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A few years after the original ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel Transformers]]'' comic had ended its run, Marvel published a new 12 issue series entitled ''Transformers: Generation 2.'' Loosely based off the toyline of the same name, the series was written by Creator/SimonFurman, with art by Derek Yaniger and Manny Galan. In keeping with the tone of many comics in the [[TheNineties 1990's]], ''Generation 2'' had a dark and violent tone, with numerous major and minor characters killed off as Optimus Prime and Megatron fought the vastly superior forces of the second generation Cybertronian Empire. The series lasted from November 1993 to October 1994.

Reruns of the G1 television series were also marketed under the banner. The Cybernet Space Cube, a 3D CGI model, was used for scene transitions and the opening, which featured a new CGI-animated sequence similar to the toy commercials of the time. Hasbro also launched the ''Generation 2'' toyline around the same time the comic premiered. The first year mostly saw redecoes of older ''Generation 1'' toys with new features such as guns that fire missiles, and in a few cases, soundboxes. Also part of the line were several toys imported from the European G1 line and a brand-new Megatron toy that transformed into a tank instead of a gun due to federal law. 1994 introduced new toys, as well as redecoes of the Aerialbots and Combaticons, and in 1995, it became clear that Hasbro was seriously running out of ideas, turning to small and cheap toys such as the Cyberjets (which saw the extensive use of balljoints, a feature that is now all but standard in the toyline), the Go-Bots (which were, in a nutshell, transforming 1:64 scale Hot Wheels cars, even being compatible with Hot Wheels and Matchbox playsets), Laser Cycles, and Auto Rollers; 1995 did, however, introduce the fan-favorite Laser Optimus Prime toy. The line was cancelled in 1995, and it seemed ''Transformers'' was finished. Enter ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''...

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!!This series provides examples of:

* TwoDVisualsThreeDEffects: The Cybernet Space Cube is perhaps one of the earliest examples in both the franchise, and televised cartoons in general. Its only purpose was to serve as highly intrusive {{Scene Transition}}s.
* AlternateContinuity:
** ''ComicBook/TransformersClassics'' by [[Franchise/TransformersTimelines Fun Publications]] takes the Classics toyline and writes its own sequel to the original Marvel comic series, essentially ignoring the Generation 2 comic.
** IDW's ''[[ComicBook/TheTransformersRegenerationOne Regeneration One]]'' also went this route, though a few concepts from G2 would be used.
* AndThisIsFor: Used as the Autobots mop up after [[spoiler:Mirage's death]].
* AntagonistTitle: The second generation of Transformers, led by Jhiaxus, are the main villains of the series.
* AnyoneCanDie: Never more true than during this series. Rarely does an issue go by without some Transformers character who was fairly prominent in G1 dying violently. Some notable examples include [[spoiler:Red Alert, Ironhide, Nightbeat, Fortress Maximus, Slag, Frenzy and Razorclaw]]. And that's just the start.
* ApocalypseHow: Of various levels. San Francisco and everyone living there are wiped off the face of the planet by Jhiaxus. Later, the Swarm attacks Earth, but we never see what--if anything--happened to the human population. Future writers--particularly Larry [=DiTillio=], co-head writer of Beast Wars--preferred to think that the Swarm caused THE COMPLETE EXTINCTION OF HUMANITY, but its up to the individual reader to decide just how badly humanity took one on the chin.
* ArtShift: Depending on the issue, the artwork varies wildly in style. Sometimes it makes multiple switches in one issue.
* AuthorCatchphrase: It's written by Simon Furman. Plenty of his catchphrases make their way into dialogue.
* BadBoss: As his sanity slips further downward, Jhiaxus crushes a subordinate's head for the heck of it.
* BigBad: Jhiaxus is this for most of the series.
* BigNo: Grimlock lets one go as [[spoiler:Red Alert is killed by Jhiaxus' troops]].
* BreakoutVillain: Jhiaxus is one of the more well-remembered parts of the G2 era, receiving new incarnations and getting actual toy representation over the years.[[note]]including one based directly off his appearance in this series in 2022.[[/note]]
* TheCameo: Many prominent G1 characters are reduced to cameo appearances, such as Bumblebee or Tracks. Many show up in one panel only to die in the next.
* CanisLatinicus / PunnyName / TakeThat: Jhiaxus. Well aware that the series would probably be cancelled before it ran very many issues due to unrealistic sales expectations, Simon Furman named his main Cybertronian Empire character after the pun "Gee, axe us!"
* ChekhovsGun: The Rheanium, obtained in what appears to be no more than a standard Decepticon supply raid, but which turns out to be vital to the survival of the Transformers in the final issue.
* {{Crossover}}: The G2 series' launch was helped by a crossover arc with ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel''. In the crossover, Cobra is responsible for building Megatron's new body, and they play a major role in the second issue. G.I. Joe turns up halfway through the series after the Decepticons start trashing the Earth as well as at the start to tell the Autobots about Megatron returning. They request Autobot reinforcement and aren't too happy when the only bot Skydive can produce is Optimus Prime. The fact that the events were ignored by ''GI Joe: A Real American Hero'' led to {{Continuity Snarl}}s.
* CurbStompBattle: The Decepticons' first encounter with the Cybertronian Empire goes badly for them. A lot of them get killed, and they're sent running.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: Jhiaxus is forced to confront his in issue #3. He was once a violent sadist, and has since cultivated a calm and reasonable personality in an effort to convince himself that he is a moral person. It turns out that's just a facade, and that he's still as bad as he always was. Naturally instead of admitting this, he's determined to kill Prime and the Autobots so they can't remind him of the truth of who he is.
* DarkerAndEdgier: The tone of the comic is a lot darker and more violent than just about any Transformers series that came before.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Manny Galan's art contrasts badly with Derek Yaniger's highly stylized art. Particularly since Galan tries to copy Yaniger's style, with less than successful results.
* DoubleMeaningTitle: The "Generation 2" title can refer to either Jhiaxus' second generation of Cybertronians or the second generation of Decepticons brought to life by Megatron using the Matrix, though it primarily refers to the former.
* DreamingOfThingsToCome: Optimus Prime has apocalyptic visions of the Swarm consuming everything, meaning that he's aware of that threat and is more concerned about it than he is about Jhiaxus.
* TheEmpire: The Cybertronian Empire, ruled by the Liege Maximo. A galaxy-spanning Decepticon empire that eradicates "lesser" life forms from any planet they decide to annex. They then transform that planet into a copy of Cybertron.
* EnemyMine:
** Optimus Prime and Megatron form an alliance to combat the forces of the second generation Cybertronians, who vastly outnumber the Autobots and Decepticons combined.
** Optimus tries to do this with Jhiaxus, using the threat of The Swarm, but Jhiaxus doesn't listen, and keeps trying to kill him.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: At one point, a Cybertronian wonders why exactly the Autobots consider organic life worth protecting at all. He never figures out an answer before The Swarm shows up.
* EvilGloating: At the start of issue #2, Megatron is exulting over the Autobots he killed or damaged.
* FantasticRacism: The Cybertronian Empire kill any organic lifeform they can find.
* ForTheEvulz: Most of the Decepticons under Bludgeon ''love'' this. Tantrum even questions how anyone could get bored of mindless destruction.
* FromBadToWorse: ''Often.'' Every time you think you've [[DarkestHour seen rock bottom]], something tops it. [[spoiler:Bludgeon's Decepticons attack the Earth and kill thousands just to draw out Optimus Prime. ''Then'' Megatron's forces take over and continue the attack, doing as much damage as they can. All ''that'' pales to the damage Jhiaxus inflicts, as he turns San Francisco into a smoking crater from orbit.]] Bad enough? No? [[spoiler:Meet The Swarm]].
* GreaterScopeVillain: The Liege Maximo, who not only controls the Cybertronian Empire, but is implied to be the Decepticon from whom all the others originated. He describes Megatron as a descendant.
* GreenAndMean: The majority of Cybertronian {{mooks}} are green.
* HeelFaceTurn: Newly-created Decepticons Leadfoot and Manta Ray develop camaraderie with some of the Autobots [[EnemyMine while fighting alongside them]]. Razorclaw picks up on this and tries to kill Manta Ray after seeing he's become loyal to Grimlock, only for Leadfoot to slay Razorclaw in defense, officially declaring the two of them Autobots.
* HeroicSacrifice: Optimus Prime allows the Swarm to devour him so that it will be exposed to the Matrix and enlightened as to just what it is. [[spoiler:The Swarm gives him a new body afterward.]]
* HostileTerraforming: The Cybertronian Empire's modus operandi was to kill all the inhabitants of each planet and then mechaform the planet itself to make replicas of Cybertron.
* LampshadeHanging:
--> '''Megatron''': Why? That's what they ''all'' asked me. Why him... why ''[[TheStarscream Starscream]]?'' Why, of all Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is ''legend?'' Because I'm an '''idiot''', that's why!
* LittleNo: Grimlock's reaction to [[spoiler:Red Alert's skeletonized body.]]
* LosingYourHead: Megatron rips [[spoiler:Bludgeon]]'s head off, [[spoiler:but it's just the head of his Pretender shell, so he's able to break out of it and give one last attack before Megatron finally kills him]].
* LostSuperweapon: The cache of weapons that Prime's crew and Bludgeon's crew are fighting over in the second issue qualifies.
* MerchandiseDriven: Downplayed. Very few of the new Generation 2 toys apart from Megatron actually make an appearance until halfway through the series, and even then they're minor characters. Returning characters, like Ramjet show up still sporting their Generation 1 decos.
* MythologyGag: The Rheanium that protects Transformers from The Swarm, is plotwise very similar to the heat-and-radiation resistant metal that Optimus coats himself with in the TV two-parter "Return of Optimus Prime". Both are AppliedPhlebotinum used to coat a Transformer to protect them from a dire threat.
* TheNineties: Huge guns, spikes everywhere, extremely graphic deaths, and a generally GrimDark atmosphere.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Jhiaxus beats the ''crap'' out of Optimus in their last encounter.
* ObviouslyEvil: The hordes of the Cybertronian Empire are largely {{green|AndMean}} and covered in {{spikes|OfVillainy}}. Many have skull-like heads, with some having {{horns|OfVillainy}}.
* OnlyMostlyDead: In issue #6, Jhiaxus blasts Megatron to pieces, and the pieces are sent hurtling into the upper atmosphere of the planet they're fighting over. He still lives.
* OutsideContextProblem: From Optimus' perspective, it seems like the Cybertronian empire sprang out of nowhere, having somehow built their massive empire in space without anyone else's knowledge. [[spoiler:It later turns out they came into existence relatively recently, during the Transformers' four million year-long sleep on Earth.]]
* SenselessSacrifice: [[spoiler:Nightbeat and Dirge]] blow themselves up in a desperate attempt to stop the Swarm during the big finale. Not only does it not work, but Megatron shows up with Rheanium that is used to save everyone barely even 2 minutes later.
* ShoutOut: [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot]] can be seen among the scores of dead bodies on J'asik in issue #9.
* {{Spinoff}}: In order to build interest, Marvel began the story with a plot thread in their ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'' comic about Cobra rebuilding Megatron.
* TakingYouWithMe: Fortress Maximus tries this against [[spoiler:Megatron. It doesn't work.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: Jhiaxus spends most of the series on the downward slide. In the final four issues, he hits bottom. His last minutes are spent ranting and screaming, after beating Optimus to within an inch of his life.
* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: The Cybertronian Empire have been going from world to world, wiping out all life there, and 'cyberforming' them. We even see them in the middle of this at one point.
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