Bantor (BW)

Bantor is a Maximal of the Beast Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

One arm has its own arm, and the other is coming out of a mandrill's mouth.

Bantor seems like the ideal Maximal soldier. Not only is he strong and fast, but he's also an intelligent, disciplined warrior with a tactical mind and a keen understanding of guerilla warfare—useful traits to have when you're a demolitions specialist. His Fuzor beast mode means that he's at home in the trees or on the ground, stalking his prey slowly and silently through the jungle and into a carefully planned ambush. By that time, his Predacon victim has already walked right into one of his cleverly-disguised snares or explosive booby-traps.

Yes, Bantor would be the model of Maximal military prowess... if it weren't for those unfortunate periods when Bantor's careful, stony patience just shatters. When Bantor loses his cool, it's as if he becomes an entirely different person: a daredevil berserker who'll attack anything in reach until he can regain control. It's a good thing that he's got the close-combat skills to back him up; his hyper-reflex musculature gives him the strength to throw devastating haymaker punches. Bantor's greatest foe is, ultimately, himself: his level head and intricate tactics can all go out the window at a moment's notice, which can land him in trouble.

Fiction

Toy bio

Bantor served under Optimal Optimus, and was his leader's first choice for recon and demolition missions. Bantor bio

3H comics

Bantor was a member of the Maximal High Council after the Great Transformation. He, along with his fellow council members, disbelieved Optimus Primal when he warned them of the threat of Unicron. Homecoming

2006 IDW Beast Wars continuity

With a name like that, I bet he makes Bluestreak seem quiet.

Bantor was one of the protoforms jettisoned from the Axalon on prehistoric Earth. He was activated and put in chronal phase by Razorbeast at Magmatron's request, but was protected from Magmatron's Predacon shell-program by Razorbeast's viral code. The Gathering #1

Soon after awakening, he joined up with K-9, Noctorro, Stinkbomb, Armordillo, and Torca. During their journey to meet up with Razorbeast, Torca got stuck in some mud, and Bantor and the others helped free him. The Gathering #2 After following Razorbeast's signal for days, and picking up more Maximals along the way, Bantor and the rest rushed into battle against Magmatron's Predacons, where he plucked the wings of Scourge. The Maximals won that altercation, and awaited rescue from Cybertron. The Gathering #4

Subsequent battles were not favorable for Bantor. A later Predacon assault led by Ravage left many Maximals and Predacons injured. The Ascending #1 When Lio Convoy arrived to take as many soldiers as possible back to Cybertron, Ravage discovered the threat of Shokaract, and there wasn't enough room on Lio's ship to take everyone back. The Ascending #2 Bantor was one of the Transformers who had to stay behind. The arrival of the Blendtrons only made things worse. After Cybershark convinced everyone to help Razorbeast, everyone entered the fray. It appears that Bantor and Manta Ray were crushed to death by Drancron. They would not go unavenged. Lazorbeak and Spittor saw to that. The Ascending #4

Beast Wars: Uprising

On a post-war Cybertron, Bantor fought in the 319th Game between the Maximals and Predacons for the amusement of the Builders. He attempted to pick off the Predacon team one by one, but Coelagon saw through his strategy. Derailment

Precursor World

A tiger/mandrill creature was among the native fauna of the Green Planet; when the planet, and its defenders the Green Order, were attacked by Sea Phantom, the tiger-mandrill took cover behind the leg of Green Tender Convoy, who declared that he would protect the plants and animals alike from the likes of the Seacon. God Neptune comic 1

Toys

Beast Wars

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Fuzor

• Bantor (Basic Fuzor, 1998)

• Accessories: Blade weapon / beast mode back assembly
• Known designers: Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

Part of the third wave of third-year Beast Wars Fuzors product, Bantor transforms into a tiger/mandrill hybrid. He features a spring-loaded attack gimmick; in beast pressing a button on the back of his mandrill head causes the whole head assembly to lunge forward. In robot mode it acts as a punching attack. The entire back, rear leg, and tail assembly is removable from his left arm, but also acts as his bladed weapon in robot mode.

In a unique design choice, Bantor's beast mode hindquarters are asymmetrical: his left hind leg is a mandrill's foot while his right leg is a tiger's paw (right leg highlighted in top right corner of the image to the right).

• More information on Bantor at TFU.info