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"Hasbro Comic Book Universe"
Official teaser for 2016's Revolution.
PublisherIDW Publishing
Publication dateOctober 2005 – December 2020
GenreVarious
Main character(s)

The Hasbro Comic Book Universe (HCBU) is an American comic book franchise and shared universe created and published by IDW Publishing, based on various properties of the toy company Hasbro.

Publication history

[edit]

Following the bankruptcy of Dreamwave Productions in 2005, IDW picked up the Transformers comic book license and hired veteran writer Simon Furman to craft a rebooted continuity based on the Generation 1 toy line, similar to what Marvel Comics did through Ultimate Marvel.[1]

In May 2008, IDW obtained the G.I. Joe comic book license from Devil's Due Publishing.[2]

Over the years, both comics participated in several crossover events, like Infestation and Infestation 2.

In 2016, IDW gained the rights of Rom, Micronauts, Action Man and M.A.S.K. from other publishers. That same year, IDW announced the Hasbro Reconstruction campaign, in order to converge those brands in the same continuity, starting with the crossover event Revolution.[3]

In 2017, IDW gained the rights of Visionaries, with most of its characters debuting after the crossover event First Strike.

In April 2018, IDW announced the HCBU would conclude with the limited series Transformers: Unicron in November 2018.

In-continuity canon

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IDW has never established a shared continuity between its own Transformers and G.I. Joe comics, even during the crossover event Infestation, when they both exist in separate universes, with other licensed franchises. While The Transformers has only participated in Infestation, the miniseries The Transformers: Hearts of Steel, also set in its own alternate timeline, has participated in Infestation 2. On the other side, G.I. Joe participated in both events.

While other brands exist within the HCBU (e.g. Jem and Clue), they did not appear in Revolution, First Strike or Transformers: Unicron for tonal reasons. IDW's versions of My Little Pony, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering, Stretch Armstrong and Go-Bots exist "outside" of this universe entirely.

List of works

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2005

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: Infiltration 0–6 October 19, 2005 July 12, 2006

2006

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: Evolutions — Hearts of Steel 1–4 July 5, 2006 September 27, 2006
The Transformers: Stormbringer July 19, 2006 October 18, 2006
The Transformers: Spotlight 31 (unnumbered) September 13, 2006 May 1, 2013
The Transformers: Escalation 1–6 November 29, 2006 May 2, 2007 Sequel to The Transformers: Infiltration.

2007

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: Megatron Origin 1–4 June 20, 2007 October 24, 2007
The New Avengers/The Transformers July 5, 2007 October 10, 2007 Crossover with the New Avengers (Marvel Comics).
The Transformers: Devastation 1–6 October 3, 2007 February 27, 2008 Sequel to The Transformers: Escalation.

2008

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: All Hail Megatron 1–16 July 10, 2008 October 14, 2009
G.I. Joe (vol. 1) 0–27 (plus 1 special) October 22, 2008 February 23, 2011
The Transformers: Maximum Dinobots 1–5 December 10, 2008 April 15, 2009

2009

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Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
G.I. Joe: Origins 1–23 February 2009 January 2011
G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 1) 1–21 March 2009 June 2009
G.I. Joe: Cobra Special 1–2 September 2009 September 2010 Tie-in to G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 1).
The Transformers 1–31 November 18, 2009 December 7, 2011 Sequel to The Transformers: All Hail Megatron.
The Transformers: Bumblebee 1–4 December 16, 2009 March 10, 2010

2010

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
G.I. Joe: Cobra II 1–13 January 2010 February 2011
The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers 1–5 January 27, 2010 May 19, 2010
G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds May 2010 September 2010
The Transformers: Ironhide 1–4 May 12, 2010 August 4, 2010
The Transformers: Drift September 2010 October 20, 2010

2011

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: Infestation 1–2 February 2, 2011 February 16, 2011 Part of the crossover event Infestation.
G.I. Joe: Infestation March 2, 2011 March 16, 2011 Part of the crossover event Infestation.
The Transformers: Heart of Darkness 1–4 March 23, 2011 June 29, 2011
G.I. Joe: Cobra Civil War One-shot April 1, 2011 Prelude to Cobra Civil War.
G.I. Joe (vol. 2) 1–21 May 2011 January 2013
G.I. Joe: Cobra (vol. 3) December 2012
G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes May 18, 2011 February 6, 2013 Separated inside three storylines.
The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime One-shot December 21, 2011

2012

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye 1–57 (plus 1 annual) January 11, 2012 September 28, 2016 Issues #23-27 tied to Dark Cybertron; issues #56-57 tied to Titans Return.
The Transformers: Autocracy 1–12 January 18, 2012 June 20, 2012
The Transformers: Robots in Disguise 1–57 (plus 1 annual) January 25, 2012 September 28, 2016 Issues #23-27 tied to Dark Cybertron; retitled as The Transformers (vol. 2) in issue #35; retitled as Transformers in issue #39; issues #56-57 tied to Titans Return.
The Transformers: Infestation 2 1–2 February 1, 2012 February 15, 2012 Part of the crossover event Infestation 2; related to The Transformers: Hearts of Steel.
G.I. Joe: Infestation 2 March 14, 2012 March 28, 2012 Part of the crossover event Infestation 2.

2013

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Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
G.I. Joe (vol. 3) 1–15 February 2013 April 2014
G.I. Joe: Special Missions 1–13 March 2013 April 2014
The Transformers: Monstrosity 1–12 March 1, 2013 July 31, 2013 Sequel to The Transformers: Autocracy.
G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files 1–9 April 2013 December 2013
The Transformers: Dark Cybertron One-shot November 6, 2013 Tied to Dark Cybertron.

2014

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
The Transformers: Dark Cybertron Finale One-shot March 26, 2014 Tied to Dark Cybertron.
The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 1) 1–4 April 16, 2014 July 23, 2014
The Transformers: Punishment 1–5 June 2014 (printed on January 21, 2015) Digital comic.
The Transformers: Primacy 1–4 August 13, 2014 November 19, 2014 Sequel to The Transformers: Monstrocity.
G.I. Joe (vol. 4) 1–8 September 2014 April 2015 Retitled as The Fall of G.I. Joe.
The Transformers: Drift — Empire of Stone 1–4 November 26, 2014 February 25, 2015 Sequel to The Transformers: Drift.

2015

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes — Agent of Cobra 1–5 January 2015 May 2015
The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 2) 1–7 March 25, 2015 September 23, 2015 Sequel to The Transformers: Windblade (vol. 1); issues #1-5 tied to Combiner Wars.
Transformers: Combiner Hunters One-shot July 29, 2015 Tied to Combiner Wars.
Transformers: Redemption October 28, 2015 Sequel to The Transformers: Punishment.
Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers 1–5 October 2015 June 2016 Sequel to The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers.

2016

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
Jem and the Holograms 1–26 (plus 1 annual and 2 specials) March 25, 2016 June 14, 2017
Micronauts 1–11 (plus 1 annual) April 27, 2016 April 12, 2017
Transformers: Till All are One 1–12 (plus 1 annual) June 15, 2016 December 13, 2017 Sequel to The Transformers: Windblade; issues #5-8 tied to Titans Return.
Revolution 0–5 June 21, 2016 November 30, 2016 [3]
Action Man 1–4 June 22, 2016 September 21, 2016
Rom 0–14 (plus 1 annual) July 27, 2016 November 1, 2017
Transformers: Titans Return One-shot July 27, 2016 Tied to Titans Return.
Transformers: Revolution October 26, 2016 Part of the crossover event Revolution. [3]
Transformers: Till All are One: Revolution November 2, 2016
G.I. Joe: Revolution November 16, 2016
Rom: Revolution September 21, 2016
Micronauts: Revolution September 28, 2016
M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand: Revolution September 29, 2016
Action Man: Revolution October 26, 2016
M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand 1–10 (plus 1 annual) November 30, 2016 October 11, 2017
Transformers: More than Meets the Eye: Revolution One-shot December 7, 2016 Part of the crossover event Revolution. [3]
Optimus Prime 1–25 (plus 1 annual) December 14, 2016 November 21, 2018 Sequel to The Transformers: Robots in Disguise.
Transformers: Lost Light 1–25 November 7, 2018 Sequel to The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye.
Jem: The Misfits 1–5 December 21, 2016 July 6, 2017 Spin-off of Jem and the Holograms.
G.I. Joe (vol. 5) 1–9 December 28, 2016 October 11, 2017

2017

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
Revolutionaries 1–8 January 18, 2017 September 27, 2017 Team-up between various Hasbro characters.
Transformers Annual 2017 One-shot March 9, 2017
Micronauts: Wrath of Karza 1–5 April 26, 2017 September 20, 2017 Sequel to Micronauts.
Transformers: Salvation One-shot June 14, 2017 Sequel to Transformers: Redemption.
Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook 1–3 July 14, 2017 October 25, 2017 Featuring various background stories.
First Strike 0–6 Sequel to Revolution.
Rom vs. Transformers: Shining Armor 1–5 July 19, 2017 November 27, 2017
Jem: Infinite 1–6 June 29, 2017 October 19, 2017 Crossover event between Jem and the Holograms and Jem: The Misfits.
Clue November 23, 2017
G.I Joe: First Strike One-shot September 20, 2017 Part of the crossover event First Strike.
Micronauts: First Strike September 27, 2017
Optimus Prime: First Strike October 18, 2017
Rom: First Strike
M.A.S.K.: Mobile Armored Strike Kommand: First Strike November 1, 2017
Transformers: First Strike November 8, 2017
Jem: Dimensions 1–4 December 6, 2017 March 7, 2018
Rom & the Micronauts 1–5 December 20, 2017 May 9, 2018
Scarlett's Strike Force 1–3 December 27, 2017 February 28, 2018

2018

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
Transformers vs. Visionaries 1–5 January 3, 2018 May 2, 2018
Rom: Tales of the Solstar Order One-shot April 4, 2018 Back-up strips published in Rom #11–14.
Transformers: Unicron 0–6 May 5, 2018 November 14, 2018
Transformers: Requiem of the Wreckers One-shot May 30, 2018 Sequel to Transformers: Sins of the Wreckers.

2019

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
Synergy: A Hasbro Creators Showcase One-shot March 27, 2019 Contains stories for G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Jem and the Holograms.

2020

[edit]
Title Issue(s) Premiere date Finale date Note(s) Ref.
Rom: Dire Wraiths 1–3 January 15, 2020 December 30, 2020 Prequel and spin-off to Rom, uses characters from Inhumanoids.

Major storylines

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Tie-in books

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  • The Transformers: Continuum (November 11, 2009) – First guidebook of the HCBU-related Transformers comics.
  • G.I. Joe: Tales from the Cobra Wars (April 19, 2011) – Anthology of prose stories based on several HCBU-related G.I. Joe comics.
  • Transformers: Historia (January 9, 2019) – Second guidebook of the HCBU-related Transformers comics.[4]

Unproduced works

[edit]
  • Transformers: Legacy of Rust[5]
  • Transformers: Spy Games[6]
  • Transformers: Collision Course[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "DYNAMIC FORCES® - Marvel, DC, Dynamite, Signed Comics, Sketch Covers, CGC Graded, Variants, Collectibles and more!". www.dynamicforces.com. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  2. ^ "IDW Lands G.I. Joe License". CBR. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  3. ^ a b c d "IDW Is Merging G.I. Joe, Transformers, and Its Other Hasbro Comics Into One Giant Universe". io9. June 2016. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  4. ^ "TRANSFORMERS HISTORIA: Chris McFeely Writes History Of IDW Transformers Universe, Due In December". TFormers.com. September 19, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "Legacy of Rust - Transformers Wiki". tfwiki.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  6. ^ "Spy Games - Transformers Wiki". tfwiki.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
  7. ^ "Transformers: Collision Course - Transformers Wiki". tfwiki.net. Retrieved 2022-11-03.
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