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Japanese Transformers: Super God Masterforce

There's a lot of stuff left out, particularly during the series synopsis. However, this is due to the lack of an episode guide or existing description of Masterforce on the web. If you have information that isn't represented here, please send it in! Go to the Contact page and get on it!

General information:

The next Transformers show after the TF: Headmasters series was Transformers: Chohjin Masterforce ("Chohjin" meaning, "Super God" or "Super Power"). This series introduces the Transformer Pretenders and the Godmasters (Powermasters in America; the term "God" is meant to infer power, not deity). The setting for this story is, primarily, the Earth and it's moon. One of the major plot devices in the series is the presence of the Masterforce energy. This energy is imbued by the Masterforce bracelets and allows humans to conjure a robotic exosuit around them and transform into a head or engine of a Transformer body. It also allows a heightened psychic ability, which was what controlled the robot and allowed for limited telekinesis (if you don't know what I mean by this, just think of Darth Vader making things fly toward you at will).

At first, the story centers around the Destron and Cybertron Pretenders finding various Headmaster and Godmaster transtectors, whose origins are unknown at first. They are on Earth, but are difficult to find since they are all in their alternative modes and are being used by humans. These people either know or come to know about the Transformanian (sorry, my word...) nature of their vehicles and become their symbionic partners when the time comes for them to fight. They have the Masterforce bracelets on their wrists that, when hit against each other and the word "Masterforce" is shouted, unleash Masterforce energy and enable them to transform.

There are several things to note about this series. First, the Pretenders are human sized, which makes a lot more sense than the American versions, which were around the size of a typical Transformer. When they release their robot form, it assumes typical Transformer size (as seen with Megatron and Soundwave's alt-to-robot form size changes). Secondly, as seen in Headmasters, there was/is no Nebulos, so the people in control of the transtectors are Earth-grown humans, but unlike Headmasters these symbionts were not robotic. Third, Ginrai is not Powermaster Optimus Prime. While the resemblance is striking, there is no relation between the two characters.

Most Transfans who have seen the Japanese episodes will say that Masterforce was much better than Headmasters, due to the more advanced (more present?) plot lines, human interest factor, and fine animation. The humans are a driving force behind this series, which automatically makes it completely different from any other Transformer series. In fact, besides the Destrons, the Cybertrons aren't really a factor, since the Cybertron *masters are piloted by the humans.

Series synopsis:

At the end of Headmasters, a group of Cybertrons were left behind on Earth to protect it in the event the Destrons return. The mysterious Destron leader, Devil Z, arrives on Earth in a search for transtector robots. The two factions clash, and begin competing in the hunt for transtectors.

With the Destron Godmasters, Pretenders, Junior Headmasters, and Seacons, Devil Z had an advantage over the Earth bound Metalhawk, who only had the Cybertron Pretenders and Junior Headmasters to fight for him. However, this changed when Ginrai (Hi-Q), an average truck driver, found himself in a truck that happened to be a Godmaster transtector.

After the discovery of the Godmaster bracelets, the Cybertron Pretender Diver (Waverider) attempted to enlist Ginrai's aid, but the tractor trailer forced itself off a road and into a cliff. When Buster and Hydra came by and attacked Diver following the crash, Ginrai accidentally touched the Godmaster bracelets together, causing him to transform into his truck's engine and enabling him to fight off the Destrons as Godmaster Ginrai (Powermaster Optimus Prime [cab]). Even though Ginrai didn't commit to the Cybertron cause then, he did soon thereafter when a friend of his was murdered by the Destrons in a search for his transtector. At sometime later in the series, Ginrai finds a special trailer that he learns to combine with when confronted by King Poseidon (Piranhacon) and transforms into Super Ginrai (Powermaster Optimus Prime [combined form]). He also confronts Sixknight (Quickswitch) at this time, who he fights to submission and causes to join the Cybertrons.

However, Overlord was introduced soon afterward; Mega and Giga built Overlord as a new Godmaster robot that was formed from Mega's reconnaisance jet and Giga's tank. Overlord was the most powerful character around for awhile; having easily defeated Super Ginrai. BlackZarak arrived from space to claim Destron leadership but was defeated by Devil Z, who inhabited his body from then on. Grand Maximus, the large transtector of the Cybertron Pretender Grand, who was the younger brother of Fortress from the Headmasters series, made his initial appearance, after Grand gave MetalHawk the schematic to build Godbomber, a trailer extension and armor upgrade for Ginrai. Godbomber was able to merge with Super Ginrai to form God Ginrai, the most powerful Cybertron in the series.

Late in the series, Devil Z used his power to cut transtectors off from their human symbiont and disrupted the Cybertron *masters and Overlord's control over their Transformer bodies. With Sixknight's sacrifice, Ginrai was able to find and rescue the new Cybertron defect, Overlord; and the Cybertron Junior Headmasters were able to re-animate Godbomber. However, when Ginrai and the Junior Headmasters combined their Masterforce energy together to reform and control God Ginrai remotely, they were able to defeat Devil Z once and for all.

Character notes:

A number of notable characters appeared in the series.

• The Pretenders in Japan were Transformers who assumed a small size comparable to a human's. When they shed their human form, the robot rescales its size to that of a normal Transformer. This process is similar, if not the same technique used by Megatron, Soundwave, and the like in earlier, more well known versions of the Transformers cartoon. The composition of the shell is a mystery; whether they are a "suit"/actual shell or a hologram over their robot form is unknown at this time. (As usual, if you know about this, let me know.) The Cybertron band of Pretenders is made up of Metalhawk, Diver (Waverider), Lander (Landmine), Phoenix (Cloudburst), and Grand; these were the first defenders of Earth from the Destrons. Diver, Lander, and Phoenix's toys were released in the U.S., but Metalhawk, the Cybertronian leader, is a character whose toy was never released in America and had a Pretender shell made of die cast metal. The Destron group is composed of Blood (Bombburst), Dowlos (Skullgrin), and Gilmer (Submarauder). They were part of the initial wave of Destron forces at the beginning of Masterforce. They played little role in the series.
• The Godmasters are a group of people who have the ability to become the engines of their respective transtectors and command great power. The Cybertron Godmasters are Lightfoot (Rev/Getaway), Ranger (Hotwire/Joyride), and Road King (Lube/Slapdash), who all tranformed into cars. The Destron Godmasters are Buster (Hi-Test/Dreadwind) and Hydra (Throttle/Darkwing); two German brothers who were Destron agents and the first humans to have transtectors. These two troublemakers were very powerful when the series started. The two jets they transformed into could merge and form Darkwings (Dreadwing). They became less important later on, since they couldn't compete with the heavy hitters in the series (Ginrai, Overlord, Black Zarak, and Grand Maximus). The transtectors were changed into free-thinking Destron warriors near the end of the series.
• The Seacons introduced in Masterforce are based on the same Seacon toys that were released in the U.S., but in the Japanese show the only one capable of free thought was Turtlar (Snaptrap). The other Seacons (known in the U.S. as Nautilator, Overbite, Seawing, Skalor, and Tentakil) were more like the old Insecticons in that they were a swarm of many mindless clones. None of these guys transformed into their robot forms in Masterforce, either (and if you've seen their toy robot forms, you probably know why...ack!). Turtlar was able to merge with any five unique drones to form King Poseidon (Piranhacon.) Aside from being a mindless horde of Destron drones, the only real remarkable thing they did was nearly killed Ginrai before he discovered the ability to form Super Ginrai.
• Ginrai is the pivotal character in this series. Once again I stress that, even though his transtector looks almost exactly like Optimus Prime, it is not. One way of illustrating this is by pointing out that Ginrai is a young man with a short fuse. When he finds his trailer he becomes able to transform into Super Ginrai, which is almost like a completely new and much more powerful robot in comparison to the original robot form. Another thing to note about Ginrai is Godbomber, which is built by the Cybertrons using plans provided by Grand. This support trailer and robot drone enables Ginrai to form God Ginrai, a heavily armored, stronger, and faster version of Super Ginrai.
• Overlord is a Destron Godmaster who was built by the two highest ranking humans in the Destron Army, Mega and Giga. They are a husband and wife that work for the Destrons and eventually build themselves a transtector body using knowledge gained from building Buster and Hydra's transtectors. Overlord is a double Godmaster formed from Mega's recon jet and Giga's attack tank. This Destron is very strong and has enormous firepower, with rocket launchers and tank ordinance galore; they were so powerful in this form that they crippled Super Ginrai and put him out of action for a while!
• The Junior Headmasters
were a group of human children in their early teens who were entrusted with their own transtectors. The Cybertron Headmaster Jrs. were Shuta (Siren), Cab (Hosehead), and Minerva (Nightbeat), and the Destron Headmaster Jrs. were Wilder (Fangry), Bullhorn (Horri-bull), and Cancer (Squeezeplay). The Cybertron HM Jrs. were given their transtectors early in the series by Metalhawk, and appeared throughout the rest of the series. In the final battle, they used their ability to control Godbomber with their Masterforce powers and used the powerful drone to fight Devil Z. The Destron HM Jrs. were a bunch of young thugs who joined the Destrons it for the promise of power. Near the end of the series, they defected to the Cybertrons due to the contempt displayed to them by Devil Z. As a result, Devil Z severed their contact with their transtectors and made the robots independently thinking Destron warriors.