ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: TARGETMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: CALIBURST
FUNCTION: AIR DEFENSE

FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1 (Slugslinger), HEADMASTERS # 4 (Caliburst)

“The only way to survive a duel with me is to not show up.”

Profile: Despite all his claims to the contrary, this brawling, swaggering
braggart would rather shoot someone in the back than face him in a duel. His
courage runs out when his ammunition does. Those who know the true Slugslinger
understand that beneath his battle-worn armor-plated exterior lies a cowardly
tangle of twitching circuits. To deflect these opinions, he goes out of his
way to show off his bravado – as long as he isn’t in any danger. He also recalls,
with tedious regularity, exploits from his past that illustrate his unsurpassed
courage and awesome accomplishments. But these remembrances derive more from
his imagination than fact. If the Decepticons didn’t find Slugslinger’s pomposity
so amusing, they probably would have scrapped him a long time ago.

Slugslinger’s partner is Caliburst, a one-time star actor on the planet Nebulos.
Known more for being a ham than being good, Caliburst sought a stage where his
theatrical skills would be better appreciated… and rewarded. He found it when
he met the Decepticons, who offered him a significant quantity of money to join
them. Bio-engineered to be Slugslinger’s weapon, Caliburst’s cool demeanor strikes
fear into most opponents. Little do they know that he is even more scared than
they are. But, being the trained actor that he is, he doesn’t allow his true
feelings to enter into his performance.

Abilities: Slugslinger transforms into a bi-jet, which has a double
cockpit. Either one is capable of controlling the craft. In this mode, he is
fitted with two turbo-jets and two solid-fuel afterburners. When the afterburners
kick in, he can achieve a maximum speed of 2,400 mph which allows him to achieve
sub-orbital altitudes. His range is 3,800 miles. Caliburst transforms into an
automatic machine gun, which shoots 1,200 rounds of armor-piercing shells per
minute. In either of his modes, Slugslinger can wield weapon-mode Caliburst.

Weaknesses: Caliburst often jams while transforming to or from weapon-mode.
He gets locked in a position that leaves him useless as a weapon or a person.
After flying to his maximum altitude, Slugslinger often re-enters the lower
atmosphere too quickly, and begins burning up as a result.