Powermasters
Encyclopedia
Powermasters were a sub-group within the Transformers toyline in 1988. They were defined by the inclusion of a miniature figure which "unlocked the secret of the transformation"—in other words, the toy could not transform from vehicle mode to robot mode unless the figure was transformed into engine mode and connected to the larger figure.
Autobots
Decepticons
to provide the accompanying fiction for the Powermasters sub-group. Here, as detailed in the "Tech Spec" biographies accompanying the toys, the larger Transformers were partnered with humanoid aliens from the planet Nebulos.
Transformers had previously visited Nebulos and bonded with its inhabitants during the creation of the Headmasters and Targetmasters, caused severe devastation to the world and the loss of two of its most noted political leaders. To ensure that the planet would never come under threat from Transformers again, Nebulan scientist Hi-Q detonated a bomb
that filled the planet's atmosphere with radiation that posed no threat to indigenous Nebulan life, but which "poisoned" Nebulan fuel
supplies, making it harmful to Transformers. Not long after, the Decepticons Dreadwind and Darkwing arrived on the planet looking for the absent Scorponok
, and, despite warnings, consumed Nebulan fuel. Their bodies wasted and they were rendered immobile, becoming something of a tourist attraction
over time.
Hi-Q's jealous ex-partner, Hi-Test, sought to discredit his former colleague, and teamed up with a Nebulan criminal named Throttle, who stole data on Hi-Q's latest fuel conversion theories, which he had dubbed the "Powermaster Process". Using the data, Hi-Test bio-mechanically engineered his and Throttle's bodies, allowing them to transform into engines and connect to Dreadwind and Darkwing, supplying them energy directly from their own bodies. As a result, Hi-Test and Throttle regularly had to eat massive quantities of food in order to meet their partners' energy requirements.
As the Decepticon Powermasters ran roughshod over the planet, the Autobot Goldbug
arrived from Earth with Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash, hoping that Nebulan science could build a new body to house the mind of Optimus Prime
. When the Autobots refused to leave the planet even after being warned about the poisoned fuel, Hi-Q agreed to construct Prime's new body, while the Autobots drained their energy fending off an attack by the Decepticons. Prime's mind was placed within his new body, but he immediately began to die due to the Nebulan fuel that powered it. Realising the nobility and humanity of the Autobots, Hi-Q agreed to save Prime's life by merging with him as a Powermaster, while his assistants, Rev, Hotwire and Lube bonded to Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash to save them. Dreadwind and Darkwing were defeated by the new Powermasters and exiled from Nebulos, while the Autobots left to rejoin their fellows on Earth.
The ultimate, unintended extension of the Powermaster process later became apparent when Optimus Prime began to suffer seizures and bursts of pain. During the climactic battle with Unicron
, he separated from Hi-Q and sacrificed himself to destroy the Chaos-Bringer, but Hi-Q soon realised that the seizures had been the forerunner of an incredible metamorphosis - the complete bonding, both mental and physical, of himself and Optimus Prime into a singular being. With Prime's body destroyed, this merging finished itself solely within Hi-Q's body, accelerated to completion by his exposure to Nucleon. The singular intellect within Hi-Q's body considered itself to be Optimus Prime, and he led the Neo-Knights
on a mission to the depths of Cybertron to locate the Last Autobot, who disassembled and reconfigured Hi-Q's body into a new form for Optimus Prime.
ese had reworked the Headmaster concept to eliminate Nebulans - the heads were small robots, who could transform and connect to lifeless bodies called "Transtectors", which they controlled. A similar alteration was made for Powermasters - now, the engines were human beings imbued with the "Masterforce", which transformed their bodies, allowing them to combine with Transtectors, becoming Transformers themselves, capable of wielding the immeasurable energy of "Chokon Power". Sufficiently different from the American Powermasters, in Japan, the characters are known as Godmasters
, and each have different names (the same name being used for both the human and Transtector), and sometimes color schemes to differentiate themselves from their American progenitors. These characters were featured in the 1988 Transformers series: Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
Years before the beginning of the series, the evil alien energy entity and self-styled "Decepticon God", Devil Z, stole the eight Transtectors from the sector of space known as the G Nebula, rich in Techokon (the power of the Heavens) and sent them to Earth, intending for them to lay in hiding on the planet, gradually soaking up Chichokon (the power of the Earth). The final stage of his plan was to revive the Transtectors as a new breed of lifeform by merging them with human beings, thereby adding Jinchokon (the power of Man) to the equation, giving the resultant "Godmasters" the power to manipulate the three primal energies of the universe. As they plummeted towards the planet, the seven smaller fragments broke off from the largest body and crashed in various places across the world, while the largest body buried itself in an underwater trench.
Some of the Transtectors adopted vehicular disguises to hide in plain sight - such, at least, was the case with the one which was intended to be used as a body for Optimus Prime, which, through coincidence or design, became a tractor-trailer. At least two of the Transtectors did not adopt forms, remaining shapeless lumps of black matter, buried in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
- one of them was mined as ore and used in the construction of British Motors' signature car, while the other was eventually found by Ranger and kept by him for simple artistic appreciation. The largest of the Transtectors was uncovered by Giga and Mega, who came to serve Devil Z and located two further Transtectors for Buster and Hydra.
When a young truck driver named Ginrai rented the Transtector truck from the garage owner who possessed it, he discovered a set of Master-Braces - the metallic bracelets which endow humans with the Masterforce - within it, merging with the Transtector to become the first Autobot Godmaster. His Transtector later activated on its own, locating its secondary portion buried beneath a mountain in Japan, which took the form of a trailer to go along with the cab, allowing Ginrai to merge the two sections together to become Super Ginrai.
Subsequently, the race began to locate the remaining Godmasters, which Ginrai kicked off by appearing on television to appeal to individuals for a lead. When Lightfoot contacted him, Ginrai soon helped his discover that British Motors' signature car, which his father had constructed and gifted to him, was his Transtector. Investigating the Rockies at Lightfoot's suggestion, the Autobots met with Ranger; when he was given Master-Braces, his Transtector took the form of a dune buggy. The fourth Autobot Godmaster was racing champ, Road King, whose race car was his Transtector, which had been given to him by his mentor. The final Godmaster, Doubleclouder, did not appear for some time afterward, but no explanation for how he discovered the final Transtector was offered.
At the conclusion of the series, Buster and Hydra, seeking to discard the humanity that they believe makes them weak, are permanently fused with their Transtectors, becoming wholly robotic beings. Giga, Mega and Clouder are forcibly separated from their Transtectors by Devil Z, who brings the Transtectors to life himself. When Devil Z is successfully destroyed by God Ginrai, the Autobots Godmasters are all also separated from their Transtectors, who have, through their partnership with their human components, evolved into full-fledged Transformer lifeforms, and depart Earth to join the greater battle in space.
Powermaster Toys
The following Powermaster toys were released in the United States and Canada:Autobots
- Optimus PrimeOptimus PrimeOptimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
: He transforms into a tractor-trailer with Hi-Q. - Getaway: He transforms into a Mazda RX-7 racing car with Rev.
- Joyride: He transforms into a dune buggy with Hotwire.
- SlapdashSlapdashSlapdash is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Later uses of the name are spelled with a space as "Slap Dash".-Transformers: Generation 1:Slapdash is a Powermaster Autobot who turns into a car....
: He transforms into a Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing car with Lube.
Decepticons
- DarkwingDarkwing (Transformers)Darkwing is a fictional character from the various Transformers series. He is a Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 1:Initially called Darkwing, the name was changed to Darkwind - possibly for trademark purposes...
: He transforms into a Tornado jet with Throttle, and merges with Dreadwind to form Dreadwing. - DreadwindDreadwindDreadwind is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Dreadwind was a pessimist, constantly taking the "glass is half empty" view . The other Decepticons, bar Darkwing, avoid him, as they know he'll only depress them more...
: He transforms into a F-16 Fighting Falcon with Hi-Test, and merges with Darkwing to form Dreadwing. - DoubledealerDoubledealerDoubledealer is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He is a Decepticon Powermaster who can disguise himself as an Autobot. He should not be confused with Doubleclouder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
: He transforms into a missile carrier truck with Knok and Skar. Although he is not truly a Decepticon, he was marketed as such. He can transform into both an Autobot and Decepticon form - Knok unlocks his Autobot robot mode and Skar unlocks his Decepticon falcon mode.
Powermasters in Marvel Comics
With the American Transformers animated series having come to an end the previous year, it fell to the Marvel Comics seriesThe Transformers (Marvel Comics)
The Transformers was an 80-issue American comic book series published by Marvel Comics telling the story of the Transformers. Originally scheduled as a four issue mini-series, it spawned a mythology that would inform other versions of the saga...
to provide the accompanying fiction for the Powermasters sub-group. Here, as detailed in the "Tech Spec" biographies accompanying the toys, the larger Transformers were partnered with humanoid aliens from the planet Nebulos.
Transformers had previously visited Nebulos and bonded with its inhabitants during the creation of the Headmasters and Targetmasters, caused severe devastation to the world and the loss of two of its most noted political leaders. To ensure that the planet would never come under threat from Transformers again, Nebulan scientist Hi-Q detonated a bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
that filled the planet's atmosphere with radiation that posed no threat to indigenous Nebulan life, but which "poisoned" Nebulan fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
supplies, making it harmful to Transformers. Not long after, the Decepticons Dreadwind and Darkwing arrived on the planet looking for the absent Scorponok
Scorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
, and, despite warnings, consumed Nebulan fuel. Their bodies wasted and they were rendered immobile, becoming something of a tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
over time.
Hi-Q's jealous ex-partner, Hi-Test, sought to discredit his former colleague, and teamed up with a Nebulan criminal named Throttle, who stole data on Hi-Q's latest fuel conversion theories, which he had dubbed the "Powermaster Process". Using the data, Hi-Test bio-mechanically engineered his and Throttle's bodies, allowing them to transform into engines and connect to Dreadwind and Darkwing, supplying them energy directly from their own bodies. As a result, Hi-Test and Throttle regularly had to eat massive quantities of food in order to meet their partners' energy requirements.
As the Decepticon Powermasters ran roughshod over the planet, the Autobot Goldbug
Goldbug (Transformers)
Goldbug is a fictional character in the various Transformers series.-1980s comics and animated series:In the comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1984 to 1991, Goldbug is a new identity taken on by Bumblebee after he is rebuilt in issue #28 following his destruction in G.I. Joe and...
arrived from Earth with Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash, hoping that Nebulan science could build a new body to house the mind of Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
. When the Autobots refused to leave the planet even after being warned about the poisoned fuel, Hi-Q agreed to construct Prime's new body, while the Autobots drained their energy fending off an attack by the Decepticons. Prime's mind was placed within his new body, but he immediately began to die due to the Nebulan fuel that powered it. Realising the nobility and humanity of the Autobots, Hi-Q agreed to save Prime's life by merging with him as a Powermaster, while his assistants, Rev, Hotwire and Lube bonded to Getaway, Joyride and Slapdash to save them. Dreadwind and Darkwing were defeated by the new Powermasters and exiled from Nebulos, while the Autobots left to rejoin their fellows on Earth.
The ultimate, unintended extension of the Powermaster process later became apparent when Optimus Prime began to suffer seizures and bursts of pain. During the climactic battle with Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
, he separated from Hi-Q and sacrificed himself to destroy the Chaos-Bringer, but Hi-Q soon realised that the seizures had been the forerunner of an incredible metamorphosis - the complete bonding, both mental and physical, of himself and Optimus Prime into a singular being. With Prime's body destroyed, this merging finished itself solely within Hi-Q's body, accelerated to completion by his exposure to Nucleon. The singular intellect within Hi-Q's body considered itself to be Optimus Prime, and he led the Neo-Knights
Neo-Knights
The Neo-Knights are fictional characters, a team of superheroes in the Marvel Transformers comics.- Fictional character background :Managed by G. B. Blackrock. The team includes the following members:* Circuit Breaker...
on a mission to the depths of Cybertron to locate the Last Autobot, who disassembled and reconfigured Hi-Q's body into a new form for Optimus Prime.
Powermasters in The Transformers (TV series)
While The Transformers TV series had no new complete episodes after 1987's last three-part fourth season story, there was a short-lived fifth season of the series that featured older episodes being introduced by the then-new Powermaster Optimus Prime. The context was that the new Powermaster Prime was retelling some of the Transformers' adventures to the young Tommy Kennedy. These sequences were done with a stop-motion version of the Powermaster Prime figure, and a live-action Tommy. These sequences were made primarily to give the much-hyped Powermaster Prime figure as much additional focus as possible, given that no new full-length episodes were in production.Godmasters - Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
The previous year, the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese had reworked the Headmaster concept to eliminate Nebulans - the heads were small robots, who could transform and connect to lifeless bodies called "Transtectors", which they controlled. A similar alteration was made for Powermasters - now, the engines were human beings imbued with the "Masterforce", which transformed their bodies, allowing them to combine with Transtectors, becoming Transformers themselves, capable of wielding the immeasurable energy of "Chokon Power". Sufficiently different from the American Powermasters, in Japan, the characters are known as Godmasters
Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
is the title of a Japanese Transformers line of toys and anime series that ran from April 12, 1988 to March 7, 1989 for 42 episodes. On July 3, 2006 the series was released on DVD in the UK, and it was aired on AnimeCentral in the UK a few years later....
, and each have different names (the same name being used for both the human and Transtector), and sometimes color schemes to differentiate themselves from their American progenitors. These characters were featured in the 1988 Transformers series: Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
- Autobots
- GinraiGinraiGinrai, occasionally spelled Jinrai and also known as both Super Ginrai and God Ginrai, and later rebuilt as Victory Leo, is a fictional character from the animated series Transformers: Super-God Masterforce and its toy line, one of the Transformers series exclusive to Japan...
(retooling of Powermaster Optimus PrimeOptimus PrimeOptimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
) - a 19-year-old Japanese immigrant in America. When the truck's cab is combined with its trailer, he becomes Super Ginrai. A drone named Godbomber is later built, and transforms into a tandem trailer. When Super Ginrai combines with Godbomber, the end result is God Ginrai. He commands the power of fire, exemplified through his assorted "Fire Guts" attacks. - LightfootLightfoot (Transformers)Lightfoot is a fictional character in the various Transformers universes. He shouldn't be confused with Getaway, who looks almost identical.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
(Getaway) - son of the head of British Motors, a CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based auto company. He is able to control the flow of water. - Ranger (recolor of Joyride) - a Canadian park ranger.
- Road KingRoad KingRoad King is a fictional character from the Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Road King is a Godmaster Autobot who turns into a car....
(recolor of Slapdash) - a EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an race-car champion. - Doubleclouder (recolor of DoubledealerDoubledealerDoubledealer is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He is a Decepticon Powermaster who can disguise himself as an Autobot. He should not be confused with Doubleclouder.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
) - Clouder is an average "nerd" who stumbles across his Transtector. Able to assume two forms, he initially joins the Decepticons, and sabotages their base, but defects to the Autobots when he is left for dead.
- Ginrai
- Decepticons
- Buster (minor recoloring of DreadwindDreadwindDreadwind is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:Dreadwind was a pessimist, constantly taking the "glass is half empty" view . The other Decepticons, bar Darkwing, avoid him, as they know he'll only depress them more...
) - elder brother to Hydra, Buster became notorious in America's criminal underworld as an assassinAssassinationTo carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
. Arrogant and aloof, he can manipulate electricity. Combines with Hydra to form Darkwing. (Parts originally molded in light blue for the American Dreadwind are molded in red for Buster.) - HydraHydra (Transformers)Hydra is the name given to two fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. Both are villainous flyers and are Japanese exclusives.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...
(minor recoloring of DarkwingDarkwingDarkwing is a novel by Canadian author Kenneth Oppel. It is the prequel and fourth addition to the Silverwing series, and takes place 65 million years before the events of the first book, Silverwing...
) - younger brother to Buster, Hydra is more gentle than his sibling. He loves birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and owns some, an aerial attraction mirrored by his ability to control the wind. Combines with Buster to form Darkwing. (Parts originally molded in light blue for the American Darkwing are molded in red for Hydra.) - OverlordOverlord (Transformers)Overlord is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:-Animated series:Outside of Japan, Overlord's sole animated appearance was in the toy commercial aired in Europe....
(exclusive to Japan, later released in Europe in 1991) - was composed of two vehicles—a tank and jet—piloted by the husband and wife team of Lord Giga and Lady Mega, respectively - which can combine together to form either a giant robot or an advance base.
- Buster (minor recoloring of Dreadwind
Years before the beginning of the series, the evil alien energy entity and self-styled "Decepticon God", Devil Z, stole the eight Transtectors from the sector of space known as the G Nebula, rich in Techokon (the power of the Heavens) and sent them to Earth, intending for them to lay in hiding on the planet, gradually soaking up Chichokon (the power of the Earth). The final stage of his plan was to revive the Transtectors as a new breed of lifeform by merging them with human beings, thereby adding Jinchokon (the power of Man) to the equation, giving the resultant "Godmasters" the power to manipulate the three primal energies of the universe. As they plummeted towards the planet, the seven smaller fragments broke off from the largest body and crashed in various places across the world, while the largest body buried itself in an underwater trench.
Some of the Transtectors adopted vehicular disguises to hide in plain sight - such, at least, was the case with the one which was intended to be used as a body for Optimus Prime, which, through coincidence or design, became a tractor-trailer. At least two of the Transtectors did not adopt forms, remaining shapeless lumps of black matter, buried in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
- one of them was mined as ore and used in the construction of British Motors' signature car, while the other was eventually found by Ranger and kept by him for simple artistic appreciation. The largest of the Transtectors was uncovered by Giga and Mega, who came to serve Devil Z and located two further Transtectors for Buster and Hydra.
When a young truck driver named Ginrai rented the Transtector truck from the garage owner who possessed it, he discovered a set of Master-Braces - the metallic bracelets which endow humans with the Masterforce - within it, merging with the Transtector to become the first Autobot Godmaster. His Transtector later activated on its own, locating its secondary portion buried beneath a mountain in Japan, which took the form of a trailer to go along with the cab, allowing Ginrai to merge the two sections together to become Super Ginrai.
Subsequently, the race began to locate the remaining Godmasters, which Ginrai kicked off by appearing on television to appeal to individuals for a lead. When Lightfoot contacted him, Ginrai soon helped his discover that British Motors' signature car, which his father had constructed and gifted to him, was his Transtector. Investigating the Rockies at Lightfoot's suggestion, the Autobots met with Ranger; when he was given Master-Braces, his Transtector took the form of a dune buggy. The fourth Autobot Godmaster was racing champ, Road King, whose race car was his Transtector, which had been given to him by his mentor. The final Godmaster, Doubleclouder, did not appear for some time afterward, but no explanation for how he discovered the final Transtector was offered.
At the conclusion of the series, Buster and Hydra, seeking to discard the humanity that they believe makes them weak, are permanently fused with their Transtectors, becoming wholly robotic beings. Giga, Mega and Clouder are forcibly separated from their Transtectors by Devil Z, who brings the Transtectors to life himself. When Devil Z is successfully destroyed by God Ginrai, the Autobots Godmasters are all also separated from their Transtectors, who have, through their partnership with their human components, evolved into full-fledged Transformer lifeforms, and depart Earth to join the greater battle in space.