Prime Saber's Transformers: The Headmasters Page

I strongly recommend right-clicking on each link to a picture to open it in its own window, so you don't have to reload this page each time. ^_^

Updates:

4/12/99:
Added links to three newly uploaded catalogs with Headmasters and/or earlier figures, and a link to a newly added S.T.A.R.S. insert.

For past updates, click here.

Transformers: The Headmasters

Note that the Japanese Headmasters series disregards all events in the three-part "The Rebirth" story set after the return of Optimus Prime in the American TV series.

Links to scans of the catalogs and other inserts for figures in this series can be found at the bottom of the page.

For my video captures from this series, check out my video capture page here.

Click on a link here to go directly to an entry, or scroll down:

Alpha Trion
Arcee and other female Cybertronians
Blurr
Char (Kup)
Chromedome, Highbrow, Brainstorm, and Hardhead
Convoy (Optimus Prime)
Cybertron and other places
Dinosaurer (Trypticon)
Fortress and Fortress Maximus
Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge
The gestalts
Jazz and other miscellaneous earlier Transformers
Metroplex
Pounce and Wingspan
Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) and Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime)
Sixshot
Soundwave and Broadcast (Blaster), and Soundblaster and Twincast, and their cassettes
Spike, Carly, and Daniel
The Throttlebots
The triple-changers
Ultra Magnus
Vector Sigma
Weirdwolf, Skull (Skullcruncher), Wipe (Mindwipe) and the Horrorcons Apeface and Snapdragon
Wheelie
Wreck-Gar
Zarak and Megazarak

Alpha Trion

Despite not having a physical body, Alpha Trion still played a pivotal role in the beginning of the series. He accompanied Convoy (Optimus Prime) on his search for Vector Sigma while Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) looked for the Matrix elsewhere. When Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge interfered, Alpha Trion spun into a ball of energy to recharge the newly found Matrix and turn Hot Rodimus into Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime).

Here are some pictures I took of Alpha Trion from the series:

Upper body view (48K, series, 3/23/99).
His form as a ball of energy (34K, series, 3/23/99).
Recharging the Matrix (32K, series, 3/23/99). The Matrix was being held by Hot Rodimus, who will shortly become Rodimus Convoy.

Arcee and other female Cybertronians

Arcee is the female Cybertron in the series. She often was at a console revealing the latest events, but did little else. Unlike in the three-part "The Rebirth" story set after the return of Optimus Prime in the American TV series, she never became a Headmaster in the Japanese Headmasters series, which disregards all events in "The Rebirth". There is never an actual official transformable Arcee figure made for sale, even though there reportedly was a prototype built, but there were model kits for her sold in Japan, as shown here (52K, figure, 11/24/98).

That hasn't stopped some people from trying to make their own models of Arcee. An exceptional one that can transform can be found at the 1998 Japanese BotCon. The web site is in Japanese, but the pictures of her aren't. ^_^

Here are a few of my pictures of her from the series:

Talking with Blurr (52K, series, 4/28/99).
With Char (Kup) and Blurr (48K, series, 4/28/99).
With Rodimus and Char at Twincast's creation (51K, series, 4/28/99).

The series has one short sequence in which some other female robots appear. They were in an arcade where Wheelie and Daniel were playing a video game. Here are some of my pictures of them from the series:

Female robots (56K, series, 4/28/99).
More female robots (51K, series, 4/28/99). Daniel and Wheelie can be seen in the background.

Blurr

Blurr talks as fast as ever. ^_^ He eventually left with Char and Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) to search for a new homeworld for the Cybertrons after the destruction of their planet.

Here are my pictures of Blurr from the series:

Front upper body view (34K, series, 3/23/99).
Talking with Arcee (52K, series, 4/28/99).
With Char (Kup) and Arcee (48K, series, 4/28/99).
Another upper body view (42K, series, 4/28/99).

Char (Kup)

Also known as Cha, Char (Kup) is the same old Transformer as always, with stories to tell. He recalled the origin of Galvatron and the resurrection of Convoy (Optimus Prime), and fondly remembered Fortress as the one who led several of the Cybertrons away from the war on the planet. He is last seen leaving with Blurr and Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) to find a new homeworld when the planet Cybertron was destroyed.

Here are some of my pictures of Char from the series:

Front upper body view (35K, series, 3/23/99).
Warmly welcoming Fortress' return (36K, series, 3/23/99).
Close view of head (41K, series, 4/28/99).

Chromedome, Highbrow, Brainstorm, and Hardhead

Chromedome, Highbrow, Brainstorm, and Hardhead are the other Cybertron Headmasters besides Fortress who built their transtectors (Transformer bodies) on planet Master, where Fortress had settled some Cybertronians escaping the war back home. They are the most prominent characters in the Headmasters series.

Below are some of my pictures of them with descriptions.

Chromedome

After Fortress became leader of the Cybertrons, Chromedome was the one who ended up leading missions simply because Fortress doesn't have a mode other than becoming Fortress Maximus' head. Chromedome possessed a hotheaded temperament which somehow went along with his coolness to make him a capable commander.

Confronting the Destrons (50K, series, 3/23/99).
Very close view of head (42K, series, 3/23/99). His eyes, nose, and part of his upper head look very similar in the series to that of Convoy (Optimus Prime).
Robot mode, from commercial break (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Car mode, from commercial break (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper body view from above (36K, series, 4/28/99). It was yet another of his hotheaded moments.
Aboard the Fortress Maximus battlestation (46K, series, 10/31/99).
In space with Daniel (45K, series, 10/31/99). He had just escaped from the exploding asteroid aboard which he was in a duel with Sixshot. Daniel's intervention stopped it, and Sixshot helped Daniel and Chromedome escape when Zarak blew up the asteroid with hidden explosives.

Brainstorm

Robot mode, from commercial break (49K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper body view (48K, series, 4/28/99). Note that he doesn't have a mouth plate. His toy figure and his appearance in the American TV series "The Rebirth" do.

Hardhead

Tank mode, from commercial break (39K, series, 3/23/99).
In Headmaster form, inside his transtector (47K, series, 3/23/99).
Robot mode, from commercial break (41K, series, 3/23/99).
Upper body view from below (48K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper body view from above (51K, series, 4/28/99).

Groups with the above Headmasters

Watching as Convoy passed away (60K, series, 3/23/99).
Another angle of above (41K, series, 3/23/99). The brightly glowing object in the picture is Vector Sigma.
Highbrow and Hardhead in robot modes (54K, series, 4/28/99).
Hardhead and Chromedome in vehicle modes (44K, series, 4/28/99).
Brainstorm and Highbrow in vehicle modes (40K, series, 4/28/99).
Fighting Abominus (54K, series, 4/28/99).

Convoy (Optimus Prime)

Convoy (Optimus Prime) had resumed his leadership of the Cybertrons at the beginning of this series from Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime), who went back to being Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod). His main role in the series was to locate and stabilize the malfunctioning Vector Sigma while Hot Rodimus looked for the Matrix. In this he was aided by the ghost of Alpha Trion, who recharged the Matrix by becoming an energy form and merging with it. With help from Fortress and Rodimus Convoy (restored to his form by the newly found Matrix), he fought off Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge, who tried to interfere. After shoving aside Galvatron to reach Vector Sigma, he merged with it to save the planet Cybertron, leaving Rodimus Convoy as leader again.

Here are some of my pictures with Convoy from the series:

Flashback to his first death (43K, series, 3/23/99). This flashback appears at the very beginning of the Headmasters series, explaining that Convoy had died earlier but was resurrected (only to die again shortly, as seen below).
Upper body view (37K, series, 3/23/99).
Convoy and Hot Rodimus (48K, series, 3/23/99). Here Hot Rodimus had jumped in to protect Convoy from Galvatron, who had been firing at Convoy.
Convoy and Rodimus Convoy (53K, series, 3/23/99). Hot Rodimus had just become Rodimus Convoy with the recharged Matrix, and had given Convoy some of its energy to stabilize him.
Close view of head (35K, series, 4/28/99). The glow was from Vector Sigma.
Galvatron choking Convoy (48K, series, 4/28/99). They were beside Vector Sigma, whose glow can be seen. Galvatron had extricated himself from the wall where the Cybertrons had thrown him into, and jumped upon Convoy just as he was about to touch Vector Sigma and give his lifeforce to it to stabilize it.
Another angle of above (45K, series, 4/28/99).
Convoy turning grey as he died (44K, series, 3/23/99). He is being held by Rodimus Convoy after giving his own Matrix-infused energy to Vector Sigma to stabilize it and prevent Cybertron's destruction, at the cost of his own life.
The Convoys surrounded by the Cybertron Headmasters (60K, series, 3/23/99). The Headmasters from left to right are Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead, Highbrow, and Fortress, looking on as Convoy passed away.
Another angle of above (41K, series, 3/23/99). The brightly glowing object in the picture is Vector Sigma.
A farewell (35K, series, 4/28/99). Rodimus and the other Headmasters bid farewell to him on Earth.

Cybertron and other places

Pronounced as "Seibertron" by the Japanese, the planet is a battleground for the two factions until its destruction. Zarak caused its demise by ordering his Destron Headmasters to attach adhesive bombs to Vector Sigma. When Galvatron learned why the Cybertrons were evacuating from the planet, he reached Vector Sigma just in time for it to explode. Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime), Char (Kup), and Blurr set off afterwards to look for a new homeworld for the Cybertrons.

Here are some of my large pictures of the planet Cybertron from the series:

Full view (38K, series, 3/23/99).
Cybertron during a battle (45K, series, 3/23/99).

There are other places seen in the series. Here are some of my pictures of them:

The Cybertrons' crashed ship on Earth, the Ark (48K, series, 4/28/99). Note that it looks similar to the ship as seen in the Transformers episodes of the first three seasons of the show, but different as well.
Cybertron headquarters on Earth (43K, series, 4/28/99). It looks like the Autobot City in the movie, but with some differences.
Iacon (45K, series, 4/28/99). This is the Cybertrons' headquarters on Cybertron.
Destron headquarters on a moon, Jollo (44K, series, 4/28/99). Its description is at the bottom.

Dinosaurer (Trypticon)

Dinosaurer is the same as before in this series, a giant brutal dinosaur Transformer. Sixshot usually is found giving him commands. Here are some of my pictures of Dinosaurer from the series:

Trying to run down Wheelie and Daniel (31K, series, 4/28/99).
Close view of his head (29K, series, 4/28/99).
Battlestation mode (44K, series, 4/28/99).

Fortress and Fortress Maximus

Fortress Maximus is the larger body for the Cybertron robot Fortress (Cerebros). Throughout the Headmasters series the body served as the Cybertron Headmasters' spaceship and base, but the super robot mode was never shown until around the middle of the series. He transforms into his more compact battle station/city mode in the opening sequence for the series, as seen in my picture here (42K, series, 3/23/99), but hardly at all in the series itself. Note that the heads of the Headmasters are robots, not Nebulans as in the American TV series and the Transformer comics.

To transform to his super robot mode, Fortress must pull out a red shiny sword from a compartment on the bridge in the central tower. He then emerges with the sword, transforms into the head while the station transforms into the body, and then connects with it through the sword. He then can summon a huge sword (the Master Sword) to use against the enemy. The Japanese version of Fortress Maximus is the only one with swords, as seen here (85K, figure, 9/4/98). Here (62K, figure, 11/24/98) is the front of the box for the huge two-feet tall figure.

Here are my pictures of Fortress from the series:

First appearance (39K, series, 12/7/98).
Very close view of head (39K, series, 12/7/98).
Another view of his head (43K, series, 3/23/99).
Char (Kup) remembering and greeting Fortress (36K, series, 3/23/99). Kup then told a flashback story about Fortress leading a group of Cybertronians away from Cybertron to escape the war.
Flashback 1 (31K, series, 3/23/99). Here Fortress is leading a group onto the waiting ships.
Flashback 2 (37K, series, 3/23/99). Here his ships headed off into space as the war continued on Cybertron. Fortress' group eventually landed on the planet Master, where four of them became Headmasters and built themselves transtectors (Transformer bodies). Another four became Destrons Headmasters who joined Galvatron on Cybertron.

Here are my pictures of Fortress Maximus from the series:

In robot mode from a commerical break (52K, series, 10/31/99).
In battlestation mode chasing down the four Destron gestalts (40K, series, 4/28/99).
In battlestation mode firing everything at the four Destron gestalts (45K, series, 4/28/99).
The aftermath of the above (52K, series, 4/28/99). The Destron gestalts were down for the count as Fortress Maximus passed overhead.
In battlestation mode in space (46K, series, 10/31/99).
In battlestation mode in the air (41K, series, 10/31/99). Here his size looks obviously immense and impressive. ^_^

Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge

Although Galvatron was insane throughout most of the third season of the TV series in the U.S., in the Headmasters series he is much more in control of himself. He never shoots his own troops like he did before, although he did beat up on Cyclonus and Scourge once. ^_^;

When the dissident Headmasters Weirdwolf, Wipe (Mindwipe), and Skull (Skullcruncher) were driven off the Headmasters' home planet of Master, Galvatron recruited them for the Destrons' first attack on the planet Cybertron in this series. He temporarily disappeared from the series when he reached Vector Sigma just as it exploded and took the planet Cybertron with it, but he somehow survived.

He continued recruiting more allies, including the clones Pounce and Wingspan, and the Headmaster Horrorcons Snapdragon and Apeface. However, he eventually met his end in the series when he was buried alive in the Arctic by the Cybertron Headmasters, who did this by bombarding the nearby ice with energy from their aerial ring attack. However, he would return in a new form in the much later Battlestars series as Super Megatron.

Here are my pictures of Galvatron, Scourge, and Cyclonus from the series:

Megatron (36K, series, 4/28/99). It comes from a flashback to the prologue at the beginning of the series explaining the origin of Galvatron.
Close view of Galvatron's angry face (39K, series, 3/23/99).
Galvatron landing in his cannon mode (49K, series, 3/23/99).
Galvatron's upper body (46K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper left side view of Galvatron (42K, series, 4/28/99).
Front close view of Galvatron's head (46K, series, 4/28/99). Here he was scheming once again.
Galvatron looking dissatisfied (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Scourge and Cyclonus firing at the Cybertrons (54K, series, 12/7/98).
Close view of Cyclonus' face (44K, series, 4/28/99).
Cyclonus cowering (51K, series, 4/28/99). He was flanked by Wipe (Mindwipe) and Skull (Skullcruncher) while Galvatron's cannon was pointed at him. Galvatron didn't actually fire at Cyclonus, though.
Cyclonus and Scourge (49K, series, 4/28/99). They had apparently reached Vector Sigma ahead of Convoy (Optimus Prime). Vector Sigma is the unseen object on the same level as them.
Galvatron caught in Computron's right fist (43K, series, 4/28/99).
Galvatron choking Convoy (48K, series, 4/28/99). They were beside Vector Sigma, whose glow can be seen. Galvatron had extricated himself from the wall into which the Cybertrons had thrown him, and jumped upon Convoy just as he was about to touch Vector Sigma and give his lifeforce to it to stabilize it.
Another angle of above (45K, series, 4/28/99).
Galvatron with Soundblaster (44K, series, 4/28/99).

My own model of Galvatron

Obviously the actual Galvatron figure doesn't match his appearance in the original TV series, movie, and the Headmasters series. The figure is mostly grey instead of purple or dark blue, has really small forearms compared to his large upper arms, his head's crown points don't spread out to the sides in robot mode, and his arms don't spread out to the sides at an angle.

With all that in mind, I built my own version back in 1987 out of cardboard, tape, and glue. I decided to give him a royal purple color, though, because I think it looks better on him than a dark blue color would. I made him proportional to the actual Cyclonus and Scourge figures, as shown here (12K, figure, 12/7/98). I've always thought the actual Galvatron figure is too large compared to the other Transformers.

Here are more of my pictures of my model of Galvatron in his robot mode:

Left front view (7K, figure, 12/7/98).
Close view of upper body (12K, figure, 12/7/98).
Left side view (20K, figure, 1/26/99).
Left rear view (19K, figure, 1/26/99).

The following are some of my large and close-up pictures of his head:

Upper left front view (30K, figure, 1/26/99). I obviously will have to restore the white parts on his collar and shoulder pods someday. ^_^; I used a marble to give the top of his head that shiny round look.
Lower left front view (27K, figure, 1/26/99).
Another lower left front view, with a little more of the right side (26K, figure, 1/26/99).
Front view (26K, figure, 1/26/99). Looks like I'll have to restore his crown as well. ^_^;

The following are steps to transform him from robot mode to his cannon mode and back:

Slide off his hands and his shoulder pods.
Slide off to the side his entire cannon assembly from his right arm.
Straighten his arms and remove the tread units from behind them.
Rotate the side arm covers by 180 degrees.
Point the arms forward, and then tilt them into his body.
Insert the arms into the tread units so that the treads would be flat against a surface when the body is laid down.
Tilt his crown points directly upwards.
Remove the orange barrel from the cannon assembly and insert it into his head.
Rotate his feet into his lower legs, and then slide the legs into his body.
Rotate his back's large piece down from his back, swing the entire lower body around 180 degrees, and lay him on a flat surface so that the piece and his treads all touch the surface.
Slide the shoulder pods onto his upper arms.
Remove the central piece from the back and position it in the slot so that the longer end would point up at an angle.
To transform him back to robot, reverse the order of instructions. ^_^

Here are some of my pictures of him in his cannon mode:

Left front view (12K, figure, 12/7/98).
Left side view (10K, figure, 12/7/98).
Above left front view (9K, figure, 12/7/98).
Below left front view (11K, figure, 12/7/98).

Galvatron can rotate his arms, bend his left elbow 180 degrees, and rotate his right fist, but that is it for posability. Compared to my much recent creation, God Ginrai, built during the summer of 1998, Galvatron could have a turnable head, actual movable fingers for his hands, and bendable elbows, arms, and legs if I ever decide to improve him. I would also try to make his fists retractable in cannon mode so that only the white rear part of the cannon assembly would be left over after transformation to cannon mode.

The gestalts

The gestalts (or combiners) often appear throughout this series to do battle against each other. Here are some of my pictures of some of them and their individual members, arranged by separate teams and then any mix of them.

The Combaticons and their gestalt, Bruticus

Here are some of my pictures of the Destron gestalt and his members, called Combatrons in Japan:

Bruticus (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Bruticus firing (47K, series, 4/28/99).
Combaticons in vehicle modes (45K, series, 4/28/99).
Brawl in tank mode (36K, series, 4/28/99).
Swindle and Onslaught in vehicle modes (36K, series, 4/28/99).
Vortex and Blast Off in vehicle modes (40K, series, 4/28/99). Vortex is known as Vorder/Vorter in Japan, while Blast Off is translated as Brest Off or Breast Off. >_<;

The Stunticons and their gestalt, Menasor

Here are some of my pictures of the Destron gestalt and his members, called Stuntrons in Japan:

Menasor (46K, series, 4/28/99).
Menasor using Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) as a shield (44K, series, 4/28/99).
All of the Stunticons in vehicle modes (33K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Drag Strip, Wildrider, Breakdown, Dead End, and Motormaster. Drag Strip is known as Drag Stripe in Japan.
All of the Stunticons in robot modes (40K, series, 4/28/99). Clockwise from the top are Dead End, Breakdown, Drag Strip, Motormaster, and Wildrider.
Motormaster (37K, series, 4/28/99).
Breakdown and Drag Strip (44K, series, 4/28/99).

The Constructicons and their gestalt, Devastator

Devastator is called Devastar in Japan. Here are some of my pictures of his members, called Buildrons in Japan:

Constructicons (35K, series, 4/28/99). Along the top are Scavenger, Mixmaster, and Scrapper, while Bonecrusher, Long Haul, and Hook (known as Glen in Japan) are along the bottom.
Constructicons again (52K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Scrapper, Scavenger, and Hook.

The Predacons and their gestalt, Predaking

Here are some of my pictures of the members, called Animatrons in Japan:

Four of the Predacons in beast modes (44K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Headstrong, Razorclaw, Rampage, and Tantrum.
All of the Predacons in robot modes (43K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Rampage, Razorclaw, Divebomb (known as Dimebomb in Japan), Headstrong, and Tantrum.
Razorclaw in lion mode (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Razorclaw in robot mode (43K, series, 4/28/99).
Divebomb in falcon mode (35K, series, 4/28/99).
Rampage in tiger mode (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Rampage in robot mode (42K, series, 4/28/99).
Tantrum in bull mode (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Tantrum in robot mode (40K, series, 4/28/99).
Headstrong versus Ramhorn (44K, series, 4/28/99).

The Terrorcons and their gestalt, Abominus

In Japan the Terrorcons are called Terrortrons, Hun-Gurrr is known as Hun-Gruu, and Blot is Boot/Butt through a possible mistake in the translation. Here are some of my pictures of the Destron gestalt:

Abominus rushing into battle (37K, series, 4/28/99).
Abominus versus the Cybertron Headmasters (54K, series, 4/28/99).
Abominus rushing again (44K, series, 4/28/99).

The Technobots and their gestalt, Computron

Computron is called Computicon in Japan. Here are some of my pictures of the Cybertron gestalt and his members, called Techbots in Japan:

Computron (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Galvatron caught by Computron (43K, series, 4/28/99).
Scattershot, Technobot leader (37K, series, 4/28/99).
All of the Technobots in robot modes (48K, series, 4/28/99). Across the top are Afterburner, Lightspeed, and Strafe, with Nosecone and Scattershot across the bottom.

The Aerialbots and their gestalt, Superion

Here are some of my pictures of the Cybertron gestalt and his members, called Airbots in Japan:

Superion (53K, series, 4/28/99).
The Aerialbots (50K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Silverbolt, Slingshot (known as Sling in Japan), and Skydive.
The Aerialbots in jet modes (40K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Slingshot, Skydive, and Air Raid (known as Air Rider in Japan).

The Protectobots and their gestalt, Defensor

Defensor is called Guardian in Japan. Here is my picture of the team leader:

Hot Spot, Protectobot leader (40K, series, 4/28/99).

The Trainbots and their gestalt, Raiden

The Trainbots and their gestalt Raiden get most of the attention of all the gestalts in the series. Here are some of my pictures of the members:

Shouki, Trainbot leader (31K, series, 4/28/99).
Trainbots' first appearance in mid-transformation (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Trainbots beginning their robot transformation (33K, series, 4/28/99).

Groups with the above gestalts and members

The Destron gestalts (57K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right are Bruticus, Menasor, Devastator, and Abominus. This was a quick scene, so it looks a bit blurry.
Fortress Maximus in battlestation mode chasing down the four Destron gestalts (40K, series, 4/28/99).
The above gestalts after being attacked by Fortress Maximus (52K, series, 4/28/99). The Destron gestalts were down for the count as Fortress Maximus passed overhead.
Abominus versus Computron (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Superion tackling Menasor and freeing Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) (55K, series, 4/28/99).

The Destron gestalts also appeared in the much later Zone series as elaborate Destron generals.

Jazz and other miscellaneous earlier Transformers

Some of the earlier Cybertrons from the earlier Transformers shows can be seen in the series. Here are some of my pictures of some of them:

Jazz (41K, series, 4/28/99). Called "Meister" in Japan, he often appears with Convoy (Optimus Prime) or Ultra Magnus, carrying out their commands.
Jazz with shiny metallic look (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Hound with Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) (42K, series, 4/28/99).
Sideswipe (35K, series, 4/28/99). He is called "Lambor" in Japan.
Prowl and Sideswipe with Ultra Magnus (35K, series, 4/28/99). They were firing at the Destrons overhead.
Prowl, Jazz, Inferno, and Tracks (40K, series, 4/28/99). They were starting to transform after given orders by Ultra Magnus, so they look a bit odd here. Metroplex is in city mode beside them all.
A few moments after the above (40K, series, 4/28/99). Prowl, Jazz, Tracks, and Inferno are in their vehicle modes.
Grimlock in beast mode (36K, series, 4/28/99).

Metroplex

Called Metroflex in Japan, Metroplex is the Cybertrons' base on Earth. He is the personal headquarters for Ultra Magnus. Here are a few of my pictures of Metroplex from the series:

Close view of head (51K, series, 10/31/99).
Front view of battlestation mode (35K, series, 4/28/99).
Above view of battlestation mode (40K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper body view (34K, series, 4/28/99).

In Japan there is also a Junior version made for him. Here (75K, figure, 10/31/99) is a picture of this, thanks to Manuel Tan aka Dinoguyst (jgtan@netasia.net).

Pounce and Wingspan

The two are Destron clones, with identical robot front sides. They first show up in the series in the episode "Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship" as former friends of the Cybertron clones Fastlane and Cloudraker. Pounce and Wingspan were recruited by Galvatron to find some pirates' hidden energy source using two halves of a flat skull piece. They didn't get the energy, but they continued working for the Destrons until they were killed in the next to last episode by Sixshot, who was looking for Zarak.

Here are pictures of the Destron clone figures, thanks to Graham Trievel (scratch-x@email.msn.com):

Front of box (62K, figure, 10/31/99).
With front box flap raised (62K, figure, 10/31/99). The front of the box is actually a cover. When the flap is lifted, it reveals a data check on the top and the front of the box itself on the bottom.

Here are my pictures of the Destron clones from the series:

Wingspan and Pounce in robot modes (55K, series, 10/31/99).
Sixshot pounding the clones, part 1 (57K, series, 10/31/99).
Sixshot pounding the clones, part 2 (52K, series, 10/31/99).
The dead clones after Sixshot was finished with them (49K, series, 10/31/99).

Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) and Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime)

Before the Headmasters series Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) had returned leadership of the Cybertrons back to Convoy (Optimus Prime) and reverted to his original Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) form. However, he became the leader again after Convoy sacrificed himself to save Vector Sigma and Cybertron. Rodimus later made Fortress the new commander so he, Char (Kup), and Blurr can look for a new homeworld after the destruction of Cybertron.

Here are some of my pictures of Hot Rodimus:

Upper body view (35K, series, 3/23/99).
Close view of face (36K, series, 3/23/99).
With Hound (42K, series, 3/23/99). This is Hound's only appearance (in Autobot City) in this series, by the way.
Defending Convoy (48K, series, 3/23/99). Here Hot Rodimus had jumped in to protect Convoy from Galvatron, who had been firing at Convoy.
Another upper body view (46K, series, 4/28/99).
Left side view of head (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Close view of head (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Firing at the Destrons in the Vector Sigma chamber (38K, series, 4/28/99).

Below are my pictures of Rodimus Convoy:

First appearance (45K, series, 3/23/99).
Convoy and Rodimus Convoy (53K, series, 3/23/99). Hot Rodimus had just become Rodimus Convoy with the recharged Matrix, and had given Convoy some of its energy to stabilize him.
Holding the dying Convoy (44K, series, 3/23/99).
The Convoys surrounded by the Cybertron Headmasters (60K, series, 3/23/99). The Headmasters from left to right are Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead, Highbrow, and Fortress, looking on as Convoy passed away.
Another angle of above (41K, series, 3/23/99). The brightly glowing object in the picture is Vector Sigma.
Remembering Convoy (44K, series, 4/28/99). He was joined by Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead, and Highbrow.
Farewell, Convoy (35K, series, 4/28/99). Rodimus and the other Headmasters bid farewell to him on Earth.
Close view of head (37K, series, 4/28/99). Rodimus is much more of a commander this time around than before, by the way.
Upper body view (48K, series, 4/28/99). As seen here, sometimes the animators gave the Transformers the shiny armor look, which became more prevalent in later Japanese Transformers series. For some reason his eyes were heavily outlined.
Another close view of head (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Talking with Ultra Magnus (47K, series, 4/28/99). Note that Rodimus' back piece across his wing spoiler actually has the same shape as the Hot Rod figure's. Hot Rod's in the series itself looks identical to his American version in the first three seasons of the Transformers show and the movie.

Sixshot

Sixshot is one of the Destrons' most capable warriors, with six modes (robot, tank, car, large gun, jet, winged wolf) and an ultimate mode which is like a combination of all of them. He was once an overlord on planet Master. During that time he tortured his workers, killing a friend of Chromedome back before he and the others developed their larger bodies.

Sixshot is quite a ninja. In battles he can make himself appear to split up into multiple selves, sometimes even having different modes for each of those selves. He actually retains his large size in his gun mode, even though he is seen being held in Galvatron's hand in the commercial breaks.

Sixshot did some nasty things throughout the series. When Spike wanted to try negotiating an end to the war, Sixshot impersonated Galvatron at the meeting while the real one was scheming back at headquarters. In another episode Sixshot killed Ultra Magnus with a massive series of blasts from all of his modes while Ultra Magnus' would-be rescuers were distracted by his fellow Destrons. In yet another episode he captured Sappho, another friend of Chromedome from planet Master, by impersonating Chromedome while both sides were on that planet. He then implanted a bomb into him and programmed him to walk into the Fortress Maximus battlestation and blow him up from the inside. The plan was foiled, but Chromedome was forced to shoot at Sappho and destroy him before the bomb could explode. With the death of Ultra Magnus not too long ago combined with this one, Chromedome swore vengeance against Sixshot.

However, late in the series Sixshot started to change. This began when he was stranded on a planet with Daniel. There he gradually gained admiration for the human for his strength of spirit in resisting the attacking rocky natives, and apparently learned why the Cybertrons resisted the Destrons. A friendship arose between the two.

Sixshot later challenged Chromedome, who was still angry for the deaths, to a duel on an asteroid. When Daniel heard about it, he headed out in his exosuit and successfully stopped it. At that moment Zarak blew up the bombs he laid on the asteroid to destroy everyone on it, including Sixshot. The six-changer prevented Daniel from falling into the emerging lava and handed him off to Chromedome, who escaped with the human and the other Cybertrons, before he apparently perished.

However, Sixshot actually escaped the total destruction of the asteroid. He headed off to find Zarak, killing the Destron clones Pounce and Wingspan along the way, before he found him in Atlantis underwater. Zarak welcomed Sixshot back and told him his plans to destroy Earth, but tried to shoot him just as the six-changer turned to leave. It was unsuccessful, though, since that Sixshot was an illusion. After saving Daniel and Wheelie, Sixshot gave them a hint on how to counter Zarak's scheme. With that clue the Cybertrons powered up Fortress Maximus and freed him from an energy field with Zarak's abandoned Megazarak body.

Here are some of my pictures of Sixshot from the series:

Upper body view (37K, series, 4/28/99).
Blowing away the smoke from his rifle (33K, series, 4/28/99). I find it interesting since he doesn't seem to have a mouth. ^_^
With his rifle slung over his shoulder (49K, series, 4/28/99).
Another upper body view (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Wrestling with Ultra Magnus (33K, series, 4/28/99).
Choking Ultra Magnus (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Sixshot and Daniel finding themselves stranded on an unknown planet (47K, series, 10/31/99).
Sixshot looking down (at an unseen Daniel) (43K, series, 10/31/99). This is before they were attacked by the planet's rocky natives, against whom Sixshot appeared as shown in the following pictures to rescue Daniel.
Jet mode (34K, series, 10/31/99).
His split-multiple-modes attack (47K, series, 10/31/99).
Winged-wolf mode (43K, series, 10/31/99).
In gun mode against the merger of the planet's rocky natives (50K, series, 10/31/99).
Gun mode (35K, series, 10/31/99).
In space in jet mode (36K, series, 10/31/99).
Sixshot pounding the clones, part 1 (57K, series, 10/31/99).
Sixshot pounding the clones, part 2 (52K, series, 10/31/99).
The dead clones after Sixshot was finished with them (49K, series, 10/31/99).

Soundwave and Broadcast (Blaster), and Soundblaster and Twincast, along with their cassettes

Soundwave and Broadcast (Blaster) have their final showdown to the end in this series, and it isn't pretty. ^_^;

Below are my large pictures of Broadcast and Soundwave:

Upper body view of Broadcast (40K, series, 3/23/99).
Upper body view of Soundwave (34K, series, 3/23/99).
Close view of Soundwave's head (33K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave ejecting a cassette (39K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave preparing to fire at Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) (39K, series, 3/23/99).

The final battle between Soundwave and Broadcast (Blaster)

Like the battle in the movie between Megatron and Optimus Prime, the battle between the two communicators is fierce even though they didn't use their sonic attacks. Here are some of my pictures of this battle in the Arctic along with some description:

Soundwave carrying his gun (39K, series, 3/23/99).
Broadcast carrying his gun (41K, series, 3/23/99).
Shooting at each other (37K, series, 3/23/99). They each scored several direct hits.
Broadcast being hit (47K, series, 3/23/99).
Split view of both faces (38K, series, 3/23/99).
Split view of each getting simultaneous holes punched through their chests (50K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave with a hole through the chest (43K, series, 3/23/99).
Broadcast knocking Soundwave's left arm off (41K, series, 3/23/99).
A few seconds after the above (43K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave knocking Broadcast into a cliff (42K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave kicking his foot into Broadcast's hole in his chest (48K, series, 3/23/99).
Broadcast jabbing his elbow into Soundwave's hole in his chest as they came back down (49K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave getting up, only to explode a few seconds later (39K, series, 3/23/99).
Soundwave blown up, with Broadcast nearby (52K, series, 3/23/99).
Hot Rodimus and Broadcast's cassettes mourning Broadcast's death (45K, series, 3/23/99). Broadcast had turned whitish-grey as he told Hot Rodimus to go on.
Laserbeak retrieving Soundwave's head (44K, series, 3/23/99). Soundwave had turned whitish-grey as well. Laserbeak is known as Condor in Japan.
Ratbat and Buzzsaw carrying other pieces of Soundwave back to headquarters with Laserbeak (35K, series, 3/23/99).

However, this isn't the end for the communicators...

Soundblaster

Soundwave's head was implanted into a new body and resurrected as Soundblaster. Here are some of my pictures of his resurrection and his new body:

Schematic of new body (45K, series, 4/28/99).
Schematic of his right arm (39K, series, 4/28/99). The Destron cassette Transformers are standing around as the computer goes through the process of designing Soundwave's replacement body.
Soundwave's head (41K, series, 4/28/99). The head is nearby, ready for the computer to fetch it and plug it into his body.
The new body, with head attached (43K, series, 4/28/99). At this point he is still lifeless, about to be infused with life amidst sparks of lightning.
Taking his first steps in his new body (43K, series, 4/28/99). Here he is stepping down from the platform, to the cheers of his cassette Transformers.
Upper body view (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Another angle of upper body view (38K, series, 4/28/99). Unlike before, his chest window is now filled with a purple color and sticks out of his body. His original dark blue is now practically black.
Close view of his head (39K, series, 4/28/99). His new name is at the bottom of the picture.
Ratbat flying toward Soundblaster (31K, series, 4/28/99).
Ratbat entering Soundblaster (35K, series, 4/28/99). Buzzsaw, Condor (Laserbeak), Jaguar (Ravage), Rumble, and Frenzy did the same.
Soundblaster after all of his cassettes have entered his body (35K, series, 4/28/99). Here he seems to be pleased.
Soundblaster in cassette player mode (52K, series, 4/28/99).
Soundblaster with Galvatron (44K, series, 4/28/99).

As for the Soundblaster toy figure, it can hold two cassettes at once, as opposed to only one for the Soundwave figure.

Twincast

On the Cybertron side, after some prodding from the cassette Transformers, Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) gave the go-ahead to bring Broadcast back to life. Inside Fortress Maximus in city mode was a lab in which the process would take place. Here are some of my pictures of Broadcast's resurrection and his totally brand-new body:

With the Cybertrons watching on (50K, series, 4/28/99). Fortress (Cerebros) was sending energy into the apparently empty structure.
Body forming (52K, series, 4/28/99). The outline to the totally brand-new body can be seen here.
Body completed (48K, series, 4/28/99). Now solidified, Broadcast is now Twincast, a name he chose for his new body. Generally his original red becomes blue.
Twincast being greeted by Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime), Arcee, and Char (Kup) (51K, series, 4/28/99).
Upper body view (41K, series, 4/28/99). His name appears at the bottom.
Another upper body view (39K, series, 4/28/99).
The cassettes entering his body (42K, series, 4/28/99). Amhorn (Ramhorn) and Steeljaw can be seen here.
Twincast firing (47K, series, 4/28/99).
Twincast and his cassette Transformers (46K, series, 4/28/99).

Like the Soundblaster figure, the Twincast figure can also hold two cassettes in his chest at once.

The cassette Transformers

Here are some of my pictures of the cassette Transformers from the series:

Ratbat in cassette mode (35K, series, 4/28/99). He is trying to look inconspicuous against a wall inside a Cybertron base.
Steeljaw (47K, series, 4/28/99).
Eject and Rewind firing (41K, series, 4/28/99). They were in the Arctic helping Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) find the Matrix.
Ramhorn versus the Predacon Headstrong (44K, series, 4/28/99).
The Cybertron cassettes and Daniel mourning Broadcast's death (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Ramhorn (37K, series, 4/28/99).
Rewind and Steeljaw (45K, series, 4/28/99).
Buzzsaw, Ratbat, and Laserbeak flying (33K, series, 4/28/99). They were about to attack the Cybertron cassette Transformers, who had infiltrated the Destron base.
Eject riding Ramhorn (42K, series, 4/28/99).

Graphy, Noise, and Decibel

There were also Japan-exclusive dinosaur-like cassette combiners, though they didn't appear in the series. They are:
Graphy (aka Graph or Gurafi) and Noise (aka Noizu), who combine to form Decibel;
Dial (aka Dairu) and Saur (aka Zaur or Zauru), who combine to form Legout.
Decibel is Legout's older brother.

Here are scans of the specs for Graphy, Noise, and Decibel from the back of their boxes, thanks to Dave Schiber (Gothamm1@aol.com, http://www.geocities.com/~gothamm1/tfindex.html):

Decibel and Graphy's specs (68K, figure, 10/31/99).
Decibel and Noise's specs (65K, figure, 10/31/99).

For a translation by Doug Dlin (apcog@hotmail.com) of the above three specs, click here to see them.

Spike, Carly, and Daniel

Like in the earlier Transformers shows, the three humans were involved in the Transformers war. Unlike in the three-part "The Rebirth" story set after the return of Convoy (Optimus Prime), Spike and Daniel never became Headmasters. Spike apparently continued to make alliances with other planets for the Cybertrons. Daniel practically converted the Destron six-changer Sixshot into a Cybertron and became friends with him, while remaining friends with Wheelie.

Here are some of my pictures involving the humans:

Spike and Carly (37K, series, 4/28/99).
Carly (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel (43K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel and Wheelie (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel in his exosuit being chased by the Predacon Tantrum (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel mourning the death of Broadcast (Blaster) with the cassette Transformers (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel with the Cybertron cassette Transformers watching the creation of Twincast's new body (48K, series, 4/28/99).
Daniel playing video games with Wheelie (51K, series, 4/28/99).
Sixshot and Daniel finding themselves stranded on an unknown planet (47K, series, 10/31/99).
Daniel kidnapped by one of the planet's rocky natives (46K, series, 10/31/99).
In his exosuit in space with Chromedome (45K, series, 10/31/99). Daniel's intervention had stopped a duel on an asteroid between Chromedome and Sixshot, who saved Daniel's life and helped them escape when Zarak blew up the asteroid with hidden explosives.

The Throttlebots

Led by Goldback (Goldbug), the rebuilt Bumblebee, the Throttlebots are part of the Cybertron forces on the planet Cybertron. Here are some of my pictures of them from the series:

The Throttlebots (53K, series, 4/28/99). From left to right, they are Chase, Rollbar, Searchlight (in the back), Freeway, Goldbug, and Wideload. In Japan Searchlight is called Looklight, and Freeway is called Runway.
Close view of Goldbug (40K, series, 4/28/99).

The triple-changers

Unlike in the earlier seasons of the Transformers show, the triple-changers don't show up often in this series. Like the gestalts they often show up just to fight and do little else. Springer is called Sprung in Japan. Here are a few of my pictures of the triple-changers:

Broadside, Springer, and Sandstorm (47K, series, 4/28/99). Their identification is at the bottom of the picture.
The above in vehicle modes (42K, series, 4/28/99).

Ultra Magnus

In this series Ultra Magnus continued his role as a commander on Earth, with Metroplex as his headquarters. Earlier Cybertrons such as Jazz can often be found near him and Metroplex. After serving under Convoy (Optimus Prime), Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime), and Fortress, he finally met his end in a final battle against the Destron six-changer Sixshot. Afterwards he was laid in a coffin filled with flowers and left to drift over the seas into a cave.

Here are some of my pictures of Ultra Magnus from the series:

Smirking at Sixshot in their very first battle (33K, series, 4/28/99).
Wrestling with Sixshot (33K, series, 4/28/99).
Being choked by Sixshot (38K, series, 4/28/99).
Talking with Rodimus (47K, series, 4/28/99).
Giving an order (48K, series, 4/28/99).
With Prowl and Sideswipe (35K, series, 4/28/99).
Giving orders (40K, series, 4/28/99).

Vector Sigma

Vector Sigma is the basic foundation for the planet Cybertron. Alpha Trion helped guide Convoy (Optimus Prime) to it so that he can save it and prevent Cybertron's destruction, even though that happened later anyway thanks to Zarak and his Destron Headmasters. Galvatron was caught in the dead center of the explosion, but he eventually returned.

Here are some large pictures I captured involving Vector Sigma from the series:

Chamber containing Vector Sigma (48K, series, 3/23/99). It looks just like the plasma energy chamber from the original series' 4th season three-parter "The Rebirth". The wires are its connections to the planet Cybertron.
Vector Sigma itself (45K, series, 3/23/99).

Weirdwolf, Skull (Skullcruncher), Wipe (Mindwipe), and the Horrorcons Apeface and Snapdragon

Weirdwolf, Skull (Skullcruncher), and Wipe (Mindwipe) are a group of Headmasters with transtectors (Transformer bodies) who left Fortress' group on planet Master to join Galvatron. However, their true leader was Zarak, who had them plant explosives on Vector Sigma to destroy Cybertron. They were usually seen fighting their Cybertron counterparts and providing some comic relief.

The Horrorcons are a later addition of two Headmasters Transformers, Apeface and Snapdragon, who can transform into jets as well as animals. They first show up in the episode "The Most Important Thing in the World" to accept Galvatron's invitation to join the Destrons. This prompted Spike to make an eventually unsuccessful overture to seek a peace agreement with the Destrons before the war escalated.

Below are some of my pictures of them from the series.

Weirdwolf

In robot mode with Wipe (40K, series, 3/23/99). They were inside what was formerly Shockwave's base on Cybertron.
On Cybertron in battle (41K, series, 3/23/99).
In Headmaster form, inside his transtector (45K, series, 3/23/99).

Skull

Attacking in robot mode (43K, series, 3/23/99).
Beast mode (37K, series, 3/23/99). This came from the flashback story began by Char (Kup) and finished by Fortress.

Wipe

Upper front view of robot mode (31K, series, 3/23/99).
Using his hypnotism power (36K, series, 3/23/99).
Front view of above (37K, series, 3/23/99).
Using his hypnotism power in bat mode (39K, series, 4/28/99).
Bat mode (45K, series, 10/31/99).

The Horrorcons Apeface and Snapdragon

Apeface in robot mode (56K, series, 10/31/99).
Apeface and Snapdragon in jet modes (41K, series, 10/31/99).
Apeface and Snapdragon in animal modes (51K, series, 10/31/99).

Groups with the above Headmasters

Weirdwolf, Skull, and Wipe (54K, series, 4/28/99). They were in Vector Sigma's chamber, surprised when Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) became Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) and joined Convoy against them.
Skull, Weirdwolf, and Wipe (53K, series, 10/31/99).
Wipe, Skull, and Weirdwolf in beast modes stacked on top of each other (55K, series, 10/31/99). The three came up with this 'merging' to scare the Cybertron Headmasters in the final episode. ^_^
The above combination with Snapdragon and then Apeface added (45K, series, 10/31/99). Unfortunately for the three, the Horrorcons wanted to get in on the act. They were later swept off Fortress Maximus when he accelerated. ^_^

Wheelie

Like before, Wheelie accompanies his human friend Daniel. Unlike before, he is more assertive. Here are some of my pictures of Wheelie from the series:

Upper body view (35K, series, 4/28/99).
With Daniel as they faced Dinosaurer (Trypticon) (41K, series, 4/28/99).
Playing video games with Daniel (51K, series, 4/28/99).

Wreck-Gar

Wreck-Gar lives on in the series, though he didn't have much to do. He still talked in his own distinct way.

Zarak and Megazarak

Megazarak (Scorponok) is the larger body for the Destron robot Zarak. Initially Zarak was always shrouded in darkness. He was the one who sent his fellow Destron Headmasters with explosives to destroy the planet Cybertron by blowing up Vector Sigma. The incident also temporarily took Galvatron out of the series, leaving Zarak in command. It was not until around the middle of the series that he finally completed construction of the Megazarak body and revealed his true appearance. After Galvatron was buried under tons of iceberg by the Cybertron Headmasters in the arctic, Zarak resumed command. Although he survived, his Megazarak body unfortunately was destroyed by Fortress Maximus at the end of the series.

Here are my pictures of Zarak and his larger body from the series:

Megazarak from the commercial break (47K, series, 10/31/99).
Upper body view of Zarak (47K, series, 10/31/99).

CATALOGS:

All of those catalogs were courtesy of Jeff Morris (jbmorris@steel.ucs.indiana.edu), who scanned and provided them to me.

1985 Catalog #1 NEW!

This catalog contains figures from the earlier Transformers series still seen in the Headmasters series.

Scramble City Catalog #1

This catalog contains most of the same figures seen in the Headmasters series as for the earlier Transformers series.

Scramble City Catalog #2 NEW!

This catalog contains most of the same figures seen in the Headmasters series as for the earlier Transformers series.

Headmasters Catalog #1 NEW!

This contains the Headmasters among other additional figures from the series. It's very similar in design to the 1987 U.S. Transformers catalog.

Headmasters Catalog #2

This contains the Headmasters among other additional figures from the series.

Masterforce Catalog #1

Although actually a Masterforce catalog, it mainly contains figures from the Headmasters series.

Beastformers (Battle Beast) Catalog

The Beastformers appeared in one early episode dedicated to them in the Headmasters series. This catalog contains pictures and a list of the figures.

For more catalogs, check out my inserts page or check out The Ark Archives.

MAIL-ORDER FORMS:

Like elsewhere, Japan also has some mail-order offers of its own. The following were thanks to Jeff Morris (jbmorris@steel.ucs.indiana.edu), who scanned them for me.

Scramble City Mail-Order Form

This one is very similar in fold-out structure to the American form with Thundercracker, but with Dirge instead among a different set of figures available for mail-order.

Headmasters Mail-Order Form NEW ADDITION!

This contains both the Headmasters mail-order form and a leaflet for the S.T.A.R.S. Transformers fan club.

Where to go from here:

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Links:

here

Email:

PrimeSaber@hotmail.com

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