Machine Wars: Transformers

Generation 1 continuity family « Machine Wars » Toyline Comic 1 Comic 2

Machine Wars: Transformers was a line of Transformers toys released in 1997 as a Kay-Bee Toy Works exclusive. Apparently, the line was an early attempt to bring vehicular characters and popular names back into Transformers after the success of Beast Wars revived the brand. Only one wave of figures was produced, and memory of the line has mostly faded. It is a rare example of a micro-continuity (centering on the title "Machine Wars") which nevertheless had a full (albeit very small) toyline of its own.

Fiction

"I've got a hint for you too."

Machine Wars' placement within the larger fiction is an open-ended question. There is no form of accompanying fiction, nor even a story-establishing packaging blurb to set the stage. The on-package bios establish that ten of the twelve toys are blatantly returning Generation 1 characters in new bodies. (The errant two are Megaplex and Hubcap, the latter of whom shares a name with but is otherwise nothing like the Generation 1 robot of that name.) As such, many fans have taken to thinking that Machine Wars is part of the Generation 1 universe after Generation 2, since this was its characters' first appearance as toys since then, and the Transformers franchise had not yet explicitly rebooted continuity nor established the concept of a multiverse.

This placement is supported somewhat by Megatron's bio, which refers to him taking to the skies "again", likely a reference to the semi-unreleased Generation 2 "ATB Megatron" toy. Years later, the idea would find more traction in TakaraTomy's "official timeline", where Machine Wars indeed follows Generation 2 in a grand conglomeration of all Transformers continuities. Although that timeline makes Machine Wars a dead-end branch, the e-HOBBY-exclusive black Starscream bio refers to his Machine Wars form in the past tense.

Within Machine Wars itself, the only remaining element of story progression is found in Thundercracker's bio. Where his Generation 1 bio had established him as being unsure of the Decepticon cause but willing to follow orders, his Machine Wars function is "Rebel Warrior", and he's described as believing in the Decepticon cause, yet "rebellious among his own ranks".

The Genesis art book contains one more suggestion of continuity in a portrait of Machine Wars Starscream. The artist embedded story information into the scene, placing Starscream on the dais where he was once crowned and adorning him with the same purple cape. But the setting glows golden, a reference to the post-Rebirth Golden Age, and Starscream brandishes the presumably-defeated Galvatron's torn-off particle cannon. The picture was intended to be a sequel to a piece of the artist's own fan art.

In 2012 it was announced via Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club #48 that the BotCon 2013 set would be Machine Wars-themed and set after Generation 2 in the Wings Universe, a variant version of the Generation 1 cartoon continuity. The Generation 2-themed Club comic in the same issue was a prelude to the Machine Wars-themed Botcon 2013 comic "Termination". The Machine Wars storyline concluded the next year with the digitally-released sequel "A Common Foe", which ended with a bridging tease at the Beast Wars cartoon continuity.

Toys

Original line

Ultra Optimus Prime

The line consists entirely of pre-existing molds: four small molds that had been originally developed for Generation 2 but were canceled with the line, and four larger toys released in the second-to-last year of "Generation 1" in European markets.

The four smaller molds share the same "flipchanger" quick transformation feature as early Beast Wars Basic class toys released the year before; the four larger toys are more in line with the blocky, non-articulated Generation 1 design style, but have had their missile launching gimmicks either altered or removed altogether for safety reasons.

Most of them, despite being classic characters, are in color schemes that are completely not those of the characters they're meant to represent. Given Skywarp has the Generation 2 Decepticon symbol on him, it's likely these non-matching decos were originally planned for that line as new characters. Interestingly, Skywarp is also the only Basic figure to even have symbols for a faction on him, and of the three larger class figures to have a symbol, they use Generation 1 incarnations of the Autobot and Decepticon logos.

Further complicating the confusion, the back of the carded characters featured yellow Generation-2 Decepticon logos with red highlights vs red Generation-2 Autobot logos with yellow highlights. This is also shown on all of the bio cards on the packaging as well.

Basics Hoist Hubcap Mirage Prowl

Megaplex Megatron Skywarp Thundercracker

Megas Sandstorm Soundwave

Ultras Optimus Prime Starscream

Basic Hoist

Post-Machine Wars toys

Unsurprisingly, Machine Wars was largely forgotten following its short lifespan. It did get a few nods here and there, but this would be a way shorter section if BotCon hadn't decided to devote a set to the theme one year. (This set/theme was also kind of a notorious clunker, with the souvenir sets needing to be clearanced out online.)

e-HOBBY Megaplex Starscream Black Version

Universe (2003) Soundwave

BotCon 2013 Machine Wars box set (Hoist, Megaplex, Skywarp) Starscream Mirage & Thundercracker Sandstorm

Kreon Souvenir Figure Set (Hoist, Megaplex, Skywarp)

Megaplex

Notes

• It has been speculated that Machine Wars would not have existed if not for an overenthusiastic Kenner presentation at BotCon 1996. At the time, Beast Wars was in full effect, but representative Anthony Gaud reportedly told the audience, in detail, that they were going to launch a Generation 1 revival as well, which naturally brought a LOT of excitement to the fandom. When the lackluster Machine Wars appeared the following year, with virtually none of the details mentioned coming to pass, some fans surmised that Hasbro had scrapped any true revival plans (assuming they were even "plans" rather than just musings), but still felt the need to follow through on Gaud's remarks.
• Three of the four Basic molds have card-art that is not of the actual toys, removing weapons and changing colors to kinda-sorta-vaguely match: Mirage/Prowl use altered Generation 2 Jolt art, Megatron/Megaplex use altered Predator Falcon art, and Skywarp/Thundercracker use Predator Skydive art.
• When the four large figures in this line were recolored from their prior incarnations as G2 or "transitional" G1-to-G2 figures, their sticker sheets were not always recolored to adapt to this. As a result, many of them feature stickers that are the same color as the plastic to which they attach, stickers being applied over paint applications of identical color, or in other ways produce less visual distinctiveness instead of more.
• In a similar instance of an apparently botched deco change, Starscream has a huge Decepticon insignia in jet mode.... added via black paint on top of black plastic.
• A new version of Hubcap, based on the BotCon 2013 Hoist/Electrons toy, was under consideration for a Transformers Figure Subscription Service toy... but the low sales of the BotCon sets nixed that pretty effectively.
• Evidently having learned nothing from Fun Publications, Hasbro designer Evan Brooks was in 2023 quite keen to do an exclusive capsule dedicated to Machine Wars redecos as part of the Transformers: Legacy toyline.^[1]

References