Hive (Transformers)

The Hive are fictional characters in the original Transformers cartoon series. They appeared in "The Rebirth", the three-part episode that served as the fourth and final season of the series.

Led by Lord Zarak, the Hive are the rulers of the planet Nebulos. Living far underground, they have developed their mental powers to the point of being able to control machines with their thoughts. They use these machines both to maintain the environment of their planet, and to enslave its population.

However, in developing their mental abilities, their bodies have withered and become totally useless. An opportunity to address this shortcoming presented itself when groups of Autobots and Decepticons arrived on their planet. By observing a battle between the two groups of Transformers, the Hive discovered that some of the Autobots had binary-bonded with a group of Nebulon rebels, becoming Headmasters.

After the Decepticons retreated from the battle, the Hive used their machines to capture them, and brought them to their city. Lord Zarak forced the Decepticons to binary-bond with them, providing the Hive members with new bodies in the form of robotic exo-suits. Cyclonus, leader of this group of Decepticons, would only permit the Hive to have the heads of those among them who transformed into robotic animals: Apeface, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher, Snapdragon, and Weirdwolf. The remaining Decepticons - Cyclonus, Scourge, Misfire, Triggerhappy, and Slugslinger - instead offered up their weapons for the same purpose, thus creating the first Targetmasters.

The pairings were as follows:

"Decepticon - Hive Member"

Headmasters
*Apeface - Spasma
*Mindwipe - Vorath
*Skullcruncher - Grax
*Snapdragon - Krunk
*Weirdwolf - Monzo

Targetmasters
*Cyclonus - Nightstick
*Scourge - Fracas
*Misfire - Aimless
*Triggerhappy - Blowpipe
*Slugslinger - Caliburst

After this process was complete and the new Decepticon/Hive pairs went to engage the Autobots and their rebel partners in battle, Lord Zarak remained behind in the Hive's underground city. Using his mental powers, he reconstructed the city into a massive transforming battle station/robotic scorpion/spaceship/humanoid robot called Scorponok. Lord Zarak also constructed an exo-suit that allowed him to become Scorponok's head when in robot mode, thus becoming a Headmaster himself.