Generic

What do any of us turn into?

A "generic" is the fan-coined, unofficial term for any unnamed background Transformer that is clearly not intended to represent any previously existing and named toy/character. Generics are frequently used to fill out crowd scenes and battles, and often employ repeated standardized designs (especially in the older material such as the original The Transformers cartoon).

It is rare that a generic gets a speaking part, but it has happened from time to time. However, if the character is given a name they cease to be a generic and becomes a regular old character. Over time, thanks to fans-turned-pro and conventions looking for con-exclusive toys, quite a few generics have made this leap! (See below for a partial list)

Notable generics

The Transformers cartoon

I don't know how, but I'm pretty sure the Decepticons were cheating.

• Seekers - The comparatively low number of Decepticons in the early episodes of the cartoon led to the filling out of the ranks with numerous generics based on the existing cast, most notably the Seekers.
• Reflector - There were often more than three. Though to be fair, it is speculated that Reflector was just one guy who could clone himself...
• Rumble/Frenzy body types. Just look at the picture to the right.
• Junkions - Hordes of generic Junkions tended to appear whenever the cartoon visited that planet. Sometimes Lithone character models were repurposed as Junkions.
• Paradrons - The entire population of Paradron in "Fight or Flee", save for Sandstorm were generics, especially their medics. However, the unnamed Communication Autobot had a distinct design, and even spoke a few lines.
• The "historic footage" from "Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2" features a large number of generics with completely made-up character models. Some of these models later show up again in "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1", "The Burden Hardest to Bear", and even The Headmasters.
• Many generics appear during the flashback scenes in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4".
• Many Decepticons of various designs were seen running as Unicron is on the verge of destroying Cybertron. A few were later seen inside Unicron along with Spike, Bumblebee, Jazz, and Cliffjumper, with two onscreen dropped into the acid and melting. A few Autobots were seen too, including one who resembles Beachcomber. The Transformers: The Movie

Marvel Comics continuity

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

Optimus Prime? Who's that meant to be?

• The first issue of the Marvel comic featured a very high proportion of generic characters - probably more than any issue of a Transformers comic since. Many of these were recycled from existing character models and some may be simple coloring errors, though a generic that resembles a miscolored Optimus Prime leading the Decepticons' assault on the Ark may take more explaining. A number of the generics in battle scenes tote weapons like ion blasters and fusion cannons.
• A generic Decepticon technician of a standard design originally created by Will Simpson for issue #103 was forcibly upgraded into a clone of Megatron.
• Dan Reed drew hundreds of generic "zombie" Transformers for the stories "City of Fear!" and "Legion of the Lost!"

Beast Wars cartoon

Wheeeee, best slide EVER!

• In "The Agenda (Part 1)", numerous generic Predacons were seen being jostled within Predacon Command Outpost One when the station was struck by the transwarp wavefront.

Beast Machines cartoon

• Generation 1 character models created for the Beast Wars episode "The Agenda (Part III)" were modified to represent various generic Cybertronian citizens who were infected with Megatron's transformation lock virus.
• A Soundwave character model appears in Nightscream's flashback in "Forbidden Fruit"
• A Prowl character model shows up as a corpse in a Vehicon factory in "Revelations Part I: Discovery".
• The Soundwave and Prowl character models were later stumbled upon by the Maximals in "Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search".

Soundwave? Never heard of that guy.

And at long last we have found Bluestreak!

Armada cartoon

"I had a bigger role than Overload!"

• Autobot and Decepticon forces were filled out using Generation 1 cartoon character models, creating several odd instances of classic characters getting remarkably awkward (and often randomly-colored) cameos. (For example, Hound is on the side of the Decepticons. Not to mention a purple Powerglide)
• Depending on who was animating the episode, the masses of Mini-Cons combined toy-characters with either randomly-colored toy-based models or entirely-new designs... or, in one notable instance, Wheelie's character model!

Energon cartoon

"Absolutely, positively not made of the corpses of other more important characters, SIR!"

• Due to the computer generated nature of the graphics, both Autobot and Decepticon forces were filled out with generics assembled from parts of other existing or unused character models. Wing Saber's original "Wing Dagger" form is one such example of a mixed-and-matched generic character model.

Cybertron cartoon

• Most of the Ancient Decepticons were generics, using slightly varied models. Nearly all of these clearly seen looked like their alternate modes were jets or starfighters of varying sort, and almost certainly Cybertronian in origin. They mainly served to be beaten up, and some possibly slagged, by the Autobots, but they did prove helpful in the final struggle.
• Many of the civilian Transformers were generic also, at least two being based on Longrack and several others based on Blurr. Others were more varied, as with the ancient Decepticons. These featured alternate modes used by characters in previous series, with a few new things, such as a bus and jetliners, being thrown in. It is noteworthy that none of these were ever seen in robot mode, save as silhouettes in "Fallen". The generic Ancient Decepticons, in contrast, were not seen in vehicle mode, save perhaps for a few brief glimpses.
• In a flashback shot in "Honor" and in a present-day scene in "Challenge" various generic Jungle Planet natives were shown in beast mode. These beast modes included various dinosaurs, a lobster-alt body type shared by at least two, and another shared body type that transformed into an owl.

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers continuity

I don't know who I am, but apparently I'm awesome.

• After the events of G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers left the Decepticons short on troops, in G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II artist E. J. Su padded out Shockwave's Cybertronian forces with nameless, but intricately designed generics. Sadly the Dinobots arrived, and Dinobots vs. generic Decepticons is always going to end badly for the no-names.
• Also notable is the generic "future Decepticon" composed of a mix of Energon Scorponok, Armada Megatron, and topped with Sky Garry's head, who appeared on the cover of #3 (as seen to the left). Part of him was shown in the cliffhanger of issue 2, but despite his appearance on the cover, he did not appear in the following issue at all. Instead his place was filled by hordes of generic Ravages, Sweeps, and Insecticons. Though multiple Insecticons and Sweeps have been previously seen, this is the first time we have seen clones of Ravage. In 2015, an entry of the Facebook edition of Ask Vector Prime would name this "future Decepticon" as Ragnarok and provide an in-universe explanation for his absence from the story.
• At the series's sconclusion, Shockwave is tended by a generic Decepticon medic, who has a similar design to Soundwave.

Animated cartoon

Many unnamed generic Decepticons appear at Megatron's funeral in "Dispatches".

Because of the AllSpark Almanacs, we didn't stay unnamed for long.

In Season 3 many generics flesh out crowd scenes. Normally these generics are just randomly colored characters, but sometimes they have new heads and posture, or sometimes even a new gender! This is especially noticeable in "Decepticon Air", "This Is Why I Hate Machines", and "Endgame, Part II".

Live-action film series

Those who didn't fancy fighting nude had to borrow others' clothes.

Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, and Ratchet all share the same generic protoform appearance before scanning their Earth alt modes.

Perhaps as an homage to the franchise's long history of generic background characters, or perhaps just to save time, ILM added many re-used and re-colored characters into the backgrounds of the larger battle scenes featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

• A protoform army with heads resembling Blackout.
• The Constructicons Long Haul, Rampage, Mixmaster, and Scrapper appeared in more than one place simultaneously, creating generics.
• A Buffalo MPV Decepticon resembling Bonecrusher from the first movie.
• Hundreds of Prime lookalikes during the battle of 17,000 B.C.E.

Despite having a recycled character model, Grindor's presence in the toyline establishes his continuing an age old custom rather than being a generic. The same reasoning can be applied to Demolishor and Scavenger.

• Copies of Scrapper, Long Haul, Deep Desert Brawl, and Sideways are seen in Transformers: Dark of the Moon when Optimus Prime charges down the street on his killing spree.
• Multiple duplicates of Scalpel are repairing Megatron's head wound in Africa.
• Three giant duplicates of Hatchet appear in the battle on Cybertron.
• The mercenaries, Steeljaws, and Stupid Drones serving aboard Lockdown's ship in Transformers: Age of Extinction all share single character models. And they may or may not even be Cybertronians.
• Galvatron's commandeered army of KSI drones mostly consists of Traxes. There are also multiple Two Heads and KSI Bosses.

Prime cartoon

Steve is the one on the right. Or is it the one in the middle?

• The Decepticons employ generics in the form of Vehicons which come in two flavors—jet and car. (In season 2 and 3 white versions of the Jet type appeared as Seekers, though they were just as generic as their purple brothers.)
• The Decepticon Miners all use the same model. The model itself is very similar to that of a car Vehicon.
• The good guys also have generics, as virtually all of the human soldiers seen use the same model. Mind you, all those squishies look the same to us anyway.

Generics gone pro

Before they became famous.

• Sunstorm was retroactively identified as one of the generic seekers from one scene of the first ever episode. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 Then, all of those guys since became named Fun Publications characters with exclusive toys: Nacelle, Hotlink, and Bitstream.
• Two space-fillers in the Female Autobots were named Greenlight and Lancer by Fun Pub, which also decided two randoms in another episode were retroactively Glyph and Strika. Flames of Yesterday
• The AllSpark Almanac and its sequels named several of the generics who hadn't been based on anything, giving us Lickety-Split and Lightbright.
• Chuffer was given a name in the Marvel UK letters pages, turning him from a random guy who gets killed into a specific guy who gets killed.
• Acid Storm was just one random Rainmaker until Hasbro turned him into a toy. His colleagues also received names (Nova Storm and Ion Storm) and some characterization via the Facebook edition of Ask Vector Prime.
• Ragnarok became this thanks to Ask Vector Prime.

External links

• Generics at the Obscure Transformers Website
• Armada Background Characters at insecticons.com