Repurposing
From Transformers Wiki
Repurposing is the practice of using an existing toy to represent a different character than originally intended. A very early example is the Wal-Mart exclusive "blue" Transmetals Rattrap, which represented a Transmetal form for Packrat in The Wreckers comic book series. In many cases, this means a single toy can represent more than one distinct character.
Repurposing happens when a character in a fiction uses the character model and color scheme of someone else's toy. The repurposed character has no official toy release of his own, but the toy can take on double-duty representing both the character it was originally released as (the character on the box) and the repurposed character established later on in fiction.
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Examples of official repurposing
- The Micro Change "MC-04 Mini CAR Robo 02 Familia 1500XG" mold that was sold on Cliffjumper cards was repurposed as Bumper. Night of the Combaticons
- Generation 1 Fasttrack as a Guardminder. Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction
- Generation 2 Dreadwing as Darkwing. New Dawn
- McDonald's Panther as Ravage. Beast Wars Metals #2
- Wal-mart exclusive Transmetal Rattrap as Packrat. Departure
- Beast Wars Shadow Panther as a pre-Transmetal Tripredacus Agent. Tripredacus Agent online toy bio
- Beast Machines Mega class Tankor as Vehicon drones for Quake. Departure
- Beast Machines Deployer Rav (blue redeco) as Chro. Betrayal
- Music Label Soundwave[1] as the leftover bit of an otherwise scrapped Animated Soundwave. Sound and Fury
- Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Bludgeon as Wreckage after changing his colors. Alliance #2
- Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Lockdown as Generation 1 Lockdown. Drift #2
- Movie Protoform Optimus Prime as Prima. Tales of the Fallen #4
Shattered Glass
The Shattered Glass timeline of events has allowed for Autobots and Decepticons with typically uncharacteristic color-schemes and questionable places in their canon of origin to be placed as various characters in this one. For a full list, see the main toyline page.
Precursor World
The Precursor World of the Primus Vanguard chronicled in Spin Off and Generations Selects's comics constitutes quite possibly the single most ambitious official repurposing project in the history of the brand, with a cast of over 100 commandeered toys and counting.
Notes
- Individual fans may repurpose on an unofficial level within their personal canon, especially with toys that homage earlier toys without being the same character. Some popular examples of the 2000s included using Energon Downshift as Generation 1 Wheeljack and Transformers (2007) Big Daddy as Generation 1 Big Daddy, as Generation 1 figures were thin on the ground in that era.
