Transformers have gone some through multiple changes. The great toy massacre in Transformers: The Movie was just one phase. Eventually, the Headmasters were introduced in the canceled Season 4. That's the problem with most American shows -- the tendency to milk the franchise until it's dry. New gimmicks were needed to keep the Transformers toyline alive. The Pretenders toyline came. Ironically, the Pretender gimmick was never put in a new season based on the American Transformers continuity!
What amazed me was that the Pretender Beast concept was created. However, the idea never came to fruition. Instead, Beast Wars created a new concept where the Maximals and Predacons donned realistic-looking beast forms.
Scorponok was the maker of the Pretender technology -- within the Marvel Comics continuity. However, it's said that the UK comics had retconned that idea. Some forms would be that familiar and be carried over into the Japanese-only continuity. It's possible Hasbro didn't want the concepts to be wasted so Toei Animation and Takara (the toy makers) to do the Japanese-only continuity. Hasbro usually chose to ignore it as non-canon to their side. Beast Wars made ZERO mention of the Japanese continuity.
Transformers Masterforce brought in the Powermasters (Godmasters) and the Pretenders. The Pretenders had the Autobot Pretenders disguise themselves as NORMAL HUMANS. The Decepticon Pretenders had Blood, Daurus, and Gilmer disguised as MONSTERS. The designs used for Blood, Daurus, and Gilmer were based on the American toy line. There were the Pretenders and there were the Powermasters. It's funny how Hasbro allowed Japan to adapt the concepts into what I'd call "Just hard-to-fit continuity". Regardless, Transformers: Headmasters was a pseudo-continuity that ignored the events of the "Rebirth" saga. The idea of humans cooperating with Transformers was only realized in Japan instead of America. Toei and Takara would be paying Hasbro royalties during that time. I bet Masterforce was probably why Toei eventually allowed Haim Saban to localize and remake Super Sentai as Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Take note that localization is still a form of adaptation in the business sense!
However, that wasn't the last time the Pretenders would be used again. Transformers Masterforce ended up with the human Powermasters splitting from their robot identities. However, the Autobot Pretenders stayed on Earth. I wonder why weren't they involved in Transformers Victory. The concept was re-added into the Decepticon force.
Transformers Victory recreated the Pretender Monsters into the Dino Force. Yes, they were even called KYORYU SENTAI -- a few years before Toei would actually create Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. It gets laughable actually since the Dinoforce are ALL IDIOTS. They donned shells instead of transforming. However, the leader Goryu (dubbed as Icepick) chose to ride his shell rather than merge with it. Goryu's explanation as that going into his shell was unstable -- unlike the others. It's unexplained why Goryu formed a leg of the combination Dinoking (based on Monstructor and that was the dub name too) while Kakuryu formed the upper torso.
This one created some comedic moments. The shells may be either semi-autonomous OR the Dinoforce can control two bodies at once. That might explain why Dinoking's combined mind is hardly anything to write home about. Dinoking was pretty much like Devastator in brute force and intelligence. Were the Dinoforce as an Expy for the Constructicons then? Probably yes, probably no. The Dinoforce became redeemed and most of them became construction workers. Kakuryu was the only one who worked in an amusement park.
This one created some comedic moments. The shells may be either semi-autonomous OR the Dinoforce can control two bodies at once. That might explain why Dinoking's combined mind is hardly anything to write home about. Dinoking was pretty much like Devastator in brute force and intelligence. Were the Dinoforce as an Expy for the Constructicons then? Probably yes, probably no. The Dinoforce became redeemed and most of them became construction workers. Kakuryu was the only one who worked in an amusement park.
What amazed me was that the Pretender Beast concept was created. However, the idea never came to fruition. Instead, Beast Wars created a new concept where the Maximals and Predacons donned realistic-looking beast forms.
Comments
Post a Comment