Chromedome
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chromedome is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers universes.
Contents |
[edit] Transformers: Generation 1 (1987)
| Transformers character | |
 Chromedome Box Art |
|
| Chromedome with Sytlor | |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Autobot  |
| Sub-Group | Headmasters |
| Rank | 7 |
| Function | Computer Programmer |
| Partner | Stylor |
| Motto | "A battle plan is only as good as its programmer." |
| Alternate Modes | Cybertronian Car, possibly meant to be a modified Lamborghini Silhouette. |
| Series | Transformers: Generation 1 |
| Voiced by | Frank Welker (Chromedome, English) Charlie Adler (Stylor, English) Hideyuki Hori (Japanese) |
Chromedome is an Autobot introduced in the 1987 Headmasters sub-line of Generation 1. He has the Headmaster partner Stylor and he turns into a Cybertronian car.
Chromedome is incredibly skilled and intelligent. In car mode, Chromedome's twin fuel-injected, turbo-charged, side-mounted engines give him a maximum speed of 478 mph on a flat road His range is 630 miles. His hood-mounted infrared rangefinder automatically targets his roof mounted dual lasers, which he also uses in robot mode.
Chromedome does not travel well on rough surfaces in car mode. Stylor's preoccupations with himself often impede Chromedome's effectiveness, particularly during combat.
In Japan a prototype of Chromedome repainted as Headmaster Arcee was made, but the toy was never released.
[edit] Animated series
Chromedome first appeared in the episode Rebirth Part 1.
Decepticons successfully stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber and opened the ancient device, a group of Autobots and humans included Chromedome were blasted across the galaxy by the energy release, crash-landing on the planet Nebulos. Quickly siding with a group of rebels engaged in a war against the planet's evil rulers, the Hive, they deduced a process by which they could combine the best of their minds and bodies together, becoming Headmasters.
[edit] Headmasters
Whereas "The Rebirth" served as an ending for the cartoon series in the west, in Japan, it was decided to continue producing new episodes. To that end, "The Rebirth" was discarded, and in its stead, a new 35-episode series titled Transformers: Headmasters was created, along with a new Japanese concept for Headmasters which differed distinctly from their Western counterparts. There would be no Nebulons or humans here - instead, the heads were small Cybertronians, and the bodies were lifeless constructs called "Transtectors" to which these small robots connected themselves, and which they controlled. Although the Japanese toyline, like the West, gave the Headmaster components different names to the larger Transtectors the animated series used only one name for both the head and the Transtector.
Four million years ago, Fortress was the leader of one of the many groups of Autobots who fled Cybertron to escape the wars. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when their spaceship crashed on the planet Master, the harsh environments of which killed many members of the crew. In order to survive the dangers inherent to life on Master, the Autobots created the lifeless bodies known as Transtectors, and underwent rigorous training to master the transformation technique and merge with them. Their training also allowed them to developed considerable mental powers such as telepathy and telekinesis.
However, a member of the group known as Zarak chaffed under Fortress's leadership, and he and three of the Headmasters loyal to him turned on him, only to be defeated and forced off of Master. Zarak subsequently teamed up with Decepticon leader Galvatron, and when they attacked Cybertron in the year 2011, Fortress and his men - Chromedome, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow - returned to their home planet aboard Fortress's battleship, Maximus, and joined the war once more.
Chromedome acted as Fortress' second-in-command and had a rivalry with Sixshot, who had killed one of his friends.
[edit] Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
Chromedome appeared in two episodes of this Japanese exclusive series. In episode 4 a recording of Chromedome was shown, and it was explained that he sent the six Transtector bodies who would become the Headmaster Juniors to Metalhawk on Earth. 3 of the Transtectors were stolen by the Destrons. Chromedome's final appearance would be in episode 23, Expose the Destrons' Dark Trap.
[edit] Marvel Comics
Chromedome spent several thousand years crunching numbers at Cybertron's Institute for Higher Programming before a Decepticon attack reduced it to a smoking pile of microchips. Forcibly dragged into the war in this way, Chromedome turned his skills to limiting the potential for violence by reprogramming many of his Autobot colleagues to be able to outsmart their foes, but this only began an ever escalating strategic brain race during which each side furiously competed to apply the latest in software to military purposes.
Disillusioned and frustrated, Chromedome eagerly joined Fortress Maximus's expedition in search of a peaceful world upon which to live. Chromedome was among the Autobots who joined Fortress Maximus in leaving Cybertron for the planet Nebulos. Chromedome was among the Autobots who gave up their heads to the Nebulans in hopes of showing their peaceful intentions (Transformers: Headmasters #1).
Much to his chagrin, the war soon followed him to Nebulos, Chromedome still devotes much of his time to academic pursuits - after all, he now has a whole new world to learn about, but he is also now resigned to the idea that the war with the Decepticons can not be avoided, only won. He's as scholarly and reserved as he ever was, but now he's also a stalwart warrior.
Stylor, Chromedome's binary-bonded Nebulan partner, is more concerned with appearance than warfare. He spends more time primping himself and polishing Chromedome than he does preparing for battle. In Nebulan society circles, he is renowned for his exquisite taste in clothes and dashing good looks. He is not much of a ladies' man, however - few Nebulan women are interested in a guy who tries to look prettier than they do. He's charming, cheery and egotistical. Many suspect the reason Stylor volunteered to become a Headmaster was because it was the fashionable thing to do at the time.
A story told in Marvel U.K. #130-131 called Worlds Apart was set some time during the events of issue #4 of the U.S. Headmasters series. In this story the Decepticons have captured Autobot Targetmasters Crosshairs, Pointblank and Sureshot, supposedly to learn to perfect the Targetmaster process. Autobot Headmasters Brainstorm, Chromedome, Hardhead and Highbrow made their way to the Decepticon headquarters but were attacked by the Apeface, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Snapdragon and Weirdwolf. The Autobots won, perhaps too easily, causing an argument between the Autobots and their Nebulan partners on what to do next. Eventually the Nebulans prevail and they arrived at Scorponok's Fortress of Dispair, where they found both the missing Autobots and a trap set by the Decepticons. Scorponok and his Targetmasters Cyclonus, Misfire, Scourge, Slugslinger and Triggerhappy ambushed the Autobots, who learn the Decepticons actually were having trouble with their Headmasters and needed to capture one of Headmaster Autobots. Scorponok grabbed Highbrow to study and left the others to die, but the Autobots freed their Targetmasters, who helped even the odds. As Highbrow and his partner Gort were having trouble working together, Scorponok learned the importance of compatibility of a Transformer with his binary bonded partner. Chromedome aided Highbrow in realizing it's not compatibility as much as common goals and using the best of both minds which unite a Headmaster team and he was able to help Highbrow's team work together. Together they forced Scorponok to flee.
After Chromedome's appearance in the 4 issue limited Headmasters series he joined the cast of the regular U.S. comic series. He first appeared in issue 38 when Fortress Maximus's crew came to Earth. Chromedome's last appearance in the U.S. Marvel comics was in issue 77.
[edit] Dreamwave Productions
Although Chromedome didn't appear in the Dreamwave Transformers comics before they closed down, Chromedome and Stylor did get a one page biography in their More Than Meets The Eye series.
