Duocons
Encyclopedia
The Duocons are a sub-group of Decepticon
s from the fictional Transformers
universe.
form into two separate vehicles. By placing the flying vehicle atop the wheeled one and pressing down until they click into place, the toy quickly springs up into robot mode.
Battletrap can divide his robot into two separate and autonomous vehicle modes, jeep and helicopter, each with identical personalities, and can recombine into robot mode in 1.6 seconds. His helicopter component is equipped with a vast array of electronic detection, jamming and communication equipment. Although strong in robot mode, his alternate modes sacrifice this for enhanced mobility - neither is especially rugged or weapons-fire-resistant. In all three modes, Battletrap uses a double-barreled, wire-guided assault missile launcher with infra-red imaging for night-firing capabilities. Curiously, the jeep is very similar to an ARO 10
.
and the Decepticons returned to Planet Master; presumably, they had remained on the planet when Scorponok and his troops departed prior to the start of the series. The Duocons were first mobilised into battle to steal a disk containing the blueprints of Fortress Maximus
's Master Sword, which Battletrap successfully purloined. The duo subsequently defended the Decepticon base while the blueprints were used to create the Zarak shield, and planted a bomb on an asteroid as part of Scorponok's plan to betray and abandon Sixshot. Back on Earth, they participated in a huge final battle at the North Pole
, during which Battletrap attacked Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie
, only to be stopped by a vengeful Sixshot.
The characters lacked the personality quirks depicted in their American bios, and were voiced by Hirohiko Kakegawa
and Hiroyuki Sato, respectively.
begins in the United Kingdom
's exclusive Transformers comic book series, where they both appeared to battle the Autobots Ultra Magnus
and the Sparkabots, who had only just returned to Cybertron. Flywheels was rendered unconscious during the fight and captured by the Autobots, who took him into the deserted city of Kalis. Awakening, Flywheels was terrified to discover where he was, and the Autobots soon shared his fear as reanimated Transformer corpses soon emerged from the ground around them, revived by the renegade Autobot mad scientist, Flame, to guard his operations beneath the city. Battling the zombies alongside the Autobots, Flywheels was released by Magnus and proved loyal enough to fetch help, returning with the giant Trypticon
to offer aid.
A little later, both Flywheels and Battletrap were members of the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad that arrived on Earth to battle the time-travelling Galvatron
as a rift in time and space threatened the existence of reality. Battletrap was apparently killed by Galvatron during the conflict, and while Flywheels did not receive an on-panel death, he did not appear again.
The reports of Battletrap's death soon proved to be exaggerated, as he later appeared in the U.S.
Transformers comic book series. Attacked by subterranean Cybertron
ian monsters shortly after the defeat of Unicron
, both Battletrap and Runabout were apparently consumed by the beasts, but Battletrap once again proved his resilience (admittedly, only Runabout had been seen to be killed), appearing again during the Decepticons' attack on the planet Klo
and in battle against Jhiaxus
's second-generation Cybertronians, where he was seen to have been wounded (though is not seen to die).
In the UK comic series, Flywheels was depicted as a triple changer
able to transform into either a Tank or a Jet, but not both at the same time. Battletrap was shown only to transform into Helicopter mode.
In the US series, Battletrap was only shown in robot mode.
While Battletrap didn't receive much characterisation, Flywheel in the Kalis story was written along the lines of Battletrap's tech spec rather than his own.
' 21st Century re-imagining of the G1 universe, with Flywheels appearing as one of Starscream
's Predacons, they did receive profiles that established them as part of an important legacy. Prior to the planetwide deactivation of Cybertron, Shockwave
had been experimenting with the possibility of creating Transformers with multiple alternate modes. Following Cybertron's reactivation, he resumed his experiments, and the Duocons were his first creations - robots who possessed the power to split their forms into two independent vehicles. Their comparative instability, however, led Shockwave to continue his work, eventually resulting in the creation of the more stable Triple Changer
s - robots with the ability to transform into one of two modes alternately.
, Gutcruncher and Stormcloud appear among Bludgeon's troops in the story At War's End by Fun Publications
. They help remove Abominus after the Terrorcon combiner had been defeated by Piranacon when it is believed that Hun-Gurrr sold out Bludgeon to Megatron.
Decepticon
The Decepticons are usually depicted as the antagonists in the fictional universes of the Transformers stoyline and related comics and cartoons, and the enemies of the Autobots and the University of California Davis Aggies...
s from the fictional Transformers
Transformers (toy line)
The is a line of toys produced by the American toy company Hasbro. The Transformers toyline was created from toy molds mostly produced by Japanese company Takara in the toylines Diaclone and Microman. Other toy molds from other companies such as Bandai were used as well...
universe.
Profiles
The Duocons sub-group is particularly small, consisting of only two members, Battletrap and Flywheels. First released in 1987, they are distinguished by their unusual transformation ability to split their single robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
form into two separate vehicles. By placing the flying vehicle atop the wheeled one and pressing down until they click into place, the toy quickly springs up into robot mode.
Battletrap
His fellow Decepticons describe Battletrap as "playful" - in the same sense that a cat is playful with a captured mouse before moving in for the kill. His two components are a robotic wrestling tag-team, and he loves to trap an adversary between his two modes and have his own special kind of "fun" with him before finally ripping him to pieces. Surprisingly, Battletrap is cheerful and good-natured - but that's probably because he enjoys his work so much.Battletrap can divide his robot into two separate and autonomous vehicle modes, jeep and helicopter, each with identical personalities, and can recombine into robot mode in 1.6 seconds. His helicopter component is equipped with a vast array of electronic detection, jamming and communication equipment. Although strong in robot mode, his alternate modes sacrifice this for enhanced mobility - neither is especially rugged or weapons-fire-resistant. In all three modes, Battletrap uses a double-barreled, wire-guided assault missile launcher with infra-red imaging for night-firing capabilities. Curiously, the jeep is very similar to an ARO 10
ARO 10
ARO 10 was an off-road vehicle produced by ARO and manufactured in Romania. The ARO 24 Series got a "little brother" in 1980, the ARO 10 Series. While the ARO-24 can be classified as mid-size SUVs, the ARO 10 is about the size of a Jeep Wrangler. It was produced in many body trims, equipped with...
.
Flywheels
Whereas the division of Battletrap's personality between his components seems to have been a successful one, Flywheels (Flywheel in Japan) is far from it - his two vehicular components possess individual personalities, and they loathe each other. Each half of him is jealous of the other, leading the two minds to fight with themselves more often than with his opponents. Flywheels can even be heard arguing with himself when his components are unified in robot mode. He divides into a tank and a jet, and all three modes can wield his laser cannon, equipped with infra-red sensors for heat-seeking capabilities.Animated series
The Duocons did not appear in the American animated series proper, but Flywheels can lay claim to a small cameo in the opening sequence to the fourth and final season. Although it is odd, since the Duocons do not appear in the series, a clip of the unique animation created for the Duocon toy commercial was employed in the opening credits, giving Flywheels a second or two of screentime.Transformers: Headmasters
In contrast to America, the Duocons made a full foray into animation in the 1987 Japanese-exclusive Transformers: Headmasters animated series. No origin for them was explicitly offered - they suddenly appeared towards the end of the series when ScorponokScorponok
Scorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
and the Decepticons returned to Planet Master; presumably, they had remained on the planet when Scorponok and his troops departed prior to the start of the series. The Duocons were first mobilised into battle to steal a disk containing the blueprints of Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus
Fortress Maximus is the name of several fictional characters from several of the various Transformers universes. Fortress Maximus appeared in the season 4 finale of the US Transformers animated series voiced by Stephen Keener. He was one of the stars of the Japanese Transformers: Headmasters...
's Master Sword, which Battletrap successfully purloined. The duo subsequently defended the Decepticon base while the blueprints were used to create the Zarak shield, and planted a bomb on an asteroid as part of Scorponok's plan to betray and abandon Sixshot. Back on Earth, they participated in a huge final battle at the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, during which Battletrap attacked Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie
Wheelie (Transformers)
Wheelie is the name of two different fictional characters in the Transformers series.-Generation 1:The first Wheelie is a young Autobot who turns into a car. He has a distinctive style of speech, in which he rhymes his sentences while speaking in a high pitched voice, making him sound like a child....
, only to be stopped by a vengeful Sixshot.
The characters lacked the personality quirks depicted in their American bios, and were voiced by Hirohiko Kakegawa
Hirohiko Kakegawa
is a Japanese actor. He has starred in a number of anime series, such as Transformers and Turn A Gundam. He enjoys softball, ice-skating and tennis.-Appearances:*Saint Seiya *Transformers: The Headmasters...
and Hiroyuki Sato, respectively.
Marvel Comics
The story of the Duocons in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
begins in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's exclusive Transformers comic book series, where they both appeared to battle the Autobots Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus
Ultra Magnus is the name of several fictional characters from the various Transformers storylines.-Transformers: Generation 1:The greatest Transformer of them all. A commander could want no finer a soldier than Ultra Magnus...
and the Sparkabots, who had only just returned to Cybertron. Flywheels was rendered unconscious during the fight and captured by the Autobots, who took him into the deserted city of Kalis. Awakening, Flywheels was terrified to discover where he was, and the Autobots soon shared his fear as reanimated Transformer corpses soon emerged from the ground around them, revived by the renegade Autobot mad scientist, Flame, to guard his operations beneath the city. Battling the zombies alongside the Autobots, Flywheels was released by Magnus and proved loyal enough to fetch help, returning with the giant Trypticon
Trypticon
Trypticon is a fictional character in the Transformers toyline.-Transformers: Generation 1:Trypticon is the Decepticons' principal command base. He has three modes: a city, a mobile battle station, and a Tyrannosaurus rex. In each mode, he has a variety of weapons...
to offer aid.
A little later, both Flywheels and Battletrap were members of the Decepticon Mayhem Attack Squad that arrived on Earth to battle the time-travelling Galvatron
Galvatron
Galvatron is the name of several fictional Transformers, most often the recreated version of Megatron, the Decepticon leader. He was voiced by Leonard Nimoy in the 1986 Transformers movie, and then by Frank Welker in season 3 and 4 of the animated television series. Since then, other Transformers...
as a rift in time and space threatened the existence of reality. Battletrap was apparently killed by Galvatron during the conflict, and while Flywheels did not receive an on-panel death, he did not appear again.
The reports of Battletrap's death soon proved to be exaggerated, as he later appeared in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Transformers comic book series. Attacked by subterranean Cybertron
Cybertron
Cybertron is a fictional planet, the homeworld of the Transformers in the various fictional incarnations of the metaseries and toyline by Hasbro. In the Japanese series, the planet is referred to as "Cybertron" pronounced as セイバートロン Seibātoron...
ian monsters shortly after the defeat of Unicron
Unicron
Unicron is a fictional character from the Transformers universe and toyline. Created by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie as the film's main antagonist. Unicron is a prodigiously large robot whose scale reaches planetary proportions, and he is also...
, both Battletrap and Runabout were apparently consumed by the beasts, but Battletrap once again proved his resilience (admittedly, only Runabout had been seen to be killed), appearing again during the Decepticons' attack on the planet Klo
Klo
-Other:* Klo, a fictional planet in the Transformers comic books* KLO, a news/talk radio station broadcasting out of Ogden, Utah...
and in battle against Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus
Jhiaxus is a fictional character in the Transformers universes. He is an evil Decepticon jet.-Transformers: Generation 2:Unlike most of the notable characters in the Transformers comics, Jhiaxus is not based on a toy...
's second-generation Cybertronians, where he was seen to have been wounded (though is not seen to die).
In the UK comic series, Flywheels was depicted as a triple changer
Triple Changer
Triple Changers are Transformers that can transform from robot into two different alternative modes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
able to transform into either a Tank or a Jet, but not both at the same time. Battletrap was shown only to transform into Helicopter mode.
In the US series, Battletrap was only shown in robot mode.
While Battletrap didn't receive much characterisation, Flywheel in the Kalis story was written along the lines of Battletrap's tech spec rather than his own.
Dreamwave Productions
Although the Duocons themselves would only have minor roles in Dreamwave ProductionsDreamwave 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...
' 21st Century re-imagining of the G1 universe, with Flywheels appearing as one of Starscream
Starscream (Transformers)
Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. He is one of the most prolific characters in the Transformers fictional work, appearing in almost all incarnations of the story. Starscream is usually portrayed with the same characterization...
's Predacons, they did receive profiles that established them as part of an important legacy. Prior to the planetwide deactivation of Cybertron, Shockwave
Shockwave (Transformers)
Shockwave is the name of several fictional characters in the various Transformers series. Throughout his incarnations, he is usually distinguished by a laser cannon in lieu of one of his hands and his distinctive face, which is featureless save a single robotic eye...
had been experimenting with the possibility of creating Transformers with multiple alternate modes. Following Cybertron's reactivation, he resumed his experiments, and the Duocons were his first creations - robots who possessed the power to split their forms into two independent vehicles. Their comparative instability, however, led Shockwave to continue his work, eventually resulting in the creation of the more stable Triple Changer
Triple Changer
Triple Changers are Transformers that can transform from robot into two different alternative modes.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
s - robots with the ability to transform into one of two modes alternately.
Fun Publications
Battletrap, CrankcaseCrankcase (Transformers)
-Transformers: Generation 1:Crankcase is a wheezing, whining ingrate, only happy when things are bad. He also has an amazing data storage capacity. He is armed with two laser weapons.-Marvel Comics:...
, Gutcruncher and Stormcloud appear among Bludgeon's troops in the story At War's End by Fun Publications
Fun Publications
Fun Publications is a publishing company that runs the Transformers Collectors Club and G.I. Joe Collectors Club under licensefrom Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications releases exclusive toys and runs conventions for their clubs....
. They help remove Abominus after the Terrorcon combiner had been defeated by Piranacon when it is believed that Hun-Gurrr sold out Bludgeon to Megatron.
Toys
- 'Generation 1 Battletrap
- A new mold.
- 'Generation 1 Flywheels
- A new mold.