Mul-T-Cog

Too bad Team Prime or the Bee Team never found any of these...

A Mul-T-Cog is an ancient and mystical relic which has the power to allow Cybertronians to gain additional alternate modes. Unlike traditional T-Cogs which are internal components, Mul-T-Cogs take the form of badges which are worn on the chest. Untrained users will only be able to use one alternate mode per solar cycle, but mastering the Mul-T-Cog will allow the user more flexibility.

Fiction

Rescue Bots Academy cartoon

The Mul-T-Cog Badge was stored in a cube hidden in the office of the Rescue Bot Training Center. When Hot Shot was intending to quit his rescue training because he didn't think he was any good at it, Optimus Prime bestowed the Mul-T-Cog Badge on him. Hot Shot subsequently used it to beat Wedge in a race, using his new jet mode. Unfortunately, this meant that he couldn't pick a more suitable form when the recruits later had to complete a cave rescue mission. Recruits Part II

After Hot Shot abandoned his training to go play Cube, Optimus Prime intended to reclaim the badge but was prevented by a space bridge malfunction. In the end, Hot Shot returned to the Academy and so the return of the Mul-T-Cog was unnecessary. Best Bots Forever Part 2 Though Hot Shot's Mul-T-Cog was believed to be the only one in existence, four more were found stored in a vault on a crashed Cybertronian ship. The Vault Of The Primes With some help from the other recruits, Hot Shot succeeded in mastering his Mul-T-Cog to the point that he could use all of his alternate modes in the same day. Mul-T-Change of Pace

Ratchet theorized that the four new cogs would have to be given an infusion of energy from Hot Shot's Mul-T-Cog to activate them and was proved right. Hot Shot proceeded to jump the gun and got the other recruits to install the new Mul-T-Cogs, only to discover that they were essentially without enough power to transform. After taking some advice from Ratchet, Hot Shot was able to use his Mul-T-Cog to fully power the other four, at the cost of draining it entirely and leaving him unable to transform. Luckily it turned out that the other recruits were able to use a fraction of the power from each of their Mul-T-Cogs to revive his, and even supercharged it so he could select a fourth alternate mode. Small Cogs

The recruits were later required to scan vehicles for their new alternate modes. Big Wheels

Notes

• "T-Cog" is a term usually used for a Transformer's transformation cog, though the Mul-T-Cog Badge is worn on Hot Shot's chest, and thus presumably augments his existing T-Cog rather than replacing it.
• Some Rescue Bots toys have a moulded Rescue Bots insignia, making it look like they are wearing a Mul-T-Cog.