Cityspeaker
Cityspeakers are Transformers who have mastered the ability to communicate with and control Titans, even those who have gone dormant. Part engineer, part starship pilot, and part brain surgeon, very few Cybertronians possess the skill and dedication required to master this unusual art, and fewer still possess a natural talent for doing so. On the surface, this strange, almost supernatural talent seems like telepathy. In some realities, however, cityspeaking is merely the art of judiciously applied mechanical engineering: a Cityspeaker observes readouts and indicator lights to "divine" the emotions and needs of their enormous charges. Other times, it provides a springboard for a Cityspeaker to delve into the minds of others with the right technology and sift through memories, though their communion with the massive Titans can have adverse side effects if pushed too far.
Depending on the situation, a Cityspeaker can even patch themselves directly into a Titan's system to manually operate specific components—engines, weapons, even their massive transformation cogs. A Titan who forms a bond with their cityspeakers can form an unstoppable team... or have their mind-merge collapse as two warring minds struggle for dominance.
Fiction
Generation 1 continuity family
2005 IDW continuity
Cityspeakers native to the world of Caminus mimicked the distinctive facial markings of their eponymous Titan. A 'Bot and Her City
When Thunderclash was visited by Alpha Trion and informed of the grave danger to Metroplex, he traveled to Caminus to seek their expertise in aiding the Titan. A young Cityspeaker named Windblade was recruited for the task, accompanied by her bodyguard Chromia and friend Nautica. A 'Bot and Her City Caminus attempted to warn two Cityspeakers, Hot Shot and Lightbright, about an unusual arrival on the planet, but the two were unable to grasp the nature of his warning. The Sum and Its Parts Following the formation of the Council of Worlds, the Cityspeakers were able to travel to other colonies founded by other Titans. They turned their talents to helping the senile, neglected Titan Navitas, Titan of Velocitron. Under their guidance, Navitas was able to regain some of his cognition and run the city of Delta more efficiently. 07:00:00
Prime Wars Trilogy continuity
2019 IDW continuity
The practice of speaking to Titans, cityspeaking was one of the many hallmarks from the Age of Expansion that fell out of practice following the War of the Threefold Spark. One decommissioned facility was targeted by Slipstream's Risers so Skystalker could connect to, and reactive, Vigilem. The Change In Your Nature Part Four
Cyberverse cartoon
After Iaconus had been sealed away, Maccadam placed a trap in his mind to prevent Cityspeakers from awakening the War Titan. The Citizen The End Of The Universe II
If a Citsyspeaker pushed themselves too far, they ran the risk of scattering their mind. The colony of Caminus had psychic trackers built to find the shards of those who fell victim to this. Thunderhowl
When meeting Bumblebee at a Cube match, Windblade introduced herself as a Cityspeaker, to Bumblebee's disbelief as he had believed such things were merely stories. Windblade quickly added that it was supposed to be a secret. Cube When he first met Windblade however, Maccadam casually identified her as a cityspeaker. When the Camien expressed shock at his knowing her secret, Bumblebee dismissed it as the old barkeep knowing everything. Maccadam's
Millions of years later, when Windblade found an amnesiac Bumblebee on Earth, she used her abilities as a Cityspeaker to help guide Bumblebee through his memories while also explaining how she was able to communicate with "entities far greater than can be comprehended." Memory
This connection later led Windblade to bring the AllSpark to the damaged Titan Croaton, who was repaired before the two factions split. Ghost Town
During the Quintessons invaded Cybertron, the resistance found Iaconus. The Citizen Hot Rod and Soundwave tried to have Windblade awaken the War Titan only for Maccadam to pull her out before the strain proved too much for her. The Alliance After Starscream had revealed himself as the new Quintesson Judge, Windblade successfully roused Iaconus. The End Of The Universe II
Though Windblade directed Iaconus in battle, the two were intercepted by the brainwashed Croaton who managed to delay Iaconus long enough for Starscream to douse the War Titan with unspace goo, killing him. The End Of The Universe III Determined, Windblade made her way to Croaton's Cityspeaker chamber and managed to use her talents to free his mind, though this came at the cost of scattering her own. The End Of The Universe IV
Notes
- Windblade, The Transformers vol. 2, and the Hasbro Heroes Sourcebook render the term with camel casing as CitySpeaker.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Cityspeaker (シティスピーカー Shitisupīkā)
- French: métrotélépathe ("metrotelepath")
- Portuguese: porta-voz ("spokesperson")
- Spanish: metrocomunicante ("metrocommunicator")
