List of Transformers: The Headmasters characters

Chromedome is an Autobot Headmaster computer programmer who turns into a car.[1]

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. He is a computer programmer who worked as a number cruncher at Cybertron's Institute for Higher Programming for several thousand years before it was destroyed in a Decepticon attack. Stylor is an egotistical Nebulon more concerned with appearance than warfare.[2]

In the Japanese animated series, Chromedome is the leader the Autobot Headmasters.[3] According to an interview with Kaneda Masumi, Chromedome was chosen to lead the Headmasters in the animated series because he was an automobile like Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime.[4]

Before the war began, Chromedome was a computer programmer. Joining the Autobots after the Decepticons destroyed his workplace, Chromedome served loyally. Eventually, 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). However, greeted with distrust by the local Nebulans, Chromedome was amongst those who removed their heads as a gesture of goodwill. When Scorponok's Decepticons began their attacks, Chromedome joined with Stylor, an appearance obsessed Nebulan, to become a Headmaster.

Chromedome went on to fight in many more battles against the Decepticons, including being lured into a trap at Scorponok's fortress of despair, resulting in a battle with the Decepticon Targetmasters (Marvel U.K. #130-131). Realising the damage they were doing, Maximus' forces fled Nebulos for Earth, with Scorponok's troops in hot pursuit. Chromedome joined up with Optimus Prime's forces on Earth.

He first appeared in issue 38 when Fortress Maximus's crew came to Earth. Chromedome was seen in issue #69 with a leg missing and joking about it with Hot Rod. His last appearance in the U.S. Marvel comics was retreating from Unicron, in issue #75. As he did not appear after this, it is possible he was killed in the battle.

In The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye, Chromedome is one of the prominent characters, and his representation in a same-sex relationship with the Autobot Rewind is remarkable.[5]

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.

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: The 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 chafed 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 established himself as the leader of the group, often impulsively leading them into battle against superior odds.

Chromedome acted as Fortress' second-in-command and had a rivalry with Sixshot, who had killed one of his friends in a previous encounter - a hatred only deepened when the sixchanger killed Ultra Magnus on Earth, and later forced Chromedome himself to kill one of his human friends to save Fortress Maximus. Although the two eventually fought it out, with Chromedome and the other Headmasters battling Sixshot's six modes, a bomb planted by Scorponok to kill Sixshot then detonated, forcing them to work together to save Daniel Witwicky. Chromedome continued to appear, battling the Decepticons under Maximus and even making peace with Sixshot, participating in the final battle against Scorponok's forces. He also displayed an infatuation with Arcee.

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".

Chromedome Headmasters manga #8. In this story Soundblaster remained behind on Earth after the other Decepticons left and he uses Slugfest and Overkill to take Spike, Carly and Daniel Witwicky hostage in his fight against Chromedome. Daniel was able to blind Slugfest and get him to attack Overkill as Chromedome defeated Soundblaster.[6]

Chromedome appeared in the 1988 Ladybird Books story Autobots Strike Oil by John Grant.[7]

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.

Chromedome is a playable character in the Japanese Famicom video game Transformers: The Headmasters.

Chromedome is one of the characters appearing in the unlicensed comic book Transformers Chronicles Book One by Hirofumi Ichikawa.

• Generation 1 Headmaster Chromedome with Stylor (1987)

In Japan a prototype of Chromedome repainted as Headmaster Arcee was made, but the toy was never released.[8][9]

• Generation 1 Kabaya Gum Chromedome with Stylor (1987)

Part of the original gum toy series by Kabaya. Each package comes with a stick of chewing gum and an easy-to-assemble kit. The completed robot looks and transforms almost the same as the larger, original Takara version, but uses black instead of brown as the primary color.[10]

• Generation 1 Lucky Draw Headmaster Chromedome with Stylor (1987)

A Japan-exclusive chrome silver remold of the Headmaster toy, offered in the 1987 Lucky Draw campaign by TV Magazine.[11]

• Generations Deluxe Chromedome with Stylor (2014)

Toys were released for this series in Japan.[12]