Highbrow (Transformers)

Highbrow is the name of a fictional character in the Transformers universes. Neither the name Highbrow or the mold used for his toy were ever reused.

Transformers: Generation 1

Transformers character
name =Highbrow


caption =Highbrow box art
affiliation =Autobot
subgroup =Headmasters
rank =6
function =Electronic Warfare
partner =Gort
motto ="War is the playground of the ignorant."
alternatemodes =Cybertronian Helicopter
voiceby =Johnny Haymer (English)
Michitaka Kobayashi (Japanese)Highbrow is an Autobot Headmaster who turns into a helicopter. His partner is the Nebulan Gort. Highbrow considers himself above warfare and prefers to talk out differences, and is a bit of a snob. Gort is a cheerful and couragous young Nebulan. [http://www.seibertron.com/database/character.php?view=&char_id=181]

Animated series

Highbrow first appeared in the episode "Rebirth, Part 1". Decepticons successfully stole the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber and opened the ancient device, a group of Autobots and humans included Highbrow were blasted across the galaxy by the energy release, crash-landing on the planet Nebulos. Quickly siding with a group of rebels engaged in a war against the planet's evil rulers, the Hive, they deduced a process by which they could combine the best of their minds and bodies together, becoming Headmasters. Highbrow, along with Chromedome, Hardhead, and Brainstorm volunteered to undergo the Headmaster process, along with female Autobot Arcee who did so in order to save Daniel's life.

Unlike the profile shared by the Headmasters comic and tech spec, Gort in the three-part "Rebirth" was shown to be the Nebulan rebels' leader as well as one of the oldest in the group.

Transformers: Headmasters

Whereas "The Rebirth" served as an ending for the cartoon series in the west, in Japan, it was decided to continue producing new episodes. To that end, "The Rebirth" was discarded, and in its stead, a new 35-episode series titled "" was created, along with a new Japanese concept for Headmasters which differed distinctly from their Western counterparts. There would be no Nebulons or humans here - instead, the heads were small Cybertronians, and the bodies were lifeless constructs called "Transtectors" to which these small robots connected themselves, and which they controlled. Although the Japanese toyline, like the West, gave the Headmaster components different names to the larger Transtectors the animated series used only one name for both the head and the Transtector.

Four million years ago, Fortress was the leader of one of the many groups of Autobots who fled Cybertron to escape the wars. Things took a turn for the worse, however, when their spaceship crashed on the planet Master, the harsh environments of which killed many members of the crew. In order to survive the dangers inherent to life on Master, the Autobots created the lifeless bodies known as Transtectors, and underwent rigorous training to master the transformation technique and merge with them. Their training also allowed them to developed considerable mental powers such as telepathy and telekinesis.

However, a member of the group known as Zarak chaffed under Fortress's leadership, and he and three of the Headmasters loyal to him turned on him, only to be defeated and forced off of Master. Zarak subsequently teamed up with Decepticon leader Galvatron, and when they attacked Cybertron in the year 2011, Fortress and his men - Chromedome, Brainstorm, Hardhead and Highbrow - returned to their home planet aboard Fortress's battleship, Maximus, and joined the war once more.

Marvel Comics

Highbrow also appeared in Marvel's accompanying Transformers comic, where he was one of the Autobots under Fortress Maximus who fled the war on Cybertron. Scorponok's Decepticons pursued them, and the war began anew on the planet Nebulos. Highbrow was amongst those who surrendered his head to the Nebulans as a gesture of peace, eventually becoming Headmasters. He served as one of Maximus' troops throughout the rest of the "" series, but accomplished little of note other battling the Decepticons on several occasions.

"However, while he would receive little notice in the U.S. Transformers comic, Highbrow became the star of several Marvel U.K. tales written by Simon Furman. One of these, set in the events of the "Headmasters" miniseries, would have Highbrow and his fellow Headmasters being captured by the Decepticon Targetmasters as part of a scheme by Scorponok to discern the flaws in the Headmaster process. Scorponok chose Highbrow as the subject of his experiments. Highbrow was unable to fight back as his mind and Gort's were struggling for supremacy. Chromedome arrived and managed to convince them to work together, forcing Scorponok to flee. (Marvel U.K. #130-131) "

"The Scorponok/Highbrow rivalry exploded again in the 1988 annual in a story called "All in the Minds". Lured into Scorponok's clutches by Nebulans hypnotised by Mindwipe, he battled the Horrorcons, but was defeated and hypnotised by Mindwipe. Suffering from amnesia, the Decepticons attempted to convince Highbrow that they were on his side. Gort, however, was unaffected, and when he recombined with Highbrow the two ripped Scorponok's head off."

After this Highbrow, along with the rest of Maximus' troops, came to Earth, witnessing the duel between Grimlock and Blaster before being attacked by the Decepticons.

"During the U.K. "Time Wars" arc, while contemplating his own inadequacies, he was jumped by Scorponok's troops, who stole back their leader's head. He was then displaced to a limbo dimension by the arrival of Rodimus Prime's troops. After the defeat of Galvatron, he served under Maximus and Optimus Prime, surviving the Underbase massacre, although he appeared less prominently."

"Cloudburst, Crosshairs, Getaway, Highbrow and Stakeout were among the Autobots who backed Optimus Prime when Grimlock challanged him for leadership of the Autobots in the issue #263 of the Marvel U.K. comics, "Break-Away!"

Highbrow and Gort died together in Marvel U.S. #75. Mentally steeling himself for battle while piloting Highbrow toward Unicron, the preoccupied Gort accidentally cut Cloudburst off his approach vector, sending the unfortunate Pretender spiraling into Unicron's maw-borne conflagration. Horrified by what his actions had caused, Gort charged recklessly toward the Chaos-Bringer - and he and Highbrow were crushed by Unicron's massive hands.

Dreamwave Productions

Highbrow never appeared in the Dreamwave Productions fiction before the company closed, save his single page biography in their More Than Meets The Eye series.

Toys

*Generation 1 Highbrow with Gort (1987):The name and molds for Highbrow and Gort were never reused. [http://www.seibertron.com/toys/gallery.php?id=18&size=0&start=0] A chinese made knockoff of this toy was made in brown and tan camouflage patterns.

References