Stunticon (G1)

The name or term "Stunticon" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Stunticon (disambiguation).

The Stunticons are a Decepticon subgroup from the Generation 1 continuity family.

"Roads? Where we're going... we don't need... roads."

The Stunticons are a group of five rebellious Decepticon automobiles that Megatron can barely control. They are the mortal enemies of the Autobot Aerialbots.

The Stunticons consist of:

• The merciless Motormaster (leader)
• The victory obsessed Drag Strip
• The gloom ridden Dead End
• The psychotic Wildrider
• The paranoid Breakdown

They can combine to form Menasor.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Unfortunately, this image lost the Clint Eastwood reference to the poncho.

In envy of the Autobots' vehicular modes, Megatron stole various human vehicles and customized them so he could have his own car team, the Stunticons. Before they were given life, he brought them out for a test drive via remote control, forcing them to flip, somersault, fly off the road, drive up cliffs and bash through forests without a scratch. The Stunticons having satisfied Megatron's idea of normalcy, he headed to Cybertron to get Cybernetic personalities for them. On activation, they swore loyalty to Megatron... or at least agreed to do what he told them to.

Their first mission was to steal the superfuel from the humans. As they smashed up the superfuel facility, the human guards immediately assumed that they were Autobots, since the Decepticons could not possibly transform into land vehicles. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1 Whilst the Autobots were marooned on Cybertron, the Decepticons returned to Earth with the newly awakened Stunticons who began wreaking havoc and damaging the Autobots' good name by attacking the US military base containing the experimental rocket fuel. Eventually, the Autobots returned with the newly built Aerialbots whose combined form Superion defeated the Stunticon combiner Menasor... with a little help from Omega Supreme. The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2

Despite this defeat, the Stunticons were the key component in Megatron's elaborate scheme to hold a fake charity race from Paris to Istanbul so he could steal US driver Auggie Cahnay's car which would be melted down to house the powerful Pearl of Bahoudin. One by one, the Stunticons disabled the Autobot participants assigned to protect Cahnay, but the downfall of Megatron's plan came when he ordered the Stunticons to stop going after the remaining Autobots. Menasor was eventually defeated by the Autobots and Cahnay. Trans-Europe Express

When Megatron was infected with Cosmic Rust after a trip to the lost Autobot colony of Antilla, the Stunticons were assigned to capture the Autobot scientist Perceptor, who had developed the powerful anti-corrosion Corrostop. After Megatron cured himself and infected the Autobots with the disease, Menasor attacked the Statue of Liberty in New York City with the ancient Lightning Bug heat ray, intent on stopping the Autobots from matter-duplicating more Corrostop from the layer they sprayed on the statue. Superion defeated Menasor and destroyed the Lightning Bug. Cosmic Rust

After Starscream was banished for yet another failed coup, he returned with a powerful new Decepticon team called the Combaticons, who were able to outfight Autobot and Decepticon alike. Needing a trump card, Megatron attempted to call on the Stunticons to help, but they refused as the rebellious Decepticons were busy having a demolition derby with various human-owned cars. However, the Stunticons belatedly arrived after the Combaticons' combined form of Bruticus defeated Devastator and forced Megatron to acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader. Realizing that Starscream would not stop at Megatron, the Stunticons merged into Menasor and disabled Bruticus in one mighty punch. Starscream's Brigade

Masquerade Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 The Ultimate Weapon The Burden Hardest to Bear

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers comic

The Stunticons decided to have a little fun and tear up a baseball stadium in Japan. Luckily, the Autobots' plucky young ally Kenji was present to radio for assistance. All the combiner teams assembled, and it was Menasor and Bruticus against Superion and Defensor! Defensor was forced to break apart by the combined Decepticon attack, but Superion and Kenji got the idea to shoot out the Decepticons' legs. Groove and Blades took advantage of the empty combiner ports and took over as Menasor's legs, launching him into the ocean. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5

While posing as Autobots, Onslaught and the Stunticons rampaged through the city streets, smearing the good name of their adversaries. Later, Frenzy and Rumble posed as humans to rally people against the Autobots, and Motormaster's brigade staged an attack on the rally to drive the point home. The Autobot fire engines Hot Spot and Inferno arrived, however, and used their water hoses to wash off the Decepticons' fake insignia. Enraged, Motormaster planned to combine into Menasor...only to see the other Stunticons were already retreating into the distance. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #7

The Headmasters cartoon

The Stunticons participates in Galvatron's siege on Cybertron. They managed to gain the high ground against the Dinobots and Throttlebots, and rained laser fire down on their opponents. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky Later, the Stunticons formed Menasor to fight their Autobot counterparts, but were steamrolled by the might and firepower of the Battleship Maximus. Transporting back to Earth, they attempted to interfere with Hot Rod's quest for the Matrix. They were confronted by the Aerialbots in the desert, but the battle of their combiner forms eventually led them to the Arctic. The Mystery of Planet Master

When Vector Sigma began perfecting the new super-metal Cybertonuron on Cybertron, Galvatron ordered another all-out attack on the planet to seize the metal for the Decepticons before the Autobots could make use of it. The Stunticons journeyed to Cybertron with the strike force, and confronted their old enemies, the Aerialbots. The Aerialbots got the drop on the Stunticons by forming Superion and lashing out before the Stunticons could form Menasor as well. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 They were still in a firefight sometime later, as Chromedome passed by looking for Mindwipe and the Decepticon Headmasters. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2 In San Francisco, the Stunticons assisted Bruticus in using a carnivorous plant to distract the Autobots from Scorponok's plans on Zarak. They fought against the Technobots and Computron. Head On!! Fortress Maximus

Much later, the Stunticons assembled in the desert as their Ninja Commander Sixshot began issuing orders. They assembled as Menasor, and took part in the escalating Decepticon war effort as five separate Autobot outposts were attacked simultaneously at Sixshot's command. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg

Zone OVA, manga and story pages

Seeking to create a Decepticon Zone to counter the Autobot Zone, Decepticon Emperor Violen Jiger gathered together the Nine Great Demon Generals, upgrading them with powerful new armor and weaponry, then sent them forth to conquer planets. The Stunticons were among those summoned, but only in the form of Menasor. Zone Part 1 Zone Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Marvel Comics continuity

Soundwave not included.

Marvel Comics

Through Soundwave, Megatron was able to tap into the Creation Matrix as Optimus Prime gave life to the Aerialbots, simultaneously giving life to the Stunticons. They battled the Aerialbots and then played a lesser role in the series as more characters were introduced.

They were featured in issue #22, Heavy Traffic, where they battle the Aerialbots as well as Circuit Breaker and RAAT troops.

Motormaster appeared in issue #41 "Totaled!" He was among the Decepticon forces that attacked the Autobots on the moon.

Menasor originally appeared in the U.K. Marvel Transformers comics in a very odd way - as part of a dream sequence. In previous stories, Optimus Prime had transferred part of the Matrix of Leadership to Buster Witwicky. During a mission, Soundwave detected this and used one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells to tap into his mind. Buster's vision showed the future of the Transformer race - the combiners. Menasor and Bruticus battled and lost to Defensor and Superion with Shockwave and Prime looking on. This set the wheels in motion for more combiner teams on both sides.

Menasor made his U.S. Marvel debut a short time later, battling the Aerialbots over the damaged Skids. This was complicated by the presence of the unstable Circuit Breaker and RAAT. To discredit their opponents, the Stunticons actually protected Skids, then formed Menasor to battle the Aerialbots, who'd formed Superion, but were attacked by Circuit Breaker, allowing Menasor to easily beat his foe. He did not appear again save a brief appearance in the UK comics' Legacy of Unicron arc, where he was used by Soundwave to break through the doors of Shockwave's citadel to try to save him (unsuccessfully) from Death's Head, Cyclonus and Scourge.

In the U.K. Earthforce storyline, Wildrider was killed by Megatron.

Breakdown makes an appearance in the Decepticon forces under the command of Megatron in issue #7 of the Marvel Generation 2 comic series, in a story called "New Dawn." Megatron leads his Decepticons against Jhiaxus' second generation Cybertronians near the moon of Tykos. The Decepticons are defeated and Megatron left injured, presumed dead, but swearing revenge.

Dreamwave comics continuity

At some point in Cybertron's recent history, the Stunticons were deemed psychotic and too dangerous to function in society, and as a result were placed into perpetual stasis lock inside of a prison facility. Later, in an attempt to create a diversion while he set his final plans in motion, Shockwave arranged for the release of the Stunticons. They formed into Menasor and ran amuck for awhile, until Ultra Magnus arrived and began insulting them. Unable to reconcile with this, the five Stunticons began to bicker with each other over whose fault it was that they were failing, temporarily stopping Menasor and allowing Ultra Magnus to ram the combiner in the chest, forcing him to separate into his component parts and disabling the Stunticons. Passive Aggression

Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics

When Teletran 3 went out of control and started zapping random Transformers into different points in Earth's timeline, the Stunticons found themselves laying dormant in mid-1930's Chicago... except Breakdown, who kept his consciousness and waited for the various humans sent to retrieve the lost Decepticons. While Motormaster was missing, Breakdown woke three of his comrades and the Stunticons chased the humans and Optimus Prime across the city. Eventually they found Motormaster, and were promptly transported back to present-day Cybertron. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2

Some time later, the Stunticons were recruited by Serpent O.R., and helped him capture some pesky Autobots and G.I. Joes. Motormaster later attended a Decepticon gathering organized by their new leader, and attacked an Autobot peace ceremony in the form of Menasor. The Art of War #3 After the giant helped Piranacon and Predaking take down Omega Supreme, he brought Reflector to Optimus Prime. A short while later, Drag Strip was seen among the Decepticon forces preparing to defend their base from a combined Autobot/G.I. Joe assault, while Breakdown completely failed to guard some human prisoners. The Art of War #4 Motormaster helped defend Serpent O.R. from Optimus Prime's fury, but it didn't end well. The Art of War #5

IDW comics continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Motormaster, Dead End and Wildrider were among the Cybertronians who answered the call to join Megatron in Kaon's underground pit-fighting ring, and later participated in the first street battle against Autobot forces. Megatron Origin #3 As the war broke out, Dead End and Drag Strip were seen fighting Autobots as Motormaster attempted to challenge Sentinel Prime. Megatron Origin #4

Many years later, the Stunticons were abandoned on Earth following a failed Decepticon invasion. Motormaster, Wildrider and Dead End were all captured and deactivated by Skywatch A Rude Awakening, as was Breakdown sometime later. ...For All Mankind Drag Strip managed to avoid capture, and joined a crew of Decepticons under Swindle's leadership trying to get off the planet. They allied themselves with a group of Autobots with similar goals, led by Hot Rod. New Arrivals, Old Encounters This mixed group later rescued Motormaster, Wildrider and Dead End, as well as others, and the Autobot Jetfire concocted a method of reversing the mode-lock imposed on them by Skywatch. A Rude Awakening

The Stunticons participated in the construction of a new space cruiser, while Swindle talked "Rodimus Prime" into agreeing to let them rescue their brother Breakdown, and reunite the team. Seasons in Flight Wildrider and Drag Strip assaulted Spike Witwicky while he was driving around in Breakdown, recovering the last member of their group. Swindle hastily applied stolen combiner technology to the quintet, enabling them to form the terrifying Menasor and help him seek revenge on his old nemesis, Ultra Magnus. Enemies of the System

Swindle's mechanical skill didn't equal his greed, however, and the combined Stunticons could not achieve the mental fusion they needed, leaving Menasor awkward and self-contradictory in battle, despite his fearsome power. The Autobots took advantage of the Stunticons' weakness and overwhelmed the new gestalt. All the Stunticons were taken into custody by Skywatch again after the battle. Earthworks They were freed once the Decepticons returned to Earth and attacked the Skywatch facility where they were held. Revenge of the Decepticons Part 1: The Demolished Man

Dead End was seen in Autobot captivity on Cybertron once the war was over, and the other Stunticons were probably there as well. The Autonomy Lesson

Toys

Generation 1

Learn to count, the Decepticon way!

• Stunticons, 1986
  • Breakdown
  • Dead End
  • Drag Strip
  • Motormaster
  • Wildrider
    • Japanese ID number: D-50 through D-54

As a Scramble City-style combiner team, the Stunticons consist of four small "limbs", sold carded at the $5 price point, and a single larger leader toy that forms the combined robot's torso, sold boxed for roughly $12. They were available in 1986 and 1987.

The smaller Stunticons, like their Aerialbot counterparts, share a general transformation scheme involving pulling out the back of the vehicle to form legs, and flipping the hood out of the way to reveal the robot head. Dead End and Breakdown share an additional step, requiring rotating their legs at the knees and pushing the legs back in so they aren't incredibly tall and skinny. All four feature shoulder articulation and not much else. Each comes with a small pistol for the robot mode, and a huge double-barreled cannon which plugs into the back of the vehicle mode.

The four smaller cars are fairly close in scale, but Motormaster throws the whole equation off. He's a tiny truck compared to his teammates, a point which becomes doubly obvious alongside the much-larger truck form of the original Optimus Prime toy, his supposed arch-rival.

The Stunticons are slightly less prone to being produced as knockoffs than the other Scramble City teams. Inexplicably, three members of the group (Motormaster, Breakdown and Drag Strip) are frequently packaged by bootleggers with two members of the Technobots. Drag Strip was named "Brain Man" in at least one such set.

Generation 2

Yowza.

• Redecos of all five Stunticons were planned for release in 1994, but were canceled. Generation 2 Stunticon and Protectobot limbs have surfaced over the years in what appears to be finished packaging. (Motormaster and Hot Spot have never appeared in finished packaging, but unpainted prototypes have surfaced.) However, these are still exceedingly rare pieces, and all told it is believed that less than a dozen of each team member were produced, with one exception: Breakdown, who was available in relatively small numbers (about 300 pieces) as a BotCon 1994 exclusive. While no plans for a giftset are known, Menasor would have been constructed using these toys.

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Alternators

• Dead End (Alternators, 2004)

Classics

• Menasor (Legends, 2006)

Titaniums

• Menasor (6" Cybertron Heroes, 2007)

Universe (2008)

• Decepticon Drag Strip ("Special Edition" Deluxe, 2008)

Gentei! Gentei!

• Stuntron Wildrider (Deluxe, 2008)

Timelines

• Generation 2: Redux (BotCon 2010 box set)

Generations

• Motorbreath (Legends, 2012)

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Stuntron (スタントロン Sutantoron)
• Hungarian: Sztuntikon
• Russian: Effecticon (Эффектикон)
• Brazilian Portuguese* Acrobaticon