Devilbat
From Transformers Wiki
- Devilbat is a Beastformer from the Generation 1 continuity family..
Despite his fearsome name and appearance, Devilbat (デビルバット Debirubatto) isn't so much bad as... misguided. Or not guided at all. A good-natured but incredibly capricious sort, he's quick to act on what he thinks is a good idea, but also fickle and just as quickly loses interest in what he's doing. He's always seeking to improve himself, but naturally has problems sticking to any given plan of action.
This flighty nature led him to leave White Leo's forces to work with Alligatron, as the two had always got along well. This didn't exactly make him popular, especially with Beafox, who held a burning hatred for the Decepticon-allied rebels. And yet, following the Great War, the two now work together as rulers of their homeland of Ringostan, with Devilbat serving as King Beafox's subordinate Emperor. Both are extremely proficient at nighttime tactics, both capable of seeing clearly in the dark and striking their target from the ground or air. Devilbat's ability to flit through the air and change course with an ease no bird-type beast is capable of compliments Beafox's rocket-like leaping skills. His natural radar can also be channeled through his Devil Waver MVP Weapon, which can produce a powerful ultrasonic wave to shake apart and disintegrate targets.
Sometimes there are lots of him.
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Fiction
The Headmasters cartoon
When the Decepticons conquered Beast, the Devilbats were some of the Beastformers who joined them, the only mammals to do so.
During an attack by the loyalist Beastformers on the Decepticon factory on Beast, many Devilbats took to the skies, attacking Beastformers like Hedgehogs and Battle Bears. The loyalists were driven away.
While Wheelie and Daniel tried to get into the factory to save the parents of a monkey Beastformer child, a Devilbat stood guard on the structure. When a Snakebomb spotted the two, two Devilbats gave chase, but they were ultimately captured by a Killer Fish.
When the Autobot Transformers attacked the factory, a Devilbat and a Snakebomb tried to attack Rodimus Prime, only to be pitifully tossed away. Galvatron arrived on the scene and accidentally shot the two, warning them to stay out of the way. The Decepticon Transformers were eventually chased away. Rebellion on Planet Beast
Beastformers catalogs
When White Leo obtained the Burstsun power, Alligatron sent Devilbat to use his Scanner Eye on White Leo so that they could discern his weakness. Devilbat was able to get the leap on White Leo and produce a Secret Photo that revealed the secrets of Burstsun, but the Monsterbot Repugnus spotted the ambush and gave chase. In the pursuit, Devilbat dropped the Secret Photo into Beast's largest forest. Series 2 catalog
After the Decepticon Beasts were defeated in the fight for the Secret Photo, Alligatron sent Devilbat out to scout for a good place for an ambush, and the bat chose a bottomless swamp in the middle of the forest. Series 3 catalog
Beastformers comic
Following the end of the Beastformers' civil war, Devilbat fought in their war with the Laser Beasts. He bore witness when Rabbit Kid and Bombsheep arrived on the battlefield with the Hunters. Beastformers VS Laser Beasts
Legends comic
In 2038, the then-peaceful Beast was invaded by Galvatron II's Decepticons. Devilbat was part of the joint Beastformer-Laser Beast alliance that fought against the invaders. He cheerfully worked with fellow chiropteran Skybat. The Road to Legends' Revival Chapter 3
Toys
Transformers: Beastformers
- Devilbat (Beastformer, 1987)
- ID number: 12
- Pack: B, C, E
- Accessories: Poleaxe (usually)
- Part of the first series of Takara's Beastformers toys, Devilbat is an anthropomorphic bat in black robotic armor. His left arm ends in a hook. The Battle Emblem on his left wing reveals one of three symbols when warmed up; Fire, Water or Wood.
- He usually comes with a bronze poleaxe marked with the same ID number as on his back. However, Beastformers is notorious for toys coming with someone else's weapon; it's unclear if this was just poor QC or intentional.
- He was re-released in the subsequent second and third series; while the toy proper was not changed, the packaging and packed-in bio card was. The series 1 release comes in a generic purple-grid "Destron Beastformer" box, with a purple-grid bio card with a painted character image on the front, though there was a random chance of his card being replaced by the rare "Holography Mirror" card. Series 2 came in a green-grid generic "Destron Beastformer" box, with the bio card putting the painted image on a jungle backdrop, though there was a chance his card could be replaced with a rare "Secret Photo" card. Series 3's box was unchanged save for the Pack letter on the top, and he still came with his series-2 card, though this time, it could be replaced with a rare "VS Holography Mirror" card.
Beastformers
- Devilbat (Beastformer, 1988)
- ID number: 12
- Accessories: "Devil Waver" MVP Weapon (usually)
- Re-released in the post-Transformers "RPG"-themed Beastformers sequel series, Devilbat was given a straight re-release with new packaging and a new, more filled-out bio card with corrected coloring. This new card also gave his weapon, now branded an "MVP Weapon", the name "Devil Waver" (デビルウェーバー Debiru Wēbā). Speaking of the weapon, once again there was also a chance he could come with the weapon from one of the other Beastformers in his shipping case; matching the Beasts with their same-numbered weapons was part of the "role-playing game" attached to the line, encouraging kids to buy more of the toys.
- He was sold in the second assortment of individually-packed Beastformers, with a peg-hole in the top flap, and a sticker on the bottom with his name and role on it. This series did not have any kind of "rare card" random pack-in promotion. Samples of Devilbat (among others) have also been found on simple bubble cards, with the bio card positioned so the name shows clearly under the figure's feet, but it is uncertain if this style of packaging was ever properly sold at retail.
- Later in the run, the "mood ring" styled rubsigns were replaced with new rubsigns that revealed full-color Fire/Wood/Water images on black backdrops. (These rubsign variants also happened at the same time in the Hasbro Battle Beast version of the line.)
- Devilbat (Gahsapon Beastformer, 1988)
- ID number: 12
- Accessories: Weapon
- Many of the first-series Beastformers were also sold in gashapon capsule machines, Devilbat included. This version is identical to the regularly-released boxed version, including the randomized rubsign, except the gashapons appear to have randomized weapons (or just crummy quality control).
- There is also a rare all-white/cream version of Devilbat; these rare versions can vary in how white they actually are, and it's uncertain if that's how they started or if some have simply yellowed with age. These white versions tend to be very expensive on the secondary market.
Merchandise
Candy toys
- Devilbat (Gashapon/candy-toy Beastformer, 1988)
- ID number: 14
- Accessories: "Iron Axe" weapon
- A 1-inch-tall, super-deformed, articulation-free version of Devilbat that could come in red, blue or green plastic, representing the Fire, Water and Wood elements (even though he still had a rubsign). All of the SD Beastformers come with a different Beastformer's weapon attached to their left shoulder by a snippable sprue Devilbat came with Koala Gray's "Iron Axe" weapon, while Grayox came with Devilbat's "Devil Waver".
- This toy was sold in three different ways. First it was available as a gashapon capsule prize by Takara. Then it was sold as a candy toy from Takara, randomly-packed in a box of three with a packet of ramune-flavored candy tablets. Then again as a candy toy, this time through candy/snack company Meiji, in randomized packs of two[citation needed] with a packet of "chocoballs" (chocolate covered malted milk balls). The Meiji release also has much more elaborate packaging, with newly-painted box art (which sometimes shows characters not made in this assortment), and the entire interior of the box printed with game rules, character bios, chunks of lore, etc.
- Ramune Beastformers Battle Card (1988)
- ID number: 14
- A gold-foil "Battle Card" of Devilbat, featuring his painted character art from his original bio card, was available in randomly-packed sets of cards that came with ramune-flavored candy tablets, sold by candy/snack company Meiji, during the post-Transformers "RPG" sequel series. The back of the card features a severely truncated bio, with data for the game from the Meiji chocoball SD figures' packaging.
Notes
- Devilbat is the only Beastformers toy whose Battle Emblem is not on his torso.
- His 1988 "RPG" bio card gives him the nickname Devi (デビ Debi).
Foreign names
- English: Blitzkrieg Bat
