Rubsign
A rubsign is a small pre-applied heat-sensitive sticker. Rubbing the sticker reveals a hidden symbol.
Operating principles
Demons make the color change. Anybody who tells you otherwise is a witch, and should be burned, burned at the stake. Death to the evildoers!
Ahem. The working part of a rubsign is a layer of Mylar plastic which contains thermochromic liquid crystals. At different temperatures, the liquid crystals' molecular structure changes, reflecting different wavelengths of light, and making a visible faction symbol appear. Mood rings work by the same principle, but have more bogus magical properties.
Generation 1
The Generation 1 Mini-spies were the first toys to debut with rubsigns. They came packaged with Mini Vehicles in early 1985. The faction of Mini-spy remained hidden until someone opened up the package and rubbed the rubsign, revealing an Autobot or Decepticon insignia.
Beginning in the second year of the franchise, all Transformers featured a rubsign that revealed an Autobot or Decepticon insignia in addition to other standard insignia stickers. The purpose of these rubsigns was to help consumers distinguish genuine Transformers toys from the many knockoffs their success inspired (off-brand versions of the Dinobots, Soundwave, and his cassettes were particularly common in 84/85), as well as Tonka's GoBots toys and similar toys of other competitors.
By 1988, rubsigns were dropped from the line (presumably as most of the competition had been long-buried), even though several toys from that year still had molded spots for them.
The Clones had special rubsigns that revealed their personal insignia. The rubsign could be activated so their true identity could be revealed without having to transform them (or, you know, rotate them slightly).
Beast Wars
Rubsigns would not appear again on Transformers toys until the second year of Beast Wars product in 1997, called "hidden Energon chips". They continued through the next year's Fuzors and Transmetals, but were replaced by the time of the Transmetal 2s (and in the Beast Wars Neo new-mold toys) with "spark crystals".
Classics
Rubsigns reintroduced to the Transformers line in 2006 with the Classics series. They are also on most of the Generation 1 reissues from both Takara and Hasbro.
Reveal the Shield
Rubsigns were used as the main gimmick of the Reveal the Shield subline imprint of the 2010 Transformers toy line. The toy packaging directed people to "Press to reveal Autobot or Decepticon allegiance." However, the back of the packaging also featured a large faction symbol for the character, spoiling the mystery of the character's allegiance.
Fiction
Transformers Comic-Magazin
Needlenose, Darkwing, and Dreadwind were hiding in an airbase in Nevada, before revealing their liquid crystal Decepticon insignia and flying off. A Big Day for Powermaster Optimus Prime
Dreamwave Generation One continuity
Dreamwave Productions, famous for their re-launching Transformers comics and generally toy-accurate artwork, featured a few posters of Transformers featuring a rubsign.
Rubsigns were used as a way of disguising Autobot Smokescreen's faction symbol (which had been outlawed). War and Peace
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Soundwave used a rubsign to gain access to the illegal gladiatorial games. Megatron Origin #3
Brainstorm's security pass, which he used to get on board the Lost Light, featured a rubsign. How to Say Goodbye and Mean It
Animated cartoon
The bounty hunter Lockdown appears to sport a rubsign, probably to indicate that he's just in it for the parts and hunts he gets out of it. The Thrill of the Hunt
After being 'dishonorably discharged' and sent to the Stockade, Wasp has been seen wearing a rubsign, probably to indicate he's not with the Autobots anymore. When he was reformatted into Waspinator, he completely changed sides and sported a Decepticon insignia. Predacons Rising
Commercial Appearances
Generation 1
Cliffjumper and Huffer let a yellow Mini-spy into the Ark. They then got suspicious and rubbed his rubsign revealing him to be a Decepticon. Commercial/Generation 1
Notes
- The original patent for the Generation 1 rubsigns is shared by Henry Orenstein and George Dunsay. The patent term expired a few years ago.
- A variation on the rubsigns were also used in the spin-off Hasbro/Takara toyline Battle Beasts.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Secret Emblem (シークレットエンプレム Shīkuretto Enburemu)
