Targetmasters

Several Autobots and Decepticons who were binary-bonded to Nebulans capable of transforming into their weapons. The ones who appeared in either the comic or the cartoon are as follows:

The Autobot members are

The Decepticon members are:

Cartoon Bio (US):

None submitted.

Comic Bio (US):

As a sign of peace, a number of the Autobots on Nebulos agreed to surrender their weapons to the government. When Zarak and the Decepticons took control and captured the Autobot Headmasters, however, they found themselves unable to fight back. A group of Nebulans, seeing the problem, agreed to have themselves bio-engineered to transform into weapons for six of the Autobots. Thus was born the Targetmasters.

Their first mission was protecting the Nursery, a place where medicines (among other things) were created for the benefit of the people of Nebulos. Zarak had apparently made it clear he wished to make a profit with it, turning it into a lab dedicated to those able to afford its products. The Targetmasters were there for mere moments before Zarak and the Terrorcons arrived. Thinking the Autobots were weaponless, they were shocked to see the Nebulans transform, and even more surprised when the Autobots counterattack with more firepower than they ever had before. Undaunted, the Decepticons continued their fight, until the Autobots retreated. The Decepticons had won, but the Nursery was destroyed.

Although distressed, Zarak had Vorath duplicate the Targetmaster process with five Decepticons. Zarak, however, was uninterested, and soon, rebelled against Scorponok and freed the Headmaster Autobots and their Nebulan partners. Their escape was detected by the new Targetmasters, and a fight broke out. The fight did not get very far before Fortress Maximus was able to stun the Decepticons momentarily. When the Targetmasters got up, the Autobots were gone.

After Galen died, Spike Witwicky took his place and bonded with Fortress Maximus to find his brother Buster, who had been kidnapped by the Decepticons. After locating him on the Decepticon island/starship, Fortress Maximus led the Targetmasters in a rescue attempt. The effort was a spectacular failure.

Although the Targetmaster Transformers appeared many times following this, their Nebulan partners only appeared once more. Immediately following the Autobot surrender on Earth, the Autobots were forced to give up their weapons. One instance was shown where Kup placed his gun inside a small cell, and the Nebulan transformed.

Note: Several Transformers who were introduced in the toys as Targetmasters never received their Nebulan partners in the comic or cartoon. They are the Decepticons Spinister/Singe/Hairsplitter (Apache helicopter/robot), Quake/Tiptop/Heater (tank/robot), and Needlenose/Sunbeam/Zigzag (jet/robot), and the Autobots Quickmix/Boomer/Ricochet (cement truck/robot), Scoop/Tracer/Holepunch (payloader/robot), and Landfill/Silencer/Flintlock (dump truck/robot). The Seacons were also called Targetmasters, in reference to the fact that when combined into Piranacon, any one of the five smaller team members could transform into the gestalt's weapon.