Micromasters

"Skyhopper" redirects here. For the Star Wars vehicle, see List of Star Wars air, aquatic, and ground vehicles#Skyhopper. For the balloons, see Hopper balloon.

Micromasters is a Transformers subline composed of small figures that came packaged in groups and with bases that interacted with the figures. They were sold at the peak of Galoob's Micro Machines craze and were packaged in groups of four just like Micro Machines. The Micromaster Combiners sub-line was made with a similar gimmick to rival Matchbox's Connectables line.

In the fiction, the Micromasters were created by the Transformers in response to growing power needs; It was costly and inefficient to continue to create or repair existing Transformers in large bodies. Utilizing technology gained from the Nebulon "master" process, a smaller, more efficient form was constructed. Until this time, small Transformers were limited in intelligence or ability in some way, such as the cassette robots needing a symbiotic relationship with Blaster or Soundwave.

Some Transformers chose to do away with their old bodies and become smaller; The majority of those who remained looked down on the smaller Micromasters. Due to their young age, at the time of the Great War no Micromasters had officer status in either the Autobot or Decepticon army. By the time of the discovery of Zone Energy, Micromasters were beginning to move up the ranks. This foreshadows the smaller, more energy efficient bodies of the Maximals and Predacons in the Beast Wars TV show in comparison with the much larger bodies of the Generation One Transformers.

The name "Micromasters" was only invented during the second year of the subline. The toys released in the first year (Off Road Patrol, Race Car Patrol and Air Strike Patrol) were labelled as "Micro Transformers".

List of Micromasters

Regular Micromasters

Patrols

Patrols consist of four different Micromasters, each transforming into a vehicle. Patrols are specifically themed.

Autobots

Air Patrol (Blaze Master, Eagle Eye, Sky High, Tread Bolt)

Battle Patrol (Big Shot, Flak, Sidetrack, Sunrunner)

Construction Patrol (Crumble, Groundpounder, Neutro, Takedown)

Hot Rod Patrol (Big Daddy, Greaser, Hubs, Trip-Up)

Monster Truck Patrol (Big Hauler, Hydraulic, Heavy Tread, Slow Poke)

Off Road Patrol (Powertrain, Mudslinger, Highjump, Tote)

Race Car Patrol (Free Wheeler, Road Handler, Swindler, Tailspin)

Rescue Patrol (Fixit, Red Hot, Seawatch, Stakeout)

Decepticons

Air Strike Patrol (Nightflight Stormcloud, Tailwind, Whisper)

Military Patrol (Bombshock, Dropshot, Growler, Tracer)

Race Track Patrol (Barricade, Groundhog, Motorhead, Roller Force)

Sports Car Patrol (Blackjack, Detour, Hyperdrive, Roadhugger)

Bombshock

In Generation 1, Bombshock is leader of the Decepticon Micromaster Military Patrol. In Power Core Combiners, Bombshock was once a member of the elite Cybertron military. After betraying his comrades, the Decepticons rewarded him with a Power Core team to command the Combaticons.^[1][2]

Toys include:

• Generation 1 Decepticon Military Patrol (1990)

A four pack of Decepticon Micromasters including Bombshock.^[3]

• Power Core Combiners Bombshock with Combaticons (2010)

A new mold, which resembles the G1 Combaticon Onslaught. Comes with four drone vehicles: a half-track, an armored car, a missile carrier and a tank - all of which combine with Bombshock to form a larger robot.^[4] The Bombshock mold is also used for the Autobot Steelshot with Beacon.

Transports

Transports transform into vehicles and can transport gun emplacements, maintenance equipment, or other Micromasters.

Autobots

Overload - transforms into a car carrier.

Erector - transforms into a crane.

Decepticons

Flattop - transforms into an aircraft carrier.^[5]

Roughstuff - transforms into a a cannon trailer.^[6]

Battle stations

Battle stations are buildings that transform into maintenance stations or military outposts.

Autobots

Hot House - transforms into an airplane, comes with a fire station.

Ironworks - transforms into a truck cab, comes with a factory.

Decepticons

Airwave - transforms into an airplane, comes with an airport.^[7]

Greasepit - transforms into a monster truck, comes with a car maintenance station.

Groundshaker and his armored car toys

Bases

Bases convert from vehicles to combat bases.

Autobots

• Groundshaker - transforms into an airplane, comes with a wheeled armored personnel carrier.

Decepticons

• Skyhopper - transforms into an airplane, comes with a helicopter.

Headquarters

Headquarters convert from vehicles to Micromaster headquarters.

Autobots

• Countdown - transforms into a lunar rover, comes with a mobile rocket launching platform.

Decepticons

• Skystalker - transforms into a car, comes with a space shuttle.

Micromaster Combiners

Micromaster Combiners were introduced later in the subline mainly as an attempt to cash in on Matchbox's Connectables subline. Each vehicle is able to transform into two separate Micromasters, which connect to each other in vehicle mode.

Combiner Squads consist of three vehicles, each of which can transform into two separate Micromasters. Combiner Squads are specifically themed.

• Autobots

Astro Squad (Phaser and Blast Master, Moonrock and Missile Master, Barrage and Heave)

Metro Squad (Wheel Blaze and Road Runner, Oiler and Slide, Power Run and Strikedown)

• Decepticons

Battle Squad (Meltdown and Half-Track, Direct-Hit and Power Punch, Fireshot and Vanquish)

Constructor Squad (Stonecruncher and Excavator, Sledge and Hammer, Grit and Knockout)

Combiner transports transform into vehicles and can transport gun emplacements or maintenance equipment. Each includes two separate Micromasters.

• Autobots

Tanker truck (Pipeline and Gusher) - transform into a shovel vehicle, come with a liquid transport tank.

Missile transport (Retro and Surge) - transform into a crane, come with a missile transport platform.

• Decepticons

Cannon transport (Cement-Head and Terror-Tread - transform into a dump truck, come with a cannon transport platform.

Combiner headquarters convert from vehicles to Micromaster headquarters. Each includes two separate Micromasters.

• Autobots: Trailer truck (Full Barrel and Overflow) - transform into a trailer truck, come with a trailer truck.
• Decepticons: Anti-aircraft base (Blackout and Spaceshot) - transform into a bomber airplane, come with an anti-aircraft vehicle.

Marvel Comics

With the animated series having finished, it fell to the Marvel Transformers comic to provide the background for the Micromasters. Here they were portrayed as regular Autobots and Decepticons who had downsized into smaller bodies due to fuel shortages. Their first appearance was in issue 54, where Optimus Prime summoned the Race Car Patrol and Off-Road Patrol from Cybertron in order to reinforce the Autobots on Earth (after the Underbase powered Starscream's rampage). They were immediately dispatched to investigate the Decepticon Pretenders' attempts to set up a device on top of the Empire State Building to produce power for the Decepticons' new base. The Micromasters eventually defeated them, proving their worth to the other Autobots.

Both patrols next appeared in New York City fighting crime, where Roadhandler managed to become a professional wrestler by accident. This backfired when Scorponok held his fans hostage, but he managed to defeat Storm Cloud of the Air Strike Patrol and save the humans.

When Marvel UK writer Simon Furman took over the US comic, the Micromaster paid a big role in his first story arc. Working for the believed dead Megatron, the Sports Car Patrol kidnapped Ratchet by pretending to be Autobots, forcing him to create more Pretenders. Elsewhere, the Air Strike Patrol (also working for Megatron) sparked a confrontation between Optimus Prime's Autobots and Scorponok's Decepticons - luring them into perfect position to be wiped out by the resurrected Pretender Starscream. Predictably Ratchet betrayed Megatron, resurrecting Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee as Pretenders. The Sports Car Patrol battled them but were defeated, leaving Megatron to crush the three Pretenders on his own. After this, Micromasters disappeared entirely from the pages of the comic save for an appearance of Fixit (from the Rescue Patrol) in issue #71.

Dreamwave Productions

Autobot Micromaster leader Countdown.

In Dreamwave Productions' reimagining of the Generation One universe a four issue mini-series titled Micromasters was published, which expanded the background of the Micromasters. Here, they were originally Autobots who experimented on themselves to create smaller, more fuel efficient bodies. Seeing the possibilities this could lead to both Autobots and Decepticons would hold a truce to create more Micromasters, even going as far to create a small city and training school for them (with both Ultra Magnus and Shockwave teaching). However, both sides began to covertly recruit among the Micromasters splitting them into Autobot and Decepticon factions. Dreamwave went bankrupt not long after this, so any further tales of the Micromasters would go untold.

IDW Publishing

The Micromasters made a surprise reappearance in IDW Publishing's Spotlight issue on Nightbeat. The Sports Car Patrol appeared working for a mysterious extradimensional entity. They attacked Nightbeat, outmaneuvering and capturing him for implantation with some sort of device. Nightbeat fails to recognise the Micromasters, indicating that they do not exist in the IDW G1 continuity as of yet. None of the Sports Car Patrol are named or even speak.

The Micromasters returned in the pages of Spotlight Hardhead, with most of the early U.S. released patrols being present, but not any of the combiners, bases or transports.

References

1. ^ TFW2005.com - Bombshock
2. ^ Hasbro Showcases its Iconic Brands at San Diego Comic-Con. Business Wire; July 20, 2010
3. ^ Alvarez, J.E. (2001). The Unofficial Guide to Transformers 1980s Through 1990s Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. p. 94. ISBN 0764313649. 
4. ^ Ben's World of Transformers - Bombshock
5. ^ Bellemo, Mark (2007). Transformers Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-89689-445-7. 
6. ^ Bellemo, Mark (2007). Transformers Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-89689-445-7. 
7. ^ Bellemo, Mark (2007). Transformers Identification and Price Guide. Krause Publications. p. 221. ISBN 978-0-89689-445-7. 

• Furman, Simon (2004). Transformers: The Ultimate Guide. DK Publishing Inc.. p. 61. ISBN 1405304618.