What if "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" was advertised earlier?
With this year also being the 25th anniversary of "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", I had this idea for a what if on if Pixar advertised the characters earlier before "The Adventure Begins" come out on VHS and DVD August 8, 2000. I assume the show was in development around the same time as "Toy Story 2" was. With that in mind, here's how I imagined characters from "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" into the "Toy Story" sequels.
It all starts with the Buzz Lightyear aisle scene. When Buzz sees Utility Belt Buzz on display, Mira Nova, Booster, XR, and Commander Nebula would be displayed with him. Andy's Buzz gets a good look at his Star Command crew and goes for the belt before Utility Belt Buzz comes to life, along with the rest of Utility Belt Buzz's squad restraining Andy's Buzz. After the battle that ends in Andy's Buzz stored in a Buzz Lightyear box, Andy's toys, not knowing the difference between both Buzz Lightyears would be in awe over Utility Belt Buzz's crew. And when Rex eagerly tells Team Lightyear that he knows how to defeat Zurg, they go along with Tour Guide Barbie and all of Andy's toys as they head into Al's office.
Once in the office, the other space rangers take the time either helping Andy's toys search for Woody or introduce each other. Like in canon, Rex tells Utility Belt Buzz the secret he discovered about a secret entrance hidden to the left in the shadows. Only, this time, Commander Nebula would also be listening in. Team Lightyear also listens in on Al calling Mr. Konishi while faxing the pictures of Woody he took earlier. They follow after Al without being seen as he happily rushes out of Al's Toy Barn and heads back to his penthouse to pack up. When the toys realize Al didn't take the bag, Utility Belt Buzz, Mira Nova, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula activate their jetpacks and take the hands of Andy's toys. Only, after shouting "To infinity… AND BEYOND!", Utility Belt Buzz, Mira Nova, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula realize they aren't flying. Like in canon, Utility Belt Buzz unintentionally finds a way to open the car door by pressing the car unlock button.
Later, while entering the building through the air vents, Utility Belt Buzz splits up with Team Lightyear, considering his grappling cable can only support so many. When he and Andy's toys reunite on the 23rd floor where Al's room is, they all hear Woody laughing from Jessie tickling him. Rex and Booster are both used as battering rams which bust open the cover of the vent. Commander Nebula barks orders with one set of toys apprehending Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete, and the other set grabbing Woody and enter the vent, only to be stopped by Andy's Buzz. Andy's Buzz exposes Utility Belt Buzz by opening his air helmet, which makes Utility Belt Buzz suffocate for air, much to the horror of Team Lightyear (except for XR of course).
After the falling out between Woody and Buzz, Utility Belt Buzz goes with the rest of Andy's toys like in canon. Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula, however stay behind, as Andy's Buzz's words about how life is only worth living if you're loved by a kid stuns them. They never heard those words before. It's almost like Team Lightyear going through the same arc Buzz went through in the first movie, but without them learning the hard way, as they watch the ending of the "cancelled" series finale of "Woody's Roundup", "Woody's Finest Hour", which shows the Woody puppet singing "You've Got a Friend in Me" as a child on the show who looks like Andy interacts with the puppet and loves him. After seeing this, Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula all realize that Andy's Buzz is right. And when they take off their helmets, Mira, Booster, and Commander Nebula realize the air isn't toxic at all, which could imply that they accept the fact that they are toys and not real space rangers. XR would accept that he's a toy as well.
When Team Lightyear and Andy's toys head for the elevator to reach Al, they are stopped by the sight of Evil Emperor Zurg (whom was freed earlier by Andy's Buzz). Team Lightyear goes for Zurg while Andy's Buzz leads Rex, Slinky, Hamm, and Mr. Potato Head to the cover of the elevator roof. Rex saves Utility Belt Buzz from his tail unintentionally swinging into Zurg and making him fall off the elevator. Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula congratulate Rex for defeating Zurg while Utility Belt Buzz sadly reaches his hand out and says "Father". When the toys exit the building, Mr. Potato Head gets an idea to raid a Pizza Planet truck to catch up to Al. Utility Belt Buzz stays behind while playing with Zurg, allowing Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander to go along with the rest of Andy's toys. The Little Green Men hanging from the truck's interior rearview mirror would be happy to see Team Lightyear together again.
After the drive to the airport, they sneak onto a conveyor belt and split up to find the case Woody is in. When Buzz gets punched off the belt by Stinky Pete coming out of his box, Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula help Woody fight back. Mira tries her Tangean Brain Squeeze (which would just be her hand glowing blue as one function her toy counterpart would have), only for Stinky Pete to be unaffected. Stinky Pete also hammers XR's head, which makes him spring apart (which acts as XR's gimmick if his helmet it opened). Stinky Pete tears Woody's arm and threatens him to get in the box, only to be blinded by Buzz, Rex, Slinky, Hamm, and Mr. Potato Head using flash photography from the cameras, allowing Buzz to grab the prospector and send him to Amy (the girl with the Barbie backpack and Barbie doll with tattoos on one side of her face).
After Jessie's rescue, Andy's toys make it home just as Andy's mom pulls into the driveway with her car. And after Andy runs back to his room, he sees all of his toys on his bed, with Jessie, Bullseye, Mira, XR, Booster, Commander Nebula, and the three Little Green Men added to his toy collection, much to his excitement. When Andy leaves for another trip, the new toys start to feel settled in and enjoy their new lives with Andy, thus ending the events of "Toy Story 2".
The opening fantasy sequence is the same, just now with Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula added. After the timeskip, Woody gives out a staff meeting after coming out of Andy's toy chest. When they see Sarge and the remaining green army men flying out the window by the paratroopers, the moment would act as a bittersweet moment on Commander Nebula's end (since I figured Commander Nebula and Sarge would be good friends with similar ideologies). And while talking about how things will be like when Andy moves them to the attic, the VHS player and the "Buzz Lightyear" video could also be brought up (implying "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins", based on the opening sequence of said direct-to-video movie where Andy's toys put in the VHS tape.).
Later, when Andy's toys are put in a trash bag and got carried outside by Andy's mom, thinking it was trash instead of what was supposed to be for the attic, I debated on who's side Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula would believe between Woody or the rest of Andy's toys. But either way, they'd know Andy would never throw them out on purpose. And when they reach Sunnyside Daycare, Commander Nebula would be very distrusting towards Lotso.
When Lotso assigns Andy's toys to the Caterpillar Room, Woody calls out all of Andy's toys for abandoning Andy and not believing him about how he wanted them in the attic. After said falling out, I wasn't sure if Mira, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula would've left with Woody or not, but if they didn't, they'd be clever enough to hide somewhere where they wouldn't be tortured or touched by the Caterpillar Room kids. However, if they left with Woody, they might get to know Bonnie and the dark secrets about Lotso. Either way, Commander Nebula would've had an "I knew it!" moment. Meanwhile, when Buzz gets caught by Lotso's goons, and Lotso decides to set Buzz to demo mode, this could be where we are introduced to Warp Darkmatter in his Agent Z armor (just without the voice-changing helmet). Warp would ask Buzz if he still remembers his old partner, much to Buzz's horror, and this is where we learn that Warp works for Lotso. Warp also has a mindset that he's still a space ranger, but refuses to face the facts like the other "Buzz Lightyear" characters did (save for Utility Belt Buzz and Zurg). I also figured that for this "what if", Warp would also take part in setting Buzz to demo mode.
When Woody comes back and plans the escape from Sunnyside Daycare, when they reach the end of the garbage chute, everything goes the same as in canon. But, when Woody brings up Daisy, Lotso, Big Baby, and Chuckles' former owner, Lotso gets thrown into the trash container by Big Baby. Warp could even be next. And in the junkyard, I thought there should be some kind of a confrontation between Andy's toys and Warp, even while riding in the garbage truck. Buzz rescues Jessie and gets crushed by a TV like in canon, restoring Buzz to his original state, but Warp is unmoved by this. And while inside the furnace, Warp would try to prevent Andy's toys from saving Lotso, making him something of a double-crosser, even when Lotso himself turns on Andy's toys and makes a run for it. Despite this, Warp and Lotso still get their comeuppances, even if they both were to end up tied to the front of a truck.
As far as the ending, Andy would've introduced Mira Nova, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula to Bonnie as soon as he brings out Buzz Lightyear. He also briefly showcases what Buzz's allies can do, like Mira's hand glowing, XR's parts scattering when his head is pressed down, and even Commander Nebula's peg leg lighting up. The post-credits scene is the same as in canon, just with Mira Nova, XR, Booster, and Commander Nebula added to it.
I don't know what to do for their inclusion in the "Toy Story Toons" shorts, "Toy Story of Terror!", "Toy Story That Time Forgot", and "Toy Story 4", but this is all I can think of.
