ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: MAINTENANCE

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 14

“You have to be rolling before you can be fighting.”

Profile: Everybody must submit to his maintenance schedule, even Optimus
Prime, and no excuse is ever good enough for Hoist. And he has a good reason
for being so strict: even though his job usually keeps him away from the front
lines, he knows how important it is that all the Autobot warriors are operating
at peak efficiency when they engage in battle. He genuinely enjoys his job,
as indicated by the jovial manner in which he performs it. And he’s good at
his job, too; whether the problem is a full engine overhaul or the smallest
leaky gasket, his comrades are confident that Hoist will find it.

Abilities: As a tow truck, Hoist can haul up to 400,000 pounds. In robot
mode, he is one of the strongest of the Autobots. From his wrist sockets, he
can launch heat-seeking missiles up to 4.5 miles. The full spectrum multi-sensor
module he wears behind his head can determine an object’s composition, density,
tensile strength, energy properties and often even its function with a mere
sweep of its triple beams. The beams have an operating range of 1200 yards,
making Hoist an effective and valued scout at times.

Weaknesses: Hoist’s dedication to his job sometimes blinds him to the
precedence that armed conflict often takes over it. He lacks speed in vehicular
mode, and has a high fuel consumption rate.

LLEGIANCE: UNICRON

SUB-GROUP: QUINTESSON
FUNCTION: ENFORCER
FIRST APPEARANCE: THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE # 2

“Everyone is guilty until proven innocent – and even then he’s guilty!”

Profile: As cruel as a weasel toying with its prey and as persistent
as a bloodhound on the trail of a fugitive, the Quintessons are the merciless
enforcers of Unicron’s will. They hunt down those who try to escape Unicron’s
wrath. Once the victim is captured, he is doomed. Guilty or innocent, the verdict
is always the same – death.

The Quintessons are composed of Guards, Gatekeepers, and one five-headed Judge.
The Quintessons are the cruel masters of the endless legions of Sharkticons
which carry out the Quintessons’ verdict.

Weaknesses: The Quintessons are few in number compared to the Sharkticons,
and deathly afraid of them, for if the Sharkticons should revolt, there is nothing
the Quintessons could do to stop them.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: WARRIOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 17

“Fear is the element that unites all losers.”

Profile: The chilling rumble of Dirge’s engines as they approach from a distance is merely a prelude to the petrifying fear they induce in whomever is unlucky enough to hear as they pass overhead. And fear is something with which Dirge is quite familiar. He knows its all-consuming power; he understands how it can defeat even the mightiest of armies. He handles it with the same exacting proficiency that a concert pianist handles his piano’s keys. Even his fellow Decepticons are put off a bit by his mournful, silent manner. Ramjet sums up everyone’s feelings: “He gives me the creeps.”

Abilities: In jet mode, the sound from Dirge’s engines has the uncanny effect of producing spine-tingling (circuit-tingling, in the cases of other robots) fear in nearly everyone who hears it. Apparently, the engines emit a combination of frequencies that has a disorienting, fear-provoking effect on the nervous systems of all those within earshot. He also carries two air-to-air missiles and two automatic machine guns.

Weaknesses: In order to perform well as a warrior, Dirge needs to feel that he’s in control of a situation. When things get out of hand, Dirge is prone to suffer from the very weapon he himself wields so effectively – fear. Dirge’s usefulness evaporates under these conditions.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: PROTECTOR

FIRST APPEARANCE: THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE # 3

“Experience is the benchmark of maturity.”

Profile: Rodimus Prime is the mature, transformed persona
of Hot Rod. This transformation and simultaneous assumption of the Autobot leadership
occured in a major battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. It is as Rodimus
Prime that Hot Rod defeated Unicron and restored order to the galaxy. Rodimus
Prime speaks with the savvy of a seasoned veteran. He can be hot-headed at times
– he has a tendency to act first and ask questions later. Rodimus Prime’s sole
purpose is to protect all life.

Abilities: He possesses acute military prowess. Rodimus Prime
is an expert tactician with exceptional maneuverability in battle. In robot
mode, he carries a photon eliminator that shoots high voltage electricity. Range:
500 miles. Speed: 200 mph.

Weaknesses: His only weakness is his compassion for other
living creatures.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: SPECIAL OPERATIONS, SABOTEUR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Do it with style or don’t bother doing it.”

Profile: Jazz would be cruising down Bourbon Street in New
Orleans or be double-parked outside a cellar club in Greenwich Village soaking
up the local sounds if he weren’t in the middle of a war. He’s a confirmed Earthen
culture junkie – he can talk fluently about ballet or break-dancing (although
he prefers the latter), and he’s always on the lookout for more stuff to turn
on to. His knowledge of Earthen ways and his easy adaptability to Earthen environments
make him the indispensable right-hand man of his commander, Optimus Prime. He’s
often given the most dangerous assignments, and, with characteristic coolness,
usually pulls them off using something out of his seemingly bottomless bag of
tricks. He’d rather dazzle you with style than accomplish a mission the easy
way.

Abilities: In robot mode, Jazz can use his solar-powered
photon rifle with deadly accuracy up to a distance of .9 miles from target,
and he can shoot it from virtually any physical position he may be in with equal
effectiveness. He can also use a combination of his overhead flame-thrower (maximum
range of 250 feet), full-spectrum front grill beacon and 180 dB stereo speakers
to create a spectacular, disorienting light and sound show. He has been known
to glide for more than 3000 feet using his rear-mounted ailerons. His biggest
asset is the versatility and cleverness he possesses in using the resources
at his disposal.

Weaknesses: Although Jazz’s firepower and strength are weak
relatives to that of some of the other Autobots, he more than compensates with
his daring and skill. He’s prone to be distracted from his primary assignment
by Earthen behavior patterns that he finds interesting. This sometimes leads
to disastrous consequences.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT

FUNCTION: GUNNER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“I never met a Decepticon I didn’t dislike.”

Profile: Conversations don’t come easy when Bluestreak is around. His
talent for incessant and often inane talk tends to drown out those close by,
but at least his gregarious manner serves to lighten the otherwise grim situation
of the Autobots. What is not widely known is the underlying reason for his endless
droning: to hide the fact that he hates war. Despite his formidable weaponry
and his blazing speed, he is basically not a warrior type. Autobot Commander
Optimus Prime’s faith in him helps sustain Bluestreak in the heat of battle.
Optimus knows that Bluestreak will be forever haunted by the memory of his witnessing
the total destruction of his city back on Cybertron by the Decepticons. He was
the lone survivor. “There’s some demons runnin’ loose inside that boy,”
says Hound, “and sometimes I think they grab hold of him and won’t let
him go.”

Abilities: In automobile mode, Bluestreak is among the fastest Autobots.
He can sustain speeds of up to 150 mph for more than 12 hours. In robot mode,
he carries twin shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, each capable of hurling a
shell containing four independently targetable warheads a distance of 8.3 miles
with a maximum error margin of 12 feet from target at that distance. Each warhead
possesses the concussive force equivalent to 150 lbs. of TNT. His ion-charge
disperser rifle electrifies a line of particles in the air in the direction
in which it is pointed. By its nature, its accuracy is limited, but it can shoot
an electrified particle beam, resembling blue lightning, a distance of 12 miles
and punch a 10 foot hole in a cinder-block wall. The electrical charge of a
single bolt can be as high as 80,000 volts.

Weaknesses: As powerful and threatening as he is, Bluestreak can be
completely undone at times by his disdain for combat and his reluctance to fight.

Motto: “Fear can hit targets unreachable to bullets.”

Allegiance: Autobot
Sub-Affiliation: Dinobot
Function: Dinobot Bombardier

Enjoys watching enemies scatter before him as he dives down from the sky… considers spreading fear his greatest weapon. This Dinobot’s kind, good-natured side disguised by his horrifying form… even his comrades shy away. Flies at 250 mph… air-to-air missile launcher under each wing fires missiles equivalent
of 5000 lbs. TNT, 8 mile range. As robot, uses launchers and 4000 degrees Celsius thermal sword. Fragile wings vulnerable to enemy firepower.

Tech Specs Profile
STRENGTH: 6.0
INTELLIGENCE: 6.0
SPEED: 8.0
ENDURANCE: 9.0
RANK: 5.0
COURAGE: 7.0
FIREPOWER: 7.0
SKILL: 7.0

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: POWERMASTER
HUMAN COMPONENT: THROTTLE

FUNCTION: AERIAL ASSAULT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 42

“Things are never as bad as they seem – usually they’re worse.”

Profile: If Dreadwind is the ultimate pessimist, Darkwing completes
the equation by being a manic-depressive. He believes that life is one long
ordeal of pain and suffering, and that it’s pointless struggling against it.
However, where his brother-in-arms just sits back and lets this bleak outlook
get him down, Darkwing is no passive bystander. If he’s destined to suffer,
then by Primus he’s going to make others share it… only more so! His avowed
purpose in life is to make the lives of others worse than he believes his to
be! To him, death is getting off lightly. Better to leave a foe still alive,
in terrible pain. He somehow feels better knowing that others are suffering
more than he is. But there is a side to Darkwing that’s every bit as gloomy
as Dreadwind. No matter how well things are going for him, he’s convinced that
it’s not going to last. To Darkwing, the next personal disaster is always just
around the corner. If nothing else, this attitude keeps him alert to impending
attack. He’s partnered to Throttle, a (self-admittedly) low-life thief. He revels
in his chosen profession and loves mixing with society’s dregs. Throttle sees
this as simple honesty and appreciates that in others. If he doesn’t like you,
he’ll tell you in no uncertain terms. With Throttle, what you see is what you
get. In a way, that’s why he gets on okay with Darkwing (though Darkwing might
have something to say about that), because at least Darkwing doesn’t pretend
to be anything he’s not. So he’s a pessimist – so what?

Abilities: Darkwing’s jet mode abilities mirror Dreadwind’s almost exactly.
Darkwing combines with Dreadwind to form the vehicle Dreadwing, so they are
not so much two jets as two halves of the same jet. Fast and deadly, Darkwing
is similarly laden with weaponry, the most deadly of which are his two laser-guided
electro-kinetic blasters, which turn an enemy’s power against its owner. The
more powerful the foe, the more Darkwing can hurt him. Unlike Dreadwind, he
is mobile and lethal in robot mode, specializing in hand-to-hand combat.

Weaknesses: If he weren’t teamed with such a reckless hothead, Darkwing
could probably claim to have no weaknesses. As it is, Throttle is so keen to
prove himself that he over-exerts himself in engine mode, desperately trying
to outdo Dreadwind, and overheats. When this happens in the heat of battle,
it can have disastrous consequences, leaving Darkwing high and dry and a sitting
duck. Darkwing hates combining to form Dreadwing, and is often distracted by
continually bickering with Dreadwind.