Although the Destrons have been driven off Earth, a small group of Cybertron Pretenders remains behind in reserve. Led by Metalhawk, known as Hawk in his human guise, the Pretenders live among humans, using their Pretender shells to shrink to human size and mimic human appearance. Their caution pays off when a force of Destron Pretenders, led by the enigmatic Devil Z, appears. The Cybertrons and Destrons quickly build up their forces, recruiting humans to become Junior Headmasters and Godmasters, known as Powermasters.