Headmaster (technology)

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The name or term "Headmaster" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Headmaster (disambiguation).
This probably hurts.

Headmasters are a type of symbiotic variation on the Transformer lifeform in which a smaller sentient being, frequently but not exclusively organic, transforms into the head of a larger robot. The process by which this is accomplished varies by continuity. In conversation, the term "Headmaster" can apply to both the primary partner (the head) and the significant other (the body).

Headmaster bonding in most continuities occurs between two sentient beings, but there have been cases in which the head or the body (such as the Transtectors in the Japanese anime or the Sunstreaker clones in the IDW continuity) is a non-sentient construct controlled entirely by the other partner.

When it occurs between two sentient beings, the benefits of the Headmaster procedure are many: The partner gains control of a larger, more powerful body, and the Transformer gains an extra perspective on the battlefield, the psychic binary bonding involved allowing him to draw on both his own ideas, tactics, and instincts as well as those of his partner as quickly as if they were coming from his own head (since they are).

The Headmaster process has one glaring disadvantage: when separated from their partners, they have no head. Most can continue to function as vehicles without their partners, but can do little in robot mode besides stand around.

Fiction

Early promotional materials, including catalogs and toy commercials, advertised the Decepticon Nebulan partners as "trainers" for their beastly companions, rather than equal partners. One commercial took this so far as to have the "trainers" holding whips and ordering Weirdwolf, et. al. to jump through hoops of fire.

Marvel Comics

The Headmaster technology was primarily the invention of the Nebulan scientist Arcana and was designed originally to let Nebulans utilize the bodies of Autobots to defend their world, something they did not trust the Autobots enough to let them do on their own.

The organic half of the Headmaster pairings were able to transform by use of a special suit of Headmaster armor and a control helmet that interfaced with bio-cybernetic augmentation in the surgically altered humanoid. As described by Arcana, the process as originally enacted allowed the Autobots (still separate, disembodied heads at that point) to radio control their old bodies, while the Nebulan partners observed and planned strategy. This joint cooperation of two minds allowed greatly increased agility and superior aim. The fate of the original Autobot heads was not revealed, however. Broken Glass!

The Headmaster Process: When your head absolutely positively has to get there overnight.

When Galen was killed while separated from Fortress Maximus, Spike demonstrated that it was possible for an organic to control/communicate with the larger robot's form with only the control helmet, as he took control of Fortress Maximus with nothing more than Galen's control helmet. Trial by Fire!

Later, a weakness of the ad hoc nature of the Headmaster partnership became apparent. As the partnerships continued, two minds could meld into one, or conflict on nearly every level. For example, Spike and Fort Max were two separate minds sharing one body, with each dominant in his own form and able to converse with the other; while Lord Zarak and Scorponok seemed to reach some sort of fusion where he was both beings merged into one, with Scorponok to all intents and purposes becoming entirely subsumed by Zarak's personality (to the extent that, during the battle with Unicron, "Scorponok"'s interior monologue identifies himself as being Zarak merely filling the role of Scorponok, implying that the original Scorponok psyche was essentially gone). A similar situation developed between Powermaster Optimus Prime and Hi-Q, except in the reverse.

This was not an unexpected problem for the Transformers. Early combiner teams had similar issues, with the resulting gestalt being much simpler and less intelligent than the sum of its parts, often because the parts did not get along. However, since the Nebulans failed to ask before starting the Headmaster plan, they were not able to avoid this problem.

Classics

The Classics stories take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a splinter timeline that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or Generation 2.

The Headmaster process is reversible. Cheap Shots

Generation 1 cartoon

In this continuity, the Headmaster process was the brainchild of Brainstorm, who had advocated that using an organic partner would be a good strategy in combat with the Decepticons. It also seems much less invasive for the organic humanoid involved. No surgical alteration is apparently needed on their part, and the process seems to consist mainly of altering the Transformer's head to 1) have a control center for a partner to sit at inside and 2) transform around the partner into a fancy exosuit. While some who have undergone it have commented at feeling a closer bond with their respective partners, there is no reason to believe there is any true psychic connection between them as in the binary bonding of other continuities. The Rebirth, Part 1


Japanese animated continuity

Attempting to escape the wars on Cybertron, a group of diminutive Cybertronians (most of them only a little larger than human beings) fled the planet, only to have their ship crash on the hazardous, inhospitable planet Master. The need for survival fostered several technological advances (helped in part by technology derived from a time-traveling spaceship that crashed on the planet sometime later). Chief among them was the creation of "Transtectors": large, lifeless robot bodies which the smaller robots could connect to and control. The small Cybertronians had not yet actually mastered the art of transformation, however, and had to undergo rigorous mental and physical training in order to become "Headmasters" (their name, obviously enough, derived from the planet itself).

The Headmasters subsequently migrated from Master and joined the Autobot and Decepticon forces on Cybertron and Earth, leading to a lengthy conflict that ultimately resulted in both factions departing the Earth for a prolonged period of time. With easy access to Earth cut off, leaving its safety in doubt should it be attacked by Decepticons in the future, the Autobots on Master created Master-Braces, technology that harnessed the mysterious Chōkon Power to transform humans and allow them to connect to Transtectors and become Headmasters themselves. A set of six Master-Braces and Transtectors were dispatched to Earth, but half the shipment was stolen by Decepticons, and both factions subsequently used the technology to turn three young human children in Headmasters in defense of Earth.

Cybertronian Headmasters possess numerous energy-manipulating superpowers. They are able to exchange Transtectors freely with their fellow Headmasters to increase their power levels and can link up with each other in the Head Formation for various destructive results. In contrast, human Headmasters do not possess any of these powers, but have their own natural physical strength and reflexes enhanced many times over by the energies filling their bodies. Their cellular structures undergo some form of ill-defined holistic transformation which allows them somehow to transform their actual, physical bodies into heads. However, unlike organic Headmasters in other continuities, they do not have to undergo any permanent alteration; they are capable of "turning off" their powers and becoming normal human beings with ease, the only drawback being that they are unable to remove the Master-Braces that give them their powers.

Dreamwave comics

Did they include a bathroom in this thing?

Headmaster technology was originally developed on Cybertron, to be used in conjunction with Micromaster technology. It would have allowed a normal-sized robot to transform its head into a small body to conserve Energon. The process was perfected on Nebulon to allow organic beings to act as the head of a Cybertronian body, using aspects of combiner technology.

The process was designed to put the Nebulon in control of the body, but the actual process as perfected by Brainstorm and Arcana resulted in a mental bonding and partnership, with the robot generally maintaining control. Modified organic beings are able to contort during transformation, though appear normal when not wearing the Headmaster armor. Out of their armor, they are indistinguishable from unmodified beings, though they possess improved strength and endurance.

Profile art depicted the Headmaster heads as larger "mecha" that the human partners pilot. More Than Meets The Eye


IDW comics continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

The Headmaster technology is a product of the shadowy human organization known as the Machination, using technology developed by Scorponok on the planet Nebulos. Following a tip offered to him by Swindle, Ultra Magnus found schematics for enhancing a biological entity with Cybertronian technology, in effect producing a "transformable man". Magnus was able to determine that Nebulan businessman Mo Zarak had been subjected to this process shortly before Scorponok fled the premises. Spotlight: Ultra Magnus

Approximately 18 years later, the Machination captured Sunstreaker and Hunter O'Nion. They dismantled Sunstreaker and subjected Hunter to an extensive regimen of surgery and implants. Subsequently, they attempted to brainwash him into one of their soldiers. Escalation Hunter resisted and was able to contact Sunstreaker, allowing him to become a Headmaster to fight for the Autobots. Devastation

Initially, all Headmasters created by the Machination were non-sentient, guided by their human pilots. As well, all of these models were replicas of Sunstreaker, wired into the Autobot's actual head to help coordinate their movements. However, the success of these initial forays into the technology allowed for the first true binary-bond, enabling Abraham Dante to combine with his Decepticon master Scorponok to facilitate his rebirth. Devastation

Toys

Generation 1

The four large Autobot Headmasters were sold boxed. They transform into futuristic/Cybertronian vehicles. Each has a vehicle mode compartment that the smaller Nebulan figure can ride in. Plugging in the transformed Nebulan in robot mode activates tumblers in the robot's chest, activating three Tech Spec readouts.
He's big. Yeah yeah yeah.
The three Decepticon Headmasters were sold boxed, and transform into mechanical creatures. Each has a beast-mode compartment that the Nebulan can ride in. Like their Autobot counterparts, their chests contain tumblers activated by plugging in a head-mode Nebulan, which reveal three Tech Spec graph readouts.
Main article: Horrorcon
The Horrorcons change from jets to beasts to robots. The Nebulan partners become the head of both the robot and beast modes.
He's not small. No no no.
These exclusive Headmaster Warriors represent Japanese-style Headmasters who have yet to receive Transtectors, though they are compatible with any of the other 1987 Headmasters' toys. They are extremely rare.
The three 1988 Autobot Headmasters transform into Earthen land vehicles. Siren and Hosehead share a rescue vehicle theme, occasionally causing inattentive fans to mistake Nightbeat for a police car. The Nebulan companions are considerably smaller and simpler than those of the 1987 Headmasters. Each comes with a "helmet" to complete the robot's head; the helmet doubles as a vehicle-mode "seat" for the figure to sit in. Two small pistols attach to the "helmet" in robot mode to complete the head.


File:G1 frangry toy.jpg
The three small Decepticon Headmasters transform into fictional monsters. Like their Autobot counterparts, they feature smaller and simpler Nebulan figures than their 1987 predecessors. Unlike the Autobots, they do not sport additional "helmets" and pistol/antennae.
The 1988 Headmaster molds were released in Japan as the Headmaster Juniors, representing totally different characters though only Goshooter and Minerva were significantly redecoed from the US versions.
A redeco of Fortress Maximus with an additional Pretender shell. This Japanese exclusive represented Fort Max's younger brother in Super-God Masterforce.
  • Headmaster Decepticon Base (1988)
    • BlackZarak with Black Rorichi
A redeco and retool of the Scorponok mold, this was another Japanese exclusive representing the same character, but meaner.

Fiction-only Headmasters

Homages

  • The Unicron Trilogy featured a few examples of smaller robots (Mini-Cons) becoming the heads of larger ones.
    • Armada Sideways had two Mini-Con drivers, Rook and Crosswise, for his motorcycle form that could become individual heads, or combine together into a larger robot/driver.
    • Armada Overload's Mini-Con partner Rollout became the head (and part of the chest) of the larger robot, who could in turn become armor for Optimus Prime.
  • Energon Omega Supreme also had a Headmaster partner, Omega, which combined with two vehicles to form a large robot.
  • The Transformers Animated series features a supervillain named Headmaster who can use a flying robotic head that aggressively removes another robot's head and replaces it with itself. The head itself can also transform into a small robot mode.
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