Hi-Q

Hi-Q is an Autobot-allied Nebulan from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Some bald guys get a comb-over. Others wear a suit of armor.

A genius in computer programming and design, Hi-Q (aka Ginrai or Apex) was renowned on Nebulos. The Hi-Q Industrial Research Complex, named for him, produced many technological innovations that dramatically improved the quality of life on the planet. Definitely more of a thinker than a fighter, he provides Optimus Prime with more than just Powermaster energy. Scientific skill, wisdom, and sage advice are perhaps his greatest contributions.

Hi-Q's nature varies. In some universes he is an organic Nebulan; in others he is a robotic Cybertronian.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel The Transformers comics

Grant Morrison? Is that you?

When the Headmasters and Targetmasters left Nebulos for Earth, they left a planet in ruin. The Council of Peers petitioned its top scientists to prevent such a disaster from ever occurring again. Hi-Q had a workable solution: detonating a bomb in their atmosphere that would poison all Transformer-usable fuel on the planet, should they ever return. However, his partner, Hi-Test, grew jealous of Hi-Q's accomplishment and abandoned him.

Hi-Q's plan would have been vindicated when Dreadwind and Darkwing arrived on Nebulos to look for Scorponok and fell ill, if it weren't for the illegal actions of the disgruntled Hi-Test and his criminal friend, Throttle. Stealing files from Hi-Q's lab, Hi-Test and Throttle became Powermasters with the Decepticon pair, allowing them to refuel and once again visit horrors on the planet.

A group of Autobots led by Goldbug and including Slapdash, Getaway, and Joyride arrived on Nebulos looking for Hi-Q, hoping he had the technology to rebuild their fallen leader, Optimus Prime. Hi-Q believed Transformers to be nothing more than unliving machines, forced to follow their programming, and pleaded with the Autobots to leave Nebulos before they too were poisoned. However, as the Autobots spent their remaining fuel, operating on the brink of shutdown, not only to rebuild their leader but also to sacrifice themselves in defending the planet from the Decepticon Powermasters, Hi-Q had a change of heart. He realized that the Autobots were truly alive and no less noble than any human. Refusing to allow the Autobots to die, he and most of his lab assistants (Lube, Rev, and Hotwire) became Powermaster partners with the Autobots. After they drove off the Decepticons, his assistant Kari noted that to keep peace on Nebulos, he and the Autobots would have to leave. Hi-Q and the other Powermasters agreed, and left Nebulos. People Power! These events were observed by the time travelling Dicet Alpha-zero. The Quest!

Hi-Q puts the "smart" in "smartass".

En route to Earth, Hi-Q, Lube, Rev, and Hotwire were learning about Cybertron's tragic history of war when they were interrupted by a transmission from the Cosmic Carnival. Optimus and Goldbug investigated the show upon learning that their fellow Autobot Sky Lynx was part of the line-up, though the rest of the crew did not join them; the Cosmic Carnival had a very steep entrance fee, and they didn't have the currency to spare. The Cosmic Carnival When Optimus Prime returned to Earth, he again assumed command of the Autobots there, where Hi-Q was enamored with Earth's beauty, particularly its winters. Cold Comfort and Joy!

Dreadwing and Darkwing caused the Autobots trouble when their combined form, Dreadwing, crashed in the ocean while in possession of a power cell. This battery was needed to energize a life support system built for a man injured during a Transformer battle. Prime and Hi-Q headed a team below the surface of the ocean to obtain the power cell with only a limited window of time to do so; the Nebulans' Powermaster suits only contained enough oxygen to sustain them for half an hour. Further interference was met when the Seacons involved themselves. With time running low, Optimus had the Nebulans complete the power cell's retrieval while the Autobots carried on fighting, knowing that without their Powermaster engines, they'd quickly lose strength. Though Hi-Q loathed violence, he valiantly fought Hi-Test and Throttle for the power cell. Upon surfacing, he learned that he had also ensured the Autobots' triumph upon breaching the Dreadwing's cockpit; with their own Nebulan allies now at risk of drowning, the Seacons forfeited the offensive to see to their rescue. Dreadwing Down!

Scorponok enlisted Dreadwind and Darkwing to steal a copy of Prime's mind from Ethan Zachary's labs and used the information encoded within to program an artificially intelligent missile that would seek out Prime and destroy him. Optimus decided to deal with the missile without the help of his troops, and headed out into an uninhabited area with Hi-Q to meet it. After a couple of failed attempts to rid themselves of the homing missile through cunning, the duo attempted to simply outrun it, with Hi-Q giving his all so that Optimus could reach speeds he had never achieved before. By straining beyond his maximum output, Hi-Q allowed Optimus to dive into a nearby lake before the projectile reached them. Unfortunately, Hi-Q's previous efforts had damaged his Powermaster suit, allowing water to seep in. Optimus was forced to re-emerge to prevent the Nebulan from drowning. After setting Hi-Q down out of harm's way, Optimus turned to the missile as it changed its course to meet him once more. Realizing that he couldn't evade the missile for much longer, Prime resolved to take the hit, and punched the missile down. No explosion followed, as the missile was revealed to be a dud! It turned out that Getaway had managed to convince the Decepticons' computer of Optimus's nobility, and it had disarmed the missile in order to spare the Autobot leader. Prime Bomb!

Hi-Q's science skills were not called upon again until the legendary Underbase threatened the planet. While an Underbase-powered Starscream tore apart both the Autobot and Decepticon forces, Optimus Prime, Hi-Q, and Buster Witwicky worked aboard the Ark to release a rocket that would deflect the Underbase from its journey across space and towards Earth. The Decepticons Scorponok and Ratbat left their posts on Earth, suspicious that Prime sought the power of the Underbase for himself, and attacked them there. When Scorponok fired his stinger at Ratbat, who was carrying Hi-Q and Buster, Hi-Q was knocked unconscious. Buster tried violently to awaken Hi-Q so Prime could restore himself to full power, and nearly broke his hand in the process. The two Powermaster partners combined and successfully pulled Scorponok free of the Underbase, allowing Starscream to absorb all of it, resulting in his overload and destruction. Dark Star

Hi-Q joined Optimus Prime in welcoming the newest Autobot reinforcements to Earth, the Micromaster Race Car Patrol and Off Road Patrol. Surprised at the Micromasters' small size, Hi-Q doubted their effectiveness and balked at their irreverence. The group nonetheless proved themselves in foiling a Decepticon plot that would have destroyed half of New York City. However, when Hi-Q and Optimus came to fetch them so that the Micromasters could avoid further trouble with the human authorities, they outright refused assistance, preferring to act as an independent unit while on Earth, and dealing with such issues their own way. King Con!

Oompa, loompa, doopedy doo—I've got a FRICKING HADOKEN for you.

As the Matrix Quest drew to a close, Optimus Prime began experiencing great pains due to his binary bond with Hi-Q. He kept this new development from his fellow Autobots. Eye of the Storm Unknown to Prime, a metamorphosis was beginning within him. But, as the battle against Unicron came to a head, Optimus ejected Hi-Q to safety, and told him to go on living his own life. Optimus then sacrificed himself defeating the Chaos-Bringer without learning the consequences of the change taking place between himself and his Nebulan partner. On the Edge of Extinction! The binary bond they shared would ultimately have merged their two minds and bodies into one, but Prime had died before the process had completed. After Hi-Q had been rescued from some underdwellers by the Dinobots, he detected strangely strong energy emissions from Grimlock, who had recently come in contact with the mysterious rejuvenating substance known as Nucleon. As Grimlock finished his own metamorphosis into a non-transforming Action Master, Hi-Q took hold of Grimlock's leg. This accelerated Hi-Q and Prime's own metamorphosis and infused Hi-Q himself with Nucleon energy.

Optimus Prime, now with creamy center.

After his rescue, Hi-Q made the mistake of telling them that he was Optimus Prime, resurrected. Still Life! Hi-Q was branded as crazy, and when he pleaded with the Transformers to stay on Cybertron as it began to deteriorate, his claims were easily dismissed. Exodus! Despite getting locked up in a crate to await transport, Hi-Q continued to rant to whoever would listen. His "cell-mates," the Neo-Knights, were eventually convinced to help Hi-Q seek out "The Last Autobot" A Savage Circle and against their better judgment, they stayed behind with him on Cybertron to search this enigmatic figure, whom Hi-Q/Prime claimed could restore the planet. But the quest seemed doomed from the start... Hi-Q and the Neo-Knights didn't have the means of tracking down the Last Autobot, and time was quickly running out as the planet crumbled around them. A glimmer of hope emerged when one of the Neo-Knights, Dynamo, experienced a strange surge in his powers. Hi-Q recognized that Dynamo had somehow managed to form a rapport with Cybertron, and urged him not to fight the connection. Dynamo complied, and the group were quickly led to the ancient ruins wherein the Last Autobot slumbered. The Last Autobot? The ancient guardian was awakened, and rebuilt Hi-Q into a new, Action Master Optimus Prime, one who was a harmonic merging of the two noble beings. End of the Road!

Trigger-Happy!

After the Autobot Backstreet botched a sting operation, he was led to believe that his punishment would be much more severe than his actions actually warranted, and went on the run from his fellow Autobots. Optimus raced to track him down before he endangered himself or others in his flight from justice. When Optimus learned that Megatron had gotten to his wayward soldier first, he rushed to reach Backstreet before the latter was convinced to defect. As Prime pushed himself to his limit, Hi-Q was left struggling to provide his Powermaster partner with the energy necessary for the exertion. Optimus ultimately succeeded in reaching Backstreet before any lasting damage was done. Trigger-Happy!

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

In the second quarter of the 21st century, following Optimus Prime's resurrection as Star Convoy, the Autobots set about rebuilding Cybertron, which had been devastated. 2007 Takara timeline Although the details of how they met are unknown, Prime and a Nebulan scientist, Hi-Q, became bonded as Powermaster partners at this time and worked together to search for a new energy source to revitalize the planet. Within a black hole, they discovered nucleon, and, protected by a phase modulation shield, ventured into the singularity to recover it. Nucleon Quest Super Convoy bio Upon discovering the nucleon, Optimus Prime absorbed it into his own body via Hi-Q, transforming him into an Action Master. They then brought the energy source back to the Autobots. Bonus Edition Metroplex

Wings Universe

Different continuity, same fashion sense.

Early in the twenty-first century, Hi-Q had been the lead developer for the Generation 2 program on Earth.

On Nebulos in 2012, Hi-Q worked with Hi-Test on Project Powermaster, at least until his sudden disappearance. Hi-Q had been kidnapped by Runamuck and Runabout and had been forced by Jhiaxus to assist him in creating a second generation of Transformers to serve as his new army. A Flash Forward, Part 3 Jhiaxus kept Hi-Q in his chest compartment to prevent the Autobots from attacking him. Luckily Blaze was marksman enough to take out Jhiaxus without harming the Nebulon, and the Autobots took him back to Earth with them. Hi-Q opted not to press charges against the Battlechargers, preferring to get back to his work. A Flash Forward, Part 6

Rhinox and Prowl saw Hi-Q on a computer screen as Rhinox noted that Hi-Q's home universal stream, Primax 509.28 Epsilon, was unaffected by the multiversal chaos triggered by Primax 207.0 Epsilon's destruction. Invasion: Epilogue

Ask Vector Prime

In Aurex 503.01 Gamma, Hi-Q and Arcana were treating the mode-locked nucleon-addict Rollout. The arrival of a new Cybertronian patient, the dying Overload, offered them the opportunity to save both patients using the ancient Autobot Headmaster procedure, merging the two into a single body. Complications required them to hand their patients over to Rhinox, who rebuilt the combined form. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/18

Titans Return marketing material

He looks kinda different now

Partnered with the Autobot Commander Optimus Prime, the Titan Master Apex carried a portion of Prime's spark, increasing the legendary Autobot's combat prowess to help him face any enemy. Titans Return Apex/Optimus Prime toy bio Apex was presumably present as his larger partner's head when Optimus Prime fought back against a Decepticon attack on a race on Velocitron and when the Autobots fought another Decepticon attack led by Soundwave on Cybertron. Titans Return: The Power of the Titan Masters

Beast Wars: Uprising

Hi-Q was a Cyberdroid inhabitant of the planet Rebirth, and along with Apex and Diac, formed the ruling body of that planet, known as the "Optimus", after the legendary Autobot leader. Unlike him, though, the trio were a bunch of corrupt, stagnant gits, suppressing any complaint or dissent, even if it was peaceful. This led to the rise of a group called the Malignus, who proved all too willing to side with the mad tyrant Galvatron when he showed up on their shores. In short order, Hi-Q and the others were deposed and "arrested" by the Decepticons.

Soon enough, the Autobots arrived on Rebirth to free what was left of the Optimus, who bonded with Optimus Prime Derailment to become a Triple-Threat Master known as "Triple-Threat Prime". Unfortunately, the process was draining on the sparks of those involved, dramatically shortening their lifespans. Whether Hi-Q was affected is unknown. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue

Hi-Q presumably died alongside Apex when Optimus sacrificed himself to protect Earth from the Swarm. Book of Logos

Centuries later when facing his own imminent death, Hi-Q's surviving comrade Surge whispered to himself that he would soon be seeing Hi-Q and Apex again. Trigger Warnings

Of Masters and Mayhem

After Thunder Mayhem's devastation of Cybertron, Hi-Q joined Optimus Prime in exile on Earth. When Thunder Mayhem arrived on Earth and attacked the city of Mérida, Optimus revealed himself and Hi-Q from within their Pretender disguise, with Hi-Q transforming into gun mode for Optimus to wield. Pandora's Gift The two combined their firepower with the rest of the Autobot Pretenders, Wreckage, and humans to defeat Thunder Mayhem for good. Finale

Commercial appearances

Voice actor: Michael Bell (English)

Man and Machine... Power X-TREME!

To fight back against Darkwing and Dreadwind, Hi-Q and Optimus Prime combined and transformed into Optimus's robot mode, blasting away at the airborne Decepticons with the help of Prime's trailer's battle station mode. They then combined with the trailer to become a "Super Powermaster" and continued their assault. Powermasters commercial

Games

Angry Birds Transformers

If you look closely, he kinda has a face or should I say, faces

HiQ[sic] is an "Accessory" character for the Autobirds. When equipped, he alters his partner's primary weapon to fire explosive rounds, resulting in hefty "splash" damage around the main target and flinging un-destroyed objects away. This bonus can be increased with level upgrades, won from random-prize Crates or before 2.0 in the "Shockwave's Tower" mini-game.

He can be unlocked by purchasing him with Coins and crystals in the Barracks, with Tokens during specific Challenge Events, or won from Crates before 2.0, and used to be in Shockwave's Tower before it was removed. Angry Birds Transformers

Transformers Roleplaying Game

Hi-Q was once a Nebulan industrialist, more interested in science and industry even as growing political turmoil threatened to engulf his homeworld. However, when the Transformers invaded his homeworld, Hi-Q and many of his allies chose to work with the Autobots; eventually, this collaboration led to the development and deployment of the first Headmasters. The subsequent arms race led to the creation of Decepticon Targetmasters, and Hi-Q himself would eventually spearhead the invention of the Powermaster process. Hi-Q would go on to form a binary bond himself, but he remained haunted by the knowledge that his inventions had dramatically magnified the scope and scale of the Cybertronian war and permanently scarred many of his friends. The Enigma of Combination

Toys

The Transformers

Full name: Hi-Q "Ginrai" Jones

• Powermaster Optimus Prime (Powermaster, 1988)

Powermaster Optimus Prime came with the Nebulan Powermaster partner Hi-Q. Hi-Q's figure can transform into a Powermaster engine and plug into Optimus Prime (or any other Powermaster robot), releasing a catch that would otherwise prevent full transformation to robot mode.

This mold was also used for the Godmaster Ginrai.

• More information on Hi-Q at TFU.info

• Nucleon Quest Super Convoy (2001)

Same as above, but black! And a Japanese Toys"R"Us exclusive.

• More information on Hi-Q at TFU.info

Commemorative Series

• Powermaster Optimus Prime with Apex Armor (2003)

Due to trademark loss, he was named "Ginrai", like his Japanese counterpart, for this Hasbro Toys"R"Us exclusive reissue. Also like Ginrai, his engine-backpack is chromed silver.

• More information on Ginrai at TFU.info

Titans Return

And I'll form the engine head!

• Autobot Apex & Powermaster Optimus Prime (Leader Class, 2016)

• Known designers: John Warden (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy), Emiliano Santalucia (concept artist), Marcelo Matere (packaging artist)

Renamed Autobot Apex (presumably for trademark reasons), this version of Hi-Q no longer becomes an engine, but now transforms directly into the head of Titans Return Optimus Prime. His head mode homages the original Powermaster Optimus Prime cab robot's head, but with a mouth. Apex can interact with any other Titans Return figure, filling either a cockpit seat or pegging into a base mode surface as a humanoid, or by becoming the head of any Deluxe-or-larger figure. Apex provides the power of Optimus Prime's abilities.

This toy doubles as the independent Beast Wars: Uprising character Apex. This mold was also redecoed into Shreddicus Maximus and retooled into Legends Ginrai's Headmaster stage, who in turn was redecoed into Titans Return Ginrai.

• More information on Apex at TFU.info

Combiner Wars

• Double Pretender Optimus Prime (TFSS 5.0, 2017)

Combiner Wars Hi-Q is a redeco of Thrilling 30 Flanker, a small bot who transforms into either jet or a weapon for Double Pretender Optimus Prime to wield via its 5mm handle. He was sold with Optimus Prime as part of the fifth and final series of the Transformers Figure Subscription Service.

This mold was also used to make Thrilling 30 Eclipse, Legends Phaser, the smaller part of BotCon 2015 Oilmaster, and TFSS 5.0 Quickslinger.

Merchandise

Gutto Kuru Figure Collection

Tonight, the part of Hi-Q will be played by Yul Brynner.

• Minelba Special Color Ver. (Wonder Festival Summer 2012 exclusive, 2012)

This special version of Gutto Kuru Figure Collection Minerva comes with a Hi-Q head compatible with the Gutto Kuru Ginrai figure, allowing you to turn Ginrai into Hi-Q. The head is based on Hi-Q's earliest appearance in the Marvel Comics, complete with removable pink visor, and works with Ginrai's helmet.

Transformers Trading Card Game

• Apex (2020)
  • Wave 5: Titan Masters Attack
  • Rarity: UT
  • Card Number: T01/T46
  • Stars: 3

Apex is one of forty-six double sided character cards included in Wave 5 of the Transformers Trading Card Game, Titan Masters Attack. As a Titan Master, Apex begins play in head mode on a character with a body mode. When that character is KO'd, Apex is deployed in bot mode. In order to represent Apex's size as a Titan Master, the card is the size of a battle card, about half the size of a normal character card.

The card's art is based on the Apex Titan Master included with the Titans Return Leader-class Powermaster Optimus Prime toy. The head mode artwork is reused from said toy's packaging artwork, and the bot mode features original artwork with lines by Dan Khanna.

This card's set was originally set for an April 2020 release, however due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the release was pushed back to May 29, 2020.

Notes

• The commercial for the Powermasters which included Hi-Q also advertised "People Power!", the Marvel Comics issue in which he first appeared.
• The amount of hair Hi-Q had varied by artist. José Delbo always drew him completely bald, while both Frank Springer and Andrew Wildman decided Hi-Q was merely balding instead of bald.
• As the Marvel Comics continuity closed with Hi-Q merged into Optimus Prime, arguably any of Prime's post-Marvel exploits could qualify as an appearance for Hi-Q. Technically, the same could be said of any toy representing that version of Prime, including the Action Master, Generation 2, and Classics toys.

• Dreamwave's More than Meets the Eye profile books named Hi-Q "Ginrai", matching the name used for him on Toys"R"Us's Commemorative Series reissue. The personality given still described Hi-Q, rather than Ginrai.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Hi-Q (ハイ・Q Hai-Kyū)