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Perceptor is a renowned Cybertronian scientist. He craves knowledge. His discoveries have helped his allies on many occasions. His specialties lie in metallurgy, electrical engineering, and other sciences closely related to Transformer physiology though his intelligence has made him reliable in many fields. Though he is an awful bore, but all the Autobots estimate and like him because of his good nature. He is always ready to help and to save everybody (even Megatron himself) whose life is in danger.
Perceptor was voiced in the cartoon by Paul Eiding, who also voiced Colonel Campbell in the Metal Gear series and Max Tennyson in Ben 10.
History[]
Cartoon[]
Season 2[]
Perceptor made his first appearance in "Dinobot Island Part 2" when he assisted Chip Chase at understanding some unusual phenomena occurring in that episode.
His first major role is in "Microbots" when Megatron acquired the Heart of Cybertron, which was decimating the Autobots. He used his shrinking device to shrink himself, Bumblebee and Brawn, so they could infiltrate Megatron's body and disable the Heart of Cybertron, which he later destroyed.
In The God Gambit Cosmos collected data in space on a potential new power source, but was attacked by Astrotrain, Thrust and Starscream. Crashing on the moon Titan, the local priests worshiped the Decepticons as "Sky God'", but rebels were able to reactivate Cosmos and call for aid from the Autobots. Optimus Prime sent Omega Supreme with Perceptor and Jazz. Astrotrain set himself up as the chief god of the moon and forced the natives to gather energy crystals. The trip to Titan drained Omega of most of his energy, but Perceptor and Jazz were able to gather enough crystals to reactivate Omega and defeat the three Decepticons. Vowing to not let the Autobots gain the crystals, Astrotrain set up a chain reaction destroying them. The Autobots aided the natives to escape the explosion and helped them settle in another area of the moon. Perceptor appeared in Cosmic Rust, using a special rust-proof formula on the Statue of Liberty. He was kidnapped by Decepticons to treat Megatron's hideous rusting. He diagnoses it as "Cosmic Rust", and uses some of the formula on Megatron. He himself was also infected, as well as all the Autobots. He and Wheeljack got the Matter Duplicator to duplicate the rust-proof formula, as the key ingredient was extinct. With this, the cosmic rust was gone, and the Autobots were saved.
Season 3[]
Perceptor would continue to appear throughout season 3, acting as Rodimus Prime's scientific advisor. Perceptor was one of the pre-1986 Autobots to survive The Transformers: The Movie, along with Jazz, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Blaster, Cosmos, Seaspray, Beachcomber, Warpath, Powerglide, Omega Supreme, the Aerialbots, the Protectobots, and the Dinobots. His role as chief Autobot scientist meant he could be used instead of either Ratchet and Wheeljack, whose toys had been discontinued; both being killed off in Transformers: The Movie.
In Madman's Paradise, Spike and Carly hosted a banquet for a visiting ambassador. Daniel got bored and wandered off. Grimlock followed him, and they fell into a lost chamber where Quintessons banished their criminals to other dimensions. They slipped through to the sorcerous other-dimensional realm of Menonia, and were tricked into fighting on the Red Wizard's side, only to find out that he was the Quintesson criminal, who overthrew the Golden One. Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw followed, and using Blaster's amplification, they help the Golden One defeat the Red Wizard. With the help of Perceptor, the Autobots and Daniel are returned to Cybertron.
Perceptor last appeared in The Face of Ninjika. Battling over a Quadrant Lock Disc, Autobot, Decepticon, and Quintesson forces cross a rip in space and become trapped there, landing on the planet Zimojin. An inhabitant named Katsudan removes Perceptor's Autobot sigil and uses it as the head and face for an ancient robot named Ninjika, explaining it resembles the missing face of this broken defender.
Perceptor made an appearance in 1989, in Transformers: Victory in Japan. Wheeljack, along with Perceptor and Minerva were called upon to save God Ginrai, who they converted into Victory Leo.
Comics[]
Commanding the Cybertron Seven[]
First appearing in Issue #17, Perceptor was the leader of an Autobot resistance group on Cybertron. He was known to be cautious, which often put him at odds with his more hot-headed second-in-command Blaster. He was frustrated when Blaster carried out an unauthorised raid on Decepticon commander Straxus' base and the rest of their team joined him, but the raid gained the information that Optimus Prime's group of Autobots were alive on Earth.
In order to stop Straxus joining forces with the Earth Decepticons led by Megatron and Shockwave, Perceptor agreed to lead an attack on the new experimental space bridge. The attack was only a qualified success, as they suffered heavy casualties and were only able to damage the bridge temporarily, although Straxus was apparently killed. Trapped on the damaged space bridge, Perceptor, Blaster and the five other survivors crossed it to Earth.
Arriving on Earth[]
Immediately after their arrival, Perceptor and the others came under attack from the human anti-robot organisation RAAT and the obsessed robot hunter Circuit Breaker. Unwilling to use force against humans, they were quickly deactivated and dismantled, later being joined by Skids and the Aerialbots. They were only released because Circuit Breaker needed their help to stop the rampage by the Battlechargers, using parts of the captured Autobots to construct a giant robot battle suit to fight the Decepticons, then keeping her word to restore and release them afterwards.
Skids attempted to guide the newcomers to the Earth Autobots on the Ark but was shunted into limbo by the return of the crazed Decepticon commander Galvatron from the future. Perceptor and Warpath opened fire on the new opponent, but were quickly taken down. The group only survived the encounter thanks to the intervention of first the Dinobots and then the present day Decepticons, with the former guiding them to join up with the Earth Autobots.
Optimus Prime's death[]
Not long after, Optimus Prime was killed. Perceptor took charge in the aftermath, delivering a eulogy at Optimus Prime's funeral. He then called a council of the senior Autobots to select a new leader. The conference was interrupted by Grimlock, who declared himself the only suitable candidate. Perceptor however rejected Grimlock's assertion that strength was the only worthwhile quality. Not long after, the Autobots were attacked by Trypticon, and Perceptor was injured. After Grimlock and the Dinobots helped drive Trypticon off, Perceptor reversed his opinion and endorsed Grimlock as leader.
Grimlock's reign[]
However, Grimlock's tenure turned out to be a disaster, as he showed little interest in either combatting the Decepticons or protecting humans, preferring to pursue personal vendettas. When Blaster, who had deserted to fight the Decepticons on his own terms, returned to the Ark, Perceptor was among the Autobots prepared to support him in deposing Grimlock, but the plan came to nothing when Blaster surrendered to the Dinobots to protect the human children who had helped him. Perceptor later witnessed the duel between Grimlock and Blaster on the moon's surface.
Underbase Saga[]
After Optimus Prime had returned and resumed command of the Autobots, Perceptor was one of the Autobots who accompanied him to the arctic in respone to a distress call from Buster Witwicky. They ended up fighting two factions of Decepticons, with Perceptor coming under attack from Tentakil, until all parties agreed a truce to stop Starscream gaining the power of the Underbase. Perceptor was on board the Decepticons' island spaceship when it was blown apart by the Underbase-powered Starscream, leaving him floating in space. He was deactivated either as a result of that or soon after, since he was seen among the inactive Autobots in Issue #56.
Unicron Trilogy[]
See main article: Perceptor (Transformers Armada)
Note: This Perceptor only shares the name but otherwise has nothing to do with the original character.
Transformers IDW[]
See main article: Perceptor (IDW Comics)
Aligned Universe[]
See main article: Perceptor (Aligned)
Prime Wars Trilogy[]
See main article: Perceptor (Prime Wars Trilogy)
Cyberverse[]
See main article: Perceptor (Cyberverse)
Trivia[]
- According to Paul Eiding Perceptor was voiced with inspiration from C-3PO and The Absent-Minded Professor with a British accent.
- Perceptor was named the oddest thing that G1 Transformers transform into by Topless Robot.