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Sideswipe (G1)

2011-12-29T13:44:09Z

120.28.179.2: /* Wings Universe */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{disambig3|Sideswipe}}
:''Sideswipe is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]]. His name is also sometimes parsed '''Side Swipe'''.''

[[Image:NYSideswipeCardart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I've never done anything important, but people love me anyway! Sweet!]]
'''Sideswipe''' is not nearly as much of a sociopath as his [[Relatives|brother]] [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], but he is every bit as skillful. He's more into battle for the sport of it. A bit of a jock, Sideswipe most craves a glorious fight to the finish as a test of his mettle.

There is a reckless edge to Sideswipe's tactics. He makes rash decisions that may endanger him, all in the name of possible victory. Cheating is also not out of the question. When everything is on the line, for Sideswipe, nothing is out of the question. Over time, his reckless attitude has not changed. However, his cause has; once in it solely for the glory, now he's driven by the desire to defend freedom and the innocent.

His [[Action Master partner]] is [[Vanguard]].

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:G1SideswipeMarvelFist.jpg|thumb|left|150px|My shoulders are black because this is where my toy's wheels go!]]
Sideswipe, along with his brother Sunstreaker, was part of the original crew of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s Ark. When the Decepticons attacked the ship, it crashed on Earth, and Sideswipe, along with the rest of the combatants, lay dormant for 4 million years. When the volcano that housed the Ark erupted, the Ark's internal mechanisms revived all Transformers, making no distinction between [[Autobot]] and [[Decepticon]]. Sideswipe was alive again. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

When the Autobots went to retrieve their fallen comrade [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] from [[Sparkplug Witwicky]]'s garage, they were attacked by Decepticons. Against his brother's better judgment, Sideswipe employed his energon-gobbling rocket pack to take the fight right to the Decepticon jets. The 'Cons were driven off, but without a source of fuel to recharge on, several Autobots, including Sideswipe, were left virtually empty after the battle and were sidelined. {{storylink|Power Play!}} ''One time he was man-handled by an erratic [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]].'' {{storylink|The Enemy Within!}} ''Though he could not go on missions, Sideswipe was still able to defend the Ark from invasion when the Decepticons came right to his doorstep. He was confronted by that junk-punk [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]]'s earthquake-making ability and turned the tables on him, overpowering Rumble with his pile-driver punches.'' {{storylink|Raiders of the Last Ark}} ''At some point, he helped protect a dam from some Decepticons, which Ratchet later relayed to the Dinobots.'' {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}}

Sideswipe's inactivity continued even longer after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] took over the Ark and deactivated all the Autobots in the ship. After [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] regained control of the Ark for the Autobots, he was able to revive Sideswipe to full functionality in short order, and their new deal for fuel with [[G.B. Blackrock]] kept them energized. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

[[Image:PrimeTime-Sideswipe.jpg|right|thumb|150px|So you've read my profile.]]

However, though Shockwave was evicted from the Ark, he still had Optimus Prime's head held captive in his [[Blackrock Aerospace Assembly Plant Number One|Blackrock Aerospace Plant headquarters]]. When the Autobots overheard that Optimus Prime's head had outlived its usefulness and would be disposed of, Sideswipe was part of the large group of Autobots who departed the Ark to rendezvous with the drop-off point. {{storylink|Brainstorm!}} Sure enough, the Decepticon drone [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] approached with the head, though Sideswipe initially proposed blowing it out of the sky. Prowl's caution at first seemed prudent, as Jetfire dropped Prime's head into the swamp in front of them, but their minds changed after they waded into the swamp, retrieved the head, and placed it on Prime's body. The head was in fact a Decepticon decoy that took control of Prime's body and attacked them. On top of that, a strike team led by [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] quickly joined them, and Sideswipe soon found himself at the mercy of [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who began tearing out his back with his jaws. Fortunately for the Autobots, Prime's real head was returned, and Sideswipe was one of first to rise from the onslaught to witness their costly victory. {{storylink|Prime Time!}}

''During the Dinobot Hunt, Sideswipe traveled to [[Doonstown]] with [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] on a mission to capture the feral [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]. It...didn't go so well.'' {{storylink|Dinobot Hunt!}} Sideswipe was next seen in [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s repair bay along with several others. Ratchet remarked to Optimus Prime that some of them might never be battle-capable again. Optimus Prime told him to do his best for Sideswipe and the others, and then promptly left to oversee the creation of their replacements. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}}

Years later, Sideswipe was seen again leaving the Ark with the rest of its crew to watch the battle between [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and Grimlock on Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. {{storylink|Totaled!}} He also joined the Autobots in answering a distress signal sent by [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] near the Decepticons' [[Club Con|arctic base]], resulting in an ambush. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

====''Generation 2''====
[[Image:WarWithoutEnd-Sideswipe.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Black is the new "I have more words in this single panel than I did in the past 80 issues."]]
The war seemingly over, Sideswipe joined the [[Firestormer]]s, a group of Autobots who aimed to hunt down the last few pockets of Decepticon resistance. He, [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], [[Blades (G1)|Blades]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] attacked Decepticon [[Nexus Seven|Outpost B-67]], where they met [[Outpost B-67 exo-structuring party|great numbers]] but minimal resistance. He expected the liberated citizens of Nexus Seven to be more grateful, but Hound pointed out that their rescuees looked more frightened than pleased, and blamed their group's bloodthirstiness.

But the Firestormers' quest led them to the staggering discovery that these scattered Decepticon outposts were actually just the tip of the iceberg. There were just seventeen conquered and recolonized planets in that sector of space, suggesting that there was something bigger on the horizon than the remnants of [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]]'s old team. After [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] was called to hear this news from Sideswipe and the other Firestormers, they were suddenly attacked and captured by a ship in orbit. Sideswipe and the others were put in prison cells aboard the starship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]'', which was under the command of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]], the [[Liege Centuro]] of a forgotten race of Transformers. This revelation momentarily shook Optimus Prime's resolve, but after being brought back to his senses by [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], the two Autobots freed Sideswipe and the others from their cells. They fought their way through the starship to an escape vessel and escaped without injury, though they were burdened with this new knowledge. {{storylink|War Without End!}}

Sideswipe was present when the Autobots met Jhiaxus' Decepticons in battle on a planet within the [[K'tord Nebula]]. At first, tempers merely flared, but soon both sides lost themselves in a violent, bloody rage. Before they were completely lost to their baser instincts, the source of their behavior was discovered to be tar-like emotional parasites. The parasites were removed, and both factions decided to leave peacefully. {{storylink|Primal Fear!}}

Grimlock, disobeying Optimus Prime's orders, led a covert team onto the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]] ship ''[[Twilight (G2)|Twilight]]'' to defeat [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his army of "evolved Decepticons". Sideswipe was wary of their plan to steal a ship and slip on board, but Grimlock assured him that the plan was foolproof. Grimlock changed his tune when they soon learned that they were led into a trap, resulting in [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]'s death and the Autobots' capture. Sideswipe and the others were rounded up onto a shuttle to be inspected by the [[Liege Maximo]], but managed to escape their fate with assistance from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Later, while Optimus Prime and [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] were discussing an alliance against Jhiaxus's Cybertronians, Sideswipe interrupted to tell them that they had received a distress signal from the planet [[Ethos]]. Sure enough, upon arrival, the Autobots found an advanced civilization in ruins. {{storylink|Escalation!}}

Finally, Jhiaxus took the full force of his Empire to [[Earth]], where the Autobot/Decepticon alliance had camped. Sideswipe joined them in shooting their attackers out of the sky as they approached. {{storylink|Total War!}}

====''Generation 2'' (UK)====
On Cybertron, Sideswipe was a member of the civil defense forces of [[Vos]]. Left for dead amongst its ruins, he vowed revenge and chose to strike at the Decepticons from behind their own lines. {{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Sideswipe's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' bio}}

{{note|This suggests that something similar to [[State Games]] occurred in the past of the [[Fleetway]] comic, although beyond this, little was elaborated upon.}}

Years later, Sideswipe was part of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s Special Commando Unit, summoned to Earth along with Optimus Prime by [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] when [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] began open war on the humans. Prime decided to go after Bludgeon himself, and he assigned Jazz, Sideswipe and [[Skram (G2)|Skram]] to take down one Decepticon strike team at a time because the Decepticon forces were spread very thin. While still in vehicle mode, Sideswipe shot [[Flamefeather]] in the crotch, then transformed and hoped aloud that Prime would be okay in the face of Bludgeon's mysterious powers. {{storylink|War Without End (issue)|War Without End}}

When the [[Skyscorcher]]s left in the middle of battle, Jazz concluded they had another target to go after—which he and Sideswipe simultaneously realized to be Optimus Prime! The Skyscorchers had ''actually'' left to go after Bludgeon's enemy Megatron, whom Sideswipe and his comrades helped shoot at when they arrived in the middle of a fight between the one-time Decepticon leader, Prime, and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Following Megatron's retreat, Sideswipe helped secure prisoners and weapons for withdrawal to the Autobase hidden on Earth's moon. {{storylink|War Zone}}

====''Classics''====
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe joined Optimus Prime's crew on Earth after Megatron resurfaced. They braved the Ark's defenses in order to break inside and recover their lost comrade, Ratchet. Sideswipe unsealed him from the [[CR chamber]] Megatron had left the medic in, and together the twins carried him away to safety. {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Kōki Kataoka]] (Japanese), [[Juan Carralero]] (Latin American, Season 1), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American, Season 2)

[[Image:Sideswipejetpack.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Oh, you want my rocket pack? The one that I've never had until just now?"]]
Sideswipe was part of the initial crew of Autobots aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot ship]] when it crash-landed on [[Earth]] four million years ago. He awoke along with his fellow Transformers in 1984, with both he and his brother being reformatted into Lamborghini sports cars. He volunteered for an unsuccessful mission to foil a Decepticon attack on an oil rig. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} After [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] were discovered snooping around headquarters, he was one of the Autobots who attempted to shoot Ravage before he could escape. He also took part in the rescue mission to [[Sherman Dam]] when the Decepticons attacked it.

He and Sunstreaker came to [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]'s aid when the Autobot was attacked by [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], and he had to console Sunstreaker after his brother's paint job was damaged. Sideswipe was part of the Autobot team which went to the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]] to foil yet another Decepticon attack, and he watched in horror as [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in an explosion. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} He took part in the last-ditch effort to stop the Decepticons blasting off in [[Victory (G1)|their space cruiser]]. The Decepticons managed to blast off anyway, and Sideswipe loaned Optimus Prime the use of his rocket pack so that the Autobot leader could go after them. Though Prime failed, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] disabled the cruiser, causing it to plunge into the sea, and the Autobots celebrated. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Sideswipe's jetjudo.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Wheeeeee!]]
Sideswipe was among the Autobots who were trapped in a cave after [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] used [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] to lead them there. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}} When [[antimatter]]-fueled [[Decepticon]]s attacked the Autobots' headquarters on one occasion, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker took to the air to battle with the incoming Seeker jets in a rambunctious, if ultimately ineffective, display of "[[jet judo]]". {{storylink|Roll for It}} He also defended Autobot Headquarters against the Decepticons while Optimus Prime was out of action. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

When investigating tremors that were shaking the [[Ark (G1)|Autobot base]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'s scanner found some interesting objects inside a rock wall. Sideswipe, using his piston-like arms, helped [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] remove the rock wall and found a cave full of dinosaur bones, the discovery of which would lead to the development of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Unfortunately, at their unveiling, the Dinobots ran wild, and the Autobots had to subdue them. During a subsequent battle at the [[Great Falls]], Sideswipe and the other Autobots were taken prisoner by the Decepticons, and they were only saved from destruction by the reactivated Dinobots. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

[[Image:G1 FireontheMountain Sideswipe piledriving.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I can dig it!]]
Sideswipe helped [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] by recovering their frozen comrade [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] and came with the rest of the group to [[Peru]], where he assisted in shooting a rockslide into rubble. After Wheeljack capped the energy stream from a local temple with one of his new inventions, Sideswipe flashed his lights on with the other Autobots to celebrate. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Sideswipe was chosen by Wheeljack to test two new Dinobots. Though he smashed [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] out of the air, [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] was able to get in a counterattack and shoot Sideswipe down. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

When Soundwave's cassettes infiltrated Autobot Headquarters, Sideswipe went to take a shot at [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], only to be attacked by Ravage. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}} The presence of Cybertron in Earth's orbit caused the [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] in which Headquarters was located to become active, forcing Sideswipe and the rest of the Autobots to evacuate. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} After Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, the Autobots tracked the Decepticons to [[Doctor Arkeville]]'s secret laboratory, where they fought to prevent the [[Exponential Generator]] from destroying Earth. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

[[Image:Plagueofinsecticons Sideswipe drilling.jpg|thumb|right|240px|Hallelujah! I've struck chocolate!]]
Heading to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of giant robotic insects, the Autobots found their way blocked by some sort of parade. Sideswipe led the other Autobots down a "short cut" which turned out to be a dead end. He totally meant to do that. He put his pistons and drills to work, and in no time at all, he and Sunstreaker were charging recklessly into battle against the Decepticons. Megatron picked him up and ''threw'' him at the rest of the Autobots. As they pursued the Decepticons across the island, [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]] used his override waves on Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, forcing them to try and ram their fellows. Trailbreaker disrupted the control signal, and the brothers were able to take part in the battle against the Decepticons and [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]]s at the oil refinery. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

Sideswipe turned out to cheer on Optimus Prime during the Autobot leader's one-on-one fight against Megatron. To the shock of all of the Autobots, Prime lost, and they were legally obligated to vacate the planet. Once they returned to base, they discovered that Megatron had cheated, and they were legally allowed to blast the Decepticons into a crevasse filled with lava. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:CityOfSteel Sideswipe being shot at.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
When the Autobots' human friend [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] was badly injured in a Decepticon attack and his mind was transferred into [[Autobot X]], the stress affected his psyche and he ran rampant. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker attempted unsuccessfully to subdue him and were knocked aside. Though Spike was restrained by Optimus, he later fell in with the Decepticons, and a group of Autobots including Sideswipe went to try and talk some sense into him. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} Sideswipe, Sunstreaker and Bumblebee faced [[battle taxi]]s and [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] in [[New York City]] during a Decepticon plan to recreate Cybertron on Earth. As the Seekers attacked Optimus, who was scaling the Decepticon tower, Sideswipe launched himself into the air, grabbed [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], and managed to wrestle the Decepticon air commander into crashing into the Hudson. {{storylink|City of Steel}} Sideswipe was later one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]], turning him evil. He got better. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}}

When Optimus Prime took the Autobots to test Wheeljack's latest invention, the Immobilizer, Sideswipe came with them. Decepticons attacked soon after, with Sideswipe leaping at Starscream in midflight and forcing the Decepticon to fire on his own comrades. When the Decepticons retreated, Sideswipe returned to Autobot headquarters with his comrades while Wheeljack recovered from his immobilization. Once Wheeljack was back to normal, Sideswipe was part of Optimus Prime's team to recover the Immobilizer. Rumble began immobilizing various Autobots, and Sideswipe decided that he was going to defeat Rumble shortly before being immobilized himself. When Spike's friend [[Carly]] was able to reroute the Immobilizer, Sideswipe and the other Autobots were freed. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}}

[[Image:DOTM Sideswipe disarmed.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Oh man! It's time to hold my fire!]]
Sideswipe took part in a charity Autobot race which was hijacked by the Decepticons when they used a Transfixatron on the racers. The Autobots were taken to a ghost town to be destroyed, but were rescued by a small group who had escaped the ray's effects. Sideswipe joined the others in lining up to be fixed by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}} He rolled out to [[Quantum Laboratories]] to investigate a Decepticon incursion and found himself battling [[TORQ III]]-controlled machinery, at one point getting his gun shot out of his hand and being caught in a machine's robot arms. Having overcome that, Sideswipe took part in the attack on the oil refinery which the Decepticons had set up to steal the world's oil supplies. {{storylink|Day of the Machines}}

Sideswipe helped install detection panels for [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], but he did not come with the other Autobots to help [[Doctor Fujiyama the Famous Scientist|Doctor Fujiyama]], nor did he chase after [[Nightbird (G1)|Fujiyama's robot]] when it was reprogrammed by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Sideswipe was present when the Autobots were confronted by the fact that they had two Optimus Primes, but didn't offer any suggestions or solutions. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He took part in a mission to place [[dominator disc]]s on the Constructicons. Though he didn't place any discs himself, he ended up battling Devastator until [[Chip Chase]] could activate the discs and bring the giant under control. He also took part in an attempt to destroy the drill which the Decepticons were using to reach Earth's core, and he was one of the first Autobots to be zapped by Devastator after Megatron counteracted the dominator discs. {{storylink|The Core}}

[[Image:DinobotIsland Sideswipe digging friends out.jpg|thumb|left|240px|Have we run out of digging jokes already?]]
During yet another Dinobot rampage at Headquarters, Sideswipe was ready to fight them to the end, but Optimus persuaded Grimlock to get things under control, and the Dinobots were sent to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]] for more training. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Sideswipe took part in repair efforts, but was part of the team of Autobots who responded to strange time warp readings near the city library. After using his pistons to dig out Bumblebee and Spike, Sideswipe and the other Autobots found themselves tangling with barbarians on woolly mammoths. They took some rounding up, but soon the anachronisms were sent back through the time warp to their own time. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

As a result of another of Megatron's plots, the Autobots were framed and forced to leave Earth in a rocket provided by [[Shawn Berger]]. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Trickery on Megatron's part further put the ship on a collision course with the [[Sun]]. Utilising the abilities of Trailbreaker and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], and with the unwitting help of [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]], the Autobots were able to make it back to Earth, where the Decepticons had already shown their true colors, and free the humans. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

Disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion, Sideswipe was as helpless as the other Autobots until Spike, Carly and the Dinobots managed to procure some more from Cybertron. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Sideswipe was part of the team that transformed to respond to a distress call when the Decepticons stole the [[Voltronic Galaxer]], but didn't actually roll out, so it's a mystery where he actually went. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He also coated himself with [[Electrum]], along with most of the other Autobots, in order to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:MakeTracks Sideswipe grabs Ravage.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Well, I see Ravage is a boy cat.]]
When [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and [[Raoul]] were discovered spying on a Decepticon operation, Sideswipe came to their aid, grabbing Ravage mid-leap and slamming the cassette to the ground. He also took part in the battle against Decepticon [[drone]]s in downtown New York and attacked the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After the disappearance of a group of Autobots through the [[space bridge]], Sideswipe watched Chip Chase unsuccessfully attempt to track them down using [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}}

{{Note|Sideswipe appears in "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme]]", but only in a rather blatant animation error, standing next to Megatron while the Decepticon leader communicates with [[Hook (G1)|Hook]]. Eeesh!}}

Sideswipe was one of [[Kremzeek]]'s casualties when the energy critter invaded Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}} He and Sunstreaker took part in the [[Europa 2000]] in order to protect [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]]'s car from possible Decepticon abduction. Sideswipe forced Sunstreaker to take a detour in [[Italy]], and a short time later, they were ambushed by [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s, who boxed them in so [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] could shoot them. Both brothers were knocked out of the race. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

Like [[:Image:CosmicRust-BigGroup.jpg|every other Autobot]], Sideswipe turned out to rescue [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] from the Decepticons and was subsequently infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]]. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}} After being cured, he and the others attempted to stop Megatron and the Insecticon army. When the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s attempted to send Earth into the Sun, Sideswipe joined in the search for the Insecticons, who had stolen the space bridge control panel. They were eventually located, allowing a combined Autobot/Decepticon force, including Sideswipe, to travel to Cybertron and defeat the Combaticons. Sideswipe was able to reverse the damage done by the Combaticons and return Earth to its proper orbit. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

[[Image:Sideswipe FakeBreakdown.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Maybe someday [[E-Hobby|there]] will be a Sideswipe toy [[redeco]] with [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]]'s color scheme.]]
{{quote|We're wastin' good ammo on these creeps! I'd like to just squash a few of 'em!|Sideswipe|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

When the Stunticons stole a collection of components and were captured by the Autobots, Optimus Prime hatched a scheme to disguise some of the Autobots as the Stunticons in order to learn Megatron's latest plan. Sideswipe was sprayed with [[camouflage paint]] to make him look like [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], though he sincerely hoped the paint would come off. He and the other four Autobots drove to the Stunticons' destination to discover that Megatron was building yet another cannon. Menasor arrived at the construction site, having escaped Autobot containment, and Optimus and the others were forced to improvise their own version of the combiner. Luckily, the rest of their comrades arrived before things could get too out of hand. {{storylink|Masquerade}}
{{--}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[Image:Srlf manga1 wheeljack trailbreaker sideswipe prime.jpg|right|thumb|300px|In the previous panel, Optimus made a one-liner and took off his sunglasses.]]
When [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] sent [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]], the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] and [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] to raid [[Tokyo]] for energy, Sideswipe accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and a unit of Autobot vehicles to defend the city. Sideswipe didn't perform very well, immediately getting slugged in the face by Menasor's humongous fist. Luckily, his pummelling made the perfect distraction for Optimus Prime, [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], who drove up a ramp and slammed Menasor and the Seekers directly in their faces, sending them into retreat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

Later, during an attack on [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] in [[Arizona]], Sideswipe yet again failed to perform very well in battle. Attempting to confront the Decepticons in the sky on his jet pack, he wound up instead getting bombed by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and damaged badly in the resulting explosion. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Maintaining his image as a punching bag, Sideswipe was once again trounced in battle, this time at Yokohama against Starscream, Blitzwing and the Super Megatron Gun (Megatron in gun-mode but not shrunken down). Unable to stand up to the might of the Decepticon attack, Sideswipe was blasted many, ''many'' times before [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to save the day. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}
{{--}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
[[Image:Scramblepower autobots say no.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

When the Decepticons threatened the world with their new [[Omega Whip]], Sideswipe was among the Autobots seen reacting with some degree of panic to the news that [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and their human allies, [[Jenny (G1)|Jenny]] and [[Toru]], had been captured while investigating the crisis. Soon after, he was also among those who objected to sending the wet-behind-the-ears [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] out to deal with the marauding Stunticons, though his protests went unheeded. While the Aerialbots and Stunticons went at it, Sideswipe was part of the team assembled by Prime that headed to the Decepticons' headquarters to rescue their captive allies. A huge brawl erupted, concluding with an Autobot victory when [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] and a full Autobot battalion arrived to back up Sideswipe and company. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}
{{-}}

=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[Image:Binaltech sideswipe cardart.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]
In the year 2004, Sideswipe was one of several Autobots stationed at [[Autobot City]] on Earth who were infected by [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] when the deadly plague was unleashed upon them by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. With a large portion of their army, including Optimus Prime himself, currently across the galaxy battling for control of Cybertron, the Autobots seemed doomed until their human allies, the [[Earth Defense Command]], introduced the [[Binaltech Project]], uniting many Earth automotive companies to build new super-powered bodies for the wounded warriors. Sideswipe's new body, a Dodge Viper, was the second Binaltech frame constructed, equipped with a [[TORQ III|TORQ 3000]] processor and powered by [[electro-cell]]s. He retains his piledrivers and his flight capabilities, the latter now enabled by way of anti-gravity panels in his legs and a booster on his back. {{storylink|Story of Binaltech, Chapter 1}} Assembled under the command of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] alongside [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], Sideswipe joined the fight to force the Decepticons off of Earth. {{storylink|Binaltech Is...}}

{{note|While Sideswipe would make no further named appearances in the ''[[Story of Binaltech]]'', the tale went on to involve some complicated time-travel and history-alteration. As a consequence, it is not entirely clear how many of the events of the storyline, including those related above, actually happened in the mainstream timeline when all was said and done.}}
{{--}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01VariousGuys.jpg|thumb]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Sideswipe engaged the Decepticons with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Sideswipe was present for a suspiciously similar battle with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. In 2011, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] recalled the Cybertronian skirmish that Sideswipe took part in—or another one very much like it. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Sideswipe appears in two Cybertronian flashback battles within the episode, alongside the same team of Autobots, suggesting that they represent the same fight. He also appears in a flashback battle on Earth, which depicts Optimus Prime's death in a scene that doesn't match up to his actual death in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. This was a continuity patch-job by the ''Headmasters'' production staff, as the movie hadn't been released in Japan yet, hence the oddness.}}

[[Image:Hmep1_sideswipe_snipe.jpg|thumb||left|215px]]

In 2011, when the Decepticons found a way to reactivate their old [[space bridge]] on Cybertron, the Autobots found themselves under siege from within. Sideswipe was at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]] at the time, and he was present when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]]'s message about the Decepticon assault reached the Autobots stationed there.

A short time later, Sideswipe was on Earth with Ultra Magnus, and he was one of the soldiers gathered to use the Autobot space bridge to reinforce their allies on Cybertron. On their way to the space bridge, however, Sideswipe and the others were attacked by a squadron of Decepticons under the command of the villains' new Earth commander, [[Sixshot]]. The [[Trainbot]]s soon arrived to join the battle, freeing up Sideswipe's team to carry on their way to Autobot City, but the Decepticons flew ahead and were able to ambush the convoy, sending Sideswipe and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] careening. The two sides then began fighting again until [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] appeared out of the sky, driving the Decepticons off. Sideswipe then flew to the entrance of Autobot City with Ultra Magnus and Prowl and presumably traveled to Cybertron via the space bridge, though he was not actually seen fighting there. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Um, oops. Sideswipe being on two planets at once was likely an animation error. Maybe he was sent to Earth to gather up the troops?}}

=====e-Hobby storyline=====

Maturity tempered Sideswipe's rule-bending, thrill-seeking ways, and his heroic deeds steadily earned him a reputation as a respected warrior. His changed attitude was perhaps most reflected in the aid he gave Optimus Prime and the [[Battlestars]] in a battle on the planet [[Karn]]: although his help was of great significance in the fight, he acted entirely covertly, his involvement unknown until afterwards. Following the end of the Battlestars' conflict with [[Dark Nova]], Sideswipe experimented with [[#G2toy|reinforcing his weapons systems]], and then adopted a new [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] body with increased speed, but eventually returned to his original form so he could continue to live down the legacy of his hot-headed younger years. {{storylink|#New Year Special|e-Hobby Sideswipe bio}}

Some time after Optimus Prime forced Megatron and the Decepticons into exile, Sideswipe was dispatched to the bottom of the sea with [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], [[Splashdown]], [[Diver (Masterforce)|Diver]] and an [[Eldedroid]] to investigate possible Decepticon involvement in a rash of attacks by "sea monsters". Finding a Decepticon base beneath the waves, the Eldedroid tore through the Constructicons standing watch and ventured deeper into the structure while Sideswipe and the others interrogated the incapacitated guards to learn more about the genetically engineered monsters the Decepticons had created. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}

===3H comics===
Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] returned to the [[technorganic]] [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] after a prolonged journey and were welcomed by the [[Maximal]]s. [[Unicron]] abducted these newly-returned Transformers, in addition to many others from different times and universes, to start a final confrontation against [[Primus]]. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were rebuilt into new forms, corrupted by Unicron's influence, and set against one another in the [[Cauldron]]. Before either brother could land a killing blow, however, the fight was broken up by [[Optimus Primal]]. Sideswipe then fought his way out of Unicron alongside many other Transformers rescued by Primal and returned to Cybertron. {{storylink|Abduction}} {{storylink|OTFCC Live-Action Drama}} {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}} {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
Before the war, Sideswipe was a trader who liked to con his customers. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}} He was one of the few Autobots to continue operating under that title during the [[Dark Ages]] of Cybertron. Sideswipe was one of the elite warriors serving under [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and as such was chosen for the mission that sent him against the newly constructed Decepticon battle station, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Of course the mission was a failure, but that isn't likely to have discouraged Sideswipe. {{storylink|Transformers: War Within: The Dark Ages|War Within: The Dark Ages}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective2 SunstreakerSideswipe.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"This is what [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]] was whining about? Pansy."]]
Sideswipe was part of Operation Liberation in 1998, a joint human-Autobot effort to defeat the Earth-bounded Decepticons. At the end it was a success, and the captured Decepticons along with the Autobots and a human crew departed Earth en route to Cybertron in the ''[[Ark II]]''. The ship, however, was sabotaged and exploded upon liftoff.

A few years later, Megatron and other Transformers, including Autobots, were seen causing havoc. It was discovered that [[Lazarus]], a scientist who participated in the ''Ark II'' project, was responsible for the sabotage of the ship and the resurrection of several Transformers under his control via technological tampering. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}}

[[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]] of the [[United States military|US military]] contacted [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] to ask him if he could do something to help them reactivate Optimus Prime, whom they had recovered locked in a state of stasis. Spike managed to reactivate Optimus with a portion of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] that Optimus had given him prior the ill-fated journey of the ''Ark II''. Optimus subsequently went to the Arctic and used the Matrix to reactivate several Transformers, including Sideswipe. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

[[Image:DWPrimeDirective5 SideswipeSunstreaker Devastator.jpg|right|250px|thumb|We're trying to look dynamic, but all these [[Pat Lee|puffy proportions]] are putting a stop to that.]]
Sideswipe accepted the new task at hand and fought alongside his brother when the Autobots faced the Decepticons at Lazarus' ruined base (punching Starscream in the face for attacking Wheeljack) before Hallo betrayed the Autobots by attempting to destroy both factions with a nuclear weapon. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} The Autobots survived when Megatron's technovirus absorbed the blast, and Sideswipe helped his comrades recover the captive Autobots imprisoned inside the base. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}}

As Jazz's unit worked on Megatron's virus, Sideswipe followed Optimus Prime to [[San Francisco]] for the last battle against Megatron and his Decepticons. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was taken down, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker heroically (though foolishly) charged at [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and they were smashed between the giant Constructicon's palms for their trouble. After Optimus Prime brought Devastator down with a blast to the head, Sideswipe was restrained by the surviving Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} However, through [[human]] intervention, Optimus Prime freed his Autobots and the battle was rejoined. Sideswipe tag-teamed with his brother to pummel [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], though the Decepticons eventually escaped when Superion sacrificed his life to save the city from General Hallo's unauthorized nuclear missile launch. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Months later, after Optimus Prime, Megatron, and an assortment of other Transformers and humans vanished in a flash of light from Tokyo, Japan, the world went on high alert. When the U.S. military detected [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] in the Nevada canyons, Sideswipe accompanied a flight of jets in confronting the Decepticon. Their battle led down a tight box canyon, and Sideswipe had some difficulty chasing Starscream while also coordinating with his military wingmen, as he tried to limit the human casualties. Eventually, Sideswipe was led straight into Devastator, who had been hiding in the canyon on Starscream's order. The combined surprise firepower of Starscream's arsenal and a near-pointblank blast from Devastator's solar energy rifle left Sideswipe in several charred pieces. {{storylink|Hardwired}}''

''Sideswipe was eventually repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], and returned to duty just in time to fight in Nevada once more. This time, the Autobots and Decepticons had joined forces against an ambush arranged by the President of the United States, who hoped to rid his country of the Transformers. Sideswipe waded through General [[Michelle Grajkowski]]'s troops, heavily routing her Delta Team, but the [[deconstructionite]] weapons being used by the U.S. Armed Forces were too much of a surprise for the Cybertronians—they were clearly on the losing end of the battle as many of their number fell before the severity of the weaponized nanites became evident. Sideswipe and Prowl helped load the injured Autobots into Prime's trailer as they made their getaway. {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}''

[[Image:G1 Sideswipe Sunstreaker DWissue7.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hi, I'm a jock.]]
When agents from the united Cybertron arrived on Earth, Optimus Prime split his forces in order to ensure Earth would not be left undefended. As Prime and many other Autobots travelled back to Cybertron with Shockwave, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and their crew, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker remained on Earth with several other Autobots under Jazz's command. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Sideswipe was deactivated in battle with [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] when Starscream and his followers returned to Earth, and was left to rust at the bottom of a lake. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] later dredged him and the others up, only to be taken into custody by [[Earth Defense Command]]. Jazz, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker were reactivated to help [[Marissa Faireborn]] and [[EDC Night Force Unit|her team]] in investigating an outbreak of [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] in small-town America. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} After routing and capturing the Decepticons, Sideswipe and the other Autobots joined up with the returning team from Cybertron under Prowl's command, and began construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{-}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
Along with several other Transformers, the dormant Sideswipe was found on the crashed ''Ark'' by [[Cobra]], a human terrorist organization who soon reprogrammed the alien robots to serve them. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were rebuilt into Cobra [[Stinger (Cobra)|Stingers]] and sent to assault the [[SPS Research Facility]] alongside [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and his [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|minions]]. The two brothers didn't succeed in their mission, though, as they were rammed aside by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] while charging at the building and were eventually ordered to retreat. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} Wheeljack later freed Sideswipe and the others from Cobra's control, and he helped Sunstreaker and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] fight back against the similarly freed Decepticons and their former captors. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

Two years later, [[Serpent O.R.]] took control of the Decepticon forces on Cybertron and captured Optimus Prime. Sideswipe joined a team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] who were planning on charging in and rescuing their leader as soon as the opportunity came up. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} After reinforcements arrived in the form of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], the Autobots made their move and attacked Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army, ultimately defeating it. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

Sideswipe returned to Earth a few months later, where he worked to keep Cybertronian technology from being misused by humans. During one mission to [[Cuba]], he helped stop [[Destro]] from selling [[S.N.A.K.E.]]s to one Mr. [[Calandero]], but failed to capture the arms dealer and returned to the Autobots' base, the ''[[Arc II]]''. When the ship was attacked by the [[Pretender Monster]]s, Sideswipe was the first to fall. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2}} The crew later received medical attention at the [[Pit (G.I. Joe)|Pit]], where they'd eventually recover from their injures. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 2 of 2}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:MegsOrigin3 Sunstreak Sideswipe glory.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Sideswipe's feeling small standing under [[Nova Prime]]'s crotch. [[Sunstreaker (G1)#Dreamwave_comics_continuity|Sunstreaker, on the other hand, seems strangely excited]].]]
[[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was Sideswipe's P-3 Training Officer and strike partner, and constantly looked down on him as the rookie. Nothing Sideswipe did was seen as good enough, and he was left under Sunstreaker's shadow, something that left a deep mark on him. He's forever been resentful and wanting to be seen by others as a skilled, notable warrior. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

Before the war, the two of them attended illegal underground arena [[Gladiatorial combat|deathmatches]] and witnessed [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s 54th victory. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 2|Megatron Origin #2}} When Sunstreaker wanted to join Megatron's underground fighting team, Sideswipe went along to try and talk him out of it. Whether they stuck around and were caught up in the Autobot security raid is unknown. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}}

Later, as war engulfed [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Sideswipe was one of the many Autobots trained by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Kup}} Early in the war, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were present during the battle for [[Sherma Bridge]], where they witnessed the first duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

In more recent times, Sideswipe was part of an Autobot squad lead by Sunstreaker, and helped liberate an unnamed planet from the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 14|Replay}}

[[Image:SpotlightGalvatron Sideswipe rocketfist.jpg|left|300px|thumb|This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!]]
Much to his dismay, Sideswipe was later stationed at [[Thunderhead Pass]] on Cybertron to guard [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s remains. Sideswipe wanted action, something he wasn't going to get standing guard over comatose Decepticons. His desire to "bust some heads" became even stronger after Sunstreaker was apparently kidnapped during his duties on [[Earth]], and Sideswipe began actively disregarding his squadron leader, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]], to routinely contact High Command and demand a transfer; unknown to everyone else, this wasn't down to brothers-in-arms loyalty, this was down to him wanting to save Sunstreaker so his former strike partner would have to recognise his skills. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

His need for action was alleviated, however, when [[Galvatron (G1)|a mysterious and powerful Transformer]] attacked Cybertron. Sideswipe blew off part of the being's head, but he recovered almost immediately and knocked Sideswipe and the rest of the Autobots offline, then stole Thunderwing away. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] apparently caved in to Sideswipe's pleading and put [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] in charge of Thunderhead Pass, transferring Hound's entire team, including Sideswipe, to Earth once Megatron began breaking [[Infiltration protocol]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} However, once word of the break-in at [[Garrus-9]] reached his audio sensors, Prime directed his team and Hound's to head there instead of Earth. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:SpotlightSideswipe_Sideswipe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He can punch ''and'' angst at the same time!]]

Sideswipe took the reassignment pretty harshly, and had pushed Hound well to the edge of his tolerance. He got a minor diversion from worrying about Sunstreaker when another mysterious and powerful Transformer, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] attacked their ship.

Surprisingly, he wanted to find out who Cyclonus was, but Hound felt that time was a factor and hit Cyclonus with a full volley. It was enough to slow him down, but not enough to stop him. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]' arrival forced a retreat, and the two Autobot ships followed. When they caught up to Cyclonus, Sideswipe goaded him into battle, and made no apologies for it. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

When his unit finally reached Earth, he personally took on both [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]] ''and'' [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]] so the others could reach the Space Bridge. This earned him recognition and an apology from Hound, and the battle against superior foes gave Sideswipe the chance to prove to ''himself'' that he was better than Sunstreaker thought. This exorcised, he realised he didn't actually care if Sunstreaker was alive or dead, and turned away from his obsession without looking back. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

One year later, the Decepticons ambushed the Autobots in a crippling assault, during which Skywarp ripped off Sideswipe's arm. The Autobots were subsequently tossed through a [[space bridge]] to the lifeless shell of Cybertron, where they would be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Along with the others, Sideswipe stood around brooding about the situation, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} occasionally staring at the similarly one-armed [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} When the crew of the ''[[Trion]]'' ended up on Cybertron, Sideswipe listened to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] explain what had happened. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

Later, Sideswipe tried to talk to Sunstreaker and tell him to stop picking on [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], who was blamed for leading the Autobots into the Decepticons' trap. Sunstreaker responded by telling his brother all about the horrible things the [[Machination]] had done to him, leaving Sideswipe speechless. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Later, after Sunstreaker revealed himself to be the true traitor and sacrificed himself, Sideswipe had enough and declared that all the Autobots deserved to die for carrying on such a senseless war. His speech was interrupted by the return of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} Sideswipe later defended the Autobot base against a massive swarm attack, but the Autobots were overrun and only saved by the arrival of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], who took them all back to Earth. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

As the Autobots confronted the Decepticons in [[New York City]], Sideswipe beat up [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] with a street light and was jumped by [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]], who gleefully told the Autobot how he had dissected [[Hunter O'Nion]], Sunstreaker's [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster partner]], and used his knowledge to toy with Sunstreaker's mind. Following the defeat of the Decepticons, Sideswipe found Hunter, strung up and mutilated in Bombshell's lab. Horrified at the sight, he decided to end the human's tortured existence by shutting off the machines keeping him alive. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

Three years later, Sideswipe was still serving with the Autobots on Earth under Optimus Prime's command. He was present when Prime abdicated leadership of the Autobots and surrendered to [[Skywatch]]. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} When [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] left the Autobots to form a splinter faction, Sideswipe chose to remain in the desert caverns with the majority of Autobots under [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s new leadership. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} He was seen standing at strict attention when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived to address the Earth troops, although he was confused by Magnus's over-use of Earth idioms and "lingo". {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Under Bumblebee, Sideswipe was part of the Transformer hunters clandestinely employed by [[Gordon Horiuchi]] of Skywatch. He was present when Bumblebee announced the Autobots' intention to break free from Horiuchi's unyielding directives. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

Months later, the Autobots on Earth were joined by several long-lost comrades from space, including Sunstreaker, who had survived his earlier sacrifice. From them, they learned that Cybertron was restored to a habitable planet, but to reclaim their home they had to challenge Galvatron, who had recently occupied it. The majority of the Autobots, including Sideswipe, boarded Omega Supreme and left Earth the next day. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}} He was among the Autobots who tried to listen in on Optimus Prime's questioning of a captive Megatron. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Sideswipe participated in the pursuit of [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], and partially transformed from artillery boxcar mode to robot mode in order to shoot down [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. He stated, "The name is Sideswipe." {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{note|For unclear reasons, in the original comic book issue, the Autobot who shoots down Scourge identifies himself as [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], not Sideswipe. Sideswipe only appears in the trade paperback collection.}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:HenkeiVol6-lambor.jpg|thumb|160px|left|You are stupid! You are stupid! And don't forget; you are ''stupid''!]]
Sideswipe was chasing a mysterious plane that had stolen supplies of [[energon (fuel)|energon]], using his jetpack to catch up with it. But the next thing he knew, the plane was gone! The befuddled Sideswipe ran into [[Bluestreak (G1)|Silverstreak]], who was chasing a truck also charged with energon theft. Just then, the truck arrived before them, revealing itself to be the plane as well. It was the [[Triple Changer]] [[Octane]]! Though Octane tried to attack the two Autobots, Sideswipe blasted the Decepticon and knocked him to the ground. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 6|Henkei! Henkei! #6}}

{{-}}

===''Wings Universe''===
He was called to fight against the Decepticon Syndicate at the site of the [[Large Hadron Collider]]. He, like many other Autobots, were exposed to forestonite, mutating them, in Sideswipe's case:A new color.{{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

==Commercial appearances==
Sideswipe appeared in the following [[commercial]]s:
* The very first Transformers animation, advertising the Marvel comic book. He drives out of a base alongside Jazz and Prowl; the three arrive at a power plant and counter-attack the Decepticons.

* Again alongside Jazz and Prowl, he transforms and takes off, on what appears to be Cybertron, in a commercial for Soundwave.

* He can be glimpsed trying to stop Astrotrain from escaping, in a 1985 commercial for the Decepticon Triple Changers.

* He is briefly visible driving alongside Jazz in a CGI ''Generation 2'' commercial for the Decepticon jets and Autobot cars.

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Sidswipe could come to Optimus Prime's aid, helping him move around the Decepticons' maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
{{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1sideswipe.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He had the look before it was [[Spy Changer|trendy]].]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Autobot Car, 1984/1985, 1991, 2001/2002/2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04''', '''TFC-07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: Originally a ''[[Diaclone]]'' "New [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini_Countach|Countach LP500S]]", Sideswipe transforms... well, into that. In robot mode he is armed with a white rifle and a missile launcher that can clip onto either of his shoulders. The launcher can fire one of three included white missiles, in theory, as the springs were weakened for the US release [[for safety reasons]]. The original 1984 US release did not have the [[rubsign]] found on later releases.

: This mold was also used to make [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], [[Clamp Down]], [[Deep Cover]] and [[Tigertrack]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 1 Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}


[[Image:ActionmasterSideswipe toy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I have a hat!]]
*'''Sideswipe w/ Vanguard''' (Action Master, 1991)
**''Accessories:'' "Photon laser" rifle

: A non-transforming action figure that combines elements form both his original toy and his [[Character model|animation model]], [[Action Master]] Sideswipe is compatible with any other Action Master weapon or vehicle. His [[Action Master partner|partner]]-unit [[Vanguard]] forms a backpack and battle helmet, and complements Sideswipe's color scheme quite well.

:Action Master Sideswipe was only available in [[Generation 1 (European toyline)|European]] (and certain Australian) markets.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1991/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Action Master Sideswipe with Vanguard at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

*'''Sideswipe''' (Classic Heroes, Europe/Australia 1991)
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:The original ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe toy was re-released in Europe and Australia in 1991 as part of the [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line, with no apparent changes other than the new packaging.

===Generation 2===
{{anchor|G2toy}}[[Image:G2Sideswipe toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He got dressed in the dark and accidentally put his colors on backwards.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Autobot Heroic, 1993)
**''Accessories:'' Gun, missile launcher, 1 missile

: Part of the first assortment of Autobot cars, Sideswipe's original toy had his colors re-arranged to a black car mode with red and white robot parts, plus new [[Neon|neon]] green "racing" decals were added to the mix. His original rocket launcher was removed, and replaced with a large spring-loaded launcher that could be hand-held or mounted on his [[Retool|retooled]] car-mode roof.

:His new spring-loaded missile launcher was taken from [http://www.yojoe.com/action/91/snowserpent2.shtml Snow Serpent] from the ''[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]'' toyline.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1993/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 2 Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}


[[Image:G2GobotSideswipe.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Then he shrank and faded in the wash.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: A redeco of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bot]] [[Firecracker]], Sideswipe transforms into a blue [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Lamborghini_Diablo|Lamborghini Diablo]] with through-axle construction for super-fast rolling on smooth surfaces in car mode. He is compatible with many "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox"-brand racetrack sets.

: This mold was also used to make Go-Bot Optimus Prime and ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[R.E.V.]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Generation 2 Go-Bot Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Collector's Edition===

*'''Lambor''' (World Character Convention 12 exclusive, Japan 2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: In 2001, the ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe toy was re-released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] under his Japanese name "Lambor", as a set bundled with his [[mold]]-mate [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] ("Alert" in Japan), [[exclusive]] to World Character Convention 12. His license plate decal was changed from the infringing "COUNTACH" to "CAR MACHINE".

===New Year Special===

*'''Lambor''' (e-Hobby exclusive, Japan 2002)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''04'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: Lambor (Sideswipe) and Alert (Red Alert) were once again re-released together in January 2002 as an [[e-Hobby]] exclusive "New Year Special" set, with several factory-applied decals replaced with [[paint operation]]s, the "CAR MACHINE" plate-decal now blank, plus an additional recolored alternate sticker sheet for each one.

===Transformers Collection===

*'''Lambor''' (Japan 2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''07'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

: The version of ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe previously released as an e-Hobby exclusive, minus the extra decal sheet, was ''again'' re-released as part of the [[Transformers Collection]] "book-box" series.

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:UniverseSideswipe toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I should've had a [[Wheeljack (Armada)|Wheeljack]] retool!]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories:'' 2 launchers (left & right), 2 flame missiles

: One of several [[Exclusive|exclusives]] to [[OTFCC 2003]], ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Side Swipe is a redeco of the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Prowl (RID)|Prowl]] mold, once again transforming into a Lamborghini Diablo. A pair of add-on thrusters become arm-mounted launchers for robot mode; each one being a pressure-launch missile launcher.

: It is notable that the part that connects the toy's windshield to the main body uses a red decal rather than paint, as that part is made out of [[Unpaintable plastic|unpaintable plastic]]. The police lights from the original mold were removed, leaving this area bare.

: This mold was also used to make ''Universe'' [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] and Sunstreaker.

{{note|While the toy's name was spelled "Sideswipe" (one word) on its own packaging, the cross-sell on the packaging for the OTFCC 2003 [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]]/[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] two-pack spelled it "Side Swipe" (two words) instead. See Notes for more.}}

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/OTFCCSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Universe Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Smallest Transforming Transformers===
[[Image:STFLambor.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yet another release Sunstreaker just wasn't cool enough for.]]
*'''Lambor''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''GTF-02'''

: ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' Lambor is a very small-scale, extensively simplified replica of the original Sideswipe toy. He has very little articulation, he has no weapons, and his vehicle mode wheels cannot roll.

: This mold was [[Retool|retooled]] to make ''Smallest Transforming Transformers'' [[Red Alert (G1)|Alert]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Cybertron/SmallestSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Smallest Transforming Lambor at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternators===
[[Image:AlternatorsSide Swipe toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just think, he was [[#Notes|almost Tracks]].]]
*'''Side Swipe''' (2003, 2004)
**''Alternator ID number:'' '''2'''
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BT-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Dodge Viper Engine/gun

: The second ''[[Alternators]]'' toy released, Side Swipe transforms into a licensed 1:24 scale [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#Dodge_Viper_.28Chrysler.29|Dodge Viper]] featuring opening doors, a detailed interior, and a hood that opens to reveal an engine bay holding a replica Viper V-10 engine. The vehicle mode also features movable steering and rubber tires with vacuum-metalized wheels. His removable engine becomes a blaster.

: The main difference between the American ''Alternators'' and the Japanese ''Binaltech'' releases is that the Japanese version has die-cast metal parts for most of the car's outer body shell, with the exception of the rear end, and the entire red exterior of the car is fully painted, unlike the ''Alternator's'' flat red plastic. Furthermore, the ''Alternators'' version sports additional "blackwash" [[paint operation]]s on his chest the ''Binaltech'' version lacks.

: This mold was [[Retool|retooled]] to make [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]].

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Autobot/AltSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Alternators Side Swipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Commemorative Series===

*'''Side Swipe''' (Toys"R"Us exclusive, Australia/Canada 2004, KB Toys exclusive, 2005)
**''Series:'' '''VIII'''
**''Accessories:'' "Laser gun", rocket launcher, 3 rockets

:The version of ''Generation 1'' Sideswipe previously released as part of Takara's "Transformers Collection" series, albeit with its spring-loaded launcher de-sprung [[for safety reasons]], was reissued by [[Hasbro]] under the modified name "Side Swipe" as part of their [[Commemorative Series]] VIII, one of the last American reissues. However, because [[Toys"R"Us]], who had carried the Commemorative Series as an [[exclusive]] line up until that point, had abruptly decided to discontinue the line, he was never available at Toys"R"Us stores in the USA (despite the occasional unproven [[Misconceptions and urban legends about Transformers|rumor]] to the contrary). He ''was'', however, available at Toys"R"Us stores in Australia and Canada in 2004, and was finally made available in the USA as a [[KB Toys]] exclusive in 2005, at heavy discount.

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
[[Image:Universe2008 SideSwipe toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Better red than...]]
*'''Sideswipe''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Accessories:'' "Flare Launcher", engine supercharger intakes

:Sideswipe is a [[Retool|retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], transforming into a modified [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Gallardo|Lamborghini Gallardo]]. Though the car is mostly based upon the Gallardo, to avoid legal problems, it also features modified headlights and elements taken from other cars—most of them are taken from other Lamborghini models, such as a rear end that is basically a cross between a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini Murciélago|Murciélago]] and a [[wikipedia:Lamborghini_Diablo|Diablo]]; however, the split side windows and the ridges on the door vents are based on a [[wikipedia:McLaren F1|McLaren F1]]. He also comes with the same roof-mounted engine supercharger accessory as Sunstreaker. To differentiate him from Sunstreaker, Sideswipe not only features a new head sculpt, but he has a slightly altered transformation scheme and assembly: The upper half of his body is rotated 180 degrees at the waist, giving him his "classic" hood-chest. The hands are swapped compared to Sunstreaker to accommodate the different upper body orientation.

: His Flare Launcher (a redeco of Sunstreaker's Electron Pulse Blaster) can be combined with the removable supercharger engine accessory by wrapping the intakes around the gun and mounted in either of the holes on his shoulders to simulate Sideswipe's ''Generation 1'' missile launcher. Of course, this leaves him without a hand-held weapon. The engine can also be mounted on Sideswipe's back as his jet pack. Most of this is not shown in the [[instructions]], which only instruct the owner of the toy to put the gun in his hand and attach the supercharger to his back.

: Even worse, Sideswipe's instruction line art is recycled from Sunstreaker's instructions and therefore incorrectly gives him Sunstreaker's transformation and head, despite the [[stock photography|stock photo]] depicted on top of the instructions showing him with the hood as the chest and the correct Sideswipe head.<ref>[http://hasbro.com/common/instruct/83685.pdf Official Universe Sideswipe instructions PDF file on Hasbro.com]</ref> Unfortunately, the stock photo Hasbro provided to online retailers retains this incorrect transformation, and [[:Image:UniSideswipeStockPhoto.jpg|throws in some additional mistakes as well]]. Oy.

: The Sideswipe/Sunstreaker sculpt was also retooled into ''[[Transformers Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], [[BotCon 2010]] [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Henkei! Henkei!|Red Alert]] and ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Red Alert. .

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Universe (2008) Sideswipe on TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Lambor toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Whoever does Takara's photography seriously needs to be outsourced to Hasbro.]]
*'''Lambor''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-09'''
**''Accessories:'' "Flare Launcher"

:The Japanese version of ''Universe'' Sideswipe has [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] silver on his flare launcher and his spoiler, but does not come with the supercharger engine/"rocket backpack" accessory that Henkei Sunstreaker and ''Universe'' Sunstreaker/Sideswipe included. He also has correct, personalised instructions that aren't just Sunstreaker's. Like Sunstreaker, the Japanese version's roof paint is a much closer match to the red colored plastic. The Japanese version also features a glossier black paint and the white has yellow tint compared the white plastic used for Hasbro version. His [[license plate]] says "LAMBOR" rather than "SWIPE".

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:BotCon2010-customclassSideswipe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Folks are gonna be pisssyyyyyy.]]
*'''Sideswipe''' ([[BotCon 2010]] customization class Deluxe)
**''Accessories'': Gun/tailpipe, engine supercharger intakes

: A ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''-style redeco of ''Universe'' Sideswipe, ''[[Timelines (toyline)|Timelines]]'' Sideswipe is pre-molded in new colors, which is unprecedented for the BotCon customization class exclusive (and apparently came as a surprise to [[Fun Publications]]). During the class, the mold is assembled, painted and stickered by those enrolled in it. Between the two classes, there were 52 participants.

: In regards to the plastic mold changes white remains white, but like the original ''Generation 2'' figure, the red and black colors are swapped. Clear green replaces the clear plastic used for the window and thighs.

: This figure uses the ''[[Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Generations|Red Alert]] version of the mold, which includes two screw holes in the canopy (rather than one like ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Alert or none like all other versions of this mold). The samples [[Shawn D. Tessmann|Shawn Tessmann]] had on display used the original version of the mold, and lacked the screw holes. Despite the mold change, the lightbar was not included. These holes replace the slots used to mount the rocket pack in robot mode. The rocket pack can still be mounted on the gun in robot mode and in car mode though. As an unintended result of having empty screw holes over the rocket pack sockets, Sideswipe can now mount his gun inside either screw hole on the roof of his car mode.

: The unassembled figure was also given out to those who volunteered at BotCon 2010.

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[Image:Decoy Sideswipe.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Decoy Sideswipe.]]
*'''Sideswipe #18'''
:Sideswipe was one of the many character represented by a small plastic [[decoy]] available carded with other transformers.
::''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Decoy Sideswipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumRM Side Swipe.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Sideswipe turns small a lot.]]
*'''Side Swipe''' (Robot Master, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Engine blaster

:''[[Titanium Series]]'' Side Swipe is based upon Sideswipe's ''Alternators'' toy. Constructed partially of die cast metal, Side Swipe has limited articulation located in his shoulders and neck. He comes with a removable engine blaster and an Autobot symbol display stand.

: This mold was going to be redecoed to be ''Titanium'' Sunstreaker, but that release was canceled.

::''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/TitSideswipe/sideswipe.htm More information on Titanium Side Swipe at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Sideswipe''' (2007)

: ''[[Attacktix]]'' Sideswipe was to be a missile-firing "blaster" style playing piece, presumably part of a third wave of "Booster" packs. He was revealed at the [[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] "Celebration IV" convention alongside many other ''Attacktix'' pieces that would ultimately never see release.

{{canceledattacktix}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
* Sideswipe's ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]'' bio text describes features of Sunstreaker's toy, leading many to believe Sideswipe's original toy was supposed to be created from Sunstreaker's mold and vice-versa, with the colors swapped between the molds. The [[Diaclone]] Sunstreaker toy was available in red<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia036/index.html "Countach-LP500S/Super Tuning" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref> and police<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia038/index.html "Countach-LP500S/Super Tuning Policecar Type" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref> versions, but not yellow (hence the red shoulder stickers on an otherwise yellow car). The mold used for Sideswipe, on the other hand, was released in ''Diaclone'' in police, yellow and red decos.<ref>[http://diaclone.net/orid/dia050/index.html " New Countach-LP500S" at Diaclone.net (Japanese site)]</ref>

* Sideswipe's Japanese name, "Lambor" is derived from the name of his vehicle mode, a Lamborghini. It may also be a word play on the Japanese word "Ranbō", which means "reckless, violent, rough". Wouldn't be the [[Autorooper|last]] [[Nine Great Demon Generals|time]] Takara's done such [[Romanization|word puns]]. By the way, it's ''Lambor'', not ''[[wikipedia:Rambo|Rambo]]''.

* According to a [[story page]] in the October 1985 issue of ''[[TV Magazine]]'', Sideswipe and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] are brothers, with Sideswipe being slightly older than Red Alert. This connection may have been invented because, aside from Sideswipe and Red Alert sharing the same mold, Sunstreaker was not sold on the Japanese market outside of a special "versus" set with [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] and [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]]. However, the familial dynamic between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker was '''not''' changed in the Japanese dub of the original ''Transformers'' cartoon, leading some Japanese fans to consider the three Lamborghini characters as triplets.

* During the 1990s, another company held the "Sideswipe" trademark in the "toys" field, even though Hasbro still released two toys using that name as part of the [[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]] line (it's unclear if this resulted in any legal repercussions for Hasbro). When Hasbro finally managed to reclaim the name for the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|''Robots in Disguise'' line]], the name was now parsed as "[[Side Swipe (RID)|Side Swipe]]", in two words, for whatever reason. The only two toys since then to spell "Sideswipe" as one word again were the [[OTFCC 2003]] [[Exclusive|exclusive]] and the ''[[Transformers: Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Side Swipe (Armada)|Super-Con]]. However, the former was referred to as "Side Swipe" when featured as a cross-sell on the packaging for the OTFCC 2003 [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]]/[[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] two-pack, whereas a packaging variant for the latter released as part of the "[[The Unicron Battles|Unicron Battles]]" refresh of the ''Armada'' line also saw the name changed to "Side Swipe". Hasbro ''finally'' decided to re-file the name "Sideswipe" (as one word) as a trademark in 2008, presumably because a [[Sideswipe (Movie)|character]] in the upcoming movie ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and the accompanying [[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|toy line]] was going to sport that name, and Hasbro were using that as an opportunity to re-introduce the spelling of the name as one word. As a result, the ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxe Class toy was the first toy to "properly" sport the name "Sideswipe" as one word.

* The ''Alternators'' Dodge Viper mold was originally designed to be a new body for [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] after the first attempt to secure the Corvette license had fallen through. Eventually, though, Chevrolet had a change of mind and granted Hasbro and Takara the license for the Corvette design after all. As a result, the Viper mold was slightly redesigned, was given a new head sculpt and released as Sideswipe (or "Side Swipe") instead. This explains why, unlike most of the early Alternators toys, Side Swipe's robot mode bears little resemblance to his G1 self. The most noticeable redesign from the "Tracks" design was the vehicle mode's doors being moved from the "backpack" [[Kibble|kibble]] (where they would have resembled the G1 Tracks toy's wings) to the sides of the arms, thus being the most obvious visual cue taken from the G1 Sideswipe toy. The doors are, however, still splayed out to the sides in the Alternators box art and can be moved to match Tracks' wing configuration, which implies that the redesign may have been done before the switch from Tracks to Sideswipe was made.

[[Image:SunstreakerSideswipeSDCC2007.jpg|thumb|250px|Universe [[Tigertrack]]. Fortunately, this didn't happen.]]
*Sideswipe has the dubious distinction of being the only one of the European Autobot Classic Heroes range not to feature in Marvel UK's [[Earthforce]] stories, not even making a late appearance like fellow 1991 addition Tracks.

* Hasbro's early plans for ''Universe'' Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had the two as straight [[redeco]]s of each other, only differing in their head sculpts besides their colors—namely, Sunstreaker would have just been Sideswipe in yellow with a different head. It was [[TakaraTomy]] designer [[Hisashi Yuki]] who suggested an alternate transformation by turning the upper body by 180 degrees, thus providing more individual robot mode looks for the two characters that resemble their respective ''[[The Transformers (toyline)|Generation 1]]'' designs more.<ref name="generations2009">Interview with Hisashi Yuki in [[Transformers Generations 2009|''Transformers Generations 2009'' vol. 1]], [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/223379-takaratomy-staff-interview-generations-2009-vol-1-translation.html English translation] at TFW2005.</ref> In addition, Hasbro originally intended the [[alternate mode]]'s supercharger to split into two halves which would then become the handgun and a spring-loaded shoulder launcher for the robot mode.
* Along the same vein, Takara also made the willful decision to omit the supercharger from their ''Henkei! Henkei!'' version of Lambor (Universe Sideswipe) to differentiate further between him and Sunstreaker. That's right: Takara ''deliberately omitted an optional piece of accessory'' to make the toy more "G1-accurate".<ref name="generations2009"/>
* If you are a fan-girl, odds are you've written a story about him pranking someone. ''Admit it.''

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Lambor''' (ランボル ''Ranboru'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Swipe''' (斯韋伯 ''Si Wai Baak'', literally "This Soft-leather Elder")
*''French:'' '''Frérot''' (Canada, "Bro")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Csatár''' ("Striker")
*''Italian:'' '''Freccia''' ("Arrow")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tsè Sǎu''' (Taiwan, 側掃, "Side Swipe"), '''Heng Pao''' (China, 横炮, "Horizontal Cannon")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Esgalhador''' (Portugal comic), '''Surrupio''' (Brazil comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Apperkot''' (Апперкот, "Uppercut")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Sideswipe/sideswipe.htm Sideswipe at TFU.info]
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Sideswipe Sideswipe's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Attacktix]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Customization class toys]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Ratchet (G1)

2011-12-28T05:47:23Z

120.28.179.2: /* Universe (2008) */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|hofsilver}}{{disambig3|Ratchet}}
{{featured}}
:''Ratchet is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ratchetg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|All aboard the party ambulance!]]
'''Ratchet''' is the Autobots' Chief Medical Officer. If something's broke, he can fix it. Ratchet is known for his irreverent bedside manner; He loves having a good time, and his party-loving nature has given him a dry wit. He is not a particularly mighty warrior, which sometimes leads him to believe that he is expendable. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] has trouble convincing Ratchet that this is far from the truth.

Although he's a healer, Ratchet often finds himself on the front lines of combat and, on occasion, the last hope the Autobots have. These pressures are sometimes too much for him to handle, but Ratchet ultimately never gives up.

His vehicle mode sometimes splits into his robot and a [[Onebox component|separate component]].

His nicknames are '''Cool Hand Lube''' and '''Greasefinger'''.<ref>Nicknames in profiles published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]''.</ref>

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ratchetg1first.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This look didn't last long.]]
Ratchet was one of the select Autobots chosen by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] to travel aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', and ended up in stasis lock for four million years at the base of [[Mount St. Hilary]] with the rest of the crew. Once the volcano exploded and the Transformers reactivated, Ratchet was rebuilt to transform into an ambulance. He responded to [[Gears (G1)|Gears]]'s complaining by telling him that at least he didn't have to fix everyone all the time! Ratchet would rather be partying. {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

[[Image:Ratchetgetstofixgears.jpg|right|200px|thumb|What a comfortable-looking repair sled they're dragging Gears into.]]

As their war against the Decepticons continued on Earth, Ratchet joined the Autobots' debate about how to deal with their dwindling fuel resources. Thankfully, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] had located a human, [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], who could help them convert fuel to a form usable by them, so the ''Ark'' was left in Ratchet's hands as the others left to meet with Bumblebee and his new human friends. Ratchet noted sadly that without fuel, even his considerable skills were useless. {{storylink|Power Play!}} While they were gone, Ratchet attended to the ''Ark''. During his attempts at repairs, he uncovered something interesting in its memory databanks, but Optimus Prime cut him off before he could explain. Gears was badly damaged in the battle that followed, and his body was brought back to Ratchet for repairs. After working on him for a short period of time, Ratchet was amazed that he could already speak. Unfortunately, Gears had bad news; Sparkplug Witwicky had converted fuel for the Decepticons while he had been their prisoner! {{storylink|Prisoner of War!}}

The Autobots were outraged at this, which upset Sparkplug so much that he suffered a heart attack. Ratchet volunteered to drive Sparkplug and his son [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster]] to the [[Greater Portland Medical Center|hospital]]. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} While Buster stayed at the hospital with his ailing father, Ratchet held fast to his oath to preserve life, an oath which made no distinction between organic or mechanical life, and helped [[Gus (medic)|two]] [[Mel (medic)|paramedics]] to get to their emergency. Upon their return to the hospital, Ratchet was happy to learn that Sparkplug, now able to speak, had told Buster that he'd poisoned the Decepticons' fuel. While this conversation was taking place, his drivers, alarmed their ambulance could talk, were poking around his ambulance mode, trying to discover the tape deck they suspected to be there. After an angry, annoyed outburst, the humans fled.

[[Image:Ratchetfriendtrafficsignal.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Staring also works.]]

Despite Buster's good news, Ratchet felt he should return to the ''Ark'' as swiftly as possible; no one there was responding to his communications. Buster accompanied him, and en route tried to explain to Ratchet that the traffic signals were non-sentient and would not respond to his pleas. When a red light turned green, eventually, after Ratchet's attempts at persuasion, the Autobot admonished the child for his lack of communication skills. But when Ratchet and Buster arrived at the ''Ark'', they were horrified to discover [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] standing sentry outside. Buster, who was small enough to slip in unnoticed, snuck inside to investigate. {{storylink|The New Order}} Buster later returned to Ratchet, looking like a fright, and told the Autobot that the Decepticons had taken over the ''Ark'', and that their bodies were hung like meat from the ceiling! Even crazier still was when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] was seen carrying the defeated body of [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] back into the ''Ark''. Ratchet began to worry that he was the last Autobot alive. {{storylink|The Worse of Two Evils!}}

Ratchet soon discovered, to his horror, that he was the last Autobot still functional on Earth, up against the entire Decepticon army. Covertly invading the ''Ark'', he learned that even the mighty Optimus Prime had fallen. However, Prime's head, though detached, still functioned, and the Autobot Commander told Ratchet that he must rise up to meet this challenge. Ratchet did not believe he could; he was a doctor, not a warrior (damnit, Jim). {{storylink|Warrior School!}}

[[Image:Ratchetwarriorschool.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The more you know!™]]

Ratchet was no warrior, and he doubted what he could do to topple this new status quo, but still, Ratchet tried. In his weakened state, Megatron could not hope to defeat Shockwave and reclaim his leadership, but Ratchet approached him with a possible solution. Ratchet knew how Shockwave had fallen 4 million years ago (having discovered this earlier within the ''Ark'''s memory databanks), and struck a deal, sealed by the [[Rite of Oneness]]: If Ratchet could defeat Shockwave, Megatron would relinquish Decepticon control of the ''Ark'' and its wrecked Autobot inhabitants.

Ratchet journeyed to the [[Savage Land]], where the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had fought Shockwave to a stalemate, leaving all dormant in a tar pit prison. He dug up the Dinobots and repaired them. Soon after, he met with Megatron on a snowy ski slope and announced that he had fulfilled his half of the bargain; Shockwave was defeated. Megatron, of course, went back on his part of the deal and threatened to kill Ratchet. Ratchet declared that he knew all along Megatron would not hold up his end of the bargain and admitted that he had not, in fact, defeated Shockwave. The Dinobots sprung up out of the snow surrounding Megatron and fought him, but did not succeed. Megatron now stood alone, triumphant, mocking Ratchet and his lack of a warrior's edge. With nothing to lose, Ratchet charged Megatron, but he was ineffectual. However, the charge had loosened the ground on which Megatron stood, and the Decepticon leader fell off the cliff side and disappeared. {{storylink|Repeat Performance!}}

''On their return trip to the ''Ark'', Ratchet helped educate the Dinobots about human/Autobot relations by telling them the story of a recent battle with the Decepticons at a hydroelectric dam. {{storylink|Decepticon Dam-Busters!}} When they arrived, Ratchet and the Dinobots found the ''Ark'' defended by [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], an Autobot combat drone which had been reprogrammed by Shockwave. Ratchet rescued the Dinobots from the powerful drone by remembering and exploiting one of its few weaknesses, an access port which could admit a fine laser. Ratchet then began the task of repairing the Autobots, placing priority on those whose command skills would be useful. This put him at odds with Dinobot leader [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]], who felt that the fallen Dinobot [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] should be repaired first. {{storylink|The Wrath of Grimlock!}}''

''When Prowl devised a plan to use the Matrix to create an army of monstrous Autobot warriors, debate over the plan's ethics threatened to divide the Autobots. Ratchet remained neutral and asked Optimus Prime to step in and provide guidance. {{storylink|Crisis of Command!}}''

''Ratchet and Wheeljack collaborated on a [[Buster's battlesuit|Transformer-sized robotic suit]], to be used by Buster Witwicky in battle. Optimus Prime was unamused. {{storylink|Robot Buster!}}''

[[Image:Ratchetmechanic.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Such irony.]]

After the destruction of Optimus Prime, Ratchet was not able to repair him. Unable to deal with his failure, Ratchet wandered off on his own during Optimus's funeral. Ratchet decided that rather than moping, he should concern himself with the other damaged Autobots under his care, so he headed towards a junkyard to look for spare parts he could use. However, he was abducted in vehicle mode by the [[Mechanic (G1)|Mechanic]] and his accomplice [[Juan (thief)|Juan]] when the two thieves were found by the police. Ratchet revealed himself when they arrived at the Mechanic's hideout, but the Mechanic froze Ratchet with [[Cryogenic sprayer|his own surgical weapon]] and hid outside. When he had unfrozen, Ratchet presumed the humans had fled and went back to the ''Ark'', unaware that this was what the humans had been waiting for as they intended to follow him to his hideout and steal even more of his weapons. Inside the ''Ark'', Ratchet was again defeated by [[Laser scalpel|his own surgical tools]]. But using pieces he took from the junkyard, he repaired [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and the appearance of the police car frightened the Mechanic away. The Mechanic escaped with Ratchet's tools and the [[power booster rod]]. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

Shortly after Optimus Prime's funeral, Ratchet stood with Omega Supreme, Blaster, and the others, and an incoming fleet of aircraft piloted by the terrorist organization [[Cobra]] was detected. {{storylink|Ashes, Ashes...}} After the Autobots teamed up with the human counter-terrorist organization [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], Ratchet worked with [[Mainframe (G.I. Joe)|Mainframe]], who had already begun to rebuild Bumblebee. Ratchet was surprised to see that Bumblebee had been upgraded by Mainframe into a more-powerful body, and after the process was completed (despite [[Doctor Mindbender]]'s bickering), Bumblebee decided to rename himself Goldbug. {{storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

[[Image:Ratchetneverisnow.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Paging Dr. Smartass.]]

With Optimus Prime dead, Ratchet and a few other high-ranking Autobots assembled to nominate a new leader. Ratchet stressed that their nominee must be kind, just as Optimus Prime had been, someone who would be willing to give everything he had. After a surprise attack on the ''Ark'' by [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], Ratchet had his answer. Ratchet's new patients, those that had suffered during the attack, had told him of Grimlock's selflessness in battle. The other Autobots agreed, and Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} However, Grimlock's leadership quickly turned sour, and Ratchet became the voice of sarcasm behind Grimlock's decisions. When a second group of Autobots led by [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] met Grimlock's Earth-bound Autobots, they brought with them a [[floppy disk]] containing the mind of the dead Optimus Prime. Ratchet couldn't contain his joy, and so Grimlock struck him down and told him to shut up. Ratchet was told to shut up again when he belittled Grimlock's disbelief that Fortress Maximus was part [[human]]. Grimlock set up a battle for Autobot supremacy between him and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (who fought in Fortress Maximus' stead), so Ratchet and all of both Autobot groups stepped out onto the surface of Earth's [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to watch the fight. Ratchet cheered relentlessly for Blaster, but the spectators were cut short by a surprise Decepticon attack. After the Decepticons had fled, Ratchet was glad to see that Blaster and Grimlock had, for the moment, set aside their differences, because they would need all the cooperation they could muster to repair the fallen and the heavily-damaged ''Ark''. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

''When an [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a time-traveling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] decimated the Earthbound Autobot forces, Optimus Prime no longer possessed the life-giving powers of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], so Ratchet was left with the monumental task of repairing them. {{storylink|Deathbringer (issue)|Deathbringer}}'' During a period of work-induced stress, he began to hallucinate visions of his patients attacking him and accusing him of being worthless. It was during this time that the Decepticon [[Sports Car Patrol]], posing as Autobots, offered to help transport Ratchet to Cybertron, where he could have access to new medical technology that had been created during his 4-million-year absence on Earth. He and three of the Sports Car Patrol took the bodies of Grimlock, [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]] with him, though Ratchet was curious why [[Blackjack]] stayed behind on the ''Ark''. Ratchet's concerns were answered when, upon arrival on Cybertron, he saw standing before him the believed-to-be-deceased Megatron, who had orchestrated the entire scheme. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}}

[[Image:Ratchetbroughtthemhere.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Megatron inadvertently activated Ratchet's dormant "evil genius" gene.]]

Megatron brought Ratchet the remains of Starscream, demanding Ratchet repair the Air Commander while Blackjack held the ''Ark'' and its medical bay inhabitants hostage. Ratchet agreed, and he used [[Pretender]] technology to repair Starscream while secretly repairing Grimlock, Jazz, and Goldbug as well. After Pretender Starscream was sent to Earth, Megatron sought out Ratchet to kill him, but Ratchet had his own Pretenders ready. {{storylink|The Resurrection Gambit!}} Ratchet sprung Grimlock, Jazz, and Bumblebee (Ratchet preferred Bumblebee's original form) on Megatron, but Megatron and his Micromasters were too powerful for them. The Pretenders and Micromasters' battle wandered outside [[Megatron's base]], and Ratchet was left alone. Sacrificing his life, Ratchet warped the bombs Blackjack had put on the ''Ark'' into the Decepticon base in an attempt to kill both himself and Megatron. Megatron tried to escape through the warp portal, but Ratchet tackled him, and the base exploded. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:Megs ratch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Ratchet to the left of me, Megatron to the right—Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.]]

Optimus Prime was devastated by the loss of Ratchet. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}} He assigned the detective [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]] to investigate Ratchet's death, and Nightbeat hypothesized that Ratchet could possibly still be alive. There was an initial blast which could have knocked Ratchet into the portal and into [[unspace]], a netherworld between the warp portal's starting and ending points. A probe was sent to retrieve him, and it succeeded—but it also brought back Megatron, who was fused with Ratchet as a single, monstrous being. {{storylink|Eye of the Storm}} The Ratchet/Megatron creature rampaged through the ''Ark'', wounding several Autobots, but Optimus Prime would not let them harm it. This put Optimus Prime in an awkward position: Was the life of Ratchet worth the possible loss of his other troops? The creature fought his way into the engine rooms and began tearing stuff apart, and Prime's choice was made for him: The creature must be stopped. Prime fought Ratchet/Megatron to a standstill, and, alarmingly, the part that was Ratchet took control and pulled Prime's gun to his own forehead, pleading for the Autobot Commander to put him out of his misery. In an unpopular decision, Optimus Prime ordered [[Fixit (G1)|Fixit]] to separate Megatron and Ratchet, even if it meant saving Megatron. Bonded at a molecular level, neither could survive without the other, even when separated. {{storylink|The Pri¢e of Life!}}

[[Image:Ratchetjollies.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Holy crap.]]

Separated by Fixit, they remained in stasis on the ''Ark'' until Grimlock and his [[Nucleon]]-revived Dinobots found the ''Ark'' abandoned during the Transformers' battle with [[Unicron]]. They filled the entire medical bay chambers with Nucleon, not aware that Megatron lay there in storage. {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}} Shockwave and Starscream stole the ''Ark'' after Unicron was defeated, in an attempt to return to Earth and conquer it. {{storylink|Still Life!}} However, just as Megatron awoke, Starscream and Shockwave were interrupted by [[Galvatron II]], who had snuck on board before launch. While Galvatron and Megatron teamed up on Shockwave, Starscream went to check on any other possible survivors in the medical bay. He found Ratchet, whose mind was still connected to Megatron's, and Starscream fought the confused Autobot easily. However, when Starscream mused that Ratchet was no fun to kill, Ratchet became enraged and defeated him in a berserker state. Determined to end what he had started, Ratchet blew up the ''Ark'' as it was approaching Earth's orbit, sending all four Decepticons and himself to a supposed death.<ref>Except all the Decepticons eventually turn up alive.</ref> {{storylink|A Savage Circle}}

====Marvel UK future timelines====
''Ratchet was present at the ''Ark'' in 2003 when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] announced his plans for a fully-functional transforming fortress known as [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Ark Duty}}''

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
{{note|Megatron's molecular-level link with Ratchet was entirely ignored in ''Generation 2''. Megatron returned and was rebuilt by Cobra, while Ratchet's fate was not mentioned at all.}}
As Optimus Prime was being repaired after a catastrophic battle with Megatron, he recalled the events of the Transformer civil war thus far, including two of Megatron's encounters with Ratchet. {{storylink|Tales of Earth Part Four}}

{{-}}
====''Classics''====
{{note|The ''Classics'' comics take place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or ''Generation 2''.}}
[[Image:Ratchetgamesofdeception.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]
Fifteen years after Ratchet seemingly perished with [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], and [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] when the ''Ark'' crashed into the [[Yukon]], Megatron had returned to power. Starscream had been fully rebuilt, Shockwave's disembodied head was rigged to exist only in a tortured advisory role, and Ratchet's body was stashed, seemingly lifeless, in a dark corner of Megatron's new throne room within the ''Ark'''s remains. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}

[[Image:Ratchet-AtFightsEnd.jpg|right|250px|thumb|From martyr to furniture.]]
Megatron kept Ratchet there for his own amusement, able to talk but not to move, because the Decepticon leader had begun to consider his unlikely nemesis a friend. The Decepticon leader enjoyed toying with Ratchet's doubts; he asked Ratchet why Optimus Prime hadn't come to rescue him in all these years. Megatron also enjoyed hearing Ratchet's measured responses, many of which genuinely took him by surprise, though some Megatron didn't think Ratchet truly believed.

Megatron wanted Ratchet to know the real reason why the Transformers fight. After they watched Megatron's plan to assassinate [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] (and end the Decepticon civil war) culminate in success, he told Ratchet why. It's not to win or to lose, but because of who they were. The Transformers were born to fight. Megatron picked up Ratchet's motionless body, set it inside a [[CR chamber|bubbling tank]], and left him there. As Ratchet felt his body begin to dissolve, Megatron asked him to give Prime his regards.

Later, the Autobots secured the abandoned ''Ark'' and found Ratchet inside the tank, reformatted into a new body. However, Ratchet noted that his new surgical tools looked suspiciously like weapons. He recalled Megatron's words about why the Transformers fight. Did he truly have no choice? {{storylink|At Fight's End}}

{{-}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Don Messick]] (English), [[Wally Burr]] (English, "[[Masquerade]]" only), [[Masashi Ebara]] (Japanese), [[Garcia Neto]] (Brazil), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American)

[[Image:Ratchetg1cartoon.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Ruh-roh. Rooby-rooby-roo!]]
Ratchet served as chief medical officer of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' on its mission to seek out new energy sources to fuel the Autobot struggle against the Decepticons. When the ''Ark'' was boarded by the crew of the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', Ratchet attempted to defend his ship by attacking [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]], but was thrown into a computer console for his trouble. Ratchet and the other Transformers were forced into emergency [[stasis lock]] when the out-of-control ''Ark'' crashed into a volcano on a [[Earth|primitive planet]]. Four million years later, the volcano erupted, activating [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to rebuild the Autobots and Decepticons. Ratchet was rebuilt into a human-scaled ambulance. After [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]]'s failed scouting mission ended in a counterattack by [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]], Ratchet arrived with [[Hauler]] to pull the damaged Hound out of a ravine. Once he finished repairing Hound, Ratchet was part of the battlegroup sent to stop the Decepticons stealing the oil from an off-shore oil rig. However, he did not fare well in this battle. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}}

After the Autobots saved their new human friends, [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]], from the oil rig fire, Ratchet repaired [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]]'s damaged arm in the repair bay outside the ''Ark.'' {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] was caught in the explosion of the [[ruby crystal mines of Burma]], Ratchet helped the Autobot leader recover, but evidently his skills as a medic were not required, as Prime was totally fine after transforming back into robot mode. Soon afterwards, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] was shot by Skywarp, so Ratchet carried the old-timer back to base for repairs. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

During an ill-fated Autobot attempt to defend the local solar power plant, [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] managed to shoot the guns out of Ratchet and Prowl's hands. Smarting from the concussion blast, Ratchet called for the Autobots to fall back. However, Ironhide once again managed to get himself damaged while saving Optimus Prime. Ironhide objected to Ratchet and Sparkplug's diagnosis of his damage, but Ratchet warned him against backtalk or the medic would short out Ironhide's mouth circuit. To prevent further argument, he shut down Ironhide, cutting off the warrior in mid-sentence. After the Autobots were led into a trap by a reprogrammed [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]], Ratchet discovered the tampering done by the Decepticons and restored the little Autobot. {{storylink|Transport to Oblivion}}

[[Image:DivideandConquer Ratchet at work.jpg|thumb|left|240px|"…But I'm still alive!" — "No matter, Optimus. Doctor knows better!"]]
Ratchet patched up the Autobots quick smart after they were caught in an explosion at a hi-tech lab. Of course, he immediately afterwards had to alert them to incoming Decepticons, and probably had to put them back together again after the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Roll for It}} With Optimus critically injured after a Decepticon attack, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] worked to repair their leader, only for Laserbeak to sneak into the base and inflict more damage on Optimus. Ratchet and Wheeljack continued to work, eventually succeeding in saving Prime's life using a [[Cosmitron]] retrieved from Cybertron by [[Chip Chase]] and a team of Autobots. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

A group of Autobots including Ratchet enjoyed hijinks in the snow when abnormal weather conditions were caused by the Decepticons tapping a crystal in the Arctic. The Autobots went to the Arctic, where Ratchet was part of Ironhide's team, which was separated from the main Autobot force and captured by the Decepticons. After the group faked their own destruction, Ratchet repaired [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], who had been shot by Starscream after refusing to terminate the Autobots. {{storylink|Fire in the Sky}} Inspired by the discovery of dinosaur bones, Ratchet and Wheeljack designed and built the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Unfortunately the new warriors were difficult to control, and Ratchet was soon patching up [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. After the rest of the Autobots fell foul of the Decepticons, Wheeljack had the idea of reactivating the Dinobots, and he and Ratchet installed new brain modules, allowing the Dinobots to be successfully used in battle. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Ratchet was one of the Autobots who went to [[Peru]] when the Decepticons discovered the [[Crystal of Power]] there, and built a cannon to utilise it. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}} Ratchet was on hand for the impact of [[Meteorini Chipperoni]] and Optimus subsequently ordered him and Wheeljack to construct two more Dinobots to bolster the Autobots' ranks. Once [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] were constructed, Ratchet and Wheeljack held a demonstration. The two new additions quickly proved themselves and were dispatched to aid Optimus Prime, who'd run afoul of the other three Dinobots after [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] turned them against the Autobots. By the time Ratchet and the other Autobots got there, Optimus had persuaded [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]] to defect back. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

Following a rescue mission to retrieve Sparkplug from the Decepticon base, Ratchet was again repairing the Autobots when Sparkplug started trying to repair him, despite him being undamaged. Sparkplug then started working on Prime, despite Ratchet pointing out that Prime had already been fixed. Sparkplug was under the control of the Decepticons, and had sabotaged the Autobots weapons and Teletraan I, so the Decepticons could attack. After the attack was repelled, Ratchet repaired Teletraan I, which alerted the Autobots to the giant [[space bridge]] which the Decepticons were building. The Autobots rolled out, but were unable to prevent Cybertron being dragged into [[Earth]]'s orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:UltimateDoom2 Autobot volcano.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
Retreating to headquarters, the Autobots sent out the Dinobots to battle the disasters caused by the nearby Cybertron. The [[Mount St. Hilary|volcano]] which the ''Ark'' was embedded in became active, erupting and spewing Ratchet, [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] and Huffer into the air, necessitating a rescue on the part of Skyfire. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Ratchet surfed with Optimus Prime and the others to where the Decepticons were building a generator, though they were unable to prevent the Decepticons getting away with a shuttle full of energon and saved a bunch of humans instead. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}}

Once Cybertron was blasted out of orbit, Ratchet and the other Autobots set about repairing the devastation it had wrought on Earth. They were subsequently occupied preventing Starscream's plan to destroy the planet using an [[Exponential Generator]]. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}} After Megatron challenged Optimus to a one-on-one duel, the Autobots watched in horror as the Autobot leader was defeated. They later discovered that Megatron had cheated, rendering the results of the contest void, and allowed them to legally blast the Decepticons into a lava-filled crevasse. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

[[Image:G1 ChangingGears Ratchet karate.jpg|left|260px|thumb|Now COUGH!]]
After Spike was injured during a battle with the Decepticons, Ratchet carried their injured human friend to the metro hospital. While Spike's mind was transferred into the [[Autobot X]] experimental body Sparkplug had made earlier, Ratchet repaired the battle-damaged Bumblebee, but was forced to cut short his repairs after Spike went on a rampage in his new body. After Spike's mind was returned to his real body, Ratchet theorised that he could probably fix the problems in the mind-transfer process, but thought it was better left alone. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} When Megatron captured [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and unwittingly threatened the destruction of the Earth with his [[Solar Needle]], Ratchet totally fly-kicked Thundercracker. After the Decepticons retreated, Ratchet and Wheeljack argued over which wire they had to disconnect to stabilize the [[Sun]]. However, nobody seemed to notice that he and Gears sounded exactly the same. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

Part of a mission to [[New York City]] to investigate the disappearance of the [[Empire State Building]], Ratchet joined Spike, Hound, Bumblebee and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] in entering the city via the sewers in an attempt to recover Optimus Prime. When they finally found their leader, he had been disassembled by [[Hook (G1)|Hook]], and Ratchet had a heck of a job putting him back together again, including having to wrangle an [[alligatorcon]]. During a battle on the streets of the city, Ratchet and Ironhide ended up in the Decepticon's new skyscraper, and were again able to rescue Prime from a nasty fall. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

[[Image:AttackoftheAutobots Prime and Ratchet on rocket.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"I can see my house from here!"]]
Ratchet was one of the Autobots affected by Megatron's [[personality destabilizer device]] and was compelled to attempt to get some blueprints from [[Harding|Doctor Harding]]. After being de-evilled by one of Sparkplug's [[attitude exchanger]]s, Ratchet and Optimus jumped aboard a rocket in mid-air and Ratchet detached a solar satellite even as the rocket blasted towards space. The pair were able to get the satellite into space on Skyfire's back. Afterwards, Ratchet and Sparkplug realised they had to repair all of the jets the Autobots had trashed while under Decepticon control. {{storylink|Attack of the Autobots}} He patched up Mirage after another battle, and told the other Autobot to rest, but Mirage instead rushed off to prove he wasn't a traitor as Cliffjumper had suggested. After Mirage led the Autobots into a trap, Ratchet found one of [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]]'s [[cerebro-shell]]s on Mirage's forehead. After the inevitable battle, Ratchet patched Mirage up once more. {{storylink|Traitor}}

[[Image:Immobilizer Ratchet ambulance mode.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Ratchet attended the demonstration of Wheeljack's latest invention, the [[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer|Immobilizer]]. It didn't go well, with Wheeljack being accidentally immobilized and the Decepticons stealing his device. Wheeljack was loaded into the back of Ratchet's ambulance mode, and they returned to base where Ratchet repaired Ironhide, telling him to STFU when he blamed himself for the attack. The Autobots were eventually able to get the Immobilizer back. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} Ratchet was one of those who didn't take part in a charity race and was thus spared from being affected by the Decepticon's [[Transfixatron]] ray and captured. He and Wheeljack constructed an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] and mounted an attack with a small group to rescue the other Autobots. Afterwards, Ratcher realised that he was going to be repairing for days. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

He took part in the defence of [[Washington, D.C.]] against the combined forces of the Decepticons and [[Sub-Atlantica]]ns. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}} Ordered to guard [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]], he an Wheeljack cracked jokes at the robot's expense, until Optimus told them off. They were unable to prevent the robot's capture by the Decepticons and returned to base, where Ratchet repaired Brawn. A stealth attack by the reprogrammed ninja resulted in the loss of power to the base, and Ratchet soon discovered that the [[World Energy Chip]] had been stolen. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}}

[[Image:Dinobotislandratch&spark.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]
Ratchet, like the other Autobots, was taken in by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone]], at least until Windcharger revealed the truth. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He also took part in an attempt to stop one of Megatron's plans using [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], {{storylink|The Core}} and helped Wheeljack whipped up an antidote to prevent the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] exploding after they consumed the [[Nova Power Core]]. {{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}} After another Dinobot rampage at Autobot Headquarters, Ratchet sighed and started the repairs once again. The Dinobots were subsequently banished to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], no doubt to his relief. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} With Sparkplug's help, repairs were soon complete. When Teletraan I detected a disturbance near the library Spike was visiting, Ratchet reassured Sparkplug as the rest of the Autobots rolled out. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

When Megatron found the [[Heart of Cybertron]], Ratchet was among the group of Autobots who were first to feel his wrath and had to limp back to base. While [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] put a bizarre plan into operation, Ratchet and Wheeljack set up a forcefield to hold back the Decepticon leader until Perceptor's plan could succeed. {{storylink|Microbots}} Ratchet attended the [[Autobot Day]] celebration, during which Megatron managed to frame the Autobots. The Autobots were subsequently banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} They almost perished in the [[Sun]], but made it back to Earth in time to overthrow the Decepticons. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

After the Dinobots were damaged in a Decepticon attack, Ratchet repaired them, only for them to desert the Autobot forces. There's gratitude for you. A short time later, the Autobots were all disabled by [[Cybertonium]] depletion. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} With Spike and [[Carly]]'s help, the Dinobot retrieved more Cybertonium from Cybertron, and the Autobots were able to repair themselves. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}} Ratchet was among the Autobots who turned up too late to prevent Megatron from stealing the [[Voltronic Galaxer]]. After the Decepticons used it to jam Earth's radio signals, Ratchet helped some humans who'd become trapped in a blizzard. {{storylink|Blaster Blues}} He was also part of the group who coated themselves in [[electrum]] to defeat the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:Kremzeek! Ratchet with Kremzeek.jpg|thumb|left|200px|- Are you an elf? - No, I'm delirium tremens!]]
While defending New York against Decepticons drones, Ratchet realised that the drones didn't have brains, meaning they were remote controlled. Once [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] had broadcast a jamming signal, the Autobots were able to attack the Decepticon base in the [[Pine Barrens]]. Ratchet, Wheeljack and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] joined Sparkplug and [[Raoul]] in turning the drones back into cars. {{storylink|Make Tracks}} After Optimus Prime's team of Autobots went missing, Ratchet and the others attempted fruitlessly to find out where they'd gone. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Ratchet also took part in the operation to rescue [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] from a horde of [[Morphobot]]s. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}} He was one of the first Autobots to be disabled by [[Kremzeek]], which didn't bode well for the Autobots' chances of getting repaired. {{storylink|Kremzeek!}}

After Optimus beat [[Chumley|Lord Chumley]]'s death traps, Ratchet and the other Autobots provided Prime with reinforcements. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}} He and Wheeljack picked up [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] after the Autobot plane was defeated by the [[Conehead]]s. Ratchet started patching him up, but Powerglide refused further treatment until he could rescue [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz|Astoria]], the spunky heiress he'd been charged with protecting. Once Astoria was safe, Powerglide returned for more repairs, and Ratchet joined in mocking him for his apparent [[Transformer romance|romantic feelings]] for the girl. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:KeyVectorSigma1 Ratchet thoughtful.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Did I prescribe him a soporific or purgative? Or both? ]]
Although Ratchet was puzzled by Megatron's sudden interest in stealing cars, Optimus knew what the Decepticons were up to, and led a team, including Ratchet, to Cybertron. There, they found [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] badly damaged. Once Ratchet and Wheeljack had repaired him, he explained that Megatron had taken the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], and the Autobots journeyed underground. Encountering [[Centurion droid|Centurions]] left by Megatron to guard the way, Ratchet and Wheeljack repaired Maintenance drones to send against them in battle. Unfortunately they reached [[Vector Sigma]] too late, and Optimus ordered that some shuttles be rebuilt into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} The Autobots returned to Earth with the new additions, and [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] promptly blew up on landing, resulting in Ratchet, Wheeljack and Sparkplug working feverishly to save the giant Autobot's life and repair his body. They ultimately succeeded. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}}

[[Image:CosmicRust Ratchet and Blaster infected.jpg|thumb|left|260px|'Cause this is thriller, thriller night!]]
The Aerialbots, much to Ratchet's disgust, seemed to admire the Decepticon [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. When the Autobot team was plunged millions of years back in time Ratchet worked with Wheeljack to repair the Decepticon time machine to get them back. They managed to, but wouldn't tell Ratchet what had happened, leaving the story telling to Optimus. {{storylink|War Dawn}} Ratchet helped apply [[corrostop]] to the [[Statue of Liberty]], and was later affected by the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] that Megatron brought back from space. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:TFTM Ratchet dies.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seen here suffering from a unique condition known as "Dying Ratchet Syndrome".]]
After [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and Cliffjumper were kidnapped by Starscream and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to provide [[energy absorber]]s, the Autobots launched an attack while the Combaticons were busy fighting Megatron's forces. Ratchet and Grapple managed to rescue the two prisoners during the distraction. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}} Ratchet was also a part of the team which came to the Aerialbots' aid, after they fell into a trap laid by the Combaticons. {{storylink|Aerial Assault}} During another of Megatron's plans, the Autobots captured the Stunticons, and Ratchet customised some of the Autobots using [[camouflage paint]] to disguise them as the Decepticon team. Somehow this worked, and after Megatron's plan was foiled, Ratchet and the rest of the Autobots provided reinforcements. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2005, while piloting a secret mission to [[Autobot City]] in order to gather a stockpile of [[energon]] from Earth, Ratchet and his allies were attacked by Megatron. Ratchet and Ironhide returned fire, but they were both shot repeatedly and left for dead on the floor of the shuttle as the Decepticons continued with their attack on Autobot City. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Ratchet's body was evidently recovered for interment, as his grave was housed in the interstellar [[Autobot Mausoleum]]. Sadly, it was not Ratchet's fate to rest in peace; along with the mausoleum itself, Ratchet's remains were later plunged into a star as a side-effect of a [[Quintesson]] plot. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
Amidst a massive battle against the Decepticons at the Autobot base in [[Arizona]], Ratchet was one of the first to notice that [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] and his cassette forces were nowhere to be found. Now suspicious, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] immediately alerted all his units in Japan to be on the lookout for the Decepticon. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 2|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #2}}

Later, as [[Kenji]] was enjoying a tour of a secret Autobot facility in Japan, Ratchet was alerted to an attack by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] in Yokohama. The Autobots immediately rolled out to meet the threat. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Ratchet was one of about a kajillion Autobots who arrived on Metroplex to provide reinforcements for Optimus Prime after the Decepticon's [[Omega Whip]] weapon was destroyed. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[Image:Stargatebattles_ratchet.jpg|left|thumb|220px]]
In the 1990s, Ratchet used Cybertronian technology to save the lives of human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] and his daughter [[Katua Adle|Katua]] when they were both badly injured in an explosion during a field test of one of the professor's creations. The professor's right arm was blown off and Katua lost her right leg, but Ratchet was able to fit them with cybernetic prosthetics so advanced that they were even able to experience pain and warmth through them as if they were their real limbs. This convinced Professor Adle of the Autobots' nobility, while Katua developed a fondness for Ratchet. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

About six months later, Ratchet was part of a delegation of Autobots who accompanied Optimus Prime to a press conference in America. The conference announced the construction of the "[[Trigger]]", an interstellar teleportation system jointly developed between the Autobots and the United States government, and Ratchet helped Wheeljack write the speech that Prime proceeded to recite to the assembled human masses. Ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s attempts to keep them quiet while the conference was going on, Ratchet and Wheeljack muttered to each other that they didn't like the Trigger's gun-shaped design, as it reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A little later, when human protesters gathered to object to the presence of the Autobots on Earth, Katua Adle was able to prove that they were not emotionless metal monsters by revealing her prosthetic leg to the irate crowd and explained that she could feel through it. After all, how could Ratchet have replicated those sensations if he did not know them himself? The shamed crowd relented, and Optimus Prime told Katua that he would pass her kind words on to Ratchet himself. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

=====''Binaltech''=====
Along with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], Ratchet helped implant [[Chip Chase]]'s consciousness into the lifeless Prowl-2 shell when Prowl's spark was lost in [[subspace]]. {{storylink|Prowl & Chase}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
[[Image:Ratchetgreatcarrally.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You sure are a jerk when you repair me, Ratchet!"]]
{{quote|You sure go all to pieces when a missile hits you, Hound.}}

While [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] was taking part in a cross-country Car Rally, he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s missiles. Ratchet raced onto the scene to repair Hound, and joked that his patient sure falls apart when a missile hits him! Also, Hound complained that Ratchet was screwing him together too tightly, causing him pain.

Ratchet is kind of a jerk. {{storylink|The Great Car Rally}}

Following a battle with the Decepticons that resulted in many Autobot injuries, Ratchet and [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] were busy trying to fix them. Optimus Prime asked them about their progress, but they both sighed. Ratchet noted that even the mighty Dinobots were out of commission, for they had suffered the heaviest losses. But suddenly, the Decepticons attacked, having repaired their warriors in record time! Optimus Prime called his remaining functional warriors to the highways while Ratchet and Huffer returned to their repairs. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

{{-}}
===''Beast Wars'' cartoon===
[[Image:Agenda3-AutobotsonArkattack.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's fallen and he's not getting up.]]
Four million years ago, Ratchet, Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ironhide, and Jazz were on the bridge of the Ark when it was suddenly attacked by the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. It crashed in a dormant volcano for untold years until it was disturbed by the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who had traveled from the far future. Ratchet's body was sprawled across a pile of boxes. Frozen in [[stasis lock]] as he was, Ratchet was unable to stop the Predacon from assassinating the equally comatose Optimus Prime. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} This act would have rewritten history from that moment forward, but the ensuing time storm was stopped by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and some time-traveling [[Maximal]]s. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
{{notekeepers}}
{{quote|"OW! I should blast you to atoms! You did that ''on purpose''!" 
"Tone down your audio amplifiers, will ya? That ''didn't'' hurt... ''much''."|Starscream and Ratchet|"[[Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire]]"|style=2}}

[[Image:Ratchettww.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The Cybertronian red cross is Pac-Man.]]
8.2 million years ago, Ratchet accompanied [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] to the [[Border Regions|Sub-Orbital District]] of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], which had been devastated after [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] activated the [[planetary engine]]s. He found no life signs in the entire blast radius. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} 600,000 years later, Ratchet remained with the Prowl-led Autobots after Optimus Prime disappeared in a [[space bridge]] explosion. He repaired [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] after the theoretician was damaged in a battle with [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|Confrontation (issue)|Confrontation}}

Ratchet was among the crew of the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crashed on [[Earth]], and awoke in 1984 to battle the [[Decepticon]]s. After years of fighting, Ratchet and the other Autobots took part in [[Operation Liberation]] in 1998, a joint human/Autobot operation that defeated and captured the Earth-bound Decepticons. However, the ''[[Ark II]]'', which was meant to convey the Autobots, the captured Decepticons, and a number of humans back to Cybertron, was sabotaged by General [[Robert Hallo]], sending Ratchet and his comrades to the bottom of the [[Arctic Ocean]]. Years later, Ratchet was brought back by the sinister [[Lazarus]], who had recovered and reprogrammed a number of Transformers for his nefarious ends. However, when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] broke free of Lazarus's control, he hooked up Ratchet and a number of other Autobots to a device that generated a deadly "metal virus". {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} Soon after, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] detached Ratchet and the others from the doomsday device, {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} and he eventually recovered.

''When the alien [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]] took over [[Las Vegas]], Ratchet was among the Autobots assembled by Optimus Prime to invade the occupied area. While the others engaged in battle, Ratchet was tasked with dealing with the collateral damage, and leading the human residents of Las Vegas to safety. He returned to the protection of Optimus Prime and his [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] augmented power before a nuclear strike hit the city, and lent his skills to repairing the Autobots who had given their energon to power up Prime's "Finishing Move".'' {{storylink|Annihilation}}

''Over the next few days, Ratchet brought all the Autobots back on-line, including [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]], [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], who had each been drastically injured over the course of the preceding events. No sooner had Bluestreak been reactivated, though, that he was drawn back into the Keepers' control by their pawn, [[Franklin Townsend]]. Franklin's status as an "[[augment]]" — a human specially engineered using Cybertronian technology — allowed him to bypass [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security and infiltrate the ''Ark''. Ratchet blamed himself for allowed that loophole in the security system. Later, Ratchet diagnosed the effects of the [[deconstructionite]]s — reverse-engineered nanotechnology used by the government against the Transformers to drain away their processing power.'' {{storylink|Fusion (novel)|Fusion}}

Ratchet took part in a battle in the [[Canada|Canadian]] Arctic with the Decepticons over possession of a crashed spacecraft containing [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]. As the Autobots overwhelmed their foes, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arrived on the planet and gave them an ultimatum: Surrender and return to a newly unified Cybertron, or be destroyed. {{storylink|New World Order}} The Autobots returned to the ''Ark'', where Optimus Prime assigned Ratchet to a [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]-led team that was to remain on Earth. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} After Shockwave's lieutenant, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], took Prime and others back to Cybertron, Ratchet and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] remained at the ''Ark'' as Jazz, [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]], and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] attempted to locate Scourge and his ship. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}}

[[Image:DWSkyfire Starscream Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My crotch is my stomach.]]
When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a team of Decepticons arrived on Earth, they attacked the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inhabitants, wanting the starship for themselves. In the initial assault, the Autobots managed to take [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], his cassettes, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] prisoner, but eventually all the Autobots but Ratchet and Brawn were defeated by the mighty [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Expecting a supply ship from Cybertron later that day, Ratchet and Brawn slipped past the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s berserk defense systems in order to contact the ship and warn them. Unfortunately, Bruticus arrived soon after, and they were forced to destroy the ''Ark'' rather than let the Decepticons have access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} Before the battle could escalate further, it was interrupted by the arrival of [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], a [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] seemingly powered by supernatural forces. An uneasy truce was formed between the small group of Autobots and Decepticons, and Ratchet begrudgingly put his medic skills to work on Starscream. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} However, after Jetfire left the ''[[Orion]]'' to go after Sunstorm, Starscream used his [[null-ray]] on the remaining Autobots, including Ratchet. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

Ratchet later aided in the construction of Autobot City. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:Ratchetjoetf2.jpg|left|140px|thumb|Physician, arm thyself.]]
In an alternate timeline, a newly formed [[human]] terrorist organization named [[Cobra]] uncovered the ''Ark'' buried in a dormant volcano. Finding two armies of giant, transformable robots, they repurposed these aliens for their own use, rebuilding them so they could reconfigure into various Cobra-designed vehicles. Ratchet was reprogrammed and rebuilt into a Cobra [[HISS tank]]. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was able to break free from his reprogramming and awaken the other Transformers, {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}} and, with the help of the human anti-terrorist task-force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]], he defeated Megatron and Cobra. An alliance between the Autobots and the United States government was formed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}}

Two years later, a malfunction in [[Teletran 3]] sent dozens of Transformers into various points in history, an act which, if not reversed, would result in a perpetual holocaust being unleashed across [[Earth]]. To retrieve one Transformer and bring him home, a team of Cobra and G.I. Joe agents were sent 15 years into an apocalyptic future where [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and his Decepticons ruled. The remaining cyborged humans had formed a resistance which had only one Autobot warrior who stood between them and utter annihilation. The last Autobot alive, Ratchet had grown bitter and battle-hardened after years of guerrilla warfare, and he demanded the team sent to bring him back to the present day help him complete one more mission. Ratchet, the Joes, and the Cobra agents were successful in freeing a factory nearby that was manned by enslaved humans, but Ratchet refused to go home with them and abandon his calling. [[Barbecue]] returned Ratchet home against his wishes, and as Ratchet cursed the stupid little creature, the [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] of the present day shot Ratchet in the back, putting him out of commission. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}}

Later, when [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]] took Optimus Prime prisoner, Ratchet (still in his post-apocalyptic body) was part of [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s rescue team. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Ratchet was among the Autobots who were awakened by [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] in [[1939]], and joined their war on [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. During the assault on the Cobra [[Terrordrome]], he wondered why the Decepticons were so easy to defeat ''now'', after having been such a pain in the neck back on Cybertron. Ratchet most likely perished when the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was smashed to pieces shortly afterwards. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Ratchet was happy enough to repair a badly-damaged Starscream, when the latter was brought in to the Ark. He agreed with Wheeljack that they should take the opportunity to take a look at Starscream's logic circuits, and maybe see if there was anything untoward which was making him such a disagreeable fellow, and Optimus was eventually talked around. It wasn't long before Ratchet had Starscream back online, amnesiac and surprisingly benign (it didn't last). {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

While on a mission to retrieve [[Sky Spy]], Ratchet encountered [[Stitch]], a veteran army medic, and helped him save a woman trapped in a swollen creek. The woman needed emergency medical treatment, so Ratchet used Sky Spy to scan the necessary information from Stitch's mind in order to complete surgery on the woman. Sometime later, Ratchet checked on Stitch and presented him with a new cybernetic arm to replace the one he used to repair Sky Spy. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===''Timelines''===
[[Image:Ratchetironhidedescent.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Amazingly not dead.]]
Years after the Decepticon and Autobot Wars had ended, Ratchet and five other Autobots were sent to [[Ceti Alpha Seven]] to destroy [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|General Deathsaurus's]] Insecticon clone lab and stop his planned Decepticon uprising. After a team of four (consisting of [[Outback (G1)|Fallback]], [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]], and [[Ricochet (Timelines)|Ricochet]]) failed, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] followed to help. After battling swarms of [[Virulent Clone]]s and [[Buzzclaw (Timelines)|Buzzclaw]], they finally met up with Deathsaurus himself. Ironhide stayed to fight the general, and Ratchet separated to find their fallen friends.

Ratchet managed to gather the victims but was captured by Deathsaurus along with Ironhide. Both were restrained inside the lab, which was set to detonate. Before this happened, Ricochet snuck in and freed them, allowing them to gather the wounded and escape as the clone lab was destroyed. {{storylink|Descent into Evil}}

{{-}}
=== IDW comics continuity ===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:Infiltration3_Ratchet.jpg|left|350px|thumb|Watch, my headgear will flip colours as you scroll down.]]

[[Image:Ratchetholomatter.jpg|right|100px|thumb|Ratchet's holo-matter avatar has no mouth, and he must snark.]]
Before the war with the Decepticons Ratchet served with the Security Forces stationed in [[Kaon]]. He was present at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Once the war began, he joined the Autobots. He repaired Optimus Prime after his first confrontation with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] at [[Sherma Bridge]], a duel which left Prime in so many pieces it took Ratchet over two months to find them all and put them back together. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

In 2006, Ratchet was part of a detachment of Autobots that had operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. Although a loyal warrior, Ratchet's conscience got the better of him when he intercepted a Decepticon pulsewave ordering the elimination of [[Stoker|a human being]]. While he was too late to save that human, he encountered two more—[[Verity Carlo]] and [[Hunter O'Nion]]—who had stumbled upon the Decepticon plot. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 0|Infiltration #0}} Ratchet broke cover to save their lives, subjecting himself to the wrath of [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]], who threatened disciplinary action. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}}

Ratchet was seemingly alone in his convictions, until [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] agreed to help him and the humans investigate an abandoned Decepticon bunker in [[Nebraska]]. [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] arrived while the humans were reconnoitering and began an aerial bombardment of the bunker, intending to destroy it. Bumblebee and Ratchet engaged the Decepticons in order to buy the humans time to escape the collapsing bunker. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 4|Infiltration #4}}

The Autobots and humans were leaving the Decepticons to finish their work when an enraged Megatron burst from the buried ruins of the bunker. Thankfully for them, Megatron was more concerned with the treachery of Blitzwing and Skywarp, allowing Ratchet and the others to escape with their lives. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 5|Infiltration #5}} Unwilling to risk their safety further, Ratchet subsequently returned the humans to ''[[Ark-17]]'', where they met the newly arrived Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Ratchet went with the Autobots to investigate Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. There they discovered a heavily shielded "array" that the Decepticons were using as a base. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} There they skirmished with the humans that were assembled outside who were under the influence of the Decepticons' mind-altering [[Psycho-Prism]]. [[Ms. Marvel]] smashed through Ratchet's window and Ratchet subdued her with his driver-side airbag. After throwing off Ms. Marvel, Ratchet was able to attach an inhibitor device to [[Captain America]] which nullified the effects of the Psycho-Prism. He gave Captain America enough devices for everyone on his team. Now calmed down, the two groups teamed up to destroy the Psycho-Prism. They began attacking the array's defenses which caused the Decepticons to attack. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Two}}

During the fight, [[Luke Cage]] and Ratchet discovered a weak spot in the array's defenses and went in. Prowl followed to make sure Ratchet didn't put human interests ahead of Autobot interests, but the human [[Spider-Man]] was held captive inside, so Prowl gave in and let Ratchet and Luke Cage attempt a rescue. The two were surprised by a powered-up Megatron who blasted Ratchet and took Luke Cage hostage. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Three}} Ratchet awoke next to Prowl to find Spider-Man had been freed by [[Doctor Doom]]. Prowl and Ratchet decided to use the Decepticons' [[mirror response mode]] equipment to boost their power with Spider-Man's superhuman abilities. [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]] arrived with Jazz and Bumblebee and suggested they use his abilities instead. They did, then [[orbital jump|orbital bounced]] with Spider-Man back to the battle outside, where their added strength helped defeat Megatron. Wolverine, Jazz, and Bumblebee stayed to destroy the Psycho-Prism. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

[[Image:Sixshot-devastation3a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|I have no idea where that pot came from! I SWEAR!]]

After [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was apparently destroyed by [[Machination|a mysterious human organisation]], Ratchet determined that the wreckage the Autobots recovered was a fake. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Later, Ratchet and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], against orders, accompanied Verity Carlo and [[Jimmy Pink]] to find clues on the missing Sunstreaker's and Hunter's whereabouts while Optimus Prime and the other Autobots went to [[Brasnya]]. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} When the humans set off a trap, the Autobots saved them, though Ironhide was critically injured and Ratchet was forced to abandon him to bring the humans to safety. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

When the Autobots decided to relocate the ''Ark-17'', they were attacked by [[Sixshot]], who downed the ship in mid-flight. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} Ratchet was ordered to take Verity and Jimmy into an escape pod while the rest of the crew piloted the ship into the ocean. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} Sixshot soon found Ratchet and pursued him relentlessly. Ratchet used the distraction provided by some human jet fighters to escape, hiding among an ambulance pool in [[Pensacola]], Florida. Sixshot soon flushed him out, however, and pursued him out of town, forcing Ratchet to abandon Verity and Jimmy for their own safety. When cornered at the water's edge, Ratchet prepared to make a last stand, but was saved by the timely arrival of the other Autobots. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}}

[[Image:Devastation5 Ratchet Jazz.jpg|left|200px|thumb|CLEAR!]]

The humans made their way back to the Autobots to warn them about an air attack by the military, and Ratchet took them with him on an orbital bounce to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. Unfortunately, this killed Verity and Jimmy. {{storylink|Devastation issue 4|Devastation #4}}

Guilt-stricken, Ratchet managed to restart their hearts after more than 5 minutes, though he feared they suffered brain damage. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} Some time later, however, Ratchet was present as the pair were reunited with Hunter. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

A year later, Ratchet and a number of other Autobots were led by Optimus Prime in an attempt to rid Earth of the Decepticons once and for all. Unfortunately, they fell right into a trap, and Ratchet was injured by a shot to the chest. The Autobots were then thrown into a [[space bridge]] leading to the ruins of Cybertron, where the Decepticons hoped the "[[Insecticon swarm|swarm]]" would eat them. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} Whilst hiding from the swarm, Ratchet tended to the critically-damaged Optimus Prime. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 1|All Hail Megatron #1}} After listening to [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]'s tale about how the ''[[Trion]]'' and its crew had crashed on the planet as well, {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}} Ratchet mingled with him and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 6|All Hail Megatron #6}}

Ratchet later checked up on Sunstreaker, telling him that his separation from Hunter had been a complete success, although the human would never be "fully human" again. Their base soon came under attack from the swarm, however, so the other Autobots formed a perimeter around Ratchet and [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] as they fled elsewhere. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 8|All Hail Megatron #8}} At their new base, Ratchet managed to use a [[CR chamber]] to heal his damaged comrades, although he reported to [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] that the chamber could do nothing to improve their declining morale. In addition, he and Wheeljack were still having trouble repairing Optimus Prime, and Ratchet cursed that [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had turned into just another "clown with a gun". Thankfully, they eventually came through and brought Prime back from the brink of death. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}}

Ratchet and the others finally managed to get off Cybertron thanks to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and returned to Earth to continue their fight against the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}} He survived the battle in [[New York City]], and cheered with his comrades as the Decepticons fled the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 12|All Hail Megatron #12}}

Later, Ratchet was part of the rescue party that saved Bumblebee from a military attack after the yellow guy abandoned his cover to save some refugees. After repairing Bumblebee, Ratchet told the mini-bot that they found him by monitoring human radio signals. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 16|Hidden}}

Several years after the fall of Megatron, Ratchet and the Autobots were still operating on Earth. It served as a meeting point for all Autobots who had survived the great purge the Decepticons had orchestrated throughout the galaxy. {{storylink|Spotlight: Prowl}} Not all Autobots were content with the virtually directionless existence Optimus Prime had led them into, however, especially with the human organization known as [[Skywatch]] hunting them and Decepticons alike. Ratchet was present when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] demanded Prime allow him to stage a rescue operation to recover Prowl after he was captured... and afterwards, when Ironhide came back from the mission as a corpse. He witnessed Optimus Prime abdicate his role as leader, and leave the Autobots to surrender to Skywatch. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}}

In the aftermath of Prime's decision, and the subsequent departure of a splinter faction under Hot Rod's command, Ratchet and the others were left in a state of shock. With the war effectively over and the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] missing, the line of succession was no longer clear. The Autobots decided to hold an election to see who their new leader would be. No one was more surprised than Bumblebee when HE turned out to be the new chosen leader. Ratchet quickly stepped up as Bumblebee's second, helping shepherd him into his new role. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Bumblebee's authority was challenged almost immediately by the arrival of [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], but Ratchet did his best to support 'Bee before Magnus took off on a mission of his own. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

Ratchet had his work cut out for him, though. Not only was [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] undermining Bumblebee's authority from the start, Bumblebee himself just couldn't adjust to the role quickly. Still, he supported Bumblebee's decision to form a clandestine alliance with Skywatch through Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who was acting outside his mandate in the hopes of using the Autobots to stop [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and the other Decepticons still loose on Earth. Working in secret with Horiuchi, the Autobots hoped to prove their value and good intentions to Skywatch's higher ups by racking up an impressive number of Decepticon captures. They even began wearing specially-designed Skywatch insignia badges for communication and to mask their activities from Skywatch operatives who weren't "in the loop". After five successful bag-and-tags, however, Horiuchi threw them the first curveball. The Autobots' next target was [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], one of their own who had left after Ultra Magnus's arrival. As Ratchet and the others refused to hunt one of their own, Horiuchi demonstrated a hidden feature of the badges — the ability to forcibly revert the Autobots to vehicle mode at his command. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

Left with no choice, Ratchet and Bumblebee led the Autobots in capturing Blurr. The whole situation was a fiasco, however, and Blurr even fired on Bumblebee during the encounter, damaging his badge. Bumblebee found the courage to defy Horiuchi and refused to turn over Blurr to Skywatch later that day. The colonel tried to mode-lock Bumblebee for his insubordination, but the shot to Bumblebee's badge had rendered it useless. Quick on the uptake, Ratchet whispered to Bumblebee to fake it so Horiuchi didn't realize he'd lost his edge over the Autobot leader. At Ratchet's prompting, the Autobots pretended the damaged badge had left Bumblebee trapped in vehicle mode permanently, despite Horiuchi's attempts to reverse the mode-lock. With Blurr's help, they recovered another Volkswagen Beetle to use as a ringer, allowing Bumblebee to leave the base and seek a solution for their predicament. Because Skywatch was constantly monitoring their vocal output using the badges, Ratchet and the others couldn't even speak a word of encouragement to 'Bee as he set off on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

With Bumblebee on the loose, Ratchet continued the ruse of pretending to cooperate with Colonel Horiuchi and his staff, showing them the malfunctioning "Bumblebee" for examination. Meanwhile, he and Wheeljack kept in touch with the real Bumblebee using a text-only comm signal that wouldn't show up on Skywatch's monitoring. Ratchet was named acting leader of the Autobots while "Bumblebee" was off-line, as he and Wheeljack secretly led the real Bumblebee to [[Sanjay Bharwaney]], creator of the badges' control board. Bumblebee needed access to the board's schematics in order to free his friends, but had to manipulate [[Serena Bharwaney|Bharwaney's young daughter]] into helping him. Ratchet had to comfort Bumblebee through "using" the girl for his own purposes. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

Unfortunately, the rogue Decepticon Skywarp had also learned of the board, and was coming to Bharwaney's to steal it. Ratchet and the other Autobots were forced to blow their cover to rush to Bumblebee's aid. They were too late, however, and Bumblebee was forced to set off an EMP, knocking him and Skywarp off-line while disabling the control board and the badges as well. As Ratchet brought Bumblebee in for repairs, he reluctantly agreed to upgrade his new commander into a more war-like, combat ready body to fit his new duties. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

Soon, Ultra Magnus returned from his scouting mission to challenge Bumblebee's authority again, gathering Ratchet and several other Autobots in the name of the [[Tyrest Accord]] to arrest Hot Rod for colluding with the enemy. Hot Rod's mistake became clear when his "ally", [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], activated a new Decepticon combiner and unleashed it on the Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}} After several Autobots were damaged fighting [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], Ratchet began patching them up as best he could, with the help of Skywatch personnel. He barely finished working on Ultra Magnus before the enforcer stomped off to search for [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. {{storylink|Earthworks}} Following this, the Autobots entered a formal alliance with Skywatch. {{storylink|All His Engines}}

Ratchet was part of an Autobot-Skywatch team sent to [[Las Vegas]] once [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] showed up with an army of [[zombie]]s in tow. They fought with him until he managed to calm them down and explain that they needed to combine their strength in order to destroy the zombie plague. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} Together with Galvatron and his minions, the Autobots banished the undead hordes and their leader, [[Britt]], to the [[Dead Universe]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Ratchet was helping a human technician repair [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] when [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] showed up and asked for the Autobots' help with defeating the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. They accepted, but due to pressure from the [[President of the United States]], they were going to have to do it in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 1: "The Land Ironclads"}} Their initial clash with the Combaticons ended in failure, and Ratchet ended up having to repair [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]]. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}} He took to the front lines in their next attack, during which he attempted to saw off [[Vortex (G1)|Vortex]]'s rotor blades. {{storylink|International Incident Part 3: "Hawk Among the Sparrows"}} The Combaticons were ultimately defeated, but the Autobots' cover had been blown in the process. Sitting over an unconscious Vortex, Ratchet wondered aloud what would happen to the Autobots now that their alliance with Skywatch was public knowledge. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

On the way back from Korea, the plane carrying the Autobots was shot down over the ocean by a returning Megatron. The occupants survived, however, and made it ashore. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 3: Woken Furies}} They rolled out to confront the Decepticon leader near [[Albuquerque]], but Optimus Prime ordered Ratchet and the others to stay back while he went ahead alone to confirm what was going on. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 4: Burning Chrome}} Most of the Autobots remaining in America had been injured by Megatron, or in Bumblebee's case, rioting humans who still mistrusted the Transformers, and so Ratchet had his hands full repairing them all. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}}

After some six weeks of repairs, Ratchet managed to get Bumblebee back to his normal self, though he was left relying on a cane. That same day, the Autobots learned that Cybertron had been restored to a habitable state only to be have fallen under Galvatron's control. They wasted no time in boarding Omega Supreme's rocket mode and leaving Earth to liberate their home. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}}

During the trip, Ratchet aided Perceptor in searching the captured Megatron's body for hidden weapons. He was annoyed by those pesky "laws" that prevented them from just executing their prisoner and also feared his purported ability to syphon [[antimatter]] from [[black hole]]s, but Perceptor dismissed that myth. Later, Ratchet and Wheeljack bet over whether or not Optimus Prime would let them overhear his questioning of Megatron. He wouldn't, and Ratchet walked away 50 [[Shanix]] richer. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}}

{{note|The events of ''Spotlight: Mirage'' possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.}}
Ratchet was with the Autobots hiding out in the [[Pegasus Star Cluster]], with most of the Autobot forces having been defeated. He tended to the seriously wounded Jetfire injuries, and suggested surrender to the Decepticons to save their fellow Autobot's life. When [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (disguised as Bumblebee) and the Decepticons attacked, he attempted to reason with the Decepticon mercenary about Jetfire's condition, only to be attacked for his trouble. After the Autobots surrendered, he was furious when Mirage betrayed his word and prepared to carry out Megatron's order to execute the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Mirage}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
With Optimus Prime in stasis lock, Ratchet and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] appeared to be the co-leaders of the Autobots in the 19th century. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}} Despite [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s pleading, he was reluctant to interfere with the humans, but nevertheless participated in the pursuit of the [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] as it headed to [[New York City|New York]]. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{note|His "[[Ice Age Wars]]" altmode is uncertain, but it clearly has scales and spikes. His 19th-century altmode is a medical boxcar. He may be the very first Transformer depicted with a boxcar altmode, as prior to this, all train-based Transformers were locomotives.}}

{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:RatchetHenkeiTsushima.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"Ma'am, I'm just an SUV—oh, fine."]]
Despite rescuing a girl from a burning building, she had fallen unconscious, so he offered to drive her and her mother to the hospital. Unfortunately, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] was tailing them from above. He would have blasted Ratchet, but Inferno blocked the shot with his fire truck mode, transformed, and then knocked Starscream out of the sky with his water cannon. Thanks to Inferno's help, Ratchet was able to successfully deliver the girl to the hospital.

But Ratchet's work wasn't done, as he had taken note of Inferno's heavy injuries. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

{{-}}
===''Wings Universe''===
Ratchet and a [[Paradron Medic]] tended to [[Dion]]'s injuries following [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]'s rampage. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}} As casualties continued to mount, he and the other medics lamented that they were running out of space to put the patients. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Ratchet could come to his aid when Optimus was broken down. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
====Autobot story====
{{Note|Ratchet was available as a playable character in the Autobot campaign during the second playthrough.}}

====Decepticon story====
{{Note|Ratchet appeared among the legion of Autobot duplicates in the Decepticon campaign.}}

===''Transformers G1: Awakening''===
{{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{charstubfiction}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ratchettoyg1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Why's everything so dark in here?]]
* '''Ratchet''' (1984/1986/1990/2001/2007)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''99'''
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: Ratchet was originally a Onebox Ambulance Type toy from [[Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line before [[Hasbro]] brought ''Transformers'' to North America. The toy transforms from an ambulance to a robot and [[Onebox component|gun-station]]. A [[variant]] of the toy includes red crosses on the top and sides of the vehicle. Ratchet and his [[retool]]/[[redeco]] buddy [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]], like all Diaclones, were designed to be piloted mecha, which is why he has a seat instead of a head. The Transformers version applied a face [[sticker]] to the back of the seat in lieu of a real sculpted noggin.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in multiple offers, including the [[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction (G1)|Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]] flier packed with most boxed ''Transformers'' toys. He cost $8 and two [[Robot Point]]s.

: In Japan, Ratchet was originally only available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail-away, costing 1700 yen and 4 robot points. In 2001, he was reissued in Japan as an [[e-HOBBY]] [[exclusive]], paired with Ironhide.

:[[Image:Encoretoy-Ratchetwithhead.jpg|left|thumb|100px|This looks... better?]]

: In mid-December 2007, he was reissued again as part of Takara's Transformers Encore line. This particular version came with an illustration on one box flap depicting Ratchet's cartoon-design head and chest windshield. By punching out the image along the perforated edges, folding it just so and tucking it in behind the toy's windshield, one could give the toy a "real" head, just like in the TV series, instead of using the Diaclone-original windshield face sticker. Sort of. This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the mobile platform's gun-base, designed to keep Ratchet more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ratchet/ratchet.htm More information on Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
{{anchor|EmergencyGreen}}

[[Image:Encoreratchetemergencygreen.jpg|right|250px|thumb|To the Mystery Machine, gang!]]
* '''Ratchet Emergency Green''' (2008)
**''Accessories'': "Static Laser Gun", gun connector, 3 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the original toy (well, the retooled Encore version) which [[homage]]s [[Ratchet (Movie)|the live-action movie Ratchet]], Ratchet Emergency Green is a Japanese mail-away exclusive available with a purchase of the book ''[[Transformers Visualworks]]''. After the book release on December 4, 2007, purchasers could mail in a ticket from the book and purchase either one (5200yen) or two (10,000 yen) of the item. Ratchet shipped to customers in April 2008. He comes in the same packaging as the regular Encore release, including packaging images, instructions, and the same white-headed cardboard torso punch-out.

: He's totally awesome.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/EmergencyGreenRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Emergency Green Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RatchetDiE.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Maybe photographing him against a white backdrop wasn't such a great idea.]]
* '''Autobot Ratchet & Flareup''' (2005)
**''Accessories'': Lightbar/blaster

: One of two "souvenir" packages [[exclusive]] to [[BotCon 2005]], Ratchet is a retooling of the ''[[Transformers: Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' Autobot [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]] with a new head, transforming into a large utility van. In robot mode, his lower vehicle portion becomes a [[Onebox component|mobile battle/repair platform]]. Ratchet can fold his legs back and up over his shoulders (wow!) and re-attach to this platform for a "battle mode". In this, ahem, ''position'', Ratchet can also form the top half of a two-robot "Powerlinx combiner" with any ''Energon'' Deluxe Autobot, and any of them can also use his platform for their own combination.

: The mold's standard "receiver dish" weapon was not produced; instead, he came with a new "light bar" that pegged onto his roof in much the same manner.

: He could only be purchased in an at-show "souvenir" two-pack along with [[Flareup (Timelines)|Flareup]]. This mold was also used to make [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] for the same convention.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCRatchet/ratchet.htm More information on BotCon Ratchet at TFU.info]''

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkeitoy-Ratchet.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Surprise, I'm colored like the cartoon!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-14'''
**''Accessories:'' Converting Cannon

: A [[redeco]] and [[retool]] of the [[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|2008 ''Universe'']] [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide toy]], ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' Ratchet transforms into an "emergency" SUV. He has a red Japanese-style emergency lightbar, is cast in bright white plastic and has a deco resembling Ratchet's appearance in the original cartoon series, down to his dark gray head crest. Like all ''Henkei'' toys, he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metalized]] plastic, specifically his headlights and taillights, as well as his "Converting Cannon" weapon. Unlike his ''Universe'' counterpart, the [[license plate]] is blank. The lightbar was also used for ''Henkei! Henkei!'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Henkei! Henkei!|Alert]].

{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Ratchet25toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|No, not ''[[Ratchet (Universe)|that]]'' Universe Ratchet.]]
*'''Autobot Ratchet''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Series:'' Generation 1 Series
**''Accessories:'' Medical Dispenser/Combat Blade

: Like ''Henkei'' Ratchet, ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' Ratchet is a redeco and retooling of the ''Universe'' Ironhide toy, and transforms into an "emergency" SUV, cast in pearlescent white plastic with a rather generic "Ratchet" deco. He sports the American-style emergency lightbar previously used for ''Universe'' [[Prowl (G1)/toys#Universe (2008)|Prowl]] (and later used again for ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' [[Red Alert (G1)#Generations|Red Alert]]) cast in translucent blue plastic (as opposed to ''Henkei! Henkei!'' Ratchet's differently sculpted red Japanese-style emergency lightbar).

:While similar in execution, there are a great many changes from Henkei Ratchet to Universe Ratchet. The red paint detailing on Universe Ratchet is different than that of Henkei Ratchet in color and layout. The Henkei version's stripes resemble that more of his original counterpart, while the Universe version resemble that of his ''[[Ratchet (Animated)|Animated]]'' version. Henkei Ratchet uses chrome paint on his weapon and both sets of lights while the Universe version leaves them unpainted. Gray paint covers Henkei Ratchet's gun barrel and silver on his upper chest (behind the chest window), these parts remain unpainted on Universe Ratchet. The paint used for the windows of Universe Ratchet is a light blue while Henkei Ratchet uses a deeper metallic blue paint. Universe Ratchet has black forearms and upper thighs, while the Japanese version uses a pure white (different from the white used throughout the rest of the figure). Universe Ratchet has a yellow [[license plate]] (which reads [[The Pri¢e of Life!|H3L PU2]]) and red head crest, while Henkei Ratchet has a blank gray plate and gray head crest. Universe Ratchet features a blue blade on his weapon, while Henkei Ratchet features a red blade. Universe Ratchet also features a lighter red plastic than the Henkei version.

:Like ''Universe'' Ironhide, the blue paint used for his opaque windows matches ''really'', '''''really''''' badly with his translucent blue plastic windows.
This mold was retooled into SG [[Sir Soundwave]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TFURatchet/ratchet.htm More information on Universe Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|TakaraDecoy}}
[[Image:G1-toy DecoyRatchet.jpg|right|thumb|Ratchet cosplaying as Ironhide, or Ironhide cosplaying as Ratchet? You, the viewer, decides!]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ratchet was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

{{anchor|HasbroDecoy}}

*'''Ratchet''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': '''6'''

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ratchet game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Ratchet/ratchet.htm More information on Decoy Ratchet at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:SCF-Act6-Ratchet.jpg|right|thumb|Super-action pose doctor!]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2002)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ratchet was available in "Act 6" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line, a slight retooling of the Ironhide figurine with a new head and "gun"-hand (despite the fact that their two [[character model]]s are not quite identical). Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a metallic silver "pewter" version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the pewter version of Ratchet came packaged with the left leg of the wave's [[Grand Maximus]] collectable "build-a-figure".

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Ratchet''' (2003)

: Ratchet's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ratchet was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Part of the fifth and final wave of ''Heroes of Cybertron'', Ratchet was, unlike the Japanese figure, sold on an indivudual blister card and came packaged with the right leg of the [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".

{{--}}
===Transformers Mini-Bust===
[[Image:Ratchet-DiamondSelectstatue.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Your choice of head! His choice of medical tools.]]
*'''Ratchet''' (2009)

: Released by [[Diamond Select Toys]] in 2009, Ratchet was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. The bust continues the tradition of giving all Ratchet merchandise (but not toys) the [[wikipedia:International_Committee_of_the_Red_Cross|red cross]] insignia on their shoulders to better match the Animation model. Ratchet's Bio credits him and Wheeljack with creating the [[Dinobot_(G1)#Cartoon_continuity|Dinobots]]; effectively making him the cartoon version but he comes packaged with two heads for do-it-yourself retconning. Comic accurate red helmet with white chevron, or the cartoon accurate white helmet with grey chevron. Fans of the Universe 2.0 version (white helmet, red chevron) will have to buy some red paint when they pick their bust up. Three tools are also included with the Bust. One slightly resembling the [[power booster rod]], the other a Cybertronian version of an [[wikipedia:otoscope|otoscope]] and the third is some sort of medical gear shaft. They are not sculpted on nor do they possess a magnet and are simply lodged in his hands for display.

{{-}}
==Notes==
[[Image:G1RatchetSexchange.jpg|thumb|250px|So Ratchet basically avoided becoming part of the ''Girls Gone Wild'' cast. Good on her. Er, him.]]
[[Image:BC2011HoFRatchetArt.jpg|thumb|250px|Bork bork bork - wait, no, that's Sweden...]]
*[[Bob Budiansky]] has said that he named Ratchet after the less-friendly medic Nurse ''Ratched'' from ''[[wikipedia:Ratched|One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest]]''.
*Ratchet never really showed his party animal spirit in Marvel, outside of the start of "Warrior School". Budiansky gives two answers for why: "1) in the comic book stories, he always found himself in situations too serious to allow his party personality to emerge. 2) I screwed up and forgot I had written that as part of his profile. I prefer to go with answer number 1."<ref>[http://www.metalmachine.net/blog/2009/11/21/todds-take-with-bob-budiansky-the-architect-of-the-transformers/ Budiansky interview at Metal Machine]</ref>
*In the Shout! Factory Matrix of Leadership Special Edition DVD set, an interview with Bob Budiansky features close-ups of his original character notes for several characters, Ratchet being one of them. Oddly, his handwritten notes refer to Ratchet as "her" and the Autobots' "go-to gal" for repairs. While this obviously was not the final direction the character took, it is an odd [[Ratchet (Animated)#Notes|coincidence]]... and a fact that makes the early nicknames "Cool Hand Lube" and "Greasefinger" ''even more embarrassing''.
*In a '''different''' gender-related coincidence, the French [[Diaclone]] release of Ratchet, "Ambulance", was referred to as female in one of [[Joustra]]'s [http://www.tf-1.com/articles/pretf/joustraamb_template.html pack-in minicomics].
*In later years, toys sporting the name "Ratchet" require an additional "Autobot" prefix for [[trademark]] reasons, hence making the official name "'''Autobot Ratchet'''".
* Ratchet's original toy is part of a matrix of cross-referencing [[redeco]]s:
** In 2008, the original 1984 Ratchet mold got a green redeco as "Ratchet Emergency Green" in obvious reference to [[Ratchet (Movie)|his movie counterpart]].
** Meanwhile, the movie counterpart's toys got a red and white "Rescue Ratchet" redeco... based on the original colors of the 1984 toy.
** Elsewhere, [[Ratchet (Animated)|''Animated'' Ratchet]] includes elements from both characters, including Generation 1 Ratchet's chevron crest and coloration. (''Animated'' Ratchet later got a movie-based "Rescue Ratchet" redeco, to boot.)
* The Hall of Fame banner that was outside the Pasadena Civic Auditorium during [[BotCon 2011]] depicted Ratchet with inverted shoulder colors. While ostensibly done to avoid the legal wrath of the Red Cross organization, it suggests that Ratchet has either suddenly become Christian and/or decided to align himself with Switzerland.

{{-}}

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Ratchet''' (ラチェット ''Rachetto'')
*''Czech:'' '''Zdravotník'''
*''French:'' '''Mécano''' (Canada)
*''Hungarian:'' '''Racsni'''
*''Italian:'' '''Doc'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Alavanca''' (Portugal comics), '''Trinco''' (Brazil comics, "Lock")
*''Russian:'' '''Chrapovick''' (cartoon, Храповик, "Ratchet")

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ratchet Ratchet's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Beast Wars Autobots]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Ironhide (G1)/toys

2011-12-28T05:45:33Z

120.28.179.2: /* Classic Series */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{suite}}

[[Image:Ironhideg1.jpg|thumb|250px|This is what Ironhide's toys have never looked like.]]

You have reached '''[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s toy page!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Ironhide''' (1984/1991/2001)[[Image:G1 Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sit on my face and tell me that you love me.]]
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''98'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Ironhide was part of the original assortment of [[Autobot]] cars released in 1984, transforming into a red Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette and sharing his mold with the contemporaneously released [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Ironhide splits when he transforms, with most of the rear section of his van mode transforming into a [[Onebox component|battle platform]], and the remainder becoming his rather misshapen, headless robot form. The robot can mount onto the battle platform, which is armed with a raising missile launcher and front-mounted "Static Laser Gun". Unusually for toys of this period, the Static Laser Gun can actually store when Ironhide is in vehicle mode, plugging into his undercarriage (although the missiles for his launcher and the peg required to attach the laser don't go anywhere).

:As with all his fellow Autobot Cars from that year, Ironhide's mold derived from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line, a series which was ''not'' about sentient robots, but rather human-controlled machines. The Ironhide and Ratchet molds are the ones that most clearly show evidence of this: in place of a head, these toy robots had chairs behind windscreens where the human rider would control the robot. The figures did include [[sticker]]s to go over these seats that depicted a sort of robot face, but when Ironhide and Ratchet's [[character model]]s were created for ''Transformers'' media, they did away with all traces of the human-controlled design to give the robots proper faces and heads, ultimately creating the two designs which were the most far-removed from the toys on which they were ostensibly based.

:The stripe on the side of his vehicle mode (a sticker on the toy) is actually based on a special edition of the Nissan Cherry Vanette. On the real vehicle, the rear section (which is black on the toy's sticker) is actually the sliding rear door rail.<ref name="stripe">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-general-discussion/438046-g1-ironhides-stripes-explained.html "G1 Ironhide's Stripes...EXPLAINED!"] at TFW2005</ref>

: For unknown reasons, Ironhide was the only Autobot Car not released by Takara as part of their original retail line in any form (while Ratchet was not available at retail, he was available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail away item). Ironhide was reissued in Europe as part of their "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1990, and finally released in Japan from [[e-Hobby]] in 2001. It would be released again (and redecoed) as part of Takara's ''[[Encore]]'' series in 2007; see [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Encore|below]] for details.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2Gobot Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not a Gateway.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: Part of the second wave of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] focusing on Generation 1 characters, Ironhide transforms into a silver Ford F150 Flareside pickup truck. Using through-axle construction for his wheels, he is compatible with most "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" play sets and tracks.

: The mold is a [[redeco]] of ''Generation 2'' Go-Bots toy [[Motormouth]], and was later redecoed into the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]], the ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Autobot [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]], and the second ''Universe'' incarnation of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Go-Bot Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|PowerMaster}}
[[Image:G2Powermaster Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Both robot mode and vehicle mode at once!]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Power Master, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: ''[[Power Master]]'' Ironhide was one of the last toys in the ''Generation 2'' line, and was only released in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Oddly, the Australia and New Zealand releases were in US packaging, complete with [[Hasbro]]'s Rhode Island address.

: Ironhide (barely) transforms from a grey camouflaged Humvee into a dorky robot. His main gimmick is his "Power Master" pull-back motor, which you use by pulling back on his motorized rear wheels, then placing one of his guns into one of the holes above the doors, which releases a catch and allows him to zip along a smooth surface.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/IronhideEur/ironhide.htm More information on Power Master Ironhide at TFU.info]
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Ironhide-bw-magnaboss-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yes, this Alien-faced monstrosity certainly screams out "G1 Ironhide"! Who could possibly think otherwise?!]]
*'''Magnaboss''' (Ultra, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: Ironhide transforms from an elephant via a rather complex process involving numerous hinges and unfolding panels into a rather stumpy robot. Although dumpy, he is nothing if not well-armed: he has a flip-out spike at the end of each arm, and comes with two removable guns that flip out from behind his elephant mode ears, and which can be plugged into the holes at the ends of his arms. Ironhide is packaged with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], and combines with them to form his [[Magnaboss]]. Ironhide forms the bulk of the combiner's mass, including all four limbs.

:The Magnaboss toy included no information about its three components beyond their names. In 2007, [[IDW Publishing]] decided to retroactively establish that the trio were the ''Generation 1'' characters of the same names, and included this revelation in their ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''.

: Ironhide was slightly redecoed to create [[Santon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Beast Wars Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:TimelinesIronhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Red, red, and also red.]]
*'''Descent into Evil''' (Multi-figure boxset, 2005)
**''Accessories:'' Fold out gun/radar energon weapon, BotCon 2005 pin

: A [[BotCon 2005]] convention exclusive, ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' Ironhide was only available in the ''[[Descent into Evil]]'' boxset. He is a [[retool]] and redeco of ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]], with a newly sculpted head resembling his Generation 1 animation model. Like his original toy, Ironhide splits from a van into a robot mode and a [[Onebox component|battle sled]], each featuring [[powerlinx]] ports that allow them to combine with any other compatible Deluxe or Mega from the ''Energon'' toyline; Ironhide himself forms the "torso" in such a combination (armed with small guns that flip out from his feet to become over-shoulder blasters), while his battle sled becomes the "legs" for another robot. Because of his unusual design, Ironhide can powerlinx with his own battle sled. Ironhide is armed with a translucent blue [[Energon weapon]] that can fit in his fist in robot mode, mount on his battle sled, and transform into a radar array to mount on top of his van mode.

: Ironhide's retooled mold was also used for ''Timelines'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Timelines Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===

[[Image:Encoretoy-Ironhidewithhead.jpg|right|thumb|His head problem just became a shoulders problem.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

: Ironhide's original Generation 1 toy was made available again in mid-December 2007 as part of Takara's ongoing ''[[Encore]]'' line of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]]. This version was distinguished by the inclusion of a "head" of sorts for the figure: one of the toy's box flaps featured an illustration of Ironhide's cartoon-design head and chest windshield which could be punched out along its perforated edges, and then slotted behind the toy's windshield. This hid the "chair-face" of the original toy and gave Ironhide his cartoon face... at the cost of making his arms appear to grow out of his waist.

:This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the [[Onebox component|mobile platform's]] gun-base, designed to keep Ironhide more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go. Additionally, like the original Japanese release of the figure (but [[for safety reasons|unlike Hasbro's version]]), the missile launcher now fires.
{{-}}
{{anchor|black}}
[[Image:G1toy protect black ironhide.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Protect Black Ironhide''' (2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Tied in to Ironhide's ''Encore'' reissue was e-Hobby's [[exclusive]] "New Year Special" [[redeco]] of the figure: Protect Black Ironhide. The toy was priced at 4725 yen, and pere-orders were taken until [[January 11|January 11th]] 2008, with a shipping date of April 2008.

:The new [[bio]] accompanying the release of the toy notes that Ironhide acquired this protective black coating to disguise himself from both Decepticons and members of the [[human]] criminal underworld, to better allow him to do his job as Optimus Prime's bodyguard. The other Autobots joke that he looks like a stereotypical "Men in Black" vehicle, but Ironhide insists he got the idea from black pickups trucks he saw around town. The coating, a composite gel metal, has made his trithyllium steel skin even more durable, allowing him to self-repair minor injuries right away, and his robot and mobile artillery forms are now 25% more maneuverable than before. The bio also gives a name to the "mode" that consists of Ironhide standing atop his artillery platform, dubbing it his "Marauder Mode".

:[http://www.e-hobby.co.jp/cgi-bin/omc?port=33301&tno=11964126283JGBV&req=PRODUCT&code=tfe27 According to e-Hobby], the black coloration is meant to [[homage]] the original ''Diaclone'' toy which became Ironhide, but between the release of Emergency Green Ratchet and the bio's reference to black pickup trucks, it's easy to see this is also an homage to [[Ironhide (Movie)|the new live-action movie Ironhide]]. The packaging is the same as the regular TF Encore Ironhide's.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/ProtectBlackIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Protect Black Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)[[Image:Universe 2008 Ironhide Toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hey, I found my head!]]
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

: As the first new-mold Ironhide toy designed to resemble the original character, ''Universe'' Ironhide transforms into a red SUV. He is armed with a double-ended "Converting Cannon" weapon, which deploys a translucent melee blade from one end, and a gatling cannon from the other, meant to emulate Ironhide's arm-mounted "[[water gun]]" weapon from Generation 1 fiction. His chest features an [[Automorph]]-like gimmick that sees mechanical detailing raise up behind his chestplate when his bumper is lowered. He has an [[Oregon]] [[license plate]], and was the first new ''Universe'' figure to have [[package art]] that wasn't burdened with [[dull surprise]].

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.

:Ironhide is not without a few problems. Pictures of a hand-painted prototype of the toy released by Hasbro showed Ironhide with silver paint on his wheels and face, but when the finished figure was released, this silver has disappeared: his wheels were left unpainted, and his face was now the same light blue as his painted windows (which, in turn, matched very poorly with the translucent plastic used for the rest of his windows). While Hasbro noted that the figure would feature a [[running change]] that saw the face painted in the correct silver, no such change occurred.

:There is also an engineering defect in the figure. Due to a combination of three places on the figure having too much plastic, Ironhide's head does not rise enough and it ends up looking like he's hanging his head in shame. However, with some heavy tinkering, the head can be raised to a more level, straight position[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transtopia-fix-universe-20-ironhides-low-self-esteem/14298/]. Why nobody picked up on them during the developmental phase of production is a mystery.

: This mold was retooled to make ''Universe'' and ''[[Henkei]]'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], surprising absolutely no one, AND Timelines' Botcon 2012 [[Sir Soundwave]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Universe Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He still has the head, and the stripe too.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-11'''
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' Ironhide is a redeco of ''Universe'' Ironhide, with a view to making him far more accurate to his original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] appearance. To this end, a generally darker shade of red plastic and lighter gray plastic are used. Additionally, the blue paint used for his opaque windows are a better match to his transparent blue windows than on Hasbro's ''Universe'' toy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, Ironhide features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver for his headlights, brake lights and his Converting Cannon housing.

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[Image:Ironhide decoy.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ironhide was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

*'''Ironhide''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': 7

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ironhide game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Decoy Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:Ironhide_scf_pvc.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2001)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ironhide was available in the third "act" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a colorless clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the full-color version of Ironhide came packaged with the left leg of the wave's collectable [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] "build-a-figure".

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Ironhide''' (2003)

: Ironhide's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ironhide was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Unlike the Japanese version, he was sold separate on a blister card.
{{--}}

===Hard Hero===
*'''Ironhide''' (2002)

[[Image:HardHero G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Go, Simba! Join the circle of life!]]
: This cold-cast porcelain 6-inch tall bust was sculpted by Jason Ray, and is based very heavily upon Ironhide's cartoon appearance. A signed artist's proof version was available, limited to 100 pieces.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[Image:Ironhide-atx.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Signal Lancer]] would soon rethink teaming up with Ironhide.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Booster, <strike>2007</strike>)

: Ironhide was likely to have been one of several ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' Booster pieces. Though displayed as part of the ''Attacktix'' display at the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.

{{canceledattacktix}}

{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:DiamondSelect G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Proof that EVERY Wave 1 Autobot had a shoulder cannon.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2009)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Ironhide was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. This detailed bust is based on Ironhide's (you guessed it) cartoon/comic model, but with much more detailing and with elements of his toy design. These include his vehicle sled's missile launcher mounted on his shoulder, his wielding of his sled's static laser gun and his original Diaclone "face" being present behind his windshield. In addition to the missile launcher being removable his open left hand can be replaced with a hand gripping his cartoon pistol for two handed "chop busting."

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
*'''Ironhide and Kickback''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroesironhidekickback.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Stop copying me!" "Stop copying me!"]]
:This adorably happy figurine of Ironhide is ready to pound his packmate [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] into metal filings. He features articulation in his neck and shoulders.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Robot Heroes Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* The black ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Ironhide was sold by [[Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-2" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.
* [[Sir Soundwave]]'s Earth mode is based on Ironhide's [[Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'' Classics Series]] toy.

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ironhide Ironhide's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Ironhide (G1)/toys

2011-12-28T05:45:08Z

120.28.179.2: /* Classic Series */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{suite}}

[[Image:Ironhideg1.jpg|thumb|250px|This is what Ironhide's toys have never looked like.]]

You have reached '''[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s toy page!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Ironhide''' (1984/1991/2001)[[Image:G1 Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sit on my face and tell me that you love me.]]
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''98'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Ironhide was part of the original assortment of [[Autobot]] cars released in 1984, transforming into a red Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette and sharing his mold with the contemporaneously released [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Ironhide splits when he transforms, with most of the rear section of his van mode transforming into a [[Onebox component|battle platform]], and the remainder becoming his rather misshapen, headless robot form. The robot can mount onto the battle platform, which is armed with a raising missile launcher and front-mounted "Static Laser Gun". Unusually for toys of this period, the Static Laser Gun can actually store when Ironhide is in vehicle mode, plugging into his undercarriage (although the missiles for his launcher and the peg required to attach the laser don't go anywhere).

:As with all his fellow Autobot Cars from that year, Ironhide's mold derived from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line, a series which was ''not'' about sentient robots, but rather human-controlled machines. The Ironhide and Ratchet molds are the ones that most clearly show evidence of this: in place of a head, these toy robots had chairs behind windscreens where the human rider would control the robot. The figures did include [[sticker]]s to go over these seats that depicted a sort of robot face, but when Ironhide and Ratchet's [[character model]]s were created for ''Transformers'' media, they did away with all traces of the human-controlled design to give the robots proper faces and heads, ultimately creating the two designs which were the most far-removed from the toys on which they were ostensibly based.

:The stripe on the side of his vehicle mode (a sticker on the toy) is actually based on a special edition of the Nissan Cherry Vanette. On the real vehicle, the rear section (which is black on the toy's sticker) is actually the sliding rear door rail.<ref name="stripe">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-general-discussion/438046-g1-ironhides-stripes-explained.html "G1 Ironhide's Stripes...EXPLAINED!"] at TFW2005</ref>

: For unknown reasons, Ironhide was the only Autobot Car not released by Takara as part of their original retail line in any form (while Ratchet was not available at retail, he was available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail away item). Ironhide was reissued in Europe as part of their "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1990, and finally released in Japan from [[e-Hobby]] in 2001. It would be released again (and redecoed) as part of Takara's ''[[Encore]]'' series in 2007; see [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Encore|below]] for details.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2Gobot Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not a Gateway.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: Part of the second wave of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] focusing on Generation 1 characters, Ironhide transforms into a silver Ford F150 Flareside pickup truck. Using through-axle construction for his wheels, he is compatible with most "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" play sets and tracks.

: The mold is a [[redeco]] of ''Generation 2'' Go-Bots toy [[Motormouth]], and was later redecoed into the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]], the ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Autobot [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]], and the second ''Universe'' incarnation of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Go-Bot Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|PowerMaster}}
[[Image:G2Powermaster Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Both robot mode and vehicle mode at once!]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Power Master, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: ''[[Power Master]]'' Ironhide was one of the last toys in the ''Generation 2'' line, and was only released in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Oddly, the Australia and New Zealand releases were in US packaging, complete with [[Hasbro]]'s Rhode Island address.

: Ironhide (barely) transforms from a grey camouflaged Humvee into a dorky robot. His main gimmick is his "Power Master" pull-back motor, which you use by pulling back on his motorized rear wheels, then placing one of his guns into one of the holes above the doors, which releases a catch and allows him to zip along a smooth surface.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/IronhideEur/ironhide.htm More information on Power Master Ironhide at TFU.info]
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Ironhide-bw-magnaboss-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yes, this Alien-faced monstrosity certainly screams out "G1 Ironhide"! Who could possibly think otherwise?!]]
*'''Magnaboss''' (Ultra, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: Ironhide transforms from an elephant via a rather complex process involving numerous hinges and unfolding panels into a rather stumpy robot. Although dumpy, he is nothing if not well-armed: he has a flip-out spike at the end of each arm, and comes with two removable guns that flip out from behind his elephant mode ears, and which can be plugged into the holes at the ends of his arms. Ironhide is packaged with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], and combines with them to form his [[Magnaboss]]. Ironhide forms the bulk of the combiner's mass, including all four limbs.

:The Magnaboss toy included no information about its three components beyond their names. In 2007, [[IDW Publishing]] decided to retroactively establish that the trio were the ''Generation 1'' characters of the same names, and included this revelation in their ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''.

: Ironhide was slightly redecoed to create [[Santon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Beast Wars Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:TimelinesIronhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Red, red, and also red.]]
*'''Descent into Evil''' (Multi-figure boxset, 2005)
**''Accessories:'' Fold out gun/radar energon weapon, BotCon 2005 pin

: A [[BotCon 2005]] convention exclusive, ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' Ironhide was only available in the ''[[Descent into Evil]]'' boxset. He is a [[retool]] and redeco of ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]], with a newly sculpted head resembling his Generation 1 animation model. Like his original toy, Ironhide splits from a van into a robot mode and a [[Onebox component|battle sled]], each featuring [[powerlinx]] ports that allow them to combine with any other compatible Deluxe or Mega from the ''Energon'' toyline; Ironhide himself forms the "torso" in such a combination (armed with small guns that flip out from his feet to become over-shoulder blasters), while his battle sled becomes the "legs" for another robot. Because of his unusual design, Ironhide can powerlinx with his own battle sled. Ironhide is armed with a translucent blue [[Energon weapon]] that can fit in his fist in robot mode, mount on his battle sled, and transform into a radar array to mount on top of his van mode.

: Ironhide's retooled mold was also used for ''Timelines'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Timelines Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===

[[Image:Encoretoy-Ironhidewithhead.jpg|right|thumb|His head problem just became a shoulders problem.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

: Ironhide's original Generation 1 toy was made available again in mid-December 2007 as part of Takara's ongoing ''[[Encore]]'' line of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]]. This version was distinguished by the inclusion of a "head" of sorts for the figure: one of the toy's box flaps featured an illustration of Ironhide's cartoon-design head and chest windshield which could be punched out along its perforated edges, and then slotted behind the toy's windshield. This hid the "chair-face" of the original toy and gave Ironhide his cartoon face... at the cost of making his arms appear to grow out of his waist.

:This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the [[Onebox component|mobile platform's]] gun-base, designed to keep Ironhide more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go. Additionally, like the original Japanese release of the figure (but [[for safety reasons|unlike Hasbro's version]]), the missile launcher now fires.
{{-}}
{{anchor|black}}
[[Image:G1toy protect black ironhide.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Protect Black Ironhide''' (2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Tied in to Ironhide's ''Encore'' reissue was e-Hobby's [[exclusive]] "New Year Special" [[redeco]] of the figure: Protect Black Ironhide. The toy was priced at 4725 yen, and pere-orders were taken until [[January 11|January 11th]] 2008, with a shipping date of April 2008.

:The new [[bio]] accompanying the release of the toy notes that Ironhide acquired this protective black coating to disguise himself from both Decepticons and members of the [[human]] criminal underworld, to better allow him to do his job as Optimus Prime's bodyguard. The other Autobots joke that he looks like a stereotypical "Men in Black" vehicle, but Ironhide insists he got the idea from black pickups trucks he saw around town. The coating, a composite gel metal, has made his trithyllium steel skin even more durable, allowing him to self-repair minor injuries right away, and his robot and mobile artillery forms are now 25% more maneuverable than before. The bio also gives a name to the "mode" that consists of Ironhide standing atop his artillery platform, dubbing it his "Marauder Mode".

:[http://www.e-hobby.co.jp/cgi-bin/omc?port=33301&tno=11964126283JGBV&req=PRODUCT&code=tfe27 According to e-Hobby], the black coloration is meant to [[homage]] the original ''Diaclone'' toy which became Ironhide, but between the release of Emergency Green Ratchet and the bio's reference to black pickup trucks, it's easy to see this is also an homage to [[Ironhide (Movie)|the new live-action movie Ironhide]]. The packaging is the same as the regular TF Encore Ironhide's.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/ProtectBlackIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Protect Black Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)[[Image:Universe 2008 Ironhide Toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hey, I found my head!]]
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

: As the first new-mold Ironhide toy designed to resemble the original character, ''Universe'' Ironhide transforms into a red SUV. He is armed with a double-ended "Converting Cannon" weapon, which deploys a translucent melee blade from one end, and a gatling cannon from the other, meant to emulate Ironhide's arm-mounted "[[water gun]]" weapon from Generation 1 fiction. His chest features an [[Automorph]]-like gimmick that sees mechanical detailing raise up behind his chestplate when his bumper is lowered. He has an [[Oregon]] [[license plate]], and was the first new ''Universe'' figure to have [[package art]] that wasn't burdened with [[dull surprise]].

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.

:Ironhide is not without a few problems. Pictures of a hand-painted prototype of the toy released by Hasbro showed Ironhide with silver paint on his wheels and face, but when the finished figure was released, this silver has disappeared: his wheels were left unpainted, and his face was now the same light blue as his painted windows (which, in turn, matched very poorly with the translucent plastic used for the rest of his windows). While Hasbro noted that the figure would feature a [[running change]] that saw the face painted in the correct silver, no such change occurred.

:There is also an engineering defect in the figure. Due to a combination of three places on the figure having too much plastic, Ironhide's head does not rise enough and it ends up looking like he's hanging his head in shame. However, with some heavy tinkering, the head can be raised to a more level, straight position[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transtopia-fix-universe-20-ironhides-low-self-esteem/14298/]. Why nobody picked up on them during the developmental phase of production is a mystery.

: This mold was retooled to make ''Universe'' and ''[[Henkei]]'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], surprising absolutely no one, AND Timelines' Botcon 2012 [[Sir Soundwave.]]
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Universe Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He still has the head, and the stripe too.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-11'''
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' Ironhide is a redeco of ''Universe'' Ironhide, with a view to making him far more accurate to his original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] appearance. To this end, a generally darker shade of red plastic and lighter gray plastic are used. Additionally, the blue paint used for his opaque windows are a better match to his transparent blue windows than on Hasbro's ''Universe'' toy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, Ironhide features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver for his headlights, brake lights and his Converting Cannon housing.

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[Image:Ironhide decoy.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ironhide was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

*'''Ironhide''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': 7

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ironhide game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Decoy Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:Ironhide_scf_pvc.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2001)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ironhide was available in the third "act" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a colorless clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the full-color version of Ironhide came packaged with the left leg of the wave's collectable [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] "build-a-figure".

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Ironhide''' (2003)

: Ironhide's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ironhide was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Unlike the Japanese version, he was sold separate on a blister card.
{{--}}

===Hard Hero===
*'''Ironhide''' (2002)

[[Image:HardHero G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Go, Simba! Join the circle of life!]]
: This cold-cast porcelain 6-inch tall bust was sculpted by Jason Ray, and is based very heavily upon Ironhide's cartoon appearance. A signed artist's proof version was available, limited to 100 pieces.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[Image:Ironhide-atx.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Signal Lancer]] would soon rethink teaming up with Ironhide.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Booster, <strike>2007</strike>)

: Ironhide was likely to have been one of several ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' Booster pieces. Though displayed as part of the ''Attacktix'' display at the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.

{{canceledattacktix}}

{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:DiamondSelect G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Proof that EVERY Wave 1 Autobot had a shoulder cannon.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2009)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Ironhide was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. This detailed bust is based on Ironhide's (you guessed it) cartoon/comic model, but with much more detailing and with elements of his toy design. These include his vehicle sled's missile launcher mounted on his shoulder, his wielding of his sled's static laser gun and his original Diaclone "face" being present behind his windshield. In addition to the missile launcher being removable his open left hand can be replaced with a hand gripping his cartoon pistol for two handed "chop busting."

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
*'''Ironhide and Kickback''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroesironhidekickback.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Stop copying me!" "Stop copying me!"]]
:This adorably happy figurine of Ironhide is ready to pound his packmate [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] into metal filings. He features articulation in his neck and shoulders.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Robot Heroes Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* The black ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Ironhide was sold by [[Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-2" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.
* [[Sir Soundwave]]'s Earth mode is based on Ironhide's [[Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'' Classics Series]] toy.

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ironhide Ironhide's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Ironhide (G1)/toys

2011-12-28T05:44:32Z

120.28.179.2: /* Classic Series */

{{factions|autobot}}
{{suite}}

[[Image:Ironhideg1.jpg|thumb|250px|This is what Ironhide's toys have never looked like.]]

You have reached '''[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s toy page!

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''Ironhide''' (1984/1991/2001)[[Image:G1 Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Sit on my face and tell me that you love me.]]
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''98'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Ironhide was part of the original assortment of [[Autobot]] cars released in 1984, transforming into a red Nissan Onebox Cherry Vanette and sharing his mold with the contemporaneously released [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Ironhide splits when he transforms, with most of the rear section of his van mode transforming into a [[Onebox component|battle platform]], and the remainder becoming his rather misshapen, headless robot form. The robot can mount onto the battle platform, which is armed with a raising missile launcher and front-mounted "Static Laser Gun". Unusually for toys of this period, the Static Laser Gun can actually store when Ironhide is in vehicle mode, plugging into his undercarriage (although the missiles for his launcher and the peg required to attach the laser don't go anywhere).

:As with all his fellow Autobot Cars from that year, Ironhide's mold derived from [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Diaclone]]'' line, a series which was ''not'' about sentient robots, but rather human-controlled machines. The Ironhide and Ratchet molds are the ones that most clearly show evidence of this: in place of a head, these toy robots had chairs behind windscreens where the human rider would control the robot. The figures did include [[sticker]]s to go over these seats that depicted a sort of robot face, but when Ironhide and Ratchet's [[character model]]s were created for ''Transformers'' media, they did away with all traces of the human-controlled design to give the robots proper faces and heads, ultimately creating the two designs which were the most far-removed from the toys on which they were ostensibly based.

:The stripe on the side of his vehicle mode (a sticker on the toy) is actually based on a special edition of the Nissan Cherry Vanette. On the real vehicle, the rear section (which is black on the toy's sticker) is actually the sliding rear door rail.<ref name="stripe">[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-general-discussion/438046-g1-ironhides-stripes-explained.html "G1 Ironhide's Stripes...EXPLAINED!"] at TFW2005</ref>

: For unknown reasons, Ironhide was the only Autobot Car not released by Takara as part of their original retail line in any form (while Ratchet was not available at retail, he was available as a [[S.T.A.R.S.]] mail away item). Ironhide was reissued in Europe as part of their "[[Classics (Europe)|Classics]]" line in 1990, and finally released in Japan from [[e-Hobby]] in 2001. It would be released again (and redecoed) as part of Takara's ''[[Encore]]'' series in 2007; see [[Ironhide (G1)/toys#Encore|below]] for details.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1984/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Generation 2===
[[Image:G2Gobot Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not a Gateway.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Go-Bot, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: Part of the second wave of [[Go-Bot (G2)|Go-Bots]] focusing on Generation 1 characters, Ironhide transforms into a silver Ford F150 Flareside pickup truck. Using through-axle construction for his wheels, he is compatible with most "Hot Wheels" and "Matchbox" play sets and tracks.

: The mold is a [[redeco]] of ''Generation 2'' Go-Bots toy [[Motormouth]], and was later redecoed into the ''[[Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Spy Changer]] [[Ironhide (RID)|Ironhide]], the ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Autobot [[Ironhide (Universe)|Ironhide]], and the second ''Universe'' incarnation of [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Go-Bot Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
{{anchor|PowerMaster}}
[[Image:G2Powermaster Ironhide.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Both robot mode and vehicle mode at once!]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Power Master, 1995)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: ''[[Power Master]]'' Ironhide was one of the last toys in the ''Generation 2'' line, and was only released in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Oddly, the Australia and New Zealand releases were in US packaging, complete with [[Hasbro]]'s Rhode Island address.

: Ironhide (barely) transforms from a grey camouflaged Humvee into a dorky robot. His main gimmick is his "Power Master" pull-back motor, which you use by pulling back on his motorized rear wheels, then placing one of his guns into one of the holes above the doors, which releases a catch and allows him to zip along a smooth surface.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1995/Autobot/IronhideEur/ironhide.htm More information on Power Master Ironhide at TFU.info]
{{-}}

===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Ironhide-bw-magnaboss-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yes, this Alien-faced monstrosity certainly screams out "G1 Ironhide"! Who could possibly think otherwise?!]]
*'''Magnaboss''' (Ultra, 1997)
**''Accessories:'' 2 guns

: Ironhide transforms from an elephant via a rather complex process involving numerous hinges and unfolding panels into a rather stumpy robot. Although dumpy, he is nothing if not well-armed: he has a flip-out spike at the end of each arm, and comes with two removable guns that flip out from behind his elephant mode ears, and which can be plugged into the holes at the ends of his arms. Ironhide is packaged with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], and combines with them to form his [[Magnaboss]]. Ironhide forms the bulk of the combiner's mass, including all four limbs.

:The Magnaboss toy included no information about its three components beyond their names. In 2007, [[IDW Publishing]] decided to retroactively establish that the trio were the ''Generation 1'' characters of the same names, and included this revelation in their ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]''.

: Ironhide was slightly redecoed to create [[Santon]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Beast Wars Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:TimelinesIronhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Red, red, and also red.]]
*'''Descent into Evil''' (Multi-figure boxset, 2005)
**''Accessories:'' Fold out gun/radar energon weapon, BotCon 2005 pin

: A [[BotCon 2005]] convention exclusive, ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' Ironhide was only available in the ''[[Descent into Evil]]'' boxset. He is a [[retool]] and redeco of ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]]'' [[Tow-Line (Energon)|Tow-Line]], with a newly sculpted head resembling his Generation 1 animation model. Like his original toy, Ironhide splits from a van into a robot mode and a [[Onebox component|battle sled]], each featuring [[powerlinx]] ports that allow them to combine with any other compatible Deluxe or Mega from the ''Energon'' toyline; Ironhide himself forms the "torso" in such a combination (armed with small guns that flip out from his feet to become over-shoulder blasters), while his battle sled becomes the "legs" for another robot. Because of his unusual design, Ironhide can powerlinx with his own battle sled. Ironhide is armed with a translucent blue [[Energon weapon]] that can fit in his fist in robot mode, mount on his battle sled, and transform into a radar array to mount on top of his van mode.

: Ironhide's retooled mold was also used for ''Timelines'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Autobot/BCIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Timelines Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Encore===

[[Image:Encoretoy-Ironhidewithhead.jpg|right|thumb|His head problem just became a shoulders problem.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

: Ironhide's original Generation 1 toy was made available again in mid-December 2007 as part of Takara's ongoing ''[[Encore]]'' line of [[Generation 1 reissues|reissues]]. This version was distinguished by the inclusion of a "head" of sorts for the figure: one of the toy's box flaps featured an illustration of Ironhide's cartoon-design head and chest windshield which could be punched out along its perforated edges, and then slotted behind the toy's windshield. This hid the "chair-face" of the original toy and gave Ironhide his cartoon face... at the cost of making his arms appear to grow out of his waist.

:This version of the toy was [[retool]]ed to add a pair of "clips" to the [[Onebox component|mobile platform's]] gun-base, designed to keep Ironhide more securely attached when riding it. However, these clips are right where a pair of decals normally go. Additionally, like the original Japanese release of the figure (but [[for safety reasons|unlike Hasbro's version]]), the missile launcher now fires.
{{-}}
{{anchor|black}}
[[Image:G1toy protect black ironhide.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Protect Black Ironhide''' (2008)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''05'''
**''Accessories:'' "Static Laser Gun", gun post, 3 missiles

:Tied in to Ironhide's ''Encore'' reissue was e-Hobby's [[exclusive]] "New Year Special" [[redeco]] of the figure: Protect Black Ironhide. The toy was priced at 4725 yen, and pere-orders were taken until [[January 11|January 11th]] 2008, with a shipping date of April 2008.

:The new [[bio]] accompanying the release of the toy notes that Ironhide acquired this protective black coating to disguise himself from both Decepticons and members of the [[human]] criminal underworld, to better allow him to do his job as Optimus Prime's bodyguard. The other Autobots joke that he looks like a stereotypical "Men in Black" vehicle, but Ironhide insists he got the idea from black pickups trucks he saw around town. The coating, a composite gel metal, has made his trithyllium steel skin even more durable, allowing him to self-repair minor injuries right away, and his robot and mobile artillery forms are now 25% more maneuverable than before. The bio also gives a name to the "mode" that consists of Ironhide standing atop his artillery platform, dubbing it his "Marauder Mode".

:[http://www.e-hobby.co.jp/cgi-bin/omc?port=33301&tno=11964126283JGBV&req=PRODUCT&code=tfe27 According to e-Hobby], the black coloration is meant to [[homage]] the original ''Diaclone'' toy which became Ironhide, but between the release of Emergency Green Ratchet and the bio's reference to black pickup trucks, it's easy to see this is also an homage to [[Ironhide (Movie)|the new live-action movie Ironhide]]. The packaging is the same as the regular TF Encore Ironhide's.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Cybertron/ProtectBlackIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Protect Black Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
====Classic Series====
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)[[Image:Universe 2008 Ironhide Toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Hey, I found my head!]]
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

: As the first new-mold Ironhide toy designed to resemble the original character, ''Universe'' Ironhide transforms into a red SUV. He is armed with a double-ended "Converting Cannon" weapon, which deploys a translucent melee blade from one end, and a gatling cannon from the other, meant to emulate Ironhide's arm-mounted "[[water gun]]" weapon from Generation 1 fiction. His chest features an [[Automorph]]-like gimmick that sees mechanical detailing raise up behind his chestplate when his bumper is lowered. He has an [[Oregon]] [[license plate]], and was the first new ''Universe'' figure to have [[package art]] that wasn't burdened with [[dull surprise]].

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.

:Ironhide is not without a few problems. Pictures of a hand-painted prototype of the toy released by Hasbro showed Ironhide with silver paint on his wheels and face, but when the finished figure was released, this silver has disappeared: his wheels were left unpainted, and his face was now the same light blue as his painted windows (which, in turn, matched very poorly with the translucent plastic used for the rest of his windows). While Hasbro noted that the figure would feature a [[running change]] that saw the face painted in the correct silver, no such change occurred.

:There is also an engineering defect in the figure. Due to a combination of three places on the figure having too much plastic, Ironhide's head does not rise enough and it ends up looking like he's hanging his head in shame. However, with some heavy tinkering, the head can be raised to a more level, straight position[http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/transtopia-fix-universe-20-ironhides-low-self-esteem/14298/]. Why nobody picked up on them during the developmental phase of production is a mystery.

: This mold was retooled to make ''Universe'' and ''[[Henkei]]'' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], surprising absolutely no one, AND Timelines' Botcon 2012 [[Shattered Glass Soundwave.]]
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/TFUIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Universe Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei Ironhide toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He still has the head, and the stripe too.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Deluxe, 2008)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-11'''
**''Accessories'': Converting Cannon

:''[[Henkei! Henkei! (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]] Transformers'' Ironhide is a redeco of ''Universe'' Ironhide, with a view to making him far more accurate to his original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]] appearance. To this end, a generally darker shade of red plastic and lighter gray plastic are used. Additionally, the blue paint used for his opaque windows are a better match to his transparent blue windows than on Hasbro's ''Universe'' toy. As with all ''Henkei'' toys, Ironhide features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum-metallized]] silver for his headlights, brake lights and his Converting Cannon housing.

:Although the instructions indicate that Ironhide's weapon should be attached by flipping his hand to the side of his wrist (as in transformation) and fitting the weapon over the naked wrist, the hand can in fact be made to fit inside the weapon with some careful jiggling.
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Decoy===
[[Image:Ironhide decoy.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
* '''Cybertron Hero Collection 22''' (Decoy multi-pack, 1985)

: In Japan, a red rubber mini-figure of Ironhide was available in part of a [[Decoy|massive multi-pack of similar mini-figurines]]. The number etched into his back is the sum total of his [[tech spec]] ratings, as these figurines were used as game pieces for a variety of ''Transformers'' board games in which this number had some meaning to how the game was played or something.

*'''Ironhide''' (Decoy, 1987)
**''Decoy number'': 7

: The [[Hasbro]] [[Decoy]] release of the Ironhide game piece is almost identical to the Japanese version, except the number on his back is a simple "checklist" number. Like all Autobot Decoys, he was a randomly-chosen pack-in available with the carded [[Throttlebot]]s, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/Decoys/Ironhide/ironhide.htm More information on Decoy Ironhide at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:Ironhide_scf_pvc.jpg|right|150px|thumb]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2001)

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ironhide was available in the third "act" of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full color figure and a colorless clear plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, the full-color version of Ironhide came packaged with the left leg of the wave's collectable [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] "build-a-figure".

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Ironhide''' (2003)

: Ironhide's ''Super Collection Figure'' PVC was released the following year by Hasbro as part of their ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]'' line. Like all the figures in the series, Ironhide was given a [[light-piping]] gimmick by being cast entirely in translucent blue plastic then painted everywhere except on his eyes and the back of his head. Unlike the Japanese version, he was sold separate on a blister card.
{{--}}

===Hard Hero===
*'''Ironhide''' (2002)

[[Image:HardHero G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Go, Simba! Join the circle of life!]]
: This cold-cast porcelain 6-inch tall bust was sculpted by Jason Ray, and is based very heavily upon Ironhide's cartoon appearance. A signed artist's proof version was available, limited to 100 pieces.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
[[Image:Ironhide-atx.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Signal Lancer]] would soon rethink teaming up with Ironhide.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (Booster, <strike>2007</strike>)

: Ironhide was likely to have been one of several ''Transformers [[Attacktix]]'' Booster pieces. Though displayed as part of the ''Attacktix'' display at the ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]]'' "Celebration IV" convention, he —and all the other pieces revealed at the show— were ultimately never released.

{{canceledattacktix}}

{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:DiamondSelect G1Ironhide bust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Proof that EVERY Wave 1 Autobot had a shoulder cannon.]]
*'''Ironhide''' (2009)

:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Ironhide was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. This detailed bust is based on Ironhide's (you guessed it) cartoon/comic model, but with much more detailing and with elements of his toy design. These include his vehicle sled's missile launcher mounted on his shoulder, his wielding of his sled's static laser gun and his original Diaclone "face" being present behind his windshield. In addition to the missile launcher being removable his open left hand can be replaced with a hand gripping his cartoon pistol for two handed "chop busting."

{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
*'''Ironhide and Kickback''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroesironhidekickback.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Stop copying me!" "Stop copying me!"]]
:This adorably happy figurine of Ironhide is ready to pound his packmate [[Kickback (G1)|Kickback]] into metal filings. He features articulation in his neck and shoulders.

::*[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Autobot/RHIronhide/ironhide.htm More information on Robot Heroes Ironhide at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
* The black ''[[Diaclone]]'' version of Ironhide was sold by [[Takara]] in North America as the ''[[Diakron]]'' "DK-2" Car/Robot in 1983, seemingly just a few months before he would be rebranded as a Transformer.
* [[Sir Soundwave]]'s Earth mode is based on Ironhide's [[Universe (2008 franchise)|''Universe'' Classics Series]] toy.

==External links==
*[http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Ironhide Ironhide's Universe profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Combiners]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Go-Bots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Dion (G1)

2011-12-27T00:35:32Z

120.28.179.2: /* Wings Universe */

{{factions|autobot|eliteguard}}
:''Dion is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[Image:Diong1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Anyone ever tell you that you look just like Wheelie? No? Oh. How about Hot Shot?]]
'''Dion''' is an earnest dock worker and best friend to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]]. His is a simple life of manual labor, and he does not give a second thought to the stories that a war may be brewing around him. What ''does'' interest him are those [[Decepticon|new-fangled flying robots]]. Maybe someday he'll get to meet them...?

==Fiction==
===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Corey Burton]] (English), [[Ken Shiroyama]] (Japanese)

Nine million years ago, near the end of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s [[Golden Age]], it was Dion's job to haul energy and supplies in and out of [[storage yard 67|the dock]] in which he worked. There were murmurs of attacks from new, flying robots, but he didn't believe those rumours.

[[Image:Dionvehicle.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Cybertron's "Golden Age" was a pretty literal title, if you look.]]

Dion was honored to meet the leader of these enigmatic warriors, [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], until Megatron revealed his plan to rob their dock of its [[energon]] stockpiles and ordered the [[Transport drone|Decepticons]] to attack. Witnessing Megatron strike down Orion and [[Elita One|Ariel]], another friend and Orion's girlfriend, Dion ran (seemingly straight towards the attacking Decepticon warriors for reasons unclear), but was quickly mowed down by a shot in his chest.

The time-traveling [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] carried Orion Pax to [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] for repairs, and Dion's friend was rebuilt into Optimus Prime. Drones were sent back to retrieve Ariel, but Dion's fate is uncertain. {{storylink|War Dawn}}
{{--}}

===''Wings Universe''===
[[Image:BattleLines1-DionOrionAriel.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Don't you hate it when your life is narrated by [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]]?]]
In a similar but divergent timeline, Dion definitely survived Megatron's raid on [[storage yard 67]], but just barely. Once reactivated and rebuilt top to bottom (with the help of [[Cop-Tur (G1)|Cop-Tur]]), he was approached by [[Sentinel Major]] and [[Magnum]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}} Now fully knowledgeable of the extent of Megatron's evil, Dion signed away his life to the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]], believing he'd lost everything he'd known to war. Dion was assigned to [[Metalhawk]]'s team, he and determined to fight Decepticons by any means necessary.

Dion's new twin flame launchers utilize a "[[Reverse-Higgs mechanism]]" to "decouple energy from matter", which makes things very destructible. Though rebuilt, he can still modify his arms to accommodate the need to carry heavy objects, a skill he possessed as a dock worker. Unfortunately, his new shoulders kind of lock up, which restricts his arms' movement. {{storylink|Wings of Honor|Dion's Wings Universe profile}}

[[Image:ComingStorm2-Dion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Nobody wants [[BotCon 2005]]'s Virulent Clones, not even Dion!]]

On Dion's first mission, he, his commander Metalhawk, and his teammates [[Over-Run (G1)|Over-Run]] and [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] allied with [[Thunder Clash]]'s Elite Guard team to fight a plague of [[Virulent Clone]]s. Getting covered with [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] goop was not exactly what Dion had in mind for his first foray into action, but nevertheless the clones were defeated.

They all relaxed for a bit, until a call from [[Magnum]] bleeped over Thunder Clash's comm, informing them that Metalhawk's squad had to ferry Thunder Clash's squad to [[Space Port Bravo]] straightaway. Dion and [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] helped load their gear onto the ''[[Hawk's Claw]]'', then they disembarked.

Once at the spaceport, the two squads bid their goodbyes. Kup told Dion that he'd make sure to share any stories he came across with the "lad". When Dion reacted to the nickname by pointing out Kup wasn't ''that'' much older, Kup said it was just the first time he got to meet a younger Elite Guard member.

After Thunder Clash's squad left, Dion's squad speculated where they'd end up next. The others expressed a wish for something quiet, and Dion teased them that ''he'' actually looked forward to getting to beat up Decepticons. When Over-Run chastised Dion's eagerness by asking if the younger bot had ever seen a Decepticon up close, Dion stalked off angrily, much to Over-Run and Ironfist's confusion.

The squad eventually reboarded their ship and headed to Elite Guard HQ. There they were highly praised for their performance by Magnum, and assigned to a new mission—assisting a [[Combaticon (G1)|new special ops team]] in attacks against the various [[Decepticon leader]]s. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}}

Dion was unimpressed with [[Sentinel Major]]'s play-on-words: Combaticons "to ''Combat'' the Decepti''cons''", but let the matter drop as the two units reported to Comm Officer [[Big Bang]] for their next mission. The two teams were being assigned to a civilian historical dig in [[Median]] to assist in demolition and excavation, as part of Magnum's ongoing efforts to curry favor with the civilian council (and keep them from interfering in more serious Guard business).

The diplomatic cakewalk soon turned out to be anything but. The historians expected to be under siege soon by a gang of Decepticon wannabes, who wanted the prize of their research: an urn containing the [[Heart of the Dragon]]. According to uncovered data, the Heart was apparently a spark of unprecedented innate power, able to reformat any normal Cybertronian form it resided in into a living engine of destruction. Dion and the Elite Guard had been requested in order to bolster the meager defensive fortifications that Security Chief [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] had assembled for the historians.

As they prepped the outer wall for attack, Dion engaged in a little star-gazing, dreamily recollecting stories of the [[Covenant]] he had heard as a protoform, like when [[Leonicus]] and [[Sandstorm (BW)|Scorpius]] battled the dreaded [[ice demon]]. Dion drew a few funny looks from his comrades, though, when he started mumbling aloud about how cool Scorpius's fire-breath was. Once the Guard finished their preparations, they separated into two groups to settle in for the Decepticon attack. Dion was teamed with Metalhawk, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], Over-Run, and the eager historian [[Lancer]] as the second front. After [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]'s team wasted [[Roadgrabber]], the Decepticons' advance striker, Dion's unit got the drop on [[Rage]] and the [[Stormtrooper (G1)|Stormtrooper]]s who followed through after Roadgrabber. Rage surprised Metalhawk with his stasis chemical cannon, though, and the Stormtroopers swooped past Dion and the Guard once their leader was rendered inoperative.

The defense of Median turned into a fiasco after that, with casualties on both sides as the archaeometrist [[Glyph (G1)|Glyph]] was killed by one of Rage's raiders, [[Aquablast]], who was killed in turn by Lancer. Rage got away with the Heart, though, and the Elite Guard soon tracked him back to his mobile fortress, the [[Metrotitan (Zone)|Metrotitan]]. The Guard were assaulted by Rage's stable of [[Minotoron]]s, cybernetic mechanimals of great size and poor disposition. Dion came up with the idea of using the Tressian Kajiga-whatsits Swindle have scavenged earlier to overwhelm [[Buffalo Dump]] and the bulls with amplified sound. His plan was successful and the Minotorons were sent retreating back to the Metrotitan.

Thinking quickly, Dion, Swindle and Blast-Off lept into the rear pails of the fleeing mechanimals, gaining quick and easy access inside the Metrotitan. Using his duro lifters and booster units, Dion broke out of the pens and helped his fellow Autobots make their way inside. By this point, however, Rage had already installed the Heart of the Dragon's laser-core in a new body, birthing the powerful (if micro-sized) [[Brimstone (G1)|Brimstone]]. The Elite Guard played cat-and-mouse with the dragon inside Metrotitan until a combination of Ironfist's explosives cache and the dragon's own atom-smashing flame breath destroyed Brimstone from the inside out. {{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}

Dion's strike team continued to work with the Combaticons over the following weeks, and the two groups began to gel well together. After several successful missions, they separated after eliminating the Decepticon faction leader, [[Shadowcaster]]. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}} Immediately the Combaticons disappeared, and Dion's team was ordered to try to hunt them down wherever they may be. Their search took them into some very unglamorous places, which Dion felt was a waste of time. He complained to Metalhawk that their search in the wastelands was a waste of time, which his commander agreed with, but reminded him was nevertheless an order. It was then that the team was approached by a demented Empty which spoke cryptically of a "coming storm" where "rain will fall down" and the "thunder will deafen you" and where the "lightning will burn." After a bit of this, Dion's team grew weary of the Empty and left him.

[[Image:ComingStorm6-thelightning.jpg|left|thumb|300px|But who'll bring the potato salad?]]

But the Empty spoke true. Sentinel Major sent their team a distress call, as their Elite Guard headquarters was under attack. Metalhawk ordered his team back to base, where they met up with [[Ricochet (Timelines)|Ricochet]] on the outer skirts of the battle. He showed them a video feed of the battle's epicenter, where, bogglingly, the Combaticons had switched their allegiance to the Decepticons and had sieged the Elite Guard. Dion remarked that the group looked a little different than before, and, sure enough, the reason for this was revealed when the five Combaticons combined for the first time into the super robot [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], crushing Sentinel Major to death in his mighty fist. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 5}}

Metalhawk led Dion and the others deep into the battle to assist the dwindling members of the Elite Guard. Dodging the flung body of [[Crosscut (Autobot)|Crosscut]], Dion finally made it to Bruticus, who was massacring his opponents. His teammates Over-Run and Ironfist met their end at his hands, which prompted Metalhawk to consider retreating and regrouping. Dion disagreed. He was a member of the Elite Guard! They fight and never retreat! He vaulted himself onto Bruticus in vehicle mode, transformed, and then repurposed the prophesy of the deranged Empty as he fired his arm-mounted weapons into the super robot's face: "While your boots ''may'' thunder, brute... I have the ''lightning''!" Bruticus was blinded, forcing the combiner to separate, but not before he swatted Dion away, under a collapsing building. While the Combaticons retreated, Dion removed himself from the detritus, the lone survivor. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 6}}

Following the massacre, Dion was repaired by [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Paradron Medic]]. (Dion was unaware that his personal story was being used elsewhere [[Side Burn (G1)|by an imposter]] to pick up chicks.) When Dion regained functionality, he regrouped with the few surviving members of the Elite Guard under Magnum, who planned to present them all to the [[Autobot High Council]] as living proof that the Elite Guard still had life in it. Unfortunately, as soon as they arrived in the [[Autobot High Council Citadel|Citadel]], they were witness to the reins of the new Autobot military being given instead to the Council's pet hero, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}}

Magnum took his team looking for [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s base, though Dion thought it felt like they were doing something illegal. They stopped off at the Elite Guard [[Auxiliary Weapons Locker]] for weapons and to pick up a few extra members. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}} In short order, they found themselves under attack from Deathsaurus's troops, including the Combaticons. Thunder Clash told them to keep the Combaticons apart, something Dion thought was easier said than done. He was further perturbed when Swindle tried to sell him guns in mid-battle. As the Combaticons formed Bruticus, they were promptly blasted and Dion could only gape disbelievingly at {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}} Ironfist, Big Bang, [[Rumbler (G1)|Rumbler]] and [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]]. To Dion's delight, they'd survived the massacre at Elite Guard HQ. Once they joined the fight, Dion attempted to attack Swindle, only to be hit from behind by another Decepticon. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

Back at base, he, Big Bang and Thunder Clash wondered why the [[Gyronian Sentry|Gyronian Sentry Team]] hadn't arrived with the Combaticons yet, only to discover that the Sentry Team had been AWOL for the last decacycle. A week later, he interrupted a conversation between Magnum and Optimus Prime to report that the Decepticons were massing at the edge of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] city. He and the two commanders watched in shock as [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] broke through the city wall. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}

{{spoiler|Battle Lines, Part 6|December 31, 2011}}

[[Image:BattleLines6-DionMagnum.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm dyin' here!]]

Devastator advanced effortlessly through the Autobot Ranks. Dion was a quick thinker and suggested everyone aim at Devastator's knees. This separated the titan, and Magnum commended his excellent strategy, adding that some day Dion would be a "great Magnum." Even with Devastator down, the Autobots still had Megatron to deal with. With a blast of his fusion cannon, he destroyed Magnum and would have also destroyed Optimus Prime if Dion hadn't taken the shot for meant for him.

Though both Magnum and Dion fell, the Autobots were ultimately victorious. In the wake of their victory, Alpha Trion did what he could for Magnum and Dion, but he told Optimus Prime only one of them could survive their wounds. One died and the other was rebuilt into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Considering the debate on what happened to Dion before when it was announced he was never rebuilt into anyone, it is possible that Dion died and Magnum was rebuilt. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

{{--}}

==Who is Dion?==
===Fan speculation===
[[Image:DieDionDie.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Nobody ever suggests the purple guy got rebuilt. Poor purple guy.]]
Orion Pax and Ariel were rebuilt into Optimus Prime and Elita One respectively, so for decades many fans speculated that Dion was also rebuilt into a familiar character. However, there are no hints within the episode itself, other than that Dion was Orion's best friend. Regardless, the fandom loves its patterns, and thus the most popular suggestions are [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]].

Some think the debate is irrelevant, believing Dion most likely dead and inconsequential, and possibly a casualty that hit close to home in Optimus Prime's early years as [[Supreme Commander|Autobot leader]]. After all, no specific mention is made of him in the episode after he is shot, but Ariel is mentioned repeatedly.

The reason for this is that writer [[David Wise]] originally intended for both Ariel and Dion to die in order to add some weight to the episode. Upon reading the script for "War Dawn", colleagues of Wise made the connection between Ariel and Elita One (a character whom David Wise did not know of) as love interest of Orion Pax/Optimus Prime.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040806162116/iesb.net/collecting/collecting63004.htm Interview with David Wise]</ref> This saved Ariel's life in the final product, as it was an obvious idea to have her rebuilt into a soldier alongside Orion. Any similar connection for Dion was never made, though the resulting conclusion on his fate in the episode gets into the realm of [[authorial intent]].<ref name="Moonbase2">[http://moonbase2.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=553015 Moonbase2 interview with David Wise]</ref>

===Other continuities===
In later years, many unrelated or tangentially related [[Continuity|continuities]] would include nods and references to the [[personal canon|fan theories]] about Dion's ultimate fate:

* In the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (cartoon)|''Robots in Disguise'']] episode "[[Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!]]", it's stated that [[Alpha Trion (RID)|Alpha Trion]] built both [[Optimus Prime (RID)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (RID)|Ultra Magnus]], a likely nod to the Generation 1 cartoon.
* In the [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|comic]] "[[New World Order]]", Ultra Magnus leads [[Security Team Dion]], another nod.
* In the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|comic]] [[Megatron Origin issue 3|''Megatron Origin'' #3]], a robot that is a hybrid of the "Orion Pax" and "Optronix" designs appears listening to [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]]'s speech at the funeral of [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]]. Standing with him are Elita One, Alpha Trion, and a white version of himself. This may be a reference to the proposed Orion-Ariel-Dion/Optimus-Elita-Magnus identifications.
* In the Dreamwave ''[[Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' reference books it is mentioned in Alpha Trion's profile that he shares a "special bond" with both Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime. This is possibly a hint that he rebuilt Ultra Magnus as well, given that his bond with Optimus began when he rebuilt him and as a result, Optimus looked up to him as a father figure.

''However'', because all of these [[easter egg]]s take place in different continuities from the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon series]], they are not directly relevant.

Special mention should be made of the ''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' sub-franchise ''[[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]]''. As the franchise's storyline occurs in a continuity that is "VERY similar to [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original G1 toon]], though it is different enough to allow us some leeway in the overall story telling,"<ref>[http://www.transformersclub.com/members/transforum/msgs.cfm?forum=22&msg=125826 Collectors' Club forum thread]</ref> it may have more relevance to the question of Dion's identity than other continuities. This story at first makes the wild assertion that Dion is... Dion. However, in "[[Battle Lines, Part 6]]", both Dion and another robot, Magnum, are killed, and the story leaves the question of which of the two would become Ultra Magnus ambiguous. As a result, the question of "Who is Dion?" becomes instead "Who is Ultra Magnus?" Well played, [[Fun Publications]], well played.

===The official word===
In ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II]]'', an "Ask [[Vector Prime]]" section dealt with the problem by ducking the question. When asked if Dion was rebuilt into anyone, the enigmatic cosmic entity replied "Which Dion? Celine Dion? I loved ''[[Titanic]]''."

Twenty-five years after the episode aired, [[Hasbro]] weighed in on the question. When asked point-blank what Dion's fate was in an [[Hasbro Q&A|online Q&A]] session, their response included the following unequivocal statement: "Dion was never rebuilt into any other character."<ref>[http://www.tfviews.com/news/main/hasbro-q-and-a/1024 TFviews June 2010 Hasbro Transformers Q&A]</ref>

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1-toy Dion.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Friend shot, left to rot; Ultra Magnus, he was not.]]
*'''Orion Pax''' (E-Hobby, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''67'''

: Dion is an ''extensively''-painted [[redeco]] of the [[Mini Vehicle]] [[Wheelie (G1)#Toys|Wheelie]], transforming into a yellow and blue Cybertronic car. His windshield and wheels are cast in transparent plastic, as opposed to the original toy's opaque gray plastic.

: He came packaged with Orion Pax and [[Roller (G1)|Barrelroller]] as part of an [[e-HOBBY]]-[[exclusive]] multi-pack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/Dion/dion.htm More information on Dion at TFU.info]
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/OrionPax/orionpax.htm Orion Pax at TFU.info] for the one sentence that makes up Dion's profile
{{--}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-Dion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|'''FREE ORANGE HOT SHOT''']]
*'''Dion''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories'': Left & right tailpipe-cannons, 2 "flame" missiles

: Elite Guard Dion is a redeco of ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' [[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] (itself a retool of ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Hot Shot (Armada)/toys#Universe (2008)|Hot Shot]]) in orange and blue, transforming from a sleek Audi TT-like hot rod sports car into a fully poseable robot. He comes with "[[Micromaster]]" [[Cop-Tur (G1)|Cop-Tur]], a redeco of the [[gang-molding|gang-molded]] [[Mini-Con]] [[Jolt (Armada)#Universe (2008)|Jolt]], plus two springloaded flamethrowers. In robot mode, these flamethrowers can be mounted on his forearms or pegged into his fists. In vehicle mode, they plug under the vehicle as dual exhaust pipes. Cop-Tur can plug into the back of Dion's vehicle mode spoiler or on Dion's shoulder via his [[Mini-Con]] connection point.

:[[Image:Timelinestoy-Diondurolifters.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Dion doesn't have shoulder pain, but carpal tunnel.]]

:Dion's [[bio]] (though not his instructions) also officialized an extra feature originally conceived by fans while playing with the Hot Shot version of the figure: the two chunks of car kibble on his shoulders can be popped off and pegged into the holes in his forearms, creating a pair of "boxing glove"-like fist-weapons. In Dion's case, the bio identifies these as "duro-lifters" used for his warehouse work.

: Dion was free to all [[Transformers Collectors' Club]] members who joined before the end of [[March 16]]th 2010. He was the first club exclusive freebie to ditch the small Club Membership card in favor of a larger bio card more in line with those that accompany [[BotCon]] exclusives.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Autobot/TFCCDion/dion.htm More information on Dion at TFU.info]''

{{--}}
==Notes==
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dion''' (ダイオン ''Daion'')

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://s90690880.onlinehome.us/jhiaxus/uscartoon/dion.htm Dion at Obscure Transformers]

[[Category:e-Hobby]]
[[Category:Elite Guard]]
[[Category:Fan Club exclusives]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Magnum

2011-12-27T00:35:23Z

120.28.179.2: /* Wings Universe */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Magnum is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers: Wings Universe|Wings Universe]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[Image:Magnum.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Magnus]]'s brother from another mother.]]
Originally, '''Magnum''' never wanted to be in a leadership position, but his years in the [[Autobot Military Academy]] installed a need within him to prove himself capable. He's demonstrated his leadership skills time and time again, even (and especially) when leadership meant leading by example. Now that he's moved up the ranks to the [[Autobot High Council]], the only part of his job that he truly resents is the political deadlock that keeps him from being as quick to act as he'd prefer. He believes his [[Cybertron Elite Guard]], given true autonomy, is the best answer to the rise in Decepticon activity, rather than Council member [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]'s mostly symbolic (he feels) "[[Prime (rank)|Prime]]" initiative.

Despite being a capable warrior, Magnum is seen mostly behind his desk. Due to his frustration with politics, he delegates most of his duties to [[Sentinel Major]], and occasionally retaliates against the political machine by giving surprisingly impulsive orders.

Magnum transforms into a "Haughty Hauler" that carries long-range missile launchers.

==Fiction==
===''Wings Universe''===
Long ago, in the opening stages of the Cybertronian civil war, Magnum and the rest of Autobot High Command were keeping an eye on a handful of unorganized rogues called the [[Decepticon]]s. But when they suddenly found themselves a [[Megatron (G1)|leader]], everything changed. Magnum feared that things had already begun to escalate into war. Things got even worse when the ''[[Van De Graaff]]'' was shot down over [[Beta-Nine]], putting its [[Matrix of Leadership|precious cargo]] at risk. Fearing the Decepticons had done the deed and may soon recover the cargo, Magnum contacted the Autobot ship closest to Beta-Nine, the ''[[Eight Track (G1)|Eight Track]]''. He ordered its crew to recover the cargo at any cost!

The crew of the ''Eight Track'' succeeded, and to reward them for their bravery, Magnum inducted the four of them into the Elite Guard, a new unit that Autobot High Command had recently assembled. See, the war had officially begun... {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}

[[Image:EliteGuardCombaticons TheComingStorm2.jpg|left|thumb|300px|And he's a great judge of character.]]

Fifteen years later, Magnum contacted Thunder Clash with information on his team's next mission. After [[Metalhawk]]'s team escorted Thunder Clash's team to [[Space Port Bravo]], the former group returned to [[Elite Guard Headquarters]] for briefing. Magnum and Sentinel Major met them on the landing pad, where Magnum praised Metalhawk's team for their excellence despite their relative newness. Because of their proven abilities, Metalhawk paired them with another new team, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s, on a mission to attack the believed leaders of the Decepticon uprising. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 2}} Magnum assigned the teams to aid an archaeological team. Afterwards, he was somewhat skeptical of the reports turned in by the two teams, and assigned them a new mission in [[Praxium]]. {{storylink|Flames of Yesterday}}

Metalhawk reported on the success of another mission to Magnum. {{storylink|The Coming Storm: Part 3}} Sentinel Major reported to Magnum that he'd sent the Stealth Team on a mission to deal with [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]. Magnum was pleased with the progress in dealing with the myriad Warlords, but not with the recent capture of the Combaticons by Decepticon forces. He sidelined Metalhawk's team, believing that Metalhawk may have been compromised as a result. {{storylink|A Team Effort}}

Following the deaths of most of the Elite Guard at the hands of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], the giant which [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] had turned the Combaticons into, Magnum gathered the remaining guardsmen at the [[Autobot High Council Citadel]]. His intention was to show the [[Autobot High Council]] that the Elite Guard was still their primary line of defense, but instead he found that the Council was appointing [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] the leader of a new military. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 1}} Undaunted, he got permission from sympathetic council members to take the remaining guard on a mission to find and eliminate Deathsaurus. They stopped by the [[Auxiliary Weapons Locker]], where Magnum was forced to give the entry code by his own assistant, [[Outback (G1)|Outback]], before they could enter. When [[Ricochet (Timelines)|Ricochet]], [[Moonracer]] and Outback volunteered to join the team, he stressed to them the disaster that awaited them should the mission fail. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 2}}

[[Image:BattleLines3-makeyoupay.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"What I did to the Combaticons?" "You used your spark to corrupt their Autobot protoforms!" "Errr, that was [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]. Are you colorblind?"]]

They began their search for Deathsaurus's base, but instead found [[Side Burn (G1)|Side Burn]], who claimed to already know the location of their target. He couldn't tell them much before the group was attacked by Deathsaurus's troops. Magnum realized that Deathsaurus had surely been warned in advance of the Elite Guard's approach by his many spies, but rallied his men to fight back. When Deathsaurus himself made an appearance, Magnum assaulted him for his mind warping of the Combaticons. Deathsaurus claimed that he had done nothing to the Combaticons' minds, and his suggestion that Magnum might also be tempted to become a Decepticon only served to make Magnum angrier. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 3}}

As the pair fought, Magnum finally got tired of Deathsaurus's baiting and gave him a good blast to the chest. Unfortunately for Magnum, this just resulted in an enraged [[Lyzack]] laying into him with her sword, slicing the end off his gun and smashing his chest windscreen. He was saved from a killing blow by Thunderclash, though as the other Autobot helped him up, Deathsaurus reappeared to finish them himself. The pair were rescued by [[Sprocket (G1)|Sprocket]], and in the aftermath of the Decepticon retreat, Magnum ordered his team back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 4}}

A week later in [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Magnum approached Optimus Prime to beg forgiveness for seeing him as an adversary. Just as the two were about to reconcile, [[Dion]] interrupted them to tell them of a Decepticon attack on the city. They and Side Burn scrambled for Iacon's perimeter wall, where they were witness to its crumbling at the hands of a new combiner, [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]! {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 5}}

{{spoiler|Battle Lines, Part 6|December 31, 2011}}

[[Image:BattleLines6-DionMagnum.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Which is which isn't important right now.]]

Magnum led the Autobots valiantly against overwhelming odds. When Dion's suggestion to aim at Devastator's knees resulted in the titan falling, Magnum commended his excellent strategy, and said that some day he would be a "great Magnum." Even with Devastator down, the Autobots still had Megatron to deal with. Though Optimus Prime reminded Megatron that he had not one, but two Autobot leaders to contend with, the Decepticon leader made sure to rectify that. With a blast of his fusion cannon, he destroyed Magnum and would have also destroyed Optimus Prime if Dion hadn't taken the shot for meant for him.

Though both Magnum and Dion fell, the Autobots were ultimately victorious. In the wake of their victory, Alpha Trion did what he could for Magnum and Dion, but he told Optimus Prime only one of them could survive their wounds. One died and the other was rebuilt into [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. Considering the debate on what happened to Dion before when it was announced he was never rebuilt into anyone, it is possible that Dion died and Magnum was rebuilt. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Magnumsgirlfriend.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Better check to make sure she's really a chick, Magnum.]]
* Magnum had a photo of [[Transformer romance|his girlfriend]] on his desk. She looks like [[Override (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'' Override]] in teal.
* Artist [[Guido Guidi]] seems to have been intentionally mimicking [[Floro Dery]]'s style when designing Magnum.
* Does Magnum have two wheels on each leg or just one? [[Casey Coller]] may have to fight it out with Guido Guidi and [[Dan Khanna]].
* Does Magnum know an Autobot named [[Highbrow (Animated)|Higgens]]? Unlikely.
* It's intentionally ambiguous whether he or Dion was rebuilt into Ultra Magnus.

[[Category:Convention-original characters]]
[[Category:Fiction-only Transformers]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]