The Diagnostic Drone is a character from the fictional Transformers Series. It was featured in Beast Machines

Beast Machines

Beast Machines is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series...

  TV Series.

Beast Machines

Season One

The Diagnostic Drone (known as Flying C or Fly in Japan) is a character from the Beast Machines

Beast Machines

Beast Machines is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to Beast Wars taking place within the continuity of the original Transformers series...

TV Series. It is a minor character in the show, serving as an advisor to Megatron

Megatron (Beast Wars and Beast Machines)

The Beast Wars and Beast Machines version of Megatron is the main antagonist from the aforementioned parts of the Transformers animated series, toy lines, and multiverse...

. This drone possessed an artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...

 and was programmed to obey Megatron's every command. During its brief role in the series, it attempted several times to eradicate Megatron's organic side, with little success. Eventually, by studying the Maximal Nightscream

Nightscream

Nightscream is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Beast Machines:Nightscream is a young Maximal and a member of the cast of Beast Machines. He turns into a bat....

, it did learn how to remove Megatron’s organic components; however before it could do so, it was reprogrammed by Tankor

Tankor

Tankor is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 1:This version of Tankor, initially called Octane, is the Decepticons' fueler, in charge of storing and distributing fuel among Decepticons with vehicle modes. He is characterized as...

, who had regained his memories as the Maximal Rhinox

Rhinox

Rhinox is the name of three fictional characters from various Transformers universes.-Beast Wars:Rhinox's character in the Beast Wars television series is very different from how the toy was depicted. As one of the first year toys, the toy of Rhinox was created before the television series came...

, who ordered it to fail in its attempt to help Megatron. Tankor then used the Diagnostic Drone to obtain the Key to Vector Sigma

Vector Sigma

In the fictional universe of the first Transformers animated series, Vector Sigma is the "mega-computer" that gives sentience to non-sentient robots, and is used by the Quintessons to endow their robotic creations with the true life that eventually leads to their rebellion...

 and to send false visions through the Oracle to Optimus Primal

Optimus Primal

Optimus Primal is a fictional character from the Transformers toyline, and the leader of the Maximal forces and the main protagonist in the Beast Wars television series. He is sometimes called Optimal Optimus...

. The Drone is later destroyed by Megatron, who was apparently aware of its traitorous activities the entire time.

Season Two

Having been destroyed in the first season and Megatron having removed his organic body from himself, there was no need for the Diagnostic Drone in the second season. However other Diagnostic Drones appeared for the first time, with much more limited intelligence, although still more intelligent then the average Vehicon Drone. Their function appeared to be maintenance and repair. But in second season, Megatron eventually becomes trapped in the body of one of these Drones. Several Diagnostic Drones build him his "Optimal" body and more of them are seen bringing the last of the Maximal sparks into the containment unit and repairing a console after Optimus Primal damages it.

Trivia

Strangely the Diagnostic Drones have no alternate transformation mode, they each only have one mode, similar to the Mole Drones which also have no alternate mode.

Transformers: Universe

A similar drone was seen in the Transformers: Universe comic series acting as cameraman for the Autobot reporter Rook

Rook (Transformers)

Rook is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes.-Transformers: Generation 2:-Marvel Comics:Rook was second in command of the second-generation transformers under the command of Jhiaxus...

.

Dreamwave Productions

Several diagnostic drones of the type seen in Beast Machines were seen in the first Transformers: The War Within

Transformers: The War Within

This article is about the comic book series. For other uses, see The War Within .Transformers: The War Within is a series of comic book mini-series written by Simon Furman and published by Dreamwave Productions featuring Generation One characters with brand new pre-Earth designs.The series focuses...

series from Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions

Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996 and is best known for their multiple Transformers comic book series...

, both acting as drones in Optronix's data library, and later fetching Megatron's cannon in the Decepticon base.