A bit of spoiler-free weighing in on the 2007 Movie - it made for a good summer blockbuster, however it wasn't really my thing. I personally am not big on action movies. Plus, I wasn't in it. But neither were the Insecticons, so it got some points for that. Wayward thought it was a great deal of fun and is contemplating seeing it a third time, just to remind everyone that we don't always agree.

So I've been spending the last week reading fandom reviews. The general response seems quite positive, with several indifferents like myself ( not always for the same reasons, ) and some who hated it. My favourites, of course, are the Born Agains, because I'm curmudgeonly like that. You know the ones I mean - the ones who started off as doom prophets forseeing the end of the entire Transformers franchise, who were convinced that the movie would fail on all levels, who swore up and down that they would never watch the movie. And then they saw it, loved it, and now claim they were open-minded about it the whole time. Changing your mind is your right as a sapient being, but your attempted retcons are ridiculous, and you will not lose Internet points if you say, "Well, I was wrong. Looks like the movie turned out pretty good despite my worries."

You're not a bad Transfan if you honestly didn't like it. Not everyone has to like everything that comes out. And you're not a brainwashed tool of Hollywood if you did like it.

Now to wait for Transformers: Animated to come out. I have heard bad things from people who have seen one picture and very good things from those whose actually watched samples of the cartoon and seen the toys.

As usual.

Q: I got a question only for you, not Blinky.
Who do you think is better, Richard Newman or Sho Hayami?
A: I liked them both fine. However, I personally sound like Rhinox with an accent.

Q: Dear Vector Prime,
What is beyond space/time?
A: Pudding. It's rather strange.

Q: Dear Vector Prime:
I've enclosed a picture you may find interesting at the very least. Its a gift of Apreciation as a fan for all the hard work you've put into your colum and for all the crud you put up with from Decepticons, Insecticons, and wannabe heros chosen by disco balls. Heres hoping some day, you get your wish. I only have one question, and that is simply to ask what you think of the botcon repaint and remold of your toy into Vector Sigma? I think its pretty good myself but I'd like the opinion of the origonal.
A: Ah, good to see that someone else out there 'ships my OTP, or at least does so long enough to put together a picture.

Vector Sigma was an orange oversize novelty golfball with a slot in it. Alpha Trion was ... he had a very well done head remould. I was not fond of his colors - the purple jarred against the white badly. My biggest complaint is that his Minicon had no name, with is an unforgiveable sin in these parts. However, I cannot be too against the figure - after all, it's a very good mould.

Q: Most Honorable Vector Prime,
I represent a contingent of Star Wars action figures residing in a young woman's bedroom in the Northwestern US. We beg your help. We have reason to believe our "owner" (for lack of a better term) has become a Transfan.
It started innocently enough -- a Transfan read and commented on her Star Wars fanfic, and she thought it common courtesy to return the favor. One TF fanfic led to another, which led to hunting down episodes of the show on YouTube and fanart on DeviantArt...
Now she is insufferable. Words like "Primus" and "slag" and "You've got the power, you've got the touch!" are making their way into her conversation. She writes Trans-fanfic and draws Trans-fanart. A Darth Vader/TIE Fighter Transformer now shares shelf space with us, and rumors are spreading that she plans to add a MP Megatron to the collection. Vader #3 (she owns several) found plans for a TF/Star Wars crossover in her writing notebook and hasn't stopped gibbering since. We are, quite frankly, scared.
Fortunate circumstances have prevented her from seeing the new movie -- we fear we will lose her entirely to the fandom if she does. Take pity upon us, if not for our sake, then for yours. For who knows what will happen once her madness is unleashed upon your fandom?
Help us. Alter time if you have to, or at the very least offer some sage advice. Anything to save her from becoming a raving fangirl. You are our only hope.
A: I assist you, if only to stop her from writing a Transformers/Star Wars crossover. I have never read one of these that wasn't plain awful, and have long ago lost hope that anyone could pull it off in a readable way.

At this point, she doesn't sound too bad - she's buying show pieces instead of everything on the shelves. Fanfiction and fanart is merely the output of the initial exuberance of geting into a new fandom. And it is good that she's looking up episodes - too often it seems like fangirls learn all they know from fanfiction, which gives them a rather skewed view on the series ( no, Armada Starscream was only with the Autobots for three episodes, and it was because he hoped it would give him a better chance to kill Megatron, not because he's nice. Also, Alexis made her necklace for herself. )

A place to start might be looking to yourselves - how long has she been in the Star Wars fandom? Has she drifted before, only to come back to you, or was there a fandom she left before you? If the former, you need only wait. If the latter, you may end up relegated to a box in a closet, and your revenge will be the Transformers joining you later when your human moves on again.

She cannot be too far along yet if she cannot quote The Touch correctly. And as long as she doesn't honestly believe that she will end up in a Transformers continuity after she dies, there are fans more insane ( by which I mean 'deluded' not 'hyper' ) than her.

Q: Saw a clip of "Family Guy" on YouTube and have two questions:
1. Is Soundwave really married?
2. What's he doing hanging out in Christian chatrooms?
Thundercracker, G1
A: 1) He is in the Family Guy continuity. Also in many fanfictions.

2) Possibly he converted. Optimus Prime is Jewish there. Oddly, no one has yet written me to complain that Starscream is yellow there. That is not an invitation to do so.

Q: Welcome back from your latest vacation Vector Prime. Got a few more questions I'd like answered.
1: What exactly is the deal with the hate plague? I understand they are spores that increase aggression in someone, but how is it that something organic can effect wholly robotic beings like transformers like that?
2: Ever since the Fallen came to the apartment, you haven't really done anything about him. Do you feel it would be unnecessary with so many wacky transformers to annoy him or is he stronger than you in some aspects?
3: Will we ever get to see the Skywarp troupe plot something epic?
4: Blinky seems a bit...grouchy lately. Any reason why that may be? (Aside from being with the Fallen mind you)
Thank you for your time.
A: 1) Given that these spores could only be defeated by heat or wisdom, I'd think it's safe to say they were magic spores.

2) It was explained when I first encountered him here - the amount of power I would have to use to dispatch him is more than I can handle without consequence. I cannot feel too guilty about it - it isn't as if he's had an easy time of it here.

3) All things are possible, though it isn't in the forseeable future.

4) One of the Fallen's powers is to twist minds towards chaos. Spending too much time with him can have that effect, and Blinky was with him for several weeks. That and Blinky just doesn't like him much. Even Blinky's love has limits when it comes up against a chaos-being.

Q: Who was the best fighter between Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp in G1?
A: Starscream. Believe it or not, there are reasons why he is the Air Commander of the Decepticon Battle Fleet.

Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Which is a more effective means of mind control; Dr. Arkeville's Hypno-Chips, or Bombshell's Cerebro-Shells?
A: Bombshell's cerebro-shells have never been shown to be deactivated at a distance. Advantage: cerebro-shells. I'm not counting Bugbite's cerebro-shells from the convention comic - he had altered them somewhat. Cerebro-shells have other drawbacks, however they are the more effective control device.

Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Who was the black and purple hellion we just saw in insecticomics?
A: Nemesis Override, the Insecticomics version of Dark Nitro Convoy. We're lazy over here and tend to shorten it to 'Nemi'. She is an AU version of Override, not Override gone evil.

Q: Dear Vector Prime,
Whatever happened to Nightbird after her recapture?
A: She was put in a tube. She didn't seem too happy about it.

Q: Dear Vector Prime,
If given the option between these two things coming true, which would you choose; a content, unwhining fandom, or permanent retirment to the planet of open-minded supermodels, free to do what you wished on the world?
A: Either. An unwhining fandom means I can retire, or if I retire, I don't have to listen to a whining fandom. In either situation, I get supermodels.

Q: Vector Prime, who was your greatest opponent?
A: Unicron. Next question.

Q: Could Starscream’s Null ray work on Megatron and Optimus Prime in G1?
A: What? Of course. They're just as mechanical as anyone else. The effects might be damped a bit by their heavy armour, but it isn't as if they're immune to the weapon.