Mirage (G1)


 * Mirage is an Autobot in the Generation 1 continuity family.



Mirage is what humans call "old money." Before the war, he was a member of affluent Cybertronian society, with his own large estate and high-priced friends. He enjoyed the finer things in life: vintage energon, swank evening events, and turbofox hunts on the grounds. But when the war started, he was forced to choose sides and found himself banded with a group of commoners he didn't really understand.

Some of the other Autobots don't trust Mirage. He feels the war, even after all these millions of years, is beneath him. War is not, after all, how civilized, erudite beings conduct themselves. He often questions the Autobots' violent means, and not-so-secretly hopes they and the Decepticons can get along. Because of this, he has been labelled by a few others as a Decepticon sympathizer. Still, he sided with the Autobots for a reason, and he is there for the Autobots when they need him.

Although the details vary by continuity, Mirage has the ability to create illusions which typically either render him invisible or make him appear to be somewhere he isn't.

He sounds like Dean Martin.


 * Japanese name: Ligier, Rijie (Robot Masters) ''
 * Italian name: Mistero ''
 * Hungarian name: Délibáb (correct translation)

Generation 1
(Note: Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.)

Mirage was one of the Autobots on board the Ark when it crashed, and was subsequently reactivated in 1984. At first, Mirage was reluctant to full-on attack his Decepticon opponents, instead trying to reason with them. However, after a battle with the relentless Ravage, Mirage learned that sometimes diplomacy is not an option.

''During an accident on the Ark, Brawn suffered an extreme neuro-shock, causing him to rebel and turn against his teammates. Mirage helped the Autobots hunt him down and tranquilize him. This same accident also amplified Mirage's ability to create illusions, which he later used to trick the Decepticons into believing that a duel between Brawn and Starscream ended with Brawn's death. The Decepticons felt totally stupid.''

Long after, he was blown to pieces by Octane during an Arctic battle arranged by Starscream and repaired in time to be destroyed again in New York City by Starscream himself (empowered by the Underbase).

Generation 2
Disobeying Optimus Prime's orders, Grimlock led a covert team (which included Mirage) onto the Cybertronian Empire ship Twilight to defeat Jhiaxus and his army of "evolved Decepticons." Grimlock's plan was an utter failure, ending in Red Alert's death and the Autobots' capture. Mirage was destroyed by enemy fire during the following prison break.

Animated continuity

 * Voice actor: Frank Welker (US), Takurō Kitagawa (Japan)

Mirage was part of the bridge crew of the Ark when it crash-landed on Earth four million years ago. A volcanic eruption in 1984 awakened the Ark's inhabitants, including Mirage, who was reformatted by Teletraan I to have a terrestrial alt-mode of a Formula-1 racer. With the battle against the Decepticons now transplanted to Earth, Mirage still hated warfare. He longed to return to Cybertron and simply turn his back to the evil Decepticons, but his loyalty to Optimus Prime kept him in the fight.

Mirage was instrumental in stopping the Decepticons from returning to Cybertron after amassing enough energon from Earth. The Decepticons had constructed a new star cruiser and were in the process of flying home to tip the scales of the war in their favor. Mirage used his cloaking ability to sneak aboard the Decepticon ship. He uncloaked and opened fire, blasting away at the ship's controls. He then bailed from the doomed cruiser, floating back to Earth's surface on a parasail as the Decepticons crashed into the ocean. Optimus Prime asked Mirage why he -- homesick and war-weary Autobot that he was -- did not hitch the ride back home. Mirage responded, affirming his loyalty to the Autobots, "The ship was... full."

Mirage’s role in the Autobots’ battles on Earth was a distinctly minimal one, leaving him confined to the background on the battlefield or not present at all. In early 1985, however, the spotlight shone on Mirage again when Cliffjumper suspected him of disloyalty. The discovery of a Decepticon installation in a sector Mirage had recently observed caused Cliffjumper to leap the incorrect conclusion that he was a traitor to the Autobots, having concealed the information. After a battle with the Decepticons, Mirage risked the trust of his comrades by sneaking away to perform a plan of his own, framing the Decepticons for stealing Energon Cubes from the Insecticons. Spotted carrying the cubes by Cliffjumper, Mirage’s guilt seemed all but confirmed, and before he could reveal his innocence, he was captured and brainwashed by one of Bombshell’s mind-controlling cerebro-shells. Under Bombshell’s control, Mirage led the Autobots into an ambush, but at the battle’s end, the assorted manipulations were revealed and Cliffjumper apologized to Mirage.

Towards the end of the year, Mirage was among the team of five Autobots who disguised themselves as the Stunticons, with Mirage’s alternate mode making him the perfect choice to masquerade as Drag Strip. Penetrating the Decepticon camp, the Autobots ran into trouble when the real Stunticons arrived, trying to prove their identities by forming Menasor. With a combination of Windcharger’s magnetic powers and Mirage’s illusion-creating ability, the Autobots were able to appear as Menasor too. Though the deception was soon revealed, they were still able to thwart the Decepticons’ plans.

(Mirage was absent from the events of 2005 and 2006 without explanation; however, a storyboarded scene from Transformers: The Movie featuring Mirage was cut from the finished film. Amidst the transformation of Autobot City, Mirage was to ambush the Insecticon Bombshell and then be fired upon by Megatron. Whether or not this would have killed Mirage is not made clear, but given the film's casual body count, it seems highly probable.)

Dreamwave comics continuity
When Shockwave came to Earth and announced that the Autobot/Decepticon wars were over and that the two factions had been united, Mirage was one of the first to fall in with the new regime. The rest of the Autobots were wary of this development, and so a few (especially Cliffjumper) considered Mirage a traitor.

Mirage quickly realigned himself with the Autobot cause when Shockwave's true plan was revealed, and Cliffjumper seemed to forgive him, as Mirage had saved Cliffjumper from Dirge by sneaking up on him invisibly.

Generation 1

 * Mirage (Autobot Car, 1984/1986/1991)
 * Japanese ID number: 07




 * Mirage was part of the original 1984 Autobot car assortment. His mold was originally used for a Diaclone F-1 Ligier JS-11 racer. The toy was specifically designed to work with the launcher mechanism contained in the Optimus Prime / Battle Convoy trailer. This toy is easily broken at the waist pivot. The labels on the toy are references to several real-world companies. The largest name, Citanes, is a deliberate corruption of Gitanes, a French cigarette company. (Quite unusual for a child's toy, but not the only cigarette reference in Diaclone.) The toy included Gitanes' logo of a dancing gypsy woman on what ends up as Mirage's belt in robot form. "Ligier" is the name of the company that manufactured the JS-11 chassis and fielded the team, traditionally wearing 25 and 26 on the F1 grid, while "elf" is a reference to a French oil company that has since merged with TotalFina to become TotalFinaElf.


 * In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including a Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction flier packed with most boxed Transformers toys. He cost $8 and two robot points.


 * Hasbro and/or Takara have announced that the mold for Mirage is either lost or damaged, so a reissue is unlikely. Mirage was also included in the 1986 Goodbye Convoy giftset. This was the final release of the mold, making Mirage the only one of the original Autobots not to have been reissued in some form.

Generation 2

 * Mirage (Go-Bot, 1995)


 * Mirage was released in 1995 as a black and yellow recolor of the Go-Bot Double Clutch. He was also planned to be released as a flipchanger, but the Generation 2 line was cancelled to make way for Beast Wars. The unreleased mold was first used in Machine Wars.


 * This mold was also used to make Robots in Disguise Mirage.

Machine Wars

 * Mirage (Basic, 1997)


 * Mirage's form in Machine Wars transforms into a blue and white Formula racer. Like the other Machine Wars basics, the toy is a flipchanger (having a one-step, spring-loaded transformation), and his weapons are hidden in his alt mode. Unlike most of the Machine Wars toys, the head looks very similar to his G1 form. This is because the mold was originally designed as Mirage for Generation 2.


 * This mold was also used to make Prowl and Skid-Z.



Robot Masters

 * Rijie (Basic, 2004)
 * Japanese ID number: RM-03


 * This toy used the Machine Wars mold, but in much more Generation 1 colors.


 * Because of legal reasons, "Ligier" could not be used for the name of the Robot Masters toy, so "Rijie", which has the same pronuciation in Japan, was used instead. Curiously, the toy's instructions still identify it as "Ligier".

Alternators

 * Mirage (Alternator, 2006)
 * Alternator ID number: 22




 * Alternators Mirage transforms into a finely detailed 1:24 scale replica of a Ford GT, featuring opening doors, engine bay and trunk, with a realistic interior. As with most Alternators, his car body is mostly unpainted, but the metallic-flake deep blue plastic makes this hard to see.


 * Featuring an innovatively different robot mode, Mirage is not a straight re-interpretation of the original Mirage's robot mode, due to the completely different types of vehicles. But coincidentally the Ford GT's hood features a shape that echoes a F1-type racing car's nose and front spoiler. His engine's turbocharger forms two separate hand guns.


 * Mirage was redecoed into Hot Rodimus for the Kiss Players line. Later in 2007, he will be redecoed in clear plastic colours to represent his 'invisibility mode' as an e-Hobby exclusive in the Binaltech line.

Universe

 * Mirage (Spy Changer, 2006)


 * For Universe, Mirage is identical to the last Kay-Bee exclusive redeco of Robots In Disguise Mirage, transforming into a translucent green Lola Indy car. He was available only on an individual card from discount chains like The Dollar Store.

Classics

 * Mirage (Classics Deluxe, 2006)


 * Classics Mirage was released in November 2006 in wave 2, along with the shortpacked Grimlock. He transforms into a closed-canopy Formula racer concept car. Mirage's paint details contain a few Transformers in-jokes in the form of sponsor logos such as "Witwicky Sparkplugs" and "Lithonian Drivetrain."  Additionally, his racing number is still 26, as it was on the original toy.  Other logos, which include "Plasma Injection Energy" and "F.P. Racing," refer to "pie" and the initials of the deco artist's super-secret non-gay friendship cult, respectively.


 * His robot mode is a lithe upgrade of his original form, now capable of a wide range of agile motion; he is by far the "dancer" of the Classics line. The front detaches to become a handheld electro-disruptor weapon which is said to be able to create illusions and allow him to appear invisible. (This is a reconciliation of Mirage's illusion-creation ability from his original tech spec profile and his invisibility power from the animated series.)


 * Hologram Mirage (BotCon, 2007)


 * A redeco of Classics Mirage in translucent and opaque blue, Mirage was available only as a "freebie" gift to attendees at BotCon 2007.

Binaltech

 * Rijie (e-Hobby exclusive, 2007)
 * Japanese ID number: BT-18


 * Rijie is a redeco of Alternators Mirage using mostly transparent plastic. The toy was exclusively available from e-Hobby in September 2007.

Robot Heroes

 * Mirage Vs Starscream (2007)
 * Mirage is a two-inch-high robot sculpted in super deformed style with articulation at the head and shoulders.


 * Decepticon Sneak Attack (2007)
 * Hologram Mirage is recolor of the two-pack Mirage cast in transparent blue with slightly different paint details.