ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: DECEPTICON AEROSPACE COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Conquest is made of the ashes of one’s enemies.”

Profile: Starscream makes no secret of his ambition to overthrow
Megatron as Decepticon Leader. He is ruthless, cold-blooded and cruel. In that
sense the two rivals are very much alike. But he has a vain side that clearly
distinguishes him. He considers himself the most sophisticated and handsome
of the Decepticons. He exudes a high-class, urbane air that provides a certain
irony to his murderous tendencies. He looks down at Megatron for being antiquated
in his military strategy. Starscream believes the Decepticons should rely more
on guile and speed rather than brute, destructive force to defeat the Autobots.
Megatron overlooks the potential threat Starscream represents for one very good
reason: Starscream is very good at his job.

Abilities: Starscream is one of the fastest flyers of the
Decepticons, reaching speeds up to Mach 2.8. He can climb to sub-orbital altitudes
of 52 miles and nose-dive down to near ground level in mere minutes. This makes
him particularly effective in surprise attacks and hit-and-run actions. He can
shoot cluster bombs a distance of 40 miles, each of which can level an area
10,000 feet square. His null-ray rifle can interrupt the flow of electricity
in any circuitry it hits for periods of up to two minutes, effectively preventing
the operation of many machines dependent on those circuits during that period.

Weaknesses: Starscream overrates himself sometimes, and finds
himself in situations that are more than he can handle. His nose-dives often
overload his gyro-circuitry leaving him disoriented briefly. But, overall, he
is a very tough nut to crack.

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: DINOBOT
FUNCTION: DINOBOT COMMANDER

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 4

“Among the winners, there is no room for the weak.”

Profile: The most fearsome and powerful of the Dinobots, Grimlock would
gladly usurp Optimus Prime’s role as Autobot Commander if he thought he could
get away with it. For now, he’s happy to tear into the enemy Decepticons whenever
he can and wait for a more opportune moment to try for the leadership. He can
be cold and merciless, and shows contempt for those he views as weak, such as
humans and even some fellow Autobots. But he is a valiant warrior and his actions
command respect from all who are witness to them, both friend and foe.

Abilities: Grimlock’s strength is second only to Optimus Prime’s, and
even that is arguable. In Dinobot mode he can use his powerful jaws to snap
in two virtually anything that comes between them – from a 4-foot diameter steel
cable to a Decepticon leg. In Autobot mode he wields an energo-sword, which
can slice a 2-foot thick concrete wall with one sweep of its crackling blade.
He also uses a double-barrelled, self-propelled rocket launcher.

Weaknesses: Other than arrogance and lack of speed, Grimlock has no
significant weaknesses.

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: 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: DECEPTICON

SUB-GROUP: TRIGGERCON
FUNCTION: DATA COLLECTOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 48

“Things are never as good as they seem.”

Profile: Crankcase is a wheezing, whining ingrate who is about as welcome
as a rash of rust-rot, even among his fellow Triggercons. His favorite pastime
is complaining about everything and everyone. Nothing is good enough for him.
He delights in the misfortunes of others. Apparently, their misery makes him
feel superior in some misguided, muddle-headed way. This juvenile “I’m-better-than-you-are”
need in him stems from his youth, before he became a Decepticon. At that time
he was little more than a gangly collection of circuits and servo-motors, performing
a menial janitorial function in the Fuel-Spill Section of the Ministry of Energy
and Nutrition on Cybertron. More robust fellow workers mocked his feeble physique
and bullied him. Feeling alienated from and hatred of established society, Crankcase
eagerly joined the Decepticons when they began their war against the Autobots.
Megatron himself rebuilt Crankcase to give him increased bulk and strength.
Crankcase’s first action in his new body was to attack the Ministry of Energy
and Nutrition. Millions of years later, the fuel spill he caused has yet to
be fully cleaned up.

Abilities: Crankcase has a vast data storage capacity. His memory can
contain 400 trillion trillion bits of information, which are encoded in patterns
of light within microscopic crystal matrices. His titanium-steel alloy armor
is resistant to all explosive shells having yields of ten megatons or less.
Twin infrared probes can penetrate and analyze most unshielded electrical circuitry.
He is armed with two high-impact laser blasters and a distortion modulator that
scrambles internal electrical signals within most targets that it hits. It can
effectively cause temporary paralysis or uncontrollable, spasmodic seizures
within a victim. He transforms into a ground vehicle with the same armor and
sensor properties. In this mode his maximum speed is 90 miles per hour and his
range is 480 miles.

Weaknesses: In vehicle mode, Crankcase is prone to frequent tire blowouts.
On rare occasions, a sharp blow to his head module causes small data dumps in
different areas of his memory – a form of amnesia similar to the type found
in some humans who have undergone similar trauma.

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: DINOBOT

FUNCTION: DESERT WARRIOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 4

“Only in war is there happiness.”

Profile: An Autobot of few words and fewer opinions, Snarl grudgingly
follows the orders of Dinobot leader Grimlock and leaves the thinking to others.
He’s generally unhappy and a loner, and his uncommunicative nature only adds
to his feelings of isolation. Only the thrill of battle can elevate his spirits.
In fact, few of his comrades experience the joyous heights that Snarl attains
while locked in mortal combat. But for him war is an all too brief respite from
the twin devils that haunt his miserable existence: the ungainly dinosaur form
the Ark has bestowed upon him and the knowledge he may never see his beloved
Cybertron again.

Abilities: His unique design makes Snarl particularly useful in sunny,
arid environments. The large golden plates protruding from his spinal assembly
are solar collectors. Although he can operate without sunlight, solar energy
can increase his strength tenfold and his endurance to a virtually limitless
degree. A swipe of his tail can shatter a 20-foot concrete cube. His heavily
armored hide makes him resistant to most missile fire.

Weaknesses: Snarl’s dependency on sunlight makes him extremely vulnerable
to attack at night. Although he can use the same fuel the other Autobots use,
he operates at only a fraction of his strength when he does. He is also very
slow and his uncooperative behavior patterns sometimes hinder his effectiveness
in dangerous situations.