Generic Autobot laser pistol

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This article is about a character or concept which lacks any official name or designation. For more information, see Help:Nameless.

Its most prominent use was when it was completely useless.

What do you do when you find yourself in a firefight and you don't have your own handheld weapon with its own distinct design? If you're an Autobot, chances are you are going to fire a weapon that makes use of the generic Autobot laser pistol design sooner or later.

Conceptual history

That was then...

Because some of the early Transformers toys didn't come with hand-held weapons, their character models were naturally designed without any armament as well. Thus, it became a standard practice for the cartoon's animators to improvise whenever an episode's script would call for one of these characters to wield a weapon: Alternatively, they would be given a duplicate of a gun from another robot's character model, the animators would create a made-up generic gun design on the spot, or the robots would just be depicted as shooting energy out of their hands. This situation was eventually fixed early on in season 2: The episode "The Insecticon Syndrome" saw the debut of a new model sheet, a generic Autobot laser pistol design, which would then be regularly subbed as a sidearm for Autobots who didn’t have weapons of their own. Most memorably, both Ratchet and Ironhide used this weapon design during the famous shuttle attack scene in The Transformers: The Movie.

This wasn't always done consistently, though: For example, at various points during "Enter the Nightbird", Cliffjumper wields various extremely generic hand-held weapons (while his glass gas gun is again depicted as a barrel extending from his wrist), and in "B.O.T." (an episode in which Ironhide does wield a generic Autobot laser pistol), the design of the weapon used by Gears drastically changes with every shot it's depicted in. Generally, it appears that the use of the generic Autobot laser pistol model is limited to episodes animated by Toei.

Starting in the 2010s, new toys of the Generation 1 characters would also be given weapons as accessories that were based on the generic Autobot laser pistol design. However, due to the somewhat inconsistent nature of the cartoon's animation, the screenshots available as reference, as well as the toy designers' personal preferences, those accessories would sometimes vary wildly in terms of accuracy compared to the design from the cartoon.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

...this is now.

The generic Autobot laser pistol was first seen in action in 1985. Both Beachcomber and Bumblebee used a generic Autobot laser pistol when fighting the Decepticons at the Nova Power Plant. The Insecticon Syndrome When fighting Devastator, Cliffjumper fired his glass gas gun at him, which looked like a generic Autobot laser pistol with an additional barrel extension. The Master Builders Ironhide fired a generic Autobot laser pistol at Starscream. Later, Decepticons disguised as Ironhide and Sunstreaker fired generic Autobot laser pistols at Megatron and the Seekers. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 Both Ironhide and Powerglide used a generic Autobot laser pistol (though Powerglide's was a darker shade than usual) when they fought Starscream, Astrotrain, Shockwave and Ramjet on Cybertron. The Search for Alpha Trion Bumblebee used a generic Autobot laser pistol (with an unusual blue color) when he, Tracks and Bluestreak faced off against Megatron, Soundwave, Scrapper and the Stunticons. Trans-Europe Express Ironhide used a generic Autobot laser pistol again when confronting the Combaticons. B.O.T. In 2005, when the Decepticons intercepted and hijacked an Autobot shuttle en route to Autobot City on Earth, both Ironhide and Ratchet defended themselves with generic Autobot laser pistols, with Ratchet even wielding two of them at the same time! Alas, this was to no avail, as the Decepticons managed to kill both of them. The Transformers: The Movie

Bumblebee film

Best you're gonna get

Cliffjumper and several generic Autobots used blasters resembling the generic Autobot pistol design during the battle on Cybertron. As Optimus Prime called a retreat, Arcee was also seen wielding one despite earlier using a different pistol based the larger Autobot rifles used in the film. Bumblebee

Games

Transformers: Devastation

Bumblebee pulls a Ratchet.

Bumblebee's default blasters were based on the generic Autobot laser pistol design, seemingly using the accessory included with the Masterpiece toy as a reference. Transformers: Devastation

Toys

Masterpiece/MPG

This is where it gets weird: Bumblebee...

• MP-21 Bumble (2014)

Takara's first Masterpiece version of Bumblebee came with a weapon based on the generic Autobot laser pistol (specifically based on a screencap from "Trans-Europe Express", including the color) as one of its accessories (referred to as a "Lazer Gun" [sic] in the instructions).

• MP-21G Bumble G-2 Ver. (2015)

Takara's Generation 2-inspired redeco of Masterpiece Bumblebee came with an all-black version of the generic Autobot laser pistol.

• MP-21R Bumble Red Body (2015)

The Cybertron Satellite exclusive red redeco of Masterpiece Bumble came with a virtually unchanged version of the generic Autobot laser pistol.

• MP-08 Bumblebee & Exosuit Spike Witwicky (2016)

Hasbro's Toys"R"Us exclusive release of Masterpiece Bumblebee also came with a virtually unchanged version of the generic Autobot laser pistol.

... and Ironhide.

• MP-27 Ironhide (2016)

Takara's Masterpiece version of Ironhide came with two identical laser pistols based on the generic Autobot laser pistol (specifically based on a screencap from "B.O.T."), though with considerably different detailing than the one that came with Bumblebee (referred to as "laser pistols" in the instructions).

• MP-30 Ratchet (2016)

Takara's Ratchet redeco and retool of Ironhide came with virtually unchanged versions of the two identical laser pistols.

• MPG-11 DK-2 Guard (2025)

This black redeco of Ironhide colored after his Diaclone colors comes with all of his accesories, the two unchanged laser pistols are now called Beta Gun (ベータ・ガン).

War for Cybertron Trilogy

• WFC-E33 Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack (2020)

The Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack released under the War for Cybertron Trilogy branding includes a "G1 blaster" that's based on the generic Autobot laser pistol—specifically, its detailing is directly based on the weapon included with Masterpiece Bumblebee, and it's intended to be used by Netflix Bumblebee.

Super Cyborg

• Bumblebee (2021)

Hasbro licensee Super7 included a weapon with their Super Cyborg Bumblebee figure that was based on the generic Autobot laser pistol, different from all the previous toy interpretations.

• Bumblebee (Clear) (2021)

The clear version of Super Cyborg Bumblebee naturally included a clear version of the above weapon as well.

Studio Series

• Autobot Ratchet (Core Class, 2022)

The Core Class version of Studio Series '86 Ratchet came with two tiny blasters based on the generic generic Autobot laser pistol—specifically, its detailing is directly based on the weapons included with Masterpiece Ratchet, albeit with two small tabs on opposite sides (thus making the two weapons not completely identical) intended for attaching the weapons to the sides of Ratchet's vehicle mode.

Another Ironhide...

• 86-17 Ironhide (Voyager Class, 2022)

The Voyager Class version of '86 Ironhide came with two blasters based on the generic Autobot laser pistol.

• Ironhide (Core Class, 2023)

The '86 Ironhide redeco and retool of Core Class Ratchet came with redecos of the two tiny blasters. Although they retain the same silver paint color, the base plastic (which can be seen in the handles) is now red instead of white. Also, unlike the weapons included with Ratchet, the small tabs on the sides are no longer painted either.

• 86-23 Autobot Ratchet (Voyager Class, 2023)

The '86 Ratchet redeco and retool of Voyager Class Ironhide came with virtually unchanged versions of the weapons, retaining the same black base plastic color and silver paint color.

Wait, what?

• 108 Wheeljack (Deluxe Class, 2024)

Bizarrely, the Rise of the Beasts version of Wheeljack came with a weapon based on the generic Autobot laser pistol design instead of his arm cannons.

• 86-27 Brawn / 86-28 Autobot Ratchet (two-pack, 2024)

The battle damaged redeco and retool of Studio Series Voyager Class Ratchet (released as part of a two-pack with a corresponding redeco and retool of Studio Series Brawn) came with virtually unchanged versions of the weapons, retaining the same black base plastic color and silver paint color.

• 86-29 Bumblebee (Deluxe Class, 2024)

The Deluxe Class '86 Bumblebee figure comes with yet another weapon based on the generic Autobot laser pistol that's once again an entirely new tooling.

• Bumblebee (Devastation) (Deluxe Class, 2026)

Bumblebee includes a unique pair of generic pistols based on his iconic default blasters from Devastation, albeit slightly hollow.

Buzzworthy Bumblebee

• 86-24BB Ironhide & 86-20BB Prowl (two-pack, 2023)

The battle damaged redeco and retool of Studio Series Voyager Class Ironhide released under the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line (as part of a two-pack with a corresponding redeco and retool of Earthrise Prowl) came with virtually unchanged versions of the weapons, retaining the same black base plastic color and silver paint color.

LEGO

• Bumblebee (Lego Icons set, 2024)

LEGO Bumblebee includes a brick-built version of the weapon.

Age of the Primes

• Powerglide (Deluxe Class, 2026)

Age of the Primes Powerglide came with a silver-decoed blaster based on the generic Autobot laser pistol.

Gallery

• 
  Two instances in one image.
• 
  This shot inspired several toy accessories.
• 
  One of the most common wielders.

See also

• Maximal Buster