Beast mode

**Beast mode** (ビーストモード, *Bīsutomōdo*) is a plot element, and part of cybertronian biology in Transformers: Beast Wars - Revolution.

Over the years, the Transformers have adopted a variety of alternate modes, but no group of Cybertronians is quite as distinct or unusual as those who adopt beast modes. In general, a Cybertronian with a beast mode has one or more forms that are partially or entirely based on animals: this could be a living creature, an extinct organism like a dinosaur, an alien monster, or something fantastical like a dragon or unicorn; in extremely rare cases, Cybertronians have even adopted plant or fungus-based alternate modes. When operating on distant planets during the Great War, most Autobots and Decepticons with beast modes turned into gigantic, clearly mechanical monsters, and as a result, they abandon disguise in favor of combat utility. Their descendants, the Maximals and Predacons, perfected the technology by synthesizing and integrating techno-organic material directly into their superstructures, allowing them to convincingly mimic organic animals. This synthesis forms a symbiosis between carbon and silicon at the cellular level, making Transformers far more energy-efficient. However, not all Cybertronians recognize the significance of this deeper meaning, and in the past, beast Transformers have suffered prejudice and even institutionalized discrimination because of their unusual forms. But, as Cybertronian technology improves, and this techno-organic innovation pushes both Maximals and Predacons to greater heights in space travel and planet colonization, this prejudice has faded over time.

## Usage

### How is a Beast mode created?

See also, *Beast Machine Technology*.

Techno-organic beast modes are created through the *Beast Machine* technology by scanning and replicating an organic life form's DNA with ARC Projectors installed within a cybertronian's T-cog. The ARC Amalgam System generates an artificial virtual dimension surrounding the transformer, in which a faux organic DNA structure storing the approximate data of the scanned life form is projected, and the cybertronian's CNA and living metal cells reconfigure to mimic the cellular structure and shape of that life form, as well as the techno-organic alt-mode shapes around the projected faux-organic material. The transformer's still-mechanical components are fully encased by the newly created techno-organic matter, completing the reformatting process.

Stasis pods and CR chambers are also built to help extend a Transformer's scanning range in order to gather beast modes from life forms from farther away.

The beast mode creation process is only viable as long as a spark exists within a Transformer or protoform, as this is required for the binary bonding of organic DNA and cybertronian CNA.

### Beneﬁts gained from past technologies

The techno-organic *Beast Machine* technology is, at its core, an amalgamated and refined form of previous technologies used during the Great War, those inheriting their many benefits to this new innovation.

* **Headmasters**, **Targetmasters**, and **Powermasters**: These technologies involved an Autobot or Decepticon combining with a smaller life form, whether it was a smaller cybertronian like a Mini-Con, or an organic being that has been bio-engineered to be partly mechanical or wears a suit of armor that transforms around them to become either a head, weapon, or battery. This resulted in a binary bonding that provided a temporal power boost to Transformers who bonded in this manner with their partners. With these new beast modes, the Maximals and Predacons' techno-organic components serve as an in-built battery, allowing them to metabolize their own energon without the need for external sources. This, in turn, is one of the many factors that contribute to the widespread acceptance of beast modes in modern times, given the scarcity of energon.
* **Action Masters**: A new fuel source known as Nucleon was discovered and used at some point during the Great War since it was powerful enough to replace energon. This, however, had an unfortunate side effect for those Transformers that utilized it, as it converted their T-cogs into Energy Storage Reactors, resulting in the loss of Transformation. However, as a result of this process, Action Masters become harder, better, faster, stronger, and more alive. To aid them in battle, they have equipped themselves with transformable partners and vehicles. But is it worth abandoning what makes them Transformers in order to get a more powerful energy source? This dilemma was what made the usage of nucleon unpopular, and thus it was quickly abandoned because other alternatives existed. The fuel efficiency of techno-organic beast modes is quite comparable to what the use of nucleon made back in the day, but without the side effect of transformation loss.
* **Micromaster**: Micromasters were transformers with small bodies (to the scale of mini-cons) and extremely fuel efficient. Some were created this way, others were created as regular large Transformers and later resized as Micromasters. They transformed (usually) into vehicles, they are described as roughly the size of humans in robot mode. The fuel-efficiency of Micromasters was high enough to be compared with that of Action Masters, that served as inspiration for the Great Upgrade that downsized all cybertronians into Maximals and Predacons. With the development of *Beast Machine* technology, this efficiency has now been surpassed. As a result, a cybertronian is now capable of metabolizing their own energon from organic and other raw materials.
* **Pretender**: This technology employed an outer shell made of synthetic organic flesh around a fully-mechanical Transformer. This was the first attempt at an organic alternate mode to better blend in on an alien planet. However, these shells did not last long because they deteriorated over time and were too vulnerable to weapon damage, so they were quickly discarded as disguises. Nonetheless, Pretender shells would still be used as external bulk armor for greater protection from damage, as well as anti-radiation suits in areas where high levels of radiation would cause permanent damage to either Autobots or Decepticons. The *Beast Machine* technology has become a spiritual successor to Pretender shells since it not only produces permanent techno-organic materials that perfectly mimic an organic life form, but it also shields both Maximals and Predacons from high levels of radiation, such as large energon fields.
* **ARC Projectors**: The ARC Amalgam System is an ancient cybertronian technology that historians believe was developed by Amalgamous Prime, Quintus Prime, and Alchemist Prime. This technology has the capacity to create an artificial virtual dimension in the real world and then synthetize any type of matter using mass particles stored within it. ARC Projectors were primarily used during the Great War to create holomatter avatars based on native species that were too small or organic for Transformers to mimic with their mechanical alt modes. Following the discovery that ARC Projectors can also generate synthetic organic material based on the DNA of life forms scanned by T-cogs, this ancient technology has become an integral part of Beast Machine technology, which can make techno-organic beast modes for both Maximals and Predacons. This technology, also known as **Real Solid Vision** on Earth, is also used on that planet, mainly to enhance the entertainment value of a very popular card game there.

## Variations

In addition to the standard organic-looking ones, beast mode transformers have several variations that appear in specific conditions.

* **Transmetal**: When exposed to the unusual energy emitted by a transwarp explosion, dimensional rifts, or the Transmetal Driver, some Maximals and Predacons develop a "mutated superstructure", being reformatted with fully mechanical beast modes with additional organic traits in their robot modes. Their fully mechanical beast modes are made of a techno-organic metal alloy, which was created by this mutation on their techno-organic cells and cyber-matter. Because of this alloy, Transmetals are fully protected from high levels of energon while in robot mode.
	+ **Evolution Transmetal**: An evolution of the initial Transmetal mutation, as well as a further fusion of organic matter and living metal. Only attainable through the use of the Transmetal Driver with extremely high energy concentrations. In both modes, Evolution Transmetals are distinguished by their asymmetrical and frequently monstrous appearances, which are made up of a patchwork of organic and mechanical components. In some cases, Evolution Transmetal Transformers gain supernatural abilities like telekinesis or rapid healing, as well as the ability to conceal their energy signatures while in beast mode.
* **Fossilizer**: These are the direct result of a failed transmetallization process on protoforms, resulting in skeleton-like forms based on scanned prehistoric fossilized bones. Some of them have the remarkable ability to disassemble their bodies and reassemble them into weapons for others to use. They have a degree of Transmetallization on their bodies, similar to some Fuzors and Beast Changers.
* **Fuzor**: An alternate evolution path caused by the same exposure to the aforementioned energies as Transmetals. Fuzors have a single organic-looking beast mode that combines two or more creatures into a single chimeric form. Fuzors' bodies have a degree of Transmetallization that allows them to withstand high levels of energon for extended periods of time in robot mode.
* **Beast Changer**: These are cybertronians with the ability to transform into multiple beast modes. These, like Transmetals and Fuzors, are usually the result of the same unusual energy exposure, albeit via a different evolutionary path. Beast Changers can easily mask their energy signatures in either mode because organic elements dominate the technological in their bodies (except robot mode). Due to their partial Transmetallization and more techno-organic body structure, Beast Changers are fully protected from high levels of energon while in robot mode. As a side effect of this mutation, Beast Changers' minds tend to be divided into multiple personalities, one per beast mode, with a merging of these personas while in robot mode. If the divided personas of a Beast Changer Transformer have irreconcilable differences, the Beast Changer Transformer loses access to its robot mode unless these personalities put their differences aside.
* **Cyber-Beasts**: These are a special group of Cybertronians who transform differently. Unlike most Cybertronians, who blend their organic and mechanical parts, Cyber Beasts modify their bodies. They use powerful Transmetal alloy weapons in areas that weren't reformatted into Techno-organic matter. By integrating this alloy, they turn untapped areas into strong weapons. The weapons in Cyber Beasts can vary, like energy cannons, missile launchers, and blades. These weapons seamlessly fit into their forms, blending mechanical and organic parts. Choosing to be a Cyber Beast means a unique transformation. It maximizes offensive power while keeping Beast Mode traits. By using Transmetal weapons, Cyber Beasts become strong warriors, combining mechanical firepower and animal instincts.
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