Transmetal



A Transmetal is a Transformer whose superstructure has been mutated by the quantum surge during the Beast Wars.The most obvious effect is a mode-based inversion of organic and mechanical composition: A Transmetal's beast mode is mostly mechanical, and his or her robot mode bears many organic elements, such as Cheetor's furry chest. Transmetallization sometimes also produces a third "mobility" mode, which is essentially the beast mode with some vehicular additions. Examples include Rattrap as a wheeled rat, Optimus Primal as a sky-surfing gorilla, and Megatron as a VTOL-enhanced Rollerblader.One more subtle effect of Transmetallization is immunity to certain Vok weaponry that would debilitate a normal Transformer. Tarantulas hypothesized that this is because Transmetals are closer to being Vok themselves. Additionally, being a Transmetal seems to provide a temporary resistance to the full effects of Megatron's virus, but at the cost of losing one's Transmetallization.Later in the Beast Wars, a more advanced "Transmetal 2" mutation would appear. Fiction e-Hobby Generation 1 pack-in comicDuring a battle at Autobot Headquarters, Megatron took a blow from Optimus Prime so powerful it damaged his internal stability regulators. This allowed Megatron to access a cache of quantum surge energy that had been stored in his body for millions of years. The energy transformed him into a nigh-invulnerable transmetal. Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.Beast Wars cartoon  Brass munky.The Transmetals were created as a result of Transformers being bathed in a quantum surge after the destruction of the Vok Planet Buster. Aftermath All the Beast Warriors who were not "born" from a protoform on Earth or shielded in a CR chamber were altered. Why Earth-born Transformers were unaffected by the surge's effects are a mystery, especially considering that protoforms still in stasis pods were affected to various degrees.The Transmetallized individuals were Megatron, Tarantulas, Rattrap, and Cheetor. Scorponok and Terrorsaur were in the middle of their mutation when they fell into lava pits seeping into the Predacon base and perished. Rampage was Transmetallized in his stasis pod. Bad Spark When Optimus Primal's spark was transplanted into a fresh new protoform, the resulting form was Transmetal as well. Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2) Other protoforms in evidence included Transmutate, who was judged "partially Transmetal", Transmutate and the Fuzors Silverbolt and Quickstrike, who displayed the Transmetal quality of immunity to the Metal Hunter's weapon. Other Visits (Part 2) Even a fair bit of time after the surge, Depth Charge was turned into a full Transmetal as he approached Earth in his ship. Deep Metal  Yep, he's a Transmetal too. That's what happens when time itself gets messed with.Most Transmetals had additional weapons and seemingly enhanced power levels. They were immune to some Vok weapons and did not show up on Vok scanners—Tarantulas took the view that the quantum surge's effects meant they were "one with [the Vok] now".Transmetals were possibly immune to the effects of energon radiation. The evidence is scant, since most of the energon deposits on Earth's surface had been destroyed or converted to stable energon cubes by the Planet Buster cannon. However, the Transmetallized Tarantulas was once seen standing beneath an energon cache, completely unaffected. Tangled Web Then not long afterwards, the non-Transmetal Inferno suffered energon overload while in a cave containing energon crystals. The Agenda (Part 2) IDW Beast Wars comicsScavenger was a Transmetal, despite only existing as a protoform beforehand. The Gathering issue 2Beast Machines cartoon  Maximals are going green! (Your mileage may vary)When the Maximals encountered Megatron's virus, the Transmetals among them had a strange reaction: Rather than becoming instantly paralyzed, as apparently happened to the majority of Cybertronians exposed, they simply lost their Transmetallization. Optimus Primal, Cheetor, Rattrap, and Blackarachnia reverted to their pre-Transmetal beast modes (or, in Primal's case, the form he would have had if he hadn't been "born" a Transmetal). The Reformatting They were able to stay mobile, though glitching and amnesic, while Rhinox and Silverbolt immediately succumbed to paralysis. It seems that whatever Transmetal properties had protected Silverbolt from the Metal Hunter couldn't save him from the virus. Revelations Part II: Descent