Nosecone (Transformers)

Nosecone is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Autobots who turn into drilling machines.

Transformers: Generation 1
Nosecone is a patient Autobot. He carries an X-Ray laser pistol and two missiles. He is a Scramble City style combiner who can form an arm or a leg, but he usually forms the left leg of Computron. He can also connect to Metroplex.

Reception
Nosecone was named to have the 3rd "shittiest" Transformers disguise by Cracked magazine.

Marvel Comics
The Technobots are among the Autobots who joined Fortress Maximus in leaving Cybertron for the planet Nebulos (Transformers: Headmasters #1). However, a crew of Decepticons under Maximus' rival Scorponok pursue them and the war began anew on Nebulos. Assisting the Autobot Headmasters Brainstorm and Hardhead against the Terrorcons and Horrorcons, the Technobots are first seen combining to form Computron in Transformers: Headmasters #3. They once agan battle the Terrorcons as Abominus, defeating him and forcing the Decepticons to flee. Realising the damage the war was doing, the Autobots, including the Technobots, depart Nebulos for Earth (Transformers: Headmasters #4).

When Maximus' forces link up with the Earthbound Autobots, they encounter resistance from Autobot leader Grimlock, who is unhappy they might resurrect Optimus Prime and topple him.

The Technobots are last seen trying to stop the Underbase powered Starscream in issue #50, as they are all taken out and deactivated. The Technobots are never seen again in the U.S. Marvel Transformers series. While they may have been destroyed by Starscream, many of the other characters he disabled in that issue eventually returned to the series.

Animated series
After biting through a computer's cables located inside Cybertron's core, Grimlock became super-intelligent, and created the Technobots to combat the Terrorcons. The Terrorocons combined into Abominus and to combat him, Grimlock transferred his vast intellect into Computron, the Technobots' combined form. This left Grimlock in the same mental state as before.

The Technobots appear on numerous other occasions, including when they are assigned to destroy a Quintesson base on Mars with the help of Marissa Fairborne. While the Quintessons control the Terrorcons they have them unite into Abominus to face the Technobots. The Technobots quickly form Computron and are successful in defeating the Terrorcons and Quintessons.

The Technobots try to stop the Terrorcons from stealing a special heat-resistant alloy. The two teams merged into their combined forms, but Computron's need to analyse every strategy before committing himself led to Abominus swiftly defeating him.

The Technobots appear in the season 4 episode "The Rebirth Part 1". They are on Earth when the Decepticons attack Autobot City.

Nosecone appears in episode #27 of the Japanese Headmasters series, called "The Miracle Warriors - The Targetmasters (Part 1)." Spike orders the Protectabots, Technobots and Trainbots to destroy the abandoned Decepticon headquarters on Earth. Combined into Defensor, Computron and Raiden the Autobots quickly demolish the building.

Dreamwave Productions
Although Nosecone and the other Technobots received individual biographies from Dreamwave they did not appear in any fiction before the company went out of business.

IDW Publishing
Jetfire and the Technobots appeared working together in IDW Publishing's comic book miniseries, The Transformers: Stormbringer. They investigated a mysterious energy spike on the deserted surface of Cybertron. Jetfire, Lightspeed, Scattershot and Strafe went down to the surface to investigate, but were ambushed and taken out by Bludgeon's troops. Nosecone and Afterburner's ship was shot down, but they managed to launch a distress beacon first and get to an escape pod. The three captured Technobots were cannibalized for their parts, while Bludgeon revealed his true pan — to reanimate Thunderwing. Nosecone and Afterburner were left on the surface on Cybertron, and were about to be killed by Centurion drones when help arrived — the Wreckers, who saved them both. The Wreckers subsequently attacked Bludgeon's cult, and rescued the Technobots. They then helped Jetfire to decode Bludgeon's data, helping shut Thunderwing down for good.

Other media
The Technobots are a favorite toy of the character Lucas in the book The Annoyance Bureau By Lucy Frank.

Toys

 * Generation 1 Technobot Nosecone (1987)
 * An original mold. Nosecone was sold carded by himself or packaged with the other Technobots in a gift set.
 * Knockoffs of this toy were commonly released in a gift pack containing a mixture of Stunticons and Technobots who formed a bizarre Menasor/Computron hybrid toy. This toy was realased in a scaled down version as well.

Transformers: Timelines
This character is one of Optimus Prime's evil Autobots, but secretly loyal to Alpha Trion. He is a mechanical engineer who is very impatient and likes using explosives, often to much for the job at hand. He forms the left leg of Computron.

Fun Publications
Computron was created as a combiner for the Autobots. Although the individual Technobots are all geniuses in their fields, when united they formed a highly ambitious super genius called Computron who suppressed all their individual flaws. In his arrogance Computron attempted to grant enhanced intelligence to Grimlock. The experiment backfired and it brought out the flaws in each Technobot, resulting in insanity for Computron. Optimus Prime enjoyed the new Computron and refused to repair him. Alpha Trion was then able to sway Computron to his side.

The Technobots are among the acolytes of Alpha Trion who respond to his return to their world. When Breakaway, Landquake, Skyfall and Topspin escape Alpha Trion Scattorshot offers to have the Technobots hunt them down, but Alpha Trion instead assigns them to help relocate his base. The four rogue robots are eventually uncovered by Computron. Although Computron chases the quartet, they escape to the Decepticons, and Computron faces off against Abominus.

Toys
No toy has been made for this version of Nosecone. He is depicted as looking similar to the Generation 1 character, but colored like Generation 1 Rippersnapper.