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Soundwave (Marvel Comics)

Written by Darren 'Starscream' Jamieson on October 11, 2007 | Characters | Tags: , —

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: COMMUNICATIONS
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Cries and screams are music to my ears.”

Profile: It is said that Soundwave can hear a fly sneeze. It is also said that beneath his smooth-talking, affable surface beats the generator coil of a blackmailer. Those who know these two facts about him are very careful about what they say within earshot of him. Soundwave is the ultimate opportunist and will use anything he can to advance his status in the eyes of the Decepticon Leader Megatron. He doesn’t worry about what others think of him because he knows he is nearly indispensable. Although they all despise him, the other Decepticons pretend to like him rather than get on his bad side. As Rumble explains, “Soundwave always has the last laugh.”

Abilities: Soundwave’s sensors can detect radio transmissions of the lowest energy levels. He can even “read minds” by monitoring the electrical impulses inside someone’s brain circuitry, if he’s standing nearby. He serves as the Decepticons’ communications relay station – he can keep them all in radio contact with each other within a radius of 100 miles. His photographic memory is due to the immense information storage capacity of the magnetic disks in his chest. He carries a high-amplification directional radiowave sensor and a concussion blaster-gun. He also has great physical strength.

Weaknesses: Soundwave sometimes gets overconfident about his value to the others. At times his hateful personality has resulted in retaliation from them, or worse yet, his abandonment during battle with the Autobots. So far, Soundwave has not only survived these incidents, but has seen to it that his betrayers pay for their actions.

Perceptor (Marvel Comics)

Written by admin on | Characters | Tags: , —

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: SCIENTIST
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 17

“One’s ultimate truth lies in one’s molecular structure.”

Profile: Perceptor’s thirst for knowledge is unquenchable. He will seek it to the exclusion of all else. To him, being on Earth is like a miner finding a new vein of gold – each eagerly plumbs untold riches, neither knowing when his source will run out, if ever. Perceptor’s specific role in the Autobot cause is studying how best the Autobots should adapt to Earth, and conversely how Earth’s alien environment is affecting the Autobots. Autobot Leader Optimus Prime considers this research vital to the Autobots’ survival as long as they’re marooned on Earth. Although good-natured and friendly, Perceptor is not easily drawn into joining with other Autobots to do anything other than his work.

Abilities: Perceptor is extremely intelligent. His capacity for data storage is second only to Optimus Prime’s. Although familiar with all the sciences, his specialties are metallurgy, molecular chemistry, and electrical engineering. He has two different capacities in microscope mode. He can magnify objects up to 10,000 times as an optical microscope and up to a million times as a scanning electron microscope. Using his magnifying lenses to concentrate and intensify its beam, he can convert his lens barrel to a powerful light cannon. It can blast a hole in a cinder block wall 2,000 miles away with pinpoint accuracy. He can use the cannon in robot mode or convert to a third form and use it as a stationary field artillery piece. He also carries a concussion rifle in robot mode.

Weaknesses: If he were human, Perceptor might be called absent-minded, since he is rarely aware of anything but the work in front of him. He actually forgets at times that he is involved in a raging war and, as a result, is sometimes a casualty of it. His magnifying lenses, although resistant to cracking, are nevertheless the weak link in his make-up. Any problems with them not only can bring his work to a halt, but can also considerably reduce his offensive abilities.

Fractyl

Written by admin on | Characters |

ALLEGIANCE: PREDACON
FUNCTION: GEOCHEMIST
FIRST APPEARANCE: TALES FROM THE BEAST WARS TRANSFORMERS # 1

“The power of this planet is our salvation and our curse.”

Profile: Fractyl is a pawn in a war of ideals. While Megatron pushes him to be a warrior in his universe-dominating army, Fractyl is more concerned with solving the problems caused by the strange planet’s surplus of Energon. Upon his emergence from the reprogrammed stasis pod, he immediately knelt to
the ground collecting, collating, and analyzing the geologic make-up of the area. Megatron wanted to slag him where he stood. Although extremely useful in other technical areas, Fractyl is a geochemist at heart and it is in the field where he spends most of his time. Megatron and the other Predacons prefer it that way. He is tolerated as long as he keeps his distance or if another team member wants to use him to their advantage. When forced with confrontation, Fractyl prefers to think situations through before using violence as his last resort. He believes there are too many interesting natural phenomena around the planet to investigate and would rather study them in peace. He often flies alone to solve current problems and get peace and quiet. However, Megatron insists that he takes a stronger interest in the affairs of the Beast Wars. Focusing on the Energon deposits provides Fractyl with the opportunity to contribute to the Predacon cause and conduct immensely stimulating scientific research. At times, Fractyl puts his own need for higher knowledge and acceptance at the expense of himself and his teammates. The Energon armor, devised after a meteor impact yielded a new power source (Furmanite), was his best, but not last, attempt at resolving their recurring overload problems, thereby earning the others’ respect.

Abilities: In beast mode, Fractyl can travel distances well in excess of 1000 km, before resting. He has twin aft-mounted boosters. operating with the aid of the planet’s Energon field, which can propel him up to speeds of 250 kph. Fractyl’s neural network has the capacity to store 100 exobytes of information. His Energon armor, in robot mode, can repel fields up to 10 gigajoules per square centimeter, and subsequently can last infinitely longer in robot mode than all other Maximals or Predacons. Fractyl uses an augmented quark disrupter to break any target into its constituent subatomic particles.

Weaknesses: Fractyl is in constant search of acceptance from his Predacon teammates. Blinded by this need, he may make foolish choices resulting in more problems. The Energon armor works well with small to moderate doses of the energy source, but behaves violently when placed within range of raw Energon. The resulting Energon-anti-Energon reaction ends in a detonation with the force of a thousand tons of explosives, destroying both the armor and the host.

Profile published in: BOTCON ’97 CONVENTION PROGRAM

Piranacon (Marvel Comics)

Written by admin on | Characters | Tags: , —

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: SEACON
FUNCTION: NAVAL ASSAULT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 49

“To live is to hunt; to hunt is to live!”

Profile: As the living incarnation of the six distinct and often feuding Seacon personalities, Piranacon might lead one to believe that his six-part mind must be confused and tormented. Quite the opposite is true. The bottom line on all Seacons is that they love what they do, and what they do best is hunt for prey. Piranacon is the truest expression of this lethal talent. From
the moment the Seacons combine to form him, he is hunting for prey. When he finds and destroys one hapless victim, he immediately starts looking for another. He will continue this course of behavior until he runs out of fuel (which he inevitably will do since he never pauses to re-energize) or until he is stopped (which considering his awesome power, rarely happens). Usually, Seacon leader Snaptrap sets an internal timer in advance of combining with the other Seacons to insure that Piranacon will automatically disassemble into his component Seacons at some future time. Piranacon is so single-minded about his task that he will brush aside – if necessary, knock aside – any Decepticon who tries to talk to him about anything else. More than a few of his comrades have had a few screws jarred loose (and worse) by merely asking Piranacon if he would like his joints lubed, or some equally innocent question. “I wish I had a thousand more like him,” Decepticon Commander Megatron says with a smile.

Abilities: Piranacon’s strength is immense. He can hold up to 4,000,000 tons, making him ideal for lifting freighters and various warships from the sea. He is fully operational up to a depth of 30,000 feet below sea level. He only walks at a maximum speed of 15 mph on land and 10 mph undersea, but since he is virtually impervious to weapons-fire, his need for speed in order to evade enemy attack is negligible. He wields a jawbreaker cannon (which is actually the weapons-base mode of the Seacon Overbite), which shoots powerful metal-eating, salt-based corrosives.

Weaknesses: Piranacon has no known physical weaknesses. His one track mind often prevents him from accepting the advice and help of others, usually to his detriment. He jeopardizes his well-being by not attending to his own basic needs, such as refueling and removing rust spots.

Profile published in: TRANSFORMERS # 59

Bruticus (Marvel Comics)

Written by admin on | Characters | Tags: , —

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: COMBATICON
FUNCTION: WARRIOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 24

“The road to conquest is paved with Autobot wrecks.”

Profile: Bruticus is a model soldier. He performs his tasks with the cool, efficient, unquestioning manner that would bring an auditory module to auditory module smile to the face of any military commander. He knows how to follow orders. But he’s not very good at taking initiative on his own. In fact, he’s liable to stand around looking confused in the middle of a battle if nobody is there to tell him what to do. Still, he represents a fairly successful merging of the minds and personalities of the five Combaticons – Brawl, Swindle, Blast Off, Vortex and Onslaught – who comprise him. Whether he’s just crushing an Autobot, or flattening a whole team of them, Bruticus just does his job. “I like him,” says Decepticon Leader Megatron. “I wish I had a whole army of Bruticuses!” Luckily for the Autobots, he doesn’t.

Abilities: Bruticus is incredibly strong. He can pulverize a suspension bridge with one 14,000 psi punch. He can lift up to 500,000 pounds. He uses Onslaught’s powerful sonic stun-gun, which can smash a hillside to dust with a single blast. His armor is impervious to most artillery and radiation.

Weaknesses: Bruticus is slow and not very agile. He makes an easy target. He is not a creative thinker, and can sometimes even be a hindrance in battle if not properly prepared with instructions.

Kickback (Marvel Comics)

Written by admin on | Characters | Tags: , —

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: INSECTICON
FUNCTION: ESPIONAGE
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 17

“Friend is another word for fool.”

Profile: Kickback is as charming a guy as you’ll ever meet – but it is a charm rooted in an uncommonly cruel cleverness. The singular purpose of any friendship that this Insecticon begins is to dig up embarrassing facts about the other robot or person so that Kickback can influence his “friend” into doing his bidding. Humans are particularly susceptible to his seductive talents, but even Autobots have been known to succumb. The only thing Kickback enjoys more than recruiting these unwilling double agents is destroying them after he’s exhausted their usefulness.

Abilities: In his insect mode, Kickback can use his powerful leg modules to propel him up to heights of 40 feet and over distances of a tenth of a mile. Although small in this form, a single kick of his can punch a hole in a

Brawn

Written by admin on | Characters,Comics,Marvel |

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: DEMOLITIONS
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Might over microchips.”

Profile: Brawn looks on Earth as essentially a hostile environment – and he loves it. He is the most macho of the Autobots. He delights in challenges and when he faces one he becomes fully alive. He is strong, rugged and very agile – which is why he is frequently teamed with Bumblebee when the Autobots are in a mountainous environment – but it is his enjoyment of the challenge that makes him valuable to his leader, Optimus Prime. He won’t be discouraged and that helps the morale of the rest. He is hardy and enjoys a good joke, if it is not too subtle. His main fault is that he tends to be contemptuous of those not as tough as he.

Abilities: Brawn is one of the strongest Autobots. He can lift up to 190,000 lbs. and knock down a small building with one punch. His endurance and resistance to artillery fire are among the highest of the Autobots.

Weaknesses: As the Autobot with perhaps the least sophisticated circuitry – most of his components focus on his strength – Brawn is very vulnerable to attack by electromagnetic and other types of waves. His eagerness to show off his strength often results in his using it improperly and without thinking. He’s been known to destroy an entire building before realizing it’s the wrong one.

Broadside

Written by admin on | Characters,Comics,Marvel |

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: AIR & SEA ASSAULT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION 2 # 1

“I like the sea far away and my feet on the ground.”

Profile: Broadside is very uncomfortable about transforming to aircraft
carrier or jet mode, and with good reason. Floating on water upsets his gyro-balance
circuitry, making him feel as if he’s functioning at less than peak performance
- the mechanical equivalent of seasickness. And he’s even more distressed while
flying since he has a natural fear of heights. He strongly detests these Earthen
forms and is quite vocal about it. But, despite everything, he manages to overcome
these problems in battle. He is an effective and valiant warrior, and his fellow
Autobots value him for these qualities. They just wish Broadside would do his
job without griping so much about it.

Abilities: In aircraft carrier mode, Broadside expands his form to a
1200-foot length, giving him the capacity of landing jet aircraft and carrying
other Autobots and vehicles. Having little offensive capability of his own in
this mode, Broadside relies on these “passengers” for protection.
His titanium-steel hull and deck protects him from most artillery fire, but
he’s vulnerable to high-energy beam weapons. An internal fusion reactor powers
him in this mode, allowing him a speed of 40 knots and a range of 15,000 miles.
In jet mode, he can reach speeds of 1800 mph and has a range of 2500 miles.
He can project a powerful electric field around his jet form that will jolt
anything within 1.5 miles of him with 80,000 volts. Of course, for this weapon
to be effective, his target has to be electrically grounded somehow. In robot
mode, he carries a high-energy plasma-pulse gun and a vibro-ax that shatters
whatever it cleaves into by emitting powerful high frequency vibrations.

Weaknesses: Aside from the aforementioned seasickness, fear of heights,
and lack of offensive capabilities while in carrier mode, Broadside also suffers
severe corrosion when exposed to salt water for extended periods. His armored
skin flakes and peels if he’s at sea for longer than two days.

Buzzsaw

Written by admin on | Characters,Comics,Marvel |

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: RECONNAISSANCE

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“My bite is worse than my bark.”

Profile: Given his reputation for civility and sophistication, it might
seem surprising at first that Buzzsaw is also one of the cruelest and most destructive
of all Decepticons. But his two sides are not contradictory. He carries out
his lethal tasks with the careful, reasoned approach of a fine artist, with
the cool precision of a neurosurgeon. He views every awful undertaking of his
as the beginning of a new masterpiece. Every opponent he defeats marks a completion.
And, like any true artist, nothing can sway him from his commitment to his deadly
craft. He will only end his career when the Autobots are no more.

Abilities: Using his optical sensors, Buzzsaw can pinpoint and photographically
record a thumbtack at 20 miles, making him invaluable on spy missions. He can
fly virtually soundlessly at speeds up to 250 mph for a distance of 1500 miles.
He’s equipped with twin mortar cannons that can fire five rounds per minute.
His most feared weapon is his beak, which, with its diamond-hard, micro-serrated
edges, he can use to carve up all except the most strong-skinned opponents.
And, like the artist he is, he uses his beak with great finesse.

Weaknesses: Buzzsaw has a tremendous ego. If one of his carefully planned
operations should go astray, ruining what he considers a work of art in progress,
he will often stop and sulk rather than improvise and proceed.

Optimus Prime (Powermaster) (Marvel Comics)

Written by admin on | Characters | Tags: , , —

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: POWERMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: Hi Q
FUNCTION: AUTOBOT COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1 (Optimus Prime), TRANSFORMERS # 42
(Hi Q)

“Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”

Profile: Sage, scholar, soldier – Optimus Prime is all this and more. To peace-loving beings across the galaxy the revered leader of the Autobots is the living symbol of freedom – a beacon that shines against the forces of darkness. To his followers he is a bottomless well of inspiration and courage from which they draw their strength. And to the evil Decepticons he is the one force in the universe who can shatter their dreams of galactic conquest. He has dedicated his existence to the protection of all life forms – mechanical, organic and otherwise. His wisdom and compassion are legendary. Although fate has set his course on a path of destruction and strife, his greatest desire is to bring peace and harmony to all inhabited worlds everywhere.

Optimus Prime is binary-bonded to Hi Q, a humanoid whose genius in computer programming and design was renowned on his home planet of Nebulos. There he ran the Hi Q Industrial Research Complex, a facility that produced many of the technological innovations that had, over the past few decades, dramatically improved the quality of life for his people. While trying to help several Autobots rebuild Optimus Prime, he made the decision to join the Autobots and defend Nebulos against a Decepticon attack. To do so, he and several of his employees underwent The Powermaster Process, which, through bio-engineering, gave them the ability to transform into the engines that their Autobot partners required to power their fight against the Decepticons. Hi Q was paired with Optimus Prime. So far their collaborative efforts have met with great success.

Abilities: Optimus Prime is the strongest and most intelligent of all the Autobots. His strategic, logic and programming skills have no equal among Transformers. He splits into three modules: robot, auxiliary and battle station. The van portion of his trailer truck mode transforms into the robot or “Optimus” module, which is the part of him that is sentient and is most commonly referred to as Optimus Prime. In this mode he can lift 4,000,000 pounds and exert a force of 12,000 pounds per square inch with a single punch. He carries a laser rifle with which he can burn a hole in the nose cone of a Decepticon jet at a distance of 30 miles. And with his outstanding visual acuity, he rarely misses. His auxiliary or “Prime” module is a small cart-shaped device that he stores in his trailer portion and occasionally uses to sneak behind enemy lines for reconnaissance purposes. He can maintain radio control over it within a 1200-mile radius. Having his auxiliary unit in the field is like being there himself. The trailer portion of his truck turns into his battle station module, which also serves as an armed fortress. It is equipped with two concussion blasters, two twin particle beam cannons, an auto-launcher that shoots a variety of artillery and radiation beam weapons, and a landing platform. An antenna within the battle station allows Optimus Prime to control it and also to maintain a radio link to all Autobots within a 50-mile radius. The antenna can be adapted to a satellite hookup, which provides a tenfold increase in its effective range. In robot mode he can combine with his trailer module and more than double his size and quadruple his strength.

Traditionally, the elders of the Transformer race have bestowed upon an individual of great courage and wisdom the Creation Matrix, an intricate program encoded in light patterns within a crystal. The Matrix grants its bearer the amazing ability to help create new Transformer life within the lifeless shell of a newly constructed Transformer body. Since the beginning of the Autobot-Decepticon war, an Autobot commander has typically possessed the Matrix. The most recent Autobot leader to be so honored was Optimus Prime.

Weaknesses: Although Optimus Prime can function as three separate modules, injury to any one of them is felt by the other two. The auxiliary unit is particularly vulnerable. However, the Optimus module is by far the most important unit of the trio. Although he could survive without the other two, they could not survive without him. Otherwise, the only weakness he could be accused of having is compassion and concern for the safety of others. He would be a more effective military commander if he were more ruthless, but then he wouldn’t be Optimus Prime.

Profile published in: TRANSFORMERS # 70

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