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[[Image:studioox_combiners_whatif.jpg|right|400px|thumb|keep your friends close, and your enimies closer.]]
A '''combiner''' is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself.  Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items.  Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.
A '''combiner''' is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself.  Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items.  Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.


Revision as of 20:50, 24 November 2010

keep your friends close, and your enimies closer.

A combiner is a group of Transformers that assemble and combine their bodies into a single machine, or that composite machine itself. Most combiners form a larger Super Robot with its own unique personality (a character in its own right), but other varieties of combiner exist, forming vehicles, weapons, or other items. Combiners tend to be considerably larger and more powerful than the average Transformer, equivalent to strategic-grade weapons.

There are a number of combiner-related terms that can be easy to mix up, partially because some of them are used interchangeably. Additionally, most of them have no formal definition and thus may be used differently by different fans. Consequently, most of the discussion which follows should not be taken as the word of Primus, but as a rough description of common usage.

Terms for combiners

Worst...logo...ever.

Combiner: As above, a member of a group of Transformers who assemble into a composite form. Also refers to that composite form itself. This is the most general term for all combining Transformers. "Combiner" is the most common term for combining Transformers that has been used by Hasbro in an official capacity, starting with the Micromaster Combiners from 1990 (with the exception of the more limited "special teams" and a recent official use of the term "gestalt"), having even appeared with its own logo on Robots in Disguise toy packaging.

What, no Terror Claws? No Cranium Regulation Unit? What kind of lame dissection is this?!

Gestalt: Fan-terminology for a certain class of combiners—generally used only for "big robot" combiners with emergent personalities. The term is nebulously defined, such that some fans would consider a two-member combiner such as Squawkbox a gestalt, but other fans would not. This is probably the fandom's second most frequently-used term for combining Transformers. Its use in Transfandom is derived from the principle of gestalt psychology, which is sometimes simplified to mean "greater/different than the sum of its parts," though a few fans consider this term pretentious and obtuse. The term remained firmly in realm of fanon for years, although it did appear in some Energon design sketches implying that Hasbro designers used the term occasionally, until in 2007 "gestalt" made its first official appearance, in the bio of the Titanium Series Menasor toy, once more in 2007's "Spotlight: Optimus Prime" referring to Monstructor, and again in 2009 in the "First (and Second) in Flight" comic where Perceptor describes Jetfire's & Jetstorm's combination into Safeguard as a sort of "gestalt powerlink".

Scramble City combiner: A specific type of Generation 1 giant gestalt that follows the five-member design featured in the Japanese "Scramble City: Mobilization" OVA. The team leader is larger than the other members and forms the main body of the combiner, while the others are smaller and form the limbs. The limbs are interchangeable, although there is always a generally-accepted “normal” formation. Further, the limbs are interchangeable from one Scramble City combiner to another, making for a large number of bizarre combinations. (See Abomenaticus, Autobot Super Scramble, Comperian, Decepticon Super Scramble, and Scramble 7.) Limbs are also able to attach to and augment Metroplex & Metrotitan (see "Notes" below). Note that this term is purely descriptive rather than being a proper name.

Special Team: A synonym for Scramble City combiner. When the Scramble City toys were marketed in Europe they were referred to as Special Teams, and the term even appeared in the UK comic book series. The term was used in some marketing materials in the US, such as packing lists for the toy case assortments, but never appeared in US fiction until the Ultimate Guide was published in 2004. It was also used as the name for a Target exclusive five-pack of redecos of Cybertron Legends toys released under the Universe banner, "Special Team Leaders". Ironically, none of these toys were actually combiners—the term simply referred to the characters, since the redecos were homages to the leaders of Generation 1 combiner times, four of which were "Scramble City" combiners.

Super Robot: A robot which is formed through the combination of two or more Transformers. Powered-up robot modes composed of only one Transformer who combines with some of their own accessories are often also referred to as Super Robots, such as Powermaster Optimus Prime or the incarnations of Prime from Robots in Disguise and all three Unicron Trilogy series. It is probably safe to informally refer to any such mode as a Super Robot (thus including, say, G1 Ultra Magnus and Energon Landmine). Note that this means Super Robots are not always combiners and do not have to have their own personality. Rather, Super Robot and combiner are two different categories of Transformer which sometimes overlap. A one-robot Super Robot may also be referred to as that robot's Super Mode.

Fusilateral quintrocombiner: Coined by Simon Furman in issue 9 of the Generation 2 comic to refer to the Combaticons. It presumably is meant to refer to all the Scramble City teams except possibly the Seacons, as their combined forms consist of six robots (not five, so they could possibly be fusilateral hexocombiners I guess...). It may also apply to the Predacons, but it doesn't matter because nobody uses this term anyway.

Amalgam model: Yet another obscure term for combiners first used by Simon Furman via Wheeljack in the "Devastation Derby!" story in the UK comic books.

Types of combiner

As mentioned above, most combiners form a super robot. However, there are many other types of combining in the Transformers multiverse.

In the Energon franchise, most of the Autobot characters were able to combine with each other in pairs much like Victory's Multiforce. These combined forms can probably be considered Super Robots. The combined form was simply controlled by whichever Autobot was "on top". Make whatever jokes you will.

Generation 1 contains many examples of combined alternate modes, including Reflector, Dreadwing, Big Powered, the Battlestar, and the Double Targetmasters.

The Micromaster Combiners are made up of Transformers whose altmodes combine into vehicles, with one partner being the front and another the rear. The combined forms do not have specific names. Thanks to the generic peg-and-socket connection method used, any two Micromaster combiners can be linked (though some such as the dump truck/space shuttle combo may attract comment). These altmode combiners should not be confused with the Micromaster "Sixcombiners", six-robot teams who combine to form a Super Robot.

The Unicron Trilogy's Mini-Cons brought to the fiction combined weapon modes, like the Star Saber & Dark Saber swords, Requiem Blaster cannon, and Skyboom Shield.

The Power Core Combiners use a different type of combining method. Instead of using 5 robots, the combined final robot is formed by one "Commander" type robot, and 4 different drones that form the arms and legs.

Not combiners

Not all cases of multiple things attaching to each other are combiners. As mentioned above, many Super Robots—which are formed through a conglomeration of parts—are not combiners. Energon Landmine, for example.

A similar case can be found in Transformers who have two or more "components" which combine into a single entity. G1 Sky Lynx has lynx and dino-bird components, G1 Omega Supreme has tank, base, and rocket components, and Magmatron has three dinosaur components. However, all of these components are considered to be "part of" the overall Transformer, even through they can act independently. The Duocons are another case of this sort. All of these examples are not combiners because there is only one Transformer involved in each of them, regardless of how many bodies that Transformer may simultaneously operate. Such robots are occasionally referred to as "Reverse Combiners" within the fandom.

(Confusing things further are the comics which treated Sky Lynx and the Duocons as triple changers, able to transform between the combined mode and the ones for individual components without any parts separating off.)

Sometimes a smaller Transformer will attach to and enhance a larger Transformer in some way. This is the case when Mini-Cons powerlink with bulks, as well as with binary-bonded partners like Headmasters, Powermasters/Godmasters, Kiss Players and Breastforce members. Although these examples do include more than one Transformer (or a Transformer and a fleshling), they are not considered "combiners". The simplest justification for this is that, in these cases, the "combined" form is almost exactly the same in appearance as the non-combined form.

And sometimes things just combine for no real reason at all. Just deal with it. We hate it, oh God yes, but there it is. We're sorry.

Fiction

Generation 1

Marvel comics continuity

Combiner teams
Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

The Constructicons were designed and built by Shockwave as the first combiner team. They were given life through Creation Matrix energy stored in Optimus Prime's head. The Constructicons had considerable difficulty coordinating together as Devastator in their first mission. The Next Best Thing to Being There!

The Special Teams were first conceived within Buster Witwicky's mind shortly after the human had relinquished control of the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime. Shockwave was able to view this data remotely and prepare for their development. Second Generation!

Seeing the potential in combiner technology, the Autobots decided to learn how to utilize it themselves. They staged an attack on a Decepticon coal mining base which drew out the Constructions. When they combined, Bumblebee was there recording their transformation pattern. Command Performances! They used this information to construct the Aerialbots. Unfortunately, they were forced to go on their first mission with only Silverbolt's personality programming completed, leaving the rest of the team, and Superion, rather indifferent towards human casualties. Aerialbots over America! After their first mission proved a failure, Optimus Prime had Wheeljack wipe their memory, and started reprogramming them with the Creation Matrix. However, Bombshell, who had gotten a lift to the Ark on Silverbolt's plane mode, had injected Optimus Prime with a cerebro-shell with which Megatron was able to steal energy from the Creation Matrix and bring his newly-built combiner team, the Stunticons to life. Heavy Traffic! The Protectobots and Combaticons next combiner teams to become part of their faction's Earth-bound crew. Afterdeath!

The exact origin of the Protectobots and Combaticons is not revealed.

The combining Predacons were summoned to Earth from Cybertron by Megatron. Prey! The Predacons were again summoned to Earth by Shockwave. Gone but Not Forgotten! The Technobots were part of Fortress Maximus's crew and the Terrorcons were part of Scorponok's crew on Cybertron. They had the ability to combine. Headmasters The Seacons were combiners that were summoned from Cybertron to Earth by Shockwave. Enemy Action! They later came under the command of Ratbat. Club Con!

It is not revealed how the Combiner technology that was developed on Earth was found among these Cybertron based crews. Some of the Decepticons on Cybertron were in contact with Earth Decepticons, so perhaps the technology was passed along and the Cybertron Autobots stole it from the Cybertron Decepticons. Or the Cybertron Transformers just developed the technology independently.
Other combiners

Darkwing and Dreadwind combine to form Dreadwing. People Power! They appear to keep their individual personalities in their combined mode instead of merging their minds.

Cartoon continuity

On Cybertron, the Constructicon were existing Transformers who were brainwashed by Megatron to become Decepticons. Megatron also adapted them with the ability to combine into Devastator to challenge Omega Supreme. Omega Supreme pursued the Constructicons for millions of years. The Secret of Omega Supreme In 1984, the Constructicons were (re?)created on Earth with the ability to combine to bolster the Decepticons' strength. Heavy Metal War

For more on the conflicting origin of the Constructicons, see here.

The Stunticons and Aerialbots were built from scratch and given personality by Vector Sigma. They were designed with the ability to combine. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Starscream installed the Combaticons personality components into junked military vehicles. This brought the vehicles to life with the ability to combine. Starscream's Brigade

The Protectobots became part of the Autobot forces on Earth and were able to combine. The Revenge of Bruticus

Years later, the Predacons originated as combiners under the command of the Quintessons. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5 The combinable Terrorcons were part of Galvatron's troops. An intellectually enhanced Grimlock created the Technobots with the ability to combine. Grimlock's New Brain

Dreamwave comics continuity

Experiments in combining were conducted both before and during the early phase of the civil war, in a process known as mass intellect. However, the combined forms suffered in that the stronger minds tended to drown out the weaker ones. Following the failure of the planetary engine turbines, the Constructicons turned their attention to the mass intellect process. They eventually developed a hyper vortex processor that managed to preserve the individuals minds in the combined whole. Testing the process on themselves, the Constructicons combined into Devastator. While the Constructicons were able to preserve their minds, Devastator was hampered by the need of all six Constructicons to agree on a course of action, which was usually destroy the Autobots. As a result, the combined intellects of the Constructicons did not translate to Devastator, who instead suffered serious mental disabilities. Despite this, Devastator's destructive capabilities greatly pleased Megatron, and he ordered the Constructicons to continue their experiments.<ref>Transformers: The Ultimate Guide</ref>



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IDW comics continuity

Monstructor was the first combiner and was designed through experimentation by Jhiaxus. Unfortunately, in this first prototype, the merging process led to insanity. The team was captured by the Autobots Spotlight: Optimus Prime and placed into the custody of Fortress Maximus while Jetfire and the Technobot studied them with the goal of rehabilitating them. The technology stymied Jetfire, who estimated it would take a lot more study before progress could be made. He didn't get the chance, however, since the Monstructor Six were soon captured by the Decepticon Secret Service. Spotlight: Arcee Monstructor was then captured by unidentified minions of Nemesis Prime Spotlight: Hardhead and used to guard the Nega-Core on Rotan. He was engaged in combat by the Decepticon Secret Service and Arcee while the Autobots sneaked around him. Spotlight: Sideswipe

One year later, the Decepticons have the combiner Devastator as part of their army. All Hail Megatron issue 2

Robots in Disguise

Robots in Disguise loves combiners. In fact, the majority of the cast combine in one way or another.

One-robot combiners
  • In the television show, Megatron (and presumably, Galvatron) was able to transform into his hand mode and then combine with his ship.
  • Optimus Prime is able to combine with his "base" to form a super robot.
Two-robot combiners
Three-robot combiners
Four-robot combiners
Five-robot combiners
  • The combined form of the Commandos is a being named Ruination. This combiner is controlled almost entirely by Mega-Octane, in order to be a more effective, coordinated being than most other combiners.




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Armada

Optimus Prime could combine with his trailer to form a Super Mode robot. With this ability at his disposal, he beat the tar out of every Decepticon at least once. Then a new magic mushroom appeared: Jetfire. During a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were totally getting slagged by Megatron's new tactician Thrust and his 'henchman' Tidal Wave. Right when it seemed hopeless, a space shuttle fell from the sky and combined with Optimus to form Jet Optimus. Needless to say, Megatron was rather surprised. The Decepticons kept trying to beat the Autobots and miserably failed each time, frequently due to this new team-up, which also helped the Autobots survive and win the Unicron Battles. A third magic mushroom appeared late on in the series literally out of nowhere. Prime's new 'shroom, named Overload, formed a large pair of cannons on top of Super Optimus' shoulders. Overload's additional firepower, combined with the already impressive firepower of the Requiem Blaster, enabled Optimus to destroy the being known as Sideways.

The Decepticons were not without their own combiner; Tidal Wave was able to combine with Megatron to form additional armor and a back-mounted rocket pack. The only practical upshot of this is that Megatron could now fly, which came in handy from time to time.

The three Mini-Con companions of the humans Rad, Alexis and Carlos could band together to form Perceptor. There were three other Mini-Con combiner teams who could form the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster. A fourth weapon existed as a dark clone of the Star Saber, wielded by the evil Nemesis Prime.

Energon

During this period, one couldn't swing a dead cybercat without hitting a combiner, as every Autobot, save for the Omnicons, was capable of merging with another, or with an augmenting portion of his vehicle mode. Then the three Maximus teams arrived, giving the Decepticons two five-part combiners and the Autobots one.

For further information, see: Spark of Combination

Live-action film series

Experimental combiner technology was developed by the Decepticons for combat advantage (yeah, that's right, the 'Cons do invent stuff themselves sometimes) and then used on the Constructicons who are able to form Devastator. Comfort was rather decidedly not on the top of the list of priorities and, as a result, the process is brutally painful to the Transformers involved, which also makes the combiners fuse in a very aggressive and painful manner (it's a vicious circle). The mental and physical torture involved leaves Devastator only interested in causing destruction.<ref>Devastator's Battle Bio at Hasbro.com</ref>

Knock Out hopes to undergo the "combination retrofit" process.<ref>Knock Out's toy bio.</ref>

No details are given regarding this "combination retrofit" technology, but it is a possible factor in Skids and Mudflap's ice cream truck mode.

Combiners are not limited to one combination scheme. Their final form may also vary.<ref>Hasbro's answer to Unicron.com as part of the October 2009 Q&A.</ref>

Prime continuity

Combining was an ancient art on Cybertron, but Shockwave took it further in his experiments, creating the uncontrollable Bruticus Maximus when working at Crystal City. In Kaon, he created the three combining Insecticons and during the war he perfected his experiments with the Constructicon Devastators. In response, the Autobots created Defensor. Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron

Combiner list

Due to the many uses of redecoes as new characters and convenience for reading, each mold is listed on its own line, with all different-character decoes/retools on the same line.
Combiners with two members
Combiners formed by main bodies with power-up partners
See also: Super Mode
Optimus Prime and Jetfire are not combiner in the fiction — Optimus simply uses Jetfire's corpse as parts to enhance his strength and firepower.
Combiners with three or more members (non-Scramble City type)
Scramble City-type combiners
Official mix-n-match Scramble City combiners
Micromaster-type combiners
Mini-Con combiners
Maximus-type combiners

Unused concepts

Combiners were a very popular idea during the Generation 1 toyline and as such there are loads of scrapped combiner designs that never got past the drawing board. Among them were:

  • A Scramble City style dinosaur combiner. The body is a T-Rex, while the limbs are a Pterodactyl (right arm), Ankylosaurus (left leg), Dimetrodon (left arm), and Styracosaurus (right leg)<ref>Transformers Generations Deluxe, p22</ref>
  • A decidedly goofy organic insect combiner composed of a stag beetle (right leg), another beetle (left leg), grasshopper (left arm), fly (right arm), and a cockroach body.<ref name="p99">Transformers Generations Deluxe, p99</ref>
  • A cybernetic beast combiner that did not form a robot, but rather a large cybernetic monster. It is formed from a cyber bat, mole, stag beetle, and a couple of fish things.<ref name="p99" />
  • A fifteen (!) vehicle Micromaster combiner where the only attached parts not contained by the component robots were the large robot fists. This combiner consists of three uniformly colored teams (in a similar fashion to the vehicular Voltron of the same time period):
    • Air team (blue)- two jets, two helicopters, a space shuttle.
    • Construction team (green)- a hauler, a bulldozer, a steam shovel, a tank (don't ask), a missile carrier (don't ask).
    • Street team (red)- two cars, a motorcycle, a formula racer, a jeep.<ref name="p108">Transformers Generations Deluxe, p108</ref>
Either the smallest steamboat ever, or the largest car in existence.
  • Another, simpler dinosaur combiner composed of a Pterodactyl, a not-really-a-Stegosaurus, and a T-Rex with a very large head. The three combine into a dinosaur thing similar to Magmatron's combined dino mode. It shares many visual characteristics with Tomy's relatively simple robot designs.<ref name="p108" />
  • A five vehicle combiner (evidently not Scramble City in nature) composed of a steam engine (right arm), steam boat (torso), car (right leg), truck (left leg), and plane (left arm).
He transforms into a traffic jam.
  • A base consisting mostly of ramps and a hollow tower in the center that combined with 14 non-transforming cars and vans. Two vehicles make up each limb, with three crammed in the chest, two for feet, and one that slides into the tower's gun platform to form the head. The ramps would then act as an exoskeleton to contain all of the components.<ref name="p79">Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2, p79</ref>
  • A robot formed from a truck cab and four cars with no robot modes that each have flip out weapon arrays. This may qualify more as a conventional "super robot" than a standard combiner, but we may never know.<ref name="p80">Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2, p80</ref>
  • A "Duocon" (or rather, "Triocon", in this case) style robot formed by three cars. One car splits in half to form the arms, another splits for the legs, and a third folds in half to reveal the robot head and connect it all together.<ref name="p80">Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2, p80</ref>
  • A Concorde jet that split into two robots, where the front portion's robot can pop out three wheels and a spare cockpit to give it a land mode. Presumably the larger rear robot could do the same.<ref name="p81">Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2, p81</ref>
  • Two military convoy "trains", one good, one evil, of six vehicles each hooked together that combine along the lines of Devastator but with loads more guns. The robot core is formed by a tractor trailer that leads either convoy, the good one being long nosed, the evil one being flat, each with trailers that open up into small cannon platforms usable by the five smaller robots. Said trailers also become their respective combined form's handgun. The other five members each have a specific large weapon such as a missile rack or chaingun that they can also use in robot mode.<ref name="p83">Transformers Generations 2009 Vol. 2, p83</ref>

Notes

  • G1 Devastator and Raiden are the only combiners from Diaclone toylines.
  • Scramble City-type combiners were initially designed to be a sub-line of Diaclone called... what else... Scramble City. This goes along with their ability to interact with and attach to Metroplex & Metrotitan, the designs of which were also originally intended for the Diaclone line.
  • Six of the seven released G1 Scramble City-type combiners were apparently released in themed pairs, themes usually further reinforced by their team members' tech spec bios to some extent.
    • Aerialbots (air vehicles) and Stunticons (ground vehicles)
    • Protectobots (rescue vehicles) and Combaticons (offensive vehicles... and a space shuttle)
    • Technobots (futuristic vehicles) and Terrorcons (fantastical beasts)
    • The Seacons are the odd men out, but the above mentioned unreleased dinosaur Scramble City combiner may have been an intended adversary.
  • In IDW comic continuity Squawkbox exists before Combiner technology has become available to either faction. This means that either Squawkbox is the core being and he's later split into Squawktalk and Beastbox or um... someone at IDW screwed up.

Footnotes

<references/>

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