothers.

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Relative
http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Reproduction

Okay, they don't exactly provide a clear meaning for Genetics, but it really depends on what continuity and perspective you are talking about. Closest answer i can give for familial relationships is that the sparks of the bots in question share a higher percentage of code than they do with other bots. Kind like how in real genetics, families have a very similar set of genetics between them.

As for bots and cons sharing the same body type, well that's just exactly what it sounds like and nothing else.

For instance, Animated Bumblebee shares the same body type with like 5 other characters, but they are in no way related.

The jets are all similar because they are paying homage to their commander's (Starscream's) form was a reason provided in the IDW verse.

Remember they are machines, and sometimes having one great design that works great in it's assigned tasks eliminates the need for additional designs. Why waste the time and effort to make a new sports car model/design when the Lamborghini model/design has served the Autobot cause so well in the past.

their bodies are kind of like clothes. especially if you follow the movieverse idea that they can just scan stuff willy-nilly to transform into.

the same body type - not related, related - different body types thing always threw me as a kid, but with BW and the introduction of Sparks and stuff, it does kind of make sense to me now.

Heres how I think TF genetics work out. Its all written into codes. Every family member shares the same code though, so their outside appearence isnt the same, but in the inside, their codes are. Besides, the stuff you see on Transformers arnt really them. Its just like their armor, they have stuff underneath, and thats what I think that "skin" looking stuff is on their faces. Like in Animated, the protoforms are just fleshy looking humanoid things, but once you put a spark in it and put some armor on top of it, it becomes a machine. Maybe TFs are just squishy machines with armor on them? Thats how I think of it.