"I have summoned you here for a purpose..."
Lost is over.
I will not even pretend to begin to understand just what the show was really about or what the meaning behind everything was. I will definitely enjoy the thoughts it conjured up within me while I spent the last month ‘catching up’ with everyone else. I believe the show was successful in making people do something that there has been a serious lack of for some time: it made them think.
One of the best ways to being to learn about or try to understand something new is to compare it to something else. While I shall leave my Lost / Neon Genesis Evangelion correlations for another day, I shall take this time to have a little fun.
After Sunday’s Lost finale, we were shown that the heart of the story is the characters. This was the backbone of the story and it is this very important component to The Transformers that has helped it stand the test of time. Yes, it’s cool that they transform, but it is simply a gimmick that draws people in. It’s the rich characters that have kept us coming back time and time again over the years. Hasbro has caught-on to this and have inadvertantly stumbled upon a stash of truly diverse and unique characters that any comic company would die to own.
So what happens when you juxtapose the archetypes of Transformers and Lost? Well first let’s see if we can find our way around the island…
Soundwave – Mr. Eko
Push the button
Mr. Eko was shrouded in mystery. I still don’t know how that damn plane got on the island from Africa. We will just never know! For much of our first introduction to Mr. Eko, he did not speak. This silent but deadly aura is ever-so reminiscent of the Decepticons #1 mystic – Soundwave. Much like Soundwave, Mr. Eko followed his ‘leader’ Anna Lucia until they were joined with their fellow passengers on the far side of the island. It was difficult to figure our just was Mr. Eko’s motivation was while he was on the island, another trait befitting our audiosmith Decepticon. While we can’t expect Mr. Eko to have learned the ways of controlling minions, he could’ve been a great owner to Vincent had they ever met.
Kup – John Locke
"Don't tell me what I can't do!"
I didn’t just choose this one because they’re both ‘old timers’, it’s just a nice coincidence. John Locke is somewhat of a tragic character in the world of Lost. It was so sad to see the progression of this man from broke, to broken, to completely shattered various times. Yet, he also had his moments of power, triumph, and joy. I feel this emulates the transformation that Kup has gone through thanks to the gentlemen at IDW. Kup himself has undergone tremendous stresses that have rattled the very foundations of his being. He was given a new lease on life, a chance to start over, which is exactly how John Locke perceived his time on the island. And what did John Locke do once he found out he could walk again? He grabbed his knives and started hunting wild boar! Kup has followed a similar path, only his prey are the most dangerous Decepticons in the known universe. Had John Locke amassed a group of followers like Kup’s Wreckers, we may have had a very different experience over the past 6 seasons of the show.
Starscream – Benjamin Linus
The greatest liar of all time - illustration by eder
It should come as no surprise that this connection would be made. Starscream makes his way by manipulating his adversaries, and even his ‘friends’, if he even has any. It is these characters’ mutual craving for leadership that bonds them. Benjamin Linus takes the concept of coercion to new heights but unlike Starscream, he almost always gets what he wants. Screamer could learn a thing or two by hanging around this fleshbag for a while.
This plane ain't crashin' on no island!
Unicron – The Man in Black
Unicron has been known to 'let loose' on 3-day weekends and for the occasional weekend cigarette
For a while, it seemed that the smoke monster was due to share the same fate as Unicron – being remembered as nothing more than just a plot device. Over the years, Unicron has developed into a legendary fan favorite and over the six seasons of Lost, the identity of the mysterious creature was (sort of) revealed, ultimately becoming the antagonist of the whole story. Both of these monstrous characters are fated to lose their battles against good, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be loved too. While Unicron has a real zing to it, we were never given The Man In Black‘s real name. It’s probably better that way, for imagine if this epic evil’s original name was to be something as meak as ‘Wilson?’ Smoke or beach ball? You be the judge.
So that’s it. I hope you enjoyed this little trek across the mystic island of Cybertron. We may travel down this path in the future. Enjoy!