S.T.A.R.S.
S.T.A.R.S. was a group of human Autobot allies during the Generation One era.
A number of physicists and people who realized the gravity and important of the Transformers' presence on this planet were in continual radio contact with the Autobots; reporting any sightings or problems caused by the Decepticons. The great mass of the population had no idea of the lurking menace of the Decepticons. Those who did knew that the only hope for peace lay with the Autobots... -Menace at the Dam
Fiction
Organization History
The Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad was an underground organization of Autobot allies created by Optimus Prime after a major defeat of the Decepticons following the arrival of Reinforcements from Cybertron.
Though badly hurt, the Decepticons were not beaten. They initiated a massive building campaign, constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike at energy sources.
Optimus Prime's message to S.T.A.R.S. members began, "Earth allies like you are desperately needed. We must thwart the forces of evil now!"
When the location of a secret bases is uncovered, Autobot Strike forces work in concert with human allies to neutralize them.
The Omnibots seem to be the primary strike force employed by S.T.A.R.S., though the main Autobot force also participates in S.T.A.R.S. actions.
Membership Includes
A S.T.A.R.S. member keeps watch for potential Decepticon activity in their sector and alerts the Autobots if any is detect. They are expected to be ready at all times in the event a Decepticon alert is issued. Their membership is a secret even from their family.
S.T.A.R.S. members were issued a Transformers Control Console with Communication Center for monitoring their sector, a booklet including information about Cybertron and some transformer engineering diagrams, an iron-on patch and a S.T.A.R.S. ID card.
Operational Model
In the event Decepticon activity is Detected:
- Alert the Autobots.
- Meet the arriving strike force, prominently displaying the issued patch on a shirt or hat
- Be prepared to direct them towards their target
A typical strike against a hidden Decepticon base by the Omnibots:
- The Omnibots drive up in the dead of night
- They transform
- Launch a volley of missiles at the base
- Transform back to car mode
- Get the fuck out of Dodge before the Decepticons can retaliate
S.T.A.R.S. members are required to fill out Interplanetary Transmission Report detailing the event.
Human Saboteurs
Special watches issued to human allies also arrived with the Reinforcements from Cybertron. These were used to coordinate forays into enemy territory while the Decepticons were absent, presumably sabotage against either the hidden bases (disable warning system?) or civilian assets being utilized by Decepticons.
Sources disagree on the purpose of the Time Warriors watches. The "Earthlings:" packet (see sources cited) has the Omnibots using them to co-ordinate their attacks, the 'Reinforcements' packet says they are used to time missions before Decepticons get back, apparently by humans. It's possible they were used by humans and Omnibots to time attacks to Decepticon absences based on S.T.A.R.S. members' observations of their schedule, but this does not jibe with the immediate assembly of a strike force in Johnny's "Have the Decepticons" packet, nor its size.
Membership Card
The membership card was able to switch between displaying an Autobot symbol and a Decepticon one. The purpose of this function is unknown, but one might speculate that since 'legitimate' Autobot sigils include encoded verification data, the Decepticon Badge may do the same, and a counterfeit Decepticon Badge may be used to gain entry into their bases. To prevent the Autobots from being similarly fooled by Decepticon sympathizers, it included personal identification data on the reverse side.
Decepticon Counterparts
The Autobots are not the only ones reaching out to human allies.
Many humans are willing to work with the Decepticons, whether through thwarted ambitions, or the Decepticons' promises of vast material wealth. (Thousands of humans lured by just such promises were turned into Slaves and subsequently killed in Megatron's giant coal mine beneath Botswana's Kalahari desert.) One corrupt human calling the shots can mean many humans serving Decepticon goals without even knowing it!
The Future of S.T.A.R.S.
By the year 2006, S.T.A.R.S. had become a much more public organization. Rodimus Prime regaled a young S.T.A.R.S. member with the story of Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction, the quest for the location to build Autobot City.
When contacting the EDC base on planet Mars, Blaster affectionately refers to them as "The Stars on Mars," which may indicate a natural outgrowth of Stars into a broader human/Autobot alliance.
Known Stars Members
- Johnny
- Marissa Faireborn (probable)
- Spike Witwicky
Metatextual Notes
- The appeal for human allies, initially attributed to Optimus Prime would later be repeated by the Omnibot Overdrive. Though theoretically a grass-roots campaign, its status as mass-distribution pack-in causes it to read more like a 4-1-9 scheme.[1] "Dear Sir or Madame, I must solicit you in the strictest confidence for this alliance, I am the leader of an alien army..."
- S.T.A.R.S. are good guys, right? The operational model they use seems to be lifted almost point-for-point from American Cold War paranoia about Communist fifth columnists[2] who keep Stalinist posters, radio transmitters and little red books of ideology hidden in their attic. The ones who'll put on their identifying armbands and rush out to guide troops towards vital infrastructure when the Ruskies invade. The description of (probable) members in Menace at the Dam even invokes leftist intelligencia!
- The status of deep secrecy (bordering on outright obliviousness) surrounding Transformers existed in neither primary media source (Cartoon or comics) at the time, but was reflected by many non-primary source, like choose-your-own-adventure and many odd one-off stories. The atmosphere is probably best captured by the UK comics story Man of Iron, in which the Brits are unrealistically unaware of the giant alien robots who've been the top story on CNN overseas since their arrival. (Unrealistic, if you think MoI is in-continuity with other comics tales.)
- By 2006, S.T.A.R.S. has become a much more open organization. This era of covert strikes against hidden Decepticon bases began in 1985, and ended some time before March 31, 1987. (The date the Omnibots were destined to leave and fight a war in another Universe.)
Non-Fiction
S.T.A.R.S. was the Transformers fan club. It started in 1985, and the price of membership was $6.50.
The Transformers pack-in inserts featured an ongoing storyline. The establishment S.T.A.R.S. organization directly their defeat int he first pack-in story Reinforcements from Cybertron. Subsequent pack-in inserts, which moved to the year 2006 along with the cartoon, also mention S.T.A.R.S.
S.T.A.R.S. Fan Club
For the price of $6.50, a S.T.A.R.S. member received the following:
- S.T.A.R.S. membership card.
- Transformer Control Center (a cardboard communications panel which doubled as a toy display case)
- Iron-on Patch
- Transformers poster
- Tech-spec booklet containing information about Cybertron, and engineering drawings of Transformers.
Japanese Fan Club
The Japanese Transformers fan club also included a cardboard command base, which many label the 'Japanese S.T.A.R.S.' This is inaccurate. The Japanese command base was a cardboard environment for the toys to play in, not a roleplay center, and there was no equivalent of the S.T.A.R.S story in Japan. (At least as far as the fan club went.)
Sources Cited
Most of the information used in this article came directly from the various S.T.A.R.S. brochures.
Directly S.T.A.R.S-related Sources:
"Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?"[3]: Johnny spots a Decepticon and calls the Autobots,
"Earthlings: The STARS need your help now!"[4]: Worldwide Decepticon Buildup, Descrption of Omnibot strike on hidden Decepticon base
Reinforcements from Cybertron:[5] Omnibots convert back the vehicle mode and escape after attack, Humans on mission check time until the Deceptcons return using Time Warrior.
Iron-on Patch commercial[6]: Humans near Autobot base display their patches showing Autobot allegiance to suspicious guards.
Secondary 'S.T.A.R.S-like' Sources:
Menace at the Dam: Network of Autobot allies alerts them to Decepticon signings as they move across Idaho.
Five Faces of Darkness: Blaster calls the E.D.C. base "Stars on Mars."
Tertiary Sources:
Satellite of Doom:[7] Greedy humans work for the Decepticons in exchange for an offer of great wealth.
Double Deal of the Century: Autobrand validation.
Other: Various instances of humans working for Decepticons.
