The debut of Skybound’s new Transformers ongoing has been a smash success, but some fans are already questioning the series’ devotion to the original Generation 1 continuity. According to Robert Kirkman, the Energon Universe era will incorporate other aspects of the franchise’s lore eventually, expanding beyond the classic Autobot and Decepticon designs as the story progresses.
Speaking at the Energon Universe panel at New York Comic-Con 2023, Kirkman answered a fan’s question about the franchise moving beyond the G1 designs, which the series has featured prominently so far.
“We’re going to be incorporating lots of different stuff,” Kirkman explained. “Eventually, you’ll see some non-G1 stuff incorporated into the Energon Universe.”
Robert Kirkman Would Love to See Star Saber in New Transformers Continuity
Kirkman went on to provide further context, saying that the Energon Universe was built on unexpected surprises: “It’s not just going to be all G1 all the time forever. The whole point of the Energon Universe will be things happening when you least expect it, and it will be more exciting because of that.” While it will likely be a while before other eras of the Transformers franchise weave their way into the Energon Universe, Kirkman is excited by at least one possibility: “I think Star Saber is an amazing visual that I would like to see (current Transformers artist) Daniel Warren Johnson draw at some point.”
Star Saber is the “Supreme Commander” of the Autobots in the Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory, one of the many Japanese spin-offs derived from the original Transformers cartoon over the years. Although seeing Johnson render that crazy design would be undeniably epic, Kirkman quickly pointed out that this is all pie-in-the-sky dream-casting for the time being. “I think we could see something like that eventually,” Kirkman said, “but there’s no plans just yet.” The Generation 1 Transformers are beloved by fans, there are also many other equally-beloved eras and designs for the creators to pull from in the future.
There Are Many Eras Of Transformers For Energon To Pull From
The “Unicron Trilogy” of Armada, Energon and Cybertron revitalized the franchise in the 2000’s, introducing a whole new generation of fans to the franchise with colorful, hyper-detailed robot designs. It also feels like a given that Beast Wars will show up sooner rather than later. The toy-line and cartoon kept the franchise running in the nineties by providing a new spin on Transformers, and many of the characters recently appeared in last summer’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Given the vehicle alt-modes of the classic G1 bots, the animalistic Maximals and Predacons would provide a completely different look and feel to the Energon Universe.
While some fans are eager to see the franchise move beyond its G1 roots, it is a smart move on the part of Skybound and the Energon Universe’s creators to stick to the classic designs for now. It’s better to firmly establish the world and the characters in this new continuity, before introducing other aspects of the franchise. Once Optimus Prime and company have had their chance to shine, then perhaps it will be time to introduce others like Leo Convoy or Optimus Primal. Hopefully, once this new era of Transformers is properly established, Skybound and Robert Kirkman will begin introducing other aspects of the lore to the Energon Universe.
