the Autobots: 1985
Though the original crew of the Ark fought well against the Decepticons on earth, in time their numbers simply proved insufficient for the task at hand. Through various means, Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots supplemented their ranks with a large array of additional operatives, all of which were ready, willing, and able to continue the fight against their eternal foes. They include:
Special Forces:
Blaster: the core of Autobot communications, Blaster is an expert in radio signal transception. Overwhelmingly fond of rock music, his relentless pursuit of the latest tunes has possibly revealed the lone weakness in this otherwise solid operative! Availability:
Perceptor: one of the Autobots' chief scientists, Perceptor helps his allies to better fit in on whatever world they currently find themselves active. He's also an exceptional boon to his allies in the field, however, as Perceptor is a marksman without peer! Availability:
Larger Autobots:
Hoist: the Autobots' maintenance tech, Hoist has the job of keeping his fellows' in peak fighting condition - hopefully to save Ratchet some work. Jovial and pleasant to be around, Hoist is well-liked by the Autobots despite his incessant fussing. Availability:
Skids: though something of a scatterbrain and definitely slower than his fellows, Skids is definitely a valued member of the Autobot team. This because, in his role as their theoretician, he's always got some data useful against the Decepticons! Availability:
Smaller Autobots:
Beachcomber: an expert astrogeologist, Beachcomber loves nothing more than to explore beautiful, remote reaches of worlds throughout the cosmos. Unfortunately for him, he's found himself in the middle of a war that has raged for million of years. Availability:
Cosmos: a high-flying reconnaissance operative, Cosmos often hovers far above the earth, spying on Decepticon activity and enabling global Autobot communications. However, he easily gets bored, tormenting humans for fun if left alone too long. Availability:
Deluxe Autobots:
Roadbuster: though he's not inherently violent, Roadbuster only feels alive when he's fighting. Sullen while doing anything else, Roadbuster becomes a charismatic leader as soon as he finds himself in conflict, and readily inspires others to fight! Availability:
Whirl: born to fly, Whirl exults in his vehicular configuration. Eager to take to the skies, Whirl does so with reckless abandon, whether simply traveling or attempting to atomize airborne Decepticons, a tendency which makes his foes loathe to combat him! Availability:
Omnibots / Doublechangers:
Camshaft: the violently aggressive Camshaft is wildly overconfident, and never backs down from a fight. While this instills dread in the humans he encounters on the job, Camshaft's eager brutality gets him in serious trouble more often than not. Availability: