Blitzwing
Bombshell
Cliffjumper
Cyclonus
Elita-One
Galvatron
Gears
Grimlock
Hoist
Hot Rod
Hound
Inferno
Ironhide
Jazz
Megatron
Optimus Prime
Perceptor
Prowl
Ramjet
Ratchet
Rodimus Prime
Rumble
Skyfire
Skywarp
Slag
Snarl
Starscream
Swoop
Thundercracker
Thrust
Tracks
Ultra Magnus
Wheeljack

Function: Optimus Prime's Ball and Chain Voice Actor: Marlene Aragon First Appearance: "The Search for Alpha Trion"

Nightwind's Words of Wisdom:

Ah, the Chickbots... I've got a real love/hate relationship with them, I'm afraid. Why? Well, on the one hand, I'm female myself. So it was a nice gesture that The Powers That Be actually stuck female robots into the G1 universe, especially so because, physically, they weren't obvious eye candy for the fanboys. (Unlike like a certain BW spiderbot who shall remain nameless.) So I like the whole idea of Chickbots. I like the whole idea, even, of gender in TFs, though not for the reason you're probably thinking. (HAH! Far from it!) And one of the Chickbots, in particular, I really like...

...But unfortunately it isn't Elita-One, nooooo... ;)

You know what bothers me most about Elita-One? I'll tell you what bothers me most about Elita-One. There she is, the commander of her little ragtag band of Chickbots, fighting the good fight against the Decepticons, all outnumbered and all. Guerilla warfare at its finest, yeeeessss... So you'd think that she'd be strong and independent and all kick-butt, right? Kinda like a robotic Xena, Warrior Princess, yes? Nuh-uh! They leave that to Chromia. No, Elita gets stuck with being a stereotypical female in that she tends to be clingy with the ManBots...

Which really, really bothers me. I mean, look at her! Oh no! Something's gone wrong! The Decepticons know where the Autochicks are hiding out! What does Elita-One do? Well, she runs off to Alpha Trion — a "man," of course — so that he can tell her what to do! Elita says, quite emphatically, "He will know what to do." Like, duh? Hello, Elita!! You can't figure it out for yourself that the Chickbots need to pack out their trash and haul keister outta there?? How long have you been leading the Chickbots?? You need a man to tell you this? You need a man to tell you what to do? Criminy... And then there's the little flashback bit with Optimus Prime where she yells to him, all snivelly and clingy-like, "I want to go with you!" Oh, puh-leeeeeze, honey! This is a war! This isn't the time to get all goopily attached to your little boyfriend. Especially not when you've got responsibilities of your own!

OK, OK, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh. I mean, this is a boys' cartoon we're talkin' about here, after all. Methinks the pre-pubescent boys at which the 'toon was aimed would have probably been a little...perturbed...if the Chickbots had been able to kick serious butt without the help of the male characters. But still, this stereotype bugs me. It bugs me a lot. And not just when it comes to TFs. We women are perfectly capable of surviving under even the harshest of conditions without a single male anywhere in the vicinity. In fact, I'd wager we'd survive better than a man. We are women! Hear us ROAR!! And what really bugs me is that a woman wrote the episode in which the Chickbots appeared! AIEEEE! Give her fifty lashings with a wet noodle for perpetuating this evil stereotype, especially in a cartoon aimed at boys! *sigh*

And, just to add insult to injury...Elita-One is pink. No less than three different shades of pink, mind you. 'Scuse me whilst I vomit. I mean, not only is the color stereotypically offensive to those of us who are female and who had mothers who tried to force the stupid color down our throats (And they went ahead and made Arcee pink, too! *rolls eyes* ), but...Well, geez, she clashes with her boyfriend, for crying out loud. ;) Ewwwwwww... :) Call the fashion police!

OK, OK, I'll stop ranting now. Suffice it to say, in summary, that I really like the idea of Chickbots, but I'm less than thrilled with the execution of the idea. Well, except when it comes to Chromia, of course. Not only does Chromia kick serious butt, but she's a great foil for the cantankerous Ironhide... Unlike Elita-One, who seems far more attached to Optimus Prime than he seems to be to her...