Raiden

2010-11-30T02:02:53Z

220.255.2.95: /* The Headmasters */

{{factions|autobot}}
:''Raiden is an [[Autobot]] [[combiner]] from the [[The Headmasters (franchise)|Headmasters]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Raiden boxart.jpg|right|300px|thumb|God of thunder! And rock and roll!]]
The main function of the [[Trainbot]]s is transport, but when an obstruction arises that prevents them from delivering their passengers, they won't hesitate to combine into the mighty '''Raiden''' (ライデン) to clear the tracks. And no obstacle is too big for Raiden's matchless ambition: he is, after all, the guy who maintains an active rivalry with [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], and plans on challenging [[Predaking]] next! Fittingly enough, his other great personality trait is his peerless punctuality. This is one Robot Train that always runs on time!

Raiden is the combined form of all six Trainbots:
*[[Shōki]] (leader, torso)
*[[Getsuei]] (right leg)
*[[Kaen]] (pelvis)
*[[Seizan]] (right arm)
*[[Suiken]] (left arm)
*[[Yukikaze (Headmasters)|Yukikaze]] (left leg)

:''[[Omni Productions]] dub name:'' '''The Robot Train''', '''Grimlock'''

==Fiction==
===Japanese cartoon continuity===
====''The Headmasters'' cartoon====
:''Voice Actor:'' [[Keiichi Noda]] (Japanese)

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

Raiden made his first brief appearance fighting alongside [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] and [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] against the [[Decepticon]] combiners when the villains invaded [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in 2011. They were very nearly crushed to death when [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] collapsed a building on them with his [[Sonic stun-gun|sonic stun-gun]], but the tide of the fight was turned when the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]] arrived to join the battle. {{storylink|The Mystery of Planet Master}}

Sometime later, the Trainbots formed Raiden in order to defend [[Japan]] against the marauding [[Sixshot]]. Raiden and Sixshot fought fiercely until [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] crashed the party. The arrivals of [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmaster]]s made it into a real brawl. During the fight, Raiden was swarmed by Sixshot and his hard-light dopplegangers in winged wolf modes. Raiden called for [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] to shoot at the Sixshots until he nailed the real one, even if Raiden was injured in the process. {{storylink|Terror! The Six Shadows}}

Raiden was formed to defend the [[Solar 1]] satellite against [[Predaking]]. He fought bravely against the bestial giant, and eventually sent the Decepticon fleeing with his tail(s?) between his legs. {{storylink|The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok}} Soon thereafter, Raiden battled Predaking again, with a raging volcano as their backdrop. The Headmasters soon became involved in the skirmish and, when Raiden briefly gained the upper hand on Predaking, they offered to step in so that the Trainbots could rescue the innocent villagers trapped at the base of the volcano. {{storylink|The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts}}

[[Image:Hmep23_raiden_vs_galvatron.jpg|right|thumb|225px]]

When [[San Francisco]] came under siege by a carnivorous alien plant, courtesy of the Decepticons, the Trainbots, [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s and [[Technobot (G1)|Technobot]]s responded to the emergency. The Trainbots combined into Raiden in order to engage Bruticus in an energy-sword duel, but as the battle went on, they switched opponents and started fist-fighting with [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] while the Autobot Headmasters dealt with the vicious vegetable. {{storylink|Head On!! Fortress Maximus}} A little later, during a clash on [[Mars (planet)|Mars]], Raiden helped [[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]] fend off a combined attack by the Decepticon Headmasters. {{storylink|Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears}}

After the Decepticons embarked on a quest into deep space to seek out new sources of energy, the Trainbots joined [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress]] in following their foes. Raiden was formed on the [[Twin Star]] planets and did battle with Predaking. {{storylink|Battle for Defense of the False Planet}} He was also briefly seen on the planet [[Paradise]], {{storylink|Head Formation of Friendship}} and took on [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] himself on the [[Pirate Planet]]. {{storylink|Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship}}

[[Image:Hmep35_raiden_vs_predaking.jpg|left|thumb|225px]]

Once the Autobots had returned to Earth, Raiden was next formed in defense of [[Autobot City]] as it was being attacked by Sixshot and Trypticon. He was intercepted by [[Apeface]] and [[Snapdragon]], however, and was unable to assist Ultra Magnus and [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] in their fight. {{storylink|Ultra Magnus Dies!!}} Raiden was next seen battling Predaking on the Kamchatka Penninsula, as the Decepticons attempted to exploit the [[Pacific Ring of Fire]]. {{storylink|I Risk My Life for Earth}} That battle concluded with the expulsion of the Decepticons from Earth, and soon after, Raiden helped eradicate any traces of the villains that remained on Earth by joining Defensor and [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] in demolishing their now-abandoned Earth base. {{storylink|Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 1)}}

When the Autobots learned that the Decepticons had withdrawn to the planet [[Master (planet)|Master]], the Trainbots joined the Autobots in pursuing them. After bombs planted by [[Weirdwolf]] damaged Fortress's battleship during a battle on Master, Raiden and Defensor were seen helping to repair it. {{storylink|Operation: Destroy the Decepticons}}

After the Transformers had all returned to Earth, the Trainbots formed Raiden for the final battle with [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticons at the North Pole. He warred with his counterpart, Predaking, and was nearly crushed by the Battleship Maximus when Scorponok battered it away. In the end, Raiden lent his strength to the Headmasters' [[Head Formation]], feeding Fortress Maximus enough power to overcome the effects of the [[crysmag metal]]. {{storylink|The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)}}
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====''The Headmasters'' comic====

[[Image:Hmmanga_raiden_claus.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]

Responding to a distress call from their [[Beastformer]] allies on the planet [[Beast (planet)|Beast]], the Trainbots merged into Raiden to deal with the Decepticons menacing the planet. Combining in mid-air, the united team allowed gravity to do the rest of the work as they delivered a shattering "JR Kick" straight to Predaking's face, taking him out of the fight. {{storylink|Great Decisive Battle of Planet Beast!}}

Back on Earth, the Trainbots joined Daniel and the Autobot Headmasters in investigating a Decepticon energy-stealing operation under the sea. The Decepticons were laying in ambush with a giant robot squid, but the Headmasters responded by tying its tentacles in knots, and the Trainbots then formed Raiden to swing the swing the automaton architeuthis like a mace, flattening the other Decepticons. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 3|The Headmasters #3}}

When [[Christmas]] rolled around, Raiden got into the spirit of the season when he joined the Autobot Headmasters in handing out gifts at a Japanese children's hospital, even going so far as to don a giant Santa hat and carry a huge sack. The merriment was soon interrupted by the arrival of the Decepticon Headmasters, but rather than join the battle, Raiden followed Chromedome's instruction to disengage and transport the hospital's patients to safety. {{storylink|The Headmasters issue 6|The Headmasters #6}}
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====''Super-God Masterforce'' comic====
[[Image:Mfmanga_raiden_chromedome_scramble7.jpg|left|thumb|350px]]

Several years after the Decepticons' expulsion from Earth following the final battle at the North Pole, the Trainbots were dispatched to pick up a new Autobot warrior named [[Ginrai]] who had risen to prominence on Earth and bring him to [[Athenia]] so Fortress could appoint him [[Supreme Commander]]. Naturally, the Decepticons attacked Athenia during Ginrai's stay, and Raiden was formed to fight back, only for him to wind up being cut down alongside Chromedome by a powerful blast from the combined Decepticon [[Scramble 7]]. {{storylink|The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops}}

The attack on Athenia had proven that the Decepticons on Earth had joined forces with the Decepticons in space, and so the Autobots elected to do the same to better fight their enemies. Soon after, when the leader of the space-based Decepticon forces, [[Scorponok (G1)|BlackZarak]], began heading for Earth, Raiden, the Autobot Headmasters and [[Grand Maximus]] gave chase. They were unable to stop him, but luckily, no sooner had he arrived than Ginrai tricked BlackZarak and the Earth Decepticon leader [[Overlord (Masterforce)|Overlord]] into blasting each other. Raiden and his allies cheered for Ginrai's success. {{storylink|God Ginrai's Amazing Super-God Combination!}}

==Toys==
===The Headmasters===
[[Image:Raiden toy.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Contains molten phenol to wipe out Stanton. This time he is unstoppable!]]
*'''Raiden''' (Trainbot, 1987, 1990)
** ''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-131'''
** ''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, chestplate, waist armor, back armor, 2 "Leg Beams", 2 "Wing Lasers", "Train Bazooka" rifle

: Raiden began life as the ''[[Diaclone]]'' "Trainbot", released as part of the "Real and Robo" subline. One of the few ''Diaclone'' toys not initially ported over for release in Hasbro's ''Transformers'' line, the Trainbots eventually found their way into the Transformers universe a few years later when they were released by [[TakaraTomy|Takara]], with the addition of waist and back armor panels for their combined mode, as part of the ''[[The Headmasters (franchise)|Headmasters]]'' line, available only in Japan.

:The six Trainbots who form Raiden were available both individually and together in a giftset. Like his fellow ''Diaclone''-born combiner Devastator, each of Raiden's components becomes a specific party of his body; they are not interchangeable, like the later-designed "Scramble City" combiners were. Raiden requires several additional parts to complete his combination, beyond the usual extremities-and-chestplate accessories of most other combiners, which take the form of various unique weapons: his shoulder-mounted "Wing Lasers", ankle-mounted "Leg Beams" and hand-held "Train Bazooka" gun, none of which are wielded by any of the smaller Trainbots.

:The Trainbots were later re-released in 1990 as part of the ''[[Zone (franchise)|Zone]]'' toyline, but only in individual packaging, never as a giftset.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1987/Cybertron/Raiden/raiden.htm More information on Raiden at TFU.info]''
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===Transform Jr===
[[Image:Tfjr_raiden.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Raiden''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, chestplate, "Train Bazooka" rifle

: The simplified ''[[Transform Jr]]'' version of Raiden was released both as a single gift set and in three two-packs (Shouki and Seizan, Yukikaze and Suiken, and Getsuei and Kaen). Like the larger Trainbot toys, these six figures are carry-overs of pre-existing ''Diaclone'' toys. The giftset includes an Autobot [[insignia]] pocket-clip included with many ''Transform Jr'' figures.

::*''[http://www.vega.or.jp/~butto/tftcollejr-01.htm More information on Transform Jr Raiden at a Japanese fansite]
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==Merchandise==
===Transformers Gum===
[[Image:Tfgum_raiden.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Raiden''' (1987)
**''Accessories:'' Left & right fists, 2 "Leg Beams"

:Released as part of the seventh wave of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformer Gum]]'' series of snap-together [[candy toy]] model kits, this simplified version of Raiden is molded in white, blue and grey plastic. Being that he is a combiner, Raiden doesn't transform like most other ''Transformers Gum'' models; instead, his limbs can disconnect and transform into train-mode Yukikaze, Seizan, Suiken and Getsuei (his torso is not capable of transforming, so Kaen and Shouki get no such love). The figure features no paint applications, but came with stickers to add detail, and a stick of terrible gum.
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===Super Collection Figure===
[[Image:Scf_raiden.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Raiden''' (2001)
**''Accessories:'' Display stand

: A three-inch tall [[plastic|PVC]] figurine of Raiden was available in the third ''Headmasters''-centric wave of Takara's ''[[Super Collection Figure]]'' line. Like all the figures in the wave, it was available in both standard full color figure and colorless clear plastic versions, one of each of which was available in a standard case of twelve [[blindpacking|blindpacked]] figures. Additionally, in two out of every ten cases, the colored version of Raiden came packaged with the head and sword pieces for the wave's collectable Fortress Maximus "build-a-figure".
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==Notes==
[[Image:Robottrain.jpg|right|180px|thumb|"We've managed to avoid drowning!"]]
*"Raiden" is an alternate name by which [[wikipedia:Raijin|Raijin]], the Japanese god of thunder and lightning, is known. Our Raiden's name is a little odd by Japanese standards, as it is spelled out with phoenetic katakana (ライデン ra-i-de-n), instead of the appropriate kanji (雷, rai, meaning thunder, and 電, den, meaning lightning).

*Raiden's on-package [[bio]] specifically notes that he dislikes Devastator, presumably a reference to the toys' shared origins as [[Diaclone]] combiners.

*Raiden's animation model is based on his ''Diaclone'' toy, rather than the ''Headmasters'' version of the figure, lacking as it does the orange armor plate added to the waist of the robot for his ''Transformers'' release.

* The Trainbots' combined train form appears in the [[title sequence]] of the [[Super-God Masterforce (cartoon)|''Super-God Masterforce'' cartoon]], but not in the series itself. The series creators seem to have intended to use the Robot Train to travel back and forth to [[Athenia]], more closely tying ''Super-God Masterforce'' to previous Transformers series, but the idea was quietly dropped. They did, however, appear for that purpose in the [[Super-God Masterforce (manga)|manga]].
{{--}}

==External links==
* [http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-toys/toy-gallery/745/Generation+1/Raiden.html Raiden at Transformers @ The Moon]

[[Category:Combined forms]]
[[Category:Japanese-original characters]]
[[Category:Super-God Masterforce Autobots]]
[[Category:The Headmasters Autobots]]

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Raiden