Transformers (Japanese: トランスフォーマー Hepburn: Toransufōmā) is an American and Japanese media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Initially a line of transforming mecha toys rebranded from Takara's Diaclone and Microman toylines, the franchise began in 1984 with the Transformers toy line, and centers on factions of self-configuring modular extraterrestrial robotic lifeforms (often the Autobots and the Decepticons) in an endless civil war for dominance or eventual peace. In its history, the Transformers robot superhero franchise has expanded to encompass comic books, animation, video games and films.
