Mouthplate

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I am smiling on the outside, but crying on the inside... not that you could tell anyway.

Instead of regular human facial features, some Transformers have what looks like a plate affixed to their lower jaw, usually covering up to their nose. While no official name exists for these, they are usually called 'mouthplates' or 'faceplates'(despite a 'regular' face once being described as a faceplate in the TV series). Two of the most famous examples are those ofGeneration 1'sOptimus PrimeandSoundwave.

In earlier series, a Transformer's mouthplate moved when they spoke, as if there were a working jaw underneath. In later series such asVictory,2001Robots in Disguiseand theUnicron Trilogy,however, it remains static.

Certain Transformers who sport mouthplates do have regular mouths underneath. Sometimes these mouthplates are even retractable, either in full or partially, to reveal their mouths.

Examples

Generation 1

1984The Transformersfranchise

Optimus Primefeatured a prominent mouthplate in bothcartoonandtoyform (as do allotherG1-basedtoylineversions). The 20th Anniversary figure featured a mouthplate that was movable via a button on the back of his head that slightly lowered the spring-supported mouthplate to recreate the talking action seen in the cartoons.

Soundwavehad a similar mouthplate, but no apparent nose (whether any of his assumed face was visible or not is debatable, considering how visor-esque his eyes were). Like Optimus, both his cartoon andtoyform had the mask. No toys have yet been made with a moving mask feature.

Wheeljack's mouthplate was unique in that it was fixed, even in the cartoon. Instead of a movable mouthplate, you knew Wheeljack was speaking because his "ears" flashed. This may have been a misinterpretation of his toy's head, where the "mouthplate" could be interpreted as a visor.

Many early toys had mouthplates that were simply disregarded in favor of mouths in fictional appearances (barring the occasional toy-accurate rendering).Bumblebeein particular had a mask intoyform, but not in cartoon orcomicform. A rare reissue of the toy featured acartoon-accurateface, however, as did most toys of him since. Conversely, as Goldbug, he featured a mask in both cartoon and toy form.

On the other hand,Superionhad a faceplate on the cartoon even though his toy had a mouth.CrosshairsandTriggerhappyalso gained mouthplates in "The Rebirth"despite their toys not having them, and Triggerhappy even kept his mouthplate inThe Headmasters(while Crosshairs did not).

Ultra Magnusin his newly reborn body from the Japanese continuity also featured a mouthplate.Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version

Hot Spotsometimes had a mouthplate and sometimes he didn't.

DreamwaveGeneration Onefranchise

25 years before someone realized his toy has no face.

Bumblebeeis depicted as having a removable face mask with mouthplate that resembled the original sculpt of his toy.The War WithinJetfirewas given a similar treatment with a flip-up faceguard.The Dark AgesTheTitanium Seriesrelease of this character design featured the faceguard, but it was not removable.Brawnwas depicted with a removable face mask like Bumblebee's in the ongoing Generation 1 series.

IDW Generation 1 comics

2005 continuity

Okay, maybe thegeewunnerswere right about the mouthplate this time.

Orion Paxcovered his mouth with a plate which was once partially broken in battle with some thugs.Chaos Theory Part 2He considered it his "lucky faceplate" and was disheartened when he lost it during a temporary body replacement, being more comfortable when his facial expressions were hidden from sight.Omega's ConundrumAfter Orion rose to fame as Optimus Prime, sufferers ofprimus apotheosissuch asPyrowould often mimic him by getting their own faceplates.Last Stand of the Wreckers #5At one point, Prime showed that he could retract the plate in order to eat.^[1]Old Ways

Ironfisthad a regular face in his youth, but covered it up with a mouthplate later on.Last Stand of the Wreckers #4

Sentinel Primedeployed a faceplate during combat.Megatron Origin #1

Jetfire had a removable mask with mouthplate as part of his battle gear.^[2]Stormbringer #1

Like Optimus Prime,OnslaughtandVortexwore mouthplates but could retract part of them to reveal their mouths.Ranks of Bronze

Soundwave was revealed to have at one point been without a faceplate. At the time he was suffering from being unable to control his extrasensory powers, at which point he was discovered by Laserbeak, Buzzsaw and Ravage. This was before he visibly had a compartment in which to store the cassettes, implying the mouth was included in his later refit.Soundwaves

When a team of young Autobot recruits from all across theCouncil of Worldsjoined Optimus Prime onEarth,they began wearing detachable mouthplates in order to better emulate their leader.To Walk Among the Chosen

When preparing to faceUnicron,Optimus Prime removed his mouthplate, symbolically removing all the masks he'd worn in his life so as to face the Chaos Bringer as his true self. The mouthplate, all that remained of the Prime, was placed on his coffin at his funeral.Post

Beast Wars

Optimus Primalin his first design was infrequently shown to have a mouthplate which would slide into place when he entered battle. This was used to reconcile the presence of an actual mouth on his animation model with the lack thereof on his toy. Laterretoolingsof the toy reflected the animation model.

2001Robots in Disguisefranchise

Optimus Prime,X-Brawn,Prowl,Rapid Run,Scourgeand all of theCommandosbarRollbarsported non-moving mouthplates.

Unicron Trilogy continuity family

Energon

WhenWing Daggerwas killed by a falling Energon Tower, his mouthplate shattered, revealing a mouth beneath it. It's unclear whether all mouthplated Transformers in this continuity had similar setups.Each One Fights...

Cybertron

TheOptimus Primeanimation model displayed a similar setup to Optimus Primal, with a mouthplate that slid into place when enteringSuper Mode.In this case, however, the toy reflected this, featuring a gimmick that allowed the face to display either configuration.

Live-action film series

Optimus Primewas depicted as having a combat mouthplate which closed over his normal mouth to protect his face. To date, only a few toys (one of Prime'sRobot Heroesfigurines, Buster Optimus Prime, his two retooled Battle Hooks toys, and the First Edition and Evasion Mode sculpts from theAge of Extinctionline) have displayed his face and mouth, while all other merchandise featured the plate.Blackoutalso had a mouthplate, seen very briefly.Bumblebeehad two pieces that rest on the top of his head normally but slide down and clamp together over his whole face in battle.

2007Transformersfranchise

Bumblebee's faceplate had a very insectoid appearance, crediting his name.Jazzhad a visor that protected his upper-face in combat.TransformersIronhidealso had a mouthplate similar in appearance to Optimus Prime's as shown in some of his concept art and toys, but he has never officially used it on film.

Revenge of the Fallen

Megatron did that just to piss off thepurists.He's that evil.

In the far-flung future of2024,mouthplates will be made mandatory for all sentient beings.

Optimus Prime's faceplate was smashed to pieces when he was kicked in the face byMegatron,but it was replaced when he combined withJetfire.Revenge of the FallenWhile not noticeable in the film,Sideswipe'sHuman Alliancetoy confirmed he had an extra layer of armor plating (which was thought to be his actual face) protecting his main face.SkidsandMudflapwere shown as having mouthplates in Titan Magazines'Revenge of the Fallencomics but were never shown wearing them in the movie nor were their masks included in any toys.

Age of Extinction

Among the many modifications that the bounty hunterLockdownhad incorporated into his frame was a protective mask that could cover his entire face which doubled as a scanner.Age Of Extinction

The Last Knight

Megatron's new body featured a retractable mouthplate. Marketing and promotional material leading up to the release of the film portrayed Barricade with a mask/helmet, but this feature was not seen in the film itself, the Decepticon having a fully exposed face throughout.The Last Knight

Transformers Animated

Most of the Autobots inOptimus Prime's crew had retractable faceplates. Optimus,Bumblebee,SariandProwleach had one.Sentinel Primehad one, too, though his was unique in that it covered his whole face. Among the Decepticons,Soundwavehad a non-retractable mouthplate, much like hisG1 predecessor's. Optimus's mouthplate flapped up and down when he talked, just like that of G1 Optimus, but none of the others' did.

Aligned continuity family

Transformers Prime

Optimus PrimeandWheeljackeach had a mouthplate that they slid into place over their faces whenever they entered battle.Nemesis Prime,being a copy of Optimus, had a mouthplate too, though it was permanently deployed.Nemesis PrimeAfter falling into a pool ofcyber-matterand recovering his voice,Bumblebeefinally retracted his mouthplate, which had been deployed for the entire series.Deadlock

2015Robots in Disguisefranchise

Bumblebee and Optimus both retained their retractable faceplates; newcomersStrongarmandSideswipepossessed similar faceguards. Some concept art forGrimlockdepicted him with a retractable faceplate but this was not used in the show proper.

Cyberverse

As always,Optimus Primepossessed a retractable mouthplate.Grimlockalso possessed a combat mouthplate and visor, used only in more dangerous battle scenarios.EruptionDead EndandThunderhowlwould keep the tradition going.

EarthSpark

Aside from the usualOptimus Prime,Wheeljackhas a retractable mouthplate too like hisaligned predecessor.TheTerranNightshadeis also seen displaying a scarf-styled mouthplate when rescuing the humanSamfrom a burglar.

Notes

• Both theArmadaOptimus Primeand the20th AnniversaryOptimus Primetoys have mouthplates that can move up and down when a button located on their heads is depressed, even though Armada Prime's mouthplate never moved in the series itself. Additionally, the20th Anniversarytoy has teeth (or possibly a speaker grille) hidden behind the mouthplate, in reference to Optimus Prime's battle-damaged appearance in theGeneration 2comics,though this detail cannot be seen without disassembling the entire head (or just looking down with it pulled down really far).
• The lack of a full-time mouthplateoncertaincharactershas,in the past, been known to result incertainreactionsfrom the fandom. Oh well.
• Mouthplates as featured on Transformers and earlier Japanesesuper robotslikely derive from the historicalhanbō.
• In theOmni Productionsdubs, characters who have a mouthplate are given "muffled" voices, evidently produced by the actors covering their mouths with their hands.

References