Rant Number Nine: Family

Cybertronian family, that is.

Well, I had this incident quite some time ago, but here's what happened: referring to the Vapor/Megatron situation, I had someone comment and tell me "Cybertronians don't have family."

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Um . . . I beg to differ, Sweetheart. The most commonplace example of Cybertronian family would be everyone's favorite twins, SideSwipe and SunStreaker. You read that right: TWINS.

If Cybertronians don't have family, how the slag do you explain Primus-be-damned twins? And there's plenty more examples where that came from. Such as DreadWing and SkyQuake. Another set of twins.

So . . . Yeah . . .

Also, references have existed using "ancestors" and "descendents", insinuating an actual lineage that would be referred to as 'genetic', for lack of a proper term. Obviously, differences do exist, but that's the closest word to be used.

Another reference: Wheelie (G1, not WheelJack, just Wheelie) had 'parents' that were lost in a fatal crash.

Another older reference: the mini-con Twirl specifically calls Falcia her "mother" and treats Redline like a father, since BOTH had their spark frame energies contribute to the creation of Twirl.

It's a commonplace theory and, at least from what I've seen, rather accepted theory that sparklings can be created after a pair of Cybertronians goes through the process of spark bonding, thus making them a sire and carrier, depending on who winds up acting the part of mother and father as far as carrying the sparkling or just contributing their spark to the creation.

G1/Beast Era references:

-Alpha Trion is referred to as "more than almost like a" father to Optimus and Elita-1.

-It's clearly stated that QuickSwitch is SixShot's son.

-It's mentioned that Optimus may have a mother.

-Speeder is the son of Dai Atlas.

-Rattrap calls Arcee his "great-aunt".

In the Unicron Trilogy:

-Sideways calls out to his mother when he's about to be blasted.

-As does StarScream right before being pummeled by a moon-wielding Primus.

There are also plenty of sibling pairs, as listed below.

Generalized:

-SideSwipe and SunStreaker

-Primus and Unicron (believe it or not)

-Frenzy and Rumble

In the Dreamwave continuity:

-Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus

-StarScream and SunStorm

Bayverse:

-Arcee, Chromia and Elita-1 are blatantly referred to as 'the Arcee sisters'

-Skids and Mudflap

Animated:

-JetStorm and JetFire

-Scrapper and MixMaster

-Huffer and Pipes (sounds like a couple of stoner brothers, if you ask me).

Those are just the few I picked out that people would be more likely to recognize. You cannot possibly tell me that Cybertronians don't have family. I don't care what one of the brand new shows that simplifies everything said, because it's targeted to what I'm guessing is three-year-olds at oldest. Of course they'll say "Oh we don't have family". How coudl a three-year-old understand, or care, about how complicated Cybertronian ties are?

If you want to go with that theory that Cybertronians don't have family, then go right ahead and write a fanfiction where Cybertronians have no family or concept of family in the least. Just avoid it altogether. But Cybertronians do have family, and plenty of us prefer to use that, because, as humans, family is a very important concept for us.

Thanks but no thanks for your opinion on that. Cybertronians are a vast topic, and unless you can prove to me without a shadow of a doubt that there's no way in Pit they can possibly have families, then okay. But until that day comes, do your research before calling me out, please. Thank you.

Do your research if you're going to get involved in the transfan universe.