History Headscratchers / Bumblebee

** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', which shares the same universe with the ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' video games, also had the Transformers go from looking a lot more like their G1 incarnations to the designs the show's computer animators gave them. It seems that the Transformers choose to change disguises when they're on different planets.

** ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'', which shares the same universe with the ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' video games, also had the Transformers go from looking a lot more like their G1 incarnations to the design the show's computer animators gave them when a small fraction of both Autobots and Decepticons took their battle to Earth. It seems that the Transformers choose to change disguises when they're on different planets.

** It could be that they change appearances to stay true to the franchise's motto "Robots in Disguise". Changing appearances, at least even slightly, lowers your chances of being recognized by an enemy as it increases your unpredictability.

** It could be that they change appearances to stay true to the franchise's motto "Robots in Disguise". Changing appearances, at least even slightly, lowers your chances of being recognized by an enemy because it makes you more unpredictable.

** It could be that they change appearances to stay true to the franchise's motto "Robots in Disguise". Changing appearances, at least even slightly, lowers your chances of being recognized by an enemy.

* Ravage and Soundwave and Optimus Prime look a lot like their G1 selves, which is pretty great if intended as a reboot, but as a prequel, how exactly did they end up looking...very different 20 years later? Somehow, somewhere along the way Ravage turned from a robotic canine to a cyclops-feline-shark-thing.

* Not sure if this was explained, but how did the bots and cons learn English? The previous sets of movies stated it was from the internet, but in this one the internet was made by the cons.

** If my hunch us correct, it might be that he was named such in partial reference to how at least Transformers Prime handled names, specifically for Megatron. Megatron started out as D-16, according to lore, but took his name as Megatron in the pits of Kaon. I imagine several transformers underwent similar experiences, being born with designations (as the Cybertron's golden age had a heavily enforced caste system), and then taking more personal names as their lives went on. This probably also became more common following the war. Of course, this is assuming that particular lore is the same as the Aligned continuity.

** Or they could be tasers for frying a cars circuitry. Useful for stopping chases quicker than a P.I.T. Maneuver.

** Left over from when it was an explicit prequel, and Cybertronians had been on Earth since WW2.

* Why did Sector Seven have giant harpoon guns mounted on their Humvees? In this new timeline they are unaware of Transformers until Bumblebee arrived so there doesn't seem much reason for such a weapon setup beforehand.

* Charlie's picture with Bumblebee is done selfie-style. I'm aware that selfies aren't wholly a recent phenomenon- George Harrison, for example, was pretty fond of doing fish-eye-lens shots of himself by outstretched arm- but is it plausible that a typical American teenager circa 1987 would be taking pictures that way? Especially given the way the shot is lined up- could that have been done with the cameras available at the time?

** It's also entirely possible that there were 'Cons who were there prior; Transformers Prime did something similar where modern day Autobots knew very little of Earth, yet there had been Autobots there who were rather mercilessly slaughtered by the Predacons.

* Wasn't it mentioned somewhere that he was a combat drone?

** Maybe he was looking for Megatron and noticed the Cybertronian who decided to crash down.

* How the heck did Blitzwing beat Bumblebee to Earth? Bumblebee literally got there and Blitzwing was on him in seconds, and Optimus said that Earth was isolated and out of the way, yet Blitzwing had already gotten there fast enough to track Bumblebee's descent and even have a vehicle mode that he could use

* Why is Bumblebee's original name [[YouAreNumberSix B-127]]? That's more than a little strange, especially since all other named bots in the film have proper names.

** Its both. Its a prequel unless its a success, then its a reboot. As for the contradictions, thats a tricky thing. As you said, the only part that can be handwaved is the Autobots arriving in 1987, then leaving at some point so they can come back 20 years later. As for the Moon landing (and the WW2 stuff), theres really no logical explanation. We just have to accept that they never happened now. Retcons, if you will.

* The timeline. So according to this movie, the war on Cybertron occurred in 1987, and then Bumblebee went to Earth so he could set up a base of operations for the Autobots to regroup. And then at the end, Optimus Prime and seven or eight others came to Earth to do all that. But here's the problem: the whole point of the first movie was that it was when the Autobots first came to Earth in search of the Allspark. How does this all fit together? Did Optimus Prime leave Earth and then come back to find the Allspark? He couldn't have known Earth was Unicron, since TLK was all about him making that discovery. Oh, and the fall of Cybertron. If I recall correctly, DOTM established that Cybertron fell in the 1960s, and the crashed Decepticon ship was what kickstarted Neil Armstrong's pioneering visit to the moon. WHAT. THE. HECK? And don't tell me this movie is a reboot, because it has been said this is a prequel.

* The timeline. So according to this movie, the war on Cybertron occurred in 1987, and then Bumblebee went to Earth so he could set up a base of operations for the Autobots to regroup. And then at the end, Optimus Prime and seven or eight others came to Earth to do all that. But here's the problem: the whole point of the first movie was that it was when the Autobots first came to Earth in search of the Allspark. How does this all fit together? Did Optimus Prime leave Earth and then come back to find the Allspark? He couldn't have known Earth was Unicron, since TLK was all about him making that discovery. Oh, and the fall of Cybertron. If I recall correctly, DOTM established that Cybertron fell in the 1960s, and the crashed Decepticon ship was what kickstarted Neil Armstrong's pioneering visit to the moon. WHAT. THE. HECK? And don't tell me this movie is a reboot, because it has been said this is a prequel.