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Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:36:53Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Headmasters cartoon */

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{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Another photo op for Rodimus in his bid for Prime reelection.]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:33:17Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Explosions make everything better, so sayeth Michael Bay.]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Fort Max takes a page out of Optimus Prime's playbook and points dramatically in random directions.]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|In space, no one can hear you transform.]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px|You don't want to know what Kup had to do to earn the rank of sergeant.]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Chockful of heady... goodness.]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The hip's bone connected to the, thigh bone! The thigh bone's connected to the, knee bone!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:31:41Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Headmasters cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Fort Max takes a page out of Optimus Prime's playbook and points dramatically in random directions.]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|In space, no one can hear you transform.]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px|You don't want to know what Kup had to do to earn the rank of sergeant.]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Chockful of heady... goodness.]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

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====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

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====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
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===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

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===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The hip's bone connected to the, thigh bone! The thigh bone's connected to the, knee bone!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:28:15Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Headmasters cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Fort Max takes a page out of Optimus Prime's playbook and points dramatically in random directions.]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|In space, no one can hear you transform.]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px|You don't want to know what Kup did to earn the rank of sergeant.]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The hip's bone connected to the, thigh bone! The thigh bone's connected to the, knee bone!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:26:45Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Headmasters cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Fort Max takes a page out of Optimus Prime's playbook and points dramatically in random directions.]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The hip's bone connected to the, thigh bone! The thigh bone's connected to the, knee bone!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Fortress Maximus (G1)

2012-07-26T14:20:02Z

132.3.45.68: /* IDW comics continuity */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{featured}}
{{disambig3|Fortress Maximus}}
:''Fortress Maximus is an [[Autobot]] [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[City-bot]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:FortMax1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Nobuyuki Hiyama|Link]] called. He wants the [[Master Sword]] back.]]
Despite his great power, size, and rank, '''Fortress Maximus''' is a weary and reluctant warrior. Fighting is against his pacifist nature, even for the most noble of causes. Over time, the endless conflict on Cybertron has worn him down, to the point that he's willing to walk away from the war entirely to preserve himself and his ideals.

Fortress Maximus is big. ''How'' big generally depends on the universe, but often as not he's binary-bonded to a smaller robot named [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]] who forms his head; Cerebros's own head is formed by [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]].

{{note|Fortress Maximus is one of those fun characters whose English comic, English cartoon and Japanese cartoon incarnations were very different. See individual fiction entries below for continuity specific profiles.}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Ringofhate-evilstain.jpg|right|250px|thumb|He is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore!]]
Fortress Maximus was an architect in his early career, designing and even constructing many works on Cybertron. When the war came, he reluctantly turned his talents to fighting. {{storylink|The Transformers Universe|Transformers Universe profile}}

During the long absence of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]], and their respective troops from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], unit commander Fortress Maximus established a headquarters in the [[Manganese Mountains]] and continued the fight against Scorponok's Decepticon contingent.

One fine day on Cybertron, Fortress Maximus's troops staged an ambush on Scorponok's Decepticons, who had just leveled an Autobot city and were marching their prisoners toward the [[Smelting pool|smelting pools]]. Maximus's troops cut a swath through the Decepticon ranks, quickly driving them into retreat.

{{bigquote|Whether I am a hero or a coward is ''not'' the issue! I am ''weary!'' My joints creak from the corrosion of ''war without end!'' I... cannot break this ring of hate that surrounds us all -- but I can remove myself from it. No matter what you decide... I am leaving.|Fortress Maximus announces his decision to quit the war|"[[Ring of Hate!]]"}}

[[Image:Pan-galactic telescope.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"...And that, prospective investors, is why GoogleSaturn will make a million dollars per month."]]
Though his troops were jubilant at their victory, the battle was the last straw for Fortress Maximus. He had become so sick of the war that he decided to leave it. He didn't care if it made him a coward or not, he simply believed that the war would go on regardless of whether or not he was in it. Maximus declared that no matter what the others decided, he was leaving for the planet of [[Nebulos]], a world he had long studied and which seemed to be at peace. His stunned troops agreed, and together constructed a starship dubbed the ''[[Steelhaven]]'' to propel them across the void.

Fortress Maximus immediately sent [[Highbrow (G1)|Highbrow]] as an messenger to the Nebulan natives; however, an accident made it appear that the giant robots from outer space came with hostile intent. Some of the more reactionary elements among the Nebulan leadership conspired to make Fortress Maximus's envoy [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] also appear to have hostile intent, and thus were able to incite their fellow Nebulans to arms.

[[Image:Fortmaxgiveshead.jpg|right|250px|thumb|GIVE ME YOUR FACE-I MEAN HEAD!]]
Fortress Maximus and his troops thus found themselves under a full attack from the Nebulans. Max ordered his troops to not fight back, despite complaints from the likes of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and covered them as they retreated into the woods.

Faced with a newly hostile enemy, Fortress Maximus resolved to wage peace, not war. Gathering ten of his followers, he marched up to the Nebulan capital of [[Koraja]], begged to be heard out, and had his group discard their weapons. When that didn't work, he did the next logical thing and pulled his head off. Four other Autobots also resorted to this grotesque stunt before [[Galen]], head of the Nebulan [[World Watchers]], was convinced they weren't a threat. {{storylink|Ring of Hate!}}

[[Image:Brokenglass-autobotstorage.jpg|left|200px|thumb|My honey my baby, don't put my head upon no shelf.]]
The five Autobots' heads were stored in a warehouse, and Galen occasionally consulted with Fortress Maximus, keeping him up to date on outside events as anti-robot protests rocked the capital city.

Soon after, a horde of the Autobots' Decepticon foes appeared before the city gates. Max advised Galen that turning the Autobots over to Scorponok would not prevent him from attacking, and under the Autobot-Nebulan peace agreement, Galen could not simply restore the five Autobots to their bodies. But together with [[Arcana]], the pair came up with another plan. Five volunteer Nebulans were bio-engineered to combine with special armor, and transform into likenesses of the Autobots heads, connecting with and controlling them through the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster process]]. Galen himself became Fortress Maximus's new partner. Fortress Maximus led his newly-enhanced troops against Scorponok, and soundly defeated his numerically superior squad. {{storylink|Broken Glass!}}

[[Image:Loveandsteel-runfortmaxrun.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I'm just a-runnin' down the road, trying to loosen my load, got a world of troubles on my mind.]]
Fortress Maximus remained inert while Galen performed his various duties. He came back online to lead the Headmasters to the [[Grax Communications Facility]], where a number of Nebulan leaders were apparently being held hostage by the Decepticons. It turned out to be a trap, however, as the Decepticons had also become Headmasters, with Galen's rival [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] now bonded to Scorponok himself. Using several Nebulans as a distraction, Scorponok's troops overpowered Fortress Maximus and the others, taking them hostage. {{storylink|Love and Steel!}}

Max remained out of commission until Zarak, briefly overcoming Scorponok's influence on his mind, freed Galen and the other Autobot-allied Nebulans. Fortress Maximus and company smashed their way out of the holding facility, then ran straight into the newly-formed Decepticon Targetmasters. Max briefly led his troops against the Decepticons, but opted to retreat rather than fight it out. To spare Koraja the carnage of a full-scale fight to the finish, he covered their retreat with the time-honored technique of smashing his enemies with Koraja's metal sculpture of the planet Nebulos. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

''Scorponok and Zarak challenged Fortress Maximus and Galen (here called "Kord") to a duel to settle their differences. Kord/Maximus won by cheating, but it didn't matter because the duel was a ruse to distract the Autobots while [[Slugslinger (G1)|Slugslinger]] stole Autobot fuel converters. The Deceptions had bugged the Autobot base and learned of Earth. They needed the converters to travel there. The Decepticons left for Earth and the Autobots followed.'' {{storylink|The Final Conflict}}

{{note|The events in this UK story differ in significant ways to the [[The Transformers: Headmasters|Headmasters]] mini-series.}}

Returning to the Autobot camp, Max/Galen decided to lead the troops away from Nebulos, knowing that Scorponok would follow. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

[[Image:Trialbyfire-fortmax-disassemble.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He does seem to have trouble staying in one piece, doesn't he?]]
During their voyage to Earth, Fortress Maximus underwent a radical reconstruction to alter his size considerably, increasing himself from a slightly tall dude to a ''very'' tall dude, about twice the height of the average Transformer. Of course, with his larger scale, Fortress Maximus needed a new head (Galen still being stuck at roughly human size). For this reason, another Autobot, [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]], was added to serve as a secondary stage between Galen and Maximus. As the head of Cerebros, Galen could transform Cerebros into the larger head of Fortress Maximus.

Arriving on Earth, Fortress Maximus led his fellow Headmasters to [[Mount St. Hilary]], source of the Autobot distress call that had drawn them to Earth. After recovering the damaged [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], the group encountered [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], who had come in search of his missing younger brother [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]. Spike asked for the Autobots' help in finding his brother, but Fortress Maximus was more interested in their primary mission of locating the Autobots of Earth, and he led his troops off to follow the fuel trail of the missing [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-trialbyfire-rollout.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The usage of "roll out" gets stranger and stranger.]]
Scorponok's crew soon followed Maximus to Earth, however, and to the same cave. When Spike replayed Goldbug's distress message, Fortress Maximus and company returned to the cave, apologizing to Spike for his failure to consider the danger he had brought to Earth's natives by leading the Decepticons there.

In the ensuing battle, Spike retreated further into the volcano's caves to seek shelter. Scorponok followed, seeking a hostage, and Fortress Maximus pursued him. As the caves narrowed down, Maximus was forced to send Cerebros onward, and eventually Galen himself had to leave Cerebros to cross a fragile rock bridge. Scorponok used the distraction to blast rocks down on Galen, killing him. As the Decepticon leader left, laughing, Galen passed on his control helmet to Spike, allowing the Earthling to assume control of Fortress Maximus and drive the Decepticons off. {{storylink|Trial by Fire!}}

Spike soon underwent the full binary bonding process and became the leader of the ''Steelhaven'''s crew of Autobots. With his new partner, Fortress Maximus led the Autobot [[Targetmaster]]s in an effort to locate Buster, first visiting his father at a shady motel, then heading to a spot in the tropics where the Decepticons had set up an island base.

[[Image:Clubconpalmtreespear.jpg|left|300px|thumb|The purpose of Club Con is to flip out and spear people.]]
With Kup worried about the inexperience of Fortress Maximus's new partner, Max held back while the Targetmasters landed on the island. They were driven back by automated defenses, however, and the island revealed itself to be a rocket ship, launching into the atmosphere with Buster still aboard. Maximus resolved to take matters into his own hands, and took off after the rocket (who knew he could fly?) Unfortunately, once in space, the ship's defenses made shishkabob out of him, forcing Spike to resort to using Cerebros instead. Cerebros was likewise trashed by an attack from [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], though Spike was able to use Maximus's guns to send Shockwave falling to his apparent demise. Maximus and his partners were subsequently rescued by the Targetmasters, and for his gusto, Spike was welcomed as the group's new leader. {{storylink|The Desert Island of Space!}}

As Fortress Maximus underwent repairs, his crew caught wind of a [[floppy disk]] in possession of one [[Ethan Zachary]], which contained the memories and personality of Optimus Prime. With the aid of a computer-generated version of Prime, Fortress Maximus gathered a lot of data from Scorponok's [[Pretender]] experiments and gave that ability to some of his own crew. {{storylink|Pretender to the Throne!}}

With the disk in their possession, Fortress Maximus oversaw efforts to build a new body for Optimus Prime's mind. However, the ''Steelhaven'''s resources were depleted after creating the Pretenders, causing the effort to fail explosively. Thus when [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] located the Ark nearby, Fortress Maximus was eager to contact its Autobots and forge an alliance.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-totalled-worthlesshuman.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It begs the question of why Grimlock didn't just step on him.]]
Unfortunately, [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] developed an immediate dislike for Fortress Maximus, partially because he was a possible threat to Grimlock's leadership, partially because he was part human, and partially because he had a fugitive (Goldbug). He challenged "Fruitloop Multipuck" to a duel for leadership on the [[Moon (moon)|moon]]. Faced with the prospect of a divided Autobot force, Fortress Maximus agreed, though his unhealed injuries made victory an unlikely prospect. Luckily for Max, the imprisoned [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] agreed to fill in for him.

[[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] led a Decepticon assault on the Autobots during the duel. While fighting off the attackers, Fortress Maximus ordered Goldbug, [[Joyride (G1)|Joyride]], [[Getaway]], and [[Slapdash (G1)|Slapdash]] to take the disk to Nebulos to restore Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

With Optimus Prime restored, Maximus accepted a subordinate role in the Autobot ranks. ''He was among those Autobots present as Optimus Prime briefed the troops about the threat of the time-displaced [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. When Optimus and five other Autobots spontaneously and explosively vanished into thin air, only to be replaced by six Transformers claiming to be Autobots from the future, Fortress Maximus immediately assumed command, freaked out, and ordered his troops to destroy the "imposters". (Apparently, his memory was a little rusty, since said "imposters" included his own present-day troops Kup and Blurr.) Maximus sparred with Rodimus Prime until the words of Goldbug, as well as a Matrix-linked Optimus Prime, convinced him that Rodimus was telling the truth when he claimed to be a future Autobot leader. Maximus participated in the subsequent battle against Megatron and Galvatron; he attacked Megatron alongside Grimlock and Swoop, but was quickly put down by the battle-crazed Decepticon.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

[[Image:Fortmaxboat.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Contrary to what's advertised here, the toy will sink if you put it in the bathtub.]]
Fortress Maximus provided a floating search platform for Optimus and Blaster as they searched the ocean for the Decepticons' [[Club Con]] base. Spike expressed frustration that they still had not located his brother, though Optimus vowed to keep searching. {{storylink|Cold War!}}

Fortress Maximus was among the many Autobots who responded to an Autobot emergency signal in the Arctic... which turned out to be sent by none other than Buster Witwicky, who was dying of hypothermia. Maximus took his human sibling into a special thermal compartment, restoring his body temperature to normal.

When the Decepticons attacked soon after, Maximus came under attack from the [[Horrorcon]]s, followed by [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], who clung to him tenaciously and eventually caused Buster to spill out of the warming compartment. This turned out to be a lucky break, as Buster reminded Ratbat that the battle was nothing but a ruse engineered by Starscream. Ratbat and Maximus together called for all the combatants to lay down their arms.

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|Cast in the name of God, Ye not guilty]]
After Starscream seized the power of the [[Underbase]], Fortress Maximus and Soundwave led a team to [[Buenos Aires]] to try and stop him. As their troops fell en masse, Maximus attacked Starscream, only to receive a debilitating energy blast in return. His organic component, however, allowed him to survive the first attack. Omega Supreme intervened just then, preventing Maximus from being crushed by a monument hurled by Starscream. Starscream disposed of Omega, and was on the verge of finishing off Maximus, when he was lured away by a radio signal from Buster aboard the Ark. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-maninthemachine2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|So why couldn't he have just kept Cerebros attached to him and gone on with his life?]]
With Buster rescued and the threat of Starscream removed, Spike and Fortress Maximus's tumultuous relationship came to light. Feeling his work with the Autobots was done, Spike tried to go his own way and resume his life, going so far as to pitch his control helmet into a junkyard, but his binary bond could not be left behind so easily. Strange nightmares plagued him, visions of falling into a void. Nor would the Decepticons relent; while on a skiing expedition, he found himself hunted by Carnivac and Snarler. Turning inwards, he found his link to Fortress Maximus remained even without the control helmet and that he could summon the giant warrior from afar. Max left his storage space aboard the Ark and descended to Earth. Despite Carnivac's dirty fighting, Fortress Maximus easily disposed of the two attackers and their Pretender shells, once he and Spike physically recombined. With the battle over, Spike sent Fortress Maximus back to the Ark. {{storylink|The Man in the Machine!}}

Despite Spike's reconciliation, Fortress Maximus was subsequently out of action for many months or even years. He was still stored aboard the Ark just before the great battle with Unicron, when Grimlock and his Dinobots had returned from [[Hydrus Four]]. They had come looking for the rest of the Autobots, but the Ark's scanners were only picking up one Transformer. Weirder still, this Transformer was in ''two'' parts! {{storylink|The Void! (US)|The Void!}}

{{note|It's kind of odd that [[Primus]] didn't warp Fortress Maximus with every other Transformer on Earth, but it's implied that it's because half of him was on the Ark. Odder still is that the Dinobots didn't notice or mention that half of this Transformer was on the Ark with them.}}

[[Image:Fortressmaximus-thelastautobot1.jpg|right|125px|thumb|]]
After Unicron was defeated, the Ark plummeted to Earth and crashed in the northern tundra of Canada. When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] emerged from the wreckage to wreak havoc, it fell to Fortress Maximus to stop him. He called to Spike, who came. He and Spike went through some mental wrangling before Max convinced Spike to reunite with him once more. Anxious and desperate after so long out of the war, Maximus immediately suppressed his hesitating partner and took full control upon regaining his head. This proved not to be such a wise idea. Fortress Maximus alone wasn't quite ready to deal with the totally insane Galvatron, who started smashing and biting(!) him to pieces. Realizing the power of their combined strength, Spike and Fortress Maximus managed to unite in thought and deed, and defeated the crazed Decepticon. Fortress Maximus stood alone at the battle's end, the last Autobot, guardian of Earth. {{storylink|The Last Autobot?}}

{{-}}

====Generation 2====
[[Image:Fortressmaximus-allornothing2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Let me demonstrate just how much you don't have a [[To sell toys|toy on the shelves]] anymore.]]
It was ultimately [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] who would prove to be the undoing of this giant warrior. The reborn and reconditioned Decepticon leader stole the Ark from its crash site in [[Canada]], and used it as his personal flagship. {{storylink|Realignments}} While establishing control over the ship, Megatron found and disabled Fortress Maximus's dormant form. Spike sneaked aboard the ship and rejoined with Maximus, but the damage inflicted by Megatron meant they had virtually no chance to win.

Brutally beaten in combat with an upgraded and super-charged Megatron, the pair dragged themselves to the heart of the ship and threw themselves into the anti-matter containment unit at the core of its power supply, killing them both and causing the Ark to explode. {{storylink|All or Nothing!}}

Though it kept the Ark out of Megatron's hands, and nearly derailed his plans entirely, their effort was ultimately not successful: Megatron escaped aboard a shuttle and lived to fight again, and even had time to take the convalescent Starscream with him. {{storylink|New Dawn}} {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

{{-}}

====''Classics''====
{{classicsnote}}

[[Image:Invasion-FortMax.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]

Decades later, in [[2012]] Fortress Maximus was stationed in [[South America]]. Due to the actions of an evil [[Ultra Magnus (SG)|Ultra Magnus]] from [[Transformers: Shattered Glass (franchise)|another dimension]], a rift of space time opened over Earth, causing catastrophes worldwide. Cerebros, merged with Spike, gathered civilians inside Fortress Maximus for safety. {{storylink|Invasion (issue)|Invasion}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Stephen Keener]] (English), [[Kunihiko Yasui]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Fortressmaximusg1rebirth.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]

When a battle for possession of the [[Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber]] led a group of Autobots and Decepticons to be stranded on the planet [[Nebulos]], partnership between the Transformers and the native Nebulans led to the development of Headmaster and Targetmaster technology. The planet's evil ruling council, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]], took the technology to its most powerful extreme when its leader [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]] created the massive city-sized Scorponok to serve as his Headmaster partner and used his power to steal back the chamber key. The Decepticons departed for Cybertron, and the Autobots were poised to give chase when Spike Witwicky announced that he and the pacifistic Cerebros would be staying behind. While the other Autobots left in pursuit, Spike had Cerebros lead him to the ruins of the Hive's original city, which they had lived in before moving underground. Taking control of the various abandoned machines there, Spike rebuilt the city, Cerebros and even himself into a Headmaster robot that could stand up to Scorponok's power: Fortress Maximus!

[[Image:Rebirth3_fortmax_battlestation.jpg|left|250px|thumb]]

The completed Fortress Maximus quickly flew to Cybertron and made a dramatic entrance, setting down in city mode and then transforming to battle station mode to bombard Scorponok and the Decepticons with a hail of weaponsfire. When Zarak transformed Scorponok to robot mode, Spike did likewise with Fortress Maximus, and the two titans battled, with Maximus on the losing end until Zarak threatened the life of Spike's son, Daniel. With a burst of strength, Fortress Maximus took Scorponok down, causing him to collapse with such force that he transformed back to city mode. Spike and Cerebros then disconnected from Maximus and headed inside Scorponok to recover the captive Daniel and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], leaving Maximus to keep the other Decepticons at bay with his many weapons. The Decepticons were able to get through Maximus's firestorm and got Scorponok airborne, but not before Spike succeeded in his rescue.

Subsequently, with the Plasma Energy Chamber back under Autobot control, Fortress Maximus flew the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters back to Nebulos. There, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] announced that after they had eradicated the Hive's evil from the planet, Cerebros would live on the planet as its guardian, presumably meaning that Fortress Maximus would be staying there too. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}

{{note|It is unclear if Fortress Maximus had any sentience of his own; he did speak once in his own voice, but for the most part, even Cerebros's will seemed to be pushed aside so Spike could run the whole thing himself.}}

===Japanese animated continuity===
{{note|In Japan, Fortress Maximus's mental functions are housed in a small robot who transforms into a head and connects to a larger, lifeless transtector body. This larger body in turn becomes the head of a ''giant'' transtector, forming the robot known as Fortress Maximus. The ''Headmasters'' toyline referred to the smallest robot as '''Cerebros''', who formed the head of the intermediate robot '''Fortress''', but this distinction was never actually made in fiction, and the character was always referred to as "Fortress" regardless of whether he was in small or intermediate form.}}

====''The Great Transformer War'' comic====
[[Image:Hmmanga battered headmasters.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

In the year 2010, while significant Transformer battles were being waged throughout space and on Earth, Fortress was active on the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]]. After the younger Headmaster warriors under his command were defeated in battle by [[Sixshot]] and the Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress quickly roused his fallen comrades and ordered them to board his battleship, the Maximus, so that they could pursue the villains. Their destination: Cybertron! {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3|The Great Transformer War #3}}

====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]]

[[Image:Hm7 fortress small bot.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Four million years ago, Fortress was a [[Cyberdroid|diminutive Cybertronian]] who had not yet mastered the art of transformation, and was a friend of [[Kup (G1)|Kup]]'s. He was among the many Transformers that fled Cybertron in an attempt to escape the corrosion of war without end, and led a group of his fellow small Cybertronians in search of a new peaceful world they could call home. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Alas, engine trouble caused their ship to crash on the inhospitable world of planet Master, whose hazardous environmental conditions began threatening the lives of Fortress and his men almost as soon as they departed the wreckage of their ship and began trekking through a desert of shifting sands. The need for survival fostered many technological and mental advancements, however, and Fortress and his people endured.

[[Image:Hm1_battleship_maximus.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Fortress was responsible for many of the technological quantum leaps, the most significant of which was the invention of "[[transtector]]s": larger, lifeless Transformer bodies to which the small Cybertronians could connect as heads. After a rigorous physical and mental training program that allowed them to finally master transformation and even instilled powerful telepathic and telekinetic powers in them, Fortress and nine other warriors bonded with these transtectors to become "Headmasters". {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Fortress even took the process one step further, and with the aid of other Master scientists like [[Jack (Headmasters)|Jack]], created a ''huge'' transtector that could transform into the battleship, Maximus. Fortress's own transtector was engineered to also transform into a head, which could control the many functions of the Maximus from a special docking bay on the battleship's bridge, {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} and which could form the head for the battleship's own colossal robot mode, known as "Fortress Maximus". Fortress also created the powerful [[Master Sword]] for himself, and tied the Maximus's transformation into it; in order to convert the battleship to robot mode, Fortress had to draw a small version of the blade from a sheath beneath his command console, but this feat could only be accomplished when his physical and mental energies were in perfect synchronization. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}}

Unfortunately, half of the Headmasters eventually rebelled against Fortress's leadership, siding with a traitor named Scorponok against him. The traitors were defeated by Fortress and his comrades and exiled from Master, but eventually, they came to ally themselves with the Decepticons under the command of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

{{note|The events of the ''Great Transformer War'' manga occur at this point.}}

[[Image:Hm2_kup_and_fortress.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

In the year 2011, when Galvatron launched his latest attack on Cybertron with the added power of his new Decepticon Headmasters, Fortress Maximus brought the Autobot Headmasters back to their homeworld aboard the Maximus. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} Even the mightiest of the Decepticons' [[combiner]]s could not stand against Battleship Maximus's firepower, and the evil robots were forced into retreat. This task complete, Fortress set the Maximus down at the Autobots' secondary headquarters on the planet [[Athenia]], where he introduced himself and his comrades and explained their origins, and was reunited with Kup. After being filled in by the Autobots on the current crisis—[[Vector Sigma]] had become destabilized, putting the planet at risk—Fortress deduced that the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was necessary to bring the computer back under control. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Unfortunately, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] had already ventured into the depths of Cybertron without the Matrix, willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize Vector Sigma, so Fortress headed into the planet's catacombs after him while the other Headmasters helped [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]] search for the Matrix, hidden somewhere on [[Earth]]. Though Fortress was not able to catch up to Prime before he reached Vector Sigma's chamber, he was able to use his telepathic powers to contact Prime's companion, the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]], helping to guide him safely through the maze of tunnels. It turned out that [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] had made it to the chamber ahead of Prime, however, and Fortress raced through the remainder of the tunnels to aid Prime against the two Decepticons. Hot Rod soon arrived with the Matrix, which he used to become Rodimus Prime again, but before he could use it to bring Vector Sigma back under control, Optimus Prime merged with the computer to stabilize it, giving up his life in the process. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}} Prime was not the only casualty of the crisis: [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] also lost his life in the search for the Matrix. Luckily, Fortress was able to use the advanced technology of Master to rebuild and resurrect him, as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}}

[[Image:Hm5_fortmax_headmode.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

While patrolling space for Decepticon activity aboard the Maximus, the Autobot Headmasters discovered [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] stowed away on board. After explaining the function of his Head Mode to the shocked youngsters, Fortress agreed to let the pair join them on the patrol. Soon after, the Autobots came upon two stranded [[Beastformer]]s from the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], and learned that the Decepticons had invaded their planet; the infuriated Fortress made for the planet with all due speed, after sending a report to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Autobot Headmasters helped the native Beastformers liberate their planet from Decepticon control, but Fortress was concerned with a blueprint recovered from an underground factory that indicated the Decepticons were building something. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}}

[[Image:Hm6_fortmax_funnyfaces.jpg|left|thumb|225px|:D]]

When the Decepticons launched a [[Metamorphose|metal-warping meteor]] at Athenia, Fortress and his battleship were powerless to do anything, for fear of being destroyed by the meteor's gravity sensors. It fell to Daniel Witwicky to destroy the meteor, so Fortress transported him as close to it as he was able. Daniel lost his nerve at the last minute, so Fortress calmed him down by making some silly faces. Dignified! {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}} Later, a phoney distress call lured Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet [[Praum]] set by their old foe, Scorponok. Despite being trapped in a subterranean chamber with the endless desert sands pouring in on top of him, Fortress kept his head and reminded his young allies of the similar hardships they had suffered on Master and the training they had undergone to overcome them. With the skills they had learned back then, they were able to escape. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}}

[[Image:Hm10_fortress_appointed_commander.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When Galvatron launched an attack on Cybertron in an attempt to steal a new alloy developed by Vector Sigma named [[cybertonuron]], Fortress advised Rodimus Prime against striking back in full force, preferring to find another way to stop the Decepticons than putting all their warriors in danger. Rodimus refused, and Fortress quietly acquiesced to his commander's wishes, ferrying him to Cybertron on Battleship Maximus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} The battle ended catastrophically, however, when treachery on the part of Scorponok led to the detonation of a collection of bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, devastating Cybertron and rendering it uninhabitable, and apparently killing Galvatron in the process. Realizing with deep regret that Fortress's caution had been warranted, Rodimus Prime decided that the era of his generation of Transformers was over, and vowed to search the universe for a new planet the Transformers could call home. He passed the title of [[Supreme Commander]] of the Autobots (though not the Matrix of Leadership) to Fortress, who was visibly uncomfortable with the appointment, but accepted it graciously, telling himself not to contest it because it was his destiny. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1FortressMaximus HMstockfootage.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"...But it's the pelvic thruuuuuust / that really drives you in-sa-a-a-ane..."]]

Fortress's tenure as leader got off to a strong start with the successful completion of the [[Sol 1]] satellite, a joint venture between the Autobots and humanity to gather solar energy. Unfortunately, the satellite was stolen by the Decepticons, forcing the Autobot Headmasters to destroy it to keep it out of their hands. Before being destroyed, however, the satellite's energy was beamed by the villains to the planet [[Zarak (planet)|Zarak]]. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Fortress attempted to study Zarak from afar in hopes of deducing what the Decepticons were up to, but the planet's gaseous shroud prevented remote observation of its surface, and the Decepticons began staging concentrated attacks on Earth to keep the Autobots' attentions divided. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}} One such attack saw the Decepticons unleash a carnivorous, ambulatory plant upon [[San Francisco]], which Fortress identified as a [[buridanka]] from the planet [[Darhos]]. When the Autobot Headmasters responded, Battleship Maximus was caught in the plant-monster's vines, and Fortress's lack of focus left him unable to draw the Master Sword and transform. Galvanized by the cries of the other Headmasters, however, his energies soon came into alignment, and for what was apparently the first time (given everyone else's surprise when it happened) Fortress transformed the Maximus and combined with it to form Fortress Maximus. With the power of the Master Sword, he easily dispatched the giant plant. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}}

[[Image:Hm14 fortress draws mastersword.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Weakened by the great energy demands of his transformation, Fortress sent the Autobot Headmasters to [[Mars (planet)|Mars]] without him when news of Decepticon movement on the planet reached the Autobots. When the Headmasters discovered that the Decepticons were planning to blow up Mars, however, Fortress went into action, only to be struck with a [[plasma energy]] bomb by the Decepticons Headmasters just as he was in the middle of transforming into Fortress Maximus. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger}} Although Fortress survived the blast, his energies were severely drained, and the powerless Maximus was unable to depart Mars as the countdown to the Decepticons' planet-destroying explosion continued. Even worse, into the middle of this crisis stepped Scorponok, now outfitted with a gigantic transtector of his own: the end result of the mysterious construction operations on planets Beast and Zarak. Scorponok pummelled the paralyzed Maximus, then pulled out just before the chain of explosion began. Fortress told the Headmasters to leave him and the Maximus to their fate, but luckily, at the last minute, the battleship began absorbing the energy released by the early stages of the explosion. Fortress was able to use this energy to transform into Fortress Maximus, and escaped the destruction of Mars, slashing Scorponok with the Master Sword as he came bursting from the conflagration. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

[[Image:Hm17_maximus_vs_scorponok.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

While Fortress and the Headmasters were patrolling the edges of Decepticon space to keep an eye on their enemies' activities, Scorponok attacked the Maximus, only for the fight to be broken up by a strange UFO. Back on Athenia, Fortress met with the Autobots' deep cover spy, [[Punch (G1)|Punch]], and learned that Scorponok was holding a coronation ceremony for himself on Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. The Autobots attacked the ceremony, during which Fortress again pitted his battleship against Scorponok, but the fighting was brought to an end when the UFO returned, and was revealed to belong to Galvatron, who had survived Cybertron's destruction. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} Fortress fought Scorponok again soon after, when the Autobots tried to provide energy relief to the other-dimensional planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]]. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

[[Image:Hm23_fortmax_sword_slash.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When the Decepticons embarked on an interplanetary energy quest, the Autobots determined to follow them aboard Fortress's battleship; Fortress had to be convinced to allow Daniel to come with them. {{storylink|Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!!}} Their first port of call was the planet [[Hive (planet)|Hive]], but before the Maximus could set down, they were attacked by the planet's force. Fortress was intent on a show of non-resistance and would not fire back, while [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] went down to the planet's surface and proved the Autobots' good intentions to Hive's [[Queen Bee]]. The Autobots joined forces with the natives to fend off the Decepticons; Fortress disconnected the Maximus's "Master Shot" cannon so the Headmasters could wield it, then transformed into Fortress Maximus to send Scorponok packing with the Master Sword. {{storylink|Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!!}} Fortress then used the Maximus to fly the Autobots to [[Twin Star]], where he dealt with Scorponok by hauling him into the air and dropping him, {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} and [[Daros]], where he used the Maximus's internal defense systems to stop [[Curl|a gang of prisoners]] from taking control of the battleship. {{storylink|Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!}} The battleship needed some repairs before it could take the Autobots to [[Paradise]], which Fortress had Chromedome and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] perform. {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} Fortress again transformed to Fortress Maximus on the final planet of their journey, [[Pirate Planet]], taking Scorponok out with a Master Sword-slash to the chest. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hm25_fortress_cradles_magnus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

After returning to Athenia, Fortress and the Headmasters received news of a Decepticon attack on Earth and headed there with all due haste, but they were not in time to stop [[Sixshot]] from mortally wounding [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]]. Fortress held Magnus as he died, then carried his body aboard the Maximus for burial along an Earth coastline. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Soon after, with Decepticon attacks intensifying, Fortress had to talk [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] out of risking his own life in the pursuit of revenge against Sixshot. When word came through from Punch that Galvatron intended to use the gathered energy to fuse himself with the Earth itself, Fortress and the Headmasters immediately departed to confront the Decepticon leader in [[Alaska]]. The Headmasters were able to use Punch's information to finally end the threat of Galvatron with their [[Head Formation]], burying him in the Arctic ice. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}}

[[Image:Hm26_weak_spot.jpg|right|thumb|250px]]

Galvatron's demise left a power vacuum that Scorponok immediately filled, and once appointed leader again, he immediately put into motion a plan to destroy the Earth by simultaneously erupting every volcano on the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] deduced his plan, but a Decepticon attack on [[Autobot City]] left Spike fatally wounded, with a chunk of shrapnel embedded in one of his arteries. Medical science could do nothing for Spike, so Fortress used his telekinetic powers to dissolve the shrapnel, saving Spike, but draining all of Fortress's energy. Even in his weakened state, unable to transform, Fortress still attempted to stop Scorponok from initiating his plan on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but Scorponok simply hurled the Maximus into a volcano. As it turned out, this allowed Fortress to absorb the geothermal energy of the volcano's magma, restoring his power and ability to transform. Following information decoded by Chromedome, Fortress Maximus was able to puncture Scorponok's weak spot, the Decepticon symbol on his chest, forcing the villain and his followers to flee the planet. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}}

[[Image:Hm28_fortress_examines_targetmaster.jpg|left|thumb]]

With Earth finally free of the Decepticons, the Autobots set about removing every trace of their evil from the planet. Fortress co-ordinated the effort, but just as he was meeting with three new Autobot arrivals—[[Pointblank]], [[Crosshairs (G1)|Crosshairs]] and [[Sureshot (G1)|Sureshot]]—a report came through from Chromedome that one of the plasma energy bombs he had been tasked with gathering up had become active. Fortress quickly picked up the bombs in Battleship Maximus, intending to transport them into space so they could detonate harmlessly, but as the ship departed the atmosphere, it crossed paths with another vessel containing refugees from Master. While the Autobots held off the Decepticons pursuing the Master vessel, Fortress and Twincast welcomed the refugees on board, and learned from them that Scorponok's Decepticons had attacked Master. The refugees then helped get the plasma bombs off Battleship Maximus, but they proceeded to detonate before everyone could get clear, and the explosion fused the refugees to the arms of the Autobots and Decepticons. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}} Fortress used his scientific know-how to remove the refugees from the Autobots' arms, but a strange link remained between the warriors. With these "[[Targetmaster]]s" added to their ranks, Fortress piloted Battleship Maximus to Master to stop Scorponok's evildoings there. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)}}

[[Image:MasterSwordDanger Floppydisk.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

Seeking to forge a weapon to counter Fortress's Master Sword, Scorponok arranged for the kidnap of Wheelie so that he could be ransom for information on the sword. Fortress agonized over what to do, but the decision was made for him when Chromedome and Daniel snuck away to rescue Wheelie themselves. Learning of their insubordination, Fortress played along, keeping the Decepticons' attentions on his battleship and preparing a data disk to "hand over". Unfortunately, when the Decepticons learned that Wheelie had been rescued, a fight broke out over the disk and it was snatched from Fortress's grasp. {{storylink|The Master Sword Is in Danger!!}} The Decepticons retreated underground, but Fortress was able to track them down by equipping the Master Sword with sensors that would allow the Maximus to track any surges of the energy needed to create it, which Scorponok was sure to require to forge his own weapon. Unfortunately, [[Weirdwolf]] was able to sneak aboard the Maximus, and although Fortress repelled him, he had secretly planted bombs on the battleship that covered the Decepticons' escape when they went off. {{storylink|The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide}}

[[Image:Hm31_fortmax_defeated.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

As Battleship Maximus was repaired, Fortress debated strategy with the Autobots, eventually agreeing with the Targetmasters' plan to lure the Decepticons into space to avoid collateral damage to Master. Unfortunately, the hot-headed Chromedome disagreed, and staged his own attack on the Decepticons with the aid of the young warriors of Master. Chromedome's strategy went sour, forcing Fortress Maximus to go into action, but when the Master Sword clashed with Scorponok's newly-forged "[[Zarak Shield]]", it was the Zarak Shield that emerged triumphant! Defeated, Fortress Maximus could only watch as Scorponok departed for Earth, intending to destroy it once and for all. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

The Autobots gave chase in the Maximus, but during the space battle that resulted, Daniel was set adrift when the Maximus's Laser Block unit was damaged and jettisoned. Fortress was forced to divert to rescue the boy, allowing the Decepticons a substantial lead in the race back to Earth. {{storylink|My Friend Sixshot!}} Their lead was lost when they were forced to set down on the asteroid [[Pallas]] for repairs, and the Maximus set down on [[Ceres]] in order to attack. During the fight, Sixshot challenged Chromedome to a one-on-one duel, and Fortress's pleas that he not accept the challenge fell on deaf ears. Even as Scorponok took off for Earth again, Fortress concluded that he and the other Autobots would have to leave Chromedome to his duel and carry on the chase. As it happened, the duel was interrupted by an explosion courtesy of bombs Scorponok had planted on the battlefield, so Chromedome was able to rejoin Maximus not long after. {{storylink|Duel on the Asteroid}}

[[Image:Hm35 master sword zappped.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

As the Maximus entered the final stretch back to Earth, reports began coming in from the Autobots down on the planet of Decepticon attacks, accompanied by the emergence of strange towers at specific points around the globe. Once back on Earth, Fortress met with Punch, who unfortunately had to report that Scorponok had disappeared into the Mediterranean Ocean. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} The Autobots soon realized that the "Death Towers" were composed of energy-amplifying [[crysmagnetal]], and were creating a field of energy that was surrounding the Earth. Following Punch's lead, Fortress led the Autobots to Egypt, where Scorponok was outfitting a Death Tower with an induction booster to magnify the amount of energy it was projecting. The Master Sword played the unfortunate role of lightning rod in the presence of the Death Tower, attracting bolts of the tower's energy and stunning Fortress, preventing him from stopping Scorponok. As Scorponok fled, he told Fortress to meet him at the North Pole, where even he would have a role to play in his scheme.

[[Image:Hm35_final_battle.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

With no other choices, Fortress followed his enemy's instructions, and the entire Autobot and Decepticon armies clashed in battle in the frozen north. There, Scorponok lured Fortress Maximus onto a crysmagnetal dais, at which point, an orbiting Decepticon satellite that had been gathering the energies projected by the Death Towers activated, beaming the collected energy down to the dais. Scorponok disconnected from his transtector, and left the paralyzed Fortress Maximus trapped in the satellite's beam, part of a deadly circuit of energy that threatened to tear the Earth apart. The four Headmasters joined in Head Formation and tried to channel their energy into Fortress Maximus in hopes of giving him the strength to break free, but their own power was not enough. At Daniel's suggestion, all the other Autobots linked up as part of the chain, and together combined in "Final Formation", they infused Maximus with enough energy to deflect the satellite's beam with the Master Sword, destroying it. With one mighty slash, Fortress Maximus bisected Scorponok's transtector, finally ending the Decepticon threat.

The Decepticons subsequently fled Earth, and the Autobots gathered to pursue them. Fortress told the tearful Daniel that it was necessary in order to continue defend peace throughout the universe, but promised the boy that they would meet again. Together, the Autobots all boarded Fortress's battleship, and took off into the setting sun. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

====''Kiss Players/15 Go! Go!''====
[[Image:KPBraveMax.jpg|right|thumb|115px]]
{{note|Fortress's cameo appearance in ''Kiss Players'' is set shortly after his arrival on Master.}}

Slumped miserably on the barren surface of Master in their smallest robot forms, Fortress, Chromedome and Highbrow's attention was caught when a [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|time-travelling spaceship]] materialized over their heads and crashed nearby. {{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 1}} By studying and reverse-engineering the technology found in this spaceship, Fortress and the scientists of Master invented transtectors and the Headmaster process. {{storylink|Transformers: Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #48}}/{{storylink|Sparkbots Volume 3}}

====''The Headmasters'' comic====
{{note|The events of the Headmasters manga take place concurrently with the Headmasters cartoon.}}

[[Image:Manga fort max.jpg|left|thumb|275px]]

Soon after Optimus Prime died stabilizing Vector Sigma, the Decepticons staged an attack on Athenia, and Fortress and the Autobot Headmasters quickly took off in Battleship Maximus to intercept them as they approached the planet. Daniel opined that the Decepticons were "a lot like parasites", to which Fortress murmured an agreement. At that point, the Decepticons appeared in front of them, and the Autobots realized that they had played into the villains' hands: they intended to destroy Fortress's battleship with a bomb. Luckily, Chromedome moved quickly enough to snatch the bomb away and save the Maximus. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1|The Headmasters #1}}

Responding to an SOS from their Beastformer comrades, Fortress escorted the Autobot Headmasters to planet Beast to investigate. No sooner had the young warriors left Battleship Maximus to search, Rodimus Prime radioed Fortress for an update. Fortress didn't have anything to tell him, but assured Rodimus that the Headmasters would get to the bottom of the mystery. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}} Later, once they were back on Earth, Fortress sent the Headmasters on their next mission, to respond to a Decepticon attack on an Alaskan energy plant. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 2|The Headmasters #2}}

When a fire tore through [[Shinjuku]], Chromedome, [[Ricochet (Headmasters)|Ricochet]] and [[Artfire (Headmasters)|Artfire]] responded, but their rescue effort was impeded by the Decepticon Targetmaters. Luckily, Fortress soon arrived to extinguish the fire by dumping a massive amount of water on it from above using Battleship Maximus, freeing up the others to deal with the Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 7|The Headmasters #7}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce Master File''====
Following the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth after the battle at the North Pole, the Transformers' war shifted into a series of space-based exchanges between Athenia and Chaar known as the [[Master Wars]]. With the space bridge destroyed, interstellar transportation was severely limited, and it fell to Fortress and the Maximus to patrol space for the Decepticons. While on one such patrol, Fortress received a transmission from Sixshot alerting him to the existence of a [[Devil Z|new shadowy puppet master]] who had taken control of the Decepticons. This news came at the same time as a report from the Trainbots which indicated that Scorponok had constructed a new transtector for himself, and so Fortress had no choice but to focus on dealing with this mystery. With access to the ever-important Earth now greatly reduced and his attentions now focused elsewhere, Fortress left guardianship of the planet in the hands of [[Metalhawk]] and his [[Pretender]]s. {{storylink|Master File No, 1}}

{{note|Following the end of the ''Headmasters'' franchise, Japanese cartoon continuity branches off in two separate directions. One version of the story is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], the other is told through the [[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (manga)|''Masterforce'' manga]]. Fortress plays much the same role in both, but gets up to a bit more in the manga.}}

====''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon====
[[Image:Masterforce ep23 FuzzyFortress.JPG|right|thumb]]
:''Voice actor:'' [[Ikuya Sawaki]] (Japanese)

Following the commands of Devil Z, the space-based Decepticon forces orchestrated the bombardment of Earth with meteors. Although they were able to carry out this assault without the direct knowledge of Fortress's Autobots, Fortress did become suspicious when he observed that the Decepticons had broken their usual formation. Worried, Fortress sent a message to Metalhawk's Autobots on Earth, but alas, by the time the distorted missive arrived, the meteors had already struck the planet and caused massive collateral damage. {{storylink|Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!}}

Soon after, Fortress's younger brother, [[Grand Maximus|Grand]], travelled to Earth to aid the Autobots there against the approaching threat of [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]]. Grand was physically identical to his big bro, save for his coloration, and even piloted a smaller Maximus-style battleship of his own. {{storylink|Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot}}

{{-}}
====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga fortress meets ginrai.jpg|left|thumb]]

When a new and powerful Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] rose to prominence on Earth, he distinguished himself to the point that Fortress decided to step down as Supreme Commander and appoint Ginrai in his place. The Trainbots brought Ginrai and his [[Headmaster Junior]] allies to Athenia, where Fortress formally handed over leadership, then departed to take care of some business on Master. In his absence, the united forces of the Earth- and space-based Decepticons attacked Athenia, but Ginrai was able to repel them. Fortress arrived back just as the Decepticons were pulling out, and announced that the Autobots must pool their resources as their enemies had, uniting their forces on Earth and space to commence the [[Godbomber|Bomber Project]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Fortress Maximus served as transport when Ultra Magnus lead a mission to a small asteroid in search of a new source of [[Energon]]. The Autobots discovered a [[Observer|small alien]], and [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] utilized Maximus's laboratory to determine that the creature turned its food into Energon. A later fracas with the Decepticons resulted in Fortress Maximus getting involved, leading to a fight with Scorponok. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

===''Transformers PD Type''===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax_manga.jpg|right|thumb|275px]]
While casually minding his own business one day, Fortress Maximus was suddenly shocked to see a wave of Decepticons led by Galvatron bearing down on him. He immediately transformed into robot mode... but he had completely forgotten that he had been in city mode, leaving all the poor Autobots who had been inside him squished and thinking there had been an earthquake. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##12 "Bigger than Life! Fortress Maximus!"|Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!}}

Fortress Maximus later met Scorponok in battle, vowing to never surrender. All the other Transformers would probably have preferred that he ''did'' surrender, though, since the battle put them ''all'' in danger when the two towering titans toppled over, threatening to accidentally crush them all! {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! MegaZarak!}}

{{-}}
===Dreamwave comics continuity===
A normal-sized Fortress Maximus was a co-leader of the Autobot forces on Cybertron, along with [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. As Cybertron's resources ran low, they struggled to hold the Autobot army together. {{storylink|Destined for Nothing}} The war continued despite their best efforts, and after a fruitless and disastrous skirmish with the Micromaster [[Skystalker (G1)|Skystalker]] and the Decepticons, Fortress Maximus gave up on the war. He left the Autobot army in order to seek a new path. {{Storylink|Victims of the Revolution}}

A gargantuan Fortress Maximus was also seen in a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of future [[Nebulos]] by Optimus Prime and Megatron. {{Storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}}

===Devil's Due ''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers'' comics===
[[Image:Ironclaw artofwar.jpg|right|150px|thumb|]]
While imbued with the wisdom of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]] had a vision of Fortress Maximus and [[Sgt. Savage]] fighting against [[Iron Klaw]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #5}}

{{-}}
===IDW comics continuity===
{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}

[[Image:SpotlightArcee FortressMaximus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|You wanna argue with him?]]
Fortress Maximus is referred to as 'warborn', presumably meaning he came online during the war. Much less pacifistic than in other [[universal stream|universal streams]], he's well-known among the rank-and-file for having killed a substantial amount of Decepticons at [[Simanzi]]. {{storylink|Interiors}}

Fortress Maximus became the hard-edged warden in charge of [[Garrus-9]], an Autobot-run penitentiary where both Autobot and Decepticon prisoners were kept in containment. As the ultimate imprisonment, most inmates were reduced down to their [[spark]] and [[laser core]] alone, held inanimate in a storage center known as "The Rig" until such a time as Fortress Maximus deemed to rebuild and release them, if ever. Astoundingly, this method was deemed too "merciful" for at least one [[Impactor (G1)|prisoner]].

Fortress Maximus was one of many Autobots across the galaxy who watched a news report heralding the miraculous return of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Blaster}}

After [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] encountered the [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] [[Combiner|combiners]] on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]'s asteroid bunker, he sent them to Garrus-9 with [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]], hoping the science team could help the six recover from [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s experimentations. Fortress Maximus was dubious of the possible results, but allowed Jetfire and his team to run their tests at Garrus-9. Things changed for the worse, however, once word of the gestalt technology got out, and agents of the [[Decepticon Secret Service]] came to claim the remarkable new tech for themselves. Faced with an incredible amount of orbital bombardment and ground warfare, Fortress Maximus and his defensive crew were at serious risk of being overrun.

In order to maintain control of his base, Max reactivated the only Autobot inmate classified as Threat Level-9: [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]]. Knowing Arcee had strong feelings about Jhiaxus and his work from personal experience, Fortress Maximus felt confident she would do anything to prevent the Decepticons from laying claim to the "[[Pretender Monster|Monstructor Six]]." In case he was wrong, though, Fortress Maximus made it clear to Arcee she was lowjacked with synchronized G-forces that would crush her spark if she stepped out of line. Despite Arcee's help, the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] still managed to make off with the gestalt robots. Against his better judgment, Fortress Maximus allowed Jetfire to convince him that Arcee was the best available to track and intercept the Secret Service ships and retrieve or destroy the gestalt robots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Arcee}}

When Optimus Prime and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] met with Fortress Maximus and Jetfire on Garrus-9 to discuss the prisoners' breakout, also mentioned was that a surviving Decepticon had been tortured. Maximus and Jetfire exchanged guilty glances. Prime left Maximus in charge and returned with Prowl and Jetfire to the ''[[Ark-32]]''. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

With the death of [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]], [[Nova Prime|Nemesis Prime]] was forced to enter the living universe and confront Optimus Prime at Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots were hunkered down in The Last Resort, the best-defended, highest-security section of the penitentiary, and he believed that not even a [[Cortynivian shadow worm]] could get in. He was wrong, as Nemesis effortlessly forced his way in, killed [[Manta Ray (G2)|Manta Ray]] and [[Drench (G2)|Drench]] and shrugged off all Autobot weapons fire. Maximus called in reinforcements until Optimus convinced him that conventional tactics would not work with the undead Prime and went to deal with Nemesis Prime himself. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

During Megatron's massive push against the Autobots, an annoyed Maximus led the defense of the prison against the [[Predator (subgroup)|Predator]] forces. However, when the sociopathic [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] took control of the Decepticon forces, the prison was overrun and Fortress Maximus beaten down by the monster. And then, to keep the liberated prisoners on his side, Overlord tossed them their former warden to have some fun... so long as they kept him alive. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 1|Last Stand of the Wreckers #1}}

[[Image:Overlord-Fort-Max-Interiors.jpg|left|thumb|250px|The hip's bone connected to the, thigh bone! The thigh bone's connected to the, knee bone!]]
The inmates apparently followed Overlord's instructions, as Fortress Maximus survived...only to be put through brutal torture by the Phase Sixer. During one particularly brutal session (in which he lost one leg and the rest of him was nailed to a table and Overlord threatened to torture and murder a guard for every moment of hesitation), Overlord interrogated him to gain access to the [[Aequitas]] chamber. Maximus said Overlord had no idea what Aequitas even was, only for the Decepticon to explain he had no interest in the 'judgement machine', and wanted what was Aequitas was built over. He then continued sawing the warden apart according to footage [[Rewind]] possessed.{{storylink|Interiors}}

[[Image:LastStandoftheWreckers3-Fort Max the cabbage.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hope you weren't going to bed after reading this page!]]
Half of the [[Wrecker]]s eventually came across Maximus's barely-alive body. Rendered comatose and with his optics and limbs removed, he had been plugged into the lock of the door to [[Aequitas]]'s chamber, and put to use entering in code after code in a Decepticon attempt to break in. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] removed Maximus's connection to the lock, then [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]] and [[Pyro (G1)|Pyro]] pulled his body from the door to carry him. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 3|Last Stand of the Wreckers #3}}

When the Decepticons broke into the Aequitas chamber, [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]] carried Fortress Maximus to safety. Eventually, the Wreckers succeeded in defeating Overlord and saving Garrus-9, and Maximus was placed on life support alongside [[Springer (G1)|Springer]]. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

He was later transferred to [[Delphi]], where he was diagnosed with 'an eternal coma'. When [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] were cornered by [[Genericon]]s, [[First Aid (G1)| First Aid]] managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus to fight the Decepticons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}} Fortress Maximus then brutally murdered them. After Pharma revealed himself be in league with the Decepticons, Maximus pursued him until he disappeared into a bolthole too small for Maximus to follow. Once Ratchet dealt with Pharma and the [[Red Rust]], Fortress Maximus joined the crew of the [[Lost Light]] on their mission to find the [[Knights of Cybertron]]. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors|July 27}}
On Ratchet's orders, Fort Max was compelled to visit [[Rung]], who questioned him about events on Garrus-9. Fortress Maximus denied remembering anything, despite his torture at Overlord's hands being clear in his mind. Afterwards, Maximus then headed to [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve's]] bar, where he went on a shooting spree, blasting [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], [[Boss (G1)|Boss]], [[Turbine]], [[Dogfight]] and [[Doubletap]], because they reminded him of Overlord. Fort Max then locked himself within Rung's office, tying the psychoanalyst to his chair and impaling Rung's current patient, [[Whirl (G1)| Whirl]], to the ground with a pipe. Threatening to murder them, he repeatedly pistol-whipped Whirl, who constantly insulted him. At Rung's suggestion, Maximus contacted '[[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]' to demand to be taken back to Cybertron so he could get an explanation from [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] regarding why he was left on Garrus-9 for so long. Hanging up and crushing the communicator underfoot, he noticed Rung's right thumb contained a microphone and was broadcasting to the ship, and promptly ripped off said thumb. Whirl continued to taunt him, and at Maximus's prompting, told his life story. This turned out to be a delaying tactic, and once Maximus realized the ship hadn't changed course, he prepared to kill his hostages. He was distracted by images of his own torture at Overlord's hands, projected as a distraction by Rewind while Swerve lined up a shot. Swerve's shot instead accidentally hit and killed Rung, much to Maximus's anguish, shortly before he himself was impaled by Whirl. He survived and was placed in the ship's brig. {{storylink|Interiors}}
{{-}}

===''United''===
When the [[Autobot]]s fell down with a [[nano-virus]], Fortress Maximus was in city mode as part of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|The Fierce Fighting on Planet Nebulos}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: The Headmasters''===
When the Decepticons struck out at four planets, including Cybertron and Earth, Fortress Maximus was joined by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] and the Headmasters of Justice to save the final planet from [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. {{storylink|Transformers: The Headmasters (video game)|Transformers: The Headmasters}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1FortressMaximus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|If I hear somebody ask "how's the weather up there" one more time, Primus help them...]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (Headmaster Base, 1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Spike Headmaster unit, Cerebros large Headmaster unit, [[Cog (G1)|Gasket]], [[Cog (G1)|Grommet]], Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Cannon, Cerebros's Mini Laser Rifle, [[Cog (G1)|Cog]]'s Laser rifle, Radar Scope, Master Sword (Japanese release only), Cerebros's sword (Japanese release only)

: Fortress Maximus is, by far, the largest Transformers toy ever produced. In robot mode it stands 22" (or 56 cm) tall, nearly 8" (20 cm) taller than its in-fiction rival Scorponok. The original retail price was over $100USD. Taking into account ongoing trends in toy pricing and retail shelf space jockeying, it is highly doubtful any other Transformers even close to this size will ever be made again.

: The toy has multiple alt mode configurations, transforming into a relatively compact "city" mode, and also a secondary mode described in the US instruction as a "battle station." That mode was rebranded as a starship for the Japanese instructions, and is the "default" mode for Fortress Maximus in the ''Headmasters'' animated series. Additionally, the 1987 Hasbro toy catalog features a mis-transformed Fortress Maximus in a mode referred to as an "impenetrable fortress," essentially consisting of his city mode with the legs splayed outwards.

: In all modes, Maximus has a wide array of pop-out (non-firing) guns and gimmicks. Its left leg hides a small prison cell, plus has a swing-out cannon/helipad. Its right leg has a small storage compartment. Its torso has a gear-activated spinner for the detachable radar array accessory, a "control socket" for [[Cerebros (G1)|Cerebros]]' "communications room" mode, and a working elevator that can lift small toys up to its central ramp to be launched in its altmodes. (The crank for this elevator ends up in a very unfortunate position in robot mode.) Each arm had a long ramp on the back with sliding launchers for small vehicles.

: Its robot-mode head is formed by Cerebros, who does not actually need Spike to attach to the upper body. It came with both Headmaster units, plus the Gasket and Grommet mini-vehicles.

:[[Megatron (BW)/toys#MegaheadMegatron|Megahead Megatron]]'s spider-head mode (with a few alterations) can fit into Fortress Maximus's head socket; though surely a coincidence, it was noted on the card [[bio]].

: The Japanese release of Fortress Maximus came with a pair of [[Master Sword]]s; one for Fortress, a ''large'' one for Maximus. It is currently unknown if the swords were originally planned for the [[Hasbro]] version but dropped for price or [[For safety reasons|safety concerns]], or if they were a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-initiated addition to their release of the toy.

: This mold was used to make ''[[Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (toyline)|Super-God Masterforce]]'' [[Grand Maximus]], ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Car Robots]]'' [[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Brave Maximus]], and ''[[Robot Masters (franchise)|Robot Masters]]'' "[[Fortress Maximus (RID)|Cybertron Base]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Autobot/FortressMaximus/fortressmaximus.htm More information on Fortress Maximus at TFU.info]

{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:G1 FortressMaximus Jnr toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|We represent the Lollybot guild]]
* '''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-114'''
**''Accessories:'' Fortress Headmaster unit, Photon Rifle

: ''[[Transform Jr]]'' Fortress Maximus is a smaller rendering of the character, scaled down to regular Transformer size, and with only one head. Fortress Maximus could only transform from his starship mode to his robot mode, as his legs lack the joints to fold into city mode. Much of his detail and accessories have been simplified into stickers, such as his shin cannons. He comes with only one weapon, his large blue photon rifle.

:This toy was also available in a leaders three-pack with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Convoy]]

::*''[http://www.cliffbee.com/reviews/fortmaxjr.php More information of Transform Jr Fortress Maximus at Cliffbee.com]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Head, Photon Rifle, Dual Laser Blaster
:Released in the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of snap-together "[[candy toy]]" model kits, this version of Fortress stands at about four inches tall and is cast in grey, white and blue plastic. Unlike the Headmaster figures from the previous ''Transformers Gum'' wave, this version of Fortress Maximus does away with his Headmaster gimmick, and by sheer necessity of size, also lacks the guns in his forearms and fists and the prison cell in his left leg. He does include both of his hand-held weapons and swing-out waist cannons, however, and he can still transform into both starship and city modes. As a ''Transformers Gum'' kit, he featured no paint applications, but came with stickers for detail, and a piece of terrible gum.

::*''[http://bowbowdaijin.blog96.fc2.com/blog-entry-27.html More information on Transformer Gum Fortress Maximus at a Japanese fansite]''
{{--}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_fortmax.jpg|right|thumb|]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (1990)
**''Accessories:'' Master Sword

:A small, blue and white non-transforming [[super deformed]] model kit of Fortress Maximus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The twelfth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Bigger Than Life! Fortress Maximus!", and more of that alleged "gum".
{{--}}
===Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron===
[[Image:Fortmax_scf_hoc.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2001)

:Fortress Maximus was the collectible "Build-A-Figure" from the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s line of ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' PVC figurines. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the other six figurines in the line: His head and sword came with [[Raiden]], his torso with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]], his left arm with [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]], his right arm with [[Soundwave (G1)/toys|Soundwave]], his left leg with [[Ironhide (G1)/toys|Ironhide]] and his right leg with [[Sixshot]].

:As the first collectible figure from the line, Fortress Maximus was much rarer than those that would come later, with his parts only coming in two out of every ten cases. Like all the other figures in the wave, his parts were available in two color schemes; of the two cases he was available in, one contained a full-color figure, while the other contained a colorless translucent version.

*'''Fortress''' (2002)

:A standard 3" PVC figurine of Fortress was available in the eighth and final ''SCF'' wave line. 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, in eight out of every ten cases, the pewter version of Fortress came packaged with head and torso of the wave's collectible [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] figure.

*'''Fortress Maximus''' (2003)

: The Fortress Maximus PVC was later revisited by [[Hasbro]] for their domestic release of the ''Super Collection Figure'' series, ''[[Heroes of Cybertron]]''. Like all the ''Heroes of Cybertron'' figures, this version of Fortress Maximus was cast entirely in clear-blue plastic and then painted over, save a small spot on his head to give him a "light-pipe" glowing-eyes effect. He remained available only as a collectible pack-in, one part in each of the six releases in the line's fourth wave. His head and sword came with [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]], his torso with [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], his left arm with [[Powermaster]] [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Gigatron]], his right arm with [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], his left leg with [[Jazz (G1)/toys|Autobot Jazz]] and his right leg with the Autobot Espionage Team ([[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]] and [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]]).

==Notes==
* "Fortress Maximus" was an early name for the characters that eventually became [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. The [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] [[Transformers: The Movie (Marvel comic)|comic adaptation]] of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|1986 movie]] even refers to [[Autobot City]] as "Fortress Maximus" in a caption.

* Fortress Maximus was the first toy to be released with a bona-fide Earthling figure. All of the other Headmasters' companions were from Nebulos. (Although Maximus's on-package [[bio]] refers to "the Nebulan leader, Spike", the general consensus is that it was supposed to be the popular figure from TV and other media, who is almost certainly an Earthling.)

* Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.

[[Image:FortMaxReds.jpg|thumb|250px]]

*Fortress Maximus appeared in an unusual red-accented color scheme on the cover of Marvel's [[Ring of Hate!|''Headmasters'' #1]]. This color scheme was repeated in the corner box for [[Love and Steel!|''Headmasters'' #3]] and on the cover of [[The Man in the Machine!|''The Transformers'' #51]]. Its origin is unknown.

* The Battleship ''Maximus'' bears a slight resemblance to the [[Wikipedia:White Base|White Base]], a battleship from the [[Wikipedia:Gundam|''Gundam'' franchise]].

* When Spike transforms to join Fortress Maximus for the last time in the ''Generation 2'' book, Cerebros is not shown, and Spike transforms directly into Fortress Maximus's head. Maximus is shown to be no larger than Megatron. In real-life terms, it's an obvious series of art errors; in the context of the story, one might wonder if Maximus was reduced back to his original, smaller, size. It seems improbable, considering that Spike had been retired for years by that point.

* Fortress Maximus has the distinction of having one of the most well known Transformers [[Knockoff|bootleg]] versions in existence. While Cerebros has been omitted, the Spike figure is the same, and the body has been scaled down to match, effectively making the body compatible with any other Headmaster head. It also fetches absurd prices for a bootleg.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Cerebros''' (セレブロス ''Sereburosu''), '''Fortress''' (フォートレス ''Fōtoresu''), '''Fortress Maximus''' (フォートレスマキシマス ''Fōtoresu Makishimasu'')
*''English:'' '''Spaceship Bruce''' (spaceship mode, [[Omni Productions]] dub), '''Cerebros''' (Fortress, [[Shout! Factory]] sub)
*''French:'' '''Forteresse Maximus''' (Canada)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Ford''' (Taiwan, 福特 ''Fú Tè''), '''Furmon''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福蒙 ''Fú Méng''), '''Fortry''' (Taiwan [[Omni Productions]] dub, 福崔 ''Fú Tsūei'')
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Fortecya Maxima''' (Фортеця Максима, "Fortress Maxima")
*''Russian:'' '''Krepysh Maximus''' (Крепыш Максимус, "Sturdy Fellow Maximus")

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

[[Category:Autobot bases]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobot starships]]
[[Category:City Transformers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 1 locations]]
[[Category:Generation 1 starships]]
[[Category:Headmasters]]
[[Category:Multi-component Transformers]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]

Wheeljack (G1)

2012-07-26T14:15:07Z

132.3.45.68: /* G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers */

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

[[Image:Wheeljackg1.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]! I built a machine that builds machines that build catapults! Come see! Yeah, we can wait for Ratchet...]]
'''Wheeljack''' is his own worst enemy. Something of a crackpot inventor, a good half of his creations blow up in his face, and that's just if he's lucky. He's simultaneously one of the Autobots' greatest assets and problems; for every successful gadget he builds, there's one which requires [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] or [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] to put him (and his lab) back together. But once in a while he strikes gold, which has won him respect from even the Decepticons.

He is, however, not a ''complete'' nerd. As good as he is in the lab, Wheeljack is just as amazing on the road: there are few stunts he can't pull off, and he loves to show off his driving skills as much as he does his inventions. He is, however, a little less confident when it comes to [[flight|flying]], which he accomplishes using solid-fuel rocket jets in his forearms.

{{bigquote|It sure is nice when one of my inventions actually works!|Wheeljack on his track record|"[[Fire on the Mountain]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:TheTransformers-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|150px|They thought I was crazy, absolutely mad.]]
Wheeljack 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, Wheeljack was rebuilt to transform into a race car. As the Autobots counted their ranks, he apologized to [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] for being "the guy you've had to patch up most." {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later, he observed as their human friend [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] suffered a heart attack, requiring Ratchet to drive him and his son to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} After a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were defeated by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who took over the Ark and hung the bodies of Wheeljack and his defeated peers from the ceiling. {{storylink|The New Order}}

''Ratchet was able to reclaim the Ark and began to reactivate the fallen warriors. Wheeljack was the second Autobot after [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] to be brought back on-line, so that he could aid Ratchet with his technical skills. He saved the Autobots from total destruction by remote-controlling Optimus Prime's deactivated body and using it to intervene in [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s attempted execution of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], who had been booby-trapped with a nuclear bomb.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-disintegratedcircuits02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Don't worry! As long as you hit the wire with the connecting hook at precisely eighty-eight miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine!]]

Wheeljack accompanied [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] on a mission to secure a fuel supply for the Autobots. He stayed in the background while Jazz forged an alliance with the human [[G.B. Blackrock]]. But when Starscream and Frenzy showed up at the unveiling of Blackrock's new anti-robot cannon, Wheeljack couldn't just sit around. He transformed and blasted Frenzy with magnetic powder, which buried the Decepticon in an avalanche of ferrous materials. Wheeljack was saved from an attack by Starscream when [[Circuit Breaker]] brought the Decepticon crashing to the ground. The save was unintentional, however; when Wheeljack thanked the human for her help, she turned her fury on him, blasting him into unconsciousness. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

To help boost the Autobots' fallen forces, Wheeljack installed the minds of [[Grapple]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] into bodies that were created by the Ark. The minds were [[Mind bank|stored on the Ark]] for such an occasion. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} Wheeljack was among the Autobots who witnessed the debut of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and he participated in the subsequent attack on the Decepticons' [[Wyoming base|coal strip mine base]]. Once Bumblebee had extracted combiner technology data from [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Wheeljack and the others retreated. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Wheeljack was later an early casualty of a disastrous attack on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] led by acting Autobot Commander [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], though he was not seriously damaged.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

To give the Autobots some air (and [[combiner]]) power, Wheeljack designed the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], though all but [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s minds were incomplete and they almost killed a human. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Wheeljack later had to erase their minds and unfortunately, by this time, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] had implanted a [[cerebro-shell]] in Optimus that, while not controlling him, allowed the Decepticons to tap into the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to create the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} It was not directly referenced, but it is assumed that he helped build the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] as well (which allowed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to create the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]).

''Later, he aided Optimus Prime in a plan to temporarily fake his own death, in order to teach the Earth-bound Autobots to learn to cope without him. Wheeljack was the only Autobot Prime told of his plan, probably since Prime needed him to build a [[facsimile construct]] in his likeness to be destroyed. When Megatron did destroy the facsimile, even Wheeljack mistakenly believed Prime had been killed.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-mechanicaldifficulties.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Throw open the switches on the sonic oscillator, and step up the reactor power THREE—MORE—TRIANGLES!]]

After Optimus Prime died, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked the Ark as the Autobots were choosing their new leader. Wheeljack was among the many whose motor skills were inhibited by [[sonic-scrambler mine]]s. Following the battle, the Autobots chose Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} Like Prime before him, Grimlock relied heavily on Wheeljack's skills. Wheeljack tracked down the missing [[power booster rod]], {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}} and supervised the construction of the [[Geothermal Generator]]. By the time the device was complete, Wheeljack was beginning to have serious doubts about Grimlock's leadership, noting to himself that their leader wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} By the time the Ark was repaired and ready for launching, Wheeljack was wondering if he shouldn't be helping Blaster out, rather than assisting Grimlock's efforts to capture him. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

These doubts soon grew into a covert rebellion, as he called in his old friend [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to help deal with the situation. Wheeljack acted as the Ark's pilot, once it was spaceborne. He enabled the craft to overtake and capture the Decepticon [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], who was under Blaster's control. When Blast-Off's passengers turned out to be nothing more than four human children, he advised the other Autobots that they could probably lower their weapons.

[[Image:Wheeljack-spacehikers02.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Welcome to my secret lair on Skullcrusher Mountain. I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far.]]

Wheeljack did his best to make the four humans welcome and comfortable, fitting them with customized space suits, but soon ran up against Grimlock's monomaniacal quest to bring Blaster to "justice". When Grimlock ordered the humans cast into space in hopes of drawing out Blaster, Wheeljack had Skylynx save them. Though the humans were safe, Grimlock captured Blaster anyway, and Wheeljack's attempt at subversion ultimately failed. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

Wheeljack was among the dozens of Autobots who gathered on the moon to watch Blaster and Grimlock battle for Autobot leadership, and subsequently came under Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Although it wasn't depicted, he was assumed destroyed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]; like most of his compatriots, he was not seen in action until the battle with Unicron. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-stilllife.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Alive.... ALIVE... ''IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!'']]

Grimlock eventually revived him with [[Nucleon]], along with the rest of the Autobots' deactivated roster. Wheeljack questioned Grimlock on the wisdom of ramming Unicron with the Ark and of charging into battle so soon after being reactivated, but Grimlock just told him to be quiet and fight, before shoving him out the airlock. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

After the defeat of [[Unicron]], Wheeljack was with a handful of Transformers who found Optimus Prime's desiccated remains. He theorized that the Matrix energy unleashed by Unicron's destruction was somehow, just barely, keeping him alive. He mourned Prime's death alongside Prowl, Kup and others. {{storylink|Still Life!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-endoftheroad.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mein Führer! ''I can walk!!'']]

Wheeljack had a short altercation with Quake, which was symptomatic of the growing unrest between the two factions. He subsequently discovered the betrayal of the Decepticons, who had sabotaged the Autobot spacecraft before leaving the dying Cybertron. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

Grimlock saved the day again though, providing some stolen Decepticon cruisers. However, when they followed the Decepticons to [[Klo]], the Autobots were ambushed and nearly wiped out. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was about to dismember the crippled Wheeljack when he was saved by the timely arrival of the reborn Optimus Prime and the [[Neo-Knights]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''Wheeljack survived the battle of [[Autobot City]] in this timeline, but was later strung up by [[Quintesson]]s there in 2008, anyway. He wasn't seen after that, though [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] survived the same treatment, so Wheeljack may have survived.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

{{--}}
=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] infiltrated the Ark to brainwash some new troops, Wheeljack was one of the deactivated Autobots he attempted to control. Wheeljack and the others turned the tables on Galvatron, subjecting him to his own [[mind bug]] technology.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} ''Back in action, Wheeljack felt somewhat out of place among the various [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]] and [[Powermaster]]s wandering around the Ark now. On a scouting mission, he and Prowl grumbled to one another about how they just wanted some good ol' fashioned Decepticons to beat up on. Obligingly, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] and [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] showed up right then to stop the Autobots from finding out about their evil plans. Thrilled about fighting bad guys who weren't "MicroHeadTargetmasters with a Pretender shell", Wheeljack and Prowl tracked down the Constructicons' leader, Megatron, nearby, and learned of his plans to destroy Earth's atmosphere with a [[Global warming satellite|rocket]].'' {{storylink|Starting Over!}} ''While Wheeljack distracted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], Prowl leapt aboard the rocket and knocked it off course, saving the planet.'' {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}

''Fresh from their adventure with old, familiar enemies, Wheeljack and Prowl both joined the new Earthforce team Optimus Prime set up under Grimlock's command. Operating out of a shuttle in the Canadian wilderness, the Autobots began constructing a larger Earthbase on site. Although the location of their base was unknown, the construction-in-progress was open to attack, and so a 24-hour guard watch was arranged. One dark and stormy night, Wheeljack was trying to keep warm on guard duty using a thermo-heating unit from the ship, but it overheated and started smoking on him. He knocked over a table and lamp while trying to shut off the device and attracted the attention of a [[polar bear]], which ended up chasing him back towards the shuttle. To top it all off, he was jumped from behind by [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], who had seen all the mess and mistaken Wheeljack for [[Fantasy Predacon|an attacking Decepticon]]. It was not Wheeljack's best night ever.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-thelivingnightlights.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bah. Warm, fuzzy nice-nice! What good is science if nobody gets hurt!?]]

''When a new thought-activated set of nightlights called [[Sleepfast]] was released to human buyers, Wheeljack got suspicious and tested the little items. He found not only the presence of Cybertronian technology in the devices, but also evidence that the thought-sensitive nightlights would eventually turn on their owners, allowing them to manipulate the humans' minds as well as read them. Wheeljack took [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] to investigate the Sleepfast warehouse, and they ran into the mastermind behind the scheme, [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]. The Autobots used the thought-activation effect of the Sleepfasts to will all several hundred nightlights on at once, temporarily blinding Mindwipe.'' {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-housethatwheeljack.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Zhose are ze largest trousers in ze vorld!"]]

''Finally, Autobot Earthbase was completed, and Wheeljack called the entire team outside to witness his defense grid in action. Prowl was dubious at the lack of obvious protection, and so Wheeljack handed him the activation remote. Once Prowl hit the button, Wheeljack tossed a rock towards the base, where it was instantly obliterated by the retractable laser cannons. When Prowl expressed concern that someone could knock the defense system offline, Wheeljack assured him that once the defense system was activated, it could only be deactivated from a console inside the base. Prowl paused for a minute, took a head count, then turned hesitantly to Wheeljack and asked, "So who's inside with the console NOW...?" ''

''The response? "Oh..."''

''While Prowl and the other Autobots braved the defenses in order to reach the console and turn off the security system, Grimlock grabbed Wheeljack by the ankle and shook him out upside-down over the snow for good measure.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-makintracks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|From the tempest's fury, the spark ignites—to sire new life! Transmet—wait, we're getting a bit too meta here, aren't we.]]

''When Optimus Prime returned to Earth for an inspection of the new operation, he also brought back [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s body for Wheeljack to reactivate in his Bodyshop. Grimlock was hardly impressed with the idea of bringing the vain and complaining Tracks back to life, and he tried to derail the process. Despite his efforts, though, Wheeljack not only revived Tracks, but Optimus Prime decreed that Tracks would remain with Earthforce instead of going back on the Ark with him.'' {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} ''Later, Wheeljack diagnosed Snarl with [[Corrodia Gravis]], prompting the Autobots to seek out the only compatible Transformer who could give him a systems boost: Starscream.'' {{storylink|Assassins}}

''Wheeljack was last seen during the Autobot chase of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], who had kidnapped their ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]]. He abandoned the chase to check on Prowl after Motormaster ran him off the highway.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
While investigating an apparent planet-wide genocide on [[J'asik]], Wheeljack joined [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on a science team in attempting to find out just what had destroyed all life on the planet so utterly. Their findings were so surprising, the team double-checked fifty times before confirming the results: A Cybertronian biological by-product had somehow achieved quasi-sentience and motivation, and was prowling the galaxy as the entity known as the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. The full impact of their discovery was cut short, however, by the arriving armada of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], the accidental harbingers of the Swarm. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} The battle with Jhiaxus kept the Transformers occupied long enough for the Swarm to find them on Earth. Presenting a united front, the Autobots and Decepticons desperately attempted to drive back the creature. Wheeljack cooked up a method of dramatically augmenting [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s sonic powers, but while the Decepticon was consumed by the excess power pumping through his system, it seemed to do little good against the Swarm. Wheeljack's fate is unknown. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Chris Latta]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese)|[[Katsumi Suzuki]] (Japanese, "[[Attack of the Autobots]]" and "[[Day of the Machines]]" only), [[Alberto Bognanni]] (Italian, second dub), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American, Season 1), [[Jorge García]] (Latin American, Season 2), [[Gunnar Ernblad]] (Swedish), [[Charlie Elvegård]] (Swedish, Generation 2), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, ''Roll For It''), [[Walter von Hauff]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' First Half of the Episode), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' second Half of the Episode, ''The Girl Who Loved Powerglide'' & ''Hoist Goes Hollywood''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub most of the episodes), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Masquerade'' & ''Roll For It'')}}

[[Image:Cybertronwheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|Boxy but safe.]]

Four million years ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Wheeljack was sent on a mission with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] to search for any available energy that could be found on the drained planet. The pair located some energy [[conductor]]s, and Wheeljack transformed into his boxy vehicle mode so that Bumblebee could load them up, even though he didn't believe they would last a [[Units of time|quartex]]. On the return trip to [[Great Dome|Iacon]], the pair were attacked by a team of [[Decepticon]]s, but Wheeljack was able to break through their barricade of fire using his bumper-mounted cutting blades and then eluded their pursuers by heading underground. Despite their successful return with the conductors, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] decided to expand the search for energy to other planets. Wheeljack was among the Autobots selected to embark on this mission, but in mid-flight, the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] was attacked by the Decepticons and crashed on prehistoric [[Earth]], entombing all aboard in stasis.

[[Image:Mtmte2_fiftyninepointninetynine.jpg|right|thumb|220px|With this, I shall give my creature life!]]

When the Transformers were reactivated by a volcanic eruption in 1984, Wheeljack was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] with the alternate mode of a Lancia Stratos Turbo custom racing car. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Soon after their awakening, Wheeljack was part of the battle unit organized by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] to defend a [[human]] oil rig against an attack by the Decepticons, and used a fire-extinguishing mechanism installed in his forearm to douse the inferno that resulted from the conflict. Wheeljack next helped attempt to stop the Decepticon plot to overload [[Sherman Dam]], and then journeyed with the other Autobots in pursuing their foes to [[Burma]]. There, he gave Bumblebee and the Autobots' new human ally [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] a bomb that would collapse the mine the Decepticons were current raiding, trapping the villainous robots for good. Alas, Wheeljack overestimated his skills, as the Decepticons were able to escape the collapsed mountain with ease. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Wheeljack later participated in the battle to stop the Decepticons from escaping Earth aboard their [[Victory (G1)|new space cruiser]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Divideandconquer wheeljack cosmotron.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Ah, you know what it's like, Ironhide, there's always a few extra bits at the bottom of the box.]]

Some months later, when an [[antimatter]]-powered [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] attacked [[Ark (G1)#Autobot Headquarters|Autobot Headquarters]], Wheeljack had just the invention to save the day: a remote control unit that would put Teletraan I in control of a Decepticons' body. Through the bravery of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]], the unit was planted on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and the Autobots used him to foil the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

Wheeljack's mechanical expertise was put to the ultimate test when Optimus Prime was critically wounded by a Decepticon attack. With [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s help, Wheeljack struggled to keep his leader alive, discovering that his vital [[cosmitron]] component had been damaged and needed replacing. A team of Autobots were dispatched through the Decepticons' [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, where they located [[Wheeljack's workshop|Wheeljack's old laboratory]] and recovered a replacement cosmitron to save Prime's life. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots_buildingSludge.jpg|right|thumb|220px|What's he ''building'' in there? We've got a right to know.]]

Upon discovery of [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] bones in caverns within the Ark's volcano, Wheeljack and Ratchet were inspired to construct robotic version of dinosaurs, resulting in the creation of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Upon activation, the behemoths promptly ran out of control and badly damaged Autobot Headquarters, until Wheeljack brought them under control with his [[magnetic inducer]]. Optimus Prime deemed the Dinobots too dangerous to continue functioning and commanded that the project be abandoned, but Wheeljack secretly persisted, developing memory components that would increase the Dinobots' intelligence. This bout of insubordination proved fortunate when almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons at the [[Great Falls]], prompting Wheeljack to activate the upgraded Dinobots and take them into battle to save the day. Wheeljack was willing to accept any punishment Prime would hand down for his disobedience, but Prime accepted his judgement had been hasty, and allowed the Dinobots to remain among the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Learning of Decepticon activity in [[Peru]], Optimus Prime had Wheeljack and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] head for the [[Arctic|Arctic Circle]] to unearth the frozen Autobot [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], so he could carry the Autobot forces to [[South America]]. Once the Decepticons' plan to use the [[Crystal of Power]] as a weapon had been stopped, Wheeljack invented a device to cap the geyser of energy that had resulted from the crystal's destruction. Spike was a little concerned over whether or not the device would function, but it went off without a hitch, even surprising Wheeljack himself a little. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:Wotd wheeljack meteorite.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Surprisingly, the ominously glowing turd had little scientific value.]]

Wheeljack had his work cut out for him when the Autobots faced two simultaneous threats: a [[Meteorini Chipperoni|mysterious meteorite]] crashed on Earth, and when the Dinobots were left to guard it, they were tricked by Megatron into allying with the Decepticons. Analyzing a fragment of the meteorite, Wheeljack discovered it was wildly unstable and poised to explode at any moment. Working with Ratchet, Spike and Chip Chase, Wheeljack developed two new Dinobots, [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], and sent them in to defeat their forebears. The meteorite exploded harmlessly, and the Dinobots, convinced of their mistake, returned to the Autobot side. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

When the Decepticons attacked a solar power plant on the coast of [[India]], Wheeljack outfitted the Autobots with hydrofoils so they could approach the plant from over the water. The attack was discovered to be a distraction when Wheeljack received a report from Autobot Headquarters that the Decepticons had struck there and kidnapped Sparkplug. Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that raided [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and recovered Sparkplug, but he and Spike soon realized that there was something wrong. Sparkplug had, in fact, been made a mind-controlled Decepticon slave thanks to a [[hypno-chip]], as part of a plan to transport Cybertron itself into Earth orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:Tud3_wheeljack_little_present.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Green Lantern's light!]]

The villains soon accomplish their terrifying goal, and the Autobots found themselves battling the natural disasters that the presence of the planet caused. Wheeljack called upon the Dinobots to aid them in their struggle, though first he had to convince them that it was worth their while to help. Seeking information about the Decepticons' hypno-chips, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who travelled to the orbiting Cybertron, though no sooner had they arrived on the planet than the smaller members of their party (Spike, Bumblebee and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]), fell through a trap door. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Wheeljack and the others were unable to follow directly due to their size, but soon tracked their friends down to the Decepticons' headquarters and rescued them from an attack. The team took cover in Wheeljack's old lab, where Wheeljack analyzed a computer disk containing information on the hypno-chips that Bumblebee had stolen and developed a device to negate the chips' effect. The Autobots' test-drove the device on Sparkplug, and when it proved successful, they quickly returned to Earth and Wheeljack used it to liberate all of Megatron's slaves. Finally, the world was saved when the Autobots blew up Megatron's stockpile of [[energon cube]]s, blasting Cybertorn out of orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Wheeljack then helped repair the damage caused to Earth, directing the Dinobots as they performed some heavy lifting. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot unit dispatched to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of robot insects, where they faced the threat of the Decepticons' newest allies, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Wheeljack aided Skyfire by fixing his malfunctioning transform mechanism, and unsteadily taking to the air to back him up in an Insecticon dogfight. When Spike deduced that the Autobots' rubber tyres would protect them from the Insecticons' lightning attacks, Wheeljack rode atop [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and Sideswipe to help send the critters packing. To reward Spike for his bravery, Wheeljack offered to make a him a "true Autobot" by designing a motorcycle transformation for him, but Spike decided he'd better wait until he was at least old enough to drive. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:Shockblastcannon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm okay.]]

The sudden appearance of Megatron in the airspace of Autobot Headquarters was cause enough for Wheeljack to try testing his new [[shock blast cannon]], but the weapon simply blew up in his hands. As luck would have it, Megatron had not arrived to fight, but to challenge Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in accordance with Cybertron law. Wheeljack spoke out in favour of Prime accepting the challenge, as it would end the Transformers' war, but none of the Autobots expected the eventual result of the fight: Optimus lost! Wheeljack could not understand how Megatron had claimed victory, but Teletraan I soon provided the answer-Megatron had taken on the powers of all the other Decepticons, breaking the rules of the fight and invalidating its outcome. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

When Spike was badly injured by Megatron and needed life-saving surgery, Wheeljack developed cybernetic attachments that allowed Spike's mind to be transferred into "[[Autobot X]]", a makeshift body constructed from spare Autobot parts by Sparkplug. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} A little later, Wheeljack disagreed with Ratchet over which wire needed to be pulled to deactivate the Decepticons' [[Solar Needle]] device, but Optimus Prime put an end to the argument by yanking both of them. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:Immobilizer_wheeljack_immobilized.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack: Master of the ancient art of Notmoveoo.]]

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who travelled to [[New York City]] to defend it against an attempted Decepticon takeover. The sight of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] climbing the [[Empire State Building]] reminded Wheeljack of ''[[King Kong]]'', and he took a leaf out of the movie's book by sending remote-controlled helicopters against the [[combiner]]. Devastator easily swatted the craft out of the air, and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] consoled Wheeljack with the fact that Devastator had probably seen the movie too. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

The first tests of Wheeljack's newest invention, the paralytic "[[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]]", did not go very well: first, the device's [[polarizer]] was damaged by an over-enthusiastic [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and once it was replaced, Spike accidentally stepped on the Immobilizer's remote, immobilizing Wheeljack himself! Luckily the effects of the device proved temporary, and Wheeljack soon returned to normal. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} His next invention, an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] developed to restore the other Autobots when they were frozen in their vehicle modes by the Decepticons' new [[Transfixatron]], proved much more successful. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:Atlantisarise wheeljack and nergill.jpg|left|thumb|220px|From that day on, Dr. Wheel Jack was cursed to transform into a monster during moments of stress.]]

When Wheeljack was captured by the Decepticons' new sea-dwelling [[Sub-Atlantica]]n allies, their treacherous king, [[Nergill]], studied his systems and developed [[magnetic dysfunction ray]] that could disable Transformers based on them. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] was blasted with the ray, he tried to use energy from Wheeljack's systems to restore himself, but was caught in the act and stopped by Bumblebee and Spike. The duo proceeded to repair Wheeljack, who then called in the Dinobots to sent the Sub-Atlanticans packing. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

After helping to free [[Quantum Laboratories]] from the control of [[TORQ III]], {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Wheeljack attended the unveiling of the human-made ninja-robot, [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]. Wheeljack did not have a high opinion of the comparatively primitive robot, but once the Decepticons stole and reprogrammed it to serve them, Nightbird made Wheeljack eat crow by outsmarting all the new security systems he had installed in Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Later, Wheeljack was among the Autobots fooled by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

To stop the Decepticons from drilling into the Earth's core and destroying the planet, Wheeljack invented [[dominator disc]]s that the Autobots planted on the individual [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], placing their combined form of Devastator under Wheeljack's control. The Decepticons were able to disrupt the disks, but this resulted in Devastator running amok, forcing the Decepticons to hand their device over to Wheeljack so he could combine it with his disks to restore Devatator to normal. {{storylink|The Core}} Soon after, Wheeljack and Ratchet had to work fast to develop an antidote that would negate the destructive energy of the [[Nova Power Core]], which had been consumed by the Insecticons and was threatening to cause them to explode.{{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[Image:Autoberserk_good_job_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack's the dude.]]

Having spent some time trying to teach the Dinobots finesse, Wheeljack held a demonstration of his creations' newest abilities for the other Autobots, but unsurprisingly, it all went wrong. Optimus Prime decided that the Dinobots should train elsewhere, and they were sent to the recently-discovered "[[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]". {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Unfortunately, the Decepticons followed the Dinobots to the time-lost island and began draining its energy, causing time warps all across the Earth that Wheeljack worked with Chip and Teletraan I to track. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Wheeljack approved of [[Grapple]]'s [[Solar Power Tower]], but sadly, Optimus Prime didn't. {{storylink|The Master Builders}} Prime ''did'' approve of Wheeljack's own next invention, the [[Negavator]], but so did the Decepticons, who made a few attempts at stealing it that ultimately required it to be destroyed. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when a [[Heart of Cybertron]]-empowered Megatron badly injured many of the Autobots, Optimus Prime had Ratchet repair Wheeljack first, so the scientist could build a forcefield to hold Megatron off. {{storylink|Microbots}}

When the Decepticons framed the Autobots for energy thefts, they covered for their own past villainy by claiming Wheeljack had invented a device that drove them to evil. The deception fooled the people of Earth, and the Autobots were exiled from the planet, {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} but they soon returned to clear their names. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dotd1_sparkplug_repairs_wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|220px|He took mah jerb!]]

Instructed by Optimus Prime to dispatch an Autobot team to deal with a Decepticon incursion at an airfield, Wheeljack again had to convince the Dinobots to lend a hand. Soon after, Wheeljack and the other Autobots began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation, necessitating that Spike and [[Carly]] travel to Cybertron to get more. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Wheeljack supplied them with a [[photon light]] and a two-way thumb radio and set them on course for his old laboratory. Despite some Decepticon trouble along the way, the two humans eventually succeeded in their mission with the help of the Dinobots, and Wheeljack and the Autobots were restored. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who stood by as reports on the search for the stolen [[Voltronic Galaxer]] came in, {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}, then later temporarily received the power of an invulnerable [[electrum]] coating {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}. Shortly thereafter, he had to help Sparkplug, Ratchet and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] repair and restore a fleet of cars turned into war machines by the Decepticons, {{storylink|Make Tracks}} but was powerless to do anything when a space bridge accident hurled Optimus Prime and a small group of other Autobots and Decepticons to a world of alien giants. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Later still, when [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] was injured attempting to protect heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Wheeljack and Ratchet recovered and repared him. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:Wardawn wheeljack fixes kronosphere.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack, the colour of gold, is gold. That's why it's called gold. What you have created, if it has a name, is some...green.]]

When Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron was raided by the Decepticons, a mysterious piece of old technology he had kept stored there was carried back to Earth by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who wound up crashing in a movie lot. The Decepticon fought hard to recover footage the movie studio took of Dirge and the device, but it turned out the joke was on them: after the battle was done, Wheeljack revealed that whatever the machine was supposed to be, it had never worked anyway! {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that traveled to Cybertron to stop Megatron from using the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] to bring his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life, but they failed. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} To combat the Stunticons, Wheeljack helped [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] rebuild some aircraft into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}} Only a few weeks later, Wheeljack had to returned to Cybertron to repair the damaged [[Kronosphere]] time machine and rescue the Aerialbots when the Decepticons attempted to trap them in the past. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Teurox wheeljack vs motormaster.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Dem Duke boys knew they were in a heap o' trouble when Rosco got himself a cliffjumpin' big rig.]]

Learning that racing driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] would be test-driving a car made from a new experimental alloy in the upcoming [[Europa 2000]] race, Optimus Prime sent a contingent of Autobots, including Wheeljack, to participate in the race and protect Augie from any possible Decepticon interference. Wheeljack was thoroughly enjoying himself until the Stunticons joined the race, and he was crushed under [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s wheels in [[Turkey]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

When the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] plague threatened the Autobots, Wheeljack proposed using the [[matter duplicator]] to create more of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s anti-corrosive [[corrostop]]. Two problems faced the scientific duo, however: the matter duplicator didn't work, and they were out of corrostop! Working tirelessly (and with a few swift kicks to the machine for good measure), the pair got the matter duplicator functioning, and the Autobots recovered some corrostop from the [[Statue of Liberty]] to duplicate and save themselves. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Masquerade_wheeljack_stolen_tech.jpg|right|thumb|220px|So, you ''want'' me to make it blow up this time?]]

During the Stunticons' latest rampage, Wheeljack used Teletraan I to pinpoint the location of the five Decepticons, and the Autobots quickly rounded them up. Examining the components the Stunticons had stolen, Wheeljack speculated that Megatron was making yet another super-weapon. A team of five Autobots disguised themselves as the Stunticons, and delivered a substitute ruby modified by Wheeljack to Megatron, which caused the new laser cannon it was installed within to explode. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Wheeljack helped defend Autobot Headquarters against an attack from the Decepticons' [[orbit disruptor cannon]], using his gyro-inhibitor to prematurely detonate missiles launched by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Inventor, uh...reinvent thyself. (Tis just a flesh wound.)]]

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons turned away from Earth and focused on entirely conquering Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet, and constructed [[Autobot City]] on Earth to serve as their new home. Wheeljack ultimately met his end defending this city in the year 2005, when the Decepticons launched [[Battle of Autobot City|an overwhelming attack on it]]. His body was seen lying alongside a missile launcher as [[Arcee (G1)| Arcee]] laid [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s equally-lifeless shell alongside him. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, aside from one notable alteration: Wheeljack does not die during ''The Transformers: The Movie''. The character reappears in several pieces of media that take place after the events of the movie, in important capacities that can't merely be written off as animation errors. This was not an issue to Japanese audiences originally, as the movie was not released in Japan until a few years later, after the most significant of these extra appearances (in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' cartoon), but it created something of a retroactive error that would later be addressed in passing in ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' fiction. Read on for details!}}

=====e-Hobby pack-in comic=====
[[Image:Ehobbymanga_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|"This is Wheeljack. I'll be your operator today."]]

During a Decepticon assault on Autobot Headquarters, Wheeljack co-ordinated the Autobot counterattack from inside the base, instructing Brawn to back up Hound. When the other Decepticons were defeated, Brawn and Hound ran to back up Optimus Prime, who was battling Megatron and had just landed a powerful blow on the Decepticon leader. Wheeljack scanned Megatron's damage, and discovered that his internal balancer had gone offline...but he could never have predicted that this would result in Megatron's systems releasing a sudden [[quantum surge|surge of quantum energy]] that restored and super-charged him! {{storylink|Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[Image:Srlf manga1 wheeljack trailbreaker sideswipe prime.jpg|left|thumb|300px|We have streaky anime lines!]]

When the Decepticons began turning their attention towards [[Japan]] in the late 1980s, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who traveled to [[Tokyo]] to defend it against an attack by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon jets]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. Following the advice of a local boy that they befriended named [[Kenji]], the Autobots were able to take out the Decepticons by using a broken section of freeway as a ramp to gain height on their enemies; Wheeljack landed a good hit on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the process. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

In response to the increasing number of Decepticon attacks on Japan, the Autobots set up a secondary headquarters in the country. Wheeljack was among the Autobots later seen staffing the base and welcoming Kenji on his first visit there. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}
{{-}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
Along with his fellow Autobots who could turn into sport and race cars, Wheeljack participated in a race across the desert. Little did he know, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] was aware of the race and ambushed the Autobots inside a narrow gorge. Wheeljack and the other race car Transformers were unable to retaliate because their vehicle modes could not brave the rough, desert terrain. Luckily for them, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived in his rugged Jeep mode and smashed Soundwave's chest window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic 'em, Hound!}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Wheeljack was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] when the Decepticons began terrorizing the world with their [[Omega Whip]]. To make matters worse, the Stunticons began a fierce rampage, and Wheeljack was among the Autobots who advised against the Aerialbots battling them alone. Optimus Prime disagreed, and off they went. Soon after, Wheeljack joined in an attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, but was clobbered by a Decepticon jet. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[Image:Stargatebattles wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack watches C-X's brutal rampage and considers both the moral and philosophical ramifications of giving it a bigger gun.]]

In the 1990s, continued interaction between the Autobots and the government of the United States led to the development of an interstellar teleportation system known as the "[[Trigger]]". Wheeljack joined Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Jazz and Hound in a press conference to announce the Trigger to the world, and even wrote the stirring speech that Prime delivered to the masses. Ignoring Jazz as he tried to keep them quiet during the broadcast, Wheeljack and Ratchet both agreed that the gun-like design of the Trigger reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A few months later, Wheeljack, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and Bumblebee observed as Optimus Prime helped human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] test his new [[C-X]] battle drone. Wheeljack offered some technical advice on how to increase the drone's attack speed, but that only meant more trouble when C-X started to run amok thanks to Decepticon interference. Wheeljack and his comrades tried to aid Prime, but he and Bluestreak were flattened by a single kick from the huge drone. Prime proved his might by defeating C-X single-handedly, and Wheeljack helped hold up his battered leader as he limped from the battlefield. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

{{--}}
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[Image:BTWheeljack art.jpg|left|250px|thumb|HEAVY METAL RULES!!!]]
When the Dinobots were turned savage by a Unleasher attack in the year 2005, the Autobots had to take them off-line. Wheeljack headed to Earth to arrange the transplantation of [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]'s mind into a new body created from the "Binaltech" technology that had recently been developed in conjunction between the Autobots and the [[Earth Defense Command]]. {{storylink|Beast in the Machine}} On his return journey to the Autobots' moonbase, however, his shuttle was hijacked by time-tossed Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who had begun a plan to alter the course of history. {{storylink|Changing Lanes}} Wheeljack was shown a brief glimpse of the near future by Ravage, and bore witness to his own death, and those of many of his comrades, in the upcoming Battle of Autobot City. Wheeljack managed to escape, while Ravage himself promptly returned to Cybertron and exhumed the [[Kronosphere]], using it to tip the balance of the decisive battle occurring at that time. Whereas the outcome would have originally favored the Decepticons, leading to their total conquest of Cybertron, Ravage ensured an ''Autobot'' victory, altering history and leaving the heroes to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone.

Aware that history had been altered, Wheeljack was faced with a dilemma: Should he stop Ravage's plan and restore the timestream, even though it would mean the death of many Autobots, including himself? His salvation, he hoped, lay in the [[Genetronic Translink System]], a device that allowed a singular [[spark]] to control many duplicate bodies simultaneously—if history could be set to rights and his "death" were to come to pass, he could still live on in another body using the GT System. Dubbing his original body the "Alpha Unit," he constructed the "Beta Unit" based on Grimlock's Ford Mustang body, as well as the mysterious third "Omega Unit," whose capabilities were kept a closely guarded secret. {{storylink|Project Bodyshop}}

The subsequent arrival of Unicron prompted the Autobots to initiate "Operation: Distant Thunder," which saw [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] use the chronal warp on Dinobot Island to send Wheeljack's memory data back in time, in hopes of alerting the Autobots in the past and preventing alteration to the timestream. {{storylink|Darkest Hour}} The plan didn't go as expected, and reality started to go into a severe state of whack, until a mysterious [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|black Optimus Prime]] appeared and sealed the time portals that had been created. Operation: Distant Thunder had succeeded in preventing the mainline timestream's alteration, but the Binaltech timeline, first destined to be replaced and erased, had been saved by the newcomer and was now its own distinct, divergent universe. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

{{Note|At this point, the original timeline was retroactively restored and the events of the ''Story of Binaltech'' diverged into a parallel universe. Skip to the next section to continue reading about the original timeline. Exactly how many of the preceding events related in this section, even prior to the divergence, occurred in the original unaltered timeline are unknown, but presumably, the data sent back in time by Wheeljack must have included information on his own approaching death and the GT System, which would explain how he was able to survive and live on to appear in subsequent pieces of fiction.}}

In this new universe, Wheeljack and the Binaltech warriors began facing new threats as the Binaltech project was declassified, and derivative technlogy began showing up around the globe. The Autobots battled the human criminal organization called the [[Concurrence]] and the Binaltech Decepticon named [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who had created a living [[electrum]] giant. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 2}} Soon, Wheeljack helped bring an end to the Binaltech wars by unleashing his Omega Unit. The BT-14 Omega Unit functioned by connecting the laser-core of Wheeljack's spark to the power network of the entire globe, linking him to the living datastream of information running the planet. Through this link, Wheeljack tracked down all the splinter projects misusing Binaltech data, allowing Prowl and [[Earth Defense Command]] to seek them out and terminate the research programs. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 4}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01VariousGuys.jpg|thumb|200px|He's that grey blob on the right. ]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Wheeljack engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Wheeljack was present for a confrontation with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Wheeljack's flashback battle on Earth 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.}}

=====''Victory'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Shinobu Satouchi]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American Spanish)
[[Image:WheeljackVictory1.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Um, that was my brother Jackwheel .]]

In the year 2025, Wheeljack, Perceptor and [[Minerva (Masterforce)|Minerva]] were summoned to Earth by the new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] to save the life of the fallen [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]. Despite their best efforts, there was nothing they could do to save Ginrai's body, but it ''would'' be possible to transplant all his internal systems into a new body. As he would no longer truly be the same being, Ginrai turned down their offer, but then Wheeljack accidentally blurted out that there was a pre-existing design that they could use, piquing Ginrai's curiosity. The design was a combination power-up created by Star Saber, and Ginrai insisted on being reborn in this new body. {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!}} Perceptor, Wheeljack and Minerva brought Ginrai's life functions to an end, and resurrected him in his new body as [[Victory Leo]]. As Victory Leo cut his teeth in battle, Wheeljack and Perceptor put their technical skills to use tending to Star Saber's own wounds. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}} and then installed a combination circuit in Star Saber's body. {{storylink|Awaken! Victory Leo}} This circuit allowed him to combine with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber. {{storylink|The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification}}
{{-}}

=====''G-2'' story pages=====
[[Image:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|right|thumb|Umm... would you believe it was my identical cousin?]]
Wheeljack, along with Perceptor and Jetfire, discovered [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new properties]] of the Matrix which allowed Optimus Prime to revive himself as "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Battle Convoy]]" after a crushing defeat by Megatron. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

=====e-HOBBY comics=====
To combat the Decepticons' increasingly aggressive energy raids, Wheeljack and [[Ga'mede]] worked together to examine Optimus Prime's new "blackbody" form, and duplicated it to create twenty-one new battle droids cast in the Autobot leader's image. These [[Eldedroid]]s were placed under the remote control of [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]] and sent out onto the battlefield. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}
{{-}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Wheeljack built a ship for the [[Autobot]]s to use. They got the chance to when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] decided to try to raid sunken ships full of treasure. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} After the [[Decepticon]]s captured [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Wheeljack and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] were badly damaged in the battle to rescue the two humans. Sparkplug fixed them both up and they subsequently helped repel a Decepticon attack on [[Hoover Dam]]. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

{{stub}}
{{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}} {{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
{{notekeepers}}
[[Image:Skidswheeljackgrimlockkupironhidetww.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Box!]]

Wheeljack suffers from a mild form of [[mode attachment]], feeling more comfortable in his vehicle mode than robot mode. As a consequence he does his best thinking in vehicle mode, often while attempting something insanely dangerous. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

Wheeljack was part of Grimlock's unit, along with [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], at the time when [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] died and Optimus Prime rose to command the Autobots. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When the Decepticons placed [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] under siege, Grimlock took his group to [[Kaon]] to look for Optimus Prime, who had gone seeking Megatron. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} While there, they discovered [[Planetary engine|planetary turbines]] that were providing power to a mechaforming process that was destroying Iacon. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Arriving, Prime instructed Wheeljack to shut down the engines in a... creative way (it blowed up real good). Wheeljack grumbled a bit that all his education and mechanical engineering skill had led up to just blowing things up. The group managed to return to Iacon, where Prime halted his order to abandon the planet. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

When Prime and Megatron disappeared during a [[space bridge]] explosion, Grimlock broke off from the Autobot army and formed the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], taking his former squad members with him. While Kup and the Dynobots attacked the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]], Wheeljack and Ironhide hijacked some shuttles carrying raw [[energon]], making Starscream very angry. That's always a plus. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} When Cybertron was on the verge of peace, and there were incoming transports filled with explosives, Grimlock ordered Wheeljack to enact emergency protocol Hydra-Nine. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After Megatron took over, Wheeljack ended up in [[Internment Camp Pi]] with a bunch of other Autobots. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

Wheeljack was one of the engineers that designed and constructed the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', and part of the ship's original crew. In 1986, Ironhide and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] discovered Wheeljack in pieces but functional after an explosion while bug-testing his neutron detonator shell. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|Wheeljack's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}} ''At an unconfirmed point in time, he was also responsible for temporarily transferring the consciousness of Spike Witwicky into a Cybertronian body, though the full story remains untold. {{storylink|Hardwired}}''

Wheeljack was among the Transformers involved in the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster. He survived the explosion of their spacecraft, crashing back to Earth where he and several others lay deactivated and frozen within an iceberg until awakened by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in 2002. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

[[Image:Wheeljack dw6.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Wheeljack calms a group of panicked humans by charging at them while brandishing a weapon.]]

Wheeljack participated in the assault on [[Lazarus]]'s Canadian headquarters. When [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s attempt to bomb the Autobots and the Decepticons out of existence instead caused a violent expansion of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s [[cyber-virus]], Wheeljack and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] were the first Autobots to free themselves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} While Prime took some of the Autobots after Megatron, Wheeljack diagnosed the nature of the cyber-virus, and created a set of anti-viral blasters that used the Autobots' energy to return the converted matter to normal. The intervention of Canada's military force scuttled that plan when they fired into the virus, expanding it beyond the point the Autobots could contain. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} In response, Wheeljack converted a nearby satellite dish into a giant anti-viral weapon, channeling all of his remaining energy into it. He succeeded in destroying the virus, but was left in deep stasis lock as a result. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Several months later, Ratchet had successfully restored Wheeljack to operating status. He was one of the first Autobots Optimus Prime met back up with after escaping the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]' world and [[Las Vegas]]. While on patrol of the area, Wheeljack passed [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] travelling up the road towards the Autobots' location. He buzzed the Decepticon's position, and was surprised when Soundwave asked for a parlay. He claimed Megatron wanted a favor from Prime. Bemused, Wheeljack reported back to Optimus about the bizarre encounter, only to have his amusement turn to astonishment when Optimus Prime actually responded to Megatron's "summons". The two old enemies forged an alliance against the Keepers, and united their forces for battle in Las Vegas. During the fight, Wheeljack used his solid-fuel rockets to fly with the Decepticons [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in the skies, acting as air support for the others. He returned to Prime's side in the final battle, when the Autobot leader used the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to divert the Keepers and the power of a nuclear explosion into another dimension.'' {{storylink|Annihilation}}

Later, when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] came to arrest the Autobots as war criminals, Wheeljack was one of the Autobots secretly left behind by Optimus Prime under Jazz's command. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Like most of the rest of that group of Autobots, Wheeljack was beaten to the point of stasis lock by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] some time later and dumped into a nearby swamp. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} He was dredged out by an [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] task force and repaired, in time to rejoin the other Autobots when they started construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
When the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on Earth millions of years ago, Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sealed off from the other passengers, saving them from [[Cobra]] when they found the craft in 2003 and reprogrammed the dormant robots for their own needs. Cobra's break-in activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletran-One]], who in turn brought back Wheeljack and Bumblebee. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF3_Wheeljack_rams_twins.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"'Ey yo, I'm drivin' ova here!"]]
Disguising themselves as cars, the two Autobots worked for months to find and rescue the other Autobots from Cobra. After noting several attacks on energy plants, Wheeljack figured that the humans were gathering ingredients for [[energon]], and had an idea on where their next attack would take place. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} During Cobra's subsequent assault on the [[SPS Research Facility]], the Autobots intervened directly, with Wheeljack ramming the brainwashed duo of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (and apologizing). He then confronted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but the reprogrammed Decepticon fled as soon as Cobra had stolen what they came for. Having revealed themselves to [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] during the battle, Wheeljack and Bumblebee offered an alliance with the humans, who in return showed the Autobots a mysterious image of Soundwave they had found. Wheeljack recognized the text in the picture as [[Cybertronian languages|Cybertronian]], and that it contained directions to [[Cobra Island]] as well as instructions on how to free the Transformers. It took him only a few seconds to hack into Cobra's computers and undo their primitive human reprogramming. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

Wheeljack and Bumblebee then boarded a plane to participate in G.I. Joe's attack on Cobra Island, but the humans' higher-ups disagreed, planning to nuke the island and send the two Autobots to [[Area 51]] to be disassembled and studied instead. [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] regretfully incapacitated the robots with a magnetic pulse, but Wheeljack stayed conscious enough to overhear their plans and warn Duke that a nuclear impact on Cobra's energon stockpile would cause a chain reaction and send half the planet into a nuclear winter. With this revelation, Duke broke orders and went with the original strategy, taking Wheeljack and Bumblebee with him to Cobra Island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF6_Wheeljack_threatens_Mindbender.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I've got the computer virus at last!]]
Upon arriving at the island, Wheeljack witnessed Megatron using the [[SPS Satellite]] to create more energon, and was enraged when [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] killed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. After helping take down the giant, Wheeljack patched through a message to all Autobots that the United States had decided to nuke Cobra Island despite having their own troops located there. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} Wheeljack quickly improvised a plan to avoid a nuclear holocaust; using the SPS Satellite's solar-powered energy beams to shoot down the nuclear warheads before they arrived. After menacing [[Doctor Mindbender]] into overriding the satellite controls, Wheeljack helped G.I. Joe fight off a bunch of Cobra troops led by [[Storm Shadow]]. The plan was ultimately a success, and with the Decepticons defeated in the process, the Autobots returned to Cybertron aboard a new ''Ark''. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

Two years later, Wheeljack was zapped by a malfunctioning [[Teletran 3]] and transported into a random point in Earth's timeline. He was never seen again. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Wheeljack was among the Autobots that lay buried on the [[Fera Islands]], only to be awoken in [[1939]] when [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] came to battle [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. Along with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and several Joes, he rescued several chained Cobra slaves that had fallen into the ocean. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] later reported that both Wheeljack and Hound had been killed in battle, but he was apparently mistaken, as the scientist was still around when [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] was unleashed. Upon examining the giant, Wheeljack noticed that it was some kind of hybrid of human and Cybertronian technology, and most likely wasn't really "alive". When the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was destroyed in order to kill Bruticus, Wheeljack and all other Transformers present were deactivated as well. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===Redemption Center===
When a badly-damaged Starscream turned up on the Autobots' doorstep, Wheeljack argued strongly for allowing himself and Ratchet to take a look at the Decepticon's logic circuits, and possibly see if there was any way to make him a little less hostile. Prime eventually agreed, and when an amnesiac Starscream awoke and acted quite benign, Wheeljack seemed vindicated. Starscream even chose staying with the Autobots over returning to the Decepticons, however when his memories returned, he immediately fled back to his old comrades. Though Wheeljack was disappointed, Prime said it proved that the Decepticons were not beyond changing their ways. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===IDW Generation 1 comics===
{{ongoing}}
In the time preceding the war, Wheeljack was a mechanoid as touched by the sacrifice of others as one could expect from this kindly future Autobot. It comes as no surprise then that he was front row at the state funeral of [[Kaon]] Security Service officers [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Around this time he was friends with his fellow engineer [[Ferak]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Ferak's Squadron X profile}} Wheeljack was working at the [[technoversity]] of [[Ultirex]] when he caught Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons' control of Cybertron. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Wheeljack served as a mentor for a young Autobot named [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], who would go on to become an expert in weapons engineering. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[Image:Escalation2 JazzWheeljack party.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Hollywood]]'s latest spin on the buddy cop drama, Jazz & the 'Jack.]]
In 2006, Wheeljack was part of a detachment of Autobots that has operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. In his role as technical scientist and gadgeteer for the Autobot detachment, he built a device that could interface the [[SM-40]] palmtop computer with the systems aboard the Autobots' ''[[Ark-19]]'' spacecraft. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Wheeljack, like his fellow Autobots, would come to watch the showdown between [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the [[Ultra-Energon|Ore-13]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Aboard the Ark, Wheeljack briefed Optimus Prime and the Autobots about suspected Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. The Decepticons had set up an array structure that was emitting an aggression wave. The wave was causing higher than normal level of violence amongst nearby [[Avengers|costumed humans]] and was bringing the nations of Latveria and [[Symkaria]] to the brink of war. Optimus ordered 'Jack to guard the Ark while the rest of them [[roll out|rolled out]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} After the Autobots completed their mission and returned, Wheeljack noted that the [[Quinjet|Avengers' jet]] looked like it may have been a Cybertronian design. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

Later, after [[Escalation issue 1|the incident outside Lebanon, Illinois]], he and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were sent to investigate a [[Springfield]] police impound lot which supposedly held [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'s remains. Unfortunately, members of the [[Machination]] had already arrived with the same purpose in mind, and attacked the bots wielding advanced weaponry eerily similar to their own. Wheeljack escaped mostly unharmed, probably because Jazz took a direct hit from a mortar meant for him. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Wheeljack would get his first taste of real damage in [[Brasnya]] facing down [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} and eventually the drained form of Megatron. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

Wheeljack was assigned to work with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], but yet again the Machination decided to interfere—this time in a confrontation with their army of experimental [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Cloning|clones]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} Wheeljack's constant tinkering paid off when he was able to escape the Headmasters using a [[gyro-inhibitor shell]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} The Headmasters eventually caught up with them, however, and incapacitated Wheeljack by knocking a pile of junk cars on him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] arrived to retrieve Hot Rod and the others, blowing up a Headmaster that was attacking Hot Rod. Hot Rod refused to leave Earth though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took Wheeljack and Ironhide back with him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bumblejerk.]]
A year later, Wheeljack had returned to Earth and joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s forces. After getting lured into a Decepticon trap and defeated, they were all dumped on the abandoned Cybertron to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} When Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent to try and find energon, the pair discovered their Earth modes couldn't handle the terrain. Wheeljack came up with an idea for a polymer to solve the problem, but Bumblebee (rather rudely) pointed out he lacked ''any'' equipment. A moment later, Wheeljack spotted someone following them. In a desperate but sure-to-work attempt to call in back-up, Wheeljack signaled their base with a pulse that would last only 1/100th of a second. Confident help was on the way, he cautioned Bumblebee against going after the stranger on their own, but the young bot, lacking faith in Wheeljack's rather brilliant idea, ignored him. The scientist was proven right, however, when Ironhide and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] arrived! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} It turned out their follower was Hot Rod, who told Wheeljack and the others that he was part of an Autobot team that had recently crash-landed on the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

Wheeljack and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] worked together to repair [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who had been heavily injured by the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} When the Autobots were organizing a defense line against the Insecticon swarm, Wheeljack removed a cannon from the other team's [[Trion|crashed spaceship]] and modified it to be used as a mounted turret. However, since the cannon wasn't meant to be used like that, he warned [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] that its power relay would probably burn out after only a few shots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} After hitching a ride back to Earth on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Wheeljack and the others battled Megatron's forces in [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

Three years after the defeat of the Decepticons, Wheeljack and the other Autobots remained on Earth, just in case the Decepticons returned. [[Skywatch]] had figured out a way to lock Transformers in vehicle mode stasis for capture, but Wheeljack devised a way to counter the inhibitors. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} When Optimus Prime surrendered to the Skywatch following the death of Ironhide, the Autobots agreed to vote on a new leader, with Wheeljack in charge of tallying the votes. He eventually revealed that the winner was Bumblebee. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Shortly afterwards, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on Earth to investigate Optimus Prime's surrender, and Wheeljack and the others lined up to listen to him. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

[[Image:HangingSword-Wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Surprise, Wheeljack hates being cautious.]]

While Bumblebee was elected as the new Autobot leader, the little Autobot's moping over their current problems was perceived by Wheeljack to be a weakness, and thus he had little respect for Bumblebee as his leader. After being reprimanded by Ratchet, Wheeljack came across a message from rogue Skywatch Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who claimed that he wished to work with the Autobots to capture Decepticons. Without consulting Bumblebee, he initiated contact with the colonel, and when Bumblebee and Ratchet found out, he bluntly told his "commander" that if he doesn't do ''something'', more Autobots would leave their group. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

However, Horiuchi was not as trustworthy as he had seemed, outfitting the Autobots with badges to listen in on them and incapacitate them if they didn't follow his orders. When Bumblebee's badge was damaged, freeing him from the watching eyes of Horiuchi, the Autobots made plans to deactivate the rest of the devices as well. To keep their plans secret from Skywatch, Wheeljack cooked up a text-based comm system using a frequency the humans didn't monitor and used it to guide Bumblebee on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

When Bumblebee located one of the control boards for the badges, Wheeljack told him to take it back to base so that he could alter it and cause it to burn out the devices instead. Bumblebee began protesting, since what he was doing was basically lying to a [[Serena Bharwaney|little girl]] so he could steal from [[Sanjay Bharwaney|her father]], which a frustrated Wheeljack saw as poor thinking for a leader. Ratchet eventually set him straight and convinced him to provide Bumblebee with instructions so that he could tamper with the board on the spot. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

As Bumblebee finished and began returning to base, Skywarp suddenly tracked down the control board and attacked the humans. Wheeljack and the other Autobots tried to stop Bumblebee from turning back to save them, but he wouldn't listen. Having no other choice, they all rolled out to help him fight the Decepticon only to reach him just as he activated the control board, burning out his and Skywarp's power sources along with their badges. Even after repairing him and upgrading his body, Wheeljack expected Bumblebee to still be "just that little guy", but he seemed to have grown as a leader from the experience. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[Image:Infestation2-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Surprise, Wheeljack has bad news regarding technology.]]

Following the Autobots' second, successful alliance with Skywatch, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] crashed a ship full of [[zombie]]s in [[Las Vegas]]. A team of Autobots and Skywatch units went in, and Wheeljack put up a force dome around the area to contain the outbreak. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} He later reported that it was running low on energy, though it all turned out alright in the end. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Later, Wheeljack was among the troops picked for the mission to fight the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. He was responsible for mounting giant guns on the other Autobots' vehicle modes, as they were forced to fight in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}} Despite some unexpected trouble in the form of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the Autobots were victorious, and Wheeljack listened to a short speech by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

After returning to America, Wheeljack repaired [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], who rather rudely commented that he'd rather have Ratchet. Wheeljack replied that Ratchet was busy tending to the wounded who ''weren't'' Decepticons. He later had a chat with Prowl about how unwise it had been to have both their mechanics on the same away team. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}} Alongside the rest of the Autobots, Wheeljack watched in surprise as Hot Rod (now known as Rodimus) returned from space, bringing news that Cybertron was now habitable once again. All of them volunteered to return to their home planet and liberate it from [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}}

As they traveled on board Omega Supreme's rocket mode, all the Autobots were curious what would happen to the captured Megatron, and Wheeljack lost 50 [[Shanix]] betting with Ratchet that they could listen in on Optimus Prime's private chat with the prisoner. He was also offered a job at [[Kimia Facility]] by [[Xaaron]], but it's unknown if he accepted. Not that it mattered considering [[Chaos Part One: Lamentations|what happened]] to Kimia just afterwards. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} On Earth, Prowl and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] required Wheeljack's help when [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] went into [[stasis lock]] during an interrogation. Appearing via hologram, he figured that someone had placed a failsafe within the Decepticon, so that if he was captured he'd be knocked offline before he revealed any sensitive information. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward}}

On Cybertron, the Autobots fought against Galvatron's [[Sweep]]s. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}} Upon their victory, Cybertron was left at peace, but the planet itself had been "reset", transformed into a primordial and hostile world—a world to which factionless Transformers from all across the galaxy soon began returning. Bumblebee established a provisional government, and Wheeljack became part of his inner circle of confidants, at first helping to direct the arriving ships to appropriate landing zones. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Once things settled down a little, Wheeljack outfitted his fellow Autobots with new Cybertronian alternate modes, and began working with Ironhide to explore the extent the changes to the planet. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson}} He was responsible for "upgrading" Bumblebee's walking stick into a powerful taser and was present for the memorial service dedicated to the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', which had disappeared in an explosion just after launch. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

When mysterious explosions began erupting across the planet, Wheeljack was called upon to investigate, in the process having to save [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] from a furious [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], who blamed the Decepticons for the blasts. Unconvinced, Wheeljack put his head together with Starscream's and deduced that the explosiions were being caused by unanchored energy the primeval planet was supposed to be transmitting to its [[Moonbase One|absent moon]]. Wheeljack hastily constructed a rocket and launched it into low orbit to safely draw the energy off into space, then set to work putting a replacement satellite together. {{storylink|Stick Together}} He was later given the unenviable task of informing Prowl about the murder of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] and accompanying him to the crime scene, {{storylink|Devisive}} and was present at the Autobot base for the arrival of [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]]. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

{{spoiler|Interference Patterns| August 5}}

When a Decepticon ship materialized above Cybertron from out of seeming nowhere, Wheeljack's scientific curiosity was piqued, and he volunteered to sneak aboard the craft to learn what kind of secret cloaking technology the craft's curiously beneficent commander [[Turmoil]] was hiding. Upon discovering that the ship did not have a cloaking device, but rather a [[time travel|time machine]] built using slave labor, Wheeljack was attacked and badly wounded by Turmoil. Although he was able to seal the Decepticon in one of his newly-created containment fields, Wheeljack was then confronted by his vengeful troops, only to be saved by Metalhawk. Using another containment field to protect himself and his rescuer as they escaped the ship, Wheeljack concluded that despite its dubious origins, the time machine was too valuable to destroy. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

{{-}}

===''Wings Universe''===
After a battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] early in the war, Wheeljack helped repair the [[Autobot]]s that fell in the battle. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Wheeljack was one of the Autobots active in [[1888]] when an [[Elder God]] awoke on Earth. Transforming into an steam-powered plow car, he brought [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the [[Mare Ruek Glacier]] where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He was the first Autobot to give up his energy for the [[Tesla tower|generator]] Tesla needed to revive Prime, then was brought back in turn thanks to Prime's own energon reserves. When Prime led the Autobots to [[Port Cenotaph]] to defeat the Elder God and its Decepticon minions, Wheeljack cut [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] in half using his plow blades as swords. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

==Commercial appearances==
Wheeljack was among the Autobots gathered around [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] when Prime decided it would be a good idea to not transform anymore. {{storylink|Commercial|Action Master commercial}}

==Games==
===''Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons''===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Wheeljack could come to Optimus Prime's aid by repairing his flat tires. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Alex Easley]]

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Wheeljack (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
* Wheeljack has the distinction of being the first Transformer to appear in the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], and thus the first one to appear in any animated story.

* According to the Japanese PlayStation 2 ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Wheeljack is significantly older than [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], old enough to tell him to "respect your elders". Also, he is younger than Kup, but still enough of age to share old man stories with him.

* Storyboards for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' show Smokescreen lying dead next to Windcharger instead of Wheeljack. Older versions of the movie script in fact feature Wheeljack alive and well after the Battle of Autobot City. He and several other Autobots take part in a plotline that involved saving Earth from Unicron's siphoning hose that was draining the Earth's energy and would ultimately destroy it.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wheeljack''' (ホイルジャック ''Hoirujakku'')
*''French:'' '''Invento''' (Canada), '''Cric''' (Canada Action Master, "Jack")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Kerék''' ("Wheel"), '''Kormányos Jack''' ("Steering-wheel Jack")
*''Italian:'' '''Saetta''' ("Bolt")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Auto-Roda''' (Portuguese comic, "Auto-Motor"), '''Motriz''' (Brazilian comic, "Wheel")
*''Russian:'' '''Gónshhik''' (Го́нщик, "Racer")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Kermanych''' (Керманич, "Steerer")

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

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spy Changers]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Victory Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Wheeljack (G1)

2012-07-26T14:12:15Z

132.3.45.68: /* e-Hobby pack-in comic */

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

[[Image:Wheeljackg1.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]! I built a machine that builds machines that build catapults! Come see! Yeah, we can wait for Ratchet...]]
'''Wheeljack''' is his own worst enemy. Something of a crackpot inventor, a good half of his creations blow up in his face, and that's just if he's lucky. He's simultaneously one of the Autobots' greatest assets and problems; for every successful gadget he builds, there's one which requires [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] or [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] to put him (and his lab) back together. But once in a while he strikes gold, which has won him respect from even the Decepticons.

He is, however, not a ''complete'' nerd. As good as he is in the lab, Wheeljack is just as amazing on the road: there are few stunts he can't pull off, and he loves to show off his driving skills as much as he does his inventions. He is, however, a little less confident when it comes to [[flight|flying]], which he accomplishes using solid-fuel rocket jets in his forearms.

{{bigquote|It sure is nice when one of my inventions actually works!|Wheeljack on his track record|"[[Fire on the Mountain]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:TheTransformers-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|150px|They thought I was crazy, absolutely mad.]]
Wheeljack 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, Wheeljack was rebuilt to transform into a race car. As the Autobots counted their ranks, he apologized to [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] for being "the guy you've had to patch up most." {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later, he observed as their human friend [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] suffered a heart attack, requiring Ratchet to drive him and his son to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} After a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were defeated by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who took over the Ark and hung the bodies of Wheeljack and his defeated peers from the ceiling. {{storylink|The New Order}}

''Ratchet was able to reclaim the Ark and began to reactivate the fallen warriors. Wheeljack was the second Autobot after [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] to be brought back on-line, so that he could aid Ratchet with his technical skills. He saved the Autobots from total destruction by remote-controlling Optimus Prime's deactivated body and using it to intervene in [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s attempted execution of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], who had been booby-trapped with a nuclear bomb.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-disintegratedcircuits02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Don't worry! As long as you hit the wire with the connecting hook at precisely eighty-eight miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine!]]

Wheeljack accompanied [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] on a mission to secure a fuel supply for the Autobots. He stayed in the background while Jazz forged an alliance with the human [[G.B. Blackrock]]. But when Starscream and Frenzy showed up at the unveiling of Blackrock's new anti-robot cannon, Wheeljack couldn't just sit around. He transformed and blasted Frenzy with magnetic powder, which buried the Decepticon in an avalanche of ferrous materials. Wheeljack was saved from an attack by Starscream when [[Circuit Breaker]] brought the Decepticon crashing to the ground. The save was unintentional, however; when Wheeljack thanked the human for her help, she turned her fury on him, blasting him into unconsciousness. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

To help boost the Autobots' fallen forces, Wheeljack installed the minds of [[Grapple]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] into bodies that were created by the Ark. The minds were [[Mind bank|stored on the Ark]] for such an occasion. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} Wheeljack was among the Autobots who witnessed the debut of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and he participated in the subsequent attack on the Decepticons' [[Wyoming base|coal strip mine base]]. Once Bumblebee had extracted combiner technology data from [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Wheeljack and the others retreated. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Wheeljack was later an early casualty of a disastrous attack on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] led by acting Autobot Commander [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], though he was not seriously damaged.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

To give the Autobots some air (and [[combiner]]) power, Wheeljack designed the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], though all but [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s minds were incomplete and they almost killed a human. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Wheeljack later had to erase their minds and unfortunately, by this time, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] had implanted a [[cerebro-shell]] in Optimus that, while not controlling him, allowed the Decepticons to tap into the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to create the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} It was not directly referenced, but it is assumed that he helped build the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] as well (which allowed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to create the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]).

''Later, he aided Optimus Prime in a plan to temporarily fake his own death, in order to teach the Earth-bound Autobots to learn to cope without him. Wheeljack was the only Autobot Prime told of his plan, probably since Prime needed him to build a [[facsimile construct]] in his likeness to be destroyed. When Megatron did destroy the facsimile, even Wheeljack mistakenly believed Prime had been killed.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-mechanicaldifficulties.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Throw open the switches on the sonic oscillator, and step up the reactor power THREE—MORE—TRIANGLES!]]

After Optimus Prime died, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked the Ark as the Autobots were choosing their new leader. Wheeljack was among the many whose motor skills were inhibited by [[sonic-scrambler mine]]s. Following the battle, the Autobots chose Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} Like Prime before him, Grimlock relied heavily on Wheeljack's skills. Wheeljack tracked down the missing [[power booster rod]], {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}} and supervised the construction of the [[Geothermal Generator]]. By the time the device was complete, Wheeljack was beginning to have serious doubts about Grimlock's leadership, noting to himself that their leader wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} By the time the Ark was repaired and ready for launching, Wheeljack was wondering if he shouldn't be helping Blaster out, rather than assisting Grimlock's efforts to capture him. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

These doubts soon grew into a covert rebellion, as he called in his old friend [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to help deal with the situation. Wheeljack acted as the Ark's pilot, once it was spaceborne. He enabled the craft to overtake and capture the Decepticon [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], who was under Blaster's control. When Blast-Off's passengers turned out to be nothing more than four human children, he advised the other Autobots that they could probably lower their weapons.

[[Image:Wheeljack-spacehikers02.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Welcome to my secret lair on Skullcrusher Mountain. I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far.]]

Wheeljack did his best to make the four humans welcome and comfortable, fitting them with customized space suits, but soon ran up against Grimlock's monomaniacal quest to bring Blaster to "justice". When Grimlock ordered the humans cast into space in hopes of drawing out Blaster, Wheeljack had Skylynx save them. Though the humans were safe, Grimlock captured Blaster anyway, and Wheeljack's attempt at subversion ultimately failed. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

Wheeljack was among the dozens of Autobots who gathered on the moon to watch Blaster and Grimlock battle for Autobot leadership, and subsequently came under Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Although it wasn't depicted, he was assumed destroyed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]; like most of his compatriots, he was not seen in action until the battle with Unicron. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-stilllife.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Alive.... ALIVE... ''IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!'']]

Grimlock eventually revived him with [[Nucleon]], along with the rest of the Autobots' deactivated roster. Wheeljack questioned Grimlock on the wisdom of ramming Unicron with the Ark and of charging into battle so soon after being reactivated, but Grimlock just told him to be quiet and fight, before shoving him out the airlock. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

After the defeat of [[Unicron]], Wheeljack was with a handful of Transformers who found Optimus Prime's desiccated remains. He theorized that the Matrix energy unleashed by Unicron's destruction was somehow, just barely, keeping him alive. He mourned Prime's death alongside Prowl, Kup and others. {{storylink|Still Life!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-endoftheroad.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mein Führer! ''I can walk!!'']]

Wheeljack had a short altercation with Quake, which was symptomatic of the growing unrest between the two factions. He subsequently discovered the betrayal of the Decepticons, who had sabotaged the Autobot spacecraft before leaving the dying Cybertron. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

Grimlock saved the day again though, providing some stolen Decepticon cruisers. However, when they followed the Decepticons to [[Klo]], the Autobots were ambushed and nearly wiped out. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was about to dismember the crippled Wheeljack when he was saved by the timely arrival of the reborn Optimus Prime and the [[Neo-Knights]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''Wheeljack survived the battle of [[Autobot City]] in this timeline, but was later strung up by [[Quintesson]]s there in 2008, anyway. He wasn't seen after that, though [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] survived the same treatment, so Wheeljack may have survived.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

{{--}}
=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] infiltrated the Ark to brainwash some new troops, Wheeljack was one of the deactivated Autobots he attempted to control. Wheeljack and the others turned the tables on Galvatron, subjecting him to his own [[mind bug]] technology.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} ''Back in action, Wheeljack felt somewhat out of place among the various [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]] and [[Powermaster]]s wandering around the Ark now. On a scouting mission, he and Prowl grumbled to one another about how they just wanted some good ol' fashioned Decepticons to beat up on. Obligingly, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] and [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] showed up right then to stop the Autobots from finding out about their evil plans. Thrilled about fighting bad guys who weren't "MicroHeadTargetmasters with a Pretender shell", Wheeljack and Prowl tracked down the Constructicons' leader, Megatron, nearby, and learned of his plans to destroy Earth's atmosphere with a [[Global warming satellite|rocket]].'' {{storylink|Starting Over!}} ''While Wheeljack distracted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], Prowl leapt aboard the rocket and knocked it off course, saving the planet.'' {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}

''Fresh from their adventure with old, familiar enemies, Wheeljack and Prowl both joined the new Earthforce team Optimus Prime set up under Grimlock's command. Operating out of a shuttle in the Canadian wilderness, the Autobots began constructing a larger Earthbase on site. Although the location of their base was unknown, the construction-in-progress was open to attack, and so a 24-hour guard watch was arranged. One dark and stormy night, Wheeljack was trying to keep warm on guard duty using a thermo-heating unit from the ship, but it overheated and started smoking on him. He knocked over a table and lamp while trying to shut off the device and attracted the attention of a [[polar bear]], which ended up chasing him back towards the shuttle. To top it all off, he was jumped from behind by [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], who had seen all the mess and mistaken Wheeljack for [[Fantasy Predacon|an attacking Decepticon]]. It was not Wheeljack's best night ever.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-thelivingnightlights.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bah. Warm, fuzzy nice-nice! What good is science if nobody gets hurt!?]]

''When a new thought-activated set of nightlights called [[Sleepfast]] was released to human buyers, Wheeljack got suspicious and tested the little items. He found not only the presence of Cybertronian technology in the devices, but also evidence that the thought-sensitive nightlights would eventually turn on their owners, allowing them to manipulate the humans' minds as well as read them. Wheeljack took [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] to investigate the Sleepfast warehouse, and they ran into the mastermind behind the scheme, [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]. The Autobots used the thought-activation effect of the Sleepfasts to will all several hundred nightlights on at once, temporarily blinding Mindwipe.'' {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-housethatwheeljack.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Zhose are ze largest trousers in ze vorld!"]]

''Finally, Autobot Earthbase was completed, and Wheeljack called the entire team outside to witness his defense grid in action. Prowl was dubious at the lack of obvious protection, and so Wheeljack handed him the activation remote. Once Prowl hit the button, Wheeljack tossed a rock towards the base, where it was instantly obliterated by the retractable laser cannons. When Prowl expressed concern that someone could knock the defense system offline, Wheeljack assured him that once the defense system was activated, it could only be deactivated from a console inside the base. Prowl paused for a minute, took a head count, then turned hesitantly to Wheeljack and asked, "So who's inside with the console NOW...?" ''

''The response? "Oh..."''

''While Prowl and the other Autobots braved the defenses in order to reach the console and turn off the security system, Grimlock grabbed Wheeljack by the ankle and shook him out upside-down over the snow for good measure.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-makintracks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|From the tempest's fury, the spark ignites—to sire new life! Transmet—wait, we're getting a bit too meta here, aren't we.]]

''When Optimus Prime returned to Earth for an inspection of the new operation, he also brought back [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s body for Wheeljack to reactivate in his Bodyshop. Grimlock was hardly impressed with the idea of bringing the vain and complaining Tracks back to life, and he tried to derail the process. Despite his efforts, though, Wheeljack not only revived Tracks, but Optimus Prime decreed that Tracks would remain with Earthforce instead of going back on the Ark with him.'' {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} ''Later, Wheeljack diagnosed Snarl with [[Corrodia Gravis]], prompting the Autobots to seek out the only compatible Transformer who could give him a systems boost: Starscream.'' {{storylink|Assassins}}

''Wheeljack was last seen during the Autobot chase of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], who had kidnapped their ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]]. He abandoned the chase to check on Prowl after Motormaster ran him off the highway.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
While investigating an apparent planet-wide genocide on [[J'asik]], Wheeljack joined [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on a science team in attempting to find out just what had destroyed all life on the planet so utterly. Their findings were so surprising, the team double-checked fifty times before confirming the results: A Cybertronian biological by-product had somehow achieved quasi-sentience and motivation, and was prowling the galaxy as the entity known as the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. The full impact of their discovery was cut short, however, by the arriving armada of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], the accidental harbingers of the Swarm. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} The battle with Jhiaxus kept the Transformers occupied long enough for the Swarm to find them on Earth. Presenting a united front, the Autobots and Decepticons desperately attempted to drive back the creature. Wheeljack cooked up a method of dramatically augmenting [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s sonic powers, but while the Decepticon was consumed by the excess power pumping through his system, it seemed to do little good against the Swarm. Wheeljack's fate is unknown. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Chris Latta]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese)|[[Katsumi Suzuki]] (Japanese, "[[Attack of the Autobots]]" and "[[Day of the Machines]]" only), [[Alberto Bognanni]] (Italian, second dub), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American, Season 1), [[Jorge García]] (Latin American, Season 2), [[Gunnar Ernblad]] (Swedish), [[Charlie Elvegård]] (Swedish, Generation 2), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, ''Roll For It''), [[Walter von Hauff]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' First Half of the Episode), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' second Half of the Episode, ''The Girl Who Loved Powerglide'' & ''Hoist Goes Hollywood''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub most of the episodes), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Masquerade'' & ''Roll For It'')}}

[[Image:Cybertronwheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|Boxy but safe.]]

Four million years ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Wheeljack was sent on a mission with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] to search for any available energy that could be found on the drained planet. The pair located some energy [[conductor]]s, and Wheeljack transformed into his boxy vehicle mode so that Bumblebee could load them up, even though he didn't believe they would last a [[Units of time|quartex]]. On the return trip to [[Great Dome|Iacon]], the pair were attacked by a team of [[Decepticon]]s, but Wheeljack was able to break through their barricade of fire using his bumper-mounted cutting blades and then eluded their pursuers by heading underground. Despite their successful return with the conductors, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] decided to expand the search for energy to other planets. Wheeljack was among the Autobots selected to embark on this mission, but in mid-flight, the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] was attacked by the Decepticons and crashed on prehistoric [[Earth]], entombing all aboard in stasis.

[[Image:Mtmte2_fiftyninepointninetynine.jpg|right|thumb|220px|With this, I shall give my creature life!]]

When the Transformers were reactivated by a volcanic eruption in 1984, Wheeljack was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] with the alternate mode of a Lancia Stratos Turbo custom racing car. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Soon after their awakening, Wheeljack was part of the battle unit organized by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] to defend a [[human]] oil rig against an attack by the Decepticons, and used a fire-extinguishing mechanism installed in his forearm to douse the inferno that resulted from the conflict. Wheeljack next helped attempt to stop the Decepticon plot to overload [[Sherman Dam]], and then journeyed with the other Autobots in pursuing their foes to [[Burma]]. There, he gave Bumblebee and the Autobots' new human ally [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] a bomb that would collapse the mine the Decepticons were current raiding, trapping the villainous robots for good. Alas, Wheeljack overestimated his skills, as the Decepticons were able to escape the collapsed mountain with ease. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Wheeljack later participated in the battle to stop the Decepticons from escaping Earth aboard their [[Victory (G1)|new space cruiser]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Divideandconquer wheeljack cosmotron.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Ah, you know what it's like, Ironhide, there's always a few extra bits at the bottom of the box.]]

Some months later, when an [[antimatter]]-powered [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] attacked [[Ark (G1)#Autobot Headquarters|Autobot Headquarters]], Wheeljack had just the invention to save the day: a remote control unit that would put Teletraan I in control of a Decepticons' body. Through the bravery of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]], the unit was planted on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and the Autobots used him to foil the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

Wheeljack's mechanical expertise was put to the ultimate test when Optimus Prime was critically wounded by a Decepticon attack. With [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s help, Wheeljack struggled to keep his leader alive, discovering that his vital [[cosmitron]] component had been damaged and needed replacing. A team of Autobots were dispatched through the Decepticons' [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, where they located [[Wheeljack's workshop|Wheeljack's old laboratory]] and recovered a replacement cosmitron to save Prime's life. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots_buildingSludge.jpg|right|thumb|220px|What's he ''building'' in there? We've got a right to know.]]

Upon discovery of [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] bones in caverns within the Ark's volcano, Wheeljack and Ratchet were inspired to construct robotic version of dinosaurs, resulting in the creation of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Upon activation, the behemoths promptly ran out of control and badly damaged Autobot Headquarters, until Wheeljack brought them under control with his [[magnetic inducer]]. Optimus Prime deemed the Dinobots too dangerous to continue functioning and commanded that the project be abandoned, but Wheeljack secretly persisted, developing memory components that would increase the Dinobots' intelligence. This bout of insubordination proved fortunate when almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons at the [[Great Falls]], prompting Wheeljack to activate the upgraded Dinobots and take them into battle to save the day. Wheeljack was willing to accept any punishment Prime would hand down for his disobedience, but Prime accepted his judgement had been hasty, and allowed the Dinobots to remain among the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Learning of Decepticon activity in [[Peru]], Optimus Prime had Wheeljack and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] head for the [[Arctic|Arctic Circle]] to unearth the frozen Autobot [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], so he could carry the Autobot forces to [[South America]]. Once the Decepticons' plan to use the [[Crystal of Power]] as a weapon had been stopped, Wheeljack invented a device to cap the geyser of energy that had resulted from the crystal's destruction. Spike was a little concerned over whether or not the device would function, but it went off without a hitch, even surprising Wheeljack himself a little. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:Wotd wheeljack meteorite.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Surprisingly, the ominously glowing turd had little scientific value.]]

Wheeljack had his work cut out for him when the Autobots faced two simultaneous threats: a [[Meteorini Chipperoni|mysterious meteorite]] crashed on Earth, and when the Dinobots were left to guard it, they were tricked by Megatron into allying with the Decepticons. Analyzing a fragment of the meteorite, Wheeljack discovered it was wildly unstable and poised to explode at any moment. Working with Ratchet, Spike and Chip Chase, Wheeljack developed two new Dinobots, [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], and sent them in to defeat their forebears. The meteorite exploded harmlessly, and the Dinobots, convinced of their mistake, returned to the Autobot side. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

When the Decepticons attacked a solar power plant on the coast of [[India]], Wheeljack outfitted the Autobots with hydrofoils so they could approach the plant from over the water. The attack was discovered to be a distraction when Wheeljack received a report from Autobot Headquarters that the Decepticons had struck there and kidnapped Sparkplug. Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that raided [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and recovered Sparkplug, but he and Spike soon realized that there was something wrong. Sparkplug had, in fact, been made a mind-controlled Decepticon slave thanks to a [[hypno-chip]], as part of a plan to transport Cybertron itself into Earth orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:Tud3_wheeljack_little_present.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Green Lantern's light!]]

The villains soon accomplish their terrifying goal, and the Autobots found themselves battling the natural disasters that the presence of the planet caused. Wheeljack called upon the Dinobots to aid them in their struggle, though first he had to convince them that it was worth their while to help. Seeking information about the Decepticons' hypno-chips, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who travelled to the orbiting Cybertron, though no sooner had they arrived on the planet than the smaller members of their party (Spike, Bumblebee and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]), fell through a trap door. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Wheeljack and the others were unable to follow directly due to their size, but soon tracked their friends down to the Decepticons' headquarters and rescued them from an attack. The team took cover in Wheeljack's old lab, where Wheeljack analyzed a computer disk containing information on the hypno-chips that Bumblebee had stolen and developed a device to negate the chips' effect. The Autobots' test-drove the device on Sparkplug, and when it proved successful, they quickly returned to Earth and Wheeljack used it to liberate all of Megatron's slaves. Finally, the world was saved when the Autobots blew up Megatron's stockpile of [[energon cube]]s, blasting Cybertorn out of orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Wheeljack then helped repair the damage caused to Earth, directing the Dinobots as they performed some heavy lifting. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot unit dispatched to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of robot insects, where they faced the threat of the Decepticons' newest allies, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Wheeljack aided Skyfire by fixing his malfunctioning transform mechanism, and unsteadily taking to the air to back him up in an Insecticon dogfight. When Spike deduced that the Autobots' rubber tyres would protect them from the Insecticons' lightning attacks, Wheeljack rode atop [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and Sideswipe to help send the critters packing. To reward Spike for his bravery, Wheeljack offered to make a him a "true Autobot" by designing a motorcycle transformation for him, but Spike decided he'd better wait until he was at least old enough to drive. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:Shockblastcannon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm okay.]]

The sudden appearance of Megatron in the airspace of Autobot Headquarters was cause enough for Wheeljack to try testing his new [[shock blast cannon]], but the weapon simply blew up in his hands. As luck would have it, Megatron had not arrived to fight, but to challenge Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in accordance with Cybertron law. Wheeljack spoke out in favour of Prime accepting the challenge, as it would end the Transformers' war, but none of the Autobots expected the eventual result of the fight: Optimus lost! Wheeljack could not understand how Megatron had claimed victory, but Teletraan I soon provided the answer-Megatron had taken on the powers of all the other Decepticons, breaking the rules of the fight and invalidating its outcome. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

When Spike was badly injured by Megatron and needed life-saving surgery, Wheeljack developed cybernetic attachments that allowed Spike's mind to be transferred into "[[Autobot X]]", a makeshift body constructed from spare Autobot parts by Sparkplug. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} A little later, Wheeljack disagreed with Ratchet over which wire needed to be pulled to deactivate the Decepticons' [[Solar Needle]] device, but Optimus Prime put an end to the argument by yanking both of them. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:Immobilizer_wheeljack_immobilized.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack: Master of the ancient art of Notmoveoo.]]

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who travelled to [[New York City]] to defend it against an attempted Decepticon takeover. The sight of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] climbing the [[Empire State Building]] reminded Wheeljack of ''[[King Kong]]'', and he took a leaf out of the movie's book by sending remote-controlled helicopters against the [[combiner]]. Devastator easily swatted the craft out of the air, and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] consoled Wheeljack with the fact that Devastator had probably seen the movie too. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

The first tests of Wheeljack's newest invention, the paralytic "[[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]]", did not go very well: first, the device's [[polarizer]] was damaged by an over-enthusiastic [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and once it was replaced, Spike accidentally stepped on the Immobilizer's remote, immobilizing Wheeljack himself! Luckily the effects of the device proved temporary, and Wheeljack soon returned to normal. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} His next invention, an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] developed to restore the other Autobots when they were frozen in their vehicle modes by the Decepticons' new [[Transfixatron]], proved much more successful. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:Atlantisarise wheeljack and nergill.jpg|left|thumb|220px|From that day on, Dr. Wheel Jack was cursed to transform into a monster during moments of stress.]]

When Wheeljack was captured by the Decepticons' new sea-dwelling [[Sub-Atlantica]]n allies, their treacherous king, [[Nergill]], studied his systems and developed [[magnetic dysfunction ray]] that could disable Transformers based on them. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] was blasted with the ray, he tried to use energy from Wheeljack's systems to restore himself, but was caught in the act and stopped by Bumblebee and Spike. The duo proceeded to repair Wheeljack, who then called in the Dinobots to sent the Sub-Atlanticans packing. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

After helping to free [[Quantum Laboratories]] from the control of [[TORQ III]], {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Wheeljack attended the unveiling of the human-made ninja-robot, [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]. Wheeljack did not have a high opinion of the comparatively primitive robot, but once the Decepticons stole and reprogrammed it to serve them, Nightbird made Wheeljack eat crow by outsmarting all the new security systems he had installed in Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Later, Wheeljack was among the Autobots fooled by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

To stop the Decepticons from drilling into the Earth's core and destroying the planet, Wheeljack invented [[dominator disc]]s that the Autobots planted on the individual [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], placing their combined form of Devastator under Wheeljack's control. The Decepticons were able to disrupt the disks, but this resulted in Devastator running amok, forcing the Decepticons to hand their device over to Wheeljack so he could combine it with his disks to restore Devatator to normal. {{storylink|The Core}} Soon after, Wheeljack and Ratchet had to work fast to develop an antidote that would negate the destructive energy of the [[Nova Power Core]], which had been consumed by the Insecticons and was threatening to cause them to explode.{{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[Image:Autoberserk_good_job_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack's the dude.]]

Having spent some time trying to teach the Dinobots finesse, Wheeljack held a demonstration of his creations' newest abilities for the other Autobots, but unsurprisingly, it all went wrong. Optimus Prime decided that the Dinobots should train elsewhere, and they were sent to the recently-discovered "[[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]". {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Unfortunately, the Decepticons followed the Dinobots to the time-lost island and began draining its energy, causing time warps all across the Earth that Wheeljack worked with Chip and Teletraan I to track. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Wheeljack approved of [[Grapple]]'s [[Solar Power Tower]], but sadly, Optimus Prime didn't. {{storylink|The Master Builders}} Prime ''did'' approve of Wheeljack's own next invention, the [[Negavator]], but so did the Decepticons, who made a few attempts at stealing it that ultimately required it to be destroyed. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when a [[Heart of Cybertron]]-empowered Megatron badly injured many of the Autobots, Optimus Prime had Ratchet repair Wheeljack first, so the scientist could build a forcefield to hold Megatron off. {{storylink|Microbots}}

When the Decepticons framed the Autobots for energy thefts, they covered for their own past villainy by claiming Wheeljack had invented a device that drove them to evil. The deception fooled the people of Earth, and the Autobots were exiled from the planet, {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} but they soon returned to clear their names. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dotd1_sparkplug_repairs_wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|220px|He took mah jerb!]]

Instructed by Optimus Prime to dispatch an Autobot team to deal with a Decepticon incursion at an airfield, Wheeljack again had to convince the Dinobots to lend a hand. Soon after, Wheeljack and the other Autobots began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation, necessitating that Spike and [[Carly]] travel to Cybertron to get more. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Wheeljack supplied them with a [[photon light]] and a two-way thumb radio and set them on course for his old laboratory. Despite some Decepticon trouble along the way, the two humans eventually succeeded in their mission with the help of the Dinobots, and Wheeljack and the Autobots were restored. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who stood by as reports on the search for the stolen [[Voltronic Galaxer]] came in, {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}, then later temporarily received the power of an invulnerable [[electrum]] coating {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}. Shortly thereafter, he had to help Sparkplug, Ratchet and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] repair and restore a fleet of cars turned into war machines by the Decepticons, {{storylink|Make Tracks}} but was powerless to do anything when a space bridge accident hurled Optimus Prime and a small group of other Autobots and Decepticons to a world of alien giants. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Later still, when [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] was injured attempting to protect heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Wheeljack and Ratchet recovered and repared him. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:Wardawn wheeljack fixes kronosphere.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack, the colour of gold, is gold. That's why it's called gold. What you have created, if it has a name, is some...green.]]

When Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron was raided by the Decepticons, a mysterious piece of old technology he had kept stored there was carried back to Earth by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who wound up crashing in a movie lot. The Decepticon fought hard to recover footage the movie studio took of Dirge and the device, but it turned out the joke was on them: after the battle was done, Wheeljack revealed that whatever the machine was supposed to be, it had never worked anyway! {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that traveled to Cybertron to stop Megatron from using the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] to bring his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life, but they failed. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} To combat the Stunticons, Wheeljack helped [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] rebuild some aircraft into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}} Only a few weeks later, Wheeljack had to returned to Cybertron to repair the damaged [[Kronosphere]] time machine and rescue the Aerialbots when the Decepticons attempted to trap them in the past. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Teurox wheeljack vs motormaster.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Dem Duke boys knew they were in a heap o' trouble when Rosco got himself a cliffjumpin' big rig.]]

Learning that racing driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] would be test-driving a car made from a new experimental alloy in the upcoming [[Europa 2000]] race, Optimus Prime sent a contingent of Autobots, including Wheeljack, to participate in the race and protect Augie from any possible Decepticon interference. Wheeljack was thoroughly enjoying himself until the Stunticons joined the race, and he was crushed under [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s wheels in [[Turkey]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

When the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] plague threatened the Autobots, Wheeljack proposed using the [[matter duplicator]] to create more of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s anti-corrosive [[corrostop]]. Two problems faced the scientific duo, however: the matter duplicator didn't work, and they were out of corrostop! Working tirelessly (and with a few swift kicks to the machine for good measure), the pair got the matter duplicator functioning, and the Autobots recovered some corrostop from the [[Statue of Liberty]] to duplicate and save themselves. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Masquerade_wheeljack_stolen_tech.jpg|right|thumb|220px|So, you ''want'' me to make it blow up this time?]]

During the Stunticons' latest rampage, Wheeljack used Teletraan I to pinpoint the location of the five Decepticons, and the Autobots quickly rounded them up. Examining the components the Stunticons had stolen, Wheeljack speculated that Megatron was making yet another super-weapon. A team of five Autobots disguised themselves as the Stunticons, and delivered a substitute ruby modified by Wheeljack to Megatron, which caused the new laser cannon it was installed within to explode. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Wheeljack helped defend Autobot Headquarters against an attack from the Decepticons' [[orbit disruptor cannon]], using his gyro-inhibitor to prematurely detonate missiles launched by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Inventor, uh...reinvent thyself. (Tis just a flesh wound.)]]

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons turned away from Earth and focused on entirely conquering Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet, and constructed [[Autobot City]] on Earth to serve as their new home. Wheeljack ultimately met his end defending this city in the year 2005, when the Decepticons launched [[Battle of Autobot City|an overwhelming attack on it]]. His body was seen lying alongside a missile launcher as [[Arcee (G1)| Arcee]] laid [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s equally-lifeless shell alongside him. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, aside from one notable alteration: Wheeljack does not die during ''The Transformers: The Movie''. The character reappears in several pieces of media that take place after the events of the movie, in important capacities that can't merely be written off as animation errors. This was not an issue to Japanese audiences originally, as the movie was not released in Japan until a few years later, after the most significant of these extra appearances (in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' cartoon), but it created something of a retroactive error that would later be addressed in passing in ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' fiction. Read on for details!}}

=====e-Hobby pack-in comic=====
[[Image:Ehobbymanga_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|"This is Wheeljack. I'll be your operator today."]]

During a Decepticon assault on Autobot Headquarters, Wheeljack co-ordinated the Autobot counterattack from inside the base, instructing Brawn to back up Hound. When the other Decepticons were defeated, Brawn and Hound ran to back up Optimus Prime, who was battling Megatron and had just landed a powerful blow on the Decepticon leader. Wheeljack scanned Megatron's damage, and discovered that his internal balancer had gone offline...but he could never have predicted that this would result in Megatron's systems releasing a sudden [[quantum surge|surge of quantum energy]] that restored and super-charged him! {{storylink|Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[Image:Srlf manga1 wheeljack trailbreaker sideswipe prime.jpg|left|thumb|300px|We have streaky anime lines!]]

When the Decepticons began turning their attention towards [[Japan]] in the late 1980s, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who traveled to [[Tokyo]] to defend it against an attack by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon jets]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. Following the advice of a local boy that they befriended named [[Kenji]], the Autobots were able to take out the Decepticons by using a broken section of freeway as a ramp to gain height on their enemies; Wheeljack landed a good hit on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the process. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

In response to the increasing number of Decepticon attacks on Japan, the Autobots set up a secondary headquarters in the country. Wheeljack was among the Autobots later seen staffing the base and welcoming Kenji on his first visit there. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}
{{-}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
Along with his fellow Autobots who could turn into sport and race cars, Wheeljack participated in a race across the desert. Little did he know, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] was aware of the race and ambushed the Autobots inside a narrow gorge. Wheeljack and the other race car Transformers were unable to retaliate because their vehicle modes could not brave the rough, desert terrain. Luckily for them, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived in his rugged Jeep mode and smashed Soundwave's chest window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic 'em, Hound!}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Wheeljack was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] when the Decepticons began terrorizing the world with their [[Omega Whip]]. To make matters worse, the Stunticons began a fierce rampage, and Wheeljack was among the Autobots who advised against the Aerialbots battling them alone. Optimus Prime disagreed, and off they went. Soon after, Wheeljack joined in an attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, but was clobbered by a Decepticon jet. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[Image:Stargatebattles wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack watches C-X's brutal rampage and considers both the moral and philosophical ramifications of giving it a bigger gun.]]

In the 1990s, continued interaction between the Autobots and the government of the United States led to the development of an interstellar teleportation system known as the "[[Trigger]]". Wheeljack joined Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Jazz and Hound in a press conference to announce the Trigger to the world, and even wrote the stirring speech that Prime delivered to the masses. Ignoring Jazz as he tried to keep them quiet during the broadcast, Wheeljack and Ratchet both agreed that the gun-like design of the Trigger reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A few months later, Wheeljack, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and Bumblebee observed as Optimus Prime helped human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] test his new [[C-X]] battle drone. Wheeljack offered some technical advice on how to increase the drone's attack speed, but that only meant more trouble when C-X started to run amok thanks to Decepticon interference. Wheeljack and his comrades tried to aid Prime, but he and Bluestreak were flattened by a single kick from the huge drone. Prime proved his might by defeating C-X single-handedly, and Wheeljack helped hold up his battered leader as he limped from the battlefield. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

{{--}}
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[Image:BTWheeljack art.jpg|left|250px|thumb|HEAVY METAL RULES!!!]]
When the Dinobots were turned savage by a Unleasher attack in the year 2005, the Autobots had to take them off-line. Wheeljack headed to Earth to arrange the transplantation of [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]'s mind into a new body created from the "Binaltech" technology that had recently been developed in conjunction between the Autobots and the [[Earth Defense Command]]. {{storylink|Beast in the Machine}} On his return journey to the Autobots' moonbase, however, his shuttle was hijacked by time-tossed Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who had begun a plan to alter the course of history. {{storylink|Changing Lanes}} Wheeljack was shown a brief glimpse of the near future by Ravage, and bore witness to his own death, and those of many of his comrades, in the upcoming Battle of Autobot City. Wheeljack managed to escape, while Ravage himself promptly returned to Cybertron and exhumed the [[Kronosphere]], using it to tip the balance of the decisive battle occurring at that time. Whereas the outcome would have originally favored the Decepticons, leading to their total conquest of Cybertron, Ravage ensured an ''Autobot'' victory, altering history and leaving the heroes to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone.

Aware that history had been altered, Wheeljack was faced with a dilemma: Should he stop Ravage's plan and restore the timestream, even though it would mean the death of many Autobots, including himself? His salvation, he hoped, lay in the [[Genetronic Translink System]], a device that allowed a singular [[spark]] to control many duplicate bodies simultaneously—if history could be set to rights and his "death" were to come to pass, he could still live on in another body using the GT System. Dubbing his original body the "Alpha Unit," he constructed the "Beta Unit" based on Grimlock's Ford Mustang body, as well as the mysterious third "Omega Unit," whose capabilities were kept a closely guarded secret. {{storylink|Project Bodyshop}}

The subsequent arrival of Unicron prompted the Autobots to initiate "Operation: Distant Thunder," which saw [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] use the chronal warp on Dinobot Island to send Wheeljack's memory data back in time, in hopes of alerting the Autobots in the past and preventing alteration to the timestream. {{storylink|Darkest Hour}} The plan didn't go as expected, and reality started to go into a severe state of whack, until a mysterious [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|black Optimus Prime]] appeared and sealed the time portals that had been created. Operation: Distant Thunder had succeeded in preventing the mainline timestream's alteration, but the Binaltech timeline, first destined to be replaced and erased, had been saved by the newcomer and was now its own distinct, divergent universe. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

{{Note|At this point, the original timeline was retroactively restored and the events of the ''Story of Binaltech'' diverged into a parallel universe. Skip to the next section to continue reading about the original timeline. Exactly how many of the preceding events related in this section, even prior to the divergence, occurred in the original unaltered timeline are unknown, but presumably, the data sent back in time by Wheeljack must have included information on his own approaching death and the GT System, which would explain how he was able to survive and live on to appear in subsequent pieces of fiction.}}

In this new universe, Wheeljack and the Binaltech warriors began facing new threats as the Binaltech project was declassified, and derivative technlogy began showing up around the globe. The Autobots battled the human criminal organization called the [[Concurrence]] and the Binaltech Decepticon named [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who had created a living [[electrum]] giant. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 2}} Soon, Wheeljack helped bring an end to the Binaltech wars by unleashing his Omega Unit. The BT-14 Omega Unit functioned by connecting the laser-core of Wheeljack's spark to the power network of the entire globe, linking him to the living datastream of information running the planet. Through this link, Wheeljack tracked down all the splinter projects misusing Binaltech data, allowing Prowl and [[Earth Defense Command]] to seek them out and terminate the research programs. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 4}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01VariousGuys.jpg|thumb|200px|He's that grey blob on the right. ]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Wheeljack engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Wheeljack was present for a confrontation with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Wheeljack's flashback battle on Earth 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.}}

=====''Victory'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Shinobu Satouchi]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American Spanish)
[[Image:WheeljackVictory1.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Um, that was my brother Jackwheel .]]

In the year 2025, Wheeljack, Perceptor and [[Minerva (Masterforce)|Minerva]] were summoned to Earth by the new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] to save the life of the fallen [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]. Despite their best efforts, there was nothing they could do to save Ginrai's body, but it ''would'' be possible to transplant all his internal systems into a new body. As he would no longer truly be the same being, Ginrai turned down their offer, but then Wheeljack accidentally blurted out that there was a pre-existing design that they could use, piquing Ginrai's curiosity. The design was a combination power-up created by Star Saber, and Ginrai insisted on being reborn in this new body. {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!}} Perceptor, Wheeljack and Minerva brought Ginrai's life functions to an end, and resurrected him in his new body as [[Victory Leo]]. As Victory Leo cut his teeth in battle, Wheeljack and Perceptor put their technical skills to use tending to Star Saber's own wounds. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}} and then installed a combination circuit in Star Saber's body. {{storylink|Awaken! Victory Leo}} This circuit allowed him to combine with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber. {{storylink|The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification}}
{{-}}

=====''G-2'' story pages=====
[[Image:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|right|thumb|Umm... would you believe it was my identical cousin?]]
Wheeljack, along with Perceptor and Jetfire, discovered [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new properties]] of the Matrix which allowed Optimus Prime to revive himself as "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Battle Convoy]]" after a crushing defeat by Megatron. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

=====e-HOBBY comics=====
To combat the Decepticons' increasingly aggressive energy raids, Wheeljack and [[Ga'mede]] worked together to examine Optimus Prime's new "blackbody" form, and duplicated it to create twenty-one new battle droids cast in the Autobot leader's image. These [[Eldedroid]]s were placed under the remote control of [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]] and sent out onto the battlefield. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}
{{-}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Wheeljack built a ship for the [[Autobot]]s to use. They got the chance to when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] decided to try to raid sunken ships full of treasure. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} After the [[Decepticon]]s captured [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Wheeljack and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] were badly damaged in the battle to rescue the two humans. Sparkplug fixed them both up and they subsequently helped repel a Decepticon attack on [[Hoover Dam]]. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

{{stub}}
{{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}} {{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
{{notekeepers}}
[[Image:Skidswheeljackgrimlockkupironhidetww.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Box!]]

Wheeljack suffers from a mild form of [[mode attachment]], feeling more comfortable in his vehicle mode than robot mode. As a consequence he does his best thinking in vehicle mode, often while attempting something insanely dangerous. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

Wheeljack was part of Grimlock's unit, along with [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], at the time when [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] died and Optimus Prime rose to command the Autobots. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When the Decepticons placed [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] under siege, Grimlock took his group to [[Kaon]] to look for Optimus Prime, who had gone seeking Megatron. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} While there, they discovered [[Planetary engine|planetary turbines]] that were providing power to a mechaforming process that was destroying Iacon. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Arriving, Prime instructed Wheeljack to shut down the engines in a... creative way (it blowed up real good). Wheeljack grumbled a bit that all his education and mechanical engineering skill had led up to just blowing things up. The group managed to return to Iacon, where Prime halted his order to abandon the planet. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

When Prime and Megatron disappeared during a [[space bridge]] explosion, Grimlock broke off from the Autobot army and formed the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], taking his former squad members with him. While Kup and the Dynobots attacked the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]], Wheeljack and Ironhide hijacked some shuttles carrying raw [[energon]], making Starscream very angry. That's always a plus. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} When Cybertron was on the verge of peace, and there were incoming transports filled with explosives, Grimlock ordered Wheeljack to enact emergency protocol Hydra-Nine. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After Megatron took over, Wheeljack ended up in [[Internment Camp Pi]] with a bunch of other Autobots. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

Wheeljack was one of the engineers that designed and constructed the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', and part of the ship's original crew. In 1986, Ironhide and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] discovered Wheeljack in pieces but functional after an explosion while bug-testing his neutron detonator shell. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|Wheeljack's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}} ''At an unconfirmed point in time, he was also responsible for temporarily transferring the consciousness of Spike Witwicky into a Cybertronian body, though the full story remains untold. {{storylink|Hardwired}}''

Wheeljack was among the Transformers involved in the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster. He survived the explosion of their spacecraft, crashing back to Earth where he and several others lay deactivated and frozen within an iceberg until awakened by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in 2002. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

[[Image:Wheeljack dw6.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Wheeljack calms a group of panicked humans by charging at them while brandishing a weapon.]]

Wheeljack participated in the assault on [[Lazarus]]'s Canadian headquarters. When [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s attempt to bomb the Autobots and the Decepticons out of existence instead caused a violent expansion of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s [[cyber-virus]], Wheeljack and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] were the first Autobots to free themselves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} While Prime took some of the Autobots after Megatron, Wheeljack diagnosed the nature of the cyber-virus, and created a set of anti-viral blasters that used the Autobots' energy to return the converted matter to normal. The intervention of Canada's military force scuttled that plan when they fired into the virus, expanding it beyond the point the Autobots could contain. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} In response, Wheeljack converted a nearby satellite dish into a giant anti-viral weapon, channeling all of his remaining energy into it. He succeeded in destroying the virus, but was left in deep stasis lock as a result. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Several months later, Ratchet had successfully restored Wheeljack to operating status. He was one of the first Autobots Optimus Prime met back up with after escaping the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]' world and [[Las Vegas]]. While on patrol of the area, Wheeljack passed [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] travelling up the road towards the Autobots' location. He buzzed the Decepticon's position, and was surprised when Soundwave asked for a parlay. He claimed Megatron wanted a favor from Prime. Bemused, Wheeljack reported back to Optimus about the bizarre encounter, only to have his amusement turn to astonishment when Optimus Prime actually responded to Megatron's "summons". The two old enemies forged an alliance against the Keepers, and united their forces for battle in Las Vegas. During the fight, Wheeljack used his solid-fuel rockets to fly with the Decepticons [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in the skies, acting as air support for the others. He returned to Prime's side in the final battle, when the Autobot leader used the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to divert the Keepers and the power of a nuclear explosion into another dimension.'' {{storylink|Annihilation}}

Later, when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] came to arrest the Autobots as war criminals, Wheeljack was one of the Autobots secretly left behind by Optimus Prime under Jazz's command. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Like most of the rest of that group of Autobots, Wheeljack was beaten to the point of stasis lock by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] some time later and dumped into a nearby swamp. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} He was dredged out by an [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] task force and repaired, in time to rejoin the other Autobots when they started construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
When the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on Earth millions of years ago, Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sealed off from the other passengers, saving them from [[Cobra]] when they found the craft in 2003 and reprogrammed the dormant robots for their own needs. Cobra's break-in activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletran-One]], who in turn brought back Wheeljack and Bumblebee. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF3_Wheeljack_rams_twins.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
Disguising themselves as cars, the two Autobots worked for months to find and rescue the other Autobots from Cobra. After noting several attacks on energy plants, Wheeljack figured that the humans were gathering ingredients for [[energon]], and had an idea on where their next attack would take place. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} During Cobra's subsequent assault on the [[SPS Research Facility]], the Autobots intervened directly, with Wheeljack ramming the brainwashed duo of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (and apologizing). He then confronted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but the reprogrammed Decepticon fled as soon as Cobra had stolen what they came for. Having revealed themselves to [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] during the battle, Wheeljack and Bumblebee offered an alliance with the humans, who in return showed the Autobots a mysterious image of Soundwave they had found. Wheeljack recognized the text in the picture as [[Cybertronian languages|Cybertronian]], and that it contained directions to [[Cobra Island]] as well as instructions on how to free the Transformers. It took him only a few seconds to hack into Cobra's computers and undo their primitive human reprogramming. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

Wheeljack and Bumblebee then boarded a plane to participate in G.I. Joe's attack on Cobra Island, but the humans' higher-ups disagreed, planning to nuke the island and send the two Autobots to [[Area 51]] to be disassembled and studied instead. [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] regretfully incapacitated the robots with a magnetic pulse, but Wheeljack stayed conscious enough to overhear their plans and warn Duke that a nuclear impact on Cobra's energon stockpile would cause a chain reaction and send half the planet into a nuclear winter. With this revelation, Duke broke orders and went with the original strategy, taking Wheeljack and Bumblebee with him to Cobra Island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF6_Wheeljack_threatens_Mindbender.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I've got the computer virus at last!]]
Upon arriving at the island, Wheeljack witnessed Megatron using the [[SPS Satellite]] to create more energon, and was enraged when [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] killed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. After helping take down the giant, Wheeljack patched through a message to all Autobots that the United States had decided to nuke Cobra Island despite having their own troops located there. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} Wheeljack quickly improvised a plan to avoid a nuclear holocaust; using the SPS Satellite's solar-powered energy beams to shoot down the nuclear warheads before they arrived. After menacing [[Doctor Mindbender]] into overriding the satellite controls, Wheeljack helped G.I. Joe fight off a bunch of Cobra troops led by [[Storm Shadow]]. The plan was ultimately a success, and with the Decepticons defeated in the process, the Autobots returned to Cybertron aboard a new ''Ark''. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

Two years later, Wheeljack was zapped by a malfunctioning [[Teletran 3]] and transported into a random point in Earth's timeline. He was never seen again. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Wheeljack was among the Autobots that lay buried on the [[Fera Islands]], only to be awoken in [[1939]] when [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] came to battle [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. Along with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and several Joes, he rescued several chained Cobra slaves that had fallen into the ocean. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] later reported that both Wheeljack and Hound had been killed in battle, but he was apparently mistaken, as the scientist was still around when [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] was unleashed. Upon examining the giant, Wheeljack noticed that it was some kind of hybrid of human and Cybertronian technology, and most likely wasn't really "alive". When the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was destroyed in order to kill Bruticus, Wheeljack and all other Transformers present were deactivated as well. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===Redemption Center===
When a badly-damaged Starscream turned up on the Autobots' doorstep, Wheeljack argued strongly for allowing himself and Ratchet to take a look at the Decepticon's logic circuits, and possibly see if there was any way to make him a little less hostile. Prime eventually agreed, and when an amnesiac Starscream awoke and acted quite benign, Wheeljack seemed vindicated. Starscream even chose staying with the Autobots over returning to the Decepticons, however when his memories returned, he immediately fled back to his old comrades. Though Wheeljack was disappointed, Prime said it proved that the Decepticons were not beyond changing their ways. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===IDW Generation 1 comics===
{{ongoing}}
In the time preceding the war, Wheeljack was a mechanoid as touched by the sacrifice of others as one could expect from this kindly future Autobot. It comes as no surprise then that he was front row at the state funeral of [[Kaon]] Security Service officers [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Around this time he was friends with his fellow engineer [[Ferak]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Ferak's Squadron X profile}} Wheeljack was working at the [[technoversity]] of [[Ultirex]] when he caught Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons' control of Cybertron. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Wheeljack served as a mentor for a young Autobot named [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], who would go on to become an expert in weapons engineering. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[Image:Escalation2 JazzWheeljack party.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Hollywood]]'s latest spin on the buddy cop drama, Jazz & the 'Jack.]]
In 2006, Wheeljack was part of a detachment of Autobots that has operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. In his role as technical scientist and gadgeteer for the Autobot detachment, he built a device that could interface the [[SM-40]] palmtop computer with the systems aboard the Autobots' ''[[Ark-19]]'' spacecraft. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Wheeljack, like his fellow Autobots, would come to watch the showdown between [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the [[Ultra-Energon|Ore-13]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Aboard the Ark, Wheeljack briefed Optimus Prime and the Autobots about suspected Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. The Decepticons had set up an array structure that was emitting an aggression wave. The wave was causing higher than normal level of violence amongst nearby [[Avengers|costumed humans]] and was bringing the nations of Latveria and [[Symkaria]] to the brink of war. Optimus ordered 'Jack to guard the Ark while the rest of them [[roll out|rolled out]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} After the Autobots completed their mission and returned, Wheeljack noted that the [[Quinjet|Avengers' jet]] looked like it may have been a Cybertronian design. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

Later, after [[Escalation issue 1|the incident outside Lebanon, Illinois]], he and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were sent to investigate a [[Springfield]] police impound lot which supposedly held [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'s remains. Unfortunately, members of the [[Machination]] had already arrived with the same purpose in mind, and attacked the bots wielding advanced weaponry eerily similar to their own. Wheeljack escaped mostly unharmed, probably because Jazz took a direct hit from a mortar meant for him. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Wheeljack would get his first taste of real damage in [[Brasnya]] facing down [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} and eventually the drained form of Megatron. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

Wheeljack was assigned to work with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], but yet again the Machination decided to interfere—this time in a confrontation with their army of experimental [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Cloning|clones]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} Wheeljack's constant tinkering paid off when he was able to escape the Headmasters using a [[gyro-inhibitor shell]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} The Headmasters eventually caught up with them, however, and incapacitated Wheeljack by knocking a pile of junk cars on him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] arrived to retrieve Hot Rod and the others, blowing up a Headmaster that was attacking Hot Rod. Hot Rod refused to leave Earth though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took Wheeljack and Ironhide back with him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bumblejerk.]]
A year later, Wheeljack had returned to Earth and joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s forces. After getting lured into a Decepticon trap and defeated, they were all dumped on the abandoned Cybertron to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} When Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent to try and find energon, the pair discovered their Earth modes couldn't handle the terrain. Wheeljack came up with an idea for a polymer to solve the problem, but Bumblebee (rather rudely) pointed out he lacked ''any'' equipment. A moment later, Wheeljack spotted someone following them. In a desperate but sure-to-work attempt to call in back-up, Wheeljack signaled their base with a pulse that would last only 1/100th of a second. Confident help was on the way, he cautioned Bumblebee against going after the stranger on their own, but the young bot, lacking faith in Wheeljack's rather brilliant idea, ignored him. The scientist was proven right, however, when Ironhide and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] arrived! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} It turned out their follower was Hot Rod, who told Wheeljack and the others that he was part of an Autobot team that had recently crash-landed on the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

Wheeljack and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] worked together to repair [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who had been heavily injured by the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} When the Autobots were organizing a defense line against the Insecticon swarm, Wheeljack removed a cannon from the other team's [[Trion|crashed spaceship]] and modified it to be used as a mounted turret. However, since the cannon wasn't meant to be used like that, he warned [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] that its power relay would probably burn out after only a few shots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} After hitching a ride back to Earth on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Wheeljack and the others battled Megatron's forces in [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

Three years after the defeat of the Decepticons, Wheeljack and the other Autobots remained on Earth, just in case the Decepticons returned. [[Skywatch]] had figured out a way to lock Transformers in vehicle mode stasis for capture, but Wheeljack devised a way to counter the inhibitors. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} When Optimus Prime surrendered to the Skywatch following the death of Ironhide, the Autobots agreed to vote on a new leader, with Wheeljack in charge of tallying the votes. He eventually revealed that the winner was Bumblebee. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Shortly afterwards, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on Earth to investigate Optimus Prime's surrender, and Wheeljack and the others lined up to listen to him. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

[[Image:HangingSword-Wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Surprise, Wheeljack hates being cautious.]]

While Bumblebee was elected as the new Autobot leader, the little Autobot's moping over their current problems was perceived by Wheeljack to be a weakness, and thus he had little respect for Bumblebee as his leader. After being reprimanded by Ratchet, Wheeljack came across a message from rogue Skywatch Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who claimed that he wished to work with the Autobots to capture Decepticons. Without consulting Bumblebee, he initiated contact with the colonel, and when Bumblebee and Ratchet found out, he bluntly told his "commander" that if he doesn't do ''something'', more Autobots would leave their group. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

However, Horiuchi was not as trustworthy as he had seemed, outfitting the Autobots with badges to listen in on them and incapacitate them if they didn't follow his orders. When Bumblebee's badge was damaged, freeing him from the watching eyes of Horiuchi, the Autobots made plans to deactivate the rest of the devices as well. To keep their plans secret from Skywatch, Wheeljack cooked up a text-based comm system using a frequency the humans didn't monitor and used it to guide Bumblebee on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

When Bumblebee located one of the control boards for the badges, Wheeljack told him to take it back to base so that he could alter it and cause it to burn out the devices instead. Bumblebee began protesting, since what he was doing was basically lying to a [[Serena Bharwaney|little girl]] so he could steal from [[Sanjay Bharwaney|her father]], which a frustrated Wheeljack saw as poor thinking for a leader. Ratchet eventually set him straight and convinced him to provide Bumblebee with instructions so that he could tamper with the board on the spot. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

As Bumblebee finished and began returning to base, Skywarp suddenly tracked down the control board and attacked the humans. Wheeljack and the other Autobots tried to stop Bumblebee from turning back to save them, but he wouldn't listen. Having no other choice, they all rolled out to help him fight the Decepticon only to reach him just as he activated the control board, burning out his and Skywarp's power sources along with their badges. Even after repairing him and upgrading his body, Wheeljack expected Bumblebee to still be "just that little guy", but he seemed to have grown as a leader from the experience. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[Image:Infestation2-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Surprise, Wheeljack has bad news regarding technology.]]

Following the Autobots' second, successful alliance with Skywatch, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] crashed a ship full of [[zombie]]s in [[Las Vegas]]. A team of Autobots and Skywatch units went in, and Wheeljack put up a force dome around the area to contain the outbreak. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} He later reported that it was running low on energy, though it all turned out alright in the end. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Later, Wheeljack was among the troops picked for the mission to fight the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. He was responsible for mounting giant guns on the other Autobots' vehicle modes, as they were forced to fight in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}} Despite some unexpected trouble in the form of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the Autobots were victorious, and Wheeljack listened to a short speech by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

After returning to America, Wheeljack repaired [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], who rather rudely commented that he'd rather have Ratchet. Wheeljack replied that Ratchet was busy tending to the wounded who ''weren't'' Decepticons. He later had a chat with Prowl about how unwise it had been to have both their mechanics on the same away team. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}} Alongside the rest of the Autobots, Wheeljack watched in surprise as Hot Rod (now known as Rodimus) returned from space, bringing news that Cybertron was now habitable once again. All of them volunteered to return to their home planet and liberate it from [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}}

As they traveled on board Omega Supreme's rocket mode, all the Autobots were curious what would happen to the captured Megatron, and Wheeljack lost 50 [[Shanix]] betting with Ratchet that they could listen in on Optimus Prime's private chat with the prisoner. He was also offered a job at [[Kimia Facility]] by [[Xaaron]], but it's unknown if he accepted. Not that it mattered considering [[Chaos Part One: Lamentations|what happened]] to Kimia just afterwards. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} On Earth, Prowl and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] required Wheeljack's help when [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] went into [[stasis lock]] during an interrogation. Appearing via hologram, he figured that someone had placed a failsafe within the Decepticon, so that if he was captured he'd be knocked offline before he revealed any sensitive information. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward}}

On Cybertron, the Autobots fought against Galvatron's [[Sweep]]s. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}} Upon their victory, Cybertron was left at peace, but the planet itself had been "reset", transformed into a primordial and hostile world—a world to which factionless Transformers from all across the galaxy soon began returning. Bumblebee established a provisional government, and Wheeljack became part of his inner circle of confidants, at first helping to direct the arriving ships to appropriate landing zones. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Once things settled down a little, Wheeljack outfitted his fellow Autobots with new Cybertronian alternate modes, and began working with Ironhide to explore the extent the changes to the planet. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson}} He was responsible for "upgrading" Bumblebee's walking stick into a powerful taser and was present for the memorial service dedicated to the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', which had disappeared in an explosion just after launch. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

When mysterious explosions began erupting across the planet, Wheeljack was called upon to investigate, in the process having to save [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] from a furious [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], who blamed the Decepticons for the blasts. Unconvinced, Wheeljack put his head together with Starscream's and deduced that the explosiions were being caused by unanchored energy the primeval planet was supposed to be transmitting to its [[Moonbase One|absent moon]]. Wheeljack hastily constructed a rocket and launched it into low orbit to safely draw the energy off into space, then set to work putting a replacement satellite together. {{storylink|Stick Together}} He was later given the unenviable task of informing Prowl about the murder of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] and accompanying him to the crime scene, {{storylink|Devisive}} and was present at the Autobot base for the arrival of [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]]. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

{{spoiler|Interference Patterns| August 5}}

When a Decepticon ship materialized above Cybertron from out of seeming nowhere, Wheeljack's scientific curiosity was piqued, and he volunteered to sneak aboard the craft to learn what kind of secret cloaking technology the craft's curiously beneficent commander [[Turmoil]] was hiding. Upon discovering that the ship did not have a cloaking device, but rather a [[time travel|time machine]] built using slave labor, Wheeljack was attacked and badly wounded by Turmoil. Although he was able to seal the Decepticon in one of his newly-created containment fields, Wheeljack was then confronted by his vengeful troops, only to be saved by Metalhawk. Using another containment field to protect himself and his rescuer as they escaped the ship, Wheeljack concluded that despite its dubious origins, the time machine was too valuable to destroy. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

{{-}}

===''Wings Universe''===
After a battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] early in the war, Wheeljack helped repair the [[Autobot]]s that fell in the battle. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Wheeljack was one of the Autobots active in [[1888]] when an [[Elder God]] awoke on Earth. Transforming into an steam-powered plow car, he brought [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the [[Mare Ruek Glacier]] where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He was the first Autobot to give up his energy for the [[Tesla tower|generator]] Tesla needed to revive Prime, then was brought back in turn thanks to Prime's own energon reserves. When Prime led the Autobots to [[Port Cenotaph]] to defeat the Elder God and its Decepticon minions, Wheeljack cut [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] in half using his plow blades as swords. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

==Commercial appearances==
Wheeljack was among the Autobots gathered around [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] when Prime decided it would be a good idea to not transform anymore. {{storylink|Commercial|Action Master commercial}}

==Games==
===''Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons''===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Wheeljack could come to Optimus Prime's aid by repairing his flat tires. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Alex Easley]]

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Wheeljack (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
* Wheeljack has the distinction of being the first Transformer to appear in the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], and thus the first one to appear in any animated story.

* According to the Japanese PlayStation 2 ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Wheeljack is significantly older than [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], old enough to tell him to "respect your elders". Also, he is younger than Kup, but still enough of age to share old man stories with him.

* Storyboards for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' show Smokescreen lying dead next to Windcharger instead of Wheeljack. Older versions of the movie script in fact feature Wheeljack alive and well after the Battle of Autobot City. He and several other Autobots take part in a plotline that involved saving Earth from Unicron's siphoning hose that was draining the Earth's energy and would ultimately destroy it.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wheeljack''' (ホイルジャック ''Hoirujakku'')
*''French:'' '''Invento''' (Canada), '''Cric''' (Canada Action Master, "Jack")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Kerék''' ("Wheel"), '''Kormányos Jack''' ("Steering-wheel Jack")
*''Italian:'' '''Saetta''' ("Bolt")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Auto-Roda''' (Portuguese comic, "Auto-Motor"), '''Motriz''' (Brazilian comic, "Wheel")
*''Russian:'' '''Gónshhik''' (Го́нщик, "Racer")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Kermanych''' (Керманич, "Steerer")

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

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Mail order items]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Spy Changers]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category:United Autobots]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]
[[Category:Victory Autobots]]
[[Category:Wings Universe Autobots]]

Wheeljack (G1)

2012-07-26T14:09:53Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Transformers cartoon */

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

[[Image:Wheeljackg1.jpg|right|350px|thumb|[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]! I built a machine that builds machines that build catapults! Come see! Yeah, we can wait for Ratchet...]]
'''Wheeljack''' is his own worst enemy. Something of a crackpot inventor, a good half of his creations blow up in his face, and that's just if he's lucky. He's simultaneously one of the Autobots' greatest assets and problems; for every successful gadget he builds, there's one which requires [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] or [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] to put him (and his lab) back together. But once in a while he strikes gold, which has won him respect from even the Decepticons.

He is, however, not a ''complete'' nerd. As good as he is in the lab, Wheeljack is just as amazing on the road: there are few stunts he can't pull off, and he loves to show off his driving skills as much as he does his inventions. He is, however, a little less confident when it comes to [[flight|flying]], which he accomplishes using solid-fuel rocket jets in his forearms.

{{bigquote|It sure is nice when one of my inventions actually works!|Wheeljack on his track record|"[[Fire on the Mountain]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:TheTransformers-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|150px|They thought I was crazy, absolutely mad.]]
Wheeljack 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, Wheeljack was rebuilt to transform into a race car. As the Autobots counted their ranks, he apologized to [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] for being "the guy you've had to patch up most." {{storylink|The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers}}

Later, he observed as their human friend [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] suffered a heart attack, requiring Ratchet to drive him and his son to the hospital. {{storylink|The Last Stand}} After a battle with the Decepticons, the Autobots were defeated by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], who took over the Ark and hung the bodies of Wheeljack and his defeated peers from the ceiling. {{storylink|The New Order}}

''Ratchet was able to reclaim the Ark and began to reactivate the fallen warriors. Wheeljack was the second Autobot after [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] to be brought back on-line, so that he could aid Ratchet with his technical skills. He saved the Autobots from total destruction by remote-controlling Optimus Prime's deactivated body and using it to intervene in [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]]'s attempted execution of [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian]], who had been booby-trapped with a nuclear bomb.'' {{storylink|The Wrath of Guardian!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-disintegratedcircuits02.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Don't worry! As long as you hit the wire with the connecting hook at precisely eighty-eight miles per hour, the instant the lightning strikes the tower... everything will be fine!]]

Wheeljack accompanied [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] on a mission to secure a fuel supply for the Autobots. He stayed in the background while Jazz forged an alliance with the human [[G.B. Blackrock]]. But when Starscream and Frenzy showed up at the unveiling of Blackrock's new anti-robot cannon, Wheeljack couldn't just sit around. He transformed and blasted Frenzy with magnetic powder, which buried the Decepticon in an avalanche of ferrous materials. Wheeljack was saved from an attack by Starscream when [[Circuit Breaker]] brought the Decepticon crashing to the ground. The save was unintentional, however; when Wheeljack thanked the human for her help, she turned her fury on him, blasting him into unconsciousness. {{storylink|DIS-Integrated Circuits!}}

To help boost the Autobots' fallen forces, Wheeljack installed the minds of [[Grapple]], [[Skids (G1)|Skids]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] into bodies that were created by the Ark. The minds were [[Mind bank|stored on the Ark]] for such an occasion. {{storylink|Rock and Roll-Out!}} Wheeljack was among the Autobots who witnessed the debut of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], and he participated in the subsequent attack on the Decepticons' [[Wyoming base|coal strip mine base]]. Once Bumblebee had extracted combiner technology data from [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Wheeljack and the others retreated. {{storylink|Command Performances!}}

''Wheeljack was later an early casualty of a disastrous attack on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] led by acting Autobot Commander [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], though he was not seriously damaged.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}}

To give the Autobots some air (and [[combiner]]) power, Wheeljack designed the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], though all but [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]'s minds were incomplete and they almost killed a human. {{storylink|Aerialbots over America!}} Wheeljack later had to erase their minds and unfortunately, by this time, [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] had implanted a [[cerebro-shell]] in Optimus that, while not controlling him, allowed the Decepticons to tap into the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]] to create the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. {{storylink|Heavy Traffic!}} It was not directly referenced, but it is assumed that he helped build the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] as well (which allowed [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] to create the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]).

''Later, he aided Optimus Prime in a plan to temporarily fake his own death, in order to teach the Earth-bound Autobots to learn to cope without him. Wheeljack was the only Autobot Prime told of his plan, probably since Prime needed him to build a [[facsimile construct]] in his likeness to be destroyed. When Megatron did destroy the facsimile, even Wheeljack mistakenly believed Prime had been killed.'' {{storylink|Prey!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-mechanicaldifficulties.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Throw open the switches on the sonic oscillator, and step up the reactor power THREE—MORE—TRIANGLES!]]

After Optimus Prime died, [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] attacked the Ark as the Autobots were choosing their new leader. Wheeljack was among the many whose motor skills were inhibited by [[sonic-scrambler mine]]s. Following the battle, the Autobots chose Grimlock as their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}} Like Prime before him, Grimlock relied heavily on Wheeljack's skills. Wheeljack tracked down the missing [[power booster rod]], {{storylink|Mechanical Difficulties!}} and supervised the construction of the [[Geothermal Generator]]. By the time the device was complete, Wheeljack was beginning to have serious doubts about Grimlock's leadership, noting to himself that their leader wasn't the brightest bulb in the box. {{storylink|Used Autobots}} By the time the Ark was repaired and ready for launching, Wheeljack was wondering if he shouldn't be helping Blaster out, rather than assisting Grimlock's efforts to capture him. {{storylink|Child's Play (issue)|Child's Play}}

These doubts soon grew into a covert rebellion, as he called in his old friend [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] to help deal with the situation. Wheeljack acted as the Ark's pilot, once it was spaceborne. He enabled the craft to overtake and capture the Decepticon [[Blast Off (G1)|Blast Off]], who was under Blaster's control. When Blast-Off's passengers turned out to be nothing more than four human children, he advised the other Autobots that they could probably lower their weapons.

[[Image:Wheeljack-spacehikers02.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Welcome to my secret lair on Skullcrusher Mountain. I hope you've enjoyed your stay so far.]]

Wheeljack did his best to make the four humans welcome and comfortable, fitting them with customized space suits, but soon ran up against Grimlock's monomaniacal quest to bring Blaster to "justice". When Grimlock ordered the humans cast into space in hopes of drawing out Blaster, Wheeljack had Skylynx save them. Though the humans were safe, Grimlock captured Blaster anyway, and Wheeljack's attempt at subversion ultimately failed. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

Wheeljack was among the dozens of Autobots who gathered on the moon to watch Blaster and Grimlock battle for Autobot leadership, and subsequently came under Decepticon attack. {{storylink|Totaled!}}

Although it wasn't depicted, he was assumed destroyed by the [[Underbase]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]; like most of his compatriots, he was not seen in action until the battle with Unicron. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-stilllife.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Alive.... ALIVE... ''IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!'']]

Grimlock eventually revived him with [[Nucleon]], along with the rest of the Autobots' deactivated roster. Wheeljack questioned Grimlock on the wisdom of ramming Unicron with the Ark and of charging into battle so soon after being reactivated, but Grimlock just told him to be quiet and fight, before shoving him out the airlock. {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}}

After the defeat of [[Unicron]], Wheeljack was with a handful of Transformers who found Optimus Prime's desiccated remains. He theorized that the Matrix energy unleashed by Unicron's destruction was somehow, just barely, keeping him alive. He mourned Prime's death alongside Prowl, Kup and others. {{storylink|Still Life!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-endoftheroad.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mein Führer! ''I can walk!!'']]

Wheeljack had a short altercation with Quake, which was symptomatic of the growing unrest between the two factions. He subsequently discovered the betrayal of the Decepticons, who had sabotaged the Autobot spacecraft before leaving the dying Cybertron. {{storylink|Exodus!}}

Grimlock saved the day again though, providing some stolen Decepticon cruisers. However, when they followed the Decepticons to [[Klo]], the Autobots were ambushed and nearly wiped out. [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] was about to dismember the crippled Wheeljack when he was saved by the timely arrival of the reborn Optimus Prime and the [[Neo-Knights]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
''Wheeljack survived the battle of [[Autobot City]] in this timeline, but was later strung up by [[Quintesson]]s there in 2008, anyway. He wasn't seen after that, though [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] survived the same treatment, so Wheeljack may have survived.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

{{--}}
=====Earthforce=====
{{earthforcefiction}}
''When [[Galvatron II|Galvatron]] infiltrated the Ark to brainwash some new troops, Wheeljack was one of the deactivated Autobots he attempted to control. Wheeljack and the others turned the tables on Galvatron, subjecting him to his own [[mind bug]] technology.'' {{storylink|...Perchance to Dream}} ''Back in action, Wheeljack felt somewhat out of place among the various [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], [[Targetmaster|Targetmasters]] and [[Powermaster]]s wandering around the Ark now. On a scouting mission, he and Prowl grumbled to one another about how they just wanted some good ol' fashioned Decepticons to beat up on. Obligingly, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] [[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] and [[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] showed up right then to stop the Autobots from finding out about their evil plans. Thrilled about fighting bad guys who weren't "MicroHeadTargetmasters with a Pretender shell", Wheeljack and Prowl tracked down the Constructicons' leader, Megatron, nearby, and learned of his plans to destroy Earth's atmosphere with a [[Global warming satellite|rocket]].'' {{storylink|Starting Over!}} ''While Wheeljack distracted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], Prowl leapt aboard the rocket and knocked it off course, saving the planet.'' {{storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}

''Fresh from their adventure with old, familiar enemies, Wheeljack and Prowl both joined the new Earthforce team Optimus Prime set up under Grimlock's command. Operating out of a shuttle in the Canadian wilderness, the Autobots began constructing a larger Earthbase on site. Although the location of their base was unknown, the construction-in-progress was open to attack, and so a 24-hour guard watch was arranged. One dark and stormy night, Wheeljack was trying to keep warm on guard duty using a thermo-heating unit from the ship, but it overheated and started smoking on him. He knocked over a table and lamp while trying to shut off the device and attracted the attention of a [[polar bear]], which ended up chasing him back towards the shuttle. To top it all off, he was jumped from behind by [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]], who had seen all the mess and mistaken Wheeljack for [[Fantasy Predacon|an attacking Decepticon]]. It was not Wheeljack's best night ever.'' {{storylink|Mystery!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-thelivingnightlights.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Bah. Warm, fuzzy nice-nice! What good is science if nobody gets hurt!?]]

''When a new thought-activated set of nightlights called [[Sleepfast]] was released to human buyers, Wheeljack got suspicious and tested the little items. He found not only the presence of Cybertronian technology in the devices, but also evidence that the thought-sensitive nightlights would eventually turn on their owners, allowing them to manipulate the humans' minds as well as read them. Wheeljack took [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]] to investigate the Sleepfast warehouse, and they ran into the mastermind behind the scheme, [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]. The Autobots used the thought-activation effect of the Sleepfasts to will all several hundred nightlights on at once, temporarily blinding Mindwipe.'' {{storylink|The Living Nightlights!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-housethatwheeljack.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Zhose are ze largest trousers in ze vorld!"]]

''Finally, Autobot Earthbase was completed, and Wheeljack called the entire team outside to witness his defense grid in action. Prowl was dubious at the lack of obvious protection, and so Wheeljack handed him the activation remote. Once Prowl hit the button, Wheeljack tossed a rock towards the base, where it was instantly obliterated by the retractable laser cannons. When Prowl expressed concern that someone could knock the defense system offline, Wheeljack assured him that once the defense system was activated, it could only be deactivated from a console inside the base. Prowl paused for a minute, took a head count, then turned hesitantly to Wheeljack and asked, "So who's inside with the console NOW...?" ''

''The response? "Oh..."''

''While Prowl and the other Autobots braved the defenses in order to reach the console and turn off the security system, Grimlock grabbed Wheeljack by the ankle and shook him out upside-down over the snow for good measure.'' {{storylink|The House that Wheeljack Built!}}

[[Image:Wheeljack-makintracks.jpg|thumb|left|300px|From the tempest's fury, the spark ignites—to sire new life! Transmet—wait, we're getting a bit too meta here, aren't we.]]

''When Optimus Prime returned to Earth for an inspection of the new operation, he also brought back [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]'s body for Wheeljack to reactivate in his Bodyshop. Grimlock was hardly impressed with the idea of bringing the vain and complaining Tracks back to life, and he tried to derail the process. Despite his efforts, though, Wheeljack not only revived Tracks, but Optimus Prime decreed that Tracks would remain with Earthforce instead of going back on the Ark with him.'' {{storylink|Makin' Tracks!}} ''Later, Wheeljack diagnosed Snarl with [[Corrodia Gravis]], prompting the Autobots to seek out the only compatible Transformer who could give him a systems boost: Starscream.'' {{storylink|Assassins}}

''Wheeljack was last seen during the Autobot chase of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], who had kidnapped their ally, [[Irwin Spoon (G1)|Irwin Spoon]]. He abandoned the chase to check on Prowl after Motormaster ran him off the highway.'' {{storylink|End of the Road! (UK)|End of the Road!}}

{{-}}

====Marvel ''Generation 2'' comic====
While investigating an apparent planet-wide genocide on [[J'asik]], Wheeljack joined [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] on a science team in attempting to find out just what had destroyed all life on the planet so utterly. Their findings were so surprising, the team double-checked fifty times before confirming the results: A Cybertronian biological by-product had somehow achieved quasi-sentience and motivation, and was prowling the galaxy as the entity known as the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]]. The full impact of their discovery was cut short, however, by the arriving armada of [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] and his second generation [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], the accidental harbingers of the Swarm. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}} The battle with Jhiaxus kept the Transformers occupied long enough for the Swarm to find them on Earth. Presenting a united front, the Autobots and Decepticons desperately attempted to drive back the creature. Wheeljack cooked up a method of dramatically augmenting [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]]'s sonic powers, but while the Decepticon was consumed by the excess power pumping through his system, it seemed to do little good against the Swarm. Wheeljack's fate is unknown. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}

{{-}}
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Chris Latta]] (English), [[Osamu Saka]] (Japanese)|[[Katsumi Suzuki]] (Japanese, "[[Attack of the Autobots]]" and "[[Day of the Machines]]" only), [[Alberto Bognanni]] (Italian, second dub), [[Albert Augier]] (French), [[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American, Season 1), [[Jorge García]] (Latin American, Season 2), [[Gunnar Ernblad]] (Swedish), [[Charlie Elvegård]] (Swedish, Generation 2), [[Ulrich Bernsdorff]] (German, ''Roll For It''), [[Walter von Hauff]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' First Half of the Episode), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''The Autobot Run'' second Half of the Episode, ''The Girl Who Loved Powerglide'' & ''Hoist Goes Hollywood''), [[Christoph Lindert]] (German, Generation 2 Dub most of the episodes), [[Klaus Kessler]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''Masquerade'' & ''Roll For It'')}}

[[Image:Cybertronwheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|Boxy but safe.]]

Four million years ago, on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Wheeljack was sent on a mission with [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] to search for any available energy that could be found on the drained planet. The pair located some energy [[conductor]]s, and Wheeljack transformed into his boxy vehicle mode so that Bumblebee could load them up, even though he didn't believe they would last a [[Units of time|quartex]]. On the return trip to [[Great Dome|Iacon]], the pair were attacked by a team of [[Decepticon]]s, but Wheeljack was able to break through their barricade of fire using his bumper-mounted cutting blades and then eluded their pursuers by heading underground. Despite their successful return with the conductors, [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] decided to expand the search for energy to other planets. Wheeljack was among the Autobots selected to embark on this mission, but in mid-flight, the Autobots' [[Ark (G1)|spacecraft]] was attacked by the Decepticons and crashed on prehistoric [[Earth]], entombing all aboard in stasis.

[[Image:Mtmte2_fiftyninepointninetynine.jpg|right|thumb|220px|With this, I shall give my creature life!]]

When the Transformers were reactivated by a volcanic eruption in 1984, Wheeljack was reformatted by [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] with the alternate mode of a Lancia Stratos Turbo custom racing car. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 1}} Soon after their awakening, Wheeljack was part of the battle unit organized by [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] to defend a [[human]] oil rig against an attack by the Decepticons, and used a fire-extinguishing mechanism installed in his forearm to douse the inferno that resulted from the conflict. Wheeljack next helped attempt to stop the Decepticon plot to overload [[Sherman Dam]], and then journeyed with the other Autobots in pursuing their foes to [[Burma]]. There, he gave Bumblebee and the Autobots' new human ally [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] a bomb that would collapse the mine the Decepticons were current raiding, trapping the villainous robots for good. Alas, Wheeljack overestimated his skills, as the Decepticons were able to escape the collapsed mountain with ease. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 2}} Wheeljack later participated in the battle to stop the Decepticons from escaping Earth aboard their [[Victory (G1)|new space cruiser]]. {{storylink|More than Meets the Eye, Part 3}}

[[Image:Divideandconquer wheeljack cosmotron.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Ah, you know what it's like, Ironhide, there's always a few extra bits at the bottom of the box.]]

Some months later, when an [[antimatter]]-powered [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] attacked [[Ark (G1)#Autobot Headquarters|Autobot Headquarters]], Wheeljack had just the invention to save the day: a remote control unit that would put Teletraan I in control of a Decepticons' body. Through the bravery of [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Chip Chase]], the unit was planted on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], and the Autobots used him to foil the Decepticons' plan. {{storylink|Roll for It}}

Wheeljack's mechanical expertise was put to the ultimate test when Optimus Prime was critically wounded by a Decepticon attack. With [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s help, Wheeljack struggled to keep his leader alive, discovering that his vital [[cosmitron]] component had been damaged and needed replacing. A team of Autobots were dispatched through the Decepticons' [[space bridge]] to Cybertron, where they located [[Wheeljack's workshop|Wheeljack's old laboratory]] and recovered a replacement cosmitron to save Prime's life. {{storylink|Divide and Conquer}}

[[Image:SOSDinobots_buildingSludge.jpg|right|thumb|220px|What's he ''building'' in there? We've got a right to know.]]

Upon discovery of [[Dinosaur (dinosaur)|dinosaur]] bones in caverns within the Ark's volcano, Wheeljack and Ratchet were inspired to construct robotic version of dinosaurs, resulting in the creation of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. Upon activation, the behemoths promptly ran out of control and badly damaged Autobot Headquarters, until Wheeljack brought them under control with his [[magnetic inducer]]. Optimus Prime deemed the Dinobots too dangerous to continue functioning and commanded that the project be abandoned, but Wheeljack secretly persisted, developing memory components that would increase the Dinobots' intelligence. This bout of insubordination proved fortunate when almost all of the Autobots were captured by the Decepticons at the [[Great Falls]], prompting Wheeljack to activate the upgraded Dinobots and take them into battle to save the day. Wheeljack was willing to accept any punishment Prime would hand down for his disobedience, but Prime accepted his judgement had been hasty, and allowed the Dinobots to remain among the Autobot ranks. {{storylink|S.O.S. Dinobots}}

Learning of Decepticon activity in [[Peru]], Optimus Prime had Wheeljack and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] head for the [[Arctic|Arctic Circle]] to unearth the frozen Autobot [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], so he could carry the Autobot forces to [[South America]]. Once the Decepticons' plan to use the [[Crystal of Power]] as a weapon had been stopped, Wheeljack invented a device to cap the geyser of energy that had resulted from the crystal's destruction. Spike was a little concerned over whether or not the device would function, but it went off without a hitch, even surprising Wheeljack himself a little. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain}}

[[Image:Wotd wheeljack meteorite.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Surprisingly, the ominously glowing turd had little scientific value.]]

Wheeljack had his work cut out for him when the Autobots faced two simultaneous threats: a [[Meteorini Chipperoni|mysterious meteorite]] crashed on Earth, and when the Dinobots were left to guard it, they were tricked by Megatron into allying with the Decepticons. Analyzing a fragment of the meteorite, Wheeljack discovered it was wildly unstable and poised to explode at any moment. Working with Ratchet, Spike and Chip Chase, Wheeljack developed two new Dinobots, [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], and sent them in to defeat their forebears. The meteorite exploded harmlessly, and the Dinobots, convinced of their mistake, returned to the Autobot side. {{storylink|War of the Dinobots}}

When the Decepticons attacked a solar power plant on the coast of [[India]], Wheeljack outfitted the Autobots with hydrofoils so they could approach the plant from over the water. The attack was discovered to be a distraction when Wheeljack received a report from Autobot Headquarters that the Decepticons had struck there and kidnapped Sparkplug. Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that raided [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Earth)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and recovered Sparkplug, but he and Spike soon realized that there was something wrong. Sparkplug had, in fact, been made a mind-controlled Decepticon slave thanks to a [[hypno-chip]], as part of a plan to transport Cybertron itself into Earth orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 1}}

[[Image:Tud3_wheeljack_little_present.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Green Lantern's light!]]

The villains soon accomplish their terrifying goal, and the Autobots found themselves battling the natural disasters that the presence of the planet caused. Wheeljack called upon the Dinobots to aid them in their struggle, though first he had to convince them that it was worth their while to help. Seeking information about the Decepticons' hypno-chips, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who travelled to the orbiting Cybertron, though no sooner had they arrived on the planet than the smaller members of their party (Spike, Bumblebee and [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]]), fell through a trap door. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 2}} Wheeljack and the others were unable to follow directly due to their size, but soon tracked their friends down to the Decepticons' headquarters and rescued them from an attack. The team took cover in Wheeljack's old lab, where Wheeljack analyzed a computer disk containing information on the hypno-chips that Bumblebee had stolen and developed a device to negate the chips' effect. The Autobots' test-drove the device on Sparkplug, and when it proved successful, they quickly returned to Earth and Wheeljack used it to liberate all of Megatron's slaves. Finally, the world was saved when the Autobots blew up Megatron's stockpile of [[energon cube]]s, blasting Cybertorn out of orbit. {{storylink|The Ultimate Doom, Part 3}} Wheeljack then helped repair the damage caused to Earth, directing the Dinobots as they performed some heavy lifting. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (episode)|Countdown to Extinction}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot unit dispatched to [[Bali]] to investigate reports of robot insects, where they faced the threat of the Decepticons' newest allies, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]]. Wheeljack aided Skyfire by fixing his malfunctioning transform mechanism, and unsteadily taking to the air to back him up in an Insecticon dogfight. When Spike deduced that the Autobots' rubber tyres would protect them from the Insecticons' lightning attacks, Wheeljack rode atop [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] and Sideswipe to help send the critters packing. To reward Spike for his bravery, Wheeljack offered to make a him a "true Autobot" by designing a motorcycle transformation for him, but Spike decided he'd better wait until he was at least old enough to drive. {{storylink|A Plague of Insecticons}}

[[Image:Shockblastcannon.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I'm okay.]]

The sudden appearance of Megatron in the airspace of Autobot Headquarters was cause enough for Wheeljack to try testing his new [[shock blast cannon]], but the weapon simply blew up in his hands. As luck would have it, Megatron had not arrived to fight, but to challenge Optimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in accordance with Cybertron law. Wheeljack spoke out in favour of Prime accepting the challenge, as it would end the Transformers' war, but none of the Autobots expected the eventual result of the fight: Optimus lost! Wheeljack could not understand how Megatron had claimed victory, but Teletraan I soon provided the answer-Megatron had taken on the powers of all the other Decepticons, breaking the rules of the fight and invalidating its outcome. {{storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

When Spike was badly injured by Megatron and needed life-saving surgery, Wheeljack developed cybernetic attachments that allowed Spike's mind to be transferred into "[[Autobot X]]", a makeshift body constructed from spare Autobot parts by Sparkplug. {{storylink|Autobot Spike}} A little later, Wheeljack disagreed with Ratchet over which wire needed to be pulled to deactivate the Decepticons' [[Solar Needle]] device, but Optimus Prime put an end to the argument by yanking both of them. {{storylink|Changing Gears}}

[[Image:Immobilizer_wheeljack_immobilized.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack: Master of the ancient art of Notmoveoo.]]

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who travelled to [[New York City]] to defend it against an attempted Decepticon takeover. The sight of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] climbing the [[Empire State Building]] reminded Wheeljack of ''[[King Kong]]'', and he took a leaf out of the movie's book by sending remote-controlled helicopters against the [[combiner]]. Devastator easily swatted the craft out of the air, and [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] consoled Wheeljack with the fact that Devastator had probably seen the movie too. {{storylink|City of Steel}}

The first tests of Wheeljack's newest invention, the paralytic "[[Wheeljack Instant Immobilizer]]", did not go very well: first, the device's [[polarizer]] was damaged by an over-enthusiastic [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], and once it was replaced, Spike accidentally stepped on the Immobilizer's remote, immobilizing Wheeljack himself! Luckily the effects of the device proved temporary, and Wheeljack soon returned to normal. {{storylink|The Immobilizer}} His next invention, an [[anti-transfixation grenade]] developed to restore the other Autobots when they were frozen in their vehicle modes by the Decepticons' new [[Transfixatron]], proved much more successful. {{storylink|The Autobot Run}}

[[Image:Atlantisarise wheeljack and nergill.jpg|left|thumb|220px|From that day on, Dr. Wheel Jack was cursed to transform into a monster during moments of stress.]]

When Wheeljack was captured by the Decepticons' new sea-dwelling [[Sub-Atlantica]]n allies, their treacherous king, [[Nergill]], studied his systems and developed [[magnetic dysfunction ray]] that could disable Transformers based on them. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] was blasted with the ray, he tried to use energy from Wheeljack's systems to restore himself, but was caught in the act and stopped by Bumblebee and Spike. The duo proceeded to repair Wheeljack, who then called in the Dinobots to sent the Sub-Atlanticans packing. {{storylink|Atlantis, Arise!}}

After helping to free [[Quantum Laboratories]] from the control of [[TORQ III]], {{storylink|Day of the Machines}} Wheeljack attended the unveiling of the human-made ninja-robot, [[Nightbird (G1)|Nightbird]]. Wheeljack did not have a high opinion of the comparatively primitive robot, but once the Decepticons stole and reprogrammed it to serve them, Nightbird made Wheeljack eat crow by outsmarting all the new security systems he had installed in Autobot Headquarters. {{storylink|Enter the Nightbird}} Later, Wheeljack was among the Autobots fooled by Megatron's [[Optimus Prime clone|clone of Optimus Prime]]. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}}

To stop the Decepticons from drilling into the Earth's core and destroying the planet, Wheeljack invented [[dominator disc]]s that the Autobots planted on the individual [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]], placing their combined form of Devastator under Wheeljack's control. The Decepticons were able to disrupt the disks, but this resulted in Devastator running amok, forcing the Decepticons to hand their device over to Wheeljack so he could combine it with his disks to restore Devatator to normal. {{storylink|The Core}} Soon after, Wheeljack and Ratchet had to work fast to develop an antidote that would negate the destructive energy of the [[Nova Power Core]], which had been consumed by the Insecticons and was threatening to cause them to explode.{{storylink|The Insecticon Syndrome}}

[[Image:Autoberserk_good_job_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack's the dude.]]

Having spent some time trying to teach the Dinobots finesse, Wheeljack held a demonstration of his creations' newest abilities for the other Autobots, but unsurprisingly, it all went wrong. Optimus Prime decided that the Dinobots should train elsewhere, and they were sent to the recently-discovered "[[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]]". {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 1}} Unfortunately, the Decepticons followed the Dinobots to the time-lost island and began draining its energy, causing time warps all across the Earth that Wheeljack worked with Chip and Teletraan I to track. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

Wheeljack approved of [[Grapple]]'s [[Solar Power Tower]], but sadly, Optimus Prime didn't. {{storylink|The Master Builders}} Prime ''did'' approve of Wheeljack's own next invention, the [[Negavator]], but so did the Decepticons, who made a few attempts at stealing it that ultimately required it to be destroyed. {{storylink|Auto Berserk}} Later, when a [[Heart of Cybertron]]-empowered Megatron badly injured many of the Autobots, Optimus Prime had Ratchet repair Wheeljack first, so the scientist could build a forcefield to hold Megatron off. {{storylink|Microbots}}

When the Decepticons framed the Autobots for energy thefts, they covered for their own past villainy by claiming Wheeljack had invented a device that drove them to evil. The deception fooled the people of Earth, and the Autobots were exiled from the planet, {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} but they soon returned to clear their names. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dotd1_sparkplug_repairs_wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|220px|He took mah jerb!]]

Instructed by Optimus Prime to dispatch an Autobot team to deal with a Decepticon incursion at an airfield, Wheeljack again had to convince the Dinobots to lend a hand. Soon after, Wheeljack and the other Autobots began to malfunction as a result of [[cybertonium]] degradation, necessitating that Spike and [[Carly]] travel to Cybertron to get more. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}} Wheeljack supplied them with a [[photon light]] and a two-way thumb radio and set them on course for his old laboratory. Despite some Decepticon trouble along the way, the two humans eventually succeeded in their mission with the help of the Dinobots, and Wheeljack and the Autobots were restored. {{storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2}}

Wheeljack was among the Autobots who stood by as reports on the search for the stolen [[Voltronic Galaxer]] came in, {{storylink|Blaster Blues}}, then later temporarily received the power of an invulnerable [[electrum]] coating {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}. Shortly thereafter, he had to help Sparkplug, Ratchet and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] repair and restore a fleet of cars turned into war machines by the Decepticons, {{storylink|Make Tracks}} but was powerless to do anything when a space bridge accident hurled Optimus Prime and a small group of other Autobots and Decepticons to a world of alien giants. {{storylink|Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play}} Later still, when [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]] was injured attempting to protect heiress [[Astoria Carlton-Ritz]], Wheeljack and Ratchet recovered and repared him. {{storylink|The Girl Who Loved Powerglide}}

[[Image:Wardawn wheeljack fixes kronosphere.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack, the colour of gold, is gold. That's why it's called gold. What you have created, if it has a name, is some...green.]]

When Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron was raided by the Decepticons, a mysterious piece of old technology he had kept stored there was carried back to Earth by [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]], who wound up crashing in a movie lot. The Decepticon fought hard to recover footage the movie studio took of Dirge and the device, but it turned out the joke was on them: after the battle was done, Wheeljack revealed that whatever the machine was supposed to be, it had never worked anyway! {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

Wheeljack was part of the Autobot team that traveled to Cybertron to stop Megatron from using the mega-computer [[Vector Sigma]] to bring his new [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to life, but they failed. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} To combat the Stunticons, Wheeljack helped [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] rebuild some aircraft into the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]]. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2}} Only a few weeks later, Wheeljack had to returned to Cybertron to repair the damaged [[Kronosphere]] time machine and rescue the Aerialbots when the Decepticons attempted to trap them in the past. {{storylink|War Dawn}}

[[Image:Teurox wheeljack vs motormaster.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Dem Duke boys knew they were in a heap o' trouble when Rosco got himself a cliffjumpin' big rig.]]

Learning that racing driver [[Auggie Cahnay (G1)|Auggie Cahnay]] would be test-driving a car made from a new experimental alloy in the upcoming [[Europa 2000]] race, Optimus Prime sent a contingent of Autobots, including Wheeljack, to participate in the race and protect Augie from any possible Decepticon interference. Wheeljack was thoroughly enjoying himself until the Stunticons joined the race, and he was crushed under [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]]'s wheels in [[Turkey]]. {{storylink|Trans-Europe Express}}

When the [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|Cosmic Rust]] plague threatened the Autobots, Wheeljack proposed using the [[matter duplicator]] to create more of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s anti-corrosive [[corrostop]]. Two problems faced the scientific duo, however: the matter duplicator didn't work, and they were out of corrostop! Working tirelessly (and with a few swift kicks to the machine for good measure), the pair got the matter duplicator functioning, and the Autobots recovered some corrostop from the [[Statue of Liberty]] to duplicate and save themselves. {{storylink|Cosmic Rust (episode)|Cosmic Rust}}

[[Image:Masquerade_wheeljack_stolen_tech.jpg|right|thumb|220px|So, you ''want'' me to make it blow up this time?]]

During the Stunticons' latest rampage, Wheeljack used Teletraan I to pinpoint the location of the five Decepticons, and the Autobots quickly rounded them up. Examining the components the Stunticons had stolen, Wheeljack speculated that Megatron was making yet another super-weapon. A team of five Autobots disguised themselves as the Stunticons, and delivered a substitute ruby modified by Wheeljack to Megatron, which caused the new laser cannon it was installed within to explode. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

For his final recorded adventure in the 20th century, Wheeljack helped defend Autobot Headquarters against an attack from the Decepticons' [[orbit disruptor cannon]], using his gyro-inhibitor to prematurely detonate missiles launched by [[Onslaught (G1)|Onslaught]]. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Windcharger wheeljack otp.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Inventor, uh...reinvent thyself. (Tis just a flesh wound.)]]

Over the course of the next twenty years, the Decepticons turned away from Earth and focused on entirely conquering Cybertron. The Autobots were forced off the planet, and constructed [[Autobot City]] on Earth to serve as their new home. Wheeljack ultimately met his end defending this city in the year 2005, when the Decepticons launched [[Battle of Autobot City|an overwhelming attack on it]]. His body was seen lying alongside a missile launcher as [[Arcee (G1)| Arcee]] laid [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]]'s equally-lifeless shell alongside him. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese continuity as noted above, aside from one notable alteration: Wheeljack does not die during ''The Transformers: The Movie''. The character reappears in several pieces of media that take place after the events of the movie, in important capacities that can't merely be written off as animation errors. This was not an issue to Japanese audiences originally, as the movie was not released in Japan until a few years later, after the most significant of these extra appearances (in the ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (cartoon)|Victory]]'' cartoon), but it created something of a retroactive error that would later be addressed in passing in ''[[Transformers: Alternators|Binaltech]]'' fiction. Read on for details!}}

=====e-Hobby pack-in comic=====
[[Image:Ehobbymanga_wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb]]

During a Decepticon assault on Autobot Headquarters, Wheeljack co-ordinated the Autobot counterattack from inside the base, instructing Brawn to back up Hound. When the other Decepticons were defeated, Brawn and Hound ran to back up Optimus Prime, who was battling Megatron and had just landed a powerful blow on the Decepticon leader. Wheeljack scanned Megatron's damage, and discovered that his internal balancer had gone offline...but he could never have predicted that this would result in Megatron's systems releasing a sudden [[quantum surge|surge of quantum energy]] that restored and super-charged him! {{storylink|Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
[[Image:Srlf manga1 wheeljack trailbreaker sideswipe prime.jpg|left|thumb|300px|We have streaky anime lines!]]

When the Decepticons began turning their attention towards [[Japan]] in the late 1980s, Wheeljack was part of an Autobot team who traveled to [[Tokyo]] to defend it against an attack by the [[Seeker (body-type)|Decepticon jets]] and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]]. Following the advice of a local boy that they befriended named [[Kenji]], the Autobots were able to take out the Decepticons by using a broken section of freeway as a ramp to gain height on their enemies; Wheeljack landed a good hit on [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] in the process. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 1|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #1}}

In response to the increasing number of Decepticon attacks on Japan, the Autobots set up a secondary headquarters in the country. Wheeljack was among the Autobots later seen staffing the base and welcoming Kenji on his first visit there. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}
{{-}}

=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' story pages=====
Along with his fellow Autobots who could turn into sport and race cars, Wheeljack participated in a race across the desert. Little did he know, [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] was aware of the race and ambushed the Autobots inside a narrow gorge. Wheeljack and the other race car Transformers were unable to retaliate because their vehicle modes could not brave the rough, desert terrain. Luckily for them, [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] arrived in his rugged Jeep mode and smashed Soundwave's chest window. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (story page)|Anime Theater 2: Sic 'em, Hound!}}

=====Full Throttle Scramble Power!=====
Wheeljack was stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Scramble City]] when the Decepticons began terrorizing the world with their [[Omega Whip]]. To make matters worse, the Stunticons began a fierce rampage, and Wheeljack was among the Autobots who advised against the Aerialbots battling them alone. Optimus Prime disagreed, and off they went. Soon after, Wheeljack joined in an attack on the Decepticons' headquarters, but was clobbered by a Decepticon jet. {{storylink|Full Throttle Scramble Power!}}

=====''The Battle of the Star Gate''=====
[[Image:Stargatebattles wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|220px|Wheeljack watches C-X's brutal rampage and considers both the moral and philosophical ramifications of giving it a bigger gun.]]

In the 1990s, continued interaction between the Autobots and the government of the United States led to the development of an interstellar teleportation system known as the "[[Trigger]]". Wheeljack joined Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Jazz and Hound in a press conference to announce the Trigger to the world, and even wrote the stirring speech that Prime delivered to the masses. Ignoring Jazz as he tried to keep them quiet during the broadcast, Wheeljack and Ratchet both agreed that the gun-like design of the Trigger reminded them entirely too much of Megatron. {{storylink|First Contact}}

A few months later, Wheeljack, [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]] and Bumblebee observed as Optimus Prime helped human scientist [[Adle|Professor Adle]] test his new [[C-X]] battle drone. Wheeljack offered some technical advice on how to increase the drone's attack speed, but that only meant more trouble when C-X started to run amok thanks to Decepticon interference. Wheeljack and his comrades tried to aid Prime, but he and Bluestreak were flattened by a single kick from the huge drone. Prime proved his might by defeating C-X single-handedly, and Wheeljack helped hold up his battered leader as he limped from the battlefield. {{storylink|Divided Views}}

{{--}}
=====''Story of Binaltech''=====
[[Image:BTWheeljack art.jpg|left|250px|thumb|HEAVY METAL RULES!!!]]
When the Dinobots were turned savage by a Unleasher attack in the year 2005, the Autobots had to take them off-line. Wheeljack headed to Earth to arrange the transplantation of [[Grimlock (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Grimlock]]'s mind into a new body created from the "Binaltech" technology that had recently been developed in conjunction between the Autobots and the [[Earth Defense Command]]. {{storylink|Beast in the Machine}} On his return journey to the Autobots' moonbase, however, his shuttle was hijacked by time-tossed Decepticon [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who had begun a plan to alter the course of history. {{storylink|Changing Lanes}} Wheeljack was shown a brief glimpse of the near future by Ravage, and bore witness to his own death, and those of many of his comrades, in the upcoming Battle of Autobot City. Wheeljack managed to escape, while Ravage himself promptly returned to Cybertron and exhumed the [[Kronosphere]], using it to tip the balance of the decisive battle occurring at that time. Whereas the outcome would have originally favored the Decepticons, leading to their total conquest of Cybertron, Ravage ensured an ''Autobot'' victory, altering history and leaving the heroes to face the looming threat of [[Unicron]] alone.

Aware that history had been altered, Wheeljack was faced with a dilemma: Should he stop Ravage's plan and restore the timestream, even though it would mean the death of many Autobots, including himself? His salvation, he hoped, lay in the [[Genetronic Translink System]], a device that allowed a singular [[spark]] to control many duplicate bodies simultaneously—if history could be set to rights and his "death" were to come to pass, he could still live on in another body using the GT System. Dubbing his original body the "Alpha Unit," he constructed the "Beta Unit" based on Grimlock's Ford Mustang body, as well as the mysterious third "Omega Unit," whose capabilities were kept a closely guarded secret. {{storylink|Project Bodyshop}}

The subsequent arrival of Unicron prompted the Autobots to initiate "Operation: Distant Thunder," which saw [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] use the chronal warp on Dinobot Island to send Wheeljack's memory data back in time, in hopes of alerting the Autobots in the past and preventing alteration to the timestream. {{storylink|Darkest Hour}} The plan didn't go as expected, and reality started to go into a severe state of whack, until a mysterious [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|black Optimus Prime]] appeared and sealed the time portals that had been created. Operation: Distant Thunder had succeeded in preventing the mainline timestream's alteration, but the Binaltech timeline, first destined to be replaced and erased, had been saved by the newcomer and was now its own distinct, divergent universe. {{storylink|Binal Time}}

{{Note|At this point, the original timeline was retroactively restored and the events of the ''Story of Binaltech'' diverged into a parallel universe. Skip to the next section to continue reading about the original timeline. Exactly how many of the preceding events related in this section, even prior to the divergence, occurred in the original unaltered timeline are unknown, but presumably, the data sent back in time by Wheeljack must have included information on his own approaching death and the GT System, which would explain how he was able to survive and live on to appear in subsequent pieces of fiction.}}

In this new universe, Wheeljack and the Binaltech warriors began facing new threats as the Binaltech project was declassified, and derivative technlogy began showing up around the globe. The Autobots battled the human criminal organization called the [[Concurrence]] and the Binaltech Decepticon named [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], who had created a living [[electrum]] giant. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 2}} Soon, Wheeljack helped bring an end to the Binaltech wars by unleashing his Omega Unit. The BT-14 Omega Unit functioned by connecting the laser-core of Wheeljack's spark to the power network of the entire globe, linking him to the living datastream of information running the planet. Through this link, Wheeljack tracked down all the splinter projects misusing Binaltech data, allowing Prowl and [[Earth Defense Command]] to seek them out and terminate the research programs. {{storylink|Unfinished Business, Part 4}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
[[Image:JHeadmasters01VariousGuys.jpg|thumb|200px|He's that grey blob on the right. ]]
Some time before the Transformers' war left Cybertron, Wheeljack engaged the Decepticons in battle with his comrades. Later, on Earth, Wheeljack was present for a confrontation with the Decepticons that resulted in the death of Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

{{note|Wheeljack's flashback battle on Earth 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.}}

=====''Victory'' cartoon=====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Shinobu Satouchi]] (Japanese), [[Roberto Alexander]] (Latin American Spanish)
[[Image:WheeljackVictory1.jpg|left|thumb|220px|Um, that was my brother Jackwheel .]]

In the year 2025, Wheeljack, Perceptor and [[Minerva (Masterforce)|Minerva]] were summoned to Earth by the new Autobot [[Supreme Commander]] [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]] to save the life of the fallen [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]]. Despite their best efforts, there was nothing they could do to save Ginrai's body, but it ''would'' be possible to transplant all his internal systems into a new body. As he would no longer truly be the same being, Ginrai turned down their offer, but then Wheeljack accidentally blurted out that there was a pre-existing design that they could use, piquing Ginrai's curiosity. The design was a combination power-up created by Star Saber, and Ginrai insisted on being reborn in this new body. {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!}} Perceptor, Wheeljack and Minerva brought Ginrai's life functions to an end, and resurrected him in his new body as [[Victory Leo]]. As Victory Leo cut his teeth in battle, Wheeljack and Perceptor put their technical skills to use tending to Star Saber's own wounds. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}} and then installed a combination circuit in Star Saber's body. {{storylink|Awaken! Victory Leo}} This circuit allowed him to combine with Victory Leo to form Victory Saber. {{storylink|The Tide Is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification}}
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=====''G-2'' story pages=====
[[Image:G2StoryPageWheeljackPerceptor1.jpg|right|thumb|Umm... would you believe it was my identical cousin?]]
Wheeljack, along with Perceptor and Jetfire, discovered [[Reconfiguration Matrix|new properties]] of the Matrix which allowed Optimus Prime to revive himself as "[[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Generation 2|Battle Convoy]]" after a crushing defeat by Megatron. {{storylink|Transformers: G-2 (story page)|G-2 Part 4}}

=====e-HOBBY comics=====
To combat the Decepticons' increasingly aggressive energy raids, Wheeljack and [[Ga'mede]] worked together to examine Optimus Prime's new "blackbody" form, and duplicated it to create twenty-one new battle droids cast in the Autobot leader's image. These [[Eldedroid]]s were placed under the remote control of [[Flip Sides (G1)|Flip Sides]] and sent out onto the battlefield. {{storylink|MP-1B Cybertron Commander / Convoy Black Ver.}}
{{-}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Wheeljack built a ship for the [[Autobot]]s to use. They got the chance to when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] decided to try to raid sunken ships full of treasure. {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}} After the [[Decepticon]]s captured [[Sparkplug Witwicky|Sparkplug]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]], Wheeljack and [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] were badly damaged in the battle to rescue the two humans. Sparkplug fixed them both up and they subsequently helped repel a Decepticon attack on [[Hoover Dam]]. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

{{stub}}
{{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}} {{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
{{notekeepers}}
[[Image:Skidswheeljackgrimlockkupironhidetww.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Box!]]

Wheeljack suffers from a mild form of [[mode attachment]], feeling more comfortable in his vehicle mode than robot mode. As a consequence he does his best thinking in vehicle mode, often while attempting something insanely dangerous. {{storylink|Transformers: The Ultimate Guide}}

Wheeljack was part of Grimlock's unit, along with [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], at the time when [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]] died and Optimus Prime rose to command the Autobots. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} When the Decepticons placed [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] under siege, Grimlock took his group to [[Kaon]] to look for Optimus Prime, who had gone seeking Megatron. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} While there, they discovered [[Planetary engine|planetary turbines]] that were providing power to a mechaforming process that was destroying Iacon. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Arriving, Prime instructed Wheeljack to shut down the engines in a... creative way (it blowed up real good). Wheeljack grumbled a bit that all his education and mechanical engineering skill had led up to just blowing things up. The group managed to return to Iacon, where Prime halted his order to abandon the planet. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

When Prime and Megatron disappeared during a [[space bridge]] explosion, Grimlock broke off from the Autobot army and formed the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], taking his former squad members with him. While Kup and the Dynobots attacked the [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]], Wheeljack and Ironhide hijacked some shuttles carrying raw [[energon]], making Starscream very angry. That's always a plus. {{storylink|Fragmentation}} When Cybertron was on the verge of peace, and there were incoming transports filled with explosives, Grimlock ordered Wheeljack to enact emergency protocol Hydra-Nine. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} After Megatron took over, Wheeljack ended up in [[Internment Camp Pi]] with a bunch of other Autobots. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

Wheeljack was one of the engineers that designed and constructed the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'', and part of the ship's original crew. In 1986, Ironhide and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] discovered Wheeljack in pieces but functional after an explosion while bug-testing his neutron detonator shell. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|Wheeljack's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}} ''At an unconfirmed point in time, he was also responsible for temporarily transferring the consciousness of Spike Witwicky into a Cybertronian body, though the full story remains untold. {{storylink|Hardwired}}''

Wheeljack was among the Transformers involved in the ''[[Ark II]]'' disaster. He survived the explosion of their spacecraft, crashing back to Earth where he and several others lay deactivated and frozen within an iceberg until awakened by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in 2002. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}}

[[Image:Wheeljack dw6.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Wheeljack calms a group of panicked humans by charging at them while brandishing a weapon.]]

Wheeljack participated in the assault on [[Lazarus]]'s Canadian headquarters. When [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s attempt to bomb the Autobots and the Decepticons out of existence instead caused a violent expansion of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s [[cyber-virus]], Wheeljack and [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] were the first Autobots to free themselves. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} While Prime took some of the Autobots after Megatron, Wheeljack diagnosed the nature of the cyber-virus, and created a set of anti-viral blasters that used the Autobots' energy to return the converted matter to normal. The intervention of Canada's military force scuttled that plan when they fired into the virus, expanding it beyond the point the Autobots could contain. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} In response, Wheeljack converted a nearby satellite dish into a giant anti-viral weapon, channeling all of his remaining energy into it. He succeeded in destroying the virus, but was left in deep stasis lock as a result. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''Several months later, Ratchet had successfully restored Wheeljack to operating status. He was one of the first Autobots Optimus Prime met back up with after escaping the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]' world and [[Las Vegas]]. While on patrol of the area, Wheeljack passed [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] travelling up the road towards the Autobots' location. He buzzed the Decepticon's position, and was surprised when Soundwave asked for a parlay. He claimed Megatron wanted a favor from Prime. Bemused, Wheeljack reported back to Optimus about the bizarre encounter, only to have his amusement turn to astonishment when Optimus Prime actually responded to Megatron's "summons". The two old enemies forged an alliance against the Keepers, and united their forces for battle in Las Vegas. During the fight, Wheeljack used his solid-fuel rockets to fly with the Decepticons [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in the skies, acting as air support for the others. He returned to Prime's side in the final battle, when the Autobot leader used the power of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] to divert the Keepers and the power of a nuclear explosion into another dimension.'' {{storylink|Annihilation}}

Later, when [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] came to arrest the Autobots as war criminals, Wheeljack was one of the Autobots secretly left behind by Optimus Prime under Jazz's command. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} Like most of the rest of that group of Autobots, Wheeljack was beaten to the point of stasis lock by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] some time later and dumped into a nearby swamp. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} He was dredged out by an [[Earth Defense Command|EDC]] task force and repaired, in time to rejoin the other Autobots when they started construction of [[Autobot City]]. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
When the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' crashed on Earth millions of years ago, Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sealed off from the other passengers, saving them from [[Cobra]] when they found the craft in 2003 and reprogrammed the dormant robots for their own needs. Cobra's break-in activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletran-One]], who in turn brought back Wheeljack and Bumblebee. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF3_Wheeljack_rams_twins.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
Disguising themselves as cars, the two Autobots worked for months to find and rescue the other Autobots from Cobra. After noting several attacks on energy plants, Wheeljack figured that the humans were gathering ingredients for [[energon]], and had an idea on where their next attack would take place. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}} During Cobra's subsequent assault on the [[SPS Research Facility]], the Autobots intervened directly, with Wheeljack ramming the brainwashed duo of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] and [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (and apologizing). He then confronted [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]], but the reprogrammed Decepticon fled as soon as Cobra had stolen what they came for. Having revealed themselves to [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] during the battle, Wheeljack and Bumblebee offered an alliance with the humans, who in return showed the Autobots a mysterious image of Soundwave they had found. Wheeljack recognized the text in the picture as [[Cybertronian languages|Cybertronian]], and that it contained directions to [[Cobra Island]] as well as instructions on how to free the Transformers. It took him only a few seconds to hack into Cobra's computers and undo their primitive human reprogramming. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}}

Wheeljack and Bumblebee then boarded a plane to participate in G.I. Joe's attack on Cobra Island, but the humans' higher-ups disagreed, planning to nuke the island and send the two Autobots to [[Area 51]] to be disassembled and studied instead. [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|Duke]] regretfully incapacitated the robots with a magnetic pulse, but Wheeljack stayed conscious enough to overhear their plans and warn Duke that a nuclear impact on Cobra's energon stockpile would cause a chain reaction and send half the planet into a nuclear winter. With this revelation, Duke broke orders and went with the original strategy, taking Wheeljack and Bumblebee with him to Cobra Island. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[Image:GIJoevsTF6_Wheeljack_threatens_Mindbender.jpg|thumb|left|200px|I've got the computer virus at last!]]
Upon arriving at the island, Wheeljack witnessed Megatron using the [[SPS Satellite]] to create more energon, and was enraged when [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] killed [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]. After helping take down the giant, Wheeljack patched through a message to all Autobots that the United States had decided to nuke Cobra Island despite having their own troops located there. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} Wheeljack quickly improvised a plan to avoid a nuclear holocaust; using the SPS Satellite's solar-powered energy beams to shoot down the nuclear warheads before they arrived. After menacing [[Doctor Mindbender]] into overriding the satellite controls, Wheeljack helped G.I. Joe fight off a bunch of Cobra troops led by [[Storm Shadow]]. The plan was ultimately a success, and with the Decepticons defeated in the process, the Autobots returned to Cybertron aboard a new ''Ark''. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

Two years later, Wheeljack was zapped by a malfunctioning [[Teletran 3]] and transported into a random point in Earth's timeline. He was never seen again. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
Wheeljack was among the Autobots that lay buried on the [[Fera Islands]], only to be awoken in [[1939]] when [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] came to battle [[Cobra]] and the Decepticons. Along with [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] and several Joes, he rescued several chained Cobra slaves that had fallen into the ocean. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] later reported that both Wheeljack and Hound had been killed in battle, but he was apparently mistaken, as the scientist was still around when [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] was unleashed. Upon examining the giant, Wheeljack noticed that it was some kind of hybrid of human and Cybertronian technology, and most likely wasn't really "alive". When the [[Matrix of Leadership]] was destroyed in order to kill Bruticus, Wheeljack and all other Transformers present were deactivated as well. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

===Redemption Center===
When a badly-damaged Starscream turned up on the Autobots' doorstep, Wheeljack argued strongly for allowing himself and Ratchet to take a look at the Decepticon's logic circuits, and possibly see if there was any way to make him a little less hostile. Prime eventually agreed, and when an amnesiac Starscream awoke and acted quite benign, Wheeljack seemed vindicated. Starscream even chose staying with the Autobots over returning to the Decepticons, however when his memories returned, he immediately fled back to his old comrades. Though Wheeljack was disappointed, Prime said it proved that the Decepticons were not beyond changing their ways. {{storylink|Redemption Center}}

===IDW Generation 1 comics===
{{ongoing}}
In the time preceding the war, Wheeljack was a mechanoid as touched by the sacrifice of others as one could expect from this kindly future Autobot. It comes as no surprise then that he was front row at the state funeral of [[Kaon]] Security Service officers [[Fastback (G1)|Fastback]] and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]]. {{storylink|Megatron Origin issue 3|Megatron Origin #3}} Around this time he was friends with his fellow engineer [[Ferak]]. {{storylink|The Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers|Ferak's Squadron X profile}} Wheeljack was working at the [[technoversity]] of [[Ultirex]] when he caught Optimus Prime's rallying call for additional support against the Decepticons' control of Cybertron. {{storylink|Broadcast}}

Wheeljack served as a mentor for a young Autobot named [[Ironfist (G1)|Ironfist]], who would go on to become an expert in weapons engineering. {{storylink|Last Stand of the Wreckers issue 5|Last Stand of the Wreckers #5}}

[[Image:Escalation2 JazzWheeljack party.jpg|right|300px|thumb|[[Hollywood]]'s latest spin on the buddy cop drama, Jazz & the 'Jack.]]
In 2006, Wheeljack was part of a detachment of Autobots that has operated covertly on Earth for at least four years, attempting to foil a Decepticon insurgency. In his role as technical scientist and gadgeteer for the Autobot detachment, he built a device that could interface the [[SM-40]] palmtop computer with the systems aboard the Autobots' ''[[Ark-19]]'' spacecraft. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 3|Infiltration #3}} Wheeljack, like his fellow Autobots, would come to watch the showdown between [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and the [[Ultra-Energon|Ore-13]]-powered [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]. {{storylink|Infiltration issue 6|Infiltration #6}}

Aboard the Ark, Wheeljack briefed Optimus Prime and the Autobots about suspected Decepticon activity in the country of [[Latveria]]. The Decepticons had set up an array structure that was emitting an aggression wave. The wave was causing higher than normal level of violence amongst nearby [[Avengers|costumed humans]] and was bringing the nations of Latveria and [[Symkaria]] to the brink of war. Optimus ordered 'Jack to guard the Ark while the rest of them [[roll out|rolled out]]. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part One}} After the Autobots completed their mission and returned, Wheeljack noted that the [[Quinjet|Avengers' jet]] looked like it may have been a Cybertronian design. {{storylink|Man and Machine, Part Four}}

Later, after [[Escalation issue 1|the incident outside Lebanon, Illinois]], he and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] were sent to investigate a [[Springfield]] police impound lot which supposedly held [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]]'s remains. Unfortunately, members of the [[Machination]] had already arrived with the same purpose in mind, and attacked the bots wielding advanced weaponry eerily similar to their own. Wheeljack escaped mostly unharmed, probably because Jazz took a direct hit from a mortar meant for him. {{storylink|Escalation issue 2|Escalation #2}} Wheeljack would get his first taste of real damage in [[Brasnya]] facing down [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]], {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} and eventually the drained form of Megatron. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

Wheeljack was assigned to work with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], but yet again the Machination decided to interfere—this time in a confrontation with their army of experimental [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]] [[Cloning|clones]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} Wheeljack's constant tinkering paid off when he was able to escape the Headmasters using a [[gyro-inhibitor shell]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 3|Devastation #3}} The Headmasters eventually caught up with them, however, and incapacitated Wheeljack by knocking a pile of junk cars on him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}} [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] arrived to retrieve Hot Rod and the others, blowing up a Headmaster that was attacking Hot Rod. Hot Rod refused to leave Earth though, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go and took Wheeljack and Ironhide back with him. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:AHM4BumblebeeWheeljack.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Bumblejerk.]]
A year later, Wheeljack had returned to Earth and joined [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s forces. After getting lured into a Decepticon trap and defeated, they were all dumped on the abandoned Cybertron to be finished off by the [[Insecticon swarm]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 7|All Hail Megatron #7}} When Wheeljack and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] were sent to try and find energon, the pair discovered their Earth modes couldn't handle the terrain. Wheeljack came up with an idea for a polymer to solve the problem, but Bumblebee (rather rudely) pointed out he lacked ''any'' equipment. A moment later, Wheeljack spotted someone following them. In a desperate but sure-to-work attempt to call in back-up, Wheeljack signaled their base with a pulse that would last only 1/100th of a second. Confident help was on the way, he cautioned Bumblebee against going after the stranger on their own, but the young bot, lacking faith in Wheeljack's rather brilliant idea, ignored him. The scientist was proven right, however, when Ironhide and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] arrived! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}} It turned out their follower was Hot Rod, who told Wheeljack and the others that he was part of an Autobot team that had recently crash-landed on the planet. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

Wheeljack and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] worked together to repair [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], who had been heavily injured by the Decepticons. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} When the Autobots were organizing a defense line against the Insecticon swarm, Wheeljack removed a cannon from the other team's [[Trion|crashed spaceship]] and modified it to be used as a mounted turret. However, since the cannon wasn't meant to be used like that, he warned [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]] that its power relay would probably burn out after only a few shots. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}} After hitching a ride back to Earth on [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Wheeljack and the others battled Megatron's forces in [[New York City]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 11|All Hail Megatron #11}}

Three years after the defeat of the Decepticons, Wheeljack and the other Autobots remained on Earth, just in case the Decepticons returned. [[Skywatch]] had figured out a way to lock Transformers in vehicle mode stasis for capture, but Wheeljack devised a way to counter the inhibitors. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} When Optimus Prime surrendered to the Skywatch following the death of Ironhide, the Autobots agreed to vote on a new leader, with Wheeljack in charge of tallying the votes. He eventually revealed that the winner was Bumblebee. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}} Shortly afterwards, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on Earth to investigate Optimus Prime's surrender, and Wheeljack and the others lined up to listen to him. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

[[Image:HangingSword-Wheeljack.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Surprise, Wheeljack hates being cautious.]]

While Bumblebee was elected as the new Autobot leader, the little Autobot's moping over their current problems was perceived by Wheeljack to be a weakness, and thus he had little respect for Bumblebee as his leader. After being reprimanded by Ratchet, Wheeljack came across a message from rogue Skywatch Colonel [[Gordon Horiuchi]], who claimed that he wished to work with the Autobots to capture Decepticons. Without consulting Bumblebee, he initiated contact with the colonel, and when Bumblebee and Ratchet found out, he bluntly told his "commander" that if he doesn't do ''something'', more Autobots would leave their group. {{storylink|The Hanging Sword}}

However, Horiuchi was not as trustworthy as he had seemed, outfitting the Autobots with badges to listen in on them and incapacitate them if they didn't follow his orders. When Bumblebee's badge was damaged, freeing him from the watching eyes of Horiuchi, the Autobots made plans to deactivate the rest of the devices as well. To keep their plans secret from Skywatch, Wheeljack cooked up a text-based comm system using a frequency the humans didn't monitor and used it to guide Bumblebee on his mission. {{storylink|The Impossible Knot}}

When Bumblebee located one of the control boards for the badges, Wheeljack told him to take it back to base so that he could alter it and cause it to burn out the devices instead. Bumblebee began protesting, since what he was doing was basically lying to a [[Serena Bharwaney|little girl]] so he could steal from [[Sanjay Bharwaney|her father]], which a frustrated Wheeljack saw as poor thinking for a leader. Ratchet eventually set him straight and convinced him to provide Bumblebee with instructions so that he could tamper with the board on the spot. {{storylink|The Gift Horse}}

As Bumblebee finished and began returning to base, Skywarp suddenly tracked down the control board and attacked the humans. Wheeljack and the other Autobots tried to stop Bumblebee from turning back to save them, but he wouldn't listen. Having no other choice, they all rolled out to help him fight the Decepticon only to reach him just as he activated the control board, burning out his and Skywarp's power sources along with their badges. Even after repairing him and upgrading his body, Wheeljack expected Bumblebee to still be "just that little guy", but he seemed to have grown as a leader from the experience. {{storylink|Wings of Wax}}

[[Image:Infestation2-Wheeljack.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Surprise, Wheeljack has bad news regarding technology.]]

Following the Autobots' second, successful alliance with Skywatch, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] crashed a ship full of [[zombie]]s in [[Las Vegas]]. A team of Autobots and Skywatch units went in, and Wheeljack put up a force dome around the area to contain the outbreak. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 1|The Transformers: Infestation #1}} He later reported that it was running low on energy, though it all turned out alright in the end. {{storylink|The Transformers: Infestation issue 2|The Transformers: Infestation #2}}

Later, Wheeljack was among the troops picked for the mission to fight the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] in [[North Korea]]. He was responsible for mounting giant guns on the other Autobots' vehicle modes, as they were forced to fight in disguise. {{storylink|International Incident Part 2: "Ranks of Bronze"}} Despite some unexpected trouble in the form of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]], the Autobots were victorious, and Wheeljack listened to a short speech by Optimus Prime. {{storylink|International Incident Part 4: "All My Sins Remembered"}}

After returning to America, Wheeljack repaired [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], who rather rudely commented that he'd rather have Ratchet. Wheeljack replied that Ratchet was busy tending to the wounded who ''weren't'' Decepticons. He later had a chat with Prowl about how unwise it had been to have both their mechanics on the same away team. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons Part 5: Enemy Mine}} Alongside the rest of the Autobots, Wheeljack watched in surprise as Hot Rod (now known as Rodimus) returned from space, bringing news that Cybertron was now habitable once again. All of them volunteered to return to their home planet and liberate it from [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s army. {{storylink|Space Opera—Final Tableaux: Orphans of the Helix}}

As they traveled on board Omega Supreme's rocket mode, all the Autobots were curious what would happen to the captured Megatron, and Wheeljack lost 50 [[Shanix]] betting with Ratchet that they could listen in on Optimus Prime's private chat with the prisoner. He was also offered a job at [[Kimia Facility]] by [[Xaaron]], but it's unknown if he accepted. Not that it mattered considering [[Chaos Part One: Lamentations|what happened]] to Kimia just afterwards. {{storylink|Chaos Theory Part 1}} On Earth, Prowl and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] required Wheeljack's help when [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] went into [[stasis lock]] during an interrogation. Appearing via hologram, he figured that someone had placed a failsafe within the Decepticon, so that if he was captured he'd be knocked offline before he revealed any sensitive information. {{storylink|Police Action Part 2: Only Forward}}

On Cybertron, the Autobots fought against Galvatron's [[Sweep]]s. {{storylink|Chaos Part Two: Numbers}} Upon their victory, Cybertron was left at peace, but the planet itself had been "reset", transformed into a primordial and hostile world—a world to which factionless Transformers from all across the galaxy soon began returning. Bumblebee established a provisional government, and Wheeljack became part of his inner circle of confidants, at first helping to direct the arriving ships to appropriate landing zones. {{storylink|Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime}} Once things settled down a little, Wheeljack outfitted his fellow Autobots with new Cybertronian alternate modes, and began working with Ironhide to explore the extent the changes to the planet. {{storylink|The Autonomy Lesson}} He was responsible for "upgrading" Bumblebee's walking stick into a powerful taser and was present for the memorial service dedicated to the crew of the ''[[Lost Light]]'', which had disappeared in an explosion just after launch. {{storylink|The World & Everything in It}}

When mysterious explosions began erupting across the planet, Wheeljack was called upon to investigate, in the process having to save [[Dirge (G1)|Dirge]] from a furious [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]], who blamed the Decepticons for the blasts. Unconvinced, Wheeljack put his head together with Starscream's and deduced that the explosiions were being caused by unanchored energy the primeval planet was supposed to be transmitting to its [[Moonbase One|absent moon]]. Wheeljack hastily constructed a rocket and launched it into low orbit to safely draw the energy off into space, then set to work putting a replacement satellite together. {{storylink|Stick Together}} He was later given the unenviable task of informing Prowl about the murder of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]] and accompanying him to the crime scene, {{storylink|Devisive}} and was present at the Autobot base for the arrival of [[Sky-Byte (G2)|Sky-Byte]]. {{storylink|A Better Tomorrow}}

{{spoiler|Interference Patterns| August 5}}

When a Decepticon ship materialized above Cybertron from out of seeming nowhere, Wheeljack's scientific curiosity was piqued, and he volunteered to sneak aboard the craft to learn what kind of secret cloaking technology the craft's curiously beneficent commander [[Turmoil]] was hiding. Upon discovering that the ship did not have a cloaking device, but rather a [[time travel|time machine]] built using slave labor, Wheeljack was attacked and badly wounded by Turmoil. Although he was able to seal the Decepticon in one of his newly-created containment fields, Wheeljack was then confronted by his vengeful troops, only to be saved by Metalhawk. Using another containment field to protect himself and his rescuer as they escaped the ship, Wheeljack concluded that despite its dubious origins, the time machine was too valuable to destroy. {{storylink|Interference Patterns}}

{{-}}

===''Wings Universe''===
After a battle with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] early in the war, Wheeljack helped repair the [[Autobot]]s that fell in the battle. {{storylink|Battle Lines, Part 6}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
Wheeljack was one of the Autobots active in [[1888]] when an [[Elder God]] awoke on Earth. Transforming into an steam-powered plow car, he brought [[Tobias Muldoon]] and [[Nikola Tesla]] to the [[Mare Ruek Glacier]] where [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] lay dormant. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 1|Infestation 2: The Transformers #1}} He was the first Autobot to give up his energy for the [[Tesla tower|generator]] Tesla needed to revive Prime, then was brought back in turn thanks to Prime's own energon reserves. When Prime led the Autobots to [[Port Cenotaph]] to defeat the Elder God and its Decepticon minions, Wheeljack cut [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] in half using his plow blades as swords. {{storylink|Infestation 2: The Transformers issue 2|Infestation 2: The Transformers #2}}

==Commercial appearances==
Wheeljack was among the Autobots gathered around [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] when Prime decided it would be a good idea to not transform anymore. {{storylink|Commercial|Action Master commercial}}

==Games==
===''Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons''===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Wheeljack could come to Optimus Prime's aid by repairing his flat tires. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}
===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Alex Easley]]

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}

==Toys and merchandise==
{{main|Wheeljack (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
* Wheeljack has the distinction of being the first Transformer to appear in the original [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]], and thus the first one to appear in any animated story.

* According to the Japanese PlayStation 2 ''[[The Transformers (PS2)|Transformers]]'' game, Wheeljack is significantly older than [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]], old enough to tell him to "respect your elders". Also, he is younger than Kup, but still enough of age to share old man stories with him.

* Storyboards for ''The Transformers: The Movie'' show Smokescreen lying dead next to Windcharger instead of Wheeljack. Older versions of the movie script in fact feature Wheeljack alive and well after the Battle of Autobot City. He and several other Autobots take part in a plotline that involved saving Earth from Unicron's siphoning hose that was draining the Earth's energy and would ultimately destroy it.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Wheeljack''' (ホイルジャック ''Hoirujakku'')
*''French:'' '''Invento''' (Canada), '''Cric''' (Canada Action Master, "Jack")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Kerék''' ("Wheel"), '''Kormányos Jack''' ("Steering-wheel Jack")
*''Italian:'' '''Saetta''' ("Bolt")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Auto-Roda''' (Portuguese comic, "Auto-Motor"), '''Motriz''' (Brazilian comic, "Wheel")
*''Russian:'' '''Gónshhik''' (Го́нщик, "Racer")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Kermanych''' (Керманич, "Steerer")

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

[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Autobots]]
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Warpath (G1)

2012-07-26T14:03:40Z

132.3.45.68: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot}}

{{disambig3|Warpath}}
:''Warpath is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Warpathg1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|... or are you just happy to see me?]]
'''Warpath''' is the stereotypical tank commander: loud, boisterous, skilled, confident, devoted to his buddies, and probably a little deaf. His armor is tremendously thick; his skull no less. He loves to show off by splitting hex nuts a mile and a half away, and he has an endless variety of special munitions to load in his prized main gun: cryogenic, acid, thermal, and sonic. His most favorite, however, are the simple explosive shells that go off with a huge explosion, KABOOM!

His gun...how Warpath loves his gun. Prominent and useful in both modes, she has saved his life countless times, and she gets only the best in return. How he loves to line her sights up precisely on a barely visible target, and KAZOWY! blow it to shrapnel with a single well-placed shell. A dud annoys him; a miss is near-fatal embarrassment. A mere scratch to his gun's barrel keeps him up, late into the night, polishing it away. When on occasion his gun is damaged seriously enough to impair her function, he is practically inconsolable for weeks.

{{quote|They don't call me Warpath 'cause I'm gentle. HAHAHAHAHAHA!|Warpath|"[[Dinobot Island, Part 2]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Alan Oppenheimer]] (English), [[Takurō Kitagawa]] (Japanese)|[[Silvio d'Anselmo]] (Italian, second dub), [[Juan Carralero]] (Latin American, Season 2), [[Isidro Olace]] (Latin American, Season 3), [[Hans-Rainer Müller]] (German, ''Hoist Goes Hollywood''), [[Thomas Rau]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1''), [[Bernd Simon]] (German, ''Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5''), [[Gernot Duda]] (German, ''Ghost in the Machine''), [[Willy Schäfer]] (German, Generation 2)}}

[[Image:G1 APrimeProblem Warpath shot.jpg|left|230px|thumb|SAFE!]]
Warpath (ZING!) had a habit of (BLAM!) interjecting his speech with (WHAMMO!) onomatopoeia. Whether this was a programming feature or personal choice is unknown. His fellow Autobots seemed to tolerate it.

Warpath appeared with no explanation for his arrival when [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] created a remote-controlled duplicate of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] to lead the Autobots to their doom. He did little more than get shot by a fake [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]]. {{storylink|A Prime Problem}} He later accompanied Optimus Prime and the Autobots to [[Dinobot Island (G1)|Dinobot Island]], where he first demonstrated his zest for combat and unique style of speech. He also had the first of several battles with his opposite number, the [[Triple Changer]] Decepticon tank, [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. {{storylink|Dinobot Island, Part 2}}

After [[Grapple]] and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] teamed up with the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to build Grapple's [[Solar Power Tower]] and the pair were doublecrossed, Warpath was on the team that drove to their rescue. He started off by blowing up one of the collection units the Decepticons were using to gather the energy. Once the Constructicons formed [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], he tried to (WHACK! ZACK! ZORCH!) blast the giant, but Devastator stuck an arm ''into'' the ground and knocked him over. After the Autobots defeated Devastator, Warpath helped pick through the remains of the tower for their two comrades. {{storylink|The Master Builders}}

[[Image:G1 DinobotIslandPt2 Warpath tank.jpg|right|250px|thumb|BLAM! KAPOW!]]
He was one of several Autobots who defended the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] when the [[Heart of Cybertron]]-powered Megatron attacked. Warpath acquitted himself well, firing several rounds at the Decepticon leader while shrugging off two direct hits from his energy bolts, but he was ultimately put out of action when Megatron blasted the ground under him, trapping Warpath. {{storylink|Microbots}}

Warpath was on the team that defended the fake solar plan in [[Central City (Earth)|Central City]] against the Decepticons. He, [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]] fired on Starscream in an attempt to prevent the Decepticon from taking off, and in return found themselves under fire from [[Thrust (G1)|Thrust]]. After Megatron framed the Autobots, Warpath was among those who were captured by human forces outside Autobot Headquarters. A brief trial ensued, and the Autobots were put on a spaceship supplied by [[Shawn Berger]] and banished from Earth. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1}} Though the spaceship was locked on a collision course with the [[Sun]], the Autobots managed to escape it and return to Earth, where they toppled the Decepticon regime. {{storylink|Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2}}

[[Image:G1 DecepRaiderinKingArthurs WarpathramsRamjet.jpg|left|220px|thumb|So they have Renaissance Fairs on Cybertron, too?]]
On one occasion, Warpath and Hoist were chasing a small group of Decepticons led by Starscream, and ended up passing through the [[Dragon Mound]] and into 542 AD. The Autobots and Decepticons took opposite sides with a pair of warring knights, and Warpath allowed the [[Aetheling the Red|Red Knight]] to ride him in joust against [[Wigend du Blackthorne]]'s champions, [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. They successfully rammed Ramjet, caving in his nosecone and forcing the Decepticons to fall back on the ol' "grab a hostage and run" trick, taking the Red Knight's daughter [[Nimue]] captive. Warpath led the charge against Blackthorne's castle and, with their siege tower destroyed by some of Starscream's gunpowder barrels, he and Hoist served as makeshift ladders for their allies to breach the castle walls. After thwarting Starscream's plans to rule the 6th century, they enlisted the aid of a local wizard to get back to the 20th century. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}}

Accompanying [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] on a geology expedition, Warpath managed to get in some (ZOW!) action when Blitzwing and the [[Conehead]]s staged a surprise attack. He and Blitzwing engaged in Tank Wars again, but the fighting got so furious they buried each other in sand for awhile. It was anyone's game until Thrust found a pool of [[electrum]] and became invincible. Even a hot and cold mix of [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]'s thermal beam and Warpath's cryo-shells couldn't break the Decepticon warrior. Warpath was forced to reluctantly sound the retreat, tunneling through the mountainside to make their escape. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon}}

[[Image:QuestForSurvival Warpath during Insecticon battle.jpg|230px|thumb|right|"Pew pew pew! Ima chargin' ma L@z0R!"]]
When the [[Morphobot]]s took over a valley on Earth, Warpath and [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] did their best to blast through using a variety of shells and liquid, but it took (POW!) [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] and some (COWBELL!) tunes to really get them out of the way. {{storylink|Quest for Survival}}

[[Image:AotAR.jpg|200px|thumb|left|"I want my ZANG! agent!"]]
When his Autobot friends were kidnapped, Warpath was eager to go and (BAM!) kick some Decepticon hide. He was distraught when Optimus Prime went to deal with it himself. {{storylink|Prime Target (episode)|Prime Target}} He got his time to shine when he popped up on a movie studio one day, and was hired by the [[Attack of the Alien Robots director|director]] with the other Autobots to be his new stunt vehicles. Unfortunately, the work was less than glamorous as Warpath wound up with a (ZING!) horrible pain in his neck and then, shocked by the director's attitude, decided to call it quits. Despite this, he was willing to return for a starring role in the new picture ''[[Attack of the Alien Robots]]'', where he was confused by the lack of real firepower, couldn't believe the reliance on special effects, and flubbed one of his lines. Warpath didn't enjoy working on the movie and went back to being a full-time Autobot soldier, cheering for Hoist when he made the same decision. (CLAP!) {{storylink|Hoist Goes Hollywood}}

While the Autobots protected the convoy of [[superfuel]] tankers, Warpath drove point. All he did was sit there in vehicle mode the whole time. {{storylink|The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1}} He was also at Autobot Headquarters when Powerglide reported that he'd found [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] at the [[Amalgamated Water and Power Plant]]. {{storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

[[Image:G1 Masquerade Warpath crushes DeadEnd.jpg|right|250px|thumb|THUS I REFUTE THEE!]]
Late in 1985, the Autobots plotted to capture the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] to discover the reason behind their high-profile thefts. [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] and Warpath were assigned to take down [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] and [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] on a beach. Warpath quickly disabled Drag Strip with a few well-placed explosive shells, while Tracks blinded Dead End with his black beam gun. Unable to see, Dead End drove right into Warpath, who (BAM!) crushed the Decepticon with a single punch that went straight through his roof. {{storylink|Masquerade}}

In the year 2006, Warpath watched a broadcast of the first [[Galactic Olympics]]. He commented to [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] that the Autobots sure had an unusual leader in [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] when the young Autobot dispensed with making a long, stuffy speech at the games' opening ceremony. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}}

[[Image:G1 FFODPart5 Warpath kicked.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Football's not so cool when you're the ball.]]
As the Decepticons made their move on Earth, Warpath and [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]] commanded the team defending the Ark. The Autobots hid in a ravine and as [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] passed overhead, Warpath gave orders to fire, significantly damaging the Decepticon's rolling battle station mode. However, Trypticon quickly recovered and transformed into his massive dinosaur mode, forcing the Autobot Minicars to regroup and counter attack. Warpath fired a shell which Trypticon merely swatted away, then when the Autobot protested that he didn't (ZEEM!) believe what was happening, he was kicked for his troubles. Warpath ordered [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]] to activate the volcano's defensive cannons as Trypticon neared the Ark, but this had little effect on the Decepticon, who then destroyed the volcano. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

Warpath attended [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]'s surprise party, however the real surprise came partway through, when he and the other Autobots there were called on to defend the shuttle bay against an attack by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]]. {{storylink|Surprise Party}} He was later seen stationed at [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] when [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] and Starscream's ghost came by to steal the [[city-bot]]'s eyes for [[Unicron]]. Being land-bound, poor ol' Warpath unfortunately missed out on most of the aerial action. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic====
During an attack on Yokohama by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Starscream]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], Warpath responded with a troop of fellow Autobots. As exuberent as ever, Warpath couldn't wait to test his tank mode against Blitzwing's, ignoring [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]'s cries to stop. Unfortunately for Warpath, he neglected to realize that Blitzwing was several times his size, ultimately being run over by the Decepticon. Following the defeat of the three bad guys by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], a ''very'' injured Warpath managed to muster up the enthusiasm to cheer for their victory. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 4|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4}}

===Marvel Comics continuity===
{{noteukonly}}
[[Image:Smeltingpoolminivehicles.jpg|left|200px|thumb|On Cybertron he turned into a tank with a really obvious weakpoint.]]
Warpath was a member of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]]'s [[Cybertron Seven|resistance cell]] on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] during the reign of [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]]. Like most of his comrades, he found more inspiration in [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s bravado than the calculated caution of Perceptor. When their untrustworthy scout, [[Scrounge (G1)|Scrounge]] went missing, Warpath and his peers fell in line with Blaster's plan to find and rescue him, overruling Perceptor. After much searching, all but Blaster had given up on Scrounge, so Warpath and the others went home. Blaster persisted, however, and at the expense of Scrounge's life, retrieved information that he had smuggled out of [[Darkmount]]. When Blaster returned, this act gave Perceptor's small group of Autobots the first good news they had heard in eons, for Scrounge had handed them evidence that [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] lived. {{storylink|The Smelting Pool!}}

[[Image:Powerglidereadytoblastoffrightnow.jpg|right|250px|thumb|]]
Further reconnaissance revealed startling news — the Decepticons were building a [[Space Bridge]]! As this would spell certain doom for both Cybertron and [[Earth]], a desperate raid on Straxus's [[Darkmount]] fortress was launched. Warpath was in charge of setting the explosives which brought down the massive tower. This attack was mostly successful, as it leveled Darkmount and ended in Straxus's destruction, but Warpath and the rest of his Autobot comrades had to retreat to Earth over the Space Bridge as it self-destructed. Here they were greeted immediately by a group of humans. {{storylink|The Bridge to Nowhere!}}

However, the humans, belonging to the anti-robot attack team, [[Rapid Anti-robot Assault Team|RAAT]], captured Warpath and the others with the help of [[Circuit Breaker]]. Disassembled, the Autobots were only released after Circuit Breaker was forced to elicit their aid to defeat the [[Battlecharger]]s. {{storylink|Decepticon Graffiti!}}

''Following [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] back to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], Warpath and the others got lost after their guide spontaneously vanished into [[limbo]]. Even worse was the reason for the disappearance — [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] had returned to the present. Warpath and Perceptor were the first to fall. {{storylink|Fallen Angel}} After Galvatron was forced into retreat by the vagrant [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], Perceptor's team finally managed to reach the Ark, where Warpath and the others learned of Optimus Prime's apparent demise at the hands of the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. It was soon revealed that Prime's death was a ruse. {{storylink|Resurrection!}} ''

[[Image:Warpathkingofthehill.jpg|left|300px|thumb|In the comics, the landscape provided the sound effects]]
Later, after Prime's death, the Ark was put under assault by a [[Sonic-scrambler mine|sonic scrambler missile]] fired by the Decepticon assault base known as [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Warpath destroyed this first missile, and the Autobots went hunting for their attacker. Trypticon would have proven to be too much for them, though, without the timely intervention of [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. As thanks, the Autobots named Grimlock their new leader. {{storylink|King of the Hill!}}

Grimlock's leadership turned out to be very unpopular, especially when he captured a group of [[Spacehikers|Earth children]] and threatened to execute them if Blaster didn't turn himself in for treason. Warpath and a handful of other Autobots watched quietly outside the Ark as the children were marched into space. {{storylink|Spacehikers!}}

{{note|''Warpath is the only Earthbound Autobot genuinely missing from the otherwise exhaustive groupshot in "[[Totaled!]]".}}

Much later, Warpath, along with all the other Autobots, responded promptly to [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]]'s distress signal sent from the [[Arctic]]. {{storylink|Dark Star}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:OmegaEffect-Warpathcarries.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Just drape 'im over your nozzle, Warpath.]]
Warpath was first seen among Cybertron's population, observing anti-Autobot propaganda being pumped through the cortex by [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to discredit Optimus Prime and his returning crew. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} Warpath, like most Autobots, recognized it as a load of BLAM! POW! ZOOM! and joined [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]], [[Broadside (G1)|Broadside]] and several other Mini-Vehicles in rising up along with the other Autobot insurgency cells to fight back against Shockwave's rule. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

After the fall, Warpath travelled to Earth under [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s command aboard the supply ship, ''[[Orion]]''. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} They crashlanded in the midst of a three-way battle between the Autobots and Decepticons of Earth and a lone super-powerful clone warrior known as [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]]. Things got more than a little hectic, and the Autobots were forced to make a deal with Starscream in order to gain his cooperation against (and he, their protection from) Sunstorm. As part of the deal, Starscream told them where he had stashed several Autobots his brigade had captured earlier, and Warpath and [[Bumper (G1)|Bumper]] were sent out to retrieve them. On the salvage run, however, the pair ran into [[Earth Defense Command]] agents who made a forceful BOOM! suggestion that the Autobots accompany them back to their base. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

The EDC were looking to conscript some Autobots to help them deal with an [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticon]] problem, and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] agreed to help after being reactivated. He left Warpath behind, however, to watch over their comrades [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], who had not yet been revived. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}} After dealing with the Insecticons, Jazz and his unit hooked back up with Warpath, and then all of them proceeded on to the future site of [[Autobot City]], under construction at [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]]'s direction. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
Warpath was part of a small team of Autobots led by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], eager to fight back against the new Decepticon leader [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}}

===IDW comics continuity===
Four million years ago, Warpath was present at a victory celebration after the Autobots halted a major Decepticon energon convoy. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

[[Image:SpotlightGalvatron Warpath.jpg|right|180px|thumb|And what if we don't wanna?]]

Millions of years later, Warpath was a member of [[Hound (G1)|Hound]]'s Tactical Response Unit, guarding [[Thunderhead Pass]], a lonely assignment watching over the deactivated form of [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] and his cultists who rested in stasis lock. When [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] broke comm silence to request a transfer to [[Earth]], Warpath was witness to Hound's dressing down of the aggressive Autobot. The monotony was suddenly broken without warning when [[Galvatron (G1)|a mysterious, powerful transformer]], arrived on Cybertron to claim Thunderwing for [[Nova Prime|his master]]. Warpath and the squad were easily brushed aside by the ancient warrior. {{storylink|Spotlight: Galvatron}}

Later, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] informed Hound that his unit should make preparations to come to Earth as reinforcements. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1}} However, due to the extraction of prisoners from [[Garrus-9]], Hound's unit, including Warpath was diverted there instead. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devasttion #6}}

[[Image:SpotlightCyclonus Autobots confront Cyclonus.jpg|left|300px|thumb|Over there on the right!]]
On the way, their ship, the ''[[Ark-12]]'' was attacked by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and Warpath took some slight damage. However, he would get his revenge later on the surface of [[Corata-Vaz]], where he took down Cyclonus with a blast to the chest. Cyclonus escaped when Warpath and the others were temporarily distracted by Thunderwing. {{storylink|Spotlight: Cyclonus}}

Warpath, his team and the Wreckers were still fighting with Thunderwing when Nova, now known as Nemesis Prime, attacked the [[Garrus-9]] penitentiary. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}} After the recovery of the [[Magnificence]] by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] answered ''many'' questions about the Nova and [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s plans for the [[Expansion]], Warpath and his team were redeployed with [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] China's Jiangxi Province on Earth to secure the [[space bridge]] being used by the Dead Universe transformers. While Sideswipe single-handedly took on [[Grindcore (G1)|Grindcore]], Warpath and the others fought [[Straxus (G1)|Straxus]], but soon they were forced to leave Sideswipe behind to proceed with their mission. Fortress Maximus and Warpath used the space bridge network to arrive on [[Rotan]] and remove its [[Nega-Core]], which were then returned to Dead Universe where they would no longer be a threat to the living universe. {{storylink|Spotlight: Sideswipe}}

After the war between Autobots and Decepticons ended, Warpath stood at the crime scene of [[Skydive (Predator)|Skydive]]'s murder.{{storylink|Devisive}}

{{--}}
==Games==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
Warpath was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces, in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:G1-toy WarpathOrig.jpg|right|300px|thumb|MINT! NEWT!]]
*'''Warpath''' (Mini-Vehicle, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''87'''

: Warpath transforms into a General Motors M551A1 Sheridan ARAAV tank. There is a notable paint variation on Warpath: while most releases have black-painted optics, some leave the optics unpainted yet cover his entire faceplate in black.

: In 1986, he was made available as a mail-away item (as he was no longer shipping to retail shelves) in 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 $4 and one [[Robot Point]].

: In Japan, he was made available ''only'' as a mail-away item, costing 500 yen and two Robot Points.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Warpath/warpath.htm More information on Warpath at TFU.info]''

===Transformers Collection===
*'''Minibot Team''' (Multi-pack, 2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TFC-12'''

: Warpath was reissued in a "[[The Transformers Collection]]" six-pack with [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys|Bumblebee]], [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]], [[Gears (G1)|Gears]], [[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] and [[Powerglide (G1)|Powerglide]]. There are no notable differences between the original and the reissue versions, aside from a factory-applied foil Autobot sigil decal on his turret.

: This entire set was [[redeco]]ed to make the "[[G1 GoBots]]" set: Warpath was used to make [[Treds]].

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Warpathlegendsuniverse.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My eyes are up here.]]
*'''Warpath''' (Legends, 2008)

: ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' (2008) Warpath transforms from an H-shaped, futuristic tank, similar to ''Armada'' [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] or ''Animated'' [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], to a robot mode resembling his original form, right down to the cannon in the chest. Warpath's torso tilts back to become the turret of his alt mode, but it doesn't peg in place, so it's always drooping slightly. He is the only Legends Minibot figure that has moving elbows.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed to make [[Sparkcrusher]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Autobot/TFUWarpath/warpath.htm More information on Legends Warpath at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
{{picsneeded}}
*'''Minibot Spy Team''' (Multi-pack, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-19'''

:A rather inappropriate inclusion in the Minibot ''Spy'' Team pack, the ''[[Henkei! Henkei! Transformers (toyline)|Henkei! Henkei!]]'' version of ''Universe'' Warpath has more [[Show-accuracy|cartoon-accurate]] colors and paint applications. Notably his red is more metallic and darker than the Hasbro version. He also uses a darker gray, and replaces the black eyes with gray and the yellow detail on his chest with gray as well. His Autobot symbol is the traditional red with white outline unlike the Hasbro version. He is packed with similarly redecoed Legends-class versions of [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]].
{{-}}

===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-Warpath.jpg|right|thumb|300px|7URR-37735]]
*'''Warpath''' (Deluxe, 2011)
**''Accessories:'' Missile

: Warpath is the sole new toy in the eighth wave of [[Transformers: Generations|''Generations'']] Deluxe Class toys. He transforms from a robot mode inspired by his original [[Mini Vehicle]] toy into a combat tank of likely made-up origins. A spring-loaded missile launcher is placed on his right shoulder, and rods in his legs and arms are compatible with [[c joint]] accessories. In tank mode, his turret can rotate and his barrel can rise. "K4-90W" and "Z0W-333" ("kapow" and "zoweee") are [[tampograph]]ed on his legs, a reference to Warpath's distinctive speech pattern from the original cartoon.

: Following a trend from other ''Generations'' figures, his [[instructions]] depict him with a different head sculpt for a potential upcoming [[retool]], presumably as [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]]. However, unlike various other ''Generations'' toys, the alternate head only shows up in ''some'' steps in the instructions, whereas most steps simply depict Warpath's actual head.
{{-}}

===United===
*'''Warpath''' (Deluxe, January 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-24'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile
:The ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' release of Warpath casts him in a red that is a close approximation of the original toy rather than the more red-brown coloration of the [[Hasbro]] release. He also features silver-outlined (only) Autobot symbols rather than the solid black symbols found on the Generations version, and lacks the alphanumeric codes on his tank sides. Curiously, his head is cast in red plastic rather than gray plastic painted over brownish red like the Hasbro release (despite no other gray plastic to red plastic changes).
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:3DBattleCard Warpath.jpg|thumb|right|300px|]]
*'''Warpath''' (2007)

: A 35-point "common" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Warpath "transforms" into a red and grey tank. He uses the same parts layout as [[Movie (toyline)|Movie]] [[Brawl (Movie)|Brawl]], Movie [[Wreckage (Movie)|Wreckage]] and "Energon Wars" [[Blitzwing (Energon Wars)|Blitzwing]].
{{--}}

==Notes==
*Warpath had the preliminary name of '''[[Hot Shot (disambiguation)|Hot Shot]]'''.
* The cartoon could never seem to decide just how Warpath's face worked. In some episodes he has a moving mouthplate, similar to Optimus Prime and Soundwave; in other episodes, the "mouthplate" remains static, and three small bars on either side of it light up when he speaks, in a fashion similar to Wheeljack's "ears".
* Warpath, at least in the cartoon, displays symptoms of [[Wikipedia:Tourette syndrome|Tourette's Syndrome]]. Considering his alternate mode and transformation scheme, this is quite a clever pun.
* ''Generations'' Warpath's instructions, like many from the time, feature an alternate headsculpt. In this case it appears to be [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Warpath''' (ワーパス ''Wāpasu'')
*''French:'' '''Trajecto''' (Canada)
*''Greek:'' '''Achtýphtos''' (Αχτύπητος, "Unbeatable")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Hadiösvény''' ("Warpath")
*''Italian:'' '''Boom-Boom'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Zhan Ji''' (China, 战戟, "War Halberd")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Pe de guerra''' (Portugal comic), '''Guerreiro''' (Brazil comic, "Warrior")
*''Russian:'' '''Tomagavk''' (Томагавк, "Battleaxe")

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

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
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First Aid (G1)

2012-07-26T13:56:56Z

132.3.45.68: /* IDW Generation 1 comics */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2}}
{{picsneeded|Toys}}
{{disambig3|First Aid}}
:''First Aid is an [[Autobot]] [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:G1 FirstAid TFUprofile.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a pacifist!]]
'''First Aid''' is one of the most empathic and compassionate beings you'll ever meet. He cares deeply about all living things. Heck, he even cares deeply about the "pain" of inanimate objects. A broken or malfunctioning can-opener will earn just as much sympathy and attention as a fellow Autobot. Otherwise, First Aid is a soft-spoken and sometimes overly cautious sort (especially when it comes to the well-being of a fellow Autobot). Still, all the Autobots know he will work long and hard to do his best for them and that their well-being matters to him more than anything, and those are quite comforting thoughts.

First Aid is a member of the subgroup [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobots]] and forms the left arm of the [[combiner]] robots [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]], [[Gaia Guardian]] and [[God Guardian]]. Maybe that arm never punches anything?

{{quote|I don't believe in fighting. I'm a medic, not a warrior.|First Aid|"[[The Ultimate Weapon]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Michael Bell]] (English), [[Kenyū Horiuchi]] (Japanese)|[[Massimo Corizza]] (Italian), [[Edgar Wald]] (Latin American), [[Michael Rüth]] (German, ''The Ultimate Weapon'' & ''The Big Broadcast of 2006''), [[Wolfgang Mascher]] (German, ''Surprise Party''), [[Franz Rudnick]] (German, ''The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1''), [[Christoph Jablonka]] (German, Generation 2 Dub of ''The Ultimate Weapon'')}}

[[Image:G1 RevengeofBruticus FirstAid Streetwise help.jpg|left|170px|thumb|"Hey, get out of the road, jerk!"]]
First Aid is an avowed pacifist. When the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] attacked an inhabited city on [[Earth]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] called upon the Protectobots to evacuate the civilians caught in the crossfire. First Aid helped an injured man discovered by Streetwise. Later, as Earth's orbit was diverted to the [[Sun]] by the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]], First Aid brought civilians to a meat locker that [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] and Streetwise had commandeered to help the [[human]]s cool down. {{storylink|The Revenge of Bruticus}}

First Aid, as part of Defensor, was the arm that wielded the rifle which totally blew up [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]]. Afterwards, he was with the Protectobots when they saved some window-washers from a burning skyscraper. Later still, First Aid and the other Protectobots were ordered to help defend [[Ark (G1)|Autobot Headquarters]] from a Decepticon attack. They merged into Defensor and activated his useless force field, which almost immediately deactivated, allowing the Decepticons to blast Defensor back into his component parts. {{storylink|B.O.T. (episode)|B.O.T.}}

[[Image:Firstaidfixesmultramagnus.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Well… a little clyster with the fresh machine oil… and your constipation will pass off!]]
In the year 2006, First Aid was on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] for the planet's first peace conference. He participated in a surprise birthday party for [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] along with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]], [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Warpath (G1)|Warpath]], Groove and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]. The Combaticons then attacked a nearby shuttle bay, hoping to scrap the ships which would be used to ferry delegates to the conference. First Aid happily blasted away at the Combaticons. After the battle, First Aid was tending to a serious wound Magnus suffered on his back, when he used his own body to shield Wheelie from a Decepticon attack. When attention turned to the damaged shuttle, Ultra Magnus insisted First Aid repair the ship first and deal with his injuries later. Guess he forgot First Aid was a doctor, not a mechanic! (Ol' [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] sure wouldn't have taken no lip — he would have disconnected the patient's vocal processor first.) {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] took heavy fire over the [[Junkion (planet)|Planet of Junk]], [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] brought him back to Cybertron for repairs. First Aid arrived and began patching up the super-robot. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

[[Image:G1 UltimateWeapon FirstAid fixingfridges.jpg|left|170px|thumb|You know things are going badly when you find yourself in Silent Hill with an air conditioner as your only companion.]]
The Autobots were asked to help the Dutch authorities deal with French rebels. First Aid wondered why the humans were always fighting amongst themselves. After dispersing the human aggressors, First Aid then helped out [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] when his comrade was shot down by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. While the Autobots held off the loser-ish Decepticons, First Aid carried Blades back to [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] for repairs. After he finished, the Autobot medic responded to an intruder alert and confronted the Decepticon Swindle stealing Metroplex's [[transformation cog]]. Unfortunately, Swindle managed to make off with his loot because the pacifist Autobot refused to fight back. Despite [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]]'s attempts to convince him that they didn't expect First Aid to compromise his beliefs, he felt he was a liability to the Autobots and left. After helping [[NUL-A|some old junker robot]] chug down some oil and repair some refrigerators, First Aid received a pep talk from [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]], which convinced him to come back to help the Autobots. While [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] and Metroplex fought it out, First Aid bravely entered the Autobot giant and re-aligned the stolen transformation cog to suit Metroplex, allowing the Autobot city to transform fully and defeat Trypticon. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

Later in 2006, First Aid transported [[Jessica Morgan]] to County General Hospital after she was injured in a battle between the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] and the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]]. Despite his helping to restore her ability to walk, the fact that First Aid was a robot had some [[Hate Plague|negative consequences]] because [[Mark Morgan|some]] [[Gregory Swofford|people]] are jerks. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}

{{-}}

====Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity====
=====''Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers'' comic=====
When the Decepticon combiners attacked a baseball stadium in [[Japan]], the Protectobots and Aerialbots raced to the rescue. After attending to the blaze created by [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]]'s destruction, First Aid and his team combined into Defensor. However, Defensor's central component was damaged battling Bruticus; with Hot Spot out of action, the Protectobots could not maintain their super-robot form. Getting an idea, the Autobots' human friend [[Kenji]] told [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] to shoot out the legs of the Decepticon super-robots. With their legs damaged, Menasor and Bruticus were left open for First Aid and the other small Protectobots to link up as their new legs, taking over the Decepticons' locomotion, sending them out to sea. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 5|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #5}}

Later, the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] were paving over a natural island paradise, and the Autobots sent a rescue party to save the wildlife and their friends on the island. Due to the medical needs of the mission, First Aid replaced [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] with the Aerialbots to form Superion. Even linked together, First Aid and the Aerialbots were outclassed against both [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] and [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], until [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] generated a hologram of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to distract the dino-base Decepticon, sending him over a cliff. {{storylink|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers issue 6|Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #6}}

=====Scramble City=====
First Aid and the Protectobots participated in the Scramble City project under Ultra Magnus's direction, working towards the construction of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. After the Decepticons uncovered their secret building site, the Protectobots rode into battle alongside the newly completed Metroplex. First Aid and his comrades arrived and formed Defensor just in time to act as the harbinger of Metroplex and his really big gun. {{storylink|Scramble City: Mobilization}}

=====''The Great Transformer War''=====
In 2010, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] kidnapped the scientist [[Dalton (G1)|Dalton]] in order to upgrade his combiner warriors. First Aid and the Protectobots joined forces with the Aerialbots to rescue Dalton from inside Trypticon. Superion was heavily damaged in the first strike run, however, and Hot Spot needed time in his repair bay mode to bring the Aerialbots back to fighting strength. While Blades snuck into Trypticon alone to rescue Dalton, First Aid, Streetwise and Groove defended Hot Spot against both Menasor and Bruticus. They held out long enough for the Aerialbots to be revived. After the Aerialbots distracted the Decepticons, Blades completed his mission and the Autobots rolled out for Scramble City with Dalton in tow. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1|The Great Transformer War #1}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====
In 2011, Galvatron attacked Cybertron looking to take control of [[Vector Sigma]]. First Aid and the Protectobots were active in Cybertron's defense as Defensor during the assault. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}} {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Later, First Aid's team assembled on Earth at Ultra Magnus's command. Their mission was to stop the Decepticons from interfering with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, who were searching for the hidden location of the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. On a security sweep, the Protectobots ran across their old nemeses, the Combaticons, and went into battle. The two teams quickly assumed their combined forms as Bruticus and Defensor, as the fighting escalated. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[Image:JHeadmasters09Tracks.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Just what the doctor ordered!]]
When Galvatron made another strike on Cybertron, this time to steal the super-metal [[Cybertonuron]], First Aid and the Protectobots assembled before the [[Space Bridge]] on Earth to be transported into battle. As he helped defend the planet, First Aid was seen delivering a mighty kick to the face of... his fellow Autobot [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]]. Seeking out the Combaticons on the battlefield, the Protectobots soon formed Defensor and fought once more with Bruticus. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} Defensor and Bruticus's battle continued as Defensor delivered a devastating smash to Bruticus's back. For at least part of the battle, the two teams disassembled again for man-to-man combat, {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}

First Aid and the Protectobots were dispatched to [[Peru]] with the [[Trainbot]]s when a volcano erupted, leaving a mountainside village in dire peril. Their rescue mission was blocked by the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. [[Shōki]] and the Trainbots occupied the fiends so that the Protectobots could proceed on to the village and protect the innocent lives. Nevertheless, the Protectobots failed to reach the village, as they were intercepted by the Decepticons' second wave, the [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. True to his devout pacifism, First Aid was not seen engaging in battle until the Protectobots formed Defensor. This left them grouped together and vulnerable, however, to an underhanded attack. Defensor was taken out of action by [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]]'s paralysis ray, which was strong enough to force First Aid and the Protectobots apart and leave them completely immobilized. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

First Aid and the Protectobots were part of a strike team that flew to the [[Moon (moon)|moon]] to disrupt Scorponok's gathering of Decepticons. They immediately formed Defensor upon entering the battle. {{storylink|Return of the Immortal Emperor}} When the planet [[Sandra (planet)|Sandra]] sent out a distress call asking for energy, the Autobots of Earth responded. While they were loading the Trainbots full of supplies, however, Galvatron and the Decepticons arrived to take the energy for themselves. First Aid and the Protectobots fought back against the enemy, and formed Defensor to counter Devastator on the battlefield. {{storylink|SOS from Planet Sandra}}

After the death of Ultra Magnus, the Autobots were desperately trying to pick up the slack during Sixshot's campaign of destruction around the globe. First Aid and the Protectobots assembled as Defensor to go out and confront Sixshot at one of the attack sites, but they apparently didn't fare too well. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg}} When the Decepticons seemingly abandoned Earth, First Aid and the Protectobots assisted Spike in rebuilding the planet after the enemy's departure. On one occasion, they located Sixshot's old command base. By combining into Defensor, the Protectobots helped Raiden and Computron obliterate the base, wiping out all trace of the Decepticons' presence. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

Following a lengthy period of inactivity, the Decepticons renewed their attacks on Earth. With [[Fortress Maximus (G1)| Fortress]] still off in space, Spike Witwicky dispatched First Aid and the Protectobots to attend to the threats. In Canberra, [[Australia]], the Protectobots confronted Bruticus at one of Scorponok's new Death Towers. As Defensor, the Protectobots were beaten severely by Bruticus, and First Aid was even knocked out of the arm socket. Using Scramble Power, Defensor switched Streetwise up to his shoulder and reattached First Aid as a leg, still carrying his fireball cannon. Despite this cunning(?) trick, Defensor was defeated by Bruticus. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1)}} As part of Defensor, First Aid participated in the Autobots final battle with Scorponok's Decepticons at the North Pole. He lent his energies to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]] to revitalize Fortress Maximus at the critical moment. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}

===Marvel comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
First Aid and the other Protectobots were created on Earth by [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] and the Autobots after they stole a recording of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]'s combiner transformation sequence and modified it ''(and after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Buster Witwicky (G1)|Buster Witwicky]] shared a [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]-induced vision of the future with the [[Special Teams]] in it).'' {{storylink|Second Generation!}}

[[Image:Firstaid-g1issue26.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Remember: Down the block, not across the street.]]

Having learned of a Decepticon plot to acquire the human-made hydrothermocline, Optimus Prime brought the Protectobots with him to Energy Futures Industries in order to guard the device. After Megatron and the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] arrived ready for a fight, the Transformers allowed themselves to be convinced of a better solution by [[Ethan Zachary]], an employee of EFI. Zachary would upload their minds into a video simulation program known as Multi-World, allowing the Transformers to do battle without damaging the hydrothermocline or the surrounding area. Inside the game world, First Aid and [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] were exploring Vineland when their path was blocked by a web of thick vines. First Aid wanted to blast through, but Streetwise thought better of it and merely lifted the vines out of their way. They were caught off-guard by the Combaticons [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]], but were then miraculously saved by the living vines they had refrained from destroying moments ago. First Aid then used his [[decrystallizer cannon]] on the Decepticons, making them brittle enough for Streetwise to shatter with a burst from his compressed air cannon.

Apparently, First Aid's pacifism doesn't extend to ''virtual'' combat. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}

''First Aid was later displaced to [[limbo]] right before [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s eyes, in order to make room for [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]].'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}}

First Aid later attempted to console a despondent [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] after the death of Optimus Prime. Why he didn't help Ratchet try to restore Prime, we'll never know. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend!}}

''First Aid was deactivated in the battle with the [[Underbase]]-powered Starscream and was put in a life support capsule. Optimus Prime briefly considered using a Matrix fragment to revive him after Ratchet's disappearance.'' {{storylink|The Greatest Gift of All!}}

====Generation 2====
When [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Grimlock (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Grimlock]] discovered the threat of the [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronians]], they called in Autobots scattered across the galaxy, including First Aid. And, when Grimlock chose to disobey Prime's directives and make a tactical first strike against [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]]'s ships, First Aid went with him. They were quickly found out and captured, though, leaving it to Optimus to bail them out of trouble. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}}

Sometime later, First Aid was working with a science team alongside [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]]. They attempted to find out what had devastated the population of [[J'asik]], down to the cellular level. Samples taken from the bodies helped the team identify the killer, known as the [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], as an offshoot of the Cybertronian race. {{storylink|Swarm (issue)|Swarm}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
Following [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]'s resurrection, First Aid and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] bugged him to come in for a full checkup, which [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] believed was just their way of saying that it was good to have the Autobot leader back. The checkup was interrupted by an alarm, which First Aid announced indicated a Decepticon attack. He took part in the effort to repel [[Sixshot]]'s forces, only for them to retreat on their own, when Prime realised it was just a diversion while Galvatron attacked the Energon plant. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation 1'' comics===
[[Image:Firstaid-warwithin.jpg|right|150px|thumb|In his younger years, First Aid wore a stylish hoodie.]]
First Aid was on Cybertron with the other Protectobots when they decided to counter the threat of Devastator joining the [[Ultracon]] faction. {{storylink|Escalation}}

Millions of years later, the Protectobots battled [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] as Defensor when the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] escaped from a penal facility... and lost, big time. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}} Defensor later aided in the Autobot insurrection. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}} After the Autobots regained power, First Aid and the Protectobots searched [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]]'s clone lab, finding [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]] and [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] barely alive, having been attacked by [[Sunstorm (G1)|an unknown assailant]]. First Aid was seen administering medical help to the heavily damaged [[Battlecharger]]s. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}}

{{-}}
===IDW Generation 1 comics===
[[Image:SpotlightJazz_FirstAid_Tracks.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Pictured: The incident that caused OralSurgeon to be demoted to First Aid.]]
In the early days of the war, First Aid was part of an extraction team who located the damaged pair of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Tracks (G1)|Tracks]] following their skirmish with the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]]. He performed initial repairs on both of them, bringing Tracks back online. {{storylink|Spotlight: Jazz}} A few million years later, he was seen chatting with his comrades [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Cosmos (G1)|Cosmos]] during a victory celebration. {{storylink|The Iron Age}}

First Aid was eventually assigned to [[Delphi]], an Autobot emergency medical facility on [[Messatine]]. Like any emergency room, Delphi experienced brief flurries of activity followed by long cycles of nothing but routine patient care and waiting for the next disaster. While passing the time First Aid became an avid subscriber to ''[[Wreckers: Declassified]]'', the adventures of the Autobots' most elite strike team compiled by their unofficial biographer, [[Fisitron]]. He often found himself reading (and re-reading) [[Pova|Datalog 113: Showdown at Pova]] whenever his work lagged.

Five years into his tour at Delphi, First Aid had his own brush with the Wreckers. [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] approached him with a rather unique request at a medical conference on the [[Kimia Facility]]. Springer had a mole deep within the [[Decepticon Justice Division]] known only as [[Agent 113]]. Paranoid to a fault, the mole had a highly unusual means of delivering messages to his Autobot contacts: In battle, he would ''shoot'' a fellow Autobot with pinpoint accuracy through the right "eye" of their faction symbol. Instead of combustible energon, these bullets contained a data-chip with his report inside. First Aid was one of several medics secretly recruited by Springer to always be on the lookout for Agent 113's calling card.

[[Image:first-aid-jumpstart.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Nipple clamps? I got your nipple clamps right here!"]]

First Aid eagerly accepted the "secret mission" and checked over every patient that came through his emergency room doors from then on. Not the subtlest of Autobots, First Aid developed a reputation for his eccentric behavior of constantly checking over his fellow Autobots' insignias. He was even referred to Autobot psycho-analyst [[Rung]] to see if his curious obsession was part of a deeper psychosis, eventually demoting him to nurse.

One night after the [[Surge (event)|Surge]], First Aid was giving the once over to [[Dogfight]]'s recon team after a skirmish with the DJD when he finally discovered one of Agent 113's bullets. The encoded information he delivered to Springer led to the Wreckers' ill-fated mission on [[Garrus-9]]. {{storylink|Bullets}} Later, the Red Rust virus broke out in Delphi, forcing First Aid, [[Pharma]], and [[Ambulon]] into treating the infected. First Aid later explained this to the arriving Ratchet, Drift, and Pipes. First Aid then managed to revitalize Fortress Maximus just in time to save the others from Genericons. {{storylink|Life After the Big Bang}}

After Fortress Maximus killed the Genericons, it was discovered that Pharma was the culprit behind the virus, a fact that First Aid had long suspected. In the chaos that followed, First Aid took charge to save the patients around him. After Pharma was defeated and Ratchet used the villain's vaccine to cure Delphi of its virus, First Aid returned to the ''Lost Light'' with Ratchet. Ratchet promoted the nurse to Chief Medical Officer in place of himself after witnessing his actions. {{storylink|How Ratchet Got His Hands Back}}

{{spoiler|Interiors| July 27}}
After Fortress Maximus went on a small shooting spree inside the Lost Light, First Aid helped Ratchet treat the victims. He failed to notice the pattern Ratchet saw in them: they all ressembled Overlord. {{storylink|Interiors}}

===Wings Universe===
After Cybertron entered its new Golden Age, the war between the Autobots and Decepticons still raged in space and on Earth. First Aid perished along with most of the rest of Defensor in battle with their nemesis, Menasor. Only Streetwise and Breakdown survived. {{storylink|Generation 2: Redux}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
*'''First Aid''' (Protectobot, 1986, 1991)
** ''Team ID number'': '''P4'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-75'''
** ''Accessories:'' "[[Photon pistol]]", "[[Decrystallizer cannon|Dual-Barrelled Decrystallizer Cannon]]" with attachment piece

: First Aid transforms into a Toyota Town Ace/Lite Ace ambulance. Due to the requirements of transformation, there are some significant compromises in the appearance of the vehicle, such as the rather visible hinge joints for the front end and the big gap in the back of the ambulance to facilitate his knee joint. There is a 5mm peg hole at the back to attach his large "Decrystallizer Cannon" to this mode.

:As a [[Scramble City (toyline)|Scramble City]]-style robot, First Aid can form the limb of any super robot combination, though his nominal place is as the left arm of Defensor.

: During the initial 1986 run, there were two variants; initial runs had a [[die-cast]] metal chest, while later releases used plastic. When the toy was reissued in the European-[[exclusive]] [[Classics (Europe)|Classics]] line, the [[rubsign]] was removed, but the rubsign indentation remained.

: This mold was also used to make [[Safety]] from the [[Guard City]] giftset in the [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Operation Combination (toyline)|''Operation Combination'' toyline]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/FirstAid/firstaid.htm More information about First Aid at TFU.info]''

*'''Defensor''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-76'''

:First Aid was also included as part of the Defensor giftset.
{{-}}

===Generation 2===
*'''First Aid'''
[[Image:G2-FirstAid.jpg|right|thumb|They didn't change me much.]]
: The Protectobots were to be released as part of the second wave of combiners in ''[[Transformers: Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]''. However, this entire wave was ultimately canceled for unknown reasons. First Aid was to be off-white with seafoam-green robot chest, [[Gold Plastic Syndrome|swirly metallic gold]] robot parts and a different rescue/ambulance deco. Vanishingly few samples—less than a dozen—of this item made their way outside [[Hasbro]], including some on-card samples, which give him the unit number "P2".
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===G Guardian===
* '''First Aid''' (Candy toy, 2012)
: First Aid is a snap-together [[candy toy]] model kit produced by [[Kabaya]] for their [[Gaia Guardian|G Guardian]] series, coming in an individual box packed with a stick of (chalky) gum. He can combine with his five wave-mates to form [[Gaia Guardian]]. He, along with Graze, Groove, and Streetwise, can also combine with Kabaya's [[Transformers Gum]] Hot Spot to form [[Defensor (G1)|Guardian]]. G Guardian's Heatrock and Skyfeather attach to Guardian to create [[God Guardian]].

==Notes==
* First Aid's pacifism is only demonstrated in [[The Transformers (cartoon)|the original cartoon]]- his fellow Protectobot [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] is supposed to be the pacifistic one. In his various comic appearances, First Aid seems to have no problems fighting his enemies.
* Although the Protectobots in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]] are assumed to have been built on Earth (explicitly so in the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)#Marvel UK|Marvel UK comics]]), his advice to [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] after [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|death]] sounds like words of experience. {{storylink|Afterdeath!}}
* In the Italian dub, First Aid speaks with a cadence resembling an ambulance siren.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''First Aid''' (ファーストエイド ''Fāsuto Eido'')
*''French:'' '''Ambulo''' (Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Sirena'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Primeiro Socorro''' (Portugal Comic)
*''Russian:'' '''Verstak''' (Верстак, "Joiner's Bench"), '''Sanitar''' (Санитар, "Male Nurse")

==External links==
* [http://tfarchive.com/comics/misc/universe/tfufirstaid.php First Aid's Universe bio at TFArchive.com]

[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Medics]]
[[Category:Protectobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]
[[Category: Wings Universe Autobots]]