Reflector (G1): Difference between revisions
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::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Viewfinder/viewfinder.htm More info on yet another part of Reflector at TFU.info]'' | ::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Decepticon/Viewfinder/viewfinder.htm More info on yet another part of Reflector at TFU.info]'' | ||
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===Generations=== | |||
Reflector is a retool/redeco of Generations Perceptor | |||
===Merchandise=== | ===Merchandise=== | ||
Revision as of 16:31, 7 August 2010
| The name or term "Reflector" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Reflector (disambiguation). |
- Reflector is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Reflector likes to watch. He lives (they live?) to observe anything and everything, from scenery, to wildlife, to architecture. But above all else, Reflector likes to watch his (their?) comrades, learn their dark secrets, and profit from them. Reflector is also very impressed with his (their) own abilities both in the fields of observation and blackmail.
Reflector is generally composed of three separate robots—Spectro, Spyglass and Viewfinder—who combine into the one single-lens-reflex camera altmode that is Reflector.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Chris Latta (English), Yoku Shioya (Japanese)
There's very little about Reflector that isn't unusual at best (or downright strange and unexplained at worst). He takes the form of three robots who all walk, talk and act with a single mind and voice. The three individual robots are never named; they are all simply "Reflector" and are all entirely identical, save for the lens aperture visible in the chest of the robot who forms the center of their camera mode. Although there are normally three Reflectors active at any one time (this being the number required to form their camera mode), there are documented instances of significantly more operating at once, and even cases where only one Reflector has been seen on its own. A clue to the mystery of the multiplying Reflectors was given during one battle for control of the Decepticons' space bridge: During this clash, a Reflector was seen colliding with one of its other components, which vanished in a flash of light, leaving only one Reflector robot standing in place of two. This Reflector then proceeded to collide with the remaining, third robot, and it too disappeared. Although never directly addressed by any characters and never displayed at any other time, this unusual instance suggests that Reflector is one robot capable of producing duplicates of himself, explaining the varying numbers of Reflector robots seen throughout the conflict on Earth. Divide and Conquer
Reflector was among the warriors who accompanied Megatron aboard the Decepticons' space cruiser during its assault on the Autobots' Ark four million years ago. When the Ark crashed on Earth, Reflector was entombed in stasis with the other Transformers and awoke with the other Decepticons on Earth in 1984. Withdrawing from the Ark, the Decepticons immediately set about constructing a temporary base for themselves, and Reflector and Thundercracker were assigned to patrol the perimeter. As they surveyed the desert landscape, Reflector expressed his disbelief that the Autobots had also survived the crash. Thundercracker then spotted something off in the distance, and Reflector transformed to camera mode so that Thundercracker could use him to zoom in on the mystery object. Reflector dispensed a Polaroid photograph of the truck that had caught their attention, and Thundercracker reported the intruder to Megatron as a possible Autobot (which it wasn't). More than Meets the Eye, Part 1
Reflector later battled the Autobot forces on an offshore oil rig, More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 and joined in the Decepticons' attack on Sherman Dam. Soon after, numerous Reflector robots were seen pillaging energy all across the world and helping stack energon cubes in the Ruby Crystal Mines of Burma. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2 Reflector participated in the battle royale with the Autobots shortly before the Decepticons' failed attempt at returning to Cybertron aboard a new space cruiser. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
While the Decepticons were in the midst of testing their new intergalactic "space bridge" transport system, Reflector took part in two battles with the Autobots when the heroic robots tried to interfere with the test run. The battle ended badly when Megatron was sucked through the space bridge and back to Cybertron, Transport to Oblivion but Reflector seemed unfazed by the apparent loss of his leader, as he went on to carry out orders that had previously been given to him and began staking out the laboratory of antimatter researcher Doctor Alcazar. Using his photographic abilities to obtain the entry code for the laboratory's security system in secret, Reflector concluded his stakeout just as Megatron returned to Earth, and he quickly reported his findings to the Decepticon leader. Reflector subsequently followed Megatron back to the lab and entered the entry code for him, allowing the villains to enter the complex stealthily. Reflector was no doubt rather cheesed off to learn that his spying had been for naught when it turned out that Alcazar had gotten rid of the antimatter formula by transmitting it to Chip Chase. When the Decepticons acquired the formula from Chip, Reflector helped charge energon cubes with the antimatter they created, and then participated in the subsequent battle with the Autobots, which ended when the antimatter cubes Megatron was using to power himself threatened to overload. Roll for It
Reflector later worked with Starscream and Rumble on another attempt to transport energon cubes to Cybertron via the space bridge. In addition to the normal three Reflector robots, a fourth robot sharing their body type was present for this operation, and when Starscream required a pilot for the space bridge vessel, this unfortunate warrior was selected. He begged that he not be chosen, but his words fell on deaf ears as Starscream picked him up and dropped him into the transport craft. Fortunately for this robot, his piloting skills allowed him to traverse the space bridge, and he safely arrived on Cybertron with his energon payload.
A group of Autobots soon arrived to investigate the Decepticon goings-on, but Reflector was quick to act and dazzled them with a blinding flash from his central lens. The Autobots soon got themselves together, though, and Reflector was dispatched in the aforementioned colliding-and-disappearing incident. Reflector's component selves later took part in a Decepticon attack on Autobot Headquarters and were fired upon by Spike Witwicky, but the three robots were confident that the Earth germ couldn't hit all of them at once. Divide and Conquer
Reflector did most of the grunt work when the Decepticons sought to drain the energy of the Earth's core via a crystal shaft in the Arctic, operating machinery and gathering energon cubes. When their digging unearthed the frozen Autobot Skyfire, Reflector tried attacking the towering robot by running at him in a sort of cheerleader-pyramid formation, only to be—unsurprisingly—knocked to the ground with a swipe of Skyfire's arm. Fire in the Sky
Along with Soundwave and Laserbeak, Reflector gathered valuable intelligence on the Great Falls hydroelectric power station, and he took part in the attack that their information-gathering helped facilitate. S.O.S. Dinobots Soon after, Reflector went with the other Decepticons on a mission to Peru in another attempt to seize the power of the Earth's core. Fire on the Mountain Later still, Reflector was part of the Decepticon team who tried harnessing energy from an unstable meteorite. War of the Dinobots
When the Decepticons used their space bridge to pull Cybertron itself into Earth's orbit in order to reap the energy released by the natural disasters that would result, Reflector was at Megatron's side as the Decepticon leader watched the construction of a hydroelectric energy collector. When an unexpectedly strong tidal wave demolished the structure, Megatron and Reflector escaped aboard a transport ship, though Reflector was given pause to wonder on the fate of the Decepticons' human ally, Doctor Arkeville. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 Cybertron was soon blasted out of Earth's proximity, but some robots of Reflector's body design were seen on the planet not long after, carrying the wounded Arkeville to a medical bay. Countdown to Extinction
After taking part in another energy-raiding attempt with the help of new arrivals the Insecticons, A Plague of Insecticons Reflector joined the other Decepticons in relinquishing his power chip rectifier to a machine that would transfer all of the Decepticons' special abilities to Megatron, enabling him to best Optimus Prime easily in a one-on-one duel. During the combat, Megatron employed Reflector's power to generate a brilliant flash of light to blind Optimus Prime. When Megatron's deception was exposed, Reflector and the other Decepticons were sent tumbling into a river of lava by the enraged Autobots. Heavy Metal War
Learning that the Autobots had transferred Spike's mind into a robot body, Megatron had Reflector watch over Autobot Headquarters, and his spying soon bore fruit when the unstable "Autobot Spike" came bursting through a wall and flew off. Reflector followed and summoned the other Decepticons to his position. Megatron proceeded to try and turn Spike against the Autobots, but the attempt ultimately ended in failure. Autobot Spike
Following the "Autobot Spike" affair, Reflector's role in the war suddenly began to drop off; he became less and less visible on the battlefield, and he was never heard to speak again. Throughout 1985, he was glimpsed only a few times: He joined in the Decepticons' attempt to conquer Washington, D.C., City of Steel he followed Megatron in an attempt to hijack a rocket, Attack of the Autobots and he clashed with the Insecticons over stolen electro-cells. Traitor A little later, he helped battle the Autobots for control of korlonium crystals. A Prime Problem After being absent for a prolonged period after this, Reflector reappeared as part of a group of Decepticons on the rampage in Great Britain, A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court and soon after, he was among the Decepticons who coated themselves with electrum to cause havoc. The Golden Lagoon Reflector then disappeared from the field of battle for quite some time, returning for one final appearance that year, battling the mutinous Starscream and his Combaticons. Starscream's Brigade
Reflector put in his final, very brief appearances in 2005, when he could be spotted at both the Battle of Autobot City and the coronation of Starscream soon afterward. The Transformers: The Movie
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic
Astrotrain photographed the incomplete Autobot City with the aid of Reflector's camera mode, so that Megatron could decipher whether or not it was powerful enough to stand up to Trypticon. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 3
Marvel Comics continuity
Spectro, Spyglass and Viewfinder worked with the Decepticon medic to repair their fellow Decepticons. Subsequently an oddly colored Viewfinder was seen decorating the cavern floor of Mount St. Hilary after all the Decepticons were rendered inoperable by Sparkplug Witwicky's poisoned fuel. They didn't even get to introduce themselves in painfully lengthy exposition. Alas, Reflector was taken away from us before his prime. The Last Stand
Dreamwave comics continuity
Reflector was part of Megatron's crew, active on Earth in the 1980s before the Ark II incident. When Megatron was snatched up by the Keepers, not all Decepticons fell into line under Starscream's maniacal command. Skywarp and the three Reflector robots chose to make a stand against Starscream's leadership at Hoover Dam, outside the Decepticon's new base in Las Vegas. Spyglass and Skywarp drew Soundwave's electronic attention, prompting Starscream and his communications officer to make an appearance at the Dam. As Skywarp rejected Starscream's rule, the other Reflector robots leapt out of hiding to attack the usurper. The battle quickly turned against Skywarp and Reflector, though, as Soundwave's sonic attack ripped Spectro apart, sending him over the edge of the dam and into stasis lock. Once Skywarp was disabled as well, Spyglass and Viewfinder wisely chose to abdicate to Starscream. Hardwired
The surviving two Reflector parts remained under Starscream's command only as long as necessary, and left Las Vegas with Megatron's splinter faction of Decepticons soon after their former leader returned to Earth. Annihilation After the Decepticons reunited, Reflector was instrumental in several attempts at blackmail and media manipulation against the President of the United States, first recording him whimpering helplessly in Megatron's massive hand during an attack on the White House, and later sending the media outlets footage of the U.S. Armed Forces attempting to assassinate Autobots AND Decepticons in the Nevada desert. Fusion
A duplicate of Reflector remained on Cybertron and worked for Shockwave, monitoring the planet and its inhabitants for him from a central mainframe. Brothers' Burden They were seemingly destroyed by Starscream when he broke ranks with Shockwave's command structure. Countdown to Extinction The true Reflector, on Earth, was heard to dismiss this duplicate as an inferior copy. Fusion
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers comics
The three Reflector components were among the Transformers who crashed on Earth millions of years in the past, and upon being discovered by humans, they were reprogrammed to serve the terrorist organization Cobra. The Autobot Wheeljack eventually restored everyone's original programming, and the angry Reflector trio broke into Cobra's control center to teach the fleshlings a thing or two about messing with their heads. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4 Reflector was then ordered by Megatron to assist Doctor Mindbender and Firefly while they used the SPS Satellite to create energon cubes. When Optimus Prime arrived to halt their scheme, the three Reflectors attacked him, but were easily swatted aside. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5
In a dark alternate future where the Decepticons had conquered Earth, three black Reflectors guarded human slaves imprisoned near a factory, but were killed by Ratchet, Tomax and Xamot. As this future was also full of multiple Sweeps, Insecticon swarms and Ravage packs, it is possible these Reflectors were some sort of clones. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3
Viewfinder was present for a Decepticon gathering on Cybertron, during which Serpent O.R. took control of the Decepticon army. The Art of War issue 3 During a subsequent Decepticon assault on an Autobot peace ceremony, the Reflector trio were charged with delivering a message to Optimus Prime. After being carried to Prime in Menasor's palm, Viewfinder used his chest lens to project a hologram of Serpent O.R., allowing the Decepticon leader to negotiate with Prime. Reflector came under attack by Jetfire during the negotation, but Viewfinder managed to continue the transmission despite being injured. The Art of War issue 4
IDW comics continuity
Spectro and Spyglass were seen aboard a Decepticon orbital outpost, terrified of walking down the same hallway as Sixshot. Spotlight: Sixshot
All three Reflector units (speaking entirely in unison), eventually joined Megatron on Earth, and helped defeat the Autobots there. All Hail Megatron #7 Following this victory, the Reflector trio help destroy New York City along with the other Decepticons. All Hail Megatron #3 Spectro and Spyglass enjoyed "playing games" with the city's fleshy inhabitants, but were disappointed about how easily they came apart. Viewfinder preferred to brood by himself, while still echoing the other two's dialogue. All Hail Megatron #8 Reflector stayed with Megatron when Starscream rebelled against his leader All Hail Megatron #10, and fought back against the Autobots when they returned to Earth. All Hail Megatron #11 The Decepticons were ultimately defeated All Hail Megatron #12 and Viewfinder and Spectro left the planet aboard Astrotrain. All Hail Megatron #13
Spyglass was left behind, however, and was still trying to get off the planet three years later. New Arrivals, Old Encounters
Years later, the three Reflector units found themselves on a ship, which crashed on LV-117. Viewfinder was killed in the crash when a large piece of the bridge's canopy shattered and impaled him through the chest. Spectro and Spyglass survived and eventually they located Wheelie, who had previously crashed on the same planet and had been building an escape vessel with a friendly alien. They managed to hijack the vessel shortly before it launched by threatening to kill Wheelie's friend, but the tiny Autobot removed the safety catch from his energon converter before disembarking, causing it to explode violently shortly after takeoff. Spotlight: Wheelie
Alternity
Three Reflector units hailing from an unknown universal stream were among the minions serving under Megatron during his complicated, cross-dimensional war with the Autobot Alternity. This incarnation of Reflector was a Pretender, with each of his components able to disguise themselves as an ordinary-sized human being.
Reflector was dispatched to universal stream 905.0 Beta to search for the source of a new dimensional flux of previously unheard type. In their Pretender guises, the trio tracked the source of the disruption to the Otsuka Museum of Art, and found that it was a strange tablet. Reflector was about to make off with the tablet when he was accosted by Bumblebee and Elita Seven, and his components promptly dropped their Pretender forms to battle the little Autobot. Unfortunately for Reflector, he was no match for the unearthly powers of an Alternity: Bumblebee snatched the tablet away, and with a snap of his fingers, reduced Reflector to a nearly two-dimensional state. From across the dimensions, Megatron saw his minions collapse like paper, and lashed out with his tesseractal swords, destroying the museum and the tablet, and wounding Bumblebee. By the time Bumblebee came to, Reflector was long gone. The World Is Flat!
Toys
Generation 1
- Reflector (Mail-away, 1986/1987; wide release in Japan, 1985)
- Japanese ID number: 21
- Accessories: Spectro's "Shutter Gun", Viewfinder's "Lens Laser", Spyglass' "Optic Blaster", flash cube/missile launcher, 3 missiles, telephoto lens.
- Reflector was first sold in Japan in 1985 as an ordinary retail item. However, Hasbro delayed selling him in the US until 1986, and only then via mail-order from a direct-mail flyer promoting The Transformers: The Movie. (Oddly, this came just as the character was being fully phased out of the fiction.) The toy would be a common offering in pack-in flyers from then on, at a cost of $10 and two Robot Points.
- Reflector is composed of three distinct robots that combine to form a camera: Viewfinder as the central component with the lens, Spectro as the right-side component with the shutter button, and Spyglass as the left-side component with the flash. It includes a telephoto lens and old-style flashcube that doubles as a missile launcher, but of course, the Hasbro version has the spring-loaded mechanism neutered for safety reasons. Undocumented in the instructions is that the telephoto lens is supposed to fit onto Viewfinder's gun to reduce kibble.
Generations
Reflector is a retool/redeco of Generations Perceptor
Merchandise
- Reflector (Decoy, 1986)
- Reflector was one of the many characters represented by a small plastic decoy included with certain Transformers for a brief time. The decoy is based on the cartoon design of Viewfinder. Most commonly, it was made with purple plastic, but a red rare version is known to exist and goes for a lot more on the secondary market.
Notes
- Reflector was originally the "Camera Robo" from Takara's Micro Change sub-series of the New Microman line. The only noteworthy difference between the two releases, besides the whole missile-launcher-neuter-in-the-United-States thing, is that the Microman release has "MICROX" emblazoned on the center unit's decals instead of "REFLECTOR".
- Not so surprisingly, the Camera Robo was first designed as a single unit. Apparently, the primary designer of the final toy, and possibly this initial design, was mecha designer Shinji Aramaki, who designed the robots for Megazone 23 and Genesis Climber Mospeada.
- Reflector's role early in the cartoon makes it seem likely his toy was originally planned for inclusion in the original 1984 line. Why Hasbro decided not to release it so late in the game is unknown, as is the reason why they later reversed that decision to make it a viable mail-away.
