Speculation is fun, but fantasy is funner. If you had your way, what plot points, thematic elements, characters, in-jokes, subplots, or toy ideas would you employ?

Number one, in keeping with the theme of what it means to be a Prime, I would cause Jack some serious bodily harm, necessitating a Silas-style cybertronian hybrid. He could be Rodimus Prime or, since he already has two toys, Ultra Magnus.

I would revive Dreadwing as Maximal (or Autobot) Depthcharge, so that something actually comes of his heroic, non-Decepticon personality other than just handing over the forge.

I'd bring in the Dinobots because A. Beasts, B. Fan favorites, C. they're already designed, and D. Why not? I don't know if I'd keep them in the permanent cast, Wheeljack them, or keep them contained in a multi-episode arc. Does it matter? I'd give them all toys because this is fantasy land, but realistically I would at least like a Grimlock toy.

Airachnid would have escaped in the explosion, and would play a huge part in the season as a leader of bug-based beastformers. Maybe not a permanent leader: the one thing more fun than watching her dominate is watching her get knocked off of her high horse. In a Beast Wars throwback with a twist, I wouldn't mind seeing her create a Tarantulas character who stabs her in the back.

Toy-wise I'd like to introduce cross-compatibility. This could appear in the show as well. I would give characters beast companions which they can combine with to give them additional abilities and beast parts, which I think are quite visually appealing and characterful. Give Arcee some wings, turn Optimus into a centaur, give Megatron some dragon accoutrements, give Knockout some shark fins, etc.

Looking further into the future, I would really enjoy a revival of Transmetals for season 4. It's a simple, random plot event to work in, and it would mean new toys to sell. Heck, even if they were just vac-chromed repaints.

EDIT: The combining beast toy thing was an idea I got while writing this post and I kind of liked it so I did a few small sketches!

 

Airachnid and the Insecticons join the Predacons.

Optimus' still living spark is transferred into Nemesis Prime OR Fowler uses the recovered MECH technology to control it.

CyLAS is still alive and beng tortured, he escapes and assists one of the Autobot/Human duos for a short while(Arcee and Jack likely).

Shockwave is a triple-changer.

 

I would like to make it a few years in the future with decepticons ruling earth and the autobots need to regroup to defeat them.

 

Petty much this

 

Megatron would get killed in the first episode by bumble bee, and soundwave takes over. fowler becomes president and june takes over mech...jk I'd probabyly have it set sometime in the future aswell. But i'd have rodimus with a his new autobot crew including jazz, rung,and sunstreaker and sideswipe.

 

give me tarantulas.

 

  That would be an interesting episode

I was thinking after awhile maybe like a few months all the Autobots try and regroup. The four of them finally manage to do it but soon noticed one of them is missing, Prime...When they can't locate his signal they then sneak back to Jasper NV and try and find Prime in the ruins of their base.

Oh and yes I would also bring in Jazz, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe and maybe Prowl as well.

 

If I was in control, I would show the reaction of Prime's actions when it comes to Autobots off of Earth. I would show some Autobots have formed a government on another world, but yet still keep an optic on Cybertron. I show them seeing and hearing what took place and come to an agreement on what should be done.

Ultra Magnus arrives on Earth and finds Team Prime and declares Optimus Prime has been charged with treason against Cybertron and the Autobot war effort. On the grounds he gave Megatron, the top Decepticon control of Cybertron's future and then later, he destroys the only known way to restore Cybertron. Ultra Magnus locates him and has Hot Shot and Jazz arrest him and he grills him on the way to his ship.

That's what I would love to see, an Autobot with the lugnuts to rip Prime down in his face over his actions. To destroy the image that Optimus Prime is a god that every Autobot looks upon, to show that broken trust between the non Earth Autobots and him. To show he might of saved Earth, but he lost every Autobot outside of Team Prime. That be a worst fate than death, lost his home and now his own people turns against him.

Ultra Magnus stays behind and is promoted by the Autobot government to lead the former Team Prime. With Prime out of the picture, the team has to become stronger, faster, and better if they are going to defeat Megatron under the leadership of Ultra Magnus. He won't be Optimus, in hopes to reform his old friend as millions are in danger. No, Ultra Magnus would be like Optimus Primal, he'll have no problem blowing Megatron's head off if he gets the chance to do so. Unlike Prime, he wouldn't be standing around and letting the former Team Prime do as they want. He wouldn't be hard on them, but he would put them in their places if needed. Much like Optimus Primal done in Beast Wars when his crew acted up.

Joining Ultra Magnus would be Warpath, Jetfire, Red Alert, and Hound.

Now another result over Prime's actions would be Ratchet. I'll show him joining the Decepticons, feeling betray that a Prime would destroy the hope to restore Cybertron for three lives. Given that millions died trying to save it during the war. I would have him and Knockout having issues over which is the better medic.

 

Very Well Drawn !!!!!

 

All this Ultra Magnus talk sounds awesome.

Maybe it could be interesting if megatron brought apocalypse to earth destabilised all of earth's governments and the show jumped ten years to a future which is a mixture cyberformated earth, Mad Max type savage dessert earth and nature reclaimed jungles on cities. Maybe Jack could be have a beard? I know he probably died but silas would make a great human resistance fighter helping to arm the humans against the Decepticons. I think the twist could be that megatron has been secretly manipulated by Unicron this whole time to build a him a planet sized. This is sounding more like a season 4 idea sorry.

Call me immature but I would love to see a rivalry between Predaking and Sky Lynx

 

If I may comment in the Prime forum without being shouted out, I haven't really thought about it much so most of this is from off the top of my head.

With the decrease in episodes, there would be little room for stand alone or filler episodes with the plot they could do. The entire series would be about the Autobots on the run, struggling to keep the Decepticons at Bay to stop them from waging war on Earth. A task made difficult by the Predacons. Fowler would also try to stop the military from attacking the Decepticons. Things would not be much easier for Megatron as he struggles to maintain his position with a limited number of troops while trying to track down the Autobot guerrillas. Sort of like Beast Machines.

The Autobots would always be on the move. Alternating between camping and staying at whatever Military bases they can find in Nevada. They survive on the Energon Mech harvested which they retrieved, divided and got the military to transport to places to be hidden around Nevada. Ratchet would stay at one human facility to perfect the Synthetic Energon formula which he eventually would. Wheeljack replaces him as the team medic, finally showing his skills as a mechanic but his bad ass self would not be forgotten.

Knockout would eventually create Synth En from the drop he retrieved but being a Decepticon, would keep the aggressive side effects. This would be major blow against the Autobots. The Autobots would explain to the kids that they're not much more durable than most of the Decepticons (Bulkhead and maybe Wheeljack excluded) but used to have the advantage of speed from the Energon they got by having less troops to feed. And while the Cons have more troops to mine Energon, they could do nothing about it's rarity. But with Synth En powering all them, the Cons would be able to almost match them.

The closing story arc would be Shockwave deciding after Megatron's horrible handling on the situation, wasting of troops and failing yet again to save Cybertron, that the unstable gladiator is no longer fit to lead and takes over. He quickly improves the Decepticon's handling of the situation and the season cliff hanger would be the Decepticons starting their conquest of Earth. Conquering Jasper which I might make a military strong hold for the humans before the finale.

Some more Autobots would arrive on Earth throughout the season. Many would be killed in the end. So would Arcee. Not because I hate her but because I feel she's become the least interesting of the original cast.

 

That's really interesting, Soundwaverulls. I for one would enjoy seeing that concept play out  

 

The Autobots have to flee the Decepticons and jump through a vortex without knowing where to land. Next they find themselves on a jungle planet with downsized Transformers, calling themselves Maximals. While they introduce each other, 3 red dots are seen at the head of someone. Optimus yells "GET DOWN" and in the next second a massive laser shot blasts through the jungle and leaves only ashes where before the other bot was standing. In the background you can see a rather small figure, about 2,4m tall, wearing optical camouflage.

The Yautja have opened hunting season.

 

Jetbolt,your idea is pretty awesome.I'd love to see something like that in the actual show.

I approve  

 

I was going to write something, but I fear Jetbolt already stole the show here.  

 

Isn't that kind of just Animated again?

 

No, in Animated Ulta Magnus is the top Autobot figure. In this series, I'd have Ultra Magnus as an Autobot ground commander only. In Animated, Optimus Prime was never charged for treason against Cybertron and the Autobot war effort. I'd have TFP Prime charged with that for his actions on Cybertron during the last episode.

In Animated, Ratchet never joins the Decepticons over something Optimus did. I would be having TFP Ratchet joining them as a direct result over Prime's actions.

 

Titular differences, really. The relationship between Prime and Magnus is still essentially the same: higher ranking officer who brings down the hammer (lol) on a lower ranking officer for his leadership decisions. It's not a bad storyline, but it's still in living memory.

As for Ratchet, I do like the idea that he leaves team Prime because of Optimus's decision to... what did he do again? I'm not sure you specified what his mistake was. I could definitely see the Prime we know doing something Ratchet disagrees with, the characters are set up in ways that would allow that to feel natural. What I'm not sure about is Ratchet joining the Cons. I think they're the only things he hates more than humans.

I also really like this idea of an ideological wedge between Prime and Ratchet because I think putting a strain on their relationship would emotionally resonate with the audience. We would want to see them make up, and when they did it could be not only a powerful moment to watch, but it would make the stakes of whatever battle they have to fight together feel much higher.

 

What Prime did was first, handing over the control of Cybertron's future for three aliens. Which with the Autobot war effort would be treason as he was handing control of Cybertron to the Decepticons. Then later, he destroys the only known object that could restore Cybertron to life. All because he handed the keys to a power hungry Decepticon, who used it to attack Earth. So he kind of ensure Cybertron would remain a dead world. Ratchet's reaction over that would of been the same for the non Earth Autobots if I had control of the series. Many fought and died to save Cybertron and here is a Prime destroying its only known way to be restore to life.

I'm pretty sure Optimus Prime would out rank Ultra Magnus in this series. It appears that they make out Primes as these god like beings with more power than most Autobots. So to have a huge amount of Autobots turning against him, putting treason charges on him, and having him being arrested by a lower rank Autobot, that's pretty huge. It be like the people of a country turning against their leader over something he did and a general places him under arrest for treason.

 

Optimus would have died, as would Airachnid.

Wheeljack would meet up with Ratchet, and tell him of Optimus' death.

The Autobots would stop communications, in fear of the Decepticons tracking them.

Megatron would start trying to conquer Earth. As he notices that the Autobots are trying to fight off his army and protect the humans, leading him to call in Shockwave and the Predacons to hunt them down

Ratchet would eventually defect to the Decepticons, making Wheeljack feel hurt and angered towards him

Shockwave would make a comment on how he put the Insecticon hive on Earth.

A good part of the Season would involve the 5 remaining Autobots individually dealing with the Predacons they encounter.

Wheeljack would send out a signal asking for help from the few remaining Wreckers in the universe, leading to some of them coming to help (Hot Shot among them).

Soundwave would reveal himself to be an agent of Planet X, and would team up with Sideways to resurrect Unicron and overthrow Megatron's regime.

Starscream would have a change of heart, and would sacrifice himself in order to hopefully end the Autobot/Decepticon conflict

It would be revealed that Megatron confiscated the Matrix from Optimus' body, but that Sideways stole it. Hot Shot would get a hold of it, and open it to kill Unicron.

Megatron would kill Soundwave for his treachery, and be defeated and Killed by the Autobots.

Shockwave would go crazy and be put arrested.

Ratchet would go off on his own, like a ronin without a master