MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

File:InvasionPrologue-Primes.jpg

2012-03-30T03:06:18Z

184.77.129.160: It's not from Battlelines Part 6.

There's a lotta Primes (and a Maximus) in "[[Invasion Prologue]]."

{{art|pencils=[[Will Mangin]]|inks=[[Jake Isenberg]]|colors=[[Josh Burcham]]|letters=[[Jesse Wittenrich]]|script=Jesse Wittenrich & [[Pete Sinclair]]|other='''Story:''' Pete Sinclair}}

© [[2012]] [[Hasbro]], [[Fun Publications]]

{{comicinterior|source="[[Invasion Prologue]]"|owner=[[Fun Publications]]}}

[[Category: Images by Will Mangin]]
[[Category: Images by Jake Isenberg]]
[[Category: Images by Josh Burcham]]
[[Category: Images by Jesse Wittenrich]]

Bruticus (RID)

2012-03-03T07:01:24Z

184.77.129.160: /* Universe (2008) */

{{factions|predaconrid}}
{{disambig3|Bruticus}}
:''Bruticus is a [[Predacon (RID)|Predacon]] from the [[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (franchise)|Robots in Disguise]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Ridbruticustechspec.jpg|right|250px|thumb|So, I taste my own genitals. In my mouth. It's a... conundrum.]]
The brutal '''Bruticus''' tirelessly guards the prisons of the Predacon leader [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]]. He's got just enough brains between his three slobbering heads to do his very simple job: make sure [[Autobot]] prisoners don't escape, and if they do, smash them. His short fuse and lack of imagination qualify him only for this sort of trivial work, but Bruticus doesn't mind. He takes his job very seriously.

==Fiction==
===''TransTech''===
Bruticus liked to attend [[Gutcruncher (G1)|Gutcruncher]]'s meetings. {{storylink|Gone Too Far}}

==Toys==
===Robots in Disguise===
[[Image:RID Bruticus Toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ace the Bat-Hound]]
*'''Bruticus''' (Deluxe, 2001)
**''Accessories'': Tail-flail

: Bruticus transforms into [[wikipedia:Cerberus|Cerberus]], a mythical three-headed dog. His robot mode continues the motif, with three different dog-shaped faces on his head. His beast-mode hind legs, which end up on his robot mode back, can unfold into a second pair of arms, each one brandishing a (non-removable) melee weapon. His triple tail becomes a flail weapon for robot mode.

: Bruticus's mold was originally developed to be a [[Maximal]] for the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' series. When that series was cut short, apparently the toy had made it far enough into the development process to continue. He has a flip-up chestplate that reveals indications of an intended spark-crystal-activated gimmick (as all second-year ''Beast Machines'' toys had). But this gimmick was seemingly abandoned, and it is unknown just what it was meant to do; it has been suggested, due to the shoulder design of the figure, the gimmick would have involved some kind of lunging attack with the two side heads (the ones that turn into the main robot arms) in beast mode when the center head was pressed down.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Predacon/Bruticus/bruticus.htm More information on Bruticus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Universe2008 RID Bruticus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just barely beating out [[Acid Storm (G1)|Acid Storm]] for "Unlikeliest Character Homage of 2008".]]
*'''Predacon Bruticus''' (Ultra, 2008)
**''Accessories'': Tail-axe, key

: "Robots in Disguise Series" Predacon Bruticus is a [[redeco]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Scourge (Cybertron)|Scourge]], transforming into a robotic dragon. Pressing the button on his neck activates a electronic roaring sound and red [[LED]] in his head. Inserting a Cyber Planet Key into the slot on his back activates a [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] transformation sound effect and flips out two smaller dragon heads, one on each side of his neck. Pressing the button on his neck now activates a laser blast sound (along with the LED lights).

: In robot mode, he is armed with a massive axe formed from his tail which can be held in either fist. Inserting a Cyber Planet Key in robot mode is the same as in beast mode, giving him shoulder-mounted dragon-heads.

: In [[Australia]], Predacon Bruticus was available at hilariously-overstocked quantities as a [[Toys"R"Us]]-[[exclusive]]. While he is no longer available, there is no way to know if they actually sold them.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/PredaconBruticus/predaconbruticus.htm More information on Predacon Bruticus at TFU.info]''
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:RoverTheHellhound.jpg|right|200px|thumb|ROVER THE HELLHOUND! Less primary, more... uh... clash-y.]]
* 2001 Bruticus was the first ''Transformers'' color layout done by [[Aaron Archer]].

*It is possible, though difficult, to arrange the "bat wings" of 2001 Bruticus's robot head to effectively make any of his three faces the "primary" one (the one that faces forward); what this accomplishes is unknown, aside from an obscure [[Quintesson]] reference.

* Similarly, the transformation design of 2001 Bruticus's figure gives it an unofficial "centaur" mode; what ''this'' accomplishes, aside from being quaint, is equally unknown.

* Copies of Bruticus's design artwork, along with a handful of other Hasbro ''Beast Machines'' and ''[[Transtech]]'' design drawings, periodically show up for sale at [[BotCon]].

[[Category:Robots in Disguise Predacons]]
[[Category:TransTech characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Ultra Magnus (G1)/toys

2011-12-01T05:44:44Z

184.77.129.160: /* Transformers Gum */

{{suite}}

[[Image:MP Magnus book cover art.jpg|right|225px|thumb|He can't deal with the obligatory joke now!]]
Sometimes [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] looks a lot like [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. There are a lot of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime toys]], and they need to be [[redeco]]ed into SOMETHING. Ergo...

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
[[Image:Ultramagnusg1toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Honkimus Prime]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, 2 trailer connectors/waist plates, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 large robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles

: Ultra Magnus is a [[redeco]] of the ''[[Diaclone]]'' "Powered Convoy" figure, itself a redeco and slight retool of "Battle Convoy", the toy that became the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys|Optimus Prime]] figure, sporting a new trailer. One of the last few ''Diaclone'' toys to be released in the ''Transformers'' toyline, Magnus was recolored from the original toy's dark blue, red and black color scheme into a more patriotic red, white and blue. He transforms into a Freightliner COE, towing a car-carrier trailer capable of transporting up to four normal-sized Autobot cars. As with Optimus Prime, his cab transforms into a small robot, which can then combine with the trailer to form a "super robot", although all original Generation 1 fiction prior to the 21st century ignored this and simply rendered the super robot as Magnus's default robot form. To facilitate this combination, Magnus sports a slightly longer front axle than Prime, thereby creating tabs on either side of the cab that slide into grooves in the trailer to help lock the small robot into place. He is armed with a rifle sporting two handles that allow either of his robot modes to hold it, and two shoulder-mounted missile launchers, whose spring-loaded firing mechanism was removed for the Hasbro release of the figure.

:The ''Diaclone'' Powered Convoy figure had several additional features and modes which were mostly excised or left unmentioned for the ''Transformers'' release of Ultra Magnus. Principally, Powered Convoy came packaged with "Powered Buggy", who was left out of Magnus's release (see [[#Notes|notes below]] for further details). Omitted from Magnus's instructions is the ability of his chestplate and super robot head to combine to form a small vehicle; the Powered Convoy version of the figure included small rolling wheels on the underside of the chestplate which were removed for Ultra Magnus. Additionally, three additional modes were included in the ''Diaclone'' instructions that Hasbro left out: a "preparation base" mode and an "Autobot base" mode were excluded entirely, while the third, a "catapult launcher" mode originally intended and proportioned to accommodate the ''Diaclone'' Jet Robo figure that became [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], was shown only on the front of his packaging, interacting with [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]]. The Japanese release of Ultra Magnus, however, ''did'' include instructions for the preparation base and catapult launcher modes, but replaced the original Autobot base mode with a new configuration.

:The original Ultra Magnus figure has been reissued and redecoed several times down the years, and this article strives to list each edition of the figure under its own heading. The first alteration to Magnus, however, was a [[variant|running change]] made while he was still on shelves: Originally, his tires were made of [[rubber tires|rubber]] and he sported paint on both his small and large robot heads, but this version was soon replaced with one featuring plastic tires and no paint on either head. In addition, the clear yellow plastic that formed his windows was removed from the cab, leaving just holes instead; and his thighs and fuel tanks were left white, as opposed to the vacuum metalized chrome ones of the original release.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}
[[Image:Reissue ultra magnus.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, 2 trailer connectors/waist plates, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 large robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles

:Ultra Magnus was first reissued in Japan in December of 2000, featuring no discernible changes from the original Japanese edition of the figure. His packaging sported a metallic golden sticker commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the ''Transformers'' franchise in Japan.

:This reissue of Magnus was accompanied by two exclusive redecos, noted below.

::*''[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/ultramagnus-c69.html More information on reissue Ultra Magnus at My Kool Toyz]''
{{-}}
[[Image:Ultra-magnus Matrix Glow.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Till All Go Number One!]]
*'''Shining Magnus''' (2000)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, trailer connector/waist plate, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles

: With a yellow cab and an entirely translucent yellow trailer, Shining Magnus is intended to recall the moment in the ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', just before Optimus Prime dies, when the Matrix is passed to Ultra Magnus and he is bathed in its light. Which was... ''blue''. Yeah, we're not sure how that works.

:Shining Magnus was one of two exclusive redecos released in the wake of the 2000 reissue of the original Ultra Magnus toy. Limited to only 800 pieces, it was available only at the 20th Century Toy Museum toy show, held on [[December 26]], 2000 at the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Yokohama, Japan. The toy is sometimes known as "Matrix Glow Magnus" amongst collectors, or less favourably, "Urine Magnus".

::*''[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/shiningmagnus.html More information on Shining Magnus at My Kool Toys]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/UltraMagnusMatrixGlow/ultramagnus.htm More information on Matrix Glow Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}


[[Image:G1 UltraMagnusPreviewVersion toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Blue Honkimus Prime]]
*'''Ultra Magnus Yokokuhen Version''' (2001)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, trailer connector/waist plate, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles

: In the early stages of the development of ''The Transformers: The Movie'', [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|promotional footage]] for the movie was released that depicted Ultra Magnus in the black, red and dark blue color scheme of the original ''Diaclone'' Powered Convoy toy. As the second of two exclusive redecos released in the wake of the 2000 reissue of the original Ultra Magnus toy, the "Movie Preview Version" (予告編バージョン ''Yokokuhen Bājon'')<ref>"Yokukuhen" can also mean "Movie Trailer"; the terms appear to be interchangeable in Japanese.</ref> of Ultra Magnus paid homage to this early appearance. He ''is'' just a redeco of the Magnus figure, however, and so despite his resemblance to the ''Diaclone'' figure, he still lacks that toy's exclusive features, like Powered Buggy, wheels in his chestplate, and a Diaclone pilot.

: Movie Preview Version Ultra Magnus was available exclusively at Toy Festival 2001, held on [[February 26]], 2001 in Tokyo, Japan, limited to 1,500 pieces.

::*''[http://www.mykooltoyz.com/diaclonemagnus.html More information on Ultra Magnus Movie Preview Version at My Kool Toyz]''
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Autobot/UltraMagnusPre-Movie/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus Movie Preview Version at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transform Jr===
[[Image:Ultramagnus_jr.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (Gokin, 1985)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-69'''
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, two fists (left and right), head, cardboard trailer

:As one of the first ''[[Transform Jr]]'' toys, this version of Ultra Magnus was released under the early name for the series, ''Transform Gōkin''. Naturally, the figure is a redeco of the ''Transform Jr'' Optimus Prime toy, a smaller, simplified version of the original Generation 1 cab robot figure intended as a low-cost alternative for younger children. Magnus features a similar transformation to his larger toy, with a removable head in addition to fists, but lacks rubber tires and translucent windows. As with most other ''Transform Jr'' figures, he lacked most of his major accessories, coming only with a rifle (a white redeco of [[Ion blaster|Prime's gun]], rather than Magnus's own unique weapon) and a cardboard replacement for his trailer that had to be assembled by the buyer, and which unsurprisingly, could not form armor.

::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator4/HTML/g1auto/magnusjr.htm More information on Transform Jr Ultra Magnus at an Ultra Magnus fan site]''
{{-}}
[[Image:Tfjr magnus galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Ultra Magnus vs Galvatron''' (multi-pack, 1987)
**''Accessories:'' Laser Blaster, two fists (left and right), head, cardboard trailer

:Later, by the time the line had been rebranded with the more familiar ''Jr'' title, the Magnus figure was re-released in a two-pack with a vinyl figurine of [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]], which also came with a die-cast figurine of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]].
{{-}}

===Commemorative Series===
[[Image:G1toy commemorative magnus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (2002)
**''Accessories:'' Large robot head, rifle, chest plate, 2 trailer connectors/waist plates, 2 small robot fists (left & right), 2 large robot fists (left & right), 2 missile launchers, 4 missiles

:Hasbro's first and to date only reissue of the original Ultra Magnus toy was as part of their ''[[The Transformers: Generation One Commemorative Series|Commemorative Series]]'' of Generation 1 reissues. The toy reinstated Magnus's functional missile launchers, but this meant that, like all the other ''Commemorative Series'' toys with firing projectiles, his formerly quite short missiles had to be lengthened drastically [[for safety reasons]]. Additionally, like the ''Commemorative'' Optimus Prime toy, his smokestacks were shortened to prevent breakage.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Masterpiece===
[[Image:Masterpiece UltraMagnus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I looked like this in a comic once. ONCE!]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MP-2'''
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, Megatron gun with removable silencer, scope and stock, Matrix of Leadership, energon axe

: ''Masterpiece'' Ultra Magnus is a white redeco of ''Masterpiece'' Convoy (Optimus Prime) with all the same accessories, though some have been redecoed. Additionally, his box can be refolded into his classic trailer configuration, but doesn't hold up since it's, well, cardboard. He retains the Matrix, which he can indeed open. Damnit, open.

: As a [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] product, ''Masterpiece'' Ultra Magnus was never released in the US, but was eventually released by Hasbro Australia in 2005 for their market as a Target exclusive, retaining his Japanese packaging, with simple stickers stating a recommended age of 8+, as well as presenting Hasbro Australia's details and explaining what the product was.

: Additionally, [[TakaraTomy]] reissued Masterpiece Ultra Magnus in 2008 sporting their logo in the top right-hand corner of the box to replace the Takara logo in the bottom right featured on the original release in 2004. This reissue has been met with some QC issues much like that of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys| Masterpiece Convoy Complete edition]] such as bad paint applications and chipping, misaligned doors and even misassembled headlights which have been installed upside down.

: Like all the Japanese versions of this mold, Ultra Magnus features different images on his communicators than all other releases. In his case he features [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and a digital readout.

: This mold was also used to make "[[Eldedroid|Masterpiece Convoy Black Version]]".

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Cybertron/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Masterpiece Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===G-2===
[[Image:G2toy-LaserUltraMagnus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Probably the only Magnus repaint of Prime we'll ever get who isn't just white.]]
* '''Laser Ultra Magnus''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' ''' TRF-13-S'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun, sword, 5 discs, ripple missile launcher, 10 missiles, 1 foam missile, foam missile launcher air bellows

: An [[e-Hobby]] exclusive, ''G-2'' Laser Ultra Magnus is a redeco of Laser Optimus Prime, transforming into a mid-1990s Western Star 4964EX extended-hood truck pulling a blue and white tanker trailer. He was packaged in the reissue Laser Optimus Prime's box, along with Prime's instructions, bio card and sticker sheet. Yes, the stickers that have "Optimus Prime" written on them.

:In robot mode, the bottom of the truck becomes a windowed chest based upon the original Optimus Prime toy (and the original Ultra Magnus's cab). His main gimmick is light-up LED headlights and a [[Light-piping|lightpipe]] in the bottom of his right fist, illuminated by an LED in his right forearm, that illuminates his clear sword or his double-barreled rifle if they are placed in that hand. All three LEDs are activated simultaneously by pressing the sunroof-like depression on the roof of the truck.

:The trailer unfolds to form a battle station bristling with many firing weapons. Primarily, these are an air-powered missile launcher, a ripple rocket launcher with 5 missiles that can be launched individually (This turret can also be mounted in Laser Magnus's hand) and a "disc launcher" that fires several white plastic discs. This disc launcher is the only weapon that can be used in vehicle mode.

:This release uses the toolings that were modified for the ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (toyline)|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Scourge (RID)|Scourge]] toy, and thus has smooth discs and a less pointy sword. This mold was also planned to be used for the canceled ''[[Transformers: Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Toxitron (Universe)|Toxitron]] toy.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Cybertron/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Laser Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

===Classics===
[[Image:ClassicsUltraMagnus toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Arctic Camo Prime! ]]
*'''Ultra Magnus vs Skywarp: Battle For Autobot City''' (Multi-pack, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' (Ultra Magnus) Smokestack/laser cannons, Wind vane/blaster, (Skywarp) 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of the Voyager class Optimus Prime, this release is part of the Target [[exclusive]] ''Battle for Autobot City'' set with [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. The final production toy has several major paint application differences compared to the toy depicted on the packaging, including the loss of all light blue paint (including his faceplate and crest, both replaced with silver) and darker blue on his thighs. Also, his red eyes are replaced with blue light-piped eyes. Additionally, it seems the smokestacks/double-barreled gun was originally going to be cast or painted white instead of the final version's black.

: Like Optimus Prime, the toy's gimmicks are in his weapons: His smokestacks fold together to become a double-barreled gun, and his aero fairing splits and unfolds to become a large, shotgun-like blaster. The two weapons also combine into a double-barreled shoulder cannon.

: The mold was also used to make "[[Transformers: Shattered Glass (toyline)|Shattered Glass]]" [[Optimus Prime (SG)|Optimus Prime]] and ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]'' [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Autobot/ClassicsUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Classics Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:TitaniumHero UltraMagnus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Oh, that's right, this Ultra Magnus guy had a trailer or something, didn't he?]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, display stand, 2 rocket launchers

: ''Titanium Cybertron Heroes'' Ultra Magnus is an all-new sculpt constructed mostly of die-cast metal. For the first time, Ultra Magnus's cab and trailer are one piece, rather than a [[partformer]] like the ''Generation 1'' toy version, although the cab is only held on by a peg and can be detached, resulting in a small, super-deformed cab. The toy's wheels can all spin. He transforms very similarly to the original toy, but the aforementioned truck cab now folds down into his back rather than detaching and reconnecting, with his head flipping out of the back of the cab.

: Ultra Magnus is armed with a gray laser rifle and two shoulder-mounted, non-firing rocket launchers which, due to some mistake, face top-down when attached in robot mode. It is unknown whether the launchers were somehow mirror-flipped in manufacture or if his shoulder assemblies [[Misassembly|were switched]]. The latter is perhaps supported by the orientation of molding detail shown in the [[Instruction booklet|instructions]] and on the Generation 1 toy, although the [[Tampograph|tampographs]] could argue against this. One can easily "correct" this by unscrewing his blue forearms and swapping out the shoulders, allowing the launchers to face top-up.

: Unfortunately, due to the robot mode-oriented design of this figure, as well as size limitations, the rear ramp is now solely part of his legs as detail and cannot fold down, nor is there clearance space for any other vehicles to be transported. For some reason, on the side of each of Magnus's legs/ the back of his vehicle mode trailer there are white flip-out wing shaped panels. The paint on these panels flakes off easily, so it's best never to touch them. Like most, if not all, 6-inch Titaniums, his joints are very floppy. His left shoulder on some copies is one of the loosest (if not ''the loosest'') ball joints on a Transformers figure ever. In another possible mis-assembly issue, the figure's knees bend far more ''forwards'' than backwards, strangely the molded detail on the tops of the thighs contradicts this being a confirmable mis-assembly. The vehicle mode also has a hard time of staying as it should as very few pieces actually tab together.

:His chest panel can flip up to reveal a shallow recess for the Autobot Matrix of Leadership, though no Matrix accessory to date is actually flat enough to fit inside.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/TitUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Titanium Series Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:Titanium WarWithin ultramagnus.JPG|right|300px|thumb| He can't deal with being a non-canon-supported redeco right now.]]
*'''(War Within) Ultra Magnus''' (6-inch Cybertron Heroes, 2007)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle, display stand

: A [[redeco]] of the 6-inch War Within Optimus Prime, transforming into a Cybertronian truck mode used by Prime (but not Magnus) in "[[Transformers: The War Within|The War Within]]" comics. The original Prime figure was personally designed by comic artist [[Don Figueroa]], who created the original comic design in the first place, and his signature is left on the figure in the most literal way: The word "DON" can be seen sculpted into the barrel of his gun.

: As a ''[[Titanium Series]]'' figure, Magnus is made in large part from [[die-cast]] metal, but like so many of the other toys in the ''Titanium'' line, his plastic joints have trouble supporting his heavy metal weight. He comes with the generic display stand shared by all of the 6" "Cybertron Heroes", with a unique, removable nameplate.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/TitTWWUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on War Within Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Alternity===
[[Image:Alternity_Ultra_Magnus.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Ultra Magnus Brilliant White Pearl''' (2010)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''A-01U'''

:An [[e-Hobby]]-exclusive redeco of ''[[Transformers: Alternity|Alternity]]'' Convoy, Ultra Magnus transforms into a white 1:32 scale Nissan GT-R, featuring die-cast metal parts and an opening hood, trunk and doors. This complex figure stands at 6.5" tall and is armed with a pair of blasters on each arm.

:This mold was also used to make [[Nemesis Prime (Universe)|Convoy Super Black]].

:The e-Hobby version came packed with an [[Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)|exclusive comic book]]. A version available elsewhere in Asia is identical to the e-Hobby version except it does not include the exclusive pack-in comic (like most e-Hobby exclusives released outside of Japan).

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Power Tronic===
[[Image:Ultra_Magnus_001.JPG|right|thumb|He's got the touch. In his brain.]]
*'''Pulsating Light AM Radio''' (Nasta, 1986)
:Pulsating Light AM Radio is a 7.5" tall AM radio in the shape of Ultra Magnus's head, produced by [[Nasta]]. It takes 4 AA batteries to make him sing (two in each antenna), but when he does, his eyes and forehead light up.
:The head of Ultra Magnus could be yours for just $12.99.
::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator3/HTML/magnustoyrev/magradio.htm More information on the Pulsating Light AM Radio at an Ultra Magnus fan site]''
{{-}}
===3-D Jigsaw Stand Up Puzzle===
[[Image:UltraMagnus_3Dpuzzle.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1986)

:This piece of Ultra Magnus merchandise was a jigsaw puzzle in disguise! The 100-piece puzzle depicted Magnus and [[Hubcap (G1)|Hubcap]] in battle with the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]], but once broken down, the puzzle pieces could be assembled into a three-dimensional model of Ultra Magnus in either robot or truck mode, albeit with a red Optimus Prime-style cab, instead of his own traditional white.
{{--}}

===Electronic Voice Synthesizer===
*'''Hero''' (1986)
[[Image:Magnus_voice_changer.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
:Sculpted in the likeness of Ultra Magnus but unnamed on its blister card packaging, this "Electronic Voice Synthesizer" ran on a 9-volt battery and allowed children to "talk like a robot" by mouthing words into the plastic straw attached to its back and holding down the button on its side. Remember, "robots talk slowly and enunciate each word"! Since it was able to create synthesized speech from mouth movements without sound, the toy was used as an inexpensive replacement for electrolarynx devices.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-16/business/fi-6286_1_toy 'Toy' Gives a Voice to the Voiceless]</ref><ref>[http://alt.gtalumni.org/StayInformed/techtopics/spr92/robot.html Ramblin' Robot has a Sense for Trouble]</ref><ref>[http://gtalumni.org/Publications/magazine/fall90/bloomfie.html Bloomfield's Robot]</ref><ref>Synthesized Voice by David J. Bak, Design news, Volume 42, Issue 14, page 220</ref>
::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator3/HTML/magnustoyrev/magnusevs.htm More information on the Electronic Voice Synthesizer at an Ultra Magnus fan site]''
{{-}}

===Watch===
[[Image:Magnus watch screencaps.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (Watch, 1986, 1993)
:Ultra Magnus was one of three Transformers watches (the others being [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] & [[Galvatron (G1)/toys|Galvatron]]) released by Takara, first in Japan in 1986, and then internationally, in the USA in 1993 as merchandise for the ''Generation 2'' toyline. The watch featured Ultra Magnus's torso with a clock in his chest which "transformed" with the push of a lever into a full, tiny figure complete with legs, standing up on the watch band. The figure cannot be removed from the watch, but the arms do rotate.
{{-}}
===Vinyl figurine===
[[Image:Vinyl_magnus.jpg|right|thumb|300px|We can assure you it is not a [[knockoff]].]]
*'''Scramble Gun Set''' (1986)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''Part.2'''
:Like the Galvatron figure packaged with ''Transform Jr'' Ultra Magnus listed [[#Transform Jr|above]], Ultra Magnus was one of several characters released by Takara as large vinyl figurines in a variety of sets, in packaging similar to the ''Transform Jr'' line (though lacking the "Jr" part of the logo). Known to have been at least available as part of a box set, Magnus came packaged with a roleplay pistol (the titular "Scramble Gun"), an Autobot badge, and four peach-colored [[Decoy]] figures. He took the place of a figure of Optimus Prime, who had been included in the "Part.1" version of the set.
{{-}}

===Transformers Gum===

[[Image:Tfgum magnus.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]

*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1986)
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, large robot head, large robot fists (left and right), pelvis/connector

:A model kit of Ultra Magnus was among the many released by [[Kabaya]] as part of their ''[[Transformers Gum]]'' line of [[candy toy]]s. Released as part of the line's third wave, Magnus is molded in red, white and blue plastic, lacking in paint applications but featuring stickers for detail. As a downsized model, he lost some of the features of his larger toy: His cab no longer transforms into a small robot, simply converting into the transitional form necessary to combine with the trailer, though it does still feature a flip-out small robot head for Magnus's large head to attach to. As the name suggests, he also came with a stick of gum.
{{-}}
[[Image:TFGum2010_ultramagnus.jpg|right|thumb|300px]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (2010)
**''Accessories:'' Rifle, two rocket launchers

:A new, smaller version of Ultra Magnus was released as part of the revived ''Transformers Gum'' line in 2010, debuting as part of the second wave of figures. A wholly new sculpt (based on the Titanium figure), the new kit is made mostly of dark blue plastic, with a little bit of white and black, and a positively ''ungodly'' amount of stickers to add color and detail; for instance, Magnus's (non-transforming) cab is completely covered all around in white stickers to cover the fact it's made of blue plastic!
{{-}}

===Transformers Ramune===
[[Image:Decoy magnus.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1986)

:While no figure of Ultra Magnus was released by [[Hasbro]] as part of their 1987 [[Decoy]] promotion, the Autobot commander did have a soft rubber figure crafted in his image that was available exclusively in Japan, as part of a second wave of the figures released there in the ''[[Transformers Ramune]]'' line by [[Kabaya]], along with other ''Transformers 2010'' characters. Like the other figures in this series, Magnus was sold in a [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] box and was available in multiple colors, including red, blue and yellow.

===Forms Robo===
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1987)

:Magnus was also part of the small, Japanese-exclusive ''[[Forms Robo]]'' collection of larger "Decoy"-style figures, with this version of the character standing at around twice the height of a regular Decoy. Like the other figures in this wave, Magnus was packaged in an individual baggie and was available in red, blue, green and yellow.
{{-}}

===Collegeville Costumes===
[[Image:Ultramagnus halloween costume.jpg|right|thumb]]
* '''Ultra Magnus Halloween costume''' (1986)

:Ultra Magnus was one of a small number of characters that [[Collegeville Costumes]] turned into a Halloween costume. This two-piece outfit adhered to the crappy, time-worn tradition of consisting of a sculpted, thin plastic mask held over the wearer's face with elastic, and a smock with a picture of Ultra Magnus and his name on it.

* '''Ultra Magnus mask''' (1986)

: Collegeville also immortalized Magnus in their line of ''Transformers'' masks. Made from flat styrofoam, the mask featured a hinge that allowed the wearer to lift it up and down, transforming from kid to robot in the blink of an eye!
{{-}}

===Parody Deformed===
[[Image:Pdtype_magnus.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (1990)
:A small, non-transforming, super-deformed model kit of Ultra Magnus was available as part of Kabaya's "[[Parody Deformed]]" line of candy toys. The second figure of the fourth wave (the sixteenth figure overall), he was available in multiple colours, including red, blue and gold, and came with a "[[Transformers PD Type]]" comic about himself, "Improve Yourself! Ultra Magnus!", as well as a stick of gum.
{{-}}

===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:HOC-figure UltraMagnus.JPG|right|thumb|300px|He can deal with not being a Prime redeco.]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (Super Collection Figure, December 2000)
: A three-inch-tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Ultra Magnus was available in the first wave of [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s ''[[Heroes of Cybertron|Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available as both a standard full-color figure and a clear-plastic version, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Autobot/HoCUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Super Collection Figure/Heroes of Cybertron Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
*'''Ultra Magnus (Early Colors)''' (Super Collection Figure, September 2001)
: This redeco of the original ''Super Collection Figure'' Magnus figurine was available in the fourth wave of the ''SCF'' line, rendered in a color scheme based on the original [[Diaclone]] "Powered Convoy" figure, as seen in the famous [[The Transformers: The Movie promo|early trailer]] for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. The figure was available in both full color and metallic silver "pewter" versions; the pewter version of the figure came with the head and guns of the collectible [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] "build-a-figure".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Cybertron/Act4UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Early Colors Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''

===Heroes of Cybertron===
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (Heroes of Cybertron, 2003)

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

[[Image:Myclone magnus.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''MTF004'''
**''Accessories:'' Red display stand

:Released in the first wave of the ''[[MyClone]]'' line of Transformers PVC figures, this [[super deformed]] figure of Ultra Magnus comes with a hexagonal red display stand, which can link up with the identical stands included with other MyClone figures. His modular design allows his parts to be mixed and matched with those of any other MyClone figure.

::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator3/HTML/magnustoyrev/magnusmycl.htm More information on MyClone Ultra Magnus at an Ultra Magnus fan site];''
{{-}}

===Hard Hero Bust===
[[Image:Ultramagnushardhero.jpg|right|thumb|He can't deal with his lack of legs right now...]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (Hard Hero bust, 2004)

: The cold-cast porcelain bust of Ultra Magnus was the 13th in [[Hard Hero]]'s series of Transformers busts. It was designed from line art by [[Dan Khanna]].

{{-}}

===Generation 1 Figure-Collection===

[[Image:Bottlecap_magnus.JPG|right|thumb|]]

*'''Ultra Magnus''' (2003)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-7'''
**''Accessories:'' Display base

:At only one inch in height, this Ultra Magnus "bottlecap" figurine (so named because its display base is the size of a bottlecap) was one of fourteen blindpacked figures available in Kabaya's Transformers [[Generation 1 Figure-Collection]]. The figure was rendered in a "retro" black and white color scheme and came with a leaflet, personalized with cartoon screen captures.
::*''[http://snakas.web.infoseek.co.jp/misc_item/kabaya_bottle.htm More information on the Generation 1 collection at Autobase Aichi]''
{{-}}

===Palisades===
[[Image:Palisades_magnus_statue.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Ultra Magnus''' (statue, 2004)

:[[Palisades Toys]]' Ultra Magnus statue is a redeco of their Optimus Prime statue from the previous year, and was one of the first pieces of modern merchandise (if not ''the'' first) to do the whole up-til-then-mostly-ignored "white repaint of Prime" shtick, capitalizing on [[Dreamwave Productions]]' recent highlighting of Magnus's white inner robot in their [[Revelation (War and Peace)|comics]]. Sculpted from polystone and limited to 500 pieces, the statue is based on the artwork of [[Pat Lee]]. It was initially sold by Palisades exclusively at [[OTFCC 2003]], with any remaining units that did not sell at the convention later made available on the company's website.

::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/reminator3/HTML/magnustoyrev/magnusstatue.htm More information on Palisades' Ultra Magnus toy at an Ultra Magnus fan site]''
{{-}}

===First 4 Figures===
[[Image:Sd_ultramagnus_statue.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He dropped the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]! That's like dropping a spirit stick! Hurry, pick it up! [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|Too late.]]]]
*'''SD Ultra Magnus''' (statue, 2006)
:Seeking to produce a super deformed Transformers statue, [[First 4 Figures]] teamed up with Transformers fan site [http://www.tfw2005.com TFW2005.com] to run a contest that would allow fans to design their own. The winning design, depicting an unhappy Ultra Magnus after an amusingly unfortunate attempt at opening the Matrix of Leadership, was created by fan Xu Wei (aka Iron Bird), and was limited to only 500 pieces. A variant edition of the statue was also produced, redecoing Magnus in the color scheme of his ''Diaclone'' precursor, Powered Convoy, and was even more limited at only 100 pieces.

::*''[http://www.angelfire.com/planet/reminator6/HTML/autob/magnussdf.htm More information on SD Ultra Magnus at an Ultra Magnus fan site]''
{{-}}

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:RobotHeroes UltraMagnusMegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He can't deal with his adorability right now!]]
*'''Ultra Magnus and Megatron''' (2007)
: ''[[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]]'' Ultra Magnus is a small, non-transforming, super deformed figurine featuring articulation in its head and shoulders. He was sold in a two-pack with Generation 1 [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and may be the sassiest bitch on Cybertron.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Autobot/RHUltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Robot Heroes Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Revoltech===
[[Image:Revoltech UltraMagnus.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Don't I look awesome in naked?]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (2007)
**''Series number:'' '''019fs'''
**''Accessories:'' Photon rifle, two clenched fists, gun-wielding right hand, pointing right hand, open left hand, right handshaking hand

: ''[[Revoltech]]'' Ultra Magnus is, unsurprisingly, a redeco of a simultaneously released Optimus Prime/Convoy figure. A non-transforming but ''highly'' articulated action figure, ''Revoltech'' Magnus uses the Revoltech "revolver joints" for maximum poseability. His sculpting is explicitly in the style of [[Pat Lee|Pat "serfdom" Lee]]'s interpretation of Prime.

: Magnus comes with a photon rifle accessory, as well as a few alternate hands, but understandably lacks the Matrix of Leadership accessory that came with Prime. In its place is a unique extra "hand", a single molded piece of Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime's hands clasped together diagonally, so that when attached to both Prime and Magnus's respective wrists, it allows one to create a scene of the two Autobot leaders shakin' like homies. Additionally, although Magnus comes pre-assembled with the standard black revolver joints that Prime has, his packaging includes a sheet of replacement white joints one can use to customize Magnus with less obtrusive matching white joints (although not enough joints of the right style are included to swap out all black joints to optimal effect).

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Cybertron/UltraMagnus/ultramagnus.htm More information on Revoltech Ultra Magnus at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers - Mini Bust===
[[Image:DST09_Ultra_Magnus_bust.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Commander of the Metro''flex''.]]
* '''Ultra Magnus''' (Diamond Select, 2009)
:Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Ultra Magnus was sculpted by [[Mark Wong]] of [[Art Asylum]] and limited to 1000 pieces. He is posed holding his laser rifle above a base of the planet [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. His shoulder missile launchers are also positioned forward, presumably to deal with things, instead of nowhere in particular as they are in the promotional picture.

{{-}}

===Most Wanted===
[[Image:G1-ultramagnus-merc-speaker.jpg|thumb|right|300px|They just keep redecoing, redecoing, redecoing Prime into Me.]]
*'''Ultra Magnus speaker tower''' (2009)
**''Accessories:'' Laser rifle
: As redeco of [[Most Wanted]]'s earlier [[Optimus Prime (G1)/merchandise#USB-Powered Speaker Head|Optimus Prime]] speaker tower, Ultra Magnus is a one-meter tall plastic figure, complete with articulated arms and removable laser rifle. The figure's removable head (itself 6.5" tall) contains a set of USB-powered speakers, mounted in two panels which rotate out from the side of his helmet. The control panel, USB port, and earphone port are located on the back of the head, and the whole assembly includes its own display base so it can be free-standing when separated from the tower body.

*'''Ultra Magnus computer speaker''' (2009)
**''ID number:'' '''TF02'''
: The Ultra Magnus speaker tower's head was also available sold separately.
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:TrasformerSuperBuggy.jpg|thumb|250px|The child custody battle was a long and painful process.]]
* The ''Diaclone'' toy that would become Magnus — called "Powered Convoy" — came in a couple different varieties. Aside from the version that was eventually turned into "Movie Preview" Magnus, there was a "chrome" version that used a lighter gray outer plastic and chromed the central body/lower ramps of the trailer unit. This version was also available in a multi-pack with a red version of the toy that would become [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], and the toy that would (20-ish years later) become [[Deep Cover]].

* All versions of the ''Diaclone'' Powered Convoy toy came with a red "Powered Buggy" partner-robot that transformed from futuristic buggy (with a space for a Diaclone pilot) to robot and could also use the large rifle in either mode. Why this was excised from the ''Transformers'' incarnation is unknown. The Italian [[Trasformer]] (sic) line by [[GiG]], however, ''did'' release the vehicle as the "Super Buggy" on its own.

* White redecos of Optimus Prime toys that ''look'' like Ultra Magnus, but which surprisingly aren't, include ''[[Smallest Transforming Transformers]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Smallest Transforming Transformers|White Convoy]], ''[[Transformers Sports Label|Transformers Sport Label]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Sport Label|Convoy Marine Version]] and ''[[Transformers Music Label|Music Label]]'' [[Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Music Label|Convoy —playing iPod speaker—]], although the latter was actually made from the Ultra Magnus version of the mold.

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.diaclone.net/orid/dia057/index.html Diaclone Powered Convoy at Diaclone.net (Japanese-language site)]

[[Category:Alternity Autobots]]
[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Classics Autobots]]
[[Category:E-Hobby]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Autobots]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Autobots]]
[[Category:Masterpiece]]
[[Category:MyClone]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category:Target exclusives]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Watches]]

Hot Rod (G1)

2010-11-07T06:12:32Z

184.77.129.160: /* The Transformers cartoon */

{{factions|autobot|autobotg2|wreckers}}
{{disambig3|Rodimus}}
{{disambig3|Hot Rod}}
{{featured}}
{{suite}}

:''Hot Rod is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]]. He has also been known as '''Rodimus Prime''', '''Rodimus''', and '''Rodimus Major'''.''

[[Image:DVDbox3d1.jpg|right|301px|thumb|And yet he still gets carded.]]

'''Hot Rod''' is brash and headstrong, with an overwhelming self-confidence that borders on arrogance. [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] has assumed the role of mentor and advisor to the impetuous young Hot Rod, offering him wisdom and advice when he needs it (though Hot Rod rarely feels that he does, much to Kup's annoyance). [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] also serves as a calming influence on Hot Rod, and tends to either worry about him when he is not around, or deride and tease him when he is. Their relationship is antagonistic, but friendly. Exactly how deep Hot Rod's feelings for Arcee might run is unknown, whether they be friendly, [[Transformer romance|romantic]], or otherwise.

In contrast, his '''Rodimus Prime''' persona—while still headstrong and stubborn—seems to suffer from a severe lack of confidence, often doubting his own decisions and expressing distress over his position as an [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]. Of course, much of this comes from having immediately succeeded [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] as commander—and let's face it, shoes-to-be-filled just don't ''get'' much bigger than that.

One thing that both sides of this Autobot's identity have in common is their impatience—neither Hot Rod nor Rodimus Prime can stand to wait around when they could be doing something instead. He is also very self-reliant, rarely sending others to do anything when he could be doing it himself. His [[Targetmaster]] partner is [[Firebolt]]. As Rodimus Prime, his vehicle sometimes splits between his robot and [[Mobile Defense Bay]].

{{bigquote|I ''knew'' you had potential, lad.|[[Kup (G1)|Kup]] on Hot Rod's transformation into Rodimus Prime|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

:''Japanese name (Hot Rod):'' '''Hot Rodimus''', except for "The Rebirth"
:''Japanese name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Convoy'''
:''French-Canadian name (Hot Rod):'' '''Météorite''' ("Meteorite")
:''French-Canadian name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Primo''' ("Rodimus First", official toy name)
:''French-Canadian name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Primus''' (official dub name)
:''Italian name:'' '''Folgore''', '''Captain''' 
:''Hungarian name (Hot Rod):'' '''Nagyágyú''' ("Hot Shot")
:''Hungarian name (Hot Rod, The Movie):'' '''Peca''' ("[[:Image:HotRodFishing1.jpg|Fisher]]"?) in the first dub of the film, 'cause he deals with marine life throughout the film, you see.
:''Hungarian name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimusz Fővezér''' ("Prime Commander Rodimus")
:''Chinese name (Taiwan, Hot Rod):'' '''Rod''' / '''Rhode''' (羅德 ''Lúo Dé'')
:''Chinese name (Taiwan, Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rhodie Jr-tsūn''' (羅迪至尊, "Rodimus Prime")
:''Chinese name (China, Hot Rod):'' '''Re Po''' (热破, "Hot Break")
:''Chinese name (China, Rodimus Prime):'' '''Bu Tian Shi''' (补天士, "Soldier who [[Wikipedia:Nüwa|repairs the sky]]")
:''[[Omni Productions]] Headmasters dub name (Hot Rod):'' '''Roadimus Prime''' (yes. ROAD-imus.)
:''Ukrainian TV dub name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodimus Naikrashyi'''(Родімус Найкращий, Rodimus The Best)
:''Russian TV dub name (Hot Rod):'' '''Patron''' ("Cartridge")
:''Russian TV dub name (Rodimus Prime):'' '''Rodomes Prime'''
:''Portuguese name (Portugal Comic):'' (Hot Rod) '''Roda Quente''' (Rodimus Prime) '''Rodimus Supremo'''

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====Madman ''The Transformers'' comic====
[[Image:Madman comic HotRod sigh.jpg|left|150px|thumb|"You're gonna be the death of that guy, you know?"]]

In the year 2001, Hot Rod was on guard duty at the construction site of [[Autobot City]] on [[Earth]] while the main Autobot forces were evacuating from the Decepticon-conquered [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. As he was complained about his boring assignment to [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the Decepticon [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] struck, intent on stealing the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] which Optimus Prime had secreted in a bunker at the building site. When he reclaimed the Matrix, Hot Rod received a vision of the future where he fought [[Galvatron (G1)|a powerful Decepticon]]. After returning the Matrix to Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader considered that perhaps Hot Rod's destiny was greater than any of them realized. Kup thought differently, however. {{storylink|The Transformers (Madman)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

====''The Transformers'' cartoon====
:''Voice actors:'' [[Judd Nelson]] → [[Ted Schwartz]] → [[Dick Gautier]] (English), [[Hiroya Ishimaru]] (Japanese, ''Transformers 2010''), [[Takase Akimitsu]] (Japanese, ''The Rebirth''), [[Daniel Gall]] (French, Movie)

[[Image:HotRodFishing1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"I'm tellin' you, Daniel, you HAD to kiss me to activate my fishing rod. STOP crying!"]]
In 2005, Hot Rod was one of the many Autobots based in the completed Autobot City. He was close friends with the young human [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and seemed to have a reputation for being something of a troublemaker, judging from a few of Kup's comments to him at the time. While out fishing with Daniel one day, he consoled his young human friend over the absence of his father Spike (currently stationed on one of Cybertron's moon bases), then attempted to cheer him up by proposing that they head to [[Lookout Mountain]] to watch the arrival of an Autobot shuttle. This required smashing through a security cordon that Kup and some other Autobots were in the process of setting up, but Hot Rod's breach of security was soon to fade to irrelevance. Observing the shuttle through a viewing scope, Daniel was alarmed to spot a hole in the side, and the concerned Hot Rod used his built-in telescopic visor to discern the horrifying truth of the situation: the shuttle had been hijacked by Decepticons! Hot Rod opened fire on the stolen shuttle and exposed their ruse before [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] could enter the city, though he was nearly blasted by [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] for his troubles and had to be rescued by Kup. Hot Rod's action had given the rest of the Autobots time to begin transforming Autobot City and raising their defenses, but this in turn left Hot Rod trapped outside with Kup and Daniel, until the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] helpfully chewed an opening into the city that the trio were able to use to gain access, swatting the pesky critters as they did so.
[[Image:Tftm hotrod matrix.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Dibs!]]

Fighting continued through the night, culminating with the arrival of a second shuttle commanded by [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]]. Prime engaged Megatron in a one-on-one battle, but at a pivotal moment, Hot Rod observed that Megatron was feigning defeat in an attempt to reach a fallen weapon. Hot Rod tackled Megatron, but proved no match for the Decepticon leader; Megatron seized him and used him as a human (well, robot) shield while he delivered the fatal blasts that mortally wounded Prime. Although Prime used the last of his strength to dispatch Megatron, he was on the brink of death, and passed the [[Matrix of Leadership]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] just before he passed on, reciting a prophecy that claimed an Autobot would use the Matrix to "light our darkest hour". When the Prime's strength gave out and he dropped the talisman as he was handing it over, Hot Rod caught it before it fell to the floor, and it glowed brightly in his hands.

[[Image:TFTM-HotRodcar.jpg|right|thumb|250px|He's on the run from Barbie's garage.]]

After Prime's death, news reached Autobot City of a [[Unicron|monster planet]] that was advancing on Cybertron. Hot Rod had "this feeling" that the Matrix could stop the creature, but before any plans could be made, Autobot City came under Decepticon attack once again—by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. The Autobots were able to flee into space aboard twin shuttles, and Hot Rod passed the time sparring with an [[auto-combatant]] before the Decepticons caught up to them. In the ensuing space battle, Hot Rod's shuttle was shot down by [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and he, Kup and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] found themselves stranded on the planet [[Quintessa]]. Awakening underwater in one of Quintessa's oceans, in the clutches of some mechanical vines and beset by ferocious robotic fish, Hot Rod hacked his way to freedom with his buzzsaw-hand, then saved Kup from the grip of a huge metal squid-creature. Hot Rod took the damaged Kup to shore and pieced him back together, and the pair then set off to search for the Dinobots, only to wind up crossing paths with [[Allicon|more strange inhabitants]]. The [[universal greeting]] and [[energon goodie]]s only temporarily placated the creatures, who captured Hot Rod and Kup and brought them before their masters, the [[Quintesson]]s. They learned from another captive, [[Kranix]], that the monster planet was known as "[[Unicron]]", then attempted to stage an escape when they were brought to trial and thrown to the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]]. The pair gave a good account of themselves, but were hugely outmatched by the Sharkticon swarm and seemed doomed for certain, until the Dinobots and their new ally [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] arrived to turn the tide. Wheelie provided the team with a ship to leave the planet, and together, they all rendezvoused with Ultra Magnus's team on the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where Hot Rod was just in time to stop the native Junkions and their leader [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] from destroying the rest of the Autobot City refugees with a timely—and ''successful''— use of the universal greeting. Together, they all traveled to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to stop Unicron before he could eat more than just its moons.

[[Image:RodimusPrimeMovie1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"BAM! You've had unsafe sex!"]]

Hot Rod crashed the Quintesson ship through Unicron's eye, and was separated from his comrades as they fell through his giant body. Alone, deep in the bowels of the chaos-bringer, he found himself facing Galvatron in a battle to the death over the Matrix of Leadership, which Galvatron had previously stolen. Overpowered by Galvatron, Hot Rod was throttled by the Decepticon and was moments from death, until he seized the Matrix that hung around Galvatron's neck. Filled with its power, Hot Rod proved to be the "Chosen One" of legend, and was transformed into "Rodimus Prime": an older, larger, and more powerful version of himself. After overpowering Galvatron and hurling him through Unicron's hide into the void of space, he opened the Matrix and destroyed Unicron from within. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

Peace reigned on Cybertron for at least long enough to put up some of the more important buildings, and Rodimus Prime began to ease into his role as the new Autobot leader. He even opened the first [[Galactic Olympics]], although the event was disrupted by mysterious assailants who kidnapped [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], Kup and Spike Witwicky. In an attempt to discover if the Decepticons were responsible, Rodimus took [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] to spy on them, but the pair were discovered and attacked. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1}} The two Autobots were rescued by Arcee and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]], but Rodimus had been injured in the attack, and his spirit entered the Matrix. The experience revealed to him that the Quintessons were behind the kidnapping. With this knowledge, the Autobots rescued their fellows from Quintessa, just as the Quintessons destroyed the planet. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2}}

[[Image:Ffod4_rodimus_in_matrix.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Son, I am disappoint.]]

The Autobots were flung through space, eventually crashing down on the planet [[Goo]]. After Springer's dismemberment at the hands of a giant machine, Rodimus faced the machine alone, clogging its intakes and causing it to crash. Their troubles weren't over, as the Quintesson-led Decepticon army soon showed up to renew hostilities. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3}} Rescued by the Junkions, the Autobots were taken to Junk, where Rodimus short-circuited himself in order to consult the Matrix once again. The knowledge of [[Transformer]] history and their creation at the hands of the Quintessons was revealed to him, leading him to realise that Cybertron was in deadly danger. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4}}

Returning to Cybertron, Rodimus lead the defence of the planet against Galvatron's strike force. It wasn't until [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]'s warning that the true nature of the threat was revealed: a [[large switch|switch]] deep under the planet's surface which controlled the life force of every Transformer in existence. Although Rodimus headed off the contingent of Sharkticons who aimed to pull the switch, Galvatron himself pulled it, disabling all of the Transformers. Fortunately, Spike was on hand to turn them all back on again. After Galvatron was sent into retreat, Rodimus gave a speech to the Autobots about how they had won...for now. {{storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5}}

[[Image:Zombiesmatrixmakesmetoostrong.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Crap, I hope this isn't a popularity contest!]]

Throughout 2006, Rodimus Prime's greatest achievements revolved around his predecessor, Optimus Prime. While fleeing from a Decepticon attack, Rodimus and several other Autobots took refuge in a massive [[Autobot Mausoleum]] and discovered that their former leader seemed to have returned to life. Perhaps a little too trusting of Optimus (and possibly eager to relieve himself of the burden of leadership), Rodimus quickly passed the Matrix back to Optimus and, much to his glee, reverted back into Hot Rod. His happiness was short-lived, however, as Optimus was quickly revealed to be nothing more than a puppet of the Quintessons, sent to trick the Autobots into an ambush from which none of them would escape. With no other choice, Hot Rod was forced to do battle with Optimus Prime for the fate of the Autobots. Although their duel was clearly in the favor of the more powerful Optimus, Hot Rod was able to re-awaken the true spirit of his leader. Returning the Matrix to Rodimus, Optimus then piloted his ship into the heart of the ambush and sacrificed himself to save them all. {{storylink|Dark Awakening}}

Soon after Perceptor left on a standard research mission to a nearby asteroid belt, Rodimus Prime and the Autobots received a distress call from the survey group. They arrived to find the asteroid infested with Quintessons, but managed to drive off the tentacled freaks and their Sharkticon shock troops. Perceptor was near deactivation due to injuries, however, and the rest of the Autobots were nowhere to be seen. The Quintessons attempted to retake the asteroid but, after failing, were soon desperate enough to tell the truth: Their technology on the rock was a [[Time Window]], and leaving it open was risking the fates of all time and space. With the help of the Quintesson scientist and a [[Alpha Trion (G1)|mysterious stranger with a devilish moustache]], Rodimus Prime retrieved his lost Autobots and shut down the time window. {{storylink|Forever Is a Long Time Coming}}

[[Image:Fightorflee Rodimus explosion.jpg|right|thumb|250px|He just needs a cigarette.]]

The Autobots learned of a lost Cybertronian colony known as [[Paradron]] after one of its citizens, [[Sandstorm (G1)|Sandstorm]], arrived on Cybertron begging for help. It seemed that Galvatron and the Decepticons had seized control over the planet and its vast energon reserves. Rodimus Prime and the Autobots staged a tactical infiltration, but the escalation of violence between the two forces led to total devastation. Rodimus gave the pacifistic Autobots of Paradron his impassioned "Move it or lose it!" speech before hustling them off-world so that Ultra Magnus could blow up their home. As Sandstorm sat there mourning the loss of his world, Rodimus Prime gave him some solemn advice.
{{bigquote|Well, no need to get all mushy. Cybertron's a better place anyway—not so...perfect.|}}
{{storylink|Fight or Flee}}

Rodimus and the Autobots were stumped when someone carried off [[Fort Knox]] in the middle of the night. They detected [[Dinosaur transform static]] at the scene (seriously), found a small pile of [[Energon cube|energon cubes]], and had just been informed by [[Teletraan II]] that Trypticon was still alive. It was a head-scratcher, all right. They eventually figured it out, though, and sieged the occupied nation of [[Socialist Democratic Federated Republic of Carbombya|Carbombya]] to chase the Decepticons away, then recovered Fort Knox and the other monuments Trypticon had stolen. {{storylink|Thief in the Night}}

[[Image:StarscreamsGhost Rodimus waves goodbye.JPG|left|thumb|250px|[[AKOM]] liked to color my crotch like my windshield (as was [[Hot_Rod_(G1)#Notes|originally intended]]). AKOM did a loooot of episodes.]]

When the freelance agent named [[Octane]] was being kidnapped right off of Cybertron's surface by Cyclonus and the Sweeps, Rodimus Prime and the Autobots stormed out to save their associate. Things were more complicated than they looked, however, as when Rodimus confronted Cyclonus, the Decepticon lieutenant spoke with [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]'s voice! For some reason, learning Starscream was involved made Rodimus willing to let the Decepticons go. Crazy as it sounds, though, it worked—Starscream and Octane managed to lure Galvatron into an Autobot ambush. Rodimus Prime gave a friendly wave to Starscream for a job well done as he departed. ''Zuh''? {{storylink|Starscream's Ghost}}

While preparing for the first annual Cybertron peace conference, Rodimus Prime got together with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] to prepare a surprise party for Danny. They were interrupted by a [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]] attack, as the Decepticons wanted to prevent the conference from occurring. The Combaticons were driven off, however, and only minor damage was done. {{storylink|Surprise Party}}

During a diplomatic function, Rodimus Prime was forced to play statesman and deal with Ambassador [[Ynara]] and the other delegates. Curiously, when Daniel Witwicky went missing and Rodimus had an excuse to duck out of the "festivities", he chose to delegate the search mission to Ultra Magnus and Blaster. Perhaps the normally action-hungry Rodimus Prime was actually becoming more accepting of his leadership duties. {{storylink|Madman's Paradise}}

[[Image:NightmarePlanet Rodimus Daniel in bed.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Rodimus really needs to learn how to delegate.]]

When Daniel Witwicky began experiencing recurring nightmares, Rodimus never dreamed he would have to face those nightmares personally. The Quintessons' latest experiment was to turn the young boy's imagination against his Autobot friends. Danny's own subconscious fought against the Quintessons' manipulations, though, and helped the Autobots save themselves. After that experience, Rodimus Prime stayed by Danny's bedside until he conquered his fears and ended the nightmares. {{storylink|Nightmare Planet}}

Cybertron was put on high alert after [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] broke into Metroplex on Earth, stealing his eyes and blowing up a bomb in his brain. Rodimus and the Autobots were eventually able to suss out that Scourge was working with the ghost of Starscream, and they in turn were acquiring those eyes for Unicron. Rodimus put together a strike team and sent Ultra Magnus, Springer, [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] to Unicron to investigate, but they were repulsed by the Chaos-Bringer's defenses. Their second mission was more successful, detonating a series of explosives underneath Unicron once he came down to Cybertron, intent on connecting himself to the planet and turning it into his new body. After Unicron was successfully blasted back into orbit, Rodimus congratulated his men on a job well done. As a joke, he told Magnus and the others their next mission would be to return to the head of their Living Devil and retrieve his stolen eyes. That Roddy—he's hilarious. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine}}

[[Image:Quintessonjournal_diplomacy.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Rodimus Prime: diplomat.]]

Rodimus was dutifully overseeing some reconstruction work on Cybertron when [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] reported odd activity over the planet of Junk and among the Junkions themselves. He assembled a task force aboard [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] to take a look firsthand. [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] managed to neutralize the hypnotic signals influencing the Junkions, but the Autobots were unable to learn the cause of the whole situation. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)|The Big Broadcast of 2006}}

At a galactic peace conference, Rodimus and Ultra Magnus attempted to end the centuries of war between the planets of [[Xetaxxis]] and [[Lanarq]]. They might as well have asked Galvatron, "Why you so ''crazy''?" Every attempt at straight talk and reasonable discourse broke out into a brawl, fist-fighting and eventually laser fire. The two worlds only reached an accord once Blaster and Sky Lynx arrived with a Quintesson journal, detailing how the entire war between the two planets was a "case study" in escalation manipulated by the Quintessons to sell bigger and better armaments to both sides. {{storylink|The Quintesson Journal}}

[[Image:UltimateWeapon-Rodimuspoint.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"I did your mom!"]]

Rodimus Prime began to struggle with the burden of leadership again during a skirmish in Europe, where the Decepticons were working in conjunction with human terrorists. The pacifistic [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] chose to leave the Autobots after his refusal to fight cost Metroplex his transforming cog, and Rodimus chided himself for not having the words to convince the medic to stay. He was also unsettled by Galvatron's crowing about a new "[[Ultimate Weapon]]" which would bring the Autobots to their knees. Regardless of his internal strife, Rodimus continued the fight. He came up with a plan in which Spike and Daniel Witwicky posed as part of the (evil?) human repair crews working on Trypticon and liberated the Decepticon city-bot's transforming cog just as the 'Cons had taken Metroplex's. Rodimus and Ultra Magnus had to fight off Galvatron and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]] in order to stall for time so that the Witwickys could complete their mission. Fortunately, the Stunticons had been off <strike>the shelves</strike> the field for a while by this point, and so were utterly demolished by the two Autobots. Eventually, First Aid returned to the Autobots to finish repair work on the cog, and Rodimus ultimately called Galvatron's bluff and uncovered his "Ultimate Weapon" as the sham it was. These victories renewed Rodimus's confidence in his leadership abilities...until next time. {{storylink|The Ultimate Weapon}}

One day, Rodimus Prime orchestrated the insertion of a new [[power core]] on Cybertron, designed by Perceptor to give the Autobots limitless free energy. Unfortunately, Perceptor also installed an emergency level to jettison the power core into space in the statistically impossible scenario that they would ever need to do such a wild, crazy thing. Sure enough, mere hours later, the power core was floating through space with a [[Trans-Organic]] [[Dweller|monster]] of Lovecraftian proportions latched to the outside of it. Rule of thumb: Installing any form of self-destruct switch increases the likelihood of needing said switch a billion percent. Encasing it behind glass adds another billion. {{storylink|The Dweller in the Depths}}

[[Image:OnlyHuman Rodimus Michelle breakfast.jpg|left|thumb|250px|That's right. He stayed for ''breakfast''.]]

Rodimus Prime and the Autobots joined forces with the human police to help stop a domestic terrorist named [[Victor Drath]]. They grossly underestimated their opponent and were easily captured by Drath after he lured them to his residence with an anonymous phone call. Using some <strike>Cobra</strike> mysterious technology, Drath siphoned the consciousnesses of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Springer and Arcee out of their bodies, inadvertently casting them into synthetic human forms. While trying to get back into Drath's headquarters, Rodimus and Springer were separated. Drath's girlfriend [[Michelle]] was intrigued enough by Rodimus's human form that she hid him from Drath's men. At least until after coffee...THEN she handed him over to Drath. Rodimus managed to overpower Drath and his men, and the villain's scheme was undone. Perceptor managed to reverse the process and restore the Autobots to their true forms. With one regretful look cast towards Michelle as she was led away by the police, Rodimus Prime rolled for home with the other Autobots. {{storylink|Only Human}}

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

At the unveiling of a new power generator, Rodimus Prime got frustrated at Grimlock's gross stupidity. Things only got worse when the Autobots discovered [[Anti-electron|anti-electrons]] being beamed out of the power generator and needed to negotiate the tunnels beneath Cybertron to reach the generator core...and Grimlock broke their only map. Luckily for Rodimus's sanity, Grimlock spontaneously developed super-intelligence after biting through the cables connecting the anti-electrons to the power generator. The Autobots then went on a mission to Unicron's head to prevent the Decepticons from recovering any more anti-electrons to use against them, but once there, they came under attack by the particles again, and Rodimus was affected so badly that he actually briefly transformed him back into Hot Rod. The Autobots were nearly overwhelmed by the animalistic [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcons]], but Grimlock constructed [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] and the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobots]] as a counter-force against the bestial Decepticons. Rodimus and the others drove off the remaining Decepticons and restabilized the power generator for Cybertron's use. {{storylink|Grimlock's New Brain}}

On Earth's [[Moon (moon)|Moon]], Rodimus Prime and the Autobots were engaged in trench warfare with the Decepticon for some vague but no doubt important reason. Rodimus demonstrated his keen tactical brilliance when the Decepticons attacked, suggesting the Autobots do the unexpected...and counter-attack. No, really—Galvatron seemed utterly amazed when they did that. However, the non-bestial Transformers on both sides were rendered lifeless when the energy-draining creature known as [[Tornedron]] attacked them while en route to Earth. When the threat was eliminated by Grimlock, Rodimus and the others came back to life without realising that anything had happened. {{storylink|Call of the Primitives}}

[[Image:FaceNijika-Rodimustruck.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Rodimus goes camping in style.]]

Rodimus and the Autobots arrived at the scene of a Quintesson quadrant lock as Galvatron was trying to claim it for himself. The Quintessons attempted to stop further investigation of the quadrant lock by casting the Transformers through a warp. Their encounter with the native [[Zamojin (species)|Zamojin]]s inside the lock was less than cordial, but the Autobots eventually managed to disable the quadrant lock and return starlight to the Zamojin people. {{storylink|The Face of the Nijika}}

[[Image:BurdenHardest Hot Rod retrieves matrix.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"I sure hope Optimus Prime doesn't come back next week or something."]]

After a particularly strenuous series of Decepticon attacks on Japan, Rodimus Prime was in no mood to be chewed out by the Japanese government for "not helping enough". When [[Marissa Faireborn]] stopped by at just the wrong time with yet another problem, Rodimus blew her off and went racing on the back roads to let off some exhaust. Unfortunately, he was spotted by the Stunticons [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] and [[Wildrider]], who knocked him for a loop and (surprisingly) shook the Matrix of Leadership loose from his chest cavity. After the Stunticons made off with the Matrix, Rodimus woke up as Hot Rod. Shockingly to Springer and Ultra Magnus, Roddy was in no hurry to go after the thieves and recover the Matrix. His ''giri'' had become too burdensome, and Hot Rod was hardly interested in reclaiming the burden so soon. He returned to a dojo that had been upset by [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] during the earlier attacks and observed the sensei and his pupils. After finding his center again, Hot Rod returned to the city, where the huntsman known as Scourge had been misusing the Matrix as a source of raw power to destroy everything around him. After a brief fight, Hot Rod reclaimed the Matrix from Scourge and became Rodimus Prime once more, accepting his path in life. Oh, and Kup was nodding sagely on the sidelines the entire time. Apparently, that helped somehow. {{storylink|The Burden Hardest to Bear}}

[[Image:HotRodReturnOfOptimusPrime1.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I did his mom, too."]]

As it turned out, far from being destroyed, Optimus Prime had been retrieved by a team of human scientists who were hoping to use him (again) as a weapon against the Autobots—this time as the bearer of a malignant "[[Hate Plague]]" that would cause them to destroy one another. When he learned of this, Rodimus swiftly formed a rescue party and led them to retrieve Optimus's body so that their former leader could rest in peace. When all of the rest of the Autobots with him were exposed to the Hate Plague, only Rodimus was able to escape unharmed—and with the still-uninfected body of Optimus. Returning to Autobot City, Rodimus ordered [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky-Lynx]] to find a Quintesson to repair Optimus, then risked his life to shut down [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] before the Plague could spread to the titanic Autobot. Attacked by Ultra Magnus and Wreck-Gar in the process, he succumbed to the plague and became infected with hate. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}} In order to stop the Plague, the resurrected Optimus had to defeat the crazed Rodimus and forcibly extract the Matrix from him, changing him back into Hot Rod once more. This time, as Optimus had decided to stick around, the change was a permanent one. {{storylink|The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}

[[Image:Rebirth3 hotrod spins.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Not shown: Firebolt expelling the contents of his stomach shortly afterward.]]

Even after losing his position as Autobot leader, Hot Rod was not the sort to rest on his laurels. In 2007, he was on Cybertron sharpening his skills in a race with Blurr through an obstacle course called "[[Maze|the Maze]]", and won the contest with a little help from Daniel. This provided Autobot scientist [[Brainstorm]] with more fodder to wax lyrical on his theories about Transformer-human partnership, but his lecture was cut short by the sudden arrival on the planet of the full force of the Decepticon army, who were intent on opening the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]]. Hot Rod and his team were able to steal the key to the chamber from the Decepticons, but not before the chamber was briefly opened, releasing a blast of energy that catapulted their shuttle across the galaxy. They crash-landed on the planet [[Nebulos]], where they were captured by a group of native rebels that mistook them for the mechanical servants of the planet's evil rulers, the [[Hive (G1)|Hive]]. The rebels changed their tune when a team of Decepticons attacked, having tracked the Autobots to the planet, but half the Autobots, including Hot Rod, were taken captive by the villains. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 1}} Hot Rod and his fellows stood up to the Decepticons' torture, and were soon rescued by their team-mates, who had [[binary bonding|bonded]] with the Nebulan rebels to become [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. The Decepticons then teamed up with the Hive to create Headmasters of their own, and took the process further by creating [[Targetmaster]]s as well. The Autobots copied the technology, and Hot Rod volunteered for the process, allowing his gun to be reconfigured into an exo-suit for the Nebulan sharpshooter Firebolt. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 2}} Hot Rod and Firebolt went on to aid in the defence of Cybertron as Galvatron attempted to use the Plasma Energy Chamber to destroy it. {{storylink|The Rebirth, Part 3}}
{{-}}

====Japanese cartoon continuity====
{{note|The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in Japanese animated continuity as described above, except without the events of "The Rebirth". Additionally, this continuity moves the events of 2006 forward to 2010 and inserts several additional events into the newly created intervening years.}}

=====''Kiss Players''=====
:''Voice actors:'' [[Ryōtarō Okiayu]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Kp3_toy_accurate_hotrod.jpg|left|200px|thumb]]

When Rodimus Prime hurled Galvatron into space at the conclusion of their battle within Unicron, he could not have predicted the tragic result of this action. Galvatron crash-landed on Earth, on top of [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]], devastating the city and sparking off a massive anti-Transformer movement spearheaded by the [[Earth Defense Command]]. Horrified by what his actions had wrought, Rodimus gave up the Matrix to Ultra Magnus and reverted to Hot Rod once more, seeking a way to redeem himself for his unintentional misdeeds. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|A Big Catch Tonight?!}}

[[Image:Kissplay3 hot rod tentacled.jpg|right|200px|thumb| Guys, we don't have to settle for this, there's a small girl right over there!]]

Hot Rod returned to Earth in the year 2006, by which stage the planet had been scoured clean of Transformers by the E.D.C.. He was badly damaged by the [[anti-electron]] field that the E.D.C. had set up around the planet, and wound up falling out of the sky and crashing into the E.D.C.'s headquarters, plunging through its levels into the subterranean chamber known as the [[Genital System]]. His explosive arrival interrupted a grotesque experiment involving former E.D.C. operative [[Shaoshao Li]] and the severed heads of several [[Legion]] (monstrous creatures created when Galvatron's cells, scattered by his impact, fused with Earthly creatures and machines). {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 2|Kiss Players #2}} The Legion attacked Hot Rod and began to [[ParasiTech|fuse]] with him, but a [[kiss]] from Shaoshao—one of the E.D.C.'s [[Kiss Player]]s, also given fusing powers by Galvatron's cells—saved him, reformatting him into a Ford GT body. {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 3|Kiss Players #3}}

Together with Shaoshao, Hot Rod went on the run, battling the E.D.C. and the Legion, while working to expose the evil intentions behind of Shaoshao's former employers. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #2}} Shaoshao, a longtime robot-hater, was not pleased about the partnership, disgusted by both the fact that she had to kiss Hot Rod {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #5}} and the Autobot's own smug self-confidence in his speed and sharpshooting skills. She insisted that he work hard on his martial arts training, but Rodimus preferred to simply use Shaoshao's own skills by fusing with her. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #8}} As part of his training, he learned to wield his tonfa weapons as guns, and embarked on a long-distance drive as a test of endurance. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #11}}

Drawn to the E.D.C. headquarters by a massive Legion attack on the facility, Hot Rod and Shaoshao were shocked to see Optimus Prime at the head of the Legion swarm! Given that Prime had died the previous year, Hot Rod assumed he was facing an imposter and attacked, unaware that this was actually the genuine article, who had been brought back to life by the Kiss Player powers of Shaoshao's old friend, [[Marissa Faireborn]]. The battle was broken up and the Legions turned away by the E.D.C.'s most powerful Kiss Player, [[Atari Hitotonari]], and Hot Rod and Shaoshao returned to their fugitive lifestyle. {{storylink|Kiss Players issue 3|Kiss Players #3}}

[[Image:HotRodKP.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Flames on his arms and a naked girl in his tummy.]]

Despite being on the lam, Hot Rod still had time for a little fishing now and then, (even though Shaoshao hated the fishy stench he would invariably return covered in) {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #17}} and even built himself a fishing pole that could transform into a set of blasters, dubbed the "Exhaust Rod". {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #20}} While Hot Rod was putting his new pole to use on a fishing trip to Tokyo Bay, he and Shaoshao were attacked by a mass of Legion and fused to fight back. It was during this latest fusion that Shaoshao glimpsed Hot Rod's memories and discovered that he was responsible for throwing Galvatron into space, and her fury caused the fusion to end quite violently. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|A Big Catch Tonight?!}} Despite Hot Rod's peace offering of new underwear (actually stolen from Marissa), {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #29}} Shaoshao concluded that she really didn't care about his guilt, and was just using him to win Marissa back from Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #26}}

[[Image:KP002.jpg|right|thumb|200px| [[Chris Ho| Kisses!]]]]

Investigating a large number of Legion that seemed to be converging on Tokyo, Hot Rod and Shaoshao spotted a dark-haired girl riding on the shoulder of one of the creatures. As they watched, she disappeared into the Legion, and they believed she may have been a Kiss Player, until Hot Rod realised that his scanners had not picked up any body heat from the girl. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #32}} As if this haunting experience was not bad enough, Hot Rod then began to suffer from nightmares, filled with images of Megatron, caused by the Galvatron cells that the Legion had added to his system when they had tried to fuse with him. Shaoshao exploited the increase in Rodimus's violent tendencies that these nightmares caused by whispering in the Autobot's ear as he slept, telling him that he had to kill the impostor Optimus Prime so she could have Marissa back. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #35}}

When Marissa and Prime led another army of Legions in another attack on the E.D.C. headquarters, Shaoshao and Hot Rod were again there to face them. The two Autobots were overcome by the destructive impulses of their Galvatron cells and began viciously fighting, but as they did so, Marissa and Shaoshao were able to settle their own differences and bring the battle to an end, vowing to discover the dark secret at the heart of the E.D.C.. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|Kiss Players radio drama #37}} Together with Atari, the group ventured down into the Genital System, where they discovered a secret plot by E.D.C. commander [[Hitoshizuku Amaō]] to resurrect her dead daughter (the ghost girl Hot Rod and Shaoshao had seen) in Atari's body. Atari thwarted Amaō's fusion process, however, and instead caused all of the scattered Galvatron cells to be re-absorbed into the Decepticon leader's comatose body. Hot Rod destroyed the anti-electron field generator, and was then reverted back to normal as his Galvatron cells were drawn out of him and reconstituted within Galvatron's body, which Atari then flung into space. {{storylink|Kiss Players (radio drama)|You, I, and the Spinning Earth}}

Hot Rod went on his way, but did not take back the Matrix and leadership of the Autobots until the year 2010. It is unknown whether he ever discovered that the true instigators of the Tokyo incident were Unicron's minions, the [[Sparkbot]]s, who had altered Galvatron's trajectory.

=====''The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers''=====
{{note|The events of this manga occur concurrently with the events of Generation 1 cartoon, as described above.}}

[[Image:Ep14.jpg|left|200px|thumb|He's so dreeeaaaaamyyyy.]]

Rodimus Prime faced numerous bizarre challenges in the year 2010, one of which involved Galvatron attempting to seize spaceships with his ''own'' spaceship that ate ''other'' spaceships. Rodimus infiltrated the toothy craft in order to plant a bomb to destroy it. Unfortunately, Galvatron trapped him inside and beat him senseless. Rodimus was about to give up when the spirit of Optimus Prime spoke to him through the Matrix, urging him to fight on. Rodimus snapped out of it and escaped through a hole created by Galvatron's cannon. Before leaving, though, he dropped the bomb off in Cyclonus' hands, detonating the ship.{{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1}}

During another adventure, Rodimus and his troops were taken under siege by a horde of Megatron clones calling themselves the [[Megatron Corps]]. The Megatron Corps made short work of Rodimus, leaving him to wonder how he could defeat a whole horde of the baddie, when Optimus Prime could barely deal with ''one''. Rodimus eventually realized that Galvatron was secretly controlling the clones and singled him out. With Galvatron defeated, the Megatron Corps ceased to function. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2}}

Not long after that, Galvatron attacked [[Autobot City]] on Earth with the power of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Though Trypticon was defeated by [[Six-Gun]], of all Autobots, Rodimus did not arrive on the scene until after the battle had ended. Young blonde [[human]] girls squeeled at his hunkiness, though. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3}}

During another battle, he was forced to team with his arch-nemesis, Galvatron, to defeat the all-powerful [[Guiltaur]]. Guiltaur was a creation built by the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] utilizing the powers of both Optimus Prime and Megatron. Together, Rodimus and Galvatron defeated their foe (who it turned out was being controlled by the ghost of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]) and called off the truce. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4}}

After that, Rodimus lead the Autobots to the planet [[Feminia]] to protect it's [[Prime Energy Tower]] from Galvatron and the Decepticons. The Autobots proved ineffectual against the might of [[Predaking]]...at least until the [[Omnibot (G1)|Omnibot]]s showed up to win the day. {{storylink|The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5}}

=====''The Great Transformer War'' comic=====
[[Image:Greattfwar_rodimus.jpg|right|thumb|265px]]
After the [[Protectobot (G1)|Protectobot]]s rescued the scientist [[Dalton|Doctor Dalton]] from the clutches of the Decepticons, Rodimus met with him to discuss upgrading the [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 1}}

Rodimus then watched on in horror as the [[Terrorcon (G1)|Terrorcon]]s made short work of the upgraded Technobots and nearly turned them into Decepticons with [[Cohesive Control Liquid]]. [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike]] managed to save the Technobots and send the Decepticons into retreat, swearing vengeance. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 2}}

Early in 2011, after having given up the Matrix of Leadership and reverted back to Hot Rod, he accompanied the newly resurrected Optimus Prime in a space battle against Galvatron and the Decepticons. The Decepticons fled, and though Hot Rod wished to pursue them, Optimus ordered him the return to base, as the entire battle seemed fishy. Indeed, it was all a distraction so that Galvatron could begin his ultimate invasion of Cybertron. {{storylink|The Great Transformer War issue 3}}
{{-}}

=====''The Headmasters'' cartoon=====

:''Voice actor:'' [[Hiroya Ishimaru]] (Japanese)

[[Image:MysteryofPlanetMaster-HotRod.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"And ''you'' better stay close to ''me!''"]]

One year after the Hate Plague affair and the resurrection of Optimus Prime, Hot Rod maintained a high-level position among the Autobots as well as a new sense of duty and responsibility. Hot Rod was stationed on [[Athenia]] when the Decepticons, bolstered with the addition of new Headmaster warriors, attacked Cybertron in an attempt to take control of [[Vector Sigma]], which had become destabilized as a result of the Matrix's energy being released. {{storylink|Four Warriors Come out of the Sky}}

When a group of Autobot Headmasters arrived to help, Optimus Prime broke off from the battle and ventured into Cybertron's depths, hoping to find a way to stabilize Vector Sigma. This, however, would require the sacrifice of his own life if attempted without the Matrix, which was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}} Hot Rod and the Autobot Headmasters searched the Matrix out and returned to Cybertron with it, where the spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] recharged its empty shell, transforming Hot Rod back into Rodimus Prime. Optimus and Rodimus defeated the Decepticons together, but Optimus still wound up sacrificing himself to stabilize Vector Sigma, leaving Rodimus Prime in command of the Autobots once again. {{storylink|Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime}}

[[Image:DoubleConvoy1.jpg|right|225px|thumb|"Race ya to the Matrix!" "Yer on!"]]

Rodimus Prime chose to oversee Autobot operations largely from Athenia, leaving Earth as Ultra Magnus and Metroplex's jurisdiction, and maintaining a relatively minor presence on Cybertron itself. One of his actions as returning leader was to oversee the resurrection of [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]], who gave his life during the recent search for the Matrix. He had [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] employ [[Master (planet)|Master]] technology to revive the communications expert in a new body as Twincast. {{storylink|The Great Cassette Operation}} After Fortress and the Headmasters ran into trouble on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], Rodimus Prime brought the [[Trainbot]]s and [[Monsterbot]]s with him as reinforcements to foil Galvatron's plans. {{storylink|Rebellion on Planet Beast}} He also oversaw the Autobots' efforts to defeat a [[Metamorpho|gravity-warping meteorite]], and encouraged Daniel to be courageous enough to help the Autobots against the metal-sensitive menace. {{storylink|Approach of the Demon Meteorite}}

One day, Rodimus Prime accompanied Ultra Magnus to an energy research laboratory, where a new power source had supposedly been discovered. Upon arrival, however, they discovered the research team had been killed and no new power source existed. Reviewing the tape announcing the discovery, Rodimus realized the broadcasting scientist was actually under the control of [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], and the whole trip was to get him out of the way so that Scorponok could set a trap for the Headmasters on [[Praum]]. Taking the Trainbots, Rodimus Prime arrived on Praum in time to help the Headmasters chase off Galvatron and their evil counterparts. {{storylink|The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery}} Rodimus Prime soon supervised the Autobots during a series of terrorist threats around the globe. He allowed [[Shōki]] and the Trainbots to take first crack at the robot threatening their homeland of Japan. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

[[Image:Hm10 fortress appointed commander.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Don't worry, all you have to do to be a better leader than me is to ''not get the planet blown up.''"]]

When Vector Sigma created a new kind of super-metal known as [[Cybertonuron]], Rodimus Prime realized it would be a tempting target for the Decepticons. Sure enough, Galvatron soon launched an all-out attack on Cybertron to capture Vector Sigma and the Cybertonuron. Rodimus assembled a massive counterstrike force to transport to Cybertron, but Fortress cautioned that the whole ordeal thus far might be a trap. Rodimus recognized the possibility, but stated the idea of Galvatron controlling the Cybertonuron was too dangerous to risk. Rodimus Prime traveled to Cybertron himself aboard the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Battleship Maximus]], and engaged Galvatron in hand-to-hand combat. Tragically, Rodimus was soundly defeated by his old foe, and would have been helplessly executed by Galvatron if [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]] hadn't insisted on giving his leader an office memo Right. That. Minute. TPS reports wait for no 'bot. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1}} As the fighting continued to escalate, [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] decided it was too dangerous to risk the Autobots keeping control of the Cybertonuron. He had Mindwipe and the Headmasters plant a series of bombs at Cybertron core, resulting in a massive planetary explosion, leaving Cybertron a burnt-out husk. Deciding that his time was over, and that newer, younger Transformers should take over, Rodimus passed leadership of the Autobots to [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]], and departed for space with Kup and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search for a new planet that the Transformers could make their own. Arcee asked if she could go, too, but Rodimus instructed her to stay behind to look after Daniel and Wheelie. {{storylink|Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2}}
{{-}}

=====''The Headmasters'' comic=====

[[Image:RodimusHeadmasterManga08.jpg|thumb|right|250px|]]
{{note|The events of the ''Headmasters'' manga take place concurrently with the ''Headmasters'' cartoon.}}
With Optimus Prime dead yet again, Hot Rod returned to being Rodimus Prime and erected a [[Optimus Prime memorial|statue]] of his fallen commander on Cybertron. During the dedication, the Decepticons were spotted approaching the planet. Rodimus dispatched the [[Headmasters of Justice]] to deal with the threat. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 1}}

Later, the Decepticons made a second attempt to seize planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]] while the Autobot [[Beastformer]] leader, [[White Leo]], was away. Rodimus Prime sent the Headmasters of Justice to Beast in order to drive back the invading Decepticons. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

During his journey through space in search of a replacement homeworld for the Autobots, Rodimus faced many dangers and hardships, but was supported by the wisdom of the Matrix and the energy of the Earth that now coursed within it. Learning a new admiration for the human race and the planet Earth, he returned to Earth in the wake of the defeat of Scorponok, and reunited with the Autobots. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 8|The Headmasters issue 8}}
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=====''The Battlestars''=====
It would be many years before Rodimus resurfaced. He eventually returned at the same time as Optimus Prime was resurrected as [[Optimus Prime (G1)#The Battlestars story pages and comic|Star Convoy]], and was shown to have reverted back into Hot Rod, and been converted into a [[Micromaster]]. As a Micromaster, Hot Rod took up residence in Star Convoy's chest, boosting his Supreme Commander's power.

=====''15 Go! Go!''=====
[[Image:Hotrod-micro.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Well, at least this girl has clothes on.]]
While Star Convoy was occupied battling the reborn Megatron, Hot Rod was busy on Earth dealing with the threat posed by [[Transwarp]] wormwholes that had randomly begun appearing around the planet. During his efforts, he came upon the human computer [[Teletraan 15]], who had traveled forward in time on an information-gathering mission, and saved her from a [[Novaroid]]. Having been familiar with Hot Rod in the past, 15 was a little surprised to see him in a Micromaster form, but he brushed off her comments and accused her of being responsible for the Transwarp disturbances. The appearance of a huge wormwhole overhead, however, prompted Hot Rod to set his concerns aside, transform to vehicle mode and carry 15 away to safety. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|Hot Rod's chapter}}

Before they got very far, Star Convoy appeared and requested Hot Rod's assistance, telling him that Megatron was fusing with [[Dark Nova]]. Hot Rod said his farewells to 15, preparing to depart with his leader, {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|Star Convoy's chapter}} but before he could leave, he was suddenly struck by an immense blast from the wormhole overhead. The shadowy form of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] descended from the rip in the sky, and 15 leaped in front of Hot Rod to protect him, but was rewarded for her heroism by having her right arm torn off by the insane Decepticon. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|Galvatron's chapter}} Rescued by [[Safety]] and [[Fly-Up]] of the [[Guard City]] team, the last thing Teletraan 15 saw before passing out was Galvatron throttling Hot Rod. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|Galvatron's chapter 2}} The outcome of the battle and the fate of Hot Rod were left unknown, but he had obviously left his mark on 15, whose severed arm was replaced with a convertible buzz-saw blade, just like Hot Rod's own. {{storylink|15 Go! Go!|Galvatron's chapter 3}}
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===Marvel Comics continuity===
====Generation 1====
{{noteukonly}}
''Several hundred years ago, [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] dispatched Hot Rod and [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] to search for habitable worlds. During this mission, the pair ran afoul of the [[Tyroxian]]s—unpleasant [[alien]]s who captured Blurr and pursued Hot Rod through space. While fleeing, Hot Rod crossed paths with the Autobot war veteran, Kup, living a nomadic existence wandering through space at the time, and the youth's bravado in attacking [[Tyroxia]] single-handed re-ignited Kup's fighting spirit. After saving Hot Rod and helping him to rescue Blurr, Kup joined the pair in returning to Cybertron.'' {{storylink|Kup's Story!}}

[[Image:BrothersinArmor-Targetmasters.jpg|right|thumb|350px|I'm important! Just not right now.]]

Hot Rod was among the contingent of Transformers who ultimately accompanied Fortress Maximus in abandoning the war on Cybertron for a new world, [[Nebulos]]. The Autobots' arrival on the planet immediately stirred civil unrest, however, which led to the Decepticons being brought to the planet, and the war continuing on a smaller scale. Technological advancements developed during the conflict saw Nebulans being bio-engineered into [[Binary bonding|partnerships]] with the Transformers. Hot Rod became a Targetmaster, and was bonded to the Nebulan sharpshooter, Firebolt (aka Sparks), who transformed into his gun. Eventually, the Autobots determined to move their war away from Nebulos, and followed a signal sent by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Goldbug]], received by Hot Rod, to the planet [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Brothers in Armor!!}}

Hot Rod and the other Autobots of Nebulos were soon incorporated into the larger Autobot force on Earth, under the command of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Optimus Prime]]. On one occasion, Hot Rod and several Autobots accompanied Prime on what appeared to be a simple mission to stop some Decepticon [[Micromaster]]s from attacking MacDill Air Force Base. {{storylink|Back from the Dead}} In fact, the attack was part of a much larger scheme by the deposed Decepticon leader [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], luring Prime and his forces away from the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and setting them against his rival for Decepticon leadership, the mighty [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]. Once Prime realized the greater threat at issue, he ordered his troops to immediately take the [[Ark shuttlecraft|shuttle]] back to the Ark, but Hot Rod recklessly chose to stay behind at Optimus's side to face the Decepticons. {{storylink|All the Familiar Faces!}} He was therefore on-hand when the newly resurrected [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] arrived, and began tearing through all Transformers present, in the name of Megatron. He managed to take a shot at Starscream's new [[Pretender]] shell, causing enough neural feedback to temporarily weaken the Decepticon, and give Scorponok time to strike and end the threat. {{storylink|Skin Deep}}

[[Image:YesterdaysHeroes-HotRod.jpg|left|thumb|200px|I, Hot Rod, have entered the main US cast so that I may hatch hilariously hairbrained sitcom schemes!]]

The cost was still high, though, as Optimus Prime returned to the Ark and learned that his good friend, [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], had sacrificed himself to help stop Megatron's schemes. This sent the Autobot leader into a depression, and Hot Rod took it upon himself to snap Optimus out of it. He had the crazy scheme of creating a mock threat with a [[Guardian (Marvel)|Guardian Mark V battle droid]], with predictable results. The robot proceeded to ''actually'' malfunction and endanger the Autobots, but Hot Rod's plan worked when Prime eventually snapped out of his funk and defeated the droid to save the day. Hot Rod needed to find a replacement hand after the Guardian snapped it off, but hey, all's well that ends well. {{storylink|Yesterday's Heroes!}}

[[Image:Hoverscooter.jpg|right|thumb|250px|whoopeee]]

Hot Rod continued to operate with Earth's Autobot forces aboard the Ark, and was present during [[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]]'s rampage through the shuttle bay. He took some damage, but remained functional enough to continue on, and was later seen speeding into the battle with Unicron himself on a [[Sky-sled|hoverscooter]], {{storylink|On the Edge of Extinction!}} He was also one of many Autobots destroyed by the Decepticons on [[Klo]], only to be revived by the [[Last Autobot]]. {{storylink|End of the Road! (US)|End of the Road!}}

In an alternate future of 2005, Hot Rod was one of the many Autobots based in the completed Autobot City. He was close friends with the young human [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]]. Realizing that the Decepticons were invading in a stolen shuttle, Hot Rod and Daniel tried to outpace them before they reached the city. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] fell in battle against [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], and Hot Rod stood with a handful of others as Optimus died and passed the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Leadership Matrix]] to [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]. {{storylink|The Planet-Eater!}}

[[Image:FinalBattle-Rodimus.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Galvatron can shoot at Rodimus until he's blue in the face, but he'll never surrender his coconut.]]

After Prime's death, Autobot City got word from [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] that a "monster planet" was devouring Cybertron's moons. En route, Hot Rod and Kup (and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]) were separated from the rest of the Autobots during a Decepticon attack and crashed on the planet [[Quintessa]]. After escaping the sadistic trial of the [[Quintesson]]s and attempted execution (as well as meeting [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]]), {{storylink| Judgment Day!}} Hot Rod went on to the planet [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]], where he was just in time to stop [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] from fighting another group of stranded Autobots with a timely use of the [[Universal greeting]]. Together, they all traveled to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to stop [[Unicron]] before he could eat more than just its moons.

Hot Rod plunged his ship through Unicron's eye and was separated from the rest of his team. Alone, he found himself facing Galvatron in a battle to the death over the Autobot Leadership Matrix. Claiming the Matrix, Hot Rod [[Renaming|evolved into]] "Rodimus Prime", an older, larger, and more powerful version of himself. After overpowering Galvatron and hurling him through Unicron's hide into the void of space, he opened the Matrix and destroyed Unicron from within. {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}

In 2006, Rodimus Prime's Autobots had taken control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] reported suspicious activity on [[Junkion (planet)|Junkion]], so Rodimus sent the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s to investigate. [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] was defeated in battle but was able to send back an SOS before going offline. Sky Lynx was dispatched to retrieve him, and Rodimus decided to investigate himself. He took [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] in [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]].

Once there, the Autobots discovered a chaotic scene where aliens from many worlds, including the Decepticons, had arrived and were all engaged in a deadly battle with one another. Rodimus was immediately attacked by a hypnotized [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], and the two battled to a standstill. The other Autobots were able to disrupt a hypnotic signal that was causing everyone to fight one another. The [[Junkion (species)|Junkions]] then added their strength against the Decepticons, causing the latter to retreat. Rodimus didn't care where the hypnosis signal had been coming from, as long as it was off for good. He never discovered that it was the work of the [[Quintesson]]s. {{storylink|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue)|The Big Broadcast of 2006 (US)}}

{{note|In the UK version of the story, the events of "The Big Broadcast of 2006" are a fabrication invented by [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]].}}

[[Image:GalvatrondeadrodimusUS67.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr Prime, I expect you to die!"]]
In an another alternate future timeline, Hot Rod arose to become Rodimus Prime. However, the planet-eater known as Unicron managed to destroy Cybertron, leaving Rodimus to lead a failed Autobot/human defense of Earth when [[Galvatron II|that timeline's Galvatron]] attacked and eventually conquered it. Rodimus perished during the conflict, and his body was strung up between the ruined towers of the World Trade Center. In the year 2009, Galvatron returned to Manhattan to survey its devastated landscape, and fired upon Rodimus's corpse, demanding to know how many times he would have to kill him to erase his legacy. {{storylink|Rhythms of Darkness!}}

{{-}}
=====Marvel UK future timelines=====
[[Image:Hot rod ark duty.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"Really, by assigning ''me'' to Ark duty, they're practically demanding me to go be irresponsible!"]]
''Hot Rod rose to greater prominence in the alternate future timeline of [[Earth-120185]]. In 1990, he, Kup and Blurr were captured by Megatron; although rescued by a double-agent named [[Warmonger]], Hot Rod was recaptured and bore witness first hand to Megatron's mercilessness when he executed Warmonger. Then, in 1991, he was part of a unit that escorted the captive [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], only to lose the Decepticon leader when forced to defend a human settlement against an attack by the [[Air Strike Patrol]].'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}} ''On another occasion in 1995, Hot Rod was present when Optimus Prime first unveiled the female Autobot, Arcee, to [[Feminist mob|a dubious crowd of human feminists]]. Hot Rod was more than a little flustered by Arcee's presence on the battlefield.'' {{storylink|Prime's Rib!}} ''In 2003, he and Blurr were given "Ark duty," assigned to stand guard over the [[Ark (G1)|Autobots' spaceship]] while construction on [[Autobot City]] began. Kup was apparently instructed to deliver the plans of the city to the American government, and when Hot Rod saw him being jumped by the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]], he disobeyed orders and sped out to the rescue. The Stunticons brutally beat on Hot Rod and took the plans, but Hot Rod learned a hard lesson when Kup informed him that it was meant to happen that way because the plans were a fake.'' {{storylink|Ark Duty}} ''When the city was completed in 2004, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] attacked it on its opening day, and Hot Rod repelled him by attacking in a wildly illogical manner, tackling him down a mountain repeatedly.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}} ''Also, at some unknown point in the past, Hot Rod's Targetmaster partner Firebolt was killed in action.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}}

[[Image:FallenAngel-Unicron.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Since this is a comic book, Rodimus has to hum "[[The Touch]]" to himself.]]

''In the year 2006, when the new Decepticon leader [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] travelled back in time to 1986 as part of a plan to free himself from the control of Unicron, the chaos-bringer used his mental powers to plant knowledge of Galvatron's plan into the minds of Hot Rod, Kup and Blurr and transported them to Cybertron, where they used Galvatron's equipment to follow him into the past. There, with help from the present-day incarnation of Ultra Magnus, they were able to convince Galvatron that he had, in fact, traveled back in time to a parallel universe, where his actions would have no effect on the future. Believing this, Galvatron returned to his own time, and after setting any remaining wrongs to rights, the trio of Autobots also returned to 2006.'' {{storylink|Target: 2006}} ''Back in his native timeline, Hot Rod was subsequently involved in a battle with Galvatron inside Unicron's body, during which he opened the sacred Autobot talisman, the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], and was transformed into Rodimus Prime. With this new strength, he hurled Galvatron through Unicron's hide and opened the Matrix, destroying the planet-eater.'' {{storylink|The Final Battle!}}

''It's believed that [[Primus]] ''deliberately'' caused Hot Rod's Prime form to resemble him. What an ego!'' {{storylink|Salvage!|#160's Grim Grams}}

[[Image:Rodimusprimerequestdenied.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Rodimus learned the wrong lesson from Optimus's death.]]

''As the new Autobot leader, Rodimus became paranoid about Galvatron's eventual return, since no body was ever recovered from space. He led the Autobot forces high and low searching the universe for the Decepticon leader, neglecting Cybertron in the process. As a result, Shockwave arose as the new Decepticon leader, and total war broke out on Cybertron once again. Unable to take the time to find Galvatron himself anymore, Rodimus rashly placed a bounty on the Decepticon's head. What Rodimus did not realize, however, was that Galvatron had time-jumped again, traveling back to 1987.'' {{storylink|Wanted: Galvatron — Dead or Alive!}} ''In 2007, when the freelance peace-keeping agent [[Death's Head (G1)|Death's Head]] pursued Galvatron back to the '80s, Rodimus was informed of this fact by an Autobot double-agent named [[Nautilus]], and, dismayed at the danger he had unleashed on the past, promptly headed back in time himself to stop the dual threats.'' {{storylink|Burning Sky!}} ''Once again teaming up with the present-day Ultra Magnus, Rodimus and his team of Kup, Blurr and [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] tracked Galvatron down to [[Mount Verona]], where he was attempting to harness the volcano's molten energy. While arguing with Death's Head, Rodimus and the bounty hunter were both attacked, but when Ultra Magnus opened fire on his [[power siphon]], Galvatron was distracted long enough for Rodimus to escape.'' {{storylink|Hunters}} ''Rodimus then arranged a plan that saw the Autobots capture Galvatron's time-jump mechanism, in order to have Wreck-Gar re-engineer it to return all the time-travelers to their point of origin. Rodimus engaged Galvatron in a protracted battle to buy Wreck-Gar time, but when the device was activated, Rodimus, Death's Head and the other Autobots were returned to 2007. Galvatron was left behind.'' {{storylink|Fire on High!}}

[[Image:Headhunt-Rodimus.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Rodimus discovers a depressing third option to "fight and die" or "live with the knowledge that I ran."]]

''Some time later, a disgruntled Death's Head accepted a contract from the Decepticons on Rodimus Prime's head, and ambushed him while he was inspecting Autobot lines. Their battle subsequently went underground, where [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] intervened, downing Death's Head in hopes of being the ones to defeat Rodimus, in order to reclaim their lost standing in the Decepticons' ranks. Rodimus was able to lead Death's Head through the underground tunnels, right into the heart of the Autobot camp, where he offered him advance payment for a different contract—on Cyclonus and Scourge.'' {{storylink|Headhunt}} ''Death's Head proceeded to track the two Decepticons for the remainder of the year, until the three of them fell under the mental control of Unicron when they discovered his disembodied head on the planet of [[Junkion (planet)|Junk]] in the early days of 2008. Under his control, they assassinated Decepticon leader Shockwave and reignited the stalemated Cybertronian civil war in order to keep the Autobots busy while Unicron worked on rebuilding his body. Rodimus, however, learned of the situation thanks to [[Smokescreen (G1)|Smokescreen]], and led a small Autobot force to Junk, where Death's Head fought against Unicron's control long enough to project Rodimus's mind into a battle with the demi-god on the astral plane. During the battle, explosives planted by Wreck-Gar destroyed Unicron's head, and his mind was sealed within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|The Legacy of Unicron!}}

[[Image:Arceehotrodspacepirates.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Hasbro slips Rodimus a few [[Shanix]] under the table to "lose" the Matrix ever so often. They's got Hot Rod toys to sell.]]

''Later in 2008, the alien Quintessons targeted Cybertron for colonization, and attacked the Autobots with a two-pronged assault on both Cybertron and Earth. When [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] shirked her guard duty at Autobot City, the Quintessons were given an opening that allowed them to take over the city, and when she returned, they gunned her down as bait for a trap for Rodimus Prime. Arriving at the city, Rodimus discovered the injured Arcee and opened his chest compartment to heal her with the Matrix, only to have it yanked from his grasp by the Quintesson general, [[General Ghyrik|Ghyrik]], causing him to revert to Hot Rod. Liberating [[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]]'s cassettes for back-up, Hot Rod and Arcee proceeded to fight their way through the Quintessons to Autobot City's control room, where Hot Rod activated [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] to smash the alien threat. In battle with Ghyrik, Hot Rod duped the Quintessons with a bit of amateur ventriloquism and reclaimed the Matrix; transformed back into Rodimus Prime again, he routed the Quintessons.'' {{storylink|Space Pirates!}}

[[Image:TimeWars-OptimusPrimeentersthefray.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Rodimus traveled 20 years into the past just to be upstaged by That Guy again.]]

''Unbeknownst to Rodimus, the Quintessons had sought to colonize Cybertron because their own homeworld was being destroyed by a rift in space and time caused by the Transformers' repeated time-travel. The rift continued to grow in size until it threatened both Earth and Cybertron at the beginning of both 2009 and 1989. To put an end to the threat, Rodimus and a squad of Autobots traveled back to 1989, only to wind up mass-displacing Optimus Prime (since the Matrix could not exist in two time periods at once) and a group of other Autobots to [[limbo]], leading to a brief but violent misunderstanding with the present-day Autobots. Optimus Prime was able to stabilize the situation by communicating with all involved through the power of the Matrix. Subsequently, Autobots and Decepticons from both the present and future teamed up to battle Galvatron and [[Straxus (G1)|Megatron]], but one by one they fell, until Optimus Prime used the Matrix to return himself to reality for a final showdown. After absorbing Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge, however, the rift was sealed by Shockwave, and Rodimus and the other future Autobots returned to 2009, vowing to destroy their time machines to prevent this from ever happening again.'' {{storylink|Time Wars}}

''As it transpired, however, things would not be that easy. In the wake of the massive chronal damage caused by the rift, time had attempted to heal its wounds, but reality was no longer as it had been. The future that Rodimus and the other Autobots came from no longer existed—in its place was a world where Galvatron had never traveled back in time, and had conquered Cybertron after Unicron's destruction. Rodimus quickly established a rebellion, but when Galvatron tracked down their headquarters, he killed Blurr and all others present, goading Rodimus into a ferocious battle in hopes of corrupting the Matrix within him. Rodimus realized what he was doing, however, and ended the fight before more damage could be done.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

[[Image:EdgeofImpact-EvilRodimus.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Tonight the part of Rodimus Prime will be played by the Green Goblin.]]

''Rodimus and the Autobots escaped to Earth via hyperspace, only to find that their craft's guidance systems had been damaged. During the flight, Rodimus Prime vanished'' {{storylink|The Void! (UK)|The Void!}}, ''and Kup discovered that he was the saboteur,'' {{storylink|Edge of Impact}} ''deducing that he had been corrupted by an evil force from within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Shadow of Evil}} ''Inside the Matrix, Rodimus battled with the essence of Unicron, trapped there since the events of 2008, until Kup wrenched the Matrix from his chest, freeing him from the chaos-bringer's influence. But now, Rodimus knew that the evil of Unicron would be waiting for him within it...'' {{storylink|White Fire}} ''...and in 2010, Unicron's essence succeeded in taking over Rodimus's body, transforming it into a duplicate of his own and attacking Cybertron once more, until Rodimus was able to defeat him from within and re-seal him within the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

''Centuries later, in the year 2356, Rodimus, his body withered and weakened from the continuous harmful influence of Unicron from within the Matrix, lectured a young Autobot [[student]] on the nature of evil, unwittingly setting the youth on the path towards villainy himself.'' {{storylink|Aspects of Evil!}}

''In an unidentified timeline in the year 2510, a healthy Rodimus Prime was overjoyed to announce that the Cybertronian war was finally over, and planned to step down as leader to allow [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] to take over. The sole remaining Decepticon, a double-agent named [[Triton]], spoke out against the decision to cause dissension, and succeeded—as Rodimus could only watch in dismay, arguments escalated into conflict, and the war was born again as [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]] fought [[Wrecker]], and the Autobot Civil War began.'' {{storylink|Peace}}

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====Generation 2====
[[Image:HotrodG2Marvelcomic.jpg|100px|thumb|left|Try purple! It's the new maroon!]]
After the defeat of the Decepticons on [[Klo]], the Autobots' forces scattered throughout the galaxy as virtually independent splinter cells. A small group under Optimus Prime's command encountered Bludgeon and his soldiers on a desolate world, both sides looking for new weapons or technology, and were in danger of being overrun. Prime sent Hot Rod into a nearby mausoleum building in the hopes that he could conjure up some form of "graven image" to distract the superstitious Decepticon leader. Hot Rod emerged empty-handed from the ruins, only to find that just [[Guardian (G2)|such a graven image]] had conjured ''itself'', chased off the trespassing Decepticons, and was now prepared to do the same to the Autobots. They managed a dignified, if rushed, scramble to safety. {{storylink|All or Nothing!|Ghosts}}

[[Image:G2kupwonderspowerandglory.jpg|right|thumb|300px|No?]]

When Grimlock sent out a message summoning Optimus Prime, Hot Rod and Kup accompanied him. Hot Rod was quick to remark the sorry state of the planet they were on, and pondered exactly why they were here. As Prime continued his lengthy internal monolog, they were ambushed by a second-generation Cybertronian patrol. Hot Rod pretended to flee, but quickly came back as he and Prime caught the squad in a crossfire, annihilating the lot of them. Grimlock made his presence known afterwards and took them to his ship, where Hot Rod casually fiddled with a panel while Grimlock exposited. [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] attacked soon after, crippling the Autobots's ship and capturing them. They later managed to escape Jhiaxus's flagship. {{storylink|War Without End!}} When Grimlock and a team of Autobots were captured once again by the Liege Centuro, Hot Rod was part of Optimus's rescue team. {{storylink|Devices and Desires! (Marvel)|Devices and Desires!}} While Optimus Prime went on a vision quest back on Cybertron, some Autobots set up camp on a deserted asteroid, where Kup set up some war games for training. Hot Rod managed to lure the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]] and [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] into a false sense of confidence and into a trap consisting of Dinobots. When the exercise was over, Hot Rod expressed frustration at the fact that they were stuck playing games while Jhiaxus and his Cybertronians were still out there.{{storylink|The Power and the Glory}} Megatron's resurfacing on Earth made Optimus Prime decide to confront him alone. Fortunately, Grimlock had different ideas and mounted up a rescue, which Hot Rod participated in. He tried to engage [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] in vehicle mode, but the small Decepticon used his piledrivers to send Hot Rod tumbling away. Hot Rod crashed just behind Megatron, prompting the Decepticon leader to order a full retreat. {{storylink|The Gathering Darkness}}

[[Image:Arageinheaven-electro.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Hot Rod is the honorary fifth [[Laser Rod]] member.]]

Hot Rod was amongst the Autobots deployed to the planet [[Ethos]] where they fought hard to counter a Cybertronian offensive, but quickly found themselves overwhelmed and had to be saved by their newfound Decepticon allies. {{storylink|Escalation!}} After Starscream sold out the location of the Autobots' [[Autobase]] on Earth, Jhiaxus organized a full-scale assault. Hot Rod was part of the counter-offensive, and as the Cybertronians were being eradicated by the Autobot-Decepticon alliance, he was quick to report Prime his new finding: Jhiaxus had a ''second wave'' waiting in the wings. {{storylink|Total War!}} When the Cybertronian threat was overshadowed by the oncoming [[Swarm (G2)|Swarm]], Hot Rod and [[Electro]] went scouting out for its position. Thanks to Murphy's law, he had the misfortune of reporting its arrival just as Grimlock pondered just how things could get worse. Unlike many of his fellow Autobots, Hot Rod was saved from being devoured by the Swarm thanks to Megatron's timely arrival, carrying cannisters of [[Rheanimum]]. Soon afterwards, Hot Rod and company witnessed Optimus Prime's return to life in a shiny new body, and cheered at his speech for unity and a higher purpose than war. {{storylink|A Rage in Heaven!}}
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====''Classics''====
{{note|The Classics comic takes place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a [[splinter timeline]] that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or Generation 2.}}

[[Image:CrossingOver5-RodimusMirage.jpg|right|thumb|250px|We got to buy... more time!]]

Once peace was restored on [[Klo]], Hot Rod followed Optimus Prime back to Cybertron, where the young Autobot fell back into the racing scene. After countless years of fighting for his life, this quickly bored Hot Rod, who went to Optimus to ask advice. Hot Rod was put in charge of the rehabilitation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the integration of the millions of Transformers who had fled the planet during the war. To keep the returning Transformers entertained, Hot Rod devised the [[Cybertron Grand Challenge]], a cross-factional racing event of an epic scale. Following his cultural triumph, Hot Rod changed his name to Rodimus, both to reflect his growing maturity and in homage to Optimus Prime, the leader he still adored. Rodimus became one of Optimus Prime's closest officers, and when [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] reared his head again on [[Earth]], Rodimus was one of the first recruited to accompany Optimus to hunt him down. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 15|''Classics'' Rodimus profile}}

After the Autobots discovered the mysterious Autobot, [[Skyfall (Cybertron)|Skyfall]], they flew to [[South America]] to investigate a mysterious power source. Rodimus led them there with a tracking device, muttering that he wished [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] were around to help him use it. Clearly they arrived at the correct location, however, because the Decepticons were there looking for it as well! {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 3}} As the battle raged, [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and Rodimus cornered Soundwave, but the two worried that they were being overwhelmed by numbers. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 5}} Rodimus tried contacting [[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]], but the Autobot scout wasn't responding, and so Rodimus grew even more frustrated when Mirage went invisible and left him. Mirage's gambit helped win the battle, and the Decepticons withdrew. {{storylink|Crossing Over: Part 6}}

Rodimus was damaged severely, and so after the battle in South America, Optimus Prime carried him all the way home. Bumblebee was asked to put him in a [[CR chamber]]. {{storylink|Games of Deception}}
{{-}}

===S.T.A.R.S. pack-in flyers===
[[Image:PackIn RodimusPrimeRemembers Front.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Just like he remembers Woodstock.]]

Unicron just might consume the universe, and the Autobots need to determine who the Chosen One is so that he may rise from their ranks, unlock the Matrix of Power, and save all from Unicron! Unfortunately, not even the Chosen One himself knows his identity, and his discovery may come too late.
{{storylink|The Autobots Have a Special Mission for:}}

There was a legendary conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons when Optimus Prime led Rodimus Prime and a large team of Autobots in a search for the future site of [[Autobot City]]. They were ambushed by Megatron and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and this became known as the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth. Rodimus Prime dubbed it "[[Digital Doom on the Highway to Destruction]]." {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}} Some of the Autobots were forced to retreat due to Thundercracker's "force shield," and Optimus Prime told Rodimus and the others that their only hope was to call in for additional troops. {{storylink|Transformers Combat Data}}

Later, Rodimus Prime remembered the Transformers' greatest battle on Earth. {{storylink|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.|Rodimus Prime remembers the Transformers greatest battle on Earth.}}
{{-}}

===Big Looker Storybook continuity===
[[Image:CarShowBlowup-AutobotCity.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Hot Rod clearly does not pass emissions standards.]]

Kup and Hot Rod traveled to the coliseum to check out a robot car the [[human]]s had built that could respond to voice commands. They heard about it on their car radios! But when they arrived at the coliseum, Kup spotted Decepticons flying about. As some entered the back door, Kup shooed Hot Rod away, telling him to warn the others. If Hot Rod stayed, he would just get into trouble!

[[Image:Wildboyofquintessonbattle.jpg|right|200px|thumb|This is the genocide referred to [[:Image:EdgeofImpact-EvilRodimus.jpg|above]].]]

When Hot Rod returned with the Autobots, Kup had been captured and held prisoner, so the others entered the coliseum in vehicle mode. Meanwhile, Hot Rod snuck up behind Kup and freed him. Yelling "Geronimo!" they jumped from the control room onto the coliseum floor, taking the Decepticons by surprise. Galvatron and the others escaped, but Kup and Hot Rod agreed that they'd be ready for him when he returned. {{storylink|Car Show Blow Up}}

Later, Kup, led Hot Rod, [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], and the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] on a special mission to take supplies from Earth to a space station on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s second moon. Despite Kup's warnings, the Dinobots loaded too many supplies onto the ship, and in the middle of their journey, the ship began to have problems. Hot Rod reassured Arcee that everything would be okay, but the ship was going down! It crashed on a planet which Kup recognized. It was the planet [[Quintessa|Quintesson]]! They were interrupted by a tribal scream and a flurry of firestones. However, the boy who made his presence known was not aiming at them, but at the Quintessons behind them. The boy's name was [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], and he had been abandoned on the planet when his ship crashed their earlier.

Wheelie led them through the jungle, battling Quintessons along the way, until they reached Wheelie's crashed ship. Hot Rod was able to fix it, and everyone left the planet Quintesson, Wheelie included! {{storylink|The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson}}
{{--}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[Image:DecepticonsatthePole-HotRodSparks.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Say I'm badly drawn to my face, pal!]]
Hot Rod was one of several troops stationed on Earth when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] was in charge and the Transformers' war was still a secret one. He got along well with [[Spike Witwicky (G1)|Spike Witwicky]], the two spending their downtime looking at car magazines together, and was quite pleased to receive some snazzy gold wheel-trims from the boy. {{storylink|Decepticon Hideout|Decepticon Hideout}}

In the time following this campaign, Hot Rod would mature into a more sensible warrior and even a team leader. During the early stages of the war on [[Nebulos]], Hot Rod was Autobot commander against [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus']] Decepticons before the return of Optimus Prime. At one point, he prevented the Decepticons causing Nebulos' destruction via cosmic radiation. {{storylink|Decepticons at the Pole|Decepticons at the Pole}}

===Sticker Adventures===
Out searching for a missing shuttle, Hot Rod and Kup spied it crashed on the Junk planet. They landed to find their friends engaged in battle with the natives, but Kup cautioned Hot Rod not to rashly jump in and join them. Kup's use of the Universal Autobot Greeting resulted in the Junkions abandoning the fight and making friends with the newcomers, and causing Hot Rod to exclaim "Holy cow!" The Junkions helped repair the damaged shuttle before the Autobots left. {{storylink|Battle on the Junk Planet}}
{{-}}
===Young Corgi Adventure books===

[[Image:Wolf at the door desert of danger.jpg|thumb|right|200px|When you're weary, feelin' small...]]
Hot Rod had himself delivered by freight to the planet of Nebulos, where he and his Targetmaster partner Professor Sparks suspected the Decepticons were attempting reinforce their position in spite of a treaty in place to limit their numbers. With [[You|your]] help they traced the Decepticons to the [[Wolf at the Door]] nightclub, an [[oil]] bar for Nebulan miners run by [[Monzo]], and discovered that [[Weirdwolf]], [[Skullcruncher]] and [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]] were importing [[Attack Squad robot]]s from Cybertron and awakening them from cryogenic suspension with a catalytic stimulant disguised as [[Sirian brandy]].

After a confrontation with the Decepticons that left Skullcruncher and Mindwipe out of action, Hot Rod faced off against Weirdwolf and Monzo. Weirdwolf was defiant, but Monzo wasn't feeling lucky and surrendered to the Autobot. Though the Headmasters had to be released under the terms of the treaty, the Attack Squad robots were destroyed. {{storylink|Desert of Danger}}

{{note|"Desert of Danger" is a [[multipath adventure]] and the above only applies to the optimum path through the book. If you make the wrong decision, the Decepticons may well triumph instead.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers PD Type'' comic===
[[Image:Pdtype_rodimus_manga.jpg|left|250px|thumb|]]

Clutching a [[Blackball]], Rodimus Prime found himself being attacked by Galvatron. As the Decepticon leader attempted to throttle him, a light shone from Rodimus's chest, making Galvatron think it was the power of the Blackball. After Galvatron had fled, Rodimus revealed it was just a torch, and reflected on what an idiot his foe was. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##11 "Take a Stand! Rodimus Prime!"|Take a Stand! Rodimus Prime!}}

As Fortress Maximus and Mega Zarak clashed violently, Rodimus reminds Optimus that he had said never to let those two fight. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##14 "Watch Out! Mega Zarak!"|Watch Out! Mega Zarak!}}

Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime enjoyed many victories against the Decepticons, but [[Greatshot|who was that in the background?]] {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##15 "No One Knows When he's Come or Gone. Greatshot..."|No One Knows When he's Come or Gone. Greatshot...}}

Together with Ultra Magnus, Rodimus engaged in battle against [[Sixshot]], but was terrified when the Decepticon ninja unleashed the fury of his "Six Shadow Selves"! Luckily for Rodimus, Sixshot's doppelgangers were actually other Decepticons whom he'd painted black (and weren't very happy about it).{{storylink|Transformers PD Type##18|The Ninja of Space, Sixshot!!}}

In a later altercation with Sixshot, Rodimus attempted to use his Photon Eliminator gun to strike down the fleeing ninja. Though he managed to shoot ''every other'' Decepticon on the battlefield, he failed to hit his intended target. Rodimus sat pouting in the corner as the other Autobots convened to register their disappointment that Rodimus let Sixshot get away.{{storylink|Transformers PD Type##21|Photon Eliminator}}

Joining [[Ginrai|God Ginrai]] and Ultra Magnus in an assault on Mega Zarak, Rodimus was terrified when the mammoth Decepticon unleashed his titanic Anti-Gravity Rifle. Fortunately for the Autobots, the gun jammed and Mega Zarak was left fiddling with it while they opened fire. {{storylink|Transformers PD Type##24|Anti-Gravity Rifle}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers in 3-D''===
[[Image:WarAgainstDestructions-HotRodApeface.jpg|right|thumb|300px|GRONK yourself!]]
As Ultra Magnus left for a mission to find an Energon source, Hot Rod assured him that everything would be fine on Cybertron, and if there was any hint of trouble "Rodimus" would pop up and save the day. When Magnus later checked in, Hot Rod reported that they'd made some process on Headmaster technology. Though Magnus was more concerned about the threat of war, Hot Rod told him not to worry, unaware that [[Sixshot]] was planning to throw him a surprise. {{storylink|The Test (issue)|The Test}}

Hot Rod was pleased to have [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] back. Then [[Monitorus]] arrived with the news that [[Tau-Ursa]] had been attacked and leveled by Decepticons, and Hot Rod got to point out that the Tau-Ursans had refused the Autobots permission to build a defense base there. He shortly took part in an attempt to repel a Decepticon attack on Cybertron, finding himself fighting against Sixshot, who seemed more interested in goading him than fighting. This turned out to be a diversion, while [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] used his new [[Nullification Cannon]] on the planet's Energon supplies.

Hot Rod and Blurr next visited Tau-Ursa to check for Decepticons, and encountered [[Apeface|Ape Face]], who had found a [[Logicon]] warning beacon. The two Autobots wrestled it from him and returned to Cybertron, where the beacon was found to hold the coordinates to [[Metascan Alpha]], a major Energon storehouse. Prime placed Hot Rod in charge of one of two teams to search for the planet, though the operation was hampered slightly by the discovery of the two Decepticon [[Clone (subgroup)|Clone]]s spying on them. {{storylink|The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3}}

{{Note|At this point [[Blackthorne Publishing]] went bankrupt and the storyline was never completed}}
{{-}}

===Dreamwave comics continuity===
[[Image:Hotroddreamwave.jpg|left|thumb|]]Hot Rod joined an underground Autobot cell led by [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] after [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] takeover of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. Among the members of the cell was [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]], who Hot Rod became attached to. From the [[Wastelands]], Hot Rod, [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] observed an incoming Decepticon shuttle carrying the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]]. {{storylink|Cold War|Cold War}} Shortly afterward, the cell rescued [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] from [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout]], and took him to their base. After awakening, Prime attacked [[Gnaw]], Blurr, and [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], forcing Hot Rod (who didn't recognize him) to hold the Autobot leader at gunpoint. After being <strike>bitch slapped</strike> admonished by Kup, Hot Rod apologized. {{storylink|Passive Aggression}}

After Shockwave unleashed the [[Guardian robot]]s on [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]], Prime organized the resistance cell and other Autobot forces on the planet in an assault on Shockwave's citadel. Fighting alongside the Autobot leader, Hot Rod was amazed that the stories Kup had told him about Prime's courage and heroism had all been true. As an injured Prime breached the citadel, Hot Rod, Ironhide and [[Springer (G1)|Springer]] provided cover fire, taking down a number of Guardians in the process. Along with the rest of Iacon, they witnessed the divine light of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Autobot Matrix of Leadership]] when Shockwave activated it. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}}

As Prime and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] battled Shockwave within the citadel, Hot Rod and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] took down [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]]. Immediately afterward, they were confronted with the looming threat of a remaining Guardian robot—a threat that was soon neutralized by the arrival of the [[Wrecker|Wreckers]], the [[Autobot High Council]], and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. The unified Autobot group soon breached the citadel. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

Some time later, Hot Rod ran a simulation combat scenario against Kup, and won using tactics that, in Kup's opinion, would have killed them both had it been real. Only after his victory did Hot Rod remember that he'd promised to take Arcee to see an [[Earth]]-bound shuttle launch—a duty Springer was happy to relieve him of. {{storylink|Lost and Found (issue)|Lost and Found}} Soon afterward, he was assigned to perimeter guard duty at [[Autobase]] with Gnaw and Wheelie, separating him from Arcee. {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}
{{-}}

===''Universe: Featuring the Wreckers''===
[[Image:Skidswreckers2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|It's funny because Rodimus sucked at everything.]]

A few months after the destruction of [[Unicron]] in 2005, Rodimus Prime spearheaded an effort to establish multiple recon posts to watch for advancing threats... even though some of his scientists said he shouldn't. When only two of the five launched ships were ever heard from again, Rodimus felt like a schmuck. Guy can't catch a break. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

After the Great Wars ended and the [[Pax Cybertronia]] was signed, he changed his name to simply "Rodimus" and decided to check out the new "[[Great Upgrade|Maximal Upgrade]]". His relationship with [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] effectively ended shortly after, as the latter went through dark gripping emo depression over the death of [[Daniel Witwicky (G1)|Daniel Witwicky]] and vanished.

Rodimus joined the [[Wrecker|Wreckers]] at some undetermined point afterward. After [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] took over Cybertron with his [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]], Wrecker leader [[Apelinq]] got stranded on prehistoric [[Earth]], leaving Rodimus in charge. True to form, he ditched leadership duties to [[Primal Prime]] as soon as possible.

After Primal Prime got his marching orders from the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], he met Rodimus deep inside Cybertron's caverns, where an even more gothy-emo Arcee—in a new Maximal body—lurked and stewed in her depression. Realizing he couldn't convince her to give a damn about anything, he left, rejoining the main Wrecker force in battle. Making it onto an ancient Autobot shuttle, the Wreckers blasted off... with late-arrival Arcee. {{storylink|Departure}}

[[Image:Arceedisclosure.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Except you're the size of my arm now.]]

Rodimus recognized the homing beacon emitting from [[Akalo|Archa Nine]] as one of those missing exploration parties mentioned before. When the shuttle landed, Rodimus stayed behind to help repair the damage the ship had suffered. The entire Wrecker team later gathered in an [[Akalouthan]] village, where Rodimus was reunited with [[Glyph (G1)|Glyph]], who took them to see the artifact known as the [[Divine Light]]. The Wreckers' analysis of the item was cut short, as it was stolen by the traitor [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Rodimus saw the back-in-his-old-body [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] off, who was sent to chase after Cyclonus, while the Wreckers made for their next destination... even though several of them were now leery of the visions Primal Prime had been getting. Because they'd really done ''so well'' by the Wreckers so far. {{storylink|Betrayal}}

Upon landing on the frozen planet, Rodimus was part of the search party immediately dispatched to look for... something. Primal Prime wasn't too specific. They came across [[Al-Badur]], an exiled [[Quintesson]], who gave them a little history lesson. They were then promptly attacked by a school of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]], but the Wreckers made short work of them. They made their way back to the ship, with Al-Badur in tow, and made for their next destination... {{storylink|Disclosure}}

[[Image:Sentinelcryotekwreckersfinale.jpg|right|thumb|300px|If Optimus can die, so can I!]]

...Cybertron. As Primal Prime took some Wreckers after their true foe, [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], Rodimus tried to get their injured to a safe place. Unfortunately, the planet was under a full scale Quintesson invasion, and some anti-aircraft fire inevitably clipped the ship and sent them plummeting downwards. After they made it to safe ground, Rodimus and the crew hooked up with his fellow [[Matrix Templar]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and followed his insight to the battle. They confronted Cryotek's underling, Cyclonus, and his purloined squad of [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s. With casualties mounting on both sides, Cyclonus beat a safe retreat, collapsing the tunnel behind him to prevent pursuit. Rodimus was quick enough to dive through the falling debris, however, leaving the two old enemies alone to do battle. Centuries of bad blood carried them through the conflict, until both drew their weapons at point blank range, and fired.

Horribly damaged by this last attack, Rodimus struggled to keep up with the other Wreckers and the running conflict between [[Sentinel Maximus]] and Cryotek. The fighting came to an end at a Quintesson banishing chamber, where the treacherous Al-Badur had attempted to toss Sentinel and Cryotek into a formless void. The two warriors were trapped behind an energy dome, barely able to fight off the portal's pull using their flight systems. Once [[Fractyl]] pointed out that Cryotek was empowered by the Divine Light, a fraction of Primus's own power, Rodimus realized that as Matrix Templars he and Cheetor could drain that power away from the Predacon. They managed to extract most of it before Cryotek cut off their siphoning effect. In the end, Sentinel Maximus sacrificed himself to pull Cryotek into the void with him. Rodimus finally expired from his wounds from fighting Cyclonus, quietly passing on into the Matrix. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}
{{-}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[Image:GIJoeTFHotRod70s.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"That bumperchest really doesn't feel right. How do Prowl and Jazz live with it?"]]
Hot Rod was one of [[Teletran 3]]'s unfortunate victims when the computer malfunctioned and transported a random number of Transformers to random points in Earth's timeline. Along with [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], Hot Rod ended up in mid-1970's [[San Francisco]], where he was locked into the form of a Ford Mustang muscle car. The dormant Autobot was soon stolen by a car thief, but was chased down by a group of [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joes]] and [[Cobra]] members sent to retrieve the Transformers. Discovering [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]] in the process, the humans equipped both vehicles with [[disruption unit]] that awakened the Transformers and sent them back to present-day Cybertron seconds after Hot Rod commented about feeling "really weird." {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}} Back on Cybertron, they were stuck waiting inside the force field Ultra Magnus had erected to prevent [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] from capturing Teletran 3. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}}

Some time after his time travel adventure, Hot Rod reported to Optimus Prime that [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s team on Earth had been sidetracked by a Cobra attack. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 2|The Art of War #2}} When said team ended up disappearing in Cybertron's [[Gladiator Zone]], Hot Rod convinced Optimus to stay behind and take care of an Autobot peace ceremony instead of going out and searching for them. Hot Rod then assembled his own search party, but they failed to find the missing Autobots. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 3|The Art of War #3}} Unfortunately, [[Serpentor|Serpent O.R.]]'s forces attacked the peace ceremony and captured Optimus Prime, leading to Hot Rod assembling a new team intent on rescuing him. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 4|The Art of War #4}} They fought Serpent O.R.'s Decepticon army together with reinforcements from G.I. Joe, and during the battle, Hot Rod paused in horror as he saw the light of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] being opened inside the Decepticon base. The Decepticon army eventually defeated, and by the time Hot Rod reached inside their base, Serpent O.R. had been killed as well. {{storylink|The Art of War issue 5|The Art of War #6}}

A few months later, Hot Rod questioned Optimus Prime's choice to go to Earth again, accusing his leader of feeling guilty about [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s death at Serpent O.R.'s hands and doing everything by himself just to prevent more people from dying. Prime just looked at him sadly before leaving, causing Ultra Magnus to tell Hot Rod that he really needed to learn when to stop talking. {{storylink|Black Horizon, Part 1 of 2|Black Horizon, Part 1}}

{{-}}

===IDW comics continuity===
{{ongoing}}
[[Image:SpotlightHotRod rush.jpg|right|180px|thumb|WHEEEEEEE! AWESOME! TUBULAR! COWABUNGA! REAGANOMICS!]]
Years ago, Hot Rod was put in charge of a mission to the planet Ki-Aleta to obtain a powerful artifact named the [[Magnificence]] so as to keep it out of the hands of the Decepticons. The mission started off smoothly enough, with [[Gizmo]] using a [[holomatter]] generator to distract the defense systems while the rest of the team went after the Magnificence. Unfortunately, after that everything that could go wrong did go wrong. First, the generator malfunctioned, then [[Download]] tripped the security lasers around the Magnificence itself. Gizmo, Download, and [[Backbeat]] were destroyed by the security systems while Hot Rod and [[Doubledealer|Dealer]] fled. Hot Rod, nearing the exit tunnels they had previously drilled, got a call from Dealer—he had been ambushed by a Decepticon attack squad and needed help. Unfortunately, Hot Rod had been given his own, top secret orders: the Magnificence was to be the top priority of the mission, and placed before all else. With a heavy heart, Hot Rod abandoned Dealer to his fate as he left Ki-Aleta with the Magnificence.

Years later, Hot Rod learned that Dealer had not died that day; he was being held prisoner at the Decepticon penal colony known as [[Styx]]. Hot Rod stealthily infiltrated the prison complex, using a holomatter generator to disguise himself as a guard and then short-circuiting the power grid to cause all the cell doors to unlock. During the chaos he snuck in, extracted Dealer, and took off while the Decepticons were busy getting the prisoners under control. {{storylink|Spotlight: Hot Rod}}

[[Image:Escalation6 HotRod Koska.jpg|left|170px|thumb|Mine!]]
Recently, Hot Rod was called to [[Earth]] to aid the crew of the ''[[Ark-19]]'' in procuring a Decepticon [[facsimile construct]] from [[Brasnya]], a former Soviet state in eastern Europe. {{storylink|Escalation issue 3|Escalation #3}} He and [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] went down to Earth from the ''[[Ark-32]]'' against [[Nightbeat (G1)|Nightbeat]]'s wishes, and proceeded to join the battle unannounced. As Hardhead went to support the main battle, Hot Rod went after the facsimile... which led to him colliding with [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] as they both tried to stop the [[Georgi Koska]] facsimile from letting himself get gunned down by Soviet soldiers. {{storylink|Escalation issue 4|Escalation #4}} Prowl and Hot Rod managed to defuse the situation and secure the facsimile in the end {{storylink|Escalation issue 5|Escalation #5}}, but before he could return to his ship he was attacked by [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], unable to defend himself because he had to keep the facsimile alive. After returning to the ''Ark-32'', he had to be put in a [[CR chamber]] to recover. His injuries were for nothing, as the facsimile melted during the bounce. {{storylink|Escalation issue 6|Escalation #6}}

[[Image:Devastation6 HotRod Hardhead.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Hardhead, I'm with Arcee now. Let it go.]]
After Hot Rod was repaired and reformatted into a Dodge Viper, his "friend" Dealer tried to convince him to pull some strings to get him to Earth, but Hot Rod and [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] had the more important task of rescuing [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 1|Devastation #1}} They ran into a bit of trouble with the [[Machination]]'s [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]]. {{storylink|Devastation issue 2|Devastation #2}} They managed to escape temporarily, but were found and Wheeljack was incapacitated. Hot Rod easily held his own with the Headmasters {{storylink|Devastation issue 5|Devastation #5}}, and noted that for [[Sunstreaker (G1)|some]] [[Hunter O'Nion|reason]] they had lost their "edge". He received a little help from Hardhead, who was mainly there to take Hot Rod and the others back to the ''Ark-32'' for evacuation to [[Garrus-9]]. Hot Rod refused to go, wanting to see the Headmaster mystery through to the end. Hardhead reluctantly let him go. {{storylink|Devastation issue 6|Devastation #6}}

[[Image:SPDHotRodM.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh, Magic 8-Ball, will I ever be Prime in this continuity?]]
Hot Rod's search was interrupted by Dealer's arrival on Earth, with orders for Hot Rod: find the Magnificence and use it to learn what they could about the Expansion. Hot Rod took Dealer to his hiding spot, which turned out to be the planet where they first found the device. As Dealer and Hot Rod closed on the Magnificence, he went over his first visit to the planet in his mind, and how things could have gone so wrong. Eventually he began to have suspicions, and upon locating the Magnificence, asked it the question that haunted him: had Dealer betrayed him? Sadly, it revealed the truth, and Hot Rod was forced to kill Dealer as the traitor attacked. Looking down on his remains, Hot Rod realized the truth had been staring him in the face, he just hadn't wanted to accept it. He then used the Magnificence to find out all he could about the Expansion, and relayed the information to the Autobots. {{storylink|Spotlight: Doubledealer}}

[[Image:HotRodMaxDino02.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You're not fooling anyone, [[Judd Nelson| Bender]]. The next screw that falls out will be YOU.]]

Returning to Earth to continue his search, Hot Rod arrived at the gates of the Machination's complex, and Scorponok prepared himself to deal with the intruder. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 1|Maximum Dinobots #1}} Unfortunately, Hot Rod found himself fighting well out of his weight class as he was man handled by Scorponok, who cheerfully bashed his face in, put out one of his optics and snapped his leg. The Headmasters dragged him into Scorponok's control room where, with absolutely no prompting, the big man explained his entire plan for the Dynobots, Skywatch and the Machination. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 2|Maximum Dinobots #2}}

Hot Rod seemed less than impressed with this rather mundane approach, which ticked Scorponok off enough for him to point out that it was obviously just the first stage in his master plan. He was also warned to remained awed or he'd be of no further interest. When the Dynobots and newly-arrived [[Monsterbot]]s seemed to turn Scorponok's plan on its head, Hot Rod burst out laughing, at which point, Scorponok ordered him taken out and shot. In the lift to the surface, Hot Rod suddenly erupted in flames, killing his captors, but draining his power supply. Weakened and with a crippled leg, he collapsed on the floor. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 3|Maximum Dinobots #3}}

He made it out of the building and ran into the real Sunstreaker, who blasted the 2 clones following Hot Rod. Sunstreaker ignored Hot Rod's warning about Scorponok's army and stormed into the building so Hot Rod painfully wired himself to send a distress signal. When Sunstreaker's real head was later disabled by Hunter, the Headmaster clones shut down, which Hot Rod explained to [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. The group was surprised by the arrival of [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], but [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] had heard Hot Rod's distress call and was on his way to Earth. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 4|Maximum Dinobots #4}}

After Scorponok knocked out [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]] and Grimlock tended to him, the remaining Dynobots offered Hot Rod a lift aboard the Monsterbots' ship. He refused though, and made it back into Machination HQ to take care of something "personal". He eventually found Scorponok's real head (and remarked how ugly it was). Hunter also showed up and let Hot Rod know how to disable it, but before he could do so, Scorponok grabbed him. Before Scorponok could crush Hot Rod's head, the Dynobots showed up and began to battle Scorponok. Hot Rod told [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] which wires to sever, and he did just that, reducing Scorponok to a catatonic state. Ultra Magnus arrived took everyone back aboard his ship, which later docked with the ''Ark-32''. Within 3 days, Hot Rod was fully repaired, with a new body form design. {{storylink|Maximum Dinobots issue 5|Maximum Dinobots #5}}

Some time later, while traveling through space by himself, Hot Rod found himself under attack by the ''[[Torment]]'', a Decepticon warship crewed by [[Bludgeon (G1)|Bludgeon]] and the [[Pretender Monster]]s. He was shot down, but managed to transmit a distress call to the Autobot starship ''[[Trion]]'', which came to his rescue. After the Decepticons were chased off, Hot Rod joined the crew of the ''Trion''. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 15|Lost & Found}}

[[Image:Ironhide punches Hot Rod.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Ironhide has waited twenty-two years to pay Hot Rod back for [[The Transformers: The Movie|shooting down his shuttle]].]]
When the Decepticons' galaxy-wide assault hit, the ''Trion'' was shot down over Cybertron. Hot Rod sent out a distress signal and was ecstatic when he ran into some other Autobots. They must've come specifically to save his team and... wait, why do you all look surprised about my signal and appear beaten up and resourceless and... ''oh arsebiscuits''! {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 4|All Hail Megatron #4}}

Hot Rod was taken back to base and relayed the story of how he and his other crew-mates from the ''Trion'' arrived on Cybertron, having been diverted there by Decepticon ships and forced to crash land. Once on the surface, Hot Rod sent out his distress signal and was ''so'' sure someone heard it. Kup arrived with the rest of the ''Trion'''s crew at that point, just in time to tell Hot Rod ''of course'' no one heard his message. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 5|All Hail Megatron #5}}

After the Autobots narrowly avoided the [[Insecticon swarm]] and Sunstreaker sacrificed himself, Hot Rod jumped to [[Drift (G1)|Drift]]'s defense when he was being insulted by [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 9|All Hail Megatron #9}} When the Autobots were later rescued by [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Hot Rod was glad that he sent out the distress call. He was then ferried to Earth with the other Autobots aboard Omega. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron issue 10|All Hail Megatron #10}}

[[Image:Ongoing issue 1-Hot Rod has had enough.jpg|right|thumb|150px|"Don't talk to me about stuck, Hot Rod, you're the one with that horrible sneer stuck on your face!"]]
For the next two years, the Autobots would remain on Earth as Prime feared the return of the Decepticons. Unfortunately, this lead to the capture of a number of Autobots by Skywatch, including [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], [[Gears (G1)|Gears]] and Prowl. Hot Rod, already frustrated, lashed out at Optimus, accusing him of keeping the Autobots on the planet because he needed someone to protect and demanding he be allowed lead a team to rescue Prowl. An admonished Prime agreed to a covert operation, but with Ironhide along to watch over things. While Prowl was freed, it turned out the humans had used him as bait to draw the other Autobots in. However Wheeljack's new shielding protected Hot Rod's team from Skywatch's inhibitors and in a panic the soldiers switched to lethal measures. Hot Rod was targeted and Ironhide was killed protecting him. An enraged Hot Rod turned on the humans, damaging their equipment and machinery.

After returning with Ironhide's body, Hot Rod was shocked as Optimus Prime resigned his position as leader. {{storylink|...For All Mankind}} Disgusted with Prime's decision and unimpressed with the indecisiveness of the others, Hot Rod decided to make his own way. He announced his intention to leave planet Earth behind, and invited any of his fellow Autobots to follow him in pursuit of that goal. After leaving the Autobot caves with a half-dozen recruits, Hot Rod went looking for Omega Supreme, in the hopes of convincing the massive Autobot to use his interstellar rocket mode to get them all off-planet. Omega remained resolutely loyal to Optimus Prime, however, and refused to abandon the Earth. At that moment, a small squad of Decepticon stragglers led by [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] staged an attack on Omega Supreme. After some fast and smooth-talking, Swindle convinced Hot Rod that they all wanted the same thing...to go home. The Autobots put it to a vote, and the majority decided to work with the Decepticons to get off of Earth. {{storylink|New Arrivals, Old Encounters}}

The first thing Swindle asked of Hot Rod was help in reviving their incapacitated "brothers"...several Decepticons mode-locked by the humans. Hot Rod convinced [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] to work on the problem, as there "were no sides anymore", and these other Decepticons were brought back on-line to help with the construction of a new space cruiser. {{storylink|A Rude Awakening}}

[[Image:SeasonsInFlight-RodimusMagnus.jpg|left|thumb|300px|No, don't shoot Swindle! He had some cheap electronics equipment in his van he wanted to sell me!]]

Hot Rod wasn't completely foolish -- when Swindle started suggesting they find and revive all the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s, he remembered how deadly [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] could be, and rejected the idea. Ever the smooth-talker, though, Swindle convinced Hot Rod to let the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticons]] go after [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]], the last missing member of their unit. He did so by lavishing a ridiculous amount of praise on Hot Rod, calling him Rodimus Prime, the herald of a new age.

The alliance was soon tested when [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] arrived on the scene, attempting to investigate the death of Ironhide for Autobot Command. When he saw Hot...saw ''Rodimus'' working with Decepticons, and Swindle of all mechs, he freaked out and tried to take the Decepticon ringleader into custody. Rodimus and the other Autobots stood up for Swindle, though, and told Magnus he had to be prepared to fight ''all'' of them if he wanted to take ''one'' of them. Stunned that they did not respect his authoritay, Magnus retreated and work continued on the star cruiser. {{storylink|Seasons in Flight}}

What everyone failed to realize, even Ultra Magnus, was that Swindle was not only trading in combiner technology, he knew how to make it work. By the time Magnus came back for Swindle with a posse of Autobots, the Decepticon was prepared to end his alliance with Rodimus. He had forged the Stunticons into [[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]], and turned the giant loose on the assembled Autobots. {{storylink|Enemies of the System}}

Rodimus fought alongside Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime and the others against the renewed Decepticon threat. They finally managed to bring down the titan, but the alliance was finished and Rodimus's own comrades turned against him for his poor judgment. Looking to escape his own bad decisions, Rodimus hijacked Ultra Magnus's ship and fled out into space. {{storylink|Earthworks}}
{{-}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:Henkei_manga_rodimus.jpg|right|thumb|155px]]
While the other Autobots were busy dealing with a rampaging [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Astrotrain]], Rodimus disrupted [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Megatron]] and the other Decepticons' attack on a power plant by engaging them solo. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2}} Unable to tackle Megatron in hand-to-hand combat, he was able to get [[Starscream (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Starscream]] to accidentally blast his leader instead, but this did little more than annoy Megatron, who flattened Rodimus with a [[fusion cannon]] blast. With Rodimus defeated, the Decepticons pulled out, but the Autobot cavalier didn't let the defeat get him down, and he sped off to join the other Autobots in battling Astrotrain. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3}} Soon after, Rodimus helped defend another power plant against a Decepticon attack, shielding the human workers from Starscream's blasts with his own body. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4}}

When the mysterious new Decepticon warrior [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cyclonus]] provided Megatron with the means to transform himself into the monstrous [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Galvatron]], Rodimus, [[Ironhide (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ironhide]] and [[Mirage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Mirage]] trailed Cyclonus's Targetmaster partner [[Nightstick (Cyclonus)|Nightstick]] to the volcano in which Megatron was carrying out his transformation. Despite resistance from Starscream and Cyclonus, Rodimus and his team were able to collapse the volcano's cone in on itself. They believed they had sealed Megatron within, and were about to focus their attack on Starscream when they were sent scattering by the explosive emergence of Galvatron from the remains of the caldera. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun manga===

Following the defeat of [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Galvatron]] on [[Earth]], Rodimus was among the Autobots that [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Optimus Prime]] summoned to the planet. Together with [[Ironhide (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Ironhide]], [[Hound (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Hound]] and [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun manga|Skyfire]], Rodimus was to protect the planet while Optimus's team set off for Cybertron in pursuit of the fleeing Galvatron. {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Hot Rod was one of [[Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in a fight against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s Decepticon forces. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth''===
[[Image:C64RodimusPrimeAndHotRod.jpg|right|thumb|250px|]]

Along with their fellow Autobots, Hotrod{{sic}} and Rodimus Prime protected Earth from the menace of the Decepticons. Hotrod was ostensibly under the command of Rodimus Prime. {{storylink|The Transformers: Battle to Save the Earth}}

{{note|In this game, "Hotrod" and Rodimus Prime are separate characters who can be in the same place at the same time. Don't try to think about this too hard.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
[[Image:Mysteryofconvoy_rodimus.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]
When Optimus Prime went missing under mysterious circumstances, Ultra Magnus was given the task of battling hordes of Decepticons in order to solve the mystery of his whereabouts. The Decepticons had also stolen a collection of seven energon cubes belonging to Rodimus Prime, which Magnus strove to recover during his fight. When all seven were successfully obtained and the battle was won, a new challenge rose its head, but with his energon cubes back, Rodimus was able to take up the fight! He had a funny habit of looking like an orange Ultra Magnus if you looked at him sideways. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[Image:Callofthefuture_rodimus.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"I am from the future and know a lot about history!"]]

:''Voice actor:'' [[Peter von Gomm]]

When [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] gained the incredible power of the [[Zel Quartz]] in the year 2010 and began cutting a swath of destruction across the galaxy, Rodimus Prime, [[Kup (G1)|Kup]] and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] resolved to prevent this devastation by traveling back in time and eliminating the quartz in the past, thereby altering their future. Using a [[Transwarp]]-equipped ship supplied by the [[Quintesson]]s, they traveled to the world of [[Zel Samine]] in the year 2003, where they ran across teams of present-day Autobots and Decepticons led by [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who were carrying out investigations on their own on the planet. Making matters worse, [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] also followed them back in time, and the two teams allied themselves with their respective present-day factions in order to locate the Zel Quartz.

After several false leads, the quartz was eventually located, serving as the power source of the [[ELTA]] power transmission array. Rodimus and Optimus engaged Megatron and Galvatron in a two-on-two battle over ELTA, using the power of their twin Matrices to stop the computer from self-destructing. Once the dust from the fight had settled, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] snatched up the Zel Quartz, only to promptly take it off-planet, where it disintegrated without Zel Samine's atmosphere and electromagnetic properties to sustain it. With their future thus averted, Rodimus and his Autobots began fading away to rejoin the timestream. Before they disappeared, Rodimus attempted to warn Optimus of the coming dangers in the future, including his Optimus's death (for which Rodimus continued to blame himself), but Optimus silenced him, telling him that he did not need to know what the future held. Rodimus told Optimus that he would always be the greatest leader in Autobot history, but Optimus told him that he was merely a soldier who loved justice, and that that was all Rodimus needed to be too. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|Call of the Future}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Hot Rod (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[Image:RodimusPrime-earlymodel.jpg|right|thumb|250px|"It's the end of the road, Galvatron! ...right after I take my pills."]]
* Like the rest of the 1986 movie's original characters, Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime had early designs by [[Floro Dery]] which the toys were based on, and then final models were drawn from the toys. Rodimus Prime's first design is the most obscure, since unlike the others, it wasn't published in the ''[[Transformers Universe (Marvel comic)|Transformers Universe]]'' profile books, nor did it appear in the comics. Since it looked like a frail old man despite the intent for Rodimus Prime to be Optimus Prime's super-awesome successor, perhaps it was rejected more quickly than the others.
** But not so quickly that the toy wasn't based on it. Check out [[:Image:G1 RodimusPrime toy.jpg|that face!]]
** Rodimus Prime's early model appears to carry the trailer of the truck on his back, plus additional [[kibble]] on the back of his forearms. If only there were art of the back of this design. We'd plotz.
**Curiously, it was Hot Rod's early model that served as the primary basis for Rodimus's ''finished'' model.

*Both Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime's character models suggest that the windshield and roof of their respective vehicles form the pelvic area, including little side windows on their hips. The animation studio [[AKOM]] even colored his crotch like his windshield. Unsurprisingly, this has never been duplicated on any toy.

*Meanwhile, both sets of wheels are on Hot Rod's arms in his character model, as they are intended to span the entire length of the vehicle. His wristcuffs are intended to become the vehicle's taillights. This also has never been duplicated on any toy.

[[Image:Hotrodrodimuscharactermodels.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Rodimus is always embarrassed by his yearbook photos.]]
*Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime look very similar in fiction, but there are ways to distinguish them by sight.
**Rodimus Prime's character model has extra lines on his face that go from the bottom of his nose and connect to another line forming a triangle shape. Hot Rod's cheeks are more clear and youthful.
**Despite their toys being the same color of red, the cartoon series rendered Hot Rod as magenta, and Rodimus a dark shade of burgundy (the movie, however, made Rodimus the same color as Hot Rod). In addition to repeatedly getting the two character models mixed up, sometimes the animation would depict one model colored as the other.
**In Marvel stories, Hot Rod was also colored almost entirely magenta, with a yellow spoiler and flame deco, but with silver thighs instead of orange. Whoever did the Marvel deco sheet seems to have been looking at the [[:Image:Pinkrod.jpg|original toy photos]] and colored the thighs like the toy's silver stickers. While Marvel Hot Rod was stark magenta, Marvel Rodimus was colored in the reds, oranges and yellows of his toy. Future comics and toys would ignore any differences in color between the character's two forms, presenting them both in the original toy colors (see the image at the head of the article for a good example).
**The Japanese ''[[The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]'' cartoon, in addition to featuring the coloration differences of the Generation 1 cartoon, also added some extra lines around the perimeter of Rodimus's eyes to further distinguish him from Hot Rod. These odd-looking lines appeared only intermittently, thankfully so—they made Rodimus look like he was wearing robo-mascara. The ''Headmasters'' Rodimus Prime character model also moved the wheel kibble from the back of the arms to the front, to better approximate their position on the toy.

* In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Hot Rod does not transform the same way twice.

[[Image:RodimusPrimeG1-trailermanagement.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Maybe his Mobile Defense Bay is just an extra set of legs!]]

* Rodimus Prime's toy followed the model set by Optimus Prime before him by having a trailer that disconnected and transformed into a battle station (in this case, called the "[[Mobile Defense Bay]]"). Unlike Prime's [[Combat Deck]], however, Rodimus's Defense Bay failed to make the leap to fiction, with the cartoon simply depicting his trailer as somewhat unfeasibly folding up into his legs and body <ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/stories/tfpulp/8704TVM/k.gif Image of Rodimus Prime's animated transformation scheme from TV Magazine]</ref> (barring a few animation errors that depicted it as a separate unit). This transformation scheme was realized in toy form with Rodimus's 6" ''[[Titanium Series]]'' action figure.

*Voice actor Ted Schwartz was originally cast to succeed Judd Nelson as the voice of Rodimus Prime for the third season of the animated series, but was subsequently replaced by [[Dick Gautier]]. Before his replacement, however, Schwartz recorded Rodimus's lines for several episodes (most likely all five parts of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]"), and although Gautier re-recorded the dialogue, technical oversight led to some of Schwartz's readings making it into the finished episodes. He can be heard delivering all of Rodimus's lines in the recap for [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1|part 1]] that plays at the beginning of [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2|part 2]], and speaking one line during the scene on [[Goo]] in [[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3|part 3]].

* Hot Rod might be the ''Transformers'' character with the most names in the US. From "Hot Rod" to "Rodimus Prime", to "Rodimus Major" to just plain "Rodimus". Varieties of "Rodimus" appear to be how he will be for a while, as Hasbro appears to be unable to secure the [[trademark]] on "Hot Rod".

* [[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'s powered up form has a color scheme which resembles Hot Rod's.

* Aside from the ''[[Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' [[Rodimus (Energon)|namesake character]], Hot Rod has also been [[Homage|homaged]] twice (or possibly thrice depending on how you look at it) in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. For ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the "[[Powerlinx]]" upgrade of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] was given a very Hot-Rod-inspired deco. In ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'', [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] made a redeco of Hot Shot (well, "Exillion"), who already had some Hot Rod homage elements in his toy design, with Hot Rod deco as a DVD-pack-in [[exclusive]]. [[Hasbro]] then took this deco, altered it, and released it in the US line at mass retail as the new character [[Excellion]].

* One of the first concepts for Classics Rodimus was based around the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagani_Zonda Pagani Zonda] super car, before the [http://www.supercarnet.jp/File/File-Japan/File-Dome.htm Dome Zero] design was decided upon.

* At [[BotCon 2002]], Dick Gautier "confirmed", jokingly, that Rodimus Prime is gay.

* This Rodimus Prime, along with the original [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], and [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] makes a cameo appearance as one of the four elders who began the [[space bridge]] project in the ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Cybertron]]'' episode [[Balance]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tfu.info/1986/Autobot/HotRod/hotrod.htm Hot Rod at TFU.info]

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

* [http://www.ntfa.net/universe/english/index.php?act=view&char=Rodimus_Prime Rodimus Prime's profile at NTFA.net]

[[Category:Autobot leaders]]
[[Category:Autobots]]
[[Category:Classics characters]]
[[Category:Generation 1 characters]]
[[Category:Generation 2 characters]]
[[Category:Headmasters characters]]
[[Category: Henkei! Henkei! characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players characters]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Micromasters]]
[[Category:Return of Convoy characters]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Targetmasters]]
[[Category:Universe characters]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]
[[Category:Primus]]
[[Category:Rulers of Cybertron]]

Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II

2010-10-25T04:01:32Z

184.77.129.160: /* Section III - Season Four */

{{Stub}}
{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II''
|image=AllSparkAlmanacIIcover.jpg
|caption=This is where Hasbro's planning to ultimately release Blackout.
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|written by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[Bill Forster]]
|date=[[June 30]], [[2010]]
|illustrated by=
|continuity=[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]]
|pagecount=224
|price=$19.99 USD
|prev=Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac
|ISBN=ISBN 1600106838 
ISBN 978-1600106835
}}

{{bigquote|Now listen up all you palookas out there! Yer gonna shell out yer dough, yer gonna buy this here book and yer gonna like it. Capish?|[[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]], the rear cover of The AllSpark Almanac II}}

'''''Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II''''' is proof of a loving, nonspecific deity that delights in shattering readers' pants and brains. Again.

==Contents==
*Foreword, by [[Matt Youngberg]]
*Introduction by the Authors
*Chapter 1: [[Autobot]]s
*Interstitial A: [[Scale|Size Comparison Charts]]
*Chapter 2: [[Decepticon]]s
*Interstitial B: [[Transformers Animated (franchise)#Japanese release|''Animated'' in Japan]]
*Chapter 3: Events
*Interstitial C: Style Guides
*Chapter 4: Culture
*Interstitial D: [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)#Episodes|Shorts]]
*Chapter 5: [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]
*Interstitial E: Deleted Scenes
*Chapter 6: Settings
*Interstitial F: [[Transformers Animated: The Game|The Video Game]]
*Chapter 7: [[Project Omega]]
*Interstitial G: [[The Arrival]]
*Foreword by [[Eric Siebenaler]]
*Section I: Toy Design
*Section II: Animation
*Section III: Season Four
*Section IV: Toy Gallery
*Section V: Packaging Art
*Section VI: The Cast
*Afterword, by [[Aaron Archer]]
*Acknowledgments

==Chapter 1 - Autobots==
Chapter one covers all Autobots who appear in the third season of the cartoon and beyond.

{{collist|3|
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|"Wingblade" Optimus Prime]] by Megatron
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] by Jetstorm
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] by Jetfire
*[[Safeguard (Animated)|Safeguard]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Yoketron]] by Jazz
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Kup (Animated)|Kup]] by Optimus Prime
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] by Shockwave
*[[Wheeljack (Animated)|Wheeljack]] by Perceptor
*[[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]] by Wheeljack
*[[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Rodimus Prime]] by Kup
*[[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]] by Ironhide
*[[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]] by Red Alert
*[[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] by Hot Shot
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] by Rosanna
*[[Beachcomber (Animated)|Beachcomber]] by Rattletrap
*[[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] by Shockwave
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] by Flareup
*[[Dug Base]] by Wheelie
*[[Dai Atlas (Animated)|Dai Atlas]] by Ultra Magnus
*[[Sky Garry (Animated)|Sky Garry]] by Alpha Trion
*[[Rattletrap]] by Warpath
*[[Seaspray (Animated)|Seaspray]] by Sentinel Prime
*[[Autotrooper|Autotroopers]] by Alpha Trion
*[[Botanica (Animated)|Botanica]] by Tracks
*[[Wheelie (Animated)|Wheelie]] by Seaspray
*[[Pipes (Animated)|Pipes]] by Huffer
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] by Pipes
*[[Cosmos (Animated)|Cosmos]] by Bulkhead
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] by Beachcomber
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] by Blitzwing
*[[Mirage (Animated)|Mirage]] by Cliffjumper
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] by Volks
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] by Glyph
*[[Chase (Animated)|Chase]] by Carrera
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] by Sedan
*[[Searchlight (Animated)|Searchlight]] by Furão
*[[Volks (Animated)|Volks]] by Tap-Out
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] by Bumper
*[[Furão]] by Chase
*[[Hubcap (Animated)|Hubcap]] by Freeway
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] by Hubcap
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] by Searchlight
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] by Warpath
*[[Lightbright]] by Dug Base
*[[Lickety-Split]] by Lightbright
*[[Rosanna (Animated)|Rosanna]] by Grandus
**[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]]
**[[Zaur]]
**[[Ramhorn (Animated)|Ramhorn]]
*[[Sari Sumdac]] by Ratchet
*[[Wasp]] by Bumblebee}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 16 - [[Yoketron]] has learned and subsequently taught the arts of [[Crystalocution]], [[Diffusion]], [[Tekkaido]], and [[Circuit-Su]].
* Pg 17 - The art of [[Kup (Animated)|Kup]] depicts him with a [[Cigar#IDW comics continuity|cy-gar]].
* Pg 18 - [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] comments on sitting "not ten [[Units of length|mechanometers]]" across from [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] in [[Autobot High Council#Transformers: Animated|High Council]] meetings.
* Pg 19 - [[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]] is credited with solving [[Extempaxia]]'s fourth conjecture.
* Pg 20 - Kup refers to [[Rodimus Prime (Animated)|Hot Rod's]] flame deco as making him look "like he's the [[Pit]]-Damned [[The Fallen|Fallen]]."
* Pg 22 - In [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide's]] anecdotes about [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]], he makes mention of the [[Tower of Pion]], [[Ballobot|ballobots]], and [[Widow's Cafe Cybertronian|Widow's Cafe]].
* Pg 24 - [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert's]] hand has been replaced with a [[Transfer Interlink]]. She graduated top of her class at [[Polyhex|Polyhex Medical Mechanical]] and created the vaccine for [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]].
* Pg 26a - Reportedly, [[Beachcomber (Animated)|Beachcomber]] is into [[Syk|syk]], [[Simultronic|simultronics]], [[Angolmois]], and [[Crysmag metal|crysmag]], among other substances.
* Pg 26b - Shockwave recounts the last meeting he had with [[Highbrow (Animated)|Highbrow]] in the [[Manganese Mountains]].
* Pg 29a - [[Rattletrap]] can apparently get unlicensed [[Shock Pop]] datatrax and forged [[S.T.A.R.S.]] idento-cards for the right price.
* Pg 29b - [[Seaspray (Animated)|Seaspray]] fought in the War of the Waves on [[Antilla]].
* Pg 30a - [[Botanica (Animated)|Botanica]] rid [[Daffodil II]] of a [[Morphobot]] infestation.
* Pg 30b - [[Wheelie (Animated)|Wheelie]] was found orphaned in [[Quintesson]] territory.
* Pg 33 - Most of [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper's]] run-up on [[Mirage (Animated)|Mirage]] portrays a [[Traitor|major lack of trust]].
* Pg 34 - [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] apparently studied the technological evolution of the inhabitants of the [[Gorlam Prime|Gorlam system]].
* Pg 36a - [[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] accuses [[Volks (Animated)|Volks]] of being a "[[Sam Witwicky|LadiesBot217]]-type."
* Pg 36b - [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]]'s run-up mentions [[Cybertronian sport#The Iacon 5000|the Iacon 5000]].
* Pg 36c - [[Furão]]'s name means "ferret" in Old [[Malignus]]. He was stationed aboard the ''[[Flash Frenzy (Cybertron)|Flash Frenzy]]''.
* Pg 37 - [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper's]] ship crash-landed on [[Bhul]].
* Pg 38 - [[Lickety-Split]] is a fan of the [[Galactic Olympics]], and would like to win a [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]] in the Tour de [[Orgenon Cluster|Orgenon]].
* Pg 41 - [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] mentions Project: [[Powermaster]].
* Pg 42-43 - [[Sari Sumdac|Sari's]] built-in upgrades include twin [[Master Blade (Masterforce)|Master Blades]], a [[Skyboom (Armada)|Skyboom Shield]], [[Azusa]] energy skates, and [[Micron Booster]]s.

===Real-world references===
* Sari yapping on and on about "vampire movies" is a reference to the ''Twilight'' book/film franchise.
* [[Lickety-Split]] seems to have a thing for a certain [[Buzz Lightyear|space ranger]].

==Chapter 2 - Decepticons==
Chapter two covers all Decepticons who appear in the third season of the cartoon and beyond.

{{collist|3|
*[[Wasp|Waspinator]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Strika (Animated)|General Strika]] by Lugnut
*[[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] by Cyclonus
*[[Cyclonus (Animated)|Cyclonus]] by Scalpel
*[[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] by Megatron
*[[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor]] by Oil Slick
*[[Dirt Boss (Animated)|Dirt Boss]] by Scrapper and Mixmaster
*[[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave's Avatars]] by Prowl
*[[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat]] and [[Laserbeak (Animated)|Laserbeak]] by Soundwave
*[[Reflector (Animated)|Reflector]] by Blackarachnia
*[[Straxus (Animated)|Lord High Governor Straxus]] by Strika
*[[Slapper (Animated)|Slapper]] by Swindle
*[[Stretch]] by Porter C. Powell
*[[Flip Sides (Animated)|Flip Sides]] by Blurr
*[[Scalpel (Animated)|Scalpel]] by Perceptor
*[[Magnificus (Animated)|Magnificus]] by Starscream}}

===Transformers references===

* Pg 48 - [[Strika (Animated)|Strika]] carries a small reserve of [[Forestonite]] to achieve high velocity in tank mode.
* Pg 49 - [[Oil Slick (Animated)|Oil Slick]] has concocted both [[Cosmic Rust (disease)|cosmic rust]] and the [[Reverse Evolution virus]].
* Pg 54 - [[Spittor (Animated)|Spittor's]] tendril weapons are identified as [[Legion]] Tentacles. ''Eugh.''
* Pg 55 - [[Scrapper (Animated)|Scrapper]] and [[Mixmaster (Animated)|Mixmaster]] have been working on a "[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]."
* Pg 57 - [[Ratbat (Animated)|Ratbat's]] electro-echolocation allows him to "pinpoint objects the size of a [[Scraplet]] from a dozen hics away."
* Pg 59 - [[Slapper (Animated)|Slapper]] once utilized [[Kings of the Wild Frontier|Vrobian]] powder on his brothers.
* Pg 61 - [[Scalpel (Animated)|Scalpel]] is also known by the nickname [[Scalpel (ROTF)|The Doctor]].

===Real-world references===

==Chapter 3 - Events==
*[[TransWarped]] as Shockwave and Starscream's Internal Logs, Ratchet and Optimus Prime's Autobot Incident Reports, Bumblebee's Private Journal, and the Headmaster's [[Yatter]] page
*[[Three's a Crowd]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Bulkhead and Lugnut's Internal Log
*[[Where Is Thy Sting?]] as Autobot Incident Reports by [[First Aid (Animated)| First Aid]] and Bumblebee
*[[Five Servos of Doom]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Prowl
*[[Predacons Rising]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Sentinel Prime and a message in a bottle by Waspinator
*[[Human Error, Part I]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Human Error, Part II]] as a fairy tale/"Wizard of Oz" type of story
*[[Decepticon Air]] as Sentinel Prime's Private Journal
*[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]] as an issue of the ALTernity Today magazine
*[[Endgame, Part I]] as an Autobot Incident Report by Optimus Prime
*[[Endgame, Part II]] as Megatron's Encrypted Internal Log

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
* Various fictional businesses are featured on ALTernity Today's stock exchange numbers on pages 80-81.
** Umbrella Corp. is from [[wikipedia:Resident Evil|Resident Evil]]
** Spacely Sprockets is from [[wikipedia:The Jetsons| The Jetsons]]
** Strickland Fuels is from [[wikipedia:King of the Hill| King of the Hill]].
** Sirius Cyb. is Sirius Cybernetics from [[wikipedia:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]].
** S-Mart is from the [[wikipedia:Evil Dead|Evil Dead]] movies
** Biffco is from [[wikipedia:Back to the Future|Back to the Future]]

==Chapter 4 - Culture==
* [[Human Error, Part I|Automen]] by Bulkhead
* [[Rock Lord]]s by Bumblebee
* [[Space bridge]]s by Megatron
* [[Ninja Gladiator]] by Sari
* [[Christmas]] by Optimus Prime
* Scooter / Jetpack by Isaac Sumdac
* Thanatos-class ships by Strika
* [[Great War (Animated)|The Great War]] (the game)
* [[Electronic paint job|Electronic Paint]] by Bumblebee
* Helmets by Swindle
* [[Protoform]]s by Yoketron
* [[Cloning]] by Swindle
* The [[Cyber-Ninja Corps]]
* Prototype Minions by Soundwave
* The [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] Reconstituted by Optimus Prime

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===
* ''Ninja Gladiator'''s character roster includes [[Snake-Eyes]], Hudson from ''Gargoyles'', Felina Feral from ''Swat Katz'', Big Boss from ''COPS'', Miles Mayhem from ''MASK'', Steelgrave from ''Starriors'' and Turbo-Teen

==Chapter 5 - Cybertron==
* Cybertron and its moons by Ultra Magnus
* The [[Hadeen System]] by Cosmos
* Stellar Cartography by Swindle
* [[Iacon (city-state)|Iacon]] by Captain Fanzone
* The [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]] by Alpha Trion
* [[Longarm (Animated)|Longarm]]'s office by Cliffjumper
* Infirmary by Arcee
* [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] by Sentinel Prime
* [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]] by Brawn
* [[Cyber-Ninja Dojo]] by Lockdown
* [[Space bridge nexus|Spacebridge Nexus]] by Bulkhead

===Transformers references===
*Pg 125 - On the menu for Maccadam's there are several pictures of the heads of various Transformers characters from across the multi-verse. These include Sky Lynx, Barricade, Chromia, Stampy, Hellbat, Cy-kill, Antagony, Blaster, Tarantulas, Clipper, Mindwipe, Cheetor represented as remold of Blurr with new head pieces representing two ears, and Sky-Byte as a freaky grinning four eyed shark.

===Real-world references===

* Pg 114-115: There are dozens of references to fictional planets on these two pages alone.
** Rimmerworld, a planet from the ''[[wikipedia:Red Dwarf|Red Dwarf]]'' [[wikipedia:Rimmerworld|episode of the same name]] inhabited solely by backstabbing weasely smeg head clones, appears here.
** Marklar is a reference to a planet in the ''[[wikipedia: South Park|South Park]]'' episode "[[wikipedia:Starvin' Marvin in Space|Starvin' Marvin in Space]]".
** [[wikia:c:tardis:Skaro|Skaro]] is the home planet of the [[Dalek]]s. [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] comments about needing a Mark III Travel Machine, the shell of a Dalek as named in their origin story "[[wikia:c:tardis:Genesis of the Daleks|Genesis of the Daleks]]".
** Nintenduu LXIV is a reference to the planet Nintendu 64 in Fry's segment of the ''[[wikipedia:Futurama|Futurama]]'' episode "[[wikipedia:Anthology of Interest II|Anthology of Interest II]]", itself a reference to the Nintendo 64 console.
** Zeotopia and the subsequent comments by Swindle about the Sectoids and Reptosaurs are all reference to the now defunct [[Hasbro]] toyline called [[wikipedia:Xevoz|Xevoz]]. If you don't get these references, [http://www.shortpacked.com/blog/2005/11/09/xevoz/ you are a monster.]
**Thundera is a reference to the original home world of the [[wikipedia:ThunderCats|ThunderCats]].
**[[wikipedia:Eternia|Eternia]] is the setting for [[wikipedia:He-man|He-Man]] and the [[wikipedia:Masters_of_the_Universe|Masters of the Universe]].
**Ceti-Alpha VII is likely a reference to the system of planets from the Star Trek universe most noted for being the system in which [[wikipedia:Khan_Noonien_Singh|Khan]] was stranded.
**Thra and it's valuable crystals are a reference to the planet that provides the setting for ''[[wikipedia:The Dark Crystal|The Dark Crystal]]''
**Druidia is a reference to the planet in ''[[wikipedia:Spaceballs|Spaceballs]]''

==Chapter 6 - Settings==
* Cyberspace by Prowl
* [[Burger Bot]] by Sari Sumdac
* [[Tigatron Stadium]] by Lugnut
* [[Fossil Fuel]] by Dirtboss
* Soundwave's lab by Sari
* [[Beast Wars (event)|Unknown locale]] by Blackarachnia

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===

==Chapter 7 - Project Omega==
* [[Omega Laboratory]] by Ratchet
* Autobot workers by Blitzwing
* [[Sigma Supreme|Steelhaven]] by Ultra Magnus
** Steelhaven cargo by Swindle
** Steelhaven brig by Sunstorm
** Steelhaven infrastructure by Optimus Prime
** Steelhaven Energon storage by Jazz
** Steelhaven schematics by Perceptor
* [[Lugnut Supreme]] by Starscream

===Transformers references===
* Override Prime is an homage to [[Override (Cybertron)|Override]] of ''Transformers: Cybertron.''
* Kappa Supreme's codename, Chromia X, is a reference to the [[Chromia 10|pursuit ship]] used by [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in [[Dawn of Future's Past]].
* The name of Alpha Supreme's ship mode is the ''Axalon'', the name of the ship used by the Maximals in ''Beast Wars''. His mentor bot also happens to be Primal Major, a reference to the Maximal leader Optimus Primal from the same series.
* Big Bang Prime is an homage to the ''very'' obscure [[Big Bang]] from [[Return of Convoy (franchise)|Return of Convoy]].
* Zeta Supreme's designation, the '''''Xantium''''', and the Autobot he was bonded to, Impactor Major, as well as him being home to the Wreckers, are all references to the G1 [[Wrecker]]s, their former leader, [[Impactor]], and their starship, the ''[[Xantium (G1)|Xantium]]''.

===Real-world references===

==Section I - Toy Design==

==Section II - Animation==

==Section III - Season Four==

*The overall theme of Season 4 would have been energon. Apparently when Prowl and Jazz reconstructed the AllSpark there were energon deposits left behind in Detroit.

*Also the Autobot team was set to change. Prowl, being dead, was going to be replaced by Jazz. Bulkhead, Arcee and Sari were going to remain behind on Cybertron, partly because Decepticons were attacking Bulkhead's energon farm town, but also because Sari was going to be educated about Cybertron.

*To replace Bulkhead, Ironhide would have joined the Earth team, getting an Earth mode similar to his [[Ironhide (Movie)|movie form]].

*Picking up from the end of Season 3, Megatron would have been put on trial in the prison town of [[Kaon]]. Unfortunately, Kaon is Megatron's hometown and he knows all its secrets, so he would have made Kaon break off from Cybertron and relocate to the middle of Lake Erie in Detroit, where it would have served as the Decepticon's base.

*Sentinel would have managed to make himself Magnus, at least for a while, as Ultra Magnus would have died (probably due to his wounds from Shockwave but it never says for sure).

*Sentinel would have had the original team from Project Omega create something called the [[Powermaster]] upgrade, which would make him more powerful. He would have then traveled to Earth with the AllSpark to try and destroy Megatron, but fail.

*Prowl's ghost would inhabit the bodies of Autobots and Decepticons powered by AllSpark fragments to warn Optimus to stop Sentinel.

*Optimus would have then taken the Powermaster upgrade for himself, gaining the ability to combine with his trailer into a flying Autobot mode as big and as powerful as Megatron.

*In one episode Megatron would have found Blackarachnia and recruited her to his cause again.

*It would have been revealed that Blitzwing didn't use to be insane until Blackarachnia reformatted him into a triple-changer. Apparently the technology's been perfected now as Megatron would have been rebuilt into a triple-changer, transforming into a Cybertronian tank and jet mode.

*Blackarachia would have come to accept her organic mode, and decided she doesn't like taking orders, setting out on her own to try to create an army of Predacons.

*Soundwave would have returned and joined Megatron's team.

*Bulkhead and Sari would have been caught in a transwarp accident and end up in a '[[Shattered Glass]]' version of TFA.

*Starscream was going to be resurrected by Slipstream.

*Sari's origins were going to be explained.

*Detroit would have been overrun by Minicons from Kaon.

*Cosmos would have come to Earth, with an entire episode dedicated to him losing his memory.

*The Constructicons would have fought the Decepticons for control of the energon in Detroit.

*In the two-part season finale (called "Megatron Must Be Destroyed!") Optimus would have had to gather as many allies together to end the threat of Megatron.

==Section IV - Toy Gallery==

==Section V - Packaging Art==

==Section VI - The Cast==

==Interstitials==

==Literary elements==
Including the copyright information, title page, foreword and afterwords, notes from the authors and acknowledgments.

==Notes==
* Cover artist [[Marcelo Matere]] recreates some of his own [[package art]] on the cover. That's probably a first.
* [[Hiroyuki Otoboto]]'s quote contains 「思ったよりも本のサイズが大きくてびっくり！」 ("I was amazed—the book was even bigger than I expected!"), which was manga artist [[Naoto Tsushima]]'s reaction that he tweeted after importing the [[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac|first volume.]] <ref>[http://twitvideo.jp/00VMB Tsushima's TwitVideo with "The AllSpark Almanac"]</ref>
* This book is terribly inconsistent about whether it's volume "2" or "II". It says "2" on the spine, "II" on the front cover, "2" in the indicia, and "II" on the title page. The "most legal" title is probably the one in the indicia, "TRANSFORMERS ANIMATED: THE ALLSPARK ALMANAC, VOL. 2". For the title of this page, we went with the cover title.

===Errors===
* The cover depicts Bumblebee playing with Roll Out Command Optimus Prime, but the box beside him is that of Prime's Voyager-sized toy. It also depicts the Leader Class Bulkhead's buzzsaw on the wrong arm.
* On the back cover, the quote for Hiroyuki is mistakenly written as 「小さい頃、超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマーの本この本に等しかったな。懐かしいない... 思ったよりも本のサイズが大きくてびっくり！」 ("When I was young, [[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers (franchise)|Super Robot Lifeform Transformers]] did have a book that was something like this. I didn't miss it... I was amazed—the book was even bigger than I expected!"). The correct form should have been 「小さい頃、『超ロボット生命体トランスフォーマー』の本この本に等しかったない。懐かしいな... 思ったよりも本のサイズが大きくてびっくり！」 ("When I was young, 'Super Robot Lifeform Transformers' didn't have a book that was something like this. How nostalgic... I was amazed—the book was even bigger than I expected!").
* On p. 52, the text says that [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] "bristles with ordinance". "Ordinances" are local laws; "ordnance" is weaponry.
* On p. 58, "posses" is misspelled "poses".
* On p. 114, in the text at the top, "[[Vestial Imperium]]" is misspelled "Vestal".
* On p. 139, "primitive" is misspelled "primative".
* On p. 217, "Sunstreaker" is misspelled "sunstreak"

==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/digipedia/annotatedalmanac2.html The Annotated AllSpark Almanac II], a 98% complete listing of the hidden references in the book

{{DEFAULTSORT:Animated: The Allspark Almanac II}}
[[Category:Animated|Allspark Almanac II]]
[[Category:IDW titles]]
[[Category:Reference texts]]

Leozack

2010-08-22T02:20:08Z

184.77.129.160: /* Notes */

{{factions|decepticon}}
{{featured}}
:''Leozack is a [[Decepticon]] [[Breastforce]] Warrior from the [[Victory (franchise)|Victory]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[Image:Leozack boxart.jpg|right|275px|thumb|I hope Mr. Belding doesn't find out about our rascally scheme, [[Screech (Action Master)|Screech]].]]
'''Leozack''' (レオザック ''Reozakku'') is the commander of the elite Decepticon [[Breastforce]] and notionally [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]]'s most trusted warrior...except he really can't be trusted at all. Leozack despises being anything less than the top 'bot and is constantly struggling to have it all—including leadership of the Decepticons. Unlike [[Starscream (G1)|those that have come before]], however, Leozack is smart enough to keep his ambitions hidden from his emperor, preferring to gather the resources and power necessary to fuel his dreams of conquest in secret. The thing is, Deathsaurus is fully aware of Leozack's dreams and schemes, and to say that he doesn't rate Leozack as a threat would be putting it mildly. In Deathsaurus's eyes, Leozack is an overzealous youth with ideas above his station, and while he conceals his awareness of Leozack's treachery from him, he never misses a chance to make his contempt for Leozack well-known. This drives Leozack absolutely crazy, and he often takes irrational risks trying to prove to Deathsaurus that he is a capable warrior.

As a member of the Breastforce, Leozack is partnered with a transforming breastplate which can detach and transform into his [[Breast Animal]] partner, the [[Lionbreast]], or the handheld "Leo Cannon". Like his fellow Breastforcers, Leozack also wields an [[Electromagnetic Nunchaku]]. Leozack can combine with his fellow Breastforce warriors into [[Liokaiser]], forming the upper torso of the super robot.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Victory'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Keiichi Nanba]] (Japanese)

[[Image:Leozack dynamicentry.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The power of JAZZ HANDS!]]
Leozack was summoned by Deathsaurus to bolster his forces in preparation for their campaign against the [[Earth]]. Leozack was put in charge of the first plan, which involved the [[Dinoforce]] attacking the [[Autobot]]s' base while Leozack himself intended to confront [[Star Saber (Victory)|Star Saber]]. The Dinoforce went about their task and drew Star Saber out, and both Leozack and Deathsaurus, watching the conflict from afar on the ''[[Thunder Arrow]]'', were taken aback to see the Autobot leader piloting the [[V-Star]] battlecraft, which they had never seen before. Leozack was about to head out to battle Star Saber, but Deathsaurus suggested he hold back and observe this new turn of events instead. Leozack did so, and rather predictably, the Dinoforce were defeated. {{storylink|Sneak Attack! Dinoking}}

[[Image:Victory ep4 sandhide.jpg|right|190px|thumb|Seriously, how does he DO that?]]
The ''Thunder Arrow'' subsequently set down on Earth, and Leozack vowed to end Star Saber's life as a gift to Deathsaurus. He attacked Star Saber when the Autobot leader was bringing his human son [[Jean Minakaze|Jean]] to school, putting the whole campus in danger. Leozack grappled with Star Saber, but with his Lionbreast busy fighting [[Holi]], his torso was left unprotected, leaving him open to a damaging slash from Star Saber's Saber Blade, which forced him to retreat. {{storylink|Attack! Leozack}}

Leozack was soon joined by his Breastforce teammates [[Drillhorn]], [[Jarugar]] and [[Killbison]], and together, they arranged an attack on an energy plant in the desert. The Breastforce hid themselves in the sand and watched as the Dinoforce carried out the attack, but when the Autobot [[Landcross (Victory)|Landcross]] arrived, they emerged to join the battle. Said battle didn't last long, as Star Saber soon arrived as well, and Leozack fled when confronted by the two giants. {{storylink|Unite!! Multiforce}}
[[Image:Leozack vs starsaber.jpg|left|200px|thumb|This is what happens when you don't use fabric softener.]]
With his next plan, Leozack began showing his true colors. Recruiting the Dinoforce to help him, Leozack had them attack the [[Ocean Exhibition]] amusement park, with the intention of turning it into a personal base for himself. He even revealed his ambition to overthrow Deathsaurus to [[Gōryū]], and while the Dinoforce leader was not particularly impressed, he decided to go along with the stunt anyway. Unsurprisingly, the Autobots soon arrived, and Leozack was defeated by Star Saber, after which he attempted to bluff his way out of trouble by telling Deathsaurus that he had intended to turn the park into a seawater energy conversion plant. {{storylink|Move Out! Rescue Team}}

[[Image:Leozack and lionbreast.jpg|right|210px|thumb|His cat is his brother. Hmmm...]]
After leading an infiltration of the Neo Uranium Mines {{storylink|Infiltration... The Uranium Mine}} and helping to gather energy in the Amazon, {{storylink|Explosion!! The Energy Base}} Leozack joined the other Decepticons in stealing energy from an American subway system. The plan was Deathsaurus's own, and Leozack advocated caution, but when Deathsaurus embarrassed him into silence in front of the other Decepticons, he was left in a bad mood for the whole mission. Consequently, Leozack decided to disobey orders and blast the subway tunnels open so they could access the electrical systems more easily. This, of course, attracted the attention of the Autobots, and Leozack wound up battling [[Blacker]] in the cramped underground quarters. When Deathsaurus called retreat, Leozack was unwilling to break off the fight, but when all the other Decepticons abandoned him, he had little choice. {{storylink|Big City - Underground Terror}}
[[Image:Leozack and hellbat.jpg|left|225px|thumb|"You know what? I can't talk to you when you're like this."]]
Hoping to redeem himself for past failures, Leozack summoned another of his Breastforce teammates, [[Hellbat]], to Earth to steal information from the [[New Energy Resource Research and Development Laboratory]] in Japan. Unfortunately, Hellbat botched the job, leading to another battle with the Autobots. The Decepticons were defeated by a brainwave scrambler invented by [[Braver]], which Leozack was able to steal as he retreated. Alas, the scrambler only worked on Decepticons, and the dressing-down that Leozack received from Deathsaurus only convinced Hellbat that he could do a better job of leading the Breastforce himself. {{storylink|The New Warrior - Hellbat}} Hellbat proceeded to go over Leozack's head with information he had about an energy shipment being transported in Nevada. Leozack was naturally furious, but Hellbat’s honeyed words convinced Leozack to carry out the attack with him so they could steal the energy for their own personal supply. Of course, the two hapless schemers wound up being once again defeated by Star Saber. {{storylink|Attack the Shuttle Base!!}} Two subsequent missions led by Leozack to steal oil from tankers likewise met with failure, {{storylink|Tanker Hijack Operation}} {{storylink|Rescue Jean!!}} as did the Breastforce's attempt to tap hydroelectric power in [[Canada]]. {{storylink|Mach and Tackle}}

[[Image:Leozack and deathcobra.jpg|right|220px|thumb|"Oh god, nobody panic! Okay, if anyone asks, we just found him like this."]]
Following a scheme to create an energy alloy, {{storylink|A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid}} Leozack took the Breastforce to the planet [[Micro]], intending to free another of their comrades, [[Gaihawk]], from the Satellite Penitentiary on the planet's moon. Following the success of this mission, {{storylink|Rescue! Gaihawk}} Leozack sought to complete the team by summoning the final member, [[Deathcobra (Victory)|Deathcobra]], to join them. With Deathcobra on the team, Leozack could finally boot out the untrustworthy Hellbat, and the remaining six members could merge into their combined form of [[Liokaiser]]. Learning of this, Hellbat tried to stop Deathcobra from meeting with the others and accidentally wound up killing him in the fight that ensued. He preventing Leozack from discovered this by blaming the Autobot [[Micromaster]] Holi for the deed, and so secured his place as part of Liokaiser. After defeating Star Saber in their first combined outing, {{storylink|Unite! Liokaiser}} Leozack led the team back to Earth, but still couldn't catch a break from Deathsaurus, who opted instead to heap praise on Gaihawk for his role in the battle, then on Hellbat, who had found a new target for the Decepticons in the [[Schaeffer Energy]] plant. The Breastforce combined into Liokaiser to battle Star Saber for the Schaeffer Energy, {{storylink|Battle Up of Wrath!!}} and later merged again to battle him and Landcross at the South Pole. {{storylink|Fight to the Death!! Antarctic Battle}}
[[Image:Deathsaurus vs leozack.jpg|left|210px|thumb|"Are you ticklish... right there??"]]
Leozack and the Breastforce's next plan was one of their best, as they lured their Autobot rivals, the [[Brainmaster]]s, into an ambush in the desert. With the heavy automotive Autobots unable to manoeuvre in the shifting sands, the Breastforce were able to damage Blacker badly and deal a serious blow to the Autobots. {{storylink|Crisis! Ambush in the Desert}} With the Autobots weakened by this loss in manpower, Deathsaurus decided it was time to increase the rate of Decepticon attacks…but this was not a good thing for Leozack, since the first thing Deathsaurus did was set his Breast Animals upon the Breastforce leader, pinning him to the floor of the throne room. Placing his sword against Leozack's face, Deathsaurus informed Leozack that he had always been aware of his second-in-command's ambition to lead the Decepticons, and he offered the would-be traitor a choice: Swear absolute loyalty to him or die. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Leozack chose the former and aided his emperor in luring Star Saber into a subterranean battle. {{storylink|A Deadly Battle}} This battle left Star Saber badly injured, and the Decepticons kept up the pressure, as Leozack and the Breastforce accompanied Deathsaurus in raiding a solar power station. {{storylink|Ginrai Dies!!}}

Leozack later led missions to steal energy from America's "[[Energy Road]]", and the Mount Asama geothermal power plant, but was stopped on both occasions by Autobot warrior [[Victory Leo]]. {{storylink|Fight!! Victory Leo}} {{storylink|Awaken! Victory Leo}} Victory Leo ''wasn't'' able to interfere with the Decepticons' next energy theft, as the threat of orbital missile bombardment held him at bay, but Leozack disliked the cowardly nature of the scheme. {{storylink|The Tide is Turned! The Ultimate Weapon, the Victory Unification}} Even though it was Deathsaurus's own miscalculations that caused the failure of the plot, he didn't hesitate to blame Leozack. {{storylink|Jean - Defend the Campus!!}}
[[Image:Victory32 starsaberhides.jpg|right|210px|thumb|]]
When Star Saber was off-planet attending a [[Galactic Peace Alliance]] conference, Leozack exploited his absence by donning a large exo-skeleton that allowed him to pose as the Autobot leader. Entering the Autobots' headquarters with the claim that he had intercepted a Decepticon message reporting that bombs had been planted in the base, he searched for the disk containing the information on Star Saber and Victory Leo's combination process while the other Autobots were hunting for the nonexistent explosives. Leozack made Victory Leo suspicious when he accidentally electrocuted himself while rummaging under a console and had to trick Holi and Jean into showing him where the disk was. Leozack nearly got away with the disk, but at the last moment, the real Star Saber returned to expose the villain's deception and send him packing. {{storylink|A Mystery?! The Deception of the Base Bombs}}
[[Image:Victory35 falconpunch.jpg|left|210px|thumb|]]
Leozack's next scheme saw him unleash the metal-eating [[Dorya]] insects upon the Autobots, but the plan went down the tubes when the heroes discovered that intense cold defeated the bugs. {{storylink|The Death-Bringing Space Insects!!}} This resulted in yet ''another'' chewing-out from Deathsaurus, who refused to hear any more of Leozack's plans and simply beat him to a pulp. Hellbat chose that moment to pop up and deliver a secret message to Deathsaurus, which pushed Leozack to the end of his patience with his sneaky subordinate and led him to deliver a beating of his own. Once again, Hellbat sweet-talked Leozack into going along with his plan: the theft of energy from the ancient continent of [[Atlantis]]. {{storylink|The Terror of the Giant Tidal Waves}} The plan succeeded, and the Breastforce and Deathsaurus headed into space aboard the ''Thunder Arrow'' in order to recharge Deathsaurus's [[Planet-Destroying Fortress]] with the stolen energy. The Autobots pursued the villains, but were unable to stop them from bringing the fortress back online. {{storylink|The Wrath of the Resurrected Giant Fortress!}} To keep the Autobots busy while the fortress's main cannon charged, Deathsaurus dispatched the Breastforce—combined as Liokaiser—to battle them. In the course of the clash, Victory Leo was able to blast Liokaiser into the fortress's cannon barrel, which drained his energy dry. With his consciousness fading and his body unable to move, Liokaiser could only utter a fading scream for help as he drifted off into the depths of space. {{storylink|Showdown! The Fortress vs the Victory Unification}}
{{--}}

====''Zone'' catalog====
As part of Liokaiser, Leozack was revived from death by some means. Lead by the reborn [[Emperor of Destruction|Dark Emperor]] [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]], Liokaiser joined several other powerful Decepticons in an assault on planet [[Zone (planet)|Zone]]. Attempting to steal their [[Energon Z]], the Decepticons proved no match for the [[Micromaster]]s and were driven away. {{storylink|Zone (story page)#Catalogue story page 1|Zone Project Story}}

===''Victory'' comic===
[[Image:Leozack manga.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"No one takes my Cybertronian link sausages!"]]
Leozack introduced himself to the Autobots when he embarked on a solo mission to Earth, believing that he could conquer the planet himself. His attack on a city did not go unnoticed by the Autobots, and when Star Saber arrived to stop him, Leozack was able to knock the [[Supreme Commander]] out of the air with his nunchaku. Unfortunately for Leozack, Star Saber's son Jean happened to be watching the battle, and noticed that Leozack was missing his breastplate—the Decepticon had accidentally forgotten to bring it with him! Star Saber immediately targeted his opponent's exposed torso with his Saber Blade and sent Leozack fleeing. {{storylink|Leozack Rumbles Violently!}}

Later, Leozack and the other Breastforcers combined into Liokaiser to battle Star Saber on [[Energy Planet X]]. When the combiner warrior managed to seize Star Saber, his individual components began arguing over who would get the right to destroy the Autobot leader; Leozack believed he should get to do it because he was the leader. Star Saber exploited the opening to turn the battle around, and Liokaiser was defeated and escaped. {{storylink|The Star of Friendship, Jean and Star Saber!}} In their next battle with Star Saber, the Breastforce almost had him defeated thanks to the aid of Deathsaurus and Dinoking, but the tables were turned when Star Saber merged with new arrival Victory Leo to form Victory Saber. {{storylink|The Strongest Partners, the Combination of Victory!}}
[[Image:Lyzack-manga.jpg|left|150px|thumb|A female version of me? That's unheard of!]]
In their next battle, Liokaiser and Deathsaurus were defeated by the Autobots' "Five Stars of Victory" attack technique, and Liokaiser split back into Leozack and the rest of the Breastforce to flee back to Deathsaurus's "Space Stronghold". {{storylink|Shine! The Five Stars of Victory}} From the stronghold, the Decepticons began a final attack on Earth, bombarding the planet with meteors, but Deathsaurus made the mistake of leaving Leozack in charge of the fortress while he battled Star Saber in space. Leozack turned the fortress's main cannon upon Deathsaurus ''and'' Star Saber, but before he could finish them off, Deathsaurus blasted the fortress with his [[Living-Metal-Destroying Cannon]]. Star Saber smashed his way into the fortress control room and slashed Leozack with his "Planetary Impulse Sword", but even as the treacherous Decepticon collapsed, he begged the Autobots not to destroy the fortress. Deathsaurus revealed that the fortress was home to the Decepticons' [[Relatives|families]], and as Leozack was cradled by his [[Relatives|sister]] [[Lyzack]], he explained that they had been fighting to keep them safe. Struck by this revelation, Star Saber decided that it was time for the Autobots and Decepticons to lay down their arms and live in peace—the truest victory of all! {{storylink|Heroic! The Victory War}}
{{--}}
===Timelines: Wings of Honor===
[[Image:WingsofHonor-Skyraiders.jpg|right|thumb|300px|'''"ANIME ATTACK ANNOUNCEMENT ATTACK!"''']]
Leozack was one of the first to volunteer for [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]]'s experimental [[Seeker (body-type)|Skyraider]] body refitting program. His new body was teeming with so many weapons, he lacked the hardware to implement them automatically; instead, he was forced to use verbal commands to use them individually.

Under [[Banzai-Tron (G1)|Banzai-Tron]]'s command, Leozack and his fellow Skyraider warriors Skyquake, [[Hooligan (G2)|Hooligan]], [[Hellbat]], and [[Gaihawk]], followed the Autobot ship ''[[Eight Track]]'' to the planet [[Beta-Nine]], where they hoped to beat them to a mysterious cargo that had crashed there aboard the ''[[Van De Graaff]].'' Leozack, Skyquake, and Hooligan attacked the Autobots, separating the crew's [[Kup (G1)|youngest member]] from them. The Autobots' commander, [[Thunder Clash|Thunderclash]], drove Leozack and the others away with a barrage of firepower, allowing his crew to escape into the trees where the Decepticons would have to fight them on the ground.

Skyquake departed after Thunder Clash and ordered Leozack and Hooligan to kill the remaining two Autobots, [[Landshark]] and [[Flak]]. Flak leapt out at them, demanding a fight, and Leozack was happy to oblige him. Unfortunately, this was a diversion, and once Flak had occupied their attention, Landshark surprised Leozack with a massive punch.

Leozack and the others were defeated and brought back to Cybertron as prisoners. The battle on Beta-Nine began the Autobot/Decepticon civil war. {{storylink|Wings of Honor}}
{{--}}
==Toys==
===Victory===
[[Image:Victory-toy Leozack.jpg|right|300px|thumb|]]
*'''Leozack''' (Breastforce, 1989)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-329'''
**''Accessories:'' "Lionbreast" Breast Animal, Liokaiser's head

:Leozack transforms into a white and green [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes|Grumman F-14 Tomcat jet fighter]]. He came packaged with his Breast Animal partner, the [[Lionbreast]], which transforms from a lion-like robot to either chestplate armor for Leozack (and only Leozack), or the handheld "Leo Cannon" blaster. Leozack combines with his fellow Breastforce warriors (sold separately) to form Liokaiser; he forms the torso and head of the super robot.

: This mold was used to make the [[Autobot]] [[Rescue Force]] [[Rescue Force jet|jet]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1989/Destron/Leozak/leozack.htm More information on Leozack at TFU.info]''

{{anchor|Liokaiser}}
*'''Liokaiser''' (Gift set, 1989)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-335'''

: Leozack was also available in a complete six-piece box set of the entire Breastforce team. All of the toys within are identical to their individual releases. This release does not have [[bio]]/[[Tech Spec]] cards for the individuals, only the combined form.
{{--}}
===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-LeozackWoH.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He stared until he wasn't red in the face.]]
*'''Wings of Honor''' (BotCon attendee figure, 2009)
:*''Accessories:'' Energon sword, energon rifle, 2 missiles

: A [[redeco]] of [[Energon (toyline)|''Energon'']] [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]], Leozack transforms into a jet fighter loosely based upon the F/A-22 Raptor, cast mostly in bright cyan plastics, with white and blue painted on top. He comes with two very large accessories, a sword and a non-firing blaster, which can combine to form a really larger sword and/or non-firing blaster. In jet mode he has two wing-mounted spring-loaded missile launchers, which can flip up over his robot-mode shoulders for "Hyper Mode".

:He was the "attendance freebie" at [[BotCon 2009]], given away one per attending pre-registrant. Additionally, two were given away per purchase of the [[BotCon 2005]] "[[Descent into Evil]]" box set. This offer was so popular that [[Fun Publications]] sold out of all of the "Descent into Evil" sets they had on-hand.

: This mold was also used to make ''Energon'' Energon Starscream and BotCon 2009's [[Skyquake (G1)|Skyquake]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Decepticon/BCLeozack/leozack.htm More information on Leozack at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
==Notes==
*According to the [[BotCon 2009]] fanclub fiction panel, the gist of Leozack's characterization in ''Wings of Honor'' came from the authors' desire to portray him as a stereotypical anime character; at one point, [[Rik Alvarez]] even wanted him to speak entirely in Japanese (!). Though nixed for logistical reasons, the basic idea survived in the form of Leozack's dialogue being rendered in a stylized Asiatic typeface.

*When shown in the [[Coming Storm: Part 4]], he is shown to have pink lips as if wearing lipstick. This particular paint app is missing from the Botcon 2009 figure.

[[Category:Breastforce]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Seekers]]

Hail and Farewell

2010-08-05T05:29:32Z

184.77.129.160: /* Errors */

{{apocrypha}}
'''Hail and Farewell''' is a ''[[Transformers: Mosaic]]'' strip written by [[Simon Furman]], drawn by [[Steve Buccellato]], and published on Furman's blog.<ref>[http://simonfurman.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/mosaic-a-go-go/ "Hail and Farewell" at Furman's blog]</ref> It is set some two years after the general time of ''[[Infiltration]]'' and ''[[Escalation (IDW)|Escalation]]'' in the [[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW ''Generation 1'' continuity]], foreshadowing a number of events to come. Unfortunately, not all of Furman's plans ended up coming to fruition, so as time has gone on, more and more of this story has been contradicted.

It is unclear just how [[canon]]ical this story ever was. Furman declared it "emphatically" canon in his blog post, but IDW editor-in-chief [[Chris Ryall]] later claimed that it was never approved by [[Hasbro]] and thus was never in continuity.<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=81277#81277 Ryall comments on "Hail and Farewell" canonicity (and Mosaic canonicity in general) on the IDW forums]</ref> So take this with as many grains of salt as you deem appropriate...

==Synopsis==
Hunter O'Nion touches some family photographs on a dresser, musing to himself about how he's saying goodbye to what little of a life he'd had. He stands in a bedroom, dressed in a trenchcoat and trucker cap, and thinks about his lost family: His father died when he was eight, and his mother descended into alcoholism. He and his sister had put on a good face, but she split as soon as she could. Hunter, on the other hand, had stayed right to the end, his only source of sanity being his dream of finding something bigger. Then, two years ago, he ''did.''

As Hunter heads to the front door, he loosens his trenchcoat to reveal his metallic chest. He ponders how everything had changed back then — how ''he'' had changed. Stepping outside, he drops his jacket and hat and leaps into the air, transforming into Sunstreaker's head. As the Autobot catches and attaches him, he thinks about how "Hunter" had ceased to be, as an individual, his memories overlapping with Sunstreaker's. Since the fusion, the merged Autobot/human had traveled to other worlds (even another dimension), battled [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], allied with the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s, and faced a [[Decepticon]] invasion. This house had become so very small, and truly he couldn't go home again.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] (2)
|c3=
* [[Hunter O'Nion]] (1)
}}

==Errors==
* These are only errors in retrospect, but several events have been made impossible (or at least ''severely'' unlikely) in the time since this was published:
** Hunter and Sunstreaker are shown still being partnered two years after Hunter met the Autobots and became a Headmaster. Yet ''[[All Hail Megatron]]'', set only one year after that general timeframe, begins with their bond having already been fully severed and ends with Hunter dead and Sunstreaker scrapped but functional on Cybertron, thought dead by the Autobots.
** The "other dimension" that Hunter said they'd gone to was probably going to be the [[Dead Universe]]. However, that storyline was heavily truncated in the rushed ''[[Revelation (IDW)|Revelation]]'' miniseries, and neither Hunter nor Sunstreaker ended up going there.
** The only "full scale Decepticon invasion" to happen yet is the one in ''All Hail'', which, as previously stated, is the series that makes this Mosaic strip so impossible.
** Hunter hasn't even been seen on another ''planet'' at this point, though he has been on a [[Ark-32|spaceship]], so there's still a chance for some as-yet-untold tale of interplanetary travel to surface.
** Hunter turns into the same type of head as the [[Machination]]'s [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s, but in ''[[Devastation (IDW)|Devastation]]'' he turns into a replica of Sunstreaker's original head. This mistake occurred because "Hail and Farewell" was drawn before [[Devastation issue 6|the relevant issue]] depicting Sunstreaker's Headmaster head had been released.

==Items of note==
* The foreshadowing that ''did'' come true was the Scorponok-facing and the Dinobot-allying, both in the ''[[Maximum Dinobots]]'' miniseries.
* As nothing has yet contradicted Hunter's childhood history, TFWiki.net is counting at least THAT bit as applicable to the IDW ''Generation 1'' continuity. The rest, if we consider it canon at all, is relegated to a [[splinter timeline]] (an idea suggested by Ryall's comments).<ref>[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=81293#81293 Followup comment from Ryall]</ref> Or perhaps the line about Hunter preserving his sanity via mental escape is a hint that this is actually his dream world while [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] experiments on him during ''All Hail Megatron''. The whole thing is very much open to reader interpretation, and all bets are off.
* All we know is, considering how horrible Hunter's mainstream fate turned out to be in the hands of [[Shane McCarthy|Furman's successor]], this story has only grown more painfully bittersweet over time.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Stories]]