Pretender

We don't know exactly how this works, and the artist probably didn't either, but it sure does look cool!

Disguise has always been a key component of Transformer operations on other worlds. Pretenders attempt to take this concept to the next level. Pretenders are Transformers fitted with special external armor shells that can disguise their very nature as robots. Rather than hiding themselves as the machinery or vehicles of a world, Pretender Shells^[1] allow a robot to take on the appearance of a native life form itself.

On top of its exploration and infiltration uses, a shell can also function as powerful battle armor, aid in self-repair, and even function independently of its robot as a second combatant mentally controlled by its "wearer". The major drawback of the technology is that the core robot will feel whatever pain is inflicted on the shell, sometimes even more strongly than pain inflicted on the robot itself.

The most common style of Pretender is an inner robot with a single humanoid shell (usually resembling a monster for Decepticons or a human in battle armor for Autobots).

Fiction

Generation 1 continuity family

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comic

What a pervert.

Because no one would think to fire on a horde of 25 foot tall nightmarish creatures charging at them with weapons.

The Sentinel reported a genetic research lab had been taken over by "machines". The photo in the article revealed the machines to be Scorponok and Mindwipe. Inside the lab, Lord Zarak oversaw Vorath's preparation of the synthoplasmic chambers. Lord Zarak recombined with Scorponok to finalize the process, while boasting of his genius. Inside the six chambers, flesh and metal mixed around six Decepticons. Their resulting synthoplasmic outer shells would then hide their identity as Decepticons from the Autobots until it was too late.

During the process, Vorath detected an intruder in their computer system and initiated a debugging sequence, but was unable to stop the intruder from downloading the data they would need to replicate the Pretender process. The intruder was Optimus Prime, who was at the time reduced to a computerized personality. The information was transmitted to Fortress Maximus's crew on board the Steelhaven. There, they replicated the process and created six Pretenders of their own.

Sproing!

The Decepticon Pretenders were led into a trap by Optimus Prime at Alternate Reality, Inc. They were fooled into thinking the six Autobots guarding the facility were just oversized, but cowardly humans. Cloudburst expressed doubts that the strange looking creatures were actually Decepticons until Landmine reminded him they were also Pretenders just like they were. The Autobots faked a retreat only to split from their shells and thereby doubling their attack force. The Decepticons did the same, but were defeated thanks to Optimus Prime's strategy. Pretender to the Throne!

When the star wants a "tall latte", he means TALL.

Pretender technology allowed Skullgrin to become first a rural legend, then a movie star. Sent to Earth to establish a fuel depot while hidden in his outer shell, he attracted the attention of a B-movie producer, who wrote him into the script of his latest feature. The giant devil-goat monster became a nationwide phenomenon. When Skullgrin revealed his true robotic nature to one of his human co-stars, however, he drew the ire of Circuit Breaker, an encounter which may have ended his movie career. Monstercon from Mars!

During the Underbase Saga, the quasi-flesh nature of the Pretenders' outer shells saved them from the energy blasts of the Underbase-possessed Starscream, even as innumerable Autobots and Decepticons were being destroyed around them. Dark Star

Pretender shells were considered a sufficiently valuable resource that Scorponok was able to offer the technology to Carnivac and Snarler as payment for an assassination job. Survivors! The job didn't go so well; even two shell-equipped Decepticons weren't enough to defeat Fortress Maximus. The Man in the Machine!

"No, no, my shell isn't that well-equipped!"

The Autobots Landmine and Cloudburst were able to make good use of their Pretender shells while on a mission to acquire spare parts for their fallen comrades. Traveling to a space station where giant humans were common but robots were unwelcome, they were able to bargain for microchips without tipping off their robotic natures. Later, when faced with seeing fellow Autobot Sky Lynx devoured by the Mecannibals, Landmine's robot form was able to attack, free Sky Lynx, and then disappear by hiding inside his own shell. The entire scheme would have gone without a hitch if not for a tip-off from Hi-Test and Throttle, alerting the Mecannibals that the two giant "humans" were in fact robots. Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?

Most Pretender figures had a poor alt mode but this guy does not even have a proper robot mode!

After bargaining their way free from the Mecannibals, Landmine and Cloudburst continued to make use of their shells, negotiating with the inhabitants of the planet Femax, who also just happened to be giant humans. Cloudburst almost got to experience a little giant human nookie, before revealing to the Femaxians' First One that he was a robot, and therefore not a particularly desirable mate. Recipe for Disaster!

Pretender technology showed another face when Megatron returned to power. New shells he had developed would repair and restore even the most severely damaged robots. The Resurrection Gambit! Ratchet was compelled to resurrect Starscream with this technology, but also managed to bring back Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee; all four now had their own Pretender shells. These new shells not only enabled disguise, but also served as great power-boosting enhancements for their wearers and allowed them to fight in two places at once. All the Familiar Faces!

An adorable minion of evil.

Thunderwing had his mechanical Pretender shell eons ago on Cybertron, indicating that some form of the technology predated Scorponok's use of it. The Magnificent Six! Thunderwing mostly remained inside his shell, only emerging on rare occasions. The Big Shutdown!

Carnivac, meanwhile, used his shell in his initial solo assault on the Mayhem Attack Squad. When he was caught off guard, outnumbered and nearly surrounded, he sent the shell on a suicide run, allowing it to be destroyed. Wolf in the Fold! Though the feedback nearly killed him, the ruse worked, and his pursuers believed him to be dead, allowing him to regain the element of surprise. Where Wolf?

When Optimus Prime surrendered to Scorponok on Earth, the Decepticons confiscated the Autobot Pretenders' shells. Surrender! Later, on Cybertron, they had them again during a fight against Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction!

In an alternate future where Galvatron had triumphed, Pretender technology was still in use by his troops, the Pretender Monsters. These Pretenders could apparently somehow phase through their shells, without the shells having to split open like most others. Rhythms of Darkness!

Classics

With the Graviton crash-landed on an alternate universe prehistoric Earth saturated with energon radiation, Prowl came up with the solution of using Pretender and Powermaster technology to create beast modes capable of withstanding the ambient energon radiation. Shattered Time

Japanese cartoon continuity

Super-God Masterforce cartoon

If you can find them, maybe you can hire...

Eight thousand years ago, a starship containing the Autobot Pretenders Metalhawk, Lander, Diver, and Phoenix pursued the Decepticon Pretenders Blood, Dauros, and Gilmer to neolithic-era Earth, where they crashed. Using their Pretender abilities, the Autobots adopted the form of humans. They transformed the very structure of their bodies into an organic equivalent, shrinking down to normal human size to hide in plain sight among burgeoning Humanity.

A Pretender could transform from a human in two stages. Touching his left wrist and yelling "suit on!" would cause him to don his Pretender suit. From this state, he could touch his left wrist and yell "Pretender!" to size-change and revert to his robot mode.

The Decepticon Pretenders, on the other hand, adopted the forms of monstrous creatures, becoming feared as demons by early Man. After many battles, the Autobots succeeded in defeating their enemies and sealing them away—Blood in the pyramids of Egypt, Gilmer in the ruins of Atlantis, and Dauros beneath the Nazca Lines in Peru—for thousands of years.

The Autobot Pretenders continued to live among humanity. By the early twenty-first century, Hawk was working at the Space Astronomy Research Center in Japan, while Diver was running the Ocean Research Institute of California. When the three Decepticon Pretenders were liberated by the mysterious Decepticon "god", Devil Z, the four Autobots were drawn out of hiding to fight them. Rise Up!! Pretenders

The Decepticons began a plan to convert humans into zombie-like Destroids. The Autobots sought to foil their plan, leading them to the Karin Islands. Meanwhile, Blood destroyed the Astronomy Research Center and killed Professor Gō. The Autobots subsequently took residence in a new Autobot Base. Hawk would act as base coordinator until its later destruction. Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt The Decepticons began hijacking planes to provide bodies for their Destron experiments. The Autobot Pretenders fought the new creations in Rome, before Hawk and Phoenix fought to protect another plane against Blood. Kidnapping!? The Targeted Jumbo Jet

The three young humans whom the Autobots had befriended were given Headmaster transtectors by Hawk. He intended them to be used only for search and rescue, and later had to come to the Headmaster Juniors' aid when they were faced with three Decepticon Headmaster Juniors. Birth! Headmaster Jrs Hawk later sent them to Diver in California for training. Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules When the Decepticon Pretenders started interfering with wildlife in Kenya, the Autobots went to stop them. The Autobot Pretenders were kept busy fighting Seacons. Panic! Protect the Wild Animals!!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Unexpectedly, the Decepticon trio found themselves being supplanted by Buster and Hydra, two Godmasters. The Decepticon Pretenders attacked a hang gliding competition to draw out Hawk and Lander, who were promptly set upon by the Godmasters and almost beaten until Phoenix and Diver arrived to help. Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers The Pretenders were involved in another Decepticon plan to attack a new power plant in the Karin Islands. Again, the Autobots fought the two Godmaster brothers, and were able to win. A Fierce Battle!! The Autobots Are in Trouble

A short time later, Diver encountered a Godmaster, Ginrai, in California, and helped the young man understand what he'd taken on. A Hero Is Chosen - His Name Is Ginrai Diver and Lander briefed Ginrai on the Decepticons, and came to his aid when he fought the Godmaster brothers. Ginrai: God On of Rage!! Ginrai found some Master-Braces in his Transtector cab, which Hawk unsuccessfully tried to analyse. A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva After Ginrai got hold of a trailer for his Transtector, he showed it to Diver and Lander. The two Pretenders later came to his aid when he was attacked by the Godmaster brothers. Eliminate the Godmaster Ginrai

The Decepticon Pretenders captured a group of humans and held them on an island. When Diver went to investigate, he was captured by Gilmer and Dauros, who bound his arms so he couldn't touch his wrist, effectively trapping him in human form. He was, with the help of a young boy, able to get a signal back to the rest of the Autobots, who came to the rescue. Heroism!! The Birth of Super Ginrai After the discovery of a second Autobot Godmaster, Lightfoot, Hawk and Lander accompanied the two Godmasters and the Headmaster Juniors to Canada, where they found a third Godmaster, Ranger. An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger When Sixknight came to Earth looking to prove himself, the Decepticon Pretenders were happy to show him how to draw the Autobots out. Hawk didn't fare terribly well against Sixknight in battle. A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer

With the arrival of Road King, the Autobot Pretenders opted to turn defence of the Earth over to Ginrai and the Godmasters. The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?! The three Decepticon Pretenders set about enacting a plan dreamed up by the Godmaster brothers, kidnapping doctors from across the planet and holding them on Atlan Island. Once the plan was discovered, the Autobot Godmasters defeated the trio. Save the Little Girl! The Chōjin Warriors, the Godmasters

Another Pretender, Grand Maximus, arrived from space to join the Autobot forces, providing plans for a Godbomber drone unit. Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot The Autobot Pretenders soon began construction on Godbomber at a British Motors factory in Canada. Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!? They raced to complete it as the Decepticons attacked the factory. Will the Bomber Project Be Destroyed!? They immediately turned it over to Ginrai so he could use it to reach a moonbase under attack from Overlord God Ginrai - Into the Sky!! and could only observe from the Autobot Base as he and Grand Maximus duked it out with Overlord and BlackZarak. Lander opted to celebrate the victory with some wine. God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon

It's been a rough day cosplaying at BotCon.

Gilmer took part in the construction of an undersea base, but took a back seat to King Poseidon when it came to doing any fighting. Escape!! The Underwater Volcano Erupts The Decepticon Pretenders searched in North America for the final Godmaster, but all they found was a bear. Meanwhile, a distress call from a ship damaged by the real final Godmaster was picked up by Diver, who relayed the information to Ginrai. Appearance!! The Final Godmaster After the Autobots took in Clouder, Hawk became suspicious of the last Godmaster, and he was proved right when he caught Clouder passing information to the Decepticons. Unfortunately the damage was already done, and the Decepticons launched an attack on the Autobot Base. Secret Orders! Destroy the Autobot Base!! Hawk was subsequently injured while trying to undertake damage control, and the base was destroyed. Disaster! The Autobot Base Explodes

Hawk, Phoenix and Diver fought Overlord over the ocean, but were no match for the Decepticon. BlackZarak - Destroyer from Space The Pretenders continued to scan the globe for Decepticon activity. Grand Maximus joined an assault on the Decepticon's space-borne Death Para-Machine. Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction The Autobot and Decepticon Pretenders clashed in Latin America God Ginrai - Save Cancer!? and again in various places around the world while Ginrai launched an attack on the Decepticon base to rescue Shūta Gō. God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base

While everyone else went to trash the Decepticon base, the Autobot Pretenders were left to monitor the planet for Decepticon activity. The Decepticon Pretenders made a brief attempt to defend the base against Ginrai, which didn't end well for them. The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform As Ginrai and the Autobots closed in on BlackZarak, Lightfoot and Road King fought Gilmer and Dauros, defeating them before being attacked by Hydra and Buster, who inadvertently fragged Blood. Autobots! Desperate Attack!! The three Decepticon Pretenders spotted Road King, Ranger and Lightfoot, and alerted BlackZarak to their location. Hawk fought King Poseidon, defeating the combiner with a lot of help from Ginrai. Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z Following the destruction of Devil Z, the Decepticon Pretenders did not appear to depart Earth with the other Decepticons, and presumably went back into hiding. A Battle... and Then...

Ask Vector Prime

In Primax 304.25-P3 Zeta, Megazarak "redeveloped" pretender technology to allow troops of his to operate on the planet Beast, giving shells to Fenris, Brouhaha, Hoodwink and Killjoy. Fortress Maximus reverse-engineered the technology and gave it to four troops of his own; Marduk, Eos, Beowulf, and Herne. The shells of all eight Cybertronians resembled barely-armoured humans. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/9/30

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Pretender technology was originally developed as a form of additional body armour. Pretender shells could enhance their wearer's physical strength and resistance to damage. More advanced shell designs could shrink down to human size and enable their wearer to blend into Earth society unnoticed.

It is possible that the Pretender technology was later adapted to develop the Maximal and Predacon beast modes.

2005 IDW continuity

It's just not natural, I tell you!

The technology was the invention of the Decepticon Thunderwing and used living tissue painfully culled from live (and quite likely unwilling) subjects to create a powerful and still-living symbiotic carapace. The goal of this technology was to allow Transformers to survive an impending environmental collapse on their home planet, Cybertron. Even Megatron rejected the concept as unnatural and repulsive. The first experiences were not that encouraging. Both cases where the technology was implemented ended in disaster, as the melding of the robot's mind with the shell was improperly aligned or hastily executed. Subject one, Thunderwing, became unfathomably powerful but totally insane and destructive, ultimately rendering Cybertron too hostile for Transformer habitation. Subject two, Bludgeon, tried to rush the process and ended up comatose inside his new shell. Stormbringer

Surprisingly, Jetfire, formerly aghast at the details of what the process entailed, decided that they needed the technology to penetrate the portal at the Benzuli Expanse. Optimus Prime was a little hesitant on the subject, but Jetfire managed to convince the Autobot leader. The Autobots selected for the process were Cloudburst, Landmine, Groundbreaker, and Waverider. Spotlight: Hardhead

Robots wearing space suits?

After a long process, Spotlight: Doubledealer the Technobots finally completed the four shells. Unlike the hideous and pseudo-organic look of Thunderwing and Bludgeon, these shells were simply large, bulky armor suits. Suiting up, Cloudburst's team were able to fight off a raging Cyclonus and took the Nega-Cores through the Expanse into the Dead Universe for disposal. The shells proved effective in combating the deadly energies of the dimension, protecting the Cybertronians within. However it was apparent that they could only do so for a limited amount of time under such harsh conditions. Spotlight: Sideswipe

Later, Prowl ordered that Jetfire's research be taken to the Kimia Facility where the scientists there (along with Perceptor) were able to create a new body for Kup, whose former body hadn't been upgraded in so long that it was incompatible with current tech. Unlike previous configurations, Kup's Pretender body is hollow, instead directly linking his brain to the shell. Although this rendered him inseparable from his Pretender shell, it provided him with greater physical capability than his original body had in centuries. Everything in Its Right Place

The Functionist Universe

In an alternate timeline where the Functionist Council had took over Cybertron, Transformers from low classes began bolting kibble to themselves so they could fake being jets or microscopes. They were labelled "Pretenders". The Custom-Made Now

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

The Pretenders, led by Stranglehold, were created from reverse-engineering human anatomy after G.I. Joe had dropped green bombs on Iacon to better traverse and cope with the now-alien environment. The three of them found a G.I. Joe squad and sent them running. Though General Flagg was impressed by the adaptability of the Decepticons, Flash was horrified to think the Pretenders's grotesque appearance reflected how the Decepticons viewed humanity. Pax Megatronus

Beast Wars: Uprising

Pretender technology existed in some form on post-war Cybertron. The Commando Movor initially wondered if he and his team might've been volunteering to become Pretenders when Lio Convoy approached them. Derailment

TransTech

Black Shadow made good use of his Pretender-style Crossformer shell, which allowed him to simultaneously pursue Hubcap and Jackpot even as they fled in opposite directions. Rather than requiring him to operate it remotely and divide his attention, the entirely robotic shell was equipped with an artificial intelligence which allowed it to function independently, if a bit stiltedly. When Black Shadow's robot form was destroyed, the shell also ceased to function—though this may have been the work of a saboteur, rather than a feature endemic to the shell. Gone Too Far

Shattered Expectations

Goldbug, Grimlock, and Jazz sneaked into a Pretender laboratory. There were at least six Pretender shells, including the four Classic Pretender shells and two Double Pretender shells.

Also, Dirge appeared as a Pretender. Shattered Expectations

Live-action film series

Revenge of the Fallen

Alice tried to get information from Sam Witwicky by getting close to him, but later she revealed her true nature as a Pretender. Revenge of the Fallen

Hunt for the Decepticons

A new lab assistant also found a place in Sam Witwicky's life so that the Decepticons could monitor him. Megatron used him to lure Optimus Prime into a trap. Prime Target

Commercial appearances

After being defeated one too many times by the Decepticons, the Autobots create a newbreed of Transformer: the Pretenders, Cloudburst, Landmine and Waverider, in a research facility. Dreadwind and Darkwing attack the facility, but the Pretenders easily scare them off by splitting from within their shells. Afterwards, the Decepticons retaliate by sending their own Pretenders, Skullgrin, Bomb-Burst and Submarauder to that same facility, with both shells and inner robots clashing. Pretenders Commercial Snarler and Catilla clash in their robotic beast modes with Snarler briefly pinning Catilla down after transforming into Robot Mode. The 2 then leap of each itheryand somehow regain their shells, before splitting off from them again. Later, Gunrunner transforms to jet mode after ejecting from his vehicle shell, with his opponent Roadgrabber doing the same to open fire on the Autobot.Pretender Beasts and Pretender Vehicles Commercial When Powermaster Optimus Prime came under fire in a city at night, the Classic Pretenders, Bumblebee and Jazz, arrived and split out of their shells and right into Prime's embrace. Grimlock later splits out of his shell to let out a fire breath, while Starscream attacked them from above. Classic Pretenders Commercial Starscream later lowered the inner robots of the Pretender Monsters into colorful vats, giving them rubbery shells. Pretender Monsters The Autobot Mega Pretenders, Vroom and Crossblades, came under attack and Transformed out of their humanoid shell and recombined with them to turn into vehicle mode. Later, Roadblock barely avoids getting blasted to bits by Skyhammer before splitting form both of his shells to blast his adversary. Twice. Mega and Ultra Pretenders

Toys

The Transformers

• Pretenders (1988)

Wave 1 Bomb-Burst Cloudburst Landmine		Skullgrin Submarauder Waverider		Wave 2 Bugly Finback Groundbreaker		Iguanus Sky High Splashdown		Finback Splashdown
The Pretenders (often called the "large Pretenders" to distinguish them from the smaller Pretenders released in 1989) set the ongoing subline trend: a single robot, usually with a futuristic alternate mode, encased in a humanoid shell that splits into front and back halves. The shells are essentially statues, articulated only at the shoulder with swivel joints. By comparison, the inner robots tend to be highly articulated for their time, normally having articulation at the neck, shoulders, hips, and knees, though they are generally thin-limbed and have very simplistic transformations. The large Pretenders were released in two waves. Each wave consists of an air, sea, and land themed character for each faction. The first and second waves of Autobot Pretenders have noticeably different aesthetics. The first wave shells feature bulbous, largely single-color "space suit" style designs with the human heads partially concealed by the suits. The second wave had brighter, more heroic armored suits with animal themes and fully visible human heads. The second wave appears to have had production problems or delays; the initial 1988 catalogs omitted their photographs, showing only a "COMING SOON" silhouette (though common in Kenner's Star Wars toyline, such an unfinished "preview" was rare for Transformers). Additionally, most wave two Pretenders toys have minor engineering oddities: Limbs which don't fully fold away in vehicle mode, joints that serve no purpose for either transformation or articulation, vehicle modes that can't be balanced flat on a surface, or static sculpted wheels instead of actual ones (rolling wheels being the standard otherwise at the time). The first wave of regular Pretenders was released by Takara in the Masterforce line as new characters (see below), but with largely identical toys. The second wave was not released in Japan.

• Pretender Beasts (1988)

Wave 1 Carnivac Catilla		Chainclaw Snarler						Chainclaw
Main article: Pretender Beast Pretender Beasts are very similar to the normal Pretenders, only their alternate modes and shells are based on Earth animals. These sets also lack melee weapons, and the shells completely lack articulation in any form (unless you count changing the orientation of the mounted blaster accessories). These toys appear to have been gang-molded: the two Autobot inner robots use the same plastic colors (yellow and gray), as do the Decepticons (purple, brown and turquoise). Curiously for the time, all four have neck articulation in robot mode, even on figures where the heads are recessed like Carnivac.

• Pretender Vehicles (1988)

Wave 1 Gunrunner Roadgrabber								Roadgrabber
Main article: Pretender Vehicle The largest Pretender offerings in 1988 (thought not by a lot), Pretender Vehicles are robots whose outer shells are vehicles rather than organic creatures. The robots' vehicle modes feature large cannon accessories with reciprocating "pom-pom" action, but that feature can only be activated when the accessories are plugged into the vehicle shells: the rear wheels are part of a gear system that makes the cannons do the ack-ack-ack-ack thing.

• Pretenders (1989)

Wave 1 Bludgeon Doubleheader		Longtooth Octopunch		Pincher Stranglehold				Bludgeon
The 1989 Pretenders assortment (often called the "small Pretenders") were sold carded rather than boxed. Like their larger 1988 brethren, the shells are articulated only at the shoulder and split front-back. Their inner robots are considerably smaller, about the same size as the Mini Vehicles, much more thick-limbed and less articulated than the large Pretenders, though their alt-modes are much more definable. A portion of each robot's alternate mode detaches and serves as a weapon or shield for the outer shell, rather than being concealed within. There has been some speculation that the designs for Longtooth and Stranglehold may have been switched between factions at some point, as the former better fits the Decepticon monster motif and the latter better matches the Autobots "human" stylings.

• Pretender Classics (1989)

Wave 1 Bumblebee Grimlock		Jazz Starscream						Grimlock
Main article: Classic Pretender The first Transformers subline to focus on reinventing previous characters, Classic Pretenders are new iterations of 1984~85 characters, only now smaller (except for Bumblebee, whose inner robot figure is larger than his original toy). Aside from the character selection, these Pretenders are pretty standard fare: inner robot, armored human shell. The inner robots were also released without their shells as Kmart exclusive toys called "Legends".

• Mega Pretenders (1989)

Wave 1 Crossblades Thunderwing Vroom								Vroom
Main article: Mega Pretender Mega Pretenders are much more complex, with a small transformable inner robot inside a transformable outer shell that has its own vehicle mode. The shell and robot can also combine in vehicle modes to form an enhanced vehicle mode, such as a sidecar for Vroom's motorcycle mode, or an extra-long nose for Thunderwing's jet form. Thunderwing and Crossblades were retooled for the Japanese market and released as the Crossformers.

• Ultra Pretenders (1989)

Wave 1 Roadblock Skyhammer								Skyhammer
Main article: Ultra Pretender The largest of the Pretenders sold in 1989, Ultra Pretenders are even more complex than the Mega Pretenders. The very small inner robot fits inside a small transformable humanoid shell; the humanoid shell's vehicle mode has an open-cockpit section the inner robot can sit in. Said shell can then fit inside the large vehicle shell, which has a small "battle platform" on top the inner robot can operate. Unfortunately, both toys are known to suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome, Skyhammer in particular, so be very careful with them.

• Pretender Monsters (1989)

Wave 1 Birdbrain Bristleback		Icepick Scowl		Slog Wildfly				Birdbrain
Main article: Pretender Monster The small Pretender Monsters are simple, blocky bots with monstrous alternate modes, and can combine to form Monstructor. Their shells are simple, non-articulated rubbery monsters with a small compartment for the robot, covered by a plastic panel that holds their accessories and combiner kibble. The shells are known to get discolored fairly easily, as well as "sweat" an oily substance as the rubberized plastic ever so slowly breaks down. Some of the inner robots also suffer from Gold Plastic Syndrome. The inner robots were recolored and given new shells for their release in Japan as the Dinoforce.

...Tarantulas? Optimus Primal?

• Double Pretenders
  • Oilmaster
  • Unnamed spider-bandito duo.

Main article: Double Pretender

Prototypes for "Double Pretenders", two small robots in one shell, which splits top and bottom at the waist, were designed but never put in production.

Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

• Pretenders (1988)

Super-God Masterforce Blood Dauros		Diver Gilmer		Grand Maximus Lander		Metalhawk Phoenix		Metalhawk
Takara did not go anywhere near as heavy on the Pretender concept as Hasbro did during the initial toyline. The bulk of the Super-God Masterforce Pretenders are exactly the same as their Hasbro counterparts, though Diver's shell deco was very slightly altered from Waverider. More importantly, the line features two new Pretenders: the entirely new-mold Metalhawk, and Grand Maximus in his "Grand" form also features a new-mold Pretender shell designed to hold the existing Cerebros mold. For Victory the following year, the Mega Pretenders and the Pretender Monsters were retooled into the Crossformers and the Dinoforce, respectively, but neither group are properly called "Pretenders".

Timelines

He's the leader of the bunch/You know him well/He's two small men inside a shell (Oilmaster)

• Double Pretenders

Oilmaster (2015)

Megatron (2017)

Optimus Prime (2017)

Fun Publications' only foray into proper Pretenders started with the BotCon 2015 exclusive Oilmaster, a brand-new shell mold by Boss Fight Studio based on the canceled Generation 1 Double Pretender gorilla in its darker, black-and-brown color scheme. The shell was designed to accommodate his two robot bodies at once. He was only available in the convention's 5-toy "Cybertron's Most Wanted" set.

This mold set would later be re-used to make the Subscription Service 5.0 exclusive "Double Pretender Optimus Prime", bringing the gorilla shell's other prototype deco back as well. Also in that assortment was "Double Pretender Megatron," which of all things brought back the Grand Maximus Pretender shell (see above), with the inner robots' decoes based on other canceled toy redecoes... though as that shell mold was never designed with the two smaller toys in mind, they need some finagling to fit in there.

Power of the Primes

• Prime Masters (2017–2018)

Wave 1 Liege Maximo (w/ Skullgrin Decoy Armor) Micronus (w/ Cloudburst Decoy Armor) Vector Prime (w/ Metalhawk Decoy Armor)		Wave 2 Alchemist Prime (w/ Submarauder Decoy Armor) Alpha Trion (w/ Landmine Decoy Armor)		Wave 3 Megatronus (w/ Bomb-Burst Decoy Armor) Quintus Prime (w/ Decepticon Bludgeon Decoy Armor) Solus Prime (w/ Octopunch Decoy Armor)				Vector Prime w/ Metalhawk "Decoy Armor" Solus Prime w/ Octopunch "Decoy Armor"
Main article: Prime Master The single-packed Prime Masters of Power of the Primes are micro-figures (compatible with the prior year's Titan Master-based toys), designed to resemble the inner robots of original Pretender characters, and come with small versions of their corresponding Pretender shells... but are not actually those Pretender characters, and are instead members of The Thirteen, and transform into Matrix cores featuring their Prime symbol. Nowhere on the packaging are they called "Pretenders", yet the "Decoy Armor" shells are called by the original Pretender names. Confused yet? The Decoy Armor shells also transform into weaponry for large toys to use; blasters for the Autobot figures and melee weapons for the Decepticons. Several other Prime Master robots were released as pack-ins with larger toys, but those are either redecoes or retoolings of existing Prime Masters (the new parts are not based on any Pretenders either), and none came with Decoy Armor. A ninth Decoy Armor mold, based on Waverider, was revealed as part of the promotional buildup to TakaraTomy's Legends Grand Maximus, to be added to the toy if the set got 3000 pre-orders... but ultimately, that goal was not met so the shell was never released.

Notes

..."Drillrider" just didn't sound right.

• The 1988 Decepticon Pretender character models in the Marvel comics were straight-up, less-detailed repurposings of Takara concept art by Masakatsu Saito, rather than Marvel Productions/Toei-original models. This was likely done to cut down on the time it takes to design an entire set of character model sheets, so that the comics could still release on time.
  • To be fair, the cartoon had also long since finished by this point, and only a select few characters were still receiving actual character model sheets, made mostly for the purpose of toy commercials, with some not even appearing in said commercials at all (e.g. the Sparkabots). Toei had also moved on by this point, so all models that were being designed, were made solely by Marvel Productions (for the commercials and the comics), and Marvel Comics artists (for the comics) and weren't receiving any extensive revisions from the ever-fussy Toei.
  • Only three of the Marvel-featured Decepticon Pretenders are known to have been designed by Masakatsu Saito (Bomb-Burst, Skullgrin and Submarauder). Whether Bugly, Finback and Iguanus, or the Mayhem Attack Squad Pretenders' designs were also taken from Masakatsu's artwork, is yet to be seen.
  • Additionally, the back-of-the-box artwork for the Ultra Pretenders appears to use Masakatsu's concept artwork for Roadblock as a basis. Ironically, there was a Marvel Productions character model that existed for this character used in the commercials.
• Despite the fact that nearly all of the toys split front/back, most Marvel Comics portrayals of the Pretenders show the shells splitting down the middle.
• In the Marvel Comics, it may have been intended that only the Decepticon Pretenders with wings on their Pretender shells could fly with their shells on. In their first appearance they are all flying, but it sort of looks like Bomb-Burst and Bugly were supposed to be carrying the others (maybe something went wrong with the art?). Later, Scorponok specifically ordered Bomb-Burst and Bugly to fly Iguanus around.
• Transformers: The Ultimate Guide categorizes humanoid Pretender shells into three types: Human shells with thermostatic plating such as Cloudburst's are "Space-Defense Pretender Shells"; monstrous humanoid shells like Bomb-Burst's are called "Predator-Class Pretender Shells"; and shells like Bludgeon's are "Warrior-Grade Pretender Shells".
• Twin Twist has been found in a piece of Pretender concept art, which was likely used to pitch the Pretender toy concept. Given that a large number of the first Pretenders transform similarly to Twin Twist, (bend over at the waist) it seems to have been a successful conceptual model.
• In most parts of Europe, the second wave of the large 1988 Pretenders was never released.
• Not to be confused with reverse-pretender technology, where a human disguises themself as a Transformer.
• The fusion creatures from Transformers Animated are modeled after the Pretenders Bomb-Burst and Submarauder.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Pretender (プリテンダー Puritendā)
• Hungarian: Színlelő ("Pretender")
• Mandarin: Yǐnzhě Zhànshì (隐者战士, "Pretender Force")

References

External links

• Some photos of unreleased Double Pretenders from SUPER TOY ARCHIVE