Defensor (Transformers)

Defensor is a name given to a number of characters from the Transformers toy line and comic series.

Transformers: Generation 1
Generation 1 Defensor is the combined form of the Protectobots, a team of Autobots designed for emergency search and rescue. He was most often pitted against Bruticus, a Decepticon made up of the Combaticons.

Marvel Comics
''The Protectobots appeared in the accompanying Transformers comic by Marvel, although they had a lesser role. They originally appeared in the UK Marvel Transformers comics in a very odd way - as part of a dream sequence. In previous stories, Optimus Prime had transferred part of the Matrix to Buster Witwicky. During a mission, Soundwave detected this and used one of Bombshell's cerebro-shells to tap into his mind. Buster's vision showed the future of the Transformer race - the combiners. The Protectobots and Aerialbots battled the Stunticons and Combaticons in their various combined modes with Shockwave and Prime looking on. This set the wheels in motion for more combiner teams on both sides.''

The Protectobots made their first true appearance in issue 24 of the U.S. Transformers comic, when they and Prime confronted Megatron and the Combaticons at a power plant. The two sides reached an agreement thanks to the human Ethan Zachary, where they would battle it out in the confines of a computer game. Prime and the Protectobots won due to their compassion towards the game's inhabitants, but Prime deemed that he had lost, as he had sacrificed some of them to stop a cheating Megatron, and self destructed. Shortly after, Hot Spot was considered important enough to be one of the Autobots who named Prime's successor.

When Blaster and Goldbug went rogue from the new Autobot regime under Grimlock, the Protectobots were dispatched to bring them in. However, when they reached the used car dealership where they had last been sighted, they encountered the Combaticons. The two teams battled, with the Combaticons only withdrawing after the arrival of Circuit Breaker and RAAT, who captured Goldbug and the Throttlebots. The two teams battled again in pursuit of Blaster, this time as Defensor and Bruticus, with the Decepticon combiner emerging victorious, although Blaster managed to take out the Combaticons.

The Protectobots appeared less after this, as more new characters were introduced. Although they were not seen to be killed by the Underbase powered Starscream, they did not appear again after issue #50. They did, however, reappear in the Transformers: Generation 2 comic. Blades was a member of one of Grimlock's raiding parties (with a notably more callous outlook), while Groove appeared assisting the Aerialbots in a team exercise against Hot Rod and the Dinobots. It is unclear if they survived the final battle against Jhiaxus' forces and the Swarm.

Animated series
Unlike the Aerialbots, Combaticons, or Stunticons, the Protectobots were the only combiner team from the pre-movie episodes that were not given an origin story. They first appeared in the episode "The Revenge of Bruticus," although they were not heavily featured and do not merge into Defensor until the episode "B.O.T", where they battled the Combaticons, with Defensor defeating the Combaticons' combined form of Bruticus. When Bruticus reappeared (having been rebuilt by Swindle after he sold his comrades' parts). Defensor engaged him again and was on the verge of losing when nearby humans used the robot B.O.T to force them to disengage.

Interestingly, they were the only group of Autobots to have a base away from the Ark, they resided in a converted building in a nearby city. Throughout the second and third season, the Protectobots were utilized mainly for assisting human civilians during battles or crisis caused by the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. However, they often were engaged in battle as well both on Cybertron and Earth, including a trip to Unicron's severed head to investigate its reactivation by the ghost of Starscream.

The Protectobot who made the biggest impact on the series was without a doubt their medic, First Aid. It was apparent that he took over the duties as chief medical officer for the Autobots after the death of Ratchet during the movie. This led to another prominent appearance for the Protectobots in the third season episode "The Ultimate Weapon", where First Aid's failure to stop Swindle from stealing Metroplex's transformation cog led to his resignation from the Autobots, leading the other four Protectobots to soldier on, even battling Menasor at one point as Defensor with only one arm. Eventually, after the Autobots stole back Metroplex's cog, Hot Spot convinced First Aid to return, as he was the only one who understood how to install it. He did so, allowing Metroplex to defeat Trypticon. After this the Protectobots were reunited as a team.

Rodimus Prime ordered the team, as Defensor, to be the rear guard as he led a team to retrieve the body of Optimus Prime, in the two part third season finale "The Return of Optimus Prime." Unfortunately, a trap had been sent, and Ultra Magnus and the Aerialbots were quickly infected by the Hate Plague. The Aerialbots, as Superion, engaged Defensor, and rather than waste energy in a futile battle with their comrades, the Protectobots withdrew, but with Superion in pursuit. Defensor attempted to evacuate a bridge in a nearby human city, desperately trying to keep some distance from Superion. They were unsuccessful, however, as Superion was successful at not only infecting Defensor but causing him to split, at which time the mad Protectobots quickly began to fight each other. They were cured along with everyone else when the resurrected Optimus Prime unleashed the power of the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, ending the plague once and for all.

The Protectobots were last seen supporting Ultra Magnus in a last ditch effort to stop Galvatron in the fourth season. They failed and were gunned down. It is assumed that they were restored along with Ultra Magnus when the Golden Age of Cybertron was ushered in.

Dreamwave Productions
Appearing in the Transformers: The War Within series, Defensor came forward to battle Devastator, but was unable to defeat him.

Toys

 * Generation 1 Defensor
 * A Scramble City style combiner.


 * Generation 2 Defensor
 * Prototypes were produced, but not released into general production.

Transformers: Universe (Micromaster)
His official bio states that he views human beings as children, and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their safety.

3H Enterprises
Defensor is one of the many Transformers abducted by Unicron, Defensor was freed by Optimus Primal and his teammates and escaped, though the series ended before he had any more substantial role.

Toys

 * Universe Micromaster Defensor
 * A rerelease of Generation 1 Sixturbo. Only sold as individual robots in the U.S.

Transformers: Universe (Leader)
An entirely new character named Defensor was proposed for the Universe storyline as being from the same alternate Cybertron as Megazarak. The only Autobot to have escaped the wrath of that Decepticon tyrant, he is Megazarak's consuming obsession

Toys

 * Universe Leader Defensor (unreleased)
 * A remold of Transformers: Robots in Disguise Optimus Prime, Defensor had two forms with two different names. With the trailer armor attached, he was Defensor, while the unarmored robot was known as Hot Spot.


 * Universe Leader Midnight Shield Defensor