Perceptor (G1)
| The name or term "Perceptor" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Perceptor (disambiguation). |
- Perceptor is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family.
Perceptor is a scientist, one of the most brilliant minds the whole of Cybertron can offer. He is always looking to learn more, and his discoveries have proven invaluable time and time again. Though his specialties lie in metallurgy, electrical engineering, and other sciences closely related to Transformer physiology, his thirst for knowledge has made him kind of a scientific jack-of-all-trades.
One of Perceptor's most infamous qualities is his tendency to speak using overly scientific terms, which can baffle – and occasionally frustrate – his comrades. The cheerful robot just doesn't seem to realize that not everyone has his extensive vocabulary.
Not much for fighting, he is always content to contribute to the Autobot cause in his own way but will engage in combat if the situation calls for it. Optimus Prime often relies on Perceptor's genius and considers him as valuable as any of his officers.
- French-Canadian name: Percepto
- Italian name: Supervista
- Hungarian name: Észlelő
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
On Cybertron, Perceptor was often considered an officer or otherwise highly ranked personage by other Cybertronic life forms in the vicinity, inspiring in the aforementioned others a tendency to view him as a "commander" of a faction of Autobots who engaged in armed conflict against localized enemy forces until such a point as the aforementioned combat unit, or the surviving portions thereof, crossed the multidimensional warp system for transport, otherwise known as the Space Bridge, to join the forces based on the planetary body known to the overwhelming majority of those of his species who had shifted their operations to its locality as Earth. He was later deactivated for a somewhat extended period of time, by human standards if not by those of his species, by the opposing faction (as judged by an outside observer who insists on a binary classification system) in the Underbase conflict, so named for the goal of the conflict, a legendary storehouse of Cybertronic knowledge.
Animated continuity
- Voice actor: Paul Eiding (US), Chikao Shiroyama (Japan)
Perceptor arrived on Earth during a period of time occurring after the initial impact of the Ark into the planet. It is unknown exactly when he arrived, but the malfunctions he suffered during the Cybertonium depletion crisis would lead one to conclude that he had been present when the Ark crashed onto prehistoric Earth during the encounter wih the Nemesis. During his period of habitation on that planetary body, he experienced a myriad of adventures. Included in that scope were incidents such as: being abducted by the Decepticons, along with Seaspray; reconfiguring his mass ratio to a microscopic scale in order to sever the connection of the Heart of Cybertron to Megatron's bodyMicrobots; traveling through the interstellar void with Jazz to reacquire Cosmos from Saturn's moon Titan; and landing on an unexplored world in which Cybertronian lifeforms were minuscule in relation to the immense indigenous population. He also synthesized a panacea to remedy the deadly Cosmic Rust epidemic.
Perceptor's actions continued to be of intrinsic strategic import, particularly following the distinct tactical deficiencies during the battle of Autobot City that resulted in the expiration of Wheeljack. He also accompanied Rodimus Prime on a multitude of his manifold peregrinations.
Victory
- Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese)
Perceptor, Wheeljack and Minerva were summoned, called forth, or otherwise sought out by Star Saber to save, preserve, and defend the life of the critically damaged and weakened Ginrai. They succeeded, converting the former Transtector into the mighty Victory Leo.
Japanese G2
Perceptor, along with Wheeljack and Jetfire, discovered new properties of the Matrix which allowed Optimus Prime to revive himself as Laser-Rod Optimus Prime subsequent to a crushing defeat by Megatron.
Universe: The Wreckers
Perceptor counciled Rodimus Prime against making a leadership decision that, when one considers both the opinions of observers that are generally regarded as wise, to such an extent as observers with finite capacity for knowledge can comprehend the infinite, and the final results of the decision in question, could be regarded as less than optimal.
Knowing the commander in question many of those reading this documentation may surmise the result..
Dreamwave comics continuity
Perceptor was again held to be an officer or leader, a position he occupied with Blaster, among a group of underground Autobots on Cybertron after the unexpected return of Megatron, who had disappeared along with Optimus Prime many years ago in an early space bridge test, commanding the Aerospace Extermination Squadron, an army of Seeker-form drones. The combat efficiency of these Air Warriors, as they were also known, led to a Decepticon conquest of Cybertron, as well as the enslavement of many Autobots. During this period, Perceptor theorized that if Megatron had survived the space bridge explosion, one could logically conclude that Optimus Prime also survived. At a base appropriately designated the Think Tank, Perceptor designed and built a device intended to locate Optimus Prime. Before a proper test of the device could be conducted, Perceptor's group managed to capture an Air Warrior, with the intentions of examining it's systems with the hope of finding an effective counter measure against the drones. The War Within: The Age of Wrath Unfortunately, financial irregularities on the part of Dreamwave's President resulted in the company filing for Chapter 11, where it currently remains in Bankruptcy court to this day, precluding any possible end to the story at this time.
Millions of years after the aforementioned events, Perceptor again allied with a group of Autobots who opposed the oppressive regime of the Decepticon Shockwave. He presented evidence of Shockwave's unorthodox experiments on various Transformers to the High Council, though any censure or movement against Shockwave was discontinued due to a rampage on the part of the Stunticons. After Optimus Prime escaped custody and united the various resistance movements, Perceptor participated in the Autobot leader's offensive against Shockwave's fortifications within Hub Capital Iacon. He also helped to repair Grimlock, commander of the Dinobots, despire the latter's well known bias against intellectuals. War and Peace
Devil's Due G.I. Joe versus Transformers continuity
IDW comics continuity
Perceptor embarked upon a mission in which the Ark-17 was the principle mode of transport as likewise did Springer, attempting to disentangle Kup from a scenario that would all but undoubtedly lead to his expiration. Perceptor, as was the general consensus of those who had embarked upon the voyage, attempted to dissuade Springer of the less than optimal, considering resource allotment, military operation he had accepted. Spotlight: Kup
Teletraan Go! Go! comics
Sent to gather data on Perceptor, Teletraan 15 found him giggling creepily over a microchip and telling it that it was time for its check-up.
As she recoiled in horror, Perceptor's tone became clinical and, retracting his faceplate, he demanded that she identify herself.
After Teletraan 15 recorded her notes on the Autobot scientist, he transformed into his seldom-seen mobile battle mode and took her for a ride...whether she wanted it or not.
Toys
Generation 1
- Perceptor (Autobot, 1985)
- Japanese ID number: C-39
- Formerly a Microchange MC-20 Micro Scope, Perceptor transforms into a predominantly red, functional microscope. His magnification is limited to 1X due to the relatively crude nature of his lens. In robot mode, Perceptor is armed with a red laser rifle and a spring-loaded rocket launcher that can fire one of three red missile-shaped projectiles.
- A holdover from his Microchange origins, Perceptor can also transform into a 'tank' mode.
- The Japanese version does not launch missiles from the scope, despite what some sources say.
- There is an old variant of this toy: some have a more golden-hued chrome than the normal silver. This is not a very common variant.
- Perceptor (Autobot, 2005)
Classics
- Perceptor (Legends, 2006)
- Available as part of the first assortment of Classics Legends of Cybertron, Perceptor is a redeco of the Legends of Cybertron Red Alert. He transforms into a BTR-90 armored personnel carrier with a large missile/laser cannon/microscope/telescope.
Trivia
- In the animated portion of Perceptor's original toy commercial he is presented as being quite small, the size a microscope would be in relation to Prime's robot form, and not growing at all, but remaining just as tiny in robot form.
- A Perceptor Action Master was planned at one point, but apparently went no further than a concept sketch. Unlike some other Action Masters, the art is based solely on the toy, including its faceplate. It has the distinction of carrying on Perceptor's well-armed legacy, with not just one but TWO shoulder mounted microscope cannons, arm shields, and a large handgun [1]. The figure may have been intended as a pilot or driver for an Action Master vehicle, as the handgun has handlebars jutting off either side. Or, perhaps, the aforementioned munition was engineered to be wielded in an akimbo manner.
- The initial inspiration for Perceptor came from the anime series Armored Trooper Votoms. Shinji Aramaki, designing toys for Takara at the time, liked the microscope look of the heads of the mecha from that series, and applied it in a more literal sense with the Microchange toy, but his involvement ended at the conceptual stage.
External links
Footnotes
