Transformers Cloud
From Transformers Wiki
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Produced as the centrepiece of TakaraTomy's celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Transformers brand,[1] Transformers Cloud (トランスフォーマークラウド) is a small 2014 Japanese franchise made up of shared exclusives from e-HOBBY and TakaraTomy Mall, with the Autobots being sold through TakaraTomy Mall and the Decepticons through e-HOBBY. Its fiction tells the tale of the residents of a new universe distinct from any established pillar franchises (a rarity for Japanese fiction) known as "Cloud World" as they hop across the multiverse battling over the mysterious being known as "SARA" in a conceit that conveniently doubles as a walking tour of the history of the brand.
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Fiction
Prose
Written by Makoto Wakabayashi with art by Nagi Miyako and Hidetsugu Yoshioka, the primary fiction of Transformers Cloud took the form of a series of illustrated prose stories called Spacetime World: Guardians of Time (時空界 Guardians of Time Jikū-kai Guardians of Time), produced in an episodic format on the e-HOBBY and TakaraTomy Mall websites.
After a brief prologue to establish the setting, each chapter presents a six-part character study for the duo of characters in the upcoming wave of the toyline, including a prominent adventure somewhere in TakaraTomy's interpretation of the Transformers multiverse: Optimus Prime and Megatron land in the setting of the original Generation 1 cartoon, Brawn and Starscream find themselves in the world of the Armada cartoon, Hot Rodimus and Shockwave battle in the Beast Wars, and Roadbuster and Hellwarp interrupt the events of Beast Wars II.
| Spacetime World: Guardians of Time episodes: | |||
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Chapter 1:
Chapter 2:
Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Chapter 0
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The overarching narrative sees the disgraced former Spacetime Policeman Megatron assemble an army of "Decepticons" from the cast-offs and exiles of Cloud World's Underground to storm its capital of Metropolis, breaching the holy of holies of Cloud's society of interdimensional patrolmen, known locally as the "Autobots", to "liberate" the energy being that propagates their nexus reality: SARA. After Megatron absorbs much of SARA's spacetime energy, her remains are forced to incarnate physically as a small humanoid girl, whose personality is wiped after she uses the last of her power to exile a rampaging Megatron to the edges of the multiverse. The subsequent plot follows the two factions' voyages through the multiverse as SARA works with the Autobots to regain her intellect and restore her vast power over space and time, culminating in a duel between Optimus and Megatron in the collapsing heart of Unicron for SARA's allegiance, and with it, the fate of the multiverse itself.
An additional "Chapter Zero" prequel story was published in the December 2013 issue of Figure King elaborating on the falling out between Optimus and Megatron and Megatron's subsequent fall from grace.[2]
Comics
Each Cloud toy came packaged with a six-page comic book, again by the team of Wakabayashi and Yoshioka, which loosely adapt key scenes from the prose stories.
| Transformers Cloud: Spacetime World: Guardians of Time issues: | » | ||
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Finally as the toyline wound down, a 24-page "Compilation Comic" issue written by Wakabayashi, drawn by Naoto Tsushima and colored by Sayuri was included as a bonus freebie with Cloud purchases from e-HOBBY. This Compilation saw the cast of Cloud set off on one last interdimensional adventure in the wake of Megatron's defeat, following Shockwave's machinations in a setting broadly riffing on the events of the The Battle of the Star Gate. The issue ends with various teases for a sort of "Season 2" of Cloud that sadly never materialized. However...
Spin Off
Cloud received a final epilogue of sorts in the form of Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock, an e-HOBBY comic written and drawn by Wakabayashi under the Spin Off imprint that follows the long-time supporting character Deadlock as the hot-blooded young Decepticon finds himself adrift in the multiverse before falling under the tutelage of Primus Vanguard commander Black Go Prime, leading to his appearance in various Precursor World stories going forward.
Toys
While the toys in Cloud were released in staggered two-item waves, those waves were split between two different outlets: the Autobots were released through TakaraTomy Mall, while the Decepticons were sold through e-HOBBY. All toys in the line are redecos of Voyager Class molds from Generations and other lines.
Wave 1 (05-29-2014)
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Wave 2 (08-28-2014)
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Wave 3 (11-27-2014)
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Wave 4 (03-21-2015)
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Post-series releases
Cloud saw one final release in the form of an e-HOBBY exclusive Legends toy for formerly fiction exclusive character Deadlock one year after the shuttering of the line.
Legends (03-??-2016)
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Repurposed toys
Like other collector imprints of its ilk, Cloud conscripts figures from across the brand to fill out its cast. Each toy's franchise of origin is given in parenthesis.
Autobots
Decepticons
"Virtual" redecos
Cloud features a handful of real world toys in fiction exclusive color schemes, commonly referred to as "virtual" redecos.
Topspin
The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.Twin Twist
The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.Whirl
The Fall of Cybertron mold in Generation 1-inspired colors.Astrotrain
The Classics mold in Astrotrain's Generation 1 toy color scheme.[3]Jhiaxus
The Thrilling 30 mold in an unrevealed color scheme. Post-Cloud fiction would assign the colors of Generation 2 Jhiaxus's original Marvel character design.Laserbeak's second body
The Prime Guru mold with a red optic in an otherwise unrevealed color scheme.Soundwave's second body
The Robots in Disguise Vehicon mold with a red visor in an otherwise unrevealed color scheme.
Merchandise
Transformers Character Card
Cloud saw a very brief return in 2022 when e-HOBBY revisited a selection of exclusive characters from across its history in the retrospective Transformers Character Card series of trading cards.
Relevant releases thus far include:
Wave 4 (August 29, 2022)
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Notes
- As Cloud was sold in 2014, the 30th anniversary of the Transformers line (and likely planned to coincide with it), its products bear something similar to the Thrilling 30 logo.
- The majority of Cloud's repurposes are sourced from TakaraTomy's Generations toyline, which was mostly released the year prior to Cloud (and thus also bore the 30th anniversary logo). Anniversary synergy or an attempt to move retail product with collectors? Both? Both.
- In addition to the toys used as new characters outright, Cloud cross-promotes even more Generations toys in its dimension-hopping sequences, including Starscream in its Armada segment and Rhinox and Waspinator in its Beast Wars scenes.
- As Deadlock was technically released under the Legends banner, the toy was packed with a second comic in addition to "Decepticon Jaeger Deadlock" chronicling a more light-hearted crossover between Cloud and Hayato Sakamoto's Legends comic.
- SARA makes a brief cameo in Decepticon Dark Commander Grand Scourge, an otherwise unrelated comic penned by Wakabayashi.
- Before Cloud was finalized, other concepts proposed included Transformers: Bravemasters, Transformers Prime: Shattered Glass, and Transformers Part One.
References
- Transformers Cloud at e-HOBBY
- Transformers Cloud at TakaraTomy Mall (archived)
- Complete archive of Transformers Cloud prose translations
References
- ↑ e-HOBBY listings for Transformers Cloud Megatron, Starscream, Shockwave, and Hellwarp.
- ↑ Announcement in Transformers Generations 2014 Volume 1, p33
- ↑ "イラストにも出てますが、クラウド世界のアストロトレインは変形ヘンケイ型で、更にこの初代後期版の配色に近いイメージでいます。白とアニメカラーは出たけど以外とこの色のヘケアストロは出なかったなあ。"—Makoto Wakabayashi, Twitter, 2014/06/24