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.

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.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: TRIGGERBOT

FUNCTION: AIR COMBAT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 46

“Don’t fire till you see the lights of their eyes.”

Profile: The skies are unsafe for aviation when Dogfight is in the air.
He terrorizes friend and foe alike. Not one to take chances, he buzzes even
non-military commercial aircraft just to make sure that they keep their distance
from him. This wild, wicked sky-flying street fighter likes to go nosecone to
nosecone with his opponents in what he calls “a dance of doom.” He
generally doesn’t begin to fire until he’s close enough to count the rivets
in their fuselage. Sometimes he’ll even partially transform to his robot mode
in mid-air so he can punch it out with an enemy aircraft. It doesn’t take much
to get his fuel flowing – he’ll fly into action against a flock of pigeons if
they accidentally interfere with his radar. Optimus Prime has tried to calm
Dogfight down by instructing him in mechano-meditation, a discipline that teaches
the art of mastering one’s behavior by learning how to recognize and modify
the electrical pulses within one’s emotional cortex module. So far, the results
have been negligible. Dogfight’s aggressive outbursts are deep-rooted. They
stem from a moment of indecision in his youth. He was on air guard duty for
his village on Cybertron. While on a maintenance break on the ground, he saw
a squadron of jets approach in the distance just as an air tanker carrying vital
fuel relief was arriving. Before he could decide whether the squadron was friend
or foe, it destroyed the tanker. All the while, Dogfight remained on the ground.
Without the fuel many of his neighbors had to shut down for a long time, and
some have yet to fully recover. Because he hesitated to take action, Dogfight
blamed himself for this tragedy. Ever since, he’s never hesitated. And he’s
never met a Decepticon that he didn’t want to destroy immediately.

Abilities: Dogfight’s swept-back wing design allows him superior maneuverability
in jet mode. A state-of-the-art navigational system gives him the ability to
constantly adjust his speed, altitude and direction to compensate for the inherent
instability of this wing design. His maximum speed is 1700 miles per hour and
his range is 3000 miles. He is armed with two fusion reaction-powered blowtorch
blasters in both jet and robot modes. In jet mode the blasters are mounted under
his tail section and pointing behind him to surprise any enemy aircraft that
try to sneak up on him. He commonly leaves a twin trail of flame from the blasters
as he streaks through the air. His wingtips are serrated and can cut through
all but the toughest steel alloys. One of his favorite tactics is to fly close
enough to his opponents so that he can use his wingtips to slice off their wings.

Weaknesses: Dogfight is vulnerable to mid-air stalls during some of
his more dramatic flying maneuvers. So far he has been able to pull out of all
of them before actually crashing on the ground, but he’s come close to destroying
himself on several occasions.

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

FUNCTION: COMPUTER PROGRAMMER
FIRST APPEARANCE: HEADMASTERS # 1 (Chromedome), HEADMASTERS # 2 (Stylor)

“A battle plan is only as good as its programmer.”

Profile: Chromedome spent several thousand years crunching numbers at
Cybertron’s Institute for Higher Programming before a Decepticon attack reduced
it to a smoking pile of microchips. Forcibly dragged into the war in this way,
Chromedome turned his skills to limiting the potential for violence by reprogramming
many of his Autobot colleagues to be able to outsmart their foes. But this only
began an ever escalating strategic brain race during which each side furiously
competed to apply the latest in software to military purposes. Disillusioned
and frustrated, Chromedome eagerly joined Fortress Maximus’s expedition in search
of a peaceful world upon which to live. Although, much to his chagrin, the war
soon followed him to Nebulos, Chromedome still devotes much of his time to academic
pursuits – after all, he now has a whole new world to learn about. But he is
also now resigned to the idea that the war with the Decepticons can not be avoided,
only won. He’s as scholarly and reserved as he ever was, but now he’s also a
stalwart warrior.

Stylor, Chromedome’s binary-bonded Nebulan partner, is more concerned with
appearance than warfare. He spends more time primping himself and polishing
Chromedome than he does preparing for battle. In Nebulan society circles, he
is renowned for his exquisite taste in clothes and dashing good looks. He is
not much of a ladies’ man, however – few Nebulan women are interested in a guy
who tries to look prettier than they do. He’s charming, cheery and egotistical.
Many suspect the reason Stylor volunteered to become a Headmaster was because
it was the fashionable thing to do at the time.

Abilities: In car mode, Chromedome’s twin fuel-injected, turbo-charged,
side-mounted engines give him a maximum speed of 478 mph on a flat road. His
range is 630 miles. His hood-mounted infrared rangefinder automatically targets
his roof-mounted dual lasers, which he also uses in robot mode.

Weaknesses: Chromedome does not travel well on rough surfaces in car
mode. Stylor’s preoccupations with himself often impede Chromedome’s effectiveness,
particularly during combat.