Essay by Blacklight  

After all the extrapolation about Prowl, *Mirage* is hard to grasp?!

Stand back. What's cool about Mirage? Let *me* count the ways...

The tech specs for Mirage, Ratchet, and Bumblebee look as if they were based on Winchester, 
Hawkeye, and Radar from the TV show MASH. But between the voice cast and the cartoon writers, 
all three Autobots took different directions from the MASH crew, making Mirage a warmer, shyer,
and more tolerant character than Winchester ever was. Both were pulled from posh backgrounds 
and made to serve in a war. 
Not only that, but the setting of the war was the most primitive either had probably ever had 
to live in. Winchester's reaction was to have his family send him lots of creature comforts, 
and generally refuse to accept his situation. Mirage's reaction is to do as much as he can to 
end the war as soon as possible.

Mirage is a guy who, when he takes something to heart, permanently keeps it. The other side 
of this is that he must be very selective about who or what he decides to love. 
Earth and the Autobot cause are not on the list, but protecting these things is the best way 
to protect his home, and he knows it. 

Unfortunately, we never get to see exactly who or what it is he's pining for. 
I get the impression there's more to this than just material things, but there's no clue as 
to who he considers family. 
When they first showed "Search for Alpha Trion", I was hoping one of the femmes would ask 
about him, but it just wasn't in the script.

His devotion extends all the way to his military style. As a leader, I think Prime makes a 
better father and police chief than a military commander. He's just not playing to win. 
Mirage probably gets impatient with how reactive Prime's tactics are, but he's not the kind 
to openly criticize. 
Besides, he really doesn't want to get too involved with the management of what he hopes is 
a temporary job. 
So it follows that he'd come up with solo plans, like he tried to do in "Traitor". 
Also, his invisibility lets him take advantage of moments when the Decepticons relax their 
guard, thinking they've clearly won.

Even with his homesickness, he can still appreciate the here and now, though. 
We see him getting along well with Hound, a guy who on the surface seems like he should be 
Mirage's opposite. 
And there's "Autobot Run", where he joins in a race track exhibition saying, "I don't like 
to show off, but since it's for charity...!" and then enthusiastically leaves the others in 
the dust. It's the only time he sounds like he's enjoying something about Earth.

Other random good points

-Did you know Mirage's car mode is based on a actual race car, right down to the stickers? 
Here's a link to the real-life Ligier JS11 Ford F1
http://www.brooklands.org.uk/Goodwood/g98_10.htm

-His melancholy voice is just like the one Welker used for Dekion, the skeleton warrior from 
the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, another long-suffering character. Welker could read a grocery 
list in that voice and it'd be hard not to sympathize. 

-Knows exactly how good it feels to go to a track and run 'til he's exhausted. As if I weren't 
already relating enough.  

-He's such a cougar. Think about it. Better yet, look
http://www.owlsdottir.com/pagan_birman/teachings_of_the_cougar.htm


And that, folks, is why Mirage is my all-time favorite character in Transformers.