Titan Masters are a diminutive breed of Transformer. Long ago, this ancient and mysterious group of Transformers worked within the gigantic bodies of the Titans, maintaining their complicated systems as the Titans journeyed across the galaxy. The Titan Masters were created as gifts, intended to be shared with other civilizations that the Titans might meet in their journeys. Each Titan Master possesses a unique Spark that allows them to transfer their innate powers into the bodies of other Cybertronians by forming their head, not unlike the Headmasters.
With the resurgence of the Titans themselves, the Titan Masters, long forgotten by Cybertronian civilization at large, have re-emerged from the realm of myth and legend and joined the modern era of the Autobots and Decepticons... representing a Pandora's grab-bag of superpowers sure to unleash earth-shaking results.
Fiction
Titans Return marketing material
When the universe was still forming, before Autobots or Decepticons existed, the giant spaceship robots known as Titans were created and sent out to discover the powers and mysteries of the universe. Each Titan was crewed by Titan Masters, tiny robot caretakers charged with up-keeping their systems. The Titan Masters also had a greater purpose: Each had a unique superpower they could grant to other Transformers, a gift intended to forge links with other civilizations they might discover. The Titans and their crews were eventually forgotten by all but a few power-hungry and entirely unsuccessful legend hunters. Until the Titans mysteriously returned, and the Titan Masters partnered up with Autobots and Decepticons alike. Galvatron vowed that the Decepticons would use the Titan Masters to rule the universe!
This new conflict quickly spread across the Transformer's universe. On Velocitron the Speed Planet's biggest race of the year was interrupted in the final lap. Blurr, a previous champion of all Velocitron's major races, had teamed up with Titan Master Hyperfire at his wheel. They vied with Wheelie for the lead when the Decepticon tracker Scourge and an allied Titan Master Crashbash attacked, trying to capture their assigned target: Hyperfire. Luckily Powermaster Optimus Prime, Sentinel Prime and Hardhead were on hand to try and stop them.
Meanwhile, searching for info on the mysterious return of the Titans and their crews, Alpha Trion followed a trail of clues to the "Beast Planet" Eukaris. Amid jungle covered buildings Alpha Trion and the Titan Master Clobber located a mysterious ancient artifact that was linked to the Titans and Titan Masters. Mindwipe led Astrotrain, Wolfwire, and the Titan Master Apeface in an ambush to steal the artifact.
On Caminus, the Decepticon Skullsmasher aided by Titan Masters Grax and Terri-bull infiltrated the planet and stole the codes to the intergalactic Space Bridge network for the Decepticons. An Autobot spy team lead by Blaster detected the theft. Blaster, Stripes, Rewind and the Titan Master Nightbeat chased down the thieves and battled for the codes in Caminus' streets.
Later, back on Cybertron, Soundwave led an all out assault. Scourge, Astrotrain, Skullsmasher, Laserbeak, Rumble, and Ravage, among others, pressed the attack while Powermaster Prime, Chromedome, Highbrow, Wheelie, Blaster and Hardhead were among the defenders. The battle was interrupted when what first seemed like an earthquake attack by Rumble was actually the landscape itself transforming into the Legendary Titan: Fortress Maximus, so large he uses two levels of Titan Master. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters
Later, back on Velocitron a new race was held. The prize? The power to temporarily control the speed of anything, even time itself. The Autobots sent a team lead by Laser Prime. At his command - Rodimus Prime, Nautica (a Quantum Engineer to supercharge their engines), Fastclash (a decoy and escape artist, to confuse pursuit and leave it in a wreck) and Quickswitch (a mercurial assault warrior). Rodimus Prime finished the race first and claimed the prize for the Autobots, but there was a catch! To gain the power he was transformed into a Titan Master himself, able to grant it to another. The Autobots faced a firefight to evade the Cons and leave the planet. Laser Prime saved the day, using his Laserpoint System to open a portal away from the world of speed.[1]
In the depths of space, the monster Titan Trypticon and his Titan Master Necro traveled in starship mode between worlds, landing as a dark fortress or a terrible giant beast, bringing doom and ultimate destruction wherever they passed. Trypticon ever hungered for Titan Masters to devour the way another robot would Energon cubes, and the macabre Necro longs to harvest and devour the sparks of all Transformers who cross his dark path.
Titans Return Trypticon on-package blurb
2005 IDW continuity
The Titan Masters were an ancient race, dating back to the time of the Thirteen Tribes. White Heat Their diminutive stature belied their frighteningly alien physiology; not only could they puppeteer the decapitated bodies of any larger Transformer, but they had the ability to consume the Sparks of their victims as an alternative source of energy. Ten to Midnight Their power lay in the ability to summon and control the Titans of ancient Cybertron, who were instinctually drawn to follow their commands. Ghost in the Machine Some possessed the ability to fly under their own power, Enter the Shadow and, unlike other Cybertronians, they could selectively shut down parts of their body to cope with discomfort. Power and Glory
At least two Titan Masters survived until the present day. Infinitus, who had served his master Nexus Prime during the First Cybertronian Civil War, took on a new identity after the death of his Prime and became Sentinel Prime, "dying" during his first battle with Megatron. White Heat Following the creation of Autobot City on Earth, Infinitus was roused from his slumber and vowed to "purify" Cybertron from Decepticons and colonists. The Last Autobot
Sovereign, the herald of Onyx Prime, was dispatched to Earth to find the lost Enigma of Combination. Disguised as a human, he eventually took on the alias Garrison Blackrock. White Light He remained unaware of his true heritage until Sentinel Prime travelled to Earth and forcibly re-awoke Sovereign from his human disguise. Although Sentinel Prime planned to use an army of undead Titans to cleanse his homeworld, he and Sovereign were defeated by Fortress Maximus, Prowl, Cerebros, Red Alert, and Beak. Sovereign was reverted to his Blackrock persona and Sentinel was killed. Ten to Midnight "Blackrock" would go on to use his Titan Master powers extensively during the search for the Talisman and Garrison Kreiger. Crisis Intervention After receiving encouragement from the spectre of Mike Power, Blackrock used his abilities to summon Metrotitan and transmit a curative pulse, amplified by the Titan's personal Space Bridge, returning the Dire Wraith mutates to human form. Ghost in the Machine
During the final battle against Unicron, Blackrock and Centurion Titan Mastered Metroplex and Trypticon, respectively, into battle. Ceremony
Beast Wars: Uprising
In the ten thousand years following the Grand Uprising, the specialized subclasses of Cyberdroids and Nebulons (Headmasters, Targetmasters, Powermasters) were misremembered as the "Titanmasters". Resistance Supreme Commander Lio Convoy was thought to have been Titanmaster partners with the individual called Moon or Mecha Usagi, though this was unconfirmed. The Inexorable March
Games
Transformers Roleplaying Game
The Headmaster process was sometimes known as the "Titanmaster" process. The Enigma of Combination
Toys
Titans Return
- Exclusives
| Titan Force (2016)
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Fortress Maximus Convention Edition (2016)
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Primitive Skateboarding (2017)
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 Primitive Skateboarding Shreddicus Maximus |
Tribute
The Last Knight
Although
Decepticon Nitro lacks a Titan Master of his own, the non-transformable head can be removed and replaced with one, which can also ride in his jet mode's cockpit.
Bumblebee
Studio Series
Although
Thundercracker and
KSI Boss lack Titan Masters of their own, the non-transformable heads can be removed and replaced with one, which can also ride in their jet mode's cockpit.
War for Cybertron: Siege
War for Cybertron: Earthrise
| Voyager (2020)
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Titan (2020)
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While Decepticon Krunk is explicitly stated as a Headmaster instead, it is registered on this page for convenience.
Retro Headmasters
| Wave 1 (2020)
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Wave 2 (2021)
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While these are explicitly stated as Headmasters instead, it is registered on this page for convenience.
Buzzworthy Bumblebee
| War for Cybertron Trilogy
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Generations Selects
Legacy
| Wreck 'n Rule Collection (2022)
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 Diaclone Universe Twin Twist |
Multi-Pack (2024)
- G1 Universe Squeezeplay (w/ G1 Universe Lokos)
Notes
- In a nod to the conceptual origins of the Titan Masters, the blueprint-style design on the inside of Titans Return packaging features an image of Nebulos, with lines branching out to images of Titan Masters.
- While there are standardised elements to ensure line-wide compatibility, the exact design of both Titan Master heads and sockets varies from figure to figure. As a result, some combinations will result in a vice-like grip, and others in a loose, wobbly connection, even when using the Titan Master originally packaged with the figure. Looser connections can often be improved by rotating the Titan Master's head 180 degrees – this causes the tabs inside the socket to press directly onto the sides of the head (rather than sitting into the notches designed for them), creating a tighter grip.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Titan Master (タイタンマスター Taitan Masutā)
- French: Maître Titan
- Portuguese: Mestre Titã
- Spanish: Maestro Titán
See also
References
- ↑ Titans Return Chaos on Velocitron pack-in poster bios and story blurb
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