A History of the Transformers
In the Beginning ...
Date Unknown
The Transformers (US #1 / UK #1)
The Transformers "evolve" on the planet Cybertron.
Date Unknown
The Autobot Overlords rule over the Cybertron as autocrats. Their realm gradually transforms itself into a loose collection of independant states. With a growing population, the Transformers battle over fuel. The strongest three of the new city states were Iacon, ruled by a High Council which rationed fuel to its disadvantaged neighbours; Tarn, ruled by Shockwave; and Vos, whose figurehead was Starscream. The latter two states had vast armies. To reduce the tension between states, the last Overlord introduced the State Games - athletic contests between the states. It backfired, increasing tension.
[According to State Games (1986 Annual).]
State Games (1986 Annual)
Optimus Prime intervenes in a gladiatorial combat to save Sunstreaker from Megatron. Soon afterwards, a war begins between Vos and Tarn after agents from Vos destroy one of Tarn's power plants. During the conflict, the last Autobot Overlord dies. The war ends when Vos and Tarn destroy each other. Not long after this, Megatron founds the Decepticons. The original members were refugee survivors of the war.
[The story happens shortly before Megatron founds the Decepticons.]
c.4,001,000 BC
The Transformers (US #1 / UK #1)
Megatron and the Decepticons begin a war against the Autobots. The war shakes Cybertron loose from its orbit around Alpha Centurai, [although the real cause is probably something different].
[The war is said to last for over a thousand years before the Ark is built.]
Date Unknown
Flashback: The Enemy Within (UK #15)
Two Decepticons, a rebel and a traitor, claim their right to trial by combat. These two, Earthquake and Tornado, kill each other in the course of the combat.
[This was after the Decepticons were founded, but before the Ark left Cybertron.]
c. 4,000,000 BC
The Transformers (US #1 / UK #1)
Cybertron is travelling through Earth's solar system, when it nears the asteroid belt. The Autobot Elders are informed of the danger and Optimus Prime volunteers to lead a force to blast a way through the asteroid belt.
c. 4,000,000 BC
Flashback: Warrior School (US #7 / UK #26)
Shockwave plans the Decepticon attack on the Ark and lays out the plan. He volunteers to stay on the Decepticon spacecraft as a back-up, and Megatron [privately] swears to destroy him for this after the battle.
c. 4,000,000 BC
The Transformers (US #1 / UK #1)
Flashback: Raiders of the Last Ark (UK #18)
The Decepticons attack when the Autobots have finished destroying the asteroids and are still weak from the effort. Optimus Prime, prompted by the Ark's sentient computer Auntie, realises that the Autobots cannot win and crashes their spacecraft, The Ark, into the third planet, Earth. It hits Mount St Hillary, a dormant volcano in what would become the US State of Oregon.
[Auntie's role comes from the flashback in Raiders of the Last Ark (UK#18). This is said to be over 4,000,000 years ago here, and the figure is given as 4,000,000 years ago in pretty much every other story.]
c. 4,000,000 BC
Flashback: Warrior School (US #7 / UK #26)
Shockwave leaves the Decepticon ship in orbit and travels to Earth to investigate what happened to the Ark. However, radiation belts around the Earth affected his guidance systems. Instead of landing near Mount St Hilary, he landed in the Savage Land in Antarctica.
c. 4,000,000 BC
Flashback: The Last Stand (US #4 / UK #8)
The Ark detects a Transformer in Antarctica. It dispatches a probe to investigate. The probe confirms that the Decepticon is Shockwave. The Ark rebuilds five Autobots to resemble the dinosaurs inhabiting the area and sends them to confront Shockwave.
[This was said to have been shortly after the Ark crashed.]
c. 4,000,000 BC
Flashback: Repeat Performances (US #7 / UK #27)
Flashback: Warrior School (US #7 / UK #26)
Flashback: Robot Buster part 2 (UK #60)
The Dinobots arrive in the Savage Land and attack Shockwave. The battle ends with the Dinobots sinking in a tar pit and Shockwave buried under a cliff-sized rock fall.
[The flashback from Warrior School shows only one panel of the fight. The flashback from Robot Buster shows Shockwave being buried under the rock. The flashback from Repeat Performances shows the entire fight.]
? 1017
Flashback: Man of Iron Chapter 1 (UK #9 / US #33)
Godwin the Strongarm beseiges Stansham Castle. There is an earth tremor, and the Man of Iron appears, apparently from nowhere, causing the attackers to cower in fear.
[The date is given in a caption. However, in reality, Castles were only built after the Norman conquest of 1066.]
1070
An illuminated manuscript is created. It contains a picture of the Man of Iron.
[We see the picture in Man of Iron Chapter 1(UK #9/ US #33), and Roy Harker dates it. This is said to have been one of three recorded appearances of the Man of Iron.]
1952
Flashback: Prisoner of War (US #4 / UK #5-6)
Sparkplug Witwicky was a prisoner of war during the Korean War. He was forced to help repair North Korean vehicles, but sabotaged their fuel lines and brake systems.
[A caption gives the date. Sparkplug also refers to this in Prisoner of War (UK #5 / US #3).]
? 1960
The curator of Stansham Castle discovers the illuminated manuscript containing a picture of the Man of Iron.
[This was twenty five years before Man of Iron Chapter 1 (UK #9 / US #33).]
Copyright
Transformers and most of the characters that appeared in Transformers stories are both copyrighted and trademarked by Hasbro. A few are copyrighted and trademarked by Marvel Comics. No infringement of copyright or trademarks is intended. All material on this site is my own work unless stated otherwise. The drop-down menus were created from templates on CSS Play.
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