G1 Character Index: Autobots ('84-'85) ('86-'87) ('88-'90) | Decepticons ('84-'85) ('86-'87) ('88-'90)
This character sheet is for listing the tropes related to Transformers: Generation 1 Autobots introduced between 1988 and 1990.
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1988 Autobots
Cloudburst (クラウドバースト kuraudobāsuto)
Function: Space Defense
Alt Mode: Cybertronian jet
"You can't tell a bot by his cover."
A Pretender who presents himself as charismatic and tough, but is actually insecure, dull and meek underneath his Pretender facade.- Beneath the Mask: Quite literally. When wearing his Pretender shell he's charismatic and confident, but underneath it he's meek and insecure.
- Character Death: Another Unicron victim.
- He was also killed by Sweeps in the IDW comics.
- The Charmer: A facade. He's actually really insecure about himself.
- God in Human Form: His Power of the Primes toy is a disguised Micronus Prime.
- Demoted to Extra: After being a major character in Budiansky's run, Cloudburst quickly fell into the background once Furman took over.
- I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Cloudburst's diplomacy and abilities made the First One of Femax consider him as her mate.
Getaway (ゲッタウェイ gettawei)
Function: Warrior
Alt Mode: Mazda RX-7 FC3S Stock Car
"Run hot, but always keep your cool."
A smooth talking escape artist with mind like a steel trap, Getaway has a legendary reputation for figuring a way out of sticky situations. He's also not above using deceiving and manipulating his own allies to get what he wants. A Powermaster, he is frequently binary bonded to a Nebulan engineer named Rev.- The Ace: Described as such by his TF Universe profile. He's a genius strategist, capable of analysing situations on the fly, and has no known weakness.
- Adaptational Villainy: In the first IDW continuity, particularly in the latter half of More Than Meets The Eye.
- Character Focus: After being mainly used as a recurring gag character by Furman (due to Furman turning Getaway into an Ironic Name), More Than Meets The Eye gives him an expanded role as a main character.
- Determinator: The Armornecking Incident had Getaway battered, broken and absent a working gun. He still managed to get his troops to safety.
- Embarrassing Nickname: In the IDW comics, he was given the name "Getaway" after fleeing from his first battle.
- Escape Artist: Has a reputation for Houdini-esque escapes.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: His IDW self is convinced he's destined for greatness (to the point of believing he's going to be a Prime someday)... but deep down, it's really his way of trying to overcome the shame of fleeing from his first battle.
- Killed Off for Real:
- He was blown up by Dreadwing in the Marvel comics, although it's possible he was revived later by The Last Autobot.
- In IDW's Lost Light, he was Eaten Alive by scraplets under Whirl's control while under an illusion that he was talking to Primus.
- Losing Your Head: Titans Return has him as Titan Master.
- Running Gag: Writer Simon Furman likes having Getaway injured as a play on his name.
- Shotguns Are Just Better: His default weapon is a plasma shotgun.
Groundbreaker
Function: Ground Trooper
Alt Mode: Cybertronian racing car
"The first one in is the first one to win!"
An Autobot who makes sure he's the first bot to throw the first punch or open fire.- Animal Motifs: His pretender shell's chest-plate is themed after a panther.
- Land, Sea, Sky: The Land to Splashdown's Sea and Sky High's Sky.
- Mauve Shirt: He's had a supporting role in both IDW continuities; in the first one exploring the Dead Universe alongside other Pretenders, while the 2019 one makes him one of Pyra Magna's former subordinates.
- Trigger-Happy: Is the "shoot first, ask questions later" type of Autobot.
Gunrunner
Function: Squadron Leader
Alt Mode: Hypersonic Jet
"The truth wrapped in a lie is still a lie."
A traumatised Autobot facing extreme stress and insecurity.- Good Counterpart: To Roadgrabber, another Transformer with a vehicular-shaped Pretender shell (and a fear of being out in the open).
- Failure Knight: On one mission, his entire squad got killed to a mech, save Gunrunner, leaving him with a nasty case of survivor's guilt, and a phobia of being out in the open.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Gunrunner gets incredibly nervous if he's outside his Pretender shell for too long.
Hosehead
Function: Emergency Rescue
Alt Mode: Fire truck
"If at first you don't succeed, keep trying."
A compassionate, courageous rescuer but is prone to be easily daunted by high pressure. Lug is his Headmaster companion.- Demoted to Extra: Unlike his wave mates, who've gone on to have major roles (Nightbeat ascended to stardom ever since his Marvel appearance, and Siren gets a decent amount of exposure and often acts as The Lancer to Nightbeat), Hosehead's just faded away into the crowd-filler scenes. Even in Cheap Shots, where his fellow Headmasters get into the spotlight with their partners...Hosehead's been dead since the start, so even his own head, Lug, got more character focus.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: The reason Hosehead joined the Autobots.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: He's seen fighting Unicron in the comics. The opening of the next issue shows that at some point during the fight, he got killed. During Regeneration One, he's alive again, just long enough to get stabbed through the back by the Dark Matrix. Jeez.
- Losing Your Head: He's a headmaster binary bonded to a Nebulan named Lug. When Hosehead dies, Lug continues to function as himself in the Transformers Classics comics.
- Nervous Wreck: Hosehead has a tendency to panic in high-stress situations, which is a very bad thing for someone who transforms into a fire truck and is expected to fight fires and rescue people in need. His Headmaster partner Lug was a superstar athlete who won amazing victories in several Down to the Last Play situations. Lug effectively serves as Hosehead's coach, helping him stay calm and keep a cool head. Hosehead's bio says that his performance has drastically improved since he bonded with Lug.
- The Watson: Serves double-duty with Siren as one for Nightbeat in the Marvel comics.
Joyride
Function: Warrior
Alt Mode: Baja buggy
"Enjoy each moment like it's your last."
A wild driver who endangers everyone, even his own comrades while trying to fight Decepticons. He's partnered with Hotwire.- Drives Like Crazy: He's a very reckless driver, endangering Autobots and humans alike.
- Killed Off for Real:
- In the Marvel comics he was killed alongside Waverider fighting Unicron.
- He was also killed in the Generation 2 comics, blown up by Decepticons from the Cybertronian Empire.
- In Regeneration One he was summarily executed by Jhiaxus' forces.
- Leeroy Jenkins: His bio says he has a habit of getting into trouble due to not thinking things through.
- Wrong Line of Work: While he's officially a metallurgist, Joyride's reckless antics mean he's rather troublesome for the job.
Landfill (ランドフィル randofiru)
Function: Materials Transport
Alt Mode: Nissan Diesel UD dump truck
"Adventure is found in unlikely places."
A nice 'bot who follows orders but is often shunned by his comrades. He's partnered with Flintlock and Silencer.- Born in the Wrong Century: Flintlock was always fascinated by warfare, meaning he didn't fit in with the then-peaceful Nebulos. When the Transformers' war came to the planet, he didn't hesitate to join up with the Autobots.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Silencer was once a peaceful pacifist. That is, until his farm was destroyed by bandits.
- Equippable Ally: He's a Double Targetmaster, partnered with Flintlock and Silencer, who try very hard to get it through to Landfill why he's not popular.
- Out of Focus: When compared to other Targetmasters, Landfill has received very little focus, usually only serving as crowd filler.
- The Pig-Pen: He's the Autobots' waste-disposal guy, and actually a very nice bot, but the other Autobots dislike him because he never cleans up after himself and smells really bad.
Landmine (ランドマイン randomain)
Function: Asteroid Miner
Alt Mode: Cybertronic all terrain vehicle
"The greatest treasures are found in the darkest places."
An asteroid miner who makes sure he does his job right the first time.- Adventurer Archaeologist: He sort of sees himself as one. He's not, but he really wants to be.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: He always wanted to be part of an important, dramatic story. When he finally was part of said story, he ended up with a hole blown clear through his chest by Thunderwing using a corrupted artifact of Cybertron's own god. This killed him dead and probably hurt a lot.
- Composite Character: In Transformers (2019), Landmine appears to take elements from his Energon counterpart, including being colored orange instead of yellow.
- God in Human Form: His Power of the Primes toy is a disguised Alpha Trion.
- Hot-Blooded: Widely regarded as a hothead, and for good reason. Unlike most examples of the trope, he's also very interested in making sure the job is done right.
- I Just Want to Be Special: He simply wants to be the hero of a story; he finds his usual excavation operations dull and lacking in interesting plots.
Nightbeat (ナイトビート naitobīto)
Function: Detective
Alt Mode: Porsche 959
"Truth is revealed in the smallest detail."
An Autobot who likes to solve mysteries.
- Badass Longcoat: On occasion, he has been seen wearing one. Yes, even over those shoulders.
- Character Focus: Since Simon Furman likes Nightbeat, he tends to use him a lot.
- Cool Car: His original toy turned into a Porsche 959, the precursor to the modern super-car.
- Cool Shades: Often drawn with a visor that resembles these.
- Hardboiled Detective: Frequently written as an homage to the genre, especially by Furman.
- Killed Off for Real:
- In the Marvel comics he was killed by the Decepticons during their invasion of the planet Klo (although it can be presumed he was revived by The Last Autobot).
- He is shot in the head in IDW's Revelation miniseries only to be resurrected by the Dead Universe. Later he is euthanized after being trapped in a simulation.
- Losing Your Head: He's a Headmaster (as shown in a single Marvel UK issue).
- Primary-Color Champion: He's a detective colored blue and yellow.
- Private Detective: Especially in Classics.
- You Don't Look Like You: His head's design managed to get swapped with his wave-mate Siren at some point, giving Nightbeat Siren's "shades". Of course, after so many stories with Nightbeat using those shades, they've stuck as his "look".
The Pretender Beasts
Function: Surveillance (Catilla), Ground Trooper (Chainclaw)
Alt Mode: Sabretooth Tiger (Catilla), Bear (Chainclaw)
Catilla
Chainclaw
Catilla: "Stalk before you strike."
Chainclaw: "The only thing for certain is uncertainty."
Chainclaw: "The only thing for certain is uncertainty."
They are the hunter Catilla and the worrywart Chainclaw.
- Bears Are Bad News: Chainclaw's Pretender form is a bear with a gun mounted on his back.
- Character Focus: Catilla is a main character in the Marvel UK comics.
- Heel–Face Turn: Before being an Autobot, Catilla was part of the Mayhem Attack Squad. In the Dreamwave comics, he also started on the Decepticon's side, before turning to the Autobots at some point.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Catilla treats his enemies like prey.
- Killed Off for Real:
- In a Bad Future of the Marvel continuity, Chainclaw gets killed by Galvatron.
- In Transformers (2019) Chainclaw is killed in issue #25 during the opening days of the war. Clench shoots him with a rail-gun, impaling and then decapitating him.
- Nervous Wreck: Chainclaw is a massive hypochondriac, and can on occasion be utterly paralyzed by worry. On the flipside, all that fear can be channeled into fury in a fight.
- Out of Focus: Chainclaw appeared once in the US comics, in "Rhythms of Darkness", where he was killed by Galvatron.
- Panthera Awesome: Catilla.
- Punny Name: Catilla, as in the Hun.
- We Used to Be Friends: Dreamwave Catilla used to be buds with Carnivac.
Quickmix
Function: Chemist
Alt Mode: Cement mixer truck
"The faster it is, the better I like it."
An impatient, absent-minded chemist who is partnered with Boomer and Ricochet.- Absent-Minded Professor: He has a habit of losing interest in one project and starting another.
- Equippable Ally: A Double Targetmaster, the Nebulans Boomer and Ricochet are stuck with this guy.
- For Science!: Very accomplished in his trade but can be absent-minded and very short-tempered with a Know-Nothing Know-It-All tendency. The fact that he's a chemist seems to keep his comrades away.
- Good Counterpart: As a chemist who transforms into a cement mixer, Quickmix is the Construction Mixmaster but with morals.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Even the slightest complication or delay can get him angry.
- Hypocrite: Despite his own absent-minded tendancies, he's quick to jump on others for losing focus in their work.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: Boomer isn't very bright, but is boundlessly enthusiastic, and always ready to support his teammates.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: He'll lecture anyone about stuff. In the comics, his one scene is him trying to give Scoop pointers on how to fight in the middle of a pitched battle (Scoop just tells him to shut up and keep firing).
- Loud of War: In Targetmaster mode, Boomer can produce powerful blasts of sound.
- Mood-Swinger: Ricochet, a temperamental former artist who switches moods as fast as Quickmix gets agitated. Sometimes he'll be eager to fight, other times he'll need to be dragged onto the battlefield.
- One-Steve Limit: Ricochet has the same name as a Targetmaster introduced the previous year.
Quickswitch
Function: Assault Warrior
Alt Modes: Drill Tank, Hovercraft, Suborbital Fighter, Laser Pistol, Puma
"A confused enemy is a defeated enemy."
The Autobots' chaotic and unpredictable counterpart to Sixshot.- Drill Tank: One of his alternate modes.
- Good Counterpart: Introduced a year after Sixshot, Quickswitch is a heroic six-changer who is "determined to make good where his Decepticon father went bad".
- Heroic Canines, Villainous Felines: Inverted. Instead of having a canine beast mode (a wolf) like Sixshot, he transforms into a feline (a puma).
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: A result of his Mood-Swinger tendencies. His fellow Autobots have recalled him urging them to show mercy on the battlefield, then start ruthlessly tearing through the Decepticons once they actually get out there.
- Killed Off for Real: His only major appearance in the IDW comics has him barreling through with his driller tank mode in order to save Cybertron's core from being poisoned by the Talisman, with the magical energies turning him to dust.
- Mood-Swinger: Quickswitch can have all the various emotions in a very short time period, for no apparent reason. Its been hinted that his six modes may be the cause...
- Out of Focus: In comparison to Sixshot, Quickswitch has received very little focus.
- Panthera Awesome: One of his alt modes is a giant puma.
- Robo Family: In the commercial that introduces him, he's said to be Sixshot's son.
Scoop
Function: Field Infantry
Alt Mode: Front payloader
"Generosity has its own rewards."
A cool-headed bot with a penchant for making battle-hardened tactics. He has two Targetmaster partners, Holepunch and Tracer.- The Ace: Smart, determined, strong, good tactician, no real major personality hang-ups to be noted. You get the feeling he's stuck with Holepunch and Tracer just to slow him down a little.
- Determinator: One of his traits is that he's one to push onward, driven by his optimism.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: Devastator is destroyed in his final fight with Victorion. Scoop, being the Gestalt's leg, is simply a casualty of the whole affair and his death goes unremarked upon.
- Equippable Ally: He has two Targetmaster buddies who transform into his guns, Holepunch and Tracer.
- Face–Heel Turn: In the IDW comics, he sided with Starscream, and even became a new leg for Devastator.
- Kid with the Leash: Scoop's partnership with Holepunch and Tracer is less because he needs them, and more to keep an eye on them, since Holepunch is a jerkass with a Small Name, Big Ego, and Tracer is technically a convicted criminal stuck on community service. Scoop being just that genuinely nice a bot is what allows him to keep them in line and bring out their best attributes.
- One-Steve Limit: Tracer has the same name as a Decepticon Micromaster introduced a few years later.
- The Pollyanna: Possesses the kind of relentless optimism that deeply annoys anyone with even slightly realistic tendencies.
- Religious Bruiser: Faithful believer in the buried legends of Primus, reads Primus' Covenant...and a Wrecker.
- The Slacker: Tracer is the kind of guy who prefers to relax and go with the flow.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Holepunch, a former Bad Boss office manager who thinks he's more important than he actually is.
- Wrong Line of Work: Holepunch became an office manager despite not having received any managerial training, and possessing poor people skills coupled with an overly-bossy manner. He brings all this and less to the Autobot cause, often distracting his teammates with self-important requests.
Siren (サイレン sairen)
Function: Incendiary Damage Control
Alt Mode: Mazda RX-7
"Act first, ask questions later."
A loudmouth partnered with Quig.- Cool Shades: His visored look, presumably to imitate a police officer's shades. But then it got mixed up with Nightbeat's and... well.
- Kill It with Ice: One of his weapons is a Co2 shotgun.
- Losing Your Head: He's a Headmaster, even if it's never shown in the comics.
- No Indoor Voice: A natural result of growing up in the Sonic Canyons, where everyone is like this. Exaggerated in Transformers Classics.
- Odd Couple: Siren is as loud as can be, while his Headmaster partner, Quig, is an extremely soft-spoken former librarian. Quig is slowly starting to teach Siren not to be so loud, but he still jumps every time Siren starts talking.
- The Watson: To Nightbeat.
Sky High (スカイハイ sukai hai)
Function: Scout
Alt Mode: Cybertronian helicopter
"Imagination is the key that unlocks the chains of reality."
An Autobot Pretender who is fast, strong and brave.- Animal Motifs: His shell's chest-plate is themed after a bird.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: A fate of many 'bots in the comics, and Sky High was no exception.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Sky High exists in his own fantasy world. He is at least able to keep one foot in reality, modifying any developments to fit with his daydreams.
- I Reject Your Reality: The reason he crafts a fantasy world for himself is so he can escape from the harsh reality of the Autobot/Decepticon war.
- Killed Off for Real: In Regeneration One he was summarily executed alongside Joyride, Brainstorm and Crosshairs by Jhiaxus' forces.
- Land, Sea, Sky: The Sky to Groundbreaker's Land and Splashdown's Sea.
- Retcon: Sky High's personality got a little overhaul in Dreamwave's profile books. His original bio described him purely as Dumb Muscle, but gave him the above motto and a high intelligence rating. So in More Than Meet The Eye, he was re-written as a daydreamer who just comes across as an idiot.
Slamdance (スラムダンス suramudansu)
Function: Audio Correspondant (Grand Slam), Video Correspondant (Raindance)
Alt Mode: Cybertronian Tank (Grand Slam), Cybertronian hover plane (Raindance)
Grand Slam
Raindance
Slamdance
Grand Slam: "The sounds of war are history speaking."
Raindance: "Every picture tells a story."
Raindance: "Every picture tells a story."
An Autobot composed of the cassettes Grand Slam and Raindance.
- Combining Mecha: Raindance forms Slamdance's legs, and Grand Slam forms his upper body.
- Glory Hound: Raindance sees his role in the war as being a vehicle to stardom. Unfortunately, Slamdance inherits this trait.
- Good Counterpart: Slamdance is this to the Decepticon Squawkbox; another Transformer made from the Mini-Cassettes Beastbox and Squawktalk.
- Intrepid Reporter: All three of them make reports on the war for Cybertron and they also get involved in it first-hand.
- It's All About Me: Slamdance has a habit of standing up during briefings to ensure the information he gathered is delivered "correctly" (i.e. - by him).
- Non-Standard Character Design: Grand Slam and Raindance are very unusual among Transformers — how often do non-drones have vehicles as their robot modes?
- Out of Focus: Slamdance tends to appear a great deal more than Grand Slam and Raindance ever do on their own, probably since it's easer to give emotions to a robot than a tank and a jet.
- Tank Goodness: Grand Slam's other alt-mode is a tank.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: In the Marvel comics, Grand Slam and Raindance were little more than a plot device the Decepticons were after. Once they got them, the two were never mentioned again.
Slapdash
Function: Interceptor
Alt Mode: Formula-1 Race Car
"Sometimes, if you wait long enough, problems solve themselves."
A likeable ditz who more often than not doesn't pay attention to nearly everything. He's partnered with Lube.
- The Ditz: Severely. Slapdash is kind of a dunce; he forgets things like missions, orders, his gun, his engine, or even having fuel. Not because he's an amnesiac, but because he's disorganized and chronically bad at paying attention.
- Drives Like Crazy: His inability to pay attention extends to his driving, making him a road hazard at 600 mph.
- Forgets To Refuel: Not for Workaholic reasons or such, but because he's just generally disorganized and ends up neglecting his own well-being out of incompetence rather than temperament.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: His Powermaster partner, Lube. It takes very little to set off the meticulous former mechanic, but nothing makes him angry quite like Slapdash's unprofessional nature.
- Kindhearted Simpleton: Fortunately for him, he's really pleasant to have around, so the Autobots are willing to suffer his bumbling.
- Power Incontinence: Has been known to forget his Powermaster engine, leaving him stuck in vehicle mode at... inopportune times.
- They Killed Kenny Again: For whatever reason, Slapdash dies a lot in the comics. He was blown up at Bludgeon's ambush in The Transformers (Marvel), blown up by Jhiaxus' troops during a minor battle in Transformers: Generation 2, and was transformed into a Sparkeater and later blown up in The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye. He fared little better in other comics, having been assimilated by Junkion drones in Transformers: Timelines and very nearly executed by a rogue drone in Transformers: Generation One. He also got shot in the face by his (brainwashed) friends in The Transformers: Regeneration One, but at least survived that.
The Sparkabots
Function: Military Strategist (Fizzle), Interceptor (Sizzle), Ground Assault (Guzzle)
Alt Modes: Baja Buggy (Fizzle), Car (Sizzle), ROF Challenger 1 tank (Guzzle)
Fizzle
Sizzle
Guzzle
Fizzle: "Planning a battle is ten times more important than fighting it."
Sizzle: "Life in the fast lane is the only life worth living."
Guzzle: "It is better to have fought and lost than never to have fought at all."
Sizzle: "Life in the fast lane is the only life worth living."
Guzzle: "It is better to have fought and lost than never to have fought at all."
Composed of the talkative Fizzle, the reckless Sizzle, and the gruff veteran Guzzle.
- Adaptation Name Change: For some reason, the Marvel UK comics dubbed the group "Sparklers".
- Ax-Crazy: GUZZLE. By the time of Sins of the Wreckers, Guzzle has become so kill-crazy that even the Wreckers think he's gone too far, literally getting drunk as he chugs the fuel of his defeated enemies by this point... so he's violent, psychotic, and heavily intoxicated.
- The Berserker: Guzzle has become this after the events of The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers, to the point that he has become so terrifyingly batshit cuckoo that Impactor of all people thinks the Wreckers have no choice but to lock Guzzle in a tiny, windowless cell most of the time.
- Blood Knight: Guzzle's experiences in Last Stand of the Wreckers have turned him into one. When escaping from the Decepticons, Impactor notes that Guzzle doesn't want to fight his way out, he wants to murder his way out. Eventually, Guzzle ends up killing everyone he faces just as a general rule.
- Composite Character: Generation 2 and Fun Publications claim that Fizzle is the same guy as Blaze with the latter stating that Blaze is Fizzle's loose-cannon alter ego. The TFWiki ran with this...but IDW's comics show Fizzle as just going by that name instead of Blaze.
- Drives Like Crazy: Sizzle, who tends to treat traffic laws as optional suggestions rather than anything more concrete.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Fizzle, who gets even worse in regards to bragging and blaming when he puts away enough cheap energon.
- Dub Name Change: In Japan Fizzle was known as Wildspark, Sizzle as Hotspark, and Guzzle as Hardspark.
- Hyperactive Metabolism: Guzzle is extremely fuel inefficient and has to consume large amounts of fuel to function. In the IDW continuity, this is a side effect of his body and alt mode upgrades.
- In Harm's Way: Sizzle, who "only enjoys life when he's in danger." Problem is, he's also a relatively mediocre fighter. It's a wonder he hasn't actually died in any of the comics.
- Never My Fault: Fizzle does not take responsibility for his screw-ups well... or at all, actually.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Fizzle, as a result of his overinflated sense of importance versus the actual modest results he gets.
- Tank Goodness: Guzzle transforms into a tank.
- Theme Naming: Their names all end in 'zzle'.
- The Resenter: IDW Guzzle is this towards Kup as many of his friends were killed by the old bot while trying to rescue him from himself.
Splashdown (スプラッシュダウン suprurasshudaun)
Function: Naval Commander
Alt Mode: Cybertronian Hovercraft
"Outflank your enemy and you won't have to outgun him."
An Autobot Pretender who's jovial, efficient and dedicated to the Autobot cause.- Animal Motifs: His shell's chest-plate is themed after a shark.
- Genius Bruiser: A powerful and skilled naval tactician.
- Land, Sea, Sky: The Sea to Groundbreaker's Land and Sky High's Sky.
- Leader Wannabe: He has a bad habit of trying to take charge on non-aquatic missions.
- Out of Focus: He's never been very prominent, even by Pretender standards.
The Triggerbots
Function: Lookout (Backstreet), Aerial Combat (Dogfight), Scout (Override)
Alt Modes: Porsche 962-based Le Mans racing car (Backstreet), Grumman X-29 fighter jet (Dogfight), 1980s Suzuki touring motorcycle (Override)
Backstreet
Dogfight
Override
Backstreet: "A moment of indecision can be your last."
Dogfight: "Don't fire 'til you see the lights of their eyes."
Override: "Let your actions do the talking and no one will misunderstand you."
Dogfight: "Don't fire 'til you see the lights of their eyes."
Override: "Let your actions do the talking and no one will misunderstand you."
Composed of the nervous Backstreet, the homicidal Dogfight, and the brash Override.
- Ace Pilot: Dogfight, much like Powerglide. Perhaps even moreso—he doesn't let his ego get in the way of his assessment of his skills.
- Ax-Crazy: Dogfight toward Decepticons.
- Cool Bike: Override spends time as a heavily souped-up Suzuki touring cycle.
- Cool Car: Backstreet's alternate mode is a slick, futuristic Le Mans racer.
- Cool Plane: Dogfight, who turns into a Grumman X-29 experimental fighter craft.
- Crying Wolf: Backstreet, not out of malice, but because at heart he's half lightning-fast reflexes and half near-crippling anxiety.
- The Dandy: Override, who obsesses over his looks and sinks into an inconsolable funk if his finish gets scratched.
- Good Is Not Nice: The comic issue "Kings of the Wild Frontier" has them brainwashed by a group of psychic vampires. When they snap out of it, Dogfight kills their patriarch by grabbing his gun, while Backstreet and Override deal with the others (who are shown to include women and children). The vampire taunts Dogfight that he doesn't know how about the horrors of war.Dogfight: We live and breathe warfare day in and day out. It's the only life some of us have known. We know exactly how to fight - we just don't like doing it.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Dogfight, who needs several chill pills and a few decades of anger management therapy. Fittingly, he's part of the Triggerbot subgroup.
- Hero-Worshipper: IDW comics makes Dogfight a great admirer of Optimus Prime.
- Hidden Weapons: Their shared gimmick with the Triggercons—each can quickly flick out a pair of guns hidden in their bodies to bring to bear on enemies.
- Hold Your Hippogriffs: Dogfight's motto, replacing "whites" with "lights" to make the phrase more applicable to the optics of Transformers.
- Killed Off for Real: In the Generation 2 comics, Override gets torn to pieces by a revived Megatron.
- Mauve Shirt: While Dogfight at least gets some lines, Backstreet and Override are only used as crowd filler in the IDW comics.
- Nervous Wreck: Backstreet, a jittery and anxious lookout who jumps to conclusions.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Dogfight's guns are black instead of chrome like his allies.
- Primary-Color Champion: Dogfight has a blue body with a red face and yellow eyes. Override is also mostly red and blue with a yellow visor.
- Refuge in Audacity: Override's modus operandi: they can't really put up that much of a fight if they're too stunned by your sheer gall and chutzpah beforehand.
- Super-Senses: Backstreet has extremely keen senses. Too bad that he's so twitchy and nervous that he constantly arrives at the wrong conclusions from the right information.
- Wrong Line of Work: Backstreet, a lookout with Super-Senses. Sounds great, right? Not when he's also a skittish, anxiety-riddled mess who jumps to conclusions. It's heavily implied that Backstreet would be better in the role of a field trooper where he wouldn't have the opportunity to overthink anything, as all of his stats are actually quite decent and he's unusually resilient.
Waverider (ウェーブライダー wēburaidā)
Function: Naval Warfare
Alt Mode: Cybertronian submarine
"Freedom for all starts with freedom of navigation."
A peaceful Autobot who is also a very formidable warrior.- Gentle Giant: A caring and peaceful Autobot.
- Killed Off for Real: In the Marvel UK comics he was destroyed by one of Unicron's eye blasts.
- Unwanted Assistance: He has a bad habit of offering to talk to his fellow Autobots about their problems, even when they clearly don't want to. In the G1 Marvel comics, this almost earned him an Energon sword in the face, courtesy of Grimlock.
1989 Autobots
The Battle Patrol
Function: Rapid Deployment Strike Force
Alt Modes: TOS-1 Buratino (Flak), Denel G-6 self-propelled gun (Big Shot), Roland anti-aircraft missile launcher (Sidetrack), E-2C Hawkeye AEW plane (Sunrunner)
Big Shot
Sidetrack
Flak
Sunrunner
"It is better to strike first, than to not strike at all."
Composed of Flak, Sidetrack, Sun-Runner, and Big Shot.
- Attack! Attack! Attack!: Big Shot and Sidetrack prefer to simply blast a target until it's reduced to scrap, then move on to the next.
- Black-and-White Morality: Sidetrack: He fights for the Autobots because they're the "good guys" and hates the Decepticons because they're the "bad guys". That's about the limit of his understanding of the reasons for their conflict.
- Character Death: Sidetrack gets killed in the Micromaster comics. And partly because of his own jerkassery delaying the Hot Rod Patrol from warning the Autobots about Skystalker's plans.
- Dub Name Change: Big Shot is known as Topshot in Japan.
- Jerkass: Most of them have their heads up their afts.
- Non-Indicative Name: Think Sidetrack's name comes from low attention problems? Wrong. He doesn't have the processing power for that. His name actually comes from the fact his vehicle mode tracks... fall off.
- Stealing the Credit: Sunrunner has a habit of placing more importance on his own contributions in battle rather than on Flak's planning.
- Smug Super: Like most Autobots with flying vehicle modes, Sunrunner feels more than a little superior to his ground-bound comrades.
- The Smart Guy: Flak is the one who comes up with the team's plans.
- Tank Goodness: Big Shot's alternate mode.
- Token Flyer: Sunrunner, which goes to his head.
Countdown (カウントダウン kauntodaun)
Function: Aerospace Commander
Alt Mode: Lunar Rover
"For a world without evil, you need a universe without evil."
A Micromaster, he runs the Autobots' Rocket Base.
- Big Good: Tried to be this for the Micromasters. Whether it worked is another matter.
- Hero of Another Story: According to the Dreamwave comics, at least.
- Killed Off for Real: Gets killed by personality ticks during IDW's More than Meets the Eye.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Countdown's tendency to get involved in other people's problems can get him into hot water.
Crossblades
Function: Ground Reinforcement
Alt Modes: Helicopter, Cybertronian Racecar
"A warrior is only as good as his weapons."
A Mega Pretender with a transformable outer shell, Crossblades is a skilled flyer who annoys his comrades by bragging about his skills.
- C-List Fodder: The one time he appeared in the Marvel comics, it was to get shot out of the sky. Jeez.
- Mauve Shirt: He plays a supporting role in Classics alongside the other Autobot Pretenders, getting injured by Thunder Mayhem in the process.
Doubleheader (ダブルヘッダー daburuheddā)
Function: Surveillance
Alt Mode: Twin-Cockpit Suborbital Fighter
"Burn, baby, burn!"
A Pretender whose outer shell resembles a two-headed humanoid space explorer.
- Cool Starship: He turns into a twin-cockpit suborbital fighter.
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin: Doubleheader does have two heads.
- Multiple Head Case: Each head actually has a different function.
- Out of Focus: Even by Pretender standards, Doubleheader has received very little focus in spite of his unusual design.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Having two heads means his shell isn't a very good disguise.
Erector (Cragun (クレーガン kurēgan))
Function: Construction Engineer
Alt Mode: Crane truck
"Everyone loses if there's nothing to win."
A reserved Autobot who's not fond of collateral damage.- Dub Name Change: Known as Cragun in Zone.
- Joke Character: His name has propelled him into one, he even became a finalist for the Hall of Fame.
- Mauve Shirt: He plays a minor role during Beast Wars: Uprising, and he also makes a minor appearance in the 2019 IDW continuity as a crew member under Ultra Magnus.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Went up against the Constructicons, and destroyed them (temporarily).
Groundshaker
Function: Field Commander
Alt Mode: Fighter Jet
"A life without risk is a life without reward."
A seasoned warrior who often charges into battle guns blazing.- Leeroy Jenkins: He has a habit of rushing off into situations without thinking.
- Mighty Glacier: Despite turning into a jet, Groundershaker's pretty slow.
- Number Two: Serves as this for Countdown in the Dreamwave comics.
- Old Soldier: Dreamwave makes him an older Micromaster who willingly scaled down to his current size instead of being born that way.
Hot House (ホットハウス hotto hausu)
Function: Long Range Defense
Alt Mode: A-10 Thunderbolt ground-strike plane
"Communication is the key that unlocks victory."
A thinker who is very attentive to detail. He also has a facility which shares his name.- Firemen Are Hot: Hot House's facility is basically a mobile fire station with repair equipment, guns and a cannon that's bigger than the Micromaster himself.
- Genius Loci: Generation Selects Hot House is actually a fire station that turns into a huge robot.
- Palette Swap: Of Tailwind.
Ironworks (アイアンワークス aianwākusu)
Function: Communications Bay
Alt Mode: Semi-truck cab
"Strong support needs a good foundation."
An eccentric hermit who specialises artistically by building odd structures around him.- Genius Loci: Generation Selects Ironworks is actually a construction station who turns into a huge robot.
- Loners Are Freaks: His isolation has made him a little odd. Mainly in the form of putting up sculptures around his base.
- Palette Swap: Of Powertrain.
Longtooth (ロングトゥース rongutūsu)
Function: Undersea Defense
Alt Mode: Amphibious transport vehicle
"The greatest truths lie at the greatest depths."
A dedicated follower of the Autobots who believes that diligence and persistence will earn them victory.- Character Focus: Of an issue of the comic's "Matrix Quest" storyline.
- Sanity Slippage: After losing his leg to a whale. Which he then tried to hunt down and kill.
- Those Two Guys: In the 2005 IDW continuity he's always seen with Circuit.
- Warm-Hearted Walrus: A heroic Autobot whose Pretender Shell looks like a humanoid walrus.
The Off Road Patrol (Off Road Patrol Team (オフロードパトロールチーム ofu rōdo patorōru chīmu))
Function: Covert Activities
Alt Modes: Pickup truck (Mudslinger), Truck (High Jump), Semi-trailer "sleeper cab" truck (Powertrain), Minivan (Tote)
Powertrain
High Jump
Mudslinger
Tote
"Don't follow orders, follow instincts."
Composed of Mudslinger, High Jump, Powertrain, and Tote.
- Can't Take Criticism: Mudslinger doesn't handle criticism very well.
- Didn't Think This Through: Mudslinger has a bad habit of acting before thinking.
- Dub Name Change: In Japan, Mudslinger is known as Footdemo, Powertrain as Freed, Highjump as Nutshell and Tote is known as Flak.
- Indy Ploy: Tote has a special talent for improvisation, which comes in handy whenever Mudslinger needs to be bailed of trouble. Unfortunately, this means he doesn't stick to pre-planned strategies very well.
- Mauve Shirt: In Transformers (2019), Mudslinger, Highjump and Tote are part of a group of Autobots protecting a caravan of organic refugees from a swarm of Insecticon clones.
- Odd Friendship: The cautious and by-the-book Powertrain gets along well with the somewhat insubordinate Highjump.
- Orange/Blue Contrast: Mudslinger and Powertrain are colored orange and blue, which serves as contrast for Highjump and Tote's red and grey color scheme.
- Pragmatic Hero: While Powertrain is a By-the-Book Cop, he's also a pragmatist who knows that at times following the rules isn't the answer.
Overload (Roadjet (ロードジェット rōdojetto))
Function: Troop Transport
Alt Mode: Semi cab
"Know your enemy and he's yours."
A tactician who was assigned to troop transport with an obsessive interest on Decepticons' mental thought.- Almighty Janitor: His function is just cargo transport, but he's a tactical genius when placed on the battlefield.
- Dub Name Change: Known as Roadjet in Zone.
- Out of Focus: Other than a minor appearance in Zone, he's a borderline Toyline-Exclusive Character.
Pincher (ピンチャー pinchā)
Function: Chemical Engineer
Alt Mode: Scorpion
"Be humble of word, but great in deed."
An over-achieving mad chemist.- Beware My Stinger Tail: A given as he transforms into a scorpion. His tail has the standard paralyzing venom but also functions as a drill that can drain fuel.
- Mad Scientist: Described as such in his Tech-Specs; Pincher is an eccentric genius who creates various chemical concoctions in his lab.
- Scary Scorpions: He is the very first Autobot who has this as his alternate mode.
The Race Car Patrol (Race Car Patrol Team (レースカーパトロールチーム rēsu kā patorōru chīmu))
Function: Reconnaissance
Alt Modes: Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Sportscar (Roadhandler), Lamborghini Countach Sportscar (Freewheeler), DeLorean DMC-12 Sportscar (Swindler), Porsche 962 Racecar (Tailspin)
Roadhandler
Freewheeler
Swindler
Tailspin
Roadhandler: "Unwary warriors soon become wrecks."
Freewheeler: "Avoid the potholes on the road of life."
Swindler: "Burn rubber, not energon."
Tailspin: "Put the pedal to the metal."
Freewheeler: "Avoid the potholes on the road of life."
Swindler: "Burn rubber, not energon."
Tailspin: "Put the pedal to the metal."
Composed of Swindler, Freewheeler, Roadhandler, and Tailspin.
- The Chains of Commanding: Road Handler is often so busy watching over his troops that he neglects his own needs.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: The Marvel US comics had them drive off into the night, never to be seen or heard from again.
- Cool Car: As their team name suggests. Swindler turns into a DeLorean DMC 12, Tailspin turns into a Porsche 652, Freewheeler becomes a Lamborghini Countach, and Roadhandler is a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Tailspin is pretty awful at reconnaissance, since his hot-blooded nature means if he sees a 'con, he's going to attack them.
- Pintsized Powerhouse: Dreamwave Roadhandler once tore off a full-sized Decepticon's head.
- The Slacker: The aptly-named Freewheeler tends to coast aimlessly through life. If it weren't for Roadhandler constantly guiding him along, he'd be useless to the team.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Swindler and Tailspin's polar opposite personalities make it difficult for them to work together.
- Vigilante Man: In the Marvel US comics, they took up crimefighting in New York to mend Autobot-human relations. It actually worked.
- Weak, but Skilled: Swindler is smart and capable, but very weak (even for a Micromaster).
The Rescue Patrol
Function: Search & Rescue
Alt Modes: Fire Engine Truck (Red Hot), Ambulance (Fixit), Hydrofoil (Seawatch), Ford Taurus Police Car (Stakeout)
Fixit
Red Hot
Seawatch
Stakeout
"True victory can lie only in the ability to locate and mend the injured."
Composed of Red Hot, Seawatch, Fixit, and Stakeout.
- Didn't Think This Through: Stakeout has a habit of rushing into things without thinking them over.
- The Medic: Fixit is this for the team, and in the later comics, to the Autobots as a whole.
- Primary-Color Champion: All of them have red or blue somewhere in their bodies.
- Soapbox Sadie: Seawatch has a habit of lecturing others about keeping the oceans clean.
- Thrill Seeker: Red Hot. He loves charging into burning buildings to save others.
Skyhammer
Function: Ground and Air Assault
Alt Modes: Flying Fortress, Cybertronic Car
"There is no disgrace in not succeeding, only in not trying."
A clever, courageous fighter who can combat Decepticons on both land and air. However, he's rather grating to his comrades.- The Friend Nobody Likes: His overbearing attitude means few of his teammates can stand being around him.
- Insufferable Genius: He's always eager to help his comrades. Unfortunately, he does so in the most condescending manner possible, always lecturing them on how he would handle the problem, to their constant annoyance.
- Irony: If it wasn't for his insufferable attitude he would be considered an Ideal Hero.
- Knight in Shining Armor: He's courageous, clever, optimistic and tenacious and very often helps out and defends his comrades.
- Shock and Awe: His shell wields two "lightning bolt" cannons in both modes.
Vroom (ヴルーム vurūmu)
Function: Saboteur
Alt Modes: Cybertronian Motorcycle, Cybertronian Car
"Don't take a chance if you don't stand a chance."
An adrenaline junkie who pushes his luck rather than working efficiently.- Mauve Shirt: In Classics he plays a supporting role alongside the other Pretenders, taking an injured Crossblades to safety.
- Thrill Seeker: Before the war, he was a stunt driver. As a saboteur, he likes to make as narrow an escape from an exploding building as he possibly can.
1990 Autobots
The Air Patrol (Sky Patrol Team (スカイパトロールチーム sukai patorōru chīmu))
Function: Air Defense
Alt Modes: Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low helicopter (Blaze Master), Concorde Super Sonic Transport jet (Sky High), Boeing-McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18C Hornet fighter jet (Eagle Eye), Stealth Bomber Jet (Treadbolt)
Eagle Eye
Blaze Master
Sky High
Treadbolt
- "Keep your eye to the sky!"
Composed of Blaze Master, Sky High (the other one), Eagle Eye, and Treadbolt.
- The Cynic: Blaze Master contrasts with his optimistic comrade Sky High, having very low standards of life.
- A Doormat to His Men: Eagle Eye does little to quell the in-fighting amongst the group, mostly due to not wanting to boss them around.
- Gender Flip: Sky High is female in Beast Wars: Uprising.
- One-Steve Limit: Sky High has the same name as the Pretender introduced just two years earlier. Eagle Eye meanwhile has the same name as the Skyscorcher introduced two years later.
- The Pollyanna: Sky High is relentlessly cheerful and positive (which really puts him at odds with Blaze Master).
- The Sociopath: Blaze Master is another candidate for most morally-bankrupt Autobot; his favorite pastime is covering Decepticons in napalm, then laughing as they burn to death.
- Stealth Expert: Treadbolt. He prefers to hone his abilities by disappearing for long periods of time, then reappearing in a teammates' quarters (to their annoyance).
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The majority of the team do not get along with each other.
The Astro Squad
Function: Interstellar Defense
Alt Modes: Lunar Exploration vehicle (Heave and Barrage), Space Shuttle (Blast Master and Phaser), Wheeled truck (Moonrock and Missile Master)
Blast Master
Phaser
Heave
Barrage
Missile Master
Moonrock
- "There's no speed like light speed!"
Composed of Heave, Barrage, Blast Master, Moonrock, Phaser, and Missile Master.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Blast Master loves engaging into battle with reckless enthusiasm.
- Control Freak: Missile Master. If he's not in charge of a situation, he'll sit in a corner and think about how he could totally do it so much better.
- Dumb Muscle: Barrage isn't much of a thinker. If dealing with anything non-combat related, his mind drifts.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Barrage loves to rush headfirst into battle, usually not noticing or caring that Heave isn't anywhere near as enthusiastic.
- Mellow Fellow: Moonrock is described as laid-back, mellow, and completely lacking in ambition, with his primary goals seem to revolve around philosophy, and finding the Autobots' "place in the universe".
- Odd Couple: Each pairing is ridiculously mismatched, but the reluctant Heave and battle-loving Barrage are this most of all.
- Only Sane Man: Phaser, especially when compared to the boisterous Blast Master, the controlling Missile Master, the laid-back Moonrock, the reckless Barrage and the reluctant Heave. Unfortunately the burden can be too much for him.
- Out of Focus: The Astro Squad hasn't received much focus either individually or as a group.
- Reluctant Warrior: Heave would rather not fight, so he's usually dragged into battle by Barrage.
The Construction Patrol (Build Patrol Team (ビルドパトロールチーム birudo patorōru chīmu))
Function: Ground Reinforcement
Alt Modes: Bulldozer (Neutro), Crane truck (Crumble), Cement Mixer truck (Takedown), Earth Mover (Groundpounder)
Takedown
Groundpounder
Neutro
Crumble
- "The foundations of freedom are forged on solid ground."
Composed of Groundpounder, Neutro, Takedown, and Crumble.
- Bit Character: The Construction Patrol has been limited to very minor appearances in both the 2005 IDW continuity and Regeneration One.
- Did Not Think This Through: Groundpounder's tendency to dig into buried power lines, gas mains, and sewage pipes has made him less-than-popular with his teammates.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: Crumble keeps accidentally breaking things.
- Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Takedown, who believes in growth and progress, just can't understand why the Decepticons are so keen on destruction.
- The Peter Principle: Takedown is described as a brilliant organizer, but his tactics are very weak.
Full-Barrel and Overflow
Function: Regional Ground/Air Defense
Alt Mode: Trailer truck
- "Speed and power are the driving force for victory."
Two Micromasters who run the Autobots' Battlefield Headquarters.
- Leeroy Jenkins: Full-Barrel's idea of strategy is charging headfirst into battle.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The two of them respectively. Overflow is a cool-headed bot who tries hard to rein in the impulsive Full-Barrel's Leeroy Jenkins tendencies.
The Hot Rod Patrol (Hot Rod Team (ホットロッドチーム hotto roddo chīmu))
Function: Highway Recon
Alt Modes: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible (Big Daddy), 1934 Ford "Deuce Coupe" (Greaser), 1941 Willys Coupe (Hubs), 1966 Ford Mustang fastback (Trip-Up)
Big Daddy
Trip-Up
Hubs
Greaser
- "The essence of speed relies on our power to perform."
Composed of Trip-Up, Hubs, Greaser, and Big Daddy.
- Ascended Extra: They were the protagonists of the Dreamwave-era Micromasters series.
- The Baby of the Bunch: By Cybertronian standards, they're all young punks, but Hubs is the young-est and punk-iest of them all.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Greaser used to take part in deadly underground races after being blacklisted from regular sports. He's quite sensitive about it.
- Dub Name Change: Big Daddy is known as Grease, Hubs is Lucas, Greaser is Legs, and Trip-Up is Vanishing.
- Hot-Blooded: Trip-Up will jump into battle at the drop of a hat.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Off-duty, the whole team is so rebellious they could easily be mistaken for Decepticons.
- Only Sane by Comparison: Big Daddy is the least irresponsible of the bunch. This isn't saying much.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Trip-Up is not a good influence on the young, impressionable and hot-blooded Hubs.
Jackpot (ジャックポット jakkupotto)
Function: Strategist
Alt Mode: Sports car
- "You can't win if you don't play."
- Born Lucky: Whenever he places a bet, he always comes out on top.
- Character Focus: His appearance in the Fan-club story "Gone Too Far" marked his first major starring role ever. He later became a semi-recurring character in MTMTE.
- Handsome Lech: In TransTech.
- Hustler: Ditto.
- Palette Swap: He finally receives a transforming figure for War for Cybertron: Kingdom as a redeco and retool of Jazz.
- Those Two Guys: With Hubcap (ditto, again).
Kick-Off (キックオフ kikku ofu)
Function: Security Expert
Alt Mode: Sports Car
- "Draw courage from defeat and you gain more than you lose."
- Dark and Troubled Past: He was captured by the Decepticons, held prisoner in Polyhex, and was forced to fight and kill other prisoners (including his own friends) for the sake of his captors' amusement. All of this made him a very bitter bot.
- Fantastic Racism: Hates the Decepticons even more than other Autobots do. While it's justified, given what they have put him through, the hatred extends to anyone who wears a Decepticon badge, even if that would be, say, a heroic Mirror Universe Decepticon.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: Thanks to all the Gladiator Games he was forced to partake in, he became very experienced in hand-to-hand combat.
- I Work Alone: Prefers to work alone due to unpleasant memories of being forced to fight his fellow Autobots while in prison.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: One of the few Transformers who hates transforming.Kick-Off: Alt-modes are for wimps!
- Revenge: Really wants to enact one on the Decepticons for imprisoning him.
- Shoot the Dog: Was forced to kill one of his friends while in a Decepticon prison.
Mainframe (メインフレーム meinfurēmu)
Function: Systems Analyst
- "A program is only as good as its programmer."
- Adaptational Badass: For the Kingdom toyline, Mainframe is given an alt-mode — and it's none other than Teletraan 1, one of the Autobot's most important assets in the cartoon and a few other G1-related media.
- Absent-Minded Professor: See The Spock. He's not very interested in the war, opting to solve mathematical problems instead.
- Composite Character: Mainframe's toy released under the Kingdom toyline is made to transform into the bridge of the Ark. He transforms into Teletraan 1, the Autobots' main computer.
- Mauve Shirt: He was a semi-recurring character through More Than Meets the Eye.
- The Spock: Logical and intelligent. He's more eager to dig into mathematical problems than bashing 'cons. Of course, he won't hesitate to join the fight if need be.
The Metro Squad
Function: Urban Protection
Alt Modes: Fire Engine Trailer (Road Burner and Wheel Blaze), Tanker Truck (Oiler and Slide), Hovercraft (Power Run and Strikedown)
Road Burner
Wheel Blaze
Oiler
Slide
Power Run
Strikedown
- "Protecting life is the most unselfish act of all!"
Composed of Road Burner, Power Run, Slide, Oiler, Strikedown, and Wheel Blaze.
- Character Focus: Slide was a major character at the end of IDW's first continuity.
- The Cynic: Strikedown likes to shoot down the ideas of others - sometimes before they're even halfway through explaining.
- Gender Flip: In Beast Wars: Uprising, Oiler's a gal. In IDW's continuity, it's Slide.
- Heroic BSoD: Road Burner is prone to fall into these if there are any losses on a mission.
- Miles Gloriosus: Wheel Blaze likes to think he's cool, calm and competent in a crisis. He's anything but. The worst part is, he actually is smart, strong and capable of planning, it's just that in the field... this tends to evaporate, and the others oil themselves when they hear him cry "I'll handle this!"
- Oil Slick: Slide can exude a "frictionless gel", primarily through his feet.
- Out of Focus: With the exception of Oiler and Slide, the Metro Squad has received very little focus and would be considered lucky to get a minor cameo.
- Stepford Smiler: Oiler hides his problems from the team.
The Monster Trucks Patrol (Big Truck Team (ビッグトラックチーム biggu torakku chīmu))
Function: Ground Transport
Alt Modes: Six-wheeled, double-engined, tractor-pull funny car (Heavy Tread), Semi Cab (Big Hauler), Ford Bronco (Hydraulic), REO Speed Wagon (Slow Poke)
Hydraulic
Heavy Tread
Big Hauler
Slow Poke
- "We're a giant, mobile wall of Autobot might!"
Composed of Heavy Tread, Big Hauler, Hydraulic, and Slow Poke.
- The All-Solving Hammer: Hydraulic is by no means stupid. In fact, he's quite smart. He just feels his tactics have worked so far, so why change 'em? Never mind that this makes him easy for Decepticons to predict.
- Beneath the Mask: Heavy Tread likes to paint himself as a prankster, but underneath he's got severe self-worth issues, feeling that his teammates won't like him if he can't amuse them. This impacts his work.
- Brutal Honesty: Hydraulic feels that if there's a problem, it should be addressed immediately, subtlety be damned. This has been known to result in hurt feelings.
- C-List Fodder: The only appearance of Heavy Tread in the first IDW comic continuity is getting his head blown off by an anti-person mine.
- The Cynic: Slow Poke is easily the most negative of the team, but at the same time, the most stubborn.
- The Eeyore: Big Hauler can find the negative in just about anything, and can be safely relied on to bring the mood down.
- I Will Fight Some More Forever: Slow Poke is so relentlessly stubborn he will keep fighting a hopeless battle, forcing his teammates to drag him out before he gets himself killed.
- Lightning Bruiser: Big Hauler turns into a monster truck which can top out at Mach 2.
- Out of Focus: When compared to other Micromaster teams, the Monster Truck Patrol have received very little focus in any media since their debut.
Over-Run
Function: Air Defense
- "I rule the skies with a heavy hand!"
- Mauve Shirt: He has a supporting role in the Wings of Honor Universe as part of the Elite Guard, until his death at the hands of Bruticus, getting crushed by his own Attack Copter.
- The Neidermeyer: He treats his comrades like dirt, especially if they get in his way of winning an air battle. Everyone unsurprisingly loathes him in return.
- Primary-Color Champion: He has a bright red and yellow color scheme.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He treats any aerial battle with the 'Cons like it's his own responsibility.
Pipeline and Gusher
Function: Ground Defense and Counterattack
Alt Mode: Backhoe Truck
- "Leave the enemy spitting dust and bolts."
Two bickering Micromasters who command the Autobots' Tanker Trucks.
- Odd Couple: Gusher's antics seem to get on Pipeline's wiring, angering the latter. It's a wonder how they were partnered.
- Palette Swap: Pipeline is a redeco of Grit and Gusher of Knockout.
- Tank Goodness: Well, it's less of a tank and more of a Backhoe Truck between the two of them, but combining each with another vehicle that's based on the military will make them look like a tank.
- Toyline-Exclusive Character: Neither of them have appeared in media outside the original toyline.
Rad (ラッド raddo)
Function: Aerospace Engineer
- "Think before you shoot, but shoot before you're shot!"
- The Ace: A skilled warrior, a top scientist, and a rational problem solver.
- The Berserker: Lionizer. Rad often finds himself having to deal with conflicts Lionizer's temper drags him into.
- Dishing Out Dirt: He wields a silicate particle blaster which erodes enemy armor.
- Mauve Shirt: He has a minor supporting role in the IDW comics, including joing the Lost Light crew.
- Primary-Color Champion: He has a prominent red, blue and yellow color scheme.
Retro and Surge
Function: Long Range Defense
Alt Mode: Crane truck
- "Perseverance leads to triumph."
Two battle-hardened Micromasters who pilot the Autobots' Missile Launchers.
- Desperately Needs Orders: Surge is extremely eager to follow the examples of veteran Autobots (like his partner, Retro). This often leaves him too reliant on orders and advice to function effectively.
- Palette Swap: Retro is a redeco of Stonecruncher and Surge of Excavator.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Retro has seen countless Autobot cities and defenses fall over the years, and is haunted by every one of those memories.
- Student–Master Team: Surge is eager to listen to and learn from Retro's stories of the past, forging a strong bond between them.
- Toyline-Exclusive Character: Neither Retro nor Surge have appeared in any media that has adapted the G1 Micromasters, not even Dreamwave or IDW comics.
Rollout (ロールアウト rōruauto)
Function: Covert Operations
- "The greater the weapon, the greater the power!"
- Beleaguered Assistant: His partner Glitch is the real reason for all his successes, but Rollout keeps getting all the credit.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: Claims to be a great covert operative, but it's really Glitch who does all the work.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: His comrades are annoyed by his habit of responding to friendly questions by saying the answer is "classified" or "on a need-to-know basis".
- Wrong Line of Work: He's loud, brash, and prefers weapons that make the biggest explosions. The only reason he's gotten anywhere as a covert operative is because of his partner Glitch constantly telling him what to do and fixing his near-fatal blunders.
Skyfall (スカイフォール sukaifōru)
Function: Weapons Engineer
- "Flying is the ultimate freedom."
- Adaptational Jerkass: His IDW counterpart stole the credit for the creation of Optimus Prime's ion blaster from his co-worker Ironfist, unfairly attaining a high-ranking position because of this.
- A Day in the Limelight: "Bullets" is the only story he's had a major role.
- False Friend: In Last Stand of the Wreckers, to Ironfist. And even "friend" is pushing it, since Skyfall spends all his time trying to steal credit, frame his BFF and makes passive-aggresive digs at him constantly. And that's before he steps up to attempted murder.
- Gadgeteer Genius: His LSOTW depiction is a weapons inventor. Problem is, most of his inventions don't work properly. An attempt at improving Glass Gas resulted in guns that shattered the minute someone tried to fire them.
- I Just Want to Be Free: Skyfall would like nothing more than to be able to fly through the sky to his spark's content.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After the Glass Gas incident, Skyfall was demoted to being a prison guard.
- Mighty Glacier: His partner, Topheavy, is extremely slow and plodding. Skyfall often has to slow down so he can catch up.
- The Resenter: Again, in LSOTW, towards Ironfist.
- Rhino Rampage: Topheavy is a robot rhino.
- Small Name, Big Ego: IDW Skyfall. Even after he gets his coveted position at Kimia, he manages to scupper it by refusing to follow the rules, apparently figuring he can get away with just ignoring them. He promptly ends up in serious hot water.
- Stealing the Credit: IDW Skyfall was mistakenly credited for designing Optimus's famous rifle, rather than Ironfist. Skyfall just never corrected anyone because he didn't want to embarass Optimus. Honest.
- Stolen Credit Backfire: After taking credit for designing Optimus' ion blaster from Ironfist, Skyfall was assigned to the Kimia Facility, the key Autobot research and development facility. When Ironfist developed cold phosphex (better known as the glass gas famously used by Cliffjumper), Skyfall developed an even more potent version called black phosphex. It was so potent, in fact, that a group of Autobots field testing it were almost killed when their weapons crumbled to dust in their hands, leaving them defenseless. The debacle resulted in Skyfall being demoted to prison guard.
Sprocket
Function: Surface Surveillance
- "Know your enemy and victory is yours!"
- Blood Knight: He never takes prisoners.
- Cloudcuckoolander: In Wings of Honor.
- Polar Opposite Twins: With Rumbler in Wings of Honor, being focused and dilligent to Sprocket's spacey personality.
- Shapeshifter Mode Lock: In Wings of Honor, Sprocket, Rumbler, Powerflash, Gutcruncher, Charger and Take-Off were all exposed to a crystal monolith whose energy gave them greater strength at the cost of their ability to transform.
- Wrong Line of Work: Sprocket loves to fight to the finish, and never takes prisoners... yet, due to poor resource allocation management, he has been placed in a surveillance position. This often results in a loss of valuable intel, since he simply can't observe Decepticon activity without attacking. To his credit, he always reports back on what was happening up until that point.
