DJ (BW)

This article is about the Maximal cicada from Beast Wars II. For the human F-22 pilot from Generation 1, see DJ (G1).

DJ is a Maximal Jointron from the Beast Wars II portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Say "andele" again! I dare you!

DJ is the eldest of the three Jointron brothers, so you'd think that would make him the most mature member of the Jointrons. But HA! There are no mature members of the Jointrons. DJ is just as much of an obnoxious party animal as his younger siblings, though they still seem to look to him for expert guidance, particularly when it comes to strategy. And they do so in spite of the fact that DJ has a habit of guzzling too much oil, getting rip-snorting drunk, and then wetting himself when he tries to fly in cicada mode.

But as weird and wacky (and wet) as DJ is, he can still fight. He's particularly fond of sonic attacks, largely due to his love of music and loudness in general. His weapons of choice are the sound-emitting Seven-Year Swords (dubbed as such because that's how long it took to tune them) which he stores in his wings.

DJ can also join with the other Jointrons (get it?) to form Tripledacus.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Beast Wars II cartoon

Voice actor: Ryō Naitō (Japanese)

Along with his brothers Gimlet and Motorarm, DJ was sent by Maximal command to the planet Trius. However, their ship ran into problems and they were forced to land on the nearest planet: Gaia. Evacuating the ship before anybody else could find them, they later ran into the Predacons and Maximals stationed on Gaia in their combined form, Tripledacus. After initially thinking the Maximals were Predacons, they realized their mistake and split into their individual selves, introducing themselves as the Jointrons to the other Maximals. However, the three's eccentric behavior didn't endear themselves to Lio Convoy's group. Unconcerned about this, they sought to use their might to defeat the Predacons and flew out without informing the other Maximals. The Jointrons faced against a Predacon force as Tripledacus and weren't faring well till Lio Convoy, Scuba, and Apache came to add their firepower to the battle. After the Predacons retreated, the Jointrons claimed all the credit. The Combined Giant, Tripledacus

Still intent on handling the Predacons on their own, the Jointrons took over a Maximal shuttle and turned it into a party house, to the annoyance of Apache. Disabling the shields and shooting out a flare to lure the Predacons to their position, they managed to lure in Dirge and Thrust, who left Autoroller backup outside. The two Combatrons were treated to the Jointrons' friendly hospitality—massive amounts of oil that impaired their already poor judgment. Using the excuse that they were bringing oil to the Autorollers, the Jointrons combined into Tripledacus, and, with Lio Convoy's help, chased away the Autorollers. Afterwards, the Combatron duo were forced to surrender—a victory for the Jointrons! The Festive Jointrons

Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't got to show you any STINKING BADGES!!

Again eager to take down the Predacons, DJ and his brothers went out on patrol for them, coming across a trap that they dumped Tasmania Kid and Diver to check out. Soon, they came across Starscream and BB, who attacked them with a "bacteria bomb" that struck DJ and Motorarm with bacteria that sapped them of energy. The three attempted to combine, but Gimlet's germaphobia prevented any cohesion, and they were left at the mercy of the Predacons. After the other Maximals came to the rescue as the "Jointron II", and Lio Convoy made a speech about how they could overcome this challenge if they shared energy, the Jointrons managed to combine and sent Starscream and BB fleeing. A Fearsome Combination Plan?

On another day, the Jointrons were sent on patrol with Diver and Tasmania Kid, who brought up the question of just who the leader in the trio was. Naturally, each one made a claim for themselves, with DJ noting that he was the one who contacted Maximal HQ and negotiated with others, amoth other qualities. Their competition brought them to the attention of the Predacons, who sought to capture the Jointrons to study their combination abilities. To handle the Predacons, the Jointrons took off on their own in a Maximal shuttle, but the intervention of Tasmania Kid caused them to crash. In the following battle, the brothers agreed that whoever was most successful against the Predacons would lead, but they all ended up captured and required the other Maximals to step in and rescue them. Afterwards, they reconsidered their silly argument and combined into Tripledacus to repel the Predacons. Who Is the Leader!?

The Jointrons were left behind on Gaia's eastern continent while Lio Convoy's troop returned to the northern continent. Later, during their patrol of the nearby ocean, they found Bighorn pining for Scylla and agreed to help in the sake of love. As part of a plan where Bighorn would "rescue" Scylla and be hailed as a knight in shining armor, the Jointrons sent a fake letter to Scylla, imploring her to come to Tengu Cliff. When she arrived, expecting Scuba, she was met by the masked Jointrons, who stuffed her into a bag and went off to rendezvous with Bighorn. Their plan hit a snag when they were spotted by Starscream and BB, who fired upon them and Bighorn. The trio were also spotted by Sea Phantom and Terrormander, who realized that they had their teammate. When the furious Scylla informed the Jointrons that she was one of the Space Pirate Seacons, the three agreed to bring her to Lio Convoy to get "credit". Their new plan didn't succeed, as they were soon caught between the Predacons and the Seacons who attacked them before; after dropping Scylla down a hill, they resorted to defending themselves. When the remaining Seacons showed up, the three combined into Tripledacus and fought against God Neptune. With the aid of the other Maximals, the pirate combiner was sent tumbling into the sea, and the Jointrons rejoiced over their "victory" against a quintuple combiner. Face the Setting Sun

While somehow out in Gaia's orbit, the Jointrons fought the Seacons, but their battle was interrupted by the passing teleport gate. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger! DJ, Gimlet, and Motorarm later tried to deal with the eruptions of Angolmois Energy caused by Nemesis by using boulders to block them. When they came across the other Maximals using cooling rays to freeze the Angolmois Energy, they got the idea to use an iceberg to seal a particular geyser that was threatening a nearby forest. The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic When the Maximals set up a launch to get to Nemesis, the Jointrons fused as Tripledacus to help hold off the Predacons before they could interrupt the launch. When the tip of the ramp was broken by the Predacons, Tripledacus used his strength to push it back to its original position and let Lio Convoy's Maximals successful leave Gaia's atmosphere. Fly Out! Planet Gaia

Beast Wars Neo cartoon

After the defeat of Unicron, DJ, as part of Tripledacus, returned to Cybertron, where he helped with reconstruction. Graduation Ceremony!!

Beast Wars II manga

When the Angolmois Energy-corrupted Lio Convoy fought Galvatron in the desolate city of Tokyo, Scuba sent out a signal for assistance, which DJ, Gimlet, and Motorarm answered. As Tripledacus, they arrived just as Galvatron was beaten, but were knocked out of the sky by the malevolent Lio Convoy. Free the Captured Matrix! The Jointrons were later part of an assembled Maximal force that took off in the Yukikaze to reach Nemesis. All hands survived the destruction of the ship by the Predacons and engaged their enemies in battle on the artificial planet's surface. All Hands, Make a Special Attack on the Evil Planet!

2005 IDW continuity

DJ was one of Onyx Prime's Maximals. During Onyx's invasion of Cybertron, he was one of the many Maximals who battled Arcee and lost; Jetfire and Aileron came across his remains shortly afterwards. Endless Forever

Games

Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars

When the super-powerful Energon Quartz was discovered on Earth, DJ was one of the several Maximals involved in the ensuing conflicts. He was not, however, directly involved in combat. Instead, he was sent on missions to traverse pit-riddled fields, occasionally having to fend off enormous bacteria opponents. Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars

Toys

Beast Wars

• DJ (Deluxe, July 1998)
  • ID number: C-23
  • Accessories: 2 "Seven-Year Swords"

Released in the sixth wave of Beast Wars II products in the Japanese Beast Wars toyline, DJ is a redeco of Hasbro's Beast Wars Cicadacon, transforming into an organic cicada. He has a pair of "Seven-Year Swords" that store under his larger wings. He also has a flip out mechanical proboscis-like weapon (the horn of the combined mode head) that can be utilized in beast mode. While the "weapon" is only a molded piece, the cartoon used this feature as a way for him to spray oil on his enemies.

DJ forms the upper torso and head to Tripledacus.

• More information on DJ at TFU.info

• Tripledacus (Multi-pack, July 1998)
  • ID number: X-3
  • Accessories: 2 "Seven-Year Swords"

All three Jointrons were available in a Tripledacus gift set as well as in individual packaging. All three toys are identical to their individual releases, though the set did not come with the individuals' bio cards, only a single card for the combined Tripledacus mode.

Merchandise

Beast Wars Gum

Pregnant with a giant robo-cicada head.

• DJ (candy toy, 1998)

A snap together model kit of DJ was available as part of Kabaya's Beast Wars Gum, sculpted from red and brownish-grey plastic. He could transform from robot to beast mode by being broken down into its component parts, then rebuilt into a new mode, and could combine with the other Jointrons to form Tripledacus. He came with stickers for his wings and Tripledacus's head. It also came with a stick of gum.

Notes

• DJ's name is likely derived from the repetitive noise patterns (or beats) that cicadas make when calling for a mate.
• DJ's personal hygiene, dubious as it is in a Transformer, is based on genuine cicada behavior. Well, not the getting drunk part.
• The name of his "Seven-Year Swords" is a reference to the length of time some cicadas spend underground before emerging and becoming adults.
• Like many Japanese Beast Wars characters, DJ was given a verbal tic to end each sentence with (in addition to all the bad Spanish). In his case, he ends his sentences with "mig", derived from "amigo" (which he calls everybody).
• While TakaraTomy reissued the other two Tripledacus components, Gimlet and Motorarm, as part of their Beast Wars Telemocha Series in 2007, they omitted DJ from the line-up. Therefore, the only way to complete Tripledacus from the Telemocha releases would be by using an original DJ toy.