TRANSFORMERS: THE BASICS on the PROTECTOBOTS 

I love that in their introductions they’re mostly really either chill or caring and then there’s blades who’s basically “his job on the team keeps him from his real passion, Violence.”

I love that Rook was so last-minute in the comics that it was later established that he was just a random guy who was standing in the wrong place when Starscream used the Enigma.

the fact that the protectbots are the first rescue bots ever and they are the classic that started it all,make it more funnier

defensor is seriously a underrated great combiner,with a unique team and design,defensor is actually one of the few combiners that i personaly liked after bruticus-victorion-potp inferno combiner(city guard) and volcanicus,great thing that he has the best combiner toys ever

"Yo 'Screamer! Your pilot's license just expired!" -- Streetwise Best line in G1, ever. 🚓

Defensor was my favorite combiner as a kid. I remember when I got the box set for Christmas in the 80s while my younger brother received the Menasor set. We had a blast. My Defensor is still standing proudly in one of my cabinets now, all these years later. :)

with defensor and the protectbots being one of my fan favourite characters,i'm really glad to see them get attention and a basics episode,defensor was a unique character especially in the idw,the idw defensor will be never forgotten and he always holds a special place in my heart

I like the fact that they got new members that each combine into different parts other than limbs, such an underused idea for a team

The protectobots stand out to me because of their prominent role in The Return of Optimus Prime. And first aid was one of the few G1 toys I had

I had a knockoff Protectobots in an easter basket as a kid. Thought they were the coolest things ever. Fell apart after a couple of months because of cheap plastic, but they were still fun

Part of me still wishes the Rescue Bots had explicitly been a new iteration of the team and connected to them in some way, like mentoring under them or having them be the head of the organization. I get the creative decisions to distance them though.

I remember i used to own Groove. I think my brother owned Hotspot... thats as far as we got with the protectabots

Always thought that Hotspot was the best looking of all the combiner commanders. And that baby blue fire engine mode with flames down the side....Magnificent! Defensor always struck me as the best looking combiner of all the originals. Good looking bunch of boys the Protectobots.

With so little in the media spotlight it's no wonder this team is forgotten about. Most fans love Decepticon combiner teams more than Autobot combiner teams. Then as far as Autobot teams, the Protectobots are usually the least favorite. I quite like the Protectobots as far as design and characterization. Defensor is a really cool looking combiner. Definitely my favorite Autobot combiner.

Blades was my first transformer toy in the 80s. I didn’t have much growing up, and transformers were not very easily available in Argentina for a while. A friend of the family that traveled to the US gave it to me as a gift. While for many he was only an arm, it holds a dear place for me.

I kind of want to see a future installment that has the Protectobots go up against the Stunticons as their rivals. A sort of Cops and Robbers type of rivalry

The Protectbot's were the only combiner team that I had completed as a kid. They were also the first team that I completed during the Combiner Wars as well.

My favorite member of this team is Hot Spot for his attitude towards people and his convincing of First Aid to come back to the team in that one episode of G1.

I’m surprised First-Aid never teamed up with Lifeline from GIJOE. They seem like a natural partnership, even down to matching colors.

It does feel like they are full of missed opportunities with these guys.

The perfect Transformers spinoff and in a later season have the Rescue Bots joining the series. That would be an interesting series, IMO.

2:34 "... In _Central City_ " Must be great working along side The Flash.

I mentioned this in the announcement but the Protectobots are my favorite Combiner (though I haven't owned all the Combiners in G1) because their personal weapons can be added to Defensor depending on who is which limb, giving Defensor multiple ways to battle, and I didn't even know about the Japanese bonus characters, which now I wish I had. For some reason Hasbro and their media partners do a terrible job utilizing combination (see also the Mini-Cons and Energon's Powerlinking), treating it more like Voltron than the play range the Scramble style combination offers.

After reading Blades’ bio I have to ask, how the heck does a violent sociopathic thug wind up on a rescue and law enforcement unit?!

as a person who loved bruticus a lot as a kid,i can confirm that the protectbots are just the shattered glass version of the combaticons,first aid=swindle and hot spot=onslught

This is my favourite of the Scramble City style teams. What's not to love about emergency service vehicles, although I've never seen a blue fire engine. The lack of a proper cartoon debut was a shame, but thanks for filling me in on them having a retcon colonial origin, much like Sandstorm did. I remember seeing the brand-new Protectobots in stores and thinking that maybe the writing was on the wall for Ratchet, Prowl and Inferno, even if the last still felt like a fresh new character. The greater simplicity of the toys seemed a downgrade, but there was something undeniably exciting and colourful about them. One thing that makes Defensor the best of the same-era combiner toys is that you cannot lose his head. :)

The idw's version really disappointed me, I hadn't read their origin so I discovered that they were defensor and saw them killed off in the span of only two issues I think. It was so abrupt and jarring and honestly one of the few things I didn't like while reading the series. I hope to see more of them in the future, maybe even get a movie appearance? (one can dream lol)

They and the Technobots are the most underrated Autobots.

Medix was also in rescue bots Academy.

I didn't know that Heatrock and Flamefeather could replace Hotspot as a torso! That's one of the coolest things I've seen in a while.

The Protectobots really did deserve better. They're my favourite Autobot sub team.

You know, I always thought these guys matched up better against the Stunticons. Think of it as law and order vs crime and violence.

G1 Hotspot was always one of my absolute favorite Autobots from when I had him as a kid!!! I was so excited to have found him again almost 35 years later!!!

It's not official but I am glad the stop motion movie "roll out" by TFI creations gave these guys some spotlight

I had no idea Hot Shot could transform into a Repair bay! That wasn’t in the instruction book! Fantastic video review 👍👍🙏😃

Was nearly tempted to Patreon this episode just for myself, but nice to see me beaten to the punch. As for my favourite, there is really only one and that is my first ever TF figure First Aid. It was during my primary school years that I first found out about the Transformers at a birthday party and I asked mum to get me one. So she picked up one of the cheaper figures Argos had at the time which was a reissue First Aid figure. The toy has stayed with me for close to 30 years. He's a little time/play worn, but he's still special to me. Upon finding out he was part of a team I made it my duty to gather the rest of the team. A task I finally completed back in 2018 at a local Comic & Sci-Fi Convention I managed to pick up a complete Hot Spot, a unsealed but on card Groove and a loose Streetwise. The last part of the puzzle took so work to get but I finally got Blades off ebay complete save for his pistol. Owning these has inspired me to try and make a G1 Rust Renegades/Victorion set, but it'd mean hunting down and repainting some already hard to get figures. There is one thing I'd like to do and that's restore First Aid, Streetwise and the faded chrome Groove to new condition. Maybe one day.

The Protectobots have a special place in my heart, because they were the first (and maybe only) full-sized Combiner team I was able to complete back in the day. Kid-me was devastated that I never found a Hook to complete the Constructicons.

I think they make the best rescue team back in the 80s and I still like Rescue Bots too.

After years of not collecting transformers, the CW version of Defensor sparked the interest for the modern Transformers again. Until then i only had old G1 versions of Cliffjumper, Warpath and Ultra Magnus.

"To mend and defend"... if that's not a Reboot reference...

It's a shame these guys haven't been given the spotlight they deserve

Just realised I had Hotspot but no idea he could combine! I was only about 5-6 at the time. This channel along with your Sonic podcast is like a direct link to my youth. Thanks for doing these Chris

"Defensor,the counter to the mighty bruticus !"

I’ve been rewatching rescue bots and went down the rabbit whole with Blades, which lead me to the protectobots, and I love that I wasn’t the only one who noticed the parallels between the two rescue teams. Also this will never not be funny to me: Blades hates flying, why? RB: He’s afraid of heights G1: He can’t gut mechs from the sky RB Blades feels like a combination of, well, his G1 Version and First Aid, leaning more towards the latter’s personality and job in a way, since he’s the field medic. Also I’m RBA, Medix becomes Blades student. They knew what they were doing

I’d love to see you talk about Pyra Magna and the Torchbearers one day. The group Who would make Transformers history by being the first fully formed, all female combiners who all together form Victorion.

Idea (that I don’t remember if I suggested before): The basics on Ginrai/Victory Leo

The Protectobots were the first Rescue Bots and the first Classic/retroboot Autobot combined teams ever and my most favorite Autobot combiner/subgroup teams ever but also Defensor is also one of my favorite gestal Autobots ever also thanks for sharing Chris 👌 them coming have a good day until next time till all are one

Amazing. With a name like protectbots, was thinking rescue bots. And that's basically the first thing he mentions in the video.

Funny enough it's my birthday today and these guys were my first favorite combiners. Keep up the good work chris!

Will always have a soft spot for the Prectobots, and they'll always be my favourite combiner group because it was the only complete combiner set I had as a kid (got the complete gift set).

When the Combiner Wars toy series was at it's height, Santa saw it fit to bestow to me a complete set of all 5 Protectobots at once. I didn't get Chest Groove for another 2 months, and Limb Groove for another 3 months after that. They all are still my personal favorite Combiner/Gestalt.

Wow how did I not know they are rivial to the Combaticon? I mean it made sense that the Protobots are defensive while the Combaticon are offence! Also eventhought it was super minor but you forgot that they make a brief cameo in the Transformers Devatastor game too!

I can understand the Groove becoming chestplate thing, as the bike would be oversized otherwise.... unless you leave the mass displace as must.

Thank you for all your videos and hard work.

5:43 Ah yes, Power Core Combiners. A shining example of combining toys throughout the ages.

Back in the day, if the groups of characters didn't have an origin in the cartoon, I take their comic origin as their canon story. However the Protectobots didn't have one in the comic as well, making his origin as an mystery. It is true that they was foreshadowed UK comics and it flew over my head at the time. Looking back, it is silly to try to assume all this because it's two different lores and fan theories. Nothing official. Heck, I took Furman's original plans to have the coneheads in the BW finale as canon evidence how they came to be and that's why they weren't present in Mircobots. It's fun to have theories but don't take it as canon evidence.

Favorite group of Autobot Combiners. Nice work! :)

Ah, one of my favorite Autobot combiner (Superion is the second one)... sadly I could not form Defensor, I only had Hot Spot (Christmas gift) when I was a child. Nice video!

I find it hilarious that the motorcycle is one of the biggest vehicle modes

first aid is definitely THE most definitive and notable member of the team plus i LOVED his role in IDW

FINALLY!! I was waiting so long! Thank you

these guys are my favorite autobot combiner since they embody the protector nature of the autobots

Christmas!? Don't you mean "Chosen One Day"?

I can’t wait to get an updated version of this guy in the upcoming waves or lines after legacy.

Ah yes....the first Rescue Bots of the G1.... glad to know that this version still exsist and still remember the history

You know you drew the alt-mode short straw when you turn into a shield for some other guy.

First Aid was the only one I had as a kid and I was floored when he got his own spotlight episode. Sadly, he hasn't survived and has yet to be replaced. My wife bought me a very much loved and very incomplete Hot Spot for Christmas a couple of years ago.

First Aid is still my favorite Protectobot. Thanks MTMTE for giving me a sweet innocent bot for him

I think the Rescue Bots have the right idea for how the Protectobots can shine; focus on them working with humans to minimize/undo the damage done from the main conflict.

The Protectobots have a special place for me. Growing up, my family was poor but my extended family was wealthy. I would always get the hand me down toys from my cousins and so I got lots of Transformers from them. Usually, missing parts or stickers, but the Xmas that the Protectobots were released, my parents bought them for me as a Xmas present. They were my first Transformers that were solely mine and I loved them dearly for that.

Chris McFeely really makes my Saturday

If I remember correctly, the combiner wars toys for the protectobots were retooled and recoloured to become the six transformers who formed Victorion, the first fully female combiner

One of the fun aspects as when the combiner teams merge, they typically had some drawback as a result of their fusion of all the team coming together. Such as Superion has tunnel vision, as they just decide to do a thing, and keep doing it till they succeed or fail. They couldn't improvise very well they tune out all thoughts that weren't related to the mission. Menasor was a reckless berserker due to it's self loathing and hatred for their leader motormaster. They weren't the smartest group, as they were greatly confused by the autobots in the episode Masquerade. The technobots were the smartest, but took their sweet time to come to a conclusion. The Protectobots as Defensor were most mentally well adjusted as they didn't have any major quirks against them when merged as the violent nature of blades and pacifist nature of groove balanced out as a combiner. While the Aerial bots were probably strong fighters of the autobot combiners as they were much more geared for combat making the ideal offensive team, but protectobots were the best on defense, as they were capable making more complex decisions and a powerful force field to shields others.

When I completed the "new" Protectobots toys, I initially felt that Rook, as the "new" team member, did not quite belong to the team, as his alt mode (an armored SWAT vehicle) seemed more of an "attack" vehicle, rather than a "rescue" vehicle. Eventually, I realized that his alt mode is the only one in the team that directly fits the team's name, as his alt mode can literally protect its human passengers from gunfire. :)

My favorite combiners. Thank you!

Hot Spot was my first Transformer. It was given to me by my Godmother when I was a child. I really love Generation One Transformers. Brings back a lot of memories from childhood.

In 1992 In Japan, there was a repainted Defensor renamed Guard City who was the main character & Autobot leader of the magazine series, "Operation Combination."

Defensor would been incredible to the Michael Bay Transformers films in correlation from the Constructicons. Notable as a foe of Bruticus and Menasor, First Aid was given a good upgrade to Transformers Animated.

5:39 Ah yes, just what every rescue team needs. A tank, an APC, and a fighter jet.

Most Protectobots: "serve and protect" Blades: "my hobby is committing war crimes >:)"

My favorite Autobot combiner team! I love the Protectobots!

I only had Streetwise and Blades back in the G1 days. Streetwise just looked so cool to me.

Could never figure out why, but out of the g1’s this was always my favorite combiner

The title: " original rescue-bots" is something I never even considered. But that's what I come here for, to find out new things about the Transformers. You rock, Chris!

THE BEST COMBINER!

I’m a little surprised you haven’t done a basics on the Stunticons yet. Love your basics videos

"the protectbots,the original rescue bots"-rodimus primal

Like the guardian/defensor so much, I think all kids that parents were firemen, cops, medics, would love to have them, I never play with them as rivals of devastator or bruticos, always they are chasing stunticons in a classic cars vs cars! Loved the groove new model but I think prowl, ratchet, inferno, red alert and strong arm need make a team they are much more famous!

3:18 Completely unrelated, but I immediately went “SDF-1??” When I saw this

Fun fact, in transformers revenge of the fallen the game the protectobots Blades, Hotspot, and I believe Streetwise were drones in it. Just taking the spot as cannon fodder

I always enjoy these videos. There is so much lore to the transformers.

Xmas of '86, I got the Protectobots (gift pack). I was so excited to see this.

I finally found the toy I was looking for, (being 2010 Stakeout) Thanks a lot!

I”m glad that you are back and doing great buddy

They also made a very blink and you miss it appearance in the credits for Transformers Devastation as Defensor, along with Superion.

My fave Autobot Combiner Team. Still have my vintage set complete!

No FREAKING WAY !!! I had these minis like 20 years ago, and did not know the whole story. SWEET ! Sadly, only the cop car bot is handy, donno what happened to the others...

This is amazing

Had no idea First Aid was a character, been using the name for an OC, based on a loadout from FOC of all things 🤣 A medical officer that transforms into a jet, he tries to get to his patients as fast as possible. He is constantly recording and challenging his response time as a way to get better. Edit. Thinking about renaming him to Responder or something. Got an idea for a "Prime" version and "Responder Prime" does sound cool (First Aid version was Prime Aid).

Great Stuff! My brother had them all. I always felt Streetwise’s design was the slickest. He was certainly a version of Prowl not so easily prone to falling apart.