而擎天柱在临死前，本意是想将其传给伟大的战士、最接近擎天柱的通天晓，但却阴差阳错领导模块被霸天虎抢走，为此通天晓深受打击，从此一蹶不振。而后领导模块却最终被补天士拿到，最终补天士成为新一代汽车人领袖。补天士虽然获得了象征汽车人权威和大智慧的领导模块，但归根结底，其个人领导魅力，又或者是智慧，都不足以同其前一代领袖相比，更无法担任起其领导者一角色，为此，汽车人一度深陷发展低潮期。
Shortly after the Battle of Autobot City, Optimus Prime lies on his deathbed. He passes the reins of leadership to Ultra Magnus and gives him the Matrix of Leadership. However, Megatron takes it away, and Ultra Magnus is devastated. Eventually Hot Rod opens the Matrix and destroys Unicron, allowing the Autobots to reclaim Cybertron. Hot Rod then becomes Rodimus Prime, the new Autobot leader. However, the lack of leadership and wisdom doesn’t make him as a strong commander as his predecessor. Autobots are experiencing a period of slow development.
而在此时，市场一度反映较为冷淡，或是因为大家对补天士一角色的不感冒，或者是怀念从前的擎天柱(毕竟孩之宝是家企业，需要适合适宜的不断推出新的卡通形象，才能确保其公司有不断地利润)，孩之宝公司在此情况下，很适合地重新改写剧情，在第三季尾时，让擎天柱复活，重新执掌汽车人领袖。。。
During this time, the audiences didn’t like the story very much, nor did they appreciate Rodimus Prime being the Autobots’ new leader. (To be commercially successful, Hasbro had to be creative and constantly introduce new characters, in order to generate more revenue, especially through the sales of merchandise.) Anyway, perhaps it was because they did miss having Optimus Prime around, Hasbro decided to alter the storyline, and bring him back to life at the end of season 3, he resumed the role of Autobot’s commander.
至于第四季，也就是95-98集，美国方面推出以配合头领战士玩具系列。但因与后续的日版动画不连贯。被视为编外剧集，不断国内没有引起，而且后来我每次看到这季时，都认为与前三者完全格格不入，这里我就不做评论了。
In season 4, episodes 95-98 were released in America to promote the launch of Skullcruncher action figures. However, the story wasn’t coherent with the follow-up Japanese animation. This season is often considered as a spin-off, and it wasn’t shown in China. When i watched it many years later, i felt it didn’t flow with the previous 3 seasons, therefore i will not discuss it here.
1986年上映的《变形金刚：大电影》可以说是变形金刚史上一个辉煌的里程。这部电影无论是剧情，或者是做工出品，都堪称经典，即便以今日的眼光去看，仍然是一部不可多得的精彩优秀动画片。
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) was a step up in almost every area from the television series, with a more sophisticated plot, more serious treatment of war and violence, a hugely ambitious scope and a greatly increased animation budget with well-known celebrities providing voice work. For these reasons the film remains a classic animated feature film till now.
2005年，霸天虎占领了塞伯特恩，汽车人被迫逃亡到塞伯特恩附近的两颗卫星上建立基地，分别是卫星一和卫星二。一天，趁擎天柱等外出，威震天率领一帮霸天虎全体出动，偷袭了基地。正在千钧一发之际，擎天柱率队赶回，同霸天虎展开了激烈的战斗。最终成功协力将霸天虎赶跑，而擎天柱也于这次战斗中身负重伤，不久之后变去世，临终之际将汽车人历代领导人的智慧结晶：伟大的领导模块传给战士通天晓。
It is the year 2005, and the Decepticons are now in control of Cybertron. The Autobots are preparing to launch an assault to retake the planet from hidden bases on two of Cybertron's moons. The Autobots launch a shuttle to pick up a final shipment of energon from Earth before they strike. Plans for the attack are overheard by Laserbeak, who reports back to Megatron. The Decepticons attack the Autobot shuttle en route to Earth, wiping out its crew (including Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet and Brawn). Using the Autobots' own shuttle, the Decepticons are able to get very close to the Autobots' base on Earth, Autobot City, before they are detected, and begin a devastating surprise attack on the unprepared city.
而威震天在被声波救走后，飞回塞伯特恩途中，因大火车飞船负载过重，霸天虎内部起哄，最终在红蜘蛛的授意下，将威震天同一帮负伤的兄弟抛弃，可怜威震天在临被丢弃时，可怜巴巴地对着红蜘蛛喊：我还能动。。。但仍旧免不了被丢弃的结果。
The Decepticons are making their escape aboard Astrotrain, but are too heavy for him to get them all home under his own power. After putting the matter to a fair vote, the Decepticons decide to throw their injured members off the ship to better the chance of survival for the rest. One of the most severely injured Decepticons is Megatron. Starscream tosses him out even when he pleads “i can still move…. “ and claims leadership of the Decepticon army.
威震天后被宇宙大帝救走，并被宇宙大帝重新改造后给了新的身份：惊破天，并将其原先的人马一并改造，给枪给炮，要求惊破天去抢回唯一能伤害到他自己的汽车人领导模块并毁灭之。
Megatron and the other adrift Decepticons then encounter Unicron in interstellar space. Unicron offers to rebuild Megatron and his minions in exchange for their service. Megatron agrees, and is reformatted into Galvatron. Unicron provides them with a ship, and sends them to kill Ultra Magnus and destroy the Matrix, stating that the Matrix is the only thing which can stand in his way.
