Kirk is anAutobot from theGeneration 1continuity family.

Of course you're expecting Shatner jokes on this page, but it's possible we might go all "Left Behind" on your ass instead.

Kirk (カークKāku) is one of theAutobot Master Warriors, the group of diminutive young robots training on the planetMaster to become fully-fledgedHeadmasters. When attached to aTranstector body, he imbues it with incredible power and agility.

Fiction

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor:Kazumi Tanaka (Japanese),John Culkin (English, Omni Productions dub)

KHHHHHAAAAAANNNN!

WhenScorponok'sDecepticons returned to planet Master, Kirk served as the leader of the resistance group that formed to oust them. They met with little success, until the Autobot Headmasters arrived on the planet in pursuit of the Decepticons.Chromedome arranged a meeting with Kirk to formulate a new plan, intending to corral the Decepticons amidst the cloudy peaks of a nearby mountain range. The plan was put into motion when the villains attacked a city, but backfired when the clouds did nothing but provide the Decepticons with cover, which only increased their advantage. During the firefight, Kirk's fighter craft was shot down and Chromedome believed him dead; when the battle was concluded with a Decepticon victory, Kirk hauled himself from the wreckage of his craft. Chromedome apologised for the recklessness of his plan, but Kirk admitted that he was to blame too for willingly going along with it.Operation: Destroy the Decepticons

TV Magazine Masterforce prologue

Some time later, after the Decepticons had been forced off ofEarth and a larger war began based around use of advanced technology from Planet Master, Chromedome and the other Headmasters took it upon themselves to train Kirk and the other Master Warriors in the use of their powers.The Headmasters Now!!

Ask Vector Prime

Kirk was somehow related to the development ofBrainmaster technology. When the Decepticons learned of the technique, he,Trizer, andShuffler destroyed the laboratory rather than let them get their hands on it.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/23

Toys

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers

MISTER TAMBOURINE MAAAAAAAN!

• Kirk (Cybertron Master Warrior,1987)

• Known designers:Takashi Matsuda (TakaraTomy)

Sold only in the third year ofTakara'sFight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers toyline (in a teeny individual box), Kirk transforms from a tan-grey and red humanoid robot into a humanoid head. In this mode he can connect to any of the Headmaster bodies, activating their built-inTech Specs meter. Kirk grants his host body a Speed rating of 8, Strength of 10, and Intelligence of 6.

Kirk and his fellowAutobot Master Warriors go for ludicrous sums of money on the secondary market, being Japan-exclusive, fairly late-series, and probably not having a terribly high production run. Naturally, this has led to some convincingknockoffs being made. The set with the widest distribution has a number of small differences from the originals, but one big obvious tell: these knockoffs lack the "©Takara '87"copyright stamping. Be wary when buying!

• More information on Kirk at TFU.info

• Kirk (Cybertron Master Warrior,1987)

What go for evenmore ludicrous sums of money are the entirely-white versions of the Master Warriors, easily selling for over $1000 US a pop (and yes, there are knockoffs of these versions too, so be SUPER-wary).

These are stupid-rare pieces, as they were only available asfree giveaways with the purchase of otherTransformers product, and prizes like these are usually run invery small numbers. These are the first known such promotional giveaways in theTransformers franchise.

One of these promotions was the "Throttlebot Promotional Sales Campaign", where a random bagged all-white Headmaster was given away with the purchase of any Throttlebot at select Japanese retailers (sadly, we do not know which retailers these were). Reportedly, they were also available at Lawsons stores with the purchase of anyTransformers product, both individually and as a big bagged set of six. Sadly, more concrete information on these campaigns is going to be... hard to come across.

Notes

Okay, we lied about the "Left Behind" jokes.

• For whatever reason, Kirk's cartoon color model iscompletely different from his toy, decorated with green, blue, yellow, grey, and white, where the toy was grey and red.
• Speaking of color changes, the original catalog photos of Kirk show him with orange limbs, matching his face paint.

Foreign names

• English:Gus (Omni Productions dub)