Detectus is an Autobot-allied Mini-Con from the Generation One/Beast Wars continuity family.

Detectus boasts, "The light makes me shine!" In Japan, that also means "glow with hope."

Fiction

Timelines

Special Investigative Officer Detectas used his impressive stealth powers to sit in on Cheetor and Stungun's interrogation of the Autobots Hubcap and Jackpot, who had been framed for the murder of Gutcruncher. It is not certain whether even Stungun was aware of his presence, though given the close working relationship between the two TransTech officers is seems unlikely that Stungun would have been left out of the loop. When the Autobots escaped—or were allowed to escape - Detectas was sent to covertly tail them in the hope that they would lead him to the real killer.

When the Autobots found themselves cornered in an alleyway by a pack of Malignus Revolutionaries, a lucky ricochet revealed Detectas's location and sent him crashing down from the ledge he had been occupying. Detectas feebly declared that everyone was under arrest, but in his weakened state he wasn't able to do much about it. Further damage from this ricochet caused an electrified sign to crash down into the alleyway, giving the Autobots the opening they needed to escape with Detectas in tow. Once they were clear, Detectas explained his assignment to the Autobots. Detectas disappeared, apparently too damaged to continue his investigation. Cheetor expected him to recover to operational status by the next noon Gone Too Far

Toys

Generation One

• 

  Detectus (Micron Booster, 2007)
  • Booster ID number: 10

Detectus is a clear-plastic redeco of the Classics Mini-Con Strongarm, transforming into a police car based on a 2006 Dodge Charger (but with the proportions messed up). He was only available in the fifth "Micron Booster" assortment in Japan, where each figure came in its own blind-packed, individual box. Detectus was one of two "chase" figures in the set; each case of twelve Mini-Cons contained one of either Chromebite or Detectus, but never both.

This mold was also used for Radrogue, Cybertron Strongarm, and Flatfoot.

Notes

• Detectus's name did not appear on any promotional materials for this assortment, where he was simply called "Radrogue clear version". However, the actual packaging for the toys supplies his name, establishing him as a separate character.

• The Micron Booster Ver.4 assortment uses the "classic" Japanese Transformers logo, ostensibly placing the characters within the Generation One continuity family. However, this set also gives Maximal and Predacon sigils to the beast-form Mini-Cons. It would appear then that these characters are from a "transitional" period from Generation One to the Beast Era... though chances are TakaraTomy didn't put even that much thought into it. Toys is toys.

• Detectus' mold is (currently) the only Mini-Con mold with Powerlinx sockets that are accessible only in robot mode by design: the sockets on the outside of his lower legs, which end up folded against his thighs inside his car mode. However, he still has other sockets that remain accessible in both modes.