Laserbeak (G1)
| The name or term "Laserbeak" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Laserbeak (disambiguation). |
- Laserbeak is a Decepticon Mini-Cassette and a Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family. He is also known as a tinfoil turkey.
Laserbeak is a follower, not a leader. In fact, he can often be found perched atop the shoulders of either Soundwave or whoever leads the Decepticons at a particular time. He can be utterly depended on to complete any mission that he is assigned.
Laserbeak is also an interrogator, though he is rarely depicted in that role, more often seen (or rather not seen) as a spy, roosting on some obscure perch, playing voyeur and eavesdropping on Autobot conversations. His backpack features two ruby-powered independently-targetable lasers that he uses to torture his subjects with. He's a coward, though, and when his ruby supplies run low, he transforms from ruthless condor to squawking chicken.
| “ | Welcome, Laserbeak. Unlike some of my other warriors, you never fail me. | ” |
—Megatron, sort of complimenting Laserbeak, but mostly insulting Starscream, The Transformers: The Movie | ||
- Preliminary name: Slazer
- Japanese name: Condor
- French-Canadian name: Vautour (Vulture)
- Hungarian name: Lézercsőr
- Italian name: Gufo (Owl)
- Portuguese name (Portugal comics): Lança-Laser
- Portuguese name (Brazil comics): Bicolaser
- Swedish name (cartoon): Lasernäbb
- Chinese name (Taiwan): Léi-shè Yīng (雷射鷹, "Laser Hawk") / Léi-shè Nǐau (雷射鳥, "Laser Bird")
- Chinese name (China): Jiguang Niao (激光鳥, "Laser Bird")
- Russian name: Лазерник (Lazernik)
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Laserbeak was among Megatron's attack party which attacked the Autobots aboard the Ark, crashing on Earth 4 million years ago. When the Autobots and Decepticons were revived in 1984, Laserbeak was given the alternate mode of a red cassette tape. He aided the Decepticons in their building of their new base, constructed of parts from Harrison Nuclear Power Plant, and joined in their attack on Sparkplug Witwicky's auto repair shop, where he got shot in the face by Optimus Prime.
Though Laserbeak can speak, he stopped displaying this ability around the time that Shockwave arrived to reverse the Autobots' seemingly final victory over the Decepticons in a desperate last stand at the Ark. During Shockwave's rule, he sent Soundwave (with Laserbeak stowed) to infiltrate Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One, where they were carried inside in cassette deck mode by plant workers Ferdy and Gabe. Once inside, the two quickly besieged the plant's controls and enslaved its workers. Warrior School! Laserbeak served many functions during the Decepticons' occupation of this plant, such as squawking, heating up the workers' pizzas, and delivering recorded messages to the human military poised outside. Brainstorm! Laserbeak later accompanied Soundwave and a few of the other cassette-tape Decepticons to aid their impostor Optimus Prime's ambush of the Autobots, though all of them were easily defeated once the real Optimus Prime was restored. Prime Time!
Unlike the Seekers, Soundwave, Laserbeak, and the other animal cassettes remained more loyal to Megatron than to Shockwave, and so when the former Decepticon leader was discovered in a coal mine, they arrived swiftly to refuel and reclaim him. I, Robot-Master! One of Megatron's first acts upon returning to the Decepticons was to attack the Ark while seemingly all of the Autobots were attacking the Decepticon base, and he took the Seekers and all of the cassette Decepticons (minus Ravage) with him. Unfortunately, the Ark was now defended by the newly-built Omega Supreme. All of the attacking Decepticons except for Laserbeak and Megatron were obliterated, and it was only thanks to the wounded Laserbeak that he and the Decepticon leader escaped with their lives. When they returned to the Decepticon base, Laserbeak perched not on Megatron's shoulder, but Shockwave's, silently acknowledging their true leader. Shockwave rebuked Megatron for his poor command, but Megatron surprised him with a rationalization for his actions. As Shockwave again submitted to Megatron's leadership, Laserbeak exchanged perching positions, signifying the transfer of command. Command Performances!
When Galvatron travelled back in time and defeated Megatron it was once again Laserbeak who signified the transfer of Decepticon command in this manner. After Galvatron returned to the future Laserbeak promptly dug Megatron out from under the ruins of Galvatron's weapon and perched on the restored Decepticon commander. Target: 2006
When Ratbat came to Earth, Laserbeak aided him in overseeing his Wash and Roll car wash empire. Both were chased away when their hypnotized human subjects were shaken free of their programming by Buster Witwicky. Buster Witwicky and the Car Wash of Doom
Years later, after Ratbat had assumed command in the absence of both Megatron and Shockwave, the Decepticons ambushed the Autobots on the Moon while Grimlock and Blaster were dueling for leadership. Laserbeak counted Jetfire among his victories, but he and the others were called back to their ship to retreat once Blaster and Grimlock disabled its guidance systems. Totaled!
Ratbat's troops soon met up with Scorponok's troops, which resulted in a Decepticon civil war. Laserbeak and the others were called off the attack, however, when it was revealed that the civil war was instigated by Starscream to divert attention away from his grab for the Underbase. After a false start, an unprecedented Autobot/Decepticon alliance was formed to stop Starscream, and Laserbeak was assigned to a team headed by both Fortress Maximus and Soundwave. Confronting the Underbase-enhanced Starscream in Buenos Aires, Laserbeak met his doom. Dark Star
In 2009, one possible future saw the Decepticons with control over all of North America and only a handful of Autobots and humans to oppose them. During a last-ditch Autobot/human raid on their New York stronghold, Laserbeak was instrumental in diverting Crossblades, first disabling the Autobot and then ordering his comrades to blow him out of the sky. Rhythms of Darkness!
Classics
When Megatron reactivated on Earth and began building a power base again, Soundwave naturally returned to his side, and Laserbeak naturally came with him. Crossing Over: Part 3
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice Actor: Frank Welker (English), Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)
Laserbeak was the first of the cassette Transformers.[1] Prior to his arrival on Earth, Laserbeak had less of an avian shape, resembling instead a stylized jet with an ovoid silhouette and a hooked nosecone. He still transformed into a cassette, which is kind of strange when you consider his "carrier" transformed into a lamp-post and not necessarily any device that played cassettes. But anyway, this Laserbeak often carried out spy missions, able to sneak into places the larger Soundwave could not manage, including Iacon, the Autobots' headquarters. There, Laserbeak learned of the Autobot mission to seek out new sources of energy away from Cybertron, which prompted a Decepticon interception mission in turn. This led to the whole lot of these spacefaring Transformers crashlanding on Earth and taking a four million-year dirtnap in the heart of a spastic volcano.
In the year 1984, the Transformers were awakened by volcanic activity, and Laserbeak was reformatted with terrestrial aesthetics in both robot and alt-mode. His alt-mode was an audiocassette, while his robot mode was that of a vulture. His missions, though, were largely unchanged, and he continued to serve as a spy.
Laserbeak was the first Decepticon to tangle with Autobots on Earth when he was dispatched by Soundwave and Megatron to chase down two snooping Autobot spies, Hound and Cliffjumper. The Autobots tried to scurry away, splitting up so that Laserbeak couldn't follow both of them. He had the last laugh (or squawk) on them, as he launched one of his laser cannons to follow Cliffjumper remotely while he continued to hound Hound, at least until Cliffjumper gas-bombed the drone. Laserbeak fared better than his cannon, and managed to blast the Autobot snoop off the road. Continuing with his scouting missions, Laserbeak uncovered the oil refinery which served as the Decepticons' first major strike against Earth, and their first battle with the Autobots on our planet. Floating above the main battle, Laserbeak saw a safe chance to be useful, and flew between Megatron and Prime, pecking at Optimus's face long enough for Laserbeak's glorious leader to take to the skies. More than Meets the Eye, Part 1 When the Autobots attacked the Decepticons' new space cruiser before it could depart, Laserbeak was ejected for warfare (for a change) along with his fellow Cassettes. Being the coward that he is, though, Laserbeak managed to be conspicuously absent throughout the battle, besides a single strafing run from the safety of the air. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3
Once the Decepticons dug their space cruiser out of the briny deep, they resumed their attacks on a nearby solar power station. While the others engaged the larger Autobots, Laserbeak kept to squawking around Bumblebee's head. Later, Laserbeak spied on the Autobots to ensure they took the bait for a trap Megatron had set for them. He tried to help in the cave trap later on, but Ratchet trapped him instead inside a tiny net. Transport to Oblivion After Megatron was accidentally sent to Cybertron following an early space bridge test, Laserbeak and Rumble were present to greet Megatron on his return. Laserbeak perched on Megatron's arm, signifying Megatron's resumption of command of the Earthbound Decepticons. Once the Decepticons set their sights on the anti-matter formula, Laserbeak attempted to steal it from Chip Chase and Bumblebee, but to no avail. Roll for It
After Starscream's strike team blasted Optimus Prime something fierce, Megatron assigned Laserbeak to infiltrate the Ark and ascertain the Autobot leader's true condition. For once, Laserbeak demonstrated his cowardice in Megatron's presence, but quickly and reluctantly went forth on his mission. Perhaps looking to prove himself after showing his yellow streak, Laserbeak took some extreme risks. First, he transformed into cassette mode and landed right on the powerhouse Brawn's shoulder to enter the Autobot base. Then, at Megatron's prodding, he flew down in full sight of the entire Autobot team and fired laser beams straight into Prime's exposed chest cavity. This exacerbated the damage and made the Autobot mission to find a replacement cosmitron for Prime of great priority. Divide and Conquer On another scouting mission in the Arctic Circle, Laserbeak alerted Megatron to Starscream's bumbling execution of some Autobot prisoners using a weird Morse Code signal. Fire in the Sky
When the Decepticons were on a mission in South America, they were temporarily interrupted by an attack from Brawn and Windcharger. Windcharger soon realized the duo were outclassed fighting so many Decepticons at once, and directed Brawn to pull back. Well, bless his cowardly tin-plated heart, Laserbeak waited until after Windcharger sounded the retreat to get involved, showing great "courage" as he shot the Autobots in the back as they were driving away. Still, never let it be said that Laserbeak doesn't have his uses. When Brawn later returned and stole Megatron's fusion cannon, blasting the Decepticon leader with his own weapon, it was Laserbeak who flew in to retrieve the cannon for his master. Of course, he naturally flew in from behind Brawn for maximum safety, but really, who could blame him? Fire on the Mountain
One afternoon, while the Seekers engaged in yet another grab for energy, Soundwave and the Cassettes carried out Operation: Guinea Pig at the Ark. As his partners Rumble and Ravage created a distraction for the present Autobots, Laserbeak swooped in and carried off one of their human comrades, Sparkplug Witwicky. Laserbeak delivered the human to Megatron and Doctor Arkeville for testing of their new hypno-chip. The Ultimate Doom, Part 1 After a successful test, Laserbeak flew out to collect more potential slaves for the Decepticons. He also took advantage of a well-placed earthquake to kidnap Spike Witwicky as well, while Bumblebee was dangling over a crevace. Unfortunately for the beryllium buzzard, Bluestreak was on the scene. His sharpshooting ability blasted Spike right out of Laserbeak's clutches, and drove off the Decepticon spy. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2 After the plot to change Cybertron's orbit failed, Laserbeak reported to Megatron about the treachery of Starscream and Doctor Arkeville. Seeking out the traitors, Megatron and the Decepticons ran afoul of the Autobots along the way. To deter pursuit, Megatron led the Autobot cars into a valley of quicksand, hoping they would sink out of his way forever. He left Laserbeak behind to monitor their demise. When Ironhide started to get his hand free, Laserbeak tried to divebomb the Autobot, only to be blasted by Mirage's rocket launcher. Stunned, the Decepticon reverted to his cassette mode, and was captured by Jazz. Once the Autobots got free, Jazz used his own audio system to replay Laserbeak's findings, alerting the Autobots to the Decepticons' destination at Arkeville's secret lab. Countdown to Extinction
On a routine scouting mission, Laserbeak uncovered information about giant robotic insects in Bali, and relayed the info to Megatron. A Plague of Insecticons When Megatron arranged a bout of single combat between himself and Optimus Prime, Soundwave ejected Laserbeak to watch the festivities along with the rest of the two armies. Heavy Metal War
Proving once again that he spends more time at the Ark than with the Decepticons, Laserbeak happened to be on the scene to learn Spike Witwicky was mentally unstable and possessing the powerful "spare" Autobot called Autobot X. Autobot Spike On his next mission, Laserbeak attacked a group of innocent gold prospectors. After he had his fun, though, Soundwave put him back in his cage for awhile. He popped out again later on to take potshots at his favorite weak target, Bumblebee. Changing Gears When the Decepticons moved their operations to New York City, Laserbeak was put on Autobot patrol, and alerted Megatron to their enemies' rendez-vous in Central Park. He was also joined by his flying buddy, Buzzsaw, for the first time in this battle. City of Steel In an attack on the Ark, Laserbeak and the Decepticons were charged with distracting the Autobots while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside to sabotage the Autobots' equipment. Laserbeak bit off more than he could handle with Prowl, though, and ended up being lassoed to the Autobot's rifle. It was a stand-off as Laserbeak fired at Prowl from the air while Prowl tried to drag him to the ground, until Megatron sounded the retreat. Laserbeak cut the wire with his blasts and took off as fast as his little wings could carry him. Attack of the Autobots
Laserbeak's next patrol duty was around the desert laboratory where Megatron was testing his stolen electro-cells. He alerted Soundwave the moment he sighted Autobot intruders, then hid inside his cozy chest cavity. Traitor When the human girl named Carly attempted to raid Decepticon headquarters on her own, Soundwave sent Laserbeak up to the surface to capture her. He succeeded, proving once again that he is occasionally strong enough to defeat a single human. He did, however, fail to recapture the Immobilizer for the Decepticons soon thereafter. The Immobilizer Returning to his spying duties, Laserbeak learned of Spike and Chip's plan for an Autobot road rally for charity. The Autobot Run
Laserbeak and Buzzsaw discovered the city of Sub-Atlantica on the bottom of the ocean floor, which led to an uneasy alliance between the Sub-Atlanticans and the Decepticons, and the subsequent attack of both parties on Washington, D.C. In D.C., Laserbeak popped out of Soundwave and was almost immediately shot down by Hound. By the time he was back in the air, the Dinobots had broken through the Decepticon defenses and Swoop took out Laserbeak and Buzzsaw with missiles moments after arriving at the battle. Some days it just doesn't pay to come out of the tapedeck. Atlantis, Arise!
In order to gain control over the super-computer TORQ III, Laserbeak was joined by Megatron and Soundwave in his infiltration of the defense compound where the computer was housed. Laser blasting their way to the core, Megatron was able to reprogram the computer to serve only him. Using TORQ to guide them, Megatron arranged for countless oil tankers to converge on Decepticon headquarters. An Autobot scouting party attempting to thwart his plans at the site, but Laserbeak swiped Spike Witwicky in the middle of battle and forced the Autobots to lay down their arms. Luckily, another contingent of Autobots confronted TORQ directly, deactivating the computer, and made their way to Megatron's refinery, freeing their friends. Day of the Machines At the unveiling of Doctor Fujiyama's robot ninja, Nightbird, Laserbeak stormed the ceremony with Rumble and Frenzy, causing considerable chaos. Enter the Nightbird
Despite his well-documented cowardice, Laserbeak is sometimes surprisingly effective in combat. Immediately after Optimus Prime single-handedly disarmed Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp at once in battle, Laserbeak swooped out of the sky and managed to incapacitate Prime just as easily with a hail of laser beams. At Megatron's direction, however, he did not finish the job. Instead, Laserbeak used his recording equipment to create a fully-body holographic scan of the Autobot leader, allowing Megatron to manufacture a perfect duplicate of Optimus Prime for his plans. Later on, he also easily overpowered Starscream and unceremoniously dragged him back to Megatron in his talons. Clearly, Laserbeak had been eating some top notch birdfeed that week. A Prime Problem
Laserbeak observed the Autobots observing the Constructicons deep core drilling project. He alerted Megatron to the spies, and the Decepticons rose to the surface to drive off the snoops. The Core When the Decepticons assaulted the Nova Power Plant, Soundwave released Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to torment the Autobots. Instead, Inferno and Jazz were overjoyed at being part of an "overgrown turkey shoot", and they blasted Laserbeak out of the sky. Laserbeak was also briefly taken over by Bombshell's cerebro-shells when the Insecticons were at odds with Megatron, but soon recovered. The Insecticon Syndrome
Stationed outside the Autobot base, Soundwave learned of the prehistoric Dinobot Island and its potential for rich sources of energy. At Megatron's behest, he dispatched Laserbeak to follow Powerglide and the Dinobots to the island and observe. Dinobot Island, Part 1 One time, he got "over-energized" and crashed beak-first into a sand dune. Did a nice loop-the-loop, though. Microbots
Megatron's next plan involved some masterful manipulation of the power-hungry human named Shawn Berger. Laserbeak snuck himself into Burger's office in cassette mode, then retrieved the human for a friendly chat with Megatron on a nearby hillside. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1 When the Decepticons' plan to turn the people of Earth against the Autobots succeeded, they briefly acted as "friends of the Earth" for Megatron's amusement. Laserbeak and the cassettes went to a local teen dance with Soundwave to mingle with the fleshlings. One of the kids asked if "Laserbeak wanna cracker". Never has a giant, speechless robot bird conveyed so much raw hatred with a single look. Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2
When the Decepticons got involved in a massive scheme with the Insecticons, the Autobots attempted to acquire some robotic insecticide to use against the enemy. Laserbeak reported their search back to Megatron, who became interested in acquiring the insecticide himself, in case the Insecticons ever proved troublesome. Quest for Survival After receiving a distress signal from Deceptitran, the Decepticons arrived to help stop the revolt of the Tlalakans. Laserbeak performed some reconnaissance, and uncovered the Autobot allies of the Tlalakans. He also located the secret city of the Tlalakans after a raiding party hit Deceptitran's temple. Sea Change
Laserbeak's keen observational skills failed him when the Autobots disguised themselves as Stunticons in order to get close to Megatron and his latest scheme. His sensors were unable to penetrate the camouflage paint they used to hide their true identities. Masquerade After Megatron infected the Autobots with the cosmic rust virus, Laserbeak infiltrated the Ark to bring back visuals of their enemies' suffering. Cosmic Rust When Starscream finally mouthed off one time too many, Megatron finally kicked him out of the house. Soundwave sent Laserbeak to unceremoniously drop Starscream on an island near Guadalcanal. Starscream's Brigade
One of Laserbeak's greatest claims to fame was that he was partly responsible for the Battle of Autobot City in 2005. By that point, the Decepticons had succeeded in conquering Cybertron, but the Autobots retained two of its moons and a large force on Autobot City. Laserbeak was dispatched to spy on Moonbase One, where he overheard Optimus Prime order a supply ship to acquire Energon for an upcoming assault. Laserbeak took the information back to Megatron, who hijacked the shuttle and used it to attack Autobot City. Megatron was left to rot in space by Starscream, and reformatted into Galvatron. However, Laserbeak was no longer able to perch on his leader's shoulder or arm. Also, that bureaucrat Ratbat was usually sent on the spying missions after this point. Laserbeak has been feeling unfulfilled ever since. The Transformers: The Movie
Laserbeak and Thrust were unleashed to stop the Autobots from restoring Metroplex's transforming cog. They failed thanks to Blurr's lateral. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Honestly, Laserbeak got off lucky when Galvatron didn't deign to carry him around all the time like Megatron did. After all, who'd want to perch on the shoulder of a madman who is known to blast more of his troops in 4 minutes than the Autobots had in 4000000+ years? It got so bad that when Motormaster and Swindle threatened mutiny, Laserbeak sided with the would-be rebels. (He sure has guts considering his courage rating is a mere 2.) The fact that Laserbeak was with the mutiny may have led to Cyclonus becoming desperate enough to seek aid on Torkulon. In any case, the mutiny never happened, even though Galvatron's sanity remained debatable. Webworld
Japanese cartoon continuity
Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers manga
In Japan, Soundwave and his Cassettes made an attack on the lone Autobot scout, Bumblebee. Bumblebee dodged their first attack, and so Laserbeak and his partners went chasing after him. Bumblebee circled back, however, damaging Soundwave's chest compartment so the Cassettes couldn't hide. Laserbeak got caught trying to re-enter his boss, and Cliffjumper ripped out his magnetic tape instead. Harsh. Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)
When Rodimus Prime was trying to recover the Matrix of Leadership, Soundwave ambushed him at the North Pole and sent out Laserbeak and Buzzsaw as a distraction whilst hoping to shoot the Autobot in the back. Soundwave was subsequently killed by Blaster, and Laserbeak took his errant head back to Galvatron. The Mystery of Planet Master
Along with the other Decepticon cassettes, Laserbeak watched and cheered when Soundwave was rebuilt as Soundblaster. When Twincast, the rebuilt form of Blaster, later tried to halt Soundblaster's evil scheme, Laserbeak attacked him alongside Buzzsaw and Ratbat. Twincast sent out his own cassettes hold them off as he continued on his mission. The Great Cassette Operation
Laserbeak later spied on the Autobot base on Athenia, noting that the Autobot Headmasters were heading towards Earth. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts He then spied on his own leader, Scorponok, if only to look into the situation of Counterpunch getting his hands on information that Soundblaster and his spies did not. Return of the Immortal Emperor Laserbeak and the other cassettes later patrolled the area around the Decepticon base on Master, alongside a few Decepticon Targetmaster partners. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons
The Headmasters manga
After Soundblaster crash-landed following his encounter with Chromedome's "Master Chrome Hurricane-Throw to the End of Hell" attack, Laserbeak and the other animal cassettes (minus Slugfest and Overkill) stood stoicly over his groggy form while Rumble and Frenzy panicked at the approach of Sixshot. The Headmasters issue 8
Young Corgi Adventure
Upon the discovery of a buried flying saucer beneath the new Wizard's Cave attraction, Laserbeak and Ravage went to Disneyland to try and salvage any advanced technology. Unfortunately they hadn't counted on you activating a time-sphere, transporting them four million years back in time. There they decided to destroy the Autobots lying in stasis aboard the Ark, and after tangling with the Dinobots Sludge and Swoop Laserbeak located the flying saucer containing the time-sphere. Dinobot War
- He killed one of the time-travelling aliens, but the other transported him and Ravage away into the time-stream.
- He was transported back to the present day where he escaped, or was possibly lost in time.
There's also an ending where Laserbeak shoots you with his ruby lasers. Without you to stop them, they presumably carried out their plan and went on to conquer the Earth.
Transformers in 3-D
Laserbeak scouted out the situation on Tau-Ursa, locating a demonstration of Monitorus's new invention, and bringing in a full Decepticon attack force. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3
Dreamwave comics continuity
After Optimus Prime became the new Autobot leader, Laserbeak did a spying mission, where he saw the Autobots preparing starships for evacuation. Megatron was unconcerned, however, as he had other plans. Unfortunately, Starscream shot a bridge holding Megatron and Prime, sending them to their presumed destruction. Laserbeak was then manhandled by Starscream's personal henchmen and had all the information within him forcibly downloaded, all at Starscream's orders. This is why Starscream will never be Decepticon leader, as he doesn't know how to get Laserbeak to perch on him. The War Within Megatron eventually returned and put Starscream in his place. Sometime later, Megatron vanished in a space bridge accident, and control of the Decepticons split into several smaller factions. Laserbeak and the other Cassettes remained with Soundwave, under the command of Shockwave in the primary Decepticon faction. War Within: The Dark Ages
After the crash of the Nemesis, Laserbeak was reactivated on Earth in 1984 and fought alongside the Decepticons in that pocket version of the greater war. Believed dead after the explosion of the Ark II, Laserbeak and most of the other Transformers were in fact salvaged and reprogrammed by the human named Lazarus. The remote-controlled Laserbeak was sent on a mission of destruction with several other Cybertronians before Megatron broke free and restored autonomous control to his Decepticon brethren. Prime Directive
After Megatron was kidnapped into deep space by the Keepers and Starscream assumed control of the Decepticons, Laserbeak accepted his rule along with Soundwave and the other Cassettes. They set up a new base of operation in the human city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Taking a new tactic, Starscream arranged to work with the humans instead of against them, offering the residents of Sin City fame and fortune, while helping the Las Vegas PD coordinate their anti-crime efforts more effectively. Laserbeak performed constant reconnaissance patrols, reporting to Soundwave when human police officers were needed to perform "preventative maintenance" at potential crisis sites. Hardwired
Once Megatron returned, the Decepticons were broken into two factions under his and Starscream's control. Remarkably, Laserbeak chose to remain in Las Vegas with Starscream while Megatron and Soundwave left the city with their faction. He was taken prisoner with Starscream's other soldiers by the Keepers once they made Las Vegas their base of operations, and was trapped behind a massive force field. They eventually escaped thanks to the Constructicons, and joined a united force of Autobots and Decepticons in assaulting the Keepers' position. Laserbeak joined Thundercracker and Wheeljack in performing aerial sweeps and strafing runs during the battle. Annihilation Later, during a battle with the American military in the Nevada desert, Laserbeak was struck down by deconstructionite rounds and had to be carried to safety by the Omega Sentinel. Fusion
When Shockwave later arrived on Earth and defeated Megatron, Soundwave allied himself and the Cassettes with Shockwave until they returned to Cybertron. At that point, Starscream made a proposal that they return to Earth (now virtually free of Autobots) and take control of its fuel resources. War and Peace Soundwave agreed, and he brought Laserbeak and the other Cassettes back with them to Earth. After briefly tolerating Screamer's leadership, Megatron mercifully returned and reassumed control of Laserbeak and the Decepticon forces on Earth. The Route of All Evil
Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers comics continuity
Laserbeak was one of the many Transformers recovered from the crashed Ark by Cobra. He was repaired and retrofitted by Doctor Mindbender, who proudly displayed him, Soundwave, and his fellow Mini-Cassettes to Destro. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 Laserbeak was released by Soundwave, along with Rumble, Frenzy, Ratbat, and Ravage, during an attack on the SPS Center. Laserbeak managed to escape the first wave of G.I. Joe defenders and enter the building, gunning down Gung-Ho and Clutch. Shortly afterwards, he was decapitated by Snake-Eyes. His body was taken into custody by the Joes. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3
Dreamwave Transformers/G.I. Joe comics continuity
Laserbeak was among the Decepticons who lay deactivated on the Fera Islands for several million years, until Cobra awakened them and took control of them in 1938. One year later, after Cobra had used the Decepticons to ravage most of Europe, Laserbeak was sent to the spy on how the United States would react. He witnessed the creation of G.I. Joe, although Duke spotted the spy and opened fire on him. Laserbeak made the human drop his gun by firing a precision laser through his hand, before escaping and reporting his findings to Soundwave. The Line
When G.I. Joe teamed up with the Autobots and attacked the Cobra Terrordrome, Laserbeak was punched by Iron Hide [sic]. If he survived the battle, he most likely died anyway when the Matrix was destroyed. The Iron Fist
The Beast Within
When the Beast formed, Starscream ordered the Seekers to attack the behemoth. Laserbeak, thinking that he was a Seeker, joined them, and was smacked along with Skywarp and Thundercracker, blowing up as a result. He blew up real good. The Beast Within
Transformers Legends anthology
Laserbeak and Ravage spied on Starscream after the Seeker's latest falling out with Megatron, and watched Starscream fall off a mountain. After reporting back to Soundwave, they spied some more and got footage of Starscream acting chummy with the Autobots. It was only after he spotted Laserbeak, that the amnesiac Starscream finally regained his memory. Redemption Center
Laserbeak was sent by Soundwave to spy on Swindle, who it turned out had been selling Decepticon weapons to Carbombia. Laserbeak reported back to base with a recording of Swindle doing a deal, much to Megatron's rage. Two for the Price of One
IDW comics continuity
Long ago on Cybertron, Laserbeak helped Soundwave expose some spies for Megatron and assisted in executing the Senate members in Kaon. Megatron Origin
Four million years ago, Laserbeak charged the Autobot position with Soundwave and a horde of Decepticons, in a vain attempt to keep them from interfering with an energon convoy headed for Megatron's troops. The Iron Age
Millions of years later, Laserbeak was employed by Soundwave to remotely spy on Bludgeon on Earth in 1984, but was knocked out in the skirmish. He, Ravage and Soundwave were buried under Mount St. Helens when Bludgeon caused a volcanic eruption to cover his tracks. A year later, he was dug up by a mysterious government organization known as Skywatch. Spotlight: Soundwave Over twenty years later, Laserbeak was chained up in the Skywatch headquarters along with Ravage and reprogrammed to seek out the other Transformers. Escalation issue 6
On his first mission out with Ravage, however, the pair's signal from Skywatch was blocked by Soundwave. Devastation issue 4 Locating their master, Laserbeak and Ravage broke into young Jimmy's room and carried Soundwave away, only to learn that he was stuck in his alternate mode. Fortunately, Shockwave soon met with them and negotiated a deal that would free him. Maximum Dinobots issue 4 As part of the plan, Laserbeak and Ravage were left lying dormant in a forest to be recaptured by Skywatch, only to awaken and murder their would-be captors as soon as Shockwave freed Soundwave from his condition. Maximum Dinobots issue 5
Laserbeak returned to Soundwave, who in turn returned to Megatron, and a year later the Decepticons attacked New York City. During the battle, Laserbeak helped destroy some human jets. All Hail Megatron issue 1 After some scouting, he learned that the humans were sending ground forces at them, then reported to Soundwave and perched on his shoulder. All Hail Megatron issue 2 He was still on said shoulder when Megatron told Starscream that Soundwave and Laserbeak had been keeping their eyes on the Seeker as he planned his revolt. All Hail Megatron issue 10 After the Autobots beat up Megatron, Laserbeak and the other Decepticons fled the planet. All Hail Megatron issue 12
Timelines:Dawn of Future's Past
At the end of the great war most Decepticons granted amnesty simply retired and vanished from public life. So too would have been the fate of Laserbeak if not for the intervention of the Predacon Divebomb. Divebomb granted Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ravage a new lease on life, rebuilding them into members of the new faction of Predacons.
Predacon Megatron's theft of the Golden Disk was closely watched by Divebomb, who sent Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to ensure Megatron and his rogues reached their destination. Their ship intercepted the Axalon, pummelling it with missiles. Before it could come back for another pass, it was fired upon by the Chromia 10, giving the Axalon enough time to restore enough power to return fire and completely destroy Laserbeak and Buzzsaw's ship, with the pair inside. He's in the Allspark now, trying to perch on Primus' shoulder. Dawn of Future's Past
Games
The Transformers (PS2)
| “ | Laserbeak is a good and faithful servant. He may share with a certain somebody the ability to fly, and the red body and black face too, but that's where the similarities end. | ” |
—Megatron has high opinions of Laserbeak and speaks of them while insulting Starscream at the same time in a longer and more detailed way than he did in the movie., The Transformers | ||
| “ | Lens-headed sneak! | ” |
—Starscream, on the other hand, hates Laserbeak., The Transformers | ||
Laserbeak only appeared in the Decepticon side of the story, and had small but important involvement during the search of the investigation team. He found the Autobots guarding the Ranpas geothermal plant and reported it to Megatron. He also snitched on Starscream, who was pilfering the energon cubes the Decepticons had obtained from the following adventure. Later, he found the UFO. The Transformers
Toys
Generation 1
- Frenzy & Laserbeak (Cassette 2-pack, 1984/1985)
- Originally a Microchange "Micro Cassette Robo Condor", Laserbeak transforms into a microcassette that can fit into the tape door of the Soundwave and Blaster toys. He was released in a two-pack with Frenzy in the U.S. and Europe. His chromed thruster-blaster add-ons have some slight mold variations to them, like several other early Transformers toys.
- Condor (Cassettron, 1985/1986/1987)
- Japanese ID number: 20, D-60, D-105
- Laserbeak (AKA "Condor") was available by himself in Japan. Like all Japanese cassettes, he came with a clear tape case to be "stored" in. He was re-released in Japan in 1986, and again in 1987.
- Soundwave (Decepticon, 2003)
- Japanese ID number: TFC-10
- Laserbeak was reissued alongside Soundwave in 2003, as part of Takara's Transformers Collection line and again in 2007, as part of the Transformers Encore line. The 2007 release had the orange on his stickers modified to be lighter.
- Cassette Big Mission 3 (2009)
- Encore number: 19
- Laserbeak was reissued again in the Encore line, this time with Frenzy, Overkill and Rumble, as part of Takara's Encore line. This version features the darker orange stickers of the earlier reissues, but the red paint is now a reddish orange rather than the typical red. He came packed with a clear cassette case.
Titanium Series
- Soundwave (6" Cybertron Heroes)
- Among the smallest of all Transformers, this toy is a tiny 1" wide rendition of his cassette form, though without the holes normally seen on tapes. Like the larger Soundwave figure he comes with, his design deviates somewhat from his true design, instead being black with red stripes. He also does not come with his jet pack.
Timelines
- Laserbeak and Buzzsaw (Souvenir set, 2006)
- A redeco of the Energon Terrorcon Divebomb, Laserbeak transforms from a humanoid robot to a robotic bird of prey. He came with a pair of clear-blue blades that can combine to form a large energon weapon, plus a blue Decepticon-style energon chip. He was available only as a poly-bagged set with his mold-mate Buzzsaw, sold as an "at the show" souvenir set at BotCon 2006, limited to 500 pieces.
- This mold was also used to make the Terrorcon Blackout.
Classics
- Soundwave (Decepticon, 2007)
Universe (2008)
- Soundwave (2009)
- In 2009, Laserbeak was included with yet another reissue of Soundwave as part of the Universe line, this time as a Hasbro Toy Shop exclusive that was prominently offered at San Diego Comic-Con 2009. Included were his weapons and his own cassette case.
Merchandise
Transformers - Wall Plaque
- Soundwave (Diamond Select, 2006)
- Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2006, Soundwave was sculpted by Art Asylum and limited to 1,000 pieces. He is seen emerging from the space bridge with Rumble, Laserbeak, and Ravage in tow.
Attacktix
- Laserbeak
- Attacktix Laserbeak is a 10-point Trooper-type piece featuring a firing missile launcher on his back. The piece's base is shaped like Soundwave's arm, where Laserbeak rests while not in use. He is attached to the arm with a string, allowing him to take flight and get better shots at enemy pieces.
- While Hasbro showed off Laserbeak at some conventions, he was ultimately never released. Most of his in-game stats and abilities are as such unknown.
 Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Robot Heroes
- Prowl vs Laserbeak (2-pack, 2009)
Proceed on your way to oblivion. |
Notes
- Though Laserbeak is portrayed as a normal audio cassette in the various fictions, his original toy was a microcassette. (Likewise, Soundwave's toy was a microcassette recorder, rather than the "stereo cassette deck" he's stated to be elsewhere.)
- Buzzsaw's toy was sold with Soundwave. Consequently, Buzzsaw had a much lower profile in the cartoon and his Tech Spec function of "spy" was open for the taking. Laserbeak was given this role presumably because he would have more opportunity to spy than his to use his own, non-kid-friendly, function of "interrogation".
- Although the Laserbeak and Buzzsaw toys had a standard cassette deco on one side, the cartoon chose to show the bird side in its depictions of their alt modes, effectively making either side accurate.
- Laserbeak is possibly the most effective Decepticon in the entire G1 cartoon. Some of his shining moments include defeating Optimus Prime himself, snatching Starscream right out of the air, and sending Windcharger plummeting to his near-death ("A Prime Problem"), defeating Hound ("More than Meets the Eye, Part 1"), and nearly killing Optimus Prime on the operating table ("Divide and Conquer"). He also managed to infiltrate Autobot Headquarters just about every other episode, and never once got caught.
- Laserbeak snores when he sleeps. It sounds just like a little chainsaw! (So cute!) Decepticon Poison
- The title screen to Ocean's Transformers game for the Commodore 64 depicts either a Laserbeak or a Buzzsaw that is primarily red with gold wings. Get on it, e-Hobby!
- It's possible that Beast Wars Lazorbeak was intended to be a new form for Laserbeak. Lazorbeak's on-package bio reads, "Lazorbeak upholds his motto of believing the only good point he likes about the Maximals is their melting point," a reference to Laserbeak's original motto. Also, both use laser weapons which frequently run out of energy.
- Laserbeak was part of the original Decepticon cast for the 2007 Transformers movie, but was cut along with Ravage when Soundwave was removed.[citation needed] As part of the Sector Seven ARG, a "file" of confirmed N.B.E. activity has Laserbeak changing from cassette mode to robot mode (while remaining the same size).
- The Real Gear Robot Booster X10 appears to be a rather blatant Laserbeak homage.
References
External links
- Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Articles in need of images
- Pages with broken file links
- Unreleased toys
- Articles needing citations
- Attacktix
- Beast Wars Predacons
- Convention exclusives
- Generation 1 Decepticons
- Interrogators
- Mini-Cassettes
- Multi-component Transformers
- Spies
- Timelines characters
- Titanium Series
