Cancer (G1)

Cancer is a human Decepticon from the Super-God Masterforce portion of Generation 1 continuity family.

Cancer (キャンサー Kyansā) isn't a bad kid—he's just been dealt a bad hand. An orphan raised at a martial arts dojo in his home country of China, Cancer was bullied by the other pupils, but was determined to become as strong as he could in order to put the dojo on the map. Unfortunately, that's when the Decepticons came along, and Cancer saw joining them as an opportunity to achieve this goal. Alas, Cancer got a little lost in the opportunities he was offered to run wild and be the "tough guy" for the first time, and with the husband-and-wife team of Giga and Mega leading the villains, he has found a sense of family in the Decepticons that he had never enjoyed before. But Cancer doesn't really want to hurt anyone, and the evil of the Decepticons is steadily growing less and less palatable for this troubled youth...

As a Decepticon Headmaster Junior warrior, Cancer is bonded to a Transtector from the planet Master, which takes the form of a bipedal crab monster. He is heir to the powerful martial arts technique known as Chōryūken ("Super Dragon Fist", which involves... kicking the opponent), a skill that greatly impresses his doting surrogate mother, Mega. He considers his fellow Headmaster Juniors Wilder and Bullhorn genuine friends, and is partnered up with the diminutive Browning, who calls him "boss" and follows his every command.

Fiction

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Super-God Masterforce cartoon

Voice actor: Akari Hibino (Japanese), Davide Garbolino (Italian)

Cancer would later hit his head and forget that he was a Saiyan sent to conquer Earth.

Orphaned as an infant, Cancer was taken in by the sensei of the Chōryūken dojo and raised as his own son. Although embittered thanks to being bullied by the other students at the dojo simply for being an orphan, Cancer adored his sensei and trained hard in the martial arts, intending to become an expert and raise the dojo's profile. When the Decepticons resurfaced on Earth after years of inactivity, Cancer saw the powerful robots as a means to his ends, and joined up with them. Although Cancer would not discover it until months later, his sensei believed that Cancer left because he had turned his back on his teachings and fell ill, ultimately dying of sadness. God Ginrai - Save Cancer!?

One size fits all.

Cancer joined up with the Decepticons alongside maladjusted American biker gang leader Wilder and Mexican street thug Bullhorn, and was bonded to a Transtector stolen from an Autobot transport ship. Cancer and his fellow ne'er-do-wells were sequestered in the undersea Decepticon headquarters until Blood finally announced it was time for them to reveal themselves to the world. Alongside some Lobclaw Seacons, Cancer and the Juniors began causing chaos in a city, soon drawing the attention of the Autobots, including their own three recently created Headmaster Juniors. The Autobot Juniors were under orders to stay out of the fight and focus on rescue operations, but Cancer and his compatriots made it tough to follow the order as they pushed and shoved Shūta Gō around while he tried to rescue a baby from a burning building. Thankfully, Metalhawk arrived to see them off, and the day was saved. Birth! Headmaster Jrs

Cancer accompanied Wilder when he sought revenge against the Cool Guys, the biker gang that had crossed his in the past, Rage!! Little Devils with No Need for Rules and when he tried to force his old friend Chris to join back up with him. On the latter mission, Cancer showed his dirty side by placing a knife to Chris's sister's throat, but Chris took him out of the picture by crashing a motorcycle into him. Go, Goshooter - Showdown in the Wasteland

Cancer and the Juniors took something of a back seat following the arrival of the powerful Godmasters Giga, Mega, Hydra and Buster, Super Warriors - The Godmaster Brothers although Mega took an immediate liking to Cancer, and had Gilmer serve as a punching bag to allow Cancer to demonstrate his Chōryūken for her. A Fierce Battle!! The Autobots Are in Trouble When the hunt for the next Godmaster began, the three boys put their ears to the ground to search for clues. They wound up unearthing a series of rumors that led to the next Godmaster, named Ginrai, but he sided with the Autobots. A Hero Is Chosen - His Name Is Ginrai

"I'm the devil. Now kindly undo these straps."

When Ginrai travelled to Japan to visit the other Autobots, Cancer, Wilder and Bullhorn ambushed him en route to the Autobot base, but Ginrai thrashed all three of them soundly. Cancer was taken captive and brought back to the Autobot base for interrogation, but he refused to say anything, even as the kindly Minerva tended his wounds and offered him a drink. Suspecting foul play, Cancer shattered the glass with a kick, cutting Minerva's hand, but even then, the girl would not allow Shūta and Cab to hurt Cancer. When an enraged Ginrai burst into the room and seized Cancer, intending to force whatever information he could from him, Minerva forced him to back down and offered Cancer a drink once more, which the young Decepticon this time gratefully accepted. His resistance worn down, Cancer related to the Autobots the origin of Godmasters as it had been told to him by Giga, and the Autobots agreed to release him. Escorted out of the Autobot base while blindfolded, Cancer was handed over to Hydra and Buster, but they immediately found a homing beacon the Autobots had planted on Cancer's shirt, and attacked the heroes in retribution. Buster seized Minerva and placed his blaster to her head, but Cancer snatched her away to safety, begging the Decepticons not to kill anyone. Startled by this turn of events, Hydra was defeated by Ginrai and ordered a retreat, with Cancer shouting back to Minerva as he ran that his kindness was merely payback for the drink. A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva

You'd think doing this would accomplish something.

Desiring a rematch with Ginrai, Cancer and the Juniors combed Japan for him, eventually spotting him in the background of a news report from Nagano. After losing the resultant battle, Friend or Foe!? The True Form of the Monster!! the trio drowned their sorrows in a bar, where Cancer flipped on the television to an entertainment program, only to discover that Ginrai was making an appearance on the show! Although Bullhorn was ready for another go-around with the Autobot Godmaster, Cancer and Wilder were less than enthused at the notion, and told him to leave the matter to Buster and Hydra. Eliminate the Godmaster Ginrai

Later, on an island off the coast of America, Cancer and the Juniors showed off their surfing skills to a group of young boys, and then offered to show them something "even cooler"—their Masterforce powers! They proceeded to kidnap the children as part of a plan by the Pretenders to draw out Ginrai. When the Autobots attacked, Minerva attempted to appeal to Cancer, only to have Bullhorn strike her down. The trio fled when the Pretenders pulled out of the battle, leaving King Poseidon to battle Ginrai. Heroism!! The Birth of Super Ginrai

It's good to know where Cancer's crotch stands in the war.

During the search for the remaining Godmasters, Cancer joined the Decepticons on a mission into the Rocky Mountains which concluded with the Autobots' recruiting the next Godmaster, Ranger. An Enemy? The Third Godmaster, Ranger The continuing quest next led Cancer and the Juniors to France to investigate a story about a retired race car driver whose vehicle miraculously survived every crash it was in. The trio headed for the small village of Dagneux, where they confronted the racer, Germain, but even Cancer's martial arts skills couldn't stand up to Germain, who strong-armed all three of them out of his bar. The Juniors returned in their Transtectors to tear through the town, but were defeated when their suspicions were proven correct: Germain's car had been a Transtector, but he had passed it on to his protégé, Road King, who became the next Autobot Godmaster and aided his new teammates in seeing the Decepticon Juniors off. Assemble! The Four Godmaster Gunmen

See?

As time went by, the kindness Minerva had shown Cancer weighed on the boy's mind, and Wilder and Bullhorn's continuous teasing did not help the matter. Noticing that Cancer was depressed, Mega called him to her quarters, where she gave him a present: A small gun Transformer named Browning, with whom Cancer quickly made friends. His spirits bolstered by this kindness, Cancer resolved to prove to Wilder and Bullhorn (and perhaps, to himself) that Minerva meant nothing to him by leading them in an attack on a city in hopes of drawing them out. Unfortunately for the three youths, their attack was responded to by the violent Sixknight, who would have killed them all had Browning not teamed up with Minerva to stop him. The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?! Even after this catastrophic affair, however, Bullhorn and Wilder were happy to keep up the ribbing when the Juniors were tasked with burning food storehouses in the heartland of America, mocking Cancer for thinking that they were destroying all the food in the country. Destroy Godbomber!!

Some guys have angels and devils on their shoulders telling them what to do. Cancer has a gun on his.

Cancer, Bullhorn and Wilder were not particularly enthusiastic about renewing the search for the final Godmaster, but the quest came to a sudden end when the Godmaster in question, Clouder, actually sought the Decepticons out. Appearance!! The Final Godmaster Using his power to transform into two robot modes, Clouder infiltrated the Autobot base as a spy and acquired classified information, which he handed off to Bullhorn and the Juniors to give to Mega and Giga. Secret Orders! Destroy the Autobot Base!! Cancer and the Juniors participated in the ensuing Decepticon attack on the Autobot base, which concluded with its destruction. Disaster! The Autobot Base Explodes

Their reunion was marred when they went back to Cancer's house and played with Browning. Chang later died from a gunshot wound.

When the powerful Decepticon BlackZarak joined the Decepticons on Earth, Cancer and the other Juniors headed into space in preparation for the activation of the evil Death Para-Machine. As Cancer pointed out to Wilder when he nearly floated away, they couldn't actually participate in the battle with the Autobots that resulted, as they didn't have boosters to help them fly in space. Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction Although the Autobots were able to destroy the Death-Para Machine, Cancer had now seen the full extent of Devil Z's evil, and grew even more concerned with his plan to wipe out humanity. Discovering from Wilder that his home town happened to be next on BlackZarak's hit list, the horrified Cancer immediately headed there, running through the streets in his Transtector and shouting for the populous to take refuge in the mountains. Rather than listen to his warnings, however, the crowd simply ran at the sight of him. Amongst the fleeing people, Cancer spotted Chang, an old friend from his days at the dojo, and he disembarked his Transtector to greet him. After Chang calmed down and recognized his friend, the pair had a happy reunion, but the mood darkened when Cancer suggested that they go to their old sensei for help in the evacuation. Chang was forced to reveal that their sensei had died six months prior, but the distraught Cancer could not even grieve for long before he was attacked by two of the dojo's pupils, who blamed him for everything. Browning flattened the thugs, at which point Road King appeared, having overhead Cancer's story. He attempted to empathize with the boy, but the angry Cancer responded by opening fire on him with Browning and escaping. Not long thereafter, BlackZarak arrived in the city and began his attack, and when Cancer's pleas fell on deaf ears, he realized there was truly nothing he could do. About to depart, Cancer's attention was caught by cries from Chang, who had become trapped in a burning building while looking for Cancer. Cancer lifted his friend to safety, but was then inadvertently struck in the back by a stray blast from BlackZarak, and buried beneath a hail of rubble. Browning ran off to find the Autobots who were battling BlackZarak, and at his request, the Autobot Juniors unearthed Cancer while Ginrai battled and defeated BlackZarak. When the battle was over, the Autobots allowed Cancer to leave peacefully, on the basis that he had genuinely tried to save lives, proving that, unlike the other Decepticons, he truly had a heart. God Ginrai - Save Cancer!?

Well, consider yourself rescued, I have to go.

Later, when Clouder resurfaced on the side of the Autobots and was captured alongside Shūta, his announcement that he was betrayed by Turtler and left to die in the conflagration of the destroyed Autobot base only served to amplify Cancer's doubts about the Decepticons cause. Finally, when Ginrai arrived at the Decepticon base to rescue Shūta and Clouder, Cancer finally snapped and opened fire on King Poseidon, blowing its arm off and freeing Shūta from his clutches. As the Seacons lunged at the traitorous Cancer, Bullhorn opened fire on the drones and destroyed them, urging Cancer to get away to safety, and he escaped the base with Browning the Autobots. God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base Cancer proceeded to join up with the Autobots and offer them enough inside information to allow them to perform an all-out attack on the Decepticon base. The battle which ensued came to an end when Devil Z and BlackZarak fused together and collapsed the base, sending the Autobots, along with the Bullhorn and Wilder, tumbling into an undersea chasm. The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform

We need Thunderzord power now!

Faced with the truth of Devil Z's betrayal, Bullhorn and Wilder turned their backs on the Decepticons, but had no interest in joining the Autobots and fighting "for good", and left Cancer behind. During a later battle, however, when things were looking bad for Cancer and the Autobot Juniors, Bullhorn and Wilder unexpectedly returned to help the one person that they still considered their friend win the day. Battle to the Death!! God Ginrai VS Darkwings Reborn Now reunited, the three Juniors, along with Clouder, accompanied the Autobots to the Grand Canyon on a mission to stop the composite Devil Z/BlackZarak entity. During the battle, however, all four of them were struck with a blast of the villain's Devil Power, and were shocked to find their Master-Braces had disappeared from their wrists. Devil Z had, in fact, separated them from their Transtectors and brought the robot bodies to life as true super-robot lifeforms, all four of which rejoined the Decepticon side. Autobots! Desperate Attack!! Left unable to join in the final battle with the Decepticons on the Matterhorn directly, Cancer and the other three boys helped to rescue civilians and huddled in an underground shelter when Devil Z unleashed his destructive Devil Thunder across Europe. Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z When the Devil Thunder bombardment was halted (thanks to Ginrai engaging BlackZarak in battle), Clouder supplied the group with an armored buggy that would allow them to join in the fight. The boys arrived too late to do anything, cresting the mountain just after God Ginrai destroyed Devil Z, at which point all the other Godmasters and Headmaster Juniors were also separated from their Transtectors. Cancer's living Transtector departed Earth with all the other Deception Transtectors, and was pursued by the Autobots' Transtectors to carry on the Transformers' war in space. A Battle... and Then...

I want to tell you about the Transformers! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their fictional appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Panic! Protect the Wild Animals!! A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer Save the Little Girl! The Chōjin Warriors, the Godmasters Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!? BlackZarak - Destroyer from Space

Legends/Unite Warriors

With Minerva and Wilder, the human Cancer surfed near by a group of Autobots led by Optimus Prime who were doing "special surfing training". Crossing the Pacific Ocean!?

Following the disappearance of their transtectors, Cancer and the other former Decepticon Headmaster Juniors wanted new ones and sneaked aboard an Autobot ship traveling to the transtector factory in G Nebula 89. Grand granted them new Master-Braces but was unable to ensure their safety in the face of recent Decepticon attacks, and had them sent to the Legends World where Cancer was reunited with Minerva and her friends. LG24 Shockwave & Cancer Prologue He caught the interest of Shockwave, who thought him a good candidate for a Decepticon pop idol who could better the reputation of the faction, agreeing to the offer on realizing he could spread the word of the Chōryūken dojo as well. When Cancer's first concert was interrupted by Skullcruncher, he used his Headmaster form to team up with Shockwave and blow the intruder away, an incident which reinforced both their friendship and resolve to make the Decepticons a peaceful group. Bonus Edition Vol. 24

While watching fireworks, Cancer and Shockwave mistook Scourge's exploding body as part of the show. Bonus Edition Vol. 26 He later sang alongside Rosanna and Hardhead during a concert set up by Blaster, Bonus Edition Vol. 27 and watched Weirdwolf put up a poster regarding his lost dog/transtector. Bonus Edition Vol. 30 Bullhorn and Wilder later talked Cancer into helping them steal three transtectors from the Decepticons, though he wasn't too into the plan, worrying that his idol career would be ruined if anyone found out. When Ai and Ravage tracked them down, Cancer took the Mindwipe transtector and tried to flee with Wilder, but Ravage knocked all their heads off before they got anywhere. Being minors, the three got away with a stern talking to, but that didn't stop them from trying to peek on Ai in the bath later. Bonus Edition Vol. 37

The unemployed Bullhorn and Shūta were a bit envious of Cancer and the other Juniors who had found jobs. Bonus Edition Vol. 40 Cancer was later among the victims swallowed up by Trypticon during his attack on the city. Bonus Edition Vol. 43 When Giga and Mega were resurrected in the Legends World, the Decepticon Juniors were happy to meet them again, Cancer having a particularly tearful reunion with Mega. Bonus Edition Vol. 60 They later joined forces with all the other Masterforce warriors to defeat a returned Devil Z. Bonus Edition Vol. EX

Super-God Masterforce comic

I stepped in something!

An orphan, Cancer was taken in by the Decepticons. The Battle of Destiny - Children of Good and Evil Cancer and the other Decepticon Headmaster Jrs watched their Autobot counterparts' first outing and Cancer warned that the Decepticon boys were coming. The Birth of the Junior Headmasters

Cancer and the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors made their debut when Blood lured the Autobot Juniors into a trap to test the power of their Jinchōkon. Bursting up from beneath the ground, the evil trio quickly overpowered their Autobot counterparts, but when Cancer was distracted by some endangered civilians, the heroes were able to exploit the distraction to defeat their foes. Regrouping at the Decepticon base, Cancer was excited when Blood announced that they would be receiving "parents". The Battle of Destiny - Children of Good and Evil

Those parents would be unveiled as Mega and Giga, who promised to hand over the Earth to their adopted children. Cancer took the time to feed the Seacons. On Scene! Our Savior's Name Is Ginrai! After another defeat, Giga and Mega promised that the day that they could live happily ever after would come with the help of Devil Z, which filled Cancer with glee. Burn, Chokon! New Commander Super Ginrai! Devil Z would soon take a more hands-on involvement with the Earth Decepticons. The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army

Cancer was present when Jin and Mirai were to be inducted into the Decepticons. However, they had their own plans and ran off after obtaining the "newest Master-Braces". Heartbroken, Cancer attempted to warn the two that the "adults" would lethally retaliate for this offense. Headmasters VS Masterforce

Cancer and his partners took to the front lines again when their leaders, Giga and Mega, unveiled their Transtectors for an attack on Tokyo. God Ginrai's Amazing Divine Combination! The trio were quite happy to watch when the Decepticons captured Shūta and Cab and Blood tortured them in an attempt to force them to join the Decepticons, but Cancer took particular offence when Shūta claimed that the Decepticons weren't a family at all, as they were the only family he had. The Good and Evil Families of Earth Cancer and the Juniors later joined Overlord in attacking various spots on Earth from the top of Chomolungma with the A.O. Laser, although it was thanks to an insulting comment from Cancer that their fickle new ally Doubleclouder turned on them and foiled their plan. The Decepticons' Great Counterattack! Later still, Cancer and the Juniors accompanied Overlord and BlackZarak in attacking another Earth city, only to be stopped by the Autobot super-weapon, the VX Bomb. Life or Death? The Desperate Divine Combination!

Yeah, that will stop him.

When Cancer snuck out the Decepticon base and went to a city for the New Year celebrations, Cancer disobeyed him and ran away with Browning. Unfortunately, his New Year holidays coincided with an attack by BlackZarak upon the city, and when the Autobots arrived to engage him, the massive Decepticon seized Cancer to use as a bargaining chip. As BlackZarak pummelled the helpless Autobots, Overlord appeared in the skies above and brutally attacked BlackZarak, outraged at his treatment of Cancer. With BlackZarak weakened, the Autobots were able to defeat him, and Cancer returned to the Decepticon base to discover that the reason he had not been allowed to return home was because the Decepticons had wanted to celebrate with him, and had even made decorations. Cancer was disappointed in himself for not trusting his family, but Mega forgave him, and Browning noted that running away never solves anything. The Great Turnabout of the Autobots

In the final battle, Devil Z turned against his Decepticon minions, and they united with the Autobots against him. Cancer joined with all the other Transformers in combining his energy into the "Perfect Transform Attack," destroying Devil Z once and for all. With Devil Z's death, the bond he had forged between the humans and their Transtectors was severed, and the Transtectors themselves were truly brought to life. Giga and Mega were revealed to have also been sustained by Devil Z's energies, and his death brought about their own passing, to which Cancer reacted tearfully. Cancer's Transtector subsequently departed for space along with all the others. The Birth of the Super Life-Forms

Renegade Rhetoric

Special Agent "Cancer" was an expert martial artist with knowledge of mysticism. He joined the People's Liberation Army Paranormal Taskforce to protect China from exotic threats. He worked alongside Shaoshao Li and Zilong Qian in repelling a Decepticon raid in Wuhan. They cautiously accepted the aid of the Autobot Spy Changers as well. Renegade Rhetoric (2), 2016/07/14

Toys

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

The position of Jupiter says you should spend the rest of the week face down in the mud.

• Cancer (Headmaster Junior Monster, 1988)

• ID number: D-303
• Accessories: Transtector, "Aqua Blaster", "Tail Sword"

Released in the fourth year of Takara's Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers line under the Super-God Masterforce banner, Cancer is identical to the Hasbro-release Lokos; a small armored humanoid that transforms into a robot head compatible with any Headmaster body.

He comes with his Headmaster Transtector, which is identical to the Hasbro-release Squeezeplay, transforming into a monstrous bipedal crab-cobra-creature-thing. The Cancer Headmaster figure fits in a cockpit in the Transtector's stomach in its beast mode. The creature's tail disconnects and becomes a weapon for robot mode that sure as heck looks like a double-barrelled gun, but which is referred to as a sword in Cancer's Tech Specs.

Like all Headmaster toys, Cancer's robot mode features a spring-loaded mini-Tech Spec meter in its chest, which gives readings for Speed, Strength and Intelligence (although he and the other Decepticon Junior molds are unique in that their meters are not covered by flip-down panels). The meter is activated when Cancer (or any other Headmaster unit) is plugged into the neck socket; as a small Headmaster, all three readings are on a single tumbler, so any head plugged in will result in the same stats.

• More information on Cancer/Squeezeplay at TFU.info

Legends

Try not to shove a roll of duct tape up your nose while taking your driver's test.

• Shockwave & Cancer (2016)

• ID number: LG24
• Release date: August 27, 2016

Released in the thirteenth wave of TakaraTomy's Legends toys, Cancer is a redeco of Titans Return Crashbash, transforming into a head for select toys from the Legends and Titans Return lines. As a redeco of the Titan Master figure, Cancer is also compatible with any of the vehicle partners from that line (such as Crashbash's accessory).

He was only available packed in with Shockwave, who he can awkwardly ride in gun mode.

• Legends Shockwave & Cancer at Alfes's Blog

Legacy

"Browning? Never heard of him. I'm your new bestest friend, Silvering!"

• Prime Universe Cliffjumper VS Beast Wars Universe Tarantulas, G1 Universe Squeezeplay, Cyberverse Universe Tarn (Multi-pack, 2024)

• Accessories: tail/mace, blaster
• Known designers: Mark Maher (Hasbro), Shogo Hasui (TakaraTomy)^[1]

Presented as an incarnation of Cancer in the Hasbro Pulse livestream, "G1 Universe Squeezeplay" is a heavy retool of Titans Return Mindwipe, turning into a crustacean-esque monster. He (of course) includes "G1 Universe Lokos" as his Titans Return-style Headmaster, though it is not a reuse of his previous Legends Headmaster figure. His weapons include a mace, and a blaster that represents Browning (though with it being silver instead of bronze). The figure itself contains off-white plastics with a slightly blue-tinged face, mimicking details that Cancer has in the Super-God Masterforce cartoon.

Squeezeplay is packed in a 4-pack with Beast Wars Tarantulas, Prime Universe Cliffjumper, and Cyberverse Universe Tarn. Said 4-pack was exclusive to Target.

• Designer commentary on Legacy "Cancer aka Squeezeplay" from Mark Maher on Instagram

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

Notes

• According to his supplementary bio card, Cancer is 11 years old, which possibly puts his birth date in 2009.^[2]

Foreign names

• English: Squeezeplay (Omni Productions dub, Shout! Factory sub), Plague (Shout! Factory sub)
• Italian: Prudox
• Mandarin: Dúxiē (China, 毒蝎, "Scorpion"), Jùxiè (China, 巨蟹, "Cancer")
• Russian: Pronyra (Проныра, "Wriggler")
• Spanish: Kid (America)

References