Laserbeak (G1)


 * Laserbeak is a Decepticon and a Predacon in the Generation 1 continuity family.

Laserbeak is a follower, not a leader. In fact, he can often be found perched atop the shoulders of either Soundwave or whoever leads the Decepticons at a particular time. He can be utterly depended on to complete any mission that he is assigned.

According to his tech-specs, Laserbeak is an interrogator, though he is rarely depicted in that role, more often seen (or rather not seen) as a spy, roosting on some obscure perch, playing voyeur and eavesdropping on Autobot conversations. His backpack features two ruby-powered independently-targetable lasers that he uses to torture his subjects with. He's a coward, though, and when his ruby supplies run low, he transforms from ruthless condor to squawking chicken.

Preliminary name: Slazer French-Canadian name: Vautour Italian name: Gufo Japanese name: Condor

Generation 1 cartoon
Voice Actor: Frank Welker (US), Ken Yamaguchi (Japan) Prior to his arrival on Earth, Laserbeak had less of an avian shape, resembling instead a stylized jet with an ovoid silhouette and a hooked nosecone. He still transformed into a cassette, which is kind of strange when you consider his "carrier" transformed into a lamp-post and not necessarily any device that played cassettes. But anyway, this Laserbeak often carried out spy missions, able to sneak into places the larger Soundwave could not manage, including Iacon, the Autobots headquarters. There, Laserbeak learned of the Autobot mission to seek out new sources of energy away from Cybertron, which prompted a Decepticon interception mission in turn. This led to the whole lot of these spacefaring Transformers crashlanding on Earth and taking a four million-year dirtnap in the heart of a spastic volcano.

In the year 1984, the Transformers were awakened by volcanic activity, and Laserbeak was reformatted with terrestrial aesthetics in both robot and alt-mode. His alt-mode was an audiocassette, while his alt-mode was that of a vulture. His missions, though, were largely unchanged, and he continued to serve as a spy even though his techspec classifies him more as an interrogator and his fellow winged vulture Buzzsaw is described as the spy.

Laserbeak was the first Decepticon to tangle with Autobots on Earth when he was dispatched by Soundwave and Megatron to chase down to snooping Autobot spies, Hound and Cliffjumper. The Autobots tried to scurry away, splitting up so that Laserbeak couldn't follow both of them. He had the last laugh (or squawk) on them, as he launched one of his laser cannons to follow Cliffjumper remotely while he continued to hound Hound.

Timelines:Dawn of Future's Past
At the end of the great war most Decepticons granted amnesty simply retired and vanished from public life. So too would have been the fate of Laserbeak if not for the intervention of the Predacon  Divebomb. Divebomb granted Laserbeak, Buzzsaw, and Ravage a new lease on life, rebuilding them into members of the new faction of Predacons.

Generation 1

 * Laserbeak
 * Japanese ID number: 20, D-60, D-105
 * Laserbeak was released with Frenzy in the US and Europe in 1984, and by himself in Japan in 1985. He was re-released in Japan in 1986, and again in 1987. The same mold was used for Buzzsaw and Garboil. His mold was originally used for a Microchange Micro Cassette Robo Condor.


 * Transformers Collection Condor
 * Japanese ID number: TFC-10
 * Laserbeak was reissued along side Soundwave in 2003.

Titanium

 * Laserbeak
 * Laserbeak was shown with a 6" Titanium Soundwave at SDCC 2006

Timelines

 * Laserbeak and Buzzsaw (bagged souvenir set, BotCon 2006)

Trivia

 * Laserbeak snores when he sleeps. It sounds just like a little chainsaw!  (so cute!)