MECHA PROFILES 2 & TRANSFORMERS GLOSSARY:
Disclaimer: Though the following information is organised by me and supplemented by my ideas, none of the source material is mine. Ergo, I own none of this.
A/N: What follows is first TF-Style profiles for the Tyrranicons, and then a glossary of Transformer Terms for GW fans, along with a shortened history of the TF universe.
Enjoy! (And I love feedback, so get in touch.)
TYRRANICON PROFILES.
"Let the new world be born in the fires of war"
FUNCTION: Overlord / Tyrant
STRENGTH: 10 RANK: 10 COURAGE: 8 ENDURANCE: 10 FIREPOWER: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 10 SPEED: 9
Weaponry: Plasma Cannon, Cyblade
Voice Actor: Leonard Nimoy
Forged not once, but twice in the fires of Unicron, Galvatron is a machine with a mission, though not the one his master plans.
Galvatron once existed as an extremely intelligent and conniving Decepticon, a lieutenant of Skorpinok who joined a forbidden Cybertronian cult dedicated to the worship of Unicron and the overthrow of Primus and his children. Though he paid lip service to the fallen demi-god, this ambitious soldier's loyalty was always to himself, until he was captured.
Court-martialled and sentenced to execution, the self-serving Decepticon swore himself to Unicron in a final desperate move, at which point he discovered, to his horror, that Unicron was very much real and holding him to his promise. He was reincarnated as Onslaught, and instructed by Unicron to seek out and destroy the two Transformer Matrixes. Leading the Combatacons and wielding the power of Bruticus, Onslaught rapidly rose through the ranks of the Decepticon militia through Megatron's war, until he was entombed within the Nemesis on Earth.
After awakening, Onslaught made an ill-fated bit for power, which resulted in his seeming 'death'. Reaching out with a fraction of his power however, Unicron summoned forth Onslaught's spark, and fabricated him a new form, the apocalyptic Galvatron.
WEAPONS: Galvatron's sports only two weapons, but they are more than effective. His main weapon is the Plasma Cannon, a sleek, deadly weapon that takes its power directly from the mystical energy at the heart of Unicron. Consequently, Galvatron can also feed on this dark energy, turning him into an unstoppable powerhouse. The cannon alone has the ability to render an entire planet uninhabitable with a single shot, an ability equal (in human terms) to the full power of the battleship Libra.
Galvatron's only other weapon is a heavy broadsword - the Cyblade, but this weapon is more than mere steel. The centre is a thick Gundanium blade, and the razor-edge is maintained by a thin beam projection. The elaborate hilt is also crafted to resemble the sigil of the Decepticons. The Cyblade is so heavy, a normal Transformer would be required to use both hands to wield it, but Galvatron is strong enough to wield it one-handed.
The Cyblade also has a curious past. In an infinite universe, all things are possible, including the existence of identical planets, and on two remarkably similar clones of Earth and Cybertron existed a legendary sword known as the Starsaber. Unicron retained this as a token of his victory when he consumed both worlds. It is this mythical sword, reforged that now rides on Galvatron's hip. (What this means is--ARMADA'S DEAD -- depending on your preference, rejoice or weep, I can't decide.)
ABILITIES: Galvatron possesses all of Onslaught's cunning and intelligence, but is now endowed with power beyond comprehension. His physical strength could only be possibly matched by Optimus Prime or Megatron, and his firepower, as stated above is above and beyond any other Transformer or Human weaponry.
Oddly for a transformer, Galvatron and all of his Tyrranicons do not require energon for their sustenance. Each contains a variety on the human's Minovsky fusion reactor, a design that intrigued Unicron for it's clean power and efficiency. The ability to generate great and varied 'beam weapons' also piqued his interest.
Galvatron's transformation is an advanced artillery piece, which has advantage over his humanoid form in that it actually increases his firepower, by allowing his core reactor to link directly up to the cannon's firing mechanism. With a fair wind, Galvatron in this mode could seriously fracture a planet's crust.
Galvatron's greatest strength, in all likeliness, is his own depth of thought. Though fully capable of making split-second choices, when allowed to plan ahead he is able to generate near-unbreakable strategies. There is a subtlety to his tactics and though processes that perhaps even Unicron does not comprehend, for though Galvatron is bound on pain of death to serve his master, he is not happy about it, and within him is the burning desire to subvert and ultimately destroy the one he calls 'master' -- for now.
WEAKNESSES: When we hear about any, we'll let you know.CYCLONUS:
"Life is a battle, and I am a warrior"
FUNCTION: Aerospace Commander / Lieutenant
STRENGTH: 7 RANK: 9 COURAGE: 10 ENDURANCE: 10 FIREPOWER: 8 INTELLIGENCE: 8 SPEED: 10 TOTAL: 62
Weaponry: Beam Bayonet (x2), Homing Missile (x20), Plasma Bombardment, Wrist Harpoon
Voice Actor: David Kaye
Despite his demonic heritage and the undisputed evil he serves, Cyclonus is perhaps the most admirable of the Tyrranicons. Built on the remains of the Mercurius and the mind of Heero Yuy he is a soldier of principle; as he says a warrior.
Though his personality was based on Heero's, without the harsh years of discipline the young pilot has endured he is more open in his emotions. Oddly enough he also has excellent leadership potential; being intelligent, resourceful, charismatic and fair-minded.
WEAPONS: Like the legendary Wing Zero, Cyclonus carries an excellent balance of long, medium and short-range weaponry. Curiously, his primary weapon combines all three; the beam bayonet. Depending on the power setting these two weapons (which resembles the rail-gun carried by Command Units in Atari's Transformers game) fire a (combined) beam charge equal to the Twin Buster Rifle. The progressively lower the power setting, the weaker the charge. At the lowest setting, a containment matrix is generated that allows each bayonet to function as a large beam sabre.
The plasma that powers these weapons can also be released from his aircraft mode as energy bombs, which on impact create extreme damage over a small radius. He also boasts homing missiles in his shoulders, and a pair of harpoons on his wrists, which can either be used as cutting tools, or fired at targets to reel them into range of his beam sabres, which he wields with the devastating skill of Heero Yuy.
ABILITIES: Cyclonus is the fastest of all the Tyrranicons. His Alt. Mode is an advanced fighter/bomber hypersonic jet capable of 15,000mph.
A/N. Cyclonus' jet mode is a cross between a C&C Generals Aurora Bomber, and Thunderbird 1, from the Universal motion picture 'Thunderbirds'. His robot mode is identical to Starscream's from 'The War Within', except with a different head, armament and colour scheme. His femme armada differ from him only in terms of size, armament and a lighter build in robot mode. However, in aircraft mode they are visibly smaller and sleeker, with cockpits mounted on the forward end of the nosecone instead of halfway back from the nose as with Cyclonus. He also has a set of canard stabilisers and extra engines unique to him.
WEAKNESSES: Cyclonus's greatest weakness is perhaps his sense of decency. Though he is perfectly capable of ruthless behaviour to his perceived enemy, he will not kick them when they are down. Were he not above all loyal to Galvatron he would be an excellent part of the Autobot/Decepticon Alliance.ARMADA FEMMES:
"Cross one of us, and all three of us come back in your face."
FUNCTION: Aerospace Warriors STRENGTH: 7
RANK: 7
COURAGE: 9 ENDURANCE: 9 FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 7 SPEED: 9 TOTAL: 55
Weaponry: Beam Rifle (x2), Homing Missiles (x20), Beam Sabres (x2)
Voice Actors: Athena Massey, Kari Wuhrer & Ashley Johnson
"Sisters gotta stick together!" These three take that maxim to the limit. They seem inseparable, and when outside of combat pretty much are. However, Alpha, Beta and Gamma are more than capable of fighting and functioning independently.
Their personalities vary, but they are happiest when together. Each however is brave, loyal, powerful and reliable, and all have a close relationship with their commander and 'big brother' Cyclonus, who they almost have as much affection for as themselves. He reciprocates the feeling to a lesser extend, but is not above sending them to die.
WEAPONS: Each of this compact Armada carry a pair of beam rifles, sabres and the 20 missiles of Cyclonus. Unlike Cyclonus, they can fire their energy weapons when in aircraft mode, but lose the plasma bombardment ability. They also do not possess the wrist harpoons of Cyclonus.
ABILITIES: Each femme can reach 12,000 mph in their fighter modes (identical to 'Thunderbird 1'). They are just as skilled with their beam sabres as Cyclonus, but fight with a lighter style than his powerful cuts and lunges.
WEAKNESSES: The femmes are effectively 19-25 mental years old. Though responsible, they can get emotional, especially when one of their trio or Cyclonus is in danger. This concern can often reduce their combat skills. Also, their true loyalty is to Cyclonus, rather than Galvatron, and they share his sense of decency.SCOURGE:
"Life and Death are but words to me"
FUNCTION: Assassin / Lieutenant STRENGTH: 6 RANK: 8 COURAGE: 9
ENDURANCE: 7
FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 10 SPEED: 9 TOTAL: 57
Weaponry: Beam Sword, Heat Rod (x2), Active Cloak, Heat Claws (x10)
Voice Actor: Ron Perlman
Calm in the heat of battle, a master tactician, eloquent speaker and a consummate drinker of fine-grade energon. These qualities lend an aristocratic air to Scourge that hides his inner darkness.
Scourge was generated from the torn remains of the Epyon, and it's mind warping system forms the very core of his mind. Unicron's power and skill created the perfect fusion of the Epyon System and Transformer consciousness making Scourge a powerful physcic, able to gaze into the future and the minds of others with equal ease.
In battle, Scourge is an abomination of war. He delights in the cold- fuelled killing of others, and while fighting displays the chilling efficiency and near psychotic behaviour associated with the Wing Zero and Epyon. Despite this, he can return from a battle without a single scratch on him, leading some of the Tyrannicons to the fearsome conviction that Scourge is immortal.
Cultured and sophisticated he is. But then, so was Bram Stoker's Dracula.
WEAPONS: When Treize Kushrenada built the mighty Gundam Epyon, he removed all long- range weapons from the design with the exception of a pair of Vulcan guns built into the chest. Unicron took this philosophy of close-combat weapons to the limit with Scourge . Like the machine he was built on the remains of, Scourge sports a beam sword, but the single heat rod of Epyon's has been replaced by two, built into the arms rather than on removable shields.
His wings function as shields in the same way as that of the Gundam Deathscythe Hell, able to fold around him like a cloak, which deflects both beam weapons and bullets, though it does restrict movement when deployed.
Scourge's last, and perhaps most sinister weapon, is his bare hands. Though not the strongest of Decepticons, his sheer speed allows him to blast in and decimate. His claw-like fingers are heated in the style of Sandrock's heat shotels, allowing him to tear deep gouges through the most impregnable of armour, and even rip an enemy's body asunder.
ABILITIES: Plasma-jets mounted in his legs give Scourge the ability to plough through air, water and space with dramatic speed. Though never tested to their full extent, he can easily outrun most starships and even make voyages between planets with ease.
His alternate mode is styled after a Command & Conquer: Tiberium Sun Banshee aircraft, a ghostlike wraith that seems to appear from nowhere, wreak slaughter, and then vanish back into the darkness. The perfect form for such a mind. This deadly weapon is capable of reaching speeds of 10,000mph in sub-atmospheric flight, giving Scourge the ability to fly to any point on the Earth in two hours. In space combat, it is even faster.
Unicron tapped some of the unknown potential of the Zero supercomputer when he created Scourge. His three wingmen, the Wraiths, are soulless machines; literal extensions of Scourge's mind. They fight with the same skill and ferocity as their master, but the sight of their dead, lifeless optics is enough to terrify any opponent to death. Even the other Tyrannicons harbour a secret dread of these zombies from the pits of hell.
Despite this, Scourge's brain is a mine of untapped potential. Should he chose to put this computing power to use, then may there be mercy on us all...
WEAKNESSES: Of the leading Tyrranicons, Scourge is the weakest and most fragile. However this is a weakness that cannot be exploited. In order to speed his self-repair systems, Scourge can drain energy directly from the shattered chassis of his victims via the vampiric fangs in his mouth.BATTLEMASTER:
"I fight. It's that simple."
FUNCTION: Elite Commander / Lieutenant STRENGTH: 10
RANK: 8
COURAGE: 9 ENDURANCE: 10 FIREPOWER: 10 INTELLIGENCE: 7 SPEED: 6 TOTAL: 60
Weaponry: Particle Bazooka, Dual Gatling Cannon (x2), Flamethrower (x2), Heat Machete (x2), Beam Axe.
Voice Actor: Eric Bana
You hear that rumbling in the distance? That deep throated roar that sends chills down your spine? That's Battlemaster, professional soldier and looming death. Capable of collapsing mountains, cutting burning swathes through forests and reducing you and your entire species to easy to digest chunks.
Basic tip; don't screw with this guy. He doesn't give a fk about you, your family or your planet. His one cause is the Tyrranicon cause and he uses all of his skills and weapons to further that.
WEAPONS: Battlemaster has power to rival Galvatron. Based on the Gundam Heavyarms, he styles the same mix of light and heavy artillery.
His long-range and most powerful weapon is his Particle Bazooka. How can someone summarise this weapon? You point it at whatever you want to kill and pull the trigger. BOOM! In appearance it is a long silver cannon mounted on his left upper arm, and at its maximum setting could blast a tunnel through the Alps that you could drive a tank through. The weapon can also adjust its barrel settings and consequently it's function, from bazooka, to cannon, to sniper-rifle.
In a mocking homage to his inspiration, Unicron threw in a pair of back mounted Dual Gatling cannons which can be pivoted to fire forward, not requiring hands to pull the trigger.
Supplementing these at medium range is a pair of plasma-fuelled flamethrowers, which could barbecue a slaughterhouse of cattle with one brief salvo.
Unlike the Heavyarms series of mobile suits, Battlemaster is fully equipped for melee combat. A back-mounted rod opens up into a double bladed beam axe, which he swings to great effect while he holds a pair of gundanium machetes with a superheated edge
ABILITIES: Battlemaster's transformation is an impressive Overlord Tank from Command & Conquer: Generals. Slow and heavy it may be, but this transformation makes him more than a force to be reckoned with. His robot mode is extremely similar to Generation 2 Megatron (the tank), but his chest is remodelled to resemble Heavyarms. Unlike either, his colour scheme is dark-red, jet-black and gold.
His physical strength is almost on equal with his leader; he needs it to wield his heavy weaponry and is most likely capable of dismembering other Transformers and MS with ease.
WEAKNESSES: Battlemaster is powerful, but his own armour and weapons can often slow him down. Like Heavyarms, his Gatling guns can also choose to run dry at the worst moment.RAPTOR:
"Death is inescapable, so live hard and fast."
FUNCTION: Elite Air Support STRENGTH: 6 RANK: 7 COURAGE: 10 ENDURANCE: 6 FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 6 SPEED: 8 TOTAL: 50
Weaponry: Vortex Rifle (x2), Wrist Blade (x2), Beam Sabre (x2).
Voice Actor: Desmond Harrington
Air support has always been provided by the Seeker Corps in the Decepticon military, and ever unit had at least one of these generic air warriors. Honouring this tradition, Unicron crafted Raptor; young, brash and arrogant.
Still a highly effective fighter and the fastest in the Elites unit, Raptor is highly proud of his speed and skill, a pride only equalled by his exceeding confidence in himself. He is much like a product of a cross between the neurotic Starscream and his younger sibling Skywarp - talented, but with an ego to match.
WEAPONS: Like all of the Elites, Raptor is outfitted with a weapon unique to himself - his Vortex Rifles are two arm-mounted weapons which as well as firing standard laser-blasts can also generate concussion blasts - which on impact generate a tiny 'black-hole' for a fraction of a second, effectively taking large chunks out of whatever they're fired at.
Supplementing his prehistoric namesake, Raptor has a sharp pair of claws. These wrist-mounted blades can cut through any kind of armour weaker than Gundanium, or possibly thick Neo-Titanium. He also wields a pair of beam- sabres, though his combat style with them is effective - it is 'unrefined', composing of very simple swings and lunges.
ABILITIES: The Latin 'Velociraptor' means 'fast bird-of-prey', and Raptor is just that. His Transformation is a Lockheed Blackbird Stealth fighter/bomber capable of speeds near equal to Scourge. His robot mode is similar to a generic Seeker, but is much cleaner. Clad in black and grey, many would think he is a ghost.
A/N: Raptor is identical in terms of appearance and transformation to Starscream in Devil's Due Comic's GI Joe/Transformers crossover, the comic that inspired this fanfiction.
WEAKNESSES: Raptor's weakness is his over-confidence, which can often lead him into biting off more than he can chew.SKYBLADE:
"Creation and Destruction balance existence."
Function: Elite Artillery Support, Soldier.
STRENGTH: 6 RANK: 7 COURAGE: 8 ENDURANCE: 7 FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 8 SPEED: 7
TOTAL: 50
Weaponry: Siege Cannon, Flak Cannon (x2), Bus-saw, Heat Blades (x2), Beam Sabre (x2).
Voice Actor: Harrison Ford
Like Cyclonus, Skyblade is a soldier of principle. Though not as bound to principle and honour, he is above all, a decent guy. He's also gruff, in terms of personality the Kup or Ironhide of the Tyrranicons, always looking out for the interests of the younger soldiers. He's also powerful, but is restrained in wielding it, preferring to cause less than the required devastation rather than going for overkill.
WEAPONS: On the long-range front, Skyblade's most powerful weapon is his Siege Cannon, a massive piece of ordinance with an elongated barrel, firing High Explosive shells. It's difficult for him to use this though in space or the air while a robot, due to the high recoil; he needs something to brace himself against. His other projectile weapon is a set of flak-cannons mounted in his torso.
Skyblade shines in the melee department, perhaps not so much as his skill with it, but his versatility, able to use a variety of different bladed and energy weapons. On his right arm is a large bus-saw (the hub of his helicopter rotors), while the actual rotor blades, mounted on the left arm, can function either as stabbing tools or swords, along with his pair of beam sabres.
ABILITIES: In the use of his weapons, Skyblade is the most precise. He might not be the fastest with his melee weapons, but he makes each shot, swipe or lung count. He also has the best eyesight at long ranges.
Skyblade is also unique in that he is a triple-changer. He has two alt. forms of a transport helicopter, and a fixed artillery post. He is also useful to his comrades as he can mass-shift to transport several other Tyrranicons within him as a helicopter, making him an effective attack- platform in both of his alt. mode.
A/N: Skyblade's robot mode is similar to the redesigned Seekers and Coneheads from the 'Devils Due' TF/GI Joe comic. His aircraft mode is also similar, but with the cannon and transformational abilities of the C Yuri's Revenge Siege Chopper. His colour scheme is primarily navy/dark blue armour with red trim. The unarmoured portions of his limbs are grey.
WEAKNESSES: Skyblade's not as slow as Battlemaster, but not as fast as Raptor. He's not as powerful as Ajax, and not as under-armoured as Prism. He's general purpose, an all-around tough nut. He has his weaknesses, but its up to other combatants to find and exploit them.
"Power is the ultimate end, the means is irrelevant."
FUNCTION: Elite Powerhouse. STRENGTH: 6 RANK: 7 COURAGE: 5 ENDURANCE: 10 FIREPOWER: 9 INTELLIGENCE: 10
SPEED: 5
TOTAL: 50
Weaponry: Solar Blaster, Concussion Hammer, Beam Sabre (x2).
Voice Actor: Brian Cox
Ajax gets what he wants, no matter the cost. Impatient to a fault, he trusts no one and prefers to fight alone. However his experimental weaponry has often backfired on his comrades. Lost lives are of no consequence to him as part of the process of developing superior weaponry and advancing his own power. Tenacious, battle-hardened and wielding incredible power, his core belief is that no one does it better than him.
WEAPONS: When you look at Ajax, you think only one thing -'that is a fg big gun.' True. Ajax is proud to boast the largest weapon in the Tyrranicon forces; were not Galvatron's Plasma Cannon fuelled by Unicron it would also be the most powerful.
The Solar Blaster is a giant cannon mounted on Ajax's shoulders but which requires a hand to brace it when firing due to the harsh recoil. Mounted in Ajax's core is an experimental Tritium/Deuterium fusion reactor, pioneered by human scientist Otto Octavius. The reaction however, is inherently unstable, but Unicron has turned this to Ajax's advantage by channelling the frequent power spikes into the Blaster's four storage capacitors, from where they are fired into the cannon's own reactor, triggering off a micro- supernova. The net result is that Ajax's cannon fires off controlled Solar Flares. When not working in conjunction with his own power source, the cannon fires a standard particle beam.
Those solar flares can also be channelled into his other weapons, the Concussion Hammer and his beam sabres. The hammer is a giant weapon which when slammed into an enemy causes extensive damage, but can also release a concentrated flare from the reactor. Likewise the two beam sabres can benefit from this extra power; consequently they are the only yellow beam sabres known to exist.
ABILITIES: Due to the tiny sun within him Ajax has an exceptional amount of power to spare, allowing him to fight on when others around him are waning.
His transformation is a Nuke Cannon, the Command & Conquer, Generals weapon being ideally suited to his needs. The most dangerous artillery piece every created (with the exception of Galvatron), when in this mode Ajax's flares can be used to irradiate and destroy enemy targets from exceptional distance, the effect at Ground Zero being that of a low-yield atomic weapon.
Among mechs, Ajax is rare in that he is totally shielded against all forms of radiation. Among the Elites he is also the most disturbing to look out, having no face or mouth, just a visor and a Zaku-like snout underneath, complete with piping (see Mobile Suit Gundam). In appearance Ajax is inspired by the Soviet Desolator Unit from C&C, Red Alert 2, hence his weapon of choice.
A/N: As stated, Ajax is a cross between a Gundam Zeon Zaku MS, and a C&C Desolator. His primary feature as a robot is a large pair of frames rising from his back fitted with several pairs of wheels each. His alt, mode is not treaded. His colour scheme is grey and yellow, with hints of orange. As a cannon, he mainly looks grey, as a robot, yellow.
WEAKNESSES: Ajax only really fights when the going's good. Also, despite his power he's relatively easy to defeat when fighting alone (as he chooses to do). His reduced speed makes it easy to avoid his hammer and sabre attacks, and extensive damage to his reactor forces him to shut it down and rely on his back-up reserves, which deplete rapidly.JUGGERNAUGHT:
"Just give me a gun and point me at the enemy."
FUNCTION: Elite Commando STRENGTH: 8 RANK: 7 COURAGE: 8 ENDURANCE: 8 FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 6 SPEED: 6 TOTAL: 50
Weaponry: Grazer Cannon (x2), Shoulder Gatlings (x2), Heat Tomahawk (x2), Beam Sabre (x2).
Voice Actor: Campbell Lane
Juggernaught ain't that fast, and he ain't that smart. He's a bit of a thug, and really only good and one thing, fighting! With this guy, never try to use tactics, they go straight over him. The best way to use him, as he said, is to point him toward the opponent and just let him mow them down.
WEAPONS: Juggernaught mounts two large cannons on each arm. These Grazer Cannons are basically particle beam weapons which on firing create an earthquake within the target; whether it's a tract of land, a mech or your grandmother, they basically shake themselves apart.
Supplementing this is a pair of shoulder artillery Gatlings mounted in the shoulders. Though identical to the standard Gatling gun, the barrels are shorn-off, reducing their effectiveness at long-range.
Finally, he has a pair of Heat Tomahawks and two beam sabres, though he prefers to use the last to finish off targets with a skewering attack.
ABILITIES: Overall, Juggernaught is similar in all regards to Battlemaster, so much that the Elite commander has even adopted him as a protege, though teaching this brute the finer points of strategy is difficult.
In vehicle mode, he is a fusion of a C Red Alert 2 Apocalypse Tank and Grimlock from 'The War Within'. He also resembles Grimlock in robot mode. His colour scheme is military fatigues, varying tones of brown, green and black all over him.
WEAKNESSES: Pick'n'mix from the following; low speed, very little finesse in combat, exceptionally low intelligence etc. Enemies should remember however that Juggernaught is exceptionally powerful, and if you are weaker than him, can still make your life a living hell regardless of how smart you are. His low intelligence can also make him reckless with his weapons and he has a high temper and very little restraint. Approach and engage with EXTREME caution.SPECTRUM:
"This hand of mine burns with a divine radiance. It is your defeat."
FUNCTION: Elite Infiltrator /Assassin STRENGTH: 5 RANK: 7 COURAGE: 7 ENDURANCE: 6 FIREPOWER: 7 INTELLIGENCE: 10 SPEED: 8 TOTAL: 50
Weaponry: Energy Projectors (x2), Variable Beam Projectors (x2), Hyper- Jammers (x2), Grappling Hook (x2).
Voice Actor: Andy Serkis
"The preciousss. We want'sss it....We neeeeds it." Remember Gollum? This guy will remind you of him. Okay, he doesn't crawl about on all fours and he knows his grammar, but his voice and motions are disturbingly similar and he can often seem exceptionally sycophantic.
WEAPONS: Spectrum harnesses the electrical output of his Minovsky reactor in a wholly unique way. Unicron tweaked the design to put out the maximum amount of beam energy and electricity possible. Electricity, which is channelled into the two projectors mounted behind and either side of his head. These can either output an exceptionally potent laser beam, or bolts of lightening. Highly effective.
He doesn't technically carry beam sabres but his palms and inner fingers are mounted with beam projectors allowing him to shape all kinds of melee weapons and even put out medium-powered beam shots.
ABILITIES: Spectrum is very good at sneaking around without making himself known. He's fast, nimble and very, very smart. He knows how to advance himself by presenting a loyal face to his commanders and a harmless, likable side to his allies. Inside however, he is devious and conniving.
His alt-mode is a 4WD military vehicle, similar to a Humvee. Fast, light and manoeuvrable. In order to aid him with his infiltration skills, he mounts a pair of hyper-jammers, is stealth-plated, and possesses wrist- mounted grappling hooks to help him scale walls and buildings.
The two energy projectors are mounted behind his cabin as a vehicle. They are identical to the projectors on C Red Alert 2 Prism Tanks, but they also have the abilities of Tesla Tanks/Coils/Troopers. They can also pivot to fire in both modes. He is also an excellent martial artist to make up for his lack of armour and physical strength.
His robot mode is the shortest of the elites, and his colour scheme is varying tones of black and grey.
WEAKNESSES: Spectrum looses armour for speed, one well-placed shot from MS like the Tallgeese or Wing Zero could finish him off. Hitting him is difficult however. However, no one can doubt his courage, or his skills at wielding his weapons.END OF BRIEFING.GLOSSARY:
When I wrote the first set of Mecha Profiles, they inadvertently became a historical account for the AC Universe, explaining the history of OZ, MS, the Alliance and Rommerfeller. In order to make it fair on GW fans who may not know much about Transformers, I include here a glossary for all major TF-Universe words and an abbreviated history of Cybertron.These explanations are just the basics. I'll actually be expanding on this info in later chapters.
NOTE: The following information is my fusion of various TF Comics, the TV Show and my own ideas. It is NOT cannon, just my own history for my own universe,PRIMUS.
(prime-us)
A deity worshipped by most Transformers, mistakenly hailing them as their creator; Primus is actually child and servant to a greater power. Known by different names, Primus is also worshipped on many other worlds, including Lithone and Earth.UNICRON.
(yune-i-kron)
Known also to several extra-terrestrial cultures as the 'Chaos Bringer', 'Devourer of Worlds', 'Great Devourer', 'God of Darkness', 'God of the Void', & 'The Fallen God.' Unicron is also known by various names on Earth. His full nature and power was unknown to nearly all Cybertronians prior to the Autobot/Decepticon Alliance and the Destruction of Cybertron.QUINTESSONS.
(kwin-tess-on)
Quintessa Vulgaris; a semi organic/mechanical species of various races, inhabitants of the planet Quintessa from which they extend a once giant empire, now shrivelled and weak. The master race has five mechanical faces on a rotating head above an egg-like body, from which many organic tentacles sprout. These tentacles are used like limbs. The body also projects an energy column, which it levitates on. The servant race is similar, but only has a single face and is smaller in proportions. All Quintessons worship Unicron.LEX.
A language spoken by the Quintessons, the Lithonians (see below) and the first Cybertronians. Vector Sigma's programming is also encoded from the Lex. It has never been taught to younger Transformers however and is only spoken by Alpha Trion and Sunstorm (thanks to the supercomputer's parental influence).CYBERTRON.
A planetoid smaller even than Earth's moon. The Quintessons used giant rocket engines to shift it into the orbit of the sun Alpha Centurai billions of years ago, before building on the asteroid, transforming it into a giant factory for a line of robots they were constructing for manual labour and military use. In order to further their usefulness these robots had the ability to shift from a humanoid guise to an alternate form, usually a weapon or construction tool, but also personal transports.
Cybertron's equatorial circumference was approx. 2200 Earth miles. It had two moons (composed of waste material from Quintessonian excavations) the first approx. 400 Earth miles equatorial circumference, the second 250. There existed an artificially induced atmosphere similar to Earth's on all three globes in order to cater for the organic component of the Quintesson's bodies, but no weather and no individual climates. Due to the remote distance from its sun and the remarkably clear atmosphere, the planet existed in a perpetual night with rare exceptions depending on the angle of the planet to Alpha Centurai. Of course the many buildings that blanketed every inch of the planet provided enough light to create a semblance of day at the lower levels.
After the War of Liberation, Cybertron developed further as an actual world rather than a largely automated factory. Though the planet was to an extend 'hollow', with sub-terrainean galleries extending right down into the core, few ventured underground, preferring to stay on the surface in the many city-states.
The largest provinces were the equatorial (or Torus) states of Iacon, Protihex, Altihex, Uraya and Kalis, being the centres of Government, Commerce, Culture, Science and Industry respectively. Iacon, as Cybertron's capital, was centred right where the primary north-south line of magnetism bisected the Torus (the equivalent of the Greenwich Meridian meeting Earth's Equator). The centre of the city was also one of the most elevated points on Cybertron, the High Council Pavilions, a giant circular mesa that summated in an equally large plateau, on which was built the Forum of Enlightenment (see under Council of Elders). In actuality, the sloping sides of the High Council Pavilions were actually the elevated exhaust-port of the largest of the Planetary Engines, and the plateau a blast-door assembled and sealed over the gaping shaft by the Quintessons (for further information, see below).
The Tri-Torus Highway connected Iacon, Protihex and Altihex, encompassing them in a giant loop. The Tri-Trous Loop also connected at its western arc to the Tygan span, the main transport link for the spaceports of the Praetorus Wharf and the scientific laboratories of Nova Cranium, the most prosperous region of Uraya. The Tygan route skirted north of Uraya before continuing through the massive Kalis district before re-connecting with the easternmost portion of the Tri-Torus Loop, making it possible to easily circumnavigate the planet.
North and South existed the 'border states' of the Tagan Heights and Praxus, Praxus being the 'suburb' of the Torus States and the Tagan Heights containing the 40% of Industry not based in Kalis, which it touched with it's southern border. Extending north and south from Altihex were The Neutral Territories, zoned for settlement and private businesses.
There were many other states of varying importance but only one other concerns the events of the 2nd Civil war. The southern polar state of Kaon was the location of the headquarters of the Decepticon military, the largest fortress-province being Kokular, right on the southern pole of magnetism.
All of these provinces, and Cybertron itself however, were destroyed in the return of Unicron, sometime in the early AC Calendar.VECTOR SIGMA.
The supercomputer installed in the exact centre of the planetoid named 'Cybertron' by the Quintessons to govern and operate the planet. In appearance it is a levitating golden sphere with a diameter in human terms of roughly forty feet. It looks like a giant disco-globe. By some freak, unexplained occurrence, Vector Sigma became sentient deca-vorns after installation, a gift it is said from Primus, for the Transformer deity was later known to speak-through the supercomputer, known to many as the 'Oracle'.ALPHA TRION.
(al-fa try-on)
Vector Sigma re-engineered one of the robots it was building for the Quintessons to grant it the same-self awareness itself had freakishly gained. The first Transformer - this robot later took on the name of Alpha Trion. Confused and alone, Trion fled into the core of Cybertron, where he stumbled across Vector Sigma, which granted to him the Matrix of Leadership and the Covenant of Primus.
After a prolonged period under the spiritual tutelage of Vector Sigma, Trion elected to spread the gift of life with the other Quintessonian robots. In time, these 'first' Transformers formed the core of the Anti- Quintesson rebellion, and some of the most devout Primus-worshippers ever.MATRIX.
The only confirmed Matrix in existence is the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, a multi-faceted crystal contained within a frame of Adamantium, though a myth prevails of a Decepticon Matrix of Power. The Matrix is presumed to be a storage device, as bearers are known to gain great wisdom upon receiving it, as well as a giant capacitor, which is capable of releasing massive amounts of energy of an unknown origin.COVENANT OF PRIMUS.
The Transformer Bible, a data-track written by Vector Sigma and granted to Alpha Trion, who later tried to translate it from the Lex (see above) into the modern Cybertronian tongue, but was halted by the Council of Elders (see below) from translating the majority of the opening third, with most direct reference to Unicron deleted, leaving him simply as a fleeting evil presence. In order to achieve this Trion was forced to remove nearly all reference to a power higher than Primus. The net result is that most Transformers who learned their faith from the Covenant believe Primus is both their Creator and Guardian, and the vague 'Chaos Bringer' one of his weaker foes. The truth is radically different.
"The first sin was disobedience, and the fruit Of that temptation brought Chaos into creation, and all woe, Brought loss of peace, till one Greater Restore and regain the blissful state.
Sing heavenly Muse, that in darkness has brought light: I thence Invoke thy aid to this adventurous song, while it purses Things unattempted yet in prose, Instruct me, for thou know'st.
By this Covenant, inspired by ye and dictated by the Word That in dark birth brought hope, Illumine the upright and pure And justify the Divine to mortal life".
Foreword, by Vector Sigma to The Covenant of Primus. These three verses and many othrs were not translated into the standard text.RAKSHA.
(rak-sha)
The first military Transformers to be awoken by Alpha Trion, and the only of this creed to become a key member of the resistance against the Quintessons. Though Trion was aiming for pacifist action (comparable to Ghandi) as were many of the labour-developed robots, Raksha favoured the use of force to liberate Cybertron, and eventually led a great army and succeeded in that goal.
In the time before the inevitable war however, Raksha segregated himself from the other Transformers by studying with great interest the Unicron- worshipping faith of the Quintessons, preferring their ideals of strength through power rather than the pacifist ideals of the Primus-devout. During a preliminary strike prior to the war on a party of Imperial Magistrates visiting from Quintessa, Raksha even captured one of this religion's icons, the Matrix of Power.
After the Transformer victory, Raksha allowed his former core resistance members to go into government and went his own way, founding a compact military. Though he sided with the Quintessons in religious ideals, he still despised them as a race. The Decepticon (in the Lex, 'the Army of Cybertron') Military's numbers soon swelled into the ten thousands as the majority of the newly awakened military robots joined it. Hoping to convert recruits from Primus to Unicron (and even styling the sigil of his army after the sign of Unicron) Raksha was disgusted to find the majority unshakeable in their faith, but did mark down the ones willing to listen for prospective members of his own cult.
This was established in secret after Raksha handed down Decepticon command to his successor, Thunderwing. Establishing a base of operations in an underground chamber near the Kalis/Neutral Territories border, Raksha and his followers made worship and often sacrifice to Unicron.
Raksha led his cult, the Army of the Void while maintaining the outward air of a respectable recluse and occasionally appearing at public and religious festivals. However, his own 'leanings' on the latter subject could not remain hidden for long, and he was eventually tired and convicted for heresy and blasphemy by his former comrades, the Council of Elders, becoming one of the first Transformers to be executed at the 'Smelting Pools of Iacon'.
So shocked were the council that Raksha had fallen so low they instantly began ensuring that such an incident would never happen again. Though well meant, the legislation they passed actually blinded the majority of Transformers to the true nature of both Primus and Unicron, as well as having other adverse effects (see below). As for Raksha, he was never again mentioned by name by the Council, referred to only as 'The Fallen'.COUNCIL OF ELDERS.
Alpha Trion as the liberator of Transformers was begged by his people to establish the government after the war. He and the other twelve first Transformers founded the Council of Elders, a cross of the American Congress and the Catholic Vatican Cardinals, to both rule Cybertron and keep the faith of Primus alive. They were known amongst themselves as 'Autobots' (in the Lex, 'Children of Primus') and used a stylised version of the 'supposed' face of Primus as their sigil. During Skorpinok's war, the name and crest of Autobot was applied to all who fought against the Decepticons.
The Council ruled Cybertron from the Forum of Enlightenment in Iacon City. Within the forum (comparable to the Houses of Parliament, the Capitol Building or the Kremlin), the actual ruling was conducted from the Chamber of Ancients.
Trion left however after the council he had formed turned into something more akin to the Soviet Politburo, passing much repressive legislation with the revelation of Raksha's true allegiance (see above). Examples include preventing the passing on of the Lex and banning Trion from completely transcribing the Covenant in order to prevent Transformers learning of Unicron and possibly adopting the Quintesson faiths that worshipped him. The result of these polices however after many Mega-vorns was civil war between various Transformer factions.
The Council of Elders was destroyed shortly after the commencement of the 2nd civil war along with the entire Forum of Enlightenment when Megatron II briefly tested the planetary engines that the Quintessons had used to manoeuvre the planetoid into orbit of Alpha Centurai. Co-incidentally, the Forum had been built over one of the exhaust shafts.PRIME.
Transformers knew the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership as 'the Prime'. Alpha Trion was the exception, as he never actually integrated the Matrix into himself. Upon becoming the Prime bearers usually gain in both physical strength, intelligence and knowledge. The Prime, though not an actual leader, became the representative for the majority to the Council of Elders, and a sort of 'public figurehead' for the Government.
In times of need however, the Prime has often been called into battle. Examples include his duties as 'Peacekeeper of Cybertron', settling disputes between factions. In both Civil Wars, the Primes were the actual battlefield commanders of the Autobots.
The current Prime however, Optimus Prime, has had the full responsibility of power placed on his shoulders with the destruction of The Council of Elders (their final act before death had been to oversee the passing of the Matrix to him). In this however, Alpha Trion, who became a boundless wealth of wisdom, mental and spiritual support to the young leader, aided him.
In recent months on Earth however, Optimus Prime has been able to relax. Though he mourns the loss of Cybertron, the easier command of less than thirty warriors has allowed him to spend more free time in the manner of his choosing, a favourite being cyber-poker with his former nemesis, Megatron.DECEPTICONS.
(di-sep-ti-cons)
Though Raksha had founded the Decepticons with the express purpose of furthering his 'Uncrowning' beliefs, after his resignation the army prospered under the admirable leadership of Thunderwing. This is often regarded as the finest age of the Decepticons; Thunderwing was a respected, cool-headed leader, but who was not above the use of force when necessary (as required when the Quintessons twice tried to retake their 'factory'). It is under his successor, Megatron I, that the rot of the Decepticons began.
This Megatron was a member of Raksha's cult, and actively attempted to turn Decepticons into Unicron-worshippers. Though he was unsuccessful, he was able to begin to 'alter' the Decepticon's perception of Primus, from the (comparatively) Buddhist Autobot faith into something similar to National Socialism. Whereas the Autobots preached respect for all life and freedom of choice, the Decepticon's beliefs were twisted to the Darwinist concept of 'Survival of the fittest', along with the concept that ALL should worship their version of Primus and that Cybertron should be expanded into a vast Galactic Empire. This final cherry on the cake did not come about until Megatron II's rule however, and the 'corruption' of the Decepticons took that long as well. Megatron I was eventually executed like Raksha for his sins.
The genealogy of the Decepticon command from this point onwards runs as thus;
Raksha (resigned, then executed),
Thunderwing (resigned),
Megatron I (executed),
Trypticon I (resigned),
Bludgeon (resigned),
Skorpinok (executed),
Megatron II (active).
Trypticon was a puppet of a fearful Autobot Council of Elders, so ineffectual that infighting began to occur WITHIN the Decepticons, and he was driven to resignation after a brief reign. The strong corrective measures of Decepticon-elected successor Bludgeon however restored the Decepticons to their glory. However by this time their belief system had differed from the Autobots enough to become an entirely different faith. Bludgeon's rule marked the beginning of Autobot/Decepticon conflicts, though harsh punishments were taken on those that actually provoked such 'dishonourable' actions. Such was Bludgeon's charisma and strength of will that his personal beliefs of Warrior's Honour became imprinted as firmly on the Decepticon mindset as a belief in Primus. In terms of popularity, the long-reigned Bludgeon is often ranked as high as Thunderwing.
Without his guiding hand however, and in a time of relative peace, the Decepticons sank into idleness and internal rot; enough that his successor Skorpinok eventually attempted a coup against the Autobots. Though his execution by Megatron II, his right-hand repaired some of the damage, a firm divide had been driven between the Autobots and Decepticons.
The ups and downs of Megatron's own reign are well documented, with the 2nd Civil War being the longest and bloodiest conflict ever waged on Cybertron. With the planet's own destruction however, the survivors of both sides have lost the object of their desire, and are now free to bridge the rift on Planet Earth.ARMY OF THE VOID.
Raksha's Army of the Void (written in the Lex as Predicon), convened in their headquarters, known to them as 'the Well of All Sparks', with the sole purpose of releasing Unicron from the prison few knew he was bound in. To this end, they often made sacrifice on an alter designed to trap and store the energy from the dying Transformer's spark, the ultimate aim being to break 'The Seal of Primus', and restore Unicron to full, active life. This is how they deviated from the worship conducted by the Quintessons, who believed the best way to aid Unicron was to get different cultures to wipe each other out (hence their production of military robots for sale to warring factions on other worlds).
After Raksha's death, membership of the cult waned without his charismatic leadership. Megatron I made a brief bid for control of the sect when he rose to command of the Decepticons, but was unsuccessful. He was however, the driving force behind the Army of the Void, and during the reigns of Trypticon, Bludgeon and Skorpinok, the cult gradually faded and withered until it was reduced to the level equal to an Earthen cult where all the members do is aspire to power and sniff glue.
However, after Skorpinok's death, his left-hand Zarak, fleeing the wrath of Megatron II, stumbled across the Army of the Void and chose to join rather than contribute his spark to the 'Unbinding'. Realising this was the key to gaining the power he had craved; Zarak rose through the ranks in a manner equivalent to Hitler's bafflingly easy rise in the Nazi Party. Like Hitler, Zarak also had the ability to captivate the young and impressionable, and soon restored the cult to its former strength.
After Zarak's own execution, by Megatron himself, his young recruits realised their fate was likely to be the same, and officially disbanded. The Well of Sparks was lit up one more time however by none other than Raksha himself during 'the Dark Ages' of the 2nd Civil War. Returned from the dead, armed with demonic power and going under the alias of 'The Fallen', Raksha seized the minds and hearts of three young cultists who aspired to wield the 'dark-power' vaguely hinted at by the Covenant of Primus. This 'Chaos Trinity', Bludgeon II, Bugly and Mindwipe helped Raksha gather the final four sparks necessary to complete 'The Unbinding'. Raksha succeeded in completing the ceremony, but was killed for the second time by an errant energy burst.
Neither the second Bludgeon, Bugly nor Mindwipe were to fully realise what they had helped unleash, until the freed Unicron appeared and destroyed Cybertron. Though all three survived, it is doubtful they wish to carry on the faith they had blindly stumbled into. Meaning that the Army of the Void, is finally dead, at the cost of a destroyed Cybertron and an unleashed Unicron free to rampage across all existence...LITHONE.
(li-fone)
Like Cybertron, a planet populated by mechanical beings, but with a history far longer and a culture much deeper than that of the Transformers. The Lithonians also worship Primus, but have full access to the complete Covenant, so were fully aware of His and Unicron's true natures. Lithone however, was one of the first worlds to be consumed by Unicron upon the 'unbinding'. The one survivor, Kranix, has since been tracking the two Matrixes, each of which is key to the re-banishment of Unciron.END OF GLOSSARY:
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