Mini-Con


 * Mini-Cons are a faction/type of Transformers in multiple continuity families, most prominently the Unicron Trilogy.



Mini-Cons are a race of small, roughly human-sized Transformers capable of powerlinxing with a larger Transformer to impart extra abilities or greatly increase their strength.

In terms of alligence, Mini-Cons fall into one of 4 catagories:
 * Allied with the Autobots
 * Allied with the Decepticons
 * Allied with anyone- a big "who cares?"
 * Allied with no one and are true only to the Mini-Cons themselves or simply want to be left alone

Their origins (when explored) vary depending on the continuity they appear in. In some timelines they are creations of Unicron, while in others, they are creations of the Last Autobot. Others... they just are there.


 * Japanese term: Micron
 * French-Canadian/Spanish term: Minimodus

Universe: The Wreckers comics
Ramulus uses "Mini-Con" as a term of derision, implying that CatSCAN is timid or insufficiently assertive.

Animated continuity
Unicron created the Mini-Cons to be mindless tools, sent to Cybertron as an agitating element to the Transformers' civil war. The power-enhancing "smart tools" would be unleashed upon the populace, who would snap them up, bond with them, and the war would only get more destructive, as Unicron drank in the negative psychic energies from the death and destruction. Once he'd gathered the power he needed, the Mini-Cons would turn on their supposed masters, incapacitating them, and Unicron would fully awaken to devour the planet and all Transformers on it, eliminating his biggest obstacle to devouring all of existence.

But through a strange warp in space and time that no one really bothered to explain, three human children from the future -Rad, Carlos and Alexis- were sent to the Mini-Cons' birthing chamber on Cybertron just seconds before the small robots emerged from their pods. As the Mini-Cons had been designed to form mental bonds with other life forms, when Rad touched the Mini-Con who he knew from the future as High Wire, High Wire apparently formed his bond then, with Rad... and through the Mini-Cons' shared "soul dimension", the Linkage, sentience and free will spread throughout the Mini-Cons, forming "souls", and crippling Unicron's plans drastically.

Dreamwave comics continuity


Mini-Cons are a second race of Transformer, mostly living in designated sectors by themselves, which left them open to attack when Megatron led his Decepticons on capture raids. Mini-Cons are capable of adding their power (disproportionate to their size) to a Transformer with whom they Powerlinx. Mini-Cons are also capable of tapping an extra-dimensional energy source of unknown origin, but are wary of doing this, and most have inhibitors installed to prevent this from happening.

Over-Run, a Mini-Con refugee from another dimension led Cybertron's collected Mini-Cons in tapping that dimension's energies and channeling them into an attack on Unicron which left him stranded on the far fringes of space.

After Unicron's defeat, most Mini-Cons re-established their villages in the Mini-Con sector. When Unicron appeared again 10 years later, no one went to fetch the Mini-Cons to battle Unicron again, so it seems likely the Mini-Cons connection to their extra-dimensional power source was severed.


 * (Note: There is no indication that Mini-Cons are related to Unicron in Dreamwave continuity.)

Powerlinx and Evolution
Mini-Cons have the special ability to actually evolve other machines. From transforming simple cars into jet-powered assault vehicles, to upgrading Transformers to have new weapons spring from their body. The nature of Powerlinxing is emphasized more in the Japanese Micron Legend counterpart to Transformers Armada. Once powerlinked, the Autobot would call out "EVOLUTION!" and a portion of their body would literally reconfigure to become a new weapon. Afterwards, they retained this new ability without the powerlinking of the Mini-Con which granted it. Linking to that Mini-Con again simply enhances their firepower. The mini-con is not required in order to use the evolved weaponry afterwards. This has caused some confusion in the Armada viewing audience due to dub issues and the downplaying of the "Evolution" theme. Despite this, the term is used twice in the American series by Megatron.

Gigantion Mini-cons
The exact origin of the Gigantion Mini-Cons is questionable as presented within the context of the show itself. The show offers little to nothing on their genesis, merely their function as "little detail" workers whose brains developed similarly to human children because of this (uh, yeah). In Galaxy Force, they are stated to have existed since ancient times and controlled the larger Transformers. There are even ancient ruins discovered with inscriptions using Armada Mini-Con model sheets.

The Fun Publications fiction has linked these Mini-Cons to those of Armada, which simply has them migrating to Gigantion (as well as the other colony worlds) with the Transformers carrying the Cyber Planet Keys, and offering the only definitive origin of those Mini-Cons. This would also make them creations of Unicron. However, this does not line fully with the fiction, as the Mini-Cons in Armada are shown appearing in the time of Optimus Prime, years after the world colonization - so the matter is left more than a bit vague.

Classics
Mini-cons were created by the Last Autobot to cleanse Cybertron of Demons and Mutants before the Autobots returned.

"Eternal Prisoner"
The latest (as of this update) assortment of Micron Boosters features Mini-Cons with Autobot, Decepticon, Maximal and Predacon. There is little to no information about when this set "takes place".

Similarly, three store-exclusive Mini-Cons released at the time, Torque Gain, Noise Effect and Wedge Shape seem to be in the same boat, especially as Wedge Shape's toy is branded as a Maximal (though his instructions claim him to be a Predacon).

Beast Wars (Japan)
Dragoyell is a combatant in the Beast Wars, though his ninja-like powers mean he is rarely seen. His bio and instructions explicitly say he's a Maximal... but his toy is branded as an Autobot. Hmm.

Toys

 * (Note: This section talks about toys representing Mini-Cons in general. For toys representing specific Mini-Cons, see their individual pages.)

Micron Legend

 * Big green Unicron exclusive redeco thing

Attacktix



 * Mini-Con (Booster, 2006)
 * Attacktix ID number TF01
 * Faction: Autobot
 * Class: Trooper
 * Special: Attackback - 4/26 (15%) success ratio
 * Point Cost: 10
 * Base Speed: 4
 * Attack Type: Shooter (Small Missile)


 * The first assortment of Transformers Attacktix figures included a "generic" Mini-Con, based on Skyboom. Each Mini-Con figure has 3 points of articulation, including waist and shoulders; however, their shoulders move together due to their gun. One of the shortest, most squat Attacktix figures, the Mini-Con is very stable despite its small base.


 * Its Special Power, "'Attackback", allows a free move and attack for any of your in-play Autobot pieces. Mini-Con is an excellent support figure for Landmine, whose "Shootback" power allows up to three Mini-Cons to make a free attack.




 * Mini-Con (Booster, 2007)
 * Attacktix ID number: TF03
 * Faction: Decepticon
 * Class: Trooper
 * Special: Attackback
 * Point Cost: 10
 * Base Speed: 4
 * Attack Type: Shooter (Small Missile)


 * An as-yet unreleased redeco of the Attacktix Mini-Con piece is set for the second series' Booster Packs, though this time as a Decepticon-aligned piece. It features a color scheme not on any incarnation of the actual Sonar/Skyboom toy, but wouldn't that be neat? The exact details of its Attackback special power are as yet unknown.


 * This piece was later characterized as "Bunker-Buster" in the members-only portion of the Fun Publications Official Transformers Collectors' Club website.