Transformers Legacy toyline

[Dake]

It's always tricky having GI Joe and Transformers coexist in the same universe because the latter element escalates things immediately. It's hard to isolate and ignore it for the sake of telling GI Joe stories. They're the elephant in the room that always has to be acknowledged because why would a special military strike force not be deployed to deal with this sort of thing?

Unless you keep it to early stages of Infiltration protocol, and culminate with the GI Joes or Cobra or both stumbling upon the facsimiles used by the Decepticons. But from there the state of play has to change. Transformers becomes the Poochie of the world GI Joe inhabits.

Which isn't bad per se because there's plenty of stories to be told with that interaction, but it's a pervasive undercurrent for GI Joe stories that will have to be accounted for. Just shared universe things.

Marvel has been doing it with the Avengers for ages now. Why wasn't the Hulk or Thor or Iron Man called in? Oh, they're in space. In the end, it's still a big planet and humans are still gonna "human" leaving plenty for the Joe team to do.

If nothing else, the fact that these aliens are able to convert at will means most "action" can appear anywhere and disappear just as quickly leaving even the Joes unable to respond in time.

 

[lastmaximal]

I think it's workable enough on a per-story basis (response and travel time alone would be a big card to play), but it's not the sort of thing that can keep happening that way and just be ignored. Before long it's "some highly trained special mission force, lol".

But like I said and to your point, the robots in disguise element can be leveraged if the coexistence is mostly done while the Cybertronians are in infiltration mode. That keeps the Transformers unknown/undiscovered and hiding, and turns it into a mystery the Joes need to track down over time rather than repeated "Dangit, just missed 'em".

 

[Undead Scottsman]

It's a problem of scale.

If the Transformers fight is just a handful of bots beating the crap out of each other in a city, that's bad but not world ending. Likewise whatever random shootout between Cobra and GI Joe probably isn't going to hit the radar of the Transformers

However, if Megatron is summoning Cybertron into Earth's orbit, causing global devastation, then you'd start to wonder why GI Joe isn't trying to get involved. Likewise when Cobra gets their hands on a weather control machine or doomsday device, you'd think the Autobots would take notice, if for no other reason than they'd have to suspect the Decepticons were behind it at first.

 

[Shadewing]

I think it's workable enough on a per-story basis (response and travel time alone would be a big card to play), but it's not the sort of thing that can keep happening that way and just be ignored. Before long it's "some highly trained special mission force, lol".

But like I said and to your point, the robots in disguise element can be leveraged if the coexistence is mostly done while the Cybertronians are in infiltration mode. That keeps the Transformers unknown/undiscovered and hiding, and turns it into a mystery the Joes need to track down over time rather than repeated "Dangit, just missed 'em".

That's kinda how EU is handling it so far. Duke actually seen, and survived an attack by Starscream. He knows that there is a jet that can shift to a humanoid form, but nothing more then that. He's determined to track it down and who manufacuted it becuase he just thinks its human made and why wouldn't he? But largely no one believes him, but its better to keep an eye on him with his own team then let him do things on his own, as the Duke miniseries shows.

 

[LordGigaIce]

For that matter, with Prime's MECH, we have a VENOM analogue all ready to go.

I just wish that some of these groups stuck around after the series that spawned them. MECH is cool. Why not use it in other stories?

Like... would Earthspark have been any lesser if, instead of GHOST, they used Sector 7? blah blah Bayverse... I'm just talking about reusing the name. If only to establish some consistent mythos across the brand instead of all of these same-but-different groups that every re-invention creates only to see them go unused as soon as the next thing comes up.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

It's probably because nearly all of those agencies aren't terribly interesting in and of themselves. Sometimes you get an interesting character, like Silas, but overall, they're treated as interchangable because they basically are.

 

[Sabrblade]

It likely boils down simply to "Everyone has their own idea that they want to add in as their own personal contribution, but it turns out it's all the same idea because no one does checks and balances on each other."

 

[LordGigaIce]

It likely boils down simply to "Everyone has their own idea that they want to add in as their own personal contribution, but it turns out it's all the same idea because no one does checks and balances on each other."

Right. Like... there needs to be someone going "oh you want to include a US government agency that works with or keeps tabs on the Transformers? We have this, you should use it."

Again, not the biggest fan of the Bayverse but it seems like the franchise could solidify some of its mythology if they went "ok Sector 7 is going to be our secret government agency, MECH is for human baddies," etc...

It's not that I want everything to be the same but like.... Batman is always being reinvented and re-interpreted but it's not like every new version of Batman comes up with a new GCPD commissioner that just has the same basic character and function as Gordon.

The franchise can both grow in new directions and solidify its mythos at the same time.

It's probably because nearly all of those agencies aren't terribly interesting in and of themselves. Sometimes you get an interesting character, like Silas, but overall, they're treated as interchangable because they basically are.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. The EDC, Sector 7, Skywatch, GHOST, UNIT-E, and MECH aren't terribly interesting on their own, which is why there's always a new org that basically does the same thing in the next revamp.

At the same time though, none of them will be interesting enough to build on if someone doesn't take the time to make one of them memorable enough to become a reoccurring element in the franchise.

 

[Shadewing]

Everyone alsways forgets RAAT.

 

[unluckiness]

If we’re going by the Batman comparison, all these organizations are more like the dozens of generic, vaguely Mafia dudes Batman’s always beating up in between fighting The Joker or Bane or evil multiverse Batmen. They're not memorable enough or significant enough to warrant the writer to dredge up the back issues so they just make up a near-identical version. At the end of the day, all they need are some unambiguous bad guys to shoot at the protagonist for a few panels then get handily defeated in time for the proper supervillain to enact their latest doomsday plan.

 

[Sabrblade]

At least BotBots had the courtesy to reuse Sector Seven for its cartoon.

 

[wonko the sane?]

At least BotBots had the courtesy to reuse Sector Seven for its cartoon.

So... you got induction duty, yeah?

Yup.

So... pile of puke that transforms...

Yup... I've already put in an application for area 51. I am NOT paid enough for this crap. The giant ones were one thing, but having your hamburger scream when you try to bite it. Three friggen xeno incursions so far, and it was MY LUNCH that gave me PTSD.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Everyone alsways forgets RAAT.

I prefer RATT, personally.

 

[Undead Scottsman]

I prefer RAD.

He's here to tell you about the Traaaaaaansformers!

 

[lastmaximal]

RIP, Kirby Morrow.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: They are big guys, yes, but not as big as Cityformers like Fort Max and Metroplex. They're more like the height of Combiners.

In all fairness, Cityformers like Fort Max and Metroplex aren't as big as Cityformers like Fort Max and Metroplex, at least where the toys are concerned.

A Star Convoy in that size range would probably still be more accurate to scale than they are. Not to mention the Ark and the Nemesis.

And let's not even get into the likes of Unicron and Primus, whose earlier figures were smaller than Titan Class...

That said, there are smaller Titan class figures, too. I could see Star Convoy matching a Devastator or an Omega Supreme or even a Cybertron Universe Metroplex easily enough.

 

[RichardT519]

Imagine how crazy the IDW Hasbroverse would have been if they'd brought in Air Raiders...

(Aside from Starscream or Thundercracker inevitably getting a Hawkwind altmode)

 

[unluckiness]

Stores here are putting up preorders for a Siege Omega Supreme reissue.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

BBTS has it listed too. $200, due for next fall.

 

[wonko the sane?]

Oh my god! The local TRU finally got some new transformers in!

(they filled out the shelf space with transformers authentics.)

*head desk*