ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: MONSTERBOT
FUNCTION: MILITARY STRATEGIST

FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1

“If it ain’t fun to do, it ain’t worth doing.”

Profile: Everything’s a joke to Grotusque, and – as he says – why shouldn’t
it be, when the only thing that frightens him is looking at himself in the mirror!
Though he doesn’t doubt Primus saw him as part of some great and noble scheme,
he does wonder what his creator was thinking of when he designed his creature
mode. A bit too much high grade energon the night before, is Grotusque’s opinion!
This goofy, irreverent outlook on life is as appealing as it is annoying to
his fellow Autobots. Sometimes, just sometimes, they wish Grotusque would take
something seriously. Even in pitched battle, in dire, possibly terminal situations,
he’s joking away. But it’s not bluster to hide his fear – Grotusque is not only
a topnotch warrior, his courage is legendary. No, it’s that Grotusque sees life
in general as a joke, and therefore sees no reason to view death any differently.
“Why shouldn’t combat be fun?” he’s been heard to utter. “If
it wasn’t, I’d be loath to do it!” Though he appears on the surface to
be offhand about his duties, Grotusque is a brilliant campaign planner, with
a sharp and analytical mind perfectly suited to the complexities of warfare.

Abilities: Though not immensely strong, and – when in robot mode – fairly
plodding, Grotusque’s razor sharp mind makes him a foe to be reckoned with.
He wields a specially modified vaporator, designed to gassify an opponent’s
fuel, leaving him to grind to a full stop. His creature mode tusks are made
from a hyper-dense alloy that, Autobot scientists believe, is all but indestructible.
In creature mode, Grotusque can fly (using his back wings) at speeds of around
45 mph. But the process is both awkward and fuel consumptive, and he prefers
to use his powerful hind legs to bound along, making leaps of around three miles
at a time.

Weaknesses: Grotusque’s dislike of his creature mode tends to make him
reluctant to use it more often than he has to. As a result, he tends to go into
battle in his more vulnerable robot mode, leaving himself more exposed to possible
injury. Also, Grotusque’s wings are quite fragile and are easily damaged.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT

FUNCTION: TRANSPORT & RECONNAISSANCE
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Earth stinks, but Decepticons stink worse.”

Profile: Gears is the complainer in the group. He absolutely hates the
Earth and everything about it and he is eager to let the others know this. He
is a self-proclaimed misfit, the type who finds fault in everything and everyone,
even himself. That is one of the reasons Optimus Prime finds him useful: Gears
is so sour-tempered that the rest of the Autobots cheer themselves up by trying
to cheer him up. Only Optimus knows that Gears’ complaining is an act. Gears
realizes his function is to force his companions to see what’s good about a
situation, and he performs accordingly.

Abilities: Gears has tremendous strength and endurance. He is often
used to tote heavy loads for long distances. He will even carry several of his
comrades to conserve fuel. He can launch himself to a height of 20 miles and
then float back down to the ground by creating a compressed air cushion under
his feet. This makes him an excellent reconnaissance agent and his ability to
detect infrared wavelengths allows him to work night or day.

Weaknesses: Since Gears has limited maneuverability when launched, he
makes an easy target if spotted. Although his sour personality is mostly an
act, a reminder of his home planet, Cybertron, can often depress him and negatively
affect his performance.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: TARGETMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: PEACEMAKER

FUNCTION: TARGETMASTER LEADER
FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1 (Pointblank), HEADMASTERS # 4 (Peacemaker)

“Be brief of speech and long on action.”

Profile: Pointblank knows the horrors of war all too well. He’s fought
in one for millions of years. Whatever romance or glory it once held for him
has long since vanished… as has the cheerful adventurer he once was. Today,
Pointblank is a somber, no-nonsense soldier whose every utterance creaks with
weariness. He joined Fortress Maximus’s recent expedition to the planet Nebulos
hoping to find peace. Instead, the war followed him and his fellow Autobots
to their sanctuary. Pointblank came to the bitter realization that he could
not hope to escape the war, he could only help to end it. Now he fights on,
more determined than ever to defeat the Decepticons… and more convinced that
an end to the war is nowhere in sight. But he’s fairly quiet about his pessimistic
outlook. “Words are what got us into this mess in the first place,”
he grumbles. “They do more harm than weapons.”

Pointblank’s disposition improved a bit when he was paired with Peacemaker,
a Nebulan law enforcement officer whose optimistic attitude is almost contagious.
But so far Pointblank has displayed immunity to the Nebulan’s best efforts to
cheer him. Pointblank appreciates the attempt, but disapproves of the source.
Although he understands the reasons behind the Autobot-Nebulan alliance, he
does not accept them. The thought of spreading the war to another planet and
people is anathema to the dour Autobot. Despite this, Peacemaker enjoys the
challenge of loosening up his partner. He is a very patient man who believes
that a positive outlook ultimately leads to success. And, as the partner of
the sullen Pointblank, he’s learned that patience is more than a virtue… it’s
a necessity.

Abilities: Peacemaker is bio-engineered to transform into a stereophonic
sonic blaster. His maximum power output is an audio module-shattering 160 decibels,
enough to splinter a cubic yard of solid steel into shrapnel. Pointblank can
transform into a rocket-powered ground vehicle, with a maximum speed of 320
mph and a range of 800 miles. In both robot and vehicle modes, Pointblank can
wield weapon mode Peacemaker.

Weaknesses: Pointblank is prone to tire blow outs at high speeds in
vehicle mode. In weapon mode, Peacemaker sometimes comes loose from his moorings
on vehicle mode Pointblank.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: HEADMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: GORT

FUNCTION: ELECTRONIC WARFARE
FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1

“War is the playground of the ignorant.”

Profile: Highbrow considers warfare a barbaric solution to problems,
worthy of only the most primitive sentient creatures. He believes civilized
folk should talk about their differences, a talent for which he seemingly has
an endless capacity. Hardhead claims that Highbrow’s voice box burns enough
fuel by itself to power all the Nebulan Autobots for a year. Although that is
doubtful, Highbrow does talk a lot and uses a lot of words that nobody understands.
Even Chromedome often finds himself fruitlessly searching through his extensive
vocabulary. Highbrow considers himself intellectually superior to the Nebulans
and other Autobots. They think he’s a self-righteous snob. Highbrow’s biggest
disappointment in life is that circumstance has forced him to lower himself
to participate in the very activity he most loathes – fighting.

Gort, Highbrow’s Nebulan partner, is quite a contrast. He’s a cheerful young
man with never an unkind word for anyone. Spurred by concern for protecting
his planet, he overcame his working-class origins as a stable boy for an exclusive
Nebulan country club that catered to the aristocracy to join the elite ranks
of the Headmasters. He is much admired by his comrades for his earnestness,
common sense and courage – except for Highbrow, who finds it a humiliating,
humbling experience to be binary-bonded to such a commoner. Young women all
over Nebulos are attracted to the boyishly handsome hero, but Gort remains steadfastly
faithful to his long-time girlfriend, Marita. Gort is the All-American boy of
the Nebulan Autobot Headmasters.

Abilities: In helicopter mode, Highbrow has twin three-bladed rotors
that enable him to lift up to 22,000 pounds of cargo, and, with the help of
two small vectored-thrust turbofan engines, reach a maximum speed of 1200 mph.
More accurately, Highbrow’s designation is a jet helicopter. He’s packed with
equipment designed to detect, monitor and record enemy communications; target-indicating
radar whose signals can be relayed to ground stations; magnetic, infrared and
audio sensors for detecting enemy robots and vehicles; and a variety of anti-detection
systems to protect himself. His range is 800 miles. In robot mode, Highbrow
uses two acid rainmaker rifles, which shoot streams of highly corrosive acid.

Weaknesses: Sometimes the thrust of Highbrow’s jet engines overpower
his rotors, sending him spinning out of control when in helicopter mode. Also,
Highbrow’s deep resentment of being controlled by Gort makes him less than cooperative
at times.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: THROTTLEBOT
FUNCTION: ESPIONAGE DIRECTOR

FIRST APPEARANCE: G.I. JOE AND THE TRANSFORMERS # 4 (as Goldbug), TRANSFORMERS
# 1 (as Bumblebee)

“To know others you must first know yourself.”

Profile: Although the Autobot Bumblebee’s body was destroyed (in G.I.
JOE AND THE TRANSFORMERS # 1), his mind was still intact. A new body, similar
to the old one but improved, was built. But Bumblebee resisted assuming his
old role again. His brush with death had changed him: he was no longer willing
to play the part of the cute, wisecracking “little brother.” He no
longer enjoyed the other Autobots’ often patronizing attitude toward him, nor
did he accept it. He now had a more serious, even darker side. Some might say
he matured. So, rejecting much of his old self, he also rejected his name –
Bumblebee. He wanted a new identity to go along with his new body. He chose
Goldbug. He’s more assertive now, a change reflected in his promotion to the
Autobots’ Espionage Director. He’s still a very engaging, affable fellow, but
sometimes he can get downright gloomy when he’s working, so much so that others
are put off by him. He no longer acts the way he feels others would like him
to. He is no longer interested in gaining their acceptance. He has come to realize
that what others think about him is not nearly as important as what he thinks
about himself. And lately, he generally feels very good about himself. And thankful
that he has another chance.

Abilities: Goldbug is even more fuel-efficient now than he had been
as Bumblebee. He gets up to 2� times more use out of a unit of fuel than
any other Autobot. He’s faster and has greater range. He has extremely good
vision. He’s an excellent eavesdropper: he can hear a pin drop on the other
side of a foot-thick concrete wall. He is adaptable to underwater, cold and
hot environments. He has a peak efficiency operating range from -150 to +180
degrees Fahrenheit.

Weaknesses: Although stronger than he had been as Bumblebee, Goldbug
is still one of the physically weakest of the Autobots.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: HEADMASTER

HUMAN COMPONENT: SPIKE WITWICKY
FUNCTION: EARTH DEFENSE COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1 (Fortress Maximus), TRANSFORMERS #
38 (Spike Witwicky)

“Prepare for war, but strive for peace.”

Profile: Valiant, courageous, powerful beyond measure, Fortress Maximus
is a warrior without compare, but one whose most fervent wish is never to have
to fight again. All his early life, Fortress Maximus trained as an architect,
becoming the creator of many of Cybertron’s proudest monuments. With his ability
to transform into vast construction bases, many of his creations were crafted
by his own hand. So Fortress Maximus learned to build, not destroy. When war
came, he did not hesitate to turn his gifts to the ways of combat, adapting
one construction base into a repair bay, the other into a battle station. But
as the war spread and he saw his constructions tumble and wall with countless
lives lost in the process, he began to see how pointless and counter-productive
battle was. He began to fight with only one aim in mind – to bring an end to
the senseless conflict. He would fight, but only out of necessity, only to save
other lives. Drawing inspiration from Optimus Prime, Fortress Maximus carried
on his noble work after Optimus disappeared, assuming Prime’s mantle of Autobot
leader. But as the war dragged on, so Fortress Maximus’s ideals dulled, his
purpose lost in one battle after another. Realizing he was losing his very self,
Fortress Maximus and a group of Autobots left Cybertron, bound for the planet
Nebulos, a world where they could live in peace. But the Decepticons followed,
bringing the war with them. To better combat the Decepticons and convince the
Nebulans of their honest intent, Fortress Maximus removed his head, letting
the Nebulan leader Galen replace it. Galen’s body was bio-engineered to combine
with an intermediary form and transform into a facsimile of Fortress Maximus’s
proud visage. Through his mind-link with Galen, Fortress Maximus rediscovered
his purpose. The battle would not be won by turning his back on it. So he returned
to the war, fighting once more, every battle a small step towards his ultimate
goal… the end of all hostilities.

When Galen was killed, the human Spike Witwicky took over as Fortress Maximus’s
binary-bonded partner. Spike, a college student, had no long term plans to continue
in this role, and eventually quit. But as he has continued to find out, the
binary bonding goes deep indeed and his own courage and commitment will be tested
to the full.

Abilities: In both robot and battle station mode, Fortress Maximus is
a walking armory. Retractable pulse cannons (emitting a strong ion beam capable
of disrupting and incapacitating internal circuits), twin automatic machine
gun batteries (wrist mounted in robot mode), twin laser-guided mortars (in lower
legs, robot mode), dual laser blasters (with a heat-seeking target lock system)
and a fusion-powered photon rifle make his firepower second to none. His battle
station is fully equipped with communication, detection and radar equipment,
while his repair bay has extensive re-fit facilities for almost any Transformer
and a wide range of spare parts. From either repair bay or battle station Fortress
Maximus can operate two remote controlled vehicles, Gasket and Grommet, using
them to supply instant battleground first aid/repairs or as offensive/defensive
combat units. When in robot mode, Gasket and Grommet combine to form the radio
controlled warrior/mechanic, Cog. Fortress Maximus’s head transforms into a
robot form called Cerebros, which is controlled entirely by his binary-bonded
partner. Despite his size, Fortress Maximus is both very strong and very fast.
Though seemingly awkward, his bulky configuration moves with well oiled ease.
His greatest asset, though, is his vast intellect and capacity for instant tactical
decisions. To him, crafting an attack is like blueprinting a structure and it’s
almost second nature.

Weaknesses: The many parts of Fortress Maximus, each requiring a portion
of his concentration, sometimes leave the whole vulnerable to attack. When guiding
Gasket and Grommet through a battlefield, he relies almost totally on automated
defense systems to safeguard him from attack. If incapacitated in robot mode,
Fortress Maximus has no choice but to utilize his second robot form, the much
smaller and infinitely more vulnerable Cog. Beyond these slight problems, Fortress
Maximus has no known weaknesses.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: TARGETMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: PINPOINTER

FUNCTION: WEAPONS SUPERVISOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1 (Crosshairs), HEADMASTERS # 4 (Pinpointer)

“Don’t shoot until you see the wires in their eyes.”

Profile: Crosshairs had a long career on Cybertron as the Autobots’
chief armory manager. He procured, maintained and supplied to his brethren the
latest and most lethal weapons. But he grew more and more disgusted with himself
as more and more Decepticons were consigned to the scrapyard, the awful result
of his labors. He reasoned there were better ways to use his time than stockpiling
implements of death. He quit the weapons business and joined the Autobot band
led by Fortress Maximus. When Fortress Maximus renounced war, Crosshairs was
one of the first to agree with him and one of the most vocal of his supporters.
However, events on the planet Nebulos soon forced these Autobots to take up
arms against the Decepticons again, and Crosshairs grudgingly went along. Given
his prior experience, he was appointed weapons supervisor by Fortress Maximus.
He’s meticulous, cautious – some would say overcautious. Although he’s less
than happy with his job, he’s very caring about it, and mindful of his limited
resources. He doesn’t like to waste ammo; he won’t take a shot unless he’s sure
he can’t miss, and encourages others to do the same.

Pinpointer was a biomass recycling engineer on Nebulos. As such, he shares
his binary-bonded partner Crosshairs’ concerns for efficiency and avoiding waste.
He’s very businesslike and can be brief in his words to the point of appearing
rude. But he is very reliable and an ideal Targetmaster.

Abilities: Pinpointer transforms into a dual rocket-propelled grenade
launcher who can lock on a target in less than .0003 seconds, but usually trusts
Crosshairs to tell him when to shoot. He can be fired by hand or mounted on
and operated by Crosshairs in vehicle mode. In vehicle mode Crosshairs has a
maximum speed of 160 mph and a range of 750 miles. He’s built for traversing
very rough terrain and has superior durability.

Weaknesses: In weapons mode, Pinpointer often suffers from nausea and
dizziness as a result of the exhaust fumes he inhales from his own grenade firings.
This can severely reduce his accuracy. Crosshairs sometimes becomes emotionally
overcome by the rampant destruction he witnesses in battle, hampering his combat
effectiveness.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: MILITARY OPERATIONS COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 4

“Clarity of thought before rashness of action.”

Profile: Of all the Decepticons, Shockwave’s method of operation is
most characterized by the cold, brutal efficiency one would expect of a purely
mechanical being. He enters every battle not with the bloodlust of his comrades,
but with a scientist’s approach to solving a problem. The problem is always
the same: How can he use his abilities to most effectively eliminate the greatest
number of his enemies, the Autobots? All too often he finds the answer. He seeks
Megatron’s position of supremacy over the Decepticons not because his ego demands
it, but because his logic-circuits dictate it. He feels Megatron’s all-consuming
passion for conquest only hinders its achievement. With smug certainty Shockwave
believes the reins of Decepticon power will inevitably be his – after all, he
reasons, it’s only logical.

Abilities: Among the Decepticons, Shockwave’s power is second only to
Megatron’s. His total command of the electromagnetic spectrum allows him, in
his ray-gun mode, to emit a coruscating beam of energy in a wide variety of
forms: high-energy explosive gamma rays, x-rays that allow him to see through
almost anything, blinding visible light, super-hot infrared rays and radio waves
that can either send messages or jam other radio signals are but a few of the
weapons in Shockwave’s arsenal. Never having been adapted by the Ark to an Earthly
form, Shockwave remains a size consistent with his robot mode when he transforms
to a ray-gun, that is, more than 35 feet long. He can fly in either mode using
powerful jet thrusters in his boots (which become the handle in his ray-gun
mode).

Weaknesses: Shockwave’s wave-emission power, as well as his flying,
is limited by his high fuel consumption. Although he uses the same type of liquid
fuel as his fellow Transformers, he can also use radioactive fuels in the small
nuclear reactor within his torso, which substantially eliminates his liquid
fuel dependency problem. Although his logical brain center is usually an advantage,
more intuitive and emotional thinking processes often confound him, particularly
when his adversary is human.