Transformers: Decepticon Dominion
Pre-Existing Characters

Shockwave

"Clarity of thought before rashness of action."

The Guardian of Cybertron, Shockwave is logical, efficient, and a relentless perfectionist. He specializes in maintaining and fortifying all aspects of the Decepticon military, overseeing supply and communication lines as well as weaponry, ships, and bases. He is adept at maximizing available resources and seeking out every possible advantage in any situation. Even though he is most comfortable in his support role, Shockwave is well aware of the contribution he is able to make on the front lines, often overwhelming multiple opponents with his sheer firepower. In person he has a quiet energy and absolute focus on whatever task is at hand, and some who see only this side of him mistake his personality as coldly logical in all things. During the few moments of relaxation he allows himself however, his more sociable nature is evident. Shockwave transforms into a powerful cannon and is capable of emitting many kinds of energy and particle streams in both modes.

Skyjack

"Trust me if you dare!"

Skyjack has cultivated a reputation among the Autobots that he may not be entirely loyal to the Decepticon high command. His teammates know better, but it makes him a highly effective spy. His outwardly easy-going and gregarious nature puts those around him at ease, though he will put a bullet through someone's head without a second thought to protect himself and his secrets. In flight he can activate a cloaking device to conceal himself from Autobot radar; in the air and on the ground he is a lethally accurate sharpshooter.

SunTiger

"There are two types of Transformers: allies and prey."

A lone hunter of the stratosphere, SunTiger is a silent and solitary being who is only peripherally a member of the Cyberjet team. Group leader Skyjack usually lets him go off on his own, as he is most effective there. Adept at using the angle of light to disguise his approach, often seeming to arrow directly out of an ambient glare to tear into an unsuspecting enemy. His engines are nearly silent until he is almost on top of his prey, and then the high-pitched scream and whine of missiles are probably the last thing they hear. Fantastically maneuverable in the air, and seemingly always poised to take off on the ground. He tends to speak very little, but when he does have something to say, his teammates know they'd better listen -- a well-placed observation or word of advice from SunTiger has saved the group from disaster more than once.

Space Case

"Reality is highly overrated."

Space Case is a daydreamer whose mind is always elsewhere. A young warrior fresh out of training, he is full of eager enthusiasm and dedication to the Decepticon cause, but is usually so busy visualizing grand adventures for himself that he misses out on the action around him. When he does keep his mind on the job he is an exceptional skyfighter, fast and maneuverable, and powered by the latest in plasma-engine design which can propel him to speeds of Mach 5. He carries a powerful missile launcher with which to rain destruction down on his enemies. He is enraptured with the idea of glory and honor in warfare, not yet aware of the suffering that goes along with it; he may be in for a rude awakening.

Scorcher

"Where's the fun in flying alone?"

Scorcher is a Decepticon of rapidly fluctuating moods who is prone to fiery outbursts of temper - which are almost as quickly forgotten again. She is also a fun-loving and sociable being who finds nothing more abhorrent than her long solitary reconnaissance forays. Unfortunately, since she was built with this function in mind, she is the logical choice for such missions. Her sense of responsibility usually keeps her mind on the job, but if the silence and solitude overwhelm her, she can get depressive, and careless. Her eagerness to complete her mission and return to her team-mates, can sometimes make for sloppy work. As the only female on the Cyberjet team, she very much wants to prove herself the equal of the males, and berates herself terribly for mistakes - far more so than her superiors do. In such a state she can sink into additional depressions - which rarely last long in the company of others, however. In combat she unleashes incendiary missiles that burst into full-blown firestorms on impact, nicely living up to her name.

Snowscape

"Success is worth nothing without a chance of failure."

Snowscape is superbly designed to operate at temperatures that would freeze other Transformers to immobility. While not as fast as the other Cyberjets, he is exceptionally stable in the air with his mobile wings, which he can tilt to always present a cutting edge to the wind. He can remain in flight during storms that would send other flyers plunging into the ground. He is fitted with sophisticated electrolocation sensors, by which he can read the electromagnetic and gravimetric field of the planet to determine his precise location; he can translate radio signals from others to determine their locations as well. Only in the polar regions of alien worlds does this ability sometimes break down, due to frequent interference from the aurora borealis. But SnowScape actually prefers it this way. The blocking of his normal sensors forces him to rely on instinct, deliberate calculation, and just sheer luck - a concept which he finds exhilarating. He is a risk-taker and a bit of a thrill-seeker who sometimes makes things more difficult for himself than they need to be. He, Space Case, and Scorcher make up the younger, more reckless part of the Cyberjet team, and leader Skyjack sometimes feels they need an unreasonable amount of supervision.

Venom

"Friends are more dangerous than enemies."

Venom is a mistrustful individual who suspects everyone of trying to usurp his rank and status. While he can keep his paranoia under control well enough to be an effective fighter, and can even feign a certain ingratiating charm, he would sometimes like nothing better than to practice his poisonous talents on enemy and ally alike. Only his cautious regard for his commanders and the knowledge that they would disapprove, keeps him from taking "preventative measures" against his team-mates. His stinger can discharge fluids harmful to mechanical and organic life: corrosive acids, destructive catalysts, paralyzing toxins, and others. The stinger can penetrate most steel armor plate, but sometimes gets stuck and breaks off. He carries an electro-blaster in robot mode. His constant search for ulterior motives, often causes him to miss out on obvious offers of assistance and friendship.

Barrage

"Nothing left standing means no future problems."

Simply winning is not enough - this Insecticon's attack continues until the ground is scorched and levelled. A true believer in Survival of the Strongest, he feels that kindness only stirs hope among the vanquished, and granting them a quick death is more honorable. Plus, it insures that nothing survives to later rise up and seek vengeance. Barrage is often assigned on missions with Ransack, as the two Insecticons seem to work well together. In insect mode, he can shoot non-stop explosive charges from his gun mounts, and high energy photons from his antenna, which also functions as a weapon in robot mode. Additionally he carries a set of powerful sonic rifles.

Ransack

"The price of victory is never too high."

A tough-talking, straight-to-the-point Insecticon who believes in getting the job done, no matter the cost. Will level an entire town to hunt down an enemy - sometimes forgetting about the safety of his comrades in the process, until it's almost too late. This makes others reluctant to work with him - except for Barrage, with whom he often forms an effective team. Ransack enjoys the thrill of combat, and is always looking forward to the next battle. In insect mode, he can leap up to 1.5 miles, and his powerful rear legs can shatter foot-thick steel; their vibrations from rubbing can crumble a brick wall. He carries a concussion blaster gun, and his antennae shoot 80kV electricity in either mode.

ChopShop

"I take no prisoners, just spare parts."

This sneaky Insecticon procures valuables not only for the sake of re-stocking the Decepticons' supplies, but also for his own use. If it's not bolted to the floor, it's not safe from his greedy grasp. He considers his task to be an ongoing challenge which he greatly enjoys; the more difficult something is to steal, the more he wants to steal it. But it's not all driven by a selfish motive - many of his catches are put to good use in the repair bay as spare parts. What he can disassemble, he can also reassemble, and this has made him quite skilled at performing repairs. His pincher-like antennae can slice through all but the thickest steel armor plate. He fires twin pinpoint lasers from his eyes, and carries a photon cannon in robot mode.

Colossus

"I will not rest until the last Autobot is crushed to nothing and Decepticons rule."

Colossus at first seems a calm and reliable individual, a strong leader who guides his territory with a steady hand and no unneccesary dramatics - and in fact this is true, but it is only one aspect of his nature. In truth his whole being is dedicated to vengeance; his underlings can only guess at what crime the Autobots must have committed against him, for he will not speak of it. Rather he gathers his loathing into himself and lets it simmer, in order to release it as a terrifying force on the battlefield. There he plows through any enemy foolish enough to get in his way, crushing them relentlessly under his massive vehicle mode, or ripping them apart with his bare hands in robot mode. Even his closest advisors give him space when he's in this berzerker mode that knows no fear or retreat, only the thought of annihilation and ultimate victory - but it's precisely this unstoppable onslaught and the terror that it spawns among the Autobots, that gives his warriors boundless courage to follow him into the fray. As much as he is a nightmare opponent to the Autobots, so his warriors respect his power and determination to an equal degree. Although he is an even- tempered and fair leader in most aspects of his life, he remains somewhat unapproachable on a personal level, trapped as he is in an element of the past that he will not share, and convinced that hatred gives him the strength to do what must be done.

Skyquake

"Only from the sky can we annihilate all enemies in our path."

As second-in-command to Colossus, Skyquake seems to have picked up a hatred of all things non- Decepticon - first and foremost, of course, the Autobots. But unlike his commander, to whom it's an intensely personal issue, Skyquake's loathing of the Autobots is calculating and clinical in its focused single-mindedness, as though it were a mental exercise for his highly versatile mind. He leads Colossus' air forces and is convinced that more effort should be put into air superiority, while Colossus favors crushing assaults on the ground. Skyquake is sometimes at odds with his leader on just how things should be done, but once the final decisions are made, he undertakes his missions with full dedication. In alt mode he is a massively powerful heavy bomber, who directs his smaller, faster underlings on precision strikes until he can arrive at the target and clean up what remains; he and his team retain one of the best in-flight communications systems in the Decepticon forces, and balance one anothers' abilities almost instinctively.

Stalker

"The well-twisted word is mightier than the cannon."

Stalker serves the dual function of heavy-hitting warrior and communicatons expert for Colossus' troops. His approach goes far beyond simply protecting his team's transmissions and blocking enemy signals - his true genius is in manipulating opponents' transmissions in a way that will cause the most possible chaos. He uses his supertech "Garble" system to slyly scramble communications and feed them back to the enemy, then delights in the havoc and confusion he has caused, leaving false clues, double-bluffs, and multiple layers of deception. He's no slouch about following it up with a physical assault either, plowing into battle as a solid four-tracked armored satellite station and rocket launcher. As a robot, he displays impressive hand-to-hand fighting skills, and can fire missile volleys in either mode. His love of word games and manipulation often leads him to put on false pretenses among his own comrades just for the practice of it, and he would not hesitate to blatantly lie to them if he felt it was for their own good. While his loyalties are firmly in place and his talents are appreciated, he sometimes finds himself not entirely trusted.

Falcon

"From above I pinpoint the weakness of those below - and use it against them."

Falcon is the one who leads the smaller air warriors of Colossus' realm when Skyquake sends them on ahead to use their greater speed to an advantage. The other flyers look to him for guidance nearly as much as they do to Colossus and Skyquake. He acts as almost an extension of the Air Commandant's will, often able to anticipate orders and react to them almost before they're spoken. Like his immediate superior, Falcon is highly intelligent, and even more apt to devise clever plans that involve daring risks with the promise of tremendous pay-offs. It's only when his all-consuming loathing of his enemies gets the better of him, that he may give in to letting his emotions guide him into battle - and in such situations he may get into more trouble than he can handle, especially if he finds himself fighting on the ground, where he is out of his element.

Talon

"Don't get me mad ... when I get mad, I get even."

Falcon and Skyquake understand well how to turn Talon's nasty temper into a battle rage that can throw the enemy off-guard early, leaving the remaining members of the team to follow up with a more deliberate, targeted attack. Talon is incredibly strong and impervious for his size, which is lucky for him because he's not the brightest light in the sky - but he's effective at what he does, making him a valuable member of the team. He plummets down from great heights toward targets which he has picked out from afar with his heightened vision, and then wipes them out with a relentless stream of plasma fire and hail of missiles. When not in battle, his tendency to be irritable can generally be diverted without much problem by the smarter members of the group.

Snare

"Fear? What's fear? It's all fun to me."

Snare is an eccentric loner intent on wringing as much enjoyment as possible out of life. Enjoyment, to him, means long solitary forrays through the sky, punctuated by whirlwind attacks on the enemy, unexpected strafing dives on targets caught out in the open, and even startling the occasional Decepticon outpost with a dangerously close flyby. Fear is an utterly foreign concept to him - he lives for the moment, with the vague notion of someday, inevitably, coming to a glorious hero's end. It's not that he's fatalistic, nor that he lacks a sense of self-preservation, but he's unwilling to let petty fears and worries keep him from living every moment to its fullest. Therefore he's entirely willing to take grand risks and doesn't especially mind the thought of dying spectacularly in battle, as long as he's had his fun along the way. For all his carefree nature, however, he is exceptionally alert and dedicated in his role as a sentry, and very little escapes his notice during his patrols. His deadly and streamlined jet plane mode is enhanced by long- distance sighting capabilities, and he attacks in both modes with a rocket launcher.

Skydive

"The science of war is the highest form of art."

Immerses himself in the science of battle, to the point where even his team-mates consider him distant and out of touch - until he surfaces from his seclusion with the brilliant strategy that saves the day. His cold, calculating demeanor is in truth a way of keeping others distant -- others who would distract him from his true passion, his studies and planning. Though he would never let on, he does take pride in seeing his schemes carried out and succeeding - and on occasion will be inspired to step onto the battlefield himself in order to "show the others how it's done." In the air or on the ground, he strikes with icy-calm clinical precision, making it clear that he's not only an abstract strategist, but a warrior to be taken seriously. In addition, his technical skills double as much-needed repair services in Colossus' realm.

Fearswoop

"Let terror reign in the skies - and show no Autobot mercy."

Formerly a gladiator in the State Games alongside some illustrious team-mates, Fearswoop dropped out of sight for many years, eventually turning up in Colossus' realm to join the warlord's aerial legions. It was there he discovered his true gift for battlefield improvisation. While at first glance he is a preening, typically self-important and arrogant "elite flyer", Fearswoop in fact has an incisive mind, and is someone who is not content to mindlessly follow orders, but is forever seeking ways to implement them in ever more effective ways. When his strategies work, and don't overstep his commanders' authority too blatantly, he garners a lot of recognition - but when he strays too far afield, he can find himself in trouble with his superiors. He has recently been fitted with the latest in stealth technology, which he utilizes brilliantly to its absolute fullest effect, having developed a technique of disorienting his opponents by repeated appearances and disappearances from sensors. When his stealth mode is engaged, his bright-yellow coloring changes according to the background, to continuously blend in with his surroundings. As a fighter craft, he attacks with his wing-mounted tracer missiles, which he fires in robot mode from a handheld launcher. His former training makes him more capable than most flyers in ground-based hand-to-hand combat, a fact that often comes as a lethal surprise to his opponents.

Double Punch

"Tomorrow's victories are built upon today's vigilance."

Forged in the fires of Cybertron's remote smelting pits, Double Punch can withstand extremes of heat and radiation that would fry neurocircuitry and melt other Transformers into their component metals. Appropriately enough, one of his weapons is a firebolt cannon that shoots scalding bursts of flame - but he is at his most dangerous in his scorpion-like alt mode, which he prefers to his robot form. Like some ambush-predator of the wastelands, he can lurk motionless for days at a time, and then explode into ferocious action when he sights a target. As a border guard in Colossus' realm, he is the last line of defense against any invader that somehow manages to limp through the contaminated Radlands. Almost nothing can get past him that does not end up torn asunder in his powerful claws. His tail can deliver killing doses of corrosive venom. Cunning and cynical by nature, Double Punch relishes his long periods of isolation, during which he can craft his grand plans for the future, and dream of whatever ambush-predators dream.

Thunderwing

"Empires are gained and lost on a moment of opportunity."

Quite literally created to command, Thunderwing is supremely confident in his ability to do so - a confidence that automatically inspires others to trust in him as well. Convinced that he has an important role to play in history, to provide a benefit that only he can offer the Decepticons, he seeks to take his place among the great leaders of the past and future. Physically swift and powerful in both robot and gunship modes, highly educated in history and the arts and sciences of war, and always open to the innovative, he presents a fine balance of self-controlled discipline and passionate inspiration. Possessed of an infinite patience and keen observational skills, he will lurk in wait for the single perfect opportunity, then strike with blinding speed, willing to commit the entirety of his resources to the pursuit of a vital goal - a strategy that has won him many struggles just on the overwhelming unexpectedness of his attack, but one that may leave little in reserve for a fallback position at some future time. He has an uncanny ability to sense "energy readings", be they from inanimate phenomena or living beings - something that gives him both a potential edge in the form of a warning signal, and a potential vulnerability to be drawn to that which he may not be able to handle.

Spinister

"Underestimate no one - enemy or ally."

Spinister is the mysterious and taciturn second-in-command of Thunderwing's forces. While he shares little of his personal nature with his comrades, his actions reveal his dedication and sense of responsibility toward the troops. Reliable and loyal by nature, it takes a lot to disillusion him in a superior, but he does take it upon himself to point out faulty reasoning and potential pitfalls to any course of operations. If necessary, he will step forward and act in the best interest of the team, above and beyond the consideration of his own safety. In helicopter mode, his infrared attack sensors help him achieve target locks while spinning through gyrating aerial acrobatics. His cloaking system allows him to appear and startle unwary Autobots, then circle back and attack them while they're off guard.

Needlenose

"The fashion of the future is called Decepticon."

Needlenose calls himself "the coolest Decepticon ever to crush an Autobot." Likes to keep up with the latest fads and popular styles in alt mode design and color scheme, but none the less he often feels as though he doesn't quite fit in, as though he were an outsider in the group - despite the fact that the others don't regard him as such. He deflects this sense by putting on an air of "coolness" - but is sometimes so busy at it that his battle technique emphasizes style over substance. His engineering skills allow him to do a lot of cosmetic tinkering on himself, but his abilities also have their non-frivolous use, since he serves as a repairs specialist to Thunderwing's troops. If he were completely honest with himself, he would admit that he considers the lives of the others of higher value than his own.

Windsweeper

"Uninvited guests soon become smoldering wrecks."

Windsweeper's job is to scour the sky and keep Thunderwing's territory clear of invaders. His long-range infrared scanners can zero in on a single bolt amidst a mountain of wreckage, and his double target-locking laser cannons make short work of any unauthorized object in the sky - be that an enemy Autobot or a non-sentient atmospheric probe. High intensity heat generators in his wings enable him to sear through solid steel. Perfectionistic and meticulous, he strives for a certain orderliness in all things, and is forever pushing himself to improve his aerial skills. His intolerance for the shortcomings of others can make for occasional friction with his team-mates.

Ruckus

"I take a licking and keep on kicking."

Ruckus always looks like he just lost a demolition derby - loose armor panels, leaking fuel, rattling and clattering noises at every movement. Getting patched up after a battle is just one of those things that slips his mind, perhaps because he lived so long in the Empty Lands that he's used to ignoring a considerable amount of damage. In his early days, looking for a way to a better future, he offered his services as a courier to Megatron, at the time still a minor regional warlord. Powered by sheer determination, he once arrived with one particularly important message, leaking from half a hundred wounds and ready to fall apart, but with his message intact. Megatron was so impressed by his courage that he commissioned a re-build and instated Ruckus fully into the ranks of Decepticon warriors. Ruckus has since repaid Megatron's faith in him by an unwavering dedication to the cause. Eventually ending up under Thunderwing's command, Ruckus has proven himself to be a devastating warrior who barrels into combat without fear of damage, since he's already in such a state of disrepair. His favorite technique is to ram his enemies and then run them over with his spike-studded tires. He can also emit viscous oil slicks that send pursuers into a tail spin, and is armed with heavy- duty rocket launchers that fire mercury tipped explosives.

Calcar

"By learning from our past, we will claim our rightful future."

Calcar is a walking historical archive who carries within his photographic memory every step of every Decepticon battle ever fought - or at least, so he will claim, and not without some justification. Unlike some armchair strategists, Calcar applies his vast knowledge directly in combat situations, with chillingly lethal effects. Even his defeats and setbacks become fodder for his constantly re-calculated battle strategies, and he takes them in stride as lessons, so as never to make the same mistake twice. In a ceaseless quest to add to his records of Decepticon combat history, he will take every opportunity to question others about their battle experiences. He's just gathering important knowledge, of course, but his conversation partners often feel like they're under interrogation. As a tough all-terrain vehicle, Calcar defends himself and his comrades with a roof-mounted, four-barrelled tracer missile launcher. This detaches as a handheld launcher for his use in robot mode.

Crankcase

"It's not as bad as it seems - it's worse."

Nothing is ever good enough for this griping, grumbling ingrate. The worse things get, the happier he is, since his only enjoyment seems to come from complaining about everyone and everything. He'd be intolerable except for his valuable skills; when working, he does drop the constant whining and focuses in on his job. His specialty is the analysis of enemy innovations which might be adapted for Decepticon use. His infrared probes penetrate and analyse enemy circuitry, and feed the information back to his vast memory storage capacity. His shell-resistant armor allows him to plow into an active battle situation to seek out fallen Autobots for examination, and he defends himself with two high-impact laser blasters and a distortion modulator that scrambles cerebral impulses. He gets decidedly nervous when things run too smoothly - because surely, the next disaster is building up like a storm just over the horizon.

Nightracer

"Success is the only self-promotion that's required."

Sleek, efficient, and deadly-accurate, Nightracer is one of the best sharpshooters of all the Transformers. She is cool and imperturbable in even the worst battle situations; almost nothing can rattle her composure.  Other Decepticons admire her skill, but are put off by her aloof manner, which is often mistaken for arrogance.  Nightracer is not really arrogant; in fact she disdains those who brag about their skill. She simply knows she's the best gunner around, and sees no reason to either promote or downplay the fact. She prefers to avoid the complexities and entanglements of getting close to others, and forms few personal attachments. Nightracer's handgun splits apart into one rear-mounted and two forward-mounted swiveling cannons in her aerodynamic racecar mode - firing rapid highly disruptive blasts, machine-gun style, that can cut enemies to pieces and shatter walls or other obstacles in her way, and spewing an extremely flammable and slippery chemical, followed by firebolts that can ignite the path behind her into a roaring wall of flame.  Her vision has a normal and a telescopic mode for tracking distant moving targets. Nightracer is extremely fast as a ground vehicle, and is adept at lightening turns.  However, her vehicle mode is not designed for rough terrain, which can damage her suspension and can cause her to flip over when making turns at high speed. If she must alternate too often between normal and telescopic vision, she is subject to dizzy spells and severe headaches.

Turbo Master

"To control the sky is to control the world!"

Turbo Master lives by the philosophy that supreme domination is only achieved by gaining absolute control of the sky. He will stop at nothing to vanquish an opposing force, to the point of foolish courage; his battle tactic is to strike the enemy hard and fast, unleashing a barrage of bombs and lasers, sparing no one. Never satisfied with victory alone, he always strives for complete and utter annihilation of an adversary. Turbo Master likes to handle dangerous missions alone, unencumbered by the need for instructing others or acting with their safety in mind. In his spare time he enjoys field-testing newly- developed weapons on straggling Autobots caught out in the open, or practicing his technique with his slashing sawblades. He converts into an overpowering, dual propeller vertical take-off plane which makes up in maneuverability what it lacks in speed.