Iguanus (G1)

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This article is about the Generation 1 Decepticon who does not transform into an iguana. For the Beast Wars Predacon who is also not an iguana, see Iguanus (BW){{#switch:{{#sub:Iguanus (BW)|-1}} != .= ?= .

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Iguanus is a Decepticon Pretender from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Pretenders hide the recon bike inside!

Iguanus practices self-love—specifically, his love for his outer shell. He has become obsessively fascinated by reptiles since becoming a Pretender, and can often be found mooning over his shell whenever he has a spare moment. He has even convinced himself that he has a special rapport with lizards and other scaly creatures. Iguanus often wonders if he could somehow become even closer to the reptiles than he already is. If only there was some way to combine Beast and 'Bot, and keep the action hot...

Fiction

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Marvel Comics continuity

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Marvel The Transformers comics

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Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.
Lizard-bot, lizard-bot...!

After commandeering a genetics research lab on Earth, Scorponok was able to recreate and perfect the science of Pretender shells using synthoplasmic chambers constructed by him and Vorath. Iguanus was one of six Decepticon volunteers transformed by the process into new Pretenders. But soon after the process was completed, the Decepticons took notice of someone infiltrating their computer systems. After tracing the intruder to Alternate Reality, Inc., Scorponok sent out his newly recreated troops to test their might against the spies. But, having gained access to the Pretender process themselves, the Autobots were able to manufacture heroic counterparts to Scorponok's troops. The Autobots' tactician proved too cunning for the Decepticons, and Iguanus and his kin were soon driven back. Pretender to the Throne! Scorponok's troops, Iguanus included, then met with Ratbat's forces. Distrust between the two leaders led to an all-out battle between the two groups, till they realized that Starscream had manipulated them both to battle while he made his escape to acquire the Underbase. Cold War! After Starscream gained the power of the Underbase, Iguanus was part of a wave with the other Decepticon Pretenders and the Predacons that tried to take him down in Tokyo. Starscream's power was too much for the Decepticons, and the Predacons were destroyed. However, the Pretenders were spared thanks to their partially-organic biology. Dark Star

-does whatever a lizard ought!

Iguanus teamed up with Skullgrin and Bomb-Burst to capture the Keeler Oil Terminal in the Gulf of Mexico, looking to use a transmuter to convert the oil into a more refined form of energon. Before Skullgrin could complete the device they were ambushed by three Autobot Pretenders and in the ensuing battle a stray laser blast clipped a human jet, sending it on a collision course with the oil rig. While Cloudburst and Bomb-burst collaborated to prevent the destruction of the rig, Iguanus and Skullgrin were subdued and captured by Landmine and Splashdown. The Chain Gang!

Following the destruction of their mobile starship headquarters, the Decepticons established a new base hidden under the New Jersey dumps. Shortly thereafter, Iguanus was chosen by Scorponok to spearhead a new energy-collecting endeavor by him and his fellow Pretenders. Installing the Stormmaker Station in the New Jersey swamps, they engineered a massive storm over the surrounding area, then wired the island of Manhattan in order to collect energy for them. Iguanus's task was to attach an electrostator to the top of the Empire State Building when the storm reached critical intensity, channeling and amplifying the electricity down through the building and out through the wired infrastructure of the island, feeding the Decepticons' conductors and destroying half the city in the process.

He's just pissy because he knows "Iguanus mania" would never catch on.

The Pretenders quickly ran into trouble at the Stormmaker Station, where they were confronted by the Autobot Micromasters. After a brief skirmish, Iguanus left Skullgrin to deal with them while he proceeded on to the Empire State Building. He ran into even more Micromasters while climbing the building, though, and their leader Roadhandler blasted the electrostator off the building's antenna just before the lightning strike. Iguanus leapt off the building in a desperate attempt to replace the electrostator, only to take the full lightning force into himself on contact with the device. His damaged body crashed into the Earth and the Decepticons were left with no accumulated energy. King Con! His prone body was investigated by the Micromasters and human onlookers. The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!

Iguanus was up and about again really quickly, escorting Scorponok to MacDill Air Force Base to deal with Optimus Prime and the Autobots. The Resurrection Gambit! Most of the Autobots were made to retreat by Optimus and the battle between Optimus and the Decepticons was put on hold when the resurrected Starscream attacked. All the Familiar Faces!

Some time later, all Earth-bound Transformers were teleported to Cybertron by Primus in anticipation for Unicron's attack on the planet. Upon seeing the enormity of his opponent, Iguanus could do little more than cower in terror. On the Edge of Extinction!

Transformers Comic-Magazin

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Iguanus was among the Decepticons when they unleashed a robotic hell-beast known as 'King Con' on New York (it is unknown whether Iguanus was ALSO King Con); however Optimus Prime rented a helicopter to fly a banner announcing huge raw oil deposit finds in the Rocky Mountains. After a short hesitation, the Decepticons retreated to pursue these findings. New York — A City Sinking in Terror

Regeneration One

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Regeneration One continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.
"I have a mouth. I can scream. But it doesn't do me a lick of good."

Iguanus was present on Cybertron around 20 years after Unicron's attack when the Matrix creature made its play for domination. Along with more or less the entire population of the planet, Iguanus was converted into a shadow-leech and attacked Rodimus Prime's returning group of Autobots. He was trapped by Blaster to be analysed by Perceptor and presumably perished shortly afterwards. The War to End All Wars, Part 5

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

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A herpetophile, Iguanus was so enamored with his Pretender shell's reptilian appearance that he was fond of looking at himself in reflective surfaces. His obsession with reptiles reached the point where he would emulate their behavior and attack tactics, and he hoped for a way to fully bond with this reptilian nature. More than Meets the Eye #3

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

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A Tale of the Pretenders

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With other Decepticon Pretenders, Iguanus was active in ancient Japan. One day, they came across three human siblings and threatened them. The oldest managed to escape and Iguanus afterwards pursued the remaining two with Carnivac while the other Decepticons followed. They were about to do bad things to the humans when Metalhawk leapt to the rescue. Other Autobot Pretenders soon followed and the Decepticons were fought off. A Tale of the Pretenders

The Battle of the Star Gate

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When Megatron confronted the two Starscreams on the Trigger, Iguanus was part of his forces. When the Autobots arrived, the Decepticons battled them, till the Starscream of the future interrupted the battle by merging with the Trigger. In the ensuing conflict, the Trigger was destroyed and the Transformers were sent falling to the Earth, becoming lost. The Battle of the Star Gate

2005 IDW continuity

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First appearance: Stormbringer #1
"This never woulda happened if I turned into a lizard of some sort!"

Iguanus was a member of the cult gathered in secret by Bludgeon. Using knowledge of the Regenesis project Bludgeon had procured from Shockwave's files, they concocted a plan to utilize the Ultra-Energon to revitalize Thunderwing and his bio-mechanical grafting process for themselves. Soundwave attempted to stop them, but Iguanus hit him with an experimental weapon that locked the Decepticon communicator in his alternate mode, then left him trapped under an erupting volcano. Spotlight: Soundwave

After raiding Earth for Ultra-Energon, Bludgeon's cult spent nearly twenty years in seclusion under Thunderhead Pass to revive the awesomely-powerful Thunderwing under their control, and perfect the bio-carapaces so that they could be used safely. Unfortunately, their timetable was accelerated when the Autobot crew of the Calabi-Yau discovered them, forcing Iguanus and the others to attack and imprison the intruders. Stormbringer #1 The enslaved Thunderwing was unleashed on the planet of Nebulos, much to the cult's delight. Stormbringer #2 However, Optimus Prime and the Wreckers soon arrived on Cybertron to rescue their comrades. When the Wreckers besieged their compound, Iguanus retreated to find Bludgeon and warn him of the assault, only to find his leader had jumped the gun and undergone the grafting process before it was ready. He dismembered Iguanus before collapsing into madness. When the Autobots arrived in the chamber, Iguanus reached out to Optimus Prime, who dropped his weapon and offered comfort to the dying Decepticon. Iguanus tried to explain what had happened before expiring from his wounds; Optimus thought that Bludgeon got off lightly by comparison. Stormbringer #3

Toys

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The Transformers

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Reptilesss shall inherit the earth, Ssspider-Man!
  • Iguanus (Pretender, 1988)
Released in the fifth year of the original Transformers toyline as part of the second batch of Pretenders, Iguanus transforms into a Cybertronic motorcycle. His rather cost effectively-designed wheels are fake: they’re both hollow on top and are part of a single strut that attaches to the bottom of the bike. As such, he has no rolling wheels in this mode. The "wheel" strut attaches to his torso mid-section with a peg, which leaves a giant gaping hole there in robot mode. His Hurricane blaster mounts on the rear of the bike, on the easy-to-miss swiveling bike seat. In keeping with the second wave Pretenders' odd design quirks, Iguanus's robot mode has knees that barely bend and don't seem to serve a transformation purpose, just like his wavemate Splashdown.
His outer Pretender shell is a giant bipedal iguana with a very incredulous expression and swiveling lizard tail extending from his spine. He is armed with the detachable wheelbase, which acts as some kind of blade weapon or mace or something, and the hurricane air blaster.
No version of this mold or character was released in Japan.

Legacy

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34 years, and he's finally got what he always wanted. Dreams do come true!
  • Iguanus (Core Class, 2022)
Part of the first wave of Legacy Core Class toys, Iguanus transforms from a robot mode evoking his Pretender shell to a Cybertronian motorcycle evoking the alternate mode of his inner robot, in the vein of Revenge of the Fallen Bludgeon. Despite this, some details are changed; the robot mode is more technological (most notably, having the motorcycle wheels as back kibble), while the motorcycle itself is somewhat more organic, owing to the very different designs of both modes.
Iguanus includes a weird claw-ish weapon-thing called the "Energon claw shield", which can be mounted on top of the windshield. It can also combine with the accessories included with his wave-mates Skywarp and Hot Rod to form a sword that's practically more hilt than the blade.
Iguanus' vehicle mode stock photo is slightly mistransformed: the knees' tabs must be attached to the tail's rectangular holes. Though unintended, Iguanus's robot mode can fit into his Pretender Shell from the 1988 toy, though the feet need some rearranging first.
For Japanese collectors, 2 out of the 3 components of the combined sword have not been made domestically available in Japan, as TakaraTomy does not release Iguanus and Skywarp, so they must import them to complete the weapon.

Merchandise

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Transformers Character Card

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Released as part of the sixth wave of the e-HOBBY exclusive Transformers Character Card series, this pair of holographic trading cards depict super-deformed art of Robots in Disguise Bruticus and Iguanus along with character profiles and tech specs.

Notes

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So that explains Dinobot's eye lasers....
  • Iguanus had the preliminary name "Snakeskin".<ref>Bob Budiansky BotCon 2010 Panel Coverage</ref>
  • Don Figueroa designed a Pretender shell for Iguanus's IDW incarnation, but it ultimately went unused.
  • According to artist Philip Worobey, Iguanus's packaging art for the Legacy toyline (see right) was the first piece produced for the line, and thus became the style benchmark for all subsequent Legacy package art.

Foreign names

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  • Japanese: Iguanus (イグアナス Iguanasu)
  • Hungarian: Sárkánygyík ("Dragon Lizard")
  • Italian: Squamos ("Scalos")

References

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<references />
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