Generation One

The earth is a battleground. An age-old struggle for control of the universe is taking place. Ordinary looking planes, cars and vehicles suddenly transform into mighty robots that wage war with the advanced armoury of super technology. An erupting volcano revives the dormant cargo of a space ship that crashed four million years ago. Two types of transformers emerge: the power-hungry, evil Decepticons and the Autobots who, with help from human allies, must use courage and ingenuity to defeat the Decepticons.

Hasbro treats kids and collectors to more than 50 new figures. And if that weren't enough, TRANSFORMERS: The Movie hits the big screen and is a huge hit with fans across the country. The movie prompts the release of several new figures, including the RODIMUS PRIME and ULTRA MAGNUS robots.
Several merge groups are released this year, including sets in which one figure becomes the body of a larger robot, with the other figures becoming the arms and legs. The very first AUTOBOT merge group is the AERIALBOTS, figures that can combine to form SUPERION, a larger robot. Also released were the STUNTICONS, COMBATICONS, PREDACONS and PROTECTOBOTS merge groups.

New electronic figures include TRYPTICON, the battle station; SKY LYNX, the space shuttle; and the robot GALVATRON, who, in the movie, takes over command of the DECEPTICON army.

Another banner year for TRANSFORMERS, marked by the introduction of two new lines - TARGETMASTERS and HEADMASTERS. TARGETMASTERS are humanoid creatures who turn into the robot's weapon; HEADMASTERS are vehicle pilots who become the head of the robot. Even better, by joining the head and body of the robot you get a display panel on the robot's chest with its vital stats - speed, strength and intelligence.
The biggest TRANSFORMERS figure ever made is, in fact, a HEADMASTER. FORTRESS MAXIMUS, an awesome two-foot-tall figure can turn into a battle station and an entire city!

Also released this year: MONSTERBOTS, monsters which emit sparks when you push a button; and Sixshot, the first TRANSFORMERS figure with six modes of change!

The final season of the U.S. "Generation 1" animated series, The Rebirth, airs in the fall as a three-part story detailing the adventures of the HEADMASTERS and TARGETMASTERS. The epic ends with the banishment of the DECEPTICONS and a new golden age of Cybertron.

This year welcomes even more fresh ideas from the TRANSFORMERS line. A twist on the TARGETMASTERS/HEADMASTERS theme arrives with POWERMASTERS - robots whose humanoid cohorts become their engine in vehicle mode. Another big hit is the PRETENDERS - figures with organic outer "shells" that hide the robot inside. The shells can be human (AUTOBOTS) or monsters (DECEPTICONS). With the arrival of PRETENDER BEASTS, all the robots are contained within the shell of large animals.

When you've got a toy this big, sometimes you've got to - think small. That's what Hasbro does this year with the introduction of the MICROMASTERS line of miniature TRANSFORMERS. First out of the gate are MICROMASTERS PATROLS, followed by MICROMASTERS TRANSPORTS and MICROMASTERS STATIONS, playsets designed specifically for this line. In keeping with the extremely collectible MICROMASTERS characters, each playset can be linked via a system of ramps to create and customize an incredible MICROMASTERS city!
Also released this year are PRETENDERS Classics, featuring the triumphant return of GRIMLOCK, JAZZ, BUMBLEBEE and STARSCREAM figures. Overall, however, fewer figures are released than in previous years.

A whole new line called ACTION MASTERS makes its appearance - these are articulated action figures based on TRANSFORMERS characters both old and new. OPTIMUS PRIME has brought back an experimental form of energy called Nucleon to super-fuel his troops with incredible powers. The DECEPTICONS steal this resource and the battle rages anew. But this energy source comes with a price - it makes the TRANSFORMERS robots unable to change! That power is given instead to their weapons and assistant drones.
More MICROMASTER figures are released, including MICROMASTERS COMBINERS, an interconnecting series of micro-vehicles.

But all good things must come to an end, and so it is with the first generation of TRANSFORMERS figures; 1990 is their last year of production in the U.S. The Transformers line continues overseas however.

Battlestars depicts Convoy revived by the Destrons after his death in Headmasters initially as the evil False Convoy. He battles the Cybertrons but is defeated and then reborn as the Ultimate Cybertron Commander Star Convoy with Zone Energy. Star Convoy is also reunited with Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod outside of Japan) as his Micromaster partner. Galvatron, thought to be buried alive and trapped forever in the Arctic during Headmasters, is reformed into Super Megatron by Dark Nova and proceeds to battle with Star Convoy and the other Cybertrons, including Grandus, Skygarry, and Sixliner.

After initially defeating the Cybertrons, Super Megatron gets subsequently destroyed by them. Dark Nova then rebuilds him into Ultra Megatron. Despite being even more powerful than before, Ultra Megatron is again defeated by Star Convoy and the Cybertrons, but in near-death, merges with Dark Nova to become Star Giant, a six-armed, tentacled mechanical beast. Star Convoy and the Cybertrons battle and eventually defeat Star Giant, ending the series.

Star Convoy is briefly mentioned in the sequel Operation Combination, as having left Earth to do battle with the mysterious, next Destron Emperor of Destruction Scrash in outer space.