Punch (G1)
- Counterpunch is a Decepticon in the Generation 1 continuity family. His Autobot counterpart, Punch, is nearby. Real nearby.
Punch is an Autobot, but he pretends to be a Decepticon named Counterpunch. Both of him are really secretive.
- French-Canadian name: Pugilil/Contrecoup
- Japanese name: Spacepunch/Counterpunch
- Italian name: Spy/Ultraspy
Fiction
American cartoon continuity
- Voice actor: John Moschitta (English)
When they arrived to steal the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber, Counterpunch warned Pounce and Wingspan about his own impending attack, making a big deal about how Punch was his "Autobot counterpart" and how he "was nearby, real nearby." He was then damaged when he totally failed to stop the Decepticon clones.Genius, I tell you. He quickly recovered and was amongst the Autobots trying to find out what happened to Kup and Hot Rod's group. The Rebirth, Part 1
Japanese cartoon continuity
The Headmasters
- Voice actor: Masaharu Satou (Japanese)
Debuting in the middle of the series, Punch/Counterpunch was a valuable asset in the ranks of the Autobots, frequently discovering dangerous plots of both Galvatron and Scorponok. He was discovered as a double-agent by Galvatron only moments before the latter's demise. To add insult to the injury, Punch helped the Autobot Headmasters to kill the Decepticon leader by informing them that Galvatron's head was his weak point. After Zarak took the leadership of the Decepticons, Punch's role was a bit reduced to leave room for Targetmasters and Duocons. In the penultimate episode, he was abandoned on Earth by Scorponok near Gilbratar, effectively making him useless.
Dreamwave G1 comic
Outwardly, Punch is the consummate undercover man, but internally, he's a nervous wreck too paranoid of exposure even to open up with his fellow Autobots. That's a problem, as Punch has been under so long, his invented persona of Counterpunch is gaining an increasing life of its own, with Punch suffering worrying blackouts during his actions while masquerading as a Decepticon. More Than Meets The Eye
Toys
Generation 1
- Punch/Counterpunch (Doublespy, 1987)
- Japanese ID number: C-111
- Punch transforms into a blue Pontiac Fiero. He has two distinct robot modes, with separate guns and rubsigns for each. They have separate arms, but the backs of Punch's torso, legs, and even head are the fronts of Counterpunch's and vice versa. The top of their shared head tilts to disguise the face not currently being used.
- The transformation for Punch's robot mode depicted in the toy's instructions and animation is, in fact, not the intended transformation for the toy. Rather than extend all the way, as they do for Counterpunch, the legs are supposed to fold back at the "knee" with Counterpunch's feet folded out 180 degrees to become Punch's own (this, then, gives a purpose to the otherwise-pointless ridges on his feet, which now serve to keep the robot stable). This transformation - depicted in the toy's box art and on the front of his instruction booklet (sans feet) - creates a much smaller robot mode for Punch that serves to further distinguish him from Counterpunch.
Trivia
The Doublespy concept seems to have been kicking around for a while before actually being executed:
- A concept sketch exists that depicts Punch/Counterpunch as a hi-tech jet more in line with the 1986+ aesthetic which transforms in a way somewhat similar to the final car version [1].
- Not one but two early patents were filed for a car Doublespy. The first patent depicts the car that can turn into a large robot or split straight across the middle, with the front and back ends of the car each transforming into a separate robot. It uses a car model identical to the final Punch/Counterpunch[2].
- The second patent keeps the car as a single unit, however the car now folds along the center from the front bumper to the rear windshield. One robot mode is formed when the car is transformed normally, the other is formed when the car is transformed and folded to reveal a new head, chest, and arms. This model has an identical leg transformation to the final version[3].
Footnotes
External links
