Disposable class

The disposable class is a social stratum from the IDW portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

On Cybertron under the rule of the Functionist Council, if a Transformer's alt mode is found to be particularly common according to the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy — such as a memory stick or a laser pointer — they are deemed to be part of the disposable class. Members of the disposable class are forced to run on low-grade Energon and are considered, well, disposable by other Cybertronians.

Fiction

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Once, the disposable class numbered in the millions. The scientist, explorer, philosopher and author Dominus Ambus formed a friendship with his data receptacle Rewind and developed a series of sense tests to prove that the low-class Transformers had just as much a right to exist as anyone else, but then left to search for the cure to Cybercrosis on the Seething Moon. While Dominus and Rewind went questing for the misplaced satellite, the Functionists were overthrown by the Decepticons and war broke out on Cybertron. Upon their return, they were absorbed into the Autobots.

Four million years later the former members of the disposable class had grown scarce and giant memory stick Rewind had amassed so many datafiles that he was considered such a valuable resource by the other Autobots to be excused from combat. Before & After

The Functionist Universe

In an alternate timeline and upon his return to Cybertron after two million years serving in the Primal Vanguard, Minimus Ambus noted that there appeared to be a lot more data slug Transformers around than there used to be. Rewind explained that a series of mass recalls—including all the laser pointers—had left the data slugs relatively common among the general population. However, it was not long before Six-of-Twelve reported back to the Functionist Council that their theoconomists were divided over the data slugs—though they still had a functional value, their ability to store information threatened the Council's ability to govern. Overruling the theoconomists, One-of-Twelve ordered that their obsolescence chips be detonated and the data slugs were recalled. The Custom-Made Now

Notes

• Rewind's mold-mates Rosanna and Flip Sides also appear to be members of the disposable class. Eject hasn't yet appeared in IDW continuity unless that's him in memory stick mode in the lower left corner of the picture above.
• None of Soundwave's cassettes have been positively identified as part of the disposable class so far, though in retrospect it may cast a new light on Soundwave's reformatting of Senator Ratbat into a new "cassette" body during Megatron Origin #4. The "Beasts", as they are sometimes called, may be disposable class or an entirely separate, lowly class under the Functionalist system.

	Functionist classes
Astro Blacksmith Construction Disposable Flight Intellectual Janitorial Manual Military Ornament Scientific