Psycho-probe

"Don't waste time thinking up questions! All you're getting from this actual 'Con is name, rank, tech specs, and serial number!"

The psycho-probe is a mind-reading device of villainous design, common to several of the different Transformers universes. It is not a pleasant experience, no sir.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

Didn't Mel Brooks strap Kermit the Frog to one of these?

The psycho-probe was employed by the Decepticons on the captive human, Astoria Carlton-Ritz, in an attempt to acquire the secret energy formula of Hybrid Technologies Corporation. Thankfully for Astoria, her tendency to foul up machinery just by being around it saved her a ninety-thousand volt jolt when the machine read her mind as completely blank.

Once Soundwave had corrected that problem, the probe's electrodes refused to stick to Astoria’s head, causing Soundwave and Rumble to be electrocuted instead when they tried holding them on.

The machine was destroyed by Megatron after the incident. The Girl Who Loved Powerglide

Marvel The Transformers comics

After acquiring the comatose remains of a clone of Megatron, Shockwave used the psycho probe to restore the clone's mind to full operational capacity. Through the probe's influence, the copy of Megatron's personality within the clone broke out of its mental shell, at which time Shockwave used the probe to brainwash the clone into his service. Salvage!

2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon

"Should I still be in my clothes when you dry clean them?"

Megatron made regular use of the psycho-probe to wrench information from the brain of Doctor Kenneth Onishi, acquiring knowledge on Earth's energy sources and Fortress Maximus. This version of the probe also operated on 90,000 volts-per-scan, which led Sky-Byte to doubt how long Onishi could survive the process. Megatron… not so bothered. To Megatron's frustration, Dr. Onishi would often resist the scans, and eventually built up tolerance to them. The Secret of the Ruins It was used successfully to extract information on the Cave of the Dragon, The Ultimate Robot Warrior and later to pinpoint the possible location of Fortress Maximus. Fortress Maximus

After the Decepticons captured Cerebros, they used the psycho-probe to bring the Autobot out of stasis, Maximus Emerges but it proved unable to alter his programming. The Human Element

Notes

Foreign names

• French: Psycho-laser

See also

• Brainwave Scanner