MovieChat Forums > Transformers (1984) Discussion > No love for Reflector?

No love for Reflector?

posted 12 years ago by jokerz77
14 replies | jump to latest

I always liked Reflector but noticed that he was always a background character unlike his other fellow Decepticons.Why was this as I remember there were more Autobots than Decpticons on baord the Ark when it crashed to Earth.So it would have stood to reason that somwhere dueing the course of this long running cartoon that Refelector would at least have got a single episode where he could have taken centre stage.I found him interesting as he was a gesalt and could kind of been considered an early form of combiner and that none of his fellow Decepticons seemed to respect him at all.For example he was treated like a expenable asset when they threw him into the module to test out the space bridge.Was there ever any backstory to him to explain why he was treated this way by his comrades?Was he like a Verhicon in Transformers Prime were he is considered a servant or worker class transformer?Also does anyone know what his Cybertonian mode was?

So it's treason then!

[–] Vihktor-24 12 years ago

The writers were given specific orders to stop featuring him in the cartoon, because his toy had been discontinued, so there was no point in trying to promote it.

See here:
http://tfarchive.com/cartoons/bible/

* REFLECTOR camera

*Toy discontinued; do not use character

They later released his figure as a special mail-away, but by that time they couldn't change his disappearance from the show, and he stayed as background filler. This also meant that he got no backstory in the cartoon.

[–] Cringe_Factor 12 years ago

He got to be in the 86 movie which is more than a lot of the season 2 guys got.

He was originally intended to have the same cloning shtick that the insecticons and later the sweeps had, this was for no other reason than to have more decepticons in battle. Once there were more decepticons ie more toys, there was less need for bulking out the background with generic D-cons. Also why we tended not to see the nameless seekers unless the script called for it.

Like Vihktor said the show was a toy commercial no point promoting a toy that isn't for sale.

[–] miklik 12 years ago

I got my Reflector toy through the mail in offer. I like to pair him with Soundwave just like in the cartoon.

[–] jokerz77 12 years ago

Yes thats how I got my Reflector.I remember when I was a child always running to my front door every time the mail arrived untill the day it finaly arrived.I still have my Reflector and still hold him as one of my most prized collectables in my Transformers collection.

So it's treason then!

[–] DarklordRB 12 years ago

Reflector wasn't really given a Cybertronian form, but a fan artist came up with one for them, http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=Reflector+Transformers&offset=24#/ d2n7nmp
http://tf-seedsofdeception.deviantart.com/gallery/?q=Reflector#/d3kmfj o

As for giving him his own episode, unfortunately they're a bit too ancillary for that. But I still think he's cool, and it's great they made new costume made figures of them.

[–] Cringe_Factor 12 years ago

He was an underused original so there will always be a bit of fan love for good old Reflector. Heck Sunstorm appeared in one frame of the first episode and they made a huge fuss over him when some guy in Japan decided to name him.

Now all we need is that Purple Seeker guy with the flame thrower, too bad they already used the name 'Jet Fire'.

3 guys turn into an anologue camera...yes entirely useless but in 2005 you still had two recorders and lets face it SOundwave has got to be one of the most iconic characters in the show. Just think had he been reactivated in the 1920s he could have been a gramophone

[–] DarklordRB 12 years ago

I tend to focus on impact and ideal more than being pedantic when it comes to certain gimmicks and modes the Transformers have. Thinking of them being reactivated in the 20's is way too far off for me, I'm sorry.

Don't get me wrong I'm still a little discrete. At first I didn't like the idea of Duocons or Multiforce(or multibots as I call them), because of the idea of needing two separate vehicles to transform into a whole transformer didn't appeal to me at that time. But latter on it started to grow on me now, if you turned them into a combiner/gestalt team that becomes a giant robot, that made the gimmick a lot more well rounded. I had the same feeling with a couple of Blaster's tapes that transform into a mini jet and tank but I came around thinking they were as good as Multibots and Doucons since they combine into a whole robot.

The only gimmicks that turn me off are Targetmasters(which I find superfluous), certain Powercore Combiners(that are a straight down grade from real gestalt Combiner Transformers), and Pretenders.

[–] Cringe_Factor 12 years ago

I didn't mind the target masters, the main robot can still fight without his 'smart gun' however headmasters and powermasters were just dumb... we're stuck in vehicle form unless this tiny guy is with us, at least in the Japanese version they weren't organic. "Oh no my head starved to death or ran out of oxygen now I'm stuck as a car". Transformers shouldn't need help transforming.

[–] DarklordRB 12 years ago

Yeah, the Powermasters I didn't like too much, either. But I do sort of like the Headmasters at times.

[–] ForTheNonce 11 years ago

none of his fellow Decepticons seemed to respect him at all.For example he was treated like a expenable asset when they threw him into the module to test out the space bridge.

The only example of this I remember is the one you mention. I assumed it was because he was the smallest Decepticon there.

[–] Koosh_King01 10 years ago

Rumble was far smaller.

Also, the guy thrown into the ship and sent through the space bridge uses Reflector's character model, but isn't Reflector. He has a different voice actor (Ken Sansom) and is just described as a random Decepticon warrior in the script AFAIK.

I mean, really, how many times will you look under Jabba's manboobs?

[–] ForTheNonce 9 years ago

Rumble was far smaller.

If so, there's still the fact that phuqing with Rumble is phuqing with Soundwave, one of Megatron's favorites.

[–] Koosh_King01 10 years ago

I love Reflector. In fact he's (they are?) the only G1 Decepticon(s) I own currently.

I mean, really, how many times will you look under Jabba's manboobs?

[–] TwoThousandOneMark 10 years ago

I did a full series re-watch about a year & half ago. One funny moment into S1 was Reflector doing a pyramid stand like an early combiner, as if teaming up to look taller would help- it didn't & they were smashed apart right away lols. It might've been the first JetFire episode?