The basic Pretender line from 1989 was slightly smaller (and at a cheaper price point) than the first Pretenders released the previous year. Whereas the first year differentiated the outer shells such that Autobot Pretenders were armored humans and Decepticons were monsters, the 1989 assortment was much less structured. Here is Pincher, Autobot chemical engineer. The armored human shell conceals an inner robot. Combining the shell's backpack with the robot lets it turn into a mechanical scorpion.
The combined form of the Universe Micromaster Aerialbots is Superion, an amalgamation of six robots plus their pack-in accessories that serve as connectors, head, and extremities of the gestalt warrior. While in Japan, the original source of the design ( Sixwing , 1992) was available in a collected set, this combiner needed to be purchased one bot at a time in the 2007 Universe release.