Insignia
From Transformers Wiki
Throughout theTransformersmultiverse,one constant across the myriad iterations of theGreat Waris the use ofinsigniato differentiate members of the respective armies — most prominently, the heroicAutobotsand evilDecepticons.
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Conceptual history
Faction insignia were used to differentiate heroes and villains in several 1980s Hasbro toylines, includingG.I. JoeandVisionaries,but theTransformerstoys were the first to make heavy use of the idea on the toys themselves. The original Autobot and Decepticon insignias, supposedly designed byWayne Molinare,were seemingly based on toys from the first year of theoriginalTransformerstoyline;the Autobot symbol is a heavily stylized and simplified version of the face ofProwl,while the Decepticon insignia is drawn from that ofSoundwave.
For the toy packaging and the cartoon'sscene transitions,the insignia were rendered in metallic colors with beveled edges. This resulted in an odd curiosity of theoriginal cartoon's designs; as the designers were evidently working off these renderings rather than a flat image, the beveled detail at the top of the Decepticon symbol's crest was misinterpreted as a third spike on said crest, resulting in a disparity between the cartoon insignia and other appearances of the Decepticon badge. This version of the insignia remained otherwise unused for decades, but eventually saw a return as part of theMasterpiecetoyline's move towards ever-more-painstaking animation accuracy, starting withMP-29 Destron Laserwave.
Though replacements for the Autobot and Decepticon insignia were introduced forTransformers: Generation 2,with the G2 Autobot symbol being based on the face ofOptimus Prime,they failed to catch on. When theTransformers brandwas reimagined in the mid-1990s asBeast Wars,entirely new insignia were created for the new heroic and villainous factions, theMaximalsandPredacons,though these were not based on any specific toy or design; rather, they reflected the mammalian and insectoid memberships of these factions. Over the next decade or so, new symbols were designed forvariousnewfactionsand subgroups,with a wide variety of stylistic influences.
For the 2007live actionTransformersmovie,the famous Autobot and Decepticon insignia were given a redesign, with the most obvious changes being the eyes — the tops of the Autobot symbol's eyes were slanted slightly down, and the Decepticon symbol's eyes were shrunk and changed from triangles to diamonds. The implementation of these redesigns is inconsistent, as while the redesigned insignia are typically used by movie tie-ins with everything else using the classic designs, "mix-ups" of the symbols frequently happen; infamously,Bumblebee,the breakout character of the movie franchise, wears the classic version of the Autobot insignia on his forehead crest.
Fiction
Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformerscartoon
Skyfireswitched sides, tearing the Decepticon insignia off of his chest and installing an Autobot insignia.Fire in the Sky
Wheeljackreawakened theDinobotsand told them to go help their friends. They reluctantly agreed and flew off after them. When they arrived, they initially could not distinguish friend from foe, untilSludgesuggested that their friends might be the ones with the same robotic face on them as they had.S.O.S. Dinobots
Mirageonce stoleSkywarp's insignia as part of a successful plan to turn theInsecticonsagainst the other Decepticons.Traitor
SmokescreenidentifiedDevconas a fellow Autobot upon seeing his insignia, which led to the two teaming up. The Gambler
Wings Universe
After defeatingClench's Decepticons at theLarge Hadron ColliderinSwitzerland,Streetwisedecided that he would have the rest of theProtectobotstransferred to serve onEarth.To make it official,Pyrohanded him a set ofGeneration 2Autobot badges.Generation 2: Redux
Masterpiece toy bios
When the Decepticons acquired several "G2 bodies" and upgraded their own troops with them, they etched a modified symbol on them to signify they were "G2" Decepticons. During his own certification ceremony, Riggorus noticed an unfamiliar soldier with the same insignia, butGarboilassured him there was nothing to worry about.MasterpieceRiggorus profile
Marvel Comics continuity
MarvelThe Transformerscomics
WhenSlagwas revived byRatchetafter being trapped in a tar pit for four million years, he went into a frenzy and attacked, until he saw Ratchet's Autobrand and calmed down.Repeat Performance!
Ironhidewas uncomfortable taking orders fromJetfire,who was still wearing a Decepticon insignia.Dinobot Hunt!Jetfire officially became an Autobot after going through theRite of the Autobrand.To better disguise themselves on Earth,Wheeljackinstalledshielding circuitryinto the Autobots which enabled a metal sheet to cover their Autobot symbols inalternate mode.Rock and Roll-Out!
ThePredaconsfooledMegatroninto thinking they were Autobots by wearing fake Autobot symbols.Gone but Not Forgotten!TheSports Car Patroltricked Ratchet into thinking they were Autobots by wearing counterfeit Autobot symbols—Decepticon and Autobot symbols on a rotating plate so they could switch back and forth.Back from the Dead
Megatron spent some time inCybertron'sDead Enddistrict as anEmpty.His mind was damaged and he just wandered about the place until the sight of an Autobot symbol snapped him out of it.The Resurrection Gambit!
United into asingle teamfollowing the events of theTime Warsand by battling the nightmare creatures generated bySkids's time inLimbo,Springeroffered to makeCarnivacandCatillaHonorary Autobots,passing them a pair of Autobot badges as he did so.Survivors!
WhenOptimus Primesurrendered to the Decepticons, he laid an Autobot insignia atScorponok's feet. Scorponok promptly crushed it.Surrender!After the Autobots and Decepticons came together to fightUnicron,they continued their uneasy alliance and adorned their headquarters with an insignia that included a slightly modified Decepticon sign atop a slightly modified Autobot sign.Still Life!DreadwindandDarkwingwere outside in Cybertron's increasingly bad weather discussing the planet's upcoming self-destruction when the wind blew the gigantic Autobot insignia off the wall and onto Dreadwind's head.Exodus!
MarvelGeneration 2comics
The Autobots had at some point begun using a new insignia that resembled Optimus Prime rather than theLast Autobot.Bludgeon's Decepticons were also using a new symbol, similar to their old one, that coincidentally closely resembled theCybertronian Empireinsignia.
Beast Wars
Rattrap's Maximal insignia once morphed into a Predacon one (and later back again). No other Transformer showed they could do this, and he only used it for a con.Double Jeopardy
When theTransmuterturnedRhinoxinto a Predacon, it automatically changed his insignia as well as giving him aredeco.Dark DesignsLikewise,Waspinatorgained a Decepticon insignia while he was possessed byStarscream.PossessionRavagesported both Decepticon and Predacon insignia while working as a Predacon secret agent.The Agenda (Part 1)
Waspinatorpulled his insignia offlike it was a fabric patch when renouncing his Predacon membership.Nemesis Part 1
Tarantulashas such an ego, he createdhisownspecial insigniafor hisArachnoids.
Unicron Trilogy
Sidewayscould change his insignia from Autobot to Decepticon—an ability he utilised for deceptive purposes.CredulousShip
Using the power ofUnicron,Megatronhad the ability to brainwash Transformers to the Decepticon cause. InInferno's case, it changed his insignia from Autobot to Decepticon.Imprisoned InfernoWhen Inferno fought against Megatron's influence through his willpower, his insignia would toggle back and forth until he succeeded in purging the Decepticon in him. His Autobot insignia looked brand new after that.Jungle Planet
Animatedcartoon
TheConstructiconsgained Decepticon insignia through theRite of the Deceptibrand,which involved electrically branding the symbol onto their chests. The process alsochanged their colorstogreen and purple.A Bridge Too Close, Part I
When the recently-sparkedWreck-Garenthusiastically decided he was an Autobot, he somehow pulled an Autobot insignia from hisbackpackand slapped it crookedly onto his chest.Garbage In, Garbage Out
2005 IDW continuity
The first five Transformers, theGuiding Hand,each had their own personal insignia.The Return of the KingWhen theKnights of Cybertronleft the planet, they marched beneath the banner ofAdaptus.As a result of theinformation creepunleashed following theGod War,the symbols of the other four members would later be conflated as having belonged to other clans of the Knights.An Axe to Break the IceThe Ties That BindThe Return of the King
In the primitive age that followed the departure of Knights, theThirteencame to power. One of their number, the bestialOnyx Prime,marked the occasion by commissioning the "First Face" — supposedly based onMetrotitan's description ofPrimus's likeness, but in reality, one of the many ontological paradoxes he had dedicated himself to invoking.Origin MythsThe First Who Was Named
The First Face was, up until the outbreak of the war, considered the closest thing Cybertron had to a universal symbol, held in high regard by theHigh Priests of K'th Kinsere,the Ignition Cults and the Circuit Sects. Whenever the Cybertronian race was moved by significant unrest, the face would appear, often redesigned in subtle ways that historians would use to mark the transition from one epoch to the next. DuringZeta Prime's rule as Prime, the symbol was co-opted for the nascent Autobot faction.Omega's Conundrum
The Decepticon insignia came about afterMegatronhurled his datapad at a random screen and decided he liked the shatter pattern.Chaos Theory Part 1TheRite of the Deceptibrandinvolved molding part of the Decepticon's spark casing into their new badge; those who had not yet undergone the Rite, referred to as "Genericons",wore" learner plates "that could be distinguished by their color.Life After the Big Bang
Other insignia were recognized by Cybertronian society, such as the distinctivefacial insigniaworn by members of theHouseof Ambus.House of Ambus
When he renounced the Decepticons and declared himself an Autobot during his confrontation withShockwave,Megatron punctuated the gesture by donning an Autobot symbol taken from the body ofBumblebee....And the Damage Done
Even as he took on the moniker of the "Grand Architect", Adaptus continued to utilize his insignia, having his troops branded with it.AnimalsThe Return of the KingIn their quest for the Knights of Cybertron, theLost Lightcrew repeatedly encountered the emblem but failed to connect it to Adaptus until they confronted him.The Return of the King
Beast Wars: Uprising
In the aftermath ofMaxima's death, numerous proto-formers began using a stylized image of herLuponoidsteed as the insignia of the burgeoning Maximal faction.The Predacon ManifestoMeanwhile, the nascent Predacon faction took the face of anInsecatronas their insignia.Book of Logos
WhenGalva Convoymade it clear he was no longer obeying the Builder Assembly, Knock Out noted he bore a different insignia from the Maximal one he'd had previously, one representing theVehicons.Derailment
War for Cybertron Trilogy
TheWar for Cybertron Trilogyfranchise innovated an idea that noTransformersseries has attempted to such an extent – a ranked hierarchy of the Autobot and Decepticon armies, matched with Cybertronian military insignias. Each insignia consists of three parts: the division (ground, air, sea, or space); the unit (infantry, recon/intelligence/espionage, medical, engineering/applied sciences, special ops/black ops, artillery/weapons, or transport); and the rank (private/raider, sergeant, specialist, captain, major, or general).
Live-action film continuity
Scourgeliked to take insignias from his kills as trophies, adorning his upper arms with them. He did so when he killedApelinq,and again when he seemingly killedBumblebee.During the final fight withOptimus Prime,the enraged Autobot leader made a point of removing Bumblebee's insignia from Scourge and returning it to its now-revived original owner.Rise of the Beasts
Transformers One
D-16idolizedMegatronus Primefor being the biggest and strongest of thePrimesand collected decals based on him. His best friendOrion Paxfound a rare first-edition decal of Megatronus's face and applied it to D-16's left shoulder. D-16 continued to wear it, though it became as worn and frayed as his friendship with Orion and his faith in the Primes. WhenSentinel Primenoticed the decal, he mocked D-16 for his hero worship before revealing he took Megatronus'stransformation cogfor himself after he killed him. Reapplying the decal to D-16's chest, Sentinel made sure it never came off by welding a crude drawing of Megatronus's face over it, destroying the decal in the process. After D-16 killed Sentinel, took Megatronus's cog, and renamed himself Megatron, he and theHigh Guardwere banished fromIacon City.Megatron would then use Megatronus's face as the insignia of his new army, literally rebranding them asDecepticons.Transformers One
Toys
BotBots
- Retro Recon(2022)
- Part of the sixth Series ofBotBots,Retro Recon is a tiny robot who turns into pixelatedAutobotinsignia, likely intended to be one of those novelty "retro" sprite wall-lights.
- They are available in one of the Series 6 "Gamer Geeks" -themed 5-packs, packed in withGamerguy1027,Jetaway,Scratchmouth,and ablind-packedJoystick.
Merchandise
Universal Studios
- Foam Autobot Shield(2012)
- A Universal Studios exclusive item, thisroleplayfoam shield is shaped like an Autobot insignia. To date only one example of this shield has been found via aneBayauction.[1]
- Foam Decepticon Shield(2012)
- A Universal Studios exclusive item, thisroleplayfoam shield is shaped like a Decepticon insignia.
