tf_bunny_farm | Holos, Transhumanists, and Wreckers, OH MY! (Reply)

A few bunnies have been stewing in my mind lately. I'll probably end up using a few of these later (especially #7), but I'm always willing to share and hopefully inspire others. Some of these may have shown up before, but I don't recall seeing them...

1. Drift driving, a popular human sport, also resembles a certain form of Cybertronian dance…

2. See Dragstrip. See Dragstrip fight Autobots. See Autobots blow up Dragstrip. See the Stunticons. See the Stunticons go out and find Dragstrip a new body. See Dragstrip, the drift car.

3. Bumblebee, the Matchmaker!

3.1. Or “How Spike Met Carly”

4. Wheeljack: *miffed* “I’m missing Misfits of Science because of your shenanigans!”

5. The Autobots and Decepticons’ reactions to the philosophy of transhumanism, a philosophy based on transcending human limitations through technology.

5.1. Perceptor and Wheeljack are invited to be speakers at a public lecture series on future studies and extropy.

5.2.   After the events of “Autobot Spike”, a transhumanist group finds out that the Autobots could upload human minds. Cue the following exchange…
           Mech 1: “What in the Pit is going on out there?”
           Mech 2: “There’s a group of humans outside that want to be upgraded to mechs!”
           Mech 1: “Are you slaggin’ serious?!”

5.2.1. …after being turned away by the Autobots over concerns for their safety, the group turns to the Decepticons. (Both Starscream and Shockwave are happy to have some new “test subjects”…)

6. Chip uses a Barbie doll to explain the scale differences between your average human and you average Transformer because someone-- *cough*Astoria*cough*-- brings up the possibility of a human/Transformer relationship.

7. Springer’s personal history prior to attending the Academy and becoming a Wrecker is one of those “delicate” subjects—as in, “ask and you will wake up in the med-bay…if you’re lucky”. Imagine his surprise when he walks into the rec room one day and finds a couple of mechs playing a new video game with a story that hits a bit too close to home for Springer… The game? MegaMan. [Inspired by The Protomen]

7.1. Continuing with this theme, remember how Mega Man was able to copy bosses’ special moves and powers?

7.1.1. Hot Rod: “You’ve had a Mega Buster Cannon and the ability to copy special powers this whole time?! Why the frag didn’t you use those before?!”
Springer: “I don’t want to talk about it right now…”

8. (G1/Jem crossover #1) As thanks for saving her from the Decepticons, Synergy gives the Autobots plans for creating solid state “holograms”. The science department decides to take their newly made prototype “holoforms” out for a little field test at a local mall…

8.1. Wheeljack: “See? I told you this would work! We blend in perfectly with the locals!”
Perceptor: “I’m not quite sure about that… In fact, I would say we’re drawing quite a bit of attention…”
Wheeljack: “What ‘cha mean, Percy?”
Perceptor: “Well, firstly, everyone keeps on calling you ‘Mac’ or asking you to create devices out of random collections of everyday items. Then there’s the fact that I’ve been mistaken for a Time Lord on a least twice! Really, I look nothing like the Doctor’s current incarnation… And just look what’s happening to poor Skyfire…”
Skyfire: (surrounded by a horde of teen girls) “Ladies, please! Control yourselves! My names not Dundee…And no, I’m not from the Outback!”

8.2. Just a couple of random thoughts but while we’re on the subject, why are holoforms almost always shown as being human? Why not have somebody with an animal alt, like Ravage or Razorclaw, show up as an animal? Or be anthromorphic (furry)? And why do holos already appear in “standard” clothing? Why not have them show up in armor (ala Mega Man or Halo)? Or, for even more amusement, have holoforms appear nude by default… >3

9. (G1/Jem idea #2): Jazz and/or Blaster puts the moves one Synergy. (Because you know one of them would try…)

10. Shortly after waking up on Earth, both the Autobots (and later on, the Decepticons…) allow their likenesses to be licensed and made into a line of toys for some quick publicity…and the royalty checks don’t hurt, either. The toy deal soon leads to a certain popular Saturday morning cartoon, a comic series, and then comes a movie…

10.1. The entire G1 series is actually a based on heavily censored and abridged account of the Transformers adventures on Earth during the 80’s as told by the Autobots, mainly because they were more inclined to talk with the humans rather than shoot them on sight. The events of the movie and the seasons that occurred afterwards were adapted from the information given by a time-displaced Ultra Magnus and Rodimus to explain both their origins and that of Galvatron. Part of the reason for all the plot-holes and continuity errors was because the series writers were using a vast collection of official reports, personal anecdotes, and interviews with a pre-selected group of the Autobots. There was also plenty of creative license taken to make the Autobots look like the clear-cut “good guys” and the Decepticons the “bad guys”, leaving out things like Thundercracker’s sympathy toward humans, the limited appearances of characters such as Buzzsaw, and toning down Sunstreaker’s sociopathy, partly due to executive meddling and partly because the Autobots’ were using the show as a form of propaganda… Hence why the tech spec blurbs, which had created earlier, often contradicted the series canon.

10.2. The differences between the cartoon, the Marvel US comic, and the UK comic arose because the writers of each were often working from different sets of reports and interviews.

11. Tie-in with #10: Why didn’t the Wreckers, except for Springer and Sandstorm, ever show up in the cartoon but got more ‘face time’ in the UK comics? Because the American censors considered their missions (and most of their members) too violent and moral unacceptable for kid’s show. Needless to say, some of them don’t appreciate this decision…