ALLEGIANCE: AUTOBOT
FUNCTION: DIVERSIONARY TACTICIAN

FIRST APPEARANCE: TRANSFORMERS # 14

“A look can be deceiving; a touch can be lethal.”

Profile: Whether engaged in raging battle or friendly conversation,
seldom is Smokescreen up to what he appears to be up to. More likely, an ulterior
purpose exists. In combat, his job is to lead the enemy astray, to prevent him
from discovering the true nature of an Autobot strategy until it is too late
for the enemy to counter it. It is a job he performs with great proficiency.
His duplicity carries over to his personal affairs as well. Charming and affable,
it is easy for Smokescreen to use his genuine camaraderie with his fellow Autobots
in order to root out their deepest concerns. And, at Optimus Prime’s request,
that is exactly what Smokescreen does, because Optimus feels that his role as
Autobot leader creates a personal barrier between himself and his followers
that he cannot overcome alone. Strangely enough, in Optimus’ eyes, the most
devious of the Autobots is also the most trusted.

Abilities: In car mode, Smokescreen can emit from his tailpipe a thick,
black cloud of smoke that has the additional property of gravitating toward
metallic objects, such as enemy Decepticons. In robot mode, his twin shoulder-mounted
launchers shoot missiles that shatter into thousands of shards that produce
a variety of radio signals, magnetic fields and infrared waves, wreaking havoc
on the radar and guidance systems of enemy aircraft. His disruptor rifle shoots
a web of electrical energy that can short out and interfere with the proper
operation of any electrically powered target.

Weaknesses: With proper shielding, an opponent can successfully withstand
many of Smokescreen’s weapons, usually leaving him in a relatively weak position
since he’s not that powerful on his own.