After the announcement of the new Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, one can take a sigh of relief at the end of the big and unwieldy Michael Bay movies. The solo movie focussing on the much beloved character Bumblebee tells us that there is much to tap from the Transformers folklore to create a universe much like the DC and Marvel movies have. Fans of the franchise tell us that there are plenty of characters – numbering in tens and even hundreds – that will make prime candidates for solo movies, aside from our yellow Autobot. Here are the best choices, in our opinion:
1. Optimus Prime:
The first movie focussing on Bumblebee must have been a surprise for fans of the franchise as the great Optimus Prime is an automatic choice. Prime is the leader of the noble Autobots. He is distinguished by the blue and red of his armour, and his ability to transform into Freightliner FL86 cab over minitruck. He possesses the Matrix of Leadership in the fight against Decepticons and is also believed to the last Prime in the universe.
2. Megatron:
He is Optimus Prime’s arch-enemy and for every noble quality that we have seen in Optimus Prime, there is an evil quality in Megatron. He can transform into a gun, and the toy can not be carried on airplanes in the States. In 2006, the Megatron toy was again made into a gun, this time the Nerf Maveric REV-6. The controversy has certainly made the Megatron popular. In Cybertron, Megatron was
once a good friend and comrade of Orion Pax, who became Optimus Prime. Megatron later led a revolution against what he perceived to be an unjust system against some of the robot ilk.
3. Starscream:
He is a Decepticon that has appeared in all forms of the franchise. He is Megatron’s lieutenant, and his cunning is only matched by the fact that he is so evil. He often waits in the shadows before striking, and like Megatron, wants the Decepticons to rule the world. He is able to transform into a fighter jet, a characteristic that has remained constant over the years. Also, Starscream covets Megatron’s title and has often expressed a desire to replace him as the leader of the Decepticons. Megatron is aware of this and wants such a right hand man so he remains on his toes.
4. Hot Rod:
Rodimus Prime came into the picture with the release of the 1986 Transformer: The Movie when all the old characters were killed and new ones were introduced. Rodimus Prime was the loyal and arrogant new leader of the Autobots and the bearer of the Mantle of Leadership. He appears in red, yellow and silver colors and could transform into a Ford GT or trucks from the future. In the cartoon series, Hot Rod eventually leads the Autobots in their fight against the Quintessons who invented the Transformers but eventually came back to destroy the Mantle.
5. Shockwave:
He is another of Megatron’s ruthless deputies, but instead of seeing the world as a power play, the Decepticon views everything as a series of logics. Bob Budiansky who created the original characters based the character of Shockwave on Mr Spock from Star Trek. However, Shockwave has none of the nobleness of Spock as he views the outcome of the war as destruction and eventual victory of Decepticons. He transforms into a Mazda RX-8, and is said to be more powerful than Megatron. However, the leader of the Decepticons has a famous temper and passion that makes him a force to reckon with. Shockwave is distinguished in the comics by a singular eye in the center of his face.
6. Grimlock:
He is the leader of the Dinobots, and turns into the T.Rex version that is arguably the strongest in the Transformer universe. He has managed to best Megatron a number of times, proving his strength in battle. He has an energon sword to fight his enemies, has a rocket launcher that drives itself and is a stunning fighter. If that was not enough, the dinosaur mode is actually useful for him. He can breathe fire, fire bolts from his mouth and chew anything up with the steel jaws of his.
7. Jazz:
He is the uber cool and slick first lieutenant to the Autobot leader Optimus Prime. He is ultra stylish and speaks in a certain jive, voiced by Scatman Crothers both in the cartoon series as well as the Michael Bay movies. He is the head of Special Operations and transformers into the cool Martini Porsche 935 Turbo true to his style. In the 2007 movie, he is shown to love hip-hop and is a total style icon. He is one of the smaller of the Autobots, standing at no more than 15 feet. In the cartoon series, he is shown to share his role with Ironhide and Prowl as Optimus Prime’s most trusted men.
