Decoy (G1)
From MediaWiki
Decoys are small, one-piece statuettes of Transformers made from molded rubber, good for erasing pencil marks, chewing, and fooling extremely stupid enemies.
Fiction
Bonus comic
In the comic included with each decoy, it is revealed that off screen the Decepticons have somehow stolen the Creation Matrix. First Aid (drawn as Ratchet) developed the decoys to keep the Decepticons occupied while the Autobots sneak into Decepticon headquarters and retrieve the Matrix.
Upon learning of the ruse, Galvatron angrily declares that the Decepticons would develop their own set of Decoys, presumably to try the exact same trick, later on. That'll show 'em.
Toys
Takara
- The Decoys were originally developed as game pieces for Japanese Transformers board games. They were also sold in larger box sets:
- Cybertron Hero Collection 22
- (Blaster, Bluestreak, Brawn, Grapple, Hoist, Hound, Huffer, Ironhide, Jazz, Mirage, Optimus Prime, Perceptor, Ratchet, Red Alert, Sideswipe, Skids, Smokescreen, Sunstreaker, Swoop, Tracks, Wheeljack, Windcharger)
- Cybertron Hero Collection 9
- (Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Grimlock, Inferno, Prowl, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Trailbreaker)
- Destron Hero Collection 22
- (Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Bombshell, Bonecrusher, Devastator, Frenzy, Hook, Kickback, Laserbeak, Long Haul, Megatron, Mixmaster, Ravage, Reflector, Scavenger, Scrapper, Shockwave, Shrapnel, Skywarp, Soundwave, Starscream, Thundercracker)
Later, characters from the Movie and larger pieces representing the "Scramble City" combiner-teams' super-robot forms were made available as board-game pieces in multiple colors.
Hasbro
- In 1987, Hasbro brought over fifty-two of the pieces as "Decoys", and randomly packaged them with the smaller carded toys of the time: the Throttlebots, Aerialbots, Stunticons, Protectobots, Combaticons, Technobots and Terrorcons. The Throttlebots could come with either Autobot or Decepticon pieces, while the combiners only had Decoys of the faction they belonged to.
- There is one notable change in the Hasbro version of the Decoys: the numbers on the back of the pieces are a simple "checklist" number.
- While the Autobot pieces were only available in red, the Decepticon pieces came in both red and purple. The red versions are part of an early run and are much harder to find as they were only available early on and only with the Throttlebots, and therefore are considerably more expensive on the secondary market.
- Though Laserbeak was made available in the Japanese Destron pack, he was supposedly not available as part of the Hasbro offerings, not being listed on the comic's checklist. Karl Hartman and Jon Hartman believe he was, though, and if anyone can offer photo proof of Laserbeak on a Hasbro card, contact them!
Miscellaneous trivia
- In the promotional comic, Decoys are shown to be accurately colored, and about half the size of the Transformer the represent. It appears they can also fly, or at least fall out of a plane with their arms stretched out, it's unclear which.
- The comic appears to have been written either before the specific events of the movie were known, or to keep from revealing some of the movie's dramatic developments, in a manner similar to the toy commercials of the time.
- Ultra Magnus appears to be the leader of the Autobots, briefing them on the situation, and then deploying them into action. Likewise, Rodimus Prime is absent, showing only Hotrod in his place.
- Ratchet is oddly present, despite having died quite horrifically in the movie. This could have been intended to be Ratchet, with his name changed to the closest medic who isn't dead at the last minute.
- It's also puzzling how the Decepticons were able to sneak into Autobot Headquarters and "steal" the Matrix (as Rodimus keeps it in his chest) and then choose to guard it with Sharkticons, showing an unfamiliarity with the terms and characters being used.
- However, it's entirely possible that the matrix was stolen in a manner similar to the episode "The Burden Hardest to Bear," Rodimus then reverted to Hot Rod and lost his confidence, at which time Ultra Magnus took charge temporarily. Then later that day, Ratchet could have came back from the dead and changed his name to First Aid.
- Despite First Aid's claims, and the example presented, Hasbro did not release an Ultra Magnus decoy, nor decoys for any of the movie related characters. It's unclear why post-movie Transformers would only make decoys of pre-movie characters, and why such a ruse would work in that context, save for the sudden shock of a whole bunch of dead guys coming at you.
- Judging from the map shown at the top level strategy meeting in the promotional comic, Decepticon Headquarters is located somewhere in mainland China.
- The concept behind the creation on the Decoys is very similar to Megatron's decoy plan from More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3.
