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Laserbeak (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity

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Laserbeak.The annoying evil bird spy from your favorite 1980s cartoon.

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The Transformerscartoon

Voice actor:Chris Latta(English),Michael Bell(English, "Transport to Oblivion" only),Roberto Alexander(Latin American, "Divide and Conquer" )
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Lasers? Check. Beak? Check.

Laserbeak was the first of the cassette Transformers.Secret Files of Teletraan IIPrior to his arrival on Earth, Laserbeak had less of an avian shape, resembling instead a stylized jet with an ovoid silhouette and a hooked nosecone. He still transformed into a cassette, which is kind of strange when you consider his "carrier" transformed into a "sensor lamp" and not necessarily any device that played cassettes. But anyway, this Laserbeak often carried out spy missions, able to sneak into places the largerSoundwavecould not manage, includingIacon,the Autobots' headquarters. There, Laserbeak learned of the Autobot mission to seek out new sources of energy away from Cybertron, which prompted a Decepticon interception mission in turn. This led to the whole lot of these spacefaring Transformers crashlanding on Earth and taking a four million-year dirtnap in the heart of a volcano.

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"Please flip the bird...er, tape to Side B."

In the year 1984, the Transformers were awakened by volcanic activity, and Laserbeak was reformatted with terrestrial aesthetics in both robot and altmode. His altmode was an audiocassette, while hisrobot modewas that of a vulture. His missions, though, were largely unchanged, and he continued to serve as a spy.

Laserbeak was the first Decepticon to tangle with Autobots on Earth when he was dispatched by Soundwave andMegatronto chase down two snooping Autobot spies,HoundandCliffjumper.The Autobots tried to scurry away, splitting up so that Laserbeak couldn't follow both of them. He had the last laugh (or squawk) on them, as he launched one of his laser cannons to follow Cliffjumper remotely while he continued to hound Hound, at least until Cliffjumper gas-bombed the drone. Laserbeak fared better than his cannon, and managed to blast the Autobot snoop off the road. Continuing with his scouting missions, Laserbeak uncovered the oil refinery which served as the Decepticons' first major strike against Earth, and their first battle with the Autobots on our planet.

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Floating above the main battle, Laserbeak saw a safe chance to be useful, and flew between Megatron andPrime,pecking at Optimus's face long enough for Laserbeak's glorious leader to take to the skies.More than Meets the Eye, Part 1When the Autobots attacked theDecepticons' new space cruiserbefore it could depart, Laserbeak was ejected for warfare (for a change) along with his fellow Cassettes. Being the coward that he is, though, Laserbeak managed to be conspicuously absent throughout the battle, besides a single strafing run from the safety of the air.More than Meets the Eye, Part 3

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Laserbeak, symbol of Decepticon leadership.

Once the Decepticons dug their space cruiser out of the briny deep, they resumed their attacks on a nearby solar power station. While the others engaged the larger Autobots, Laserbeak kept to squawking aroundBumblebee's head. Later, Laserbeak spied on the Autobots to ensure they took the bait for a trap Megatron had set for them. He tried to help in the cave trap later on, butRatchettrapped him instead inside a tiny net.Transport to OblivionAfter Megatron was accidentally sent to Cybertron following an earlyspace bridgetest, Laserbeak andRumblewere present to greet Megatron on his return. Laserbeak perched on Megatron's arm, signifying Megatron's resumption of command of the Earthbound Decepticons. Once the Decepticons set their sights on theantimatterformula, Laserbeak attempted to steal it fromChip Chaseand Bumblebee, but to no avail.Roll for It

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All Brawn and no brains.

AfterStarscream's strike team blasted Optimus Prime something fierce, Megatron assigned Laserbeak to infiltrate the Ark and ascertain the Autobot leader's true condition. For once, Laserbeak demonstrated his cowardice in Megatron's presence, but reluctantly went forth on his mission. Perhaps looking to prove himself after showing his yellow streak, Laserbeak took some extreme risks. First, he transformed into cassette mode and landed right on the powerhouseBrawn's shoulder to enter the Autobot base. Then, at Megatron's prodding, he flew down in full sight of the entire Autobot team and fired laser beams straight into Prime's exposed chest cavity. This exacerbated the damage and made the Autobot mission to find a replacementcosmitronfor Prime of great priority.Divide and Conquer

On another scouting mission in theArcticCircle, Laserbeak alerted Megatron to Starscream's bumbling execution of some Autobot prisoners using a weird Morse Code signal.Fire in the SkyLater, he joined Soundwave andReflectorin gathering information on theGreat Falls.S.O.S. Dinobots

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The original Angry Bird Transformer.

When the Decepticons were on a mission inSouth America,they were temporarily interrupted by an attack from Brawn andWindcharger.Windcharger soon realized the duo were outclassed fighting so many Decepticons at once, and directed Brawn to pull back. Well, bless his cowardly tin-plated heart, Laserbeak waited until after Windcharger sounded the retreat to get involved, showing great "courage" as he shot the Autobots in the back as they were driving away. Still, never let it be said that Laserbeak doesn't have his uses. When Brawn later returned and stole Megatron'sfusion cannon,blasting the Decepticon leader with his own weapon, it was Laserbeak who flew in to retrieve the cannon for his master. Of course, he naturally flew in frombehindBrawn for maximum safety, but really, who could blame him?Fire on the Mountain

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One afternoon, while theSeekersengaged in yet another grab for energy, Soundwave and the Cassettes carried out Operation: Guinea Pig at the Ark. As his partners Rumble and Ravage created a distraction for the present Autobots, Laserbeak swooped in and carried off one of their human comrades,Sparkplug Witwicky.Laserbeak delivered the human to Megatron andDoctor Arkevillefor testing of their newhypno-chip.The Ultimate Doom, Part 1After a successful test, Laserbeak flew out to collect more potential slaves for the Decepticons. He also took advantage of a well-placed earthquake to kidnapSpike Witwickyas well, while Bumblebee was dangling over a crevace. Unfortunately for the beryllium buzzard,Bluestreakwas on the scene. His sharpshooting ability blasted Spike right out of Laserbeak's clutches, and drove off the Decepticon spy.The Ultimate Doom, Part 2After the plot to change Cybertron's orbit failed, Laserbeak reported to Megatron about the treachery of Starscream and Doctor Arkeville. Seeking out the traitors, Megatron and the Decepticons ran afoul of the Autobots along the way. To deter pursuit, Megatron led the Autobot cars into a valley of quicksand, hoping they would sink out of his way forever. He left Laserbeak behind to monitor their demise. WhenIronhidestarted to get his hand free, Laserbeak tried to divebomb the Autobot, only to be blasted byMirage's rocket launcher. Stunned, the Decepticon reverted to his cassette mode, and was captured by Jazz. Once the Autobots got free, Jazz used his own audio system to replay Laserbeak's findings, alerting the Autobots to the Decepticons' destination at Arkeville's secret lab.Countdown to Extinction

On a routine scouting mission, Laserbeak uncovered information aboutgiant robotic insectsin Bali, and relayed the info to Megatron.A Plague of InsecticonsWhen Megatron arranged a bout of single combat between himself and Optimus Prime, Soundwave ejected Laserbeak to watch the festivities along with the rest of the two armies.Heavy Metal War

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Proving once again that he spends more time at the Ark than with the Decepticons, Laserbeak happened to be on the scene to learn Spike Witwicky was mentally unstable and possessing the powerful "spare" Autobot calledAutobot X.Autobot SpikeOn his next mission, Laserbeak attacked a group of innocent gold prospectors. After he had his fun, though, Soundwave put him back in his cage for a while. He popped out again later on to take potshots at his favorite weak target, Bumblebee.Changing GearsWhen the Decepticons moved their operations to New York City, Laserbeak was put on Autobot patrol, and alerted Megatron to their enemies' rendez-vous inCentral Park.He was also joined by his flying buddy,Buzzsaw,for the first time in this battle.City of SteelIn an attack on the Ark, Laserbeak and the Decepticons were charged with distracting the Autobots while Megatron and Starscream snuck inside to sabotage the Autobots' equipment. Laserbeak bit off more than he could handle withProwl,though, and ended up being lassoed to the Autobot's rifle. It was a stand-off as Laserbeak fired at Prowl from the air while Prowl tried to drag him to the ground, until Megatron sounded the retreat. Laserbeak cut the wire with his blasts and took off as fast as his little wings could carry him.Attack of the Autobots

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Laserbeak's next patrol duty was around the desert laboratory where Megatron was testing his stolenelectro-cells.He alerted Soundwave the moment he sighted Autobot intruders, then hid inside his cozy chest cavity.TraitorWhen the human girl namedCarlyattempted to raid Decepticon headquarters on her own, Soundwave sent Laserbeak up to the surface to capture her. He succeeded, proving once again that he is occasionally strong enough to defeat a single human. He did, however, fail to recapture theImmobilizerfor the Decepticons soon thereafter.The ImmobilizerReturning to his spying duties, Laserbeak learned of Spike and Chip's plan for an Autobot road rally for charity.The Autobot Run

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Laserbeak and Buzzsaw discovered the city ofSub-Atlanticaon the bottom of the ocean floor, which led to an uneasy alliance between the Sub-Atlanticans and the Decepticons, and the subsequent attack of both parties onWashington, D.C.In D.C., Laserbeak popped out of Soundwave and was almost immediately shot down by Hound. By the time he was back in the air, theDinobotshad broken through the Decepticon defenses andSwooptook out Laserbeak and Buzzsaw with missiles moments after arriving at the battle. Some days it just doesn't pay to come out of the tapedeck.Atlantis, Arise!

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In order to gain control over the super-computerTORQ III,Laserbeak was joined by Megatron and Soundwave in his infiltration of the defense compound where the computer was housed. Laser blasting their way to the core, Megatron was able to reprogram the computer to serve only him. Using TORQ to guide them, Megatron arranged for countless oil tankers to converge on Decepticon headquarters. An Autobot scouting party attempting to thwart his plans at the site, but Laserbeak swiped Spike Witwicky in the middle of battle and forced the Autobots to lay down their arms. Luckily, another contingent of Autobots confronted TORQ directly, deactivating the computer, and made their way to Megatron's refinery, freeing their friends.Day of the MachinesAt the unveiling ofDoctor Fujiyama's robot ninja,Nightbird,Laserbeak stormed the ceremony with Rumble and Frenzy, causing considerable chaos.Enter the Nightbird

Despite his well-documented cowardice, Laserbeak is sometimes surprisingly effective in combat. Immediately after Optimus Prime single-handedly disarmed Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp at once in battle, Laserbeak swooped out of the sky and managed to incapacitate Prime just as easily with a hail of laser beams. At Megatron's direction, however, he did not finish the job. Instead, Laserbeak used his recording equipment to create a fully-body holographic scan of the Autobot leader, allowing Megatron to manufacture aperfect duplicateof Optimus Prime for his plans. Later on, he also easily overpowered Starscream and unceremoniously dragged him back to Megatron in his talons. Clearly, Laserbeak had been eating some top notch birdfeed that week.A Prime Problem

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Laserbeak observed the Autobots observing theConstructiconsdeep core drilling project. He alerted Megatron to the spies, and the Decepticons rose to the surface to drive off the snoops.The CoreWhen the Decepticons assaulted theNova Power Plant,Soundwave released Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to torment the Autobots. Instead,Infernoand Jazz were overjoyed at being part of an "overgrown turkey shoot", and they blasted Laserbeak out of the sky. Laserbeak was also briefly taken over byBombshell'scerebro-shellswhen the Insecticons were at odds with Megatron, but soon recovered.The Insecticon Syndrome

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"Jerry, you are my favourite."

Stationed outside the Autobot base, Soundwave learned of the prehistoricDinobot Islandand its potential for rich sources of energy. At Megatron's behest, he dispatched Laserbeak to followPowerglideand the Dinobots to the island and observe.Dinobot Island, Part 1One time, he got "over-energized" and crashed beak-first into a sand dune. Did a nice loop-the-loop, though.Microbots

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"I can't take it anymore! If I gotta choke down on one more of those moldy, disgusting crackers. Bam! Whack!"

Megatron's next plan involved some masterful manipulation of the power-hungry human namedShawn Berger.Laserbeak snuck himself into Burger's office in cassette mode, then retrieved the human for a friendly chat with Megatron on a nearby hillside.Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1When the Decepticons' plan to turn the people of Earth against the Autobots succeeded, they briefly acted as "friends of the Earth" for Megatron's amusement. Laserbeak and the cassettes went to a local teen dance with Soundwave to mingle with the fleshlings. One of the kids asked if "Laserbeak wanna cracker". Never has a giant, speechless robot bird conveyed so much raw hatred with a single look.Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2

When the Decepticons got involved in a massive scheme with the Insecticons, the Autobots attempted to acquire somerobotic insecticideto use against the enemy. Laserbeak reported their search back to Megatron, who became interested in acquiring the insecticide himself, in case the Insecticons ever proved troublesome.Quest for SurvivalAfter receiving a distress signal fromDeceptitran,the Decepticons arrived to help stop the revolt of theTlalakans.Laserbeak performed some reconnaissance, and uncovered the Autobot allies of the Tlalakans. He also located the secret city of the Tlalakans after a raiding party hit Deceptitran's temple.Sea Change

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It's not a question a where he grips it! It's a question of weight ratios!

Laserbeak's keen observational skills failed him when the Autobots disguised themselves as Stunticons in order to get close to Megatron and his latest scheme. His sensors were unable to penetrate thecamouflage paintthey used to hide their true identities.MasqueradeAfter Megatron infected the Autobots with thecosmic rustvirus, Laserbeak infiltrated the Ark to bring back visuals of their enemies' suffering.Cosmic RustWhen Starscream finally mouthed off one time too many, Megatron finally kicked him out of the house. Soundwave sent Laserbeak to unceremoniously drop Starscream on an island near Guadalcanal.Starscream's Brigade

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Maybe if Autobot Command didn't have so many open windows...

One of Laserbeak's greatest claims to fame was that he was partly responsible for theBattle of Autobot Cityin2005.By that point, the Decepticons had succeeded in conquering Cybertron, but the Autobots retained two of its moons and a large force onAutobot City.Laserbeak was dispatched to spy onMoonbase One,where he overheard Optimus Prime order a supply ship to acquireenergonfor an upcoming assault. Laserbeak took the information back to Megatron, who hijacked the shuttle and used it to attack Autobot City. The battle ultimately resulted in the fatal wounding of Megatron, who was cast adrift in space on the Decepticons' return trip to Cybertron; when the Decepticons began arguing among themselves over who should become the next leader, Soundwave ejected Laserbeak and his other cassettes to fight for his honor.The Transformers: The Movie

Laserbeak’s involvement in these events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the comic mini-series "Transformers: The Animated Movie"and the storybook"Transformers the Movie."

Later in 2005, during the Decepticons' attempt to prevent a replacementtransforming cogto the Autobot city ofMetroplex,Laserbeak was deployed alongsideThrustfrom within the Decepticons' own city-bot,Trypticon,to investigate the crash site of the cog's courier,Sky Lynx.They discovered that Sky Lynx and his passengers had survived, and Laserbeak swooped in to take out the cog's carrierBlurr,only to be foiled by a bit of lateral passing.Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

In2006,whenMotormasterandSwindlethreatened to mutiny over the continued insane leadership ofGalvatron,Laserbeak sided with the would-be rebels. Forced into action by their threats,Cyclonussought psychiatric aid for Galvatron onTorkulon.The therapy did nothing to improve Galvatron's demeanour, but nevertheless, the mutiny never happened.Webworld

Japanese cartoon continuity

The events of American cartoon continuity, as detailed above, occur in the Japanese timeline, except the events of 2006 are pushed back to2010.The Japanese continuity proceeds to insert many new storylines and events in, around, before and after the events of the Generation 1 cartoon, as covered below.

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformersstory pages

Laserbeak was one of the Decepticons who attacked New York City early in their conflict with the Autobots on Earth.Broadcasting on TV! Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

Later, Laserbeak accompanied Soundwave when he spied on the Autobots, and discovered they were having a race across a rocky canyon. Laserbeak helped Soundwave ambush the Autobots, but was taken out by Jazz for his trouble.Anime Theater: Sic 'em, Hound!

Scramble City

When the Decepticons detected unusual energy readings, Megatron had Soundwave dispatch his Cassettes to report on the situation. Ravage, Laserbeak, andRatbatfound the Autobots'Scramble Cityconstruction project, but were spotted byBlaster.Ravage and Laserbeak distractedSteeljawandRamhornwhile Ratbat infiltrated further into the Autobot base.Scramble City: Mobilization

Full Throttle Scramble Power!

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When the Decepticons wreaked havoc across the Earth with their newOmega Wave Cannon,Laserbeak was among the Decepticons out and about gathering up energy the devastation had created.Full Throttle Scramble Power!


The Battle of the Star Gate

Laserbeak transmitted to Soundwave footage of Optimus Prime testing out the human/Autobot newest joint invention, theC-X.Divided Views

Controverse

At the trial ofPrimacron,Laserbeak and the Decepticons crashed the proceedings after the verdict was rendered. Unfortunately, Primacron broke free and used a whistle to take control of all the Primitives in range, including Laserbeak, Ravage, the AutobotStripes,and theSharkticons.Controverse

The Headmasterscartoon

Voice actor:Ken Yamaguchi(Japanese),Roberto Alexander(Latin American)
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Such devotion.

In the year 2011, whenHot Rodwas searching the Earth for the missingMatrix of Leadership,Soundwave ambushed him at the North Pole and deployed Laserbeak and Buzzsaw to draw his fire while he attempted to shoot the Autobot in the back. Blaster and his cassettes intervened, and in the ensuing battle, Soundwave and Blaster destroyed each other. Laserbeak swooped in to recover Soundwave's head, while the other airborne cassettes recovered as many of his pieces as they could, taking them back to Chaar.The Mystery of Planet Master

The DecepticonHeadmasterleaderScorponokused the technology of planetMasterto restore Soundwave to life as Soundblaster; Laserbeak and all the other cassettes watched over the reconstruction process, and cheered at their master's revival. Soundblaster was immediately put to work remote-controlling the magneticMadmachine,and when Blaster—now rebuilt as Twincast—arrived to try and stop him, Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Ratbat attempted to fend him off. Twincast sent out his owncassettesto keep them busy as he successfully saw his mission through.The Great Cassette Operation

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A bird's-eye view.

Laserbeak later spied on the Autobot base onAthenia,observing as the AutobotsHeadmastersheaded off to Earth to deal with an erupting volcano. He and Soundblaster presented this information to Scorponok, who considered it all part of his plan.The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously EruptsSoundblaster's standing in the intelligence game proceeded to slip a bit, however, as the new recruitCounterpunchsuddenly started providing enemy intel that neither Laserbeak nor any of Soundblaster's cassettes could dig up a trace of. Suitably miffed at the whole affair, Laserbeak and Ravage spied on a meeting between Scorponok and Counterpunch, and went to kick up a fuss with Soundblaster about the matter. Laserbeak advocated getting straight to work trying to put the newbie in his place by upstaging him, and the team all headed to Earth to try to dig up some new info.Return of the Immortal Emperor

Laserbeak and the other cassettes later patrolled the area around the Decepticon base onMaster,alongside a few DecepticonTargetmasterpartners.Operation: Destroy the Decepticons

Legendscomic

In 2021, Laserbeak came with Soundblaster when the Decepticons traveled to theLegends Worldand allied withTera-Kura Co.in order to get new bodies. Acquiring a new smart device body, he was deployed to spy on the Autobots andAxalon Trading Companyas they worked on their owntranstectorproject, then brought the data back to Tera-Kura whereTarantulasused it to build a body forSkullcruncher.Bonus Edition Vol. 22He also a discovered a secret entrance that allowedWeirdwolfto infiltrate theBattleship Maximus.Bonus Edition Vol. 31Laserbeak was deployed by Soundwave during a battle withDevil Zand helpedRewinddistract the entity while Ravage freed Megatron from his control.Bonus Edition Vol. 36

When Soundwave left the Decepticons to pursue his own goals, Laserbeak secretly remained at Tera-Kura to loyally watch over Megatron, intervening whenApefaceattempted to overthrow him. Laserbeak used his new tank mode to whisk Megatron away to the city, where he helped defeat Apeface by ensnaring him with his headphone cables, connecting him to the Galvatrontranstectorand short-circuiting it with an energy blast. He then remained with Megatron to keep an eye on Apeface.Bonus Edition Vol. 38Laserbeak later spied on the Scorponok loyalists secretly reconstructingTrypticonand delivered his footage to Megatron.Decepticon Civil WarLaserbeak remained with Megatron after he became the city's mayor, being by his side during an invasion ofKickbackclones.Bonus Edition Vol. 47When theConcurrencetook over Tera-Kura Co., Laserbeak spied on them and reported their method of brainwashingBeast Megatronback to Soundwave.Bonus Edition Vol. 63He was also present during the battle withMajin Zarak.Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One

Generations Selects Special Comic

In2050,the Decepticons supported the rebellion of theSelectorsagainst their human masters. The Dinobots supported the humans, and Laserbeak was damaged fighting againstGrimlock.Volcanicus comic 2

TV Magazinecomic continuity

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformerscomic

In Japan, Soundwave and his Cassettes made an attack on the lone Autobot scout,Bumblebee.Bumblebee dodged their first attack, and so Laserbeak and his partners went chasing after him. Bumblebee circled back, however, damaging Soundwave's chest compartment so the Cassettes couldn't hide. Laserbeak got caught trying to re-enter his boss, andCliffjumperripped out his magnetic tape instead. Harsh.Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2

The Headmasterscomic

After Soundblaster crash-landed following his encounter withChromedome's "Master Chrome Hurricane-Throw to the End of Hell" attack, Laserbeak and the other animal cassettes (minusSlugfestandOverkill) stood stoicly over his groggy form whileRumbleandFrenzypanicked at the approach ofSixshot.The Headmasters #8

Transformers Legendsanthology

Laserbeak and Ravage spied on Starscream after the Seeker's latest falling out with Megatron, and watched Starscream fall off a mountain. After reporting back to Soundwave, they spied some more and got footage of Starscream acting chummy with the Autobots. It was only after he spotted Laserbeak, that the amnesiac Starscream finally regained his memory.Redemption Center

Wings Universe

Wings Universeis based on theGeneration 1 cartoon,but deviates from it in cosmetic ways and continuity points.

Laserbeak was the firstRecordiconand was altered from a normalCryo-Condorto a fullTransformercapable of changing into a standardDatatrax wafer.Menagerie #1

Ask Vector Prime

In the year 2005, Laserbeak was spying on the Autobots on Moonbase One. Abruptly, the universe blipped, thanks to a pair ofmischief-makers,and Laserbeak's role in the war was overwritten bySnoop.Echoes and Fragments

Deviations

In a universe where Optimus Prime killed Megatron during the Battle of Autobot City, Laserbeak retreated alongside Soundwave back to the safety of Astrotrain.Deviations

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