Reformatting
From Transformers Wiki
| This article is about the process. For the cartoon episode, see The Reformatting. |
Reformatting is a term for the wholesale upgrading of a Transformer into a new form granting them new power, minus the effort of going through the tedious business of Spark transplant, protoforming, or manual rebuilding. Most commonly this is carried out by a higher power or by a Cybertronian channeling a higher power, though on rare occasions it has been achieved by Cybertronians on their own. Reformatting is not limited to Transformers and can be applied to other forms of life, and even whole planets. In the case of planets, the change is known as mechaforming.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
Unicron reformatted Megatron and some other Decepticons into Galvatron, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps. Hot Rod was reformatted into Rodimus Prime by the power of the Matrix of Leadership. The Transformers: The Movie In the case of Rodimus, the reformatting only appeared to be in effect while he held the Matrix. Dark Awakening The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
Japanese cartoon continuity
G-2 story pages and pack-in comic
In an epic battle with Megatron, Optimus Prime's weaponry was disabled by Hooligan. He was then badly injured by an attack from Dreadwing and Smokescreen. Megatron finally administered the fatal blow and believed his enemy was finally finished. The sparks of past Autobot leaders within the Matrix of Leadership then activated the Reconfiguration Matrix, reviving Optimus Prime as Battle Convoy. G-2 #13
Legends comic
Optimus Prime used the Reconfiguration Matrix again to reformat into a new body similar to his original form. Lord Megatron Goes to the Legends World
e-HOBBY comics
When the universe came under threat from an alternate-reality incarnation of Galvatron, Prime used his Reconfiguration Matrix to once again transform his body into a form resembling his original. Armed with powerful solar-powered missile launchers created by the Decepticons that were so energy-consumptive that Prime required a sunlight-absorbing black body coating to operate them at full power, Prime put his new body to use rescuing Laser Ultra Magnus from Galvatron's clutches. Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version
Beast Wars II cartoon
Wings Universe
When Decepticon Syndicate leader Clench needed a live test subject for Sky-Byte's improved forestonite, Clench convinced the simple-minded Cindersaur to eat a canister of it despite Sky-Byte's warning that it wasn't meant to be taken orally. Cindersaur survived the digestion and was mutated into a new dinosaur form complete with fire-breath ability. Generation 2: Redux
Hearing a voice calling him to a transwarp portal leading to an unknown cave sometime in the past, the Star Seeker Hunter found the Matrix of Conquest. He touched it and was transformed into Shokaract. Hoist the Flag
When Starscream stole the body of Cannonball, he instantly altered the pirate captain's body into a form resembling his old body. Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur
2005 IDW continuity
While the Dynobots were investigating possible terrorist bases in Toraxxis Plains, they were confronted by fierce cyber-morphic predators. With no escape available, Dynobot field medic Skar used "dynamic alt-mode adaptation" to grant his teammates beast-based forms so that they could fight off the predators. Underworld As it turned out, Skar had apparently fueled this process with energon which had been contaminated by the blood of Trypticon. Millions of years later, the Decepticon Bludgeon subjected the Camien Strafe to this contaminated energon, which similarly mutated her into a beast-based form. Redemption
War for Cybertron Trilogy continuity
War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon
Beast Wars cartoon continuity
Beast Machines
After the Maximals returned to Cybertron and fell foul of Megatron's transformation virus, they were led to the Oracle by Optimus Primal. The Oracle reformatted them all into technorganic forms, becoming an amalgamation of technological and organic. The Reformatting Optimus himself was granted the ability to reformat other Transformers by channeling the Oracle's power. He first put it to use reformatting Nightscream into a technorganic bat. Forbidden Fruit Blackarachnia was able to trigger a total reformatting of Jetstorm by bringing him into prolonged contact with organic goop from Cybertron's core, combined with Rattrap's invention of a spark extractor combined with a DNA scanner. In Darkest Knight After a strange plant creature arrived on the planet, Primal realized it was a Transformer and reformatted it, revealing Botanica. Home Soil At the conclusion of the conflict, Primal and Megatron fell into Cybertron's organic core, which initiated the planet-wide reformat that left Cybertron a technorganic paradise.
2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity
Megastorm utilized Angolmois Energy on himself, Starscream, Thrust, Dirge, and BB, turning themselves into the Cyber Beasts Gigastorm, Hellscream, Thrustor, Dirgegun, and Max-B. Beast Wars Sourcebook
Cybertron comic
During the Universe War when repeated exposure to Unicron threatened madness and death upon Optimus Primal and his Children of Primus, Primus reformatted his troops into new forms immune to Unicron's corruptive influence. Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Optimus Primal's bio
Ask Vector Prime
In Primax 208.06 Zeta, Waspscream's Predacons who survived Megatron's transformation virus were granted technorganic forms by the Oracle. Ask Vector Prime
Beast Wars II comic
2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon
Megatron was reformatted into Galvatron after a failed attempt to seize the Orb of Sigma. He gained four new alternate modes and the power to drain energy from others. Peril from the Past
Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity
Linkage comic
The Mini-Cons combined their powers in order to free Ravenus of Unicron's influence and restore him to his original form. Linkage Part 12
Energon cartoon
After Cyclonus sustained damage in battle with the Autobots, he begged Megatron for repairs. Furious, Megatron bound Cyclonus to a wall of Unicron and used Unicron's power to reformat Cyclonus into Snow Cat. Kicker Beware!
After Shockblast killed Wing Dagger, Unicron Unleashed the Autobots took Wing Dagger's body to Primus, who resurrected and reformatted him into Wing Saber, complete with a Spark of Combination. Open Fire!
Discovering Super Energon deep beneath Cybertron's surface, Megatron immersed himself in it, becoming Galvatron (again). Wishes
Cybertron cartoon
When Overhaul defended Snarl from a vicious attack by Scourge, the Cyber Planet Key of Animatron reformatted him into Leobreaker. Detour
After Hot Shot, Red Alert, and Scattorshot were mortally wounded by Megatron, the power of Primus reformatted them into the Cybertron Defense Team. Critical
After being critically wounded by a horde of Scrapmetal, Crumplezone was healed and reformatted by Megatron. Darkness
In the wake of being defeated by Metroplex, Megatron's rage boiled over, causing the Gigantion Cyber Planet Key to react and transform him into Galvatron (again). Fury
Energon comic
When Optimus Prime and the Autobots were about to be overwhelmed by Unicron's Four Horsemen, Optimus Prime communed with Sig-Omega, who granted the Autobots new forms and the Spark of Combination to stand against the Horsemen. What Lies Beneath, Part Two
Galaxy Force comic
Cybertron toy bios
In Aurex 1006.0 Beta, the power of the Animatron Cyber Planet Key upgraded Optimus Prime and Megatron into beast forms. Jungle Planet Optimus Prime's toy bio Jungle Planet Megatron's toy bio
Animated continuity family
Animated cartoon
On Archa Seven, the Autobot Elita-1 was reformatted into a technorganic spider after being injected with venom. Along Came a Spider When the techno-organic human/Transformer Sari Sumdac used her AllSpark Key on herself, her body changed from the size of an 8-year old human female into that of a teenage human female. Sari also gained the ability to "morph" into a battle mode. TransWarped
Shattered Glass Animated
The mirror universe Isaac Sumdac conducted numerous experiments on his version of Sari, including implanting AllSpark fragments into her. This unleashed her true power, granting her a battle mode. The 'Cons
Shattered Glass
After Megatron was assassinated by Cyclonus, the newly reformed member of the Thirteen Nexus Prime resurrected Megatron as Galvatron. Reunification: Part 6
After the mortally wounded Optimus Prime was betrayed by Rodimus and thrown out of Sky Lynx, along with Prowl, Brawn, Inferno, and Ratchet. They were found by the benevolent Unicron, and were reformatted into the Knights of Unicron. This reformatting did not only change their forms, into Nova Prime, Checkpoint, X-Brawn and the Autotroopers respectively, but also a moral reformation. Out of the One, Many
Aligned continuity family
Aligned novels
Alpha Trion questioned why Shockwave has not appeared in the Hall of Records to take him to one of his reformatting laboratories.Transformers: Exiles
Prime cartoon
When Optimus Prime was on the verge of death, Smokescreen used the last of the energy remaining in the Forge of Solus Prime to save him, healing Optimus's grievous wounds and granting him a newer, more powerful body.Rebellion
Needing a vessel in order to destroy Cybertron, Unicron revived Megatron's corpse and upgraded it with special armor.Predacons Rising
2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon
A thousand years before the present day, Primus selected Windblade to travel to Earth for a future crisis. To prepare her for the task, he granted her a new, more combat-focused chassis. The Buzz on Windblade
With Megatronus's arrival to Earth imminent, Optimus Prime convinced the other original Primes to forgo additional training and send him to Earth immediately to deal with the threat. The Primes shared portions of their power with Optimus, granting him a new, more battle-ready body.Battlegrounds, Part 1
Games
Transformers: Earth Wars
The Autobots discussed the potential danger if Megatron had got the AllSpark. They would have all been reformatted and realigned as Decepticons.War for Cybertron
Notes
- When the term was first introduced in Beast Machines, reformatting strictly referred to a process by which a Transformer's body is altered almost instantaneously from a mechanical to a technorganic form. In casual use among fans, the term is often applied more widely to any "instant" body change by some near omnipotent being, such as the Oracle, Unicron, or Primus. This usage was canonized by the glossary of the More Than Meets The Eye profiles books by Dreamwave Productions, which defined the term as "The process of upgrading or otherwise modifying an existing mechanical system or being. Can also be used to apply to other species/life forms."
Foreign names
- Japanese: Reconfiguration (リコンフィギュレーション Rikonfigyurēshon), Reformat (リフォーマット Rifōmatto)
