Editing Mainframe (G1)

{{factions|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Mainframe}}
:''Mainframe is an [[Autobot]] [[Action Master]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Mainframe(G1) MTMTE.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Code Monkey like Fritos. Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew. Code Monkey very simple man with big warm fuzzy secret heart: Code Monkey like you.]]
'''Mainframe''' is a dork. A computer dork, to be precise. (Both in that he is a computer that is a dork, and a dork about computers.) He'd rather tackle complex mathematical problems than join the [[Great War (G1)|inconvenient galactic conflict]] with the [[Decepticon]]s. Despite his distaste for combat, he won't shirk his duties when called upon. If anything, he hopes that if he simply ''must'' fight, that he'll have the chance to use his considerable brainpower to end things quickly.

Alas, his [[Action Master partner|partner]], [[Push-Button]], would rather convert to a piston rifle and blow stuff up than be stuck debugging Mainframe's programs. Naturally, the two don't especially get along.

==Fiction==
===IDW Generation 1 continuity===
[[File:Mainframe How to Say Goodbye and Mean it.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|[[Block coloring]]: Obscuring Transformers' identities since 1984.]]
At some point in history, [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] acquired footage of Mainframe. {{storylink|The Gloaming}}

Mainframe was one of the survivors of the [[Kimia Facility]] massacre. He got away aboard an escape pod piloted by [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]]. {{storylink|Chaos Part Three: Kings|Kings}} The pod was picked up by [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who told the survivors of [[D-Void]]'s plan to destroy the universe and brought them all to Cybertron to stop it. {{storylink|Chaos Part Four: Genesis|Genesis}}

When the ''[[Lost Light]]'' departed for unknown space to search for the [[Knights of Cybertron]], Mainframe was part of the bridge crew. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It}} He was present among the assembled Autobots after their tumble through quantum space as [[Hot Rod/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Rodimus]] addressed the troops. {{storylink|Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|Hangers On}} 

When crew member [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Ultra Magnus]] left on a stolen shuttle, Mainframe helped track it down. {{storylink|Remain in Light 1 of 5: The Fecund Moon|The Fecund Moon}} They followed Magnus to [[Moonbase One|Luna 1]], where the ship was invaded by [[Tyrest (G1)|Chief Justice Tyrest]]'s [[Legislator]]s and the crew subdued. {{storylink|Remain in Light 3 of 5: The Divided Self|The Divided Self}} Having been [[Reproduction#IDW Generation 1 continuity|constructed cold]], Mainframe was among those nearly killed by Tyrest's [[universal killswitch]]. {{storylink|Remain in Light 4 of 5: Arm the Lonely|Arm the Lonely}}

[[File:Mainframe magnus winners and losers.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"I'm a pilot, not a...wait, I'm a pilot?"]]
Mainframe piloted the ''Lost Light'' into the right position for launching Rodimus, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Orion Pax]], and others through a portal to the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|Black Metal: Dark Cybertron Chapter 2|Black Metal}} In search for [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] he then navigated the ship to a [[Hydrophena|watery planet]] {{storylink|Winners & Losers: Dark Cybertron Chapter 3|Winners & Losers}} where they were attacked by a lot of [[Ammonite]]s. 2026<ref name="ammonites">The Ammonites' number was changed to 819 in the Hasbro exclusive cover variant of the issue available with the ''[[Transformers: Generations]]'' Deluxe Class [[Mini-Con Assault Team]].</ref> of them, according to Mainframe's estimation. {{storylink|Into the Abyss: Dark Cybertron Chapter 4|Into the Abyss}} After finding Metroplex, the crew used the Titan's [[space bridge]] to teleport him and the ''Lost Light'' back to Cybertron, where Mainframe lost control of the ship and crash-landed. {{storylink|Finis Temporis: Dark Cybertron Chapter 9|Finis Temporis}} Cybertron was subsequently invaded by another army of Ammonites, forcing Mainframe to get the ship airborne and away from the attackers. {{storylink|Black Planet: Dark Cybertron Chapter 11|Black Planet}} His contribution to the battle was contacting [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] before the ''Lost Light'' rammed [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]], telling her to clean up the [[Pretender Monster|remains]] in a flowery, dramatic fashion too vague for her to understand. {{storylink|...And the Damage Done: Dark Cybertron Finale|...And the Damage Done}}

[[File:Tailgate mainframe jackpot words hang in the air.jpg|thumb|left|upright=2]]
Once Cybertron was saved, Mainframe went for drinks in [[Swerve's]] where he was approached by [[Getaway]] and [[Atomizer]], who asked him here he would stand if they were to stage a coup against Rodimus. {{storylink|No Guns, No Swords, No Briefcases}} He then continued to serve on the ''Lost Light'' as it returned to its journey with a new captain: a reformed [[Megatron (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Megatron]]. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 1: Towards Peace|Towards Peace}} He helped a plastered [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] to the medbay, running into [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] on the way. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 2: Words Hang in the Air|Words Hang in the Air}}

Mainframe was also a member of the crew on a quantum duplicate version of the ''Lost Light''. Then the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] showed up, and Mainframe [[Helex (DJD)|had his head torn off]]. {{storylink|slaughterhouse}} His corpse presumably vanished with the rest of his ''Lost Light'' when the main ''Lost Light'' crew shut down the duplicate ship's quantum engines. {{storylink|Slaughterhouse Part 2: The Road Not Taken|The Road Not Taken}}

[[File:Mainframe births deaths and interventions.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Look at my fingers! They're glorious!]]
While the ''Lost Light'' was disappearing piece by piece, Mainframe was seen evacuating the ship alongside Jackpot. {{storylink|World, Shut Your Mouth Part 3: Predestination: A Beginner's Guide|Predestination: A Beginner's Guide}} After the ''Lost Light'' reappeared, Mainframe along with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]], and [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailcutter]] landed on [[Ofsted XVII]] while awaiting further orders from Rodimus. Mainframe explained to Bluestreak who was curious that the planet was experiencing a lot of [[warp gate]]s appearing after a massive battle between [[Black Block Consortia]] and the [[Galactic Council]] with a few mechs over a ravaged ship in orbit. After First Aid called Bluestreak from a lecture theater, he and Mainframe went to meet up with him. They discovered a fatally wounded Cybertronian lying around in the wrecked room. Mainframe and Bluestreak decided to find out if the Cybertronian was an Autobot or Decepticon. After First Aid and Trailcutter returned with medical supplies, First Aid became furious with Mainframe and Bluestreak for moving the injured bot, giving him less time to live. Mainframe became unsure of donating some of his fuel when he mentioned the risks of donating too much energon. Next, Mainframe found a translator lying around and activated it. However, Bluestreak discovered the Cybertronian's face and discovered that with a switch on it, releasing spikes. Mainframe was now convinced that the injured bot wasn't an Autobot, and he and Bluestreak back out from donating their fuel and left the lecture theater. After the bot was revealed to the [[Vos (DJD)|Vos]], a member of the D.J.D. and attacked Trailcutter, First Aid went to go find Mainframe and Bluestreak to help. Mainframe was present when the three bots discovered that [[Kaon (DJD)|Kaon]] had murdered Trailcutter, and watched helplessly as Kaon crushed Trailcutter's brain module. {{storylink|Births, Deaths, and Interventions}} Afterwards, Mainframe and the others were nearly killed by the D.J.D. after they tried to blow up their shuttle and was soon rescued. {{storylink|The Custom-Made Now - An Elegant Chaos Prologue|The Custom-Made Now}}

Mainframe acted as shuttle pilot for Rodimus and the crew when they located the [[Censere|Necrobot]]'s port-of-call. In trying to decide whether to approach by stealth or storm, Mainframe found Rodimus's sarcasm and flippancy indecipherable, as do we all from time to time. {{storylink|The Not Knowing}}

[[File:HowBrightTheirFrailDeeds-LostLightmutiny.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Revenge of the Nerds]]

When certain members of the crew were psychically attacked, Mainframe and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] traced the source of the attack to an apparently unknown region of space. As Rodimus, Magnus, Megatron and the affected crewmembers prepared to leave in the [[Rodpod]] to investigate, Mainframe took the team's doctor [[Velocity (G1)|Velocity]] aside and suggested that she should take [[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] along as some extra muscle. However, the psychic attack was a ruse concocted by the ''Lost Light''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew to rid themselves of Megatron, Rodimus and their supporters once and for all and Mainframe stood alongside Getaway on the ship's bridge as he informed Rodimus that they were being stranded on the Necrobot's planet at the tender mercies of the Galactic Council. Unbeknownst to them though, the Decepticon Justice Division had beaten them there. {{storylink|The Dying of the Light: (1) How Bright Their Frail Deeds|How Bright Their Frail Deeds}}

{{-}}

===''Classics''===
[[File:Invasion mainframe rad.jpg|thumb]]
Mainframe was overlooking the [[Construction station|Ironworks]] with [[Rad (G1)|Rad]] when [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] attacked the base with his squad of Decepticons. {{storylink|Invasion Prologue}} He argued with [[Rollout (G1)|Rollout]] while rebuilding Ironworks. When the [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] attacked, he was captured and turned into one. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}
===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
At the tail-end of the Great War, Mainframe was sent out to accompany [[Tigatron]] in an attempt to broker peace-talks between the Autobots and Decepticons, hoping to end the war without further carnage. Unfortunately, the first enemy camp they approached was headed by the renegade soldier [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who sicced [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] on them. Mainframe fled before the gestalt could cut him down. {{storylink|Dawn of the Predacus}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
Mainframe was one of the many casualties of [[Toxitron (G1)|Toxitron]]'s attack on the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'s launch facility. {{storylink|The Toxic Transformer}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[File:G1-toy Mainframe.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|It figures a computer dork would want a BFG.]]
*'''Mainframe''' (Action Master, [[1990]])
**''Accessories'': "Vibro Pulverizer" rifle, Push-Button partner

:As an [[Action Master]], Mainframe is a non-transforming action figure of a robot with an indeterminate [[alternate mode]], but chances are he turns into one of those huge computers you see in those movies from the 70s and 80s, you know, the ones the size of refrigerators with the reel-to-reel magnetic tape.  He is compatible with any Action Master vehicle or weapon.  He was part of the second assortment of basic carded figures, and came with his [[Action Master partner|partner]]-robot [[Push-Button]]. 

:Note that his weapon bears a strong resemblance to the machine guns from the [[G.I. Joe (team)|G. I. Joe]] [http://www.yojoe.com/vehicles/89/arcticblast/ Arctic Blast] vehicle.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1990/Autobot/Mainframe/mainframe.htm More information on Mainframe at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Mainframe is inexplicably on the cover of the 1990 [[Family Home Entertainment]] VHS release of the "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" mini-series... a cartoon produced about four years before Mainframe's toy was released.
*According to his tech specs, he is equipped to store 200,000 megabytes of data. Which is really impressive unless you have $100 to spend on a USB hard drive. That said, most hard drives at the time of his release could barely hold 1,000 MB, so it was really impressive back then. 

===Foreign names===
*''French:'' '''Ordinateur''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Cronos'''

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Lost Light crew]]
[[Category:Scientists]]