Mentioned this in another thread and thought it deserved it's own topic.

In the Transformers G1 Rebirth we were introduced to the Headmasters and Targetmasters. According to the cartoon's fiction most of these characters were already normal Transformers before being modified with these abilities during the events of Rebirth. This means that a character like Brainstorm was originally just a normal Transformer until he took his head off and was modified to partner with a Nebulon as a Headmaster.

This got me thinking about Cerebros. The dude was already a normal Transformer according to the cartoon and only became a Headmaster after he was specifically modified to serve as the head for Fortress Maximus. So as well as removing his own head to be modified as an Exsosuit for Spike, he also had his body modified to become a head.

So What did Cerebros transform into before he was Fortress Maximus' head?

I'd be interested in some pre-mastered versions of these characters as toys. Sort of like the pre-Earth figures we get for other characters. Of course most of them would essentially look the same without that gimmick just no longer any need to remove their heads while transforming them. But Cerebros would need a vehicle form instead of the Fort Max head he'd transform into later. What do you think he could possibly Transform into into just judging on the robot mode other than a head of course. We already know he was only ever designed to be a head in the real world but we're guessing what he might have been in the cartoon before he was modified into a Headmaster.

 

Lamp-post!

 

He most likely transformed into a car-like vehicle, much like the rest of the Headmasters in The Rebirth.

 

Chromedome was the only headmaster who transformed into a car.

Well Arcee did too but I mean the only Headmaster character introduced during the Rebirth who was a car.

Brainstorm was a jet.

Hardhead was a tank.

Highbrow was a helicopter.

And the Decepticon headmasters were all Beastformers.

Personally I think Cerebros probably transformed like Perceptor or Blaster meaning he was an object rather than a vehicle. This would mean that he wouldn't be sacrificing a mobile alt mode to transform into a head. I'm thinking maybe he transformed into a computer.

 

We actually get to see his alt-mode at the tail end of "The Rebirth." While it looks like a miniature Fort Max, I believe it's supposed to be a computer terminal.

 

Oh yes, your right. I must've been thinking of the Throttlebots or some other team when I wrote that. My bad   And that actually makes a lot of sense! A super computer of some sort would be a very fitting alternate mode for Cerebros! (Goes well with his name too!)

 

He has shown 2 different forms, other than a robot and a head. One was the control panel for Fortress Maximus and another - a mini version of his city mode (a research platform of some sort?). The last one was clearly not added by Spike as it's not needed to use/control Fortress Maximus, so that must be his original mode. Or maybe he was a triple changer since the beginning and used his "controls" mode to attach himself to a bigger piece of machinery, like a factory.

 

Cerebros was the original Negatron. I'm guessing a Canoe.

 

It's possible you were thinking of the Targetmasters who were indeed all cars... at least the Autobot Targetmasters were... The Decepticons were all jets.

Again this is not including the pre-existing characters like Hot Rod and Cyclonus.

Autobots

Chromedome (Car)
Brainstorm (Jet)
Hardhead (Tank)
Highbrow (Helicopter)
Arcee (Car)

Pointblank (Car)
Crosshairs (Car)
Shureshot (Car)
Hot Rod (Car)
Blurr (Car)
Kup (Truck)

Decepticons

Scorponok (Scorpion)
Mindwipe (Bat)
Skullcruncher (Alligator)
Weirdwolf (Wolf)
Apeface (Ape/Jet)
Snapdragon (Dragon/Jet)

Slugslinger (Jet)
Misfire (Jet)
Triggerhappy (Jet)
Cyclonus (Jet)
Scourge (Space Boat?)

 

A head? With no body.

 

He should be some type of computer like others are saying.

 

Autobot copy machine? I mean I'm pretty sure that Spike is making photo copies right there.

 

I'll bet it's absolute hell to change the toner on a Cybertronian photocopier.

 

Life was tough for Cerebros prior his formatting into Fort Max's head  

 

I remembered him transforming into a stand alone computer terminal of sorts.
It fits him and his name. He's a "peaceful" guy. So he less prefers adventures and want to stay on his own.  

In Japanese cartoon, he as "Fortress" don't transform as a computer but only a FT's head.
Probably to "balance out" Zarak who only tranforms as Scorponok's head and no alt-modes.

I really have SCALE issues with Zarak.
He can transform into a Titan Class Robot head yet he was shown smaller than Galvatron & same size as those regular headmasters who's not named Fortress Maximus/Cerebros.

What an awkward rivalry.. Fortress/Cerebros is taller than Zarak?  

 

Cerebros. One chill Autobot!

 

Personally I always thought he was a truck, SUV (predating the term) or van.

Actually kinda hoping for a Siege Ironhide repaint of him (convention exclusive?) since he's one of the few G1s I didn't have.

 

TFWiki calls him a... and I'm going to quote this exactly the way it's written... "off-road-van-buggy-sorta-kinda-thing"

To me he looks too short from front to back to back to really be called a van. Maybe some kind of truck if you can imagine the obvious legs as the truck bed... I just think it's easier to call him a car.

 

Where's the 87 Targetmaster love?
We got Misfire and Triggerhappy. They did a Slugslinger during HFTD, when are we getting Pointblank, Sureshot & Crosshairs?

 

I always figured that scene of him as a mini Fort Max was an animation error. Because, well, AKOM.

I like the idea of Cerebros originally transforming into a computer terminal. Fits his intelligence and pacifist nature. Maybe him and Mainframe were buddies before being master'd (Cerebros into Head, Mainframe into Action, naturally).

The Spikester. Spikerino, makin' copies. Spike-o-rama. Spike's Peak, formin' the head. Be Like Spike. Spike Tyson. SPIKE.

Sorry, it had to be done.