Making Sense of Generation One: Part 6

In 1987, the final new episodes of the original Generation One Transformers aired in the United States. Although a fifth season aired, these episodes were only repackaged episodes from the first four seasons. It appeared that the adventures of the Autobots and Decepticons would only take place in the comic books for the rest of their run in the 1980's. However, in Japan, the animated adventures of the robots in disguise continued. In 1987, Takara (the Japanese company who owned the Transformers brand in Japan) chose not to import the three part series finale, The Rebirth, from the United States. Instead, Takara commissioned the production of an additional season to properly tie off the stories of the classic characters. This series was the 35 episode Transformers: The Headmasters.

Transformers: The Headmasters began its broadcast run exclusively in Japan in 1987. The series completely ignored the events of The Rebirth, and it picked up one year after The Return of Optimus Prime Part Two. Cybertron is at peace after the truce between the Decepticons and Autobots. However, Galvatron returns to Cybertron and launches a full scale assault with the new recruits to his army, the Headmasters (Wierdwolf, Skullcruncher, and Mindwipe). Galvatron sought to control the powerful super computer Vector Sigma which was deep within Cybertron. Meanwhile on Earth, the powerful new Decepticon warrior Sixshot leads the Triple-Changers and Constructicons against Autobot City. The Autobots are eventually saved from defeat when a force of Autobot Headmasters arrive on Cybertron aboard the powerful Battleship Maximus. Optimus Prime then ventured into Cybertron led by the spirit of Alpha Trion to locate Vector Sigma and protect it from the Decepticons. At the same time, Hot Rod and the Headmasters were searching for the Matrix (which Optimus had placed in a secret location on Earth to recharge after Optimus had released its energy). Eventually, Hot Rod found the Matrix and returned to Cybertron. Hot Rod became Rodimus Prime again and along side Optimus Prime and Cerebros, they battled Galvatron and the Deceticon Headmasters within the Vector Sigma chamber. Optimus Prime then sacrificed his life to protect Vector Sigma from Glavatron. From there, the story continued.

Although The Headmasters is the least favorite of the exclusive Japanese series, it is still an awesome series to watch and it felt like a more fitting finale for the classic characters we all know. Highlights of the 35 episode series included: the death of Optimus Prime, the return of Rodimus Prime, the deaths and rebirths of Soundwave and Blaster, the rise of Fortress Maximus and Skorponok as the new faction commanders, the destruction of Cybertron, the death of Galvatron, the creation of the Target Masters, and the final battle between both forces on Earth in which the Autobots drove the Decepticons from Earth at last. That sure is a lot of stuff for one series. Transformers: The Headmasters also told a different origin for the Headmasters and Target Masters. In the Japanese continuity, there are no Nebulans or humans bonded to Transformers. Instead, human sized Transformers build powerful Transformer sized bodies called Transtectors which they could combine with. In the case of the Target Masters, the human sized Transformers were fused to the hands of several Autobots and Decepticons during an explosion in space while they were in gun mode. From there, the "guns" could detach and transform into human sized robots.

If you felt the original U.S. series was tied off too quickly, this show definitely assisted in giving the classic characters a proper finale. It is rumored that the first 13 episodes of the series were created from aborted scripts for the U.S. fourth season. From there, the series shifted the focus onto the new characters. After the conclusion of this series, you would think that the war was finally over. However, the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons is a war without end.