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I only ever saw a few episodes of Beast Machines, and I know it ended in a "controversial" way, but I can't find a satisfying explanation. Seeing as the series is not yet fully on DVD, can somebody spoil me? TF: The Ultimate Guide says the whole planet of Cybertron was reformatted to be technorganic, but what does that mean exactly? Were any TFs left? Were any reborn? Was there any indication that the continuity could continue from the last episode?

A very clear, thorough explanation would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Okay. Whole story short.

During the Maximal's return on planet Cybertron, Megatron escapes and gets sucked into the time warp cyclone. He ended up on the planet before them. Waspinator, via his own means, arrives on the planet shortly after. Megatron, using an artificial virus, kills the entire population of the planet and assumes control.

Maximals arrive and are immediately attacked. Through a special gas, they revert back to their animalistic forms [losing transmetal bodies] and have to run. Rhinox and Silverbolt are caughted. Primal finds Rattrap and they escape.

The duo meets up with Cheetor and Blackarachnia and end up on the sewers of Cybertron. Deep beneath, they come in contact with the Oracle, a magical portal or sth. They are reformatted into techno organic bodies.

Megatron uses Waspinator, Silverbolt and Rhinox as his generals in new bodies. None remember who they are and are given new identities. Waspinator becomes Thrust, a motorcycle. Silverbolt turns into Jetstorm, a plane and Rhinox into Tankor, a tank. Megatron plans on anihilating his beast mode to be a perfect machine to rule the planet.

Maximals meet up with a survivor, Nightscream. He had found fossils of animals in some underground caverns and scanned them to get an alt mode after the attack. Maximals find traces of organic life.

After various conflicts, Rhinox regains his old self but nevertheless wants to gain control of Cybertron. Thrust and Jetstorm get in conflict with their old selves but soon regain control.

Primal gets visions of restoring Cybertron to an organic planet it once was. He finds the key to Vector Sigma and via another way reverses the effects; he can turn mechanical life into organic.

Megatron, Rhinox and Primal duke it out for control over the planet. With an interference from Rhinox, Megatron wins. Unknown to the old Maximal, he has a safeguard system in his body. Megatron pins him down with no effort after he had shot Primal with the key to vector sigma. Primal uses his own power as well and organic-mechanic get into conflict.

End of first season.

Primal and Rhinox end up dead. The former is forgiven and returned to the ranks of the Maximals, the latter joins the matrix. Megatron is missing.

A dragon creature similiar to Megatron wrecks havoc in some cities. Jetstorm, Thrust and the maximals face it. It turns out that it is a purely organic creature that can transform. It joins the maximals and together they gain access in Megatron's old lair.

The creature tricks them and reveals that it was Megatron trapped in that body. He kicks them all out and prepares a huge spaceship-his new body.

Thrust and Jetstorm remain loyal, but Blackarachnia tricks and traps Jetstorm. She manages to reformat Silverbolt out of him.

Megatron brings back two legendary Cybertronian Generals to help him. He plans on using all the sparks of Cybertron and the key to vector sigma to control the planet. Primal strikes for a balance between the organic and the technological sides.

A new member, Botanica, joins the maximals. She came from a planet where her crew scanned plants for alt forms. She is in direct contact with the organic core.

Both sides duke it out and Megatron's spark is lost. Trapped in a drone's body, he constructs a new vessel for him. The maximals try to protect the sparks.

Utilizing control of Primal's last body in Beast Wars, Megatron launches a full scale assault. Thrust and the maximals are knocked offline and their sparks are stolen. Primal and Megatron duke it out in the planet, all alone.

Megatron absorbs all the sparks and grows even larger. He strikes the organic core of the planet, turning it into mechanical. Primal resists and drags Megatron down the core. With a pure technological and an organic creature diving in the core, the planet regains its true balance; a mix of lush vegetables and technological elements.

Waspinator and the maximals are reborn, as well as all the Cybertronians that perished.

Survivors: Cheetor, Silverbolt, Rattrap, Botanica, Blackarachnia, Nightscream, Waspinator and all the other bots. Megatron and Primal are dead-absorbed into the planet.

Universe's [the toyline] story is a sequel to BM, but the line's almost discontinnued. Other than that, all we had were resets\alternate timelines in the form of cartoons.

Thanks for the detailed response! Just a couple of questions:

1. Cybertron is now a harmonious balance of technology and organics? What do the restored bots look like? Do they have new bodies? Are they completely organic, completely mechanical, or a technorganic blend? In other words, when you say Cheetor is restored, which toy did he look like or was he something new?

2. Are we to believe that the Autobot/Decepticon (or Maximal/Predacon) conflict is over now that Megatron is dead?

3. I remember the TF Universe line-- what exactly was it's premise? Something about warriors plucked from all aspects of Cybertronian history to confront Unicron? Did it have more in common with the G1/Beast Wars/Beast Machines continuity or the new RiD/Energon/Armada/Cybertron continuities?

1) From the few shots we saw, imagine Cybertron [as it is] only green and with flowers and trees. The buildings still exist.

Optimus Primal
Cheetor
Rattrap
Blackarachnia
Nightscream
Silverbolt

Please keep in mind that some toys had two versions or more, so I picked the most show-accurate one. Also note that most toys look like garbage and that scale is thrown out of the window. Nightscream is the shortest one while Cheetor and Silverbolt are the tallest. Botanica hasn't had a toy so far.

The restored bots are a blend of technological and organic creatures. In other words, they are not fully robotic nor fully organic. They are both.

2) Actually, the conflict in BW was small scale. Megatron had a group of 5 criminals and stole the golden disk. Their fight was on earth. Each Predacon after the original crew was reprogrammed after a maximal protoform. We don't know about Cybertron in the american series, but in the japanese only BW series, the leaders are LioConvoy and Big Convoy and peace is ensured.

3) Universe was a sequel to BM. It featured characters from G1 and BW as well as the occasional RID toys. Warriors from all ages were gathered to stop Unicron, who had re-appeared.

So, basically, whatever secret agendas and machinations the Predacons had in the works before Megatron going rogue may still be in play? What of the Matrix-- Primal was not it's carrier-- I assume we know nothing of the Prime at this point?

I ask because I'm looking for an opening for some fan-fic ideas I have . . .

Originally posted by Animus Prime
What of the Matrix-- Primal was not it's carrier--

I seem to recall reading somewhere that, according to Japanese continuity, Primal did have a Matrix, but that it was destroyed when he was killed in Season 1 of Beast Wars.

I hate BM with passion. But I can't help believing the Megatron was right. The planet is called Cybertron, few organics // organic creatures have a place on it. Besides, with the Technorganic bodies (that I found looked crappy on the Maximals, as well as to human-like), the Quintessons already tried that in the G1 episode "Dweller In The Depths".

Also, in Universe with Unicron returning, that doesn't sound impossible. In the TF Ultimate Guide it states that a Unicron cannot be fully destroied, and will, someday, return, bigger, badder, and even more powerful.
Mainframe should do something with that idea. That or get some new episodes of Reboot up and runing.

Originally posted by Knightdramon
2) Actually, the conflict in BW was small scale. Megatron had a group of 5 criminals and stole the golden disk. Their fight was on earth. Each Predacon after the original crew was reprogrammed after a maximal protoform. We don't know about Cybertron in the american series, but in the japanese only BW series, the leaders are LioConvoy and Big Convoy and peace is ensured.

Don't forget Magmatron of the Destrons/Predacons. He teamed up with Big Convoy to rebuild Seibertron after the Unicron attack but just in time for it all to be destroyed when Megatron unleashed his virus.

I'm pretty sure TF: The Ultimate Guide says that Primal did not bear the Matrix-- he was leader of the Axalon in pursuit of Megatron and his rogue Predacons, but he was not the Prime. This is in line then with later in the BW series when Primal is transformed into Optimal Optimus Primal when he carries the Matrix for a short time.

From everything that I can tell, we could assume that the reigning Prime and the Matrix were lost when Megatron unleashed his virus and captured the Sparks of the entire planet. My fan-fic idea would be something like "Beast Machines: Matrix Quest" as the Maximals seek to find their leader and the Matrix as they regroup and reorganize on the newly re-formatted planet of Cybertron-- all the while, with the Predacons, with new technorganic powers, take a page from Megatron's book and decide to finally make their move against the Maximals-- in essence, the new Golden Age is short-lived as the Cybertronian Civil Wars start again.

On a side note, I enjoyed the concepts of Beast Wars and Beast Machines, and I don't really have a problem with the changes. The way I see it, it was a natural step. Going back to G1, we had things like Headmasters and Pretenders-- in a way, a result of long-standing TF relationships and new alliances with organic life-- humans and animals of Earth, Nebulans, etc. Even in Beast Wars, the TFs have already evolved to be more organic, presumably as a result of the symbiotic relationships with organic races-- they eat and sleep, for one. I see Beast Machines and it's conclusion as a natural (though achieved rather cataclysmically) step.

Few errors I want to clarify

Originally posted by Knightdramon
Megatron, using an artificial virus, kills the entire population of the planet and assumes control.

He didn't "Kill" everyone per se - but prevented them from being able to transfrom, then ripped their sparks out from their bodies. The Transformers on Cybertron didn't die, as their sparks didn't rejoin the matrix, they were still on this plane, floating around in a jar.

Primal gets visions of restoring Cybertron to an organic planet it once was. He finds the key to Vector Sigma and via another way reverses the effects; he can turn mechanical life into organic.

Actually, Primal got visions of the Technorganic paridise that Cybertron would become, he miss-interpreted the visions to mean returning Cybertron to it's organic form.
And it was Rhinox who found the key to Vector Sigma and convinced Megatron (through the bunny drone) to equip all the Vehicons with it.

Megatron, Rhinox and Primal duke it out for control over the planet. With an interference from Rhinox, Megatron wins. Unknown to the old Maximal, he has a safeguard system in his body. Megatron pins him down with no effort after he had shot Primal with the key to vector sigma. Primal uses his own power as well and organic-mechanic get into conflict.

Ummmm, Primal does try to forcibly reformat Megatron, but it doesn't work because of sheer force of will, this is where you start to see the bizzare side of Meg's spark, that will appear later in the series. Primal Activates the Plasma Energy Chamber (Last seen in the G1 3-parter, Rebirth), which will destroy any mechanical life. Megatron has his Vehicons activate the Key to Vector Sigma on a planetary scale (which turns anything organic into some thing robotic, you can see how this is going to end) - seaon 1 ends with Primal, fully robotic, starting to dissappear.

End of first season.

Primal and Rhinox end up dead. The former is forgiven and returned to the ranks of the Maximals, the latter joins the matrix. Megatron is missing.

Ummmm, nope. Rhinox is dead, no if ands or buts. His spark rejoins the matrix, repentant for what it did - but it still has the dual nature of Rhinox and Tankor.

Utilizing control of Primal's last body in Beast Wars, Megatron launches a full scale assault. Thrust and the maximals are knocked offline and their sparks are stolen. Primal and Megatron duke it out in the planet, all alone.

Megatron actually has the Optimal Optimus body rebuild, with is face, and no monkey mode. Thrust and the rest of the Maximals get there arses kicked against the Vehicons and their sparks stolen.

Megatron absorbs all the sparks and grows even larger. He strikes the organic core of the planet, turning it into mechanical. Primal resists and drags Megatron down the core. With a pure technological and an organic creature diving in the core, the planet regains its true balance; a mix of lush vegetables and technological elements.

Actually, Primal grabs megatron and pulls him down to the Organic core (which is almost comopletely technological, thanks to Megs attack on it with the Key to VS). There, he reformats both of them and the planet itself. The worst part is, Primal is denied returning to the matrix - as the balance on Cybertron is not only struck between technological and organic, but good and evil. The two old enemies are locked in battle for eternity, while the planet prospers.

So, then based on your revised explanation, my scenario still works? Autobots and Decepticons and Maximals and Predacons will always be at war?

Originally posted by Animus Prime

From everything that I can tell, we could assume that the reigning Prime and the Matrix were lost when Megatron unleashed his virus and captured the Sparks of the entire planet. My fan-fic idea would be something like "Beast Machines: Matrix Quest" as the Maximals seek to find their leader and the Matrix as they regroup and reorganize on the newly re-formatted planet of Cybertron-- all the while, the Predacons, with new technorganic powers, take a page from Megatron's book and decide to finally make their move against the Maximals-- in essence, the new Golden Age is short-lived as the Cybertronian Civil Wars start again.

And, as asked before, the new TFs, both Maximal and Predacon are technorganic beings? Like in Beast Machines?

No, they were all given a choice when they returned. Some became Technorganic, while a few stayed mechanical.

Originally posted by ShadowSonic
No, they were all given a choice when they returned. Some became Technorganic, while a few stayed mechanical.

From Universe comics?

A choice? When did this happen? Who came back mechanical?

Brave Max, I didn't say that Rhinox survived. Joins the matrix is a tf term, meaning that said bot is dead. What's wrong?

I always thought that Megatron escaped turning into a technoorganic bot because Rhinox shot Primal in time.

And hey, Animus asked for a brief summary. That was the best I could write, having seen less than half the series a year ago. Want to try writing something better?

Mechanical robots appeared in the universe comic; old G1 heroes. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Trailbreaker.

Primal in the US continuity is a scientist\an explorer. The same character in the jap continuity is a super hero that's one of the three selected Convoys and bears a matrix.

Your summary was great KD - just wanted to point out a few things is all

I never really took it in BM that Rhinox was forgive, more as remembered for who he was and not what he became (actually, I think Primal said that, when he was holding that hologram of Rhinox and Tankor) - one of the things I loved in the S2 Ep1 - was that they embraced the dual side of Rhinox\Tankor - just wanted to point it out

As for Tankor shooting Primal and allowing Megatron to escape, I'd have to rewatch the episode - but I know that Primal tried to reformat Megs at least once in the show - and Megatron didn't succumb by sheer force of will. Either way, it was a nice little 3 way power struggle that happened.

As I said, your summary was great - and ignore Animus - some people always want to nit-pick

Who's nit-picking?

Originally posted by Animus Prime
Who's nit-picking?

me actually