Herald of Unicron
"Herald of Unicron" is a fan term for Transformers who serve, or have been reformatted by, Unicron. It is used in much the same way as shellformer, or as seeker used to be; while not in any official sources, fanfictions are rife with it, making it part of the greater fanon. It mostly likely originates from the term "Herald of Galactus" from various Marvel comics, given the similarities between Unicron and Galactus.
What is a "Herald?"
While many characters are Unicron-related, not all of those characters are generally thought of as "Heralds". While the term is distinctly fan-based, it does carry certain stipulations. For example, Galvatron was rebuilt to serve Unicron and lead his "armada" of rebuilt Transformers, which include Cyclonus, Scourge, and an indeterminate number of Sweeps. All of these characters are often thought of as "Heralds", even though Galvatron's loyalty was wavering. Conversely, Starscream is generally not concidered a "Herald", for the simple reason of his complete lack of loyalty. Starscream never intended to serve Unicron and so abandoned the Planet Eater after getting his reward.
Insignia
The insignia of the Beast Wars Neo faction, the Blentrons, has been associated by some fans with the "Heralds". The symbol looks vaguely Unicron-ish, and the Blentrons were created by him, so the assignment is not totally arbitrary. Some custom sticker suppliers, like Reprolabels, have developed faction sigils and rub symbols with the Blentron logo as a "Herald of Unicron" faction symbol for characters who serve Unicron
Known "Heralds of Unicron"
Following is a short list of characters from various continuities that served Unicron, whether by free choice or by having their will stripped off of them like a banana peel, and may thus be considered "Heralds":
- Galvatron (G1)
- Cyclonus (G1)
- Scourge (G1)
- Sweeps
- Hook, Line, and Sinker
- The Fallen
- The Blentrons
- The Mini-Cons were originally meant to be, but then some kid screwed that up, which goes to show even squishy fleshlings have a chance against a world-devouring demi-god.
- Ramjet (Universe)
