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''S.T.A.R.S. is a group of [[Autobot]]-allied [[Human|humans]] during the [[Generation One]] era.''
{{factions|autobot}}
:''S.T.A.R.S. is an [[Autobot]]-allied [[human]] organization from the [[S.T.A.R.S. continuity]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''
[[File:Stars kit.jpg|thumb|252px|S.T.A.R.S. members receive the most advanced Cybertronian cardboard technology available.]]


[[Image:Stars kit.jpg|thumb|250px|S.T.A.R.S. members received the most advanced Cybertronian cardboard technology available.]]
The '''Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad''' ('''S.T.A.R.S.''') is an underground organization of Autobot-allied humans on [[Earth]]. S.T.A.R.S. members keep watch for potential [[Decepticon]] activity in their sector and alert the Autobots if any is detected.


{{quote|Earth allies like you are desperately needed. We must thwart the forces of evil now!|Optimus Prime}}
The membership package includes:
*A [[Command Center (G1)|Command Center]] (also called a "Control Center") for monitoring one's sector.
*A [[Tech-Spec Manual]] containing information about [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Autobot base, and specific Transformers.
*An [[iron-on patch]].
*A [[S.T.A.R.S. membership card]] that switched between displaying an Autobot symbol and a Decepticon one, depending on the angle of view. Personal data could be entered on the reverse side. It is coded with identification data that allows the holder entry into the Command Center of the Autobot Refueling and Weapons Armory.


The '''S'''ecret '''T'''ransformer '''A'''utobot '''R'''escue '''S'''quad is an underground organization of Autobot-allied humans on Earth.  S.T.A.R.S. members keep watch for potential Decepticon activity in their sector and alert the Autobots if any is detected.  They are expected to be ready at all times in the event a Decepticon alert is issued.  Their membership is a secret even from their families.
{{bigquote|Earth allies like you are desperately needed. We must thwart the forces of evil now!|[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]}}
 
'''''Note''': Nearly all information about S.T.A.R.S. comes from toy pack-in flyers which, unlike most Transformers fiction, were written in the ''second'' person.  The reader was being actively "recruited" into the fictional organization.  What this meant in real-world terms was membership in a fan-club with a few special trinkets and toys. But for the purposes of this article, we include elements like the membership card and the recruitment flyers themselves as part of the fiction.''


==Fiction==
==Fiction==
[[Image:Johnny htdduoafa.jpg|left|thumb|175px|"We appreciate your vigilance, but that car parked across the street isn't a [[Stunticon]] either. Do your parents let you out much, Johnny?"]]
===S.T.A.R.S. continuity===
 
[[File:Johnny htdduoafa.jpg|thumb|"We appreciate your vigilance, but that car parked across the street isn't a [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] either. Do your parents let you out much, Johnny?"]]
S.T.A.R.S. was created in the mid-1980s by Optimus Prime after a major defeat of the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] following the arrival of [[Reinforcements from Cybertron]].  Though badly hurt, the Decepticons were not beaten.  They initiated a massive building campaign, constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike.<ref>[http://yojoe.com/archive/inserts/stars.shtml "Earthlings: The S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!"]: ''Worldwide Decepticon buildup; description of Omnibot strike; non-human use of Time Warrior; description of membership kit with outrageous promises''</ref>
 
When the location of a secret base was uncovered, Autobot strike forces worked in concert with human allies to neutralize it.  The [[Omnibot|Omnibots]] seemed to be the primary strike force employed by S.T.A.R.S., though the main Autobot force also participated in S.T.A.R.S. actions.  Known S.T.A.R.S. members include [[Spike_Witwicky|Spike Witwicky]] and the singularly-named [[Johnny (G1)|Johnny]].
 
Despite being ostensibly "secret," the organization actively recruited, targeting young humans in particular.  Potential members were promised benefits like being able to "command your own Earth sector" and "get instant respect from Autobot allies."  One later pamphlet even promised leadership of the entire S.T.A.R.S. organization, from [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] himself.  Whether these promises were genuine is unknown; what ''is'' known is that the membership kit included:
 
*A ''Transformers Control Console'' with Communication Center for monitoring their sector
*A booklet including information about [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and some Transformer engineering diagrams
*An iron-on patch
*A S.T.A.R.S. ID card that could switch between displaying an Autobot symbol and a Decepticon one.  The purpose of this function is unknown, but one might speculate that since "legitimate" Autobot sigils include encoded verification data, {{storylink|(Double) Deal of the Century!}} the Decepticon badge may do the same, and a counterfeit Decepticon badge may be used to gain entry into their bases.  To prevent the Autobots from being similarly fooled by Decepticon sympathizers, the card included personal identification data on the reverse side.
 
[[Image:Patches g1.jpg|right|thumb|When the Autobot army rolls into town, S.T.A.R.S. members wear patches so they don't get shot.]]
 
If a S.T.A.R.S. member detected Decepticon activity, he or she was to:
*Alert the Autobots.
*Meet the arriving strike force, prominently displaying the issued patch on a shirt or hat<ref>[http://www.x-entertainment.com/articles/0504/ Iron-on patch commercial]: ''Humans near Autobot base display their patches showing Autobot allegiance to suspicious guards.''</ref>
*Be prepared to direct them towards their target
 
In a typical strike against a hidden Decepticon base, the Omnibots would drive up in the dead of night, transform, launch a volley of missiles at the base, get back into car mode, and get the heck out of Dodge before the Decepticons could retaliate.
 
S.T.A.R.S. members were required to fill out Interplanetary Transmission Reports detailing the events.
 
[[Time Warrior|Time Warriors]] were also made available to human allies.  It's unclear whether S.T.A.R.S. members specifically were given them, but their association with the Omnibots and their presence in the some of the S.T.A.R.S. recruitment material suggests that they were.
 
Not all human allies were part of S.T.A.R.S., of course, but sometimes the nature of S.T.A.R.S. seemed to be evident without the name being used.  For instance, a network of human allies once alerted the Autobots to a series of Decepticon sightings across Idaho {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}}
 
By the year 2006, S.T.A.R.S. still existed in some form, but it's unclear how much - if anything - had changed.  The only direct reference was a passive one:  Rodimus Prime regaled a young S.T.A.R.S. member with the story of [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]], the quest for the location to build Autobot City.
 
Perhaps the most oblique possible reference is when Blaster contacted the [[EDC]] base on Mars, referring to the humans there as "the stars on Mars."  {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}}  Whether he meant "stars" or "S.T.A.R.S." is open for conjecture, especially since S.T.A.R.S. may or may not even exist in that branch of continuity.
 
==Non-Fiction==
[[Image:STARS-FanClubUK-Advert.jpg|left|thumb|150px|The Autobot base gets very drafty in the winter.]]
 
S.T.A.R.S. was the Transformers fan club.  It started in 1985, and the price of membership was $6.50 (or £4.99 and 4 [[Robot point|Robot Points]] in the UK).


The Transformers [[pack-in flyer]]s featured an ongoing storyline. The established S.T.A.R.S. organization is detailed in the second pack-in story, and subsequent pack-in inserts (which eventually moved to the year 2006 along with the cartoon) also mentioned S.T.A.R.S.
Early in the war between [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s on [[Earth]], the tide turned against the Autobots, which necessitated the shipment of the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibots]], the [[Powerdasher]]s, and the [[Time Warrior (G1)|Time Warriors]] from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. In conjunction with this, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] declared the need to recruit "Earth allies" into the S.T.A.R.S. organization who could work in conjunction with the Time Warriors in covert missions in Decepticon territory. To wit, [[human]]s were sent flyers about their battles and S.T.A.R.S. membership. {{storylink|The battle is far from over!}}


S.T.A.R.S. members received the following:
The Decepticons were driven back by the Autobots' renewed offensive, and the Decepticons had changed their strategy to constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike. Optimus was holding back until human allies were ready to help take down the bases with the aid of the Omnibots and Time Warriors. To gain more support for their efforts, [[Overdrive]] sent a message detailing those events, and allowing his audience to learn of "top-secret plans" where the Omnibots would use the Time Warriors to time their attacks. [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] was mentioned as fighting battles at the same time elsewhere and S.T.A.R.S. members were invited to use their vehicles. {{storylink|Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!}}


*S.T.A.R.S. membership card.
A later message told the story of [[Johnny (G1)|Johnny]], a boy whose town came under the energy-draining assault of [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]. His first instinct was to activate his S.T.A.R.S. Command Center and summon the help of several [[Autobot Cars|Autobot cars]] and the Omnibots, to whom he prepared to issue orders. {{storylink|Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?}} However, his console lost power and then went to "CODE RED"; the message prompted the audience to solve this situation. {{storylink|Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?}}
*Transformer Control Center (a cardboard communications panel which doubled as a toy display case)
*[[Iron-on patch]]
*Transformers poster
*[[Tech Specs]] booklet containing information about Cybertron and engineering drawings of Transformers.


The Japanese Transformers fan club also included a cardboard command base, which many label the "Japanese S.T.A.R.S."  This is inaccurate. The Japanese command base was a cardboard environment for the toys to play in, not a roleplay center, and there was no equivalent of the S.T.A.R.S. story in Japan (at least as far as the fan club went.)
At one point, Ultra Magnus sent a message recruiting for the position of S.T.A.R.S. Commander. {{storylink|You Have Been Chosen.}} One message, while recruiting for S.T.A.R.S., also presented the recipient with a mission: Get three friends to go see ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', the Autobots' new film, and then mail in their ticket stubs plus one dollar each to get posters. {{storylink|The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:}}


==Trivia==
Later messages involved their recipients less directly, simply sharing tales of robot-on-robot battles and inviting the audience to help the Autobots by joining S.T.A.R.S. {{storylink|The Autobots Are Under Attack!}} One message referred to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] talking about a [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|past battle]], which the recipients were encouraged to get involved in. {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}} {{storylink|Transformers Combat Data}}
*The appeal for human allies, initially attributed to Optimus Prime, would later be repeated by the Omnibot [[Overdrive]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].  Though theoretically a grass-roots campaign, its status as mass-distribution pack-in causes it to read more like a [http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/nigeria.asp 4-1-9 scheme].  ''"Dear Sir or Madame, I must solicit you in the strictest confidence for this alliance, I am the leader of an alien army..."''


*The operational model used by S.T.A.R.S. seems to be lifted almost point-for-point from American Cold War paranoia about Communist [[Wikipedia:Fifth column|fifth columnists]] who keep Stalinist posters, radio transmitters and little red books of ideology hidden in their attic. The ones who'll put on their identifying armbands and rush out to guide troops towards vital infrastructure when the Russkies invade.  The description of (probable) members in [[Menace at the Dam]] even invokes leftist intelligentsia!
===''Animated'' cartoon===
Forged S.T.A.R.S. idento-cards were among the many wares that [[Rattletrap]] dealt in. {{storylink|Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II}}


*The status of deep secrecy (bordering on outright obliviousness) surrounding Transformers existed in neither the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|cartoon]] nor the [[Generation 1 (Marvel Comics)|comics]] at the time.  However, it ''was'' reflected in several [[Micro-continuity|micro-continuities]], like the [[Find Your Fate Junior]] books and many odd one-off stories. The atmosphere is probably best captured by the UK comics story ''[[Man of Iron!]],'' in which the Brits are unrealistically unaware of the giant alien robots who've been the top story on CNN overseas since their arrival. (Unrealistic if you think that that story is in-continuity with the rest of the Marvel UK universe.)
===Ask Vector Prime===
With the success of S.T.A.R.S., the [[Decepticon]]s of [[Primax 185.0 Beta]] responded with their own [[Decepto-Pack]], enslaving humans and giving them the Decepto-Packs to augment their capabilities and help him conquer the planet. S.T.A.R.S. recruits fought valiantly against the Decpto-packed hordes, but their sacrifices were not enough. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime|Ask Vector Prime, 04/06/2015}}


*The "Transformers" in the acronym is not just superfluous (since "Autobot" already implies Transformerdom), but actually incorrect (since S.T.A.R.S. members are explicitly ''not'' Transformers).
==Merchandise==
===''The Transformers''===
*'''S.T.A.R.S. membership kit''' (1985)
[[File:STARS-FanClubUK-Advert.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The perfect addition to YOUR trackless wasteland!]]
:S.T.A.R.S. was the Transformers fan club.  It started in 1985, and the price of membership was $6.50 (or £4.99 and 4 [[Robot Point]]s in the UK).  S.T.A.R.S. members received the following:
:*S.T.A.R.S. membership card.
:*Command Center (a cardboard communications panel which doubled as a toy display case)
:*Iron-on patch
:*Transformers poster
:*Tech-Specs Manual
: The Japanese Transformers fan club also included a cardboard command base which many label the "Japanese S.T.A.R.S." This is inaccurate.  The Japanese command base was a cardboard environment for the toys to play in, not a roleplay center, and there was no equivalent of the S.T.A.R.S. story in Japan (at least as far as the fan club went).
{{--}}


*For some reason, [[Wikipedia:Nemesis (Resident Evil)|Nemesis]] has a real grudge against S.T.A.R.S.
==Notes==
[[File:Patches g1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|When the Autobot army rolls into town, wear your patch so you don't get shot.]]
*All information about S.T.A.R.S. comes from toy pack-in [[Pack-in material#Mail-order flyers|mail-order flyers]] which, unlike most ''[[Transformers brand|Transformers]]'' fiction, were written in the ''second'' person. The reader was being actively "recruited" into the fictional organization. What this meant in real-world terms was membership in a fanclub with a few special trinkets and toys. But for the purposes of this article, we include elements like the membership card and the recruitment flyers themselves as part of the fiction.
*The operational model used by S.T.A.R.S. seems to be lifted almost point-for-point from American [[Cold War (history)|Cold War]] paranoia about Communist {{w|fifth column}}ists who keep Stalinist posters, radio transmitters and little red books of ideology hidden in their attic. The ones who'll put on their identifying armbands and rush out to guide troops towards vital infrastructure when the Russkies invade.
*For some reason, {{w|Nemesis (Resident Evil)|Nemesis}} has a real grudge against S.T.A.R.S..


*The Decepticons appear to have countered this Autobot recruitment campaign by seducing their own human sympathizers, offering power and glory with the irresistible lure of the [[Decepto-Pack]].
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' {{ruby|'''STARS'''|スターズ}} (''Sutāzu''), '''Secret Transformers Cybertron Rescue Squad''' (シークレット・トランスフォーマーサイバトロンの救援隊の略 ''Shīkuretto toransufōmā saibatoron no kyūen-tai no ryaku'')


==References==
<references />


[[Category: Human organizations]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stars}}
[[Category: Generation 1]]
[[Category:Animated]]
[[Category: Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 subgroups]]
[[Category:Human organizations]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]

Latest revision as of 01:54, 4 January 2024

S.T.A.R.S. is an Autobot-allied human organization from the S.T.A.R.S. continuity portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
S.T.A.R.S. members receive the most advanced Cybertronian cardboard technology available.

The Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad (S.T.A.R.S.) is an underground organization of Autobot-allied humans on Earth. S.T.A.R.S. members keep watch for potential Decepticon activity in their sector and alert the Autobots if any is detected.

The membership package includes:

  • A Command Center (also called a "Control Center") for monitoring one's sector.
  • A Tech-Spec Manual containing information about Cybertron, the Autobot base, and specific Transformers.
  • An iron-on patch.
  • A S.T.A.R.S. membership card that switched between displaying an Autobot symbol and a Decepticon one, depending on the angle of view. Personal data could be entered on the reverse side. It is coded with identification data that allows the holder entry into the Command Center of the Autobot Refueling and Weapons Armory.
“ Earth allies like you are desperately needed. We must thwart the forces of evil now! ”

—Optimus Prime

Fiction

[edit]

S.T.A.R.S. continuity

[edit]
"We appreciate your vigilance, but that car parked across the street isn't a Stunticon either. Do your parents let you out much, Johnny?"

Early in the war between Autobots and Decepticons on Earth, the tide turned against the Autobots, which necessitated the shipment of the Omnibots, the Powerdashers, and the Time Warriors from Cybertron. In conjunction with this, Optimus Prime declared the need to recruit "Earth allies" into the S.T.A.R.S. organization who could work in conjunction with the Time Warriors in covert missions in Decepticon territory. To wit, humans were sent flyers about their battles and S.T.A.R.S. membership. The battle is far from over!

The Decepticons were driven back by the Autobots' renewed offensive, and the Decepticons had changed their strategy to constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike. Optimus was holding back until human allies were ready to help take down the bases with the aid of the Omnibots and Time Warriors. To gain more support for their efforts, Overdrive sent a message detailing those events, and allowing his audience to learn of "top-secret plans" where the Omnibots would use the Time Warriors to time their attacks. G.I. Joe was mentioned as fighting battles at the same time elsewhere and S.T.A.R.S. members were invited to use their vehicles. Earthlings: THE S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!

A later message told the story of Johnny, a boy whose town came under the energy-draining assault of Thundercracker. His first instinct was to activate his S.T.A.R.S. Command Center and summon the help of several Autobot cars and the Omnibots, to whom he prepared to issue orders. Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all? However, his console lost power and then went to "CODE RED"; the message prompted the audience to solve this situation. Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?

At one point, Ultra Magnus sent a message recruiting for the position of S.T.A.R.S. Commander. You Have Been Chosen. One message, while recruiting for S.T.A.R.S., also presented the recipient with a mission: Get three friends to go see The Transformers: The Movie, the Autobots' new film, and then mail in their ticket stubs plus one dollar each to get posters. The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:

Later messages involved their recipients less directly, simply sharing tales of robot-on-robot battles and inviting the audience to help the Autobots by joining S.T.A.R.S. The Autobots Are Under Attack! One message referred to Rodimus Prime talking about a past battle, which the recipients were encouraged to get involved in. Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth. Transformers Combat Data

Animated cartoon

[edit]

Forged S.T.A.R.S. idento-cards were among the many wares that Rattletrap dealt in. The AllSpark Almanac II

Ask Vector Prime

[edit]

With the success of S.T.A.R.S., the Decepticons of Primax 185.0 Beta responded with their own Decepto-Pack, enslaving humans and giving them the Decepto-Packs to augment their capabilities and help him conquer the planet. S.T.A.R.S. recruits fought valiantly against the Decpto-packed hordes, but their sacrifices were not enough. Ask Vector Prime, 04/06/2015

Merchandise

[edit]

The Transformers

[edit]
  • S.T.A.R.S. membership kit (1985)
The perfect addition to YOUR trackless wasteland!
S.T.A.R.S. was the Transformers fan club. It started in 1985, and the price of membership was $6.50 (or £4.99 and 4 Robot Points in the UK). S.T.A.R.S. members received the following:
  • S.T.A.R.S. membership card.
  • Command Center (a cardboard communications panel which doubled as a toy display case)
  • Iron-on patch
  • Transformers poster
  • Tech-Specs Manual
The Japanese Transformers fan club also included a cardboard command base which many label the "Japanese S.T.A.R.S." This is inaccurate. The Japanese command base was a cardboard environment for the toys to play in, not a roleplay center, and there was no equivalent of the S.T.A.R.S. story in Japan (at least as far as the fan club went).

Notes

[edit]
When the Autobot army rolls into town, wear your patch so you don't get shot.
  • All information about S.T.A.R.S. comes from toy pack-in mail-order flyers which, unlike most Transformers fiction, were written in the second person. The reader was being actively "recruited" into the fictional organization. What this meant in real-world terms was membership in a fanclub with a few special trinkets and toys. But for the purposes of this article, we include elements like the membership card and the recruitment flyers themselves as part of the fiction.
  • The operational model used by S.T.A.R.S. seems to be lifted almost point-for-point from American Cold War paranoia about Communist fifth columnists who keep Stalinist posters, radio transmitters and little red books of ideology hidden in their attic. The ones who'll put on their identifying armbands and rush out to guide troops towards vital infrastructure when the Russkies invade.
  • For some reason, Nemesis has a real grudge against S.T.A.R.S..

Foreign names

[edit]
  • Japanese: STARS (スターズ) (Sutāzu), Secret Transformers Cybertron Rescue Squad (シークレット・トランスフォーマーサイバトロンの救援隊の略 Shīkuretto toransufōmā saibatoron no kyūen-tai no ryaku)
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