I can't get worked up about characters having different alt modes and such. Transformers is about change after all, and it's not like character names never get reused between franchises.
For example, Soundwave was a tapedeck in G1; A mutant that transformed from bat to crcodile in Beast Wars; A Stealth Bomber in Cybertron/Galaxy Force; a satellite and later car in the movies and finally a car and later drone in Fall of Cybertron/Prime.
It's like, when Wheeljack showed up in Prime, people were complaining that he wasn't a mad scientist just like in G1. But there's no reason for him to be a mad scientist except nostalgia.
Point of order, Beast Wars is usually attached to G1, so the Mutant Soundwave is probably a different character all together. Though the IDW Beast Wars Sourcebook suggests otherwise, but that thing is so full of errors and oddities that it is its own continuity onto itself. And they did not put Beast Wars Megatron in his most awesome body ever! The other Soundwaves are usually considered different multiverse variations on the original anyway.
I just don't GET how you guys can consider all of the various series canon with each other when they're very clearly not.
It depends. From a straight forward way of looking at things, none of the continuities are the same, so who cares. However from a grander point of view, realities connect. The Fallen is one being across several realities. Primus and Unicron have a grand duel across dimensions fighting a battle against order and chaos. As they fight, Primus' children fight their own mirror battle on the realities where they exist.
Though sometimes, who is on the side of order and chaos changes. I personally see Beast Machines as the Maximals being controlled by Unicron for Chaos to destroy Primus in one reality, but that's just because I never warmed to the designs of the Maximals.
There are realities that connect as
hubs to all the other realities as well. But with most things that get too complicated, you can just ignore everything that you don't like in Transformers. Some people don't like Primus to exist as a "god" or anything. Some people just want Unicron to be a giant transformer created by a
strange ancient mad scientist who looked kind of like a ape.
In the end, I like the idea that all realities are connected in Transformers, so eventually if God willing, I can write an official ultimate finale to the Generation One Cartoon that it really deserves. With the immortal "God Emperor" Starscream as leader of some form of "Decepticons", Rodimus would be resurrected to help Autobots who abandoned Maximal controlled Cybertron to recreate the planet somewhere else. And as Starscream sets his optics on technorganic Cybertron, servants of Unicron complete their dark mission. And there will be purple griffin mechs for some odd reason: I see them eating technorganic maximals.
However at the moment, Transformers Prime is a good show with a Frank Welker Megatron that I actually like. It has a grand history that combines most of the best aspects of other versions of Transformers. It might not be as pure fun as Animated, but it is going somewhere which is more than can ever be said of Energon. Alas poor Energon, you had no heart except for the comic. And apparently, David Kaye is going to be on it. With an Arcee that is unique without going axe crazy, I salute it.
