Punch (G1)

Counterpunch is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family. His Autobot counterpart, Punch, is nearby. Real nearby.

He takes his energon shaken, AND stirred.

Punch possesses a unique transformation ability that allows him to adopt a second robot mode—posing as a Decepticon named Counterpunch to spy on the 'Cons as a double agent.

On the surface, Punch is a stoic individual that can take charge and keep others calm in a crisis. However, this is an act that hides how paranoid he's become. His responsibilities as a spy, in addition to the things he's seen among the Decepticons, have made him a mess internally. Punch's entire personality changes when he becomes Counterpunch—although still loyal to the Autobots, Counterpunch is a violent brute that even Decepticons prefer to avoid. More recently Punch has suffered blackouts while disguised, the invented Counterpunch personality taking on a life of its own.^[1] Punch is suspicious of all those around him, fearing that there could be a double agent among the Autobots operating as easily as he does among the Decepticons.

Punch is armed with a twin mortar launcher. Counterpunch wields a photon cannon which fires a circuit-scrambling energy stream. All Autobots are given an energy damper that protects them from the gun's effects but generates pyrotechnics to keep Punch's cover.

In one universe, Punch gives in completely to his Counterpunch persona and combines with the Wreckers to form Wreckage.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: John Moschitta (English), Katsuhisa Hōki (Japanese), Hans-Rainer Müller (German, The Rebirth, Part 1), Albert Augier (European French, as Punch, The Rebirth, Part 1), Unknown (European French, as Counterpunch, The Rebirth, Part 1), Serge Bourrier (European French, The Rebirth, Part 2)

"You're all of you quite out of your depth!"

In 2007, when the Decepticons attacked Autobot City after the end of a short-lived truce, Punch observed Pounce and Wingspan breaking into the city while the other Autobots were occupied with the battle. Seeking to discover their objective, he transformed into Counterpunch and caught up to them when they were breaking into a vault within the city. Informing them that Galvatron had told him to check up on them, Counterpunch's offer of help was rebuffed by the two clones, and Counterpunch departed, making a big noise about how he had heard his "Autobot counterpart" was "nearby... real nearby."

Look I found James Bond! Punch him!

Naturally, Counterpunch promptly transformed back to Punch as soon as he had stepped out of the clones' line of sight, and opened fire on them from behind. Wingspan was able to get behind Punch and grabbed him, holding him so that Pounce could savage him in puma mode. Punch collapsed, and the two clones made off with the contents of the vault – the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber. Optimus Prime soon discovered Punch's unconscious body and roused him, but Punch could only silently point to the empty vault, confirming Prime's worst fear.

Punch was subsequently part of an Autobot contingent led by Prime who pursued the Decepticons to Cybertron. At Prime's order, Punch, Cloudraker and Fastlane began searching the planet for the key, but unbeknownst to them, it had already been been used to briefly open the Plasma Energy Chamber. The resulting energy discharge blasted a group of Autobots led by Kup across the galaxy to the planet Nebulos, and the key with them. The Rebirth, Part 1 Punch and the Autobot clones soon reported back to Prime that there was no sign of Kup's team or the key, prompting Prime to consult Vector Sigma for answers. The Rebirth, Part 2

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Masaharu Satō (Japanese), John Culkin (English, Omni Productions dub)

Queens up front.

By 2011, Punch was installed within the Decepticon ranks as Counterpunch and serving as Scorponok's closely-trusted informant. Among the true information Counterpunch fed the Decepticon leader in order to maintain his cover were details of the movements of the Autobot Headmasters when they attempted an impassioned attack on Chaar after the destruction of Mars. Using the information, Scorponok repelled their attack, much to the chagrin of Soundblaster, who was particularly infuriated that Counterpunch had "somehow" turned up information that his own spying had failed to. Soon thereafter, Punch returned to the Autobot base on Athenia, and informed Autobot Supreme Commander Fortress that Scorponok was about to hold a ceremony on Earth's moon to coronate himself emperor of the Decepticons. During the ceremony, Galvatron returned from his prior apparent demise, and retook leadership of the Decepticons from Scorponok. Return of the Immortal Emperor

When both the Autobots and Decepticons received an SOS signal from the energy-deprived planet Sandra, Fortress was unsure how to proceed. Punch arrived to with information to help him come to a decision, as he let him know that the Decepticons had chosen to ignore the signal. SOS from Planet Sandra

Brooklyn's in the back.

Later, Punch informed the Autobots on Athenia of the arrival of the newest Decepticon warriors, the Horrorcons, on Chaar. Not long after, when Galvatron departed for Earth to conduct potential peace talks with Spike Witwicky, Punch soon received a nasty surprise when he discovered that Spike was actually debating with a disguised Sixshot, and that the true Galvatron was still on Chaar, preparing to lead the Decepticons on an interplanetary energy raid while the Autobots were distracted. Punch snuck away from the crowd to radio the Autobots on Athenia and clue them in, but unfortunately, even with Punch's inside information, the Autobots were unable to stop the Decepticons from departing on their mission of evil. Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!

As Counterpunch, Punch stayed with the Decepticons as they hopped from planet to planet. He met up with his Autobot comrades again when the Decepticons set down on the planet Daros, informing them that Scorponok had sent the Decepticon Headmasters to kill a local Beastformer that knew of the location of Scorponok's secret weak spot. Punch informed the Autobot Headmasters that he believed the Beastformer, Tekna, to be hiding in the South-North Caves, and Chromedome and Hardhead set off to search for him. Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!

Turn around! Your cover's blown!

Eventually, the Decepticons returned to Chaar with a huge stockpile of energon cubes, and it was Punch's duty to find out what Galvatron's master plan for the amassed energy was. Ultra Magnus Dies!! Punch had little luck at first, bluffing his way through a carelessly-worded conversation with Galvatron and failing to learn anything more about the Decepticon leader's plan, other than that he was about to depart for Earth. Despite his lack of information, Punch raced to Earth to report his finding to Fortress with such speed that he almost forgot to transform out of his Counterpunch form before entering Autobot City. Completing his report, he then headed for the Decepticons' Earth base, in hopes of listening in on the schemes Galvatron was cooking up there. Again, he bumbled his way through an altercation with Scourge, claiming that he had been kneeling by a door because he had dropped something and quickly crawling off around a corner in search of this phantom object. He even considered switching out of his Counterpunch disguise, before he realized how foolish he was being. Finally, Punch found success with the time-honored tradition of listening through an air-vent, and discovered that Galvatron's master plan was to use the energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself. In the course of the conversation, Galvatron revealed that his head was his weakest point, and Punch quickly returned to Autobot City to reveal all he had discovered to Fortress. Fortress flew Punch to Alaska, where a battle was currently raging between Galvatron and the Autobot Headmasters, and Punch called out to inform them of Galvatron's weak spot. Enraged to discover that Punch was a spy, Galvatron soon found insult added to injury, as the Headmasters used Punch's information to finally defeat him and entomb him beneath the polar ice. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg

He's been caught red-handed!

With the demise of Galvatron, Scorponok once again seized Decepticon leadership, a fact which Punch quickly passed along to the other Autobots. I Risk My Life for Earth When Scorponok took the Decepticons back to planet Master, Punch, as Counterpunch, went with them, then returned to Earth after Scorponok successfully forged his Zarak Shield. Setting down in the Strait of Gibraltar, Scorponok instructed Counterpunch to observe the Autobots movements for him. Counterpunch leapt from Scorponok to the shore, but before he could even turn around, Scorponok had vanished beneath the waves, leaving Punch unable to inform Fortress of the evil emperor's whereabouts. Punch vowed to locate Scorponok for his commander. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) Little could Punch have known that Scorponok was operating out of the sub-oceanic ruins of Lemuria, and was using the sunken continent's crysmagnetal to forge "Death Towers" that would rip the Earth apart. Punch soon discovered that Scorponok was planning to outfit the Death Towers with energy induction boosters that would magnify their destructive effects, and informed Fortress and the Autobots that the villain was on his way to Egypt to do so with the Death Tower there. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Unite Warriors

Punch and his comrades' involvement in Galvatron's defeat and icy entombment was recounted. Grand Galvatron Chapter

Super-God Masterforce comic

Punch was among the Autobots on Athenia when the Autobot Godmaster Ginrai was brought to the planet so that Fortress could pass the mantle of Supreme Commander on to him. Unfortunately, this led to an attack by the Decepticons under the command of Devil Z. The Battle Begins! The Earth-Space Alliance Army

Marvel Comics continuity

Regeneration One

"C'mon, Grimlock! I'm still waiting for my series to come out!"

After more than twenty years of peace between the Cybertronian factions, the restored Scorponok invaded Cybertron and began an assault against the Autobots by manipulating their CNA with a device he dubbed the Gene Key. He found Punch to be curiously immune to the key's personality-warping effects. Deeming therefore, that the Autobot was superfluous to his plan, Scorponok ordered Grimlock to execute him. Grimlock however, was not able to go through with the deed. Natural Selection, Part Three

Transformers '84

"You can trust me, Megatron!"

Intensely loyal to Optimus Prime, Punch was the Prime's premier spy. In his persona of "Counterpunch", he rose to a position of prominence in the Decepticon ranks, even as he was forced to commit horrible deeds against his fellow Autobots.

Before the Decepticons invaded Stanix, Counterpunch was sent to bring Shockwave to the Presidium before an explosion by a half-complete planetary turbine sent Cybertron on a direct course towards the dangerous Stellae Cimeterium. Secrets & Lies #1

"You can trust me, Optimus!"

With an asteroid belt proving a more immediate threat to Cybertron, Optimus commissioned the starship Ark to clear a path through the rocks, ordering Punch to allow Megatron to become aware of this development. At Castle Decepticon, in his Decepticon disguise "Counterpunch", Punch reported this to the tyrant, who'd already known about it thanks to Ravage, before he met Optimus in the Badlands and informed him of the mission's success. Punch then queried about the purpose of his mission, noting that it seemed as though Optimus wanted the Ark to be attacked. Wearily, Prime revealed that was his intent. With so many of the Autobots' most elite troops aboard one ship, the Decepticons would strike, whereupon Optimus intended to crash the warship on some distant world, hoping that by removing the Decepticon elite, the Autobots remaining on Cybertron would have a fighting chance. Before Optimus left, he issued Punch a final command: Ensure, no matter what, that the Ark would never be found. '84 #0

As Counterpunch began to suspect that Shockwave had deliberately fired the turbine towards the Cimeterium, Ratbat ordered him to bring this information to the Autobots. When the starship Nemesis, the Decepticon counter to the Ark, was to launch, Counterpunch informed the irate Megatron of where Shockwave likely was. Observing the ship's launch, Counterpunch bore witness to Shockwave making plans to overthrow Megatron. Secrets & Lies #1

Carrying out Shockwave's new orders, Counterpunch promoted Straxus to Regional Liege, giving him command of Darkmount in exchange for an immediate assault on Iacon. After Optimus had crashed the Ark, Counterpunch communicated with Shockwave. Before the scientist could order Counterpunch to handle Ratbat, he was forced to incapacitate the Coneheads, whereupon he left the Nemesis to tie up loose ends. Solar cycles later, whereupon Shockwave was long overdue to return, Counterpunch hailed him again to question him about the delay. As Shockwave began to explain on the rich resources of the primordial Earth, he was attacked by the Dinobots, interrupting the call. Secrets & Lies #2

After using an auto-assembly drone to keep tabs on the overfuelled Grimlock, Counterpunch joined Straxus by the smelting pool where he received the authorization to reactive Project Dreadnought. Bringing this information to Ultra Magnus, Punch was initially denied a wrecking crew to attack the planetary turbines before Impactor introduced him to the newly minted Wreckers. Secrets & Lies #3

DUN DA DUN DA NAAAAAAA!

Joining the Wreckers on their inaugural mission, Punch led the group to Stanix to dismantle Project Dreadnought. As he explained the specifics behind the project's infrastructure, Abominus made himself known, scattering the attack force. While Twin Twist and Topspin managed to scuttle away and bore underground, the rest of the group charged the combiner, managing to separate the Terrorcons, Punch facing off against Rippersnapper until the underground duo planted explosive charges that destroyed Dreadnought.

Returning his attention to Grimlock, Punch watched the Dinobot leader fight a remote controlled Megatron who was channelling antimatter. While Grimlock managed to pierce Megatron's armor, this only exacerbated the matter/antimatter reaction, creating a gamma wave that shorted out Punch's auto-assembly drone but since Earth didn't blow up, he theorized that Grimlock had managed to deactivate AUNTIE, later suspecting, based on Ratchet's reports, that the Dinobot leader had returned to the site of his battle with Shockwave and voluntarily deactivated.

Retaking his position at Straxus' side, Counterpunch bore silent witness to Straxus offering the stranded Coneheads a place of power in his new order if they kept silent about the Ark's location, an offer that they readily agreed to. Secrets & Lies #4

Four million years later, in 1017, Counterpunch was part of a Decepticon scouting party that was following the Autobot rescue ship Mantlo for clues on the Ark. When on Earth, Wingspan located the Ark forcing the spy to execute the Clone. Blaming the death on the Autobots, the Decepticons came to blows with Fastlane and Cloudraker. Despite their numerical superiority and critically wounding Cloudraker, the Decepticons were defeated. As Fastlane carried his brother to the Mantlo so they could try and reach the Ark, Counterpunch, full of self-loathing, followed his Prime's last command and shot the ship's cockpit causing it to crash out of control into Stansham Castle where it became buried.

Reflecting on these events, Punch would grimly note that, although he dabbled in secrets daily, war was an awful thing that left no one unsoiled. '84 #0

TransTech

A Punch/Counterpunch who found his way to Axiom Nexus wound up in professional sports. He became rivals with his own alter-ego in the ring. During one match up, Counterpunch won after twelve rounds. Punch graciously conceded his defeat. The two of them then took turns answering questions for reporters, switching back and forth between the two modes. Andromeda - Axiom Nexus News, 2015/05/04

Of Masters and Mayhem

Hello, Doctor Banner. FYI: I'll be taking over the body from now on.

Before the war, Punch used to be an actor from Harmonex. When the war began, he was among the first denizens of his city to join the Autobots. The destruction of Harmonex twenty-seven years later drove Punch into a reckless rage, one that ended with the unit under his command massacred. Punch himself was impaled on a girder in the ensuing fight. When he came to, he was approached by Autobot command, who revealed to the wounded soldier that his T-cog carried an incredibly rare, one-in-a-trillion mutation that would allow him to assume a second robot form—perfect for the High Command, who were in desperate need of a mole within the 'Cons. Using his acting talents, Punch created Counterpunch to go along with Punch the infiltration expert, and masquerading as these two characters allowed him to bury his grief.

As the war ground on, Punch was stationed at Gargoid, where he began acting increasingly erratic. Eventually, his field commander Suppressor confronted him over the recent Autobot defeat on Athenia and raised the question over Counterpunch's role in the slaughter—displaying a damning video feed of Counterpunch enabling the attack. This evidence got the Autobot thrown in the brig; while imprisoned, he began hallucinating Counterpunch, who claimed that Punch had been the lie, a convenient secret identity for the Decepticon and the real reason why nobody had ever heard of Harmonex. What's more, Counterpunch told him that he'd had enough of maintaining the Punch identity, and that it was time for the Autobot to die.

"Is this... Mon Dieu!"

Counterpunch came to seconds before a Decepticon extraction squad arrived to spring their old friend, and joined in as the team stormed the base and finished off the Autobot garrison. Counterpunch was challenged by Punch's old rival Firecracker, eager to finally finish off the "traitor" in the Autobot ranks. Counterpunch froze up—even after Crash Test took the blow for him and finished off the Autobot. The sight of his dead ex-comrade shocked Punch back to life... who declared that no matter who he was, the Decepticons had killed his friends and he would finish them off. Shooting Crash Test, he was exposed to a volley of fire from the other Decepticons, taking him out. His last thoughts before passing out were of Harmonex. The Truth We Make

Punch was taken to Paradron for repairs and left in Lifeline's care. She managed to save the Autobot's life, as most of the damage was confined to one form. The complications of having two beings inhabiting one body meant that she wasn't able to save his original "Punch" robot mode, leaving him confined to his "Counterpunch" body and vehicle mode. Insight The Truth We Make In the wake of Thunder Mayhem's rampage, Impactor, desperate for new recruits, recruited the monumentally confused Counterpunch into the newest iteration of the Wreckers. The Truth We Make

"He could be in this very room! He could be you! He could be me!"

Their next stop was the jungle world of Chicxulania, where they picked up Fractyl. Counterpunch fitted the pterosaur Transformer with some new upgrades after the Predacon reformatted himself back into his original jet body. Life Finds a Way Fractyl's access to some old Decepticon files allowed them to find a lost experimental base, where they recruited the sociopathic bioweapon Toxitron. The Toxic Transformer The next two inductees, Offroad and Alpha Bravo, prompted Impactor and Fractyl to reveal their plan to take down Thunder Mayhem: merging the five Wreckers into a brand new combiner of their own. Once everybody had undergone the augmentation process, the team headed down to a planet infested with Mecannibals to put their skills to the test. Their new combined form, Wreckage, trounced the threat... but then went berserk. Realizing that their combined form was an even worse liability than Thunder Mayhem, Alpha Bravo shot Offroad and then allowed himself to die, depriving the team of their most powerful asset. Deadly Aim

Impactor was on the verge of quitting after that, but Counterpunch pushed him into following up on a distress signal from Cybertron. They found the Autobot gunner Bluestreak living among the ruins. Bluestreak had been promised by the alien Teklaans that they could restore Cybertron through terraforming, but needed some sparks to jumpstart the revival of the Cybertronian race. Bluestreak initially turned over the Wreckers to the Teklaans, but they betrayed him in order to add another spark to their formula. Counterpunch got the Wreckers out of their cell and they attacked the terraforming emitter. With Impactor and Bluestreak incorporated into the mix, Wreckage was reformed and destroyed the Teklaans' systems. Lively Pursuit

Counterpunch and the Wreckers received a signal tracking Thunder Mayhem to the planet Earth. Pandora's Gift There they teamed up with Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the humans and Mega Pretenders of another reality to battle Thunder Mayhem. The human Elizabeth used her power to channel Wreckage's energies and shatter the Matrix of Malice, forcing the evil combiner apart. Counterpunch and the Wreckers took the Mayhem Attack Squad into custody following that exchange. Finale

Beast Wars: Uprising

During the Great War, Punch infiltrated the Decepticon Justice Division as Counterpunch and became Megatron's most elite spy. He made his way to the Decepticon capital Helex and, with the help of the locals, assassinated a triumvirate of Decepticon warlords who had decided to govern the city-state in Megatron's absence.

In the proto-former era, statues of the DJD remain standing at the Mandala, home to the Predacon Secret Police. The statue of Counterpunch had long been removed, leaving behind a plinth that merely read "Helex: Never forget."

Wolfang's faction-switching body owed something to Punch's cyberbiology. Trigger Warnings

War for Cybertron Trilogy marketing material

With Cybertron's fate sealed and the Autobots gone, the Decepticons followed them closely through space aboard the Nemesis in pursuit of the AllSpark. Earthrise webpage^[2] Using his Decepticon disguise Counterpunch, Punch infiltrated the crew of the Nemesis only for his cover to be blown by Megatron. Escaping the Nemesis in an escape pod, he made his way to the nearby Disaster Planet, Dominus only to be pursued by Barricade. Luckily for Punch, Barricade's search became troublesome, as he was faced with the planet's disastrous weather conditions. Encounter 4: Dominus Criminal Pursuit

Games

The Transformers (PS2)

The Transformers

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Big gun, little guy.

Punch participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a promotional Super Rare character who could be recruited via the Space Bridge. Transformers: Battle Tactics

Transformers: Earth Wars

The Game Full of Death and Suffering...! This character article is a stub and is missing information on their video game appearances. You can help Transformers Wiki by expanding it. Transformers: Earth Wars

He's nearby...

...Real nearby.

• Class: Special
• Lowest Star Rating: 2 stars
• Ability: Covert Operation - You go undercover for 10 seconds and throw EMP grenades at defences dealing some damage per second and disabling them for several seconds.

Punch at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki
Counterpunch at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki

Commercial appearances

Unfortunately for the Autobots, Counterpunch was TWICE as loyal to the Decepticons.

• Within a mechanical room, Rodimus Prime handed Punch an unknown device while Goldbug looked on. Saluting, Punch assured Rodimus that he could trust him. He then transformed and drove off, speeding to a rocky area where Cyclonus and Galvatron awaited him. Changing from vehicle mode into Counterpunch, he gave Galvatron the device. Saluting, Counterpunch assured Galvatron that he could trust him. Punch/Counterpunch and Clones commercial

He's not a double agent, he just doesn't want to clash with his surroundings.

• When Megatron gathered Counterpunch and Breakdown to brainstorm ideas for ultimate weapons, Breakdown suggested they might find what they're looking for at BotCon 2010. Counterpunch brought this information to the Autobots as Punch, and the Autobots likewise made BotCon plans. BotCon 2010 Promo

Toys

The Transformers

One toy, thrice the fun!

• Punch-Counterpunch (Double Spy, 1987)

• Takara name: Doublespy (name on box front), Spacepunch/Counterpunch (names in Tech Spec)
• Takara ID number: C-111
• Accessories: "Twin Mortar Launcher", "Photon Cannon"

Punch transforms into a blue car styled similarly to a Pontiac Fiero. He has two distinct robot modes, with separate guns and rubsigns for each. They have separate arms, but the backs of Punch's torso, legs, and even head are the fronts of Counterpunch's and vice versa. The top of their shared head tilts to disguise the face not currently being used.

The transformation for Punch's robot mode depicted in the toy's instructions and animation is, in fact, not the intended transformation for the toy. As illustrated in the inset of the image at right, rather than extend all the way, as they do for Counterpunch, the legs are supposed to fold back at the "knee" with Counterpunch's feet folded out 180 degrees to become Punch's own (this, then, gives a purpose to the otherwise-pointless ridges on his feet, which now serve to keep the robot stable). This transformation—depicted in the toy's box art and on the front of his instruction booklet (sans feet)—creates a much smaller robot mode for Punch, more in-line with the proportions of the 1984 and 1985 Autobot Cars, that serves to further distinguish him from Counterpunch.

Punch was released as "Doublespy" in Japan with no differences other than the packaging. While the box simply labels the toy as "Doublespy", the Tech Spec on the back of the box gives the actual names of his two robot modes as "Spacepunch" and "Counterpunch", respectively.

• More information on Punch at TFU.info

Timelines

Headlights are painted over for extra G1 accuracy!

• Punch-Counterpunch (Deluxe Class, 2010)

• Accessories: Pistol, engine supercharger intakes

One of two Transformers Collectors' Club exclusive toys offered in 2010, Punch-Counterpunch is a retooling of the 2008 Universe series Sunstreaker/Sideswipe mold, transforming into a heavily modified Lamborghini Gallardo with customized engine supercharger intakes mounted just behind the roof. This supercharger can form a sort of "jetpack" by attaching to his back in Punch mode, chest armor in Counterpunch mode, or be attached to the pistol to make a larger gun. The pistol can also be mounted on a peg-hole in the robot-mode shoulder.

Punch-Counterpunch makes use of the mold's two robot-mode configurations as a single toy. His new head replicates the original toy's two-faced "flip-cap" head, hiding the eyes of whichever face he isn't using at the time. (The fists need to be physically swapped between the two if you really want to be super-accurate.) Punch's face now has a mouth as per his "The Rebirth" model, but retains the toy's separate eyes. His head is very very very tiny, likely to accommodate his fliptop forehead during transformation. Coincidentally, Fun Publications failed to release photos of his robot mode until after the toy was already in buyers' hands.

Punch went up for pre-order on the Club site on the evening of March 26, 2010 at a price of $59. Despite pictures of his robot modes remaining unseen throughout, all 1800 units sold out by the morning of March 29, the biggest and fastest sell out of a Club exclusive yet. Punch started shipping June 15. So great was the demand for Punch that a second run of only 300 figures was produced, which went on sale on August 11. These were limited to one-per-customer, and were only available to customers who had not purchased a Punch previously, but despite these restrictions, they were sold out within only a few hours.

This mold was also used to make Henkei! Henkei!/Generations Red Alert and the BotCon 2010 exclusive Breakdown. This iteration of the mold also inspired the non-toy Beast Wars: Uprising version of Wolfang.

Punch features the hole where the light bar would screw in on Henkei! Henkei! Red Alert on the top of his car mode roof, though it is covered with a rub symbol.

Anyone looking to buy this figure on the aftermarket be warned, there is a similar-looking knockoff that's been making the rounds since at least 2012,^[3] with the packaging featuring a small "CHMS" logo above the "Adult Collectible" disclaimer, and a larger Weibo URL above the figure's name. The figure itself is also missing the Hasbro/TakaraTomy copyright markings.

• More information on TFCC Punch at TFU.info

Kre-O

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE REAL NEAR BY

• Nightbeat (Kreon Micro-Changer, 2014)

• Bag number: 40551 50
• Accessories: Stand brick, scoped pistol

Part of the fifth assortment of blind-bagged Kreon Micro-Changers, Punch Nightbeat can be rebuilt from robot mode into a car based on Punch's vehicle mode. He sports Sideswipe's helmet.

We couldn't tell you how this toy received the name of a completely separate character, but subsequent toys having a prefix in front of "Punch" suggest trademark limitations were involved in this decision.

• More information on Nightbeat at TFU.info

Combiner Wars

I'm the reason there will never be a Combiner Wars Slicer.

• Wrecker Counterpunch (TFSS 5.0, 2017)

Part of the Figure Subscription Service 5.0, Combiner Wars "Wrecker Counterpunch" (who doesn't turn into his Punch form) is a retool of Combiner Wars Deluxe Class Wheeljack using the mold's alternate head, transforming from a supercar resembling a Lancia Stratos to robot and back! As a Combiner Wars Deluxe limb he is able to combine with any Combiner Wars-style Voyager Class figure or form one of Legends Godbomber's legs, though he is normally the left arm of Wreckage.

Counterpunch was released along with Wrecker Toxitron and Shattered Glass Starscream.

Power of the Primes

I heard your wallet is nearby. Real nearby.

• Punch-Counterpunch (Special Edition, 2018)

• TakaraTomy ID number: PP-44
• TakaraTomy release date: February 23, 2019
• Accessories: gun, Prime Armor/Combiner Hand, Prime Master filler/gun
• Known designers: Yūya Ōnishi (TakaraTomy)

Power of the Primes Punch-Counterpunch is a "Special Edition" Deluxe Class figure that transforms into either robot mode as well as a supercar resembling a 2nd Generation Honda NSX with Volk TE37 wheels. The transformation includes a flip-out helmet and fists for each robot mode, as well as two-way knees, elbows, and a simple rearrangement of kibble. Instead of the Twin Mortar Launcher and/or the Photon Cannon, Punch-Counterpunch comes with a single orange gun based on his weapon in The Headmasters cartoon.

Like all other Power of the Primes Deluxe Class figures, he comes with Prime Armor (identical to the one included with Jazz) with a place for a Prime Master, Enigma, or Matrix core that can transform into a hand or foot for a separate combiner. He also comes with the Prime Master Prima Prime, which can interact with the figure via the Titan Master/Prime Master pegs on the back of his car or the included Prime Armor. In an undocumented (and likely accidental) feature, Prima can be stored folded up inside the driver's compartment in car mode. Punch's gun can also be mounted on either of the Prime Armor's 5mm holes, mounted on the top of his car mode, or clipped under the chassis.

Unlike all other Deluxes in the subline, Punch-Counterpunch lacks the combiner peg, making him the only non-Combiner Deluxe or Voyager Class figure released in this lineup.

Punch-Counterpunch also suffers a slight misassembly: his shoulder joints are installed upside down, making it harder for the arms to tab in properly in vehicle mode. This can be easily repaired without any tools. His box art shows Punch's chest and the gun accessory to be yellow colored, instead of the orange of the actual figure. Also, care must be taken while rolling his vehicle mode as Punch's chest piece and Counterpunch's painted feet are very, VERY close to the ground. While rolling him on a flat surface is fairly safe, a rough surface can damage both of these areas.

This set was an Amazon exclusive in the U.S., initially revealed via preorder listing without any prior announcement from Hasbro. It was also available at general retail in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.

War for Cybertron: Earthrise

Counterpunch is (not) the impostor.

• Dominus Criminal Pursuit (Galactic Odyssey Collection, 2020)

• TakaraTomy ID number: ER EX-25
• TakaraTomy release date: May 29, 2021
• Accessories: Gun
• Known designers: AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

Released as part of the "Dominus Criminal Pursuit" 2-pack, this Punch/Counterpunch is a redeco of the Prime Wars Trilogy Deluxe Class figure, in brighter colors akin to Nightbeat. Other changes include the additional yellow stripe underneath the car doors and the omission of paint detailing on the upper thighs and tires, along with lacking the Prime Master Armor. Unlike the Power of the Primes release, he is packaged as Counterpunch. The shoulder assembly error from the Power of the Primes release is still present in this release.

While the set's Amazon listing calls this figure "Punch/Counterpunch", the two robot modes are named in the instructions as "Counterpunch" and "Autobot Punch", suggesting the latter name cannot be trademarked without the "Autobot" prefix.

The "Dominus Criminal Pursuit" 2-pack also contains Barricade.

This two-pack was released as an Amazon exclusive in the United States initially, but appeared on Hasbro Pulse on March 5, 2021. This figure was also available at general retail in Hasbro's Asian markets such as Singapore. In Japan, the two pack was released as a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive.

Notes

MY FACE ACCEPTS ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS.

• Punch sports a considerably different prototype face during his first commercial, one that may have served as inspiration for the design of his face used in the 1987 commercial and the American cartoon. Counterpunch is the same, however.
• The Double Spy concept seems to have been kicking around for a while before actually being executed:
  • A concept sketch exists that depicts Punch/Counterpunch as a high-tech jet more in line with the 1986+ aesthetic which transforms in a way somewhat similar to the final car version.^[4]
  • Not one but two early patents were filed for a car Double Spy. The first patent depicts a car that can turn into a large robot or split straight across the middle, with the front and back ends of the car each transforming into a separate robot. It uses a car model identical to the final Punch/Counterpunch.^[5]
  • The second patent keeps the car as a single unit, however the car now folds along the center from the front bumper to the rear windshield. One robot mode is formed when the car is transformed normally, the other is formed when the car is transformed and folded to reveal a new head, chest, and arms. This model has an identical leg transformation to the final version.^[6]
• At San Diego Comic-Con 2010, a Punch/Counterpunch miniseries referred to as Legacy of Rust was announced.^[7] Although Stuart Moore wrote all four issues, it was never released.^[8]

Foreign names

Punch

• Japanese: Spacepunch (スペースパンチ Supēsupanchi), Punch (パンチ Panchi)
• French: Pugilil (Canada)
• Italian: Spy
• Mandarin: Shuāng Miàn Rén (双面人, "Double-faced Man")
• Russian: Punch (Панч Panch)

Counterpunch

• Japanese: Counterpunch (カウンターパンチ Kauntāpanchi)
• French: Contrecoup (Canada, "Counterpunch")
• Italian: Ultraspy
• Russian: Vyshibala (Вышибала, "Bouncer")

Other

• Japanese Doublespy (ダブルスパイ, Daburusupai, Japanese toy)

References