Transformer clothing
From MediaWiki
One way that non-Transformer species seem to have influenced Cybertronian culture is the relatively rare occurrence of Transformers wearing clothing.
Capes
From time to time, some high-ranked Cybertronians tend to wear capes. Presumably, they are a symbol of office, as only generals, commanders, and other such leaders have been seen sporting them. Exactly what material these capes are made from is unknown, but one presumes that Earth-style fabrics are likely extremely rare on Cybertron (which could make the capes even more special, considering).
- Optimus Prime and Megatron wore capes while serving as the leaders of the Cybertron Alliance. Prime's was purple (the Decepticon color), while Megatron's was red (the Autobot color). Whether this was a symbol of high office or just a desire to look pretty is unknown.
- Starscream wore a cape, large shoulder pads, and a crown at his coronation as Decepticon leader. The crown alone survived Galvatron's blast, only to be crushed under his feet.
- The Nine Great Demon Generals mostly wore capes (except Trypticon, who wore a Batman-like cowl) in the Zone story pages.
- The members of the Maximal High Council wear capes, too.
Trenchcoats
Quite a few characters have been depicted wearing trenchcoats, mostly when involved in detective work or similarly secretive activity.
- Nightbeat is often seen wearing a trenchcoat and fedora, due to their connection with detective fiction. He pulls it off pretty well, actually.
- The Micromaster Air Strike Patrol wore trenchcoats and fedoras while trying to pass as human professional wrestlers. Interestingly enough, these coats somehow obscured large physical protrusions on their bodies (jet intakes, wings, etc.). The Interplanetary Wrestling Championship!
Pretenders
- Most of the Pretender toys have clothing molded onto their Pretender shells. Naturally, it's only pretend clothing, being part of the Transformers' shells (which themselves might be considered a form of clothing).
- In the TV commercial for the Pretenders, the human Pretenders can take off and reveal the muscle of the outer shells.
- In Super-God Masterforce, human Pretenders wear clothes in their everyday lives as normal humans.
- Cloudburst also wears normal clothing in Marvel Comics continuity. Recipe for Disaster!
Helmets and masks
- Cohrada wears a hat in "Beast Wars Neo" manga.
- In Dreamwave continuity, Bumblebee wore a removable face-mask that resembled the face of his original toy. The War Within issue 6 He was later shown to have integrated a similar mask into his head proper. Skyfire (comic issue) Brawn was also shown to wear a removable face-mask that resembled his toy's face. Night of the Combaticons
- During the Dark Ages, Jetfire sported a face-mask resembling his original toy, which was later upgraded into a fully removable helmet that he wore along with detachable armor. Skyfire (comic issue) He would also wear a helmet (based on that of his Classics toy) during the events of Stormbringer.
- In Dawn of Future's Past, Rattrap is seen wearing a removable cap-like helmet.
- Back in the dim and distant past on Cybertron, it was revealed that Megatron's "bucket-head" is in fact a helmet, presumably a hangover from his mining days. After his first kill in the deathmatches at the Forge, Megatron removed his helmet to reveal a crest of hair-like panels underneath, while the crowd cheered him on. Megatron Origin issue 2
- Later, Orion Pax was seen (in a cameo) at Bumper's funeral having removed his head/helmet as a mark of respect, along with his unnamed albino twin. Megatron Origin issue 3
The significance of the principal two Transformers' heads really being helmets (in IDW continuity, at least) has not been expanded upon.
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Sometimes, people on Earth wear clothing to look like various Transformers. Sometimes this is hot, sometimes this is sad.
Others
- In an early plan to trap the Decepticons, the Autobots had to run around in lab coats. It was very silly. More Than Meets the Eye, Part 3
- The magic of dress up in a festive outfit. Obviously, the big guy is a little too open to suggestion. The same holds true for Grimlock, it seems.
- a crown, a bandana, an apron, and... err...
- The Maximal Elders wear robes. They have their reasons, and they do not concern you.
- The exo-structures of the members of Council of Ancients resemble robes. They also have their reasons.
- The Jointron brothers have been shown wearing ponchos and sombreros, as well as using mariachi-style guitars and maracas. This is both hilarious and racist.
- Armada Scavenger wore a cloak for his first few appearances for little reason other than the animators probably thought it looked cool.
- In his Unicron-created dream world, Armada Megatron wore a crimson sash around his shoulders. He was apparently the ruler of all Cybertron in his dream, so it was probably ceremonial.
- The Space Mini-Con Team and Sureshock have disguised themselves as humans using large, heavy jackets, coats, baseball caps, hats, sunglasses, and other items of clothing to try to blend in with other people in robot mode.
- Heinrad wears his God of Time agent's uniform in the end of Beast Wars Neo manga.
- Six-Speed's curiosity about human clothing led him to examine the closets of his human friends Bud and Coby. However, his attempt to dress like a human basically amounted to putting random articles of clothing on his limbs, looking more ridiculous than clothing-wearing Transformers normally do. Which is kinda amazing.
- Bumblebee wore a robe before his wrestling match with Colossus Rhodes, likely more to keep with human tradition than actual need. Total Meltdown
- Brawn made a seemingly metaphorical reference to footwear called proton boots.
- Lockdown wore a poncho when he showed up on the remains of the Nemesis in reference to the Man With No Name from the spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars. A Fistful of Energon
- Bulkhead wore a beret while indulging in his artistic tendancies.
Toys
- SCF Starscream (2002)
- This highly articulated, non-transforming version of Starscream, part of the Japan-exclusive Super Collection Figures series, comes with removable shoulder pads and cloak. He also has a choice of normal head or a head with a crown.
- Armada Starscream (Supreme, 2005)
- Supreme Starscream, a colossally upscaled version of the Armada line's Voyager-class Starscream toy, comes with a Decepticon "Crown of Leadership" obviously based on the one worn by the original Starscream in the 1986 movie.
- Star Wars Transformers Darth Vader/Death Star (2007)
- The sole Supreme-class figure of the Star Wars Transformers toyline, this gigantic Darth Vader mech includes an actual cloth cape that can attach to the back of the figure in robot mode.
- Masterpiece Grimlock (2009)
- Japanese ID number: MP-8
- Masterpiece Grimlock comes with an intelligence transfer helmet accessory, based upon the device Grimlock used to transfer his super-intelligence into Computron in "Grimlock's New Brain". He was originally going to come with a crown commonly featured in the Marvel Comics, but that accessory has since been omitted.
Merchandise
- Starscream (2002)
- Originally a chase figure in Japan, this remold of the regular figure includes a cape, newly molded limbs, and a head with the crown as seen in the movie.
- Coronation Starscream (Diamond Select, 2008)
- Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2008, Coronation Starscream was an exclusive to on-line retailer Action Figure Xpress. He was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 600 pieces. It features Starscream decked out in the royal crown, cape, and big honkin' shoulder pads he wore (albeit briefly) in The Transformers: The Movie.
