The Energon Pub

Punch/Counterpunch

Allegiance: Autobot/Decepticon
Function: Secret Agent
Altmode: Cybertronian Hovercar
Weapons: Punch -- twin mortar launcher; Counterpunch -- photon cannon
Special Abilities: Unique triple-changer design (Autobot Punch, Decepticon Counterpunch, Cybertronian hovercar); flight (Counterpunch only); personality shell-matrix (essentially allows Punch and Counterpunch to register as two completely different mechs in terms of thought patterns, neural circuitry activity and overall personality)
Height: 26 ft. / 7.92 m
Quote: "In my business, there are no friends, only suspects."


Strength: 6
Intelligence: 9
Dexterity: 6
Speed: 6
Endurance: 6
Courage: 10
Firepower: 6
Accuracy: 7
Melee: 7
Tech Skill: 08
Charisma: 7
Rank: (7 on techspecs)

Profile: Punch is as cool-headed and well-adjusted as you will ever meet, although aloof and detached to a certain degree. However, the fact remains that he is, if anything, more observant and wary than many would suspect. Paranoid he may be that there may be traitors in the midst of the Autobots, but it's nowhere near Red Alert's levels of paranoia. He knows all too well just how much he has to lose by taking too many risks -- and the fact that he's willing to do it anyway is a testimony to his confidence in the rightness of his actions, his courage in the face of adversity, and his dedication and resolve to the Autobot cause.

As Counterpunch, on the other hand, he is ruthless, volatile and bad-tempered. An act, of course, but one that Counterpunch has proven capable of portraying quite well. There is a growing confidence in his 'act' as Counterpunch, because of the knowledge that he has been able to retain his Autobot sensibilities in the face of his constant exposure to the Decepticon camp. Still, however, there is the fear lurking in the back of his shared mind of the Counterpunch persona taking over and betraying the Autobots. That, however, is remedied by a personality shell-matrix that helps to ensure that there is enough difference between the Punch and Counterpunch personas to avoid some of the more dangerous pitfalls that could lead to his discovery and execution by the Decepticons.

Abilities: Punch / Counterpunch has slightly above average strength and great intelligence -- a skilled spy and infiltrator, as well as a capable actor and a canny judge of character. His ability to make rapid situational analyses is impressive, as is his knowledge of security and undercover tactics. As a Cybertronian hovercar, Punch / Counterpunch is capable of attaining velocities as high as 160 mph with a range of 1,200 miles. In Autobot mode, Punch utilizes a twin mortar launcher with a range of 9,000 feet; in Decepticon mode, Counterpunch wields a photon cannon designed to destroy the target's circuitry, tearing them apart internally. The Decepticon mode also affords Counterpunch with a personality shell-matrix which helps to dissociate the persona (including neural circuitry activity and thought patterns) from the Autobot mode and the Punch persona.

Robot/Altmode - Autobot: Punch's Autobot robot mode is distinctive. Slightly taller than an average Autobot he makes a point of hunching down, concious of his differences in all things, not just height. His torso is a deep yellow bearing an Autobot badge proudly in the centre with black appendages, wheels, helmet and fists, but his visored face has a weary look in its eyes. His detailing is blue, however these patches are kept few and far between due to his willingness to hide his alter ego even from most of the Autobots, and only the few visible altmode parts, an altmode he can rarely as an Autobot use for fear of being discovered, lest he show any hint of his life as a doublespy.
His Autobot-version altmode of a Cybertronian hovercar is sleek, blue in colour but lacks any kind of faction identification. Designed to look basic, simple and functional, Punch tries to avoid using it as much as possible due to its obvious similarity to his Decepticon counterparts far flashier but still identical version.

Robot/Altmode - Decepticon Disguise: Counterpunch's robot mode is as similar to Punch as Drag Strip is to Mirage, or Breakdown is to Sideswipe. Shining blue from face to foot, with a black helmet and upper legs, Counterpunch just exudes arrogance and insecurity. His paintwork is polished to a gleam at all times and constantly inspected in any reflective surface, partly to keep up his Decepticon persona's appearance and partly to ensure that there is absolutely no chance of his Autobot side being discovered by accident. His face is covered by a blast shield over the lower half and a visor over the top, an attempt to ensure no emotion can betray him, and he utilises various hydraulic techniques to attempt to appear even taller when in this disguise.
Counterpunch's Decepticon altmode follows the styling of his robot mode, the same blue in colour but a massive vulgar spoiler protrudes out the back, the arches over his repulsors have been customised and widened to a ridiculous degree, his windows are blacked-out, his lights are amplified and shine with a blue-neon tint, the underside of the car has strip lighting and the exhaust cans on the back could shatter a window from a mile away - this altmode screams vanity and every effort imaginable has been made ensure that the same vehicle mode as possessed by Punch persona looks as different as you can imagine to when he is undercover. (Not to mention the stereo...)

Weaknesses: The fear of the Counterpunch persona becoming too comfortable as a Decepticon spy and winding up taking full control of the shared body with the Punch persona is a very real possibility that Punch must always take into account. The personality shell-matrix helps to mitigate that somewhat, but deep down, Punch still remains concerned that the Counterpunch persona may find a way to circumvent the personality shell-matrix (or worse, the personality shell-matrix be damaged and rendered inoperable for any appreciable length of time), and thereby allow Counterpunch to wrest full control of their shared mind, in turn sowing untold chaos and disaster for the Autobots.