GIANT DECEPTICON WARRIOR

AKA Kyodai Destron Heishi

Appearances  

US Transformers 

1989 Micromaster Transports & Battle Stations commercial

Animation model appeared in Keibunsha's Transformers: Generations guidebook.

Quote  

None

Alt-Mode  

Unknown.

Description  

Funny thing. Finding out the origin of this guy was more of an adventure than documenting his career, illustrious as it was.

At OTFCC 2003, I bought the excellent Transformers: Generations guidebook, and spent a goodly amount of time thumbing through it. When I found a character I'd never seen before (on a page with Masterforce animation models), I asked some friends who could read Japanese who he was, and they said the guy was listed as Kyodai Destron Heishi and had appeared in some Micromaster commercial. "Huh. Okay," I said, and decided to look up Japanese Micromaster commercials when I got home.

Now, as good as I am at finding stuff online... no Japanese Micromaster commercials. Shoot. So I decided to download some US Micromaster commercials in the vain hope that maybe the US and Japanese commercials shared animation. And... wow. Not only did I find our mystery man, but I remembered him from a commercial montage I once saw at BotCon.

Given that he shows up in a commercial featuring Powermaster Optimus Prime's US model (as opposed to the slightly different Super Ginrai model), I'm going to go out on a limb and call him a US-exclusive character, despite his model popping up in Generations, a Japanese guidebook. Further evidence of his North American heritage: he appears in a subsection of Generations labelled "Extras", alongside the animation models for the Double Targetmasters (who Japan never got) and the US model for PM Optimus Prime.

For reference, "Giant Decepticon Warrior" is more-or-less a direct translation of "Kyodai Destron Heishi", adjusted for culture's sake. If I ever get a chance to see the actual commercial write-up containing his title (unlikely as that possibility is), I'll change his American name accordingly.

Another fun thing: Giant Decepticon Warrior is not only the first animated Obscure Decepticon to appear on this site, he's likely the last Obscure character to come out of animated Generation 1 (for argument's sake, "the cartoon"). Congratulations, Giant Decepticon Warrior. Now is your time to shine.

Biography  

Giant Decepticon Warrior first appeared in the 30-second commercial for the Micromaster Transports & Battle Stations; however, he wasn't in the 15-second individual Transport or Battle Station ads, making the combined commercial his only appearance.

If one assumes the Toy Commercial world is an extension of the G1 cartoon continuity, Giant Decepticon Warrior would have been active long after 2006/Season 3. He'd even come after the Season 5 time period (wherein Powermaster Optimus Prime loitered around telling stories and name-dropping Pretenders and Powermasters to schoolboy Tommy Kennedy), making his appearance just before the advent of the Action Masters. Not that there's a lot of evidence to suggest the commercials follow the cartoon continuity, other than the world they portray definitely being futuristic. Nonetheless: the fact remains that Giant Decepticon Warrior is from REALLY late G1.

Giant Decepticon Warrior silently appeared on the horizon to menace a Micromaster Micro-City that was inexplicably made up of both Autobot and Decepticon Battle Stations and Transports. Why were Autobot and Decepticon Micromasters working together, and why did Giant Decepticon Warrior attack them? Who can say (besides the fact that they, y'know, needed to ADVERTISE them)? It's possible he just hated tiny things. Poised to attack, he lifted his foot to deliver a mighty stomp onto the micropolis.

Unfortunately, being a a really big thing trying to hit really small things isn't as easy as it sounds. Giant Decepticon Warrior missed his target, causing his foot to become a plastic, styrofoam or cardboard prop. The Micromasters, now aware of the danger Giant Decepticon Warrior presented, moved via stop-motion animation to assault him.

Despite his presumably immense strength, Giant Decepticon Warrior was no match for the tiny-town terrors who struck at him like particularly vicious... tiny vicious things that swarm and strike at big robots. Not even swatting at them helped.

Finally, unable to weather the overwhelming combined assault of the Micromasters, Giant Decepticon Warrior tumbled over, flailing as he fell into the cracks of Transformers history (and landed, incidentally, on his back).

Of course, all of this happened in a mere SEVEN SECONDS.

Tech Specs/TFU 

Giant Decepticon Warrior - with "giant" right there in front as part of his name - probably would have had high Strength. He didn't seem to wield any weapons - so much for a high Firepower. Nor was he precise enough to strike at something directly under his feet (which... may be covered by Skill, if it includes dexterity, but that's debatable). He might have a low Speed due to his size. Intelligence and Rank would be pure conjecture. On the other hand, we can be fairly sure that he'd have a low Endurance... considering he was taken out by an army of Micromasters in seven seconds.

Toy  

My friends and I have conluded that Giant Decepticon Warrior looks like the result of a tryst between Scorponok and Cerebros. I have weird friends.

Seriously, though: he borrows most of his colors from Scorponok (along with his head-antenna), and has a chest/torso similar to that of Cerebros. Maybe that panel on his chest flips up like a Headmaster... maybe HE'S a Headmaster? That'd be cool.

Unfortunately - as Jhiaxus would point out - even by the standards of the Headmasters era, Giant Decepticon Warrior has no visible detailing that suggests an alternate form. In short, we can't tell what he'd turn into just by looking at him. It's POSSIBLE he's a flying vehicle of some nature - there appear to be thrusters or rockets on the backs of his legs - but that's a wild guess on my part.

On the subject of his alt mode, if we are going to assume he is a Decepticon Headmaster (which doesn't sound unreasonable), then one must also assume that he therefore transformed into some sort of animal or creature mode. After all, every single Decepticon Headmaster did so. -- Jhiaxus

It's theoretically possible to kitbash a non-transforming figure of Giant Decepticon Warrior out of any number of sources. Maybe a repainted Cerebros with a new head. A G1 Scorponok body with a new head and hands would be around the right height. On a smaller scale, a repainted Action Master Elite Double Punch could work (but be way expensive), or a PVC Cerebros (Fortress) or Scorponok... actually, PVC Black Zarak's face might be closer, but you'd need the antenna from Scorponok, I think.

One thing's got me curious... just how big IS Giant Decepticon Warrior? In the Toy Commercial world, an entire Micro-City fit in the palm of Powermaster Optimus Prime's hand. That could conceivably make him the same size as Powermaster Optimus Prime, or maybe a little smaller, which doesn't seem all that "giant". Maybe if the Micromasters were the size they were in the comics, Giant Decepticon Warrior would be more impressive... Prime was able to throttle one of the Air Strike Patrol without crushing him between his fingertips. If he were in THAT scale, he'd truly live up to his name.

Something I noticed after watching a lot of Micromaster commercials... geeze, Hasbro was really trying to play them up as superior to Micro Machines. I mean, yes. That was their point. But it comes off so blatantly, even for commercials. "They're the only MICROS that TRANSFORM!" "They're not just SMALL, they're TRANSFORMERS!" "Hey, WE had John Moschita before THEY did!" .. okay, not that last one, but maybe they didn't think of it.

The final lesson to be learned from Giant Decepticon Warrior? If you're a Goliath, don't try to step on a bunch of short guys named David. Particularly if they all have laser slingshots.

Special thanks to Amy Sasaki for the translation of Kyodai Destron Heishi's text, to Keibunsha for publishing Generations in the first place (sorry you went bankrupt, guys), and to TFArchive for the Micromaster Transports & Battle Stations commercial that I used to get the screenshots from.

Gallery

1989 Micromaster Transports & Battle Stations Commercial

[THE ARCHIVE] [MAIN PAGE]