Vehicon
Encyclopedia
Vehicons are a faction in the fictional Transformers, appearing in the animated cartoon series Beast Machines
. However, most Vehicons are non-sentient drones, controlled entirely by the will of Megatron
or their respective general.
ahead of the Maximals and unleashed his transformation freezing virus, rendering the populace of Cybertron helpless to fight back as it sent them into stasis lock. As more Cybertronians fell to the virus, Megatron had their bodies melted down and used to create his ideal army - the Vehicons, a vehicle based army of sparkless
drones with no organic elements, controlled totally by him, calling them, "the wave of the future". In time, nearly the entire population of Cybertron fell, leaving the Vehicons in control of a deserted Cybertron.
Eventually, Megatron's erstwhile captors returned to Cybertron. The Vehicons assaulted them with canisters of the virus, capturing Rhinox
and Silverbolt and reverting the rest from their Transmetal
forms into their original beast modes. They were then reformatted by the Oracle into the thing Megatron hated most - partially organic beast modes. The Vehicons proved unable to stand against the newly powerful Maximals, and Megatron resorted to a new strategy - imbuing three Vehicon drones with the Sparks of Silverbolt, Rhinox and Waspinator
, creating Jetstorm, Tankor
and Thrust. They led the Vehicon forces against the Maximals with some success, but Megatron's insistence on using the Sparks of Rhinox and Silverbolt came back to haunt him. Tankor betrayed and tried to kill Megatron, and both were seemingly destroyed during an explosion in the Plasma Energy Chamber. After this, with Megatron's control severed, the Vehicons simply shut down.
Megatron's return would mean a fresh campaign against the Maximals. During this time, Blackarachnia managed to turn Jetstorm back into Silverbolt, leaving Thrust's forces to be repeatedly overwhelmed. Megatron accordingly created two new generals - Obsidian
and Strika
, two of the greatest Cybertronian generals who ever lived. They quickly turned the tide against the Maximals with their tactical and strategic brilliance. However Megatron's fortess was soon destroyed once more, and the Vehicons again shut down. Megatron had in fact survived in the body of his Diagnostic Drone
, and had his factories produce masses of new Vehicons for a final assault. In the final battle, all three Vehicon generals fell, the factories were destroyed and Megatron was finally destroyed in battle with his foe Optimus Primal
. This last act reformatted Cybertron into a technorganic paradise, with the Vehicons being turned into the new bodies of the populace, their Sparks now free from Megatron's control.
All types of drones (except the mole-drones) were commanded by a general who shared their basic structure, although their Sparks meant they possessed a higher intelligence of the drones and had more free will
. Each type of Vehicon was specialized for a particular role; for example the tank drones were used for heavy assault, while the Cycle drones were often used for pursuit. Although they did not appear in the show, three more types of drones were introduced in the toyline: the Mirage
drones, who turned into race cars; the Scavenger
drones, who transformed into Demolition Vehicles; and the Blastcharge drones, who turned into Six Wheeled Attack Vehicles. However, the drones' lack of Sparks or any kind of free will made them easy prey for the reformatted Maximals.
The Vehicon Generals were completely obedient to Megatron and were single minded in their pursuit of the Maximals. This is mostly due to Megatron erasing their memories of their past lives. It was only when they regained these memories that they became a wild card. Tankor, once he regained his memories of being Rhinox, betrayed Megatron and attempted to rule Cybertron himself, while Silverbolt became one of Megatron's bitterest opponents after being reformatted from Jetstorm. The third, Thrust (in reality carrying Waspinator
's Spark), was happy to re-suppress his Predacon memories and be a "cool biker-bot". By the second season, however, this was no longer a problem. The second generation Vehicon Generals, Obsidian and Strika, willingly joined Megatron, believing service to Cybertron at this point was service to Megatron. At the end of the war on Cybertron, Thrust became Waspinator again, and Obsidian and Strika were sent into orbit by Cheetor
using gravity generators.
-Wreckers BotCon
comic featured several other types of Vehicons and their generals not seen in the TV show. To combat the rising threat of the various groups on Cybertron including the Mutants, Dinobots
and Wreckers
, Megatron created two other Vehicon Generals to deal with them Blastcharge and Quake
(implied to be the original). These two were sent after the Wreckers, managing to kill Fractyl, but failing to stop the Wreckers' escape, They and another general, Spy Streak
, took their drones (including Mirage drones, Scavenger drones and a third bomber type based on Spy Streak) to confront the Wreckers at the crash site of an old Autobot shuttle. All three were killed, and most of their forces wiped out.
Several other Vehicons appeared as members of the Wreckers, having managed to retain their individuality. These included Cyclonus
, Skywarp
, Rotorbolt and Devcon. The original Mirage drone also appeared battling Apelinq, and being sucked into a wormhole.
with a similar appearance to The Revenge of the Fallen's Soundwave.
They are usually the ones that Megatron sends out to fight the Autobots before the rest of the Decepticons come. They are usually lead by a "General" or bigger rank of Decepticon, such as Starscream
or Megatron. However unlike previous versions of Vehicon drones, these are not mindless, but seem to have separate personalities.
There are two varieties of Vehicon: Those that transform into Earth muscle cars, and those that become Cybertronian jet fighters; the latter are more frequently seen.
In "Darkness Rising Part One", they are sent to kidnap Cliffjumper and kill him and make him a Terrorcon, a zombie-like transformer.
Beast Machines
Beast Machines is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series...
. However, most Vehicons are non-sentient drones, controlled entirely by the will of Megatron
Megatron (Beast Wars and Beast Machines)
The Beast Wars and Beast Machines version of Megatron is the main antagonist from the aforementioned parts of the Transformers animated series, toy lines, and multiverse...
or their respective general.
History
The origins of the Vehicons came about when Megatron returned from the Beast WarsBeast Wars
Transformers: Beast Wars is a Transformers toyline released by Hasbro between 1995 and 2000, and a Daytime Emmy Award winning full-CG animated television series spawned by it that debuted in 1996...
ahead of the Maximals and unleashed his transformation freezing virus, rendering the populace of Cybertron helpless to fight back as it sent them into stasis lock. As more Cybertronians fell to the virus, Megatron had their bodies melted down and used to create his ideal army - the Vehicons, a vehicle based army of sparkless
Spark (Transformers)
Spark can refer to several objects in the fictional Transformers universe. A spark is usually the "soul" of a Transformer. It is also the name of several Transformers characters. An AllSpark is a term for two different objects within the Transformers media franchise. In the Beast Machines...
drones with no organic elements, controlled totally by him, calling them, "the wave of the future". In time, nearly the entire population of Cybertron fell, leaving the Vehicons in control of a deserted Cybertron.
Eventually, Megatron's erstwhile captors returned to Cybertron. The Vehicons assaulted them with canisters of the virus, capturing Rhinox
Rhinox
Rhinox is the name of three fictional characters from various Transformers universes.-Beast Wars:Rhinox's character in the Beast Wars television series is very different from how the toy was depicted. As one of the first year toys, the toy of Rhinox was created before the television series came...
and Silverbolt and reverting the rest from their Transmetal
Transmetals
Transmetals are a subgroup of the Beast Wars and Beast Machines characters in the fictional Transformers universe. Ordinary Transformers in the Beast Wars universe have a mechanical robot form and a techno-organic animal form, also known as a "beast mode"...
forms into their original beast modes. They were then reformatted by the Oracle into the thing Megatron hated most - partially organic beast modes. The Vehicons proved unable to stand against the newly powerful Maximals, and Megatron resorted to a new strategy - imbuing three Vehicon drones with the Sparks of Silverbolt, Rhinox and Waspinator
Waspinator
Waspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
, creating Jetstorm, Tankor
Tankor
Tankor is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:This version of Tankor, initially called Octane, is the Decepticons' fueler, in charge of storing and distributing fuel among Decepticons with vehicle modes. He is characterized as...
and Thrust. They led the Vehicon forces against the Maximals with some success, but Megatron's insistence on using the Sparks of Rhinox and Silverbolt came back to haunt him. Tankor betrayed and tried to kill Megatron, and both were seemingly destroyed during an explosion in the Plasma Energy Chamber. After this, with Megatron's control severed, the Vehicons simply shut down.
Megatron's return would mean a fresh campaign against the Maximals. During this time, Blackarachnia managed to turn Jetstorm back into Silverbolt, leaving Thrust's forces to be repeatedly overwhelmed. Megatron accordingly created two new generals - Obsidian
Obsidian (Transformers)
Obsidian is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Beast Machines:Oddly Obsidian's tech specs have little or nothing to do with the character as seen on the show, instead being described as a simple drone-general attaché.His biography indicates that he...
and Strika
Strika
Strika is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series. The first was one of the main villains in the animated Beast Machines television series, voice by Patricia Drake.-Beast Machines:...
, two of the greatest Cybertronian generals who ever lived. They quickly turned the tide against the Maximals with their tactical and strategic brilliance. However Megatron's fortess was soon destroyed once more, and the Vehicons again shut down. Megatron had in fact survived in the body of his Diagnostic Drone
Diagnostic Drone
The Diagnostic Drone is a character from the fictional Transformers Series. It was featured in Beast Machines TV Series.-Beast Machines:-Season One:...
, and had his factories produce masses of new Vehicons for a final assault. In the final battle, all three Vehicon generals fell, the factories were destroyed and Megatron was finally destroyed in battle with his foe Optimus Primal
Optimus Primal
Optimus Primal is a fictional character from the Transformers toyline, and the leader of the Maximal forces and the main protagonist in the Beast Wars television series. He is sometimes called Optimal Optimus...
. This last act reformatted Cybertron into a technorganic paradise, with the Vehicons being turned into the new bodies of the populace, their Sparks now free from Megatron's control.
Types of Vehicon
There were six basic types of drone shown in the show:- Tank-Drones, controlled by TankorTankorTankor is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:This version of Tankor, initially called Octane, is the Decepticons' fueler, in charge of storing and distributing fuel among Decepticons with vehicle modes. He is characterized as...
- Aero-Drones, controlled by Jetstorm
- Cycle-Drones, controlled by Thrust
- Assault-Drones, controlled by StrikaStrikaStrika is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series. The first was one of the main villains in the animated Beast Machines television series, voice by Patricia Drake.-Beast Machines:...
- Copter-Drones, controlled by ObsidianObsidian (Transformers)Obsidian is the name given to several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Beast Machines:Oddly Obsidian's tech specs have little or nothing to do with the character as seen on the show, instead being described as a simple drone-general attaché.His biography indicates that he...
- Mole-Drones, controlled by MegatronMegatron (Beast Wars and Beast Machines)The Beast Wars and Beast Machines version of Megatron is the main antagonist from the aforementioned parts of the Transformers animated series, toy lines, and multiverse...
All types of drones (except the mole-drones) were commanded by a general who shared their basic structure, although their Sparks meant they possessed a higher intelligence of the drones and had more free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
. Each type of Vehicon was specialized for a particular role; for example the tank drones were used for heavy assault, while the Cycle drones were often used for pursuit. Although they did not appear in the show, three more types of drones were introduced in the toyline: the Mirage
Mirage (Transformers)
Mirage is any of several distinct fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Mirage is one of the single most re-used names in the Transformers series, and is almost entirely synonymous with characters possessing Formula One racing car alternate modes.-Transformers Generation 1:Some...
drones, who turned into race cars; the Scavenger
Scavenger (Transformers)
Scavenger is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers universes. Scavenger is usually depicted as a villain who turns into a construction vehicle.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
drones, who transformed into Demolition Vehicles; and the Blastcharge drones, who turned into Six Wheeled Attack Vehicles. However, the drones' lack of Sparks or any kind of free will made them easy prey for the reformatted Maximals.
Vehicon Generals
Vehicon Generals were a new type of Vehicon created by Megatron when he realised the Maximals were defeating his forces due to their free will. To this end, he implanted Sparks in a set of drones, giving them free will and the autonomy to command their drones as they saw fit, creating Tankor, Jetstorm and Thrust.The Vehicon Generals were completely obedient to Megatron and were single minded in their pursuit of the Maximals. This is mostly due to Megatron erasing their memories of their past lives. It was only when they regained these memories that they became a wild card. Tankor, once he regained his memories of being Rhinox, betrayed Megatron and attempted to rule Cybertron himself, while Silverbolt became one of Megatron's bitterest opponents after being reformatted from Jetstorm. The third, Thrust (in reality carrying Waspinator
Waspinator
Waspinator is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes. He is sometimes called Wasp. The original Waspinator was voiced by Scott McNeil in the Beast Wars animated series.-Beast Wars:...
's Spark), was happy to re-suppress his Predacon memories and be a "cool biker-bot". By the second season, however, this was no longer a problem. The second generation Vehicon Generals, Obsidian and Strika, willingly joined Megatron, believing service to Cybertron at this point was service to Megatron. At the end of the war on Cybertron, Thrust became Waspinator again, and Obsidian and Strika were sent into orbit by Cheetor
Cheetor
Cheetor is several fictional characters from various Transformers universes.- Beast Wars :Cheetor's original tech spec indicated he was a seasoned and confident warrior always in search of battle with the Predacons, seemingly in contrast to his youthful and impulsive portrayal in the original show...
using gravity generators.
3H Enterprises
The Transformers: UniverseTransformers: Universe
Transformers: Universe is a line of toys that consists of re-painted and re-released toys from various Transformers lines of toys. For the comic book series see Transformers Universe .- Toy line :...
-Wreckers 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...
comic featured several other types of Vehicons and their generals not seen in the TV show. To combat the rising threat of the various groups on Cybertron including the Mutants, Dinobots
Dinobots
Dinobots is the name of several teams of characters in the fictional Transformers Universe. The groups are made up of several robots, each of whose transformed mode is that of a dinosaur or similar prehistoric animal. They are called Dinotrons in the Japanese version; and ' in the Japanese dub of...
and Wreckers
Wreckers (Transformers)
The Wreckers are a sub-team of Autobots in the fictional Transformers universe, functioning essentially as a commando unit. They are not derived from the Transformers toyline but rather are the creation of Marvel UK writer Simon Furman, who introduces the Wreckers in the story arc Target:2006...
, Megatron created two other Vehicon Generals to deal with them Blastcharge and Quake
Quake (Transformers)
Quake is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers series.- Transformers: Generation 1 :The first Quake figure was a Decepticon Targetmaster with two transforming weapon-partners: Tiptop and Heater...
(implied to be the original). These two were sent after the Wreckers, managing to kill Fractyl, but failing to stop the Wreckers' escape, They and another general, Spy Streak
Spy Streak
Spy Streak is the name of a Vehicon, a Transformers character who appeared in the Beast Machines toyline .-Beast Machines:Spy Streak's bio presented him as single-minded in the pursuit of the Maximals...
, took their drones (including Mirage drones, Scavenger drones and a third bomber type based on Spy Streak) to confront the Wreckers at the crash site of an old Autobot shuttle. All three were killed, and most of their forces wiped out.
Several other Vehicons appeared as members of the Wreckers, having managed to retain their individuality. These included Cyclonus
Cyclonus
Cyclonus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:The tech spec from the box art of the Cyclonus toy describes him as a compassionless Decepticon air warrior and saboteur...
, Skywarp
Skywarp
Skywarp is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers toy line. He is usually depicted as a black or purple Decepticon jet with teleportation powers.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
, Rotorbolt and Devcon. The original Mirage drone also appeared battling Apelinq, and being sucked into a wormhole.
Robot Masters
The term Vehicon would later be used in the backstory for Takara's Robot Masters line, as the name of the planet of Transformers led by Reverse Convoy, a Transformer whose body was possessed by G1 Megatron.Transformers: Prime
The name Vehicon is used to describe the "Decepticon Troopers".Animated series
Several Vehicons appear in Transformers: PrimeTransformers: Prime
Transformers: Prime, also known as Transformers: Prime –The Animated Series, is an American computer-animated television series based on the Transformers toy franchise by Hasbro. It airs on the The Hub in the United States...
with a similar appearance to The Revenge of the Fallen's Soundwave.
They are usually the ones that Megatron sends out to fight the Autobots before the rest of the Decepticons come. They are usually lead by a "General" or bigger rank of Decepticon, such as Starscream
Starscream
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
or Megatron. However unlike previous versions of Vehicon drones, these are not mindless, but seem to have separate personalities.
There are two varieties of Vehicon: Those that transform into Earth muscle cars, and those that become Cybertronian jet fighters; the latter are more frequently seen.
In "Darkness Rising Part One", they are sent to kidnap Cliffjumper and kill him and make him a Terrorcon, a zombie-like transformer.