Dion (G1)

Dion is an Autobot from the cartoon portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Anyone ever tell you that you look just like Wheelie?
No? Oh. How about Hot Shot? Or even Kup?

Dion is an earnest dock worker and best friend to Orion Pax. His is a simple life of manual labor, and he does not give a second thought to the stories that a war may be brewing around him. What does interest him are those new-fangled flying robots. Maybe someday he'll get to meet them...?

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Corey Burton (English), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese), Albert Augier (European French), Enrique Hernández (Spain-Spanish)

Cybertron's "Golden Age" was a pretty literal title, if you look.

Nine million years ago, near the end of Cybertron's Golden Age, it was Dion's job to haul energy and supplies in and out of the dock in which he worked. There were murmurs of attacks from new, flying robots, but he didn't believe those rumours.

Dion was honored to meet the leader of these enigmatic warriors, Megatron, until Megatron revealed his plan to rob their dock of its energon stockpiles and ordered the Decepticons to attack. Witnessing Megatron strike down Orion, Ariel, and another friend, Dion ran (seemingly straight towards the attacking Decepticon warriors for reasons unclear), but was quickly mowed down by a shot in his chest.

The time-traveling Aerialbots carried Orion Pax to Alpha Trion for repairs, and Dion's friend was rebuilt into Optimus Prime. Drones were sent back to retrieve Ariel, but Dion was never rebuilt^[1] and presumably died. War Dawn

Wings Universe

Don't you hate it when your life is narrated by Side Burn?

Dion survived Megatron's raid on storage yard 67, but just barely. Once reactivated and rebuilt top to bottom (with the help of Cop-Tur), he was approached by Sentinel Major and Magnum. Battle Lines, Part 1 Now fully knowledgeable of the extent of Megatron's evil, Dion signed away his life to the Elite Guard, believing he'd lost everything he'd known to war. Dion was assigned to Metalhawk's team, he and determined to fight Decepticons by any means necessary.

Dion's new twin flame launchers utilize a "Reverse-Higgs mechanism" to "decouple energy from matter", which makes things very destructible. Though rebuilt, he can still modify his arms to accommodate the need to carry heavy objects, a skill he possessed as a dock worker. Unfortunately, his new shoulders kind of lock up, which restricts his arms' movement. Dion's Wings Universe profile

Nobody wants BotCon 2005's Virulent Clones, not even Dion!

On Dion's first mission, he, his commander Metalhawk, and his teammates Over-Run and Ironfist allied with Thunderclash's Elite Guard team to fight a plague of Virulent Clones. Getting covered with Insecticon goop was not exactly what Dion had in mind for his first foray into action, but nevertheless the clones were defeated.

They all relaxed for a bit, until a call from Magnum bleeped over Thunder Clash's comm, informing them that Metalhawk's squad had to ferry Thunder Clash's squad to Space Port Bravo straightaway. Dion and Kup helped load their gear onto the Hawk's Claw, then they disembarked.

Once at the spaceport, the two squads bid their goodbyes. Kup told Dion that he'd make sure to share any stories he came across with the "lad". When Dion reacted to the nickname by pointing out Kup wasn't that much older, Kup said it was just the first time he got to meet a younger Elite Guard member.

After Thunder Clash's squad left, Dion's squad speculated where they'd end up next. The others expressed a wish for something quiet, and Dion teased them that he actually looked forward to getting to beat up Decepticons. When Over-Run chastised Dion's eagerness by asking if the younger bot had ever seen a Decepticon up close, Dion stalked off angrily, much to Over-Run and Ironfist's confusion.

The squad eventually reboarded their ship and headed to Elite Guard HQ. There they were highly praised for their performance by Magnum, and assigned to a new mission—assisting a new special ops team in attacks against the various Decepticon leaders. The Coming Storm: Part 2

Dion was unimpressed with Sentinel Major's play-on-words: Combaticons "to Combat the Decepticons", but let the matter drop as the two units reported to Comm Officer Big Bang for their next mission. The two teams were being assigned to a civilian historical dig in Median to assist in demolition and excavation, as part of Magnum's ongoing efforts to curry favor with the civilian council (and keep them from interfering in more serious Guard business).

The diplomatic cakewalk soon turned out to be anything but. The historians expected to be under siege soon by a gang of Decepticon wannabes, who wanted the prize of their research: an urn containing the Heart of the Dragon. According to uncovered data, the Heart was apparently a spark of unprecedented innate power, able to reformat any normal Cybertronian form it resided in into a living engine of destruction. Dion and the Elite Guard had been requested in order to bolster the meager defensive fortifications that Security Chief Strika had assembled for the historians.

As they prepped the outer wall for attack, Dion engaged in a little star-gazing, dreamily recollecting stories of the Covenant he had heard as a protoform, like when Leonicus and Scorpius battled the dreaded ice demon. Dion drew a few funny looks from his comrades, though, when he started mumbling aloud about how cool Scorpius's fire-breath was. Once the Guard finished their preparations, they separated into two groups to settle in for the Decepticon attack. Dion was teamed with Metalhawk, Swindle, Blast Off, Over-Run, and the eager historian Lancer as the second front. After Onslaught's team wasted Roadgrabber, the Decepticons' advance striker, Dion's unit got the drop on Rage and the Stormtroopers who followed through after Roadgrabber. Rage surprised Metalhawk with his stasis chemical cannon, though, and the Stormtroopers swooped past Dion and the Guard once their leader was rendered inoperative.

The defense of Median turned into a fiasco after that, with casualties on both sides as the archaeometrist Glyph was killed by one of Rage's raiders, Aquablast, who was killed in turn by Lancer. Rage got away with the Heart, though, and the Elite Guard soon tracked him back to his mobile fortress, the Metrotitan. The Guard were assaulted by Rage's stable of Minotorons, cybernetic mechanimals of great size and poor disposition. Dion came up with the idea of using the Tressian Kajiga-whatsits Swindle have scavenged earlier to overwhelm Buffalo Dump and the bulls with amplified sound. His plan was successful and the Minotorons were sent retreating back to the Metrotitan.

Thinking quickly, Dion, Swindle and Blast-Off lept into the rear pails of the fleeing mechanimals, gaining quick and easy access inside the Metrotitan. Using his duro lifters and booster units, Dion broke out of the pens and helped his fellow Autobots make their way inside. By this point, however, Rage had already installed the Heart of the Dragon's laser-core in a new body, birthing the powerful (if micro-sized) Brimstone. The Elite Guard played cat-and-mouse with the dragon inside Metrotitan until a combination of Ironfist's explosives cache and the dragon's own atom-smashing flame breath destroyed Brimstone from the inside out. Flames of Yesterday

Dion's strike team continued to work with the Combaticons over the following weeks, and the two groups began to gel well together. After several successful missions, they separated after eliminating the Decepticon faction leader, Shadowcaster. The Coming Storm: Part 3 Immediately the Combaticons disappeared, and Dion's team was ordered to try to hunt them down wherever they may be. Their search took them into some very unglamorous places, which Dion felt was a waste of time. He complained to Metalhawk that their search in the wastelands was a waste of time, which his commander agreed with, but reminded him was nevertheless an order. It was then that the team was approached by a demented Empty which spoke cryptically of a "coming storm" where "rain will fall down" and the "thunder will deafen you" and where the "lightning will burn." After a bit of this, Dion's team grew weary of the Empty and left him.

But who'll bring the potato salad?

But the Empty spoke true. Sentinel Major sent their team a distress call, as their Elite Guard headquarters was under attack. Metalhawk ordered his team back to base, where they met up with Ricochet on the outer skirts of the battle. He showed them a video feed of the battle's epicenter, where, bogglingly, the Combaticons had switched their allegiance to the Decepticons and had sieged the Elite Guard. Dion remarked that the group looked a little different than before, and, sure enough, the reason for this was revealed when the five Combaticons combined for the first time into the super robot Bruticus, crushing Sentinel Major to death in his mighty fist. The Coming Storm: Part 5

Metalhawk led Dion and the others deep into the battle to assist the dwindling members of the Elite Guard. Dodging the flung body of Crosscut, Dion finally made it to Bruticus, who was massacring his opponents. His teammates Over-Run and Ironfist met their end at his hands, which prompted Metalhawk to consider retreating and regrouping. Dion disagreed. He was a member of the Elite Guard! They fight and never retreat! He vaulted himself onto Bruticus in vehicle mode, transformed, and then repurposed the prophesy of the deranged Empty as he fired his arm-mounted weapons into the super robot's face: "While your boots may thunder, brute... I have the lightning!" Bruticus was blinded, forcing the combiner to separate, but not before he swatted Dion away, under a collapsing building. While the Combaticons retreated, Dion removed himself from the detritus, the lone survivor. The Coming Storm: Part 6

Following the massacre, Dion was repaired by Ratchet and Paradron Medic. (Dion was unaware that his personal story was being used elsewhere by an imposter to pick up chicks.) When Dion regained functionality, he regrouped with the few surviving members of the Elite Guard under Magnum, who planned to present them all to the Autobot High Council as living proof that the Elite Guard still had life in it. Unfortunately, as soon as they arrived in the Citadel, they were witness to the reins of the new Autobot military being given instead to the council's pet hero, Optimus Prime. Battle Lines, Part 1

Magnum took his team looking for Deathsaurus's base, though Dion thought it felt like they were doing something illegal. They stopped off at the Elite Guard Auxiliary Weapons Locker for weapons and to pick up a few extra members. Battle Lines, Part 2 In short order, they found themselves under attack from Deathsaurus's troops, including the Combaticons. Thunder Clash told them to keep the Combaticons apart, something Dion thought was easier said than done. He was further perturbed when Swindle tried to sell him guns in mid-battle. As the Combaticons formed Bruticus, they were promptly blasted and Dion could only gape disbelievingly at Battle Lines, Part 3 Ironfist, Big Bang, Rumbler, and Sprocket. To Dion's delight, they'd survived the massacre at Elite Guard HQ. Once they joined the fight, Dion attempted to attack Swindle, only to be hit from behind by another Decepticon. Battle Lines, Part 4

Back at base, he, Big Bang, and Thunder Clash wondered why the Gyronian Sentry Team hadn't arrived with the Combaticons yet, only to discover that the Sentry Team had been AWOL for the last decacycle. A week later, he interrupted a conversation between Magnum and Optimus Prime to report that the Decepticons were massing at the edge of Iacon city. He and the two commanders watched in shock as Devastator broke through the city wall. Battle Lines, Part 5

I'm dyin' here!

Devastator advanced effortlessly through the Autobot ranks. Dion was a quick thinker and suggested everyone aim at Devastator's knees. This separated the titan, and Magnum commended his excellent strategy, adding that some day Dion would be a "great Magnum." Even with Devastator down, the Autobots still had Megatron to deal with. With a blast of his fusion cannon, he destroyed Magnum and would have also destroyed Optimus Prime if Dion hadn't taken the shot meant for him.

Though both Magnum and Dion fell, the Autobots were ultimately victorious. In the wake of their victory, Alpha Trion did what he could for Magnum and Dion, but he told Optimus Prime only one of them could survive their wounds. One died and the other was rebuilt into Ultra Magnus. Battle Lines, Part 6

Ask Vector Prime

When asked if Dion was rebuilt into anyone, Vector Prime replied "Which Dion? Celine Dion? I loved Titanic." The AllSpark Almanac II

Games

Transformers Legends

Dion was a dock worker who was friends with the archivists Orion Pax and Ariel. He and his friends encountered a group of time-traveling Aerialbots, after which Dion was attacked by Decepticons who were seeking to prevent Pax's ascension to Autobot leader. Golden Age

Transformers: Battle Tactics

WhY mY hEaD hUrT?

Dion participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He could be recruited during the October Daily Campaign by collecting 20 Alpha cores, 20 Beta cores, 20 Omega cores, and 10 cores of this character. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Who is Dion?

Nobody ever suggests the purple guy got rebuilt. Poor purple guy.

Orion Pax and Ariel are rebuilt into Optimus Prime and Elita One, respectively, so for decades many fans speculated that Dion was also rebuilt into a familiar character. However, there are no hints within the episode itself, other than that Dion is Orion's best friend. Regardless, the fandom loves its patterns, and thus the most popular suggestions were Ironhide and Ultra Magnus. Others claimed the debate was irrelevant, believing Dion most likely died and was inconsequential (the script has Megatron expressly call for their "permanent" deactivation before they are shot), and possibly a casualty that hit close to home in Optimus Prime's early years as Autobot leader. After all, no specific mention is made of him in the episode after he is shot, but Ariel is mentioned repeatedly.

The reason for this is that writer David Wise originally intended for both Ariel and Dion to die in order to add some weight to the episode. Upon reading the script for "War Dawn", colleagues of Wise made the connection between Ariel and Elita One (a character whom David Wise did not know of) as a love interest of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime.^[2] This ended up saving Ariel's life in the final product, as it was an obvious idea to have her rebuilt into a soldier alongside Orion. Any similar connection for Dion was never made.^[3]

Twenty-five years after the episode aired, Hasbro weighed in on the question. When asked point-blank what Dion's fate was in an online Q&A session, their response included the following unequivocal statement: "Dion was never rebuilt into any other character."^[1]

Wings Universe, a continuity very similar to the original cartoon ("different enough to allow us some leeway in the overall story telling"),^[4] at first makes the wild assertion that Dion is... Dion (and definitely not Ironhide). Later, in "Battle Lines, Part 6", both Dion and another robot, Magnum, are critically wounded, and the story is ambiguous which of the two is rebuilt by Alpha Trion into Ultra Magnus. As a result, the question of "Who is Dion?" becomes instead "Who is Ultra Magnus?" Well played, Fun Publications, well played. A later tweet from Jesse Wittenrich implies Hasbro wanted Dion to be killed off to align with their views, but then since Dion still had a very recent toy, Fun Publications decided to do what they did and "(re)played into the mystery".^[5]

The debate regarding Dion's fate has also been referenced as easter eggs in other media set in other continuities. In the Dreamwave comic, "New World Order", Ultra Magnus leads Security Team Dion, alluding to the connection many fans had drawn between the two.

Toys

Collector's Edition

Friend shot, left to rot; Ultra Magnus, he was not.

• Orion Pax (2-pack, 2005)

• ID number: 67

Dion is an extensively-painted redeco of the Mini Vehicle Wheelie, transforming into a yellow and blue Cybertronic car. His windshield and wheels are cast in transparent plastic, as opposed to the original toy's opaque gray plastic.

He came packaged with Orion Pax and Barrelroller as part of an e-HOBBY-exclusive multi-pack. It shipped to buyers in September 2005.

• More information on Dion at TFU.info
• Orion Pax at TFU.info for the one sentence that makes up Dion's profile

Timelines

FREE ORANGE HOT SHOT

• Dion (Deluxe Class, 2010)

• Accessories: Left & right tailpipe-cannons, 2 "flame" missiles

Timelines "Elite Guard Dion" is a redeco of Henkei! Henkei! Hot Rod (itself a retool of Universe Hot Shot) in orange and blue, transforming from a sleek Audi TT-like hot rod sports car into a fully poseable robot. He comes with "Micromaster" Cop-Tur, a redeco of the gang-molded Mini-Con Jolt, plus two springloaded flamethrowers. In robot mode, these flamethrowers can be mounted on his forearms or pegged into his fists. In vehicle mode, they plug under the vehicle as dual exhaust pipes. Cop-Tur can plug into the back of Dion's vehicle mode spoiler or on Dion's shoulder via his Mini-Con connection point.

Dion doesn't have shoulder pain, but carpal tunnel.

Dion's bio (though not his instructions) also officialized an extra feature originally conceived by fans while playing with the Hot Shot version of the figure: the two chunks of car kibble on his shoulders can be popped off and pegged into the holes in his forearms, creating a pair of "boxing glove"-like fist-weapons. In Dion's case, the bio identifies these as "duro-lifters" used for his warehouse work.

The transformation flaws that plagued the mold are also present in this release.

Dion was free to all Transformers Collectors' Club members who joined before the end of March 16th, 2010. He was the first club exclusive freebie to ditch the small Club Membership card in favor of a larger bio card more in line with those that accompany BotCon exclusives.

• More information on Dion at TFU.info

Legacy

May or may not be continuing the trend of Optimus and his old friend sharing a mold.

• War Dawn 2-Pack (Deluxe Class, 2023)

• Accessories: Blaster, dispenser, left and right backpack cannons
• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Koki Yamada (TakaraTomy)^[6]

Released as part of the "War Dawn 2-Pack" in the Legacy toyline, Dion is a retool of Studio Series Kup, based on Dion's short-lived appearance in the episode "War Dawn". His limbs are attached on 5 mm posts, and can be removed. In addition to the base mold's blaster and dispenser accessories, Dion includes two new cannons that can be mounted on his back, held in his hands, or stored on the bed of his alternate mode.

Dion comes in a 2-Pack with "Erial". The War Dawn 2-Pack was spotted at general retail in Taiwan before any official announcement by Hasbro, and in Gamestops in Canada. It was later made available at Hasbro's off-site "museum" at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, with remainders being made available on Hasbro Pulse afterwards.

The original use of this mold was also redecoed into a more cartoon-accurate version of Kup in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee toyline and was also retooled into "A Hero Is Born" Orion Pax.

Notes

Foreign names

• Japanese: Dion (ダイオン Daion)

References