Transformers: Generation 1

Highbrow is an Autobot Headmaster who turns into a helicopter. His partner is the Nebulan Gort. Highbrow considers himself above warfare and prefers to talk out differences, and is a bit of a snob. Gort is a cheerful and courageous young Nebulan.

Marvel Comics

Highbrow also appeared in Marvel's accompanying Transformers comic, where he was one of the Autobots under Fortress Maximus

Fortress Maximus

Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...

 who fled the war on Cybertron. Scorponok's Decepticons pursued them, and the war began anew on the planet Nebulos. Highbrow was amongst those who surrendered his head to the Nebulans as a gesture of peace, eventually becoming Headmasters

Headmaster (Transformers)

Headmasters are a sub-group of characters from the Transformers meta-series, distinguished by their ability to detach their heads when transforming into their alternate modes, with the heads then transforming themselves into a humanoid form...

. He served as one of Maximus' troops throughout the rest of the The Transformers: Headmasters

The Transformers: Headmasters

The Transformers: Headmasters was a four-issue comic book mini-series based in the fictional universe of the Transformers. The bi-monthly series was published by Marvel comics and was originally printed July 1987 through January 1988....

 series, but accomplished little of note other battling the Decepticons on several occasions.

However, while he would receive little notice in the U.S. Transformers comic, Highbrow became the star of several Marvel U.K. tales written by Simon Furman

Simon Furman

Simon Christopher Francis Furman is a comic book writer, particularly associated with of a number of notable Transformers comics for Marvel UK, Marvel US, Dreamwave, and most recently, IDW...

. One of these, set in the events of the Headmasters miniseries, would have Highbrow and his fellow Headmasters being captured by the Decepticon Targetmaster

Targetmaster

Targetmaster is a subline of the Transformers toyline that include Nebulan sidekicks who can transform into the Transformers' weapons.-1987 Targetmasters:...

s as part of a scheme by Scorponok to discern the flaws in the Headmaster process. Scorponok chose Highbrow as the subject of his experiments. Highbrow was unable to fight back as his mind and Gort's were struggling for supremacy. Chromedome arrived and managed to convince them to work together, forcing Scorponok to flee. (Marvel U.K. #130-131)

The Scorponok/Highbrow rivalry exploded again in the 1988 annual in a story called "All in the Minds". Lured into Scorponok's clutches by Nebulans hypnotised by Mindwipe

Mindwipe (Transformers)

Mindwipe is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers toy line and fictional series by Hasbro. Both are Decepticons.-Transformers: Generation 1:Mindwipe is a Decepticon Headmaster who transforms into a bat....

, he battled the Horrorcons, but was defeated and hypnotised by Mindwipe. Suffering from amnesia, the Decepticons attempted to convince Highbrow that they were on his side. Gort, however, was unaffected, and when he recombined with Highbrow the two ripped Scorponok's head off.

After this Highbrow, along with the rest of Maximus' troops, came to Earth, witnessing the duel between Grimlock

Grimlock

Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...

 and Blaster

Blaster (Transformers)

Blaster is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers television and comic series based on the popular toy line produced by Takara Tomy and Hasbro. Due to trademark reasons, he is sometimes called Autobot Blaster...

 before being attacked by the Decepticons.

During the UK "Time Wars" arc, while contemplating his own inadequacies, he was jumped by Scorponok's troops, who stole back their leader's head. He was then displaced to a limbo dimension by the arrival of Rodimus Prime's troops. After the defeat of Galvatron

Galvatron

Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...

, he served under Maximus and 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...

, surviving the Underbase massacre, although he appeared less prominently.

Cloudburst

Cloudburst (Transformers)

Cloudburst is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He turns into a jet and has a shell that looked like an armored human. He shouldn't be confused with Phoenix, a Japanese Transformer who shares the same toy.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

, Crosshairs

Crosshairs (Transformers)

Crosshairs is the name of several fictional characters of the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:Crosshairs is an Autobot and transforms into a futuristic, possibly Cybertronian ATV....

, Getaway, Highbrow and Stakeout

Stakeout (Transformers)

Stakeout is the name of two fictional characters from the Transformers. They are both heroic Autobots.-Transformers: Generation 1:Stakeout is the young leader of the Rescue Patrol.-Marvel Comics:...

 were among the Autobots who backed 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 Grimlock

Grimlock

Grimlock is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. He is usually portrayed as a tough leader who turns into a mechanical dinosaur...

 challenged him for leadership of the Autobots in the issue #263 of the Marvel UK comics, "Break-Away!"

Highbrow and Gort died together in Marvel US #75. Mentally steeling himself for battle while piloting Highbrow toward 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...

, the preoccupied Gort accidentally cut Cloudburst

Cloudburst (Transformers)

Cloudburst is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He turns into a jet and has a shell that looked like an armored human. He shouldn't be confused with Phoenix, a Japanese Transformer who shares the same toy.-Transformers: Generation 1:...

 off his approach vector, sending the unfortunate Pretender

Pretenders (Transformers)

Pretenders is a subline within the Transformers toy line, introduced in 1988. The concept behind the toy was that the Transformers were capable of disguising their robotic forms through the use of synthetic organic outer shells.-Cloudburst:...

 spiraling into Unicron's maw-borne conflagration. Horrified by what his actions had caused, Gort charged recklessly toward the Chaos-Bringer - and he and Highbrow were crushed by Unicron's massive hands.

Animated series

Highbrow first appeared in the episode "Rebirth, Part 1". Decepticons successfully stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber and opened the ancient device, a group of Autobots and humans included Highbrow were blasted across the galaxy by the energy release, crash-landing on the planet Nebulos. Quickly siding with a group of rebels engaged in a war against the planet's evil rulers, the Hive, they deduced a process by which they could combine the best of their minds and bodies together, becoming Headmasters. Highbrow, along with Chromedome, Hardhead

Hardhead (Transformers)

Hardhead is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers universes. The first is a stubborn Autobot tank, the second a simple minded Predacon dinosaur.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

, and Brainstorm volunteered to undergo the Headmaster process, along with female Autobot Arcee

Arcee

Arcee is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. She is a female Autobot, usually pink in color. Being the most famous of the Female Transformers, she has two primary forms...

 who did so in order to save Daniel's life.

Unlike the profile shared by the Headmasters comic and tech spec, Gort in the three-part "Rebirth" was shown to be the Nebulan rebels' leader as well as one of the oldest in the group.

Whereas "The Rebirth" served as an ending for the cartoon series in the west, in Japan, it was decided to continue producing new episodes. To that end, "The Rebirth" was discarded, and in its stead, a new 35-episode series titled Transformers: The Headmasters

Transformers: The Headmasters

is a Japanese anime television series.-Development:Inititally, Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, imported the American Transformers cartoon series from 1985 to 1986...

 was created, along with a new Japanese concept for Headmasters which differed distinctly from their Western counterparts. There would be no Nebulons or humans here - instead, the heads were small Cybertronians, and the bodies were lifeless constructs called "Transtectors" to which these small robots connected themselves, and which they controlled. Although the Japanese toyline, like the West, gave the Headmaster components different names to the larger Transtectors the animated series used only one name for both the head and the Transtector.

Four million years ago, Fortress was the leader of one of the many groups of Autobots who fled Cybertron to escape the wars. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when their spaceship crashed on the planet Master, the harsh environments of which killed many members of the crew. In order to survive the dangers inherent to life on Master, the Autobots created the lifeless bodies known as Transtectors, and underwent rigorous training to master the transformation technique and merge with them. Their training also allowed them to developed considerable mental powers such as telepathy

Telepathy

Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...

 and telekinesis.

However, a member of the group known as Zarak

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:...

 chafed under Fortress's leadership, and he and three of the Headmasters loyal to him turned on him, only to be defeated and forced off of Master. Zarak subsequently teamed up with Decepticon leader Galvatron

Galvatron

Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...

, and when they attacked Cybertron in the year 2011, Fortress and his men - Chromedome, Brainstorm, Hardhead

Hardhead (Transformers)

Hardhead is the name of two fictional characters in the Transformers universes. The first is a stubborn Autobot tank, the second a simple minded Predacon dinosaur.- Transformers: Generation 1 :...

 and Highbrow - returned to their home planet aboard Fortress's battleship, Maximus, and joined the war once more.

Books

Highbrow appeared in the 1988 Ladybird Books

Ladybird Books

Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...

 stories Decepticons at the Pole, Autobots Strike Oil, Decepticon Underground and Autobot Hostage by John Grant

John Grant (children's author)

John Grant is a Scottish author and illustrator, possibly best known as the author of the Littlenose series of children's stories, which he read on the BBC's Jackanory in 55 programmes from 1968 to 1986....

.

Dreamwave Productions

Highbrow never appeared in the Dreamwave Productions fiction before the company closed, save his single page biography in their 'More Than Meets The Eye series.

Manga

Highbrow appears in the Generations 2011 issue #2 "The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos" where he is part of a team lead by Stepper to obtain a cure for nano-virus which is effecting some Autobots. When the Autobots arrive on Nebulos they are attacked by a group of Decepticons lead by Straxus. The Autobot are able to obtain the cure and bring it back to Earth, where Ricochet's team is commended by Optimus Prime.

Mosaic

Highbrow appeared in the Transformers: Mosaic story "The Sting of Scorponok" by Josh “Richter” van Reyk.

Convention comics

Highbrow appeared in the unlicensed mini-comic released for the 2011 TFcon, called "Changes in War". This story is set on the planet Master before the events of Transformers: The Headmasters

Transformers: The Headmasters

is a Japanese anime television series.-Development:Inititally, Takara, the Japanese producers of the Transformers toyline, imported the American Transformers cartoon series from 1985 to 1986...

. Highbrow is among the Autobots who try and fail to stop 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 his allies from escaping.

Toys

• Generation 1 Highbrow with Gort (1987)

The name and molds for Highbrow and Gort were never reused.

Transformers Animated

Highbrow's present-day character model identifies him as a member of the Elite Guard. His vehicle mode was not a helicopter, like his G1 namesake, but a cybertronian vehicle with a pair of tank-like treads and a helicopter-like cockpit. In appearance, Highbrow looks more similar to Kup

Kup

Kup is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universe. All are older Autobots who are members of the Elite Guard. Wired Magazine once nominated him as one 12 most ridiculous Transformers of all time...

. He is voiced in the style of the English comic actor Terry-Thomas

Terry-Thomas

Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...

.

Animated series

Highbrow first appears in the season 3 special "Transwarped", via flashbacks. Highbrow appeared in Ratchet's flashbacks, working on the top-secret Project: Omega.

Transformers

At BotCon

BotCon

BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" , is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994...

 2010, a new toy for Highbrow was unveiled for the 2010 Transformers toy line. He transforms into a WWII

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

-era Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

Toys

• Transformers Voyager Highbrow (2011)

An all-new mold. Features a battle mask that resembles WWII-era flight goggles. The propeller blades spin by continuously pressing buttons under the engine bays.