Transformers: Zone (トランスフォーマーZ(ゾーン), Toransufōmā: Zōn) is a Japanese original video animation (OVA) in the fictional Transformers universe. It was released on July 21, 1990, on VHS and on April 21, 2004, on DVD in Japan. An unofficial fan-made English dub was released on TFCog.com in March 2004.
Story
Following on from Victory, the mysterious three-faced insectoid being, Violen Jiger dispatches the "Nine Great Demon Generals"—Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Trypticon, Predaking, Abominus, King Poseidon, Overlord and BlackZarak—to acquire "Zone Energy", destroying the planet Feminia to obtain the world's store and in search of the powerful Zodiac. Caught in the destruction of the planet, Star Saber is rescued by Dai Atlas, who then repels an attack by the Destrons on Earth, and is appointed the new Cybertron commander at the conclusion of the episode, following a battle with the Destrons and unlocking the power of the Zodiac that was found on Earth.
Characters
The cast of Zone is composed heavily of Micromasters, who also made up much of the toyline. Dai Atlas is a "Powered Master", so named for his motorized gimmick, as is his combining partner Sonic Bomber—the toyline also featured another partner for them, Roadfire, who was not in the episode. The solitary Decepticons in the toyline were the Race Track Patrol, and Metrotitan, a redeco of the Autobot city Metroplex, neither of whom appeared in animated form. None of the Decepticon Generals ever appeared in toy form.
Cybertron (Autobots）
Powered Masters / Big Powered:The three Powered Masters combined into a super vehicle.
Organics:
Cain is a Nebulanoid boy from planet Feminia with a winged rabbit named Emusa. They meet a little boy named Akira when they come to Earth.
Violenjiger/Bio Ranger Iga:
A monstrous insectoid being who assembles the Nine Great Generals in a bid to acquire Zone Energy.
An alternate version was featured in "Ask Vector Prime" under the name Bio Ranger Iga, Lord of the Tenth Planet, and assembled a force of Thirteen "Great Demon" Generals to serve his ambitions:
Zarak Maximus, the Fusion Paranoia General, born after the Nebulan Zarak fused together the remains of several Autobots and Decepticons and was consumed by their feuding personalities.
Hydratron, the Stygian Anguish General, provided by the Quintessons.
Volcanicon, the Transwarp Pandemic General, seeking to avenge Planet Dinosaur.
Obsidian, the Radiation Mutilation General, Volcanicon's twin.
Sixshot, the Filicide Ninjitsu General, sent in place of an uninterested Shockwave.
Monstructor, the Nightmare Abyss General, offered up to Iga by the Ebon Knights.
Gigatron, the Destronger Chōkon General, who came to Iga's side from beyond time.
Originally intended to be a full TV series, Transformers: Zone was forced to become direct-to-video (OVA) due to less than expected toy sales. The series was cancelled after just one episode at 25 minutes. It is considered the last TF Generation 1 animated movie and the last series in the Japanese Transformers Generation 1 saga.
Adaptations and continuation
Prior to the OVA, TV Magazine published a one-shot Zone manga in its April 1990 issue, followed by a series of illustrations with accompanying texts (published between August 1990 and January 1991, and later released in print form in English in Volume 3 of Transformers: The Manga) that continued the story of the manga and OVA. A new threat emerges in the form of a gestalt called Metrotitan who, along with his 4 base soldiers (the Metrosquad) goes on a rampage throughout space and attacks Earth with a freeze beam but is eventually defeated by Road Fire. Violen Jiger subsequently heads to Earth; stealing the Zodiac and kidnapping Akira, Kain and some Autobots. They are rescued by the Powered Masters, who also retrieve the Zodiac after a battle with Violen Jiger on his homeworld (the mysterious tenth planet), who transforms himself into his true form (a combination of the ghosts of the dead Decepticon soldiers). The Powered Masters harness this threat by utilizing the Zodiac's power to charge their combined jet form Big Powered to fight him. They unleash a rainbow beam that destroys Violen Jiger, while returning the sunlight that Violen Jiger once blocked from the planet, turning it into a lush green world.
TV Magazine had always included Transformers manga story pages and splash illustrations with explanatory text. These story pages were used to provide supporting fiction for the remaining two years' worth of toylines—1991's Battlestars: Return of Convoy and 1992's Operation: Combination.
