Transformers: Every G1 Easter Egg & Reference In War For Cybertron – Siege

Transformers: War for Cybertron – Siege may be the newest series in the long running franchise, but there are plenty of references to the original G1 robots in disguise. The very premise of the show itself is pulled right from the classic cartoon – the Autobots and Decepticons have waged a centuries long war that has eradicated the resources of their planet, Cybertron.

Desperate to find new sources of energy, the Autobots craft a plan to leave Cybertron and harvest energy from other places in the galaxy. Generally this is when the Decepticons show up, crashing along with the Autobots on Earth, where their conflict begins anew.

Transformers: War for Cyberton – Siege is no G1 pretender – it is its own entity wholly separate from G1, and its versions of some of these characters make choices prior versions would never have even considered. It also lacks the sense of humor and brevity of G1, changed to a somber, deliberate war drama where everyone is so very, very tired. Most of what it takes from G1 serve as subtle homages and references, honoring the legacy it’s attempting to uphold. Here’s every Generation 1 reference in the new Netflix series.

The Opening Scene

Transformers: Siege begins with Wheeljack and Bumblebee scouring their dead planet for energon, before being confronted by a cabal of Decepticon seekers. This neatly mirrors the events of the G1 cartoon, where Wheeljack and Bumblebee were the first characters seen onscreen, ducking Decepticon seekers. Siege’s version is different in one important way – its version of Bumblebee is unaffiliated with the Autobots, and is generally in a lousy mood.

Elita-1 Stays Behind

After Ultra Magnus is taken prisoner by the Decepticons, Elita-1 becomes Optimus Prime’s de facto second in command for the duration of Transformers: War for Cybertron – Siege. It’s a reluctant role for Elita-1, who is unsure of Optimus’ plans to thwart the Decepticons. As the series ends, Elita-1 believes the Ark has been destroyed and that she and a handful of remaining Autobots must stay behind to defend what’s left of Cybertron. In the original G1 cartoon, Elita-1 and a small band of fellow female Autobots served as guerrilla freedom fighters on Decepticon-controlled Cybertron. This version of Elita-1 also believed Optimus and the other Autobots had perished rather than crash landed on Earth.

Jetfire’s Allegiance

Jetfire serves as the commander of the Decepticon seekers, making him Megatron’s right hand man – and a pain in Starscream’s backside. After Megatron’s plans take a darker than expected turn, Jetfire finds himself having a crisis of conscience before turning his back on the Decepticons and aiding the Autobots. The G1 cartoon version of Jetfire was a scientist and explorer long before the war between the Autobots and Decepticons began, who crash landed on Earth millions of years earlier. Awakened by the Decepticons, he was almost immediately uneasy with the violent Megatron, and joined the Autobots by the end of his first episode.

“‘Til All Are One”

“‘Til All Are One” is something of a rallying cry for both Autobots and Decepticons in Transformers: Siege, a shared slogan of unity invoked in the darkest of times. The line originates from The Transformers: The Movie, the 1986 G1 feature film that defined the franchise for many fans. In that film, Optimus uttered the line just as he passed the Autobot Matrix Of Leadership to Ultra Magnus, and it would again be used as a rallying cry by the next Autobot leader, Rodimus Prime.

Alpha Trion

After the fall of an important Autobot, Bumblebee becomes the vessel for the mysterious Alpha Trion Protocols, a vast database of collected wisdom. While the concept itself is similar to that of the Matrix, it is named for Alpha Trion, one of the first Autobots in G1’s continuity, and the person who transformed a young, damaged dock worker named Orion Pax into Optimus Prime. Alpha Trion has long been a figure of deep importance in the Transformers mythos, and Siege continues the tradition.

The Ark

Just like in the Generation 1 cartoon, the Ark is the Autobot’s massive gold starship that they intend to use to find more energon resources for the dying Cybertron. As the story goes, the Ark is boarded by the Decepticons and, after a fight ensues, the Ark crashes on Earth, where the ship and its passengers stay dormant for millions of years until awakened by a volcanic eruption. Transformers: War for Cyberton – Siege hasn’t gotten to the crash yet, but seeing as the next installment of the trilogy is called Earthrise, it’s a safe bet things are headed in that direction.

The Space Bridge

In the opening segment of Transformers: Siege, Wheeljack discovers a long lost space bridge, a piece of technology the Autobots hope to utilize in their escape from Cybertron. In the original G1 cartoon, the space bridge was controlled by the Decepticons, and was used to ferry troops and supplies between Earth and Cybertron in the earliest days of the war.

Primus

Ate one point in Transformers: Siege, the Autobot Cog invokes the name of Primus. Primus is actually a concept from the G1 comics – while the origins of the Transformers in the G1 animated series were always a bit convoluted, there was a literal Transformers God in the comics. Primus was an impossibly old entity that was created as a force for good to counter a force of pure, ancient evil – Unicron, one of the few G1 stalwarts who doesn’t get a mention in Siege. Considering Hasbro have crowdfunded an unprecedentedly massive War For Cybertron Unicron figure, the chaos bringer will likely show up eventually.

The Guardians

Optimus Prime visits the mysterious Guardians to ask for help, only to be turned down, as the Guardians prefer to remain uninvolved in Cybertron’s civil war – though they apparently changed their minds, as the Guardian Omega Supreme makes a last minute appearance to aid the Autobots. In the original G1 cartoon, Omega Supreme was a member of the Guardians of Cybertron before the war began.

Soundblaster

Bumblebee runs afoul of Soundblaster, a renegade who looks suspiciously like Soundwave with a black coat of paint. This one is actually a reference to the Japanese G1 continuity, where after his destruction at the hands of the Autobot Blaster, Soundwave himself was rebuilt as Soundblaster. In Transformers: War for Cybertron – Siege, the pair are two separate characters with distinct personalities.

About The Author

Dusty Stowe
(587 Articles Published)

Dusty Stowe has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016. A native of Yorktown, Virginia, he moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He currently writes lists, features, and news articles covering movies, comics, and television. He is a devoted fan of Doctor Who, DC Comics, and whatever David Lynch deems us worthy of viewing. Star Trek: The Next Generation lit up his five year-old brain like a firework, ensuring he’d be a progressive nerd for the rest of his life. His current focuses are on covering the Arrowverse, Star Trek: Discovery, and the DC Cinematic Universe. He is also a trained audio engineer with a degree from the Los Angeles Film School, and manages multiple corporate social media accounts. He really, really wants a new Green Lantern movie. You can talk to him about football, politics, and his weird nerd takes on Twitter @dustystowe.

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