Does TF:Prime put the "Multiversal Singularity" idea to rest?

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot]

Warning: The following contains spoilers for a fairly recent episode of Transformers: Prime, so if you aren't caught up with the show you might not want to read further.

For those unfamiliar: in the mid-2000s Hasbro introduced the idea that the various Transformers continuities that have existed over the years were linked, and that certain characters were the same in each one of them. While in some cases (Primus) that involved existing simultaneously in all realities, with a separate physical form in each but with the same core being, in other cases it meant that there was really only one iteration of certain characters in the entire multiverse, and when we saw them appear in multiple continuities it was just the same guy travelling from one universe to another. The original Thirteen Primes (including the Fallen) fell into this category, as did Unicron.

However, that presents a fairly big problem with Transformers Prime, as it establishes that Unicron has existed at the centre of the Earth since it first formed for and a half billion years ago, which would have made it a bit difficult to the G1-verse for his move and comic book appearances, or to the Armadaverse for his appearances there, etc.

Personally I've never been much of a fan of the multiversal singularity idea, since it means that each new version of the Transformers can't start with a clean slate, but considering the convoluted explanation given for The Fallen being defeated in essentially the same way in each version of the RotF continuity (movie, videogames, novelizations, etc.) without ever catching on, I wonder if they're going to try to justify Unicron's existence as the Earth's core with his appearances in other continuities.

[Nomad]

Well to be honest, I don't think Unicron's presence in TF Prime needs to change anything, especially given how little we know about it. I mean for all we know, only part of Unicron lives inside the earth, and or that it grew as a spawn of Unicron.

In other words, there's many ways to look at this.

[Megatronimus]

I like to think that continuities can co-exist.

G1 to Beast Wars
Movie Verse
WFC to TF Prime

None should cancel each other out.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Well to be honest, I don't think Unicron's presence in TF Prime needs to change anything, especially given how little we know about it. I mean for all we know, only part of Unicron lives inside the earth, and or that it grew as a spawn of Unicron.

In other words, there's many ways to look at this.

^^This.

And who's to say what happens when. Maybe this is Unicron before he appears in G1 or maybe its him after.

Regardless, trying to rectifty any contradictory facts in a franchise with as many continuties/reboots/reimaginings as TF, to me, is unecessary. It may be fun to think about, to try to align all the ducks in a row and have them be a perfect line, but the fact is most of the continuties weren't meant to fit with each other. To fret over it beyond a certain point will probably just jumble your brain. Personally, I'd rather pay attention to what the new material is bringing to the franchise as a whole, and that it stays true the spirit of the source material. Beyond that, I'm fine with the past being the past and having new takes on things.

[justprime]

Just seeing that episoid yeasterday I did pick up on optimus saying that unicron was more than just a phyiscal form, and was one of the forces of the universe implying a metaphyiscal form of energy

[Cpl. Chrissandwich]

I love the multiverse ideas. but yes some are confusing. Anyway, Im watching the season finale right now...yes the finale.

[sikkbones]

Originally Posted by Whisky Tango Foxtrot

Warning: The following contains spoilers for a fairly recent episode of Transformers: Prime, so if you aren't caught up with the show you might not want to read further.

For those unfamiliar: in the mid-2000s Hasbro introduced the idea that the various Transformers continuities that have existed over the years were linked, and that certain characters were the same in each one of them. While in some cases (Primus) that involved existing simultaneously in all realities, with a separate physical form in each but with the same core being, in other cases it meant that there was really only one iteration of certain characters in the entire multiverse, and when we saw them appear in multiple continuities it was just the same guy travelling from one universe to another. The original Thirteen Primes (including the Fallen) fell into this category, as did Unicron.

However, that presents a fairly big problem with Transformers Prime, as it establishes that Unicron has existed at the centre of the Earth since it first formed for and a half billion years ago, which would have made it a bit difficult to the G1-verse for his move and comic book appearances, or to the Armadaverse for his appearances there, etc.

Personally I've never been much of a fan of the multiversal singularity idea, since it means that each new version of the Transformers can't start with a clean slate, but considering the convoluted explanation given for The Fallen being defeated in essentially the same way in each version of the RotF continuity (movie, videogames, novelizations, etc.) without ever catching on, I wonder if they're going to try to justify Unicron's existence as the Earth's core with his appearances in other continuities.

personal opinion re: the Fallen games, novels etc... are considered secondary contuinity and not considered Canon and therefor only what happened in the movie is canon...

of course we have homicidal prime as a result ripping off heads.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

After thinking about it for a bit, maybe Unicron and all those mulitverse characters are like Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. Dr. Manhattan's consciousness lives outside of linear time, so he experiences and knows his whole existence all at the same time, but is unable to alter events to change the way things are supposed to unfold. For him everything is preordained. He knows X will happen but can change it because that's what linear time dictates will happen. My two cents.

[UltraPrimal]

See, what I think is...



WARNING! SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE SEASON FINALE(EPISODE 26) YET!



...I think that the reason this series is called "Transformer: Prime" is because this is first, or main, universe that the Transformers multiverse sprang out of. If you've ever read DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths or watched Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths or anything like that you know what I'm talking about.

Building off that, I theorize that when Prime used the Matrix on Unicron, he was not completely destroyed. As stated in the episode itself, Unicron had transcended his physical form. If you'd notice, his spark/essence did not explode, but implode. Which suggests to me that he retreated by warping himself into an alternate universe to avoid being obliterated.

But which universe did he travel to? Well I like to think, and this is just more speculation, that perhaps weakened by this ordeal, Unicron sought to have a physical body once more and enlisted the aid of of a little monkey-thing named Primacron. And thus began the G1 universe.

After that, who knows? Maybe he traveled to other universes ... conquering ... corrupting ... destroying ... devouring ... the usual M.O.

[Bruticus82]

Different shows go about different methods of solving issues of continuity and canon.

In Star Wars, only the movies are canon, everything else all "expanded universe" and unofficial.

In Transformers, everything is canon, it just happened somewhere else in the multiverse. It's an interesting little simple - yet extremely complex - solution to the issue.