Cambot! GPC! Tom Servo! Croooooow!

The Targetmasters are a subset of Transformers binary-bonded to smaller partners, who transform into their weapons. The partner is often an organic life form that has been bio-engineered to be partly mechanical, or wears a suit of armor that transforms around them to become the weapon.

The Targetmasters benefit from being able to take two minds into battle. A Targetmaster possesses a living weapon that is capable of making its own tactical decisions and target priorities. The advantage is similar to that of having a dedicated gunner aboard an aircraft or tank.

The Targetmaster process is often seen to follow shortly after development of the Headmaster process. The earliest known Targetmasters were among the Autobots and Decepticons involved in the war on Nebulos, and were paired with a bio-engineered Nebulan humanoid which wore a transforming exosuit. Later Targetmasters included virtually any Transformer specifically partnered with another being that becomes their weapon, not limited to Nebulans or organics. The term has been applied to the Seacon team^[1] and several Action Master pairings.^[2]

Some Transformers, known as Double-Targetmasters, are bonded with two smaller partners who can form individual weapons or combine with one another to form a 'double weapon', with the power of whichever weapon forms the 'barrel' boosted by the other.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Mouseketeer Roll Call! Cubby! Bobby! Gregor! Jimmy! Darlene! Annette!

The first Targetmasters were a group of six Autobots under the command of Fortress Maximus. Having traveled to the planet Nebulos in search of peace, this group surrendered their weapons to the natives to prove their peaceful intentions. Ring of Hate!

Nebulon minds were duplicated and installed into transformable Nebulon-sized robots, creating the Targetmasters. The Final Conflict

Some time later, Lord Zarak and his Decepticon Headmaster partner Scorponok had discredited the Autobots, turned public opinion against them, and driven them into retreat. A group of six Nebulan dissidents undertook a great risk to join the Autobots, allowing themselves to be bio-engineered into replacement weapons for the six unarmed Autobots. Fugitives from the government, the Autobot Targetmasters adopted the code names Haywire, Peacemaker, Pinpointer, Recoil, Sparks, and Spoilsport.

The Autobot Targetmasters' first trial by combat came at the Nursery, a horticultural research facility that was under threat by Zarak's Decepticons. The newly minted Targetmasters engaged Scorponok and the Terrorcons in a battle for the Nursery, but retreated as the facility was being destroyed by the battle, regardless of who was winning.

Vorath was soon able to duplicate the Autobots' experiment, creating a group of five Decepticon Targetmasters: Blowpipe, Caliburst, Fracas, Aimless, and Nightstick, though they weren't quite a match for the Autobot Headmasters. All of the Targetmasters left Nebulos soon after, as the Autobots retreated to spare Nebulos further warfare, and the Decepticons pursued. Brothers in Armor!!

At some point before leaving Nebulos, the Decepticons captured Sureshot, Crosshairs, and Pointblank and took them back to their Fortress of Despair, apparently because they couldn't perfect the Targetmaster process. After a brief skirmish with the Autobot Headmasters, they retreated and let the Autobots follow them...directly into a trap! It was not creating Targetmasters that Scorponok was struggling with, but Headmasters. Although Hardhead was able to release the Autobot Targetmasters, and with their partners Peacemaker, Pinpointer, and Spoilsport they pretty much won the battle, Scorponok was able to escape with a captive Highbrow to study. Worlds Apart!

After arriving on Earth, the Autobot Targetmasters subsequently went on a mission to rescue the human Buster Witwicky from the Decepticons. They were repulsed from the Decepticons' island base by a phalanx of hidden weapons. The Desert Island of Space!

Having left Scorponok's forces, Cyclonus and Scourge attempted to force their former leader Galvatron to hand over his time-jump trigger device, backed up by their Targetmaster partners. When the meeting was interrupted by the Wreckers and battle ensued, Springer attempted to relieve Cyclonus of Nightstick but was taken aback when the gun transformed and ran away from him. Wrecking Havoc

Nightstick would not prove to be nearly so fortunate when Cyclonus and Scourge attempted to forge an alliance with the current Decepticon leader Shockwave. When negotiations went badly, Shockwave sent a clone of Megatron to kill Cyclonus and crush his gun. Dry Run!

Misfire, along with Triggerhappy and Slugslinger, led an attack on an Autobot shuttle to retrieve Scorponok's head from Highbrow, but once he had been reassembled they were spirited away to Limbo to make way for Soundwave and the Terrorcons from the future. Meanwhile, Scourge and Fracas were fighting alongside Galvatron and the Megatron clone against the Wreckers and Mayhems. Ultimately the present-day Targetmasters reappeared when Soundwave returned his troops to their own time, but Cyclonus and Scourge vanished into the time rift. Time Wars

Additional Targetmasters may or may not have been created as the war went on. Quickmix and Needlenose were both seen using weapons resembling their Targetmaster partners, but their individual circumstances do not seem to easily allow for them to have been on Nebulos to acquire Targetmaster partners. Yesterday's Heroes!

Recoil was among the weapons surrendered by the Autobots to the Decepticons as part of preparation for an alliance against Unicron. Surrender!

Marvel UK future timelines

Hot Rod is no longer a Targetmaster as he mourns Firebolt's death.

In the year 2007, Autobot leader Hot Rod reminisced about the war; on Nebulos where he first teamed up with his Targetmaster partner Firebolt and later, on Earth, when Firebolt died under unspecified circumstances. Headhunt

Earthforce

Prowl noted the double-paired Targetmasters known as Double-Targetmasters among his list of complaints about how complicated things had gotten in his absence. Starting Over!

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Here's me, and here's my gun!

The creation of Targetmasters and Headmasters, in this continuity, started with an initial idea of Brainstorm's that Autobots should use human partners while driving to help with steering and speed, this idea was confirmed when a race between Hot Rod and Blurr was won not by Blurr's speed, but by Daniel Witwicky's help in driving Hot Rod. Hardhead, however, was very sceptical about this idea.

After a large scale Decepticon attack, several Autobots, Spike, and Daniel crash-landed on Nebulos; where the Autobots were taken captive by the inhabitants. After a Decepticon attack in which Daniel Witwicky was injured and put on life support, several Autobots were kidnapped by Decepticons.

The Nebulan warriors explained their situation with the Hive to the Autobots, and why they didn't trust them at first, and came to an agreement. Using Brainstorm's idea, they would use their and Daniel's minds with the Autobots' bodies to be powerful enough to defeat the Hive and save the others. Thus were born the Headmasters. The Rebirth, Part 1

Once the Headmasters got to know their partners, they set off to rescue the five captured captured Autobots. After some torture, Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Crosshairs, and Pointblank were all saved by the Headmasters.

After witnessing the power of secondary operators, the Decepticons and other Autobots saw the logic in having some of their own.

The defeated Decepticons were captured by the hive and taken to their underground base of operations. Lord Zarak, the leader of the hive gave the Decepticons an opportunity to become powerful like the Autobot Headmasters at the literal cost of their heads. Cyclonus and Scourge agreed to let the Nebulans make Headmasters only out of the Decepticons there with beast modes, they however would only let the organic beings into their weapons. So Skullcruncher, Apeface, Snapdragon, Weirdwolf, and Mindwipe were turned into Headmasters, Triggerhappy, Misfire, Slugslinger, Scourge, and Cyclonus had their weapons modified so that hive members could fit into and transform into them.

*ptew ptew*

Cerebros, meanwhile had found a city and told the news to the other Autobots, damaging himself in the process. The Nebulans fixed him and believed the city he talked about to be the hive's old base from before they moved underground. The Decepticons, now with their Nebulan partners, attacked the Autobots again. Brainstorm was mad that the Decepticons stole his idea, the Head and Targetmasters and the Decepticons overwhelmed the Autobots and stole the key to the plasma energy chamber from them before the hive convinced the Decepticons to go back to Zarak to await orders.

Brainstorm, to even the odds, showed his fellow Autobots scans of Nightstick, showing how the Decepticons modified their guns and used the Nebulan tech to modify the non-Headmaster Autobot's guns and have Nebulan partners inside them. Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Crosshairs, Pointblank, and Sureshot's guns were modified and became the Autobot Targetmasters.

Optimus Prime then showed up on Nebulos and was introduced to the Autobot's Headmaster and Targetmaster partners. He was also informed that the Decepticons also had access to the same technology and the key to the plasma energy chamber. The Autobots went to the Decepticons to fight but they and their Nebulan partners had nearly completed their project. The Decepticons engaged the Autobots in combat but were surprised to see that the Autobots now had Targetmaster partners too.

The Autobots, however, were much more surprised to see that Zarak had created something big using the same Headmaster technology both factions had: Scorponok. The Rebirth, Part 2 The Rebirth, Part 3

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

FIRE IN THE HOLE!

Targetmaster partners hailed from the planet Master, but unlike the Headmasters, they were partnered with a regular Transformer as opposed to a Transtector. This fusion came about in a blast which bonded a group of refugees from Master to the a group of Autobot soldiers, as well as a group of Decepticon marauders, who were terrorizing the refugees in the first place. Targetmasters took the place of their larger partner's entire hand instead of being held by it.

The Targetmasters spoke in a series of electronic beeps that only their bonded partner could understand, instead of speaking normally like their Headmaster brethren.

You left a piece out! This article is a stub and is missing information. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. What's needed: The Headmasters from Ep 37 onwards, Legends "Targetmaster Chapter" (issues 45 through 53) more probably.

TV Magazine comic continuity

You left a piece out! This article is a stub and is missing information. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. What's needed: The Headmasters issue 7, Headmasters story pages.

Wings Universe

Tornado was a Targetmaster, usually wielded by his Squadron X leader Macabre and later Ferak. Torando - Decepticon Saboteur, 2014/06/10

Following the Great Transformation, Flareup found herself stationed at New Polyhex, where she became a star pupil while training under the ancient and enigmatic Target Masters before being recruited into the Cybertronian Knights. BotCon 2014 Knight Flareup profile card

3H comics

Chro was a Targetmaster. Cryotek BotCon bio

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

The Targetmaster process was developed eons ago on Cybertron, as a process to forge a warrior and his weapon into a cohesive fighting team. The two are linked on a mental and physical level, allowing them to draw energy from each other and multitask with extreme efficiency. Targetmaster weapons cannot be wielded by another being without their consent unless they are somehow incapacitated in their weapon configuration. Severe injury or death of one partner can have a profound physical and emotional impact on the other.

The Targetmaster process was further expanded upon on the planet Nebulon. This would allow organic humanoids, not just mechanoids, to function as weapons when adorned with removable armor. The strength and endurance of these modified beings were greatly enhanced, though their appearance does not change. More than Meets the Eye #8

Action Master partners that transformed into firearms were Targetmasters. More than Meets the Eye

Those Targetmasters included:

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

Stampy and Break were Targetmasters due to their handheld weapon modes. Beast Wars Sourcebook

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

In this reverse universe, the Targetmasters take a much more active role in battle: they can take all motor control over the limb of whoever is holding them. The small partners are Micromasters with three modes: robot, vehicle, and weapon.

Ricochet devised a plan to keep the Decepticons stranded on Cybertron while the Autobots fled to Earth. To execute this plan, he, Scoop, and Crosshairs took Targetmaster partners. Nightstick was easily able to take down Megatron, but the Decepticon Micromasters were able to thwart the entire group of Targetmasters, allowing Megatron to free himself. Do Over

The Targetmasters in this universe included:

TransTech

After a bad experience with "colonists" from the Aurex Cluster, Nebulos made their atmosphere poisonous to Cybertronian life. In order to safely go undercover on this world, Vector Prime was binary bonded with Safeguard, a friendly native. In addition to processing Vector Prime's fuel, he could also become a handheld weapon, making him a Target/Powermaster. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/11/01

Beast Wars: Uprising

Targetmaster technology was first created in the 21st century, by the Nebulans Teslor and Arcana, as an enhancement to the already-existing Headmaster technology. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue The process involved the subjects mingling their sparks, granting both a dramatic boost in power, such as being able to shoot down ships from orbit. Trigger Warnings The technology gave the Autobots a temporary advantage in the war for Nebulos, until Fracas and Nightstick defected to the Decepticons, taking the Targetmaster process with them.

When the war spread to the planet Rebirth, the Malignus scientist Nucleon adapted the process to work with Cyberdroid physiology. Along with the Powermaster and Headmaster technology, it was used to create the Triple-Threat Master technology as well. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue

Towards the end of the war, the mad Decepticon Thunderwing found out the Targetmasters' ability to draw power from their wielder's Sparks could be amplified, and took the ability to its conclusion: being able to draw the life out of a Cybertronian just being near them. Terrified by this discovery, the Autobots and Decepticons arranged for the Targetmasters, organic and Cybertronian alike, to be granted exile when the war ended. However, this was a ruse, and both sides arranged for the mass murder of all Targetmasters to prevent their powers being used ever again. The systematic eradication was later dubbed the "Targetmaster Extirpation". However, a few Targetmasters did survive, and went into hiding on a Cybertron now utterly hostile to their kind.

In the 24th century, one of the last Targetmasters, Twirl, was killed by Overrun when she considered outing herself. This sequence of events led to Overrun himself dying to prevent anyone else getting their hands on him. Trigger Warnings

Games

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Targetmaster technology was first invented by the Decepticons during the war for Nebulos. These powerful binary-bonded weapons possessed the ability to draw extra power directly from the sparks of their wielders and dramatically increase their firepower. They would go on to become the most common form of Bonded Master, and the technology has found applications among all kinds of Transformers, including larger combiners. The Enigma of Combination

Toys

The Transformers

• Targetmasters (1987)

Autobot Targetmasters Blurr with Haywire Crosshairs with Pinpointer Hot Rod with Firebolt		Kup with Recoil Pointblank with Peacemaker Sureshot with Spoilsport		Crosshairs
The Autobot Targetmasters were sold boxed with their Targetmaster partners, and consisted of three all-new molds alongside slightly retooled versions of Hot Rod, Kup, and Blurr from the previous year's assortment. The three older molds featured enlarged fist holes, allowing them to hold their new weapons. Both old and new molds transform into futuristic/Cybertronian ground vehicles. All six can mount their Targetmaster weapon on their roof or hood while in vehicle mode.

Decepticon Targetmasters Cyclonus with Nightstick Misfire with Aimless Scourge with Fracas		Slugslinger with Caliburst Triggerhappy with Blowpipe		Misfire
Similar to their Autobot counterparts, the Decepticon Targetmasters feature three new jet molds alongside retooled versions of Cyclonus and Scourge with enlarged fist holes. All five transform into futuristic/Cybertronian aircraft. Their weapons can be mounted on top of them in jet form. The three newer molds were also sold in 1988.

Japanese-original Targetmasters Stepper (Ricochet) with Nebulon (Nightstick) Artfire with Nightstick		Stepper
Artfire and Ricochet are redecos and retoolings of the original toys for Inferno and Jazz, respectively. They each come with the Targetmaster partner molds that were used as Fracas and Nightstick in the US.

• Targetmasters (1988)

Autobot Targetmasters Landfill with Flintlock and Silencer Quickmix with Boomer and Ricochet Scoop with Holepunch and Tracer		Landfill, now with Nebulan-on-Nebulan action!
Often referred to as the "small Targetmasters" to distinguish them from the larger 1987 releases, these toys were sold carded. Each toy includes two smaller Targetmaster partners, each of which can form a gun or combine as a larger gun. The two guns can also mount on the robot's vehicle form. The three Autobots share a construction vehicle theme. These toys were never released in Japan.

Decepticon Targetmasters Needlenose with Sunbeam and Zigzag Quake with Tiptop and Heater Spinister with Hairsplitter and Singe		Quake
The Decepticon "small Targetmasters" were sold carded with two Targetmaster partners each. Like the 1988 Autobots, these partners can form independent or combined weapons, and mount on their partner Transformers' vehicle forms or be wielded by them in robot mode. The three Transformers all turn into military vehicles. These toys were never released in Japan.

Seacons Nautilator Overbite Seawing Skalor Tentakil		Nautilator
The Seacons, marketed as "Targetmaster Seacons",[3] are a Scramble City-style combiner team, with a large leader toy who forms the torso of a larger robot, with four smaller toys plugging in to form the limbs. The team was given an additional fifth small toy, however. All five small toys have a "weapon" mode—essentially their creature mode with a gun barrel attached—allowing any of them to be used by the combined robot as a Targetmaster weapon. Each small toy could also form a free-standing gun by attaching to a small stand included with the toy.

Universe (2008)

Cyclonus with Nightstick "Challenge At Cybertron" three-pack (Galvatron, Cyclonus w/ Nightstick, Rodimus)		Cyclonus
A re-imagining of their original designs, giving Nightstick unprecedented (for the time) articulation for a Targetmaster. In various of Hasbro's Asian markets, a three-pack named "Challenge at Cybertron" was also released that features redecos of Classics Rodimus as well as Universe Galvatron and Cyclonus, with the latter again coming with a redecoed Nightstick.

Gentei! Gentei!

United

Stepper (w/ Nebulon) Artfire (w/ Nightstick and Sparks)

Artfire

Targetmaster Microns Fracas (2010) Haywire (2010) Recoil (2011) Spoilsport (2011) Caliburst (2011)	Recoil
The Power Core Combiners Mini-Con molds were released as "Targetmaster Microns" as campaign items in the Japanese toyline Transformers United.[4] Stepper and Artfire came with a redeco of Universe Nightstick as their respective partners, but Artfire also came with "Sparks", effectively another Nightstick but in the style of the other Power Core Combiners redecoes inspired by the United manga.

Transformers (campaign item)

Main article: Arms Micron

Arms Microns Aimless (2011) Autobot Peaceman (2011) Blowpipe (2011) Autobot Firebolt Clear Yellow Ver. (2012) Autobot Firebolt (2012) Vector Oracle (2012) Autobot Pinpointer (2012)	Aimless
The Takara redecoes of the Power Core Combiner Mini-Con molds continued in exactly the same vein, just dropping the United branding, rounding out the full set of the original Targetmaster partner characters. Though technically sold as Arms Microns, the relevant releases are listed here for convenience.

Transformers (2010)

"Battle in Space" (G1 Rodimus and Cyclonus with Nightstick) Masterpiece Rodimus Prime (with Offshoot)		Offshoot
The North American release of Masterpiece Rodimus Prime came with a "Limited Edition" Targetmaster partner named Offshoot. Additionally, a two-pack named "Battle in Space" was released that features redecos of Universe Rodimus and Cyclonus very similar to the Asian-exclusive "Challenge at Cybertron" three-pack, with Cyclonus once again including a redecoed version of Nightstick.

Masterpiece

Artfire (w/ Nightstick) Targetmaster Hot Rodimus (w/ Firebolt)

Artfire

Following the creation of a new-mold Nightstick to accompany Artfire, the "Offshoot" mold released exclusively with Hasbro's release of Rodimus Prime was redecoed to accompany a version of the later Masterpiece Hot Rod toy.

Generations

Autobot Scoop (w/ Holepunch & Caliburst)

Scoop

Combiner Wars

Redecos of Generations Scoop's Targetmaster partners. Shrute and Zputty are redecos of Holepunch while Singe and Sunbeam are redecos of Caliburst.

Adventure

A redeco of Generations Scoop that comes with a redeco of Caliburst (but not Holepunch), literally named "Targetmaster".

Legends

Targetmaster Hot Rodimus (w/ Firebolt) Targetmaster Cher (w/ Recoil) Targetmaster Triggerhappy (w/ Blowpipe) Targetmaster Doublecross (w/ Haywire) Targetmaster Misfire (w/ Aimless)		Targetmaster Slugslinger (w/ Caliburst) Targetmaster Windblade (w/ Pointech) Targetmaster Topspin (w/ Peaceman) Targetmaster Twin Twist (w/ Spoil)	Hot Rodimus
Nine figures came with newly molded Targetmaster accessories exclusive for the toyline, updating all of the first wave of Targetmaster characters except Fracas and Nightstick.

War for Cybertron: Siege

Blowpipe

Main article: Battle Master

The small Battle Master 'bots introduced within the Siege toyline are a clear progression of the Targetmaster gimmick; consisting of either modernisations of classic Targetmasters or original figures converting into melee weapons or shields. Unfortunately, only two base molds were used to create the majority of Targetmaster updates (Firedrive and Blowpipe/Aimless, based specifically on their above Legends figures), making most of the gun-themed Battle Masters rather homogenous-looking.

Legacy

Legacy Targetmasters more faithfully replicate their original Generation 1 designs than the previous Battle Masters, but also the Generation 1 toys' lack of articulation, owed to sharing the Deluxe price point with their larger partners.

Autobot Pointblank (w/ Peacemaker) Needlenose (w/ Sunbeam & Zigzag) Windsweeper (w/ Ozone & Cleansweep) Quake (w/ Tiptop & Heater)

Pointblank

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Targetmaster (ターゲットマスター Tāgettomasutā)
• Hungarian: Célmester ("Targetmaster")
• Russian: Vlastooruzhets (Властооружец, "Powergunner")

References

See also

• Arms Micron
• Battle Master