Punch (G1)

This article is about the Generation 1 Autobot. For the Shattered Glass Autobot, see Punch (SG).

Counterpunch is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family. His Autobot counterpart, Punch, is nearby. Real nearby.

File:G1 PunchCounterpunc art.jpg

He takes his energon shaken, AND stirred.

Punch (aka Nightbeat) possesses a unique transformation ability that allows him to adopt a second robot mode—posing as a Decepticon named Counterpunch to spy on the 'Cons as a double agent.

On the surface, Punch is a stoic individual that can take charge and keep others calm in a crisis. However, this is an act that hides how paranoid he's become. His responsibilities as a spy, in addition to the things he's seen among the Decepticons, have made him a mess internally. Punch’s entire personality changes when he becomes Counterpunch—although still loyal to the Autobots, Counterpunch is a violent brute that even Decepticons prefer to avoid. More recently Punch has suffered blackouts while disguised, the invented Counterpunch personality taking on a life of its own. Punch is suspicious of all those around him, fearing that there could be a double agent among the Autobots operating as easily as he does among the Decepticons.

Punch is armed with a twin mortar launcher. Counterpunch wields a photon cannon which fires a circuit-scrambling energy stream. All Autobots are given an energy damper that protects them from the gun's effects but generates pyrotechnics to keep Punch's cover.

In one universe, Punch gives in completely to his Counterpunch persona and combines with the Wreckers to form Wreckage.

Fiction

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: John Moschitta (English), Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese), Hans-Rainer Müller (German, The Rebirth, Part 1)

You deal with my Autobot counterpart then! I heard he's nearby...

In 2007, when the Decepticons attacked Autobot City after the end of a short-lived truce, Punch observed Pounce and Wingspan breaking into the city while the other Autobots were occupied with the battle. Seeking to discover their objective, he transformed into Counterpunch and caught up to them when they were breaking into a vault within the city. Informing them that Galvatron had told him to check up on them, Counterpunch's offer of help was rebuffed by the two clones, and Counterpunch departed, making a big noise about how he had heard his "Autobot counterpart" was "nearby... real nearby."

Look I found James Bond! Punch him!

Naturally, Counterpunch promptly transformed back to Punch as soon as he had stepped out of the clones' line of sight, and opened fire on them from behind. Wingspan was able to get behind Punch and grabbed him, holding him so that Pounce could savage him in puma mode. Punch collapsed, and the two clones made off with the contents of the vault – the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber. Optimus Prime soon discovered Punch's unconscious body and roused him, but Punch could only silently point to the empty vault, confirming Prime's worst fear.

Punch was subsequently part of an Autobot contingent led by Prime who pursued the Decepticons to Cybertron. At Prime's order, Punch, Cloudraker and Fastlane began searching the planet for the key, but unbeknownst to them, it had already been been used to briefly open the Plasma Energy Chamber. The resulting energy discharge blasted a group of Autobots led by Kup across the galaxy to the planet Nebulos, and the key with them. The Rebirth, Part 1 Punch and the Autobot clones soon reported back to Prime that there was no sign of Kup's team or the key, prompting Prime to consult Vector Sigma for answers. The Rebirth, Part 2

Japanese cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese), John Culkin (English, Omni Productions dub)

Queens up front.

When Punch made his debut, he was already installed within the Decepticon ranks as Counterpunch and serving as Scorponok's closely-trusted informant. Among the true information Counterpunch fed the Decepticon leader in order to maintain his cover were details of the movements of the Autobot Headmasters when they attempted an impassioned attack on Chaar after the destruction of Mars. Using the information, Scorponok repelled their attack, much to the chagrin of Soundblaster, who was particularly infuriated that Counterpunch had "somehow" turned up information that his own spying had failed to. Soon thereafter, Punch returned to the Autobot base on Athenia, and informed Autobot Supreme Commander Fortress that Scorponok was about to hold a ceremony on Earth's moon to coronate himself emperor of the Decepticons. During the ceremony, Galvatron returned from his prior apparent demise, and retook leadership of the Decepticons from Scorponok. Return of the Immortal Emperor

When both the Autobots and Decepticons received an SOS signal from the energy-deprived planet Sandra, Fortress was unsure how to proceed. Punch arrived to with information to help him come to a decision, as he let him know that the Decepticons had chosen to ignore the signal. SOS from Planet Sandra

Brooklyn's in the back.

Later, Punch informed the Autobots on Athenia of the arrival of the newest Decepticon warriors, the Horrorcons, on Chaar. Not long after, when Galvatron departed for Earth to conduct potential peace talks with Spike Witwicky, Punch soon received a nasty surprise when he discovered that Spike was actually debating with a disguised Sixshot, and that the true Galvatron was still on Chaar, preparing to lead the Decepticons on an interplanetary energy raid while the Autobots were distracted. Punch snuck away from the crowd to radio the Autobots on Athenia and clue them in, but unfortunately, even with Punch's inside information, the Autobots were unable to stop the Decepticons from departing on their mission of evil. Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!

As Counterpunch, Punch stayed with the Decepticons as they hopped from planet to planet. He met up with his Autobot comrades again when the Decepticons set down on the planet Daros, informing them that Scorponok had sent the Decepticon Headmasters to kill a local Beastformer that knew of the location of Scorponok's secret weak spot. Punch informed the Autobot Headmasters that he believed the Beastformer, Tekna, to be hiding in the South-North Caves, and Chromedome and Hardhead set off to search for him. Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!

Turn around! Your cover's blown!

Eventually, the Decepticons returned to Chaar with a huge stockpile of energon cubes, and it was Punch's duty to find out what Galvatron's master plan for the amassed energy was. Ultra Magnus Dies!! Punch had little luck at first, bluffing his way through a carelessly-worded conversation with Galvatron and failing to learn anything more about the Decepticon leader's plan, other than that he was about to depart for Earth. Despite his lack of information, Punch raced to Earth to report his finding to Fortress with such speed that he almost forgot to transform out of his Counterpunch form before entering Autobot City. Completing his report, he then headed for the Decepticons' Earth base, in hopes of listening in on the schemes Galvatron was cooking up there. Again, he bumbled his way through an altercation with Scourge, claiming that he had been kneeling by a door because he had dropped something and quickly crawling off around a corner in search of this phantom object. He even considered switching out of his Counterpunch disguise, before he realized how foolish he was being. Finally, Punch found success with the time-honored tradition of listening through an air-vent, and discovered that Galvatron's master plan was to use the energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself. In the course of the conversation, Galvatron revealed that his head was his weakest point, and Punch quickly returned to Autobot City to reveal all he had discovered to Fortress. Fortress flew Punch to Alaska, where a battle was currently raging between Galvatron and the Autobot Headmasters, and Punch called out to inform them of Galvatron's weak spot. Enraged to discover that Punch was a spy, Galvatron soon found insult added to injury, as the Headmasters used Punch's information to finally defeat him and entomb him beneath the polar ice. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg

He's been caught red-handed!

With the demise of Galvatron, Scorponok once again seized Decepticon leadership, a fact which Punch quickly passed along to the other Autobots. I Risk My Life for Earth When Scorponok took the Decepticons back to planet Master, Punch, as Counterpunch, went with them, then returned to Earth after Scorponok successfully forged his Zarak Shield. Setting down in the Strait of Gibraltar, Scorponok instructed Counterpunch to observe the Autobots movements for him. Counterpunch leapt from Scorponok to the shore, but before he could even turn around, Scorponok had vanished beneath the waves, leaving Punch unable to inform Fortress of the evil emperor's whereabouts. Punch vowed to locate Scorponok for his commander. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) Little could Punch have known that Scorponok was operating out of the sub-oceanic ruins of Lemuria, and was using the sunken continent's crysmagnetal to forge "Death Towers" that would rip the Earth apart. Punch soon discovered that Scorponok was planning to outfit the Death Towers with energy induction boosters that would magnify their destructive effects, and informed Fortress and the Autobots that the villain was on his way to Egypt to do so with the Death Tower there. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Super-God Masterforce manga

Years later, Punch was among the Autobots on Athenia when the Autobot Godmaster Ginrai was brought to the planet so that Fortress could pass the mantle of Supreme Commander on to him. Unfortunately, this led to an attack by the Decepticons under the command of Devil Z. The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops

Unite Warriors

Punch and his comrades' involvement in Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment was recounted. Grand Galvatron Chapter

Regeneration One

"C'mon, Grimlock! I'm still waiting for my series to come out!"

After more than twenty years of peace between the Cybertronian factions, the restored Scorponok invaded Cybertron and began an assault against the Autobots by manipulating their CNA with a device he dubbed the Gene Key. He found Punch to be curiously immune to the key's personality-warping effects. Deeming therefore, that the Autobot was superfluous to his plan, Scorponok ordered Grimlock to execute him. Grimlock however, was not able to go through with the deed. Natural Selection, Part Three

TransTech

A Punch/Counterpunch who found his way to Axiom Nexus wound up in professional sports. He became rivals with his own alter-ego in the ring. During one match up, Counterpunch won after twelve rounds. Punch graciously conceded his defeat. The two of them then took turns answering questions for reporters, switching back and forth between the two modes. Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/04

Of Masters and Mayhem

Hello, Doctor Banner. FYI: I'll be taking over the body from now on.

Before the war, Punch used to be an actor from Harmonex. When the war began, he was among the first denizens of his city to join the Autobots. The destruction of Harmonex twenty-seven years later drove Punch into a reckless rage, one that ended with the unit under his command massacred. Punch himself was impaled on a girder in the ensuing fight.

When he came to, he was approached by Autobot command, who revealed to the wounded soldier that his T-cog carried an incredibly rare, one-in-a-trillion mutation that would allow him to assume a second robot form—perfect for the High Command, who were in desperate need of a mole within the 'Cons. Using his acting talents, Punch created Counterpunch to go along with Punch the infiltration expert, and masquerading as these two characters allowed him to bury his grief.

As the war ground on, Punch was stationed at Gargoid, where he began acting increasingly erratic. When his boss Suppressor discussed the recent conflict on Athenia and Counterpunch's role in the Autobot slaughter—and raising the question of why Punch didn't report the information to the Autobots, displaying a damning video feed of Counterpunch enabling the attack. This evidence was enough to get the Autobot thrown in the brig. While imprisoned, he started hallucinating Counterpunch, who claimed that "Punch" was a lie and that he was a convenient secret identity for the Decepticon... and the reason why nobody had ever heard of Harmonex. What's more, Counterpunch had decided that he'd had enough of being Punch, and it was time for the Autobot to die.

Counterpunch came to seconds before a Decepticon extraction squad arrived to spring their old friend, and joined in as the team stormed the base and finished off the Autobot garrison. Counterpunch was challenged by Punch's old rival Firecracker, eager to finally finish off the "traitor" in the Autobots ranks. Counterpunch froze up—even after Crash Test took the blow for him and finished off the Autobot. The sight of his dead ex-comrade shocked Punch back to life... who declared that no matter who he was, the Decepticons had killed his friends and he would finish them off. Shooting Crash Test, he was exposed to a volley of fire from the other Decepticons, taking him out. His last thoughts before passing out were of Harmonex. The Truth We Make

Punch was taken to Paradron for repairs and left in Lifeline's care. She managed to save the Autobot's life, as most of the damage was confined to one form. The complications of having two beings inhabiting one body meant that she wasn't able to save his original "Punch" robot mode, leaving him confined to his "Counterpunch" body and vehicle mode. Insight The Truth We Make In the wake of Thunder Mayhem's rampage, Impactor, desperate for new recruits, recruited the monumentally confused Counterpunch into the newest iteration of the Wreckers. The Truth We Make

Their next stop was the jungle world of Chicxulania, where they picked up Fractyl. Counterpunch fitted the pterosaur Transformer with some new upgrades after the Predacon reformatted himself back into his original jet body. Life Finds a Way Fractyl's access to some old Decepticon files allowed them to find a lost experimental base, where they recruited the sociopathic bioweapon Toxitron. The Toxic Transformer The next two inductees, Offroad and Alpha Bravo, prompted Impactor and Fractyl to reveal their plan to take down Thunder Mayhem: merging the five Wreckers into a brand new combiner of their own. Once everybody had undergone the augmentation process, the team headed down to a planet infested with Mecannibals to put their skills to the test. Their new combined form, Wreckage, trounced the threat... but then went berserk. Realizing that their combined form was an even worse liability than Thunder Mayhem, Alpha Bravo shot Offroad and then allowed himself to die, depriving the team of their most powerful asset. Deadly Aim

Impactor was on the verge of quitting after that, but Counterpunch pushed him into following up on a distress signal from Cybertron. They found the Autobot gunner Bluestreak living among the ruins. Bluestreak had been promised by the alien Teklaans that they could restore Cybertron through terraforming, but needed some sparks to jumpstart the revival of the Cybertronian race. Bluestreak initially turned over the Wreckers to the Teklaans, but they betrayed him in order to add another spark to their formula. Counterpunch got the Wreckers out of their cell and they attacked the terraforming emitter. With Impactor and Bluestreak incorporated into the mix, Wreckage was reformed and destroyed the Teklaans' systems. Lively Pursuit

Counterpunch and the Wreckers received a signal tracking Thunder Mayhem to the planet Earth. Pandora's Gift There they teamed up with Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the humans and Mega Pretenders of another reality to battle Thunder Mayhem. The human Elizabeth used her power to channel Wreckage's energies and shatter the Matrix of Malice, forcing the evil combiner apart. Counterpunch and the Wreckers took the Mayhem Attack Squad into custody following that exchange. Finale

Beast Wars: Uprising

During the Great War, Punch infiltrated the Decepticon Justice Division as Counterpunch and became Megatron's most elite spy. He made his way to the Decepticon capital Helex and, with the help of the locals, assassinated a triumvirate of Decepticon warlords who had decided to govern the city-state in Megatron's absence.

In the proto-former era, statues of the DJD remain standing at the Mandala, home to the Predacon Secret Police. The statue of Counterpunch had long been removed, leaving behind a plinth that merely read "Helex: Never forget."

Wolfang's faction-switching body owed something to Punch's cyberbiology. Trigger Warnings

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

Punch is a non-playable character. He appears among the legion of Autobot duplicates in the Decepticon campaign.

The Transformers

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Big gun, little guy.

Punch participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a promotional Super Rare character who could be recruited via the Space Bridge. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Commercial appearances

Unfortunately for the Autobots, Counterpunch was TWICE as loyal to the Decepticons.

• Within a mechanical room, Rodimus Prime handed Punch an unknown device while Goldbug looked on. Saluting, Punch assured Rodimus that he could trust him. He then transformed and drove off, speeding to a rocky area where Cyclonus and Galvatron awaited him. Changing from vehicle mode into Counterpunch, he gave Galvatron the device. Saluting, Counterpunch assured Galvatron that he could trust him. Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial

He's not a double agent, he just doesn't want to clash with his surroundings.

• When Megatron gathered Counterpunch and Breakdown to brainstorm ideas for ultimate weapons, Breakdown suggested they might find what they're looking for at BotCon 2010. Counterpunch brought this information to the Autobots as Punch, and the Autobots likewise made BotCon plans. BotCon 2010 Promo

Toys

Generation 1

One toy, twice the fun!

• Punch-Counterpunch (Doublespy, 1987)
  • Japanese ID number: C-111
  • Accessories: "Twin Mortar Launcher", "Photon Cannon"

Punch transforms into a blue Pontiac Fiero. He has two distinct robot modes, with separate guns and rubsigns for each. They have separate arms, but the backs of Punch's torso, legs, and even head are the fronts of Counterpunch's and vice versa. The top of their shared head tilts to disguise the face not currently being used.

The transformation for Punch's robot mode depicted in the toy's instructions and animation is, in fact, not the intended transformation for the toy. As illustrated in the inset of the image at right, rather than extend all the way, as they do for Counterpunch, the legs are supposed to fold back at the "knee" with Counterpunch's feet folded out 180 degrees to become Punch's own (this, then, gives a purpose to the otherwise-pointless ridges on his feet, which now serve to keep the robot stable). This transformation—depicted in the toy's box art and on the front of his instruction booklet (sans feet)—creates a much smaller robot mode for Punch, more in-line with the proportions of the 1984 and 85 Autobot Cars, that serves to further distinguish him from Counterpunch.

• More information on Punch at TFU.info

Timelines

Headlights are painted over for extra G1 accuracy!

• Punch-Counterpunch (Deluxe Class, 2010)
  • Accessories: Pistol, engine supercharger intakes

One of two Transformers Collectors' Club exclusive toys offered in 2010, Punch-Counterpunch is a retooling of the 2008 Universe series Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold, transforming into a heavily modified Lamborghini Gallardo with customized engine supercharger intakes mounted just behind the roof. This supercharger can form a sort of "jetpack" by attaching to his back in Punch mode, chest armor in Counterpunch mode, or be attached to the pistol to make a larger gun. The pistol can also be mounted on a peg-hole in the robot-mode shoulder.

Punch-Counterpunch makes use of the mold's two robot-mode configurations as a single toy. His new head replicates the original toy's two-faced "flip-cap" head, hiding the eyes of whichever face he isn't using at the time. (The fists need to be physically swapped between the two if you really want to be super-accurate.) Punch's face now has a mouth as per his "The Rebirth" model, but retains the toy's separate eyes. His head is very very very tiny, likely to accommodate his fliptop forehead during transformation. Coincidentally, Fun Publications failed to release photos of his robot mode until after the toy was already in buyers' hands.

Punch went up for pre-order on the Club site on the evening of March 26, 2010 at a price of $59. Despite pictures of his robot modes remaining unseen throughout, all 1800 units sold out by the morning of March 29, the biggest and fastest sell out of a Club exclusive yet. Punch started shipping June 15. So great was the demand for Punch that a second run of only 300 figures was produced, which went on sale on August 11. These were limited to one-per-customer, and were only available to customers who had not purchased a Punch previously, but despite these restrictions, they were sold out within only a few hours.

This mold was also used to make Henkei! Henkei!/Generations Red Alert and the BotCon 2010 exclusive Breakdown. This iteration of the mold also inspired the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising version of Wolfang.

Punch features the hole where the light bar would screw in on Henkei! Henkei! Red Alert on the top of his car mode roof, though it is covered with a rub symbol.

• More information on TFCC Punch at TFU.info

Universe (2008) mold: Sunstreaker
Hasbro: Universe (2008) Sunstreaker Sideswipe Generations Red Alert Sideswipe (Generation 2, canceled) Fun Publications: Timelines Punch-Counterpunch Sideswipe (Generation 2) Breakdown (Generation 2) Breakdown TakaraTomy: Henkei! Henkei! C-07 Sunstreaker C-09 Lambor C-20 Alert

Kre-O

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE REAL NEAR BY

• Nightbeat (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)
  • Bag number: 40551 50
  • Accessories: Stand brick, scoped pistol

Part of the fifth assortment of blind-bagged Kreon Micro-Changers, Punch Nightbeat can be rebuilt from robot mode into a car based on Punch's vehicle mode. He sports Sideswipe's helmet.

• More information on Nightbeat at TFU.info

Generations

Combiner Wars

I'm the reason there will never be a Combiner Wars Slicer.

• Wrecker Counterpunch (Deluxe Class, 2017)

Part of the Figure Subscription Service 5.0, Combiner Wars Counterpunch (who doesn't turn into his Punch form) is a retool of Combiner Wars Wheeljack using the mold's alternate head, transforming from a supercar resembling a Lancia Stratos to robot and back! As a Combiner Wars Deluxe limb he is able to combine with any Voyager Class toys released as part of the same subline or any Unite Warriors Voyager figure or into one of Legends Godbomber's legs, though he is normally the left arm of Wreckage.

Combiner Wars mold: Breakdown

Version 1: Hasbro: Combiner Wars Breakdown Breakdown (Generation 2) Sunstreaker Fun Publications: Combiner Wars Ravage Tigatron TakaraTomy: Unite Warriors UW-02 Breakdown UW-05 Sunstreaker Version 2: Hasbro: Combiner Wars Jumpstream TakaraTomy: Unite Warriors UW-EX Trickdiamond Version 3: Hasbro: Combiner Wars Wheeljack Fun Publications: Combiner Wars Wrecker Counterpunch TakaraTomy: Unite Warriors UW-EX Wheeljack UW-08 Lightspeed

Power of the Primes

I heard your wallet is nearby. Real nearby.

• Punch-Counterpunch (Special Edition, 2018)
  • Japanese Release Date: February 2019
  • Japanese ID Number: PP-44
  • Accessories: Prima Prime Prime Master, gun, Prime Armor, Prime Master filler/gun

Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch is an all-new "Special Edition" Deluxe Class mold that transforms into either robot mode as well as a supercar resembling an Infiniti G37 with the front end of a Camaro and Volk TE37 wheels. The transformation includes flip-out helmet and fists for each robot mode, as well as two-way knees, elbows, and a simple rearrangement of kibble. Like all other Power of the Primes Deluxe Class figures, he comes with Prime Armor (identical to the one included with Jazz) with a place for a Prime Master (and by extension, a Titan Master, Enigma, or Matrix core) that can transform into a hand for a separate combiner. He also comes with the Prime Master Prima Prime, which can only interact with the figure via the Titan Master/Prime Master pegs on the back of his car or the included Prime Armor. Unlike all other Deluxes in the subline, Punch-Counterpunch lacks the combiner peg, making him the first non-Combiner Deluxe or Voyager Class figure released in this lineup. He does, however, include a gun that can mount on the top of his car mode. His gun has a very similar body to the pistols included originally with Titans Return Arcee, but is, in fact, larger, with added detail, and a different barrel and handle to those weapons.

This set was an Amazon exclusive in the U.S., initially revealed via preorder listing without any prior announcement from Hasbro. It was also available at general retail in Singapore and Japan.

Notes

File:Commercial Proto Punch.jpg

MY FACE ACCEPTS ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS.

• Punch sports a considerably different prototype face during his first commercial. Counterpunch is the same, however.
• The Doublespy concept seems to have been kicking around for a while before actually being executed:
  • A concept sketch exists that depicts Punch/Counterpunch as a hi-tech jet more in line with the 1986+ aesthetic which transforms in a way somewhat similar to the final car version.
  • Not one but two early patents were filed for a car Doublespy. The first patent depicts a car that can turn into a large robot or split straight across the middle, with the front and back ends of the car each transforming into a separate robot. It uses a car model identical to the final Punch/Counterpunch.
  • The second patent keeps the car as a single unit, however the car now folds along the center from the front bumper to the rear windshield. One robot mode is formed when the car is transformed normally, the other is formed when the car is transformed and folded to reveal a new head, chest, and arms. This model has an identical leg transformation to the final version.
• At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, a Punch/Counterpunch miniseries known as "Legacy of Rust" was announced. As of 2016 2017 2018, it has yet to come out, but it's been stated that Stuart Moore wrote all four issues.

Punch

• Japanese: Spacepunch (スペースパンチ Supēsupanchi), Punch (パンチ Panchi)
• French: Pugilil (Canada)
• Italian: Spy
• Mandarin: Shuāng Miàn Rén (双面人, "Double-faced Man")
• Russian: Punch (Панч Panch)

Counterpunch

• Japanese: Counterpunch (カウンターパンチ Kauntāpanchi)
• French: Contrecoup (Canada, "Counterpunch")
• Italian: Ultraspy
• Russian: Vyshibala (Вышибала, "Bouncer")