Arcana is an Autobot-allied Nebulan Headmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Tex Arcana

For a man whose work has had such a big effect on the lives of so many Nebulans and Transformers, very few people really know the distant and remote Arcana (aka Teslor). Not even Brainstorm, who shares his psyche, can claim to truly fathom the workings of his partner's mind. But then, Arcana seems to cultivate an extremely anti-social persona unintentionally, training first as a medical doctor, only to grow bored and focus on long-forgotten and repudiated scientific lore of his planet, earning the ire of medical colleagues. Yet it was this combination of knowledge and skill, along with the combined input of his future partner, that allowed the creation of the binary bonding process.

Arcana's nature varies. In some universes he is an organic Nebulan; in others he is a robotic Cybertronian.

Fiction

Marvel The Transformers comics

"MARTY! It's your kids!"

Arcana was once a medical doctor, but later turned to study the ancient, mystical sciences of Nebulos. This new career path cast him in a new light for many, such as Stylor, who viewed him as a sort of oddball. Stylor's Story

While Nebulos's capital city Koraja was under siege by the Decepticons, the Autobots were voluntary prisoners of the planet, refusing to act on their own in order to ensure the trust of the people. Galen called upon the services of Arcana, and his skills in bio-engineering, to work around these restrictions by placing the Autobots' bodies partially under the control of Nebulan partners. Inventing Headmaster technology on the spot, Arcana submitted himself as one of its test subjects, and became the Headmaster partner of Brainstorm. With Brainstorm and his fellow Autobots' new-found might, they easily beat back the Decepticon onslaught. In the aftermath, Arcana and the other test subjects revealed themselves as the heads of the robots, and he was thanked by the citizens of Koraja. Broken Glass!

Recalling the procedure, Stylor ranted at length about how absurdly dressed Arcana was for a man his age. Shoulder capes? Shoulder-length hair despite his male-pattern baldness? Those cyclops shades? As if! Stylor's Story

"One point twenty-one jigawatts!"

Soon after, the talents of Arcana/Brainstorm and Duros/Hardhead, along with the Technobots, were responsible for defeating the Terrorcons and Horrorcons at the resort city of Splendora. This time, the rescued citizens reacted in fear at the sight of their saviors, and Arcana's reveal did less to reassure them. Furthermore, Soriza and the Council of Peers questioned the violence being employed by the Autobots, even if it was in the name of peace. The Council sent its representatives at the Headmasters' base of operations to observe them while Arcana was working on ways to boost the firepower of six of the Autobots' weapons, and explained that the Headmasters would be monitored during their next mission. Said mission came immediately, as Lord Zarak sent the Autobots a plea for help; his entourage had been captured by Scorponok, and only Fortress Maximus's soldiers stood a chance in freeing them. This turned out to be a trap, as Zarak and the Decepticons had joined forces to create Headmasters of their own! The Decepticon Headmasters imperiled the council observers, leaving the Autobots open for attack as they turned their attention to protecting the Nebulans. A wave of Mindwipe's hypnotic gaze, and the council were left believing Zarak and the Decepticons had rescued them from the "renegade" Galen and the Autobots. Arcana and his fellow Autobot Headmasters were taken prisoner by Lord Zarak, who reassumed his position in the Nebulan hierarchy. Love and Steel! But Zarak realized, as he slowly succumbed to madness, that as long as the Autobots and Decepticons remained on Nebulos, it was doomed to war. In a moment of lucidity, he released Arcana and the others, who quickly rejoined with the Autobots' bodies. After a brief encounter with the newly upgraded Decepticon Targetmasters, the Autobot Headmasters fled and rejoined the rest of the Autobot forces. Brothers in Armor!!

Fortress Maximus once made a vid-phone call to Brainstorm and Arcana's workshop, and the two eggheads managed to invent a new, smaller, and more efficient vid-phone between the conversation's beginning and its end. They later worked together to design a fuel convertor to get the Autobots to Earth aboard Steelhaven. However, this device was stolen through Decepticon trickery. The Final Conflict

The Autobots decided to flee the planet to another, Earth, from where an Autobot distress call was emanating. The Decepticons followed them into the inter-planetary void towards this new world. Brothers in Armor!!

Not the end I'd wish for, lad.

After Brainstorm oversaw the reconstruction of Fortress Maximus into a larger form, Arcana (with some dubious assistance from Stylor) was able to triangulate the source of the Autobot distress call. Again Arcana formed Brainstorm's head, and the Headmasters traveled to the planet's surface. Trial by Fire!

During the Transformers' battle against Unicron, Brainstorm, still partnered with Arcana, was among the first victims. On the Edge of Extinction!

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Jack Angel (English), Kenichi Sakaguchi (Japanese), Walter Reichelt (German)

Instead of Doc Brown captions, the cartoon version of Arcana gets Karl Malden captions.

The oldest and wisest of the Nebulan rebels, he and Firebolt attempted to treat Daniel Witwicky when the youngster was injured by Snapdragon during a fight. They were able to stabilise Daniel, but not enough that he could survive without life support machinery. The Rebirth, Part 1 When the Headmaster project was put into action, he selected Brainstorm as his bonding partner, finding the Autobot to have refreshing ideas despite his undisciplined mind. The Headmasters tested themselves against Hive machines, with Arcana and Brainstorm successfully taking one out. Once the machines had all been destroyed, he worried that the Hive would swiftly discover their actions, but Gort was too exhilarated to care.

After the Autobot Headmasters easily bested the Decepticons in battle, the Decepticons teamed up with the Hive as Headmasters and Targetmasters in order to tip the odds in their favour. Though the Autobots and rebels soon found themselves outclassed, Arcana and Brainstorm were able to scan Nightstick and steal the Targetmaster technology for Autobot use. The Rebirth, Part 2 Traveling to Cybertron with the Autobots, there Arcana and Gort modified Galvatron's rocket engine, reversing its polarity so that a new Golden Age could dawn on the world. After the victory, Arcana and the other Nebulans returned to Nebulos to clean up the rest of the Hive machines. The Rebirth, Part 3

Legends comic

Arcana, Duros, and Stylor followed Zarak to the Legends World, where they targeted alternate reality versions of Brainstorm, Hardhead, and Chromedome, who relied on unliving Transtectors to be Headmasters. Since their own form of Headmasters relied on the bodies being controlled separately, Arcana and the others locked the Autobots in their Transtectors and convinced them to pilot the bodies while the Nebulans formed the heads. The combination of two different types of Headmaster was powerful enough to defeat Scorponok, and the three Nebulans returned to their own universe. LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter

Ladybird Books continuity

When the Decepticons build an energy interceptor atop the north pole of Nebulos, Arcana and Brainstorm studied the area and came up with a plan to foil the Decepticons' plot. They arranged for a group of Targetmasters to use thermal lasers, Scorponok's vast bulk, and the solid ice underneath the Decepticon base to send the Cons tumbling into melted slush. Decepticons at the Pole

Swamp of the Scorpion

Arcana built a spare head for Highbrow, which came in handy when his Headmaster partner stayed behind with Brainstorm as he underwent repairs while Highbrow investigated some Decepticon activity. Swamp of the Scorpion

Ask Vector Prime

In Aurex 503.01 Gamma, Arcana and Hi-Q were treating the mode-locked nucleon-addict Rollout. The arrival of a new Cybertronian patient, the dying Overload, offered them the opportunity to save both patients using the ancient Autobot Headmaster procedure, merging the two into a single body. Complications required them to hand their patients over to Rhinox, who rebuilt the combined form. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/18

Beast Wars: Uprising

Arcana and his twin, Teslor, were scientists with the World Watcher organization on Nebulos. They reverse-engineered the Hive-Decepticon invention of Headmaster technology, and later expanded upon it to create the Targetmaster innovation as well. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue

Titans Return marketing material

The Titan Master Teslor partnered up with Brainstorm, enhancing Brainstorm's intelligence to advance the development of his inventions. Titans Return Teslor/Brainstorm toy bio Brainstorm and Teslor attempted to artificially reproduce Windblade’s Cityspeaking abilities in order to prevent the rogue Autobot, Sentinel Prime, from taking control of a full-sized Fortress Maximus.^[1]

Commercial appearances

• After several Transformers blasted their way to the planet Nebulon, they were forced to surrender to the locals. Arcana was one of several Nebulons who fused with a Cybertronian partner, so that the war between Autobots and Decepticons could resume on their world. Headmaster comic book commercial
• After Hot Rod broadcast a Decepticon alert, Arcana boarded Brainstorm. They sped off together to battle against the Decepticon Headmasters who were invading a Nebulan city. Headmasters commercial

Games

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Arcana was one of Nebulos’s most respected scientists. He and Brainstorm invented Headmaster technology; when combined with, there were very few problems that their pooled intellect couldn’t tackle. The Enigma of Combination

Toys

The Transformers

Kids, buy this toy of an old man!

• Brainstorm (Headmaster, 1987)

• Known designers: Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy)

Released in the fourth year of Hasbro's US The Transformers toyline (third year in Europe and in Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line), Headmaster Arcana transforms from an armored humanoid into a robot head. In head mode, he is compatible with any other Headmaster body: on the larger Headmasters, he gives three of Brainstorm's Tech Spec stats in their display window, but the smaller ones still display their normal heads' stats due to their construction.

He was only available with his larger partner Brainstorm.

• More information on Arcana at TFU.info
• Instruction booklet for Arcana (with Brainstorm) at Botchthecrab.com

Generations

• Brainstorm (Voyager Class, 2014)

• Series / Number: 02 / #009

Part of the eighth wave of 2012-onwards Generations Voyager Class toys, Thrilling 30 Brainstorm's head transforms into an unnamed robot that's pretty obviously inspired by Generation 1 Arcana, who can inside Brainstorm's vehicle-mode cockpit. In head mode, putting him into Brainstorm's neck socket will reveal Tech Specs one Brianstorm's chest, just like the original toy (though the numbers are based off the original figure, not the Tech Specs printed on the box, whoopiepiddles).

Arcana's robot mode design is based on the Dreamwave art at the top of this page... which is actually Monzo's character model in Arcana's colors. Whoopsiepiddles.

Exercise caution while using the Headmaster gimmick, as Brainstorm's neck socket is painted, making Arcana rather difficult to remove. Too much force could separate the small figure's own head from his body. Please take note that this toy is not compatible with any other Headmaster figure, due to having a bespoke connector.

This mold was also used to make Legends Cana.

• More information on Generations Arcana (with Brainstorm) at TFU.info

Titans Return

• Titan Force (Multi-pack, 2016)

• Release date: July 21, 2016

A retool of Titans Return Hyperfire, "Autobot Teslor" (seriously, who trademarks "Arcana"?!) transforms from a robot based on Stylor into a head for the set's Brainstorm figure, based on the character's IDW More than Meets the Eye design. As with all Titan Masters, he can pilot any Titans Return vehicle and form the head of any Deluxe-or-larger figure. Specific to Brainstorm, he can also pilot the detached nosecone as a sort of battle-sled thing.

This initial release of Brainstorm was only available as part of the "Titan Force" giftset, which also includes a translucent-plastic redeco of Titans Return Sentinel Prime and Windblade, a Fortress Maximus-themed redeco of her Robots in Disguise counterpart's Warrior Class sculpt. In the United States, the "Titan Force" set was exclusive to Hasbro Toy Shop, initially available at their booth at San Diego Comic-Con 2016, and later also via the Hasbro Toy Shop website. For the United Kingdom, A1 Toys acquired exclusive distribution rights, with the set initially available at their booth at London Film & Comic-Con 2016, and later also via their website and at other UK conventions. Due to trademark issues, A1 Toys' release had to rename Brainstorm into "Charon" via stickers applied to the outside of the box. Furthermore, the set was also sold at Cybertron Con Shanghai 2016, at the Hasbro booth at Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong 2016 and at the HasbroStore booth at Fan Expo 2016 in Canada, in each case retaining Brainstorm's original name.

• Autobot Teslor & Brainstorm (Deluxe Class, 2016)

• Accessories: Gun, "Autobot Teslor" Titan Master

A differently-deco'd version of "Teslor" (trademark again!) and Brainstorm were also sold individually. Compared to the San Diego Comic-Con version, this version has a deco closer to the original toy. Initial samples on display at conventions had his helmet left unpainted, showing the same darker gray as used on his wings and feet. His stock photography, however, matches the version of the figure available at retail. Strangely, Teslor's visor is only painted at the bottom section.

In the United States, Brainstorm was available as the first ever exclusive to Walgreens drug stores. However, in late August 2016, before Brainstorm became widely available at Walgreens, a single case was discovered at a Walmart store in the United States, which ended up being an isolated incident.^[2] In Hasbro's Asian markets, meanwhile, Brainstorm was available at general retail in a case all by himself, and ended up as a massive shelfwarmer at stores such as Toys"R"Us and AEON.

This toy also doubles as the independent Beast Wars: Uprising character Teslor.

Legends

Guess Cana decided to give up his Voyager-sized body for a scale-accurate Deluxe body now.

• Headmaster Set (Multi-pack, 2017)

• Release date: February 19, 2017
• ID Number: LG-EX

Released as a Wonder Festival 2017 [Winter] exclusive, this Headmaster version of "Brainstorm" is a redeco of the Titans Return Teslor tooling, and features extensive paint apps color-coded to the TakaraTomy Legends Brainstorm.

Brainstorm is included with Grimlock, "Chromedome", "Hardhead", Flywheel, and Gong, all similarly-extra-deco'd versions of Hasbro Titan Masters which were not otherwise released in Japan.

Retro Headmasters

• Autobot Brainstorm (Deluxe Class, 2020)

• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

Released as part of the Retro Headmasters line, Arcana is a redeco of the Titans Return Titan Master in even more original-toy-accurate colors. While the deco is super-toy-based, it utilizes the Headmasters anime-based tooling from the not-Arcana Legends headmaster, featuring a mouth instead of a faceplate.

Along with the rest of the Retro Headmasters toys, Arcana (and Brainstorm) were a Walmart exclusive in Canada and the US, and a Warehouse and Toyworld-exclusive in New Zealand.

Merchandise

Transformers Trading Card Game

No one bad is ever truly bad. And no one good is ever truly good.

• Arcana (2020)
  • Wave 5P: Titan Masters Attack
  • Rarity: R
  • Card Number: P01/2020
  • Stars: 4

Unlike most other depictions of the character, this version of Arcana is a Decepticon. It is currently unknown whether this is a mistake or a deliberate reimagining of the character.

• Autobot Teslor (2020)
  • Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
  • Rarity: R
  • Card Number: T06/T46
  • Stars: 2

These card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.

Notes

• Vector Prime specifically mentioned the Arcana of the Aurex Cluster as being a manifestation of the same individual as the Primax version, though he expressed some confusion over his skin color.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Arcana (アルカナ Arukana)
• Italian: Arcan

References