Transmutate

This article is about the Beast Wars character. For the Beast Wars cartoon episode, see Transmutate (Beast Wars episode).

Transmutate is a non-aligned Transformer from the Beast Wars continuity family.

MU-tilate. MU-tant. Hm. I wonder. Oh well.

Transmutate is a mutant Transformer, partially Transmetal, born from a heavily-damaged stasis pod (likely due to it landing in the seismically-unstable Grid Deltron). The creature possesses very little intelligence and is utterly innocent in personality, curious and childlike.

However, it also contains inconceivable destructive power (i.e. super-sonic screams and somewhat strong force fields) to boot, making it extremely dangerous to keep unsupervised and uncontained. Though it has no alternate form or beast mode, it does have the ability to fly.

Fiction

Beast Wars

Voice actor: Susan Blu (US), Haruna Ikezawa (Japan)

Both factions considered Transmutate to be too dangerous to recruit. Megatron decided to have it destroyed as without enough intelligence or an alternate form it was useless to him, while Primal felt that it was a danger to itself as well as those around it due to its high power and low intelligence and suggested putting it into Stasis Lock, presumably until a solution could be found. This caused considerable concern for both Silverbolt and Rampage. Silverbolt felt it was a Maximal's duty to protect all sentient life, and Rampage simply found a kindred spirit in Transmutate's tortured existence.

Transmutate managed to befriend both Transformers, which caused some friction between them. However due to its lack of understanding of the events Transmutate could not 'pick a side' first accompanying Rampage, later agreeing to stay with the Maximals when Rampage was no longer visible to it and then returning to Rampage when he called to it. Eventually, Transmutate reached Rampage, but Silverbolt had follwed and they came to blows. Seeing its only friends fighting distressed Transmutate greatly. Indeed when they fired on one another, Transmutate sacrificed itself in order to prevent the two Transformers from killing each other, placing itself between them, and using an energy field to absorb most of the explosive force, but not enough to save itself. Despite being blown to piece Tansmutate's head remained functioning long enought to speak to Friend Good and Friend Dark stating it was hurt before dying, deeply grieving Rampage (who gave a cry of anguish at its death) and Silverbolt regretting that he was unable to save it. Transmutate

Toys

Beast Wars

Transmutate was never sold as an individual toy. Rather, it was only available with the first two waves of Beast Wars 10th Anniversary toys in 2006; each of the first six releases had a part to "Trans-Mutate" packaged with it. All six parts combined to form a non-transformable figure with limited articulation... but the simple fact that an official figure of a one-episode show character got made is itself an extraordinary occurrence.

• Head - Waspinator
• Torso - Cheetor
• Waist & right leg - Rhinox
• Left leg - Tarantulas
• Right arm - Rattrap
• Left arm - Dinobot

Trivia

• A minor point of argument among fans is exactly why the Maximals were so quick to stasis-lock Transmutate instead of transferring its spark to another body like Rhinox did with Optimus Primal following the latter's unintentional sacrifice. It was stated only that its core consciousness and body structure were mutilated beyond recovery; no mention was made about the condition of its spark. Of course, the euthanasia metaphor of the character's titular episode would fall apart if they did that, but hey, semantics.

• In regard to the previous bit of trivia, the script for this episode explicitly states that Transmutate's spark was unstable: "Energy ERUPTS throughout Its body as Its own unstable spark begins to tear It apart." Although stage direction and narration from scripts are only pseudocanon, this may nonetheless satisfy some fans that the spark was indeed as damaged as the body. The script, like many Beast Wars scripts, can be found on BWTF.com.

A face only the noble or psychotic could love.

• Also from the episode script comes this character description in the cast listing section: TRANSMUTATE: a being with no beauty of form nor logic of shape, massive, made of unmatched parts: bits of Predacon, pieces of Maximal, chunks of Fuzor and Transmetal, heavy-duty weapons, and a face that vaguely indicates it is female. This wording lends some credence to the fan notion that Transmutate was originally a female Protoform. However, Transmutate is consistently referred to within the script using genderless pronouns, confusing the issue.

• According to Ben Yee on Madman Entertainment's Beast Wars Season 2 DVD commentaries, Hasbro attempted to replicate Transmutate's sonic scream attacks first as a spring-loaded projectile, then as a static decoration. Fortunately for the sake of good taste, they abandoned those plans.

• Transmutate's face is friggin' creepy. Look at it. Just look at it.

External links

• Trans-Mutate at TFU.info