Grand Maximus

Grand Maximus is an Autobot Headmaster Pretender Titan from the Generation 1 continuity family.
I am my sister city's brother and so is he.

Grand Maximus (グランドマキシマス Gurando Makishimasu) is the younger brother of Autobot Supreme Commander Fortress Maximus. He was among the Autobot refugees who fled Cybertron four million years ago under the leadership of his brother, and like his sibling, became a Headmaster when they crash-landed on the planet Master. Grand Maximus's mental functions are contained in his smallest component, Gran (グラン Guran), who connects to a larger Transtector named Grand (グランド Gurando) to boost his strength to normal Transformer levels. Just like his bro, he pilots a Maximus battleship, which serves as a second transtector with which Grand combines to form "Grand Maximus". Though they seem virtually identical in all other respects, Grand Maximus is significantly smaller than his titanic elder brother, only a bit taller than God Ginrai in robot mode and with room for just a couple of human-scale rooms at most in his starship form.

Grand seems to be a bit of a loner, who prefers the solitude of outer space to being tied down to any one planet or team. After becoming a Headmaster, he opted not to remain on Master with the other Transformers, joining up with a group of Autobots under the command of Metalhawk and travelling space with them. Alongside Metalhawk's crew, Grand crash-landed on Neolithic Earth and adopted Pretender capabilities, endowing himself with the ability to transform into a human form.<ref>"Shūta and Grand's Masterforce Super-Secrets!"</ref> After centuries of working with Metalhawk to battle a group of Decepticons on Earth and guide the evolution of the burgeoning humanity, however, Grand again felt the lure of outer space, and now operates among the space-based Autobot forces battling the Decepticons across Athenia and Chaar.

Fiction

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Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

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Super God Masterforce cartoon

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So distorted it confused the wiki.
Voice actor: Ikuya Sawaki (Japanese), Rik Thomas (English, Omni Productions dub), Simon Broad (English, Omni Productions dub){{#if: |, {{{2}}}}}

In the early 21st Century, Grand Maximus and his Autobots were locked in battle with the Decepticons somewhere in space. Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Grand Maximus's Autobots, Grand did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Grand sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!

Behold! With my pretender shell, I can disguise myself as... a robot. Wait, why did I bother again?

When the space-based Autobots discovered that BlackZarak was headed for Earth, Grand Maximus was dispatched to alert Metalhawk's Autobots, still on the planet. Entering Earth's atmosphere with his battleship cloaked from sight, Grand met with Metalhawk, Lander and Diver atop a mountain, where he supplied them with the plans and materials to construct "Godbomber". This drone would endow the Autobots' mightiest warrior, Ginrai, with the ability to fly and fight in space, thereby allowing him to stop BlackZarak before he reached Earth. Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot Grand Maximus subsequently headed back into space to keep an eye on the situation, and as the "Bomber Project" was nearing completion, Grand radioed the Autobots on Earth to inform them that BlackZarak was headed for the moon. God Ginrai - Into the Sky!! With the construction of Godbomber complete, Ginrai wasted no time in heading for the moon and engaging BlackZarak and Overlord in battle. Ginrai did not fare well, but soon Grand Maximus arrived to join the fight, and with their combined might, the Autobot duo was able to defeat the two Decepticons. BlackZarak fled back into space, and Grand Maximus gave chase, assuring Ginrai that he could take care of things. God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon

Video footage of Grand Maximus's battle eventually made its way into the hands of Clouder and the Department of Defense. Appearance!! The Final Godmaster

New Battleship Maximus - no really, that's what it's called

In the weeks that followed, BlackZarak mastered the art of localized gravity manipulation, enabling him to create powerful black holes that he could use to teleport himself around the galaxy. While pursuing his foe, Grand Maximus was trapped within one of these black holes, exerting all his energy just to hold steady against its pull and prevent himself from being drawn into the heart of the singularity and obliterated. Down on Earth, meanwhile, the Decepticon had succeeded in destroying the Autobots' base, prompting Ginrai to contact Grand in hopes that his battleship could be employed as a new headquarters. When Grand, trapped in the black hole, did not respond to his communiqué, Ginrai headed into space to investigate, only to be pulled into the black hole as well and wind up trapped alongside Grand. Luckily, the pair were able to draw on the electromagnetic waves of the black hole to re-energize themselves, and they then combined their energy into a massive blast of Chōkon Power that destroyed the black hole from the inside out. Freed, the pair immediately headed to Earth, where BlackZarak had already joined up with the Decepticons and cut a swathe of destruction across the planet. Merging their energies once more, Grand and Ginrai were able to defeat Overlord and BlackZarak again, and the villains pulled out of the fight. BlackZarak - Destroyer from Space

Blink and you'll miss him.

While the Autobots were searching Earth for the Decepticons, Grand Maximus detected the villains heading into space, and transported the Autobots in pursuit of them aboard his battleship. The Autobots discovered that the Decepticons were preparing to unleash the deadly Death Para-Machine against Earth, but thankfully, Ginrai was able to destroy the evil device before irreparable damage was done to the planet's atmosphere. As it exploded, however, a single blast escaped the Death-Para Machine and struck Grand's battleship, knocking its tachyon converter offline and sending it plummeting down to Earth. Shūta risked his life to save the day by donning one of the ship's jetpacks and repairing the converter, rescuing the ship at the last moment. Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction

Left leg blue, right fist black...

Grand Maximus later battled BlackZarak in Moscow, God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base and then transported the Autobots aboard his battleship for a full-scale assault on the Decepticon base, during which BlackZarak and the Decepticon ruler Devil Z fused into one being. The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform The merged BlackZarak/Devil Z entity soon began bombarding North America with his Devil Power, which Grand Maximus traced to the Grand Canyon. Battle to the Death!! God Ginrai VS Darkwings Reborn There, Ginrai was again confronted by Overlord, but Grand Maximus ended the protracted battle by blasting Overlord out of the sky so that Ginrai could focus on more important matters. The Decepticons retreated before the battle could go any further Autobots! Desperate Attack!! but the Autobots quickly pursued them to the Matterhorn, where Grand Maximus held back to protect the injured Metalhawk and Headmaster Juniors while Ginrai engaged BlackZarak in final battle. Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z As Ginrai clashed with BlackZarak, Grand lent his aid by opening fire on the villain, but was blasted out of the sky when he was distracted by the sight of Overlord's Transtector being brought to life by Devil Z's power. As the now-living Overlord attempted to join BlackZarak's battle with Ginrai, Grand Maximus transformed to robot mode and kept him occupied while Ginrai used his Final Fire Guts attack to finally destroy both BlackZarak and Devil Z. With the death of the villain, all the Autobots' Transtectors were also brought to life, and Grand Maximus soon transported them back into space to rejoin their respective factions. A Battle... and Then...

Legends comic

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At the G Nebula 89 transtector factory, Grand Maximus spearheaded the "Super Convoy Project", creating another transtector to resurrect Optimus Prime in. However, the Decepticons led by Overlord attacked, and he was forced to make the former Decepticon Headmaster Juniors, who had stowed away in an attempt to get new transtectors, seek safety in the Legends World. He contacted his brother, who was residing there in the meantime, and guilted him into accepting the stowaways. As a parting gift, Grand gave the humans new Headmaster-Braces. LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue During another of Overlord's attacks on the factory, Grand Maximus fought on the frontlines and ordered Brainstorm to join him. LG39 Brainstorm He was present when Ginrai visited the base to have Godbomber upgraded. Late Xmas Present Chapter

In anticipation for the return of BlackZarak, Grand built a second Maximus transtector that matched Fortress's in size, using it to travel to the Legends World when BlackZarak reemerged there under Devil Z's control. When Devil Z mocked his human Pretender shell, Grand voiced his belief in the Oracle's vision that true peace would be achieved when organic and mechanical life were one, explaining that he was doing his part in the Transformers' evolution towards this goal. Fortress protested against Grand's new transtector as he lacked the training to control such a massive body, but Grand, wanting to prove himself just as beneficial to the cause as his brother, merged with it anyway and did battle with Devil Z, defeating him. After urging the Zamojin to cease their attempts at destroying the Legends World, he collapsed from the strain of controlling the transtector and was left amazed by his brother's aptitude. LG-EX Grand Maximus

When Scorponok threatened all of the Legends World with plasma energy bombs, Grand Maximus helped evacuate the population to the OG World in his battleship. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two The refugees traveled to different points in time, however, meaning they waited until 2038 to begin planning the reconstruction of the Legends World. The Powered Masters were needed for the project, but they had been possessed by Violengiguar and began attacking Zone. Grand Maximus joined his brother and many other Supreme Commanders of the Autobots' past in racing to aid the Zone Base. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part One They were nearly overwhelmed by Novaroid attackers and the Vok Galaman of Dark Nova, but Grand Maximus and Fortress Maximus supported each other to continue fighting. LG-EX Big Powered Prologue Part Two

Zone cartoon

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Grand Maximus was on stage among other high-ranking Autobots when the injured Victory Saber passed the mantle of Supreme Commander to Dai Atlas. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Super-God Masterforce comic

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Insert random white space here

After the Earth and space-based Autobot forces consolidated their power to battle the Decepticons on both fronts, Grand Maximus joined with Raiden, Chromedome, Brainstorm, Hardhead, and Highbrow in pursuing Decepticon commander BlackZarak to Earth. Although the Headmasters didn't fare too well in battle with the mighty Decepticon, God Ginrai arrived to defeat BlackZarak and send him fleeing back into space. God Ginrai's Amazing Divine Combination!

When Decepticons kidnapped Shūta and Cab, Grand Maximus was occupied battling BlackZarak and Darkwings in space with the Autobot Godmasters, but was able to make it to Earth to help Ginrai battle Overlord during the rescue mission. Grand didn't beat around the bush, crashing his battleship straight into Overlord's face, and then giving Ginrai his Master Blade, with which he sent the villain fleeing. The Good and Evil Families of Earth

Make my monster grow!

Grand Maximus and the Autobots were required to depart Earth aboard Grand's battleship when the space-based Autobot forces developed a new weapon known as the VX Bomb, and the Decepticons initiated a major attack in their absence. Grand Maximus sped back to Earth with the VX Bomb on board, and he and the Godmasters occupied BlackZarak while Ginrai used the weapon to defeat Overlord. Life or Death? The Desperate Divine Combination!

During a Decepticon attack on a city, Grand Maximus transported the Autobots into battle, but then surprised everyone when he took an unexpected, unconventional hand in the fight by transforming into his human form without shrinking down. After defeating Overlord and BlackZarak with a "Big Mode Pretender Shell Power Kick", Grand explained to the surprised Ginrai that, in ancient times, the Pretenders did not shrink when they adopted their human forms, remaining gigantic and inspiring legends of giants among early man. Back then, Grand opined, mankind learned from the Transformers, but now, Transformers and mankind were truly equals. The Great Turnabout of the Autobots

My mini-me is me.

During Ginrai's final battle with the Decepticons, the villains' evil ruler Devil Z turned upon his minions, seeking to drain their Jinchōkon in order to become the ultimate lifeform. The Autobot Pretenders arrived in time to save them, with Grand Maximus and the whole Autobot force in tow. The Decepticons joined with the Autobots against Devil Z, and both armies boarded Grand Maximus, combining their energies in the "Perfect Transform Attack". Charged with the energies of all the Transformers, Grand Maximus collided with Devil Z, destroying the evil alien once and for all. With Devil Z's death, all the Autobots' Transtectors came to life as true super-robot lifeforms, and Grand led them all off Earth to rejoin the Autobots and Decepticons in space. The Birth of the Super Life-Forms

Beast Wars: Uprising

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Gran was one of the three Cyberdroid controllers of Fortress Maximus, storing the remains of Cerebros's consciousness. Gran was one of the prime goals of a Resistance team led by Cybershark as he was a treasure trove of intelligence. After storming Fortress Maximus's control room and killing Plasma and Kord, the team escaped with Bighorn carrying Gran on his shoulder, their mission a success. Head Games

Legends World

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During his stay in the Legends World, Armada Megatron's plans escalated from stealing Mini-Cons to stealing rare toys, the original Grand Maximus among them. LG18 Armada Starscream Super Mode

Toys

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Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

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All he needs is a Micromaster, Powermaster, and a Targetmaster and he'll be PERFECT.
  • Grand Maximus (Headmaster, 1988)
  • ID number: C-311
  • Accessories: "Gran" Headmaster figure, "Grand" Headmaster Transtector, Grand's Pretender Shell, "Onomisu", "Koka", "Proton Master Rifle", "Dual Laser Cannon", Grand's "Heat Blaster", Cog's laser rifle, left & right "Laser Arms", "Master Radar", "Master Blade", "Grand Sword"
  • Known designers: Kōjin Ōno (TakaraTomy){{#if: |, {{{2}}}}}
Released in the fourth year of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line under the Super-God Masterforce banner, Grand Maximus is a redeco of Fortress Maximus, one of the largest Transformer toys ever at 22" tall. Grand Maximus transforms from robot to city to battleship, with a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks available in all modes. His left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. His right leg has a small "medical bay" storage compartment. His torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for Grand's "communications tower" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to the central ramp to be launched in his altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm has a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.
Gran.
Grand Maximus's head can be removed and transformed into a robot called Grand. This component also transforms into a communications room that combines with Grand Maximus's city and battleship modes. Grand can additionally fit inside an included pretender shell. This shell, unlike most other Autobot shells, was robotic in appearance rather than human, although Masterforce fiction gave the figure a human face behind a robotic visor to better fit in with the other Pretenders in the series. Grand's head can also be removed and transformed into a smaller robot, known as Gran.
Two smaller vehicles, Onomisu and Koka, fit into the toe areas of the Grand Maximus robot. They can combine into the robot Cog. Also included were a gun for Cog, a "Heat Blaster" gun and "Master Blade" sword for Grand, which could be held in either robot or Pretender mode, and two larger guns—the "Proton Master Rifle" and "Dual Laster Cannon"—and the huge "Grand Sword" for Grand Maximus.
This mold was used to make Car Robots Brave Maximus and his Robotmasters release as "Cybertron Base". Grand's Pretender shell was reused many years later to make Double Pretender Megatron.

Transform Jr

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Albino Maximus
  • Grand Maximus (1988)
  • ID number: C-311
  • Accessories" "Grand" Headmaster figure, gun, ramp, "laser block"
Transform Jr Grand Maximus is a redeco of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus, and a heavily simplified version of the larger mold. And we mean simplified – he only transforms to battleship mode, which involves little more than pulling the head off and laying the figure down. The head does transform into Grand, at least, although overall, the toy doesn't really look like Grand Maximus, decorated as it is solely in whites and red, without a hint of teal in sight. Grand Maximus is arguably the rarest and most sought after Transform Jr toy.


Legends

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Micromaster and Powermaster (and Pretender Suit) sadly not included.
  • Grand Maximus (Titan class, 2018)
    • ID Number: LG-EX
    • Release date: March 31 2018
    • Accessories: Gran Headmaster unit, Grand Transtector, 2 leg guns, gun turret, Grand Sword (three pieces), Grand's Pretender Suit, gatling gun
    Legends Grand Maximus is a redeco of Legends Fortress Maximus, which is a slight retool of the SDCC 2016 Titans Return Titan Class mold. Like Fortress Maximus, he transforms from a large robot into a city base and to a battleship mode and back, and his larger head transforms into a Deluxe-sized Transtector Grand. Other than his Transtector, the Gran headmaster unit can interact with any Deluxe-or-larger Titans Return-style figure. Like Fortress Maximus, Grand features a new voicebox that features Ikuya Sawaki's newly-recorded phrases. Unlike Legends Fortress Maximus, Grand Maximus' legs aren't glued together.
    Grand Maximus was released as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive; he was available for preorder starting October 11 at 12:00 am until November 2 at 1:00 pm. A minimum of 2000 orders were required for the figure to be produced, this target was reached on October 27. Upon 3000 preorders or more, he would have included a new Pretender Suit retooled from Power of the Primes Micronus's decoy armor, presumably intended for Waverider, which can transform into a weapon, store Gran's Headmaster, or attach to a Prime Master in weapon mode. Unfortunately, preorders did not reach this level within the three-week deadline.
    This mold also served as the model for the non-toy character Neo Brave Maximus.
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    Merchandise

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    Super Collection Figure

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    If you don't care for pewter figs, the 6:2 ratio is in your favor. If you're a completist like the guy who took these pics? Wailing and gnashing of teeth.
    Grand Maximus was the "Build-A-Figure" from the sixth wave of Takara's Super Collection Figure line of PVC figurines. Naturally enough, he was a redeco of the previous year's Fortress Maximus Build-A-Figure, with new hands and no sword. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the metallic silver "pewter" versions of the six individual figures in the line (the regular color versions of the figures did not come with any of Grand's parts). His head was included with Optimus Prime, his body with Hot Rod, his left arm with Thrust, his right arm with Ramjet, his left leg with Ratchet and his right leg with Soundblaster.
    Each of the parts was available in standard full-color (at a rate of six out of every ten cases), and rare "pewter" (only two out of every ten cases) versions, making two versions of Grand Maximus to assemble. The two cases out of ten without Grand Maximus parts instead each had one of that Act's two "Secret Figures", metallic Galvatron or Dirge.
    The pewter version of the figure has a potential problem with connector peg breakage, due to said pegs often getting a layer of pewter paint before being forced into a socket, leading to sticking and tearing. Care should be used when moving or removing the arms; shaving down the socket interior with a thin hobby knife is usually sufficient to fix the issue.
    This Act was seemingly in shorter supply than the others before and since, and is not terribly common on the secondary market.

    Notes

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    • Though he never uses his Pretender abilities to take on human mode in any media (echoing his toy's unique lack of a removable helmet) close ups of his face in the Masterforce cartoon—showing a human face within his helmet—confirm that he has one.

    Foreign names

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    • English: Fortress Maximus (Omni Productions dub), Grand Maximus (diminutive Maximus; Shout! Factory sub)
    • Italian: Fortress Maximus
    • Mandarin: Jùwúbà Gélán (巨无霸格兰, "Maximus Grand")

    See also

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    References

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    <references />
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