ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: DINOBOT

FUNCTION: FLAMETHROWER
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 4

“I have no need for friends, even less for enemies.”

Profile: Maybe Slag enjoys his job too much – after all, a more sensitive
Autobot might regret the waste involved in reducing an enemy to a smoldering
pool of liquid metal. Not Slag. If his metal hide could take the heat, Slag
would swim in the puddle to celebrate. Perhaps even more than his Dinobot brethren,
Slag resents the authority of Optimus Prime, and he’s not too keen on the other
Autobots either. He’s generally considered a disruptive force and has been known
to get into brawls and turn his fiery breath against his comrades. Nasty and
mean-spirited are perhaps the nicest things one can say about him.

Abilities: In Dinobot mode, Slag can spew from his mouth a bolt of 3,000
degrees Centigrade flame up to 80 feet. He possesses enormous strength and can
shatter a brick building with a single blow from his armored head. In Autobot
mode he carries a high-energy laser rifle.

Weaknesses: Slag is his own worst enemy. His misanthropic personality
often persuades some of the other Autobots not to help him when he’s in trouble.
He’s rash and not too bright, qualities which often put him in dangerous predicaments.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: CONSTRUCTICON
FUNCTION: MATERIALS FABRICATION

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 10

“How strong the steel, how quick the contest.”

Profile: Nothing is safe from Mixmaster’s seething cauldron. He will
use any material necessary, whether unliving rock or living robot, in the making
of some new material. He’s been known to swallow up brand new limousines and
reduce them to steel girders. And he performs his often grisly tasks with an
evil, cackling glee that more befits a medieval witch than a Constructicon.
The manner in which he creates new materials resembles an arcane ritual. Sometimes
his fellow Decepticons wonder if perhaps Mixmaster hasn’t a few microchips loose
in his logic center, but they never question the results of his efforts.

Abilities: While having the appearance of a standard concrete mixer,
Mixmaster can, by using various acids and bonding agents, reduce and recombine
virtually any substances put inside his drum and use them to form new substances.
He is a chemistry lab on wheels. Atop the roof of his cab, he can mount a powerful
infrared cannon which emits bursts of 8000� C heat for an effective range
of .8 miles. In robot mode, he carries a laser pistol and a shoulder-mounted
optical distortion projector, which, by bending light waves, disorients the
vision of anyone caught in its field. When combined with his fellow Constructicons,
he serves as the left leg module in the giant robot known as Devastator.

Weaknesses: Mixmaster’s mixing drum can be rendered inoperative by the
addition of certain chemicals, particularly alkalides.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: STUNTICON
FUNCTION: SCOUT

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 22

“Keep your optical sensor to yourself.”

Profile: When Breakdown is in his car mode, he thinks everyone else
is staring at him. Not just living creatures such as other Transformers and
humans, but humans’ cars, stoplights… anything mechanical. Heavy traffic can
be a particularly nerve-wrecking experience for him. His circuits sometimes
get so overloaded with worry that he even stalls out. The root of his concerns
is that someone will see him for what he really is – an alien on a strange world.
Despite his earthly disguise, Breakdown is constantly aware that underneath
the hood he is different, and the thought haunts him. He’d be happier if he
were a human – that way he feels he could just anonymously fit in anywhere and
be in a better position to help conquer the Earth!

Abilities: The rumbling vibration produced by Breakdown’s engine while
he’s in car mode can cause mechanical failures in other vehicles. He can travel
at speeds of up to 220 mph. In robot mode, he uses a weapon of a similar nature
– a concussion cannon – to get the same results, except with the cannon he’s
better able to target his prey, and the effects are more devastating. He combines
with his fellow Stunticons to form the giant robot, Menasor.

Weaknesses: Often Breakdown’s extreme self-consciousness negatively
affects his performance, particularly in his role as a scout in which he must
venture into numerous tension-producing situations. He also suffers from his
own mechanical problems – a sometimes leaky fuel pump in both car and robot
modes that can grind him to a halt.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: CITY COMMANDER
FIRST APPEARANCE: THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE # 1

“Consistency is victory.”

Profile: Ultra Magnus is all soldier. He is most comfortable
when he is carrying out Optimus Prime’s orders – giving it all of his magnificent
fighting skills, courage and gift for battlefield improvisation. And he is uncomfortable
when the mantle of leadership is placed over his broad shoulders. He sees himself
as a follower, not a commander, and is reluctant to assume authority until it
is clear that he has no choice but to lead. And when he does finally lead, he
is resolute, fair and courageous beyond reproach. He is ever-ready to sacrifice
himself for the good of his companions and mission, and unstinting in his preparedness
so that his “people” will be as protected as possible.

Abilities: Ultra Magnus carries missile launchers capable
of hitting a target 30 miles away.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
FUNCTION: RECONNAISSANCE

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“My bite is worse than my bark.”

Profile: Given his reputation for civility and sophistication, it might
seem surprising at first that Buzzsaw is also one of the cruelest and most destructive
of all Decepticons. But his two sides are not contradictory. He carries out
his lethal tasks with the careful, reasoned approach of a fine artist, with
the cool precision of a neurosurgeon. He views every awful undertaking of his
as the beginning of a new masterpiece. Every opponent he defeats marks a completion.
And, like any true artist, nothing can sway him from his commitment to his deadly
craft. He will only end his career when the Autobots are no more.

Abilities: Using his optical sensors, Buzzsaw can pinpoint and photographically
record a thumbtack at 20 miles, making him invaluable on spy missions. He can
fly virtually soundlessly at speeds up to 250 mph for a distance of 1500 miles.
He’s equipped with twin mortar cannons that can fire five rounds per minute.
His most feared weapon is his beak, which, with its diamond-hard, micro-serrated
edges, he can use to carve up all except the most strong-skinned opponents.
And, like the artist he is, he uses his beak with great finesse.

Weaknesses: Buzzsaw has a tremendous ego. If one of his carefully planned
operations should go astray, ruining what he considers a work of art in progress,
he will often stop and sulk rather than improvise and proceed.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: MEDIC
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 1

“You break it, I’ll remake it.”

Profile: Ratchet was known as the best tool-and-die man on Cybertron.
In his work-area bay, he can fashion anything from a pin to a cruise missile
and repair most of the Autobots and their specific parts, given the right materials.
His rough language and manners belie his gentle touch on the operating-assembly
table. He knows how to have a good time despite his involvement in a combat
group. “When does the party begin?” is his usual query after he’s
completed patching up his latest fallen comrade. He’s more prone to giving his
leader, Optimus Prime, a lot more backtalk than the other Autobots, but does
his job as well as anyone.

Abilities: Ratchet has an assortment of laser scalpels, arc-welders,
electron microscopes, electrical circuit sensors and fluid dispensers (both
lubricating and super-cooled) at his disposal.

Weaknesses: His preference for partying to anything else sometimes interferes
with getting his job done. Otherwise he’s only limited in doing his work by
time and materials available.

ALLEGIANCE: DECEPTICON
SUB-GROUP: CONSTRUCTICON

FUNCTION: TRANSPORT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 10

“A battle front is only as good as its supply line.”

Profile: Long Haul isn’t too thrilled with his unglamorous role in the
Decepticon cause, but he understands its importance. Along with his fellow Constructicons,
his function is to help build the massive energy-recovery installations that
fuel the Decepticon onslaught. But he’d much prefer the excitement and glory
that come with being a full-time warrior. And he knows better than to tell anyone
of his secret desire – Megatron allows no dissent among the Decepticons ranks.

Abilities: In vehicular mode, Long Haul can carry up to 90 tons for
1200 miles. He can also add on a dual heat-seeking missile launcher. In robot
mode he carries a laser pistol. When combined with his fellow Constructicons,
he serves as the torso module in the giant robot known as Devastator.

Weaknesses: Long Haul is slow and sometimes his unhappiness reduces
his effectiveness. He’s sensitive to teasing about the mundane nature of his
job and can often be goaded into fights in which he may be clearly overmatched.

ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
SUB-GROUP: THROTTLEBOT
FUNCTION: SCOUT
FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 30

“Hunters drive; targets park.”

Profile: Chase is usually ten miles down the road before his fellow
Autobots even have had a chance to shift into gear. He’s impatient and overeager.
He doesn’t seem to know how to stand still; the phrase “put it in park”
had no meaning for him. As fast as he drives, he talks even faster. His coarse,
simple language is seemingly at odds with his sleek, sophisticated design. He
usually dominates the conversation in any group, regaling all who will listen
with tales of past exploits and predictions of future conquests. But he does
all this in a most engaging manner. He’s extremely popular among the Autobots.

Abilities: In car mode, Chase can reach a cruising speed of 240 mph.
He has extremely well developed optical sensors in his head and his headlights.
He can see an object the size of a tennis ball at two miles and his excellent
peripheral vision gives him approximately a 270 degree viewing range; i.e.,
he can see simultaneously in front of him and on both sides. Embedded under
his car mode’s roof is an array of small radar dishes that allow him to detect
moving objects as small as a toaster from horizon to horizon. He also has the
ability to lock in on passing orbiting satellites and bounce radar signals off
of them, which allows him some over-the-horizon radar abilities.

Weaknesses: High speeds exact a heavy toll on Chase in car mode, particularly
on his drive shaft and transmission. Sometimes he’s too busy talking or running
off somewhere to listen to good advice. Consequently, he gets into trouble that
a cooler-headed individual might avoid.