Cerebros (RID)

Cerebros is an Autobot Headmaster originally from the Robots in Disguise continuity family.

No, I am NOT Ben Stein in a robot suit!

Cerebros, also known as Plasma (プラズマ Purazuma), is simply a mindless Headmaster drone, but he is the key to controlling the colossally powerful, towering titan Fortress Maximus. In order for Fortress Maximus to reawaken, Cerebros must transform into the head of another robot known only as the Emissary. The Emissary's only purpose is to transform into Fortress Maximus' head, and Cerebros can only be activated by an Autobot Leader, who can then command the goliath robot.

Unfortunately for the Autobots, this is not the unbreakable lock one might assume at first. If someone of evil intent were to scan and clone an Autobot Leader, for example....

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor: Steve Kramer (English), Masayuki Kiyama (Japanese), Vladimir Gerasimov (Russian), Pietro Mário (Brazilian Portuguese)

When Fortress Maximus was first hidden on Earth, Cerebros was concealed within a statue and placed in a temple. Led to the temple by the Orb of Sigma, the Build Team and Autobot Brothers recovered Cerebros, but were attacked by the Decepticons before they could escape with their prize. In an attempt to gain Scourge's respect, Sky-Byte and the Predacons kidnapped Cerebros and for once the Predacons' usual misadventures ended up in their favor. The Decepticons used Cerebros to find Fortress Maximus, whom the Autobots had concealed in the middle of Metro City. On activating Maximus, Scourge was unable to control the giant Autobot, who went on a rampage across the town. Koji was able to stop Maximus, who sank into the ground. As Cerebros detached, Galvatron seized him and returned to the Megastar. Maximus Emerges

Scourge's attempts to analyse Cerebros's programming were hampered by its complexity; however, he believed that Fortress Maximus was programmed to obey humans. To that end, he amplified his own human bio-energy (obtained when he scanned his alternate mode) and took Cerebros into the desert where the 'bot combined with Fortress Maximus. Once the Autobots had manage to stop Maximus, with the help of many, many children, Cerebros detached and was promptly spirited away by Galvatron. The Human Element

A third attempt was made by the Decepticons to control Fortress Maximus, with Scourge taking Cerebros into a jungle where Maximus had relocated. Once again, Cerebros activated the titan, who was then controlled by Carl, a boy that Sky-Byte had kidnapped. After Scourge revealed his duplicity, Galvatron abandoned Cerebros and he was recovered by the Autobots. Mistaken Identity

Once taken to the Autobot base, Cerebros was interrogated and revealed that while he was programmed to obey Autobots, Fortress Maximus was programmed to only obey humans. They were soon interrupted by an attack by the Decepticon forces, who'd finally located the base. Optimus took Cerebros on a drive through the city, pursued by said forces, to a predetermined location where the rest of the Autobots were waiting to ambush the foe. The battle was soon joined by the Megastar, with armaments which quickly overwhelmed the Autobots. Inspired by the heroic act of Omega Prime, Cerebros activated Fortress Maximus, who fought with and destroyed the Megastar. Surprise Attack! Despite his base being in ruins, Galvatron managed to gain the upper hand once more. Galvatron leeched away Fortress Maximus's energy, granting himself unparalleled strength. Galvatron's Revenge The forces of good managed to triumph in the end nonetheless. After Galvatron's defeat at the hands of Omega Prime, Fortress Maximus transported the Predacons and Decepticons to the asteroid prison colony. The Final Battle

Legends comic

When Vector Sigma granted the Dimensional Patrol the new Neo Brave Maximus, Plasma and Brave were transferred to it. The old Brave Maximus was given to the Autobots on Earth, with Master and Zebres as its new control units. Plasma was aboard Neo Brave Maximus when Scourge attacked the base to rescue Devil Gigatron. LGEX Scourge Prologue

Beast Wars: Uprising

A female Plasma was one of the three Cyberdroid controllers of Fortress Maximus, storing the remains of Cerebros's consciousness. She held the emotion, intuition, and language functions of the segmented mind. The Resistance executed Plasma on their raid of Fortress Maximus, freeing the various political prisoners of high regard held in his interior. Head Games

Shell Game continuity

In Viron 704.31 Epsilon, Ruination killed the Emissary, and presumably Cerebros as well. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/30

Toys

Car Robots

Plasma, Cerebros, Gran, Emissary... just call me head guy!

• Brave Maximus (2000)

• ID number: C-027

A red, black, and silver redeco of the original Transformers toyline's Spike Witwicky Headmaster toy, Car Robots Plasma transforms into the head of Brave, who in turn becomes the head of Brave Maximus. He is also compatible with any of the other Headmaster bodies from the original line.

Naturally, he was only available packed in with Brave Maximus. This set was not released in the Hasbro Robots in Disguise version of the line.

This mold was also used to make Masterforce Gran, and was later re-released as Robotmasters Master. The run of this mold from the Encore reissue of Fortress Maximus was also retooled into BotCon 2014's Olin Zarak.

• More information on Plasma at TFU.info

Legacy

• Omega Prime (Multi-pack, 2025)

• TakaraTomy name: God Fire Convoy (ゴッドファイヤーコンボイ)
• Series: Robots in Disguise 2001
• Known designers: Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Hisashi Yuki (TakaraTomy)^[1], Hiroyuki Taiga (concept artist),^[2] Dave White (product photography), Nick and Tony Colella (sculptors)^[3]

First shown off at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Legacy Omega Prime includes a Titan Master-styled version of Cerebros. He can interact with box-mate Optimus Prime's ladder by sitting in the operators chair or standing inside the ladder.

This item is currently scheduled for release, but is not yet available at mass retail.

Notes

• The Uprising incarnation of Plasma has a green chassis to form an RGB pattern with the blue Kord and the red Gran.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Plasma (プラズマ Purazuma)
• Korean: Plasma (프라즈아 Peurajeuma)
• Portuguese: Cérebro ("Brain", Brazil)

References