The Energon Pub

Fun scans of my Brochure:
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/WC_server/STARSThundercracker.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a34/WC_server/STARS.jpg

More Scans from other sources:
http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/e/ee/STARS-FanClubUK-Advert.jpg
S.T.A.R.S. (1985) Fan Club Advertisement from the UK.

http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/c/c1/Stars_kit.jpg
A graphic image of the supply kit issued to S.T.A.R.S. members.

http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/f/f5/PackIn_Reinforcements_Back.gif
One of the very first recruitment flyer's as the Omnibots arrive from Cybertron. - image visible @ tfwiki.net/wiki/Junior_officer

http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/c/c0/PackIn_BattleIsFar_Inside1.jpg/410px-PackIn_BattleIsFar_Inside1.jpg
Prime seems more determined to recruit human allies. - image visible @ tfwiki.net/wiki/Junior_officer

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars3_3.jpg
brochure - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/omnibots_1.jpg
http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/omnibots_2.jpg
Omnibots order form front/back - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars1_1.jpg
1st S.T.A.R.S. flyer order form - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_1.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S. flyer recruitment cover - images shared & provided by

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_2.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S. inside pages. - images shared & provided by ggaub.com
//Kind of funny..//

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_3.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S flyer backside - images shared & provided by ggaub.com
//Wow, addressed to Ultra Magnus?//

Control Center/Command Center Images
http://www.thetf.net/uploads/jhaynes/2008-08-28_165716_StarsDisplay1b_Japanese.jpg
http://www.thetf.net/uploads/jhaynes/2008-08-28_165814_StarsDisplay1a_JAPANESE.gif
The Command Center for S.T.A.R.S. members in Japan - images shared & provided by jhaynes @ thetf.net

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t281/skywarp1985/001-11.jpg
S.T.A.R.S. 1985 U.K Control Center - This image is shared and provided by Skywarp408 @ thetf.net //The floor is missing, but it's much larger then the Japanese Command Center.//


All images, logos and related materials featuring TRANSFORMERS rightfully belong to Hasbro. Copyright(c)2009 Hasbro; All rights reserved.


Who remembers this back in 1984-86? I scanned some of one of the original brochures that came from one of the earliest Transformers Boxes. Thundercracker was the main villain featured on this fan club's recruitment brochure. Back in 84' to join the S.T.A.R.S. a kid only had to send in a membership fee of $6.50 for some kind of special benefits and kit. In the booklet you could order (along with proof of purchase - ROBOT POINTS); Thundercracker for $10.00, Sunstreaker for $6.50, Wheeljack for $8.00, Ratchet for $8.00, Mirage for $8.00, Downshift for $5.00, Camshaft for $5.00, Overdrive for $5.00 (Or a set of Camshaft, Downshift and Overdrive for $12.50), "The Ultimate Doom" VHS Video for $25.00 and "S.O.S. Dinobots" VHS Video for $15.00. Of course this whole club is no longer offered from Hasbo. It all expired on June 30th 1987. But I thought that these images of the brochure were pretty neat to see again after all these years. S.T.A.R.S. or Secret Tranformers Autobot Rescue Squad existed way before Resident Evil stole the name. The story line with Thundercracker is kind of cool too. I wonder why my older brothers never tried to join this club. They were earning an allowance. There might be some original S.T.A.R.S. members on Seibertron.com; if there is please let me know? If you were please get back to me? If you have any images you could share please do so?

Autobots active in this brochure for S.T.A.R.S. are:

Sunstreaker
Ratchet
Downshift
Camshaft
Wheeljack
Mirage
Overdrive


Members received:

* Transformers Control Center: Made of Sturdy 4-color graphic board. Fits easily on a dresser or bookshelf. (A Command Center, For monitoring one's sector.)
* S.T.A.R.S. Iron on patch
* Autobot Poster
* S.T.A.R.S. Membership Card (membership card that switched between displaying an Autobot symbol and a Decepticon one, depending on the angle of view. Personal data could be entered on the reverse side.)((Now why would a S.T.A.R.S. member be needing a Decepticon sigil?))
* Autobot TECH-SPEC Manual: Reveals detailed engineering drawings of all your favorite Autobots, plus secret Cybertron information.

Flare wrote:New Updates!
Updated info: 07-22-09 - The Omnibots
viewtopic.php?p=959677#p959677

Updated info: 07-08-09 - Images & Scans of Recruitment Flyers
viewtopic.php?p=950636#p950636

Update info 07-06-09 - S.T.A.R.S. member duty roster & Storyline
viewtopic.php?p=949799#p949799

Updated info 07-03-09:

//ref source; "tfwiki.net"

S.T.A.R.S. was created early in the Earthbound Transformers' conflict, at a time when the Autobots were desperate for help against the Decepticons. Recruitment messages made many promises to potential S.T.A.R.S. members, such as being able to "command [their] own Earth sector" and "get instant respect from Autobot allies." One later message even promised leadership of the entire S.T.A.R.S. organization, from Ultra Magnus himself. "You Have Been Chosen." - Ultra Magnus

The membership card was coded with identification data that allowed the holder entry into a portion of the Autobot Refueling and Weapons Armory. Once inside, a handprint/voiceprint analysis still had to be passed, and failure to do so would leave the entrant trapped inside a chamber under the threat of stun-radiation. Success, on the other hand, would grant access to the Command Center (whose design looked uncannily similar to the desktop device of the same name), where S.T.A.R.S. members needed to go to participate in search-and-rescue missions. Several tasks might be asked of a S.T.A.R.S. member, such as communication dictation, radio-frequency changing, equipment monitoring, and self-destruct activation. S.T.A.R.S. members were, in fact, expected to be familiar with the self-destruct sequence. //Wow, that sounds like fun to have played out.//

The first S.T.A.R.S. recruitment message was sent immediately following the arrival of the Omnibots, Powerdashers, and Time Warriors from Cybertron. "The battle is far from over!" The Autobots' situation seemed grim at the time, but soon the Omnibot Overdrive sent another message that painted a rosier picture: He claimed that the Decepticons were indeed driven back by the Autobots' renewed offensive, and the Decepticons had changed their strategy to constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike. He said that Optimus was holding back until human allies were ready to help take down the bases with the aid of the Omnibots and Time Warriors. "Earthlings: The S.T.A.R.S. need your help now!"- Overdrive

Later messages, tell the story of Johnny, a boy whose town came under the energy-draining assault of Thundercracker. His first instinct was to activate his S.T.A.R.S. Command Center and summon the help of several Autobot cars and the Omnibots, to whom he prepared to issue orders. "Have the Decepticons defeated us once and for all?" -Johnny
However, his console lost power and then went to the mysterious "CODE RED," at which point the recruitment messages ceased telling his tale. "Can one boy, alone, hold back the evil Decepticons?" //What happened to Johnny?//

One message, while recruiting for S.T.A.R.S., also presented the recipient with a mission: Get three friends to go see The Transformers: The Movie, the Autobots' new film, and then mail in their ticket stubs plus one dollar each to get posters. The Autobots Have a Special Mission for you. //I do remember my brothers and I did get Movie posters!//

Later messages involved their recipients less directly, simply sharing tales of robot-on-robot battles and inviting the audience to help the Autobots by joining S.T.A.R.S. The Autobots Are Under Attack! The time frame became increasingly unclear, as some messages referred to Rodimus Prime talking about a past battle, which the recipients were encouraged to get involved in. Whether this implies time-travel or just poor wording on the Autobots' part is unclear. Also for some reason, Nemesis has a real grudge against S.T.A.R.S. //Oh Crap!//

Are you just testing the waters to see how many of us "old-schoolers" are out there?
I remember that almost like it was yesterday now that you forced me to unlock those repressed memories.
I also remember one of my buddies and I discussing whether or not we could do something better as far as constructing that cardboard command center. His folks weren't too happy about seeing their rec-room turned into a cardboard covered "Autobot City" but the whole creation truly kicked ass from our point of view. I also remember the days of cutting out all those $#@* robot points from the back of the boxes (those and GI JOE Flag points) and then trying to keep track of them all. Yeah, THAT was fun!
The real question is...at what point did YOU start into Transformer collecting and what was the biggest thing YOU remember about it? Or are you a recent convert (started as an adult anyway) just trying to see how much dust is in the attic of some of us longtime collectors?

Oh my God were you really a member of S.T.A.R.S.?! Thats awesome! And yes I'm also "Oldschool", although I was never a S.T.A.R.S. member. Wish I could have become one. I was too young at the time and my parents and brothers didn't think Transformers was for girls. I've been watching Transformers since part of 84 and all through 85' and on with my two older brothers. Even though I was a girl I loved Transformers and couldn't wait to see the cartoons every weekday afternoon about 3pm . Where I lived they used to show it right after G.I. Joe. I also enjoyed watching my older brothers collect the toys and create awesome battle scenarios in their bedroom. My oldest brother collected only Decepticons and my second oldest collected only Autbots.

They would cut out and collect all those Robot Points, TECH-SPEC Cards (from the back of each box), Iron ons, Posters, and the Checklist brochures in each box (those were particularly nice to look through.) They would let me watch them play, and they would let me handle their Transformers but I was always intimidated in transforming them myself. Because the original Takara Transformers were so intricate and made of metal and better quality of plastics but their joints could still break if you transformed them too roughly or you didn't know what you're doing. None of my brothers ever broke their transformers thankfully. When they began moving out of my parents home my oldest brother packed up everything Transformers he owned and stuffed the box in the garage and just left it there for good. My second oldest brother took his whole Autobot collection with him and I haven't seen it since.

In the 90's when I was still in highschool I went into my family's garage and confiscated my oldest brother's Decepticon collection. MINE at last!!! I still have them to this day. And I even taught myself how to transform them properly. I also have all of the TECH-SPEC cards and brochures my brother kept from each box. I may see if I can set them up and take some digital pics to display on this site soon. They are in very good condition. I'm so glad my brother wasn't stupid like this boy who lived down our street. He would always break his; trying to transform them "really fast" as the characters did in the cartoons. Oh in early 2000 I started collecting my very own classic G1 Transformers "mint" in their boxes. So far I have Starscream and Prowl. I would like to try and get Shockwave and Sunstreaker next.

I have a room for my anime collectibles and I have my transformers on display in there. I would love to get Unicron for my collection even though his Toy is not an Authentic Takara Transformer.



TALK TO ME ALL YOU OLDSCHOOL BOYS!?

Didn't mean to get your hopes up there. I wasn't actually a member of S.T.A.R.S. I just remember the old order sheets. I had seriously thought about it back then, but I grew up rather poor so aside from birthdays and Christmas I had to come up with ways to get my own money for Transformers so geting the robot pts. and the membership and s & h costs would have been a slow process for me. And, like I mentioned before, my buddy and I thought we could do better on the cardboard cut-out anyway.

It's cool that you managed to get hold of your brothers collection. At least now they are back in good hands like they were back in the day. Better than being confined to a life in boxes.
Like you, I used to love going through those old checklist brochures. I had kept 2 of each series after the first one since they started doing them double sided. Unfortuantely I no longer have the originals but I managed to pick up scans of them over the years and have them up through the 4th or 5th series. (I'd have to go back and check). I do still have a lot of the tech-spec files and I think I still have one of the original red plastic "decoder" strips too. An old friend of mine (same one who I built the cardboard cityscape with) sent me a bunch of his old files and some figures awhile back so I have his tech-spech files added to my collection.

I wish I could have found out sooner about your desire to get a Unicron. With the economy going south I had to resort to selling off several pieces of my collection. Losing Fort Max still hurts like a knife wound but I try not to think about it. Anyhow, Unicron was one of the pieces I sold off to a collector/dealer. I got totally screwed on the whole deal but I was between a rock and a hard place. I would much rather have seen my stuff go to a good home of a loving collector. Maybe someone who could send pics time to time and a written update like with those kids in Africa.

I've really enjoyed this. Keep in touch. I'd like to hear more about your collection and maybe if there are holes you need filled I may have something that could accomodate that. I dont have any MISB (takes a lot of space) but I have 14 boxes full of everything from nearly every American series. A lot of it I would say is negotiable, especially where dealing with a caring,conscinetious collection is concerned but my Primes are my babies. Can't part with them, they're like family.
(God, I hope that didn't sound like a sales pitch. I'm just offering help if needed. I'd hate to come across like Sam during his report in the first movie. )
Let us all know if you find more nostalgic stuff. Like I mentioned before this has been fun...

Ok, I think this is where I got my one and only mail in Transformers. EDIT* His name was Powerdasher. I wish that brochure had pics. He was like..a jet car, or something. had two chrome pieces that came down to form his "arms"...and then the nose split to form "legs". Really simple Transformation. Apparently there were three versions of him. I got the aforementioned one.

Check them out:

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Powerdasher

They need to bring back the points system, dag nabbit!

Says he was featured in IDW too.

Sweet! I had Drilldasher. Traded with a buddy to get him. The dashers were kinda goofy, second only to Jumpstarters and Battlechargers for easy transformations, and they really were'nt much to look at but I loved mine.
If I remember correctly, since I find Wiki to not always be the most reliable, Powerdasher was more a description of the group with the 3 members being TurboDasher, DrillDasher and...aargh, I'm blanking on the jet. I know it was Car, Drill and Jet for the alt modes. I'm wanting to say SkyDasher for the jet...yeah, I'm better than 75% sure that was it.

OMG My brain hurts! I'm well into my 30's. You have no idea how much crap I had to sift through in the old "internal hard drive" to pull that info out. Even with the WWW at my fingertips I still tend to do stuff the old fashioned way rather than look it up. I knew there was a reason I liked the new Jetfire so much. I can relate to him. (I'm something of a cross between an Egghead and a Jack-of-all-Trades. I have a LOT of stuff, both usefull and otherwise, cluttering my brain)

And yeah, I want the Robot Points back too. I also want the original Tech Specs format back. Keeping the entire card back for the file sucks. It takes up way too much room and I think the little kids would get a kick out of the "decoder" feature.
I was almost insulted by the whole exclusive "Robo-Vision" Optimus toy. I was ready to dig out my old single surviving decoder, park my butt at Target with dozens of slips of paper and start reading off the codes on the back of the other "exclusive" packages to all the little kids.

Thanks for posting that Wiki link. It was cool seeing that old picture again.

Thanks for the scans! I've only read about them but I don't think I've ever seen them before.

Wow, I found more on S.T.A.R.S. when I googled the name and the full title: Secret Transformers Autobot Rescue Squad.

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/S.T.A.R.S. Has much more information on S.T.A.R.S. and the kinds of activities the members were involved with. My two older brothers may have been actual members because I found an old t-shirt with 10 iron on patches from way back when. I don't remember too well if I ever saw them with the control center. It's possible they did have that. They may have demolished it since it was cardboard and it was probably thrown away. Maybe I'll call up my older brothers and ask them if they ever joined. Hehe check this out? I used the quote from tfwiki because it was hella funny.

Supreme Convoy wrote:Thanks for the scans! I've only read about them but I don't think I've ever seen them before.

You're welcome, I think seeing stuff from the old days is really fun. It was neat reading about the S.T.A.R.S. info on http://tfwiki.net/wiki/S.T.A.R.S.. Makes me wish I would have been a member at the time. And the Autbots you could order were not cheap plastic toys. I remember my brother who was collecting all Autbots did have all of those listed in the order form. Maybe they were members after all. Wheeljack, Mirage and Sunstreaker were pretty large toys. They weren't tiny little mini vehicles like powerglide, beachcomber, cosmos and even bumblebee.


@T-Macksimus: Oh I wish the new TF toys did have the original Tech Specs format. I really can't stand that they also took off the black heat sensor label that reveals the true affiliation of all the TF toys. I loved those. It just made the toys so much more special. And yeah I have the original red plastic decoder strip also. So I was wondering are your two son's Transformers fans? And will you be helping them build their own Control Center?

Flare wrote:@T-Macksimus: Oh I wish the new TF toys did have the original Tech Specs format. I really can't stand that they also took off the black heat sensor label that reveals the true affiliation of all the TF toys. I loved those. It just made the toys so much more special. And yeah I have the original red plastic decoder strip also. So I was wondering are your two son's Transformers fans? And will you be helping them build their own Control Center?

I'll see if I can respond in a coherent manner. I was diagnosed with a major sinus infection (after having the right side of my face baloon up inside of 2 1/2 days) so you'll have to forgive any errors as I have a pounding head-ache and my vision is blurry.

1) Even though I suspect that the STARS sticker on Wiki took a trip through PhotoShop, it is absolutely hilarious. Thanks for posting that.
2) Yes my boys share in the collecting. For the whole story Check out the "Reasons for Collecting" Thread in the TF General Discussion forum area. You may have to jump back a bit and while I would attempt to link to it here, I don't think I'm Firing on enough Thrusters right now to accomplish that. The submission I put in (which you may have to hunt a bit for) I think was quite good and I got choked up retelling the events. It will shed tons of light why I'm so passionate about TF's in general, the hobby aspect and I suppose some of the connection kind of carries over to the people I meet on here.
3) Don't all the Classics/Universe figures have the rub signs. Wait, I just answered my own ?. No they don't but a few do. My classics 'Bee and Cliffjumper and I think Astrotrain have them. I want to say my Prime, Magnus, Skywarp and Starscream also have them but that could be the fever talking.

I'm gonna have to let you guys go. If I don't respond for a day or so at least someone will know why. Thaks again for posting that logo. Between the heat here and the infection my day had been crummy and even though it hurt to laugh, at the same time it also felt good. I needed it.

T.

T-Macksimus wrote:

Flare wrote:@T-Macksimus: Oh I wish the new TF toys did have the original Tech Specs format. I really can't stand that they also took off the black heat sensor label that reveals the true affiliation of all the TF toys. I loved those. It just made the toys so much more special. And yeah I have the original red plastic decoder strip also. So I was wondering are your two son's Transformers fans? And will you be helping them build their own Control Center?

I'll see if I can respond in a coherent manner. I was diagnosed with a major sinus infection (after having the right side of my face baloon up inside of 2 1/2 days) so you'll have to forgive any errors as I have a pounding head-ache and my vision is blurry.

1) Even though I suspect that the STARS sticker on Wiki took a trip through PhotoShop, it is absolutely hilarious. Thanks for posting that.
2) Yes my boys share in the collecting. For the whole story Check out the "Reasons for Collecting" Thread in the TF General Discussion forum area. You may have to jump back a bit and while I would attempt to link to it here, I don't think I'm Firing on enough Thrusters right now to accomplish that. The submission I put in (which you may have to hunt a bit for) I think was quite good and I got choked up retelling the events. It will shed tons of light why I'm so passionate about TF's in general, the hobby aspect and I suppose some of the connection kind of carries over to the people I meet on here.
3) Don't all the Classics/Universe figures have the rub signs. Wait, I just answered my own ?. No they don't but a few do. My classics 'Bee and Cliffjumper and I think Astrotrain have them. I want to say my Prime, Magnus, Skywarp and Starscream also have them but that could be the fever talking.

I'm gonna have to let you guys go. If I don't respond for a day or so at least someone will know why. Thaks again for posting that logo. Between the heat here and the infection my day had been crummy and even though it hurt to laugh, at the same time it also felt good. I needed it.

T.

A sinus infection can make one side of your face swell? Are you sure it's not a tooth infection in the roots? Please see a Doctor as soon as possible? Infection that swells up your face can kill. And it's an emergency. I hope you're going to be alright?! Please take care of yourself k? And don't take things like this lightly. Symptoms like a swollen face can be very dangerous. The infection could be traveling to your heart, if you have or are borderline diabetic.

Thanks for the concern. Definitely aware of the risks. Have storngest anitbiotics prescribed. It's situated in an area wher it could be borderline as to cause. Lower rt. Maxilary region, lowest track of the sinuse traveling along /above upper jawline. Had to deal with a tooth infection 3 years back. I have no damaged teeth near where this started and the Doc was leaning more towards Sinus. Need expensive scan to be certain but have no insurance and this is a bad time to goto the ER (4th of July Weekend) Still may give it a shot tomorrow once everone has gotten the whole "blowing their fingers off" out of their systems.
Incur the fees and figure out how to deal with the cost later. I've got more dignified ways of going out planned than letting a bacterial infection claim me. I'm a warrior, heart and soul and have 2 little warriors that still need more tutelage.
Besides that, I still haven't finished being a pain in the backside to some of the folks on here.

The concern is greatly appreciated and I'm sure that if you and Random and Supreme Convoy are able to dig up more amusing relics it will help keep my spirits up when I am able to make it back to the computer. If you don't hear from me in a week, assume the worst. However, much to the dissappointment of some, my brothers and I have a habit of not dying when all logic says we should have. We are all just too damn stubborn.

I'll be in touch soon...

T-Macksimus wrote:Thanks for the concern. Definitely aware of the risks. Have storngest anitbiotics prescribed. It's situated in an area wher it could be borderline as to cause. Lower rt. Maxilary region, lowest track of the sinuse traveling along /above upper jawline. Had to deal with a tooth infection 3 years back. I have no damaged teeth near where this started and the Doc was leaning more towards Sinus. Need expensive scan to be certain but have no insurance and this is a bad time to goto the ER (4th of July Weekend) Still may give it a shot tomorrow once everone has gotten the whole "blowing their fingers off" out of their systems.
Incur the fees and figure out how to deal with the cost later. I've got more dignified ways of going out planned than letting a bacterial infection claim me. I'm a warrior, heart and soul and have 2 little warriors that still need more tutelage.
Besides that, I still haven't finished being a pain in the backside to some of the folks on here.

The concern is greatly appreciated and I'm sure that if you and Random and Supreme Convoy are able to dig up more amusing relics it will help keep my spirits up when I am able to make it back to the computer. If you don't hear from me in a week, assume the worst. However, much to the dissappointment of some, my brothers and I have a habit of not dying when all logic says we should have. We are all just too damn stubborn.

I'll be in touch soon...

Could it be a root from a upper wisdom tooth? Sometimes those grow so long they can poke and pierce into sinus cavities around the jawline and cheekbone areas. A Dentist can take an X-ray of that area? It would probably cost a lot less then a hospital. And sometimes Dentists do not require insurance. I have one of those cool Dentists who will accept a payment plan. I hope you are doing alright? How is it today?

Well, I'm still reasonably sure I'm immortal but that's not the same thing as invulnerable. I do know for certain it's not the wisodm teeth since I have none. The swelling has gone down some and I can open my mouth further today since the muscles aren't all knotted. The medication is playing hell with my system but I'll take the trade off. Nauseau and dizziness-vs-pain and a possible undignified death? Hmmm...no brainer.
The vision isn't blurry and a couple of Tylenol was all it took to get the head-ache to subside today so that's a plus too.
I appreciate your concern for my well being and I invite you to take a gander over in TF General Forums on the "Ladies" thread.
I came up with a very cool idea/tribute for all the female TF fans and I am in need of "Fangirl" input.
Any guys reading can chime in as well, especially those with artistic talents since I may have gotten in over my head.

I guess this means I'm almost back to normal because I've been posting most of the day and in typical fashion not always looking before I leap.

Update info 07-06-09:

// ref source: transformers.wikia.com/wiki/S.T.A.R.S.

The Secret Transformer Autobot Rescue Squad is an underground organization of Autobot-allied humans on Earth. S.T.A.R.S. members keep watch for potential Decepticon activity in their sector and alert the Autobots if any is detected. They are expected to be ready at all times in the event a Decepticon alert is issued. Their membership is a secret even from their families.

If a S.T.A.R.S. member detected Decepticon activity, he or she was to:

* Alert the Autobots.
* Meet the arriving strike force, prominently displaying the issued patch on a shirt or hat
* Be prepared to direct them towards their target

In a typical strike against a hidden Decepticon base, the Omnibots would drive up in the dead of night, transform, launch a volley of missiles at the base, get back into car mode, and get the heck out of Dodge before the Decepticons could retaliate. //Do you smell pooh say? //

* S.T.A.R.S. members were required to fill out Interplanetary Transmission Reports detailing the events.

“Earth allies like you are desperately needed. We must thwart the forces of evil now!” —Optimus Prime

Background story

S.T.A.R.S. was created in the mid-1980s by Optimus Prime after a major defeat of the Decepticons following the arrival of reinforcements from Cybertron. Though badly hurt, the Decepticons were not beaten. They initiated a massive building campaign, constructing hidden bases all around the world from which to strike.

When the location of a secret base was uncovered, Autobot strike forces worked in concert with human allies to neutralize it. The Omnibots seemed to be the primary strike force employed by S.T.A.R.S., though the main Autobot force also participated in S.T.A.R.S. actions. Known S.T.A.R.S. members include Buster/Spike Witwicky and the singularly-named Johnny. Time Warriors were also made available to human allies. It's unclear whether S.T.A.R.S. members specifically were given them, but their association with the Omnibots and their presence in the some of the S.T.A.R.S. recruitment material suggests that they were.


Note: Nearly all information about S.T.A.R.S. comes from toy pack-in flyer's which, unlike most Transformers fiction, were written in the second person. The reader was being actively "recruited" into the fictional organization. What this meant in real-world terms was membership in a fan-club with a few special trinkets and toys. But for the purposes of this article, we include elements like the membership card and the recruitment flyer's themselves as part of the fiction.


@T-Macksimus: Oh so did you make that Ladies thread? I'll check it out then and see if I can give you my opinion on it.

I did not make the Ladies thread (some guys are allowed too but we tread carefully). However, it should be easy to spot but when you find it on the list click on the the little pages next to the thread title. It was started long ago, gets resurrected from time to time and is currently on page 73 or 74 so you don't want to have to scroll through. Just Click on the last page.

And are you doing a kind of FanFic thing centered around S.T.A.R.S. on here? If so, that sounds like fun. If not, well, it still sounds like a fun idea to play with. If just presenting the info again to folks...still fun.

T-Macksimus wrote:I did not make the Ladies thread (some guys are allowed too but we tread carefully). However, it should be easy to spot but when you find it on the list click on the the little pages next to the thread title. It was started long ago, gets resurrected from time to time and is currently on page 73 or 74 so you don't want to have to scroll through. Just Click on the last page.

And are you doing a kind of FanFic thing centered around S.T.A.R.S. on here? If so, that sounds like fun. If not, well, it still sounds like a fun idea to play with. If just presenting the info again to folks...still fun.

Yeah I'm just studying up on the S.T.A.R.S. info and presenting it. I'm still hoping I will find some S.T.A.R.S. on Seibertron.com who may have some great stories to share about the times when they use to play out the whole S.T.A.R.S. storyline. I found some images of the Control Center/Command Center and placed the links on the first post. Pretty neat stuff. One guy was mentioning that in 1998 someone was selling his Command Center for $250. Another guy was saying how it would be easier to just re-create the center with a laser printer. But others say to try and make the center using glossy cardboard like the actual Hasbro kind would be a lot of work and very expensive to put together.

As for the thread for females fans... Most of those Autobotches will be reduced to scrap when I get them in my viewfinder. Hehe, why bother trying to tread carefully? You'll know a person is worth befriending even before knowing their gender. And those friends shouldn't require you to be anything but yourself. Never let a fem neuter you just for being around them. Females have always wanted equal rights/respect which doesn't translate to: 'let's make all men into eunuchs and trample them under foot.'

Everybody everywhere wants equality...so long as it's on their terms. More often than not you can meet with an individual on a level field of discussion but when you get more than that together, the mentality changes no matter how hard we try to steer it otherwise. The majority of human minds on this planet simply aren't hardwired to function properly, logically, cohesively under a group condition. I may be able to joke around with you one-on-one but if we were to do the same kind of banter in a group setting, regardless of circumstamce or explanation it would be viewed entirely different by members of either sex or by folks of different religions or nationalities.
Like Tommy Lee Jones said in Men In Black - "A PERSON is smart. PEOPLE are dumb and panicky..."

Anyway, I'm still debating on whether or not to go through with the rest of the plans for the figures. I've got ...issues...that are tainting my views on the whole thing now. We'll see.

Cool to see you taking on this endeavor. I'm surprised at how much you were able to come up with on this considering the short life-span of it. Have you looked into whether it was a Hasbro U.S. promotion or whether they did it in other countries as well?
Maybe Hasbro UK or Hasbro Aus. did something similar. If you like, I can PM a few of the overseas members and inquire but that's entirely up to you. Sometimes "sleuthing" can be half the fun of the project and I'd hate to spoil it for ya.

Found this book at Barnes and Noble that listed the STARS stuff, and had pics of the playset. It also had a section on the Powerdashers.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Transf ... 43/?itm=53

Sweet. Good find. I wonder how long I can get away with loitering at B & N without actually buying anything.


On something totally unrelated (not to detract from Randoms find) I found my original Tech Spec decoder and a bundle of my old G1 files today. I knew I had it but I wasn't sure where. It was packaged with some of my TF comics which is taking up a very decent size plastic file container. And those are just the TF comics that I don't keep in the house.
Just had to share that. If I come across any old catalog sheets I'll let you guys know but I don't think I still have any of those.

@T-Macksimus: Try not to feel too intimidated in talking to me, just because I'm female. If I never would have said I was female on this site, probably no one would have noticed. I'm here to have fun and play Heavy Metal Wars and talk to other old fans. I grew up with brothers and plenty of male friends. I'm down to earth and pretty fun to talk to. Hmm, you know I'm not really sure which side are you affiliated with in the Heavy Metal Wars? Autobot or Decepticon?

As for S.T.A.R.S, so far I know that the S.T.A.R.S. Control Centers were available in the Japan, UK and America. I'm not sure about other countries but it's possible the kits were sold in Canada and Australia. The Japanese Command Center is smaller but in some ways nicer in the designs. But the ones sold in the UK was actually very large. One guy said he had a hard time finding surface space for it. Still as I kid I would have loved to have played with one. If I were to buy one today I would only keep it for display purposes and maybe save it as an investment for some future sale. They are supposedly very valuable now. I don't mind if you PM any overseas members and make inquiries. I'd love to hear about any findings you might get on the subject. It's very interesting to me. I just love to hear from original TF Fans.

Also, I'm glad you found your old Tech-Specs and decoder.

@Random: Wow, thanks for the info!

Oh, don't worry. I'm not intimidated to talk to you for any reasons. I may test the waters a bit but I do that with anybody regardless of gender or anything else until I feel they can handle...um, er, are comfortable with conversing with me freely. Yeah, that's it.
As for my HMW affiliation, I honestly can't remember. I checked it out a long time back, started setting something up and haven't come back to it. Very likely I set up as a Decepticon but if I were to classify my ideal affiliation I would consider myself more of a mercenary with lawfull tendencies.
I'll have to poke my nose back in there and see what kind of trouble I can stir up. I'll catch ya in there...

Updated info: 07-08-09

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars3_3.jpg
3rd S.T.A.R.S. Inside brochure like the one I have - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/omnibots_1.jpg
http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/omnibots_2.jpg
Omnibots order form front/back - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars1_1.jpg
1st S.T.A.R.S. flyer order form - images shared & provided by ggaub.com

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_1.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S. flyer recruitment cover - images shared & provided by

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_2.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S. inside pages. - images shared & provided by ggaub.com
//Kind of funny..//

http://www.ggaub.com/tf/paper/stars2_3.jpg
2nd S.T.A.R.S flyer backside - images shared & provided by ggaub.com
//Wow, addressed to Ultra Magnus?//

All images, logos and related materials featuring TRANSFORMERS rightfully belong to Hasbro. Copyright(c)2009 Hasbro; All rights reserved.



@T-Macksimus: I hope you are a Decepticon, if not that's okay. Oh and I added more images to the first post. I would like to see more images of Control/Command Centers that fans owned. Ones in good condition and complete.

Thanks for posting those, that was all kinds of fun. Seeing that pic of Reflector again was cool. Just trying to remember if my buddy got him from that mail away offer or if he got his hands on a k.o. version.

I started setting up a team in HMW last night. When I stuck my nose in there it was acting like I had never been so , between that and my missing stats/character profile and avatar I think some of my stuff got last when the site reset/upgraded some time back. I started over in HMW and yeah, I'm a 'Con. Couldn't have it any other way, I seem to have occasional issues with playing by the rules.

I've got a treat for you Flare. (and anyone else following along)
I was going thru some boxes and came across some of my Transformer comics from Dreamwave, most notably the "More Than Meets The Eye" Sourcebooks with all of the TF character bios. Issue #4 (May 2003) has the Powerdashers in it and I thought I would pass along the info...

Powerdashers
Primary Function: Reinforcements

Bio: The Powerdashers are a primitive design based on ancient Cybertronian forms from the early days of the Transformers race. Commissioned as assistants for the Earth-bound Autobots, they are basically cheerful allies who are happy to assist the Autobot cause in any way they can. Due to their recent creation, they are still maturing into their full power levels and personalities, but they are dedicated to protecting life from the Decepticons.

Weapons/Abilities: Various

Weaknesses: The Powerdashers are still extremely naive and sometimes don't know the full extent of their abilities.


The Omnibots are also featured throughout the books. Those bios I am not going to transfer right now since each one is longer than the what they have for the Powerdashers but it was very cool seeing both teams get that kind of recognition. I think that I had only looked through those books once right after I got them then I bagged/boarded/boxed them for safe keeping. As soon as I came across them yesterday my first thought was "I gotta tell Flare about this". So, now I have and there you go.
Just a little bit more insight to the characters that didn't seem to get quite enough attention back in the day.