Ratbat

Allegiance: Decepticon

Function: Fuel Scout

First Comic Appearance: Transformers #27

"The road is my dinner plate."

Profile: Ratbat has no friends, only business partners. His sole allegiance is to himself. The other Decepticons are aware of this, but cooperate with and tolerate Ratbat because of his vital and unique talent for locating fuel resources. So much do they value his services that they are willing to overlook his behavioral extremes. Ratbat prefers to refuel himself by plunging his mecha-fangs into the grime-free gas lines of brand-new cars; the better made the car, the better its gas tastes to him. This usually destroys the cars. Although many of the other Decepticons find this practice wasteful and disgusting, they are more than willing to help Ratbat indulge in his horrible habit by procuring cars for him. Besides, they know if Ratbat can't satisfy his fuel lust In that way, he might select one of them. And given his importance, they are likely to let him.

Abilities: In his bat mode, Ratbat's wings act as chemical sensors that enable him to locate and distinguish between fuels. They are able to detect the slightest trace of a fuel- their sensitivity records molecular concentrations as low as one part per quadrillion in the air. Within his mouth are retractable mecha-fangs that can puncture all but the strongest materials. He uses them to refuel himself. Micro-chemical processors within the fangs convert most fossil and alcohol-based fuels into a form he can metabolize. As a bat, he can assume the size of a normal bat with about a one-foot wingspan, or a larger version with a ten-foot wingspan. In either size, he has a maximum speed of 65 mph and a range of 200 miles. He is extremely maneuverable.

Weaknesses: Ratbat's wings are his most vulnerable part. They offer little resistance to artillery fire.