Zapbots the Beginning
A spaceship with a futuristic device lands in a young boy's backyard, asking him to rebuild a long lost race of robots.
Synopsis
Millions of years ago, in a galaxy far from Earth, a race of sentient, transforming robots known as the Zapbots stood on the brink of extinction. Their ancient enemies, the Junkicons, were moments away from eradicating the last survivors of the Zapbot race. In a final act of desperation, the Zapbots launched a crystalline relic—the Zapbot Matrix of Leadership—into deep space, seeking a being intelligent and creative enough to rebuild their civilization.
After traveling for hundreds of light-years, the Matrix crash-lands on Earth in the backyard of a troubled but imaginative human teenager, Anthony. The Matrix bonds with Anthony, flooding his mind with advanced technological knowledge and the lost history of the Zapbots. Guided by this intelligence, Anthony retreats to a hidden location in the Rocky Mountains, where he secretly begins rebuilding the Zapbot race.
Anthony’s first creations include Botimus Prime, Boaty, Flier, Hightone, Scan, Speedy, Timetravel, Click, and Superrobot—each reflecting facets of his personality and imagination. Together, they form the foundation of a new generation of Zapbots.
Before their rebirth can remain hidden, the Junkicons discover the Zapbots’ energy signature and launch an attack. During the battle, Anthony is critically wounded, losing his arms and legs. Using Zapbot technology, his body is rebuilt with cybernetic limbs, and he is equipped with a powerful adaptive combat system known as an X-O Suit, allowing him to fight alongside his creations as one of them.
As the Zapbots begin exploring the galaxy, they rediscover Gearatron, the long-abandoned Zapbot homeworld. There, they recover the remains of ancient Zapbot warriors and rebuild them into the Combatabots, the first Gestalt team of the new era.
Months later, while Anthony and the Zapbots are away on Earth, the Junkicons launch a massive assault on Gearatron. The Combatabots and Zapbots return just in time to turn the tide. In a final confrontation, Anthony battles the Junkicon leader Messy, sustaining fatal injuries. His death marks both a devastating loss and the catalyst for the next chapter in the Zapbot saga.
Featured characters
| Zapbots | Junkicons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
Quotes
"No that name is kinda of lame...."
- — Anthony when first naming Boaty.
Notes
Versions
- First Version: 1985?
- Second Version: 1994
- Third Version: 2021
Production notes
- In the Classic Saga, this was the fourth story to be written, after Zapbots the Movies I, II, and III. I believe that had to be around 1985?
- For the revamp Saga, this was originally written in 1994, this was the first rewrite of the series when I started my freshman year in college.
- Third pass to provide extra details and upgrades that happened in 2021.
Continuity notes
- Unknown at this point but I'm sure something will show up.
Real-life references
- I kept the information vague but Earth events happened in my hometown of Chesterland, Ohio.
- I don't know where the secret location is, but I wanted it to be in the Rocky Mountains, somewhere in Colorado.
Continuity and plotting errors
- None yet as this is a first re-re-write.
Other trivia
- The final battle does borrow a bit from Transformers the Movie. What can I say? The battle is awesome.
