Reflector (Transformers)

Reflector is the collective name of three Decepticon characters from the fictional Transformers toy range and associated universe. Their individual names are Viewfinder, Spectro, and Spyglass. They combine into a single alternate form. In some versions of Transformers, such as the "Shattered Glass" storyline, Reflector is one character instead of three.

Transformers: Generation 1

Reflector comprises three separate robots which together transform into one hand-held camera. Like other Transformers which converted into household electronic appliances (e.g. Soundwave), Reflector was sized to fit the hands of children. It featured a working, if weak, magnifying lens, housed in the central of the three robots, Viewfinder. The names of the other two robots are Spectro and Spyglass.

The toy was only available by mail order in 1986, the recipient of the product having provided both monetary payment and a number of 'Robot Points' clipped from other Transformers packages.

Reception

He was picked as the 8th worst Transformer of all time by X-Entertainment.^[1]

Animated series

In the Transformers Generation 1 cartoon, Reflector was depicted as three robots acting and speaking in unison. Reflector had very few significant action roles in Season 1 (1984–85), mostly serving as part of the overall Decepticon forces, and was rarely ever seen in Season 2 (1985–86), seemingly phased out as more Decepticon toys were introduced. In those few episodes in which Reflector did have a role, it was as a spy, and the character seemed to be at the bottom of the Decepticon pecking order. Three additional Reflector units were shown in the initial episodes, at least one displaying an individual personality distinct from the typical Reflector unit (when shuttling energon to Cybertron through the Space Bridge). Subsequent episodes periodically showed an individual Reflector unit. Reflector is seen briefly in some The Transformers: The Movie (1986) scenes, such as during the attack on Autobot City; and during Unicron's attack on Cybertron, characters bearing resemblance to the Reflector robots are seen running to man the defenses of the planet. However the character is never seen in subsequent seasons.

Despite the three components having different appearances as a toy in robot modes, the three Reflector robots had a near-identical appearance in the cartoon: their bodies were primarily based on Spectro's robot mode, but with Viewfinder's chest and color scheme (although only one of them, appropriately, had a lens assembly in his torso).

Comics

Devil's Due Publishing

Reflector appeared in the original G.I. Joe vs the Transformers miniseries from Devil's Due Publishing, being ordered by Megatron to assist Dr Mindbender in stockpiling Energon. They did not appear after this, so it is possible they were deactivated or killed on the island. Here the three drones resembled their cartoon appearance.

In the third series Reflector would appear again (this time in a toy accurate form) as part of the Decepticon army under Serpentor. Delivered by Menasor, they delivered Serpentor's ultimatum to Optimus Prime, although they were attacked by Jetfire. With Serpentor's defeat their fate is unknown.

Dreamwave Productions

Reflector would make his first comics appearance in Dreamwave Productions's second Generation One mini-series. Here, he was a soldier of Shockwave, assigned to spy on Cybertron and all its inhabitants (Autobot or Decepticon) from a special computer network so that Shockwave could maintain absolute power without appearing to be actively spying on anyone. He was killed by Starscream as a show of force to Soundwave.

Reflector also appeared in the iBooks trilogy written by David Cian, set somewhat in continuity with the Dreamwave G1 universe. In the first book, Hardwired, they are part of the Decepticons on Earth and, after Megatron's disappearance and Skywarp's defeat by Starscream, joined Starscream's leadership to save their own necks. This seemingly marks a continuity error with the Dreamwave series, as it is established in the second miniseries that Reflector was on Cybertron during the time of the battles on Earth. However, the second book, Annihilation, resolved this by noting that the Cybertron-bound Reflector was a copy of the real one – the Earthen one. This version of Reflector's three components all have separate personalities.

Fun Publications

Reflector was among Megatron's troops when Megatron attacked Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.^[2]

IDW Publishing

Reflector made his IDW Publishing debut in the Spotlight issue on Wheelie, once again in a cartoon accurate form. Having crashed their ship on a deserted planet, killing Viewfinder, Spectro and Spyglass captured a shapeshifting alien for the sheer pleasure of torturing it. After its escape was engineered by Wheelie in an effort to get to their ship, the Decepticons pursued it but appeared once again as Wheelie and the alien attempted to flee the planet in a rocket, wounding Varta. Wheelie let them take the rocket to save the alien's life. However, Wheelie had sabotaged the rocket and it exploded, taking the Decepticons with it.

Marvel Comics

Reflector's sole appearance in the Marvel Comics series was in the story "The Last Stand", where Spectro, Spyglass and Viewfinder are shown working with the Decepticon medic to repair their fellow Decepticons. Subsequently an oddly colored Viewfinder was seen decorating the cavern floor of Mount St. Hilary after all the Decepticons were rendered inoperable by Sparkplug Witwicky's poisoned fuel. They were unnamed in their appearance.

Games

The Sector Seven viral marketing web site featured several videos recording supposed evidence of Transformers on Earth. These featured cameos by Generation 1 Transformers, including scenes of Grimlock destroying a construction site, Reflector transforming during a birthday party, as well as scenes of Kickback, and Laserbeak being video taped by people accidentally, and a security video showing bits of a robot looking a lot like Generation 1 Bumblebee transforming in a parking garage.

Toys

• Generation 1 Reflector (1985)

Reflector was not sold in stores; instead, he was offered as a mail-in exclusive by Hasbro for money and Robot Points collected from packages of other Transformers toys. In Japan however, he was released at retail.^[3]

Shattered Glass

This Reflector is an alternate version good of the Generation 1 character from the BotCon exclusive "Shattered Glass" comic, in which the Decepticons are on the side of good and the Autobots on the side of evil.^[4]

References