- Research Project Presentation -

What aspect of your topic do you think is the most interesting, and why should others pay attention to it? How can you convey to others why your primary source is worth studying closely to reveal what can be learned about kinds of worldbuilding?

Transforming Beyond the Binary: (De)constructing Gender and Queer Worldbuilding in Transformers: EarthSpark

This page was originally created/written between Research Logs 3 and 4. Now that my project is done, I wanted to update this page to better reflect the final state of my essay \(^-^)/ I've archived the original page, which you can view by clicking the button to the right.

- Context -

So what's my project about?

What is Transformers?

Transformers is a multimedia franchise and about alien robots called Transformers from the planet Cybertron, who have a social structure not unlike humans.

Historical Context

The franchise came about in the 1980s, a period of political, economic, and social instability within the United States. Many aspects of the franchise, including the construction of gender of these charcters, represent a desire to return to what is considered "normal" life, a life of heteronormativity and cisnormativity.

Though as times have changed, the Transformers franchise needed to adapt to the changing demographic of its consumer base. In comes Transformers: EarthSpark (2022), a modern vision for the Transformers franchise. EarthSpark follows the story of a new group of Transformers born on Earth called Terrans and their journey of finding their place in the world. As such, the themes of identity and transformation make Transformers ultimately a narrative about the human experience.

// Scholarly Conversations

✦ Technomasculinity

Some sci-fi media attempt to justify the omission of female characters on the basis that science and technology were "inherently masculine endeavors".

➜ And would you look at that... Transformers are technology.

✦ Sci-fi and Radical Representation of the Body

Sci-fi has the potential to challenge existing cultural norms and explore alternative societal structures, including the construction of gender and radical representations of the body. Yet, the majority do not pose any gender-related questions whatsoever.

➜ I argue that there is a fundamentally queer subtext to the concept of Transformers as transforming robots

✦ Non-binary Representation

Non-binary characters are often depicted in two stereotypical ways: nonhuman and/or androgynous. In video games and TV shows, if there is only one non-binary character, that character often becomes an overarching representation of all non-binary people.

➜ How does Nightshade's character design and story do in this regard? Good, but could be better.

- The (New) Approaches -

Visual Analysis

analyzing hyperfemininity and hypermasculinity in Transformers character design and the implication of applying gender signifiers to non-human characters
the influence of the franchise's origin as an androcentric franchise on female character design

Convergence Culture

examining the Transformers fandom through convergence culture: the intersection between media production and consumers
LGBTQ+ fans who are not satisfied with the lack of queer characters in Transformers would in turn produce their own derivative content ➜ the queering of Transformers characters by queer fans
fandom as free labor

Implicit vs. Explcit Queer Representation

evaluating queer representation in terms of effectiveness and productivity
explicit mention of non-binary identity in EarthSpark as well implicit queer-coding in the writing

- The Thesis -

Yep, it's 3 paragraphs. This is a slightly shortened version of the actual introduction section of my essay. It's also my first time separating a thesis into multiple paragraphs :0

The 1980s in the United States were a decade marked by the rise of political conservatism and homophobia. Shaped by the conservative context, Transformers characters were designed with exaggerated expressions of masculinity and femininity rooted in heteronormative and cisnormative ideologies, reflecting a cultural desire to return to “normalcy” through the assertion of the gender binary.

Transformers: EarthSpark (2022) represents a modern vision for the franchise. EarthSpark attempts to break out of the mold of gender binary through the inclusion of Nightshade, a non-binary character. Yet, the show ultimately falls short of fully subverting the dichotomy of masculinity and femininity. Nevertheless, Nightshade’s experience of self-discovery and alienation emerges as a narrative of trans experience in navigating a hostile environment, revealing the very concept of transforming robots to be undeniably queer.

The evolution of Transformers from an androcentric franchise to a more queer and inclusive one is driven by the ongoing struggle between its LGBTQ+ fanbase and corporate executives, highlighting the tension between the consumer demand for genuine queer representation and the corporate inclination to favor safe, marketable, and conformist content.

// My Essay in a Nutshell

I like to call my essay a three-parter:

Part I: Analyzing the construction of gender through character design in Transformers

Part II: Exploring the queer worldmaking of Transformers: EarthSpark

Part III: Examining how consumers actively contribute to the evolving worldbuilding of Transformers.

// The World?

// Building it.

The Transformers are an alien race of mechanical beings that reproduces asexually; they should, theoretically, lack sexual dimorphism and therefore any sexual characteristics. Yet their designs are still very clearly divided into male and female, pointlessly gendering/sexualizing a species that has no need for gender or sex.

The construction of a fictional world in our own image seems to be inevitable.

The sexless nature of Cybertronians without the need for sexual reproduction, gender, or gender presentation, is commonly disregarded as it is the path of least resistance. It’s both easier to write and easier to accept.

Nonetheless, Transformers offer a unique opportunity to question what traits we consider so fundamentally human.

// Unexpected Update 12/05/2025

Hi so EarthSpark Season 4 (which isn't a full season and is only two hour-long specials) dropped today and I just finished watching it. My honest reaction to the left. I would say I'm glad that the show is officially over now rather than canceled... but honestly it deserves a far better fate than either. My expectation was low yet the finale was still a disappointment in the worst ways possible. Don't get me wrong I'm still EarthSpark Season 1's #1 defender, but I'm just gonna pretend nothing happened after that. The downfall of this show needs to be studied it had a NUANCED STORY and so much POTENTIAL... switching animation studio and writing team killed everything ES had going for it. Welp. I'm happy that this research paper will live forever on the HumCore site; may this research paper be dedicated to EarthSpark, the show that I loved and had the potential to be so much more 🫶

References / Image Credits

Sources:

N/A

Header Image:

"Missed Connection." Transformers: EarthSpark, season 1, episode 13, Entertainment One, 2022. GIF taken from here.

Other Images:

Graphics: rainbow pixels by @cheriisoda

Miscellaneous EarthSpark GIFs: batch 1, batch 2

Nightshade drawing at the bottom of the page done by me <3

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