Transformers: Animated

Transformers: Animated
File:Transformersanimated.jpg The Autobots
Genre	Action Adventure Sci-Fi
Written by	Todd Casey Rich Fogel Henry Gilroy Steve Granat Marsha F. Griffin Kevin Hopps Marty Isenberg Andrew Robinson Michael Ryan
Directed by	Chris Berkeley Ben Jones Irineo Maramba Kintaro Mizuono Ciro Nieli Shunji Oga Keo Thongkham Matt Youngberg (supervising)
Composer	Sebastian Evans
Country of origin
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	29 (list of episodes)
Original release
Network	Cartoon Network Nickelodeon UK
Release	December 26, 2007 – present

Transformers: Animated is an American animated television series based on the Transformers toy line. The series is being produced at Cartoon Network Studios with animation being done at Japanese animation studios MOOK DLE, The Answer Studio (the Japanese studio who animated Super Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go!), and Studio 4°C. Formerly known by the working title, Transformers: Heroes, its simplified new title was designed to specifically distinguish it from the live-action film released in July 2007. The series made its debut on Cartoon Network on December 26, 2007. The series is also shown on NickToons in the UK since March 2008. Thus far, one 90-minute movie and 26 further episodes (to be broadcast in two 13-episode seasons). The first episode was due to be screened in full at the ‘’NTFA Mini-Con’’ in Arlöv, Sweden, on November 3rd and 4th, but Hasbro Inc (US) pulled out their approval of the screening of the full episode. The episode had to be cut down to the first 11 minutes.

Storyline

Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the rest of the Autobots battle Megatron and the Decepticons in the near future Detroit over control of the one thing that could determine the fate of the universe.

Production

Transformers featured in the show include Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Ultra Magnus, Prowl, Bulkhead, Ratchet and Starscream. The Optimus Prime of this series is much younger than previous incarnations. It was announced that David Kaye (best known for voicing the Megatrons of the Beast Era and the Unicron Trilogy) will provide his voice. Meanwhile, statements from Frank Welker suggest that voice actor, Corey Burton (Shockwave, Spike Witwicky, and Brawn from the original series) will provide the voice of Megatron in the show. Tom Kenny confirmed during an interview on IESB.net that he would be voicing Starscream and Tara Strong will be voicing a girl named Sari, one of the supporting human characters. Most of the Transformers will be seen in their Cybertronian (pre-Earth) modes at the beginning of the series. Kaye said that most of the characters outside the core cast (Prime, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Prowl, Ratchet) will be single-episode cameo appearances. He also strongly hinted that Waspinator might make an appearance. At BotCon 2007, David Kaye revealed the voice actors and announced that he would play Optimus Prime, Grimlock and Lugnut.

The show's supervising director is Matt Youngberg ( Teen Titans, The Batman) , with Cartoon Network vice-president Sam Register as executive producer and Vincent Aniceto as line producer. Additionally, Beast Machines writer Marty Isenberg is returning to Transformers as the head writer for this series. Art director/lead character designer Derrick Wyatt (Teen Titans, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Legion of Super Heroes) is creating a “brand new look” unlike anything seen in ‘’Transformers’’ before. The series is being distributed internationally by Entertainment Rights.

Cast and characters

Confirmed characters are:

Autobots

• Optimus Prime (David Kaye): The rookie de-facto leader of the Autobots on Earth, transforms into a futuristic fire truck, and wields a rocket-powered axe, as well as grappling hooks and a fire-dousing foam. Though he washed out of Autobot Academy and is a little green, he has the qualities of a born leader.
• Bumblebee (Bumper Robinson) : The youngest member of the group, ever eager and enthusiastic, occasionally to the point of overconfidence. He has a retractable battle mask and transforms into a yellow car similar to his Transformers Classics version. His best friends are Bulkhead and the human Sari, having been the first Autobot to meet her after saving her upon being reawakened, , continuing the tradition of Bumblebee being the designated human "guardian" figure. Priding himself on his speed, he occasionally sports turbo boosters, and produces electric stingers from his hands. He also proved to be too much of a big city bot as shown in "Nature Calls".
• Ratchet (Corey Burton): A seasoned Autobot medic and veteran of the war against the Decepticons. Gruff, protective and occasionally weary of the relative youngsters he is stationed with, his personality is very similar to that of G1 Kup. As usual, he transforms into an Ambulance, , and fights using a multi-purpose electro-magnetic field generator.
• Bulkhead (Bill Fagerbakke): Bulkhead is a gentle giant of an Autobot who transforms into a Green SWAT truck. Despite his size and intimidating appearance, he is the most laid-back and unassuming Autobot in personality and demeanor. Wielding two wrecking balls concealed in his hands, he is also the team's demolition specialist, a job to which he is somewhat suited due to his natural clumsiness.
• Prowl (Jeff Bennett): A lone wolf ninja-style Autobot who initially rejects teamwork and prefers to act on his own. However, he gradually learns to co-operate with and respect his Autobot teammates, his individualist approach to both combat and life in general remains a slight source of friction between himself and his more outgoing comrades. His alt-mode is a futuristic Motorcycle , and in battle he relies on shurikens that double up as stabbing weapons, as well as a diversionary hologram generator.
• Ultra Magnus (Jeff Bennett): Autobot Supreme Commander and member of the Cybertron Elite Guard. He and the Cybertron Elite Guard came to Earth to look for the Allspark. After a fragment of the Allspark was found, Ultra Magnus started to believe Optimus Prime's story. He transform into a missile carrier truck and wields a hammer capable of calling down lightning.
• Sentinel Prime (Townsend Coleman): A hot-headed and swaggering Autobot Officer and member of the Cybertron Elite Guard, who shares a mutual enmity with Optimus Prime, stemming from a botched joint expedition in the past. He wields an Energon shield and lance. His Cybertronian alt-mode is a truck. On Earth, he takes the disguise of a monster truck..
• Jazz (Phil LaMarr): One of the Autobots with a sports car alt-mode. He is a member the Cybertron Elite Guard and a skilled ninja, wielding nunchuks with great skill. Jazz is fascinated with Earth's culture and is the most easy-going member of the Elite Guard.
• Blurr (John Moschitta Jr.)
• Wreck-Gar (Weird Al Yankovic)
• Ironhide (Corey Burton): He is briefly seen in the episode "Mission Accomplished" reporting to Ultra Magnus about a Decepticon attack. His face greatly resembles his G1 counterpart. In Cartoon Network's Transformers Animated mini-game, for unknown reasons he is listed as a Decepticon (This might be foreshadowing, as Megatron has mentioned a double agent).
• Arcee (Susan Blu): Her robot mode is very similar in design to her G1 counterpart. In Ratchet's flashback, an E.M.P. conflict between him and Lockdown caused her to lose all of her memory. Her current status is unknown.
• Elita One: See Blackarachnia

Dinobots

Originally animatronic dinosaurs from a local Dino-Drive theme park, they were repaired by Professor Sumdac, with Megatron offering aid in an attempt to create a drone army via reverse technology, able to breathe fire. However, Sari's key affected the Dinobots during their initial rampage, making them actual Transformers with developing minds of their own. However, though beyond his control, Megatron did manage to have them bent on destroying the Autobots. They have reappeared in "Survival of the Fittest" where Prometheus Black manipulated them into capturing Sari for his experiments. They also had a small cameo in "Megatron Rising" Pt. 1 where Prowl asked them for help against the Decepticon army, and again in "The Elite Guard", where they attacked Sentinel Prime for trespassing on their island, only to be frightened off by Ultra Magnus. Among the featured Dinobots are:

• Grimlock (David Kaye) : Leader of the Dinobots, transforms into a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and wields a sword engulfed in flames. He can also fire flames from his mouth.
• Snarl: Member of the Dinobots. Transforms into a Triceratops; wields a club. Like Grimlock, he has fire breath and his horns can fire a tri-laser.
• Swoop: Member of the Dinobots. Transforms into a Pteranodon, wields a flail engulfed in flame, this is shown in "The elite guard" and has a sonic scream that can short out audio sensors.

Decepticons

• Megatron (Corey Burton): The cold, calculating, and manipulative leader of the Decepticons, who transforms into a Cybertronian Fusion Jet Fighter, and later a tiltrotor gunship similar to a V-22 Osprey. Megatron's presence in the show is, at least to begin with, relatively marginal, after a skirmish with the Autobots over the Allspark in the pilot episode leaves him all but destroyed. His disembodied head, however, is recovered and sustained by the inventor Isaac Sumdac in his private lab, where, through subtle manipulation of Sumdac and his technology, Megatron is able to persist covertly with his schemes, all the while working towards the creation of a new body of his own, until his old body was recovered and Sari's key allowed Megatron to be fully revived. In keeping with tradition, Megatron's primary weapon remains his arm-mounted fusion cannon; however, he now also wields twin swords, which in his Earth mode transform from his rotors.
• Starscream (Tom Kenny): Much in the spirit of his G1 counterpart, Starscream is a sarcastic, treacherous and two-faced usurper, who desires to be the leader of the Decepticons by overthrowing Megatron. However, his attempt ultimately backfired. As with all previous incarnations of the character, he transforms into a fighter jet, armed with his signature null-rays. He was badly hurt in "Megatron Rising" by Megatron, who had learned of Starscream's treachery. He has since become immortal due to a piece of the Allspark imbedded in his head.
• Blitzwing (Bumper Robinson): One of the loyal troops of Megatron and an unstable, Teutonically-accented Triple Changer (Tank, Jet, Robot) with a new spin — a split personality and changing faces to match his personalities. His personalities define his powers, and includes a cool, sneering face with a dismissive, superior attitude and ice beams; a belligerent, aggressive face that deals in threats and flame-blasts, and finally, a crazed Jack-o-Lantern-esque face that is almost child-like in its psychotic exuberance, which utilizes laser pellet blasts. These personalities are represented by a spinning face gimmick on the toy as well as in the show, similar to past Transformers characters the Quintessons and Alpha Q, as well as the He-Man character Man-E-Faces.
• Lugnut (David Kaye): A hulking brute of a Decepticon whose immense physical strength is matched only by his near-fanatical devotion to Megatron and his cause. Lugnut has missiles for hands, and the alt-mode of a futuristic bomber jet. Until the episode "Megatron Rising Part 1", he was the only Decepticon that Megatron had made contact with upon arrival.
• Blackarachnia (Cree Summer): Her alt-mode is a black-purple techno-organic spider . Once a promising young Autobot Academy recruit named Elita One, a former friend of Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime until a horrific event led to her becoming a techno-organic being with a hatred for Optimus and desire to return to normal by any means. In keeping with her hybrid nature, her arsenal combines organic venom-tipped paralyzing fangs with her in-built robotic ability to temporarily download and mimic the abilities of others. She attempted to use Sari's key to fix this, but this failed.
• Soundwave (Jeff Bennett): A cold, emotionless Decepticon who desires the overthrow of all organic life at the hands of machines, who he holds as being logically superior. Though he eventually takes the alt-mode of a vehicle similar to a Scion xB, he was originally designed by Megatron to be disguised as a musical toy, and as such, his powers are based around sound and music generators, which enable him to control and manipulate other machines. He has the same heavily mechanized monotone voice as the original G1 version.
• Oil Slick: Little is known about this Decepticon at the moment, save for the fact that he transforms into a gothic-stylized motorcycle, and is armed with a chain weapon. Nor has any Voice Actor been confirmed for the character. His existence first came to light when his toy was displayed at Toy Fair 2007..

Constructicons

Confirmed to appear in Season 2 of the series, via the episode summaries on Cartoon Network's website. The Constructicons are a group of Construction robots brought to life by stray Allspark energy. Initially they befriend the Autobot, Bulkhead. But are quickly targeted by the Decepticons for darker purposes. Only one Constructicon has been confirmed so far, voiced by Tom Kenny, though no character name has been given.

Aliens And Other Transformers

• Space Barnacles: Alien creatures that latch on machines and feed on energy. When Prowl, Bumblebee, and Sari investigate a Cybertronian energy signature, they encountered a mutated version of the Space Barnacles, later revealed to have taken control of the remanants of Megatron's body (which the barnacles had attached with some construction vehicles onto) once the Barnacles were disposed of.
• Lockdown (Lance Henriksen): He may not be a Decepticon, but he is a deeply mercenary and cruelly sardonic rogue bounty hunter for hire who only aids the Decepticons in return for spare parts to upgrade himself. His alt-mode is a muscle-car combination of a 1980s style black Corvette and 1960s Cougar hybrid design with a Supercharger, and wields a vast arsenal of weapons and upgrades stolen from past victims.

Humans

Allies

File:Sarisumdac.jpg

Sari Sumdac

• Sari Sumdac (Tara Strong): The 8-year old daughter of Dr. Sumdac, Sari lived a sheltered life until she befriends the Autobots after they saved her upon reawakening. She is the primary source of information regarding Earth's customs. The security card she carries becomes a curative spark key after her encounter with the Allspark, allowing her to revive Transformers. Her key sometimes shines and makes a wooshing when trouble is near. She is an intelligent girl, with a mischievous streak (once using her AllSpark-enhanced key card to frighten Bumblebee while telling a ghost story), but she also has a kind heart. She has a robot dog named Sparkplug, in homage to the human character in the original cartoon. Sari found an abandoned factory owned by her father as a base of operations for the Autobots so that they could stay there instead of always being on The Ark beneath Lake Erie. She soon becomes good friends with Bumblebee, often prompting him to try new things; sometimes just to see what he is capable of even though she intends no harm towards him. At the end of the events of "The Elite Guard", it was revealed by Porter "Camaro" Powell that Sari has no birth certificate or anything that proves that she is Isaac Sumdac's daughter, or that she even exists. This forces her to move in with the Autobots.
• Dr. Isaac Sumdac (Tom Kenny): Father of Sari Sumdac, he is a good-natured but scatter-brained scientist who designs and tests robots at Sumdac Tower. Fifty years ago, Isaac found Megatron after he crashed onto Earth. It is through studying Megatron that many of Sumdac's technologies are introduced. He is convinced by Megatron (who until now had been inactive and silent) to keep his existence from his "friends" (the Autobots) a secret until Megatron can get a new body built; unaware of the true origins & motivations of the Decepticon leader. While he did not like that Megatron added the fire-breathing capability to the Dinobots without telling him about it first, he was sympathetic in understanding that Megatron was simply experimenting with the Earth technology in order to make a new body for himself. But when he learned about the Decepticon's true origins, he was horrified and began to regret what he was doing. After the events of "Megatron Rising" Pt. 2, Megatron is holding Sumdac captive, forcing him to help construct a Space Bridge back to Cybertron.
• Captain Fanzone (Jeff Bennett): A police officer who dislikes new, advanced machines, including the Autobots in general. In "Survival of the Fittest," he was forced to team up with Prowl (who Fanzone later respects) and Bulkhead at the time when they went to Dinobot Island to investigate a lead on Sari's kidnapping which was orchestrated by Meltdown.

Villains

• The Angry Archer (Jeff Bennett): A Robin Hood-styled human villain who uses a bow and arrows (with the arrows being somewhat similar to Green Arrow's trick arrows) to commit crimes until he was captured by Optimus Prime and given to the authorities. He appeared briefly in "Home Is Where The Spark Is".
• Nino Sexton/Nanosec (Brian Posehn): Appeared in the episode of same title. Nino Sexton is a petty crook who Megatron drafted to help him acquire Destronium to recreate his body. The reward was all the money from Dr. Sumdac's private account. He provided Sexton with Sumdac's experimental speed suit, which enables the user to speed-skate at blurring speeds. However, overuse of the suit's abilities results in Sexton's body displaying symptoms of old age. Only a recently upgraded Bumblebee (with Sari’s help) could match Nanosec’s speed, tricking the crook into chasing after him until he completely aged to a weak old man.
• Prometheus Black/Meltdown (Peter Stormare): Appeared in the episode "Total Meltdown". Prometheus Black is a biotechnology engineer who attempts to replace robots on the Detroit police department with humans with bioamplification tech. After Cyrus Rhodes went wild upon his attack on Bumblebee, his funding was cut by Porter C. Powell. Prometheus Black developed acidic powers after experimenting with some of Bumblebee's hydraulic fluid and then accidentally spilling it on himself. He could melt through practically anything (except his own anti-melting suit). Only by Ratchet containing him in a magnetic field was he stopped from assassinating Sumdac. He returned in "Survival of the Fittest" forcing the Dinobots to attack intruders while he was working on a way to create transforming humans, failing on adult subjects so he kidnapped Sari. He was beaten after Fanzone tied an acid-proof blanket around his body.
  • Cyrus "the Colossus" Rhodes (Corey Burton): He also first appeared in "Total Meltdown". A wrestler who uses biotech steroids provided by Prometheus Black (who Cyrus works for as Prometheus' henchman) to grow in size and strength. When not powered by the steroids, he appears as a small old man with gray hair. His name is a reference to the Colossus of Rhodes.
  • Fish Mutant: One of two mutants seen working with Meltdown in "Survival of the Fittest." It was defeated by the Dinobots along with another mutant and Colossus Rhodes. It's very similar to the Decepticon pretender Submarauder in appearance.
  • Mammal Mutant: One of two mutant experiments of Meltdown in an attempt to make transforming humans. Meltdown mentioned that it used to be his lawyer. It was defeated alongside the Fish Mutant and Cyrus Rhodes by the Dinobots in robot mode. It's highly reminiscent of the Decepticon Pretender Bomb-Burst in appearance.
• Professor Princess (Kath Soucie): A villain who appears during the episode "Sound and Fury". Her appearance is that of a young girl riding on a model horse called Powdered Sugar (who is similar to a My Little Pony), and she uses toy-themed weaponry. Her only motivation so far seems to be the destruction of violent toys. She was defeated by Bulkhead (whom she believed was a giant toy) who decapitated Powdered Sugar.
• Henry Masterson/Headmaster (Alexander Polinsky): An ex-employee of Sumdac who got fired for his Headmaster exosuit being a potential war machine which Sumdac Systems doesn't make. Using Bulkhead's body, Headmaster held the city hostage to promote his invention by taking over the power plant. Though the day was saved, the Headmaster escaped when he activated his "back-up systems" and changed into a small robot (similar to the original Headmasters). He later returns when he was rehired by Powel C. Porter, with his criminal actions nulled, to spearhead Sumdac Systems' entry into the military weapons business, with Masterson taking Sentinel Prime's body for his experiment. After being caught, Captain Fanzone was unable to arrest him due the various loopholes Porter pointed out.
• Porter C. Powell (Bumper Robinson): He is the Chairman of Directors at Sumdac Systems. He was first seen when he cut off Prometheus Black's experiment fundings. After Isaac Sumdac was abducted by Megatron, Porter had disapproval of Sari running the company in his absence. After he found no legal documents on Sari Sumdac, he ended up taking over as the CEO of Sumdac Systems as a result. Once CEO, Powell hires Henry Masterson to use his Headmaster units to begin Sumdac Systems' entry into military weapons making, using loopholes to keep Masterson from being arrested.

Locations

• Detroit: The Autobots and Decepticons end up here, and the battle of good against evil is renewed in this future city on Earth. Instead of the Motor City, it has now become the "Robot City" due to Sumdac's robotic creations.
  • Sumdac Tower: The largest tower in Detroit where Isaac Sumdac designs and tests his robot creations, which was also the resting place of Megatron's severed head before he was revived. Its appearance is that of a giant spark plug.
  • Abandoned Automobile Plant: The current headquarters of the Autobots as it was unused property of Sumdac's.
• Dinobot Island: Small isolated island in middle of Lake Erie where the Dinobots are living.
• The Autobot Ship: The Autobot ship, crippled by the Decepticon's attack and crash-landed in Lake Erie. Its main computer system has a female-voiced persona known as Teletraan I, which is the same name of the Autobot computer system in G1. When Blitzwing and Lugnut arrived on Earth to search for Megatron and the Allspark, Ratchet and Sari used it's (until then deactivated) weapon systems to battle the Decepticons. In "Megatron Rising" (part 2), the ship flew again, only to be shot down and crash into the crater mountainside of Dinobot Island (similar to the crash of the Autobot ship in G1).
• The Decepticon Warship: Megatron's flagship, which dwarfs the Ark in size. On the verge of destruction, all the Decepticons except Starscream, who discovers that his fellow Decepticons left him behind, abandoned it. He managed to survive and pilot its remains for fifty years until he eventually homes in on the Allspark on Earth. The ship later crash-landed on the moon where it resides currently.
• The Cybertron Elite Guard's Ship: Similar to the ship of Optimus Prime's crew, only larger and light blue in color, Ultra Magnus and his team landed with this ship in Detroit.
• Carbon Mines: The site far from Detroit where Megatron's body ended up. After their defeat, Megatron relocated here with Lugnut and Blitzwing for repairs, because the carbon protects them from detection. Professor Sumdac is held there currently, in a special cell.
• Cybertron: Home-Planet of the Transformers.

External links

• Official site
• Transformers: Animated - Transformers Animated.com
• Transformers Animated News Latest Transformers Animated News
• IGN's review
• YTV - Transformers: Animated YTV Canada's Transformers Animated Webpage