So... what would happen if you were inside a bot as it changed modes? I'm sure "it depends", but still it seems a rather rare occurrence for a 30-year franchise. Off the top of my head I can't think of ANY...
Would you get thrown out?
Would you get flat-out pulverized? (really feels like a particularly irate Decepticon would've done this at some point)
Would you survive relatively unscathed?
Would you get stuck, perhaps even "jam" the Transformer?



I guess what I'm really looking for is not one final answer, but for a list of what happened for every time a human character had to sit thru a transformation. Or at least when something more interesting happened than "ambiguously appeared in the bot's hands."

 

Umm...I'm thinking you'd be a horrible, mangled corpse. But I could be wrong.

 

That actually happens a lot in aligned. Mostly Rescue Bots, but Miko was inside Bulkhead when he TF a couple of times in Prime. Also, it's happened a couple of times in the movies. When the Dreads were chasing the 'Bots, and when Galvatron was chasing the 'Bots. It seems to be completely harmless.

 

Seems to me the answer is a case-by-case thing, based on what exactly happens to the cabin/cockpit area when the robot (or toy) transforms. It it stays mostly in one piece on the toy in robot mode, it's easy enough to imagine riding inside during transformation would be a survivable experience. If the area opens up or comes apart, then a passenger probably just falls out (and somewhere between 5 and 50,000 feet to the ground). If the cabin collapses in on itself, then a rider may well have a problem, what with the skull and pelvis trying to occupy the same space 'n' all.

I didn't watch much, but I seem to recall the HB Go-Bots cartoon 'bots liked to keep people inside the vehicle cabins in either mode, either as passenger or prisoner

 

I know size/mass shifting is a thing, but i feel Transformers wouldnt be able to have very solid bodies if their altmodes where build to accomodate passengers.
Otherwise i think due to the shifting they would be capable to transform without harming their passenger, but i think it would be quit the disorientating experience.

 

Watch Transformers Prime for your answer  

 

I think it's probably different for every Cybertronian, depending on how they change shape. Some could simply get thrown out or ejected from the vehicle, others could get crushed or ground into pulp. Depending on what's inside them while they change shape, that could also possibly effect them in different ways.

 

Agreed.

We've seen a variety; ejection, no problem, topsy turvy, etc.

 

funny enough as a toy, several of the Diaclone based G1 molds including Optimus himself were originally piloted mechs complete with pilot figures thus didn't much effect the transformation or the pilots in the cockpits,

that includes non-Diaclone molds such as Jetfire who is just a repaint of a Macross VF-1 Valkyrie fighter, then we have Roadbuster & Whirl who came from the Dorvack toyline which had an anime series as well which are piloted mechs, though they lacked proper pilot figures in the original toys.

 

I'm pretty sure it's been mentioned in the comics that there hasn't been a successful transformation with a person inside a TF. That said, it could even be a Dreamwave thing! In the movies, don't the humans usually get forcibly ejected out during transformation?

 

If it's a Masterpiece transformer, then the occupant is probably screwed  

 

I'm having some weird and grisly thoughts about Micromasters.

 

In my head, any of the alt modes that generally do not affect the "cab" section during transformation, folks can ride in those through the transformation. Though, I'd imagine, the experience could be loud and scary and generally unpleasant. G1 toy Optimus Prime is a good example of that.

In the transformations that affect the orientation of the "cab" but not the structure, I always reasoned that the cab section might possibly be set on a gyroscope within the Transformer, to allow the cab to orient properly. Again, loud and scary, but harmless. This is how I see the various jets that have the nose down to form the center of the torso.

There are a bunch out there, though, probably the majority, that if they transform and do not eject their passengers (kinda like we see in the Bayformers films) as they transform... well, it'll be messy. It is a real pain to get blood out of upholstery. Just sayin'.

 

Think we just stumbled upon murderbees origin story lol

 

With Pyro and Bulkhead, Verity and Miko respectively turned out fairly alright. There was also Bumblebee in the movies, whereas Sam was more or less ejected from the roof. Honestly, it probably just depends.

 

In one of the GI Joe vs Transformers comics, two cobra soldiers that were inside a transformer were crushed to death when it transformed.

 

I think it depends on the bot and where the seats are located in robot mode. Starscream could technically still have someone in his jet cockpit and transform but the way Prime does it would probably crush them.

 

So someone DID get killed by transforming!  

 

If the headmaster jrs and god masters can survive being all contorted then its all good lol

 

to be fair, megatron also had a fleshy mouth and ate a human, so...