Transmetals

This article is about the fictional robots of the Transformers series. For the metals, see transition metal. For other uses, see Transmetal (disambiguation).

Transmetals are a subgroup of the Beast Wars and Beast Machines characters in the fictional Transformers universe. Ordinary Transformers in the Beast Wars universe have a mechanical robot form and an organic animal form, also known as a "beast mode", which helped them deal with high Energon levels.^{[citation needed]} Transmetals on the other hand are Transformers that due to mutation caused by a powerful energy wave are highly resistant to Energon overload. This mutation also granted them additional abilities and a transport mode. The Transmetal subline of toys was released in 1998 in conjunction with Beast Wars' second and third seasons.

A more mutated form of Transmetals known as Transmetal 2 was introduced later in the Beast Wars storyline, with toys released in 1999.

Background

Planetbuster

Prior to the arrival of the Transformers on Earth during Beast Wars, an alien race known as the Vok had been performing experiments on the planet. These experiments were contaminated with the Transformers arrival resulting in the Vok deciding to destroy Earth with the Planetbuster, a weapon that they had disguised as one of Earth's moons.

Before the Planetbuster could complete its mission, the leader of the Maximals, Optimus Primal, managed to destroy the weapon. The resulting destruction of the Planetbuster caused a powerful energy wave known as the Quantum Surge to spread throughout space and time. This Quantum Surge when it hit the Earth caused the mutation of several of the Transformers rendering them into what became known as "Transmetals". These Transmetals had gained extra abilities along with a vehiclar transport mode. The Quantum Surge also altered the basis of the Transmetals themselves rendering them invisible from Vok devices such as the "Metalhunter".

Series synopsis

In the first season episode "Beast Wars: Part 1" the Maximals and Predicons land on a planet (established in "Coming of the Fuzors: Part 1 to be prehistoric Earth) that is full of energon, which, can be used as a power source for Transformers, but damages them when exposed to too much of the substance. To compensate for this both factions scan the local lifeforms to create organic "beast modes", which can allow them to be on the planet's surface and around the energon without fear. In the season two episode "Aftermath" the destruction of a Vok (an alien race who were experimmening on prehistoric Earth) weapon irradiated the Transformer space-ships Axalon and Darksyde. The effects of the energy resulted in the characters Cheetor, Megatron, Rattrap, and Tarantulas, gaining Transmetal forms, and each of them developed robotic features in their beast mode. When Rampage was revived on Earth in "Bad Spark" he was also transmetal. Optimus Primal, who had sacrificed his life to destroy the Planet Buster, had his lifeforce (referred to as a "spark") into a new protoform in "Coming of the Fuzors: Part 2" which incidentally also was a transmetal.

Two other transmetals would be introduced through out the series: Transmutate, who appeared and died in a season two episode of the same name, and Depth Charge, a Maximal introduced in the season three episode "Deep Metal".

In the episodes Revelations, Part I and II of Beast Machines, it is shown the Maximals lost their Transmetal forms after being exposed to a virus by Megatron, which reverted them back to their previous "beast modes".

Later fiction

In the Dreamwave More Than Meets the Eye guidebook series, the term Transmetal was expanded to include any Transformer with a metallic animal-themed alternate mode - for example the Dinobot leader Grimlock turned into a Transmetal Tyrannosaurus.

In the Transformers: Cybertron toyline, the character profile of Scourge, states that he has a "Transmetal claw" without expanding any further on it.

Transmetalized Beast Wars cartoon characters

Maximals

• Blackarachnia
• Cheetor
• Depth Charge
• Optimus Primal
• Rattrap

Predacons

• Megatron^{[citation needed]}
• Rampage^{[citation needed]}
• Tarantulas

Toys

The Transmetal sub-line of Beast Wars toys ran from 1998 to 2001.

McDonald's exclusive

• Blackarachnia
• Dinobot
• Scorponok

Basic class

• Claw Jaw
• Spittor

Deluxe class

• Airazor
• Airazor (Fox Kids exclusive)
• Cheetor
• Cheetor (Fox Kids exclusive)
• Metals Jaguar
• Metals Rattle (Puzzle exclusive)
• Rattrap
• Rattrap (Wal-Mart exclusive)
• Rattrap (Fox Kids exclusive)
• Rhinox

Deluxe class continued

• Rhinox (Fox Kids exclusive)
• Tarantulas
• Tarantulas (Fox Kids exclusive)
• Terrorsaur
• Tigatron
• Waspinator
• Waspinator (Fox Kids exclusive)

Mega class

• Inferno (same toy as Scavenger)
• Megatron
• Optimus Primal
• Scavenger

Ultra class

• Depth Charge
• Rampage

Super class

• Optimal Optimus