Female Transformers
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Though rare, Transformers with the outward appearances, mannerisms and voices of the female gender do exist in the original cartoon universe - but not in the US Marvel comic book series, where it was specifically stated (although later retracted) that Transformers do not have genders.
Contents |
[edit] Why do female Transformers exist?
As Transformers are not a biological race and do not reproduce in the traditional way one would expect from a race with male and female distinctions, the debate of precisely why female Transformers even exist is often brought in the fandom, and can be a particularly heated point of discussion, particularly since cartoon and comic continuity differed so wildly on it.
It is very clear that the difference between male and female Transformers is much more than the shape of their bodies - it is a cultural and mental difference, with each "gender" possessing - in a general sense - the typical traits of the individual sexes. Furthermore, the two genders feel attraction to one another, to the extent that romantic relationships exist between certain members. The nature of such relationships is not elaborated.
There is no precise, officially-given in-story explanation for why females, or even males, should exist - the writers of the cartoon simply wanted to create some, and since Transformers are already very humanised (possessing bipedal bodies of humanoid construction, five fingers, and, usually, the traditional human facial structure), the addition of females to the race is not a leap. Given that, in the animated series, the Transformers were manufactured by the Quintessons for commerical sale, popular fan speculation commonly rationalises the two "genders" as a decision by the Quintessons (or their customers) to have the robots made to look and act that way.
In the Japanese Superlink stories, Arial, the Female Omnicon is said to have taken female form to show her caring role for the other Omnicons. Likewise, in Generation One, Arcee showed a protective and nuturing role to human child Daniel Witicky.
[edit] Dreamwave Comics
Elita-1, Chromia, Firestar and Moonracer appeared briefly in the final issue of Dreamwave Comics Generation One series among the female Transformers sent by the Qunitessons to Cybertron. Although they were supposed to character in the next plot arc involving the return of Optimus Prime, the company closing left this story unfinished.
[edit] Notable Female Transformers
Female Cybertronians are particularly rare, and in the four million years that Optimus Prime and his crew were absent from Cybertron, they were perceived to have become extinct. However, this was not the case - a small band of the warriors, led by Elita One, waged a guerilla war against Shockwave, stealing Energon out from under his unwitting 'nose'. However, in the Earth year 1985, the existence of the Female Autobots was revealed. The following list documents the main Female Autobots from the assorted Transformers universes.
[edit] Elita One
Originally, Elita One was Ariel, girlfriend of dockworker robot Orion Pax, but when the two were fatally wounded during one of Megatron's first attacks, the ancient Autobot, Alpha Trion, rebuilt them as Optimus Prime and Elita One, using the same set of schematics. Elita desired to accompany Prime on the Ark's mission, but he refused, saying it was too dangerous. When a Decepticon ambush struck the Ark launch site shortly before the craft took off, Elita disappeared in an explosion, and Prime believed she had died. This was not the case, however, and in the following four million years, lead her troops in a guerilla war against the remaining Decepticon forces on Cybertron, advised and aided by Alpha Trion himself, unaware of her connection to him.
In 1985, Shockwave uncovered the location of the Female Autobots' base and the Decepticons were able to capture Elita One, using her as bait to lure Optimus Prime to Cybertron. Prime almost met his end in an acid bath, but Elita used her hidden secret weapon - a stasis field which effectively froze time, allowing her to pull Prime from the path of the acid. However, the ability was a sacrificial one, as it drained almost all of Elita's energy. With Elita now hovering on the brink of death, Prime took her to Alpha Trion, where Trion revealed that only Prime's power supply could properly interface with hers (as a result of their shared schematics). Still unaware of Trion's hand in his creation, Prime re-energised Elita, and the two helped rescue their comrades from a Decepticon attack. Elita and her forces elected to remain on Cybertron and fight the battle there, while Prime returned to Earth.
[edit] Chromia, Firestar and Moonracer
These three feisty females were Elita One's top agents (and additionally, along with two other unnamed females, comprised the entirety of her forces), and the romantic interests of Ironhide, Inferno and Powerglide, respectively. When Moonracer was caught in a booby-trap during one of the trio's raids on Shockwave's energy stockpile, the continued existence of the Female Autobots was finally revealed to the Decepticons, and Shockwave was able to trail them back to their base and capture Elita One. When Optimus Prime was then lured to Cybertron, Ironhide, Inferno and Powerglide followed and were reunited with their ladies.
At BotCon 2005, these three females finally made it into toy form, in a roundabout sense. The Transformers: Energon Arcee figure was remoulded and repainted to resemble Moonracer, but the name could not be legally acquired for the toy, and so she was dubbed Chromia. One repaint of this figure also available at the convention was rendered in Firestar's colours, but was designated as a new, different character, Flareup, connected to Firestar through her history.
[edit] Arcee
For her main article, see Arcee.
The best known of all female Autobots, Arcee was introduced in Transformers: The Movie and remained a main character in the subsequent television series. A second character named Arcee was part of the later Transformers: Energon series. This character was named Ariel in the Japanese version of the series, Transformers: Superlink.
[edit] Beta
Although she would be the last of the primary Female Autobots the cartoon series introduced, Beta was actually one the very first - as one of the original Quintesson-created robots, she help lead the rebellion against their five-faced creators eleven million years ago led by A-3 (the young form of Alpha Trion). When a Quintesson scientist attempted to alter history by bringing A-3 into the present, a group of Autobots were displaced into the past, where they encountered Beta and helped to orchestrate the attack on the Quintessons' Hive City, the first major step in overthrowing the aliens.
In the Beast Machines toyline, the bio card of Rav - who transforms into a crossbow - mentions that he was given his power by an ancient female Autobot resistance leader. It seems particularly likely that this is a reference to Beta, especially since her weapon of choice was also a crossbow.
[edit] Minerva
For her main article, see Minerva (Transformers).
In the Japanese-exclusive Masterforce animated series, Minerva was a teenage schoolgirl who became a Headmaster and controlled a Transtector (a lifeless Transformer body). At the conclusion of the series, the Transtector was bestowed with life, and briefly reappeared in the sequel series, Victory. The toy of Minerva was a repaint of the North American Headmaster named Nightbeat, who was male.
[edit] Blackarachnia
For her main article, see Blackarachnia.
Perhaps the second-most famous female Transformer, a Predacon from the Beast Wars era. Officially, this makes Blackarachnia the first villainous female Transformer to appear in any of the animated series, but given that the protoform from which she was created was originally that of a Maximal, the search for an official female Decepticon would continue. At the end of the Beast Wars series and all through the Beast Machines series Blackarachnia became a Maximal. For the comic book Universe series she was reformatted as a Decepticon.
[edit] Airazor
For her main article, see Airazor.
A female Maximal from the Beast Wars era. She transforms into a hawk and became involved in a romantic relationship with Tigatron when the two embarked on a survey mission of prehistoric Earth. Captured by one of the devices left on the planet by the alien Vok, they were transported to the aliens' home planet of Nexus Zero. Later, their bodies were fused together to create Tigerhawk, used as an avatar by the Vok, but they subsequently merged their sparks together and pursued their joint body back to Earth, where they reclaimed possession of it.
In the Japanese dub of Beast Wars, however, Airazor was made into a male. The accompanying manga, however, retained the female orientation.
[edit] Strika
For her main article, see Strika.
A character introduced in the Beast Machines series. In Cybertron's past, Strika fought and won a thousand wars alongside her consort, Obsidian, but were among those who had their Sparks extracted by Megatron when he conquered Cybertron. Resurrected in Vehicon bodies, Strika and Obsidian swore loyalty to Megatron - having previously been charged with the protection of Cybertron, they now protected Megatron, since by extension, he was Cybertron. Strika transforms into a six-wheeled assault vehicle, and commands a legion of drones in her image. However, like Blackarachnia before her, Strika and Obsidian's original faction was Maximal. In the bio for Universe Obsidian, it is mentioned he used to be an Autobot (Maximal), so Strika would have certainly been the same.
[edit] Botanica
For her main article, see Botanica.
A character exclusive to the Beast Machines cartoon series, without having a toy released, Botanica was a Maximal on the crew of an exploration vessel that was studying a planet inhabited by sentient plant life, the source of her alternate mode. She returned to Cybertron to investigate a distress signal. After her vessel was shot down by Megatron's defenses, she was rescued by the Maximals and reformatted into a technorganic by Optimus Primal. She became a valuable member of his team, and developed a romantic relationship with Rattrap.
[edit] Override
For her main article, see Override.
The leader of the Transformers on Speed Planet from Transformers: Cybertron. Similar to the Air Razor situation, Override is a male character in Japan, named Nitro Convoy. According to Hasbro officials at the Botcon 2005 convention they originally planned for the character to be male, and the Japanese series portrayed it as male, but then the Cartoon Network wanted more female presence in the show, so it was decided they would dub Nitro Convoy with a female voice and call her Override. Override shouldn't be confused with the Generation One character Override, who was a male Autobot who turned into a motorcycle.
[edit] Thunderblast
For her main article, see Thunderblast.
A character in the Transformers: Cybertron series and toyline. Named "Chromia" (an homage to the G1 character) in Japan. One of the a group of ancient Decepticons who terrorized humans in guise of fearsome creatures, inspiring many myths and legends, before being imprisoned within stasis pods. After these "monsters" were released by Starscream, Thunderblast scanned a speed boat for her new alternate form. She refers to herself as a "beauty," acting cheerful and cute despite her penchant for destruction.
[edit] Miscellaneous females
Other female robots from across the Transformers series include:
- A troupe of dancing girls, seen in a flashback to the early days of peace on the planet. Interestingly, their design is identical to Elita One.
- A female robot identical to Arcee, save for an enhanced chest, viewed on a TV by Octane in the episode "Starscream's Ghost".
- The medics on the Cybertron-like planet of Paradron, identical in design to Arcee, aside from their green colouration. This has resulted in them actually being used as a colour scheme that several pieces of Arcee merchandise have been repainted in: a Heroes of Cybertron PVC figure, a statue from Palisades - both named Paradron Medic - and a Japanese-exclusive repaint of the Energon Arcee figure, named Ariel - Paradron Type.
- The episode "The Big Broadcast of 2006" featured a female Junkion.
- The mates of many of the Destrons from the Japanese exclusive Transformers: Victory, including Esmeryl (mate of Deathsaurus)and Lyzak ("sister" of Leozak), appeared in the manga adaptation of the series, making them the first official female Decepticon characters, albeit ones who only existed outside of America.
- Victory also featured a female Micromaster, Clipper, a Cybertron (Autobot), and girlfriend of fellow Micromaster, Holi.
- The Japanese exclusive "Operation Combination" toyline of 1992 featured another female Micromaster, Windy, a member of a team that all transformed into trains and combined to form a larger robot, Sixtrain. This toy, along with the rest of her teammates, was re-issued in 2003.
- Discharge is a third female Micromaster. She was also available in Takara's 1992 "Operation Combination" toyline. Discharge came with her teammates in the Sixturbo team. She was re-issued in 2003.
- Nightracer, an exclusive toy available at BotCon '95. A repaint of the Generation 2 Go-Bot, High Beam, Nightracer was conceived by feminist TF-fangirl Jovanka Kink, and was made to be a highly-skilled female Decepticon, making the character the first official female of her kind in North America, as well as in toy-form.
- Antagony, a Botcon exclusive available in 1998. She is a repaint of Beast Wars Inferno. With Blackarachina switching allegiances to the Maximals, Antagony is one of the only one of the two female Predacons to stay Predacon.
- Scylla is a female Seacon Pirate from Beast Wars the Second who transforms into a squid. Pronounced "S-Kyu-Leh," she was available in Japan in 1998. While a Predacon, she is in love with the Maximal Scuba. She is armed with a blowing kiss of death.
- Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Maximal, Sonar, whose bio card didn't indicate any gender, allowing the writers of the BotCon-exclusive comics to made use of this little slip by presenting the character incorrectly as female when she appeared in their pages.
- Road Rage, bodyguard and advisor to a secret Autobot ambsassador to Earth, was a red redeco of the Autobot Tracks available exclusively through online retailer E-Hobby in Japan in 2002.
- Glyph, a female blue repaint of the Autobot, Bumblebee (or more accurately, of his 21st century keychain reissue) available exclusively at BotCon '02.
- Roulette and Shadow Striker, a two-pack of females remolded from the Transformers: Robots in Disguise figure, Side Burn, exclusively available at the Official Transformers Collector's Convention 2003. Roulette, an Autobot, had her color scheme based on the Digimon character, Sakuyamon. The Decepticon of the pair, Shadow Striker, was originally to be named "Silhouette," to compliment "Roulette." Their tech specs indicate that the pair are "sisters".
- Combusta, Falcia, and Twirl are a female Mini-Con team know as the Sonic Assault Team who side with the Autobots. Sunburn of the Aqua Raider Team is a female Mini-Con who sides with Unicron. These toys came with DVDs of the Japanese version of Transformers: Armada, and were featured in its accompanying mini comic book, "Transformers: Legend of the Microns -- Linkage" by Hirofumi Ichikawa.
- According to Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye comic book series of character profiles, the Mini-Cons Spiral, Ironhide, Cliffjumper and Sureshock (whose name in Japan is Arcee) are also female.
- Pathfinder and Smallfoot are female transformers from another dimension. Calling themselves Go-Bots, they are part of a secret research team that is looking for a way to save their universe from Unicron. They were available with Takara's e-hobby Go-Bots mini-bot set.
- Howlback of the Cobalt Sentries, a blue recolor of Ravage exclusively available from Takara's e-hobby online store, is female.
- The Transformers: Cybertron cartoon has featured a female Autobot civilian refugee on Earth who transforms into a motorcycle. This character is male in the Japanese version of the series.
- Flamewar is a female Decepticon. In addition to the other Energon Arcee repaints available at BotCon 2005 mentioned above was Flamewar, a red, black and blue coloured agent of the Tripredacus Council.
- Decepticon Sleeper Agent Flip Sides, a recolor of the Autobot cassette mold used for Eject and Rewind that is available with the 2006 e-hobby re-issue of Twincast, is female.
