Mirage (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Mirage. Definitely not a traitor since 1984.
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Frank Welker (English), Takurō Kitagawa (Japanese), Kenyū Horiuchi (Japanese, "Traitor", "Enter the Nightbird", "The Golden Lagoon", "The Core", "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3"), Juan Carralero (Latin-American Spanish), Guillermo Romano (Latin-American Spanish, "City Of Steel"
Mirage was part of the bridge crew of the Autobots' spaceship when it crash-landed on Earth four million years ago. A volcanic eruption in 1984 awakened the ship's computer Teletraan I, which reactivated and reformatted the craft's slumbering occupants with terrestrial alternate modes—in Mirage's case, a Formula-1 racer. His first mission came when the Autobots rolled out to stop the Decepticons attacking an oil rig. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 After the battle, he got to show off his invisibility power to Spike Witwicky. Following another failed battle at Sherman Dam, he suggested they simply leave Earth to the Decepticons and return to Cybertron, a suggestion soundly rejected by Optimus Prime. More than Meets the Eye, Part 2
At the ruby crystal mines of Burma, when Optimus was caught in an explosion, Mirage helped right him. He expressed hope that with the Decepticons perished in the explosion, they'd be able to return to Cybertron, but his optimism was quashed a few moments later when their foe emerged, functional and with more energy to fuel their new star cruiser. While guarding Ravage, Mirage gave Hound the idea to spring a trap on the Decepticons using a holographic rocket base. Unfortunately the Decepticons saw through the plan and raided the real rocket base, attaining the rest of the energy they needed. During the final Autobot operation to try and prevent the launch of the Decepticon cruiser, Mirage used his cloaking ability to sneak aboard. While the Decepticons were squabbling, he uncloaked and opened fire, blasting away at the ship's controls. He then bailed from the doomed cruiser, floating back to Earth's surface on a parasail as the Decepticons crashed into the ocean. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
After Chip Chase was kidnapped by the Decepticons who were after the antimatter formula the boy had memorised, Hound and Mirage utilised their respective powers to sneak into the antimatter laboratory. They were able to rescue Chip, but the Decepticons had managed to get the formula and use it to create Energon. Mirage subsequently helped defend Autobot Headquarters. Roll for It Mirage rolled out to protect Autobot Headerquarters while Wheeljack and Ratchet worked to save Prime's life, after the Autobot leader was badly damaged in a Decepticon attack. Divide and Conquer He took part in the construction of the Dinobots... and then had to try to stop them when they ran wild. He, Bluestreak and Jazz sealed the three Dinobots in a cave, but were mighty grateful when, after almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons, the Dinobots were released to come to the rescue. S.O.S. Dinobots
When Megatron was using hypno-chipped humans to load Energon onto their shuttle for transport to Cybertron, Mirage used his invisibility to sneak on board and order the humans to start unloading the Energon again. He was blasted in the back a short time later by Rumble. The Ultimate Doom, Part 3 When the Autobots were caught in quicksand while pursuing the Decepticons, Mirage used his shoulder missile to shoot down Laserbeak. Countdown to Extinction Mirage turned out with the other Autobots to watch Optimus and Megatron engage in single combat as per Cybertronian law. To their horror, Optimus lost, but they later discovered that Megatron had cheated, so the results were nullified. Heavy Metal War
Mirage rolled out to attack Megatron's Solar Needle and rescue Gears, but didn't play much role in the battle. Changing Gears He was on Ratchet's team, entering the sewers of New York City in an attempt to rescue Optimus. After tangling with an Alligaticon, they found Prime... in pieces. The Alligaticon had been built from Optimus's parts, and Mirage, Ratchet and Hound had to capture it so Ratchet could rebuild their leader. Once Optimus had been put back together, they proceeded to the surface and battled Decepticons, battle taxis and Prime's own severed arm. City of Steel
The spotlight shone on Mirage again when Cliffjumper suspected him of disloyalty. The discovery of a Decepticon installation in a sector Mirage had recently scouted caused Cliffjumper to leap the incorrect conclusion that Mirage had concealed the information and was a traitor to the Autobots. During a battle with the Decepticons at the site, Mirage was injured, but managed to rip a Decepticon seal off Skywarp. Mirage risked the trust of his comrades by sneaking away to perform a plan of his own, framing the Decepticons for stealing Energon cubes from the Insecticons. Spotted carrying the cubes by Cliffjumper, Mirage's guilt seemed all but confirmed, and before he could reveal his innocence, he was captured and brainwashed by one of Bombshell's mind-controlling cerebro-shells. Under Bombshell's control, Mirage led the Autobots into an ambush, but at the battle’s end, the assorted manipulations were revealed and Cliffjumper apologized to Mirage. Traitor
Mirage took part in a charity race organised by the Autobots. While they raced and performed stunts, the Autobots were affected by Megatron's latest invention, the Transfixatron, which locked them in their vehicle modes. They were herded by the Decepticons to a ghost town, where the Constructicons had created a machine to destroy them. It was only through an intervention of Ratchet and Wheeljack's counter invention that they were saved. The Autobot Run
Mirage came with the other Autobots when they were hired by Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist to protect his latest invention when it was being unveiled. When Decepticons attacked, Mirage became invisible and attacked Soundwave. Megatron offered to make Mirage disappear for good, but Optimus Prime saw to it that it wouldn't come true. After the Decepticons made off with Nightbird, Mirage and Ratchet insisted that Brawn stay behind at Autobot base for repairs. As Brawn and Ironhide were being repaired, Optimus detected an intruder. Mirage went to investigate, only to be beaten up by a Decepticon-reprogrammed Nightbird. Mirage pursued her with the other Autobots. When they caught up with her, Mirage became invisible in order to return Optimus Prime's laser rifle undetected, giving him the advantage. Enter the Nightbird
When Mirage and the other Autobots found they mysteriously had two Optimus Primes, the duo were subjected to a series of inconclusive tests. Before any further testing could be done, they had to roll out to a crevasse filled with korlonium crystals to investigate strange readings. During the battle with the Decepticons that followed, the real Prime's identity was soon revealed. A Prime Problem Mirage was part of Sunstreaker's team when they stumbled on the Decepticons' drilling operation. As Devastator blasted him off a cliff, Mirage became invisible so the Decepticons would "never find [his] pieces". Of course, he survived and he and Sunstreaker used his grappling hook to take down Devastator. Back at Headquarters, a plan was hatched to plant dominator disks on the Constructicons. Mirage took part, planting two of the disks at once, and Devastator was soon under Autobot control. Alas, it didn't last long — while they were trying to stop the Decepticons drilling to the Earth's core, Megatron retook control of the combiner. The Core
Mirage was at Headquarters when Powerglide and Bumblebee reported the discovery of Dinobot Island. Dinobot Island, Part 1 Through a cunning plan on Megatron's part, the Autobots were found guilty of stealing energy and forced to leave Earth in a spaceship supplied by Shawn Berger. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 They soon discovered that the spacecraft was locked on course to the Sun. Through the heroic efforts of Chip Chase and bungling of Thrust, as well as the use of Cosmos and Trailbreaker's force fields, the Autobots returned to Earth, where the Decepticons had already revealed their true nature. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
During an attempt by the Decepticons to steal the plans to the Ultra Plane, Mirage used his invisibility to steal Megatron's fusion cannon right off the Decepticon leader's arm. A brief tug-of-war ensued over the weapon, which Mirage lost, but Megatron retreated in the end anyhow. Later, as the Dinobots were being repaired after another battle, Mirage reminisced about how great Cybertron was. When cybertonium depletion started affecting all of the Transformers, Mirage's invisibility power went on the fritz — instead of making him invisible, it merely altered his color scheme slightly. Unfortunately he didn't find this out until after he tried to sneak up on Thundercracker and was promptly blasted into a wall. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 The Autobots' condition worsened, until they were unable to move. They remained this way until the Dinobots, Spike and Carly managed to retrieve more Cybertonium from Cybertron. Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
Mirage rolled out for Haley Observatory when Megatron stole the Voltronic Galaxer, but went missing somewhere along the way, and didn't arrive with the rest of the group. Blaster Blues He was part of an Autobot team who faced electrum-plated Decepticons with little success. He had to retreat back to Omega Supreme's position for reinforcements. When even Omega fell before the Decepticons, Mirage returned to Headquarters to break the news, and Teletraan I soon worked out how the Decepticons had become invincible. Soon the Autobots had found the electrum pool and, coating themselves, were able to defeat the Decepticons. The Golden Lagoon After a number of Autobots were abducted by big game hunter Lord Chumley, Mirage was present at Headquarters when Cosmos finally located the missing Autobots. Prime Target He also helped coat the Statue of Liberty with corrostop, Perceptor's latest invention. Cosmic Rust
Mirage was among the team of five Autobots who disguised themselves as the Stunticons, with Mirage's alternate mode making him the perfect choice to masquerade as Drag Strip. Penetrating the Decepticon camp, the Autobots ran into trouble when the real Stunticons arrived, trying to prove their identities by forming Menasor. With a combination of Windcharger's magnetic powers and Mirage’s illusion-creating ability, the Autobots were able to appear as Menasor too. Though the deception was soon revealed, they were still able to thwart the Decepticons’ plans. Masquerade
Japanese cartoon continuity
The Headmasters cartoon
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Mirage engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers story pages
When the Autobots arrived on Earth, Mirage picked up a distress call alerting the Autobots to a Decepticon attack on New York City. Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers When the Scramble City project began, Mirage could be seen driving through the newly-constructed city, Story page #7 and flying into action alongside it and his fellow Autobots when the city transformed into its robot mode, Metroplex. Story page #9 Later, while battling Menasor, Mirage proved no match for the combiner and was sent flying through the air. Story page #12
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga
Mirage was among the Autobots stationed at Autobot headquarters in Arizona when Megatron and the Decepticons attacked. Though the Autobots were ultimately victorious, the entire attack was actually just a distraction so that Soundwave could go perform evil somewhere in Japan. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2
Mirage later appeared at the Autobots' newly constructed Japanese base, welcoming the small human boy, Kenji. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4
Full Throttle Scramble Power!
When Megatron threatened the world with the nefarious Omega Whip, Mirage was one of the Autobots who objected to the Aerialbots being sent into action, citing their lack of experience. The Autobots' human allies Toru and Jenny managed to destroy the Whip, upon which Mirage and the other Autobots rolled into action to stop the Decepticons escaping. Full Throttle Scramble Power!
The Battle of the Star Gate
Mirage was amongst the Autobots who confronted Megatron and his Decepticons at the Trigger in Earth orbit. The battle concluded with the Trigger's destruction, which sent all the comabants sent plummeting down to Earth in flames. The Battle of the Star Gate
Robotmasters pack-in manga
When the spatial warp known as the Blasty Zone teleported the Predacon "Beast Megatron" through time to 2004 Earth, Mirage stood by Optimus Prime's side as they confronted the villain. The New Battle Begins! More time-displaced warriors soon arrived through the Blasty Zone, and Mirage fell before the might of Gigant Bomb and Smokesniper. The Victory Warriors Enter!!
Robotmasters online manga
Mirage was discussing a series of earthquakes with his teammate R-Blade when another tremor struck Autobot City, heralding the arrival of Beast Megatron. Unaware of the purple dinosaur's true identity, Mirage charged into action, but was sent flying by the Predacon's powerful jaws. Megatron transformed to reveal his true form, but Mirage and the Autobots then concentrated their fire, forcing him to retreat. Clash! The Two Leaders
Receiving word of the discovery of a Solitarium deposit on Chaar, Mirage approached the new Autobot arrival Road Rocket for his help in locating it. Defend the Solitarium! Later, while manning the monitors at Autobot City, Mirage spotted an injured Transformer who had collapsed outside the fortress. The mysterious newcomer identified himself as Reverse Convoy, Strategic Meeting: The Mysterious New Warrior but turned out to in fact be the original Megatron in disguise. Megatron took Mirage, Optimus, and Optimus Primal prisoner at Sherman Dam, but they were soon saved by Star Saber and Lio Convoy. The Dark Emperor of Destruction, Reborn
Mirage participated in the three-day final battle with the Decepticons that concluded with the Autobots' victory, and the time-displaced Transformers being sent back to their homes. And Then
Black Body
Mirage was present within the Ark when the Autobots developed an energy-absorbing upgrade via a "black body" coating, only for it to be used against them by the Decepticons. Knowing that Starscream had gained access to the process, Mirage was surprised to see that it was the Predacon Megatron who had been upgraded with a "black body." He correctly deduced that Starscream would not have let anyone else gain access to the upgrade if he hadn’t plotted a more self-serving scheme first. Black Body
Story of Binaltech
A few years after the defeat of Unicron in 2005, the Autobots were forced off of Cybertron by the Decepticons. Consulting the files of the time-traveling Ravage, the Autobots learned of a mysterious switch hidden away on Cybertron which, when pulled, would instantaneously immobilize all Transformers throughout the universe. More homesick for his homeworld than any of his fellows, Mirage volunteered for the dangerous mission to infiltrate the planet and activate the switch. To this end, he transferred his spark into a new Binaltech body that had been designed to replicate the function of his power chip rectifier, but which had instead resulted in greatly magnified powers. The new body's Electro Disruptor kept it permanently invisible, which allowed Mirage to make his way to Cybertron, past the Decepticons, and down into the planet's depths to the switch. After throwing the switch, though, Mirage was surprised to find that he was still mobile. It seemed the Binaltech warriors (both Autobot and Decepticon) were significantly different enough from regular Transformers to be unaffected by the immobilization wave. With the Autobots now vastly outnumbering the Decepticons still in operation, the tide of the war had irreparably shifted. Kill Switch
Unite Warriors
In 2021, Mirage, having gained a combiner body, was present on Cybertron when Megaempress and her 4 Guards intervened in the battle between Sky Reign and Grand Galvatron. Subsequently, Mirage combined with Ironhide, Prowl, Sunstreaker, and a temporarily-resurrected Optimus Prime into Optimus Maximus to fight Megatronia. Megatronia Chapter
Mirage and his combining teammates went to Hawaii for what was supposedly "special surfing training". There, Mirage stayed on the beach to... suntan, or something. Crossing the Pacific Ocean!?
Wings Universe
After the defeat of Unicron and the onset of Cybertron's new Golden Age, Mirage returned to his homeworld in hopes of finding peace. BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card However, a new threat soon emerged: Jhiaxus, a renegade Cybertronian who fashioned a clone army for himself that even included a clone of Mirage himself. A Flash Forward, Part 3 Jhiaxus's ever-expanding army swept across the galaxy in a conflict known as the "Machine Wars", and Mirage teamed up with Electro to provide upgrades to Cybertron's population in preparation for the conflict inevitably reaching the Transformers' homeworld. As part of this, Mirage upgraded his own speed by a factor of two and exposed himself to forestonite, which considerably enhanced the range of his invisibility field. BotCon 2013 Mirage profile card Unfortunately, in acquiring said weaponry and upgrades, Mirage and Electro had to go outside the law, violating several arms regulations and consorting with black marketeers and other criminals, which led to them being arrested by Clamp Down. He agreed to let the pair go so they could join the impending fight against Jhiaxus's approaching forces, if they would testify that their crimes had been committed at the order of Autobot Earth commander Pyro. Electro pushed back, but as alarms began blaring to signify that Jhiaxus's army had arrived, Mirage quickly agreed to Clamp Down's terms—but as it turned out, there was little they could do, as a colossal bombing run by the enemy forces levelled the city.
Jhiaxus's clone army, led by Megaplex, seized control of Cybertron in only a few days. Scattered groups of Autobot survivors quickly organized; Mirage and Electro were called to a rendezvous with a squad led by Obsidian outside of Iacon, where Mirage used his enhanced powers to keep a substantial number of reinforcements hidden from view. When Megaplex and his men were lured out by the seemingly small group of rebels, Mirage dropped the invisibility field, revealing to the clones that they were surrounded. A fierce battle erupted, but the tide began to turn against the Autobots when it turned out that their team-mate Sandstorm was actually an undercover agent, who blasted Obsidian. Termination Still the heroes fought on, with Mirage and Override attempt to take on the Sandstorm clone, only to be soundly thrashed. As reinforcements from Earth began to arrive, Mirage regrouped with Electro, and the pair tried to ambush the Skywarp clone, only for him to teleport away and send his drones after them. They were unexpectedly rescued by a squad of Decepticons, and joined with them in fighting off Jhiaxus's legions—a sight that convinced Jhiaxus to surrender, as he was content that he had achieved his goal of uniting Cybertron as one. A Common Foe
Notes
- Like almost all characters from the 1984 product line, Mirage was phased out of the animated series following The Transformers: The Movie. A storyboarded scene cut from the movie suggests what happened to him: amidst the transformation of Autobot City, Mirage was to ambush the Insecticon Bombshell and then be fired upon by Megatron. Whether or not this would have killed Mirage is not made clear, but given the film's casual body count, it seems highly probable.
- Mirage transforms into a Ligier JS11 Formula One racecar. Incidentally, the model had been succeeded years before the show's debut. Notable drivers of the JS11 inclide Jacques Laffite and Jacky Ickx. The original racecar was sponsored by Gitanes tobacco, but due to laws concerning tobacco advertising on children's toys, the livery was slightly altered to "Citanes" (acceptable despite being only mildly different).
