Transformers American & Japanese Episode Summaries
Main Summary Page | Fight! Super Robot Life | 2010 | Headmasters | Masterforce | Victory | Zone

Check out the TF:ZONE screen captures here!

Transformers: Zone

Transformers: Zone was the last of the Japanese cartoons, a victim of the declining popularity of Transformers in Japan at the time. Only the first episode was ever animated; the rest of the tale was related in TV Magazine, a weekly publication that featured stories about television characters. In Zone, Dai Atlas leads Sonic Bomber, Roadfire, and the Cybertron Micromasters against the alien Volenijger and his league of resurrected Destron Generals. Volenjiger's target are the Zodiac gems, source of the mysterious Zodiac Power. Zone was followed by Transformers: Return of Convoy/Battlestars, a story told exclusively in TV Magazine.

Transformers: Zone

Transformers: Zone was supposed to be the next Transformers series in Japan, but ended up as an Original Video Animation, along the likes of Scramble City. For some reason, there were no other episodes produced after the very first, but the story is told through TV Magazine.

This series featured characters new and old. From the Victory series, it had Victory Saber, the Micromasters and Galaxy Shuttle but then it introduced a whole new set of Transformers called the Powered Masters. These toys actually had battery or spring-powered motors; the new Cybertron commander was Dai-Atlus and his assistants were Sonic Bomber and Roadfire. The three of them had the ability to merge into a super-jet and a huge base, named Big Powered. The bulk of the Destron forces were the gestalts from the original Transformers run, decked out in cape and cowl -- Devastator (who has a drill as weapon), Menasor, Predaking, Abominus, King Poseidon, Trypticon, Bruticus, Black Zarak and Overlord. The Destrons serve under their new leader, a three-faced Quintesson-like monster known as Violenjiger.

The first episode starts out with the Destrons attacking a planet before the arrival of Victory Saber and Galaxy Shuttle. The inhabitants load up into Galaxy Shuttle and they depart just as the planet is destroyed, but Victory Saber does not make it out after saving Kaim and his cute little Zone bunny, Emusa. Violenjiger gathers his nine generals and orders them to capture the Cybertron Zodiac, an energy source pretty much equivalent with the Matrix. At the Cybertron base, things are quiet, until suddenly the Destrons attack with Menasaur, Overlord and Abominus. The Cybertrons try to counter with Countdown and the Air Strike patrol, but they are completely overmatched. They try to follow the Destrons, but Black Zarak shows up and immobilizes the rocket. As the Rescue Squad work on repairs, Dai-Atlus and Roadfire appear, carrying a weakened and heavily-damaged Victory Saber. The two of them are sent by Victory Saber to retrieve the Zodiac. Meanwhile, the Destrons go wild, attacking the Cybertrons on Earth with Predaking, Devastator, King Poseidon and Trypticon. Suddenly, Dai-Atlus and Roadfire appear and do battle with the gestalts. Dai-Atlus heads underground and finds the missing Zodiac, but then Devastator and King Poseidon attack. He manages to unleash a river of lava on top of Devastator, and King Poseidon tries to escape with the Zodiac. The Cybertrons mange to get it back, but now face Trypticon, Predaking and King Poseidon. Dai-Atlus manages to unleash the power of the Zodiac and he and Sonic Bomber transform into a powerful base, which blasts King Poseidon and Trypticon out of the picture, leaving on Predaking, who tries to escape. Dai-Atlus jumps on Sonic Bomber's back and chases after the gestalt, slicing him from head to crotch, destroying him. For their efforts, Victory Saber proclaims them heroes and names Dai Atlus as the new commander in a grand ceremony in front of the other Cybertrons.

Later, in the series, Violenjiger manages to recapture the Zodiac, kidnapping Kaim and his friend Akira in the rocket that they are in. It is soon learned that Violenjiger has the ability to split off into three robot insects. The Cybertrons manage to defeat the trio but then he comes back as a phoenix formed from the spirit of the dead Destrons. However, Dai-Atlus, Sonic Bomber and Roadfire merge into Big Powered and they destroy Violenjiger once and for all.