ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: STUNTICON

FUNCTION: WARRIOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 22

“The first one to cross the finish line lives!”

Profile: Drag Strip would rather be scrapped than lose. It doesn’t matter
what the competition is he’s involved in – racing, fighting or even just trading
insults – Drag Strip always aims to come out on top. Maybe it’s because he needs
to feel important, maybe he enjoys humiliating others. It makes no difference;
to beat an opponent, he’ll pull the nastiest, most underhanded tricks. And he
relishes his victories – he makes certain everyone within earshot knows about
them. He loves to gloat. His fellow Stunticons feel he’s a selfish, egotistical
boor and would just as soon not have him around. Even Decepticon Leader Megatron
finds him insufferable and would sooner smelt him than talk to him. But he knows
that as rotten as Drag Strip is for the Decepticons to be around, he’s even
worse company for the Autobots. And that, in Megatron’s opinion, is a character
trait to be much admired.

Abilities: In car mode, Drag Strip can reach speeds of 250 mph and comes
equipped with a plasma energy blaster that shoots an explosive ball of energy
a distance of 2000 yards. In robot mode, he uses a gravito-gun that enhances
the gravitational field of a localized area so that anyone walking into the
area would either be crushed by the increased gravity or have his body ripped
apart as the gravity pulls him from different directions. He combines with his
fellow Stunticons to form the giant robot, Menasor.

Weaknesses: In car mode, Drag Strip is prone to overheating, particularly
at high speeds. His cooling system has been known to explode. He also suffers
from the ill will of many of his fellow Decepticons, a definite liability in
battle when he might require their cooperation.

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: WARRIOR
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“Strike first, strike fast, strike hard.”

Profile: “Let me at ’em” is Cliffjumper’s usual response when
the Autobots embark on a mission. His eagerness and daring have no equal among
the Autobots. Optimus Prime knows this gung-ho trait is an expression of Cliffjumper’s
burning desire for vengeance on the Decepticons. Although he takes his work
very seriously, Cliffjumper is full of good-natured bravado while he’s doing
it. He doesn’t actively dislike Earth, but he considers its rough, uneven terrain
a hindrance to his effectiveness, and too often is carelessly destructive. Often
he is on the receiving end of a lecture from Optimus on caution and the protection
of Earthen property.

Abilities: Cliffjumper is one of the fastest of the Autobots, in his
automobile mode, and he makes a particularly effective target for drawing fire
away from other Autobots, a job he relishes and seldom gets hurt doing. He can
fire projectiles filled with what he calls “glass gas.” On impact,
this gas disrupts the microscopic crystalline structure of most metals, temporarily
making the metal as brittle as common glass.

Weaknesses: Cliffjumper is prone to literal blow-outs in his automobile
mode. He accelerates so quickly and recklessly that he is sometimes disabled
before he goes 50 yards. His overeagerness can often lead him into dangerous
situations that he’s not prepared to handle. And sometimes, if the wind is blowing
toward him, he can fall victim to his own glass gas.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON

SUB-GROUP: PREDACON
FUNCTION: GROUND ASSAULT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 25

“The best advice is not to listen to advice.”

Profile: Headstrong doesn’t listen to anybody, particularly his friends.
He’s so certain of himself that he doesn’t acknowledge others’ opinions. He’s
smug and arrogant, and believes that everyone would be better off if everyone
minded his own business. Nothing can dissuade him once he’s decided upon a course
of action, no matter how foolish that course appears to be. And once he begins
something his commitment is total and unwavering. Knowing that he is not as
strong, intelligent or fearless as some of the other Predacons, Headstrong puts
up his stubborn front as a shield to hide his deep-rooted insecurity. Still,
he makes a formidable foe. The best way to attack him is not with weapons, but
with psychology. Question his resolve and his abilities and he’s more likely
to collapse from the weight of his own nagging doubts than from a direct hit
by a laser cannon.

Abilities: In rhinoceros mode, Headstrong can achieve speeds of 60 miles
per hour for short periods. At full speed, his horn can puncture a three-foot
thick steel slab. It can also release a highly corrosive acid on contact, greatly
enhancing its destructive capability. In robot mode, he uses a plasma sphere
shooter, which emits a stream of glowing balls of energy that explode on contact.
He also carries a diffraction sword, which bends nearby light so that an opponent
can’t properly see where Headstrong actually is as the two battle. Headstrong
combines with his fellow Predacons to form Predaking.

Weaknesses: In addition to his knack for talking himself into foolish,
dangerous predicaments, Headstrong often suffers from impaired mobility due
to bearing problems within his joints. He also has very poor eyesight.

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
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.