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Mirage (G1)

2024-07-19T18:50:23Z

Webworld: Corrected spelling error.

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{{disambig3|Mirage}}
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:''Mirage is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[File:OperationOmegaMirage.jpg|upright=2|thumb|"The ship was... full."]]
'''Mirage''' is what [[human]]s call "old money." Before the war, he was a member of affluent [[Cybertronian (disambiguation)|Cybertronian]] society, with his own large estate and high-priced [[Mirage's friends|friends]]. He enjoyed the finer things in life: vintage [[energon]], swank evening events, and [[turbofox]] hunts on the grounds. But when the war started, he was forced to choose sides and found himself banded with a group of commoners he didn't really understand. Mirage demands certain high standards from life and has little time for those who can't "rise" to his class.

Some of the other Autobots don't trust Mirage. He feels the war, even after all these millions of years, is beneath him. War is not, after all, how civilized, erudite beings conduct themselves. He often questions the Autobots' violent means, and not-so-secretly hopes they and the [[Decepticon]]s can get along. Because of this, he has been labelled by a few others as a Decepticon sympathizer. Under Mirage's "holier than thou" attitude pulses the [[spark]] of a loyal friend and a consummate field professional... but, most of the time, it's kind of hard to see past his obvious self-involvement. Still, he sided with [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] for a reason, and he'll be there for the Autobots when they need him.

Mirage has the ability to create illusions which typically either render him invisible or make him appear to be somewhere he isn't. In some universes, he can [[combiner|combine]] with his fellow Autobots to form [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]] or [[Betatron (CW)|Betatron]].

{{bigquote|For someone who doesn't like to fight, heh, you're not bad, Mirage!|[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]|"[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Marvel ''The Transformers'' comics====
{{noteukonly}}

[[File:ManofIron mirage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Mirage was one of the Autobots on board the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when it crashed, and was subsequently reactivated in [[1984]]. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}} Eager to return to Cybertron, he advocated that the Autobots simply take the fuel they needed from Earth's natives; when his comrades disagreed, he began to think that he was on the wrong side in the conflict, as the Decepticons would have no such qualms. As such, when he was pounced upon by [[Ravage (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ravage]] during his his first foray into battle, rather than fight back, Mirage tried reasoning with his "brother Transformer", arguing that the fighting was unnecessary since they all wanted to return to their homeworld. When this proved useless, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] came to Mirage's rescue, prompting Mirage to express his gratitude to his "powerful friend". {{storylink|Power Play!}}

[[File:DecepticonDamBusters mirage control yourself.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

After returning to the Ark, {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}} the Autobots detected a Cybertronian signal emanating from [[United Kingdom|England]], and Mirage was part of the unit sent to investigate. When local boy [[Sammy Harker]] encountered [[Jazz (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Jazz]], the Autobots tried to make an ally of the scared child; Mirage approached his house under cover of night and attempted to spirit him away, but left when he found a peculiar manuscript depicting what appeared to be [[Man of Iron (G1)|a Transformer]] in the boy's room. The ancient illustration convinced the Autobots that an Autobot spacecraft was buried in the region, and they needed Sammy's help to stop local authorities from unearthing it, lest the Decepticons destroy it. Jazz succeeded in coercing Sammy into accompanying him to meet the other Autobots, and Mirage and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] joined him in ferrying the boy to a rendezvous with [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. On the way, they were attacked by the Decepticon jets, and Mirage used his [[electro-disrupter]] to disrupt their sensors, disappearing from view and causing the disoriented 'Con to crash into a road bridge. {{storylink|Man of Iron (issue)|Man of Iron}}

''Mirage was among the Autobots who saved a small town from a tidal wave created by the Decepticons' destruction of [[Sherman Dam|Boulder Dam]], but when the humans mistakenly believed that the Autobots were responsible for the dam's destruction, a furious Mirage hurled a stream of abuse at them. Optimus Prime reined him in, but the damage was done, his outburst having convinced the humans that the Autobots were the bad guys.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

''Later, back at the Ark, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] held up a piece of machinery while Mirage repaired it. Unfortunately, Mirage's repair job was insufficient, and when he tried turning on the machine, it exploded, subjecting Brawn to an extreme neuro-shock, causing him to rebel and turn against his teammates. Mirage helped the Autobots hunt him down and tranquilize him. This same accident also amplified Mirage's ability to create illusions, which he later used to trick the Decepticons into believing that a [[Trial by Combat]] between Brawn and [[Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Starscream]] ended with Brawn's death.'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''In retribution for the deception, the Decepticon launched an attack on the Ark, during which Mirage gave [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] a good clobbering, but the battle was brought to a halt by the Ark's computer, [[Aunty]].'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}}

With the Autobots' fuel levels running dangerously low and another attack by the Decepticons imminent, Mirage was one of five Autobots who powered themselves to combat-capable levels using the combined energies of all their other team-mates. In the ensuing battle, Mirage faced off against Ravage again and had his left arm severed by the feline Decepticons' jaws. This was what it took to finally convince him to enter the fight with everything he had, as defeating the Decepticons was the only way he would see Cybertron again. His new resolve afforded no protection against the serrated beak of [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]], which tore his armor open, but just as things looked their worst, the Decepticons all collapsed, victims of poisoned fuel tainted by the Autobots' human ally [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]. The Autobots' victory was short-lived; Mirage and the others were then suddenly blasted into oblivion by [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]], {{storylink|The Last Stand}} and their bodies were strung up in the captured Ark. {{storylink|The New Order}} In time, through the efforts of [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], the Ark was retaken, and Mirage and the other offline Autobots were repaired and reactivated. ubsequently, to make sure all of the Autobots were back in fighting shape, Ratchet had Mirage and the others go on a diagnostics run through the open plains. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[File:CrisisofCommand mirage vs ravage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

''When Prowl proposed that Optimus Prime use the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to create [[ultimate Autobot]]s, Mirage agreed, but Prime refused. Discovering that their argument had been observed by Ravage, Mirage deceived the Decepticon spy with an illusion, and Hound trapped him in an energy net. Regrettably, Ravage was able to easily escape, and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Bumblebee]] saw an opportunity to prove himself to the other Autobots by tracking him down. The Decepticons captured the little Autobot, and Mirage was part of the team who mobilized to rescue him.'' {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}} ''Soon after, during the Dinobot Hunt, Mirage was assigned to B-Team to track down [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]] in [[Nevada]]'s [[Black Rock Desert]]. The struggle with the Dinobot took them into a nearby military base, and when the base's human personnel initiated a self-destruct sequence, Snarl was knocked out by the blast and left inert and easy to capture.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}}

[[File:DarkStar octane scorches mirage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]

Mirage was one of only a handful of Autobots who remained active following a series of recent casualties. He and Prowl helped their leader carry out the [[Rite of the Autobrand]] for [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], and accompanied him to check up on a group of new Autobot trainees out in the field. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} ''When one of the new Autobots, [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], was late to a meeting, Mirage flippantly remarked that the "Earth-lover" was wasting time exploring Greater [[Portland]] and showing off his alternate mode.'' {{storylink|Missing in Action}} ''While visiting the small town of [[Pinewoodsville]], Mirage was one of the Autobots whose personalities were inverted by a [[Purnel's Auto-Reverse Defence|mysterious signal]]. Tracking the signal to England, the Autobots found themselves affected by it for a second time, just as the Decepticons launched an attack on them. His personality twisted again, Mirage blamed Optimus Prime for not detecting the Decepticons' approach and proposed that the Autobots dispose of their leader for his failure. Fortunately, the signal's effects wore off before they could do too much harm, though their attack did leave Prime stuck in robot mode; once of the source of the signal had been destroyed, Mirage and the others carried their robot-mode leader home on the backs of their vehicle modes.'' {{storylink|To a Power Unknown!}}

''When the future Decepticon [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and his lieutenants [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] travelled back in time in an attempt to change the future, Mirage was the first Autobot to fall before their might.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} It would be years before Mirage was seen in action again; he resurfaced to watch a battle between [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] on the surface of the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots came under fire from the Decepticons while the duel was underway, though Mirage managed to emerge from the subsequent scuffle relatively unscathed. {{storylink|Totaled!}} A little later, he took part in a training exercise with Blaster, {{storylink|Club Con!}} after which he was blown to pieces by [[Octane]] during an [[Arctic]] battle between the Autobots and Decepticons that had been orchestrated by Starscream. Realizing they had been played by Starscream, the Autobots and Decepticons teamed up against the treacherous air commander, who was now empowered by the [[Underbase]]; the repaired Mirage was part of a team that headed to [[New York City]], but no sooner had he rolled up and transformed than he and his team-mates were destroyed by Starscream's cosmic powers. {{storylink|Dark Star}}
{{--}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
[[File:DevicesAndDesires-Mirage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4]]

Disobeying [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s orders, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] led a covert team (which included Mirage) onto the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] ship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]'' to defeat [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his army of "evolved Decepticons." Grimlock's plan was an utter failure, ending in [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s death and the Autobots' capture. Mirage was destroyed by enemy fire during the following prison break. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}
{{--}}

====''Classics''====
{{noteclassics}}
[[File:CrossingOver classics mirage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Revived in time to see the end of the war, Mirage was initially the happiest of them all to see the conflict ended at last. He tried to return to his old life, but it was not easy; most of his old high-class friends were dead, and he found himself with little to say to those that still lived, and he had to start an organization for the conservation of the turbo-foxes he had once loved to hunt when he found that the species was the on the brink of extinction. He was hesitant when Optimus Prime asked him to return to Earth with him and continue the fight against the Decepticons there, but eventually accepted when he realized that he could no longer continue pretending that his old life still existed. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 13|Mirage's profile in Club magazine #13}}

When Mirage, Prime, Grimlock, and Jetfire responded to Decepticon activity, Mirage was charged with evacuating the human [[Armored Robot Hunters|RUNT]] pilots who had been battling [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Crossing Over, Part 1}} Soon after, he battled the Decepticons to keep them from obtaining a subterranean reservoir of [[Rarified Energon]], {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} though he knew the Autobots couldn't hold out forever. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} To try and tip the scales of battle, he turned invisible and got the drop on Soundwave, holding him at gunpoint and forcing him to back off. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

After the Autobots returned to base, Mirage observed Grimlock receiving a communication from the crew of the ''[[Graviton (Classics)|Graviton]]'', and secretly followed him while invisible as he left to meet them. On the way, he lost Grimlock's trail, and stumbled across a meeting between Starscream and a newly arrived group of Decepticons led by [[Bug Bite (GoBots)|Bug Bite]]. [[Dreadwind (G1)|Dreadwind]]'s infra-red sensors and [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]]'s keen nose allowed the Decepticons to find him, and he was gift-wrapped for Megatron. The Gravitron crew, led by Grimlock and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]], then attacked the Decepticon base, and Mirage was rescued by [[Strongarm (Classics)|Strongarm]], [[Swoop (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Swoop]], [[Snarl (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Snarl]], and [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}
{{--}}

====''Regeneration One''====
{{NoteRG1}}
[[File:DestinyPart4 mirage treat as hostile.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
In [[2012]], Mirage was one of a group of Autobot warriors selected by Optimus Prime to travel to Earth and confront Megatron. While Prime grappled with the insane tyrant, the others battled his undead army of "Ex-Bots" and Mirage was charged by a [[zombie]] [[Tantrum (G1)|Tantrum]]. {{storylink|Loose Ends, Part 5}} He was injured badly enough during the fight for [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] to put him on the critical list in his report to Prime afterwards. {{storylink|Natural Selection, Part One}}

[[File:Grimlock kup mirage war to end all wars.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

After returning to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] aboard the ''[[Valiant (G1)|Valiant]]'', Mirage had recovered by the time [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s [[Blitz Engine]]s invaded the planet; although he led a counterattack squad that included [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Siren (G1)|Siren]], and [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], the Decepticon war machines devastated the Autobot lines. {{storylink|Destiny, Part Four}}

In the wake of Bludgeon's defeat, Mirage was manning a monitoring station and detected the arrival of a fleet of ships captained by [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 1}} When war broke out between the Autobots and Jhiaxus's forces, Mirage was one of the Autobots who left Cybertron to strike at Jhiaxus's home base, the [[Hub (G2)|Hub]]. Upon return to Cybertron, however, the Autobots discovered that in their absence, the planet had been consumed by a corrupted fragment of the Creation Matrix, which had turned all the remaining Transformers into [[shadow-leech]]es. Mirage was fortunate enough to evade the leeches long enough to be part of the team that headed to Earth via the space bridge to stop the Matrix-entity's plan to breach the barriers of the [[multiverse]]. Recruiting aid from Earth's human resistance fighters, Mirage's group then travelled over the bridge to [[Nebulos]], to back up [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ultra Magnus]]'s unit in battle against [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] and a corrupted [[Fortress Maximus (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Fortress Maximus]]. {{storylink|The War to End All Wars, Part 5}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers '84''====
[[File:TF84-Autobots.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66]]

As Cybertron drifted towards the dangerous region of space known as the [[Stellae Cimeterium]], Mirage—intrigued by the idea of a covert mission—was one of the high-profile Autobots who joined the crew of the Ark to help clear a path through an [[asteroid belt]]. Although the crew cleared a path through the [[asteroid belt]], a Decepticon attack prompted Optimus to crash their ship on nearby [[Earth]], a suicide gambit that would hopefully remove him, Megatron, and their most trusted soldiers from the equation. {{storylink|Transformers '84 issue 0|'84 #0}}

{{--}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====

{{voiceactor|[[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese, "Traitor", "Enter the Nightbird", "The Golden Lagoon", "The Core", "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3")|[[Liu Qin]] (Chinese), [[Juan Carralero]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Guillermo Romano]] (Latin-American Spanish, "City Of Steel"), [[Gunnar Ernblad]] (Swedish), [[Henry Djanik]] (European French), [[Georges Atlas]] (European French, "Roll for it" & "The Core"), [[Albert Augier]] (European French, "The Autobot Run"), [[Lorenzo De Angelis]] (Italian, ''40th Anniversary Event'' dub), [[Júlio Chaves]] (Portuguese), [[Marcos Miranda]] (Portuguese, "Traitor"), [[Francisco José]] (Portuguese, "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1"), [[Mário Jorge Andrade]] (Portuguese, "Masquerade")}}

[[File:MTMTE2 Mirage talking to Spike.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Tellin' ya all it's a sabotage!]]

Mirage was part of the bridge crew of the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' spaceship]] when it crash-landed on [[Earth]] four million years ago. A volcanic eruption in 1984 awakened the ship's computer [[Teletraan I]], which reactivated and reformatted the craft's slumbering occupants with terrestrial [[alternate mode]]s—in Mirage's case, a Formula-1 racer. His first mission came when the Autobots rolled out to stop the Decepticons attacking an oil rig. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After the battle, he got to show off his invisibility power to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike Witwicky]]. Following another failed battle at [[Sherman Dam]], he suggested they simply leave Earth to the Decepticons and return to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a suggestion soundly rejected by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}}

At the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]], when Optimus was caught in an explosion, Mirage helped right him. He expressed hope that with the Decepticons perished in the explosion, they'd be able to return to Cybertron, but his optimism was quashed a few moments later when their foe emerged, functional and with more energy to fuel their [[Victory (G1)|new star cruiser]]. While guarding Ravage, Mirage gave [[Hound (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hound]] the idea to spring a trap on the Decepticons using a holographic rocket base. Unfortunately the Decepticons saw through the plan and raided the real rocket base, attaining the rest of the energy they needed. During the final Autobot operation to try and prevent the launch of the Decepticon cruiser, Mirage used his cloaking ability to sneak aboard. While the Decepticons were squabbling, he uncloaked and opened fire, blasting away at the ship's controls. He then bailed from the doomed cruiser, floating back to Earth's surface on a parasail as the Decepticons crashed into the ocean. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[File:CountdowntoExtinction Mirage firing missile.jpg|thumb|left|"I used to sit around and think about what to do about quicksand. I never thought about how to handle real problems in adult life, I was never like 'Oh, what's it gonna be like when relatives ask to borrow money?'"|upright=1.4]]

After [[Chip Chase]] was kidnapped by the Decepticons who were after the [[antimatter]] formula the boy had memorised, Hound and Mirage utilised their respective powers to sneak into the antimatter laboratory. They were able to rescue Chip, but the Decepticons had managed to get the formula and use it to create [[Energon]]. Mirage subsequently helped defend Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Roll for It}} Mirage again rolled out to protect Autobot Headquarters while [[Wheeljack (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Wheeljack]] and [[Ratchet (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ratchet]] worked to save Prime's life, after the Autobot leader was badly damaged in a Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}} He took part in the construction of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]... and then had to try to stop them when they ran wild. He, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and [[Jazz (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Jazz]] sealed the three Dinobots in a cave, but were mighty grateful when, after almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons, the Dinobots were released to come to the rescue. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] was using [[hypno-chip]]ped humans to load Energon onto their shuttle for transport to Cybertron, Mirage used his invisibility to sneak on board and order the humans to start unloading the Energon again. He was blasted in the back a short time later by [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} When the Autobots were caught in quicksand while pursuing the Decepticons, Mirage used his shoulder missile to shoot down [[Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Laserbeak]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} Mirage turned out with the other Autobots to watch Optimus and Megatron engage in single combat as per Cybertronian law. To their horror, Optimus lost, but they later discovered that Megatron had cheated, so the results were nullified. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}} Mirage rolled out to attack Megatron's [[Solar Needle]] and rescue [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], but didn't play much role in the battle. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[File:Traitor Mirage cerebro shell implant.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]

When the Decepticons conquered [[New York City]], Mirage joined Ratchet's team as they entered the sewers to rescue Optimus. After tangling with an [[Alligaticon]], they found Prime... in pieces. The Alligaticon had been built from Optimus's parts, and Mirage, Ratchet and Hound had to capture it so Ratchet could rebuild their leader. Once Optimus had been put back together, they proceeded to the surface and battled Decepticons, [[battle taxi]]s and Prime's own severed arm. {{storylink|City of Steel (episode)|City of Steel}}

The spotlight shone on Mirage again when [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] suspected him of disloyalty. The discovery of a Decepticon installation in a sector Mirage had recently scouted caused Cliffjumper to leap the incorrect conclusion that Mirage had concealed the information and was a traitor to the Autobots. During a battle with the Decepticons at the site, Mirage was injured, but managed to rip a Decepticon [[Insignia|seal]] off [[Skywarp (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Skywarp]]. Mirage risked the trust of his comrades by sneaking away to perform a plan of his own, framing the Decepticons for stealing [[Energon cube]]s from the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Spotted carrying the cubes by Cliffjumper, Mirage's guilt seemed all but confirmed, and before he could reveal his innocence, he was captured and brainwashed by one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s mind-controlling [[cerebro-shell]]s. Under Bombshell's control, Mirage led the Autobots into an ambush, but at the battle's end, the assorted manipulations were revealed and Cliffjumper apologized to Mirage. {{storylink|Traitor (episode)|Traitor}}

[[File:AutobotRun Jazz Mirage vehicle modes.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

Mirage took part in a charity race organised by the Autobots. While they raced and performed stunts, the Autobots were affected by Megatron's latest invention, the [[Transfixatron]], which locked them in their [[alternate mode|vehicle mode]]s. They were herded by the Decepticons to a ghost town, where the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s had created a machine to destroy them. It was only through an intervention of Ratchet and Wheeljack's counter invention that they were saved. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[File:EntertheNightbird invisible Mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Engage active camouflage! Reveal yourselves only after [[Keith David|the Arbiter]] has joined battle with the enemy!]]
Mirage came with the other Autobots when they were hired by [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist]] to protect [[Nightbird (G1)|his latest invention]] when it was being unveiled. When Decepticons attacked, Mirage became invisible and attacked Soundwave. Megatron offered to make Mirage disappear for good, but Optimus Prime saw to it that it wouldn't come true. After the Decepticons made off with Nightbird, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] stay behind at Autobot base for repairs. As Brawn and [[Ironhide (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ironhide]] were being repaired, Optimus detected an intruder. Mirage went to investigate, only to be beaten up by a Decepticon-reprogrammed Nightbird. Mirage pursued her with the other Autobots. When they caught up with her, Mirage became invisible in order to return Optimus Prime's laser rifle undetected, giving him the advantage. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

When Mirage and the other Autobots found they mysteriously had two Optimus Primes, the duo were subjected to a series of inconclusive tests. Before any further testing could be done, they had to roll out to a crevasse filled with [[korlonium crystal]]s to investigate strange readings. During the battle with the Decepticons that followed, the real Prime's identity was soon revealed. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} Mirage was part of [[Sunstreaker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Sunstreaker]]'s team when they stumbled on the Decepticons' drilling operation. As [[Devastator (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Devastator]] blasted him off a cliff, Mirage became invisible so the Decepticons would "never find [his] pieces". Of course, he survived and he and Sunstreaker used his grappling hook to take down Devastator. Back at Headquarters, a plan was hatched to plant [[dominator disk]]s on the Constructicons. Mirage took part, planting two of the disks at once, and Devastator was soon under Autobot control. Alas, it didn't last long — while they were trying to stop the Decepticons drilling to the [[Earth's core]], Megatron retook control of the combiner. {{storylink|The Core}}

Mirage was at Headquarters when [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] reported the discovery of [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Through a cunning plan on Megatron's part, the Autobots were found guilty of stealing energy and forced to leave Earth in a spaceship supplied by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They soon discovered that the spacecraft was locked on course to the [[Sun]]. Through the heroic efforts of Chip Chase and bungling of [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], as well as the use of [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s [[force field]]s, the Autobots returned to Earth, where the Decepticons had already revealed their true nature. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[File:DesertionDinobots1 Mirage steals fusion cannon.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.34|Have you seen "Night at the Museum IV"? See it now! All rights reserved!]]
During an attempt by the Decepticons to steal the plans to the [[Ultra Plane]], Mirage used his invisibility to steal Megatron's [[fusion cannon]] right off the Decepticon leader's arm. A brief tug-of-war ensued over the weapon, which Mirage lost, but Megatron retreated in the end anyhow. Later, as the Dinobots were being repaired after another battle, Mirage reminisced about how great Cybertron was. When [[cybertonium]] depletion started affecting all of the Transformers, Mirage's invisibility power went on the fritz — instead of making him invisible, it merely altered his color scheme slightly. Unfortunately he didn't find this out until after he tried to sneak up on [[Thundercracker (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Thundercracker]] and was promptly blasted into a wall. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} The Autobots' condition worsened, until they were unable to move. They remained this way until the Dinobots, Spike and [[Carly (G1)|Carly]] managed to retrieve more Cybertonium from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

[[File:GoldenLagoon Mirage reports to Autobots.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
Mirage rolled out for [[Haley Observatory]] when Megatron stole the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but went missing somewhere along the way, and didn't arrive with the rest of the group. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was part of an Autobot team who faced [[electrum]]-plated Decepticons with little success. He had to retreat back to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s position for reinforcements. When even Omega fell before the Decepticons, Mirage returned to Headquarters to break the news, and Teletraan I soon worked out how the Decepticons had become invincible. Soon the Autobots had found the electrum pool and, coating themselves, were able to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (episode)|The Golden Lagoon}} After a number of Autobots were abducted by big game hunter [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]], Mirage was present at Headquarters when Cosmos finally located the missing Autobots. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}} He also helped coat the [[Statue of Liberty]] with [[corrostop]], Perceptor's latest invention. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

Mirage was among the team of five Autobots who disguised themselves as the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], with Mirage's alternate mode making him the perfect choice to masquerade as [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]]. Penetrating the Decepticon camp, the Autobots ran into trouble when the real Stunticons arrived, trying to prove their identities by forming [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]. With a combination of [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s magnetic powers and Mirage's illusion-creating ability, the Autobots were able to appear as Menasor too. Though the deception was soon revealed, they were still able to thwart the Decepticons’ plans. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

{{note|An unused scene from the storyboard for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' showed Mirage being blasted (possibly killed) by Megatron during the [[Battle of Autobot City]]. See [[#Notes|Notes]] for more details.}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Mirage engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====

[[File:FSRLFstorypage distresscall.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]

When the Autobots arrived on Earth, Mirage picked up a distress call alerting the Autobots to a Decepticon attack on [[New York City]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 1|Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers}} When the [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] project began, Mirage could be seen driving through the newly constructed city, {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 7|Story page #7}} and flying into action alongside it and his fellow Autobots when the city transformed into its robot mode, [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 9|Story page #9}} Later, while battling [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Mirage proved no match for the combiner and was sent flying through the air. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)#Part 12|Story page #12}}

{{--}}

=====''Legends'' comic=====
Mirage was part of the Masquerade Project, a project inspired by the fake Menasor combination he'd been part of that saw him and four other Autobots modify their [[transformation cog]]s to adopt true combiner forms. Their combined form, [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]], was unstable, but they did manage to form him long enough to defeat [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] during the battle for the [[Transform Super Cog]]. {{storylink|Slugslinger's Ambition}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[File:StargateBattles mirage.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]

Mirage was amongst the Autobots who confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the ''[[Trigger]]'' in Earth orbit. The battle concluded with the Trigger's destruction, which sent all the comabants sent plummeting down to Earth in flames. {{storylink|The Battle of the Star Gate}}

{{--}}

=====''Robotmasters'' comic=====
[[File:RobotMasters mirage vs megs.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66]]

Mirage was discussing a series of earthquakes with his teammate [[R-Blade]] when another tremor struck [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], heralding the arrival of Beast Megatron. Unaware of the purple dinosaur's true identity, Mirage charged into action, but was sent flying by the Predacon's powerful jaws. Megatron transformed to reveal his true form, but Mirage and the Autobots then concentrated their fire, forcing him to retreat. {{storylink|Clash! The Two Leaders}} {{storylink|The New Battle Begins!}}

More time-displaced warriors soon arrived through the Blastizone, and Mirage fell before the might of [[Gigant Bomb]] and [[Smokesniper]]. {{storylink|The Victory Warriors Enter!!}}

Mirage was present within the Ark when the Autobots developed an energy-absorbing upgrade via a "[[Black body (technology)|black body]]" coating, only for it to be used against them by the Decepticons. Knowing that Starscream had gained access to the process, Mirage was surprised to see that it was the Predacon [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] who had been upgraded with a "black body." He correctly deduced that Starscream would not have let anyone else gain access to the upgrade if he hadn't plotted a more self-serving scheme first. {{storylink|Black Body (prose)|Black Body}}

Receiving word of the discovery of a [[solitarium]] deposit on [[Chaar]], Mirage approached the new Autobot arrival [[Road Rocket (G2)|Road Rocket]] for his help in locating it. {{storylink|Defend the Solitarium!}} Later, while manning the monitors at Autobot City, Mirage spotted an injured Transformer who had collapsed outside the fortress. The mysterious newcomer identified himself as [[Reverse Convoy]], {{storylink|Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior}} but turned out to in fact be the original Megatron in disguise. Megatron took Mirage, Optimus, and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] prisoner at [[Sherman Dam]], but they were soon saved by [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] and [[Lio Convoy]]. {{storylink|The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn}}

Mirage participated in the three-day final battle with the Decepticons that concluded with the Autobots' victory, and the time-displaced Transformers being sent back to their homes. {{storylink|And Then}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[File:Binaltech mirage boxart.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1]]

{{Note|This section takes place in [[BT World|a divergent timeline]]. Skip to the next section to continue reading about the original timeline.}}

A few years after the defeat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] in [[2005]], the Autobots were forced off of Cybertron by the Decepticons. Consulting the files of the [[time travel]]ling [[Ravage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ravage]], the Autobots learned of a mysterious [[Large switch|switch]] hidden away on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] which, when pulled, would instantaneously immobilize all Transformers throughout the universe. More homesick for his homeworld than any of his fellows, Mirage volunteered for the dangerous mission to infiltrate the planet and activate the switch. To this end, he transferred his spark into a new [[Binaltech (technology)|Binaltech]] body that had been designed to replicate the function of his [[power chip rectifier]], but which had instead resulted in greatly ''magnified'' powers. The new body's Electro Disruptor kept it ''permanently'' invisible, which allowed Mirage to make his way to Cybertron, past the Decepticons, and down into the planet's depths to the switch. After throwing the switch, though, Mirage was surprised to find that he was still mobile. It seemed the Binaltech warriors (both Autobot and Decepticon) were significantly different enough from regular Transformers to be unaffected by the immobilization wave. With the Autobots now vastly outnumbering the Decepticons still in operation, the tide of the war had irreparably shifted. {{storylink|Kill Switch}}

=====''Unite Warriors''=====
In [[2021]], Mirage, having gained a combiner body, was present on Cybertron when [[Megaempress]] and her [[4 Guards]] intervened in the battle between [[Sky Reign]] and [[Grand Galvatron]]. Subsequently, Mirage combined with Ironhide, Prowl, Sunstreaker, and a temporarily-resurrected Optimus Prime into [[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]] to fight [[Megatronia]]. {{storylink|Megatronia Chapter}} Unicron then attacked Cybertron, and the Autobots separated to fight off his minions, the [[Commando (RID)|Combatrons]]. Mirage tried using his invisibility to sneak up on [[Rollbar (RID)|Greejeeber]], but the trained martial artist sensed his presence and neutralized him with a [[crystalocution]] kick. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part One}} Once the Combatrons turned on Unicron, Mirage and the others combined back into Optimus Maximus to help defeat the evil god. {{storylink|Ruination Chapter, Part Two}}

Mirage and his combining teammates went to [[Hawaii]] for what was supposedly "special surfing training". There, Mirage stayed on the beach to... suntan, or something. {{storylink|Crossing the Pacific Ocean!?}}

=====''Generations Selects Special Comic''=====
In [[2050]], Mirage and the Autobots joined in the [[Selector]]s rebellion. {{storylink|Volcanicus comic 2}} As [[Angolmois Energy]] erupted on the planet, Mirage was caught in the corrupting blast of one of the geysers, causing him to change. {{storylink|Abominus comic 2}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Mirage was among the Autobots stationed at [[Ark (G1)|Autobot headquarters]] in [[Arizona]] when [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] and the Decepticons attacked. Though the Autobots were ultimately victorious, the entire attack was actually just a distraction so that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] could go perform ''evil'' somewhere in Japan. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Mirage later appeared at the Autobots' newly constructed Japanese base, welcoming the small [[human]] boy, [[Kenji]]. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
[[File:Scramblepower autobots say no.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
When Megatron threatened the world with the nefarious [[Omega Wave Cannon]], Mirage was one of the Autobots who objected to the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] being sent into action, citing their lack of experience. The Autobots' human allies [[Tōru]] and [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] managed to destroy the Whip, upon which Mirage and the other Autobots rolled into action to stop the Decepticons escaping. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{--}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{Wingsnote}}
[[File:Termination mw mirage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.1]]
After the defeat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]] and the onset of Cybertron's new [[Golden Age]], Mirage returned to his homeworld in hopes of finding peace. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card}} However, a new threat soon emerged: [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], a renegade Cybertronian who fashioned a clone army for himself that even included [[Mirage (G2)|a clone]] of Mirage himself. {{storylink|A Flash Forward, Part 3}} Jhiaxus's ever-expanding army swept across the galaxy in a conflict known as the "[[Machine Wars (event)|Machine Wars]]", and Mirage teamed up with [[Electro]] to provide upgrades to Cybertron's population in preparation for the conflict inevitably reaching the Transformers' homeworld. As part of this, Mirage upgraded his own speed by a factor of two and exposed himself to [[forestonite]], which considerably enhanced the range of his invisibility field. {{storylink|#Timelines|BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card}} Unfortunately, in acquiring said weaponry and upgrades, Mirage and Electro had to go outside the law, violating several arms regulations and consorting with black marketeers and other criminals, which led to them being arrested by [[Clampdown (G1)|Clamp Down]]. He agreed to let the pair go so they could join the impending fight against Jhiaxus's approaching forces, ''if'' they would testify that their crimes had been committed at the order of Autobot Earth commander [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]]. Electro pushed back, but as alarms began blaring to signify that Jhiaxus's army had arrived, Mirage quickly agreed to Clamp Down's terms—but as it turned out, there was little they could do, as a colossal bombing run by the enemy forces levelled the city.

Jhiaxus's clone army, led by [[Megaplex]], seized control of Cybertron in only a few days. Scattered groups of Autobot survivors quickly organized; Mirage and Electro were called to a rendezvous with a squad led by [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] outside of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], where Mirage used his enhanced powers to keep a substantial number of reinforcements hidden from view. When Megaplex and his men were lured out by the seemingly small group of rebels, Mirage dropped the invisibility field, revealing to the clones that they were surrounded. A fierce battle erupted, but the tide began to turn against the Autobots when it turned out that their teammate [[Sandstorm (MW)|Sandstorm]] was actually an undercover agent, who blasted Obsidian. {{storylink|Termination}} Still the heroes fought on, with Mirage and Override attempt to take on the Sandstorm clone, only to be soundly thrashed. As reinforcements from Earth began to arrive, Mirage regrouped with Electro, and the pair tried to ambush the [[Skywarp (MW)|Skywarp clone]], only for him to teleport away and send his drones after them. They were unexpectedly rescued by a squad of Decepticons, and joined with them in fighting off Jhiaxus's legions—a sight that convinced Jhiaxus to ''surrender'', as he was content that he had achieved his goal of uniting Cybertron as one. {{storylink|A Common Foe}}

{{--}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
[[File:BattleforEarth mirage.jpg|thumb|I think "Armless" suits you better!]]
Mirage was one of the survivors of the Ark's crash who was rebuilt as an Earth vehicle. During the Global building fiasco, Mirage was among the Autobots who tried and failed to scratch Devastator's paint. Still, he managed to teleport into Megatron's war room and reverse the effects of the Devastator Button, freeing the Decepticons' hostages. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

===Marvel coloring books===
[[File:DecepticonPatrol mirage electric balls.jpg|left|thumb]]
One peaceful day, Optimus decided it was too quiet, and sent Bumblebee and Mirage out to spy on the Decepticons. Sure enough, the Decepticons were up to something. The cowardly Laserbeak having mistakenly identified an automobile factory as an Autobot factory. The Decepticons had been sent out to locate and destroy this factory. Reporting this back to Optimus, Mirage was instructed to project the holographic image of an Autobot factory nearby so as to trap the Decepticons in a big hole. Ravage saw through the ruse, and attacked Mirage from behind, dispelling his illusion just as Megatron was about to fall for the trap. Ratchet quickly fixed up Mirage, and Mirage retaliated against Ravage by throwing [[electric ball]]s at him. {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}}

Mirage was part of the Autobot convoy that followed Optimus Prime into combat when it was discovered that the Decepticons used a [[molecular transfer device]] to steal fuel from all around the globe. He, Optimus, Hound, Jazz, and Bumblebee infiltrated the Decepticons' stronghold, only to meet with opposition from the Decepticons posted to guard the machine. Mirage used his holographic powers to confuse Megatron, creating an opening for Bumblebee to grab the molecular transfer device's controls, and drain all of the Decepticons' fuel. {{storylink|Summertime Coloring Book}}

When the Decepticons took over the Autobots' base by deceiving them with a phony message from Cybertron, the Autobots turned the tables by sending a fake message of their own. Believing they were about to be attacked by [[Martian]]s, the Decepticons came running out of the base, straight into an Autobot ambush. Mirage joined in sending the villains on their way, hurling electric balls at Megatron and Ravage. {{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}}

Optimus Prime had Mirage create a mirage (!) that the Autobot base-camp was occupied when in fact the Autobots had secretly relocated. The Decepticons attacked and wasted all their ammunition on the illusion, leaving them easy targets for an Autobot ambush. {{storylink|Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission}}

When Gears had fallen for a dastardly Decepticon trap, Mirage, Ratchet and Sideswipe somehow learned about it instantly. Mirage jammed Thundercracker's circuits with his [[circuit-jammer]], paralyzing him in mid-air. {{storylink|The Autobot Smasher!}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}}}
{{-}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[File:GreatCarRally skywarp vs mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25]]
When the Cybertronian civil war had yet to leave the planet, Optimus asked his Autobots to join him in leaving their home world behind and travel out into space. When Bumblebee volunteered to join Optimus, Mirage and the rest of the Autobots jumped in as well. After crash-landing on Earth and being offline for about 65 million years, Mirage and the rest of the Autobots met Sparkplug and his son Spike. With the Decepticons still not in the know of what forms the Autobots had taken, Mirage was one of the troops that Optimus led into the desert in order to ambush their enemies. Though they successfully took by surprise a squadron of Decepticons, the Autobots had not anticipated a second group flying in from the opposite direction. Thanks to a warning from Spike and Sparkplug, the Autobots managed to fend off the Decepticons, and came to accept Earth as their new home. {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

Mirage and Cliffjumper found out about a cross-country car rally that offered a year's worth of gas and oil to whoever won the competition. The pair excitedly went off to tell Optimus Prime about it, unaware that Soundwave had been spying on them. As Optimus went over the specifics of the race with his troops, he elected Mirage to participate in the rally's first heat, where Mirage's ability to handle winding roads could be used to his advantage. Mirage managed to secure an early lead in the race, only to be attacked by Skywarp. Mirage found himself struggling to both dodge Skywarp's blasts and race at the same time. With the other drivers closing in on Mirage, the Autobot race car deployed his [[Electro-disrupter|Electro-disruptor]], and caused Skywarp to crash into the nearby sea. This distraction out of the way, Mirage finished up his part of the race, though he arrived in last place. Passing the baton to Hound, he warned him to watch out for more Decepticons that might show up during the race.{{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Thanks to [[Shooting Star]], Optimus discovered that Blitzwing was planning to steal oil from a nearby oil truck. Optimus took Mirage and a team of Autobots to stop the theft. Thanks to Swoop's help, the Autobots managed to thwart the Decepticons’ heist. Mirage laughed when the Autobots realized that the humans involved had fainted upon seeing Swoop. Mirage pointed out that he was glad that a robot who transformed into a monstrosity out of Earth's distant past was on the Autobots' side. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}
{{-}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
[[File:MegatronsFightForPower repairing the ship.jpg|left|thumb]]
Mirage was one of the Autobots who attended the test run of [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s lightning collector, {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}} and later assisted in the ongoing reconstruction of the Autobots' space cruiser. {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}}

When the Decepticons attacked Autobot City without any early warning, it was Mirage who suggested they may have already constructed a hideout nearby, allowing them to appear without warning. {{storylink|Decepticon Hideout}}
{{-}}

===''S.T.A.R.S.'' continuity===
[[File:PackIn RodimusPrimeRemembers Inside2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25]]
When [[Johnny (G1)|Johnny]] spotted [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] stealing energy, he called his Autobot allies through his S.T.A.R.S. control center. Mirage was amongst those who responded to Johnny's call, {{storylink|Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?}} and joined in the struggle against Thundercracker, even though his movements were slowed by the Decepticon syphoning off his power. {{storylink|Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?}}

Later, Ultra Magnus pleaded for [[you]] to "requisition" Mirage and other Autobots in order to combat the Decepticon threat. Using the human power known as "imagination," S.T.A.R.S. recruits could perceive what it was like to be Mirage. {{storylink|You Have Been Chosen.}}

Before the construction of Autobot City on Earth, Optimus led a convoy of Autobots to find the ideal location for their new base's construction. Mirage was amongst the troops accompanying Optimus. As they drove along, the Autobots were ambushed by the Decepticons. The battle that ensued later came to be known as "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]." {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}} {{storylink|The Autobots Are Under Attack!}}
{{-}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
When Bombshell used his cerebro-shells to gain control of all the Dinobots except Swoop, one path found Mirage among several Autobots in the war room listening to Prowl's warning that the rampaging quartet was approaching [[Bandit's Bluff]], dangerously close to a human city. This gave Mirage the idea to cast an illusion of Optimus Prime, whom Bombshell had surely ordered his new minions to attack, on the edge of the cliff to trick them into charging over it and into the ocean. If Optimus selected this plan over [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger's]], it went off without a hitch, plunging the Dinobots into the sea, where Autobots aboard [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray's]] massive destroyer mode were able to salvage them and return to base where Windcharger could safely remove the shells. {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}
====Attack of the Insecticons====
Mirage was one of many Autobots involved in a plot where the Sun-Pak, a device invented by Sparkplug to solve the Autobots' energy problems, is stolen by the Decepticons.

In one possible adventure, where Sparkplug has been kidnapped by Starscream and injected by a Cerebro-Shell by Bombshell in order to force the human into building more of the device for the Decepticons, Mirage is the one to discover Sparkplug wandering away from the Decepticon base some time later. After returning with Sparkplug from his espionage mission, Mirage and the rest of the Autobots find out that Sparkplug had his memory damaged when injected with the Cerebro-Shell, and was only capable of producing a laser-toothbrush for the Decepticons in-lieu of the Sun-Pak.

In an alternate path, where the Autobots escape from the Decepticons initial attempt at stealing the Sun-Pak, but lose the device to the Decepticons anyways, Mirage can be sent as an advance scout to discover the whereabouts of the Insecticons and their newly acquired Sun-Pak. With Buster tagging along, the both of them are made to swear to Optimus that they will not engage the enemy, and contact the rest of the Autobots once they have located the Sun-Pak. Following the ultra-sonic vibrations of the Insecticons' wings, Mirage tracks down the trio to a rotting forest. As they spy on the Insecticons, Shrapnel gloats he we will the device he stole to overpower Megatron himself. Mirage spots Ravage darting away from the scene, and realizing that the Decepticon mini-cassette will inform Megatron of what is happening, making time of the essence, he contemplates breaking his promise to Optimus.

If Mirage does decide to break his promise to Optimus, he uses his Electro-Scrambler to produce holograms of himself, confusing the three Insecticons, while Buster snatches the Sun-Pak. Congratulating each other on successfully outwitting the Insecticons, Buster and Mirage make their way back to Autobot base.

If, alternatively, Mirage decides to not break his promise to Optimus and contact the rest of the Autobots as he agreed to before, Megatron does indeed arrive first on the scene. But while the Decepticons squabble, the Autobots in turn arrive on the scene, and Megatron decides to stay in the forest to ambush his adversaries. Unbeknownst to him, Mirage and Buster still spy on the Decepticons' activities, and forewarn Optimus of Megatron's ploy. Optimus decides to have [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] pour acid on the concealed Decepticons, winning the day at the expense of the easily replaceable Sun-Pak. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====Earthquake====
While discussing how nice the recent lull in Decepticon activity was, Mirage interjected about how trickery was the best way to outdo the evil robots, and boasted about his holographic abilities.

In one possible scenario, Mirage was able to put his abilities to good use. Beachcomber returned prematurely from his day off to report that he had discovered a secret Decepticon fortress. Within the fortress was a Destruction beam device, which the Decepticons were about to use to destroy the nearby Center City. Beachcomber had been unable to find the lab housing the device, however, and so consulted his fellow Autobots. Beachcomber and Mirage headed back to the Decepticons’ fortress, and using Mirage's holographic abilities, tricked Buzzsaw into thinking the fortress was overrun by an Autobot army. This prompted him to head back to the lab to defend it. Following him, the Autobots were able to destroy the Destruction beam before it caused any harm, and then hurried out of the fortress while the Decepticons still panicked over Buzzsaw's report of an Autobot army. {{storylink|Earthquake (book)|Earthquake}}

====Decepticon Poison====
When Red Alert came bursting into the Autobots’ headquarters, warning them about Ramjet being spotted nearby, and a number of Autobot subsequently found themselves unable to transform, Mirage correctly deduced that the Decepticon had poisoned the Autobots’ fuel supply.

In one possible scenario that ensued, Mirage was part of the Autobots’ back-up squadron, as they attempted to defend the Autobot base against the Decepticons. In one version of the ensuing events, the Autobots were able to beat back the Decepticons, though not without receiving some grievous injuries themselves.

In another possible scenario, where Optimus followed a plan courtesy of Prowl, the Autobot leader instructed his troops to transform into vehicle mode and play dead. The Decepticons, believing the Autobots’ ruse, disarmed themselves in order to carry out the Autobots’ “carcasses.” Now with the element of surprise against unarmed opponent, the Autobots Transformed and were able to easily defeat the evil robots.

In another possible turn of events, Perceptor gave out too much of his antidote to cure each poisoned Autobot. The Autobots who received the antidote soon found themselves falling apart, leaving Mirage and the rest outmatched against the greater number of Decepticons.

In a completely different scenario, Optimus agreed to Prowl's plan to go on the offensive and try and discover the full extent of the Decepticons’ plans. Optimus nominated Prowl, Bumblebee and Mirage to go along with him on the mission. The group refuelled with the gas that Sparkplug brought back from the Autobots’ secret storage area, and took off. The group soon happened upon the Decepticons’ lab in the middle of a barren, polluted wasteland.

If all four Autobots ventured together into the Decepticons’ lab, they first encountered Laserbeak, only to quickly dispatch him. Venturing further into the lab, the group soon spotted the antidote they were after, and sent Mirage to fetch it. Disguising himself as Laserbeak with his electro-scrambler, Mirage successfully retrieved the beaker, thought not before overhearing Starscream and Ramjet conversing. The two Decepticons were gloating about using a new poison to turn humans into mindless slaves.

If Optimus ordered his squad to instead return to Autobot headquarters immediately, his squad returned to find their comrades nearly dead from the poison. But with Ratchet's help, the antidote was quickly distributed, and the Autobots sprung back to life.

If Optimus led his troops back to the Decepticons’ poison lab, Mirage was amongst the Autobot convoy that drove into action. Whatever decisions they took, the Autobots managed to destroy the Decepticons’ lab.

If however Optimus ordered his troops to deal with the Decepticons before returning to base with the antidote, the Autobots were faced with another decision; deal with Starscream and Ramjet first, or to attempt to destroy the containers of poison first, as per Prowl's suggestion.

If the Autobots went along with Prowl's strategy, the resulting heat from the explosion caused the Autobots’ circuits to overheat, rendering them unconscious. In the process, Mirage dropped the vial containing the antidote to the Decepticons’ poison, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. Upon reawakening, the Autobots found themselves captives of Megatron, who informed them that their fellow Autobots would soon perish, and that the humans would be conquered by the Decepticons shortly after.

If Optimus instead decided to deal with Ramjet and Starscream first, his troop easily overpowered the pair, Prowl and Mirage working together to wrestle down Starscream. After having destroyed the lab, the Autobots returned to their headquarters with the antidote.

If instead of all heading into the lab together, the Autobots had sent in Bumblebee alone, and Bumblebee subsequently managed to escape with the antidote to the Decepticons’ poison, the Autobots escaped from the [[Decepticon Poison Lab|Valley of Poison]] and returned to Autobot headquarters. Once the other Autobots were cured, they all drank a toast to Bumblebee, to celebrate his part in the mission. {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}
{{-}}

====Autobot Alert!====
[[File:AutobotAlertCyclonusonscreen.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Mirage was in Metroplex city when an Autobot Alert sounded.

In one possible scenario, Mirage was selected alongside Jazz, Swoop, Powerglide and Prowl, to join Ultra Magnus on an orbital mission to both rescue Cosmos and halt a Decepticon plot to take over Earth's broadcast satellites. After donning special space gear for solar protection, the team took off and headed towards Cosmos's last coordinates.Though they soon found Cosmos, so did they spot Galvatron's ship, Cyclonus, looming nearby. After both Mirage and Powerglide retrieved Cosmos, Mirage overlooked him quickly. He was able to detect weak life signs within Cosmos, but could not repair Cosmos himself. Returning to the shuttle's control deck, Mirage and Ultra Magnus discovered that Cyclonus himself was acting as the Decepticons’ signal-jamming device. Ultra Magnus then ordered his troops to train all of their available weapons on Cyclonus for a full-frontal assault. Mirage questioned the wisdom of this plan, pointing out it could easily turn into a suicide mission.

If the Autobots went along with Ultra Magnus's plan, Mirage and the rest of the Autobots were horrorstruck when Galvatron himself emerged from Cyclonus, followed by an army of multiwing jet fighters. Mirage and the others were left drifting helplessly into space as the Decepticons tore their shuttle apart.

If instead Powerglide and Swoop went about their own way of defeating the Decepticons, Cyclonus's transmission device was successfully destroyed and the entire crew of the Autobot shuttle presumably returned to base safely.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, wherein Ultra Magnus agreed to prioritize theft of the coded message, Mirage was part of the captive audience that listened to Kup divulge information about an ancient Autobot formula. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}
{{-}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
While "computer hacking," Mirage discovered numerous human reports of a mysterious construction project occurring on the uninhabited [[Clarke Atoll]], which the Autobots identified as a set of gigantic rocket engines. After an independent report by [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] corroborated his suspicions, Mirage related his findings to the other Autobots, and they all headed out to stop the Decepticons' plan to use the engines to force Earth out of orbit and convert it into a new Cybertron. {{storylink|Moving Day Planet Earth}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:DarkAges5 its not stopping.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
Despite his misgiving about the war effort, Mirage's tenure with the Autobot cause dates back to the time of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]. When Shockwave staged a disastrous offensive against [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Mirage was there defending the [[Decagon]] alongside Prowl and the other Autobot soldiers. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} During the [[Dark Ages]], he continued serving under Prowl as part of the main Autobot faction at [[Virtue's Forum]], in the remains of Iacon. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}} Alongside Jazz and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], he tried defending their prisoner, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Experiment D-43]], against the intruder known as [[The Fallen]], but failed miserably in the process. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}} During the [[Quintesson]] occupation of Cybertron, he was among the Autobots held captive at [[Internment Camp Pi]]. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

{{unreleased WW comic}}
Optimus returned to Cybertron, and the Autobots were freed from slavery. {{Storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.6}}

Four million years ago, Mirage crash-landed on the planet Earth aboard the shuttle known as the Ark, with more than two dozen of his fellow Autobots and Decepticons. They remained inactive in stasis lock at the base of a volcano until 1984, when volcanic activity shook them back on-line. The war began again, but without reinforcements or connection to Cybertron, Megatron and his Decepticons were eventually defeated and taken prisoner by the Autobots in 1998. Mirage and the rest of the Transformers were prepared to fly back to Cybertron in a new spacecraft, the ''[[Ark II]]'', but it exploded shortly after takeoff in 1999, leaving them all believed dead.

[[File:PrimeDirective5 mirage fights virus.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2]]
Not so. Most of the Transformers had been salvaged by a mercenary named [[Lazarus]], who spent the next few years repairing and reprogramming the Cybertronians to use as weapons of mass destruction at his command. Optimus Prime was reactivated by the United States military to oppose Lazarus, and he in turn used the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to revive several other Autobots who had escaped Lazarus' salvage crews, including Mirage. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}} Together, they helped in the clean-up operation at the [[Smitco Oil Refinery]] following an attack upon it by Lazarus-controlled Transformers, then made a bee-line for Lazarus's base of operations, only to find that Megatron and the Decepticons had broken free of his control. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} While half the Autobots pursued the Decepticons to [[San Francisco]], Mirage and the rest remained at Lazarus's base to repair the other Autobots left strewn around, and to find a way to stop the cyberforming virus Megatron had unleashed upon the planet. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} Mirage and his allies combated the virus using curative weapons powered by their own energon reserves. Despite the interference of the well-meaning Canadian military, {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} the Autobots eventually emerged triumphant, though Wheeljack wound up putting himself in stasis lock to neutralize the virus. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Mirage was remarkably unhelpful during the war with the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]. After Optimus Prime was forced to give the Matrix over to Megatron as a debt of honor, Mirage sniped about the decision worse than any of the Autobots. His criticisms only got louder after a news report from [[Washington, D.C.]] made it clear that Megatron had found one of his warriors, the already mighty [[Omega Sentinel (G1)|Omega Sentinel]], who could actually wield the power of the Matrix directly. Now that Prime had actually strengthened their enemies as well as weakening the Autobots, Mirage just wouldn't shut up about it. The final straw was when [[Franklin Townsend]], a crazed augment working for the Keepers, idly strolled into the Ark, took over control of [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s mind, and made his getaway. Mirage was ready to brazenly disobey Prime's orders and charge right after Bluestreak, until Optimus physically slammed him into a wall and forced him to obey his commanding officer. When you're being so much of a dick that the legendary patience of Optimus Prime runs out, it's time to rein it in, Mirage. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}''

[[File:WarandPeace2 traitor.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
Following a vision experienced by Optimus Prime, the Autobots battled the Decepticons over a Cybertronian stasis pod in [[Alaska]], during which Mirage went up against Thundercracker. The fighting came to an abrupt, surprising end when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his forces arrived on Earth and announced that, in their absence, the Autobot/Decepticon wars on Cybertron had ended and that the two factions had been united. Thrilled at the prospect of being able to return home, Mirage was one of the first to fall in with the new regime, and helped talk Prowl into surrendering to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|New World Order}} Taken into custody as war criminals, several of the Autobots (especially [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]) considered Mirage a traitor. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Once back on Cybertron, however, the Autobots learned of a secret rebellion, {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} and Mirage quickly realigned himself with the Autobot cause when Shockwave's true plan was revealed. During the subsequent rebel uprising that ended with Shockwave's dethroning, Mirage made amends with Cliffjumper by using his invisibility to sneak up and save him from [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]]. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

[[File:DWG1v36 mirage.jpg|thumb|left]]
Unfortunately for Mirage, in the wake of Shockwave's defeat, the Autobots' acting commander Prowl soon came to the conclusion that they needed to return to Earth, and called a meeting to discuss the matter. {{storylink|Original Sin}} Prowl proposed that a more significant beach-head had to be established on Earth for the future, but Mirage—happy to finally be home—had no desire to return to "that primitive little rock," and while he did not oppose the plan, advocated being conscious of the costs involved. [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] didn't take his remarks well, feeling that Mirage was putting money before friends, and didn't hesitate to point out that Mirage's fortune from his aristocracy days was now non-existent, his estate and possessions having been partitioned up and sold off by Shockwave's united government while he was gone. {{storylink|Atonement}} Mirage ultimately lost the argument, and was last seen grumpily standing on the [[Autobase]] shuttle landing platform as supplies for the trip back to Earth were loaded. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:GIJoevsTF4 Mirage Ferret.jpg|thumb|upright=1.6]]
[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] found Mirage's holo-projector aboard the ''Ark'', and used it to make a better holographic driver for himself than [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] could. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}}

Meanwhile, Mirage was among the dormant Transformers discovered by [[Cobra]], reprogrammed for nefarious purposes, and given new alternate modes (Mirage now transformed into a Cobra [[Ferret]]). Upon being freed from Cobra's control by Wheeljack, Mirage's group located Optimus Prime and helped fight back against the newly freed Decepticons. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} He later stood watch as the damaged Prime was formulating a plan to defeat Megatron. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Mirage was apparently among the Autobots awakened on the [[Fera Islands]] in [[1939]], as Optimus Prime mentioned that he had been killed in the battle against [[Cobra]]. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''The Beast Within''===
[[File:BeastWithin mirage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.75|Ow.]]
Mirage participated in a savage battle against the Decepticons, though he did not fare too well, already laying defeated on the battleground during the conflict's early stages. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}
{{-}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[Megatron Origin issue 3|''Megatron Origin'' #3]]; [[Spotlight: Blaster]] (modern era)}}

[[File:Mirage pharma remembrance day.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2]]

Before the [[Great War (G1)|war]] broke out, Mirage was in attendance for the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} He was one of the few Autobots who witnessed firsthand [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s lifeless shell be dropped off as part of a [[Decepticon]] intimidation tactic. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 4|Megatron Origin #4}} Some time later, early in the war, Mirage was a guard at the [[Institute|New Institute]], a place known to use brainwashing to keep Autobots with wavering loyalties in line. Hmm. {{storylink|Remembrance Day}} He and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] were members of the same institution (though it is unclear if it was a school, a place of employment, a military unit, or something else), where the motto was "Veritas". {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

[[File:SpotlightMirage trappedHound.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|This didn't actually happen. Or did it? No, it didn't.]]
Mirage lived with an ongoing medical condition, which periodically caused a build-up of gamma-cybrobuteric acid in his brain that led him to start having hallucinations. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} This condition flared up when he was damaged in an explosion; while recuperating in a repair station, he dreamed of another time and place where his life had taken a different course, and he had wound up a Decepticon mercenary in the employ of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]. In this dream, in order to finally end the war, and crush the last few remaining Autobots, Mirage used his holographic powers to disguise himself as [[Bumblebee (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] and infiltrated the enemy base. Once he disabled their security systems, his fellow Decepticons swarmed in, and they proceeded with the subjugation of their long-hated foes. Though [[Optimus Prime (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Optimus Prime]] was holding his own during the fight, Mirage took a disabled [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] hostage to force the Autobot leader to surrender. Mirage then contacted Megatron to inform him of his victory. Despite Mirage's protests, Megatron insisted he kill all of the Autobots, rather than take them in as prisoners of war. Mirage stabbed [[Hound (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hound]] through the [[spark]], provoking an enraged Optimus to tackle him into a nearby container of [[Zodiac]] energy. The dream ended with an explosion, but Mirage was left to wonder if it had ''truly'' been a dream, or if the unearthly powers of the [[Zodiac]] had granted him a brief glimpse across the dimensions. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

Mirage was a suspect in the assassination attempts on [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], as he was one of only four Autobots present on the [[Autobot Orbital Command Hub|Hub]] during both attacks. He and two of the other Autobots were cleared when it was discovered that a mind-controlled [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] was the true culprit. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

[[File:Mirage Invisibility AHM 5.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Everybody hates a mime.]]
A year later, Mirage joined Optimus Prime's crew on [[Earth]] to help root out the Decepticons they had been forced to leave alone on the planet. After months of searching, Mirage finally turned up some information that suggested there had been a schism in the Decepticon ranks—information that turned out to be false, and which drew the Autobots into a hideous ambush. Badly outmatched, the Autobots were soundly defeated and lined up to be dumped through a space bridge to Cybertron, but before they were sent through, Megatron revealed that there had been a willing traitor collaborator involved in his trap. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} As the one who had delivered the information, Mirage was the prime suspect, with everyone but [[Jazz (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jazz]] and [[Prowl (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Prowl]] believing he'd betrayed them to the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

[[File:AHM7 Ironhide assaults Mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[All Hail Megatron issue 4|Ironhide. Punches. ''Everyone.'']]]]
Frustrated at being stranded on Cybertron, Mirage listened to Tracks tell a story to pass the time. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}} Presently, when [[Kup (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Kup]]'s crew arrived on the planet, Mirage served as an invisible sentry, undetectably watching the group as they arrived. Kup scoffed at the apparent "lack" of a guard, allowing Jazz to get one up on the old 'bot by instructing Mirage to reveal himself. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} Not long after, a raging [[Ironhide (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Ironhide]] finally snapped and dragged Mirage into a corner, blamed the supposed "traitor" for the trap, which had nearly killed Optimus Prime. Mirage could only protest weakly as Ironhide beat him half to death and ripped off his Autobot badge. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}}

It was eventually revealed that [[Sunstreaker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sunstreaker]] had been the real traitor, and Ironhide tried to apologize to Mirage. Mirage wouldn't accept his apology, however, leaving his badge off out of spite and warning Ironhide against ever talking to him again. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} However, despite his harsh words, Mirage came to Ironhide's rescue during a [[Insecticon swarm|swarm]] attack, urging his comrade to save himself. Ironhide refused, and instead proved that he trusted Mirage again by staying behind to help him fight the monstrosities. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} After the Autobots were saved by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], they returned to Earth and fought against the Decepticons in [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

[[File:Mirage New Arrivals Old Encounters.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5]]

Three years later, the Autobots were still squatting on Earth at Optimus Prime's insistence, keeping the humans "safe" from the Decepticons while being hunted by those very same humans. Mirage was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Hot Rod]] finally went stir-crazy and demanded some action. That "action" led to Ironhide's death and Prime surrendering himself to the human robot-hunters, [[Skywatch]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} Along with Prowl, [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], and several others, Mirage joined Hot Rod in breaking off from what remained of the Autobot forces to leave the planet of mud and water behind. At first, they tried convincing Omega Supreme to leave with them, but Hot Rod's speeches failed to overcome Omega's loyalty to Optimus Prime. Instead, they found unlikely allies in a pack of roving Decepticons led by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 1: "New Arrivals, Old Encounters"|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} With the additional manpower, and despite the unease they had for one another, the unlikely allies began construction of a new space cruiser to leave Earth forever, {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 2: "A Rude Awakening"|A Rude Awakening}} with Mirage working on the new flight control systems. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 3: "Seasons in Flight"|Seasons in Flight}} Unsurprisingly, the Decepticons eventually betrayed Hot Rod's team and attempted to take the space cruiser for themselves. Mirage and the others fought against their new creation, [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and eventually brought him down. Mirage was one of several Autobots who were injured in the battle, and was repaired by Skywatch technicians. {{storylink|Things Fall Apart, Part 5: "Earthworks"|Earthworks}}

Looking to make up for his mistake of trusting the Decepticons, Hot Rod (or "Rodimus") left Earth for some time, returning months later with a previously presumed-dead Sunstreaker in tow. Mirage initially had trouble facing Sunstreaker, what with having been blamed for his betrayal years earlier, but his anger was soon overcome by the joy of being reunited with old friends. The Autobots then left Earth to return to Cybertron, which according to Rodimus had been restored but conquered by [[Galvatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix|Orphans of the Helix}} Once back home, they fought against both Galvatron's [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] and Megatron's Decepticons. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}}

[[File:Mirage The Autonomy Lesson.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2]]
After the battle ended with Cybertron restored to a primordial state and most Decepticons in captivity, Mirage witnessed the disastrous launch of Rodimus's ''[[Lost Light]]''. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} He tried to return to a normal life among the [[NAIL|unaligned Cybertronians]] who had returned home following the end of the war, {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson (issue)|The Autonomy Lesson}} but when the Decepticons rebelled and tried to conquer Cybertron again, Mirage was injured trying to sneak up on them and had to be carried to the local med-center by Jazz. {{storylink|Plan for Everything}} Following the attack and defeat of the [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], Mirage celebrated with [[Sideswipe (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Sideswipe]] and Sunstreaker, the latter having returned aboard the ''Lost Light'', the group's differences with one another a thing of the past at last. {{storylink|The Becoming: Dark Cybertron Chapter 10|The Becoming}} Mirage was displeased with the results of [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]]'s trial, believing the former Decepticon should have been executed outright. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}

[[File:MTMTE40 mirage tends bar.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4]]
Mirage decided to join the crew of the ''Lost Light'' on its second departure from Cybertron; given a tour of the vessel by [[Crosscut (G1)|Crosscut]], he was decidedly unimpressed by the much-lauded [[Swerve's|Swerve's bar]]. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} Once the ship was airborne and off on its way once more, Mirage and several others attempted to eavesdrop on [[Rung (G1)|Rung]]'s psychiatric examination of the ship's unlikely new co-captain, Megatron himself. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} When the ship encountered a coffin floating in outer space, Mirage helped bring it in, {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}} kickstarting a chain of events that caused the ship itself to disappear and forcing Mirage and the rest of the crew to evacuate. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}}

A while after the event was all sorted out and [[Brainstorm (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Brainstorm]]'s plans to change the past were stopped, Mirage addressed the issues he had with Swerve's by opening his ''own'' bar named [["Visages"]]. Because of an incident that had occurred at ''Swerve's'' when Brainstorm poisoned everyone's drinks, Mirage's bar flourished, but Swerve got his own back at the upper-class Autobot by suggesting that Megatron read some of his poetry at "Visages", which caused its patrons to abandon it in droves, flooding back to Swerve's. {{storylink|Our Steps Will Always Rhyme}} Mirage joined many other Autobots when Rodimus gave news of Thunderclash's pre-wake. {{storylink|The Sensuous Frame}} At some point, [[Getaway]] and/or [[Atomizer]] approached Mirage and asked whether or not he would stand with them in a mutiny against Megatron. Mirage responded that he would. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}

[[File:TF41 ironhide and mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Bar management soon became the least of Mirage's concerns, however, as his old condition reared its head again, and he fell unconscious, tormented by dreams of Cybertron, Earth, and the colony world of [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]] burning, scoured by giant figures of flame. Rodimus considered this serious enough to have Mirage sent back to Cybertron, and had the "[[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]]" take a shuttle and escort him back home. {{storylink|The Possible Light}} Mirage had awoken by the time the group arrived on Cybertron, and he immediately attempted to warn Optimus of what he had seen in his visions, but an attack on Caminus by the renegade Prowl and [[Devastator (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Devastator]] tabled the conversation. {{storylink|Mistakes and Mayhem}} Once the combiner's assault was stopped, Mirage retired to [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] with Ironhide and Sunstreaker, where they talked out their old differences, made amends... and realized that Ironhide had also had the same vision Mirage had experienced. Realizing the danger was not yet over and that the destruction they had foreseen could yet come to pass, the trio tried to bring their information to Optimus Prime as he was visiting Prowl in prison. There, however, they were all caught up in Prowl's activation of the stolen [[Enigma of Combination]], which merged all five Autobots present into "[[Optimus Maximus (G1)|Optimus Maximus]]". {{storylink|You, Me, and the Universe}} Within the newborn combiner's shared mindspace, Mirage and the others overcame Prowl's cold logic to unite their way of thinking, and Optimus Maximus put down Prowl's rebellion, then separated so Prowl could be taken into custody. {{storylink|All That Remains}} Soon after, Mirage and the Protectobots boarded their shuttle to head back to the ''Lost Light''. {{storylink|The Transgressors}}

[[File:JourneysEnd StarSaberKillsMirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|Star Saber cares not for [[Spotlight: Mirage|Mirage's self-insert fanfiction]].]]
Months later, their shuttle finally caught up with the ''Lost Light'', where it made a smart crash-landing in Shuttle Bay 4 to discover [[Getaway]] was now in command. After a rather tense reunion, Mirage comfortably slipped back into his bartending role at "Visages" selling overpriced and pretentious drinks. However, soon after, [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] called the returnees to "Swerve's" for a private meeting where he confessed his suspicions about the crew's attitudes. Mirage violently defended the crew, noting that the real problem was Megatron dodging his execution, before [[Riptide (G1)|Riptide]] arrived and explained the truth regarding the mutiny against [[Team Rodimus]]. When Getaway's inner circle arrived, Mirage cloaked himself, only reappearing to smash a glass against Getaway after [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] discovered [[life cord]]s suspended in [[engex]]. Using a table as cover, the returnees ran back to their shuttle, only for their ship to be crippled by a [[proton missile]] and towed in with a tractor beam before they were all placed in memory loops. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 1): Full Circle|Full Circle}}

Along with [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], they were soon freed by Riptide. After making a quick trip to the morgue for [[Ambulon]], Mirage acted as forward scout, using his invisibility to scope out the shuttle bay. Finding Getaway there along with a group of security guards, Mirage reported back to the group, prompting the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] to form [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. When new arrival [[Star Saber (G1)|Star Saber]] gunned down Thunderclash, Mirage tried to reason with the enforcer and explain the situation only to be gruesomely cleaved in twain by a backhand swipe of the zealot's sword. His death was the final straw for Atomizer, who subsequently gave his life to allow Riptide, First Aid, and Thunderclash to escape. {{storylink|The Plotters' Club (Part 3): Journey's End|Journey's End}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in manga===
[[File:Henkeipackin mirage.jpg|thumb|upright=2]]
Mirage was not seen participating in the Autobots' first recorded battle with the Decepticons on Earth, but he did show up to stand around in the background while Optimus Prime explained the situation to human authorities. Mirage doubted that the Decepticons would give up after one defeat, {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1}} and he was quickly proven correct when he caught [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] menacing a passenger train. Mirage leapt onto the train-mode Decepticon's back, but was shaken off when Astrotrain converted to shuttle mode and blasted off. Prime and Bumblebee caught up to the villain, {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} and Mirage soon joined them in battling him. When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] then arrived to join the fight, Mirage grinned and remarked they'd been keeping things warm for him. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}}

Later, Mirage, Ironhide, and Rodimus tracked the Decepticons to a volcanic region of the planet, where [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Nightstick (G1)|Nightstick]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] gathered to await the emergence of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] from one of the lava pools. Mirage and the Autobots blocked the pool with a rain of boulders, but Galvatron was able to blast his way free anyway, the mighty explosion scattering the three heroes. Fortunately for them, Galvatron proved more interested in berating Cyclonus and Starscream for interrupting his nap than attacking the Autobots. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9|Henkei! Henkei! #9}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===
[[File:Henkei9 mirage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Mirage was part of the small crew of Autobots led by Optimus Prime who came to Earth in search of the fragments of the legendary [[Energon Cube]]. Eleven years after their arrival, Mirage joined his comrades in battling the Decepticons, who had also come searching for the Cube, in the [[Hoshinochō]] [[Star Dome]]. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} The Autobots received some help in the fight from human boy [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]], but Mirage still had to question Optimus Prime's decision to bring the boy to their secret underground base, beneath the Star Dome. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}} While Prime and Bumblebee showed off the base to Wataru, Mirage and Grimlock were ordered to return to the surface. As they went, Grimlock lamented that they had had to leave so many friends behind on Cybertron; Mirage comforted him, hoping that their allies would join them on Earth some day. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

When Mirage and the Autobots sped into action to stop new Decepticon recruit [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]]'s attack on a hydroelectric plant, Mirage's sleek racecar mode drew some attention from the motorists he zoomed past. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} The battle ended when Wataru revealed he possessed the ability to manipulate energon, which freed Skyfire from his Decepticon brainwashing. Optimus explained that Wataru was a "[[Booster]]", a human bestowed with powers by the Energon Cube, and Mirage feared that Megatron would some soon looking for the boy. {{storylink|Wataru's Power}} Mirage's prediction soon came true, and Optimus was badly injured protecting Wataru. [[File:Henkei12 mirage transformers.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]] When the Autobots next had to go into battle, it was without their leader, and Mirage was defeated by [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]]. Fortunately, Optimus recovered in time to come to his troops' aid. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}}

When Optimus found himself embroiled in battle with the deranged Galvatron, all hope seemed lost until Mirage and the other Autobots arrived in response to a "distress call" sent by Starscream, who hoped to see Galvatron destroyed. {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}} Mirage found himself unable to open fire on Galvatron for fear of shooting Optimus, and only narrowly avoided being atomized by Galvatron's volley of return fire. Fortunately, this gave Optimus the chance to fight back, and when he punctured Galvatron's armor with his sword, the explosive energies released collapsed the cavern in which they were fighting, forcing Mirage and all the Autobots to flee. {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}} This was not enough to stop Galvatron, however, and he soon returned to menace Hoshinochō. {{storylink|A Nightmare, Once Again}} This time, Optimus used the power of the Matrix to defeat him, in a battle that forced the Autobots to reveal their existence to humanity. After appearing on television to introduce themselves to the world, Mirage and the Autobots then left the planet to pursue the fleeing Galvatron back to Cybertron. {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}
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===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 6}}}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
[[File:ActionBlast1 autobots.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.75|Mirage is the extremely pixellated one.]]
Mirage was one of the many oppressed Cybertronians who sought freedom when their planet's halls of power grew dark with corruption, greed and malice. He was one of the first Autobots to travel to Earth, and took on an alternate form to disguise himself amongst its populace. {{storylink|Action Blast 1}}
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===''Henkei! Henkei! Generations'' manga===
[[File:MiragesRebirth.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5]]
While invisible, Mirage managed to sneak up on [[Octane]] and blast him off-line with his [[electro-disrupter]], saving [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] from a nasty beating. Both Autobots were surprised, then, when Octane got back up despite his circuits being completely shorted out—he had, it turned out, been possessed by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]. The two Autobots gawped at the sight of the spectral Decepticon taking form before them, attempting to figure out if he was the real thing or a hologram. {{storylink|Mirage's Activity}} Starscream quickly defeated them, but decided against possessing the unconscious Mirage, deeming a ground-bound Autobot body to be beneath him. {{storylink|Starscream's Ambition}}

After recovering, Mirage and Ironhide tracked Starscream's ghost to the Decepticons' base, certain that once he had dethroned Megatron he would turn his evil intentions towards the Autobots. They received some unexpected backup in the form of interdimensional Autobot quantum operatives [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Screech (Generations)|Screech]], who kept Starscream busy while Mirage used some kind of heretofore unmentioned telepathic ability to probe the ghostly villain's mind. Focusing on Starscream's worst fear, Mirage projected a hologram of that nightmare: Galvatron! The sight of his former leader was enough to send Starscream fleeing back to his home dimension. {{storylink|Starscream's New Body}}
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===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:Miragekreo-wallpaper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"The brick was... full."]]
Mirage was in the audience of a tag battle pitting [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]] against [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] and [[Starscream (Kre-O)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing}} He was in the audience of a dance competition too. {{storylink|Bot Stars}}

Mirage was also part of a crowd that waited at the finish line of a race between Optimus, Bumblebee and Megatron. He cheered for Bumblebee as he finished the race, though it turned out Optimus had already won the competition. {{storylink|The Big Race}}
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===''Transformers: All Spark''===
[[File:AllSpark2 mirage.jpg|thumb]]
Mirage was one of the Autobots who gathered to meet Spike Witwicky when he was brought to the Autobots' headquarters. {{storylink|To Earth}} He would later participate in battle against the Decepticons when they used a massive space bridge to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit, {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} and afterwards, appeared before the press alongside his comrades so they could introduce themselves to the world. {{storylink|Conclusion}}

===''BeCool'' shorts===
[[File:BeCool quiz audience1.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.75]]
'''Red Sports Car''' (赤のスポーツカー ''Aka no Supōtsu Kā'') was part of the audience of ''Quiz! BeCool''. {{storylink|The Story of Quiz! BeCool}} He was part of [[Bumblebee (G1)|Yellow Sports Car]]'s explanations about the BeCool mark. {{storylink|The Story of What Do I Know About the BeCool Mark?}} Red Sports Car was later caught in a big traffic accident when Yellow Sports Car spun out of control after slipping on a [[banana]] peel. {{storylink|The Story of Protecting the Signal!}}
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===''Kre-O'' online manga===
Mirage was among the Autobots menaced by the Decepticons' [[Alligaticon]]. {{storylink|Negligence Is the Greatest Enemy! Optimus Became a Monster!?}}
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===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
[[File:TFvsJoe2 mirage is in charge.jpg|thumb]]
Together with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], Mirage investigated [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] after the abandoned city was covered in foliage spawned by the "[[G.I.Rocket|green bombs]]" [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] had dropped on Cybertron. The Autobots were then caught up in a Decepticon attack against the invading humans, though Mirage escaped while Perceptor and Brawn were captured. Though tempted to only think of his own safety, Mirage made use of his illusory powers to sneak into Megatron's throne room and liberate both his comrades and the Joes. {{storylink|Targetmasters (issue)|Targetmasters}}

The trio brought the Joes back to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] as captives, then immediately turned around and headed back out to search for the missing Wheeljack, who they soon found being vivisected within the Joes' base camp. Mirage and his friends charged in, exchanging fire with the off-worlders until blasts from both sides knocked everyone unconscious. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}} Both teams eventually awakened and were about to start fighting again when Grimlock arrived to declare that a truce between the Autobots and Joes had been reached. Both factions partied together to cement their alliance, and during the celebration, Grimlock told the Joes about Optimus Prime, lost leader of the Autobots. Mirage expressed his complete faith in Prime, stating that he was always exactly where he needed to be. {{storylink|Form Follows Function}}

Following an attack by the DeceptiCobra alliance, Mirage, Brawn, and Rodimus found that [[Bazooka (G.I. Joe)|Bazooka]], while in a trance, had drawn a map to the Chamber of Primus on Metroplex's floor. Following the map, the three Autobots, Bazooka, [[Cover Girl]], and [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] travelled deep into the planet, and discovered that the Decepticons had built a temple upon the god's gigantic brow that had placed him, and by extension the planet, under Megatron's control. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}} Defeating the temple's DeceptiCobra guards, they ventured even deeper into Primus's cavernous mind, where Primus's [[Keeper (Transformer)|Keeper]] told them the story of Primus's origins. {{storylink|Earth: R.I.P.}} [[File:TFvsJoe11 no man left behind.jpg|left|thumb|upright=2]] Tremors then began to shake the chamber as Cybertron transformed into Primus's robot mode, and the team tried to escape before they could be buried alive. Mirage was not as lucky as his comrades and was pinned under a hail of debris. Duke returned to help dig him out, and the pair were then airlifted to safety by [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] and [[Falcon (G.I. Joe)|Falcon]]. {{storylink|Escape from Primus}}

When the combined might of the Autobots and Joes marched on [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] for the final battle, Mirage was at the fore, carrying [[Tunnel Rat]] on his shoulder. {{storylink|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe issue 12|Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12}} During the battle, a powered-up Megatron combined the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] with his [[black hole]] spark to draw Mirage and the other Autobots to him, using their bodies to form a giant "Mega-Megatron" body. They were saved when [[Shipwreck]] split Mega-Megatron apart, and the Autobots and Joes were ultimately victorious. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}
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===''TransTech''===
[[File:G2MirageVaultArt.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Most preppies just wear an alligator '''shirt''', Mirage.]]
In [[Axiom Nexus]], Mirage went to [[Needlenose (G1)|Needlenose]] for a new color scheme. He left in [[:File:G2MirageVaultArt.jpg|an interesting deco]]. {{Storylink|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter|Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News Reporter, 2015/05/19}}

===Ask Vector Prime===
In [[Primax 096.0 Beta]] during the Battle for [[Sherman Dam]], Mirage and [[Sideswipe (G1)#Ask Vector Prime|Sideswipe]] attempted to stop the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Sandstorm (G2)|Sandstorm]] from escaping with ill-gotten [[energon cube]]s. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/06}}
{{note|Mirage's coloration in both these ''TransTech'' and Ask Vector Prime stories is based on an unproduced [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|''Generation 2'']] redeco of his Generation 1 toy. See "[[Mirage (G1)/toys#G2DiacloneUnreleased]]", on the toy page, for more details.}}

===Precursor World===
A [[Primus Vanguard|Warrior of the Seven Lights]] resembling a particularly blue Mirage was a member of the [[Blue Order]] of the [[Primus Vanguard]]. He and his comrades followed their commander [[Blue Big Convoy]] into battle when a duel between [[G1 World|dimension-tossed]] future warriors [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Generations Selects Special Comic (1)|Ultra Megatron]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Star Convoy]] threatened the [[Blue Planet (GS)|Blue Planet]] and [[Beast People|its people]]. {{Storylink|Super Megatron comic 2}}
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===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Mirage-art.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6]]
On Cybertron, Mirage was a [[Cybertronian military insignia|Ground Command Special Ops Sergeant]], whose function was a spy. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' website]</ref> During the final days of the war for Cybertron, Mirage was dispatched to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] to decrypt a satellite signal relay containing location-masking protocols. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}}

Closer than ever to reaching the [[AllSpark]], the Autobots awakened after crash-landing on pre-Ice Age Earth. While battling the Decepticons, both sides were joined by the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, their epic battle changing their combined destinies.

During the collective battle, Mirage and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] attempted to keep the Decepticon/Predacon threat at bay while being pursued by [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Battle Across Time Collection marketing material}}<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TM6TDF7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Battle Across Time Collection on Amazon]</ref>
{{charfictionstub}}
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====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
[[File:Siege-Ep3-Mirage-is-a-bad-spy.jpg|thumb|300px|"How do you do, fellow 'cons?"]]
{{voiceactor|[[Shawn Hawkins]] (English), [[Yoshiyuki Matsūra]] (Japanese)|[[Ádel Mercadante]] (Portuguese), [[Laurent Maurel]] (French), [[Armin Schlagwein]] (German), [[Álex Saudinós]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Edson Matus]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Paolo Vivio]] (Italian)}}

Mirage was part of the upper-echelon before the war and a famous racer. Mirage was present when the Autobots were ambushed by the Decepticons, when they were trying to find the [[AllSpark|Allspark]]. He fought [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] during the battle. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}}
Mirage attempted to infiltrate the Decepticon camp by using a hologram. However, his hologram began to fail when he saw the grizzly remains of fallen Autobots. He was saved by [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], who blasted the Decepticons from cover. Three Refraktor warriors attacked Mirage. Mirage used a hologram to duplicate himself confusing the Decepticons. Refraktor attacked the holograms, which disappeared on impact, allowing the real Mirage to finally defeat Refractor. He was comforted by Chromia at the end of the skirmish. The group found [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Mirage threatens Ratchet when he wishes to have no part of the conflict. He was tackled by [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]], who then traded barbs with Mirage. Mirage opposed the idea of Impactor joining the team to recover the spacebridge. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}
Mirage was placed in charge of the team sent to fix the Spacebridge. Once Ratchet had fixed the Spacebridge, Mirage used his Holographic ability to hide the Spacebridge from Seekers flying overhead. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}}
The strain of holding onto the hologram finally becomes to much for Mirage and he passed out, which revealed the Spacebridge again, and nearly drained Mirage's spark in the process. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}
Mirage recovered enough to help protect the Spacebridge from the Seekers. His small force finally became overwhelmed, and he ordered his troops to cover. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

Mirage was taken captive by [[Doubledealer]] and his crew. He was held back with the other Autobots as Optimus was bought alone to face [[Deseeus]]. Wheeljack managed to free the shackles holding the Autobots just as Doubledealer and his men also attacked Deseeus and it's guards, allowing the Autobots to escape in the chaos. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}}
The ''Ark'' traveled to the [[Nebulos|Nebulon]] Station. He was part of a team that set-up explosives within the station. Mirage created a hologram of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] which distracted [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] and allowed Wheeljack to be rescued. Scorponok then transformed into robot-mode, forcing the Autobots to flee him. They make it to a hall-way and sealed the door behind them, separating them from Scorponok. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}}
Scorponok broke through the door, forcing the Autobots to attack him again. The Decepticon forces lead by Megatron arrived and they also begun to attack Scorponok. Optimus detonated an explosive charge which caused the Autobots to be sealed in with the station core. Mirage was concerned about Prime, but was reassured by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. The Decepticons then showed up under the command of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who ordered them to attack the Autobots. Megatron who was supported by Optimus, arrived and ordered them to cease fire. He watched as Starscream and Megatron fought for leadership. Scorponok then attacked again, forcing Mirage to counter-attack. Once Scorponok retreated, Megatron ordered the Autobots to be terminated. Scorponok returned and attacked the Decepticons, allowing the Autobots to escape in all the chaos. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 4}}

{{charfictionstub}}
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===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
Mirage was one of the many Autobots Optimus Prime assembled to take down [[King Sombra]] and his brainwashed minions during their invasion of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Although Mirage activated his camouflage to catch the evil pony off-guard before he could cast any more mind-control spells, Sombra literally slipped through his fingers by turning into black smoke and possessed the body of the dormant [[Titan (group)|Titan]] [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}
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===''Transformers Go! Go!''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Go! Go! issue 30}} {{storylink|Running Wild with Hologram Ninjutsu!}} {{storylink|Transformers Go! Go! Extra Volume|Extra Volume}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 39}}}}

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==Commercial appearances==
[[File:BotCon2009 mirage and wheeljack.jpg|thumb]]
*At Optimus Prime's command, Mirage (in his ''Alternators'' body), transformed and rolled out for [[BotCon 2009]] alongside his fellow Autobots. {{storylink|BotCon 2009!}}
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==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
[[File:TFAdventureGame mirage.jpg|left|thumb|Nobody "makes you" do anything! Own your decisions!]]
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Mirage could involve himself in the quest through the Decepticons' maze-like base. He had the power to force [[you]] to trade places with another player. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}
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===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
[[File:TFc64 mirage.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Mirage was among the few remaining Autobots in the wake of the Decepticon creation of ROBO-CLONING technology. With his energy-starved comrades, he desperately sought pieces of the Autobot Energon Cube before the Decepticons could get their hands on them. {{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)|The Transformers}}
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===''Bot Shots Battle Game!''===
[[File:Bsbg-mirage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle.]]
Mirage participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! {{storylink|Bot Shots Battle Game!}}
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===Kre-O Transformers Konquest===
The Autobots' peaceful day in [[Kreopolis]] was shattered when the city was bombarded by the Decepticons, and a number of Autobots including Mirage were shattered into their component blocks. Mirage's pieces began raining from the sky alongside the Decepticon bombs, but they were gathered up by Optimus Prime's [[Kreon]], who used them to reassemble Mirage. Prime subsequently rode back out to the battlefield by clinging to Mirage's spoiler, so he could catch more Autobot bricks. {{storylink|Kre-O Transformers Konquest}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
[[File:TFLegends mirage.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.5]]
Mirage was present on Cybertron during Nova Prime's peaceful reign. {{storylink|Prime Evil}}

Mirage participated in a battle against the Insecticons. {{storylink|Harvest of the Insecticons}} Following a Decepticon attack on [[New York City]], Mirage led a team of infiltrators including [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] on a hunt for Decepticons. They were thwarted by three of the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. {{storylink|War Dawn (Legends)|War Dawn}} Mirage was talked into taking part in a charity race, during which the Constructicons fused everyone in their vehicle modes using the [[Transfixatron]]. The Autobots managed to keep the Decepticons at bay, even trapped as cars, until the process could be reversed. {{storylink|Autobot Run}}

After Optimus Prime's defeat at the hand of Megatron, Mirage was involved in the skirmishes in Autobot city that ensued. {{storylink|The Omega Corps}}

Mirage was part of [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]'s team which had to speed a vital component to a power station to prevent it from exploding. They made it, despite interference from [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] and [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]]. {{storylink|Rushdown Road}}
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===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|Bubbles#As Mirage}}
Mirage appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He also appears in Prime Pass Season 8 as Private Mirage. He is portrayed by Bubbles. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Mirage-(CW).jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.75]]
Mirage (CW) participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Rare character who could be recruited by collecting 160 units of Cybermetal, and 95 units of Transmetal. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
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===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[File:Mirage-Earth-Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|I should have had an invisibility ability. But then so would one of the Decepticons.]]
Mirage by name, mirage by nature - this Autobot speedster functions best by hiding who and what he is from the enemy.
Because honestly, given a straight choice, he'd rather be racing in Monte Carlo than fighting 'cons on the battlefield, and he sees that as a weakness that could be exploited.
Nevertheless, Mirage is an effective and deadly fighter, and an even more effective intelligence gatherer, which is the role he much prefers.{{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Mirage bio}}

*'''Class''': Gunner
*'''Lowest Star Rating''': 2 star
*'''Weapons''': Mirage uses a standard issue [[grenade launcher]] to bombard enemies from afar.
*'''Ability:EMP rocket Barrage'''- fire 6 EMP rockets dealing damage and stunning all defenses in the blast radius for a few seconds!
**'''Cost''': 4 ability points ÷2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:mirage Mirage at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
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===''Transformers Online'' (2017 video game)===
[[File:Mirage TFO.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66]]
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers Online (2017 video game)|Transformers Online}}}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:Mirage-Forged-to-Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|"Can you keep up?"]]
Mirage was one of the Autobots pulled from [[The Transformers (franchise)|his universe]] by the [[Quintesson]]s and forced to fight. He eventually joins the [[You|Commander]]. There are at least a few of him running around! As an agile Tech bot, he has versatile utilities, each Special Attack activating different modes: By default Power Mode shields damage from Special Attacks, Special 1 Disruption Mode burns enemy Power with speedy ranged attacks, Special 2 Incapacitation Mode debuffs opponents' attack with Unblockable stun-locking punches, and Special 3 Agility Mode buffs attack with each dodge. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}
{{chargamestub}}

===''Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive''===
[[File:BBOMirage.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|left]]
Mirage took part in a series of attacks against multiple Decepticon bases, destroying them and defeating all enemies in the process. 2500 Armor, 2500 Blaster Strength, Starting Multiplier: x144, Coins x7, Blaster Speed: Slow{{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive}}
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===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Mirage originally joined the Autobots to protect his family's holdings, but he soon became a dedicated Autobot. {{storylink|Decepticon Directive}} He and [[Rollbar (G1)|Rollbar]] were part of an elaborate Autobot ruse designed to mislead the Decepticons—after tricking their enemies into thinking they were shipping an eastbound cargo of [[energon cube]]s by rail, the two Autobots rolled alongside the remote-controlled [[Union Pacific]] train, using Mirage’s holograms to remain invisible. The pair wound up clashing with a group of Decepticons, who defeated them and subsequently traced the train’s path back to the ''real'' energon cache in eastern [[Colorado]]. {{storylink|The Great Energon Robbery}}

==Toys==
{{main|Mirage (G1)/toys}}

==Merchandise==
{{main|Mirage (G1)/toys#Merchandise}}

==Notes==
[[File:Mirage_death.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Mirage was exploding violently before [[Michael Bay]] made it cool.]]
*As noted in this article's opening section, Mirage's powers have been rather inconsistent across the media he's appeared in.
**Per the original [[bio]] written by [[Bob Budiansky]] (and the on-package [[tech specs]] based on it), Mirage's [[electro-disrupter]] allowed him to scramble the senses of other Transformers, causing them to see images that were not there, or to make himself appear to be somewhere he was not—hence, his name! The device works by "casting discrete packets of electrical charges"—a phrase that seems to have been misinterpreted by the Marvel colouring books, which depicted Mirage as actually being able to hurl destructive balls of electricity at his enemies.
**However, an alternate bio included in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] [[production bible]] describes Mirage's abilities differently. In this write-up, he is equipped with a ''photon'' disrupter, which, in addition to the features mentioned in Budiansky's bio, can "make him invisible" and "generate holographic images"—that is to say, achieving actual light-bending effects observable by the naked eye, instead of merely interfering with enemy robots' circuitry to make them ''think'' they were seeing these things happen.
**It's apparent that this bio was not created just for the cartoon, because ''most'' classic media—including the Marvel UK comic, and various colouring and storybooks—depicts his powers operating this way. This might indicate that the alternate bio was an early draft that licencees never got an updated version of. After all, Mirage's fellow Autobot [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] also had the ability to create holograms, so it seems likely that Mirage's profile would have been revised to eliminate the redundancy of two 'bots with the same "superpower."
**Likely because of the fact holograms were Hound's "thing," the cartoon itself almost never features Mirange using them, instead treating invisibility as his signature power. He would create a hologram only once, in the episode "[[Masquerade]]," to help complete the illusion of the disguised Autobots combining into an ersatz [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]—an episode so close to the end of the second season, and Mirage's entire time in the cartoon, that it feels like the usage slipped in by mistake.
**Today, modern comic books and cartoons continue to depict Mirage with the powers described in the alternate bio, but his use of holograms has been known to cause confusion among audiences who only remember the cartoon and its prominent use of invisibility.
* Like almost all characters from the 1984 product line, Mirage was phased out of the animated series following ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. A storyboarded scene cut from the movie suggests what happened to him: amidst the transformation of [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], Mirage was to ambush the Insecticon [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] and then be fired upon by Megatron. Whether or not this would have killed Mirage is not made clear, but given the film's casual body count, it seems highly probable.
* Mirage transforms into a {{w|Ligier JS11}} {{w|Formula One}} racecar. Incidentally, the model had been succeeded years before the show's debut. Notable drivers of the JS11 inclide {{w|Jacques Laffite}} and {{w|Jacky Ickx}}. The original racecar was sponsored by {{w|Gitanes}} tobacco, but due to laws concerning tobacco advertising on children's toys, the livery was slightly altered to "Citanes".
* At one point during development, Mirage's [[robot mode]] [[character model]] was to have the split in half "Citanes" logos drawn on his arms and legs, as revealed in [[:File:Unfinalized-Mirage-model-notes.jpg|a model sheet]] from an early production bible. Notes to the animators were also included, telling them to exclude the logos for the scenes where Mirage is meant to be depicted in a pre-[[Earth]]/Cybertronian body. Alas, this feature was dropped in the final revisions of his model sheet, as the logos were removed altogether, with a note in [[Japan]]ese stating that the "logos disappear for robot mode", hence why they don't show up in the cartoon.<ref>[https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nE8Erb-2gRw/XUWo5zwV8VI/AAAAAAAA5tU/iTBqSmky2v8FBUT0KHz3fLZlMS8CQOwGQCKgBGAs/s1600/03.jpg Mirage's final model sheet] - at TFRAW.com</ref>
** The unfinalized version of Mirage's robot mode model using the "Citanes" logos was published in [[The Ark series|''The Ark'' series]] books, presumably due to [[Jim Sorenson]] being unaware at the time of publishing that later revisions of Mirage's model decided to use the logoless design instead.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Ligier''' (リジェ ''Rije''),<ref>This name is sometimes officially Romanized as "Rijie", perhaps to evade legal attention, but the intention is clearly the name of {{w|Ligier|the automobile maker}}.</ref> '''Mirage''' (ミラージュ ''Mirāju'')
*''Czech:'' '''Rychlík'''
*''Hungarian:'' '''Délibáb''' ("Mirage")
*''Italian:'' '''Mistero''' ("Mystery")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǎishìshènlóu''' (Taiwan, 海市蜃樓, "Mirage"), '''Huànyǐng''' (幻影, "Phantom")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Miragem''' ("Mirage")

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Bartenders]]
[[Category:Blue Order]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 cartoon Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Generations Selects Autobots]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:IDW (2005) Autobots]]
[[Category:Kre-O Autobots]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Legends Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Marvel Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Regeneration One Autobots]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Second Cybertron Alliance]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Transformers Roleplaying Game Autobots]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Unite Warriors Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Talk:Cosmic Rust (episode)

2024-07-01T20:02:31Z

Webworld: /* Defunct Reference Link Replacement */ new section

==Duplicator? I just met 'er!==
''"Come to think of it, once the matter duplicator was fixed, why didn't the Autobots use it for creating an unlimited source of energy?"''<br>
Does the duplicator require energy to run? [[User:JW|JW]] 15:55, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
: It doesn't say. The matter duplicator is just said to have "never worked". No mention is made of HOW it worked. Or why it didn't work until now. It's not even given a "Checkov's Gun" setup... it is ONLY ever discussed in reference to ONLY creating more Corrostop for this immediate crisis. It is one of the most embarrassingly cheap deus-ex-machina solutions in TF history. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 16:19, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
: For that matter, how is a MATTER duplicator going to make ENERGY?? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 16:22, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
:: Easy. Just duplicate an energy source. Fuel ''is'' made out of matter after all. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 16:50, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
:::As noted above, one presumes the device requires energy to operate. Energy = mass squared times a constant and all that, meaning it takes a buttload of energy to make a small amount of matter. Not that G1 is noted for its great adherence to physics, but since we're in the "when you think about it" mode, this concern is pretty easily discounted. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 17:00, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
::::I never said it would be a good idea to do so. Besides, this is the same cartoon where antimatter can be held in a glass jar and an overload generator that while on Earth is capeable of destroying the planet but in space is mearly capeable of knocking Starscream out of the the sky. --[[User:FortMax|FortMax]] 17:16, 14 February 2008 (UTC)
:::Taking this conversation into consideration, I think we should add a "Cartoon Science" category to the episode template and make these kinds of observations where such things (Perceptor's matter duplicator, Perceptor's shrinking machine...oh heck, anything that Perceptor or Wheeljack cook up) can be noted for posterity.--[[User:Suzyprime|Suzyprime]] 03:40, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
::::The problem is that any Transformers show ''starts'' with ridiculous cartoon science. Transforming alien robots (some of which can grow and shrink) is an incredibly silly idea to ''start'' with. [[User:JW|JW]] 12:25, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
::Ah, true. And since we're all fans, we're highly skilled in suspension of disbelief. Just an idea...--[[User:Suzyprime|Suzyprime]] 13:10, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

==Errors?==
"When Perceptor was voluntarily released by Megatron, the entire army of the Autobots(or as good as) joined in for picking up their fellow scientist. So many bots are unnecessarily needed for such a simple mission. Wow. I'm impressed."

I don't know if that's really an error. Didn't the Autobots think it was a trap and maybe the Decepticons were lying in wait?

== Rumble's Voice ==

Is it worth mentioning that Rumble sounds... off... at the beginning of the episode? It's obviously Welker still performing, but his usual dialect is off. He almost sounds like a lower-pitched Wheelie.

== Defunct Reference Link Replacement ==

Hello there. The link listed in the reference section of this page has long since gone the way of many internet sources, and become unavailable. Fortunately, there is one capture available of the web-site available on the Internet Archive. I would replace the offending link with the archived version myself, though as I am uncertain of how one would go about updating the reflist, I will simply put the link here.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160205031200/http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/60-astrominutes/paul-davids/paul-davids-2.html [[User:Webworld|Webworld]] ([[User talk:Webworld|talk]]) 16:02, 1 July 2024 (EDT)

Alternate mode

2023-12-28T06:15:18Z

Webworld: /* Prime cartoon */ Corrected “Skyqyake” to the correct “Skyquake.”

{{disambig2|the non-robot mode of a Transformer|the line of super-deformed Transformers toys|Alt-Modes}}

[[File:SeaOfRustPartII-Altmodes.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Pretend you don't see [[Subsea]] on the left there!]]

An '''alternate mode''' (commonly shortened to "'''altmode'''", "'''alt mode'''", or "'''alt-mode'''", also known as a "'''trans-form'''", "'''transform'''", "'''changeform'''", or "'''alt-form'''"<ref>"Bot-form" and "alt-form" were used to describe a Transformer's two modes in [[Transformers: Exiles]].</ref>) is a term used to describe a [[Transformer]]'s non-robot form, whether it be vehicle, animal, or otherwise. Various more specific terms are also sometimes used—vehicle mode ("'''[[Alternate mode#Prime cartoon|v. mode]]'''"), gun mode, tank mode, etc.

Some Transformers don't have a humanoid form, so in those special cases, the altmode is perceived to be the mode which is more geared towards utility or disguise while their [[robot mode]] is the one geared more towards interaction with other Transformers. For example, for the G1 characters [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], their animal forms are their primary mode, and the cassettes their alternate modes. Even [[Grand Slam (G1)|Grand Slam]] and [[Raindance]], who transform from cassettes to vehicles, would be thought of as having a cassette alternate mode, as their vehicle forms—while not humanoid or animalistic—are at least self-mobile.

Transformers with more than two modes are usually considered to have multiple altmodes. ([[Punch (G1)|Punch/Counterpunch]], on the other hand, has one altmode and two robot modes.)

In the cartoon episode "[[The Killing Jar (episode)|The Killing Jar]]", the Quintesson scientist refers to the Quintesson guard's transformation as his alternate mode, the first such use of this term in the official fiction.

The earliest recorded use in the fandom of the shortened term "alt mode" is an [[alt.toys.transformers]] post from March 1994.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/dcddbf79b470731c alt.toys.transformers, Fanfic: GoTP Plot Blurb!]</ref> From the context, it appears that the term was already understood by fans at that time, as the post's author does not explain what he means.

==Beast mode==
{{main|Beast mode}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 continuity family===
[[File:TFTM Starscream Jet.jpg|thumb|200px]]
When a Transformer takes on an alternate mode for the purpose of disguise, they are ''mimicking'' that form, they don't actually ''become'' what that form represents. They are "robots in disguise". To accomplish this, they physically alter their forms, and when necessary, use [[hologram]]s to help maintain the disguise illusion, especially when battle damage or lack of a driver might otherwise give them away.<ref>This is true across all [[continuity|continuities]]. [[Hasbro Q&A/August 2009: Answers]].</ref>
{{--}}

====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
[[File:Too prime truckmode.jpg|thumb|200px|Hey! My eyes are down here, pal!]]
After the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' was reactivated in [[1984]], [[Teletraan I]] rebuilt all the Autobots and Decepticons with terrestrial alternate modes. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] reversed the polarity of his windshield to clear his vision during a bad thunderstorm, indicating he sees out of his windows. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}}

====Marvel Comics continuity====
[[Getaway]] lost complete vision in his right headlights and partial vision in his left headlights during the [[Armornecking Incident]]. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Getaway's ''Universe'' profile}}

====2005 IDW continuity====
According to legend, alternate modes came about after [[Primus]] decreed that every Cybertronian should provide for their brethren and blessed his creations with secondary forms. {{storylink|Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations|You, Me, and Other Revelations}}

In Forged Cybertronians, alt-modes develop naturally during the protoform stage. {{storylink|Silent Light}} {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}} {{storylink|The Dead Come Home, Part 2 (of 2)|The Dead Come Home, Part 2}} In those Constructed Cold, the alt-mode is determined by the pre-built nature of the chassis. {{storylink|Elegant Chaos Part 2: Stet|Stet}} {{storylink|Your First Mistake}} Some Cybertronians developed an irrational attachment to their current alternate mode, a condition known as [[mode attachment]], and resisted upgrades to or changing their alternate modes even if circumstances merited it. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}} {{storylink|Omega's Conundrum}} {{storylink|Signal to Noise}}

Alternate modes have long been highly significant in Cybertronian society and politics. In the days of the [[Thirteen]], the various tribes were often (but not exclusively) defined by their alt-mode such as [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Onyx Prime]]'s bestial tribe of [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Origin Myths}} {{storylink|The Falling, Chapter 2: Another Mine|Another Mine}}

Following the departure of the surviving [[Prime (rank)|Primes]] and the rise of [[Functionism]], {{storylink|The Crucible}} alternate modes determined one's position in society with common forms lowering your social class and rare ones elevating it. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} The [[Functionist Council]] painted themselves as interpreters of Primus' will, decreeing that everyone's alternate form was chosen by god to meet specific needs. They cultivated a stigma against certain alternate modes being employed in certain fields such as tanks being medics or microscopes being miners. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}}

Bestial Cybertronians were considered among the lowest-ranked individuals and suffered extreme limitations. {{storylink|Soundwaves (issue)|Soundwaves}} [[Relinquishment Clinic]]s sprung up, allowing the rich to 'borrow' another body so they could enjoy another alt mode, with flying forms being among the most popular. {{storylink|Shadowplay, Part 1: Post Hoc|Post Hoc}} A brave few like [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] were able to convince the Functionists to let them do a job that had nothing to do with what they transformed into, although this frequently led to underhanded retribution. {{storylink|Interiors}} Another group of Cybertronians, known as the [[Militant Monoform Movement]] rejected their alternate modes via the surgical removal of their [[transformation cog]]s. This condition resulted in them being victims of [[shapism]]. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

The iron grip of Functionism waned during [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]]'s reign but the prejudice against certain alt-modes was still strong enough to blacklist some people for jobs such as [[Jetfire (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Jetfire]] being banned from the sciences due to his aerial alternate mode. {{storylink|New Cybertron Part 2: A Lonely Pillar on the Plain|A Lonely Pillar on the Plain}} {{storylink|The Next Day, and the Next}}

In the post-Functionist era, alt-modes remained a touchy subject but people were now defined by their abilities more than their biology. It was now possible to freely change one's alt-mode using [[CR chamber]]s, regardless of their alternate mode of birth. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Owing to the pan-galactic nature of the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], new alternate modes were regularly adopted by combatants to better blend in on alien planets. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infiltration|Infilitration}} {{storylink|Spotlight: Nightbeat}} {{storylink|Shining Armor issue 1|Shining Armor #1}}

=====The Functionist Universe=====
In a timeline where [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] was never born, the Functionists remained in control of Cybertron with alt-mode segregation growing ever stronger. Cybertronians from the lower rungs of society began attaching false [[kibble]] to themselves so they could pass themselves off as jets or microscopes and gain more [[energon]]. These people were dubbed the [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}

====''Beast Wars: Uprising''====
The new generation of Cybertronians, the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], inherited the vehicular alternate modes of their ancestors. The barren state of post-War Cybertron meant that they were victims to the energon supply lines of the [[Builder of Cybertron|Builders]]. {{storylink|Alone Together}} {{storylink|Head Games}} After [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] discovered that the [[mechanimal]]s were capable of metabolizing their own energon, he ordered his people to cast off their vehicle modes in favor of beast modes. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}}

====2019 IDW continuity====
Cybertronians were not born with alternate modes, {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part One}} having to scan them during their rearing. On [[Rubble]]'s forty-second cycle of existence, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] educated him on alternate modes and brought several dummies for his protege to try only to find the youth's attention captured by the [[Winged Moon]]. Amused, Bumblebee pointed out [[Leviathan (G1)|Leviathan]], herself having remained in her alternate mode for kilocycles. Before Rubble could try [[scanning]] an alt, [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]] arrived telling Bumblebee to report to the [[Senate]] building while she took Rubble home. {{storylink|The World In Your Eyes Part Three}}

===Aligned continuity===
====Aligned novels====
Scanning new alternate modes whenever the mood struck was not a privilege all Cybertronians enjoyed prior to the toppling of the [[Functionism|caste system]], some in fact took pride in retaining only one alternate mode throughout their lifetime. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

While on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], [[Prowl (WFC)|Prowl]] briefly considered scanning a new alternate mode to better cope with the rough terrain. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

====''Fall of Cybertron''====
The [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], formerly a collection of conventional war vehicles, were reformatted into alternate modes based on [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|alien creatures]] by [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]]. {{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}

====''Prime'' cartoon====
Upon awakening on Earth in the modern day, [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] did not possess a vehicle mode. When [[William Fowler]] investigated the battle, the Decepticon scanned [[Fowler's V-tol]]. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} The same plane was later scanned by Skyquake's brother [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] for an Earth alternate mode. {{storylink|Loose Cannons}} A helicopter of Fowler's was likewise scanned by [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] as her new alternate mode. {{storylink|Crisscross (episode)|Crisscross}} By contrast, [[Megatron (WFC)|Megatron]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} and [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] retained their Cybertronian alternate modes while on Earth. {{storylink|Scattered}}

After scanning an Earthly vehicle and reformatting accordingly, [[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] referred to it as his "v. mode" {{storylink|New Recruit}} Being revived by the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] reset [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]]'s alternate mode, forcing him to scan a new one. {{storylink|Project Predacon}}

====2015 ''Robots in Disguise'' cartoon====
Soon after arriving back on Earth, [[Bumblebee (WFC)|Bumblebee]] refused to allow the exposure of Cybertronian vehicles and made [[Strongarm (RID)|Strongarm]] and [[Sideswipe (RID)|Sideswipe]] scan Earth alternate modes. Bumblebee by contrast had retained his Earth mode even while on Cybertron. {{storylink|Pilot (Part 1)}}

===''EarthSpark'' cartoon===
When [[Megatron (ES)|Megatron]] came to [[Optimus Prime (ES)|Optimus Prime]] with his desire to work with the Autobots, a skeptical Prime challenged his opposite to prove it by scanning a terrestrial alternate mode. Though resisting the idea at first, Megatron eventually scanned an Earth helicopter so he could evacuate human soldiers. {{storylink|Outtakes}}

The [[Terran]]s were not born with alternate modes. While [[Twitch]] scanned hers largely by accident, [[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] scanned his after getting some inspiration from [[Mo Malto]]. {{storylink|Secret Legacy, Part 2}}

Later, [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] acquired her alt mode by scanning the first thing she saw when Twitch took her out in search of one... which just so happened to be a [[G.H.O.S.T.]] surveillance van. {{storylink|Hashtag: Oops}} [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] later acquired their alt mode from an owl statue and was able to use it to hold their own against the veteran Decepticon [[Tarantulas (ES)|Tarantulas]]. {{storylink|Missed Connection}} [[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] struggled to decide on an alt-mode, {{storylink|Outtakes}} but eventually scanned a ''Stygimoloch'' skeleton. According to [[Elita-1 (ES)|Elita-1]], scanning a skeleton shouldn’t have worked the way it did, suggesting the Terrans may have different limitations that ordinary Cybertronians. {{storylink|A Stygi Situation}}

==Toys==
[[File:Alt-Modes Bumblebee.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|What? Your Volkswagen New Beetle ''doesn't'' have a huge robot head attached to the roof?]]
In addition to toys having altmodes since [[Pre-Transformer|before they were Transformers]], there is a price point under the ''[[Transformers: Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' banner actually ''named'' "[[Alt-Modes]]". Figures in this line-up change from [[super deformed]] robots, with large {{w|Plume (feather)|plume}}-like Autobot or Decepticon [[insignia|faction symbols]] you can flip up on top of their heads, into chibi v. modes with their robot heads still on top.<ref>[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/in-hand-images-and-review-for-transformers-alt-modes-toys/35975/ In Hand Images and Review for Transformers Alt Modes Toys from Seibertron.com]</ref>
{{--}}

==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Altmode''' (オルトモード ''Orutomōdo'')

==References==
<references/>

==See also==
*[[Licensed vehicle alternate modes]]
*[[Non-vehicle non-beast alternate modes]]
*[[Popular beast alternate modes]]
*[[Popular Cybertronian vehicle alternate modes]]
*[[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes]]

[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]