Holomatter

Please state the nature of the medical emergency.

Holomatter is a solid-light projection technology, used by Autobots operating on alien worlds. Holomatter projectors can create projected facsimiles of native species which are too small or fleshy for the Autobots to mimic with their mechanical altmodes. The avatar isn't just a friendly image to fool human beings; it's also the Autobot equivalent of a remotely operated vehicle, allowing Autobots to go places and perform actions that would otherwise be prevented by their size and the need to camouflage their true identities. Having an avatar in a location is like the Autobot being there themself. An avatar can function up to at least 400 miles away from the controlling Autobot, even when separated by solid walls.

The avatar is created and maintained by "holomatter generators". They can cause the avatar to blink into sudden existence with no warning. Holomatter avatars can be intangible, or as solid as a real object. Much like Pretender shells before them, holomatter avatars carry a strong connection to the consciousness of its generating Autobot. Damage to the avatar can cause severe impairment to the controlling Autobot if their consciousness is not withdrawn in time. Holomatter disguises are also limited by their operator's understanding of the lifeform they mimic.

Fiction

2005 IDW continuity

All the Autobots operating covertly on Earth used holomatter avatars to act as their vehicle mode drivers. Infiltration #1 Through a lack of understanding of humans, the holomatter avatars of the Autobots wore a fixed smile which their human friends found creepy, and the male Autobots Bumblebee and Sunstreaker had female avatars. Infiltration #3

Ratchet was able to deliver a massive electrical surge at very close range through his holomatter avatar. This was powerful enough to stun Runabout, though at the cost of burning out Ratchet's holomatter generators. Infiltration #2

After Optimus Prime arrived on Earth, Hunter gave the Autobots a "crash course in Earth culture"; Jazz noted that the Autobots never realized that humans found the smiles of their avatars disturbing. After this, the Autobots' holomatter avatars became much more expressive. Escalation #1

In a Psycho-Prism fueled battle between Autobots and Avengers, Bumblebee used his avatar to distract Luke Cage. Wolverine was not fooled since the holomatter projection gave off no scent. Man and Machine, Part Two After that misunderstanding was resolved, vehicle mode Autobots used their holomatter avatars to carry on conversations with the Avengers and Doctor Doom. Man and Machine, Parts Two, Three, and Four

Holomatter could be detected by devices called "holomatter readers", which the Machination possessed. Escalation #4 Ironhide's avatar was capable of lifting Verity Carlo and Jimmy Pink at the same time, and he could increase the size of his avatar to over 9' (3m) tall so as to manhandle the pair through a hole in the ceiling. Escalation #6

Streetwise and Groove used their holomatter avatars to trick Sandra into coming with them, to help in their investigation of Spike. Only Forward

Over time, the long-range projection of holomatter avatars fell out of common use because of the energy cost and total concentration required (as well as the fact that hair never looked right). Ratchet used this technology to distract the traitorous Pharma during their fight, and used it to retrieve the cure to the Red Rust virus when Pharma dropped it off Delphi's roof. How Ratchet Got His Hands Back

Rung and Brainstorm modified the holomatter avatars of the Lost Light crew to better reflect their personalities. The avatars were used during a trip to Hedonia to avoid annoying some of the more mech-unfriendly locals. Cybertronian Homesick Blues Several crew members later used their holomatter avatars to search for Swerve on the bartender's projection of Earth. The One Where They Go to Earth

The Scavengers used holomatter avatars to blend in with the natives on Magisteria VI. Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots Misfire and Spinister disguised themselves as M.A.S.K. agents on a visit to Earth, but their poor grasp of human design led to some issues. Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!

Known avatars

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  Bluestreak—An ambiguously brown young woman in fashionably ripped, pink/purple clothes. Wears hoop earrings, a studded belt with Autobot belt buckle, and a blue MP3 player with headphones. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Bumblebee—Brunette white/Hispanic female in a tank top and jeans, based on Lindsay Lohan. Infiltration et al
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  Chromedome—Young, gangly white man with blond hair, wearing a red sweater, khaki pants, and a white overshirt. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Cyclonus—Stern, handsome woman of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent, dressed like a Victorian school teacher in various shades of purple. Features a hair accessory that evokes his horns. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Frenzy and Rumble—Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Primeless, Part 2 Given their later affinity for movie making, Starscream: The Movie it's possible this was a deliberate choice.
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  Groove—White police officer in black uniform with a white helmet, riding Groove's motorcycle mode. Police Action Part 2: Only Forward
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  Hot Rod—Heavily built white man with brown hair in a ponytail and a shirt unbuttoned to expose his chest. Basically Steven Seagal, then. Devastation
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  Later, as Rodimus, he was the physical embodiment of the 80s a young, white male with a flame tattoo and Marty McFly's outfit (with the addition of an Autobot T-shirt and minus most of the sleeves). The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Ironhide—Older "military brass-type" white male with well-groomed silver hair and mustache and a gray suit. Infiltration et al
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  Jazz—Young black male with a close-cropped fade and a thin chin goatee. Wears a black suit and grey tie. Infiltration et al
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  Megatron—Elderly white man resembling a retired super-villain, with a scarred and lined face resembling the Decepticon insignia. Wears a long coat and a skull belt buckle (and initially carried a Decepticon insignia cane). The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Misfire—"Alex 'Anti-Spill' Higgins", a male M.A.S.K. agent in armour loosely resembling Misfire. Lacking the necessary knowledge to replicate a human visage, "Alex"'s face is a poorly-composited cyclopean affair. Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!
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  Nautica—White woman with short, auburn hair, wearing a purple turtleneck and a mechanic's overalls, equipped with a tool belt and googles around her neck. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Nightbeat—Idris Elba as Luther, a handsome, bearded black man, wearing a dark trenchcoat, blue shirt, and yellow tie. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Optimus Prime—A well-built white trucker with a brown beard and a blue or red shirt and cap. Modelled after Ulysses S. Grant. Escalation
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  Prowl—A "federal agent"-type: ginger hair, receding hairline, middle-aged white male with dark sunglasses and a gray suit. In short: Horatio Caine. Infiltration et al
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  Ratchet—Blond, middle-aged, sightly hefty white male. Wears an EMT uniform, minus the jacket. Infiltration et al
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  Rewind—Blond, spiky-haired, young white male with goatee, wearing cargo pants and a black T-shirt for The Divine Comedy. Carries a video camera. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Rung—A tall, thin, bespectacled white nebbish with graying hair, wearing a green sweater vest, dark shirt, and an orange formal suit and cap. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Later, Rung appears as a short, thin, red-haired white man in a dark, patterned waistcoat, a wingtip-collared shirt with rolled up sleeves, a salmon cravat, tan trousers, and gloves. Wears steampunk-ish spectacles, and sometimes a brown overcoat. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Scavengers—At least three of the team, including Fulcrum, had avatars resembling the inhabitants of Magisteria VI. Some Of My Best Friends Are Autobots
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  Skids—A white male with a floppy brown side parting and a prominent chin. Dressed in a blue suit jacket, and trousers, a red V-neck sweater, and a blue bow tie. Essentially a palette swap of Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Skids' second avatar is straight up just Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor: a gaunt, middle-aged white man with close-cropped black hair and prominent ears and nose. Wears a leather jacket, a red V-neck top, and jeans. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  At some stage, Skids may have had an avatar of a blond, middle-aged white man with an aquiline nose and a sharp grey suit. Basically Daniel Craig as James Bond. Cybertronian Homesick Blues (cover only)
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  Spinister—"Dennis 'Suds' Taylor", a towering female M.A.S.K. agent in armour resembling Spinister. Underneath is another helmet, showing a total lack of imagination is not such a bad thing after all. Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again!
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  Streetwise—A white police man in full uniform. Has a sensible, brown hairstyle and aviators. Police Action Part 2: Only Forward
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  Sunstreaker—Conventionally attractive, white adult woman with blonde hair and minimalist makeup. Infiltration
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  After becoming a Headmaster, Sunstreaker's avatar is a copy of his partner Hunter O'Nion, while the actual Hunter is secreted away somewhere in Sunstreaker's vehicle mode. Maximum Dinobots
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  Swerve—A short, rotund white male "surfer" type with prominent body hair, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, sandals, and wraparound sunglasses. On Hedonia, he carried Tailgate around in a papoose (see below). Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  At some point during the Lost Light's second voyage, Swerve allowed his body to fall into neglect, and he interacted with the crew solely through an avatar of himself. This only became evident to his crewmates when his avatar vanished while he was tending bar. The Frail Gaze
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  As his condition worsened, a combination of factors led to Swerve's overloading holomatter generator to create a life-size replica of Earth as depicted in an amalgam of his favourite sitcoms. Rodimus dubbed the planet "Swearth". The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Swearth's inhabitants included a trio of wacky room-mates: priest Ted, dermatologist Sheldon, and schlubby comedian Jerry–each of whom represented a facet of Swerve's personality, with their infighting representing his self-loathing. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  After becoming aware of his predicament, Swerve's three avatars recombined into a more conventional representation of Swerve, now with longish, swept back hair, a white V-neck Tee, a light grey, unbuttoned shirt, and jorts. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Tailgate—A white infant with a curl of blond hair, wearing a blue frilly romper and a white hat with the letter "T" on it. Has a pacifier. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Tailgate's later avatar is a pale female toddler with white hair, wearing a dungaree dress, long socks, and Mary Janes. The "T" hat now better resembles a sailor cap, and a blue visor hangs down beneath it. The One Where They Go to Earth
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  Ultra Magnus infiltrates the Zarak Consortium building by replicating at least four of its employees, all of whom are peach-skinned, white-eyed Nebulans. They include an armoured security guard, a besuited director of marketing, a man in a HAZMAT suit, and a scientist in a white labcoat. Spotlight: Ultra Magnus
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  Ultra Magnus later chooses to make his avatar a copy of his old friend, Verity Carlo. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Wheeljack—Balding "mad scientist"-type older white male with blond/white hair, glasses, goatee, and a white Nehru jacket. Infiltration et al
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  Whirl—A young white girl with blue pigtails, an eyepatch, and a missing front tooth. Wears a pale T-shirt, dungaree shorts, knee-high stripey socks, and Mary Janes. Alarmingly, carries two Uzi machine pistols. Cybertronian Homesick Blues
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  Whirl's later avatar is a teenaged punk version of the former, adding twin-pronged eyebrows, studded fingerless gloves, spiky arm- and knee-pads, combat boots, and chains. Wears a watch on each wrist (aww). Predestination: A Beginner's Guide

Live-action film series

The Decepticons Blackout, Barricade, and Starscream maintained their ruse of being human-driven vehicles by using a holographic pilot or driver known as Moustache Man. Transformers Optimus Prime created a holo-driver for himself in the likeness of Peter Cullen. Alliance #1 Arcee, Chromia and Elita-One each used a holographic rider. Revenge of the Fallen Mohawk sported a holographic rider. The Last Knight

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  Blackout, Barricade, Starscream
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  Optimus Prime

Unicron Trilogy bios

Strongarm was equipped with a holomatter projector.

Ask Vector Prime

The Thirteen and the Guiding Hand visited Earth in the days of ancient Greece, utilizing holomatter to interact with the humans while the Thirteen themselves sat at the top of a mountain since Earth technology at the time was not developed enough for them to be able to assume inconspicuous disguises. Their presence on Earth inspired the legends of the Twelve Olympians. Vector Prime presented himself as Hermes; Prima as Zeus; Onyx as Artemis; Autonomous Maximus as Apollo; Megatronus as Ares; Nexus Maximus as Hera; Liege as Aphrodite; Solus Prime as Hephaestus; Alpha Trion as Athena; and Alchemist Prime as Dionysus; Epistemus as Demeter; Adaptus as Poseidon; and Mortilus as Hades.

Vector Prime sometimes had difficulty finding depictions of himself and his fellow Olympians that did not trip the Axiom Nexus Auto-Censors, due to frequent depictions of his external socket configuration. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/14

After the Shroud, the Vector Prime of Nexus 208.0 Epsilon was dispatched to Nebulos, where he planned to disguise himself as a factory and use his holomatter avatar to interact with the locals. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/11/01 Taking the appearance of an elderly Caucasian human male, dressed in a dark suit with accompanying opera cape, Vector's hope was his apparent status as a non-native would cover any gaps in his knowledge of the planet to the native Nebulans. Ask Vector Prime, 2016/02/15

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  Vector Prime
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  Prima
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  Autonomous Maximus
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  Onyx Prime
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  Liege Maximo
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  Solus Prime
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  Alchemist Prime
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  Epistemus
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  Megatronus
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  Nexus Prime (right) with Prima
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  Adaptus
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  Mortilus
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  Alpha Trion

Beast Wars: Uprising

Human-built second-born intellects such as Screwball and Pox interacted with their organic CTCF colleagues through holomatter avatars, which could be easily and quickly customized to encompass a wide variety of contradictory and sometimes fantastical appearances. Intersectionality The Inexorable March

Toys

Masterpiece

• Loudpedal (2016)

A recolor of the Raoul figurine released with Masterpiece Tracks, this time Raoul is done up in his deco from "Auto-Bop" but is otherwise the same. Technically, this figure represents C Shadow, the human musician alter-ego of Loudpedal's holomatter avatar.

• Reboost (2021)

Masterpiece Reboost includes a colorless transparent repaint (depaint?) of the Spike Witwicky figure included with Hound which represents a holomatter avatar.

Notes

• Holomatter bears a resemblance to the solid light simulations from the Marvel comics, also created by Simon Furman, based on TV show Red Dwarf.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Holobussitsu avatar (ホロ物質アバター horobussitsu abatā), holomatter avatar (ホロマター・アバター horomatā abatā), solid light avatar (ソリッドライト・アバター soliddo raito abatā)