G1 Cartoon-3 Discussion

[Long Haul]

When developing DZ-3 characters, it helps to have an idea of what their original universe is like. As with regular Deadzone, these characters are all being pulled from realities that have certain set groups of characteristics, although the one thing that will be common to all the -3 realities is that they are AAEDAG (Autobots Are Evil, Decepticons Are Good) universes (or MAEPAG, or AAEPAG, or MAEVAG). Specific details can vary from universe to universe, though. Perhaps the Decepticons are a group of noble but desperate rebels in one reality, an established democracy in another, and a benevolent Empire in the third? Meanwhile, the Autobots might be the stereotypical Evil Empire in one place, a group of violent malcontents in a second reality, and a corrupt state run on profit at the expense of others elsewhere.

We don't really need too much detail. Just enough to get a springboard for the characters that come from them. After all, these are universes that we're never going to actually see. It's just a way to bounce around ideas while getting a feel for our alternates, and to have fun in the discussion besides.

The usual cliché when it comes to a "reverse-universe" type plot, based on my personal experiences of watching way too much television in the '80's and reading way too many comic books, is that the "reverse-universe" is always a much darker reflection of the original in order to leave the viewer or reader with a feeling of, "Boy, wouldn't it be suck if that were the normal fiction reality? Aren't you glad we write the series the way we do instead?" Often, interactions with the normal universe inspire changes in the better in the reverse universe, either by giving the beleaguered heroes of the reverse universe (the counterparts of the normal universe villains) a greater glimmer of hope, or by somehow inspiring the normal universe's evil counterparts to become better people. You know what, though? There's no reason we need to follow the cliche. Especially when we've got so many different realities to work with. Sure, I imagine some will be darker. Maybe some, however, will be brighter. Like normal Deadzone, we're looking at a mismatch here, but maybe, just maybe, while looking into the mirror, our normal characters can find something to inspire them rather than it always be the other way around. We've got a lot of stuff to play with, a lot of areas to explore.

As with normal Deadzone, there are only going to be set reality "groups" that get pulled from, and within that set, the only thing that changes is the pull-point for the various characters. Thus, all DZ-3s who come from G1 Cartoon-3 are going to come from pretty similar home realities, all the ones from the G1 Marvel-3 have similar homes, and so forth. The exact nature of each -3 home reality is being left up for discussion by the individual players who run characters in those realities and who are also participating in the DZ-3 plot itself.

This thread is for the discussion of what the G1 Cartoon-3 universe is like, to be determined by those who run characters in from the normal G1 Cartoon universe and who wish to participate in the plot in some way (even if it's just by running their normal characters).

Current characters from the G1 Cartoon universe are: Hook, Dead End, Skystrike, Starfighter, Fleetwind, Shrapnel, Starscream, Eye-fire, Thundercracker, Skyfire, Punch/Counterpunch, Long Haul, Perceptor, Synapse, Omega Supreme, Arcee, Kup, Slingshot, Wheelie, Screwdriver, Grimlock, and Bluestreak. Given the number of characters from the G1 cartoon universe, there's a good chance that not everyone will be completely happy with what we hash out, so we're just going to try to make as many people happy as possible.

[Bluestreak]

Here's a proposal for the G1 Cartoon -3 verse:

After the Second Cybertronian War, Cybertron knows a Golden Age of Peace -- or at least the Autobots do. Having decided the Decepticons are too dangerous a race to live in complete harmony with, the Autobots keep them under tight control -- either under constant surveilance or in camps, depending on how dangerous a certain mech or group of mechs is considered. The Decepticons think of the Golden Age as an era of near-enslavement.

The Third Cybertronian War comes about when a noble revolutionary -- Megatron -- gathers together an army of rebels and finally overthrows the Autobot rule, and he and his army set about trying to restore an Empire where Decepticons and Autobots can truly live as equals. This does not sit well with the Autobots, naturally.

Sometime during the course of this Third Cybertronian War, a gang of young punks ambushes Megatron and a team of his men near a dockside warehouse. In the subsequent scuffle, a few young mechs are accidentally mortally wounded -- namely, Orion Pax and Ariel. Alpha Trion, an old mech who wants to see a return to the old ways, take the opportunity to rebuild and upgrade the two mechs, redub them Optimus Prime and Elita-1, and set about to shaping them as public figures to lead his Autobot resistance. Prime becomes leader of the Autobots... and bears an eternal, personal grudge against Megatron.

The war drains Cybertron's energy, and Megatron leads a party of troops into the far reaches of space to find more energy sources. Prime and his crew follow, ambush, board Megatron's ship... and crash on Earth, to be reactivated four million years later and resume their battle all over again.

What does everyone think? This is just one idea. I'd love to see others!

[Skyfire]

Considering that's the (admittedly biased) view of history that my ficverse Decepticons have in the normal universe.... And that seems to have been the fate of the Decepticons during the Maximal Peace... It's almost too close to the normal universe ;-) I like it.

But what happens if both the DZ Autobots and the DZ Decepticons side with the DZ-3 Decepticons? Or both fight them?

[Eye-fire]

With the Decepticons current trend of brain washing people, I wouldn't be surprised if the DZ 3 Deceps weren't tricked into thinking these Autobots weren't also tyrants.

[Omega Supreme]

Confusion of who is whom's side is part of the fun!

Running with Bluestreak's ideas, Crystal City was actually a concentration camp. Horrible places sometimes have pretty names. Omega Supreme was the warden. Megatron realised that if he could sway the Constructibots, they would be a powerful force for peace. Once swayed, they naturally wanted their old friend the warden on their side. However, as in the normal universe, they only made it halfway through. As such, DZ-3 Omega Supreme wants to hunt down the Constructicons, but he just wants them to be his friends again. He couldn't bear to kill them. The other Autobots think he's gone soft, blinded by his old friendship.

[Kup]

This actually does help me with a problem I've been having, in trying to develop Kup.

I notice that with this version, during the second war, this Cybertron is pretty much the same as the canon one. It switches to Autobots-Are-Evil-Decepticons-Are-Good during the Golden Age.

As I see it, DZ-3 Kup never left the planet. He was a noble Autobot in his youth, during the second war, but stayed on, became part of the establishment. Over the years became increasingly corrupt.

That may make things a bit worse for normal Kup, because he's being faced not with a true mirror, but an actual could-have-been.

Sweet!

[Eye-fire]

I Don't really know what I'd do with Eye-fire, his relatively recent creation in his normal time line doesn't allow him to differentiate much.

[Perceptor]

kup said:

As I see it, DZ-3 Kup never left the planet. He was a noble Autobot in his youth, during the second war, but stayed on, became part of the establishment. Over the years became increasingly corrupt.

That may make things a bit worse for normal Kup, because he's being faced not with a true mirror, but an actual could-have-been.

Sweet!

That? Is firking awesome... Now I gotta ponder Perceptor.

[Skystrike/Skylar Stringers]

I... Am not actually sure how Skystrike's alt will come out. All I know for certain is that th alt. will be using the masculine pronoun for the sake of distinguishing them. The alt. is either going to be a heroic, ambitious and successful commander or a twittering nervous wreck afraid of anything with wings.

[Kup]

So... like Starfighter? (Sorry! Couldn't resist!)

I tell you what, Kup-3 is going to be even more disturbing to normal-Kup if normal-Kup ends up winning that vote. -_-;

[Bluestreak]

People like my idea? Wow...

For DZ-3 Bluestreak, I've decided he's a quiet, antisocial, brooding loner who speaks only when necessary and looks for any excuse to fight. In other words, DZ Blue will find him CREEPY. (Which is kinda the point.)

His home city was destroyed by the Decepticons, like DZ Blue, so he still bears a grudge against the 'Cons. The destruction of the city was an honest error on the part of the Decepticons, but the Autobots have convinced the last survivor that the destruction was completely intentional to gain his loyalty.

DZ-3 Bluestreak is NOT Kill-OK.

[Dead End]

Megatron, not being an evil bastard in the DZ-3 reality, didn't give Vector Sigma such a pernicious instruction when he ordered personalities for the Stunticons. On the other hand, not being Optimus Prime, he didn't give the same instruction that OP gave for the Aerialbots in the baseline reality. What he asked for was "courageous warriors who will fight to defend the empire"

As a result, DZ-3 Stunticons are more of a band of noble samurai who act as the Emperor's bodyguards and special missions team. They are very professional, very honorable, and quite sane, though each has their own quirks.

DZ-3 Dead End is haunted by the idea that he will die too soon and will let down the Emperor because he won't be there when he's needed. He's very proactive, trying to deal with as many threats as possible in the time he has left--he frequently exceeds orders or takes the initiative and goes after things without orders. He kill as little as possible, and then only to protect a life or prevent far greater loss of life--life is precious, because it can be cut off at any time, and should not be wasted.

Addendum: DZ-3 Dead End is kill_ok

[Hook]

DZ-3 Hook is one of the best, perhaps the best, surgeon in the Empire. He is also one of the best surgical engineers out there, though most people forget that next to his medical qualifications. He takes the time to do a job absolutely correctly, but takes no longer is truly necessary.

He is dedicated to saving lives and rebuilding those destroyed by the War. It is half-penance for what he did so long ago in the building of Crystal City, but it is also because of his reverence for life. No one dies on his operating table if the surgeon can at all help it.

As courageous and dedicated as he is in the face of other's imminent deaths and as much as he will 'fight' tooth and nail to save them, Hook was never designed for battle. He tends to freeze up in fights, not knowing what to do besides duck and cover and tend to the wounded. He has a gun, technically, but he almost never remembers it.

While he knows Omega Supreme doesn't mean to kill him, he finds what Omega intends to do absolutely terrifying. Thus, Hook is all but useless if Omega Supreme is on the field.

As of the beginning of the DZ-3 plot, Hook has been captured by the Autobots and is languishing in a crystal cage for Omega.

[Synapse]

DZ-3 Synapse is a rising scout in Autobot ranks. Quiet and unassuming until one catches his attention, he revels in the look of utter surprise and shock whenever he gets a chance to dispel any and all false assumptions that are made about him. Quiet and unassuming doesn't in any way equal nice. More often than not, Synapse's voice takes on the quality of a condescending sneer.

Where DZ Synapse pads along quietly, DZ-3 Synapse glides with a confident (almost sultry) ease. Seemingly confident, but an utter coward in situations that look unfavorable, he tries to do everything within his power to stay in control of things. Self-preservation is a good thing.

What insecurities he can have about his own tactile senses, he enjoys inflicting on others, if possible. And that fusion cutter? It's not just for node-repairs.

His nodes are also employed for more than just spying on enemies. Peeping in on fellow Autobots is always enjoyable and useful. He does have an unhealthy fascination for his superiors.

[Eye-fire]

After mulling it over, DZ 3 Eye-Fire should be a natural born leader. He enjoys being able to guide a team to victory, but takes the welfare of that team very personally.

While he still fervently follows orders given him, he doesn't do this due to him being forced in anyway by his programming, no, he does this as an example to his friends and team members, but he will disregard an order if it puts his team or any other 'con at great risk.

His combat style would also be different, instead of hiding in the rear, ready to take out target of opportunity, he would be the first in a charge, and even though his weaponry isn't suited to it, he would engage his foes in a direct, honorable fashion.