Once the Federal Communications Commission did away with regulations that prohibited toy companies from broadcasting cartoons based on their products in 1984, the way was cleared for a new product-based television program.
Hasbro had previously worked with Marvel Comics to develop G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero for a three-pronged marketing scheme - the toyline, a tie-in comic book by Marvel, and an animated mini-series co-produced by Marvel's media arm Marvel Productions and the Griffin-Bacal Advertising Agency's Sunbow Productions animation studio. Given the success of that strategy, the process was repeated in 1984 when Hasbro marketing vice president Bob Prupis approached Marvel to develop their new robot series, which Jay Bacal dubbed "Transformers".
Marvels Editor-in-Chief at the time, Jim Shooter, produced a rough story concept for the series, creating the idea of the two warring factions of alien robots – the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. To flesh out his concept Shooter called upon veteran editor Dennis O'Neil to create character names and profiles for the cast, but O'Neils work for whatever reason did not meet with Hasbros expectations. They requested heavy revisions which O'Neill declined to make, the project was also turned down by several writers and editors approached by Shooter until editor Bob Budiansky accepted the task. Hastily performing the revisions over a weekend, Budianskys new names and profiles were a hit with Hasbro, and production began on a bi-monthly four-issue comic book miniseries and three-part television pilot.
Japanese designer Shohei Kohara was responsible for creating the earliest character models for the Transformers cast, greatly humanising the toy designs to create more approachable robot characters for the comic and cartoon. His designs were subsequently simplified by Floro Dery, who went on to become the lead designer for the series creating many more concepts and designs in the future.

More Than Meets the Eye pilot / mini-series

The three-part mini-series was animated by Japan's famous Toei Animation studio, and it first aired in the United States in September 1984, then in the United Kingdom in early 1985. The pilot introduced Optimus Prime's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons, transplanting them from their metallic homeworld of Cybertron to present-day Earth, where they warred for the resources that would take them back home. The conclusion of the series has the Decepticons defeated and the Autobots poised to return to Cybertron, but this was blurred somewhat when the series was picked up for continuation, and the Autobots remained on the planet to protect it from renewed Decepticon threats.

Season 1

Thirteen further episodes were commissioned for the first season of the series and the pilot was re-aired, now with the title "More Than Meets the Eye." Running from September to December 1984 the series established important new concepts that would persist through the rest of its run, such as the Decepticon Space Bridge and featured the debuts of several new characters that would be available in the toyline the following year.

Season 2

With the first season having proved a great success a second season was created with the intent of getting the series into syndication and hence consisted of a mammoth 49 episodes (complete with a new version of the theme song). This brought the total episodes produced up to the required number of 65. Whereas the first season had functioned episodically with a general continuity to its episodes requiring that they be viewed in a certain order, season 2 and its syndication goals saw this method of storytelling dropped in favor of single-episode tales mostly without lasting repercussions. Hence it coud be watched in any order that networks chose to air them in. These episodes often served to spotlight single characters and flesh them out more and Season 2 certainly needed that, given that it introduced a slew of new troops, this was one of the stranger things the cartoon added as it offered no explanation for where any of these new characters came from.

The Movie

1986 would prove to be a big year for Transformers with the summer release of Transformers: The Movie. Although a critical and box-office flop, the movie was a turning point for the animated series universe. Jumping the action forward twenty years to the then future of 2005 and introducing a new cast of characters. Free of the restrictions of television the movie featured many character deaths, as the old guard were wiped out to make room for the next generation of toys.

Episode More Than Meets the Eye (Part 1) More Than Meets the Eye (Part 2) More Than Meets the Eye (Part 3) Transport to Oblivion Roll for it Divide and Conquer Fire in the Sky S.O.S. Dinobots Fire on the Mountain War of the Dinobots The Ultimate Doom (part 1) The Ultimate Doom (part 2) The Ultimate Doom (part 3) Countdown to Extinction A Plague of Insections Heavy Metal War December

Air Date September 17, 1984 September 18, 1984 September 19, 1984 October 6, 1984 October 13, 1984 October 20, 1984 October 27, 1984 November 3, 1984 November 10, 1984 November 17, 1984 November 24, 1984 December 1, 1984 December 8, 1984 December 15, 1984 December 22, 1984 December 29, 1984

Season 1 Intro
Season 1 Close

Episodes 1 to 3


Episode 1. More Than Meets the Eye (Part One)
Episode 2. More Than Meets the Eye (Part Two)
Episode 3. More Than Meets the Eye (Part Three)


1. More Than Meets The Eye Part 1

On the planet Cybertron, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons are engaged in a bitter war, which threatens the survival of themselves and their home planet. In a search to bring energy back to Cybertron, the Autobots leave Cybertron to find a planet with a rich source of energy to revitalize the planet. The Decepticons pursue the Autobots and they crash land here on Earth. Four million years later the Autobots and Decepticons are reactivated. The Autobots and Decepticons resume their search for the energy. Optimus Prime sends Hound and Cliffjumper to find the Decepticons and find out what they are up to. They find out that the Decepticons plan to plunder Earth of its energy resources and store them into energon cubes to be taken back to Cybertron in a newly built space cruiser. When Hound and Cliffjumper leave to report this information to the Autobots, the Decepticon Soundwave ejects Lazerbeak to stop the Autobots. Hound crashes off a cliff, but is fixed up afterwards then tells the others of the Decepticon's plan. Optimus Prime assembles a battle unit to go after the Decepticons. The Decepticons attack a construction site and the human workers there. The Autobots arrive to stop them, but Megatron destroys the construction site and escapes with the energon cubes that the Decepticons collected. What is worse is that the construction site is set on fire and two humans (Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky) are trapped in the debris.

More Than Meets The Eye Part 2

After saving Spike, Sparkplug, and the other workers at the construction site, the Autobots befriend Spike and Sparkplug who agree to teach the Autobots about Earth. On their tour of Autobot headquarters, Spike finds a tape player, which is actually the Decepticon Soundwave who has come to gain knowledge of Earth's resources. After being found out, Soundwave's cat cassette Ravage is captured by the Autobots. Soundwave returns to Decepticon headquarters to report what he has found out about Earth. Megatron plans to create a tidal wave at Sherman Dam to get more energy for his energon cubes. The Autobots arrive and try to stop the Decepticons, but to no avail as the Decepticons escape with more energon cubes. Megatron and the Decepticons next target are the ruby crystal mines of Burma. The Autobots send in Sparkplug and Bumblebee to plant a bomb in the mines and destroy the Decepticons. The plan backfires and Sparkplug and Bumblebee are caught by Skywarp and Thundercracker. Optimus Prime goes to investigate, but is caught in the explosion and rolls down the hill.

More Than Meets The Eye Part 3

The Autobots fix up Optimus Prime and rescue Sparkplug and Bumblebee from the mines. The Decepticons leave the mines with more energon cubes. Ironhide gets furious and goes after them, but is followed by Bluestreak. Ironhide gets injured in the fight and the Autobots return to headquarters. The Autobots discover that the Decepticon's last target will be a rocket base to get some rocket fuel for their new space cruiser to take the energon cubes back to Cybertron and conquer the planet. Hound decides to trick the Decepticons into coming to the Autobots on their terms by making a hologram of the rocket base the Decepticons want to strike. Ravage is released because Optimus Prime thinks that he will tell Megatron about the fake rocket base instead of the real one. Optimus' plan fails and Megatron sends a bunch of clunker Decepticons to fight the Autobots while the real Decepticons are at the real rocket base. The Decepticons get the rocket fuel and prepare to board their ship to get back to Cybertron. Optimus Prime makes one last effort to stop the Decepticons, but the Autobots lose the fight. The Decepticons board their ship and leave Earth. Optimus Prime takes Sideswipe's jet pack and goes after the Decepticons. Optimus is blown out of the sky and crashes on Earth. The Autobots notice that Mirage is missing. On the space cruiser Starscream challenges Megatron for leadership of the Decepticons. Mirage materializes on to the ship. He is shot by Starscream, but Megatron blasts Starscream and the shuttle goes out of control. Mirage lands safely back on Earth and is praised for his good work. The Autobots think that they have defeated the Decepticons once and for all, but Megatron is shown surviving the crash of the ship into the ocean.

Episodes 4 to 5


Episode 4. Transport to Oblivion
Episode 5. Roll for it.


4. Transport To Oblivion

Several months after their crash into the ocean, the Decepticons have turned their sunken ship into an undersea headquarters. On Cybertron, Shockwave contacts Megatron telling them that their supply of energon cubes is dangerously low. Megatron plans to build a spacebridge to transport the cubes between Earth and Cybertron. When the Decepticons test it, the vehicle on the spacebridge to Cybertron will not work by itself. The Decepticons learn that Bumblebee and Spike have been spying on them. They capture Spike and reprogram Bumblebee to lead the Autobots into a trap. Bumblebee returns to headquarters and tells everyone that the spacebridge is located in a cave (which is a lie since the space bridge is actually in a river bed in a desert). The Autobots fall for the Decepticon's trap and are lured into the cave where they are trapped but easily break free. The Autobots repair Bumblebee and he gives the real location of the spacebridge. The Autobots go the spacebridge and rescue Spike before he has to drive the space vehicle full of energon cubes to Cybertorn. Megatron tries to get the energon cubes to Cybertron before the spacebridge closes (it can only be open for a certain amount of time). He fails and gets blasted into the spacebridge and is accidentally transported to Cybertron where he vows revenge.

5. Roll For It

Since Megatron went to Cybertron, Starscream has been doing a terrible job at leading the Decepticons. Megatron returns through the spacebridge at resumes leadership again. Megatron's new plan is to steal antimatter for his new energy source. The Autobots meet up with Spike's friend Chip (first appearance) who is handicapped in a wheelchair. Chip is given the code to make the antimatter before the Decepticons attack the scientist's lab. Megatron learns that Chip has the formula and goes to his house and has Ravage get it for him and capture Chip. The Autobots hear of Chip's capture and go to save him. They accomplish their mission, but Megatron and the Decepticons have already gotten the antimatter formula they need and store it into their energon cubes. The Autobots return to headquarters to get fixed up after the battle. The Decepticons attack the Autobots at their base. Chip and Wheeljack build a device that raises the antimatter's temperature, making it unstable. Megatron and the Decepticons get rid of the antimatter before it destroys them. The antimatter is destroyed, and Chip is welcomed as the Autobot's new friend.

Episodes 6 to 7


Episode 6. Divide and Conquer
Episode 7. Fire in the Sky


6. Divide And Conquer

Optimus Prime is injured in a battle with Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker of the Decepticons. In order to repair his body, the Autobots need a cosmotron. The only problem is that there isn't one on Earth. Ironhide, Trailbreaker, Bluestreak, Bumblebee, and Chip have to go to Wheeljack's old workshop on Cybertron via the spacebridge to get the cosmotron for Optimus. The Decepticons show up to produce acid rain to short out the Autobot's circuitry. Trailbreaker and Bluestreak get rid of the rainmakers and make it back to Earth. Back on Earth, Megatron and the Decepticons decide to attack the Autobots while Optimus Prime is down. The Autobots fight back, but are easily defeated until Optimus Prime returns to fight Megatron in a one on one battle. Megatron used up too much power fighting the Autobots and is beaten by Optimus and the Decepticons retreat.

7. Fire In The Sky

The Decepticons next plan is to drain the heat energy from the Earth's core. The entire world is starting to freeze rapidly. While they are working in the arctic, the Decepticons find a large robot stuck in the ice. They thaw him out and it turns out to be a robot that Starscream knew a long time ago back on Cybertron. His name is Skyfire (first appearance). Megatron tells Skyfire that they are working to bring energy back to Cybertron. He tells Skyfire that the Autobots are evil and that they must be destroyed. Skyfire joins the Decepticons, but after he learns how the Decepticons treat humans, he joins up with the Autobots. Skyfire and Starscream have a fight to the finish. Skyfire wins, but he crashes and is trapped under an avalanche. The Autobots stop the energy drain and the Autobots mourn the loss of Skyfire.

Episodes 8 to 10


Episode 8. S.O.S. Dinobots
Episode 9. Fire on the Mountain
Episode 10. War of the Dinobots


8. SOS Dinobots

The Autobots discover a cave beside their headquarters with fossilized dinosaur bones in it. After learning about dinosaur history, the Autobots decide to build their own version of robot dinosaurs, the Dinobots: Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge. The Dinobots go out of control and attack the Autobots. Optimus Prime orders that the Dinobots are too dangerous and must be deactivated. Meanwhile, the Decepticons take over a power plant and start to steal the energy there. The Autobots show up, but are defeated and captured by the Decepticons. Only Wheeljack, Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Spike remain to fight the Decepticons, but they can't do it by themselves. Against Optimus Prime’s orders, the Autobots revive the Dinobots so they can rescue the other Autobots from the Decepticons. Wheeljack builds new memory components for them, which will make them a little bit smarter and easier to control. The Dinobots rescue the Autobots, and Optimus Prime decides to let the Dinobots join the team.

9. Fire on the Mountain

The Decepticons go to a temple in Peru where they plan to take control of the crystal of power to use as a weapon against Earth and the Autobots. The Autobots revive Skyfire from his ice prison and he helps the Autobots stop the Decepticon's plan.


10. War of the Dinobots

A meteorite lands on Earth and Optimus Prime puts the Dinobots in charge of guarding the meteorite until they can test it. Megatron plans to turn the Dinobots against the Autobots by playing on the Dinobots' weaknesses. He also plans to steal the energy from the meteorite. Soundwave returns with the information and Megatron learns that Grimlock is arrogant, Slag is hostile, and that Sludge will follow the strongest leader into battle, not the smartest. Megatron plays on these weaknesses and turn the Dinobots against Optimus Prime. The Autobots learn that the meteorite is unstable and could explode at any moment. The Autobots decide to build two more Dinobots: Snarl and Swoop to help out in this crisis. Optimus Prime goes to the meteorite site, but the meteorite is gone. Optimus is then attacked by the Dinobots and is taken to Megatron. The new Dinobots show up to fight the other Dinobots and help Optimus Prime. The meteorite explodes, but Optimus pushes Grimlock out of the way to save his life. The Dinobots then turn on the Decepticons and now know that Optimus cares for his soldiers. The Decepticons retreat and Optimus lets the Dinobots rejoin the team.