Do Transformers reproduce? You bet your butt they do! And, while humans only have two choices-- time-consuming childbirth and completely ineffective cloning --Transformers have many different ways to make a new Transformer, or at least introduce a new toy.
The following list contains all the methods I know that a new Transformer, or at least an old Transformer in a new body, can be constructed and brought to life. If you know of a method which I haven't listed here, please, send it to me (tenorguitr@psnw.com) so I can put it in the next list! (note: unsure if this is still going on)
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>From the American cartoon:
"Scratch" method:
New Transformer is built from either raw materials or junked parts, with the personality component built and programmed in the same manner. The Transformer's conscious mind activates when the robot is complete. As seen with the Constructicons, Dinobots, and Megatron.
"Kitbash" method:
New Transformer's body is built from a nonliving vehicle. The mind, however, must be created and installed into the body by Vector Sigma. As seen with the Aerialbots and Stunticons.
"The Blob" method:
Not exactly reproduction. Already-created Transformer's personality component is implanted in a nonliving, not necessarily Transformer body. The mind will then take control of the body and either take control of it, or rebuild it into a new Transformer body. As seen with the Combaticons and the Nijika.
"Resurrection" method:
When a Transformer is 'chosen' to be exposed to forces of another, more powerful entity, the entity may rebuild it into a new, more powerful version of the original Transformer. The personality may be completely changed or just tweaked a bit. As seen with Galvatron, his followers, and Rodimus Prime.
"C'mere, Stork" method:
Through unknown procedures, the Lithonians (and maybe the Cybertronians) can create baby Transformers, who (we assume) grow up and become members of the adult community. As seen at the beginning of the Movie, and in War Dawn. (teenaged-looking TFs)
>From the comic book:
"Big Papa" method:
The holder of the Creation Matrix (who is usually the Autobot Leader) can use said Matrix to create a new Transformer mind. The body of this new life must be built independently, however. As seen with the Constructicons and Jetfire.
"Budding" method:
Any Transformer may create another, by tapping into a program built into all Transformers by Primus. Similar to a hydra budding its offspring, a new body will form somewhere on the the old one, quickly gaining sentience, and springing from the old body within (presumably) 15 minutes or so. These bodies are fairly generic, probably because the program is the same for every Transformer. After the new body has separated from the parent, Primus will imprint his designs on the new body, giving it a mind, a body form, and an alternate mode. As seen with Lord Jhiaxus.
"Bigger Papa" method:
Primus, a defender of order and the sentient core of Cybertron, can create a new Transformer from the body of the planet. This process is identical to the 'budding' process. As seen with an unknown Transformer in Generation 2 #5.
(Note: Methods 7 and 8 are no longer possible, due to the death of Primus.)
>From fanfiction:
"Franken's Gear" method:
New Transformers can be built, and presumably given life by the building and programming of a brain. When finished, the creator and the creation have a relationship similar to that of a parent and child. Transformers built by the same creator are like siblings. As seen in Raksha's "Sabotaged Identity".
"Death Do Us Part" method:
Two Transformers of opposite sexes, if their feelings are strong enough for each other, can "Become One", which is something like getting married while you have sex. This usually results in the creation of offspring. The child first manifests itself as a small glowing sphere, like a miniature Vector Sigma, nested beneath the chest armor of the mother. The child, unless provoked, stays there until a body is built for it. These bodies are generally smaller than normal, about Micromaster-sized. There have also been mentions of 'growth stages', which I assume mean exchanging one's present body for a more physically mature one. As seen in Tetra Reris's "Past Hurts".
"Adamant Eve" method:
Because of either a hidden program or Primus/Sequista's desires, two Transformers of opposite sexes may "Genetically Identify". This gives the victims two choices; either mate and conceive children, or die. The conception process is just like Becoming One; however, the exact process has been kept in the dark. An interesting note: Genetic Identification does not seem to require building a body for the offspring. As seen in Tetra Reris's "Past Hurts".
"Primus Complex" method:
Two Transformers of opposite sexes (at present the only female who has used this technique is Aeranis) mate, which is a highly virtual experience; the two find themselves in a virtual world, as soft versions of themselves, and mate in a manner much like that of humans. This results in a mind-chip being formed in the chest of the female. She takes this to a 'creation chamber', a pod with a skeletal Transformer body waiting inside. The chip, when inserted into the chamber, will gradually (with the help of the pod it sits in) change the body into a living Transformer, based on the forms and personalities of the parents. The parents may influence the child's development to a limited extent. As seen in Max's "Transformers 2001".
"My" method: (Playground Psychotic)
(I made this one up for my own fanfics, and I'm rather pleased with it, so allow me to indulge in a long, detailed explanation.)
Because of Primus's death, the Transformers were at a loss for a natural method of reproduction. This new method was introduced to them by the Lithonians: Two Transformers of opposite sexes, preferably two who love each other, mate. You don't need to know the details, but it's pretty similar to human sex: the two embrace and exchange genetic information through ports on their bodies. Since there's no other real purpose for mating, this will always result in conception of offspring. New pathways open in the female's personality component, building a new conciousness. When the new mind is complete, the new Transformer will be born, this process being exactly like the old 'budding' method, but the designs imprinted on the new body are from the Transformer's own mind. This new Transformer is rather small, about Micromaster size, to avoid undue strain on the mother. When the child's mind has matured, it will 'bud' a new body from the old one, this one full-sized and better equipped! for combat. As seen in Playground Psychotic's "Surge Protection".
The "Autobotography" Method:
The Quintessons observed sexual reproduction in other species and saw it as a way to increase their profit margin by eliminating the assembly line from their production process. To achieve this end, they designed female Cybertronians with the capability to accept a packet of electronically encoded 'genetic' material from a male transformer and combine it with their own material in a special circuit card. The card and the female's own maintenance systems interact to allow the creation of a new life form when conditions are correct. To encourage reproduction, the donators and receivers of code are programmed to find each other attractive and to enjoy the exchange of coded material. When the exchange has taken place, a hybrid Cybertronian is created within the female. Energy consumption increases to feed the process and to produce a small body. Significant impacts to the mother's body during certain critical stages in this process may disrupt development and produce multiple offspring, such as twins. When the child (or the children, as the case may be) is viable, the mother goes into a highly demanding birth process. She loses consciousness and a medic is needed to retrieve the child. After birth she is capable of highly refining her energon into an enriched form that can be fed to the child to fuel its rapid growth and development. Maturity is reached quickly, as the child transforms energy into matter to expand its body to adult size.
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