User:TimeLord11/Sandbox/Mouthplate

I am smiling on the outside, but crying on the inside... not that you could tell anyway.

Instead of regular human facial features, some Transformers have what looks like a plate affixed to their lower jaw, usually covering up to their nose. While no official name exists for these, they are usually called 'mouthplates ' or 'faceplates' (despite a 'regular' face once being described as a faceplate in the TV series). Two of the most famous examples are those of Generation 1's Optimus Prime and Soundwave. Sufferers of Primus apotheosis often affix themselves with unnecessary faceplates to better emulate their idol. Rarely, a Transformer's mouthplate may mask their entire face.

In earlier series, a Transformer's mouthplate moved when they spoke, as if there were a working jaw underneath. In later series such as Victory, 2001 Robots in Disguise and the Unicron Trilogy, however, it remains static.

Certain Transformers who sport mouthplates do have regular mouths underneath. Sometimes these mouthplates are even retractable, either in full or partially, to reveal their mouths.

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

The Transformers cartoon

Many Cybertronians bore mouthplate. While some of these were static, others moved in sync with their wearer's speech.

Following his reconstruction by Alpha Trion, the newly minted Optimus Prime bore a permanently deployed mouthplate, one that moved in time with his speech. War Dawn Superion The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2 and Bruticus had mouthplates that functioned in the same manner. Starscream's Brigade

Wheeljack, Soundwave, More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 Crosshairs and Triggerhappy all had static faceplates. The Rebirth, Part 1

Hot Spot bore a mouthplate, though sometimes he did not. B.O.T.

e-HOBBY comics

Upon being rebuilt into a black body, Ultra Magnus sported a mouthplate. Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version

Beast Wars cartoon

In his first body, Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity infrequently deployed a mouthplate when he went into battle. Gorilla Warfare Other Voices, Part 2

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

25 years before someone realized his toy has no face.

In The War Within, Bumblebee was depicted as having a removable face mask with mouthplate that resembled the original sculpt of his toy. In The Dark Ages, Jetfire was given a similar treatment with a flip-up faceguard. The Titanium Series release of this character design featured the faceguard, but it was not removable. Brawn was depicted with a removable face mask like Bumblebee's in the ongoing Generation 1 series.

2005 IDW continuity

Okay, maybe the geewunners were right about the mouthplate this time.

Nova Major bore a mouthplate during the Siege of the Citadel of Light only for it to be destroyed in combat. Upon his ascension to Nova Prime, he had donned a new one. The Crucible His eventual successor Sentinel Prime deployed a faceplate during combat. Megatron Origin #1

Orion Pax covered his mouth with a plate which was once partially broken in battle with some thugs. Chaos Theory Part 2 He considered it his "lucky faceplate" and was disheartened when he lost it during a temporary body replacement, being more comfortable when his facial expressions were hidden from sight. Omega's Conundrum After Orion rose to fame as Optimus Prime, sufferers of primus apotheosis such as Pyro would often mimic him by getting their own faceplates. Last Stand of the Wreckers #5 At one point, Prime showed that he could retract the plate in order to eat.<ref>This would be the first time in an official story that the G1 version of the character is portrayed as being able to remove his mouthplate.</ref> Old Ways

After learning to tame his Outlier powers, Soundwave began wearing a full helmet that included a mouthplate. Ghost Stories

Other Cybertronians who wore mouthplates included Ironfist, Last Stand of the Wreckers #4 Jetfire<ref>This feature was included in the Classics toy of this character design.</ref>, Stormbringer #1 Brainstorm slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken and Getaway. Speak, Memory! (Part 2)

Like Optimus Prime, Onslaught and Vortex wore mouthplates but could retract part of them to reveal their mouths. Ranks of Bronze

When a team of young Autobot recruits from all across the Council of Worlds joined Optimus Prime on Earth, they began wearing detachable mouthplates in order to better emulate their leader. To Walk Among the Chosen

When preparing to face Unicron, Optimus Prime removed his mouthplate, symbolically removing all the masks he'd worn in his life so as to face the Chaos Bringer as his true self. The mouthplate, all that remained of the Prime, was placed on his coffin at his funeral. Post

2021 Beast Wars comic

When the Maximals charged the Darksyde, Optimus Primal deployed his mouthplate, Maximals Strike Back, Part 1 only for Megatron to shatter it in combat. Maximals Strike Back, Part 2 It had been repaired by the time he faced off against Tigatron in battle. Children of the Vok

2001 Robots in Disguise

Optimus Prime, X-Brawn, Prowl, Rapid Run, Scourge and all of the Commandos bar Rollbar sported non-moving mouthplates.

Unicron Trilogy cartoon continuity

Energon cartoon

When Wing Dagger was crushed by an energon tower, his mouthplate shattered. Each One Fights...

Cybertron cartoon

When Optimus Prime activated his Super Mode, his mouthplate deployed. Inferno

Live-action Transformers movies

Movies

The six movies are the primary component of the live-action movie continuity family. Their events should be taken as canon for all other pieces of fiction listed below, unless otherwise specified.

Bumblebee film

B-127 deployed a face-covering mask when he entered combat. Bumblebee

In the far-flung future of 2020, mouthplates will be made mandatory for all sentient beings.

Transformers film

Optimus Prime and Blackout both deployed mouthplates when they entered battle. Bumblebee had two pieces that rest on the top of his head normally but slid down and clamp together over his whole face in battle. Jazz had a visor that protected his upper-face in combat. Transformers

Megatron did that just to piss off the purists. He's that evil.

Revenge of the Fallen film

In battle with Megatron, Optimus Prime's faceplate was smashed to pieces when he was kicked in the face by the Decepticon leader. Prime's faceplate was repaired when he combined with Jetfire. Revenge of the Fallen

Optimus Prime was depicted as having a combat mouthplate which closed over his normal mouth to protect his face. To date, only a few toys (one of Prime's Robot Heroes figurines, Buster Optimus Prime, his two retooled Battle Hooks toys, and the First Edition and Evasion Mode sculpts from the Age of Extinction line) have displayed his face and mouth, while all other merchandise featured the plate. [ Transformers Ironhide also had a mouthplate similar in appearance to Optimus Prime's as shown in some of his concept art and toys, but he has never officially used it on film.

While not noticeable in the film, Sideswipe's Human Alliance toy confirmed he had an extra layer of armor plating (which was thought to be his actual face) protecting his main face. Skids and Mudflap were shown as having mouthplates in Titan Magazines' Revenge of the Fallen comics but were never shown wearing them in the movie nor were their masks included in any toys.

Age of Extinction film

Among the many modifications that the bounty hunter Lockdown had incorporated into his frame was a protective mask that could cover his entire face which doubled as a scanner. Age Of Extinction

The Last Knight film

Megatron's new body featured a mouthplate. The Last Knight

Titan movie comics

Skids and Mudflap both possessed mouthplates which they kept deployed. Training Day

When Bumblebee tracked down "Stinger", who had been masquerading as the Autobot, the imposter welded Bumblebee's battle mask shut so they would be totally indistinguishable from one another, though Optimus Prime soon discovered the truth regardless. Accept No Substitutes!

Transformers Animated

Most of the Autobots in Optimus Prime's crew had retractable faceplates. Optimus, Prowl Transform and Roll Out Bumblebee, Where Is Thy Sting? and a post-upgrade Sari Sumdac each had one. TransWarped

Sentinel Prime also had a mouthplate though his was unique in that it covered his whole face. The Return of the Headmaster Among the Decepticons, Soundwave had a non-retractable mouthplate. Sound and Fury

Aligned continuity family

Transformers Prime

Optimus Prime Darkness Rising, Part 1 and Wheeljack Con Job and Bumblebee each had a mouthplate that deployed to cover their mouths whenever they entered battle. As a result of his non-functioning voice box though, Bumblebee kept his permanently deployed until his voice was restored by the Omega Lock. Deadlock

Nemesis Prime, being a copy of Optimus, had a mouthplate too, though it was permanently deployed. Nemesis Prime

2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Bumblebee and Optimus both retained their retractable faceplates; newcomers Strongarm and Sideswipe possessed similar faceguards.

Concept art for Grimlock depicts him with a retractable faceplate and visor more in line with his previous appearances in Aligned fiction (and by extension his G1 counterpart), but this was not used on the show proper.

Cyberverse cartoon

Optimus Prime possessed a retractable mouthplate which he always deployed when entering battle. Matrix of Leadership Grimlock, Dead End and Thunderhowl all possessed full face masks which they deployed during particularly dangerous battle scenarios. Eruption Battle For Cybertron II Thunderhowl

Notes

• Fan commentator Zobovor nicknamed these distinctive items "woobers" (crediting the term to a younger relative), and the name became popular with some fans.
• Both the Armada Optimus Prime and the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime toys have mouthplates that can move up and down when a button located on their heads is depressed, even though Armada Prime's mouthplate never moved in the series itself. Additionally, the 20th Anniversary toy has teeth (or possibly a speaker grille) hidden behind the mouthplate, in reference to Optimus Prime's battle-damaged appearance in the Generation 2 comics, though this detail cannot be seen without disassembling the entire head (or just looking down with it pulled down really far).
• Mouthplates as featured on Transformers and earlier Japanese [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}super robot|{{#if:||super robot}}]]s likely derive from the historical [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Men-yoroi#Hanbō (hanpō)|{{#if:hanbō|hanbō|Men-yoroi#Hanbō (hanpō)}}]].
• In the Omni Productions dubs, characters who have a mouthplate are given "muffled" voices, evidently produced by the actors covering their mouths with their hands.

Footnotes

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