Mega Pretender

Mega Pretenders are Transformers from theGeneration 1continuity family.

I have, like, five different modes! Hey, I know... why don't wenot use me in fiction ever!

TheMega Pretenderstake thePretenderconcept a step further. Not only do their inner robots transform, but the outer shells do as well. Shell and robot can also form a combined vehicle mode for extra power.

The Mega Pretenders are:

• The DecepticonThunderwing
• The AutobotsCrossbladesandVroom

Fiction

MarvelThe Transformerscomics

Yeah, he's actually got a little bitty robot in there. Isn't he just the cutest thing?

Eons ago, Thunderwing was an understudy of the dementedMegadeathonCybertron.He already had his transforming Pretender shell at the time.The Magnificent Six!

In the months before the coming ofUnicron,Thunderwing rose to prominence in the Decepticon ranks,eventually becoming the leader of the Decepticon army.Assault on the Ark!He mostly remained ensconced within his Pretender shell,only leaving it when he needed to shake off the deadly and disorienting effects offire-retardant foam.The Big Shutdown!

The toy doesn't include the ghostly demonic black head. It doesn't look quite this awesome, either.

The jet mode of Thunderwing's shell was capable of interstellar travel, allowing him to fly from deep space to Cybertron. There, Thunderwing met his end from the explosive energies of Unicron.On the Edge of Extinction!

In a post-apocalyptic future, Crossblades was one of a handful of Autobot survivors onEarth.In an attack on theDecepticon Powerbase,inside his shell, he tried to take out the enemy'sshieldgenerator, but whenLaserbeakdestroyed his shell's vehicle mode rotor assembly, he crashed into the shield itself and was destroyed.Rhythms of Darkness!

Classics

The Mega PretendersMetalhawk,Crossblades, and Vroom operated out of theSkyhammerwithits pilot.They fought both Decepticons and Evil Autobots from the negative polarity universe at theIronworks.Their universe was destroyed by the evilUltra Magnusand hisTerminus Bladeinteracting with theRarified Energonbeneath the 'Works. Only the intervention of the negative polaritySoundwavesaved their Earth, transporting the world into the negative polarity universe near their Cybertron.Invasion

In time, that Cybertron emerged as the threatening Order-BringerPrimus,andClassicsEarth was revealed as a second Light God known asGaea.In order to transform and fight Primus, Gaea transported the human population of Earth and their entire infrastructure to an untamed Earth in another dimension, where mankind never evolved. The Autobot Mega Pretenders andFortress Maximuswere sent along with humanity as their guardians.The Future Buried...Using their Pretender shells, Mr. Hawk, Mr. Vroman, and Mr. Cross lived among the humans withSpike Witwickyto keep the peace.Assembly

Commercial appearances

The Mega Pretenders shared acommercialspot with theUltra Pretenders.The animation showed the robot forms of Vroom and Crossblades emerging from their humanoid-mode shells, with shells and robots both transforming to vehicle modes.

Toys

The Transformers

Vroom

• Mega Pretenders(1989)

Crossblades

Thunderwing

Vroom

• Known designers:Kōjin Ōno(TakaraTomy),Masakatsu Saito(concept artist)

The three Mega Pretender toys were sold boxed. Each has a transformable outer shell and a small transformable inner robot. The shell and robot can combine 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 theJapanesemarket and released as theCrossformers.Vroomwas consideredbut ultimately not used in Japan.