Unspace
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| This subject of this article goes by multiple names that apply to other articles as well. SeeSubspace (AB),Infraspace,Foldspace. |
Unspaceis the void of nothingness that exists outside of normal space and time, sandwiched between the infinite dimensions of themultiverse,acting as a buffer between universes. As an ever-present aspect of the multiverse, it has been referred to with a great many different names, includingtranswarp space(or just"transwarp"), thewarp dimension,overspace,underspace,infraspace,subspace,foldspace,hyperspace,thebleed,andinner space.
Many well-knownCybertroniantechnologies utilize the properties of unspace to function, even if their creators or users do not always understand the specifics, or even the fact that they are using unspace at all. Most famously, thespace bridge,which allows a traveller to traverse vast intergalactic distances almost instantaneously by means of a "short-cut" through unspace, whileTranswarp Driveallows for travel through time as well. In more common, everyday usage, personalizedsubspace storage pocketsgiveTransformersthe ability to store their weapons, and in some casesshunt their mass,into unspace.
However, its widespread use does not necessarily mean that unspace has a glowing reputation. The precision and energy needed to access it often makes the technology required very temperamental, and hugely susceptible to disruption if its delicate balance is disturbed. Make one wrong move when voyaging through unspace, and it is very likely that you may not end up in the same time period, or even the same universe, that you started in... if you're fortunate enough to end up in a universe at all, and not cast adrift in its formless emptiness. And even this is not the worst that could befall a hapless castaway, because despite its seeming emptiness, unspace is home to a collection ofenigmatic, malignant, shapeless entities,and for them to take notice of a stranded traveller is a fate far worse than a mere eternity of solitude. Fortunately, theinhabitantsof one of the older, more advanced realities have appointed themselves stewards of the multiverse and taken it upon themselves to trawl unspace, oftentimes rescuing both the on-purpose and the accidental travellers that find themselves lost in its unending expanse.
Conceptual history
The idea of "extra-dimensional space" used for highly accelerated travel is, of course, not unique to Transformers, being a long-standing trope of science fiction. Though not often discussed in detail, this method of transit was in play from virtually the very beginning of Transformers fiction: space bridges explicitly operated on the principle in both theoriginalThe TransformerscartoonandMarvel comic,with the dangers of the interdimensional void occasionally serving as plot points. Many subsequent Generation 1 stories would feature pieces of technology that operated on this system, with many different names for the interdimensional space involved being used.
Early on, the concept of Transformers making use of extra-dimensional space was much more prolific as one of the earliest bits of widespreadfanonin the burgeoning onlinefandom.Dubbed "subspace" by fans—again, a popular science-fiction term for the concept—it essentially arose as an explanation for perhaps the most famous question of all: "Where doesOptimus Prime'strailergo when he transforms? "When the Autobot leader transformed intorobot modein the original cartoon, his trailer would almost always slide out of the frame, not to be seen again until he transformed back into truck mode, at which point it would come sliding in to connect back up with him. Fans warmed to the notion that it was being shunted into this subspace, where it remained until Prime summoned it back, a concept that also helped to explain the assorted cases ofsize changingevident inTransformersfiction, with the notion that characters who shrank when they transformed did so by shunting their extraneous mass into subspace.
This "subspace" theory also helped to explain where characters' weaponry disappeared to when they transformed into vehicle mode, and happened to line up well with a sparse few instances in the cartoon that featured the animation "cheat" of having some characters' weapons appear or disappear in a simple flash of light (a similar effect was even used on Optimus Prime's trailer in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2"). Subsequent Japanese-exclusive Generation 1 cartoonsSuper-God MasterforceandVictorywould later make prolific use of this effect, even turning it into a plot point in one instance, bringing more concrete validation to the idea.
Eventually, subspace wascanonized,by name, in2004by theStory of Binaltech,which established it as the void between dimensions, and saw characters travel through it to reach separate dimensions.
In1996,theBeast Warscartoon introduced the world to transwarp technology. This tech was explained to operate by opening a window into "transwarp space", through which travellers could access entire other times and dimensions, and it was shown to do just that in thevery first episode,before going on to play a recurring key role in numerous stories throughout the rest of the series as beyond. As the most consistent and explicit use of inter-dimensional-transit technology, its name began to be used in other fictions too. Thefirst episodeof the2001Robots in Disguisereferred to a space bridge using transwarp technology, andAnimatedwould continue to use the terms interchangeably.
Perhaps the most important addition to the ongoing story of interdimensional space was the 2008 prose story "Gone Too Far",produced for theTransformers Collectors' Clubby longtime fansGreg SepelakandTrent Troop.This story took the huge final step of combining the myriad depictions of interdimensional space together, establishing that they were all the same thing (see the quote up top) and using "transwarp" as its primary name. In the process, they canonized the fanon idea of "subspace storage pockets", in which Transformers could keep their personal paraphernalia. "Transwarp" remained the primary term for the concept (and was used as the title of this wiki article) until the late 2010s/early 2020s, whenTransformers: Cyberverse,War for Cybertron,and IDW'sBeast Warscomic book all collectively began using "unspace" to refer to the interdimensional void—a term plucked fromissue #69the original Marvel comic book—which is probably for the best, as it enables us to distinguish the location from the technology!
A few other barren extra-dimensional realms have sporadically appeared inTransformersfiction, perhaps most notably the uttervoidof complete non-existence left in the wake ofUnicron's passing. Sepelak and Troop's "Withered Hope"noted that this is what exists outside of all reality itself, while unspace is what isbetweendimensions, a slight but key distinction. Others exist that are so sparsely explained that they are harder to quantify and relate to the unspace concept, such as the UK Generation 1 comics' parasite-infestedLimbo,or the fleetingly-referenced, more metaphysical "infraspace"from IDW'sEscalation.For these and other more vague, possibly-related concepts, seethe listbelow.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformerscartoon
Stranded on Earth in1984,theDecepticonsdeveloped space bridge technology in order to facilitate the transport of resources to and from Cybertron. The bridge operated by opening a portal into interdimensional space—described byMegatronas a "cold, dark void" —and generating a path across it in the form of a beam of light, which a traveller was required to focus upon, lest they risk becoming lost in nothingness. To become lost was to "cease to exist", according to Megatron,Transport to Oblivionor in the more dramatic parlance ofShockwave,to be "catapulted into oblivion".The Ultimate Doom, Part 1Although they would occasionally hijack the space bridge for their own purposes, theAutobotsnever developed a system of their own, instead working in concert withhumanityin the early 21st Century to create a network ofwarp gatesthat operated on a similar principle, with the advantage of fixed entry/exit points, versus the constant relocation the Decepticon space bridge design required.Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3
Instances of Transformers visibly displacing their weapons and paraphernalia were rare, but not unheard of;Ravage'sproton bombsdisappeared in a flicker of purple light when he transformed to enterTeletraan IMore than Meets the Eye, Part 2;Kickback's gun manifested in his hands in a purple flash during theInsecticons' first battles with the AutobotsA Plague of Insecticons;Cyclonussummoned his oxidating laser into his hand while confronting the Autobots in theirmausoleumDark Awakening;andBlurronce did the same to his electro-laser.1986 commercial bumperThe glow-effect seen to accompany these displacements also appeared in a few other vanishingly rare instances that subspace can probably be attributed to:Jazz's forearm once glowed orange when he substituted his hand for his grappling hookMore than Meets the Eye, Part 2;Optimus Prime's trailer sported a pronounced golden glow in one instance when he called it to him;The Ultimate Doom, Part 2andSoundwaveshimmered with a white halo as he grew back to full size in one unique transformation sequence.Transport to Oblivion
TheQuintessonshad also perfected a means of interdimensional travel, using asecret chamberto teleport criminals of their race away to different dimensions. One such realm was described as a "dimension without substance";subsequent evidenceindicates that this realm was actually interdimensional space itself.Madman's Paradise
Japanese cartoon continuity
The Autobot/human alliance that brought about warp gate technology began with the development of theTriggerspace station, which even the Decepticons recognized as superior to their own space bridge system and attempted to appropriate. Damage done to theTrigger's systems in the attempt caused it briefly punch a hole through time.The Battle of the Star GateBy the year2011,however, warp gates had fallen into disuse among the Autobots, who instead finally adopted space bridge technology for themselves, setting up a network between Cybertron,Autobot Cityon Earth, and their secondary command post onAthenia.Four Warriors Come out of the SkyTheTrainbotsusually ferried travellers through the inter-dimensional space the bridge traversed, though transit grew dangerous when the gravimetric balance of the bridge was destabilized following the destruction ofMars.The Autobots' access to Earth was subsequently greatly diminished when their space bridge was destroyed by the Decepticons.Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!
Weaponry displacement gradually became a much more common sight in the years that followed 2011;GodmasterwarriorGinraiwas often seen to summon up his cannons into his hands with a flash of light. The great users of this technique, though, wereStar Saber,Deathsaurusand their warriors, who would regularly manifest their various weapons during battle. Their frequent use of the technique offered some more insight into its working, suggesting that a Transformer uses some of their personal energy supply in summoning a weapon, and inkeepingit summoned: When Deathsaurus was poised to slay Star Saber with hisLiving-Metal-Destroying Cannon,the weapon fizzled out and de-materialized because he did not have the energy to spare. Attempting to summon his sword immediately afterward, Deathsaurus could only manifest the blade for a moment before it too faded out.Resurrection!? The Decepticon Fortress
Story of Binaltech
To increase the Autobots' manpower,Chip Chaseinvented theGenetronic Translink System,which allowed a Transformer'ssparkto be safely stored in subspace, and from there, control multipleBinaltechbodies via translink ports installed on them.GT Units Online!Later,Wheeljackattempted to use the GT System to transferProwl's spark into a new body from across the solar system by moving it through subspace. Unfortunately, a Decepticon attack caused the system to malfunction, and Prowl's spark was lost to the void.Prowl & ChaseA few years later, Prowl's spark found its way through the infinite vastness of subspace and materialized in a parallel timeline where the Binaltech project had died out. Unfortunately, this did not put him beyond the reach of his timeline's Decepticons, who used a neuro-net frame, hooked up to subspace node, to locate his spark across the dimensions and drain energy from it to power a syntheticelectrummonster they had created. An Autobot from the timeline Prowl had travelled to,Bluestreak,voyaged across subspace to team up with the Autobots of Prowl's home time, stop the Decepticons, and restore Prowl to his true body.Unfinished Business, Part 1Unfinished Business, Part 2
MarvelThe Transformerscomics
The Decepticons' space bridge was designed to resemble a suspension bridge, and when activated, the swirling void of interdimensional space became visible through the "cables" that formed its sides. To fall from the bridge into the void was to be immediately and explosively destroyed, a fate met by several Autobots and Decepticons during an attempt byBlaster's rebel cell to destroy the bridge.The Bridge to Nowhere!
To counter the space bridge, the Autobots later bridged the interdimensional gulf with their newtrans-time dimensional portaltechnology.King Con!WhenMegatronattempted to use this technology to escape an impending implosion in his base on Cybertron, he was stopped byRatchet,Skin Deep,only for the subsequent blast to first hurl the two combatants through the portal, then damage the device enough to cause it to shut down before they could emerge on the other side. Consequently, the pair were left stranded in interdimensional space—called "unspace" byNightbeat,the "nothingness between realities" —before being recovered by an automated probe the Autobot detective sent into the void to find them.Eye of the Storm
Beast Era
Beast Wars&Beast Machinescartoons
At some point during the three hundred years that followed the end of theGreat War,thetranswarp cellwas perfected, allowing for the creation of theTranswarp Drive.The drive allowed starships equipped with it to voyage across time and space by generating their own portals through what Cybertronian culture now termed "transwarp space", without the requirement of the grounded entrance or exit portal that the space bridge before it had required. Having been aware that the technology was in development as far back as the 20th century, Megatron encoded a message on theGolden Disk,leaving instructions for any descendants of the Decepticons who found his missive to use transwarp tech to travel back in time and alter history in the Decepticons' favor.The Agenda (Part 2)The descendant who realized this scheme was thePredaconalso known asMegatron,who stole the transwarp-enabled shipDarksydeand brought his troops back in time to prehistoric Earth, only to be pursued byOptimus Primal'sMaximalcrew.Beast Wars (Part 1)
In order to destroy analien weaponthreatening Earth, Megatron triggered the explosion of a set of transwarp cells, obliterating the weapon, but also claiming Optimus Primal's life.Other Voices, Part 2By virtue of its very nature, however, the explosion punctured a hole into transwarp space which remained open for some time afterward. This gave Maximal engineerRhinoxthe chance to project hiscore consciousnessthrough the window, piggybacking on the trail left by Primal's spark as it joined theAllsparkand actually follow and recover his departed leader's lifeforce from the afterlife itself via transwarp space.Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)Additionally, the transwarp energies that infused theshockwaveof the explosion caused it to move through time as well as space, eventually reaching Cybertron in the Beast Warriors' home time. Alerted to the time-lost Transformers' situation by the wavefront's arrival, theTripredacus Councildispatched their covert agentRavagein atranswarp-capable shipto recover them, but his mission met with failure.The Agenda
After defeating the Predacons and capturing Megatron, the Maximals jury-rigged transwarp technology to anAutobot shuttleto effect their return to their home time.Nemesis Part 1Unfortunately, Megatron broke free during transit through transwarp space and escaped into the vortex, emerging on Cybertron some time before the Maximals' intended arrival date. He proceeded to conquer the planet, so that when the Maximals exited transwarp at their intended time in his relative future, his forces were waiting for them.Revelations Part II: Descent
Beast Wars Neocartoon
The starshipsGung HoandDinosaurcould achieve faster-than-light travel by travelling through a "warp dimension."Fight! Maximals
3H comics
A constantly-rotating fissure into interdimensional subspace that exists naturally on Cybertron gives rise to the region of the planet known as theJ'nwan,where space and time are constantly in flux, and numerous pocket dimensions frequently intersect with the planet itself, producing a maddening landscape among which many Transformers of legend have opted to live out the rest of their days.Paradox
WhenUnicronwas destroyed in the year 2005, his death tore a hole into the "overspace" between dimensions, through which the chaos-bringer'sDark Essencewound its way to prehistoric Earth. Though initially chosen byShokaractto recover the dark god's essence,Cataclysmwas too afraid of being lost to the void should he travel via transwarp, soAntagonywent in his stead, though the rigors of unprotected travel through overspace took it out of her, allowing her to be captured by Megatron.HeraldCataclysm went after her, and his worst fears were realized whenWindrazordisrupted his transit through transwarp, causing his component molecules to be scattered among the nothingness.SchismAfter the failure of his Heralds,Shokaractpersonally travelled through overspace to Earth to ensure the Dark Essence continued to exist,Paradoxbut wound up cancelling out his own existence.Terminus
Following the end of the Beast Wars, Tarantulas attempted construction of a transwarp portal to bring the capturedMatrix of Leadershipinto Unicron's clutches.Primeval Dawn
AfterCryotekseized control of the power ofPrimusvia theDivine Lightand began to battleSentinel Maximus,the QuintessonAl-baduropened a portal to dispose of them by sending them into the formless nothing between worlds. Pulled through the portal along with his intended victims, Al-badur was disintegrated, unable to survive the non-realm, while the power of Primus within Cryotek and Sentinel Maximus sustained them. Maximus, however, was summoned away by Primus, whisked away through the void to emerge in another time and dimension, while Cryotek was left with the sense that he wasnot alone...Wreckers: Finale Part II
2006 IDWBeast Warscontinuity
Magmatronused "transwarp shunt"technology to send himself back in time without using a spacecraft in order to gather up theprotoformsthat became scattered across prehistoric Earth during the Beast Wars.The Gathering #1The small number of these protoforms who awoke as Maximals proved more industrious than their forebears, and their leaderRazorbeastwas able to beam a message through transwarp space to summon a rescue team from the future. He also dispatched Magmatron by blowing up his transwarp shunt platform just as he was attempting to return to the future,The Gathering #4which resulted in Magmatron becoming dislodged from space and time.The Ascending #1
2021 IDWBeast Warscomic
Cybertronian ships equipped with a Transwarp Drive could access unspace, propelling themselves through both time and space. Within unspace however, the laws of physics differed from those of normal space. After stealing theGolden Diskanda warship,a group of Predacon separatists used their transwarp drive to travel to another world in another time but were pursued by a the Maximal exploration craftAxalon.Savage Landing Part 1
Following the two ships crashing, they were visited by a trio ofVok,Skolddiscovering this when a scan of hers picked up the unspace signatures that the aliens had left within theDarksyde.Savage Landing Part 2When the Maximals and Predacons had joined forces to combat the Vok, Skold remembered the anomalous signatures. Knowing that Optimus Primal had recently been in the presence of the Vok, Skold found the same readings on the Maximal leader and concluded that the Vok came from unspace.The Beginning of the End
Working with this theory, Rattrap and Waspinator rerouted the energies of theAxalon's transwarp drive through its weapon systems. When the Vok prepared to destroy all Cybertronians on Earth, the two turned theAxalon's new weapons on the aliens, the Vok becoming one with unspace when struck. With their common foes gone, Megatron turned on Primal only for Rattrap to turn the weapon on the Predacon leader, sending him forward 114 cycles in time.The End
DreamwaveGeneration Onecontinuity
When the originalthirteenTransformers defeated Unicron in battle at the dawn of time, they did so by blasting the chaos-bringer and his servant, their own traitorous brotherThe Fallen,into a black hole and out of their dimension. While Unicron proceeded to emerge somewhere else in the multiverse, The Fallen was not so lucky, becoming trapped in the interdimensional void,The Ultimate Guidewhich he called "underspace".ConflagrationUntold eons later, around seven million years before the present day, the Decepticons developed space bridge technology, which operated by traversing this realm, referred to by the Transformers as both "infraspace" and "foldspace". The initial test of the bridge was disrupted by Optimus Prime, and he and Megatron vanished, cast adrift in interdimensional space, while simultaneously opening the pathway for The Fallen, who was at last able to return to the material world.FragmentationPrime and Megatron were later plucked from infraspace by the Quintessons and brought to their world ofQuintessa.Megatron struck a deal with the aliens and returned to Cybertron with a newarmy,while Prime remained captive untilPerceptorwas able to probe the mysteries of infraspace and recover him. In the process,Flashmade an impromptu trip through the fissure Perceptor had created into the void, experiencing a curious monochromatic "photo negative" vision of the world around him as he traveled through it.The Age of Wrath
2005 IDW continuity
An unprotected trip through transwarp space was accompanied by a sensory maelstrom in which various points of space and time were experienced simultaneously, as if seeing through four-dimensional compound eyes.Homecoming
The Autobots also made use of subspace as part of their communications network, beaming transmissions through it; it was through this network thatIronfistdisseminated hisWreckers: DeclassifieddatalogsLife After the Big Bangand howTyresttransmitted the signal of hisuniversal killswitch.Arm the Lonely
A bottle ofNightmare Fuelwas rumored to be able to push aWarworldinto hyperspace.An Intimate Beheading
United
ADecepticonforce led byStraxuslied in wait in inner space and ambushed a team ofAutobotsatNebulos.The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos
Transformers vs. G.I. Joe
Ruthless terrorist organizationCobrahad interdimensional travel technology in the form of theM.A.S.S. Device,but travel through the void proved fatal to all save for the cybernetically enhancedDestro.Funeral for a FriendSnake-Eyesperformed a meditation ritual that he believed would grant him the mastery of body and mind to survive the journey, but when he was tackled into the M.A.S.S. Device portal by a revenge-seekingDuke,the pair were set adrift in interdimensional space. They both clung to Snake-Eyes's sword, which somehow appeared to protect them from the effects of the void, and were then snatched to safety by Optimus Prime, who had wound up trapped in the space between worlds under unknown circumstances, and had adopted a misshapenalternate modeto survive its ravages.Form Follows Function
2019 IDW continuity
Her teleportation ability temporarily enhanced by an experimental rig created byPerceptor,Jumpstreampassed through unspace and wound up in a possible future where Cybertron had been conquered byExarchon.While in transit through the in-between dimension, she was noticed bySkywarp,who had been stranded there years before.Test Flight IOn Jumpstream's return trip to her proper time, Skywarp followed in her wake, freeing himself from unspace.Test Flight II
When Skywarp held the Autobots hostage with animploder,Jumpstream teleported him and it back into unspace, fusing his molecules with the weapon and venting all hisenergonin the process. She warned that if he tried to teleport back to normal space, the imploder would activate on arrival, killing him. Skywarp lamented his renewed consignment to the dimension as Jumpstream teleported back home.Fate of Cybertron
2001Robots in Disguisecartoon
Transwarp technology was employed by the Autobots in theirGlobal Space Bridge,a network of subterranean tunnels incorporating transwarp portals that allowed the heroes to travel to any location on Earth within minutes.Battle Protocol!The interior of the Global Space Bridge appeared in a variety of ways; one rendition in particular evoked the typical "empty void" visual that often accompanies uses of transwarp space.Landfill
Additionally, thePredaconship theMegastarwas transwarp-capable.An Explosive Situation
Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity
- See also:warp gate
To cross the interstellar distance from Cybertron to Earth in search of theMini-Consin the year 2010, the Autobots and Decepticons usedwarp gates,which did not require a pre-constructed exit portal at the destination point; each traveler would individually materialize out of transwarp space at their intended location.First EncounterLike space bridges, though, they could be delicate: whenSmokescreenunexpectedly entered the gate moments afterOptimus Primeand his team had departed through it, he materialize on Earth in an entirely different region of their target continent.PrehistoryWhile on Earth, both factions used instantaneous short-range warp technology to get from place to place, which could span the distance from Earth to itsmoon.These devices required a transmat pad to send travelers on their way, but unlike space bridges, they could be recalled to base without the need for one.MetamorphosisThe interstellar warp gate apparently lacked this recall feature; when the factions were ready to return to their home planet, they had to construct spacecraft to ferry them there.ThreatenDepart
By the year 2020, during the war for energon, variousCybertron Citieshad been constructed on Earth, each with their own space bridge, allowing for quick and easy transport from planet to planet. These operated on the more familiar "tunnel" principle, generating a glowing pathway through transwarp that riders would drive along, until they emerged through another portal at the tunnel's end.Cybertron CityThe bridges used during theCyber Planet Keyquest of 2030 operated the same way, though they were only used for transit between Earth and Cybertron; to travel to Cybertron's various colony worlds, the Autobots used instantaneousdimension gatessliced through reality byVector Prime,while the Decepticons could short-cut throughMegatron'sfire dimension.FallenAt one point, the Autobots travelled through a naturally-occurring subspace fissure in theSkeleton Nebulato cross over into a different dimension,Warpwhere their attempt to create a space bridge to get them home exposed them to another of the time-transcending dangers of transwarp tech, when they wound up opening a hole into the past.Guardian
Unicron'sheraldRamjetwas lost to the infinite reaches of transwarp when his master collapsed into ablack hole.Floating helplessly there, he was discovered by theevil entitiesthat inhabited the void, who repeatedly destroyed and recreated him until they grew bored and cast him back into the material universe.Ramjet profile
DreamwaveArmadacontinuity
In order to open an interdimensional rift so thatUnicroncould enter this universe, hisHeraldsinvaded thespace bridge nexus,a hub of multiple space bridges atDecepticon Command Headquarterson Cybertron. They activated all the bridges, causing overlapping portals to open all across local dimensional space,Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4which even resulted in the bridges piercing holes through transwarp to entirely different dimensions.Worlds Collide, Part 4 of 4The turmoil this caused to the fabric of space/time caused Optimus Prime to vanish into another universe, so the Autobots sent a search probe into subspace through a space bridge. Floating in the gap between realities, the probe began searching through those innumerable other realities, searching for the one into which Prime had disappeared.Worlds Collide, Part 2 of 4A squad led byJetfireended the chaos by destroying the space bridge nexus, but this did not close Unicron's portalWorlds Collide, Part 4 of 4through which he soon emerged.The End
Live-action film series
- See also:Sarcophagus,Foldspace warhead,Transwarp Key
TheDynasty of Primeswere the first to possess the power to traverse the interdimensional gulf, which they did usingsarcophagi.Their servants, theSeekers,were also gifted with the power to generate their own personal space bridges so that they could search the universe for stars to feed theAllSpark.Defiance #4With the death of the Primes and the banishment ofThe Fallenacross the dimensions, the technology was lost to modern Cybertronians until reinvented bySentinel Prime.Foundation #4The unexpected activation of the pillars that made up Sentinel's bridge caused his craft, theArk,to jink uncontrollably across space and time until it crash-landed on Earth's moon in 1961,Convergence chapter 1but one pillar recovered from the wreckage was used by the Fallen to broach transwarp and allow him to escape his exile.Convergence chapter 4Sentinel would later be revived and would use his bridge to transport Cybertron into Earth'ssolar system.Dark of the Moon
A natural subspace fissure known as theAlkaris Anomalywas responsible for warping the AllSpark into Earth's solar system, but its constantly fluctuating nature meant that whenMegatronattempted to follow, he was disgorged in some far off corner of the galaxy. To delay the Autobots in following him, he hadDevastatorunleash afoldspace warhead,which explosively warped its firer and several Autobots to randomized spots across the galaxy.Prelude: Megatron
Animatedcartoon
Space bridge technology is openly known to operate by piercing transwarp space. The key component in a bridge's functioning is theplasma dynamic thruster,which is responsible for opening the fissures into interdimensional space that allow for transport.TransWarpedIn this universe, the term is even used as a verb: one "TransWarps" from place to place.
Transformers also use subspace for means of accelerated long-distance communication, beaming transmissions through it via use of atachyon transmitter.Human science has yet to master this technology; all attempts remain in the development stage.Mission Accomplished
Two uses of transwarp space collided in amusing fashion whenSwindlehijacked the Autobot shipSteelhaven.Using the Autobots' space bridge,Sari Sumdacwas able to hack into the frequency Swindle used to access his subspace storage pocket and TransWarpedOptimus Primethroughit, so that he emerged on theSteelhaventhrough the access drawer in Swindle's chest.Decepticon Air
TransTech
In one of the oldest realities in the multiverse, Cybertron was never burdened by civil war. Its inhabitants, theTranscendent Technomorphs,instead dedicated themselves to a study of the infinite mysteries of transwarp space, and the other dimensions that could be reached through it. Appointing themselves stewards of the multiverse, the TransTech constantly monitor transwarp (or "the bleed", as they also call itTranscendent: Part 1), chronicling each distinct universe they find and sifting through the interdimensional void for travelers in danger. Those who lose their way in transwarp can be redirected to one of the TransTech's receiving stations, where the travelers are then processed and allowed to live in the city ofAxiom Nexusuntil such time as it may become possible to return them to their world of origin. WhenJackpotandHubcapwound up in Axiom Nexus,Scattorshotgave them the abbreviated version of the TransTech's mission statement, and filled them in on the myriad uses of transwarp, explaining its connection to space bridges, time travel, subspace and more.Gone Too Far
From a far-off corner of the multiverse, a team ofGoBotsvoyaged across transwarp space usingDr. Braxis'sDimensional Interfacer.Their transit was detected by the TransTech, though the Interfacer's method of piercing transwarp was noted to be unlike any of the technology used by the Transformers to do so.Withered Hope
Swindle, Swindle and Swindlesold Transwarp drives as a way to travel between realities.Ask Vector Prime
Aligned continuity family
Interdimensional transport technology was developed by theAncients,but lost to the Transformers of the modern day until it was re-engineered during the three-year period of inactivity that followed the opening salvo of their conflict onEarth.ExodusPrimegraphic novelOut of the PastWhile the Decepticons dedicated their efforts to recreated full-fledged space bridge tech, the most the Autobots could muster, with only human technology to work with, was a scaled-down version known as the "GroundBridge"that could only transport travelers around the planet and no further.Darkness Rising, Part 1
Ground and space bridge portals take the appearance of a tunnel of light disappearing into the distance, but after walking partway into this tunnel, travelers will vanish in a flash over an unseen "event horizon", entering a swirling blue-green tunnel that cuts through transwarp itself with no visible beginning or end, before reappearing at their destination in a similar manner.Operation Bumblebee, Part 1
The island ofGriffin Rockwas also home to several independent examples. Human scientists experimented with transwarp travel as part of theirSanctuary Plan,outfitting robotic "tracers"with crystals that would teleport the island's human population to a subterranean shelter via subspace wormholes.CountdownWhen theS.S. Phantom Voyager,a ship from 1915, was teleported into the future by a malfunctioningtime machineon board, it disappeared into the interdimensional void outside of time. The ship rested in the void for a brief period before returning to the timestream, ten years into the future, repeating the process for a hundred years before being returned to its home time.Phantom of the Sea
Go-Botscomic
Command Centerscould perform hyperspace jumps. WhenLeader-1's did so,Cy-Killdespaired that his foe could now be on the other side of the universe, but the hyperspace jump had simply taken theGuardiansto the other side ofGobotron.Go-Bots #3
Cyberversecartoon
The space between universes, unspace was a dangerous realm, its properties breaking down matter native to any universe.The CrossroadsThe bizarre, self-proclaimed masters of the multiverse known as theQuintessonsmade free usage of unspace's lethal properties, using large quantities of it to destroy any universe they deemed guilty.The End Of The Universe I
The crew ofArk,after making use of an oldspace bridge,wound up in unspace along with several of their counterparts from other universes, a few Autobot crews meeting grisly ends in the void. Using nineAllSparks,theArksmanaged to escape.The CrossroadsThe experience inspiredWheeljackto bottle some unspace goo for use as weapon. His goo soon proved its worth by destroyingVector Sigmaso that theDecepticonscould not pervert it.Battle For Cybertron IV
When the Quintessons invaded Cybertron, they incorporatedStarscreaminto their newJudge.To stop him,Windbladeunleashed the mightyIaconus,prompting the Quintessons to retaliate withCroaton.Even with Quintesson technology augmenting his body, Croaton could not defeat Iaconus, forcing Starscream to kill the War Titan by dousing his head with unspace goo.The End Of The Universe III
During the invasion,Megatronhad stolen the Quintessons'multiverse drive,The Judgeand travelled to another reality. In this world, Megatron found thathis counterparthad won theGreat Warafter stealing theMatrix of Leadership.Managing to steal the Matrix, along withAstrotrainand theInsecticons,Megatron fled back to his reality, aware that his counterpart would follow.Silent StrikeTo that end, he had Astrotrain and Dead End fashion a weapon that could banish its targets to unspace.Rack 'n' Ruin 'n' RatchetWhile the weapon proved readily capable of banishing theDecepticon supersoldiersto the hellish realm, the alternate Megatron swatted away the weapon before he could be consigned to such a fate.The Other One
Games
Transformers: Earth Wars
Inner space was a "world within a world", allowing travellers to reach any universe or time.Nova Prime introThePrime Coreswere banished to inner space by the13 Primes,out of fear for their power in the wrong hands.Dual Core Processor
When Nova Prime arrived at theEarth Wars,he set up base within inner space, where he orderedSinnertwinto bring himMegatron.Nova Prime intro
Notes
- Unspace's alternate name "the Bleed", used in "Transcendent: Part 1",comes from DC Comics / WildStorm Productions stories.
Foreign names
- Japanese:transwarp(トランスワープtoransuwāpu),inner space(インナースペースinnā supēsu),unspace(アンスペースansupēsu)
